spiritual teachings
The Seven Angels Of The Planetary Week
If you are reading this, you are probably familiar with the idea that the angelic realm watches over us. Angels are divine beings who constantly protect, guide, and support humanity.
Each of us has a guardian angel assigned to us at birth, who remains by our side throughout our lives, providing constant protection and guidance.
While guardian angels have a more intimate and personal role in our lives, archangels oversee broader aspects of our existence and can provide specialized support, guidance, and assistance. For example, Michael offers protection, Raphael provides healing, and Gabriel helps us communicate.
It is often assumed that archangels are a purely Christian concept, when in fact they are deeply rooted in various religious, mystical, and cultural traditions. Our modern knowledge of the archangels can be traced back through a complex interplay of mythology, theology, and mysticism across many civilizations and time periods.
Early accounts of such powerful celestial beings can be found, for example, in the mythologies of Mesopotamia and Canaan. These cultures had divine messengers who can be seen as precursors to the concept of archangels. One of the clearest early influences on the development of archangelic figures can be found in Zoroastrianism. The Amesha Spentas, or “Holy Immortals,” are divine beings who serve Ahura Mazda, the Supreme God. These beings resemble later archangelic figures in their roles and attributes.
What is also not commonly known about the archangels is that each day of the week is traditionally associated with a specific angel. This tradition is rooted in a fascinating blend of ancient astronomy, mythology, and religious mysticism, including Kabbalistic teachings, Christian mysticism, and angelology. It is the result of associating the days of the week with the seven classical planets, which in turn are traditionally associated with seven archangels.
The True Spiritual Meaning Of The Pentagram
Perhaps no other spiritual or religious icon is as misunderstood as the pentagram, or pentacle. The true symbolism of the pentagram, a five-pointed star often surrounded by a circle, is commonly misrepresented.
Contrary to popular misconceptions that associate it with darkness, evil, or Satanism, the pentagram has multiple meanings within various spiritual and religious traditions, most notably within Paganism and modern Wicca.
The pentagram has been a spiritual symbol of significance for millennia, long before its association with modern religious movements.
Historically, it has been used by cultures around the world, often to represent celestial bodies, principles of harmony, or mystical concepts. Its use first appeared in ancient Greece and Mesopotamia around the 1st millennium BC.
It is not widely known that there are significant historical connections between the pentagram and Christianity. Prior to the widespread use of the cross, the pentagram was a popular symbol to adorn the jewelry and amulets of early Christians, often alongside an “X” or a phoenix. This symbol was associated with the five wounds of Christ and also represented the concept of Alpha and Omega united, as the star could be drawn in one continuous movement of the pen.
In contemporary contexts, particularly within Wicca and related neo-pagan belief systems, the pentacle has positive connotations. It’s seen as a symbol of protection, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of the elements. Each point of the star represents an aspect of balance, holistic existence, conscious living, and the cyclical nature of life.
Yoga Can Unlock Your Psychic Potential
Yoga has long been celebrated for its profound effects on physical vitality, mental health and spiritual growth. However, its benefits extend beyond physical well-being and mental clarity, as yoga is also a powerful practice for developing heightened intuition and psychic abilities.
First and foremost, yoga promotes the mind-body connection. Through physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama) and meditation, practitioners learn to synchronise body, mind and spirit. It promotes mindfulness and present-moment awareness.
The ajna chakra, or third eye, is associated with intuition and psychic abilities. Certain yoga practices, such as trataka (candle gazing) or meditation focused on the space between the eyebrows, activates and balances the third eye.
This heightened focus and awareness strengthens our mental faculties and intuitive awareness. Regular meditation practice cultivates a peaceful, centred mind and deepens awareness of our inner being and our connection to universal consciousness.
Yoga also reduces stress by calming the nervous system and promoting relaxation. A clearer, stress-free mind facilitates access to intuitive insights.
In addition, yoga promotes the flow of energy within the mind-body by focusing on the energy centres known as chakras, which are located along the spine. By practising yoga, we balance and activate these chakras, allowing energy to flow more freely.
