spiritual gifts
The Signs of Spiritual Awakening
Spiritual awakening is not just about inner peace, raised consciousness or becoming a role-model of enlightenment. It’s also a messy journey!
So, what exactly is a ‘spiritual awakening?’ Well, there isn’t one universally accepted definition, because the experience or journey is unique to each person. Also, it’s a lifelong process, and the time of awakening is just the beginning.
Essentially spiritual awakening is firstly a significant shift in one’s personal perspective, typically characterized by a recognition of observer consciousness. It is the realization that the true self or ‘I’ is the observer of your thoughts, feelings and experiences. You are not your thoughts, feelings and experiences, but merely the observer of your thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Awakening also brings a sense of expanded awareness which prompts us to examine our beliefs about ourselves and the world through a more critical lens. This usually sparks a quest for authentic truth and a thirst for deeper knowledge and understanding of ourselves and the world.
The awakened person begins to rebel against what they have been told to believe on all levels of their experience of themselves and the world. Awakening returns us to a state of newfound curiosity about our existence. We begin to explore what actually informs our existing beliefs, to determine if they serve our highest good, or not.
The awakened person also accepts their role as a conscious co-creator and takes responsibility for healing and releasing that which doesn’t serve their highest good.
In recent times more and more people all over the world are beginning to awaken. Triggers for awakening are often major life events such as marriage, divorce, pregnancy, bereavement, loss, trauma or traumatic events, major transitions, career changes, and so on. But anything can trigger a spiritual awakening. It can also simply happen due to a sense of general dissatisfaction with life and yearning for more depth, meaning and purpose.
Questions That Truly Satisfy The Self
Once upon the ages, over 5,000 years ago, the world’s great saints, sages, and spiritual scholars assembled at a place called Naimisharanya. This sacred forest was known to them as the energetic hub of the Universe, from where the benefits of their practices, sacrifices, and speech would extend to all the world’s inhabitants. Thus, they gathered here specifically with the intention of welfare for every living being.
By dint of their self-realization, these wise seers were gifted with foresight of the Age of Quarrel in which we now live. They considered that humans of this time would be short-lived and plagued by various mental, bodily, and natural disturbances. So, they contemplated what they could do to bring relief and the highest good for all in the many generations to follow.
They selected Suta Goswami as the most elevated among them, offered him a seat of esteem, and inquired from him with great respect. Because Suta Goswami was free from vice, learned in all scriptures and teachings of physical, metaphysical, and spiritual knowledge, and properly guided by the great masters, who had gone before him, the sages regarded him as most qualified to enlighten them about the Supreme Truth. Therefore, they humbly approached him with inquiries toward that end.
The sages began with six questions which they had ascertained to be of primary importance:
1. What is the absolute and ultimate good for people in general?
2. What is the essence of all scriptures and prescribed practices, by which the hearts of every living entity may be fully satisfied?
Are Your Erasing Your Blessings?
Our good deeds and random acts of kindness are never in vain, even when they are not acknowledged or appreciated. Our good deeds are written up on a ‘good deed chalkboard’ in the spirit realm. The unselfish gifts of our time, money, and resources as well as our labors of love bring us many blessings in this lifetime and the next. When we are kind and generous to others, we are also showered with good fortune in return. We know this from the ‘golden rule’ of ‘do unto others’ found in many religions and spiritual traditions.
Buy I have read for many clients over the years who are kindhearted and loving people, but complain about their life being very difficult and deprived. They never have enough money, or they cannot find love, or health and well-being seem to evade them. “I am always helping others, but I get nothing in return,” they might say.
Why is this the case? Why are these generous, caring people not being blessed more often for their good deeds? Well, my guides have made the spiritual cause of this very clear to me. It is my understanding that we do not only add items of charity and compassion to the list of entries on our ‘chalkboard,’ but we also delete or erase them!
You see, when we do a good deed, it gets added to our list of potential ‘return blessings.’ But, if we go around bragging about it, boasting, showing off, telling people how generous or kind we have been, those good deeds become nullified, neutralized, erased. It loses its metaphysical power and spiritual meaning. It can no longer bless us in return.
The Psychic Whispers Of Spirit
Have you ever heard mysterious whispers? If so, what were they trying to tell you? Well, growing up in Columbus Ohio, I often heard whispers or someone I could not see who seemed to be trying to tell me something. Today, I know this is known as the psychic sense of clairaudience.
I could not understand these whispering voices back in the 1960’s, and it was certainly not something you would talk about. Things like paranormal phenomena, mediumship and psychic abilities were simply unheard of in my community! It was different then, not like today.
These days we have easier and more open access to paranormal and psychic books, videos and information sources on the Internet. Nowadays you can just log into your computer or tap your phone, and find something about these subjects; or you can switch on your TV and stream your favorite channel. It seems almost every channel you turn to has some of other program about paranormal or psychic phenomena these days.
I never had the opportunity growing up to tell my parents the truth about my clairaudient ability. It was bad enough that I was able to see stuff and that I knew what would happen in the future. The fact that I heard ‘whispers’ I simply had to keep a secret! But now I know when you have a gift like this, God gave it to you, because he has a plan and purpose for your life.
