An 18-year-old male has been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of 20-year-old Zijae Jones, which occurred at Horseshoe Bay Beach on Bermuda Day Dahny Simmons-Outerbridge, of Warwick, was charged with killing Zijae Jones. He was also charged with being in possession of a knife in a public place. Simmons-Outerbridge was not required to enter a […]

An 18-year-old appeared in Magistrates Court in connection with a shooting on May 2nd. 18-year-old Kentaro Bean, of Devonshire, faces multiple charges relating to discharging a firearm and possessing ammunition and a firearm. His bail was set at $50,000 with a like surety and he was placed under 24-hour house arrest with an electronic monitoring device, […]

25-year-old Maurice Jones has been jailed for 30 years in the UK after being convicted of murdering a father while he was pushing his young son. A statement from the Wiltshire Police said, “Maurice Jones, 25, of Gainsborough Close, Bemerton Heath, was convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article following a two-week trial […]

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the UK has formally quashed Julian Washington’s conviction for murder and attempted murder. A spokesperson said,, “To secure Julian’s conviction, the prosecution in Bermuda relied upon the testimony of a DNA expert at trial. The jury were told Julian’s DNA was found on bullet casings recovered from […]

I’m really tired. And I have work to do, so hey, peeking in here is procrastination, right? Lots of changes and adjustments going on, and they’re exhausting. 2020 is bonkers to begin with. For the past two years the family has gone through some development and evolution as well, and everyone’s in a better place. […]

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If you enjoy reading, here is a list of 10 must-read authors and their novels that you should read at least once in your life. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita- Lolita is Nabokov’s most renowned and disturbing novel, telling the narrative of an elderly Humbert Humbert’s obsession for the young Dolores Haze and their love, which defines ... Read more

The post The Must-Read Authors And Their Books first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

If you enjoy fiction novels, here is a list of some popular ones you can read in your spare time: Daniel Silva’s Portrait of an Unknown Woman– Daniel Silva’s book about a famous spy and art restorer is a wonderfully fascinating tour into the negative side of the world of art. David Baldacci’s The 6:20 ... Read more

The post List Of The Best Fiction Books first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

Writing a novel may appear to be difficult, but if you follow the basic steps, you can write a novel on your own. Begin by brainstorming and selecting a topic for your novel, then try to construct a story for your novel. Decide on your characters and a point of view, as well as the ... Read more

The post How Do You Write A Novel? first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

Writing is one aspect, but if you want people to recognise you, you must publish your work so that a larger audience may see it. To publish a book, the first and most obvious step is to write one. After you’ve finished writing the book, proofread it for errors. Create a title that is both ... Read more

The post How To Self-Publish A Book? first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

Inputting a book’s International Standard Book Number (ISBN) into BookScouter is a terrific preliminary stage if you’re selling second-hand eBooks locally or online. This program reveals the average price that more than fifty online book purchasers are prepared to spend for a certain book. Use the pricing history tool to find out how often a ... Read more

The post Use These Tips to Sell Your Used Books first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

Well before invention of the computer age, reading each day is a habit that practically that everybody who wanted to learn adopted. There was no constant necessity emphasise the advantages of literature. The following examples will motivate you to pick up a book. Brain stimulation Your cerebral functioning is stimulated if you read day in ... Read more

The post Here are The Benefits of Reading Books first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

 
You need for supplies is met here!

Guilt is the lazy way out of remorse.

You keep beating yourself up for something you've done, something in the past.

Doesn't sound fun!

So why do we keep going there?

Guilt feeds shame. It also feeds on shame.

The more shame is lurking in your subconscious, the more susceptible you are to feeling this dastardly emotion.

You believe that you should feel bad when you make mistakes or do something you wish you didn't. That carries on the shame cycle.

We're already talked about that. But here's what may be the biggest attraction...

Guilt is safe. It's easier than remorse. Remorse gives you power.

But guilt lets you off the hook.

It's easy to feel bad about the past, because then you don't have to change anything -- after all, you can't change the past! Instead of looking to how you can do better in the future, you cling to the misery of what you did before.

It's an indulgence. It's like eating watching TV instead of going for a walk. In the moment, it may feel like the best thing, but it doesn't serve you. It doesn't strengthen you. It weakens you!

Remorse is empowering. It gives you power over your life. Guilt makes you a helpless victim ... of yourself.

Others assign you guilt as you're growing up, and then you learn to do it to yourself. Feeling guilty makes you a victim of others, long after they're no longer in your life.

But only you can choose remorse. No one can force it on you. It's an expression of true ethics -- your own inner knowing of what is right action and what is not.

This is why remorse is empowering.

Which is more fun, in the long run: empowerment or victimisation?

Where remorse is productive, guilt is only destructive.

Guilt destroys your ... compassion for yourself, self-respect, self-worth, empowerment, and happiness.And it leads you to hurt others in a similar way. If you're going to suffer guilt, you want to make sure others suffer it too!

In every way, guilt decreases the well-being of the world.

You can't afford to indulge yourself in guilt and shame any more! They are hugely destructive. In the 2012 Transition that we're going through, forgiveness is much more powerful and productive.

Remorse is the advanced version, the 21st Century option. Remorse is a positive emotion because ... It allows you compassion for not being perfect It holds open the door to being an even better you It inspires and encourages you to do better It focuses on the future, on how you can be more of who you want to be It gives you back power over your life

With Bright Blessings

 As we've seen, the Mayan Calendar is a chart of the evolution of consciousness in the universe.

Each Cycle or Age has its own dominant paradigm or point of view. As you move up through the 9 Cycles, new perspectives and new ways of being arise.

This new perspective starts to show up in the world, but it isn't an immediate switch from the old way of doing things to the new way.

It takes time, and a process of transition, for a new understanding to gain prominence.

The quantum physics revolution is a perfect example. We've known since the 1950's that matter isn't solid, and reality is nothing like we've imagined. Yet for the most part, our world continues to go along believing in the old materialistic ways... "Reality" is what can be proven with the senses. Medicine sees the body as a machine with unconnected parts. The Earth is dead, and humans are the pinnacle of evolution. And so on...

Yet, as we progress, the old perspective becomes more and more marginalised. People begin to talk about things in a new way. Then people begin to act in a new way. Finally (we're not there yet), the tipping point is reached -- the old way is as disregarded as the once unshakeable "knowledge" that the Earth was flat.

And that process is what the 13 days and nights of the Mayan Calendar describe.

The "Days" are times when consciousness expands, new perspectives arise -- times of fresh beginnings.

The "Nights" are times when the new consciousness is applied, new procedures initiated, and old ways (usually forcefully) overthrown.

And each of these 13 periods is characterised by specific circumstances.

Here's a breakdown of each of the 13 Days And Nights of the Mayan Calendar, and the specific transformation that occurs in each.

A period of illumination -- new perspectives arise. Beginnings. Seeds are planted; energy begins to flow in a new pattern or paradigm.

A period of darkness, rest. Integration. The new pattern begins to germinate within the dark subconscious of mind.

The second period of illumination. Dual paradigms, the old and the new, overlap -- both can be seen. In history, a time of turmoil, as the old ways (status quo) try to repress the new.

(This is where we are as of April 20, 2011.)

The second period of darkness. Followers of the two different paradigms battle for supremacy. Historically, very violent eras.

The third period of illumination. The new paradigm begins to spread deep and wide, beginning to show up in the world as new methods of doing things, new ways of perception. The new pattern begins to overtake the old, as fables, falsehoods, and failures expose the weakness of the past system.

The third period of darkness. The fledgling perspective of the new paradigm is refined, and the earlier, simplistic aspects fall away. The old system is thrown over, usually by force.

The fourth period of illumination. The new pattern becomes stronger and goes deeper into consciousness. A period of expansion, as the new paradigm takes form in the world. New corollaries emerge, as the new perspective takes precedence.

The fourth period of darkness. Healing the pain of the transition and the death of the old ways. Rebuilding after the destruction of the old status quo systems. The new, more healthy paradigm is truly established now.

The fifth period of illumination, and point of greatest radiance in the Cycle. The new paradigm flourishes, sending information about wonderful new knowledge out into the world. The highest possibilities for this Cycle are attainable.

The fifth period of darkness, and the nadir of darkness. This is a time of major hardships, cultural collapse, horrific violence. However, it is also a little like gestation: within the dark, something new awaits. From the death, new life will arise.

The sixth period of illumination, a time of Enlightenment. The flowering of the paradigm into stunning new insights and newer perspectives... in fact, sowing the seeds for the new Cycle of evolution to follow.

The sixth period of darkness. The paradigm has reached its peak and begins to dry and wither, like wheat in autumn. Typically a time of war and violent conflict.

The seventh period of illumination. There is a sense of openness, of being ready for something new. The best of the paradigm has been harvested, and it's time for a new level of consciousness to arise.

From the Seventh Day of the Mayan Calendar, we proceed directly to the First Day... from Light to Light. This demonstrates that whole process, even though it contains much dismantling and death, is finally and entirely a process of Creation.

The Mayan Calendar is an illustration of this process.

That's what makes it so fascinating... How did the Mayans ascertain such detailed information, that accurately predicts the ancient past (of which they could have known nothing) to the far future (which they are scarcely more likely to know)?

We may never know the answer to this question. But at least we finally know enough to appreciate their wisdom at last.

And just in time!

With Bright Blessings,

Everyone's talking about 2012 these days. But what is it really all about?

It's about a lot of things, all coming together. It's about the state of the world, and where it's going.

It's all about life, the future, and humanity's destiny.

Want to know what will happen in 2012? Want to know how to survive these tumultuous times?

The articles in this section will tell you what you need to know about the Transition coming up, including how you can both keep yourself safe and contribute to the well-being of the Earth at the same time.

NOTE: Until this section is finished, not all the links will be working. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it does take time to put it all together.

At this point, only 1 article is still awaiting completion! -- Heal the World: What You Can Do.

See the menu at the bottom of the page by clicking on the pentacle bar below, to find all the articles in this section.

So many websites are just repeating each other, even the stuff that's wrong!

What is real, about 2012? What is just confusion? What is illusion?

Find out what I've discovered in my research.

Indian, Mayan, Hopi, and other ancient sages left us calendars that seem to end on Dec 21, 2012. This date is called The Shift of Ages, The End of Time, etc.

Does this mean it's the end of the world?

Well, yes and no.

It's not doomsday, any more than the end of our yearly calendar on December 31st means the end of life.

But it IS the end of the world as we've known it.

Do you need to panic? No... read this article to find out why.

Astrology is the holographic image of life on Earth, projected onto the galactic screen. (Or vice versa.)

Everything in the universe is a 3-dimensional living hologram of the whole universe. That's what it means when poets speak of seeing the world in a grain of sand, and saints speak of knowing that one thing by which all things may be known (the self, that is).

So astrology resonates with what we experience on Earth.

In astrological terms, 2012 signals the Shift of Ages. We leave the age of Pisces the fish (also known as the Christian age) and enter the age of Aquarius the water bearer.

What does the Age of Aquarius herald? Find out more about the Age of Aquarius here.

The year 2012 is not a date picked at random. It's a very precise astronomical moment. It represents the turning of both the Great Year and the Galactic Year, as well as the Seasonal Year.

There's a lot of confusion about these cycles. I've seen websites saying the Galactic Year is 26,000 years long. They're confusing two great cycles.

Find out more about this Galactic Alignment.

The Indian texts and Greek/Roman mythology, we are currently living in the Iron Age, the Age of Kali (Kali Yuga). This is a time of metaphorical darkness, a dearth of spirituality and the dominance of ego/intellect over soul/heart.

The turning of the astronomical Year, just as in the Earth's seasonal year, represents a turning from the darkness and entering into Light.

The fact that two momentous and one smaller but potent cycles are simultaneously turning toward the Light is particularly significant. The power behind this transformation is immense!

Like seasons, fading from winter to spring, December 21 2012 is the official first day of Galactic -- and spiritual -- Spring.

But just like the Earth's seasons, it doesn't change like a door opening and closing. It's a process, a gradual shift from the season of darkness to the season of light.

And we are well into the 2012 Transition!

25 years before the year2012, an exceptional alignment of eight planets, including the Sun and Moon, were aligned in an unusual configuration called a Grand Trine.

At this time, there was tremendous energy to shift the planet from an energy of conflict and violence to an energy of cooperation and peace.

This is considered by many to be the clearest starting point for the 2012 Transition.

This was a pivotal year. On the Mayan Calendar, it signaled the shift into Galactic Consciousness.

You may have noticed that consciousness did shift dramatically and suddenly that year.

For example, in early 1999, Climate Change was still a fringe concept, actively being discredited by the government. By late 1999, an amazing shift had taken place: Climate Change was suddenly accepted as a reality by everyone. It was no longer seriously disputed except by the most gullible or sceptical.

