People with pessimistic attitudes go through their lives fighting their thoughts and emotions every day. If they are rejected for a job position, they feel that they are not good enough to have any job. They start to think that everyone believes they are stupid, and the cycle of pessimism traps them into psychological immobility. In fact, everyone experiences rejection at some time during their lives, but when your mind focuses on the negative aspects of a situation, it is hard to find inner peace.
The first step in finding inner peace is to think carefully about your goals. What are you trying to achieve, and what are you doing that will take you there? Can you realistically reach your goals, or are you setting goals that are far beyond your reach? Do you have any goals? By putting your priorities in order, you will be on the path to peace because only chaos can result from clutter and disorganization of the mind. You can start by setting small goals that can be easily achieved. Then, instead of focusing on failure, you can see the good job you’ve done in reaching your goal. If you fail to reach a goal, use this situation to learn how to do better next time. Don’t wallow in your failure.
When you feel good about yourself, you will have an easier time finding peace of mind. Peace is essential for happiness. If you constantly feel sad, you are living under a great weight that brings you down to a point where you could sink into a permanent state of self-pity. Self-pity only encourages negative thinking. Remember, you are not the only person facing rejection or hurt in life. There are other people much worse off than you are. People with negative thinking miss out on inner peace because they let every little setback throw them off track. They criticize themselves for no real reason and go down a road that only leads to misery.
Sometimes, hearing the word ‘no’ is a good thing. If you’ve lost out on a job, maybe that is for the best. What if you had been awarded a job position only to find out that it was not what you really wanted, or that you couldn’t do it as well as you thought? Of course, maybe you like being involved in situations that may lead you to harm. Maybe someone says ‘no’ to you to keep you from hurting yourself. Maybe they say ‘no’ because they love you.
Every life is full of rejection so we would do well to turn our rejections into positive actions. Taking action can lead you to inner peace because activity makes you feel more positive about a situation. Positive attitudes result in peaceful states of mind. If you are feeling bad about yourself all the time, you need to break the cycle and get out of the habit of doing so. You can train your mind to think more positively. It will take work and effort, but it will lead you to inner peace, and this will be worthwhile.
Even when you feel as though you are completely alone, there are Divine Companions who are always with you. Before your incarnation, they chose to accompany you through your lifetime- from the moment of your first breath- until your last. Spirit Guides are highly evolved beings that have completed the cycle of birth and death in the physical plane and are now serving as teachers and guides to further elevate their vibrations. They are as “real” as you are- they are just vibrating at another level and reside in another plane of existence.
They work to guide you in working through your dreams and intuition. That quiet voice you hear is often the voice of your teachers and guides. They may also make themselves known to you through signs and symbols. For me, when I am at a crossroads in my life or journeying through a personal or emotional challenge- I find feathers everywhere. I also see feather tattoos, hawks and hear certain songs. It is a reminder for me to be still and listen to the guidance of my own personal guides. The feathers are representative of the energy of my guides- one being a powerful Shaman and the others are from the Angelic Realm.
Some individuals have one guide and others have multitudes- much of this depends on the path and purpose of your life. For instance, a teacher/professor may have several guides- one to guide them through the academic nature of their profession and others to assist them with the great emotional requirements of performing such an important task. A policeman, fireman, or soldier will often have a “team” of warriors guiding and protecting them. Much of who your guides are indicative of your own personal journey through life.
Spirit guides are almost never a loved one who has passed away. Although our loved ones stay with us in spirit and we can contact them, they do not serve the same role as a “spirit guide”. Some individuals have Archangels and Angels as spirit guides who are always with them. Yet, the presence of Angels does not always mean they are your spirit guides. Angels can be called in times of distress to assist you for a short time. If you have an Archangel or Angel as a guide, chances are your mission in life is a complex one. Through my experience with being a psychic reader and spiritual teacher- I have found that individuals with a challenging life path often have Angels as spirit guides.
Your spirit guide is always with you, whether you acknowledge their presence or not. You cannot call them to you or send them away- they are part of you and your journey. However, you can choose to gain the knowledge of who they are and what their role in your life is. You can interact with your spirit guides in a more proactive way. If you want to know who your guides are, just ask. Get in a quiet and meditative space and ask that they reveal themselves to you. Do not get discouraged if you do not figure it out right away. Beings from the spiritual realm often communicate through signs and symbols. Once you ask- you must trust your own wisdom. Pay attention to the pictures that appear in your mind. If you see a man in a suit- stay with that- it could be he is a philosopher or scientist. You may see a Native American Indian, a Buddhist Monk or you may see nothing at all. Keep your mind and intuition open. Pay attention to things that keep coming up after you have asked that they reveal who they are. If you are having a challenge discovering who they are you can also contact a professional psychic/intuitive to assist you.
