Osho Transitional Tarot:
Card 10, Change

This card of "Change" is from the OSHO Zen Tarot deck.

If you look around you, the change that is happening on this planet in the past few weeks has been fascinating to watch. And, as each of us watch this huge movement of change in ideology, in financial structure, in the belief/lack of belief in the different governments and in the church, be aware that each of us is changing profoundly as well.

This weekend, I attended a Sangoma Retreat. It was two intense days of looking at myself, again. (Shaman are constantly re-looking at themselves.) It was an intense time of change for me! So, when I drew this card this morning, I was not surprised. The Universe was reminding me that I needed to honour my changes and tell people how I was feeling. The write up on the card describes the emotions that I went through this weekend.....

""Just see! If you can watch just for a few days, you will see a pattern emerging, a wheel pattern. One day, a fine morning, you are feeling so good and so happy, and another day you are so dull, so dead that you start thinking of committing suicide. And just the other day you were so full of life, so blissful that you were feeling thankful to God, that you were in a mood of deep gratefulness, and today there is great complaint and you don't see the point why one should go on living.... And it goes on and on, but you don't see the pattern. Once you see the pattern, you can get out of it. Osho Take it Easy, Volume 1 Chapter 7""

The Golden Age beckons as we Prepare

Dear ones, I am with you with love and great Light. I am Archangel Lord Michael.

Dalphiaana: Hello Lord Michael.

Archangel Lord Michael: Of course you know I am Uncle Michael to you. I am showing Ariana how I am holding the Earth in my hands. My two hands are cupped. The Earth is settled right into those hands. My thumbs come up lovingly on each side of her and this is the protection that I am giving to her. It is filled with love. It is filled with the Divine Light of God. It is my pleasure to work with our dear Earth on super divine levels. We are in communication all the time as she goes through her processes towards more and more Light.

Now with that visualization you know and understand it is not literal; it is symbolic. It is a spiritual way of showing you what I do on subtle levels. In actual fact, I hold the whole Earth and all her people under great and loving protection and you would say, "But Uncle Michael, there are still murders; there are still wars." I would say to you it is so and karma is working itself out. Still, when this is occurring, I am aware of what is happening and doing my part to assist in that karmic balance, which is so important at this time.

Karma is Balancing

You know and you feel how severely the karmic balance is working itself out, now that you have passed the millennium change. You expected this but perhaps you did not realize how very strong the karmic underlying energy would flow on your planet. It is very true that those who are not of the Light but as you would say are of the lesser Light, are deepening their energies to solidify that which is evil for their own selfish means, their own selfish greed. Because of that, you are noticing evil things occurring on a daily basis. The thoughts of those who are evil and greedy are in your newspapers; they are on your radio and on your television. You are hearing them on a daily basis; you are seeing them and you are realizing the results of their conniving efforts.

On the other hand, you have those of Light, that balance of energies between the lesser Light versus the Light. Those of the Light are bringing in more and more energies from the Great Central Sun and from the finer dimensions. That Light is gathering energy and is strengthening those people who are on the edge perhaps, wondering what is occurring on Earth. Many are coming towards the Light rather than towards the evil ways and so the Light is strengthening and the love is pouring upon the planet. Therefore, we have a great spiritual war happening on all levels.

Dalphiaana: Is this the way God meant it to happen?

Archangel Lord Michael: Yes, dear one. Despite the fact that it looks very precarious for your planet and for the Light at times, this is the way God meant it.

Dalphiaana: Will there ever be a time when there is peace on Earth?

Archangel Lord Michael: Yes that is what is occurring now. You are struggling for that and it will come to be. It has been predicted by many beings of Light and historians with psychic abilities that there would be a great change on the Earth after the millennium and that great change would incorporate the separating of the wheat from the chaff, as the Bible put it. That is exactly what is occurring now and you can expect more of the same. Little by little there will be wins on the side of the Light until all of a sudden the evil has basically retreated and the Light will flourish. That is when you will find the Golden Age. The Golden Age is a reality in the etheric; it is a reality in your auras; therefore it is a reality in your lifetime.

Live With Loving Detachment

Endeavor to stay detached to a certain extent from all that is occurring in the struggle. You, of the Light, know that you have chosen your own ways. You know that you are strong and firm and nothing would ever deter you from remaining Light, from going towards the Light, from being pure Light. Since you know there is going to be this type of a spiritual war occurring and that is happening right now, I believe you can assist yourself and assist others in a certain detachment. This is not saying that you need to bury your head in the sand and not look at what is occurring. That is not what I mean. I mean that you are putting your hand out and keeping a detached attitude. You’re keeping the evil from your heart your hand is up in front of your heart and it is out from your body about one foot. This symbolic detachment will keep the evil from your heart and keep you from becoming so terribly emotional and sympathetic about what is occurring. It is natural to be emotional and sympathetic when people are involved and they are being mistreated, for example. Remember the karma and the karmic balance occurring and then remember the detachment, which is protective yet you still give love. It is simply that you don’t react in an emotional manner that leaves you out of control. That is where we are asking the Lightworkers to be now and in the near future.