There was no definitive reason for this shift in the Climate Change debates. Suddenly, without reason, it was just accepted by the global consciousness.

This is just one example of a world-wide transition.

2010 was another pivotal year, though in a different way. There was a strong energy dynamic that could have led to extreme violence and another world war. But that deadly potential was defused, and 2010 passed calmly.

What didn't get noticed, therefore, was the fact that by 2010, humanity had already made the shift toward peace consciousness.

You may not have noticed this if you were paying attention to all the stupid wars still going on, but against the possibility of world-wide nuclear war, we did pretty well.

And it's only going to get better!

To find out more about the significant dates in this Shift of Ages, see this article.

Let me state it plainly, in case you have any lingering doubts:

December 21, 2012 is not the apocalypse, doomsday, destruction of the Earth, end of all life, or even the end of civilisation as we know it (more or less).

The year 2012 is a point of transition, when we've irrevocably crossed a boundary into a new way of being, a new paradigm.

The question remains: what will be the new paradigm?

It can signal the end of a lo-o-o-o-o-o-ong era of darkness and a rebirth into Lightness of being. Or, potentially, it could be the release of humans from physical form on the Earth.

The really neat thing is we get to decide which!

What do we do about this change? How do we survive 2012?

That's what the Hopi Prophecy is about. It describes the two options we have, and how we get to choose.

One is very unpleasant. But one is very lovely.

Which would you prefer?

Either way, you have the power to make it happen!

The Mayan Calendar also gives us clues about Surviving the 2012 Transition.

No matter what's going to happen, this is undoubtedly a time of cataclysmic change. It's challenging for all of us.

With the right approach and tools, though, we can make the transition smoother for ourselves, and more beneficial to the Earth.

Find out the secrets to surviving the Shift of the Ages .

(All the articles in this section after this page, will continue the theme of surviving the Shift of Ages.)

You may be asking yourself why evil and darkness seem so much more pervasive, so much more powerful than ever, if we really are transitioning to a brighter future.

It's simple.

It's the last, desperate scream of a dying dinosaur.

The resistance to the Shift seems bigger than it is because it's so loud, but it's loud out of fear and pain and defiance of its own transformation. The ego-world is dying, and doesn't trust that it will evolve into something beautiful.

After the dinosaurs, came the birds.

But the dinosaurs would avoid that if they could.

Luckily for the world, they can't!

With Bright Blessings,

The Hopi prophecy for the year 2012 is the most important one, in my opinion. Whereas many prophecies speak of this "end of the world," the Hopi are the ones who've given us the most specific instructions for what to do.

According to most ancient prophecies, the Shift of Ages in 2012 is not necessarily the end of the world. It could be the end of an era of darkness on the Earth.

But according to the Hopi prophecy, WE are the ones who get to choose.

The future, or lack of it, is up to us!

While the Hopi had an oral rather than written tradition, they also created images that helped to tell the story, as reminders.

The one that is of most interest here is called the Hopi Prophecy Stone.

Although the stone has been much damaged and even altered, we will be addressing it as the Elders say it was, before its discovery by the white people.

The Hopi Prophecy Stone depicts the Creator of the world (far left), and beside him, the Circle of the World, which it was the Hopi's task to protect.

In the Creator's hand is held the two destinies humanity can choose -- one that leads to a good resolution and one that leads to a dead end.

The box represents all the people.

The diverging point of the Creator's path shows a time when some people would break away from the true path, and go the way of falseness and wickedness.

The path at the bottom represents the true path, the path of goodness.

It shows 3 calamities, as circles representing "shaken gourds" or world-shaking events, which some have interpreted as world wars. A third world war would therefore be indicated. (Could it be the unremitting war that the USA has conjured up against the Middle East? We can hope that nothing worse is predicted.)

In between and beyond the calamities, the sign of growing corn (life) combined with the sign of a cane (long life) reasserts humanity's continuity.

The last circle is said to be the final calamity, the purification of evil from the face of the Earth.

At the end of the righteous path, we find the Creator waiting for us again: the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.

This is the spiritual path, the path of goodness and kindness.

Reunion with the Divine is the goal and destination of this path.

I would add to this interpretation that the true path is the humble path, the one closest to the Earth and nature, grounded. In this image, it is the path that is closest to the Creator.

I believe the upper path being the false trail, shows that the path of domination, of power/control, of seeking to be superior over others, is definitely a wrong turn.

And that a way of living in balance and respect with nature is part of the good path. Something Native Americans have warned Europeans from the beginning. (This may be another reason Wicca and Paganism are increasing in popularity, as more people leave the wicked path behind.)

I think it is also not coincidence that the sign of the corn is used. Life could have been signified by the cane alone. But it is a growing plant that indicates the path of goodness, and the fruit of that path.

Nature is the good path.

Although here I have drawn in the heads of the figures, the Elders say that the figures on the Hopi Prophecy Stone originally had no heads. (I've indicated this with the heads not joined to the bodies.)

This could indicate that those following the path of wickedness are not choosing wisely.

That would seem to be evident, as we can now see the inevitable result of small personal wickednesses such as greed, self-interest, insecurity, animosity, etc. Even more visible are the growing results of these: violence, war, domination, sacrificing of others and the future for personal gain, etc.

According to Martineau, however, it signals that death must come of following the wicked path.

Perhaps both meanings would apply.

The zigzag path seems to indicate that the way of wickedness is irresolute and crooked. It reminds me of politicians promising first one thing and then the opposite, depending on whatever people want to hear.

Being guided by greed, control, and fear, the Path must veer hither and yon according to the needs of the moment. By contrast, the path of truth is always aimed at the Divine, and does not waver in momentary crises.

Notice that before the third calamity, the corn symbol touches the top line. This shows that people on the path of wickedness can change direction at that point, and rejoin the path of goodness.

After that point, it is too late, for humanity's careless wickedness brings us to a dead end. The back-curving line shows a point of no return.

The symbol of the corn becomes even more prophetic, as we now seem to have seen the end of natural corn. GMOs have invaded even the purest corn stocks in the world.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that corn is used as a symbol of life, here. Of course, it was a staple crop of the Hopi. But perhaps the corn touching the wicked path is also a symbol that we can choose the wicked way with our food supply, like genetically altering them.

Perhaps the path from goodness to wickedness goes both ways?

The Hopi Prophecy Stone shows us that the parameters of our choice determines the future we will have.

Are we headed toward a Golden Age?

Or extinction?

It is not a matter of what we wish for.

It is a matter of what actions we take.

The Hopi prophesy tells us what we must do to create a positive future for the Earth -- a future in which humanity continues to exist.

This makes it the most important of all the 2012 predictions.

Not just doom and gloom, nor hope and pray, but the concrete actions and mindsets that will see us through!

With Bright Blessings,

What are the Hopi prophecies, and how are they linked to the year 2012?

I'm so glad you asked!  Of all the 2012 predictions, these are the most important and exciting, because they not only foretell the 2012 Transition, they tell us what we can do about it.

This article reveals the signs of the end of the World Age, according to the Hopi prophecies... and what that means, in their point of view.

The Hopi nation, on the Arizona lands, has highly spiritual values. Hopi means peace; their name for themselves is the Peaceful People. The rituals they do are for the benefit not just of themselves but of the whole world. The clans are matrilineal, and with a balance of power between females and males. Life is religion, in Hopi culture.

The Hopi have carried an oral tradition for centuries. The Hopi prophecies come from that tradition, and they tell of the signs that will presage the end of the World Age (ie, Fourth World) and our entry into the Fifth World.

Note: I'd like to be clear that the Hopi's, as far as I know, didn't give a date for the end of the Fourth World. That's the point of all the prophecies: they will give us warning.

But since all of these prophecies have already come true, and since other sources give us a calendar date for the end of a world age, it seems clear that the Hopi prophecies are talking about the 2012 Transition.

Prophecy of the Theft of the Land: There will come a nation of white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana -- men who took the land that was not theirs.

(European conquest of the Americas.)

Prophecy of Thunder Strikers: These white-skinned men will strike and kill their enemies with thunder.

(Firearms.)

Prophecy of Wheels : Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices.

(Wagons moving west.)

Prophecy of Horned Creatures: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers.

(Longhorn cattle.)

Prophecy of Iron Snakes: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron.

(Railroads.)

Prophecy of the Skies: The skies shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider's web, and the white man will put metal wires in the skies.

(Chemical trails deposited by military aircraft, and power and telephone lines.)

Prophecy of Rivers of Stone: The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun.

(Paved roads -- heat mirages.)

Prophecy of Black Seas: The sea will turn black, killing many living creatures.

(Oil spills.)

Prophecy of Seekers: Many youth, wearing their hair long, join the tribal nations to learn their ways and ancient wisdom.

(Hippies and generations of spiritual seekers.)

Prophecy of the House in the Sky: A dwelling-place will be built in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star.

(Skylab, which according to witnesses seemed to be burning blue as it fell.)

Prophecy of Ashes: The white man will create a Gourd of Ashes that will lay waste to the land and keep it infertile for generations.

(Atomic bombs and radiation.)

Prophecy of Moon Theft: The white man will steal rocks from the moon. Then the balance of universal laws and natural forces will be disrupted, causing earthquakes, severe changes in the weather patterns, and social upheaval. This is a danger sign, that we are in the final days before the purification.

(The Apollo moon landings. As a Wiccan and Pagan, I can only feel this theft from the Temple of the Goddess to be a terrible desecration, but infinitely worse is the massive bomb the USA exploded on the Moon!)

The Hopi prophecies are clear and explicit signs that the end of the Fourth World Age is coming.

They don't see this as a bad thing, even though they foresaw that they would lose their lands, their ways, and many of their people. They also foresaw that it was temporary, and the wheel of life would turn again to their ways.

Although -- according to the Hopi prophecies -- the imminent Fifth World Age will be preceded by an intense cleansing (expressed in some forms as massive and frequent natural disasters), still there is a positive future ahead.

What is even more important than these oracular signs, in my opinion, are the Hopi prophecies that explain how to survive this transition, minimise the harm, and create the best possible future.

That is the subject of the first article on The Hopi Prophecies.

The Hopi are not, by any means, the only aboriginal nation to have prophecied the dark times, and the end of them.

Other nations around the world and throughout history have similar predictions.

Continue to the article on Indian Vedic2012 Predictions to find out more.

With Bright Blessings,

Although often confused with guilt and shame, remorse is actually a much higher calibrating "emotion." It's the 21st Century alternative to feeling bad about yourself, and making others around you feel bad too.

It not only feels better and helps you move forward in your life, but it is healing for the Earth... and as we ride the 2012 Transition, Mother Earth needs all the help we can give her!

This article explains how it works, and why you are worthy of forgiveness.

Remorse is a method to heal yourself, and others, after making a mistake.

After all, anything that brings a feeling of remorse is a mistake -- just a mistake. Did you know that's the origin of the word "sin"? "Sin" was an archery term; it means missing the mark. That leaves a lot more possibility for positive growth, doesn't it!

So you don't need to berate yourself for eternity. There is nothing to berate yourself for if you didn't know any better, or if you did the best you could.

And I believe we always do the best we can, with what we have in the moment.

We're not perfect. Sometimes we do things we're not proud of. But, in the moment, that was undoubtedly the best that we could do.

Maybe you gave in to your meaner impulses. If you could have held yourself to a higher ideal in that moment, you would have done so. What would you have to gain, by not?

Maybe you didn't know how to do better. You can only work with what you know.

God does not expect you to know what you do not yet know!

For whatever reason -- fatigue, stress, anxiety, confusion, distraction, etc -- maybe you didn't do the best you hoped for. Maybe it wasn't as good as you could have done another day.

But you obviously did the best you could in that moment.

Why would anyone do less than that?

God doesn't need you to burn in hell for it, not even the hell of your own harsh thoughts. She only wants you to learn from the process, and to use it to grow. That's what remorse is all about.

There are four parts to the process of remorse.

The first part is a pang in your Heart. There is an energy there, call it an emotion if you like, that signals you are not happy with your actions.

From here, many people get derailed into guilt, instead of continuing the process of remorse.

The second part is the most important, the core of remorse...

You accept that you made a mistake. And you make an unemotional, practical assessment of your actions.

When your actions and choices don't live up to your ideals or ethics... you figure out how you could do better, discover what was moving in you (probably subconsciously) that caused that action, and -- here's the critical bit -- resolve to do better next time.

Remorse is calm and determined. Rather than destroying your self-respect, remorse enhances it. It provides you with the opportunity to grow, to live up to your ideals.

It recognises that within you there is a perfect being, capable of the best.

