spirituality
You Are A Bright Star In A Benevolent Universe
We live on a vibrant planet, a microcosm of a vast universe of mysterious galaxies, infinite passages, magnificent star clusters, and more than a zillion types of light we can only touch in the stillness of our souls. I am reminded of this splendor each time I gaze into the night sky.
I am also reminded of our presence in this wondrous universe upon waking in the morning and witnessing the magnificence of the sun rising above the hills. And then there is that pre-dawn twilight period when a sacred stillness envelopes all.
It is at these times that I feel most connected to the Divine Essence of Life that flows through the entire Universe. It affirms that I am also a part of this vast and expanding wonder of abundance, benevolence and unconditional love.
We sometimes lose sight of the fact that we have been created complete and dynamic, with an endless array of spiritual, metaphysical and psychological powers to forge through any goals we might establish for ourselves.
Too often we see ourselves as lacking in the ability to move our lives forward, especially when everything seems to be going wrong. It is during these periods that we must take a step back, breathe deeply, and focus on how magnificently perfect we were created.
Each of us is born with an inner compass and a set of spiritual gifts to guide our lives to celestial heights, even in the most rough moments when it appears that our world is crumbling.
I once had a wise friend who was a revered elder in our community. Throughout her life she has freely shared her wisdom with me. Towards the end of her earthly life, she reminded me that we were each born with the perfect tools in place to navigate through any ordeal, both the positive and the seemingly negative.
She urged me to reflect upon the higher guidance we were born with, and not be afraid of trusting my inner voice, especially during the bleak periods. So, in honor of my dear old friend, I encourage you today to utilize your special set of spiritual tools and trust in the higher guidance it leads you towards.
Astrology Forecast May 10 – 16, 2021
With the Sun traveling through Taurus and a New Moon occurring in the sign tomorrow, it’s time for us to take action to make the changes that will move us forward into a new level of being.
Even simple changes to our appearance and surroundings can have a profound effect this week, so don’t hesitate to make that hair appointment or order that new throw rug or art print to liven up your home. The Taurus moon sextile with Neptune in Pisces will support your efforts with a rise in your artistic flair and imagination.
However, bear in mind that the Taurus New Moon tomorrow may cause some of us to be restless, irritable and even moody. Avoid disagreements and potential conflict with family and relatives this week, as things might easily escalate to a full-blown drama.
The Moon will travel through Gemini Wednesday through Friday, calling for more networking, socializing, and research during the later part of our work week. So, don’t worry if you run up against something you don’t have the answers for or are unfamiliar with, as this is a good week to learn new things.
Jupiter will move into Pisces on Thursday, where it will spend the next two years expanding our awareness and gifts on a spiritual level. Though we may not notice this shift on Thursday, we’ll begin to experience life on a higher, more enlightened plane for the next few years, letting intuition, inner peace and heightened spiritual awareness guide the way.
Plan on a nice, quiet, and relaxing weekend, as the Moon travels through Cancer, the sign of comfort, and the home. Taking it easy is a theme, and a good idea as the pace begins picking up again next week.
Everyone Is An Artist
Art is a powerful form of self-expression. It allows us to communicate complex emotions and spiritual concepts through various mediums such as the visual and fine arts, music, dance, acting, creative writing, and so on.
When we are being creative we connect with the subconscious part of ourselves. This can be a powerfully healing experience to help us process and integrate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences on a deep level.
When we are children, we don’t have any preconceived ideas about art. If you observe young children, you’ll see this very clearly. They don’t worry about how ‘good’ an artist they are. Most kids just see art as a form of play. They love to draw, or paint, or color, and are typically pretty thrilled with their creations.
So, what happens along the way that we become so self-conscious about our artistic endeavors? It seems to me that at some point most people have had ‘the artist’ within subtly discouraged or silenced. Whatever the case may be,suffice it to say that life takes over at some point and being creative artistically takes a back seat.
“I was never very good at it anyway,” or “I just did it for fun,” are common remarks I’ve heard from people. But what’s wrong with not being very good at something? Especially if it’s fun? Moreover, the benefits of spending time being creative are vast! Art Therapy is growing in popularity and more studies are being done around this modality.
One particular study focused on people with chronic illness or cancer. The researchers looked at the impact visual art activities such as painting, drawing, and pottery had on patients and found that art helped to distract them from thoughts of illness.
Art therapy improved their well-being by decreasing negative emotions and improving positive ones. Depression levels were also reduced, and medical outcomes improved overall. There were also reductions in stress, anxiety, and distress. Further there were improvements in the patients’s spontaneity, expression of their grief, positive identity and social interactions.
How To Practice The Art Of Gratitude
My life has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, I love my job, have a beautiful son, an adorable husband and supportive friends and family. Therefore, irrespective of current world events, I genuinely have a lot to be grateful for!
Gratitude is beneficial for all of us, including physically, emotionally and spiritually. For one, appreciating the good things in our lives helps us to be more tolerant and forgiving, with a higher sense of life satisfaction. Grateful people also tend to have more hope and inner peace and feel less anxious and alone.
God, Spirit, the Universe loves gratitude! Those who are sincerely grateful are blessed with even more to be grateful for. Like attracts like.
How does one ensure that you practice the art of gratitude ever day? The following guidelines should help:
Seek Out The Positive
In my own personal research into positive psychology, I became aware of something referred to as negativity bias. In case you have not heard of this, it means that our negative thoughts tend to be more dominant than the positive ones.
An excellent way of counteracting this negative way of thinking is to seek out at least three things in your life every day that you are well and truly grateful for. Try to make this a daily habit. By doing so, it should have you smiling in next to no time!
I remember when I was about 26 years old and in a particularly challenging place in my life. I was advised by a psychic, whom I reached out to with my troubles, to watch the film or read the book, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It is some of the best advice I have every received. Once I had read the last chapter, I felt so grateful for whatever I had in my life.
Reading The Human Aura
The human aura is a fine ethereal emanation which surrounds each and every living human being. This aura extends outward from the body in an egg-shape and is plainly visible to many clairvoyants.
The aura is brighter and wider around the head and shoulders and I believe that the classical artists must have seen the emanations when they painted halos around the head of great spiritual prophets and ascended masters.
Seen by the clairvoyant, the aura seems to extend some two to three feet from the body and it is most dense closest to the body, fading and becoming indistinct as it spreads out. Within this aura are all the colors of the spectrum. These colors denote certain spiritual and physical conditions.
However, the aura is constantly changing colors as the emotions of the human soul react upon the auric vibrations.
RED is a physical color and denotes physical desire, anger and passion.
BLUE is a religious color and denotes high spiritual aspirations and thoughts.
VIOLET and PURPLE shades are also of a high vibration and are present in the auras of healers and those with a well developed spiritual consciousness.
YELLOW is the inspirational color and when present in an aura denotes mental activity.
WHITE is the Pure Spirit, the emanation from the I Am and denotes great spirituality.