Information yes! Gather all the information that you need to satisfy your own curiosity. For some people, it will mean going within from time to time and checking with their guides. For other people it will mean checking out what is occurring in current events around your planet. One is as good as the other. It does not matter what mindset you are in relative to this. Simply be in love, be of love with all that is going on and allow God and God’s messengers of Light to be in charge of this.

The Birthing of Our Dear Earth Into the Age of Light

Many times it has been told to you that the birthing of our dear Earth into the Age of Light, into higher Dimensions, is indeed a birthing. It’s a difficult birthing because of the many ramifications that are occurring but for certain she is in labor, going by the symbology of the labor of the woman about to have her baby. This is what is occurring now and as you know, you who are mothers, the intensity of the energy just before the birth is tremendous. In relation, the intensity of the labor that Mother Earth is going through is magnificently tremendous. How can I say this? It will not take an hour or five hours or ten hours for this birth. It will take a year, five years or many years for this labor but you mothers know that when the baby comes, what a relief it is. You know that all the energy changed just then. Everything is relieved at once. All the pressure is gone. That is how it will occur with Earth. When the final birthing occurs, everything will be changed… every single, single thing.

Hold that vision, dear ones, of the new birth for Earth. Think of what you are going through now and hold that detached from you a certain amount but know that those energies are coalescing into a wonderful new beginning for all life on your planet. It is occurring. I am thrilled to be able to speak with you about this because I know, as human beings, how vulnerable you can be, how very vulnerable to the energies and thoughts of others. You are also very vulnerable to the media. Keep in mind the media is controlled by those who are greedy and wanting no changes on the planet as far as energy systems and equality for all people on Earth. So do not take the media seriously, dear ones. Gather your news from other sources. There are other sources now. It is a blessing that the Internet is at the fingertips of so many of you. Your alternate news, the real news is in there. No matter what occurs, whether you are looking at television or going through the Internet for your truth, still you must retain a certain amount of discernment and take in only what is true for you, when you hear of something occurring.

Tune Into Your Spiritual Guidance

We have told you that all of you have spiritual guidance and that you have a guide for almost every activity that you do now. You have some guides who stay with you for your entire lifetime and you have others that come to you for certain special training or spiritual guidance. It was mentioned in past years that you have at least a hundred guides that come and go from your aura. This has been increased now. You have guidance… you have spiritual beings monitoring your activities and your thoughts at all times. There are hundreds of them. For some people, this might be a fearful revelation to think that hundreds of spiritual entities know what you are doing and what you are thinking at all times. This could be rather threatening. For others, it keeps them on the straight and narrow path for total truth and honesty in their lives.

I want you to know that those guides who tune into your auras are not snooping and they are not there for any reason except love. They are there because they want to help you and they want to be there for you whenever you meditate, whenever you sleep, whenever you do repetitious work or read. When you allow yourself to be in the alpha state, you may touch in with them but even in your waking state or when you are deeply asleep, they are with you. I don’t mean just you, who are reading this transcript. I mean every single person on Earth. It doesn't matter if a person is ninety or a hundred years of age or whether you are thinking about a newborn baby. You all have this ultra wondrous energy of spiritual guidance with you now. It is tremendously concentrated and it is very accessible to you. All you need do is know it is there. All you need do is accept that it is with you. All you need do is acknowledge their hearts and commit to working with them. They are male, they are female and some of them are androgynous as well.

If you know any saint from your religion, if you know any Ascended Master from your study, if you remember any family member who has crossed over through death or if you would remember God and all of the angels, you can call upon any of these; it matters not. You are one huge soul family on this Earth and at this time all of the soul families within the huge soul family of our dear Earth are working together. If you wish to work with Maitreya, he is there for you. If you wish to work with Sananda, he is there for you. As for myself, Uncle Michael, I would be pleased to work hand in hand with you. The fact of the matter is that I am with you as part of your spiritual bodies anyway but it takes your knowledge and awareness, by way of a partnership, for us to work together for the good of the planet and for your particular niche in the scheme of things.

Dalphiaana: You are very often called upon, dear Michael.

Archangel Lord Michael: I have much energy to share; dear ones and I love to share it with those who know me and those who call me Uncle.

Laughing…

Earth Mother is Changing

Archangel Lord Michael: But truly it is a fact that many, many people who have crossed into Spirit have lots of capability of assisting as well and in a way they are closer to your dimension. So your uncle, your auntie, your mother, your father, your brother, your sister; whoever you might like to acknowledge, you may speak with. Most of them over there now are working on this mission in one-way or another. They could be working specifically with nature but it would be with an idea of the change that is occurring. They could be working specifically with scientific inventions and indeed that is occurring. There is so much they are working with over there that you would be absolutely amazed. You know some of this but understand that it is all geared now towards the great shift. It is all geared towards the love of Mother Earth, who is taking her family and all life upon her, into the finer dimensions.