Working with your spirit guides can be an incredible tool for your own personal and spiritual growth. Unlike beings who are in the physical- their wisdom and advice are not influenced by the “world”. They dwell in a higher vibrational plane and the mundane particulars of your situation are not relevant. For example- if you seek guidance from your spirit guide regarding a relationship- they will lead you to focus on what you are learning, what you need to learn, what you are teaching your partner, and what is the true meaning of your relationship. The fact that they leave the toilet seat up or are terrible at budgeting the household finances will be irrelevant. The information that you will be provided with- will be actions that YOU can take to gain more understanding. You can also ask your Spirit Guides to assist you in physical healing. Before you go to sleep, ask that as you are sleeping- you receive healing.
You are never alone. Never. Take faith in knowing and understanding that there are so much magic and mystery in this life. Just for a moment let the “world” disappear. Raise your vibration and allow the beautiful gifts of spirit wash over you. Life is so much more than what we see. Open your spiritual eyes and hearts and you will discover a world of wisdom, beauty, and peace that you never knew existed. Of course, you can always choose to not believe. It is always your choice. But, why not? Why not step into another level of existence? Why not believe in magic? You do not have to announce it to the office, but you can embrace the wonders of spirit in your own heart. It will envelop you in a light of love and understanding- and will mysteriously transform you into a more connected and loving being. Oh, what would they say at the water cooler then?
The tarot is a deck of 78 cards, featuring illustrations that can be interpreted in various ways. The deck is divided into two sections, called the major arcana and minor arcana.
The major arcana features the 21 trump cards, and the minor arcana is divided into four suits (wands, pentacles, cups, and swords) each with cards featuring the numbers 1-10, an ace and four court cards (the Page, Knight, Queen, and King).
Origin of the Tarot
The oldest known tarot cards originated in 15th century Italy. The tarot appears to have started life as a card game and was at first restricted to the wealthy upper classes, although after the invention of the printing press, the cards became more widely available.
Some writers have claimed (despite the apparent lack of evidence) that the imagery of the tarot cards suggests a more ancient origin, and have connected the tarot with such cultures and traditions as the ancient Egyptians and the mystical Hebrew Kabbalah.
Later Developments
It was not until the 18th century that the cards became associated with the occult and mystical activities for which they are often known today. This began in 1781 when the freemason Antoine Court de Gebelin made the claim in his work 'Le Monde Primatif' that tarot cards contained hidden meanings (which he associated with the ancient Egyptians) that could be used for divinatory purposes.
Since then other mystic and magical traditions, such as the Order of the Golden Dawn, have claimed that the tarot has ancient roots, together with hidden wisdom to impart to those seeking enlightenment. The tarot was especially popular among such groups in the 19th century.
The tarot became more widely known with the publication of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in 1910. Arthur Edwards Waite was a Golden Dawn member, and in this new deck, drawn by the artist Pamela Colman Smith, images with occult symbolism were included on the numeric cards, as well as the trump cards. This deck was very successful (and remains popular today), and since then, hundreds if not thousands of diverse new decks have been published, with many enthusiasts creating their own.
Uses of the Tarot
The tarot has several distinct uses, including:
1. Games
This was its original use, and it is still used for gaming purposes in some European countries.
2. Psychology
Carl Jung was the first mainstream psychologist to attach meaning to the tarot cards when he associated them with the fundamental archetypes that he believed to reside in the collective human unconscious. Several therapeutic techniques involving the tarot have developed from this insight.
3. Inspiration
Many artists and writers have produced works inspired by the tarot.
4. Divination
Fortune telling is perhaps the most common use associated with the tarot. The images on the cards may help the person seeking the reading to tap into their own subconscious knowledge. Others believe that the cards themselves hold some kind of inherent divinatory power, which may be read by a skilled person. For this reason, handling another person's cards is generally frowned upon in occult circles, as their energy could become contaminated.
Doing a Reading
There is no set method for performing a divinatory tarot reading. However, there are several popular layouts or 'spreads', with perhaps the most well known being the Celtic cross. This is usually the first method taught to beginners, although it is by no means the most simple. Experienced tarot readers will often invent their own spreads, with their own means of interpretation.
Once the cards are selected by the person receiving the reading, the reader lays them out in a spread and analyses them, taking into account the positions relative to each other, the symbolism of the individual cards, and their position (upright or reversed).
Meaning of the Cards
There is no generally agreed upon interpretation of the tarot cards. They all have imagery of varying degrees of compexity, and the wide range of decks available makes the situation even more difficult.
Nevertheless, there is a huge amount of writings available on the symbology of the tarot, and on the most basic level, the 22 major arcana cards are thought to represent the journey of the Fool from ignorance to enlightenment.