When I hear these whispers, I have learned to tune into what they are trying to tell me. Sometimes it is my mother or father, who passed on, wanting to tell me something. Sometimes it is my spirit guide trying to get my attention.
Being a psychic my ability to hear these ‘whispers’ gives me a better understanding and access to valuable insights, but it can also be very challenging. For example, my wife and I have been house-hunting for some time now. I was amazed to discover in how many houses I would suddenly no longer hear the realtor or my wife speaking to me. Instead I heard whispering voices asking me questions like “why did I die?” and “Can you help me please?” or “Where have they gone, why are they no longer living here?”
Astrology Forecast June 28 – July 4, 2021
Whew! After all the chaos in the heavens last week, we can regroup for the next seven days, as there are no major astrological events on the agenda. All in all, it will be a good week to rebalance: first spiritually and then physically later in the week.
The Moon will glide through Pisces today and tomorrow, bringing out our spiritual and reflective side. It calls us today to take some time out to focus on the inner self. The Moon conjunction with Jupiter in Pisces may also bring along a welcome financial windfall or an opportunity for social influence and success.
Tomorrow’s Pisces Moon square Mercury in Gemini creates a window of opportunity for us to access our spiritual gifts and talents, but be careful not to abuse the privilege or take it for granted.
We may not get much done the first three days of the week, but whatever we manage to process internally this week will be essential for us to move forward next week.
We can get back to work with more focus as the Moon cruises through action-oriented Aries on Wednesday, and most likely get twice as much done, compared to anything we attempted at the start of the week. Use the rest of the week to make up for lost time!
On Sunday the United States will be celebrate Independence Day under a Taurus Moon, and unlike last year, most of us should be free to safely enjoy holiday events and gatherings with our loved ones. The Taurus Moon square Mars in Leo has the potential however to make us impulsive, moody and argumentative on Sunday, so be sure to keep your calm around family and friends with whom you have a unresolved conflicts or lingering disputes – especially around loved ones of the opposite sex.
This weekend is also a great time to tackle those household repairs or renovations and engage in activities that challenge us on a physical and mental level.
A Miracle Horse Named Jake
My passion for animals is far-reaching and horses are a definite favorite. They are amazing creatures that have been roaming the planet since the beginning of time. They started out humbly, but worked their way up the evolutionary ladder.
There is one particular horse that I will never forget. He entered my world about 6 months after my beloved American Quarter Horse, Luke, had passed away at the age of 22. I yearned for a new four-legged friend and found Jake for sale on a nearby farm.
I wanted a horse that would be good on trails, like Luke used to be. As I looked at the herd, one horse stood out instantly, staring at me with eyes that touched my soul. Jake wasn’t the prettiest horse there; he had lots of nicks and bite scars on his body. He was a white horse with a black mane and tail, with black varnish markings on his legs and face.
The owner told me that Jake was unfortunately not the most willing horse on trails, but I still had my sights set on him. He also mentioned that a thorn from a tree had broken off in the horse’s eye, several months back, but it seemed to be fine now.
As the man brought him out, I noticed he was heavy-handed with him and used force when not needed. The horse looked at me intently. I could clearly sense his sadness. He was not happy there.
The owner then saddled him up for me to ride, and he cut a branch from a nearby tree to use as a switch. “You’ll need this on the trails,” he said. I politely took the makeshift riding crop (with no intention of using it) and headed off to the wooded trails nearby.
Jake was quiet and we were feeling each other out. It was soon evident that he was a caring horse that aimed to please. I enjoyed the ride, and tossed that stick on the first turn. That was the day I started the love affair with my new Colorado Ranger horse. Only 5,000 of Colorado Ranger breed were registered at the time. The man could not recall how old Jake was, but when I got his papers I found he was 22 years old.
The Soul Gold Of Dysfunctional Relationships
When I was younger, I actually searched for my birth certificate, just to see if I really was a member of my family! I’ve witnessed some close-knit and very loving families among my friends and acquaintances, which I admire and applaud. But not everyone is that fortunate. It seems some of us are thrown together in families we cannot help but wonder where we all fit in. For many of us our family and romantic relationships are complicated.
We typically grow up seeing perfect families on television and in the movies. We also observe them during summer vacations and winter holidays. But I have always preferred the exceptions to the rule, the alternative families, the dysfunctional, weird and wonderful family stories, because they portray real life with humor.
Growing up my family did the best they could with what they had and what they knew at the time. In our family there was much avoidance, secrets, Catholic school and the constant overhanging threat of being ‘sent to a nunnery.’ Role-models for how to build healthy, constructive I did not have. So, I had to figure it out on my own, making many mistakes along the way.
I have even attributed my sense of not belonging in my family to the planets: my Aquarius Sun sign and Sagittarius Rising sign. I assumed my tendency to be a bit of a star child, moving to the strange music in my own head, just needed its own space? Upon a closer look, as the years went by, my father and I had many similar traits, with some of my mother’s mixed in on the spectrum.
I was constantly searching for that next subject to study and different ways to escape through my imagination. I also closed down when people came too close and moved along as quickly as possible.