And that there is always another opportunity to try.

Contrast that with shame, which says that you are worthless and hopeless. There's just nowhere good to go, from there!

Remorse doesn't take the mistake personally. It sees an action as wrong, but not you as a person.

Remorse knows that people can't accurately, honestly be judged in terms of "wrong" and "bad."

The next step is always making amends. You must undo the error, to the best of your ability. And apologise, if it won't make things worse.

We must be clear -- this step has nothing to do with being forgiven by another person. Whether they forgive you or not is about them and their process, and is not about you.

To seek someone's forgiveness when they aren't ready to give it can be a further harm.

You fix the mistake if you can. That is the only purpose of this step.

Inherent in this process is self-forgiveness. You see a mistake, you acknowledge it, you figure out what went wrong, you fix it if you can, and you determine to not make that mistake again.

When you've done all that, forgiveness is a lot easier.

You can forgive yourself, because you know you aren't a bad person who intentionally did wrong... and because you are doing your best not to slip up that way in the future.

No one is perfect. No one is expected, by the Divine, not to make mistakes. On the contrary, that's often how we learn and grow.

That's all the Divine wants of you. Not perfection. But learning and growing from your slip-ups.

So you can accept that you did the best you were able to, at the time. And forgive yourself, for being human and humanly fallible.

If you get stuck in guilt, look for the underlying shame. Shame is like Velcro to guilt. It tells you that you deserve to feel terrible guilt, that you are not worthy of forgiveness or compassion or kindness.

But shame LIES.

You are worthy of forgiveness, because you are not a flawed person.You are Divinity tasting life as a mortal individual -- nothing else.

It doesn't matter what your family or coworkers or boss thinks of you. It doesn't matter how you've been treated by others -- that's nothing to do with YOU, that's all about the (human) blindness of others.

You are infinitely worthy and loveable!

And when others can't see that it's only because they haven't realised that they are infinitely worthy and loveable. When people get tied down, in their minds, into one little frail animal body and one small human life, all kinds of such misconceptions arise!

But it's not the truth.

The truth is that you are eternal -- learning and growing and polishing yourself on challenge after challenge, life after life.

The soul that is truly you is infinitely worthy and Divine. The body and mind you think of as you are only a costume that put on for a while, and then point aside, to go home for dinner and a bath, a good rest, to get up and come play again.

So how do you as a mere mortal forgive yourself?

The same way you forgive anyone... With compassion for your human frailty: you really are doing our best with what you have. With perspective: understanding that this life is a playground and schoolroom, and not the life-or-death struggle it seems. With determination to not make the same mistake again.

With Bright Blessings,

Surviving 2012 -- There's definitely a trick to it! Part of the trick is simple knowledge. You need to understand what's going on.

When you know what's really going on, it can't hurt you (as much). When you know you've got stairs ahead of you, you're not going to trip on them and fall!

This also helps you develop the mindset that will sail you safely through these troubled times.

The other part of the trick is taking appropriate action. What is appropriate action during the 2012 Transition? That's what the rest of the 2012 articles are about.

In these articles, we'll start with the broad strokes, and then progress to the day-to-day details.

So here are the secrets and strategies for surviving 2012.

Surviving 2012 has become a very hot topic, but wrapped up in that one little phrase is actually 3 questions ... Can we physically survive "the end of the world," and if so, how? How can we influence the outcome of 2012, to avoid an apocalypse? How do we cope with these rapid fire, incredible changes and traumas?

The first question is covered in this article on What Will Happen in 2012.

The second is answered in the article on the Hopi Prophecies -- It describes the two options we have, and how we get to choose which path our future will take.

This article on Surviving 2012, and the rest of the 2012 section, deals with the third question. It will help you understand and deal with the effects of this time of transition -- the emotional and psychological challenges.

Because an unbalanced emotional or mental state, at this stage of the game, can be fatal.

In particular, the following articles explain not only how to get through this in one piece, but how to be part of healing the world, because at this point they are both the same thing.

Don't you feel, these days, like... you're being swept down a rapid river of life, and don't even have a paddle? everything is happening too fast, and you can't keep up? changes and surprises and challenges and catastrophes are coming at you (and the world) non-stop?

This is how everyone feels, these days. And that's because it's precisely what's happening.

Surviving 2012 is just a matter of knowing where to put your energy and what to let go.

The next several articles deal with this specifically...

As for surviving the 2012 Transition as a species, the Mayan Calendar also gives us clues.

With Bright Blessings,

Accessing the power of the Heart -- Intuition -- is fundamental to surviving the 2012 Transition.

As we've seen, the intellect can't function as the dominant modality any longer. The human brain doesn't have the ability, and even more important, it no longer has the prerogative.

The intellect (logic, rationality, materialism) has been the unchallenged overlord for millennia. But it has a number dire and insurmountable intrinsic flaws... It knows only what it sees/hears/touches/feels -- locked into material reality as the only thing of consequence. It is the slave to the ego's drive for comfort, control, and immediate physical survival at any cost. It is adept at rationalising even the most destructive, evil actions.It is designed to see what it wants and expects to see.It is cut off from Divine Wisdom and the ways of compassion.It is limited to a functional speed that is too slow to deal with the current speed of life.What other modality could have brought the entire planet to the brink of destruction? You can be sure that this is the paradigm that will also take us right over the edge, if we allow it.

We can't afford the intellect's self-delusions anymore.

If we are looking to prevent an apocalypse, we will need something completely different. As Einstein said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

If the intellect can no longer guide us, what source of information is left?

Only our intuition.

Luckily, that's more than enough.

Intuitive insights are the new dominant modality of thought. Without them, you won't be surviving the 2012 Transition very well. Because this Transition is all about liberating the Power of the Heart, and intuition is the Heart's Voice.

The intuition speaks through the spiritual Heart. You might perceive it through your body's sensations. It may appear as an idea, a sound, or words. The important thing to know is, it doesn't originate in your own brain.

Intuition accesses the Source of all knowledge.

Everything that can be known, is known by this Source -- past, present, future, alternate dimensions, etc. It is the source of infinite knowledge.

So the question is no longer, "What is the logical choice?"

The fundamental question is, "What does your deepest Heart tell you?"

That is the Voice of the Divine.

Learning to distinguish this Voice from the urges of the ego/mind is the tricky bit.

That's what we'll look at next.

Learning to hear and understand the quiet Voice of your intuition takes practice. It's a little like developing an ear for music -- at first, you're not really sure what to listen for, or what a good one is like. With practice, you learn to hear more clearly.

Really, you can only learn by doing.

Follow your intuition!

Start with little things. Don't use your intuition, the very first time, to decide to move across the country or adopt a child or something. Because in the beginning, it's trial-and-error. Sometimes you will hear your intuition precisely. But sometimes you may not.

But begin paying attention to it. Your intuition knows more than you think!

There have been studies on women who've been attacked on the street, and every time, it seems, something inside of them was warning them -- but they ignored the warning because it seemed impolite to just walk away or whatever. And if you've heard stories about people who survive cataclysmic events, they usually say they "just had a feeling" and they followed it.

Your inner Voice knows infinitely more than your logical brain ever could!

As we proceed with the 2012 Transition, it's really time to access this source of infinite knowledge.

The biggest difficulty is that we also have another voice inside of us -- the voice of the personality/ego ... and it definitely has its own agenda.

Learning to differentiate between these is the real key to accessing intuition.

When you first begin trusting your intuitive guidance, you may find that it seems to lead you astray at times. What's really happened, of course, is that your ego has tricked you into thinking it was Divine guidance.

Nothing is as tricky as the ego!

There's also an element of deep trust that is needed, though. Sometimes even the best intuition will lead you into an unpleasant situation. But I can guarantee it's because that unpleasant situation will turn into something you really needed.

The biggest block to accessing intuitive guidance is a cluttered mind. When there are a lot of thoughts, worries, plans, grudges, desires, etc. taking up space, how could you even notice when the Divine quietly offers a bit of advice?

Clear your thoughts and quiet your mind.

Clear your emotions.

Only when your mind is empty of the ego's thoughts and drives, can you clearly hear the Divine's advice -- and be sure of it. Then your intuition will seem much more obvious, and it will not lead you astray.

Meditation is a perfect practice for this. That's why intuitive ideas so often pop up when you are meditating.

A Mind-Watch, or Purging Papers, as well, are wonderful for clearing the mind and emotions. Reflection (spiritual journalling) and working with symbolisms like in dreams and with Animal Spirit Guides are also extremely beneficial. There are some things you can do that are like exercises for developing your intuitive muscles.

Divination helps develop this skill. Tarot or runes or palm-reading, even astrology or numerology? anything that offers you guidelines to follow (like in a book) gives a great starting place for developing intuition.

As you begin to interpret your divination readings, you can rely on what you remember, or what jumps out at you, that you read in the book.

After a while, you will realise that you will remember or notice the precise bit that is most relevant. Your sixth sense is already at work, and without any pressure it can work most effectively.

Gradually, you will start to extrapolate... using what you read as a starting point and making intuitive leaps from there.

Eventually, you may notice that most or all of your reading becomes intuitive.

With Bright Blessings,

Surviving the 2012 Transition involves dealing with loads of uncertainty and requires continuous adaptation.

There is no avoiding it. The only constant anymore is constant change.

This is something our forebears didn't have to worry about. For hundreds of generations, nothing much changed. They could mosey along with their noses to the agricultural grindstone, doing the same thing their parents and grandparents and greatgrandparents did. We have it in our genes to like things this way (mostly).

But that's not the reality any longer.

Surviving 2012 calls for a different approach, because life is different... even from 10 years ago!

Changes that took millennia in the beginning of time, half a millennium around the time of Christ, and decades in the 1900's are now occurring at 20 day intervals! We can't see anymore where we're going or what's coming next -- the only certainty is that it's coming fast.

And we have to change the way we live, to live with the change.

The more you hang on to what you already know, what you're comfortable with, the harder these times will feel and the more difficulty you'll have surviving the 2012 Transition. We are all being called to immense rapid change. It's natural to want things to slow down... but they won't.

And the more you resist it, the more suffering you create for yourself.

So let go of resistance.

Practice letting go easily and flowing with the tide of change.

I call this Dancing Lightly On The Edge. If you're standing on ground that keeps shifting underfoot, you just have to stay light on your feet.

It's kind of like levitation. 

I read one guidebook on levitation said it's a matter of switching your gravitational "pole" -- instead of being held by the gravity of Earth, you are held by the gravity of the Sun or Moon or stars. Then you naturally "fall" upward.

If you can shift your "polarity" from worldly-existence to Divine-process, you will be upheld by that energy.

What I mean is by worldly existence is holding onto ideas like... "I have to look out for myself first" "It's work work work that makes the world go 'round" "I must stay in control in order to survive" "I want things to go back to the way they were" "I already know who I am, and all I need is better stuff and a more obliging lover to make me happy" "All that spiritual mumbo-jumbo is pure fantasy; the world is made of dead rock, man is at the pinnacle of evolution, and the physical world is real enough for me!"

This is a recipe for not surviving the 2012 Transition! It's a recipe for a very hard, unpleasant life!

The more you can switch to Divine process, the more easily, successfully, and beautifully your life will flow.

That means working from ideas like... "The more I help others, the more I ultimately help myself." "It's love that will save me, and compassionate kindness that will save the Earth." "I rest my life in the hands of the Divine, and so I am perfectly safe." "I am part of the most wondrous evolution ever experienced, and I am thrilled to allow it to flow through me." "I am Divine Light; I am Divine Love; I need nothing else: I am One with everything." "The only real reality is Consciousness."

Surviving 2012 is do-able. It may even be easy, depending on how well you master this skill.

In fact, it could very well be the best thing ever, as the entire planet is uplifted to this more beautiful state of consciousness!

With Bright Blessings,

Last weekend I had a lively discussion with a friend about Pagans she has met who don’t condone or accept the LGBT community, especially as it is intermingled with Paganism.  She has met some of this ilk (I have not) and described how they do not condone non-straight sexuality when it is expressed in Paganism, and how this type also has a limited view of what should be expressed as Paganism, and other expressions are wrong.

I gave her the impression I was surprised to hear this, but it was not surprise, but shock.  I knew intellectually that this type exists (since all types of everything exist,) but this was the first I had heard of actual encounters with such thinking.

We followers of Earth-based spirituality are persecuted and ridiculed enough with us doing it to ourselves.  Think of how Christine O’Donnell (who has no business holding public office, but that is another story) was openly ridiculed when an old clip of her surfaced where she stated she dabbled in witchcraft.  It tanked whatever chances she had in her Senatorial race, and was it because she was the wrong picture to put on the pagan community?  No, it was because any inference that one is a practicing pagan is social suicide in most parts of the United States.

