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Changes and Growth at Spirit Fire

•  A study group of the Bailey book Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle is underway.  Led by Donna Mitchell-Moniak, 70 participants gather together on a Sunday night conference call to discuss the fascinating topic of the science of impression.  Follow-up postings and pod casts can be found by group members on a dedicated web page to support weekly discussions and teachings.  For more information contact Donna at Spirit Fire.

In the World

"World Goodwill is an international movement helping to mobilize the energy of goodwill and build right human relations."  You can find out more about the groups dedicated to this endeavor by going to www.worldgoodwill.org and read the newsletter posted on the World Goodwill site.

This year the energetic of Pisces graced me in a very real and tangible way.  It was to be both my undoing and re-keying and brought with it intuitive understandings, the likes and subtleties of which has eluded me for most of my adult life.

As a meditator committed to evolving consciousness, penetrating the mystery of light has always stood as a challenge to me.  For all of my cushion time, my sensing apparatus has largely been rendered dense, or so it seemed.  Sound, yes; tactile and kinesthetic knowing, clearly; even intuitive insights have graced me, but experience of light...well.  And yet if I stopped to process each of these venues I recognize them as a variant of light.

Recently through the rigors of becoming what in truth I already am, an infusion process began its work of undoing.  At about the same time I read in Rays and Initiations that "being and existence are not the same as becoming and qualified appearance and that becoming is far more imprisoning and limiting since it is subject to hindrances." The undoing I was experiencing as I moved through the stages of becoming to being is the work carried on by those committed to the Path.  And yet it was in the particulars of this process that I recognized those hindrances as a pain in my solar plexus and alta major.  Why were they there after I had finally felt light's freedom only the day before?  It was in understanding the keynote of Pisces, "I leave my Father's home and turning back, I save"; the light within me now required that I magnetize and draw out the light in others.  In this way do we become saviors.  That was the role of the Christed One - that is the legacy he left us to enact through our own Christ consciousness.

Yet having that understanding I still beheld the pain of blockage rather than flow!  It was in the chapter entitled "Battle Scars: Membership in the Scar Clan" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes in her book Women Who Run With Wolves that the problem related to secrets held the clue.  Estes relates that a woman's secret stories are surrounded by shame and they cut one off from one's instinctive soul nature which is light.  The nature of secrets are broad and entail the hurts that we have endured as well as inflicted, broken promises, loss of courage, loss of temper, the list goes on.  For our healing Estes entreats us to release these secrets since there is "nothing on the planet or universe that is outside the bounds of forgiveness."  She suggests that to do this we make a scape-coat and pin onto it "all that one has endured in life, all the insults, all the slurs, all the scars."

Intuitively I took the reading of this chapter into meditation and proceeded to look at all the scars and the secrets that I had incurred in this life which were blocking light.  After this the pain dissipated and the light began to flow.  I then began to concentrate upon the scars and insults of nations and peoples, strangers and friends which I saw blocking their light and began to forgive.  With this act I understood the power of compassion and recognized that in order to effectively do this I must forgive and be fully lighted myself.  Now I finally understood why Christ had to "die for our sins".What He in fact died to was his own blockage of light.  It was in this way that He became transfigured and being transfigured He could then become a savior to others, undoing their sins (blockages) through forgiveness (radiation) which stimulated (magnetized) the light of their own souls.

This is the gift of Pisces.  It teaches us how to become saviors in the modern world.  When we transfigure our own lives and then through radiation and magnetization evoke the light in others we work with saving grace.  This is the path of the evolution of consciousness as we become like Christ and leave our Father's house to save.

How sweet is the embrace of the lovers
They lean into the irresistible magnetic pull
That will unite them forever

How wondrous is the process of becoming
Spirit and matter blend
To form the complete Whole

Since the title of the card is 'The Lovers' our initial impression may perhaps turn to romance and the variety of choices we confront in our personal relationships. On another level the card reminds us of the allegory of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, a nude female figure standing in front of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and behind the male is the fiery Tree of Life. It appears that they are confronted with the untenable choice between knowledge and immortality. A very prominent angel looms behind them as if protecting them from the vibrant rays of the sun.