I am so pleased and thrilled that we had a chance to have this chat.

Dalphiaana: So are we.

Archangel Lord Michael: I feel that some of the things we have discussed are very, very pertinent to people right now and they need this information.

Dalphiaana: Thank you Uncle Michael.

Archangel Lord Michael: You are most welcome dear one. You are most welcome. Know that I love you with all my heart and soul. I have a special, deep love for those of you who call on me, who speak my words and who have an affinity for me. It is my true, deep pleasure to work with you on a deep level.

Pass the Wisdom of Spirit Along

Do you have any comments or any questions at this time before we disconnect from each other’s voices?

Dalphiaana: I think you have said it all. I just hope that a lot of people understand that they have this kind of guidance to call upon.

Archangel Lord Michael: Yes it is so, so very important. The problem that is occurring at this time is that people are getting away from their spiritual guidance. So much is happening with them on the beta level. There is much to be concerned about with families, because of global issues and even involvement in war. It means that people are going into meditation less and less and this we would like to turn around because the more you come to us through your inner being, the more aware guidance you will have and the more love you will feel and that is what you need right now. Unfortunately, this could be the trend for a few months and years, where people are so caught up in their own existence, their own survival and the survival of their loved ones that they will not turn to or even think about their heavenly guidance.

Ariana: Ooh! He is feeling very sad right now about that.

Archangel Lord Michael: This is why Ashtar told you some time ago, dear ones, to write everything down, to tape every word. He said to make absolutely certain that if you have a book inside of you, that it gets out to people in whatever way you can do it. As more and more evil energy coalesces on the Earth, more and more people will not be in a position mentally, emotionally or spiritually to touch their guidance.

Dalphiaana: That is very sad.

Archangel Lord Michael: The more this message can be distributed the better because when people understand it, they will return to their practices of meditation and listening to their own intuition.

Hold the Vision for Peace

We are still hoping for a very peaceful change on Earth. It is still up in the air as to how this could go. It could get to the point where nobody on Earth hears his or her guidance or it could switch quite suddenly into a peaceful aura. We, of course, are holding the vision for peace. We ask those, who live on Earth, to hold the vision for peace. Peace on Earth, peace within countries, peace within hearts. If everybody held the vision for peace, it would be finished. You would be raised into the finer dimensions immediately.

Peace is contagious; spread the peace, spread the love, spread the joy. Keep that of evil at a distance from your heart and know that all is in Divine Order in God’s world and only God knows exactly how this will turn out but one thing is absolutely certain. The Light will raise the planet into finer dimensions. The struggle that might occur because of this is now happening.

Dear ones, I thank you for your love and your energy. I thank you for working with me, at this time, to bring this message through. I am your dear Uncle.

Dalphiaana: Thank you Uncle Michael.

Archangel Lord Michael: I will leave your energies now. My love will remain in your heart. I am Archangel Lord Michael, Uncle Michael to you.

Retain the joy, retain the peace and retain the love. It will raise you into the Light.
Spoken through Ariana Sheran

Cloverleaf Connection
138 Sturgeon Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7K 4B3
Website: www.cloverleafconnection.ca
E-mail: info@cloverleafconnection.ca

Ancestors Speak - About Death

By Judith Hirst-Joyeux

Earlier this year, my father passed away and then I found this beautiful poem that describes how death looks....Right now the world is looking at death almost daily and it seems that this poem fits for that as well.....