We pagans need to be accepting of each other, and open to the great cosmos that is all of us.  There is no “right” or “wrong” way to be a pagan.

Those who think otherwise are suffering from cognitive dissonance.

Spirit of Place is an aspect of Druidry that sets it apart from other paths, both pagan and revealed.  As a Druid I believe that each place has a spirit and that energy of spirit is as unique as the place it inhabits.  Of course there are the traditional places of spirituality such as Stonehenge at Glastonbury, but pilgrimages to such place are not necessary to connect to the spiritual side of Gaia and the Cosmos.Every place has a spirit which may be thriving or dormant, but is always there.  Those spirits are to be respected, connected with, and fortified through recognition and reverence. When stuck in traffic there is the spirit of the highway, when grocery shopping there is the spirit of the Safeway.

Do not forget these spirits, they will reward you for connecting with them.

Don't forget your Supplies!

In this post, I aim to explore why I think I am a Pagan.  This post will not define Paganism or Neo-Paganism more generally.  These terms are very broad, and it is beyond my ability to express what is or is not a Pagan or Neo-Pagan experience.

1.  I am Pagan because I believe that the natural world is ensouled.  I can't define the soul or its capacity or limitations, but I experience it all around me.

2.  I believe that the Abrahamic religions do not have a corner on truth and that their most valuable messages evolved from far more ancient insights which continue to be available to all human beings whose minds and hearts are open.

3.   I believe that all thea/ological discourse about the sacred is just folks talking about something they'll never understand.  I can tell you what I think God/ess is all day and night.  I can be as clever and convincing as hell, but it still doesn't amount to a hill of beans.  The Ineffable will be what it will be regardless of my cheek.  We aren't going to expand or limit Divinity whatever we say, think, or believe.  However, when we limit our conceptualization of the Sacred to that which most closely resembles the powerful, the conventional, and the abusive in our society, then we limit who we are and what we might become, and that's a shame.

4.  So-- I believe that we should be mindful and creative with our theo/alogical language and musings to encourage ourselves to grow toward our potential.  I believe that when we speak of "God/dess" we are reflecting our best hopes for ourselves into the Cosmos.  When we dream of divinity, we can either sanctify all the meanness and injustice humanity has already mastered or we can sing out our human potential for brilliance, warmth, diversity, and love.

5.  Language may only be a construct, but what a construct!  What we build with our language is our choice.  I am Pagan because I am playful with spiritual language.  We need to remember that God is not male.  Nor is God white or European or human for that matter.  God is not even "God".  That word too is merely a construct, a symbol, a signifier. Learning to imagine the Divine in many forms, genders, cultures, species, relationships, and concepts reminds me that the Sacred is not one objective thing or person but is manifest in all life and in all times.  It helps me remember that I can find divinity in unexpected people and unexpected places.  It helps me look for the Sacred everywhere and in everybody.

That's about it, I guess.  My Paganism doesn't define whether I believe in God or Goddess or a singular or plural deity.  It doesn't tell me how I should worship or with whom.  Paganism is not what I believe.  It is what I do.  It is a strategy and a discipline.  It is not an answer to my questions about life and death or the nature of the Divine.  It is a pattern of thought and intent that encourages me to continue asking unanswerable questions.  It encourages me to play and think and wonder and to try as hard as ever I can to understand not the Cosmic Mystery, but maybe just the little bit that resides in me and which is mine to share.

And don't just say "Because I'm not Christian".... I would like to see you fully explore how your beliefs fit with those typical of other Pagans. What is it about you and your life that made you associate with the label of "Pagan"?

I was raised Lutheran. I attended church every Sunday with my family. I also remember attending Sunday school and I even went through Confirmation. Through all this I never really felt the connection to the Christian faith. I have read the bible, not cover to cover but how many actually have? The whole doctrine seemed a bunch of bull, to me at least. Now that was many years ago; I don’t doubt that there is an undeniable energy in the Christian faith. I have experienced it first hand by sitting with my family again at the church I grew up with, but I still am not Christian. Oops, I said it didn’t I?

Why do I call myself Pagan? I have thought about this before but I have never written about it. I think that I was destined to follow this path. That would explain my aversion to Christianity. I always liked the thought of magick even before I knew what it was. I flirted with an eastern religion while I was in high school but never kept with it. I think because I didn’t completely understand it and no one was around to explain it. I know that if I had found the trail head of my current path back then I would have been traveling it a lot longer than I have been.

I didn’t think of myself as Pagan at first. When I started down my path a few years ago I was working with Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and his online school, The Grey School. I labeled myself as a wizard. I worked on my studies and surrounded myself with all the trappings of what I thought it meant to be a wizard. I didn’t realize that some of these items were also associated with being Pagan. I bought the candles, athame, chalice, and other stuff. A conversation with a person at a spiritual retreat had me questioning exactly what path I was on and what it meant to me. After that retreat and experiencing the rituals there and talking to other people I realized that the label I had chosen, wizard, was not correct and that Pagan was more appropriate.

I began to explore what it is to be Pagan. I related to many of the aspects. I believed in the existence in multiple gods. I believed that we are all connected to nature and that we should respect it and honor it. I believe in the power of the Moon on us and her aspects.

After my first retreat and the revelations that came from it, I returned to the retreat and became involved in guiding young men through the coming of age ritual offered. This allowed me to explore my beliefs even further and realize that while I enjoyed being solitary for a time I needed something more and sought out a local coven. While working with the people in the coven I found my patron deities. Lady Hecate made herself known to me and I continue to honor her. Lord Cernunnos/Herne has made himself known to me but I believe he has always been with me in some sense since I have always loved all out of doors activities. I also have an affinity for herbs and their uses. I have sewn two robes, one white and one black. I have acquired a couple staffs, one given me by the forest the other found me at a local flea market. I have setup my sacred space and consecrated it with ritual. I try to live my life as a Pagan. I even take the title of Witch now and practice the craft of the witch. I celebrate the Sabbats and the Esbats. I welcome the Faeries in to my house and leave them gifts.

I am Pagan, I am Witch, and I am happy.

Blessed Be!

Do you have all of your SUPPLIES?

In most Pagan traditions it is very important to purify or cleanse a space prior to beginning any sort of ritual. Although there are a different ways of doing this, how you do it will depend on the tradition you follow as well as what you feel comfortable with.

Usually, when ritually purifying an area, most do it deosil and spiraling inwards to the center. There are times when moving in a widdershins direction is appropriate, most notably for Banishing Ritual.


These methods are some examples of common ways to cleanse a space for ritual.

Smudging

Smudging uses smoke, which will carry negative energy away from the area. Traditionally White Sage is used, however, other dried herbs can be added, such as Cilantro, Cedar, Lavender and Mugwort. The herbs are bound with string into a bundle, which is commonly referred to as a “stick”.

When lighting the bundle, try to make it flame for a moment if possible, then blow the flame out. This will leave you with a smoldering, smoking herb bundle. Once you have achieved the smoldering bundle stage it is time to smudge the house.

Now you don’t take the bundle and rub it on the walls and other things in the room, which would make a mess and probably ruin a few things and maybe even start a nice fire. What you do is this. Hold the smoldering bundle in one hand or in a heatproof object, like a shell. With either a fan or your free hand you waft the smoke to the edges of the room, making sure to get it into the corners.

When you have finished smudging you can either snuff out the smoldering end of the bundle by setting it into some sand or by crushing the end. An alternative method is to douse it under a bit of water, making sure to let it dry completely before attempting to use it again.

Sweeping
By long tradition, the broom is associated with cleaning and purification. The broom can be either a special one used solely for ritual cleansing or even your household broom. Use a broom or besom going around the edges of the space, with your intent being to sweep negativity away as you go. Here's a good idea. Start and finish near a door--that way, negative energy is swept outside, rather quite literally.

Asperging
Asperging is the sprinkling with a liquid in order to effect spiritual and magical cleansing. Most people will associate Asperging with the Catholic Church, however the practice is also widely used by pagans for cleansing prior to rituals.

It can be accomplished in many ways. The simplest of these is to have a premixed liquid of your choice and bundle of fresh herbs that you can dip into the water. Then you take the herbs, dip them in the liquid and with a quick flick you throw the liquid off the herb and into area or onto the object to be cleansed. You don’t want or need to have a lot of liquid being thrown though. Just small droplets are perfect. Herbs that are prefect to use are Sage, Lavender, Vervain, Hyssop, Pine, Rue and Rosemary.

Another option that can be used quite effectively to cleanse a space is the use of incense. This can be either in cone form, stick, or powder and charcoal. The incense should be for working with cleaning, purification and even protection if you want to add that bit into the cleansing.

During your cleansing and purification of your space you can also include a little chant to augment the process. There are many to be found on the Internet as well as in books. You might even have one in mind already, in that case write it down so you will remember it for the next time you want to cleanse a room.

In addition to the above, I also ensure that the space is physically cleaned as well. I try to use a non-toxic homemade cleanser to do this. How you physically clean is of course up to you.

I would be remiss if I didn’t do a shameless plug for our online store where we carry many items that are perfect for what I have just talked about. Stop by Grove of the Ancients Pagan Marketplace today and order cleansing supplies.

Blessed Be!

View the original article here

Do I want to live forever?


When I was a child I desperately wanted to live forever. I think most kids did. It was one of those fantasy things.


Today my thoughts have changed quite a bit. I now believe that once I pass beyond the veil in death that I will eventually come back to live again through reincarnation. This, in a way, is living forever. One of the biggest draw back from actually living forever is that everyone you care about will pass beyond and leave you. Yea you will make new friends and lovers but they too will pass beyond and leave you to move in an endless cycle. Oh sure it would be interesting to experience the advances, turmoil, wars, times of peace, and other things, I don't believe that would make the endless cycle of loss easier.


Today we are infatuated with the concept of eternal life in the form of vampires in such movies as the Twilight Saga and TV shows like True Blood and Vampire Diaries. Yes they live 'forever' but they must also suffer with living forever.


For me I look forward to seeing The Summerland, to enjoy a rest before returning and living again.  That being said I expect to live well into my 90's.  Gods willing.


Blessed Be.

A few months ago The Huffington Post stated that with the additon of the 13th sign Ophiuchus, the chart has changed. So, now what you thought you were, you are no longer. Apparently I’m a Taurus when I’ve lived my whole life believing I was a Taurus. To add insult to injury, this isn’t new, its been changed since about 130 B.C.

Now is this new system correct? I think thats debatable and its up to you to decide. I have always fit the exact representation of a Taurus. Everything from my body frame to my humanitarian ways. I feel I am still an taurian and will address myself as such.

So, just incase you were wondering what you are now, this is the “new” chart:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18 - May 13
Taurus: May 13 - June 21
Gemini: June 21 - July 20
Cancer: July 20 - Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10 - Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16 - Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23 - Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 - Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17 - Jan. 20

I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it.

Learn Spells the Easy Way! Click HERE!

Dear GreyWolf,

I have a dilemma.  I’m out as a witch to my friends, and most of them have asked me to do spells for them.  Last night, I got two requests.  The first came from a friend who’s mom has pneumonia and may have cancer. She’s very worried, and she wanted to know what all she could do, and what I could do.  I gave her some practical advice, told her to pray and to get as many people as she could to pray, and I told her that my husband and I would so a healing spell for her mother, if she got her mother’s permission, which she did.  Her mother is also in the hospital, so she’s under medical care.

The second request is the one I have the problem with.  Another friend had asked me a while back to do a spell to keep her ex from terrorizing her and her son.  I told her to first go to the police, tell them what was going on, and get an order of protection.  I told her that if she followed through and showed that she was really serious, then I would do a spell of protection for her.  She’s in a very sick relationship with this guy, and I really don’t want her blaming me if he ever leaves her for good.  Last night, she said she didn’t want me to do a spell of protection anymore. She wants me to do a spell that makes him treat her better.  I have some qualms about any spell that “makes” someone do anything.  It gets worse though; then as we were doing some other things, she says under her breath, “It’s a sin, you know.”  I said, “If you think it’s a sin, why would you want me to do a spell for you in the first place?”  Then she said, “Oh, it’s not a sin.”  I’ve pretty much made up my mind on the whole business of doing any spells for her, but I don’t know how to tell her without losing a friend.  She’s not very bright, so no conversation we’ve ever had has gone smoothly.  I have to repeat myself all the time and backtrack on everything to make myself clear to her, and even then, I’m not sure I’m getting through half the time.  Anything I did tell her would have to be broken down into its simplest elements.  Any advice you give me would be well appreciated.

Blessed Be,
Spider

Dear Spider,

I really appreciate your high ethical value. It is a sign of competency and strong professional standards that you want to talk through a dilemma. Doctors and counselors do it all the time. The professionalism comes in knowing when to ask questions, not in always knowing the answers–so I applaud you!

