beliefs
Inner Journey To The Mystical Isle Of Avalon
Sometimes when the pressures and demands of modern life become too much, I retreat to one of my favorite places in the universe: the mythical island of Avalon.
This legendary island of Celtic mythology is steeped in legends of healing, psychic learning, sacred crafting, and the life and times of King Arthur. Its name translates as “Isle of Apples,” emphasizing its association with fertility, abundance, and otherworldly beauty.
In folklore, Avalon, or Insula Avallonis, was a sanctuary of deep spiritual and psychic knowledge and was known as a training ground for pagan priestesses dedicated to the Great Mother Goddess. These women dedicated their lives to spirituality, honing their skills in clairvoyance, herbalism, weaving, and deep devotion to the Divine Feminine.
But Avalon was not only a sanctuary for women. Men were also an integral part of its story. Merlin the magician is inextricably linked to the history of the island, having trained the young Arthur there for his kingship.
Avalon is also entwined with many other tales woven through the lives of King Arthur, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Merlin, Nimue (the Lady of the Lake), and others. Legend also has it that King Arthur was brought to Avalon by his half-sister, Morgan le Fay, to heal after being badly wounded in battle.
The question of whether Avalon really existed straddles the line between myth and reality. Some historians and researchers speculate that Avalon may be based on a real place. Glastonbury, England, is often associated with Avalon because of its mystical aura and ties to Arthurian legend.
The Spiritual Implications Of The Lazarus Syndrome
Recently, while watching the 2008 film The Lazarus Project, I was reminded of the paranormal phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) and became intrigued by the possibility of someone coming back to life after death.
The plot of the movie is about a man who is given a second chance at life after being executed for a crime. Despite being lethally injected, he somehow wakes up in a psychiatric hospital and must overcome a series of mysterious and mystical challenges to be reunited with his family.
The title, of course, refers to the story in John 11 of a man named Lazarus who was raised from the dead by Jesus after four days. While the plot of the movie does not directly parallel the biblical story, it does draw on the themes of resurrection and second chances.
My newfound curiosity soon led me to discover a documented medical phenomenon known as “Lazarus Syndrome.” Also known as the “Lazarus phenomenon” or “autoresuscitation,” it is a rare medical condition in which a person spontaneously comes back to life after all attempts at resuscitation have failed and the person has been pronounced dead.
The phenomenon was first noted in medical literature in 1982 by Finnish anesthesiologist Dr. Kalevi Linko, who described it as the spontaneous return of circulation after resuscitation efforts have ceased. The term “Lazarus phenomenon” was later popularized by Dr. John Francis Bray in 1993, who used the biblical reference to describe these rare cases of patients who spontaneously return to life.
Cultivating A Thriving Garden Of The Mind
Your mind is like a fertile garden, constantly nurturing and cultivating the seeds of thought you plant each day. Every waking moment your ideas, beliefs, and perceptions take hold and gradually grow into the mental landscape that ultimately shapes your reality.
If you could take a walk through your “mind garden,” what would you find? Would you see sturdy, thriving trees of faith, hope, and positivity, their roots deeply nourishing the soil of your thoughts? Perhaps vibrant, radiant flowers of joy, abundance and well-being brightening the landscape?
Or would you find brittle branches of lost dreams and dry, withered remnants of unfulfilled hopes? Perhaps the creeping weeds of negativity and doubt smothering your true potential, casting shadows over your hopes and ideals?
I actually do this visualization sometimes as part of my morning meditation practice. I imagine walking through my inner garden, tending to my thoughts and beliefs, nurturing them with faith and positivity, fertilizing those that are flourishing, and pulling out the weeds of doubt, fear, or negativity that had somehow taken root and are no longer serving my highest good.
I also ask for divine guidance, calling on God, my guides and loved ones in spirit to help me recognize innate talents and growth opportunities that I might have overlooked or neglected. Perhaps there are hidden seeds within me that still need to be planted or nurtured. With intention, I also visualize planting new seeds of goodness, self-empowerment, and spiritual expansion.
How Pluto in Aquarius Will Shape Our Future
Today marks a momentous occasion in astrology, as the planet Pluto makes its long-awaited entry into the constellation of Aquarius. This powerful transit marks one of the most significant astrological events of our lifetime – a transformative two-decade journey that will last until 2044, setting the stage for profound changes in both our personal and collective lives.
Along with Uranus and Neptune, Pluto has a longer orbit and is therefore able to significantly affect the lives of entire generations. In fact, Pluto makes only a few major transits in the average person’s lifetime due to its very slow orbit around the Sun. It takes the planet about 248 years to complete a single orbit, so it passes through only a few signs in the course of a human lifetime.
Known as the planet of transformation, power and the subconscious, Pluto deeply influences social structures, collective beliefs and hidden desires. It is one of the most influential generational planets in the zodiac.
Pluto’s entry into Aquarius promises a period of profound evolution, reform, and rethinking of societal norms. This shift from the structured and hierarchical influence of Capricorn to the forward-thinking and humanitarian energy of Aquarius ushers in a new era in which old systems give way to more inclusive, progressive and visionary approaches.
Pluto was last in Aquarius from 1777 to 1798. Historically this was a period of significant social and technological change, including the American and French Revolutions and the early stages of the Industrial Revolution. The last time Pluto transited Aquarius, it sparked major shifts in power structures, political ideologies, and a focus on individual rights and collective freedoms – themes that are likely to resurface with Pluto re-entering Aquarius today.
The Spiritual Power Of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a powerful therapeutic tool for those who view spirituality as a journey of personal growth, karmic healing, and soul evolution. NLP’s focus on reframing beliefs, improving communication, and cultivating self-awareness resonates deeply with modern spiritual aspirations.
Rather than seeing NLP as simply a set of psychological techniques, many spiritually-minded people use it as a means of transforming inner blockages, clearing old patterns, and creating a life that serves their highest good. With NLP, personal growth becomes a conscious journey in which the mind, heart and spirit work together in harmony.
At its core, NLP emphasizes the power of our beliefs and the language we use – two aspects that are also relevant to spirituality. Many spiritual seekers strive to release limiting beliefs and align with their true self and divine potential, and NLP offers practical tools to make this personal transformation possible.
By teaching you how to identify and reprogram subconscious thoughts, NLP empowers you to change habitual responses, tap into your creative potential, and live with greater intention. This approach resonates with those of us on a spiritual path because it addresses one of the central concepts in several spiritual teachings and esoteric traditions: the belief that our inner world shapes our outer reality, and that by changing our mindset we can transform our life experiences.
When applied with a spiritual perspective, NLP becomes a means of aligning with one’s higher purpose, healing karmic wounds, and fostering self-love. By understanding how thoughts, emotions, and language interact to shape reality, those on a path of spiritual growth can use NLP to accelerate their journey and transform both their inner landscape and outer reality.