grace
Life Is In The Eyes Of The Beholder
What is the lens through which you view the world? When I close my eyes I see waterfalls, flowing streams, and flowers. This is the scenery surrounding me with my eyes open too. It tells me a story of life, of inner perception, and beauty.
The experience of life is what we make it, not because we are independently powerful controllers or causes of physical outcomes, but because we are eternally sentient beings with the gift of free will.
The spirit soul is a spark of consciousness, and we can express that consciousness through a variety of qualities. It is that inner flavor of our quality that then colors our experience and lens.
So, for example, when I see the water in the stream rolling around rocks and carving a curvy path through the land in front of me, I am reminded of a world that is gentle with feminine energy. She flows and nourishes and moves with consistent but soft determination.
I know that elsewhere there is also hard, jagged terrain and a state of mind that matches it. I can choose to match my mind to the beauty, diversity, and gentleness of spirit, or to the rigid harshness of a cold, hard, inert world of matter and might.
This choice presents itself at every step. Two people may suffer a similar loss in their lives, but process it completely differently. One might see it as an opportunity to grow and become more resilient, while the other might choose to feel angry and unfortunate. It depends on the lens through which we choose to view the world and our interactions with it.
Our circumstances also do not have to change for consciousness to change. When we change our inner consciousness and the lens through which we choose to view life, we change the experience.
The Goddess Energy Of The Sacred Feminine
Many people assume the sacred feminine is a concept relevant to women only. This is not true at all. The sacred feminine is a way of living for everyone, and a reorientation of how we move through life.
In his book Power vs. Force, author David R. Hawkins explores the intrinsic energy that is fundamental to all of life – an eternal power that is not driven by ego, will, or forceful means, but rather by a natural flow, like we see with the sacred feminine.
If you think of a goddess archetype, such as Kwan Yin, there is a gentle flow of energy that outpours from her, and yet there is an immense power in the dragon she rides! In Chinese Buddhism, Kwan Yin is an icon of compassion, kindness, mercy, and love.
Recognizing the gentle power of the divine feminine comes down to resistance. Is there a natural flow that is working in harmony for the greater good, or is there an extreme push with no regard to anyone else’s well-being with what is trying to come through the power in a given situation?
The latter of the two may bring about success for an individual or small group in the short-term, but what about the long-term impact? How will this show up karmically, or affect the greater good down the road?
When there is a strong desire to create something and it is met with resistance, those in touch with the sacred feminine tend to be more patient and will enter a state of receptive stillness and assess the situation from a viewpoint of loving kindness and wisdom.
The sacred feminine is quiet and gentle, but it does not mean one who lives like this is a ‘dishrag’ who acquiesces to everyone else’s needs and demands. Nor is it choosing to never go after a strong desire, or holding back full effort to win a tennis match!
Leave Some Space For Grace
When I read energy, it is shown to me in terms of the strength of that energy. In other words, the strength of the energy is directly tied to its manifestation here in the physical realm. As above, so below.
When we are angry or in conflict, we are often heavily invested in simply being right. And the more the argument evolves… the more virulent the energy becomes. This is never a hopeful, healthy precursor to manifesting better things in our life.
Fortunately, there is the powerful spiritual and emotional energy that love and forgiveness can also manifest in our lives, to counteract the impact of negative emotional energies.
A sister to the energies of love and forgiveness that is not always afforded equal honor, bit is equally powerful is the gift of grace. You may have heard of ‘grace under pressure?’ Essayist William Hazlitt defines grace as “the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.”
So, what is grace? Webster’s Dictionary defines grace as both a noun and a verb. Noun: unmerited favor, kindness undeserved. Verb: to confer dignity or honor on, or to add beauty to.
Grace is the ‘breath’ we take between anger and forgiveness. It is a choice to be silent, hold our tongue, and open the door for peace to enter into a challenging situation.
Angels naturally possess infinite grace, and many times the angels I work with have to remind me to hold my tongue, think before I speak, and simply be silent and listen to the person I am angry with. Being heard even if we are not understood is very validating. It says to the other person, “you are important to me, what you are feeling and thinking matters to me”. What you give you will receive.
Your Future Is A Divine Garden
True psychic reading is descriptive, not predictive. It relays what is revealed in the energy. It is not a conclusive fortune-telling of what is definitely going to happen in the future. But what is in the energy can indeed offer information for the future. It is about destiny, not fate.
Gardening is a good analogy to describe this ‘predictive’ energy. Seeds planted in the earth are unseen, but truly there. They are not visible to the naked eye from the surface. Seeds are hidden beneath, teeming with life. They hold the parts and potentials of an entire existence to unfold. But their process takes time. There is a period that it appears inactive from the outside, yet there is something magical stirring and germinating within it. Within every seed there is life force; an encapsulated vitality undergoing a natural evolution toward its next stage…long before it can be seen.
Similarly, energy is present beneath the surface of our ordinary awareness. It is as a subtle substance, quality, or force to yet shaped into physical form. It is there, a reality, pulsating, before it makes its presence known. There is an organic movement and process that occurs within it. In its own time and way, it moves, morphs, and takes shape.
