The Shaman’s Schmetterling In Gottsdorf
In my previous blog I shared the story of the sign I received from the ancient oracle during my visit to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Well, the magical presence of the butterfly totem did not end with my visit to Greece. In all of the other countries I was to visit on this particular European tour, I would encounter butterflies at every sacred site, and during special moments I shared with significant others.
The miracle continued when I arrived at a country inn in Gottsdorf, outside Berlin, Germany. This was to be the venue for a four day meditation seminar I was attending. The event was set to take place in a cozy Yoga studio attached to the small hotel.
The moment I entered this room, I noticed a small altar the seminar organizer had set up for the time we would be working in this space. The display was charming and colorful, but that was not what drew my attention. No, what struck me instantaneously was the large, vibrant butterfly hanging on the brick wall behind the altar.
Yes, indeed. I had received yet another mystical route marker along this personal odyssey into self-realization. This time the butterfly was not black and white, like the one who came to whisper in my ear at Delphi. Instead a brightly colored paper butterfly waved hello to me from above! It was like a psychedelic kaleidoscope reminiscent of the shapes one sometimes sees in sacred geometry art… or tie-died T-shirts from the 60s. Continue reading
A Sign From Apollo At The Delphic Oracle
Would you not do the same if you were going to visit the remains of the legendary sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, Greece? Well, I did! I humbly requested a simple sign or personal omen from the god of light, truth and prophecy, while I was planning my recent European tour*. I knew for several months before I undertook this odyssey that Apollo would not disappoint, but ultimately I received much more than I had anticipated.
The renowned oracle who communicated Apollo’s messages to the people, and the priests who interpreted them, no longer ply their trade at this once glorious place, but Apollo has certainly not abandoned his remarkable temple. He still answers the call of mortals here, despite the fact that most of us now live in a world devoid of the mystical and the miraculous. Yes, he certainly does. I have proof.
In The Powerful Presence Of The Maiden Goddess
Many centuries have come and gone since the Athenians ascended the Acropolis to seek the guidance and protection of Athena, the maiden goddess of wisdom, war and divine intelligence. Her status as the favorite daughter of Zeus, and powerful patron deity of the city of Athens, remains evident to this day.
Expecting to be mostly drawn to the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, when I visited the Acropolis of Athens in Greece*, I was instead keenly aware of the omnipresence of Athena’s legacy. My undergraduate education in literature and drama afforded me a reasonably good understanding of the role of the god Dionysus in ancient Greek culture. I knew about the festivals and plays, and as a student I often imagined visiting the remains of those historic open-air auditoriums. Continue reading
Journey Born Under A Divine Star
In the coming weeks I will be posting a series of articles from my travel blog, which I wrote during my recent trip to Europe. The blogs are a collection of spiritual adventures, pilgrimages to sacred places and accounts of my personal odyssey into self-realization. Let me be your guide to sacred sites like Stone Henge in the United Kingdom and the Oracle of Delphi at Temple of Apollo in Greece.
I was very excited that my journey began under one of the most rare and powerful aspects in astrology, namely the Grand Sextile, or Star of David. The ancients associated this unique alignment of six planets with the birth and anointing of a king. This rare alignment of the planets occurred on July 29th, 2013. Seven of the ten planets were involved to create six sextiles, three oppositions and two Grand Trines! Continue reading
The Powerful Magic Of Being Authentic
If anyone were to ask me what the highlight of my life has been thus far, I would not even need a nanosecond to think about it. It is the easiest question I could ever answer. The most profound moment for me simply was the day I discovered the true power of authenticity. It was the day I discovered me.
Since that day, the quest for authenticity has completely altered my life. Like a Columbus of the heart, mind and soul I have hurled myself off the shores of my own fears and limiting beliefs, to venture far out into the uncharted territories of my inner truth in search of what it means to be genuine and at peace with who I really am. I have been abandoning the masquerade of living up to the expectations of others and have been exploring the new horizons of what it means to be truly and completely me, in all my amazing imperfection and most splendid insecurity. Continue reading
Living A Life Of Increase
To become more, to expand, and to seek more complete expression is inherent in our human condition, because it is an innate quality we possess due to our original spiritual nature. ‘Increasing’ or ‘becoming’ is what drives the expansion of the entire Conscious Universe.
We are each of us a mirror reflection of the Universal Source; we are created in the image of the Divine. We are a perfect imprint of the magnificent Holographic Web of Consciousness. And because we are spiritual beings who reflect the Divine in physical form, we also possess the innate qualities of Divinity. We are self-aware and conscious; we have the capacity for reason, sentience, imagination and creative thought; we command creative freedom and the metaphysical power to manifest; and we have the capacity for complete self-actualization, individuation and transcendence. All these qualities are the expression of our inner Divinity, a direct reflection and extension of the Higher Self. Continue reading
The Myth Of Spiritual ‘Life Lessons’
It is not true that we must live a challenging, tormented life to learn certain spiritual “lessons”. Believing that we are here to “learn” is merely a justification that some folks offer to make sense of the bad things that sometimes happen to good people.
The irony is that those who choose to believe this myth will most likely have to face one trial and tribulation after the other, just as they expected. If someone’s life is awash with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” it is often because they choose it to be so.
The hardship and suffering we see in this world is mostly man-made. Misery is something we inflict on ourselves, and each other. It is not of Spirit, Source or God. Continue reading