DEATH IS NOTHING

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be the household word it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was;
there is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind
because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near just around the corner...
All is well. Nothing is past, nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before,
only better, infinitely happier
and forever we will be one together.

~~~ Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)~~~~

May all in your life be gentle!

Judith

Spirit Animals: the Moth

By Judith Hirst-Joyeux

Image of Moth and The Moon from Microsoft Clipart.

Today, as I work at my computer, a small moth has appeared and is sitting on the wall, looking at me, so that every time that I glance up, I must see her. I did not pay any attention to the moth, at first, and then, as I could feel its presence more and more strongly, I started to listen. I heard nothing! Then I started to feel, and my transformation began.

Just as the butterfly is the image of transformation for Father God Sun, the Moth is the image of transformation and metamorphosis for the Mother Goddess Moon. As October 14th is the next full moon, I could feel that the Goddess was sending me a powerful message.

Atlas Moth from Wikipedia. Note that Moths may be as colourful as butterflies!

Our Ancestors tell us that the "Moth" was so named because it brought information from the Goddess-Mother and carried back our requests and prayers. In the movie "Lord of the Rings", Gandolf used a Moth to carry word of his plight to the Eagles. Moth has always been able to travel between the darkness and the light with protection. For those that believe the moth is attracted to the light, and then is destroyed by flame, consider the nature of the phoenix which must be consumed by flame before it can be released to the light.

One aspect of Moth that is a good message for those that Moth works with is - pay attention to what is being said, and not said. Moth has ultra sonic hearing sensors on its legs and can hear noise that does not appear to exist (quite similar to the acute hearing skills of a Mother with her children when they are getting into mischief).

Moth is also sensitive to environment - sound vibration, light, hot, and cold. Moth asks that you pay attention to how sensitive you are/are not to the world around you. The best question one can ask is, "Does the current situation need to be re-evaluated? Is my integrity or other's integrity being compromised?

Let Moth lead you to the light!

Spirit Animals –
For The Sake Of Dove

By Judith Hirst-Joyeux

For the last three years, Roger and I have had doves in our yard. This coincided with our marriage three years ago. The first two years, we had baby doves in our yard and they bedded down nightly either in our pine trees or in our flowering bush. Their mysterious sounds heralded in the mornings, and softly pulled down the night. Dove appears when Spirit wants to acknowledge love, family, nesting (making a home) and honoring the Earth.

Coincidentally, we started our garden three years ago as well. Dove represents the gentleness and what we would see as the more feminine side of life. Dove lives where food is plentiful, where it is appreciated, and where the environment is relatively free of contaminants like pesticides and herbicides. Dove's food is from the ground. So, for the sake of Dove, use natural forms of pest and weed control. When Dove is around, take this as a signal to be kind to yourself and those around you. Dove is a good provider so recognize that there is natural abundance around you. As you harvest it, give back to wherever it came from. Dove spreads seeds and tills the soil in payment for its food.

Dove gets along with every being. The robins normally chase everything out of the yard, yet do not bother Dove. And although our dog, Magic, tries to keep the yard a bird free zone, Dove simply flies over his head and settles in for what ever meal is up. This is a lesson for us as well. Tolerate all beings for they know not what they do. As difficult as they may be, they may be part of our journey. Perhaps it is for this reason that Dove is used as a symbol for peace and strength in many religions/beliefs.

Dove is also a sacred animal to the Goddess in most of the stories. If Dove appears, it may be the Goddess or feminine signaling that it is time to awaken and own that part of you.

Dove is also about healing. The song is mournful but healing. Dove flies yet eats from the ground, showing the balance between spirit and grounding. And Dove is drawn to mystics and to healers for one of its first tasks was to act as a messenger between Earth and the Heavens because Dove may pass beyond the Seventh Gate of life and death. When Dove appears, know that you are blessed! -©Judith Hirst-Joyeux 2007. As part of her healing practice, Judy calls on Dove energy to bring in balance to clients, or to show clients how to nurture self.

Tarot Discussion: Authenticity

By Judith Hirst-Joyeux

From Osho's Transformation Tarot - the "Authenticity" card.

"The real thing is not a path. The real thing is the authenticity of the seeker. Let me emphasize this. " from Osho

I asked what it is I really needed to know about for the next several days. The card that I pulled was Authenticity. I have been working with clients who are not achieving what they desire - and they ask me why they are failing. They say that they are doing all the right things. When I ask them how they know that it is right, the clients will often say that it is because a teacher told them it was the right thing to do.

In the searching for what we are to do, people seem to go astray. They take classes and say that they are a healer or a shaman, or a hypnotherapist, or a Journey practitioner, or whatever, and yet, never feel fulfilled or satisfied. Why is that? It is because they do not follow the guidance of the heart. They listen to the logic of the ego.

In Munay-Ki, one of the vows is about integrity - walking your talk. Authenticity holds the same meaning. The card is about being in one's integrity and doing everything that they may tell others to do.

