spirituality
There Are Silver Linings In These Difficult Times
I remember my mom used to say that nothing good can ever come from something bad. While I fully understand her rationale, today I respectfully beg to differ. Even the darkest clouds can have the brightest silver linings!
Like most people, you are probably also sick and tired by now of reading, hearing and talking about Covid-19. However, this pandemic is a perfect example of how we can derive something good from something that has proven to be so incredibly challenging.
Of course, these benefits do come at an extremely high cost and we would all have preferred not to have this calamity happen in the first place. Even so, there are also blessings in every curse. The coronavirus pandemic appears to have at least had the following beneficial effects on making our world a better place.
Environment
During lockdown, nitrogen levels is said to have dropped significantly and experts say this may have resulted in a healthier planet, although the long-term effect remains to be seen. Nitrogen pollution is believed to be detrimental to our water quality, the quality of the air we breathe, the health of ecosystems, and biodiversity.
Apparently, for the first time in years, clean water ran through the Venetian canals, Delhi enjoyed blue skies, and the air quality in China improved considerably. Not only that, reports suggest that the quality of air around the globe has also improved and in some places wild animals were roaming wildly and freely in their natural habitat.
Industry
Covid-19 has also revolutionized how many of us work and will continue to work in the future. Many working people have experienced the benefits of working from home. For one, there is less commuter stress, less money spent on fuel and other expenses, and more time for family and home life. Estimates suggest that people working from home will be financially better off by doing so. In addition, many of us can now enjoy an enhanced work-life balance by being more in control of our working hours.
Promise Of The Stones
Those of us who find ourselves drawn to stones or minerals are called to be servants of the soul of the world. Our teachers, showing us the way to do this, are the stones, and what they have to teach is far, far beyond anything we can possibly imagine. The stones are spirit beings who through millions of years of development are embodied with great healing and wisdom.
Rocks, minerals, crystals and gemstones are known in traditional shamanism as “the stone people.” They are the original beings of who came long before the plant people, standing people (trees), animal people and the human people. Philosopher Alan Watts said in one of his talks, “Rocks are not dead…minerals are a rudimentary form of consciousness.”
For this reason, they are much older and wiser than us humans and we can learn much from them, especially when it comes to energy work and healing.
The spiritual-metaphysical properties of stones are the promise, as spoken by the stones, of what could happen if we approach them as living beings. It is their promise and has to be heard and felt on their terms, not in the terms of our personality needs.
For example, if a stone promises prosperity, to take that offering literally is to abuse the meaning of the stone, for ‘prosperity’ spoken in an intimate relationship cannot possibly mean “you are going to make me materially rich.” If I say to a dear friend, lovingly, with all my heart, “I wish you prosperity,” I am not saying, “You will become materially wealthy because we are related!” What I am saying is that because of our intimacy, your soul will prosper and the world will shine brighter.
The Secret Power of Enlightened Beings
Enlightened beings feel powerful because they are allowing and connecting to an unlimited source of energy. Divine Energy is eternal, unlimited and available to all who seek it. It is continuously pouring forth. Just like the Sun, it has never stopped shining since the beginning of time.
Accessing more of the Divine Source is a choice we make every day and only possible if we are truly in alignment with spirit. Enlightened beings use all of the energy available to them to manifest the truth. The enlightened and spiritually awakened do not drag the veils of illusion into their daily reality.
Each and every time we make a healing change in our everyday reality, we free up energy that can be applied to seeking our spiritual truth instead. Imagine how powerful and limitless you can be if you choose to do this in your own life. This is true, ageless power, not the illusory power bought with money, status, petty human obsessions or material possessions. And that is what we should all be going after.
The central perception of enlightened humans is that they are never alone. If you live with the limiting belief that life is experienced with only the five physical senses and consists only of that which can be observed and measured in the material world, you will surely miss out on the miracles, blessings and divine guidance that is so freely available to each and every one of us.
Receiving an intuitive forewarning that prevents us from entering a dangerous situation is an example of divine guidance. These messages are from our spiritual essence and our inner guidance system to help us along our path in life.
Faith Is My Armor Of Light
When I had just completed high school, I decided it was time to venture out into the world, get an apartment and just experience living all on my own. So, one month after graduation, I let my butterfly wings soar and found a little place about a few blocks from where I grew up.
One night something happened I will never forget, even though it was 30 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. Someone brought over an Ouija board! I was brought up to believe that the Ouija board is a portal to the lower realm and negative energies, and that sometimes who you want to connect with isn’t always who actually comes through. My friends and I asked the board who we were talking to and his name was George.
The part that really creeped me out came later, after everyone had gone home. I was cleaning up. My apartment was on the third floor and as I was looking down at the four corner intersection below, there was a car sitting under the street light. An older, bald man rolled the window down and leaned over to look up at me through the passenger window. “I’m George”, he said. I was so creeped out!