As different seeds hold different varieties of plants to be, so do energies hold their own distinctive qualities also. Each has unique attributes that could be compared to the distinguishing features of form, texture, color, fragrance, species, and so on. Therefore, the energy of loss is noticeably very different than the energy of joy, like an apple seed is very different from a sesame seed.
Planted seeds also do not all sprout at the same time, nor even precisely when anticipated. A lotus seed, for example, can remain viable for at least three thousand years, whereas a tulsi seed generally germinates within one to two weeks. Seeds in the cabbage family, such as broccoli, kale, and lettuce, can come up in just one to two days.
The Spiritual Tidings Of The Ladybug
If you enjoy gardening or spend a lot of time outdoors, you are probably well-acquainted with ladybugs. These brave little members of the beetle insect family come in thousands of varieties and colors and are found all over the world.
In medieval Europe, these little beetles were associated with the Virgin Mary, because they helped protect farmers’ crops from pests. The ladybug eats aphids and other garden pests, while keeping flowers and plants healthy.
In other cultures, including Scandinavia, Japan, and India, ladybugs are associated with divine feminine energy, as well as forgiving ourselves and others, spiritual grace, and empathy. The cycle of death and rebirth, along with the ability to heal, are also symbolic trademarks of the humble ladybug.
But they are not just useful as nature’s pest controllers. They are also spiritual messengers.
It is said good fortune isn’t far away when a ladybug lands on you, and for good reason: their hard outer shells and bright colors make them among the toughest survivors in the insect world. And they do not only bring tidings of good luck, they are also good omens of protection and healing.
Next time you encounter a ladybug, count the number of spots you see on its shell. If there are a total of seven spots, or another prime number, it is considered especially lucky. Likewise, note the color. Ladybugs are often depicted as red with black spots, but they also come in various shades of yellow (joy, optimism, the sun) and orange (health, prosperity). Just like our fingerprints, no two ladybugs are the same.
Unlike some other insects, the ladybug can live comparatively long, up to two to three years, and they also hibernate like mammals. For this reason, ladybugs often show up in our lives when it is time for us to engage in greater self-care, or recover our physical and spiritual strength when life becomes overwhelming. When they fly on a warm summer breeze, imagine them taking some of your cares away.
The Empowering Flame Of Uriel
If you are feeling overwhelmed, depleted, extremely worried, lost and lonely, or in need of a major divine intervention, or a powerful spiritual boost, then calling on Archangel Uriel for support and guidance may be a wise choice.
Archangel Uriel symbolizes the omnipotent power of God, the giver of life. The name Uriel means ‘the fire of God.’ His role is to awaken higher consciousness in all people.
Uriel is held as the patron of wisdom and protector of teachers, ministers, and philosophers. With the fire of his flame, Saint Uriel spreads truth and wisdom throughout the world. This angel is the defender of the sense of the spirit, and guardian of the straight and clear path to achieving the glory of God.
Uriel is credited with the mighty force and spirit of life. The representation of him with a flame of fire symbolizes his duty: to ignite the conscience of men through the fire of truth.
He is known as the angel of those who seek truth and knowledge. Those who come seeking the help of this archangel often need guidance and wisdom to make the right choice in their lives.
Each archangel represents a direction: Raphael for the East, Gabriel for the West, Michael for the South, and Uriel for the North. This can be helpful when we meditate on a particular archangel.
We can approach the Archangel Uriel to ask for help in crucial matters; to ask for wisdom, divine inspiration, and transform that inspiration into decisive action.
He is also known to be the archangel of prophecy and psychic ability and therefore the ideal angel to work with in psychic development or to expand your intuitive skills. When you ask for his help in this regards, he will begin to regularly guide you through daily intuitions, clairvoyant visions, and prophetic dreams.
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Life Invites You To Dance
In the quietude of the morning, as the sun gently rises with a golden glow glistening through the trees, I feel a calm within reflecting the clear blue sky. The season is changing. The heavy heat and humidity of summer has dissolved into an idyllic balance of coolness, warmth, and lightness in the air.
It is a time of transition, moving toward autumn, but not fully there yet. For me, it is a season of revitalization and renewed inspiration. The vastness of nature expands all around and the interconnectedness of every soul within it reaches the forefront of my awareness.
Today, I will be intuitively teaching a dancing with nature class at the World Peace Sanctuary nearby. All of life is a dance with nature and its Creator. We are invited into that partnership and party of life, to move together in joy and harmony.
But how do we join the flow? It begins at the feet, at the root of the tree of life. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, the great celestial sage Narada instructs, “As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.”
Not only are angels, nature spirits, and demigods part of the tree, but so are we. Like leaves upon it, we are connected not only with the twigs, branches, and trunk, but with the root, the very source and sustenance of all life. By watering that root with our whole-hearted attention and intention, we are nourished, supplied, and satisfied.
But what does this mean practically? It means peace and growth rest not in pursuit of individual desires, but in harmony with and service to Divine desires. Endeavoring to serve separate interests is futile and unfulfilling, just as watering the leaves and limbs of a tree individually would be. They would dry up and die if simply watered separately. Continue reading