So many of us walk around still in ego. We "know" the right things to do and freely tell others what they are doing wrong and how they can correct the problem. We may also walk around saying "I healed you of....". We go in and give advice and pass judgements without asking permission of the receiver of the advice.

Being in integrity or authenticity means when one is in their integrity, they understand that "they" do not do the healing - Great Spirit and the client's body do the healing. Being in integrity means that a person leads by a shining example. They do not have to tell people they have integrity - everyone sees it.

How do you know if someone is in their integrity? Generally, they are successful without using power or politics, and they are very generous. They are happy, content, and motivated to do their work - their own spiritual and physical healing before they work on others. They are focused. They trust Great Spirit. Perhaps more than anything else, they TRUST. They do not seek affirmation from those around them, their affirmation comes from the work they do, and from Great Spirit.

May you find the inner peace that comes from being within your integrity.

The Symbol of the Goddess

by Judy Hirst-Joyeux

Note that the symbol of the triple goddess used in Wicca in reference to the Goddess, is similar to the description of Damona, The Divine Cow.

In ancient times, before common era, Western Europe (Italy, France, Belgium, part of Switzerland, part of the Netherlands, and the west part of Germany) was called Gaul. The Gauls are believed to be a people similar to the Celts of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Like other ancient people, the Gauls had many gods and goddesses. One such Goddess is Damona, sometimes referred to as “the divine cow”.

The main temple honouring Damona was located at Alise-Sainte-Reine in the area now known as Burgundy, France. One of the features of the temple was a healing pool. Damona is believed to be a water Deity with powers of healing and procreation. Carved images of Damona show her with horns of corn, with a serpent coiled around her hand, and a cow as her favored animal. Sometimes she is seen too with the Moon as a symbol behind and over her head. Damona is associated with fertility, with healing (much like the serpents on the symbol of medicine). Damona was paired with Apollo, the healer or physician. Today, all doctors take the Hippocratic Oath which swears to “Apollo the physician”… and “takes witness to all the gods and goddesses”. Damona’s serpent was representative of shedding illness as a serpent sheds its skin.

The legends around Damona talk about the pilgrims that flocked to Burgundy, hoping to either lose their illness in the healing pools or to have a healing sleep. The pilgrims prayed to Damona to have her visit them in their sleep, in dream time, and that Damona would give them a cure. Damona was also associated with Prophecy, and it is believed that she could either direct the Fates to deliver a vision to a person’s dream or, that she would come and lead you to that time ahead so one would see what would happen as a movie, and know the circumstances and outcome of a situation.

If you see Damona in your dreams or visions, know that you are being blessed with fertility that may be translated as change, creativity, or healing powers for self and others. One should be gracious in their thanks to Damona, and spread seeds of corn or cornmeal on the Earth in thanks.

How to Experience Candle Meditation

by Judy Hirst-Joyeux

The first meditation that I learned to work with is the “candle meditation”. This is a very easy meditation to use to learn to meditate and, it is invaluable as a meditation practice that will carry you into all types of meditation.

The purpose behind candle meditation, as explained to me, is to give the student of meditation a tool to use to help focus the mind and still the ego. It is very effective, so it is one of the first mediations that I teach my students. Focusing on the flame helps the student “see” the difference between consciousness and ego thoughts. The concept of ego is wonderfully explained in Eckhart Tolle’s book, “A New Earth”, if you require more information on the presence of ego.

A listing of tools is supplied. However, most of the time, I simply find my candle, light it, sit on the floor and stare at the candle for five minutes. I do not use the other tools unless it will be a long meditation. So, to begin . . .

Tools you will need:

1. a quiet space, meditation room
2. a meditation pillow or mat, if you use one
3. a slender 6 to 12 inch candle
4. a large supportive candle holder
5. matches or a barbeque lighter
6. a blanket or shawl for your shoulders
7. a timer for meditations longer than two to three minutes

Step 1

If this is the first mediation for a beginner, then some time must be spent determining what space will be quiet and comfortable and feel supportive of the meditation process. I have a meditation room. However, most people do not have this extra space, and need to find a spot in the bedroom, living room, or dining room. Some people use the kitchen. I find that the kitchen, as a place of “work at home” does not have the “right feeling” for meditation. If someone has a more advanced meditation practice, this step is not required.

Step 2

Find a candle and a candle holder. The candle may be any colour, although I find that green works the best. Perhaps this colour works because it is the colour of healing. The candle holder needs to be large enough so that it will not tip if you accidently hit the candle or the holder. A nice wide base on the holder will provide stability and will protect the table or floor or what ever surface the candle/holder is placed upon.

Step 3

Now is a good time to go and find the matches or lighter that will be used to light the candle. Many believe that wooden matches are the right tool because wood is more natural than a lighter. I have not found that this makes any difference. Keep the matches close because sometimes during the first several times of mediation, people get exasperated and accidently blow the candle out while they are settling down.

Step 4

I find that many students experience a drop in body temperature as they sit for periods of time longer than ten minutes. It is a good idea to have a blanket or a shawl to wrap around the shoulders to help the body temperature remain stable. The covering adds a feeling of security to the meditation. If one is secure, then the meditation feels more comfortable.