My roommate was gone and I was exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep. Lying in my bed later, I was trying to make sense of it all. I looked across the room and the light coming in through the blinds made it so I could see the hallway and the doorway. And there I suddenly saw the shape of a man; the figure of a man that was so dark, but you could totally make out it was a man standing right there in the doorway! I will never forget his voice. “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”, he said. Amazingly, I felt immediately comforted.
The church I grew up in was directly across from my new apartment. And I just knew that he was an angel, letting me know that through my faith I am protected. I was never again scared to be by myself.
Connecting With Your Team Of Spirit Guardians
You have a ‘squad’ of spirit friends you can count on and talk to when you need support. Our spirit helpers, be they guardian angels, guides, animal spirits, ancestors, or departed family members, are there to look out for us. They want to make our lives better.
So, how can you get to know them better? Because these beings are of the spirit realms, it’s not quite as simple as calling a human friend or sending a text, but the channels of communication are definitely open.
The first thing you need to do is get to know their names. If they are the spirits of loved ones or pets, of course, they already have a name you know them by. Use your intuition to receive the names of your guides and angels. All you need to do is ask. They will reveal their name to you when you are ready to receive it.
It is also important to understand that our spirit guardians communicate through various unspoken messages and signs, such as patterns of recurring numbers, lyrics of a favorite song, or seeing the same patterns in nature, such as cloud formations or a particular animal. Pay attention to these special signs. In our world, it’s easy to become distracted and overstimulated, but our guardians are always sending these subtle messages if we pay attention.
Engaging in your daily spiritual practices is necessary to connect with your spirit guides. When getting to know angels, for example, an angel card oracle deck is a useful tool, or a Tarot deck to link archetypes to individual guardians.
For animal spirits there are also lovely card decks, which can be very useful in identifying your totem of guardian animals. You can also keep your departed pet’s favorite items after they’re gone.
The Symbolism Of Wedding Ribbons And Cords
In a recent reading, I had visions of a wedding and a shotgun! I did my best to diplomatically convey what I was seeing to the client. I also mentioned how I saw lots of colored ribbons, and a rather large gathering of people of all ages and cultures.
He laughed, and said that two years ago, he felt a strong urge for himself and his partner to get married. They both came from large families and wanted to make sure that certain ailing, elderly members would still be able to attend and join in the celebration.
He also said he was so glad spirit prompted them to marry sooner than later, because the pandemic would have prevented not just the large gathering of guests from attending, but also many from traveling from various corners of the world as they had done. Apparently, the ribbons I saw related to the traditional pagan handfasting they had chosen as the ceremony for their special event.
The handfasting ritual had always fascinated him, because of his own Celtic origins and he explained how both his and his partner’s hands were bound together with a ribbon during the vows and exchanging of rings. I later learned from a Pagan friend that cord is sometimes also used for this purpose in such a ceremony.
In many traditions the use of colored ribbons and cords is of spiritual significance at certain ceremonies, especially weddings. They are typically used to physically connect the couple, or they are placed in or around an altar. The cord is a symbol of the lifetime bond the couple is entering into.
For example, a wedding cord, also known as the ‘wedding lasso,’ is used in some Catholic wedding ceremonies. It typically consists of a loop of rosary beads made out of white satin or silk, and formed into a figure eight shape, and placed around the bride and the groom after they have made their vows.
Nurturing Your Psychic Child
Have you ever noticed how young children, especially before they enter school, are full of wonder, curiosity, and awe? And did you know some children are born psychic? Sadly, only a few children continue to use and refine their psychic gifts as they get older, as their sense of wonder diminishes. As a parent, guardian, or mentor of children, it’s our responsibility to engage with our young psychics to nurture and protect their gifts.
It may be our first urge to dismiss their imaginary friends, conversations with departed loved ones, or remembrances of past lives as ‘fantasies’ or the result of an ‘overactive imagination.’ Instead of this, gently encourage your child and ask questions. What they are experiencing is very real and may not entirely make sense to them.
For example, show them family pictures of ancestors. They may be able to show you whose spirit is guiding them. If they are curious about a particular time in history (a past lifetime), a family trip to the library for some good books or documentaries about that time can be a great learning experience. Imaginary friends, which most children seem to have at a young age, may actually be angels or other spiritual guides.
Some children also have deep intuition or psychic sight, which may unnerve the adults in their lives. Perhaps your child has specific dreams or instinctively knows things which they should not. It is important that instead of reacting with fear or anger, you respond with empathy and encourage and to talk about whatever is on their mind.
Instead of simple ‘yes or no,’ or closed questions, ask your child how they are feeling and what you can do to help them. These dreams, visions, or prophecies can be cryptic and not easily understood. The fledgling psychic may feel overwhelmed or scared by what they see. If a child feels they can confide in you, and trust you, they will be more willing to use their gifts.