On yet another level this card is about dualities: good and evil, yin and yang, temporal and eternal, matter and spirit. Upon reflection we can see that the allegory of the Garden of Eden was about all of these. In the two figures we note the duality of male - female energies, yin - yang. The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge can also be seen as a duality. The dilemma before us is whether to pursue mundane knowledge, knowledge about the material world, or do we choose to pursue aspects of the divine and immortality. The answer is not an either/or but rather of achieving balance, the middle way. It is knowledge that leads us to the divine and it is spirituality that leads us to sees spirit in all of creation. The ultimate wisdom is when we do not see a dichotomy between spirit and matter, between seeking knowledge and pursuing a spiritual path since they are one and the same.

We also note on the card the mountain in the background; the mountain that is the symbol of our journey to the divine. For many lifetimes we trudge along working on transcending the dualities and eventually becoming One with spirit. Although we use the metaphor of climbing a mountain, the experience is more of an unfolding because what we are attempting to reach, spirit, is already present; our task, then, is to remove the obstacles to this discovery. The Angel guards the door to 'heaven' preventing entrance to any who are not prepared. This is for our own protection, however, since entering into the vibrations of the heavens when we are not vibrationally equipped can physically harm us. The Angel, for our protection, is shadowing the rays of the intensity of sun.

It seems, then, that the symbol for marriage has been used to describe the union of the individual with God is an apt metaphor. Sexual union is the closest experience we have to understand union with God. Sex is related to the Law of Attraction, a basic law of the universe which states everything is both interdependent and interrelated. Therefore, relatedness is an innate magnetic pull.  So is seems that the title of the card, The Lovers, is a suitable description for resolving the dualities in our life and of becoming one with the spirit; 'The two shall become as one'. Love is the magnetizer, it attracts all to itself; it is the glue that holds everything together. Love is the connecting link between spirit and matter, the fulcrum of the middle way. Due to the dual nature of the human, union of personality and soul, spirit and matter, is our primary task.  It is manifested in the searching for the Beloved, seeking completion, being drawn as to a magnet to that which is higher. This evolutionary pull to the higher is found in every thing in creation.

It comes as no surprise that in mythical lore this card is associated with the Greek god, Eros, or Cupid in the Roman . Although lore about Eros has changed over the centuries basically his primordial force was directed to erotic or sexual love. In ancient times, however, erotic love was considered to be spiritual as well as human. It addition to human love it was related to the love of beauty, freedom and healing. This higher love was considered to be influential in bringing harmony and order to the universe and in bringing humanity together. So we note in The Lovers that the love here depicted is one of harmony which is the result of the balancing of dualities. This in turn results in liberation and an understanding of the true meaning of love.

From an astrological perspective we look to Gemini, the twins. It is said that the twins are different aspects of the same personality. It can also be interpreted that others are a mirror for us, reflecting back our faults, traits, etc. A deeper understanding of Gemini’s energy can be seen in the examination of its polar opposite, Sagittarius. They are both mutable signs, adaptable and flexible. While Gemini, an air sign, is communicative and gregarious and concerns itself with the mundane, eagerly flitting from one experience to another, Sagittarius, a fire sign,  focuses on ideals and the intellectual, with pursuit of the metaphysical, philosophical aimed at discovering one’s purpose in life. We note again this basic duality, that between spirit and matter, the mundane and the spiritual. Even the glyph of Gemini depicts a duality and it could be construed that as Gemini evolves its mundane searching begins to have as its goal the seeking of the spiritual.

This card is numbered VI; in numerology this number suggests adaptability, idealism, harmony, persistence and a sacrifice. Esoterically the number VI is associated with many of the same traits: idealism, self-sacrifice and persistence in its pursuit of the goal. In addition it refers to receptivity to the spiritual, purity and intense devotion. It is interesting, however, that the idealism and sacrificial stance of this number can be the cause of duality, of seeking completion and wholeness outside of oneself. This is the dilemma that The Lovers must resolve. Completion and wholeness are found in the balancing of our spiritual and material natures which are located within and not without.