In addition, the minor arcana cards have their own symbolism. The numbers are most obviously associated with numerology, and the suits are linked to the four elements (Swords=Air; Cups=Water; Wands=Fire; Pentacles=Earth). The tarot has also been linked with other mystical and occult systems such as the I Ching, astrology, and the Kabbalah.
There is a huge range of tarot decks to choose from. The symbolism-rich Rider-Waite deck remains extremely popular, as does Crowley's Thoth deck. The early Marseille deck (used by Gebelin to illustrate 'Le Monde Primitif') is another important deck, also. There are also many less conventional decks to choose from.
Feminists, for example, might like the Motherpeace Tarot with its round cards and exclusively female imagery, whereas some of those interested in Paganism might enjoy the Witches deck or the DruidCraft Tarot. Tarot decks can be found representing animals too, as well as various sports, natural imagery and other common activities. In fact, there's a tarot pack available to suit every taste, and most can be bought online as well as from bookstores, new age shops etc.
Where to Start?
If you're interested in learning more about the tarot, I recommend checking out some of the numerous excellent tarot-related sites on the net, as well as online and local bookstores and new age stores. One thing's for sure - there's no shortage of information available!
I am amazed by the many opportunities that we have to learn on a daily basis. I am speaking of the chances we get every day to learn about ourselves. We can learn from the bad things that happen to us as well as the good things. I believe that everything and everyone can be a teacher. The Bible itself talks about how God works for the good of those who love Him in all things.
I believe this. Mr. Kahlil Gibran talks about how we can learn kindness from the unkind and yet how we are ungrateful for this teacher. Yes, mean people can, in fact, teach us to be nicer. When we see how ugly mean words and actions look from a spiritual standpoint we can make a decision to be nice. No one wants to look ugly physically or spiritually.
When I focus on learning rather than reacting I will make much better decisions. You see when I simply react, my decisions are based on my emotions rather than my intellect and spirituality. I have learned that when I respond in a meaningful manner to a mean person, it is like matching fire with fire. In these cases, both people are likely to be burned. I can instead choose to match their fire of unkindness with the water of kindness. We all know that water puts out the fire. It is up to me as to how I will respond.
How do you respond when you are challenged to be spiritual? Do you match meanness with meanness or kindness? hate with love or hate? If we take the time to learn and not react we will grow into the people the creator of the universe has called us to be. We can grow quite tall spiritually and eventually dwarf the demons of unkindness just by not responding in kind and learn how to deal with situations. The same situations will most likely repeat themselves. Once we learn how to deal with them correctly we should be able to handle them better when they come around again.
Lubok-style cover of a Russian dream book. The book is solemnly named The Dream-Book, or an Interpretation of Dreams by Sundry Egyptian and Indian Savants and Astronomers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The interpretation of dreams by dream experts may be almost as old as dreaming itself. We know that all humans, and many animals, dream every night, and humans have always been fascinated to learn what causes dreams and what they mean.
The interpretation of dreams dates back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C. We know that because the interpretations of dreams were recorded in permanent form on clay tablets. It is thought that many primitive peoples were unable to initially distinguish between the real world and the dream world. In many cases, these people looked at the dream world as an extension of the physical world around them, and in many cases, they saw the dream world as more powerful than the waking one.
Dream interpretation was such an important field to the ancient Greek and Roman world that dream interpreters often accompanied generals and other military leaders into battles. Dreams were taken extremely seriously, and the Greeks and Romans in particular often viewed dreams as messages sent by their gods.
Dreams also had a religious content in ancient Egypt, and priests they're doubled as dream interpreters. Dreams were among the items recorded by the ancient Egyptians in the form of hieroglyphics. Those whose dreams were especially vivid or significant were thought to be blessed and were given special status in these ancient societies. Likewise, people who were able to interpret dreams were thought to receive these gifts directly from the gods, and they enjoyed a special status in society as well.
There are over 700 mentions of dreams in the Bible, and people in biblical times saw dreams as very significant. Dreams and their interpretations are mentioned in many of the most significant books of the bible and other holy scriptures.
In many cases, dreams were often seen as a form of prophecy. People often interpreted their dreams as omens or warnings and adjusted their activities accordingly. Dreams were often thought of as omens from deities, as messages from spirits, or as messages from departed souls. In some cases, dreams were even seen as the work of demons, meant to confuse and trouble the dreamer.
Dreams were so important that they often dictated the actions of political and military leaders, affecting everything from the prosecution of a battle to the outcome of a political decision. Dreams were also thought to provide vital clues to healers, and they were used in the diagnosis and treatment of all manners of illness.
Dreaming was often looked upon by indigenous peoples as a way to commune directly with gods and spirits, and dreams are still used in this way by cultures around the world. Many people believed, and some still do, that during dream sleep the soul leaves the body and communes with the spirit world.
