higher power
The Soulful Practice Of Kirtan Chanting
An ancient spiritual practice less known in the West has transformed my spiritual routine in recent years. It is known as kirtan a beautiful form of devotional chanting that originated in ancient India.
The term “kirtan” comes from Sanskrit and means “narrating, reciting, telling, describing” of an idea or story, particularly in a religious context. This enchanting practice weaves together music, meditation, chanting, and a deep sense of spiritual expression.
Kirtan is a central practice in the Bhakti Yoga tradition, which emphasizes love and devotion to a personal deity. It involves the repetitive chanting of mantras and divine names, traditionally in Sanskrit, accompanied by musical instruments such as the harmonium, tabla, and cymbals.
Traditionally, kirtans focus on chanting the names of deities like Krishna, Rama, or Sita. The kirtan leader sings a line and the congregation responds, creating a rhythmic and melodic interplay that is both meditative and invigorating.
While Kirtan remains rooted in its spiritual origins, it has gained global popularity beyond India and the Bhakti tradition. As the practice of yoga has boomed worldwide, kirtan too has seen an immense rise in popularity. It’s a testament to the universal appeal and transformative power of this captivating practice.
Kirtan events and gatherings are known for being welcoming and inclusive, focusing on the shared experience of chanting rather than strict religious adherence. Unlike the typical musical experience in spiritual settings, kirtan invites everyone to participate in a soulful, call-and-response chanting that creates a profound connection to the divine and brings people closer together.
Spiritual Empowerment For The Single Parent
Being a spiritually conscious single parent today is a challenge, but it also offers unique opportunities for spiritual growth and personal development.
Navigating this responsibility effectively requires more than practical parenting skills and strategies. It also requires intuitive awareness and spiritual guidance.
These two inner resources can help single parents make wise choices that align with their core values and provide inner strength and courage during difficult times.
As a parent, I deeply value intuitive awareness and spiritual guidance in my daily life. These inner resources are my compass, helping me navigate the complexities of parenting with grace and confidence.
Intuitive awareness allows me to sense my children’s needs and emotions on a deeper level, often guiding me to the right words or actions in moments of uncertainty.
Spiritual guidance, on the other hand, provides me with a sense of purpose and calm, grounding me in the knowledge and faith that I am part of a greater plan.
Together, they help me make decisions that are not only practical but also aligned with my core values and higher purpose. This dual approach ensures that I am nurturing my children’s growth while staying true to myself, fostering a harmonious and supportive family environment.
Spirituality Is The Key To True Happiness
What really makes us happy in life? It’s definitely not just money and stuff. In my job as a psychic consultant, I talk to all kinds of people, including some really wealthy ones.
The truth is, there’s often something missing in the lives of my most affluent clients. They’re often not any happier than anyone else. In fact, some of them are really unhappy and even depressed!
A lot of people think that success and money guarantee happiness, but that’s just not true. Sure, success can feel good, but it doesn’t lead to lasting happiness.
Financial stability can also reduce stress, but once our basic needs are met, more money and material things don’t add much further value.
It is no secret that many psychic reading requests tend to be about people’s challenges with dating, lack of romance in their lives, dysfunctional relationships, or failing marriages.
But sometimes I talk to people who are happily married or in long-term committed relationships with caring partners. They seem to have the whole package in the relationship department, but they too are sometimes unhappy or unfulfilled. So being in a relationship does not seem to be the key to true and lasting happiness.
Many people also believe true happiness means feeling great all the time, but that’s not how it works. Happiness comes and goes, and it’s normal to feel a range of emotions in our everyday life. No one is perfectly happy all the time, but we can all live more fulfilling lives if we focus on what truly matters.
Spiritual Maturity Is A Lifelong Journey
What does spiritual maturity mean to you? Every time I ask someone this question, I get all kinds of different answers.
A Baby Boomer I asked said it meant going to church, donating to charities, studying the Bible, and following the Ten Commandments.