So in our journey with The Lovers we have discovered the basic issue we need to resolve as humans, that of balancing our dual nature and learning to live in the two worlds of the divine and the human.

Intense gratitude and heart-felt appreciation for being
in this field continues.

Knowing that we are expanding into consciousness that
can be 'used' for service brings purpose anew.
Realizing that substance from within and without is all
the same, tilts the head.

Understanding more about how first and second Aspect
work together, destroying that which no longer serves,
while building new vehicles gives a whole new world of
heart/mind possibilities. 

Seeing our emptiness before our very eyes with the
transformative process going on gives
a unique and very special perspective on the transfiguring,
re-cohering and transformative process. Wow.

Practicing as the observer, watching the glamours of self,
knowing that 'special' must be held without attachment
or meaning keeps discipline and detachment alive.

This life time in group certainly provides a concentrated,
razor edged, profound opportunity previously unknown
to most.

whew. My heart reaches out to each and every one of you
with fiery light and love.

Someone has to cut my food now. And usually button my shirt. My cane is becoming not substantial enough for getting around outside of the house. Dressing myself is a labor. But there is something so positive about being handicapped; it cultivates being.

Maybe I say that because my spiritual life is pretty well established. Meditation, contemplation, and a metaphysical understanding and world view certainly do keep things in a particular framework. It is one where challenges are opportunities and the wisdom of the soul gives us just what we can handle. This framework holds me in goodness, in being able to see what has been adjusted within me as a result of having no options. That tells me how silly I was for not changing certain factors about myself in an easier way, but c'est la vie!

Additionally, being handicapped means that one experiences many things differently from those without these issues. Like being pregnant, you start to see others who share in disability. I notice how many people are tired and could just use a chair or bench at the service counter of a store, or at the long line of the post office, or along the endless expanse of floor to be crossed at the cinema. I notice how many people have canes, walkers, wheelchairs, prostheses, those who limp or whose speech has been changed due to stroke, MS, or various other causes. I watch how those in a rush, stressed out and self-consumed, don't hold doors for those less strong. And almost knocking over someone who literally can't get out of their way quickly, they don't realize how dangerous that interaction just was. These kinds of experiences don't increase anger. Instead they increase compassion. How did we get here? How did we get like this? Why is it more rare to help than to have a negative comment?

Likewise, so often I see patience in the eyes of the disabled. And I see how as a group we try to pass this onto others. Life doesn't have to be so fast. We don't have to feed the monster of stress and anxiety. We can all 'slow down just a little.' Likewise, humor is often on the face of the disabled. Just as often there is also pain and frustration and futility. But the humor is in the over-the-top-ness of almost everything in this country! One needs to be Hercules to open a can of cat food, or rip open a protein bar! Packaging within packaging, tamper-proof everything makes almost anything more than an egg become un-openable. I love it when my husband struggles with the jelly jar because then it's not me! Handicap aside, our generation is getting older and our parents are...already old. Does everything have to wrapped up like Fort Knox? That's a joke since money isn't even kept there anymore!

Back to being. This journey has also illumined all the ways that each one of us might be handicapped; not physically but by our habits, tendencies, beliefs, recurring thoughts; these types of things. What is being for each person? I know what it has developed into for me, but how about for others? Or will it look like and smell the same for everyone? Being handicapped has shown me evermore how unique and divinely special each person is; and that through various adversities, people by nature survive and grow. And the majority come out the other side smiling, with greater understanding and well-being. Life is a great mystery. Being and doing are inextricably linked. Less able to do, or needing to be creative or dismissive in that regard, being has been given room to increase. Patience, humor, letting go, trusting others and more have come with this journey. How is your journey going?