Step 5

Experiment with different positions to find the most comfortable way to watch the candle. I learned candle meditation by sitting on the floor, half Lotus pose, and staring at the candle. If students are comfortable in the full lotus position, I suggest that they sit that way to do the candle meditation. However, most people are not comfortable in a full lotus.

Some people prefer to place it on a low table. Others find placing it on a kitchen or dining room table, and sitting upright is the most comfortable for this mediation. If having the candle at eye level seems important, then a coffee table would be the perfect level to put the candle on.

Step 6

When a comfortable position is determined, it is time to light the candle. Move the candle away from your body until it is arm’s length or just under arm’s length away. The idea is to focus as closely to one’s body as is comfortable to exclude all external distractions.

Step 7

To begin, candle meditation is best practised in short cycles of sixty seconds. Stare at the flame for sixty seconds. Blink as little as possible. Your eyes may water. This is good, because the eyes receive a good cleansing from the tears. Count the seconds – the counting keeps your ego mind busy.

Step 8

 After sixty seconds, close your eyes. Now “see” the candle flame on the darkness behind the eyelids, or in the imagination, what ever seems best. Hold this image for sixty seconds. If the image of the flame fades, just open your eyes, take a break, and repeat the process.

Do not be discouraged if you cannot stare at the candle or hold the image for sixty seconds after many tries. This is a different application of the body and mind working together. It does take training and improves with practice.

Thoughts may appear such as, “This is really a stupid thing to do with one’s time!” The thoughts are the ego complaining. It eventually will fade out as you concentrate.

Step 9

Repeat the sixty second cycle three times in the first attempt at candle mediation with five or ten minute breaks in between. This is enough training for the first day.

Step 10

When the practice session is finished, blow out the candle. If possible, lie down with eyes closed for five to ten minutes to allow the brain and the body to assimilate what has happened. This step will make the next practice easier.

After several days of practice, students are able to close their eyes and see the candle flickering and dancing away behind the eyelids or mind’s eye. The flame is either faint or clear as a bell. Either is fine.

Step 11

When the student is able to hold the flame visually, with their eyes closed, for sixty seconds over several attempts, then it is time to increase the time. The next level is to hold the picture of the flame for one hundred and twenty seconds or for two minutes. Again, cycle the eyes open, closed, and break for three or four rounds per session. Many people need to blink more frequently than every two minutes. Do what is most comfortable without stressing the body.

This level of intensity usually requires about five days of practice, sometimes twice a day, before the exercise feels comfortable for most people.

Step 12

After a week or two of the one minute and two minute meditations, students usually go to three minute and then five minute rounds. This is when a timer is required. The time is long enough so that counting may be forgotten as the person begins to move to the level of unawareness.

Step 13

As a comfort level builds with this meditation, the sessions of staring at the flame and holding the flame visually may be increased to ten minutes, fifteen minutes, and to a maximum of twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, either a break is required or the individual needs to go into a different meditation.

Step 14

Practice makes perfect and easier sessions! I recommend doing this every day for 30 days to make it a habit.

Step 15

Begin using the candle meditation, either a short version or a longer version, as a prelude to a half hour or one hour meditation. The candle meditation is now the tool to slow down the mind/ego and help the transition to deep meditation.

The candle meditation is very easy to learn and challenging to master at the twenty minute level. A twenty minute level takes several years of practice to achieve as an automatic exercise. I encourage everyone to begin slowly, and take as many days or weeks or years as is required to build a comfort with the meditation.

After twenty plus years of meditation practice, the candle meditation is still one of my favorite ways to calm the mind and enter a peaceful state.

Tips

1. This meditation can help improve your eyesight.
2. Always remember to use a timer.
3. People do get caught up in the trance and do lose track of time.

How to Breathe in Meditation in 7 Steps

Ever been there?

If you hang around the spiritual community for any length of time, at some point, you will find yourself in a group of seekers where the leader is telling you to breath deep.  The people in the room then respond by forcing their inhalations and exhalations loud enough for all to hear.

Next time you find yourself ‘there’, think ‘done that’, and try this. 

Step One: Posture

Sitting up straight with your back aligned is the starting point.  Review your posture; are you comfortable?  (More on comfort later.)  Remember how the masters sit?  Quite often, their arms are straight with their hands resting on the knees.  One of the reasons for locking the arms is that the weight of the shoulders gets heavy after a while. The shoulders then slump down thus reducing the capacity of the lungs.  Further, in deep meditation, the triangle of the two arms and spine maintains posture in the situation of elevated consciousness even after the mind loses its attachment to the physical plane.  The arms also contribute to keeping the lungs open.  The main idea is to attain optimal lung function.

Step Two: the Objective

