spiritual awareness
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
Opening To Divine Guidance
Beginning to work with your angels and spirit guides is just like learning any other new skill. It requires patience, commitment, openness, and a willingness to ask for help.
In fact, I compare opening to divine guidance to learning a new language, because in essence you are discovering the ways you and your ‘spirit team’ communicate with one another.
Everyone has this ability and if you are willing to put forward the effort, the dividends will be life-changing in positive and joyful ways.
The first step, as with everything related to spirit, is to set the intention to work more closely with your spirit team. Ask your spirit team to work more closely with you. Empower them to turn up the volume of their communication with you.
It is important to remember that you are an important member of your team. You are not a subordinate or lesser, because you are in physical form.
In fact, our spirit team reveres us for our courage to come forward into this lifetime, and they assembled strictly for the purpose of supporting us in this endeavor. They are here to make your life easier and to support you, so let them!
The first way spirit communicates with us is through signs. This can be something as profound as a book we need to read falling off the shelf in front of us at a bookstore; or overhearing a conversation that answers a question in your heart; or something as simple as finding feathers and pennies on the sidewalk.
The key to determining if something is divine guidance or not, is how it makes us feel. If we feel love and inspiration, rightness in our heart, mind and body, then it is a Divine message. If it makes us feel scared, frightened, or disempowered then it is not divine guidance, it is human ego.
Discover Your True Strength And Inner Beauty
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Are you looking at only the outer appearance, or are you looking at the soul behind the flesh? Are you seeing the spirit within you?
Take a few minutes today to shut out the noise of the world, as well as any negative self-talk you may tend to indulge in. Then be still, take a few deep breaths and go within to explore who you really are on the inside.
Shift your awareness out of your mind and into your heart and gut. Uncover the inner strength that lies beneath the tears and hurt. See the love that longs to come to the surface and be shared with others. Find your inner spiritual truth.
So often we tend to see only our defects and not the good that lies underneath. It is time to see yourself as the best possible version of yourself. Begin to realign the way you see yourself and make it positive, confident, and powerful.
Trust me, I have been there too. I used to be always looking for affirmation from others that I am worthy, beautiful and worth being in their life.
Then one day, Spirit woke me up. Spirit spoke clearly and said, “Sheri, close your eyes and see the real you within. Feel your true power. Feel the essence of goodness that you are and what you can give to others. Help others to also see their perfection within themselves and guide them to not give their power away to others who cause them pain and hurt.”
It was a powerful moment of enlightenment for me and the message from Spirit has stuck with me for decades since.
Now, you may think that you have nothing to offer. Maybe you feel old, or unattractive, or not smart enough, or successful and talented enough. Maybe you believe your partner left you for another because you were not good enough, and so on. But none of these ideas you have about yourself are true.
You are a spiritual being in human form. You were created in the divine image of God. There is an inner beauty, a goodness, an infinite intelligence that lies beneath your physical exterior, no matter who you are or what you look like.
The Special Magic Of Autumn
I’ve often wondered if in a former lifetime I might have had a birthday in the fall? More specifically, I sense it must have been in the month of September, because I typically experience increased awareness and great change during this month.
Being a Gemini, born in June, this makes absolutely no sense, but I don’t always pay attention to what makes sense. I rather go with what feels right.
I feel a special magic in the air in the fall that I do not experience in any other season. In the autumn the world of the living seems to move closer to the afterlife and our deceased loved ones.
Traditionally All Hallows’ Eve on October 31st is believed to be time when the veil between the two worlds is most thin and we can more easily connect with our departed loved ones on the Other Side.
In the Northern Hemisphere September is the time of year when Mother Nature is shedding her leaves as the cooler air moves. Might this also be a time for us to let go of the aspects of our lives that no longer serve us? And could it be that our deceased loved ones in Heaven support and help to facilitate this need for us to surrender and let go?
The energy of September is an in-between state of transition that will ultimately spark us into new beginnings. But sometimes we need a little bit of extra magic, as it takes much courage to let go of the old and familiar to step onto a new path.
Our family and friends in Heaven want to see us progress and grow while in the Earth realm. Our loved ones who have crossed over to the Other Side can see forward and backward in time. They have the ability to open doors for us who are still in this life.