Many of us have been raised in a religious belief system where the emphasis has been on God Transcendent. This focus teaches that God resides in heaven and our task is to lead good lives, eventually join Him and live an eternal life of happiness in heaven. Heaven, then, is viewed as the reward for leading a virtuous life. This notion of a God Transcendent has been an obstacle to a true understanding of the divine because it misrepresents both the nature of God and the nature of the human. Some time ago it occurred to me that we tend to teach our children about God in the same way we speak about Santa Clause; he knows when we are sleeping, when we are good or bad, etc. In essence the message is that God is someone who is to be feared, who doles out gifts and punishments matched to our behaviors.

Fortunately today, aided by science, there is a movement away from a personalized, anthropomorphized God, to a belief in God Immanent. Immanence teaches that God is energy and His energy not only infuses all of creation but also maintains its existence. This means that God's energy can be found even in the smallest bits of matter, quarks and atoms and also in the planets and galaxies and everything in between. If we accept this notion then the Ecological and Green movements make so much sense. We are one with the universe and everything we do affects, not only other humans, but the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms as well.

What does this mean as we live our daily lives in pursuit of a sound spirituality? It is important that we begin with ourselves, to begin to believe that we are, in reality, divine. God's energy exists in every cell of our body and it is His energy that keeps us in existence. Frequently the divine energy within us we call matter and spirit. They are both the same energy but have different vibrational qualities. As we journey through our many lifetimes we gradually unfold into the spiritual aspects of ourselves; goodness, compassion, lovingness.  It is said that we are already what we are to become and our task over time is to let spirit unfold into the light of all that IS.

How is this to be done? As we begin to embrace the gift of God's energy in our essential being, we begin to observe God's love and beauty in all of creation; in the strength of the wind and the sweetness of the rain, in the fragrance of the lily and the grandeur of the mighty oak, in the sacrificial and industrious ant and in the intelligence and loyalty of the mighty elephant. These are all reflections of the divine. Divine energy can also be experienced in the harmony of a symphony, the beauty of a work of art, or when listening to the rhythmic waves of the ocean. His life teams in the forest, at work in the discoveries of science and in the networking qualities of the computer.

In addition to seeing God in our daily activities, a meditation practice is also essential. Meditation is the precious time that we set aside from our busy lives to get in touch with our spiritual self and to be open to grow into our deeper selves. In this process we will come to a deeper understanding of the obstacles that stand in the way of our becoming. Practicing harmlessness is also a requisite. The thoughts, words and deeds that are obstructing our vision are barriers to seeing the light of the spirit both in ourselves and in the rest of creation. 

Life is truly a journey of discovery. It is the daily entering into the light of spirit that exists in all of creation. It is an exciting and joyful journey which will undoubtedly change our life.

I returned from Israel with my mind a mush as my heart tries to understand the human plight epitomized by the conflict there. I continue to try to find a place of understanding - I feel greater compassion for all as well as a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. Israel is a nucleus of karmic threads that extend throughout the world.

Yes, Israel became a nation by displacing those that were living on the land, regardless if the land was a wasteland or not. Zionism is despised and is wrong. Is it so much different however, from the colonization that took place a few hundred years earlier by England, France, Portugal and Spain? The fact is that after the Holocaust those eastern Jews who survived needed a place to live. My family was one of them. They spent some of their war years in Uzbekistan and returned to their homeland, Poland, to begin their life anew. That was impossible. Anti-Semitism was as bad as ever and after watching Jews being shot in the streets, my parents decided to move on. My mother contacted her sister, my aunt, who had escaped the Warsaw ghetto by climbing over the wall after her 6-week-old child was murdered. She had found refuge in Paris. With one child my parents settled in until after one year the French government said that they didn't have the right papers, no right to stay and were thrown out of the country.

With NO WHERE to go they ended up in Israel. Why? Because there was no other country that would take them in. You couldn't go to North America unless you were sponsored. The world was not sympathetic to the survivors of the Holocaust. They did not open their arms and take them in. Instead, the displaced were put into barbed wire camps in Cyprus waiting to hear their fate once again. Interestingly, there were more infants born in that camp in Cyprus than for many years after in Israel, so strong is the instinctual need for self-preservation. Finally, the prisoners were given permission to set foot on a country that was given to them.