In the first situation, I would do the same thing you did. Any time I’m doing a spell, I want to get everyone’s permission, and you absolutely had permission to do a healing spell. Studies show that prayer actually works, and I know from personal experience that magic, spells, lighting a candle, and raising energy do too. By not limiting your healing to magic, you are helping the spell to work even better–that is, getting medical care is what she needs too.

As for your other friend, well…I feel sorry for her. It’s like someone asks for your help, and then yells at you for doing it wrong. She wants spells done for her, but she believes it is a sin? She doesn’t need magic, she needs a priest, in whatever religion she feels most comfortable. Your magic is not going to work on someone who doesn’t want it to work or who thinks it is wrong–and I don’t care how good a spellcaster you are! The deeply held beliefs about sin are difficult to get rid of, even for new converts to Paganism, and if she’s not converting and doesn’t plan to address these ideas, she won’t get out of them with your help.

Sometimes, ethically, we have to just say no.

This will be hard for you–you’re gifted and people come to you for help. But we can’t learn lessons for other people. You know she’s in a bad relationship, and even if you try and help–no matter how wrong it is–if she doesn’t want it, it won’t work. Ask any Alcoholic working on recovery–she must help herself first. Likely, she’ll have to hit rock bottom, or find some deeply rooted boundary where going back to her terrible relationship is no longer an option.

But, can you have some sympathy for her? She’d rather be abused than be alone, and she’s living with some serious fear. In scary situations, adrenalin tells us to fight or fight…and also freeze. Even though she knows the way out is just like you said, calling the police and getting a protection order, etc, she still doesn’t see the way out. The question for you is this: can you honor her inner divinity to believe that she can solve her own problems?

Being blunt with people by being direct and addressing problems head on actually honors the inherent divinity in another. It means you believe that they don’t have to be coddled or protected, but can handle things if they just have enough information. By asking her to go to the police, you have done your ethical duty and are not required to do more. (Unless you are a mandatory reporter such as a teacher or counselor, and then it depends on your state requirements, so find out what you are required to report. For example, in my state, I’m required to report child abuse but not adult or elder abuse, and I’m required to report suicidal or intent to harm another. But in a pastoral counseling capacity, I am not required to report anything under most circumstances–KNOW YOUR RULES!). Anything after that, magically, is like throwing your energy down a bottomless pit, or running into a brick wall.

If you did a spell for her, and it worked, she’ll blame you. If you do a spell for her and it doesn’t work, she’ll blame you. Because she has to learn her own lessons. She has to take responsibility for herself and her child. By asking you to do it for her is a way of being passive and she is not learning a lesson. It sounds like, for you, she’s hard to talk to, so it may take her a little longer to learn what she needs to do. I guarantee you that many many people both more and less intelligent than her have figured out what they needed to do in her exact situation. And it doesn’t matter how many times somebody told them what they needed to do–they must choose their own path. You want her to change and have the tools to make it happen, but she has to want to. She has to use the tools for herself. And frankly, some people are not ready to change. But if we, as helpers, hold others to the highest standard they are capable of meeting, they will eventually meet it, and may even thank you for it.

We can’t always do the spells that other people want. Sometimes it is not ethical or in the client’s best interest. I often won’t because I don’t want to get involved in their drama spiral, or I don’t want to reward bad behavior with attention. Magically, if you feel you must do something, you can always do a spell for general wellness and gentle spiritual growth. I’ll do something relatively passive, like light a healing candle in their name. The magic will go where it is needed. You feel good because you’ve done something, which will return to you three-fold, theoretically, and you won’t lose any sleep thinking you’re tied up in an ethical dilemma with a person you really don’t want much to do with.

As a counselor, if I had a client like the one you are talking about, I would do either one of two things: 1) refer her to another clinician, since she is not getting what she thinks she wants with me and we are making no headway. It is not ethical for me to continue taking money from someone who is not getting anything out of services after a reasonable amount of time, if another clinician might be able to do more. 2) close her file, and give her the option to return when she commits to therapy. The Witch and the Counselor are essentially in the same business, we just use different tools to help clients create change. Closing a client file, or refering out to another does not make you a failure in any way. It proves that you are holding their needs above your own. Not every spell will work for every body, nor every therapist for every client.

And now, I honor you enough to know that, with enough information, you’ll be able to figure out the best course of action for you. If I had a client like that, she’d be pushing all my buttons. Good luck!

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Before one approaches seriously the study of metaphysics, magick, the occult, or mysticism, it is appropriate that one prepares oneself on all levels: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

It is of vital importance that the student be psychologically prepared for the reception of Cosmic truths; for without adequate preparation, without the required purity, the right attitude and the right motive, one simply deludes or sidetracks oneself from all that which is essential in occult study to those phenomena and teachings that are unessential, delusive, and misleading; to phenomena that simply strengthen one's hold in a world of illusion, glamour, pride and ego; aside from this, should one attempt occult work without due preparation one exposes oneself to certain dangers which are far-reaching. Without adequate preparation the student would abuse and misuse occult, spiritual teachings and powers.

The karmic consequences of this abuse may stall or cause stagnation in one's
spiritual evolution for countless incarnations. Basically, religion without the theological dogmas, is an appropriate basis for the study of metaphysics. Students of metaphysics are advised to deepen their religious activities by engaging in personal study of their scriptures or holy book without relying on the usual channels or interpreters for clarification. This is to preserve one's bicameral mind from
external influence and dependency on "authority figures" that may be damaging to the psyche in the long run.

Purity, sincerity, humility, and a selfless motive which seeks to serve one's fellow men are qualities to possess or develop when requesting from, or studying the teachings of a spiritual/ metaphysical teacher, or even when embarking on our own by studying books on the occult. These qualities or virtues are our safeguard. They protect us from negative forces which affect our mental and emotional stability.

One of the keys to preparation is to eliminate the false ego from our thinking and centeredness. Think from the Christ level. Think the thoughts of Jesus, Muhammad-the Prophet, Krishna, Lao Tze, or Buddha. What do you think these avatars and prophets of God think constantly of? They think of God, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. Therefore we advise each student to do likewise. Thinking abstract thoughts, divine thoughts, spiritual thoughts, and holy thoughts raises the vibrations of the physical, etheric, astral and mental bodies. This facilitates metaphysical and spiritual development so needed by the human race. It improves the quality of humanity.

One of the problems which poses as an obstacle to occult and metaphysical study is that of the crystallized mind. As a preparation, the first step that has to be undertaken by the student of metaphysics and the occult is to temporary put away all previous concepts and beliefs regarding them. There are many false beliefs and superstition concerning the occult perpetuated by ignorant individuals, by psychics of a low caliber, by secular education, and even by religion, that we have to cast all of those beliefs aside and prepare our minds to really think and use our reason and intuition.

Even if we had learnt metaphysics or branches of it previously from genuine teachers, it is still required of us to shelve them aside when we begin our apprenticeship under a new tutor.  Our minds should be open and receptive to the teachings of the higher worlds, but if our minds are closed and crystallized, we fail to register the truths concealed in occult and metaphysical teachings regarding the laws of the cosmos, the higher worlds, the principles of mind and one's psychic nature.

If the teachings of any metaphysical system or teacher (including this writer) contradict your personal notions and feelings and you have trouble accepting them, simply shelve them aside for the time being and consider them again at a later date when you have acquired more experiences and knowledge. Realize, however, that most of the time opinions and beliefs do not reflect Truth. We teach what we personally know or what others personally know. We do not proselytize or impose our words upon others against their will. We are happy to give to others the teachings of the Spiritual Masters should they be receptive and just as happy not to give should they be non-receptive. We can lead a horse to a drinking trough but we are unable to make it drink.

Granted, that information concerning the occult the tyro or neophyte often has to regard as hypothesis, or working theories, but in time the student is given methods for investigating and proving to himself the verities of metaphysical truths and the realities of the higher worlds. We seek knowledge, wisdom, and experience--not mere beliefs. For the student of Nature's mysteries, beliefs will not do. Beliefs are blatant expressions of one's ignorance, for if one knows, why is there a need for beliefs? If one should say that one believes in the existence of something, one
implies in that statement that one does not really know if that something exists.

Belief and knowledge are poles apart. In spiritual and occult training one invokes intense energies, powers and forces emanating from the spiritual worlds. These energies flow into the whole microcosm even down to the physical level. Should the physical body and its force-field vibrate at a very low level because of the presence of
impurities, toxins, and negative forces, the nervous and energy systems of the physical and etheric bodies would explode and rupture during the influx of those higher energies. This is one reason why one embarks upon the Path of Purification prior to engaging in advance occult work.

The Master's Advice
In days gone by, when a student approached a spiritual or occult master for instructions, the master would say "empty your cup." The master illustrates the purpose of this by pouring fresh tea into a cup already filled to the brim with the liquid. The tea would naturally overflow. "Likewise," the master would say, "will the teachings I fill your mind be rejected by all of your previous thoughts and false
beliefs. Therefore, empty your cup." Which means, in other words, "empty your mind of previous ideas and conceptions." Most people are disinclined to accepting new ideas. They dislike change, and yet we must change towards a positive direction if we are to progress. There is a senseless fear and laziness in most people in operating their brain faculties such as using their mind to reason. Our
minds must be open and flexible, yet putting all new ideas to the test where possible before accepting them. We must strive to see the logic and rationality in concepts, if any, that are new to us. In other words, we must think! It would not hurt to be critical in a positive and constructive sense of novel ideas or even religious ideas if we believe that our criticism is valid. Although the mind is limited, it
has its purpose and we should not shirk from using it.

It is an important requirement for the occult student not to form any false ideas concerning himself and lower his self-esteem. He should not limit his mind and divine expression by saying "I can't do this," "I can't do that." One never knows what one can do until one tries. This applies to all branches of learning and study. Often we hear people say "nobody's perfect," and they use this as an excuse not to improve their morality, their character, their minds or even their social standing. If one approaches the study of metaphysics and the occult in this manner, one is bound to fail. Metaphysics is hard work, and those who are not interested in work should leave metaphysics alone. Metaphysical truths awaken a person from self-complacency and the slumber of mortal errors. The student of metaphysics
should be prepared for this and not rebel when it occurs. When you come to the point where you can think of nothing but metaphysics in your everyday activities, you shall succeed in being a metaphysician. Metaphysics has to be incorporated into one's life 24 hours a day.

Studying the occult and metaphysics requires great perseverance, endurance, patience, and fortitude. It even requires a certain degree of intelligence. Note that we do not say education or intellect, for the educated mind and intellect at times can be more of a hindrance than an asset. Unless our mind is receptive and open to modify previous findings or concepts expounded by science or religion which
from the point of view of metaphysics are erroneous, one would simply fail in metaphysical study and the probing of Nature's higher laws. The intellect, as the result of education is simply the building blocks that we accumulate, whereas intelligence is the conscious directive power that builds an edifice out of those blocks. Being educated implies gathering data and information that may or may
not be true or even relevant to one's life. We should seek the sort of knowledge that is applicable to our everyday lives with its countless challenges and problems.

Overcoming human problems is mastership. Intelligence is a necessary attribute to comprehending metaphysical principles. You need not be concerned of any lack of intelligence, however, for metaphysical practices itself raises one's I.Q., E.Q., and S.Q. Some occultists, metaphysicians, and mystics have declared that it is much easier acquiring an academic degree than getting fruitful results from occult study. This is indeed true, for occult study requires unfolding the inner senses to register higher vibrations and the various phenomena of the higher dimensions, and this takes much time and energy for practice and training. The purpose of metaphysical study is to make each and every one torchbearers of Truth. Work for Truth, live in
Truth, promote Truth and it is guaranteed that you will evolve into God's Light.

However, seek no reward. Metaphysical development requires time, patience, perseverance and great concentration--the type of concentration not normally possessed by the average person. This training of psychic and metaphysical faculties may take a whole life time for its perfect functioning and control. We should
not be daunted by this, however. The Master Jesus said, "In patience possess ye your soul," and this each student of metaphysics must be conscientious of. The student must have patience and possess his or her soul and not allow the Dark forces to possess it. In metaphysics we learn to direct our lower self, if we do not do this, negative beings will. It is expedient that the student remove religious and any form of prejudice from his mind and heart.

At times teachers of metaphysics may refer to the text of one religion in preference to another to illustrate or substantiate certain metaphysical concepts. This they do, not because of their personal background and not because of any animosity toward the other religions, but because of convenience sake. We know that the essence of all religions is Truth itself. Metaphysicians, therefore, teach and refer to the Truth in all religions whenever possible.