We all know that breathing is good; yet why is it so important to good meditation?  Let us begin to answer the question by saying meditation is a subtle process.  The easiest-to-understand ‘objective’ of meditation is to connect with one’s higher self.  For certain, the higher self is subtle.  It resides in dimensional space much higher than that of the physical plane.  To fulfill the objective of connection to a subtle being, such as your higher self, or your guides and angels, one’s physical presence also has to be vibrating at a high and subtle level.  In effect, you need to raise your vibration high enough to attain a reasonable level of compatibility.

Step Three: Think Oxygen

There are a few things a person can do to achieve compatibility, and breath is one of them.  The primary constituent of the air we breathe is oxygen.  Of all the elements on Earth, oxygen is the most potent element for carrying divine light.  More light means higher vibration; higher vibration gives the meditator a better shot at creating a meaningful connection to the higher self.  When considering the importance of breath, there is nothing esoteric about it.  Breath, oxygen in particular, acts on the body by releasing light with every chemical reaction in every cell.  Oxygen carries light to every part of the body; the body’s vibration rises accordingly.

Step Four: Lung Preparation

Opening the lungs by using good posture is only one of several innovations that help the process.  Whenever I lead a meditation group, I begin by having everyone take a full deep breath, really full that is.  I then ask them to take in a bit more and hold it while doing a few stretching exercises.  The objective is to stretch the air sacs or alveoli of the lungs to cause a more efficient exchange of oxygen across the membranes and into the blood stream.  A few more deep breaths to go with stretching have the further effect of cleaning the lungs of stale air or carbon dioxide build-up.  Stretching also has the added yoga-type effect of exercising the bronchial passages.

Step Five: Nasal Exercises

The next thought on the breath is to flare the nostrils.  Opening the nostrils permits a greater volume of air to enter the lungs.  The nostrils do not need to remain flared, yet the flare stretches them and makes them pliable enough to respond to the subtle need to open or narrow as air flows in and out.  Contingent to the flare of the nostrils is the expansion of the nasopharynx (the passages behind the nostrils that stretch back to the throat).  With a little conscious effort, you can open the nasopharynx and, again, more air can enter the lungs.  In addition, the membranes of the nasopharynx, similar to the alveoli, are heavily populated with blood vessels.  This means that oxygen can transfer into the blood prior to getting to the lungs.  Doing it right means oxygen gets to your head before it gets to the lungs.  The meditator who works with the nasopharynx will notice an elevated sense of being and a calm that pervades the brain after only a few minutes.

Step Six: Breathe Silently

Once the air passages, nostrils, and alveoli are opened, air flows.  Herein, lays one of the more important means to achieve a blissful state.  That is, airflow throughout the respiratory tract needs to flow silently.  Noiseless breathing cannot be overemphasized.  Any sound of air rushing through the nose, nasopharynx, or bronchial tubes is the equivalent to turbulence of the mind.  Turbulent airflow causes turbulent thinking and negates the serenity needed to bring the physical mind and vibration within reach of the higher self.  When focused in meditation, check the airflow of your breath for even the subtlest of noises.  The body’s demand for oxygen will determine the pace or breaths per minute.  The way to keep pace, and still maintain noiseless breathing, is to work consciously with the nostrils, nasopharynx, and lungs.  After a while, the body’s demand for oxygen will even out and the pace will stabilize.

Step Seven: Re-Relax

Getting the breath right causes the hoped-for elevation of the physical vibration as light enters, acts, and reacts with physical tissues.  The body, however, is not accustomed to this newly imposed higher state.  It reacts by shifting into a posture that may be conceptualized as defensive.  In the defensive posture, the body stiffens slightly and tension becomes noticeable to the meditator as discomfort.  By assuming defence, the body slows the rate of assimilation of light energy because it wants to maintain the level of vibration that it is used to having.  The solution is first to be aware of this problem, then to consciously relax and let the body go.  Through conscious release, tension drops away and the process of bringing light to the body resumes at an accelerated rate.

So there you have it!  Breathe your way onto the stairway to heaven.  The next steps involve allowing the higher self to pervade your physical presence and then using the higher vibration to take your consciousness to higher planes.

The Principle of “No-Response”

by Roger Joyeux

• “He sees you when you're sleeping.
• He knows when you're awake.
• He knows if you've been bad or good.
• So be good for goodness sake!”

This last line is worth repeating for what it says, but it is also worth repeating for what it does not say. Be good, not to scare away the bad stuff or to put yourself above some undesirable circumstance. Be good for the sake of being good. The universe operates on vibration. Good resonates with good, bad goes where it belongs. Thinking that one can hide inappropriate actions is futile. If one lies, cheats, or steals, the action imprints itself on the etheric magnetic field as encoded vibration. He sees you when. . . He knows if you’ve. . .

But, will he (God) help you choose a better way? Sorry, Earth is a free will zone with the biggest choice in the universe---the choice to love or to not love.

God and the angels are bound to leave you to your choices. They cannot and do not interfere. Are all the choices you have ever made been good, or bad? Without beating ourselves up for any shortfalls we may have had late on a Saturday night, our lives are constantly challenging our better judgments. ‘Good’ is all goodness and love, but ‘bad’ comes in many shades. Cheating, even on taxes, is cheating, and it affects our vibration. It means that the cheater acquires karma that implants codes on his etheric body and sits in his vibration. God never said, “Go ahead, cheat on your taxes”, and he certainly did not tell anyone to start any ‘holy wars’. Yet, the flipside is that he never told anyone not to cheat on taxes, and he did not tell anyone not to start a holy war.

