spiritual teachings
What You Might Not Know About Reincarnation
Reincarnation, or the rebirth of our spiritual form into different bodies over time, is a broadly accepted concept across many spiritual traditions and cultures. It is a natural extension of the Law of Karma, which tells us that there is no cause without effect, nor effect without a cause. But beyond the basic concept, many of us don’t know very much about this eternal cycle.
Nature is full of these ongoing cycles: the planets in their orbits, the seasons here on Earth. We, in both our physical and spiritual states, are no different. At the moment of conception, our cells begin to multiply at exponential, and highly patterned rates, until the time comes for our physical birth. It is widely believed that each soul, or reincarnated spirit, enters the body when we first draw breath.
It is the agents of karma, among them the angels, who decide, for specific reasons, which souls will occupy each new body. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned or obstacles to overcome. The point is, it is believed that we ourselves do not choose.
In many spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism, the purpose of reincarnation is such that each soul may learn the requisite number of lessons in physical form to ultimately achieve enlightenment, or nirvana. One truth not commonly known is that many more souls exist in the Universe than there are physical people on Earth. A soul may not be reborn immediately following one death; it may wait for hundreds or thousands of years.
Working With Elemental Spirit Guides
There are several different classifications of spirit guides and energies that we as humans can work with to help us on our journey. Most spiritual traditions teach about the elemental energy within the four classical elements. This is found in ancient Buddhist texts, Native American spirituality, shamanic traditions, within the Judeo-Christian and other monotheistic traditions.
Working with elemental spirit guides can give us insights and strategies to promote positive changes in our lives, reveal our unconscious self-destructive patterns, and transform our subconscious mind and create a harmonious and balanced internal story. Elemental guides can also assist us when we are walking through a difficulty or life challenge, as well as intensify our ability to manifest the lives we want.
It is not difficult to connect with the elemental forces. There are many strategies that can assist in bringing these elemental forces into our everyday lives.
The Spirit Of Water
The spirit of water is associated with emotions and love. It can be used to help in assisting with emotional challenges, grief, and a better understanding and greater experience of love in our lives.
In many ancient traditions there is a parallel between water and being humble. It is said to be the humblest of all the elements, always seeking the lowest point. However, in its humble position it is also one of the strongest elements. In seeking the lowest position, it can evaporate into the air, satiate the flames of fire, and carve through the mountains of the earth.
When Spiritual Leaders Let Us Down
It is a hard lesson for some of us to learn that people are just people. We are all capable of good and evil. The difference is the choices that are made on how to handle our emotions and feelings.
When you put faith and trust in an individual and are let down, you start to second guess your decisions and lose some faith in yourself to make wise decisions. It can leave a big hole in your heart and create trust issues in the future.
It seems impossible for a person who has done remarkable good deeds to also choose to do bad things. We must realize that all people have temptations in life. Some people can avoid the albatross on their back, while others simply cannot. It takes a very strong person to walk their talk.
The same applies to ‘highly spiritual’ people, because some healers, gurus and spiritual leaders certainly have had their own cross to bear.
The Divine Light Within You
Namaste. This is a term that is often used in Yoga practices and certain spiritual services. The word itself is a salutation which means, “The divine light in me honors the divine light in you.” Often people will say this unconsciously. However, it is a spiritual truth that should remind us of the value of our own light and the light of others.
The truth is that you are the light of the world and you always have a choice to honor that light, or hide that light. Spiritual teacher, activist and author, Marianne Williamson, writes, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
The main block to experiencing your own light is fear and the main freedom from fear is love. You are here to be a service to the world. You incarnated for this reason. In fact, we are all here serving each other. Even when something terrible has happened, it gives us an opportunity to see what happens when love is not present within an action.
Spiritual Power And Spiritual Practice
We are spiritual beings having a physical experience. This is important to remember when considering the nature of spiritual things. The root word for spirit is ‘breath.’ This means that every person that is breathing is equally spiritual.
Too often people think that there is a hierarchical system within spirituality; that some people are ‘more spiritual’ than others. This is simply not true. There may be individuals that have a more intentional spiritual practice, with more understanding, knowledge, or wisdom. However, this does not make them ‘more spiritual.’
The nature and purpose of spiritual practice is also something that can be misunderstood. Whether it be prayer, meditation, invocations, or other sacraments, these practices are not just to get what we want. It can be a byproduct of authentic spiritual seeking and practice, but in nearly every tradition, true spiritual power is often summed up with three principles: Love, Joy, and Peace.
All spiritual practices are intended to lead us to tap into these three qualities. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Love, Joy, and Peace are the first of many “fruits of the spirit.” Authentic spiritual practice is meant to lead us to the experience of these three things.
The Truth About Manifesting
Spiritual seekers often ask, “Why am I struggling to manifest what I want? Why is it taking so long?” Many books and workshops on the Law of Attraction and the practice of manifesting, tend to give people the false belief that they can simply say something like, “I want a million dollars,” and then it will show up in their bank account.
I have attended many of these manifesting workshops in my lifetime, and I have watched many webinars on the subject. Most of them have one thing in common: the people leading them are charging a fee and are certainly making money. But I have yet to see their students achieve the same!
Manifesting is tricky. You have to learn to allow, and to keep your thoughts, your free will and your ego out of it. Manifesting is also guided by what you are meant to have, or the lessons that you are meant to learn from past lives, current or past karma, and even your desire to have it all ‘right now.’
We have all had experiences of thinking of a person… and then suddenly you run into them, or receive a phone call, text or email from them. Is it just coincidence, or is it synchronicity, or did you actually manifest it? Take a moment to consider this.
Magic And Manifestation
Every human being has powerful magic inside of them, and part of my job is to teach people how to use that energy. I understand that ‘magic’ is somewhat of a loaded word. So, let me re-frame it for you. Jesus called if faith and told us that with a small amount of faith we can move mountains. Buddha called it thought manifestation and explained that our conscious thought produces our reality. How we focus our energy will eventually manifest in one way or another in our lives.
One thing that concerns some people with this kind of talk is the idea of darkness, or evil. Darkness does exist, but I believe that it exists only as a catalyst to increase our vibrational frequency, if we are ready to do so. My personal belief is that darkness cannot stick if there is nothing for it to stick to. This is why when discussing lower vibrational frequencies the best action is to increase our vibration.
There is really no war of light versus dark. We can turn on the lights and then if there is something that needs to be cleaned up, we can clean it up. The darkness does not struggle when the lights come on. It just goes away. For nearly all problematic circumstances our primary goal should be to change our consciousness and increase our vibrational frequency.