This brings up another subject to mind:
fanaticism. Fanaticism is not to be tolerated, not in metaphysics, not in religion, not in any human endeavor whatsoever. Fanaticism simply indicates a blind belief in principles and opinions, most of which may be dubious as to their validity. Fanaticism is separatism, narrow-minded and destructive, and should be avoided. It breaks up unity by creating divisions and schisms. It is the very antithesis
of the spiritual precept: "unity in diversity." The motto of the Dark forces will always be "divide and conquer."

Man is a microcosm of the macrocosm. In religious terms, man is a reflection of God, for he/she was made in God's image. Since God is perfect, man likewise, in a spiritual sense, is perfect. Man carries the seeds of perfection within him. He only needs to unfold this divine seed of perfection lying dormant within him. When this is done all things become possible to man. In order to nurture these divine seeds, one must overcome inertia and work with the evolutionary forces of Nature.

The Motive of Study
One of the first few things that a student of metaphysic has to do is to introspect and analyze as to the motive for approaching metaphysical study. Why does one want to study metaphysics, its branches, and its various arts such as magick, mysticism, esotericism, psychometry, dowsing, or telepathy? For what reason? For what motive? Is it simply to gain advantage over another, for power over others? Or
is it simply to acquire name and fame or the riches that it will produce? Approaching metaphysics with such motives would retard one's spiritual growth and is not condoned by any spiritual teacher of worth. A true and noble motive would be to serve God and humanity in spiritualizing this physical world, in manifesting Heaven on Earth, where Truth, Justice, Righteousness, Love, Peace and Goodwill between men prevails. Should your motive be negative, you are advised to transform it
now. Do not deceive yourself as to your motive. Another thing that we must not do, is to steal the secrets of heaven or gain entry into it by force, meaning that we should not force our occult growth by engaging in dubious exercises obtained through sources with no real integrity or authority to transmitting them and hoping for an instant development with their application. Should occult abilities be "instantly" procured, it would not be permanent and would result in adverse effects in most cases. We all know the low quality of plants cultivated in greenhouses as compared to the cultivation done underneath Nature's roof. It is the same with metaphysical growth. Heaven is not willing to release her secrets to the profane, and if by
chance any of us acquire her secrets and apply them without the proper motive and purity, we unknowingly curse ourselves. The scriptures say that God is not mocked. This is a symbolic way of saying that the Law of Karma is operative and no one is able to avoid its influence.

The student should be aware that there are false Gurus in the metaphysical field. Every student should be wary and cautious in accepting what they have to teach, for though what they teach be sweet to the mouth, their effects may be bitter to the stomach. These Gurus have no sense of responsibility, and they control and manipulate the minds of their followers for their own nefarious reasons. They create
a morbid dependency on the part of the student. Without the adequate and correct preparation through the Path of Purification, although one may unfold in a psychic manner, if accepted and trained by a "Guru," one would limit one's psychic
development and stagnate in one's spiritual evolution. The higher occult and mystical abilities requires that one be spiritually developed, and this cannot be attained without the necessary purification of the microcosm.

Spiritual Masters of the occult and metaphysics are wary and watchful of students with impure motives. It is not unusual for Spiritual Masters to reject applicants for study or to put them through certain tests, or to give them some advise and told to return at a later date, perhaps a week, or a year later. Just because a student is anxious to study the occult does not imply that he is ready for it or that he should be accepted by a Spiritual Master or Adept. Acceptance by a Spiritual Master and the
initiations that he has to offer requires sincerity of motive and more besides. The false Guru may perhaps accept such a student for personal reasons--for fame, name, glory or wealth. The true Guru, however, never consider these things as criteria for accepting students, although he may work in  strange ways that sometimes seem amoral or irrational in order to test candidates. An occult axiom
states that, "When the student is ready, the master appears." The advise here is to make oneself ready through proper preparation and not sit and wait and twiddle one's thumbs. The master in this axiom may refer to a spiritual being, one's personal spiritual guide or guardian, or even to a metaphysical school.

It should be known that the metaphysical path is a strenuous one requiring every minute of the day. One does not engage in metaphysics at certain spare moments available. One must make time for the study and practice of metaphysics. Reduce unnecessary socializing and reduce watching TV and movies to a bare minimum; preferable not at all wasting time on them. This may result in some conflict between your friends and relatives as you settle-in to your new metaphysical routine, but
consider this: what is more important, their egoistic and personal gratification and demands or your study of Truth with its eternal worth and its spiritual application in the affairs of men? It is up to you to decide; however, if results are not forthcoming from your practice because of your lack of application, you have no one to blame but yourself. One piece of advice: you may drop-out from metaphysical study but never drop-out from life, for it may be that your real metaphysical teacher and lesson is life itself. Accept whatever life brings and learn from it; otherwise, seek to change it using your God-given creative powers.

The Contemplation of Life and Death
Perhaps one of the things that a novice of metaphysics is told to do at the very outset by a true metaphysical or spiritual teacher is to contemplate the meaning of death and the opportunity that life offers. This dual theme is a healthy, sane, and balanced contemplation that when analyzed individually tends to produce an unhealthy pessimistic or overly hopeful attitude. How does one begin this contemplation? By reflecting on the following: first of all realize that we are all heading toward physical death, This might seem discouraging nevertheless is a true statement that cannot be contradicted. With every second, with every breath that we take we approach closer to our grave. Nature guarantees us nothing in life but our coming demise. This is her promise. We do not know when we will leave the physical body permanently. It may be the next hour, today or tomorrow, but leave it we shall. From these musings questions would arise: "What then is the meaning of life?" What is the purpose of life?" Shall we say as the materialists would say, "let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die"? What sort of a philosophy is that when our query remains unanswered? It would be preferable to say "let us study the purpose and meaning of life for we know not when we will pass away and God's purpose for us here may not be carried-out if we spend our time on frivolous matters." Contemplating further, we will realize one major thing, and that life here is an opportunity. Opportunity for what? An opportunity to grow, to become, and to be.

Heraclitus, the philosopher of ancient Greece said that everything is becoming. This is the Law of Change. From our metaphysical point of view, we understand that he was referring to the Law of Evolution. If we think about it we will realize that we are unable to take anything material with us to the higher worlds when we pass on. We are unable to take along with us our house, our money, our possessions, our titles, etc. What we do take along are things that are immaterial--our knowledge, our memories, our karma, our habits, our character, our spiritual and psychic development, our aspirations and desires. We can see from this that our purpose in this world, in this physical plane is in connection with those immaterial things mentioned above, and if--and metaphysics declare it to be so--evolution
is a law of Nature, a Cosmic law, then our true purpose is to evolve, to improve and to purify those immaterial things. Our greatest opportunity in this world is the correct use of time. Use this gift of God searching for Truth and not wasting it on non-essentials.

Perhaps after being a little pessimistic about reflecting death just awhile ago we may now be cheerful and be optimistic about life and to carry-out the main purpose of physical existence instead of wasting our precious time, energy and resources on immoderate and excessive entertainment: too much watching TV, too much sex, the taking of drugs, and indulgence in other material devices invented and designed by the Dark forces to sidetrack and make us forget our divine heritage, purpose of being and our mission here on Earth. This is the nature of evil: it diverts us from
experiencing our true soul-purpose and need. Anything that distracts us from improving our soul nature, our character, our morals, or acquiring metaphysical knowledge of Cosmic laws and truths, is to be considered as an evil mechanism and an intruder to our microcosmic system. These evil intruders sometimes work in such a subtle manner at times that even disciples of metaphysics are sometimes caught off-guard.

The Pure Life
A metaphysical life entails living a life of purity. Even before approaching a Master for
apprenticeship, a pure, spiritual, constructive life should be lived as best as one is able to. The degree of purity within us can be seen and felt by the Spiritual Masters and Adepts of metaphysics and the occult. They know our spiritual state and status by the colors and the luminosity of our aura, by our facial expression, by the quality of the emanations of our eyes, and by the way we think, speak and act.
By the above we do not imply that one has to be a saint in order to be a worthy student of the occult or metaphysics. What we are saying is that purity is a necessary quality to possess and to develop when one becomes a serious student of the occult. It is an indispensable quality for it prepares our psycho-biological system, our nervous systems to withstand intense energies that we invoke from the
higher worlds through our occult and metaphysical studies. We often hear of people going insane because of their involvement with the occult or metaphysics. This is because of their lack of purity. Their nervous systems were not able to sustain the spiritual vibrations coursing through them. When this occurs, as mentioned before, the nervous system ruptures, certain brain cells and nerve centers are destroyed, and the etheric webs protecting the student from overexposure to impressions of higher frequencies coming from the other dimensions, are shattered. One is then unable to shift focus from one reality to another but is opened to both. This causes too much strain. Insanity is the sad result. Spiritual energy invoked through mystical practices also evokes the undesirable elements lying within us. If these elements are not cleared by a process of purification, they would cause us trouble. This is not to say that metaphysics or the occult is an unsafe study. There is danger in  everything. One simply needs the right information and common sense, and take precautionary measures when delving into any study, especially metaphysics and the occult.

Purification is a multi-level process. It should occur on all levels of the microcosm. For instance, our physical body, our blood-stream, our energy-structures, our emotions, our minds, our aura, and chakras, all need to undergo purification. The Path of Purification is a basic step in any system of occult, metaphysical, and spiritual study. To neglect this essential step is to open-up ourselves to spiritual dangers. Any Guru neglecting the Path of Purification in his or her metaphysical system is a false teacher working against the evolutionary tide and spiritual current. It is not beyond the means of any average person to become pure and holy. The difficulty is that people do not see purity or holiness for what it is. They have many erroneous concepts regarding it. For instance, some of us believe that to be holy one has to seclude oneself from society, be celibate, or wear white robes or
even tattered clothing. They believe that to be holy one must dress oneself in some special way or wear a certain hairstyle or do strange things, or act a little mad. These are all fallacies. We should all  strive for holiness by being what we truly are, and not be what we think ourselves to be. In the name of Light, Life and Love, we appeal to all students to be pure and holy.

A Balanced Approach Towards Metaphysics
In metaphysics or in the occult, the student is requested to take a balanced approach. There are three factors that students have to consider:
1) Knowledge of metaphysical laws, principles, and cosmic truths.
2) Unfoldment of spiritual and psychic senses, faculties, and abilities.
3) Acceleration of one's spiritual development, of one's soul evolution.
The pursuit of these three together in a harmonious way is necessary in
developing a well-rounded attainment. When one is over-emphasized and the
others compromised as to their importance, then trouble results for the
metaphysical student. For instance, too much knowledge without spiritual
abilities and a spiritual development results in a poor instrument, one ineffective
in the service of men, and one filled with pride and vanity. Psychic abilities
without knowledge and a degree of spiritual advancement causes similar
symptoms as the above--pride and vanity, together with a poor understanding of
what one registers through the psychic centers. Though one be "spiritual,"
without metaphysical knowledge and understanding one is often deluded and
misled by psychic forces. One falls into the trap of glamour and illusion.
To be spiritually developed without adequate knowledge and psychic ability results in one's ineffectiveness in serving humanity. We can see from this that the problem facing the metaphysical
student is the correct pursuit and development of those three factors simultaneously. The unfoldment of these three factors causes that Divine Spark (Spirit), the Soul-Flame within us to grow in strength and magnitude. This Spark is threefold. There is a will-power aspect (blue), a love-wisdom aspect (pink) and an intelligence-understanding aspect (yellow). This divine flame, metaphysically, has its location within our physical heart and is about 2 cm in size. It is representative of the Higher Soul within the microcosm which is likewise threefold in nature. Esoteric students of Theosophy, for instance, call these components of the threefold Soul, atma, buddhi, and manas.

Too often metaphysical, occult, or so-called spiritual Gurus teach on the basis of a single approach. This does much harm to the student and to society in the long run, or in the very least, it does no lasting good. Advanced teachers, or true Spiritual Masters would synthesize the above three factors. Their approach as a synthesis of those triune factors, would be practical, instructive, and informative. Let us look again at those three factors. What do we mean by occult and metaphysical knowledge?