Love Is Everything
Hello friends of my mommy, Mountain Sage. My name is Babe. I’m her one and only favorite pup and she thinks I am a ‘cutie-patootie.’ Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m sure glad she thinks so. I try to be. I really do. But there are so many instructions: “sit, down, stay, no-jump, hold hands, leave it.” Phew! What’s a cute four-legged fur baby like me to do?
Well, there are treats sometimes, and that helps, but The Sage is not always so generous. Sometimes, she seems to think I should do all those silly things for free. It’s okay, I guess. Anyway, if I want to get those cuddles and kisses, as well as go to Bow-Wow Camp (which are two of my very favorite things), then I simply have to do it all her way.
But, when I’m outside hunting, then I do it my way. The Sage is most definitely not a hunter, I can assure you! Nope, not even one little bit. So, I have to bring home the bacon, right? A nice little mouse, for example. I brought it in the doggie door, as a gift, while she was on a phone call with a client.
I assume it was a client because that’s when I have to be ‘all quiet.’ Anyway, she made all these mad gestures. She clearly could not contain her excitement about the juicy mouse. Strange, I tell ya! Making all those weird motions. I mean, really, it was just a plain ole’ mouse. Nothing special in my world, but she acted like I’ve brought a month’s supply of meat into the living room?
Then, there was the frog. It showed up on the porch after a heavy rainstorm. I had never seen anything hop quite like it did. It was intriguing – all shiny, plump and green. I decided to lick it on the back. I was just curious. No need for The Sage to become all hysterical, right?
But I have to be honest: that frog was the most vile and disgusting taste I’ve ever experienced. I had to spit, and spit, and spit to try and get that yucky goo out of my mouth. “It’s poison,” The Sage was complaining, as she picked it up and put it outside the fenced garden. Well, I guess she might have been right. Anyway, I was a satisfied dog and more than glad to see it go.
How Spirit Communicates With Us
Spirit communicates with us in many powerful ways. All we need to do to improve this beneficial and life-affirming spiritual relationship is to set an intention to expand our communication. We simply need to ask to work more closely with our ‘spirit team’ of Ancestors, Guides, and Angels.
Due to the Universal Law of Free Will, our spirit team can only communicate and intervene in our lives to the extent we request their guidance and assistance. They need our consent or mandate, because our free will affords us the right and responsibility to choose the direction and terms of our lives.
Therefore, we must ask for Spirit’s guidance and help before they can act on our behalf and increase their communication with us. Once we ask, our team can go to work on our behalf in any situation in our lives, whether it is a simple as finding a parking spot at the mall or as serious as pinpointing our life purpose, and everything in between.
The key to communicating with Spirit is to be aware of the language it uses. Spirit communicates with us both externally and internally.
External Communication
External communication comes in the forms of signs and synchronicities. Working with and looking for signs and synchronicities enables us to flow with the grace and daily magic of Spirit.
Enlightenment Is For Everyone
The term ‘enlightened’ seems to be everywhere these days. But what does it really mean? From a spiritual or metaphysical perspective enlightenment simple means refers to our level of awareness. Enlightened people are deeply aware – of themselves, the world around them, of the realm of Spirit
In a world of increasingly empty noise and superficial values, true awareness has become a rare commodity. It’s easy to immerse ourselves in all the empty noise and meaningless materialism. It’s much more challenging to look at the things of this world with greater depth and see these things (and yourself) for what they really are.
When we begin to see more clearly and authentically we become more enlightened. We begin to see the light of truth. And when we do, we become more aware how our beliefs, choices, and actions all have consequences.
For example, you might be tempted to answer with harsh words to someone who has wronged you, or to swat a spider in the sink rather than take it outside. Each one of these actions, no matter how small, radiates outward and impacts the world around you.
Choosing peaceful or harmonious action is a vital step on the road towards enlightenment. Stop to think, before you act.
Another common thread in the fabric of enlightenment is lack of attachment. In many spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, unhealthy attachment is seen as the root of all human suffering. This could be an attachment to material wealth and possessions, to beliefs and ideas, to people and animals, or to our memories and our ego.
Enlightened people are able to release attachments that are not serving their best interest and highest good by letting it go gracefully. If you spend less time worrying about these earthly fixations and obsessions, your spiritual inner being will naturally start to flourish. And once it does, you’ll become more aware of the signs, synchronicities, and subtle messages the Universe sends us all the time.