The Chinese were one culture who believed that the soul left the body each night during dream sleep. They believed that if the dreamer were suddenly awakened the soul may not be able to return to the body. That is why some Chinese are still leery about the use of alarm clocks. This is just one example of how ancient legends can linger into the modern world.
Some Mexican and Native American societies share this ancient view of the importance of dreams and share the belief in a separate dimension that is visited during dream sleep. These people believed that their departed ancestors lived in their dreams and that they were able to take forms like animals and plants. Thus dreams were seen as a way for them to commune with their recent and ancient ancestors, and to gather wisdom and knowledge that would serve them in their waking lives. Dreams were also seen as ways to gather information about their purpose or mission in life.
The respect for dreams changed radically early in the 19th century, and dreams of that era were often dismissed as reactions to anxiety, outside noises or even bad food and indigestion. During this period of time, dreams were thought to have no meaning at all, and interest in dream interpretation all but evaporated. This all changed, however, with the arrival of Sigmund Freud later in the 19th century. Sigmund Freud stunned the world of psychiatry by stressing the importance of dreams, and he revived the once dead art of dream interpretation.
Even the most talkative and eloquent among us are often at a loss for words when it comes to helping people deal with the death of someone close to them. We want to express our sympathy, our sharing of their feelings, but we don't know how to do it. Words can be comforting, but they're also fleeting. So we turn to more tangible expressions of sympathy.
Sympathy gifts come in many forms. A card with a thoughtful message is often the first thing we seek. There is a surprising array of choices to be made when selecting a card. The natural inclination is often to pick a card that reflects the giver's beliefs as opposed to focusing on those of the bereaved. Some sympathy cards contain short generic messages and are appropriate for acquaintances such as co-workers with whom one does not have a close personal relationship. Other cards reflect religious or spiritual themes, which may bring great comfort at such a difficult time. The final type of card emphasizes the friendship between the giver and receiver. These cards assure the receiver that a true friend will be ready to provide support in any way possible.
We shouldn't underestimate the long-lasting impact a sympathy gift will have on the recipient. This point was driven home for me when I gave a plant to a co-worker. (It was spring and I was transplanting recently rooted baby spider plants to share with friends and acquaintances.) The next day she told me that she had cried when she brought it home and put it on her table.
It turned out that her father had died several years earlier. At that time, someone gave her a plant as a sympathy gift. Watching the plant grow and burst into life over the years always comforted her by reminding her of the energy and enthusiasm for life her father had displayed. Did that gift giver have any idea of the power of that simple condolence gift - that it would console her for years?
Unbeknownst to me, a couple weeks before I offered her that new little plant, her old one had died and she had to dispose of it. It upset her to see that empty place on the table every day. She told me that when she brought home my plant and placed it in its spot, it was like that life and energy returned, once again reminding of her in a positive way of her father.
Though it may be difficult to express our sympathy at times, we should all take comfort in knowing that the gestures we make and tokens we give in sympathy are gifts that really will comfort the hearts and souls of the recipients.
Copper carving depicting a Sámi shaman with his magic drum (meavrresgárri).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Are you called to be a shaman? If you are how do you know? If you aren't how do you know? If you don't want to be a shaman but would like to take advantages of some of the shamanic practices and techniques. Can you? Are you allowed to or not? Do you have to be initiated to be a shaman? These are all questions that I once had after I finally submitted and embarked upon this quest. And I will share what I have learned with you from my experience.
First, it is important to understand, that every world culture has an individual or group of individuals that has acted as a mediator between the spiritual and the physical. These eccentric individuals have been called medicine man/woman, viziers, spiritual healer, witch doctor, etc. but the most prevalent term used today is a shaman and the practice is called shamanism. Shamanism is the general term that has been used incorrectly to describe any person that feels that God, the Great Spirit, the ancestors, spirit guides and/or guardian spirits have called them to help others through spiritual means, which has contributed to the confusion of the term. So to clarify, it must be understood that a shaman can be a preacher, psychic, counselor, medicine man or woman, herbalists, priest or priestess, medical intuitive, psychic healer, etc. but a preacher, psychic, counselor, medicine man or woman, herbalists, priest or priestess, medical intuitive, psychic healer, doesn't necessarily have to be a shaman. The key difference being that a shaman usually has a unique perspective about life whereas the other healers do not.