How they could do this in good conscience is beyond me. How can a country survive that is built on a wrong foundation? I often think that the world secretly wished that the Jews would destroy each other. How else could they have done what they did? I would argue that not all Jews necessarily needed Israel. Yes, it is in their history and part of their longing to have a place of their own, but I contend it was always a pipe dream. The United States and Britain turned it into a reality by allowing Palestine to become a Jewish homeland. The survivors could only turn to each other. They were forced to regroup, congeal and find solace, a sense of purpose and comfort with those who had lived a similar past. After their ordeal, the last thing that they wanted was to be involved in a war once again. They had no choice. The cycle of violence had begun. This was not of their own volition. It was thrown upon them because the world did not assume right responsibility to care for members of humanity, their family, that needed help. The world helped create what in a sense is the separatism that Israel displays. I think that now that the country has had one common purpose, it has brought about a group soul that is whole and coherent.

I can understand why people get this warm, fuzzy feeling when they come to Israel. I think that that is why many "make aliah" (move to Israel) There is a very strong connection that survival has brought about - a brotherhood of sorts. It is brotherhood, rather an exclusive kind of brotherhood, but nonetheless, there doesn't seem to be another kind of brotherhood anywhere else that they could use as a model. Regardless, it is very tangible. I think that is why when one soldier dies or is kidnapped the entire country mourns. In the United States and in the Arab nations they become numbers. It is very different in Israel.

Back to my story. In Israel, my parents with one child really tried to make a go of it. I was born there in 1949 shortly after Israel became a country. Bread lines and many other difficulties forced my parents to consider another place to live. My mother discovered a friend that settled in Toronto and since a sponsor was needed to enter the country she was willing to be of assistance. She became a cousin very quickly and the papers were started. Being sponsored was quite a responsibility. It meant that the sponsors were willing to guarantee that those coming into the country would not be a burden to the country otherwise the sponsor would have to assume that responsibility.

During our visit many discussions were had with Jordanians as well as Israelis about the conflict. Overall, I got the sense that Jordan is more optimistic about the peace than Israel. Yet, these are moderate Palestinians. The moderate voice, even though it may be the majority is not the voice that is heard or what is lived. The fundamentalists are running the show and that is a very scary reality. The wall, - I had seen pictures and read books and felt the inhumanity of it. Then, there, as I was looking at it, I began to understand its place and its need. Many lives have been saved and people live with less fear and more security. I am now of two minds or of no mind. Israelis have such an entrenched feeling of rightness about it all. I can understand why they feel that way. They have been put in a situation where they need to protect themselves. If the western world had responded to their cries and needs after the war from a place of "I am my brother's keeper" we would not be in this situation now. 

It has brought out the best and the worst in a group of people. I have no answers. I feel less convinced of any stand that I have had in the past and I stand nowhere right now - only with an open sadness for all.

Following up on the theme of 'trauma' (from the last issue of Soundings) as a 'fall' from alignment with one's central core, I would like to offer some thoughts on contributory factors to trauma. We can then take a look at ways to begin healing/whole-ing and re-aligning with our center and within the greater field of Self.

An experience of trauma is, in my awareness and understanding, and also from hands-on work with many people, the result of the playing out of certain inherent vibrational patterns within the incarnate human energy field, which we refer to, as 'karmic seeds.' These patterns are a holographic resonance of each individual's overall encoding of the experiences of lifetimes held within the permanent atoms, those centers of energy which remain with us throughout our many incarnations. They produce an energetic tension that impels our encounter with people and situations, and also conditions our response or reaction. If this encounter involves an unresolved threat, either from the past (current or 'past life') or present circumstances, an instinctual biochemical and electrical systemic reaction of 'shock' may be evoked in the nervous system. The root chakra is affected - in relation to the adrenals- and the person may become ungrounded. As a consequence the field goes out of alignment, thus creating the felt sense of trauma or a 'fall' from the central core.

