spiritual traditions
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.
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.
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?
Uproot Limiting Beliefs With Denial And Affirmation
Denials and affirmations are two methods of prayer or meditation that can be used to shift our experience of life. They are simplistic statements of truth that enable us to reprogram our subconscious mind and consciously create at a higher level.
These spiritual techniques are used by many in the New Thought and New Age spiritual movements and are amazingly effective for breaking old habits and thought patterns.
These two spiritual practices stem from the understanding that there is one Infinite Consciousness that is by its very nature benevolent and good. Many names have been given to this Infinite Consciousness or Infinite Mind, such as God, Source, the Universe, Higher Self, Spirit, the Divine, and so on.
The premise of denials and affirmations is that our individual mind is connected to the Divine Mind, and also that our mind is creative in the same way as the Divine Mind. This concept is found in varying forms in various religious and spiritual traditions.
Hindu philosophy, for example, is based on the belief that Brahman is the supreme universal force and ultimate reality to which each soul or athma is connected. The Buddha teaches, “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.”
In the Christian tradition, Jesus says in Matthew 17:20, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
When I was going through a difficult time in my life, Jesus jokingly came to me with these words. He has been one of my spirit guides for many years, but on this occasion, I didn’t find the ‘mustard seed’ metaphor very amusing.
The Power Of Prayer
I recently took part in a mediation and prayer group for the benefit of a country facing extreme turmoil. People from all over the world joined the event online via Zoom. It was a truly memorable experience that reminded me once again of the true power of prayer.
I have participated in prayer groups and intention-setting events for individual people and animals before, but never anything on such a global scale. The energy I felt being generated from so many participants from all over the world was truly phenomenal!
Later that evening, I was watching a YouTube clip about a lady who had been in a coma for some weeks and her family had been informed that it was unlikely to survive. She had suffered severe trauma to her internal organs in a terrible accident. A prayer link had been circulated on her behalf all over the world on social media, requesting prayers for her healing and recovery.
In the video clip, she tells the story of her out-of-body experience whilst she was in a coma. She describes the beauty of the Other Side and meeting her deceased loved ones and spirit helpers. She also mentions how she was fully aware of the energy vibration of so many prayers reaching and enveloping her from all corners of the earth. So powerful were these prayers that it brought her back to this world and set the scene for her ultimate recovery and healing.
A prayer is a plea requesting intervention and help from a higher source or greater power. Prayer is a significant aspect in most, if not all religions and spiritual traditions. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” In Buddhism it is believed that prayer is the way to destroy fear and banish sorrow and replace it with hope and healing. Sadly, I find many spiritually aware people do not always make use of this wonderful spiritual resource on a regular basis.
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.
Empower Your Life With Ho’oponopono
I was introduced to the Ho’oponopono prayer several years ago by a friend I met at a meditation group. She told me that it is an ancient Hawaiian custom that can be used to resolve karmic issues in life. So, of course, I tried it, but with mixed results.
It is a simple, yet powerful three-line prayer:
I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.
I did not fully comprehend it at the time, but even in my lack of understanding, I still experienced some results. Then I reached a point in life where I was experiencing a lot of personal difficulties, and suddenly this simple prayer took on a whole new meaning for me.
It was at a time when I had lost three loved ones in short space of time, and I was going through an intense grieving process and associated life challenges. I figured trying out this prayer again certainly couldn’t hurt. So, for a few days, I made a conscious effort to repeat this mantra in my mind.
I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.
Then I came across a certification program Ho’oponopono. It is a seminar over multiple days. I had the time and resources to enroll, so it felt like destiny. I then learned a lot more about Ho’oponopono and came to realize it is not nearly as simple as I had originally thought.
The term Ho’oponopono means ‘to make right what is already right.’ The prayer itself is only part of the practice. As a spiritual endeavor Ho’oponopono is about untangling the patterns and blockages that contribute to the challenges we experience in this life. The prayer itself is merely a conduit to experiencing Ho’oponopono, or ‘making right what is already right.’
The Ho’oponopono prayer is intended to move the practitioner into a state of consciousness that is love, free from things like fear, worry, resentment, blame, guilt, criticism, judgment, desire for vengeance, jealousy, and so on.