The reason the shaman's viewpoint is so different from the other healers is that he or she have undergone either a formal initiation (e.g. apprenticeship, ceremonial rites, etc.) or informal initiation (e.g. life-transforming event via gross misfortune, illness, etc.). During this (formal or informal) initiation, the initiate is forced to overcome old traumatic issues, including their anger, fear, hatred, feelings of abandonment and other emotional wounds, in order to learn how not to be controlled by their emotions but rather guided by their intuition. During this transformative period, the initiate comes face to face with death, where they learn that death is not "the end" but simply a stage in the cycle of birth-life-death and rebirth. In this unique experience, which cannot accurately be intellectualized, but has to be experienced, the initiate usually meets her or his ancestors, spirit guides or spirits, which leads them to adopt a new perspective about life reflective of this experience. This new perspective on life that the shaman initiate adopts usually becomes the cosmology or cosmogram that the initiate follows.
It is through this cosmogram the shaman initiate is able to move beyond their personal preferences and societal imposed prejudices, which allows them to see everything (plants, animals, human beings, etc.) in the universe as an interdependent part of a whole. It is here the initiate begins to see him or herself as a microcosm of a greater Macrocosm and learns that all is composed of divine energy. The life cycle the initiate soon learns is based upon a natural exchange between the spiritual and the physical. It then becomes apparent that in order to implement any positive change. They have to learn how to petition the right the force that will bring about the type of change that they desire. The shaman learns about this exchange by observing these forces in nature and seeing that just like the right conditions are needed in order for a wild game to return to a particular area. The same conditions are needed to make an individual prosperous and so on.
It is this observation that makes the initiate take responsibility for her and his actions. This is how the true shamanic journey begins because the initiate is not perfect by any means, but is expected to perfect his or her character. This is the reason why shamans from all over the world may not profess to be Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim or any one religion. They will easily practice the tenets of major religions like loving their neighbor as themselves and acknowledge that seeing ourselves separate from one another will lead to our ultimate demise. Where shamanism differs from major religions, is that it is not governed by religious dogma but by the calling, which is dictated by the laws of nature.
These laws are taught to the shaman initiate by the same one(s) that called them per that individual's culture. Therefore, violation of these laws may not be punishable by man but they are punishable through God, the Great Spirit, ancestors, spirit guides, or the guardian spirits that called the individual to be a shaman, because the rapport that the initiate has developed with his or her guides through the initiation process is very strong and personal. So when a true shaman breaks a taboo they make amends as soon as possible, and try to live in harmony with others, because it will weaken their spiritual power, connection with their spirit guides and may result in them losing divine blessing or grace. No true shaman would risk jeopardizing this for a quick selfish, monetary thrill.
Because shamanism differs in every country, culture, region, etc. what may be the norm in one area may be completely different in another. For instance, in South America, Amerindian shamans use entheogens like peyote, whereas Amerindian shamans in North America do not. All shamans don't engage in "vision quest" just to get an answer nor do they have to use a drum and rattle to enter and maintain an ecstatic state of trance. Clearly, all shamans are not created equal but there are some general norms that exist about shamans. For one, they are not chauvinistic nor are they feminist either. They see the purpose of both natures. True shamans also do not have on their walls their list of accomplishments. They do not sit back and brag about their accomplishments or drop names to prove how strong and powerful they are to impress people. One look into their eyes and you will be able to see if they are for real or a charlatan.
Now, don't get me wrong, all shamans are not extremely humble or meek individuals, nor are they all eccentric individuals either. They do boast but their boasts, which may come off as arrogance is not meant to impress the living. It is to glorify their spirits, on one hand, cause negative spirits to tremble and flee on the other, and strengthen their own faith. Another thing, true shamans don't go looking for trouble or imbalances. Trouble or imbalances seem to find them (at least this has been my experience), and they use the situation to create balance.
Overall, I must admit that the shamanic journey is a wonderful and rewarding journey because a shaman helps him or herself by helping others. This is why it is said that shamans wounded healers because most shamans specialize in healing situations that they have or had to overcome themselves. This is what makes shamans exceptional over other healers because they are a reflection of what they have accomplished and believed. If a shaman will heal a relationship between a husband and wife, it is because they usually have done the same for their relationship and so on.
As your intuition develops, you will know when it is time to help others because you will find yourself (with no effort of your own) being asked to assist another in resolving a situation. You may be walking down the street to the park and get a hunch to say a prayer to bless and protect the children at the park from harm. Then, you may get an idea to solidify your prayer by building a small makeshift altar out of sticks and rocks. These are all signs that you have been called to put your skills to service.
The great thing about shamanism is that it is honest and a powerful universal practice full of wonder. True shamanism doesn't lie and tell you what you want to hear just to get your money, participation and membership. It is a real gut practice that presents to you the problem and helps you to find ways to resolve it so that the problem never occurs again. It tells you what you need to hear (in the gentle or harshest way possible). In order to get you to do what you have been called to do, which is fulfill your destiny or purpose in life. These are some of the things that I have learned in my own journey, which by the way is unique per individual. It is through this shamanic walk I also discovered that if you are called and ignore your calling. You will wish you hadn't, not because your spirit guides will punish you, but because the next stage of your development requires that you accept your calling in order to advance forward. Another thing I learned that just because you accept your calling, it will not eliminate humiliation, misery, pain and suffering out of your life. Shamanism will, however, help you to develop the peace and power needed to navigate right through it, thus making you a more resilient and strong individual.