The Value Of Anger In Manifesting Your Desires
A client recently talked about her struggles with anger and that no matter what she did, she could not get rid of her ‘anger issues’. She was concerned that her anger would inevitably attract and manifest more negativity in her life.
Spirit’s response was that there is value and wisdom in anger. The reality is that sometimes we get smoking hot, furious, explosively angry! It is a human response to events that go against our wishes and desires. If it were not a natural reaction, the experience of anger would not be part of our physical life journey.
The truth is that all negative emotions are actually a dear friend who is there to tell us something. It indicates that we are out of alignment with our Higher Self, Spirit and the Divine. When we experience fear, anxiety or anger it indicates that we are out of alignment and no longer in the flow.
A common “pain-causing” tendency is the stories we tell ourselves about the future. One of the most common narratives I find when working with clients is the one that begins: “I will be happy when…”
We create a story about the fulfilment of certain desires and then focus more on the result or outcome rather than the process and the present moment. When our happiness depends on the future fulfilment of a story, we are no longer in resonance with the present reality and out of alignment with the universal flow. We are no longer living fully, we are merely playing an impatient waiting game.
Connecting With Your Spirit Animal
The concept of animals serving as spiritual guides and symbols for personal growth has deep roots in human culture, stretching back to ancient indigenous societies and persisting through to modern spiritual practices.
This enduring belief stems from the profound connection humans have observed and felt with the animal kingdom throughout history.
In many indigenous cultures around the world, animals traditionally hold a sacred significance and are believed to possess spiritual wisdom and powers. Many cultures also have animal symbolism in their myths, folklore, rituals, and everyday life.
For example, Native American tribes traditionally attribute personal qualities and character traits, such as strength, courage, wisdom, and cunning, to various animals, viewing them as embodiments of these virtues.
Acoording to these indigenous teachings our animal totems or spirit animals offer us guidance, protection, and insight on our spiritual journey.
We can connect with our spirit animal through meditation, dream interpretation, or rituals. By aligning with the characteristics of our chosen animal, we can gain strength, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and our path in life.
A Christian Mystic’s Guide To Dealing With Pain
Our search for the meaning of pain, hardship, and suffering is a profound and enduring human endeavor.
Throughout history, our spiritual beliefs and religious teachings have helped us understand and find meaning in life’s challenges and painful experiences.
These interpretations provide comfort, guidance, and a sense of peace in the face of adversity as we learn that suffering has a purpose or can lead to spiritual growth, enlightenment, or a deeper connection with the divine.
Our spiritual quest to better understand pain is driven by a deep desire to make sense of life’s challenges and to discover how these difficult experiences fit into the larger tapestry of our existence.
Religions and spiritual wisdom traditions around the world offer different perspectives on pain and suffering, each with its own explanation for why these experiences occur and how they should be approached or understood.
These diverse perspectives all share certain common threads: that the origins of pain and suffering lie in the concept of duality; that there is meaning to be found in suffering; and that through faith, reflection, and spiritual practice we can transcend the pain caused by duality and connect with something greater than ourselves.
The Spiritual Practice Of Rune Reading
I have recently reintroduced rune reading into my daily spiritual routine. I had briefly dabbled in it a few years ago when I was exploring various methods of divination.
But this time, as my quest has become more personal due to recent events in my life, and I found myself remembering much of what I had learned years ago, the decision to use the runes again has proven to be a deeply enriching experience.
I have since discovered that the runes are a fantastic spiritual tool for deeper introspection, inner guidance, and connection to the universal spiritual principles that underlie these small tablets of ancient wisdom.
The term “rune” itself means “secret” or “mystery” in Old Germanic languages, reflecting their traditional use for various purposes, including writing, divination, and magical practices. Each runic tablet or stone contains a character from the ancient alphabets of early Germanic and Scandinavian cultures, including the Elder Futhark, which is the oldest form of the runic alphabet.
The Elder Futhark dates from the 2nd to 8th centuries and consists of 24 runes, each with its own unique meaning and symbolism. I use the Elder Futhark, which is the most commonly used rune set in divination practices, just as the Rider-Waite Tarot deck is the most commonly used in cartomancy.