The 'shock' that is part of a trauma experience is the energetic residue of an incomplete response by the nervous system to a threatening situation. Due to the overwhelming nature of the situation, one may be unable to act with either 'fight or flight'. The system cannot then discharge the built-up energy, which was meant to save oneself in an emergency, and this energy is then 'frozen' in place. As a result, the etheric, emotional and mental energy fields are also frozen in a particular vibrational configuration. The vibrational configurations of related experiences form a trauma pattern. The foundational matrix or seed of the pattern is the shock of ungrounded mis-alignment with the central core and the psychological felt sense of un-ease, anxiety or impending threat. These trauma patterns are manifested and felt as 'blockages' in the field, particularly in the chakras and even in some organs.

The Human Energy Field is a whole and contains within it the various microcosmic fields such as the emotional, mental and physical/etheric vehicles and the chakras, nadis and meridians. This field is organized around a bi-polar axis, which functions as an interpenetrating and ever-moving central core channel of energy. In order to respond to the impacts and fluctuations of the internal and external worlds, there is a need for the field to be dynamically adjusting and re-aligned so as not to become 'stuck' in a pattern. The key is to remain grounded through the feet chakras, root and central channel. This promotes alignment and the coordination and ascension of energies through the central channel and within the greater planetary etheric field.

Interestingly, the traditional dances of many cultures are actually ritualized forms of instinctual energetic alignments through grounding and core movements. We might imagine the precision of Balinese temple dancers, the intricate poses of Hindu iconography, and even the stylized dances of China or Japan.

All 'true healing' is based on this principle of grounding into the 'ground of being' and the resultant elevation of substance, through duality/polarity to Union - the sacred marriage. In Chinese medicine, the elementals of form (the 5 elements) are organized and coordinated via the Yin/Yang polarity and arise as the Tao. In the Ayurvedic system, the 7 chakras resolve into the triad of ida, pingala and shushumna of the central channel which arise as the union of Will and Wisdom; thus Joy is born in the consciousness. Many forms of Healing have developed which address the alignment and flow of energies in the field including Chi Gung, T'ai Chi, Reiki, Structural Integration, Cranio- Sacral therapy, Esoteric Healing and various styles of Yoga. Equally, the meditative posture allows us to ground through to the core of the planet, and to breathe with the pranic light circulating through the planetary etheric field. We become attuned to the alignment of the Planetary Logos and thus to Presence - vitality, sentiency, awareness and conscious Inter-being.

Programs with Donna Mitchell-Moniak

Retreats

Meditation Retreat
Awareness Retreat - Level I
April 30 - May 4 @ Spirit Fire - Leyden, MA

Awareness Meditation: You are the Light of the World
May 16 - May 18
Boulder, CO
Contact Joy 303-449-8664

Courses

Discover the Self
May 3-4@ Westwood, MA
co-facilitated with Martha Henry MacDonald

Lectures

"Karma"
April 15  7pm  @ Westwood, MA

"Changing Times - Auspicious Moons"
May 12 7pm  @ Denver Metaphysical Society   Denver, CO

Meditation

Auspicious Full Moon Meditation
May 19  7pm   Boulder, CO
contact Joy 303-449-8664

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Programs with Martha Henry-MacDonald

Courses

Esoteric Healing Level 1
March 29- 30, April 12-13 
New York City, NY
for info: mhenrymac@yahoo.com

Esoteric Healing Level 1
Nov 1-2, 15-16  @ Westwood, MA
for info: mhenrymac@yahoo.com

Esoteric Healing Level 2 & 3  NYC - TBA

Esoteric Healing Level 4
Sept 13-14, 27-28  @ Westwood, MA
for info: mhenrymac@yahoo.com

Classes

Introduction to Meditation
May 31/Oct 4/Dec 13  @ Westwood, MA

Meditation

1st & 3rd Tues @ Medfield, MA
www.harmony-center.org

Thurs evenings

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Programs with Joy Om

Courses

Fundamentals in Astrology
Mondays for 8 weeks beginning April 14 @ 7-9:15
Boulder, CO
for info call Joy 303-449-8664