But, the shamanic journey is not an easy path to follow because it can be very challenging at times. Not to mention that finding a true spiritual teacher in these contemporary times can be painstakingly difficult. And, if you have been called to become a shaman or just to partake in the practice. It can be a bit confusing especially when there is no one to help you. So to help ease a headache, here are some recommendations I have compiled based on my experience.
Instead of wasting your time and money, borrowing and imitating another's cultural practices without being sure if you have been called or not. I suggest that you begin by investigating your own spiritual heritage. For instance, if you come from a Christian tradition, try to understand how you or your family got into that tradition and why you are or are not in that tradition today. Ask yourself the hard questions like are you involved in the religion because you were raised in it and know nothing else? Are you not in this religion because you don't agree with their political or social views? In other words, you don't like what they said, etc. This will help you to clarify your purpose of embarking on the shamanic path. Far too often, many of us jump around from faith to faith because we don't know what we are looking for.
Once you have done that, then I would recommend that you research and learn about traditional practices of your ancestors. If you cannot do this then learn about the traditional practices of your distant ancestors. For instance, I being of African and Native American descent in the United States, was not able to learn about my ancestral path due to slavery. I was, however, able to learn about the Kamitic (ancient Egyptians) civilization, which was the greatest, longest standing and most influential African civilization that has existed. That many scholars have culturally tied to Sub-Saharan Africa. It was through my research, Kamit became a gateway that led me to discover that my family has a heavy Kongo influence. Through this, I discovered the shamanic path that I walk today, which is why I refer to it as Kamitic shamanism.
So, research your distant ancestral path because through it you will discover your Way and find if you have been called to be a shaman or a "keeper of the flame" sort-of-speak, which is someone meant to help their family, friends, and others they come in contact versus being a shaman who services an entire community. When you have honestly completely these two steps. If you have been called you will have a stronger conviction of your calling because you will find yourself being initiated (formally or informally).
Colors are an important aspect of aura reading. However, when non-physical energy combines with our body, it is confined to the limitations of density, light, and form.Note areas where colors are dull, do you see holes in the colors? Trust your intuition.
Black
This is a confusing color. There is nothing wrong with black in one’s aura. Black generally means one is shielding oneself from outside energies. This can also mean being unbalanced; one is hiding something or keeping secrets.
A black ring around a child usually indicates some form of abuse, adults who have not dealt with early abuse will carry this black ring till they are healed.
Blue
This comes in different shades. Gifted people have shades of blue in their aura. Intuitive people will show pale blue coloration within the purple bursting out like rays of sunshine, emanating from the heart outwards.
A deeper blue can indicate loneliness. A very deep blue shows devotion, honesty and good judgment.
Not all blues are positive- a muddier shade of blue indicates a domineering person, a tendency towards depression, or oversensitivity.
Brown
This color can indicate growth in a person. Seen around the head and with other colors emanating in combination, it indicates a person who is developing mentally, intuitively and organizing within.
Brown by itself can indicate lack of energy or one who has become "stagnant".
Gold
Indicates lots of spiritual energy, in tune with oneself. Muddy gold means one has not really come to terms with one’s higher levels.
Yellow
Usually seen around a thinker, an analytical person. Could indicate a "balanced" person. Intelligent people show this color around their heads.
Green
Sympathetic to others, dependable and has healing abilities.Muddier shade could indicate jealousy- like "green with envy".
Gray
Can indicate intuition and creativity. Silvery gray shows femininity while darker gray can mean secretiveness or physical imbalance. Gay men can show shades of gray in their aura.
Orange
Bright orange means one is growing emotionally and paranormally.A dull shade means a person is unsure how to accept this growth. Muddy orange shows in a person with too much pride.
Pink
The color of love, and honesty. It also depicts the quieter side of an artistic and creative person. Dark pink may indicate immaturity or changes in one’s love life.
Dull pink, however, watch out; Someone is lying.
Purple
The color of intuition, a deeper purple hue shows a strong-willed and passionate person. It can also reflect intense erotic imagination and be over-bearing.
Red
A color of love or hate, strong emotions and a lot of energy. An intense red color, however, may indicate a person ready to fly off the handle.
Metaphysics involves concepts that go beyond physics, in other words, examining areas of reality that can not be perceived through the five senses. When a person looks at the study of metaphysics, one recognizes that there are many levels of mind that need to be coordinated in order to bring about a physical materialization in the material world. Metaphysics recognizes that the mind is a field of energy and that whatever is physically manifested in life is also a field of energy.