By such knowledge we mean of the following :
Knowledge concerning, the origin of Spirit-Man; the origin of human beings; the origin of the solar system; civilizations of unrecorded history; the real history of man; man's purpose of being; the progression and the transmission of the ageless teachings throughout the centuries; the origin of religion; the Mystery Schools; the occult anatomy of man; man's latent powers and faculties; the secret teachings and oral tradition of the prophets; the nature and laws governing the higher worlds and man; the application of Cosmic laws; the hidden laws of this three-dimensional world; the principles of counseling and healing; the nature of man, etc.
Now what do we mean by the unfoldment of psychic and spiritual abilities? What are they? Here are just a few: the ability to register spiritual impulses emanating from the Soul, the Spirit, the Spiritual Hierarchy, one's spiritual group, and Master; telepathy; the ability to direct the elements and forces of Nature; spiritual vision; etheric vision; the ability to function consciously in the higher worlds; the
ability to attune with the Divine Cosmic Mind; the ability to know the past, present and future; the ability to heal body, mind and soul; the power to create; etc.
And lastly, what do we mean by spiritual development? We means expanding one's consciousness; opening up the intuitive channels; the transcendence of the false ego; the expression of one's divinity; oneness with Nature, God and one's fellow men; the purification of one's thoughts, words, and actions; the realization and awareness of one's true identity, and the unfoldment of all spiritual virtues
and attitudes such as sacrifice, renunciation, detachment, steadfastness, endurance, strength, self-control, patience, magnanimity, purity, heroism, truthfulness, generosity, compassion, understanding, love, affection, serenity, faithfulness, altruism, tolerance, reason, devotion, adaptability, sincerity,
joy, discernment between the real and the unreal, service, balance, beauty, harmony, creativity, confidence, perception, reverence, sympathy, punctuality, love, tenderness, gratitude, gentleness, harmlessness, inclusiveness, desirelessness, forgiveness, trust, self-discipline, etc. 

So far we have used the words occult, metaphysics, and spirituality interchangeably. At this time this suits our purpose, but we have to realize that these terms are not synonymous and each have a specific definition of their own. To these terms we may include mysticism, magick, parapsychology, parapsychic science, and esotericism as each having a definite meaning and yet still connected with
metaphysics in general. In the course of one's metaphysical study one would gradually come to realize the fundamental difference. Humility and Fearlessness
So far, we have already dealt at some length with the qualities that the candidate of metaphysical studies has to possess, such as purity and an open mind. Other important qualities are those of humility and fearlessness.

Humility is the quality of acknowledging the greatness of God as expressing throughout Nature. It is the realization that no matter what one attains or what one becomes there is always room for further growth. Thus, one never view oneself as representing a final attainment such as being the smartest kid in school, for one knows that there are still others much more smarter than oneself. There is
always room for improvement. We should not just look down before us, look upwards as well and see that there are others far above us. Reaching one peak allows us to see a higher summit. There is pride in thinking of being wise or in being stupid. There is also pride in thinking of being rich or in being poor. The writer has often heard people lamenting on how poor they are, and they enjoy saying this and proving it. They would take quite a lot of trouble to prove that they are poor and
that none are in as much a need as themselves. This is pride expressing itself, for they fail to see that they possess many of God's precious gifts to them, such as their senses to register impressions, their minds to think, their will to act, and their hands and feet to carry-out their desire; in short, all that is required to manifesting prosperity. Such people are ungrateful beings. In this they show their lack of
humility.

When approaching an Occult Master in an egoistic manner, he would most certainly reprimand us verbally . . . or in silence. Such applicants for the teachings are quickly shown the exit. Demanding to be taught indicates one's unreadiness for occultism and metaphysics. Instead of requesting from the Guru the higher teachings, one should come to realize that one still requires the lower teachings and
disciplines from the many challenges that life has to offer and instruct us. All of these challenges are simply for the purpose of taming the human ego. The ego when unbridled, is an unfit vessel for metaphysical and spiritual teachings. Where the ego strives, there humility dies. Fear is one of the obstacles to metaphysical understanding and awareness. Approaching and advancing on the occult path entails facing many enemies and frightening phenomena, the worst of
these is our own lower self with its many subconscious projections which in occult circles is called the Dweller on the Threshold. If we wish to pursue occult studies, fearlessness is a paramount virtue to possess, for in truth nothing can hurt us unless we give it the power to do so. One of the maxims of the Great White Brotherhood is to know, to dare, to do, and to be silent. Make this maxim a part of
yourself.

In the maxim above the student is advised to be silent. It is disrespectful to the teacher and to the Cosmic to reveal secret and esoteric matters to those unprepared for it. Be ever watchful of your mouth, for as the Master Jesus said: "Do not cast pearls before swines." Silence is a protective quality. It protects the person who keeps silent on sacred matters as well as others who may be inclined to misuse the information. Assume silence when you should be silent and only speak when others are not courageous enough to defend Truth. Silence is golden at the right place and at the right time, and on sacred matters. Students will progress more rapidly should silence be a part of their being. Do not draw attention to yourself. Do not speak of your occult experiences to those unsympathetic to metaphysics, for this would simply provide them with offensive weapons.
In metaphysics too often than not, one may encounter contradictions. These contradictions may just be apparent and not real. Truth is like a cut diamond with its many facets. Keep in mind that what is relatively true is synonymous to being relatively false. However, in cases of contradictions, adopt that which seems more logical to you.

This is an important article and the student is advised to consider it wisely. It is hoped that the student be sincere and apply these teachings that he or she may acquire the virtues that we have referred to. In the days of Atlantis, men misused and abused occult and metaphysical teachings. This was one of the direct reasons why the continent submerged and leaving very few traces as to its geographical
location, its place in the memory of men, or in our history books. Many civilizations ended drastically because of the misuse and exploitation of knowledge for selfish ends. People mistakenly believe that the ends justify the means. This is false. The means determines the end. Let us not repeat our ancient mistakes, as it interrupts the evolutionary process and cause the holy ones to weep.

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What is metaphysics, and why should we bother studying it? What benefits does it have for humanity? What is its purpose? How will its teachings help advance society? How will it assist our civilization and culture to progress? How will our lives be re-created individually and collectively with the application of metaphysical principles?

Questions abound concerning metaphysics, for people intuitively feel that it may have something precious to offer in terms of facilitating personal growth and self-empowerment. Among those spiritually inclined, it has become a "prime directive" to understanding their lives in terms of metaphysical principles and concepts such as multi-dimensional realities, the Higher Self, love, karma, reincarnation, etheric
energies, psychicism, oneness with all, cosmic beings, the ascension, etc., and some of the causes of this higher thinking and awareness is the thinning of the cosmic veil between dimensions; the increased contact with invisible forces; the influence of intense electromagnetic cosmic energies bombarding upon our planet and solar system at this time; the influx of higher spiritual beings incarnating in the physical realm; the discoveries of many ancient secrets left hidden in monumental structures and time capsules; scientific developments in hyper-space technologies,
and shifts in its paradigms, etc. All of these are occurring on a global  scale, in every nation of this planet, and it is affecting every human being. So it would seem that  humanity is awakening from its long sleep of forgetfulness and ignorance.

The Tree of Life of immortality, enlightenment, and illumination will be found hidden in the seeds of the Tree of metaphysical knowledge--using the word "metaphysics" in its most spiritual, Gnostic sense.

For thousands of years we have sought for truth, and most of the time from  the wrong persons and in the wrong places--what we received were man-made opinions and beliefs which were forced upon our minds to be accepted as the "word of God," or the way that Nature had decreed, and that there is nothing that anyone can do to change it. While in our infancy, physically and spiritually speaking, we accepted everything told to us by organized religion, elders, and
pedagogues as gospel and truth and we based our philosophy of life on the indoctrination imposed upon us and which subsequently formed our false sense of "conscience," and a poor understanding of spiritual values. This caused us great soulful sufferings and torment in succeeding years in our everyday life--an intense sense of shame, guilt, fear, and sin whenever we "violated" any so-called law of God formulated by theology; and it never occurred to us to
question the systems, the mechanisms, and their origins that brought about our morbid condition. This naturally lowered our self-esteem. Conscience is not similar to the concept of the "still, small voice." The latter is the silent voice of the Spirit, whereas conscience in part, is simply the engrams or programs imprinted upon the subconscious mind. Conscience is also partially our memory of the negative consequences of our past actions impinging upon our conscious mind
whenever we are about to act in a negative way resembling that of the past.

But to return from our digression: in past centuries we were told lies by false prophets and the ministers of religions that mediators between God and men were necessary; that theirs was the only way to God; that their race or sect were the chosen one of God; that everything that God would reveal to humanity lies in a single book; that God punishes us for sinning and perhaps in the afterlife casts us into hell; that illness, old-age, and death were a natural part of life; that one no longer receives any new revelation from God, etc. We were told to fear God, to see
everything as separated from us, to believe that we were born in sin, that  the sexual act is shameful, that we were simply mortals subjected to the whims of God for the determination of our fate, that we were inherently bad--and even more--that the world was flat! While at the same time heinous crimes against the Holy Human Spirit were being committed by those very same representatives of religions such as the crimes of persecution, torture, and murder of innocent human beings who simply were more spiritually and psychically inclined or conceived the universe from a different viewpoint--and all these atrocious acts were carried-out in the name of
Religion, Love and God. The Crusades and the Inquisition are dark chapters in the history of man.

One of the points that we wish to put forth here is that since time began  the dark, retrogressive forces have infiltrated or have tried infiltrating every institution that have sought to improve the condition of the soul, and the expression of the human spirit in our mundane lives. They have always opposed and attacked the true representatives of God and steered seekers of truth away from them. Their purpose is to stall human evolution and progression indefinitely, that human beings cringe and cower under their manipulative control, that humans be made into slaves and
automatons answering to their every whim. They work openly and subtly, physically and psychically. They make us believe that we need them--their services and wares--and we are psychologically controlled to be dependent upon them and return to them again and again for their assistance--usually for a large fee or with some loss on our part.

We will not be too specific here, we simply caution our readers to "be wary, be very, very wary!"

Treading the spiritual metaphysical path will assist one to be more discerning as to the understanding of what is True and what is false, what is Real and what is illusory. Generally speaking, a portion of humanity is now more experienced in the ways of men and the world than in bygone days, and they seek for that which will release them from all their mortal limitations and errors, from that Gorgon we  call "the human ego," from concepts that bind one to personal illusions and glamour, and from that state of human mortality.

Many of us are beginning to realize the existence of different dimensions and multifold realities. We seek ways for improving the human condition, for perfecting human expression, and the generation of a new type of Homo sapiens whose intelligence and heart matches those of the immortal gods. Human beings are basically seekers. Some of us thirst for that which we know not what. The
"curiosity instinct" impels every one of us to learn everything we can of  our environment, of ourselves, of the universe, of Nature, and of God. What fascinates and intrigues us most are the phenomena caused by forces and powers that transcends the perceptual capacity of the physical senses and the apprehension of the human mind. Humanity is intensely interested in the Intelligence that shapes human destiny--whether this "Intelligence" be considered as a being, a force, a Universal Mind, an omnipresent energy, or a collective consciousness. People are
seeking explanations to their "inexplicable" experiences in the field of  psychicism and the paranormal. Such occurrences as coincidences or "synchronicity" also baffles the mind as it begs for enlightenment. Those of elderly years wonder what lies for them in the "after-life," as the youthful ones wonder of their place in this world. A questioning being is a thinking being and it denotes, whether consciously realized or not, as a desire to seek, to know, and to be aware of Truth. The curiosity instinct mentioned above could well be the primitive stirrings of the divine will of the highest aspect of Man seeking to be aware of Its essential nature. The teachings of the Ageless Wisdom as taught in metaphysical, esoteric, occult and arcane schools are filled with principles that would help us understand ourselves and our  omniverse.

Humanity as a whole, is jaded and sickened by the constant wars and conflicts; with the materialistic and hedonistic life that do not offer any permanent peace and happiness or solutions to the various problems facing us as we approach a new millenium with its tremendous supernal and mundane challenges. Many seek for a more profound meaning in life, for they see through their mundane activities as a brittle illusory facade presenting itself as reality. We often ask "why am I here?" "why do I exist?" "where will I go from here?" Our present systems of religion, philosophy, and science offer no real solution, consolation, solace or comfort to our hearts and
soul-search, instead they tend to mislead, confine, and circumscribe the soul and mind to a certain area of life; to a limited way of living and thinking; to a sense of separatism; to a dualistic judgmental attitude; to a sense of fear and helplessness; and to a state of external dependency-it especially confines man to a mortal sense of existence--and we say this not from a sense of judgment but from an  observational standpoint. Conversely, metaphysics as a repository of "New-Age" concepts, the Ageless Wisdom, divine energies, power-centers, and angelic and cosmic support, seek to liberate us from self-imposed limitations as it offers answers to questions that troubles the human soul. The soul loves freedom
for freedom is ingrained in the soul. God gave man the liberty to choose,  and this privilege should not be taken away from man by any being for it is a violation of the natural order of things. Freedom may be considered as an instinct for it is to be found in animals as well. No creature enjoys being confined in a cage. Every creature love to be free and to express the genetic joy programmed in its DNA. Nature has granted all creatures their freedom of expression but some
of us would impose our will upon Divine Will by creating cages of man-made laws and regulations that do not reflect the laws of Heaven. Man-made laws may easily be manipulated by the unscrupulous for their own heinous purposes. Crimes may be committed that are "lawful," that goes undisciplined in our courts of judgment. In the laws of our society, the innocents are often made to pay for the crimes of another. Where is the love (religion), and rationality (science), and justice (philosophy) in that?