When I asked a Gen Z client, she said it meant minding your own business and not caring what others think of you because it is none of your business what they think. She also said she was a Wiccan and didn’t believe in wishing negative energy on others, because she knew it would only come back to her if she did.
I recently asked four people at a social gathering, and they had different opinions on the subject. They were in their 30s and 40s and had a young teenager with them. Interestingly, one thing they all agreed on was that it is spiritually mature to create healthy boundaries with family and friends for your own mental and spiritual well-being. One woman shared, for exxample, that if she hadn’t stopped hanging out with one of her friends, she would have hit rock bottom emotionally.
“I just could not put up with the way she treated me. I used to spend a lot of time stressing about the things she would say and do. I was always overthinking every toxic interaction with her, and our so-called friendship was not good for my mental state,” she explained. “So, for me, spiritual maturity is walking away from those who bring you down.”
A Foreboding Intuition Can Save Your Life!
You know how you always pay attention to road signs to avoid accidents (if you are a smart and responsible driver or pedestrian)? Well, your soul or higher self has its own inner warning signs that are worth paying attention to.
Have you ever had a gut feeling that something just isn’t right? Like a little internal alarm bell going off? Maybe it was telling you to get out of a situation or away from a person, and you did, and later found out why your gut was telling you to leave.
These intuitions are the result of our inner guidance acting as an early warning system, alerting us to potential dangers or threats before we are even able to consciously assess the situation or process the information. This quick, gut reaction prompts us to take precautions or avoid potentially risky situations.
I’ve had my fair share of remarkable intuitions over the years. Just today, someone knocked on my door asking for information about a neighbor. Although I felt very tired from dealing with my sick cats the past few days, I kept my focus and decided not to tell him anything, because my gut told me to keep quiet.
But he kept asking questions. Then, bam! His pen exploded before he could even write anything. The ink literally popped out of the body of the pen. The nib fell out and landed on the floor. Weird, right? No, not really. It was just an additional omen for me to be careful. It was a sign to think and speak with caution and discernment. This is a great example of Spirit trying to tell you something. To do something, or not to do something.
What Reality Will You Create Today?
In this lifetime, it is important to remember that we are all the creators of our own realities, as well as the co-creators of our shared reality.
This means that as an individual we have the divine gift of free will. Free will is our personal power to make our own choices in life. It is one of the most important and valuable aspects of human existence because it allows us to determine our own fate and shape our own destiny.
Without free will, we would not be autonomous and responsible spiritual beings in human form. Instead, we would be robots, pre-programmed to act in a certain way. Being born with free will allows us to make moral choices, to love and be loved, and to create our own unique paths in life.
Of course, with free will comes responsibility and accountability. We are responsible for our own thoughts and actions, both good and bad. We must therefore think carefully about our choices and make sure that we are acting not only for our own highest good, but also for the greater good.
Free will also does not mean that we are completely free from the constraints of external circumstances and worldly influences. We also share a collective free will with the rest of humanity. Just as we create our own daily reality and shape our individual destiny, we also co-create a shared global reality with the rest of the world.
Invoking Archangel Michael In Your Spiritual Practice
Archangel Michael, the divine warrior and champion of truth and justice, is a powerful figure in many spiritual traditions. He is a prominent figure in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Baha’i Faith, and Neo-Paganism.
His name in Hebrew means “Who is like the Lord?” and his title “Archangel” means “Prince of Angels.” Michael is the leader of the angelic realm and is known for his strength, courage, and protection. He fights for good, empowers the faithful, and accompanies the souls of the righteous to heaven.
He is typically depicted as a warrior, complete with sword and shield. He is also often shown defeating a dragon or other monstrous creature. In Christianity, he is specifically mentioned in the Book of Revelation as battling Satan.
In some depictions, he is shown holding scales. This is a reference to his position as guardian of the dead as their souls leave the earth. Just as the Roman god Mercury accompanied souls to the underworld, Michael is said to accompany the recently deceased on their journey to the other side.
Michael is a venerable spiritual figure and is often invoked in prayer, meditation, and other spiritual practices. Believers invoke his presence for protection, guidance, and spiritual strength.