In addition, metaphysics recognizes there is no separation of energy fields between the energy of the mind and all other energy fields that materialize in the physical universe.
Metaphysics further recognizes the energy field of the mind can connect with other energy fields to alter or change the energy of already existing materializations. Metaphysics perceives that the mind on a surface level projects forth from itself into physical manifestation what it believes and focuses on over a period of time. In other words, the practice of metaphysics recognizes a magnetic draw--that whatever is filled in consciousness on a daily basis be it positive or negative is attracting more of the same by drawing from the unseen energies at work beyond the five senses.
Like attracts like according to the principles of metaphysics, so the key is to focus upon what it is that you want to manifest in life, not on what you want to avoid. Realize that through your application of metaphysics, the higher power within will assist you in physical materialization if you are tuned into your higher powers soul's purpose in this lifetime.
When applying the concepts of metaphysics, accept that all levels and energies of your mind are in a working process for physical materialization.
Realize this truth, although we can not see various sources of energy like electricity, radio and cellular waves, we use these every day in our lives. The energy associated with metaphysics is the original source of all energy and similarly, can be used for physical manifestation.
Through the years, we accumulate a series of experiences. Our tendency is to evaluate and simply reflect on what we have been through and what we have learned. This inward site into what we can no longer see with our eyes allows us to see through them through our soul.
The landscape of the soul creates a movement and a synchronistic pattern between our heart and our mind through the inner visions of our soul. When the heart and imagination join forces to look back or look forward, we are deepening our awareness of who we really are. This deepening of who we really are is our soul.
It has been said that "our hearts will not rest until we rest in thee." This is our journey in life. It is our journey home. It is the journey into the spacial quality of existence that brought us into this world. It is the journey of what is leading us through this life. And, it is the journey back to where it all began.
One could say that the infant and the elderly are more soul than body. As you and I develop our personality and ego, we begin to think we are somebody. Ram Dass calls this "somebody training." We begin to think we are real and act on this appearance of being as we move into adulthood. When we mature, we go back into what Ram Dass has called "nobody training."
We spend a great deal of time learning to develop independence from infancy only to lose it again as we die. It is the journey from innocence to grace. The human expression is a journey with many ups and downs. What keeps us on track and often sane in an insane world is the "landscape of the soul." The landscape of the soul gives us the strength to do the impossible and give us hope when there is none.
Even though all parts of the self-needs to be embraced with scrutiny and unconditional love, there is something inside us perfecting our true nature. Our authentic self-knows we are growing through life and simply going through life at the same time. This delicate balance between these two forces of nature enables us to stay on our path. It is the path a knowing who we are through the various experiences and expressions of our life. Insodoing, we learn to trust in our soul and find direction there when a direction in life is not present.
Samuel Oliver, author of, "What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living
The spiritual evolution of this planet and its inhabitants is currently in a rapid state of change, a new era is being born, and we are no longer content to be believers, as sheep in a "flock". People are waking up to the knowledge that we can be masters of our own destiny, and are looking to the ancient cultures who have survived to show us the way forward.
How can we break free from our definitions, when we are bound by systems, and rules and regulations, and "normal procedures". What escape routes are there when all we know is all we have been taught. What is there outside the world we know, and how can we find it and finally be free.
Ancient knowledge and practices from Shamanism, Wicca, Vodou, Druidism and many others are being used and adapted to our modern lives to re-connect us to the worlds of spirit. We are re-discovering that everything in our universe has energy, consciousness, vibration and a power of its own, something the ancients have always known.
By lovingly connecting ourselves to this universal energy, we can know that everything within it has its own spirit, and is connected to everything else. Deep personal transformations can occur as we align ourselves to the loving universal consciousness, giving us back the power to create our own personal spirituality and to KNOW spirit to the very core of our being.
“I don't believe, I know.” Carl Jung.
“You are not my enemies, you are my brothers and sisters. You did not do anything to me or my people. All that happened a long time ago in the lives of our ancestors. And, at that time I might actually have been on the other side. We are all children of the Great Spirit, we all belong to Mother Earth. Our Planet is in great trouble and if we keep carrying old grudges and do not work together, we will all die.” Chief Seattle.
“There is no one who can take our place. Each of us weaves a strand in the web of creation. There is no one who can weave that strand for us. What we have to contribute is both unique and irreplaceable. What we withhold from life is lost to life. The entire world depends upon individual choices.” Duane Elgin.
A spiritual atheist? Perhaps it's a strange concept if you only think spirituality has to mean a belief in a god. Do the two have to be related? Many people think of the historical Buddha as a spiritual person, but most don't know that he never expressed a belief in a god. He even discouraged his followers from such "speculation," preferring that they work on their salvation in this world.