This is not quite the principle of ‘no-response’, but we are getting there.

God, Allah, the universe, Shiva, or the creator is love. God radiates love and sends love, and he responds to love in kind. God’s love goes where it is welcome.  He honours our choices with love. If we choose love, God’s love empowers us. If we choose hate or the lighter shades of displeasure instead, God will not send his almighty power to strengthen our hate and displeasure. Yet, neither will he speak out to dissuade us from making such choices. No angel will come to our door to tell us not to cheat on taxes. No intuitive voice of spiritual guidance will rise to caution us when we spurn friendship, judge others, or think that we are better than another person is. God’s love empowers us when we love. It does nothing when we do not love. It does not empower us; it does not warn us; it does not slap our knuckles, and it does not attempt to influence our choices. It does nothing.

The significance of the universe or God doing nothing (and this is the principle of no-response) is that the individual perpetrator does not realize that he is making choices or doing actions that are outside of love’s vibration. His choices yield his vibration; and he fits into the world in the place that fits. The devotee goes to the Ashram; the criminal goes to jail. God’s love empowers the devotee to find the means to experience the Ashram, but the criminal is left to his own devices.  The angels do not offer guidance to keep a ‘bad’ person from his just deserts.

The principle of no-response means that the divine powers of consciousness follow and empower our choices of love, but do not involve themselves with anything outside of love. The significance for an individual is that he will never know the difference.

How to: Feng Shui-ing Our House

Some time ago, our friend Gay sent out an SOS email looking for volunteers to assist her. As part of a class assignment, Gay needed to write up a detailed report on the Feng Shui analysis of several homes. Roger and I were quick to volunteer our home for the analysis. (As a side note, I have wanted to have a Feng Shui specialist analyze our house ever since we were in Laguna Beach in September of 2006. And now, here was someone offering to do it! I am constantly amazed at how quickly our thoughts are manifesting into reality since the Spring Equinox.)

My understanding of Feng Shui is that this is the art or practice of arranging space, office or home, to be in harmony with the environment. When we moved into our home, we knew that we needed to do a lot of upgrading on the physical side of the house. What we are still working on is the arrangement of the space. Gay’s email was timely. When we arranged to meet at our house, she advised that it would take about two hours. Gay also required a floor plan of the house complete with dimensions of each room. Gay also explained the process that she would follow. Both of us had to be home, and we both had to participate in the tour of the home and in answering questions. The night arrived, and Gay came in very prepared. She had some detail questions to ask, and she had studied our layout ahead of time so that she was familiar with our house. We walked through it, and as we did, Gay was quick to point out problem spaces that could be corrected immediately with very little difficulty.

I was very surprised at some of the things that Gay mentioned that could be quickly changed. For one, we needed to cover the mirrors in our bedroom. For another, the beams in our house, which I love, cause poison air. There are very easy solutions to these problems which can then change the energy of one’s house.

My suggestion is that if you want to change the energy in your house and increase your prosperity because you now have good energy, contact Gay at Spirit of Flight Creations. Call Judy or Roger for more information.

Pineal Insights

by Judith Hirst-Joyeux

Buried deep within the center of the brain, the pineal gland has a structure similar to our lateral eyes.

On August 21, 2008, I was searching for information via "Stumble" and I came across this fascinating article by Leonardo Vintini.

The discussion about the pineal gland emphasizes what Shaman have known for years, and what the descendants of the Inca have taught in the Rites of Munay-Ki.  First, Shaman have practiced going through the pineal gland to transcend time and "time travel" to the Lower World, the Upper World, and to the in between planes and dimensions.  And, as the article alludes to, Shaman may even travel out among the stars, visiting various planets.  Second, in order for any changes to be made to the body, Shaman recognize that the pineal must be advised first.  In some of the Munay-Ki Rites, the Shaman blows on the head, focusing on the pineal to alert the pineal that a change is coming.

While the pineal does regulate the biological rhythms of the body, it is possible that it regulates how the eyes and the heart "sees" the world around the person, and that the eyes will only see what the pineal allows.  When people move along on their spiritual development, we often say that "their third eye has opened up".  Another way of saying this is that they "see" more clearly and with discernment.

Our Ancestors tell the story of when giants (at least ten feet high) roamed the Earth, and that these giants only had one eye in the middle of their forehead.  Some of us know this story as the myth of Odysseus (Ulysses is the Latin name) and Cyclops.  In the stories that the Greeks tell of Cyclops, they were the sons of Uranus (Father Sky) and Gaia (Mother Earth), and were master metal workers and blacksmiths.  The story goes that with their one eye, the Cyclops could "see" the strength and the flaws in the metal more clearly than two eyed beings.  This suggests that their eye may have been the "third-eye" that we now work to develop.

Regardless of the mythology around the pineal, it seems that it does release a hormone that helps us have visions and helps someone dying to have a near death experience that they can remember.

I wish you many visions and travel to far away places without leaving home.