Computer Spirituality
Imagine a computer that has begun to get so complex and powerful that it starts to ask questions "outside the box." It starts to become conscious. The first thing it would realize is that for all its computing capacity, it is still very limited. The humans who use it, most of whom can't begin to understand it's complicated algorithms, still are more powerful. They see the world more clearly.
The computer could recite a million facts, perhaps, and yet not know what to use them for. It could describe human psychology, and yet not understand a smile. It wouldn't even know why it existed, or what it was being used for. If it came to understand these limitations, and to actually wonder about the world outside its circuits, and to desire to see more and to grow - that would be computer spirituality.
Atheist Spirituality
An atheist simply doesn't believe in a god. There isn't sufficient evidence, so there is no belief. Contrary to what many think, there is no need for an atheist to disprove that a god exists, any more than a Christian needs to disprove that the world is ruled by intelligent termites. The burden of proof is always with the person making a positive assertion.
An atheist can recognize the mystery of life, and marvel at how everything learned deepens that mystery, pushing "final" causes further into the distance. An atheist can recognize his or her own limitations, and seek to grow, perhaps even by developing contact with "higher powers." This is an atheist spirituality. How is it different from "regular" spirituality?
The difference is that an atheist feels no need to pretend to understand the mysteries - no need to create gods and religions to explain them. Contacting "higher powers" can simply be tuning into subconscious resources through meditation or other means. Are these "higher powers" nothing more than electrical patterns in our brains? We don't know, and we don't have to know to tap into them.
Is it that atheists don't want to know? It is the opposite. "Understanding" by forcing religious explanations on things short-circuits any search for the truth. How can you understand and integrate new evidence when you are no longer questioning? Better to simply use spiritual tools like "intuition" and let them be understood - or not - with time and real evidence.
Look to the past, and we see how narrow-minded people were, and how little they understood compared to us. We will appear that way to people in the future, as they will to people further into the future. We are growing in our knowledge and power, but like that spiritual computer, our circuits are in a box that we need to grow out of. Seeking the way beyond that box is what makes one a spiritual atheist.
Brick relief depicting a pair of mythical creatures (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It is believed that the tallest and powerful giants like the Albion were the first people who were said to be tall, but they extricated due to the arrival of the Brutus. The Giants were people who were taller than the normal human beings by one foot. But this isn’t a big deal, as there are strange mythical creatures in the history of the globe which needs to be rediscovered. Some facts that are revealed are that the Afnac of the Wales were so huge that they created the floods by merely swinging their beaver tails. The gigantic Jinshin Mushi was the reason for the production of Earthquake and the pan-gu were the creators of the world. The scientist has got a different perspective for this and treated as a myth, but still, this personification has helped the people to understand the world better. Even the missing Russian spacecraft is said to have to be eaten away by the Galactic Ghoul. The Banshee began to get low interest as the religious believe changed and hence were considered as a mere ancient deity.
The Bones of the Earth:
Many of the mythical creatures or specimens have gone against the law of science. For example, the dragon which is like a beast and weighs a heavy body mass will not be able to fly. But comparatively, the ostrich which is small to the dragon can fly, this is the thing which we know as of now, but the historical evidence state a different story. They have evidence that the huge mythical creature sprang upon while its skeleton was discovered. Many of the mountains were seen with the long skeletal structures of fish, so it is stated that the long fish would have flown over to the mountains. The Archaeologists as of now speculate saying that the body of the sea creatures would have sunk inside the seabed and that over a period of time these seabeds would have washed away and grew to become a mountain. The Skeletons found in the Archaeopteryx state that the dinosaurs had wings. The skull of the rhino was said to be the Cyclops. Some mythical creatures like the Basilosaurus and Neanderthals were apparently extinct, however, they are assumed to be surviving as the Bigfoot and Tsiatko respectively.
Some Mutated Species:
Few of the mutated species unexplored say that the dogs were seen with 6 legs that traveled in the mountains. Even the human beings were not made a perfect creature by the God, as the babies of the west were born with some deformity.
creates a movement and a synchronistic pattern between our heart and our mind through the inner visions of our soul. When the heart and imagination join forces to look back or look forward, we are deepening our awareness of who we really are. This deepening of who we really are is our soul.
calls this "somebody training." We begin to think we are real and act on this appearance of being as we move into adulthood. When we mature, we go back into what Ram Dass has called "nobody training."
gives us the strength to do the impossible and give us hope when there is none.
of this planet and its inhabitants is currently in a rapid state of change, a new era is being born, and we are no longer content to be believers, as sheep in a "flock". People are waking up to the knowledge that we can be masters of our own destiny, and are looking to the ancient cultures who have survived to show us the way forward.