We are writing intuitively here and our statements may be interpreted and applied in various ways. In fact, statements in our literary works may seem to lack any logical structure or sequence. They may appear to be non sequitur. Logic may appeal to the thinking mind, however it is more than conceptual reasoning that we have to develop. There are higher faculties of the soul that should be cultivated and made used of, such as intuition. The cliché "reading between the lines" may seem irrational to the scientific type and yet it is this particular mode of perception that has to be practiced as a spiritual stimulus to the Soul. There are many scholarly definitions of metaphysics and they are all valid; however, for our purpose, without explaining metaphysics in an overly-academic way, let us say that metaphysics
in its more modern connotation, deals with cosmic laws and principles, with unseen forces and powers influencing ourselves and the circumstances and conditions of our daily lives, and how we may take advantage of those laws and principles by re-directing them so as to improve our holistic lives for the better. Metaphysics teaches us how to harness and apply the cosmic power lying latent within us. In its most profound spiritual aspect metaphysics teaches us the nature of
Reality and how we and Nature relate to it. Metaphysics instructs us how to harmonize ourselves with the Divine Plan of God, and it reveals the true purpose of life.

Metaphysics, therefore, has a dual function: it helps us to improve our lives secularly now in this physical dimension, and it also prepares us for a glorious life in the higher cosmic realms. Actually, as seen from a spiritual perspective, life has no divisions: life is one, as it is continuous. There is no death only a constant change.

The application of certain metaphysical principles assists the acceleration of one's evolution and the quantum leap to a higher level of intelligence and spiritual awareness. We emphasize the word "application," for knowledge of principles or techniques alone is of no value. Knowledge of itself is not power, it is the application of knowledge that empowers one. Spiritually, it is not what we know or the psychic powers that we possess that counts, it is what we are. We know
many people possessing a little knowledge or power feel themselves highly superior to their fellow men. This is arrogance and carries the seeds of peril. The saying that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is literally and evidently true; we can well understand how insufficient knowledge and a disregard for life may result in catastrophes. It was the cause of destruction of previous high-tech civilizations, historically unrecorded, as it is the cause of our present social, political, and ecological unrest.

To understand the above concept of incomplete knowledge, consider for instance the knowledge that we have to construct nuclear weapons--how much do we really know of the impact that it will have upon us and the universe should we choose to detonate one? We may presently believe that the effects of a nuclear blast be localized causing the exploded area to be radioactive for centuries to come. This is an obvious effect, but what about the not-so-obvious rippling, chain- reaction that it would cause in the physical and not-physical universes to the very end of our
galaxy? Basically, arrogance is an inferior attitude masking as superiority.  Inferiority or superiority complexes are both egoic expressions. The human ego often wishes the Self to appear what it is not. Even if we knew a lot, if we have read a thousand books, studied under countless Gurus, have permanent contact with a Cosmic Master, experienced a 1001 delights and terrors, meditate constantly, possess the world, or are powerful in some psychic way, it still does not give us a reason to egoically compare others with ourselves, or to judge them--by seeing others as inferior to us, by labeling them as bad, low, and vile. Many so-called spiritual teachers still do this. They criticize and condemn others without realizing that, spiritually speaking, there is no separation between others and themselves. What we see in others also lies below the conscious threshold within ourselves; what we do to others, we also do to ourselves, what we think of others, we also think of ourselves. What another is doing in the present we may well have done so ourselves in the past or perhaps will do so in the future. There is no need for judgment but a lot of need of mercy, understanding, and tolerance. Essentially, a spiritual being will not indulge in the judgment of dualistic concepts and the relativistic opposites such as good and bad, right and wrong, rich and poor, strong and weak, etc. These things are reconciled or transcended by the mage. St. Paul once said that if we owned the world and all powers and gifts of the spirit but lack
love we were nothing. This is felt by all true spiritual teachers and practitioners.
Metaphysics should not be confused with the paranormal nor with parapsychology. The paranormal and parapsychology are simply aspects of metaphysics--using the term in its broadest sense..In regards to metaphysical experiences we should keep in mind that metaphysics encompasses the two basic divisions of psychicism and mysticism, thaumaturgy and theurgy. Experiences in both fields may be  considered "metaphysical," however, a psychic experience is dissimilar to a
mystical one, and vice versa. One relates to the perception of events occurring in the lower planes or dimensions, the other to spiritual Self-awareness and the expansion of the consciousness encompassing the Whole.

As can be understood from the above, metaphysics has a transcendent value. It caters to both the physical and spiritual aspects of man. Metaphysics begins where traditional psychology leaves off, it goes where dogmatic religion is afraid to go, it extents further than mainstream science is able to reach with its laboratory equipment--although we must admit that many technological advances have been made in this direction, most of which have not yet been made available to
the general public for reasons of censure. The release of such technology would dethrone the powers that seek to enslave the world and the Dark forces are trying very hard to prevent humanity from being empowered.

One of the misconceptions regarding metaphysics is that it is unscientific and based upon superstitious ideas. This is not in our experience. Metaphysics is scientific, rational, empirical and pragmatic, or it could indeed well e "superstitious" depending on one's attitude, beliefs, and manner of approach, or how one would like it to be. This might seem as a paradox and yet it may be reconciled. We liberate our minds or impose limitations upon it by our beliefs and attitudes, and by those limitations we circumscribe our mental and spiritual growth.

Our beliefs and attitudes form our basic interpretation of Reality. If a thing is of value, because of prejudice we will not see it. We will see what we want to see, and refuse to see what we refuse to see. Metaphysics may be approached in various ways. If one has a background in mathematics, one's approach would be mathematical. If one has a psychological background one would naturally approach it from a psychological standpoint. And if one simply believes or disbelieves in
metaphysical principles then the result would be in accordance to that  mental condition. For instance, if we disbelieve that man may go to the moon we would not exert effort to putting him there. If we believe that we are doomed to failure we would never motivate ourselves to work for success. This concept relates to how we form our own personal experiences in life, our own personal reality. Intrinsically, however, personal opinions do not affect the natural laws operating in our universe. We may discount the reality of gravity, for instance, and yet the law still functions in our everyday experience. The same goes with the other natural laws like karma and
reincarnation. Belief or disbelief in them will not affect their existence and operation. Just because these laws are not mentioned by prophets and written about in Holy Scriptures do not nullify their activity. Come to think of it, many scientific natural laws are not mentioned in Holy Writ, does this prove their non-existence?

Though certain aspects of metaphysics may be considered to be speculative, as it deals with the Ultimate Reality, the First Cause, creation, and ontology or the nature of being--what interests us is the application of its principles and direction of Cosmic laws in everyday life. The worth of a science lies in its value, relevancy, and applicability in everyday living. If it is inefficient in aiding humanity to create abundance, peace, health, etc., then it is impractical and worthless. Some people have this kind of misconception concerning metaphysics, they believe that
metaphysics is impractical, too abstract, or that it violates natural law  and hence, religion; however, the opposite is true. Metaphysics and its principles work in  harmony with Cosmic laws and is extremely practical. Applied Metaphysics, as differentiated from Speculative Metaphysics, is wholly practical and essential to daily life. It empowers us with the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve a successful and fulfilled life. Though the art and science of metaphysics is still in its infancy compared to what lies ahead, there is enough teachings, techniques and systems to assist us live a fruitful, productive and creative life in accord with the Divine Will. The more we know and understand, the more wisdom we possess, the more motivated, focused and confident we are--the more chances we have of fulfilling our mission in life.

There is an on-going electromagnetic regeneration occurring in our solar system in our present "time-period." The present interaction and interfacing of energy fields in the part of our galaxy that our solar system is entering are causing the transformation of worlds and all beings connected to them in an evolutionary manner. Electromagnetic energies radiating from power centers in multi-dimensional universes are affecting and transforming everything in its path or
field of influence. These energies induce and impel all beings to rise in  their awareness level. They stimulate Man and Nature to form a new relationship based on trust and healthy cooperation. St Francis of Assisi was a pioneer and a model for us in this regard. This friar considered all beings--trees and animals, included--as his brothers and sisters. The transformations that are currently occurring politically and socially in the world are just a few of the physical effects of the cosmic bombardment of these energy rays. Changes will occur at every level lifting humanity to a new state of being, to a higher level of divine expression. The
transmutational process currently operating is represented by the Water Bearer-the sign of Aquarius, and the Aquarian Age. The water flowing from the vessel represents the energies flowing from the Mental, Buddhic and Atmic realms. These are just some of the higher dimensions operating above the personality level. Collectively, these three dimensions are represented by the pail held by the Water Bearer from whence these energies flow, and the Water Bearer as the Higher Christ Self within each individual.

The New Age or the Aquarian Age can be interpreted as the "second-coming" of Christ, for His sign (Aquarius) shall appear or is appearing in the sky in an astronomical sense; he "appears" in the clouds or energies of the New Age, and every eye shall "see" him—that is, feel his influence. How can we appreciate the value of metaphysics? It takes careful study and analysis with a non-prejudicial mind before a true evaluation can be made of any science or thing. Metaphysics is of
no exception. The problem is that too many people have preconceived the nature of metaphysics without having investigated the matter. Some consider it as the science of Lucifer or other such nonsense. All knowledge is essentially neutral in nature. Nothing is good or bad in itself. We attribute a thing as good or bad, right or wrong from the standpoint of our own moral standards or preference and this is constantly changing in consonance with the level of our spiritual awareness.
Metaphysical teachings help us in various ways. It teaches us the  existence of the many Cosmic laws operating in the universe and how these laws function in the world of beings. If understanding just a simple Cosmic law like karma helps one to correct misconceptions and alleviate our struggles, and relieve certain  psychological pain, can you imagine how the awareness and understanding of a dozen Cosmic laws would help improve the quality and value of one's life? It should be realized that if a person were to cry out in pain to God for an explanation to all of her problems and excruciating experiences, and that if she were confused and at a loss of knowing how to react or respond to certain situations, then it should be known that there are possible errors in that person's philosophy of life, in that person's understanding of the functions and laws of the universe, and the purpose of life, or of the person's personal mission. Since one's philosophy of life is associated with one's cultural and religious beliefs, then those beliefs should be looked into for possible false notions and dogmatic errors that do not reflect the workings of Nature.

True religion brings joy, bliss, understanding and wisdom to the heart, and is scientifically inclined. If it does not do so, and if it simply causes one to believe a thing without offering personal determination of its truth through experience,  knowledge and  understanding then it may be seen as a diversion from the true spiritual path. We state emphatically here that to be religious is not synonymous to being spiritual. A spiritual person may be religious, but a religious person  is not always spiritual. A spiritual person knows whereas a religious person simply possesses faith, which at times may be expressed blindly in the condition called fanaticism.

In metaphysics we develop power, intelligence and wisdom. Wisdom is a blend of knowledge, understanding, and experience directed by the buddhic principle of love--unconditional love. It is thinking with the heart and feeling with the mind. This distinguishes the higher metaphysical development of spirituality from the lower metaphysical unfoldment of psychicism. In a lower metaphysical development we may solely possess psychic ability or power but no wisdom and understanding to use it. We unfold in an unbalanced way. When power exceeds the wisdom to
apply it, the seeds of self-destruction is inherent and might be the  probable outcome. Advanced metaphysicians have all three aspects of divinity in full development or unfolding in a balanced and harmonious way, these three are: the aspects of love/wisdom, power/will, and intelligence/activity. The more Cosmic laws and truths we apprehend with our souls and apply in our every day lives, the more spiritual, divine, and powerful we become. The more we purify ourselves from all the
dross and toxins in our energy-structures, and the more we liberate ourselves from preconceived human mortal limitations, the more we are able to access divine energies and express our divinity, or our divine attributes. We are able to manifest our Christ Self. The term "Christ Self" should be understood as a component within the microcosm, or Man--both visible and invisible, and as the True Self functioning at a certain consciousness level beyond personality functions and expressions. In metaphysics Christ is not conceived as a historical person but rather understood from a mystical and mythical standpoint. Christ is often apprehended as a state of
awareness of man functioning at a spiritual level. This is real power: the  power derived from one's own spiritual knowing, awareness and being. Most of the so-called powers claimed by some psychics are borrowed from disembodied entities and are basically illusory and impermanent. Such temporal and borrowed powers in the end may seek to control and obsess the person using them. This is one reason that one should be aware of the dangers in psychicism before embarking upon its development. It is always safer to first develop true spirituality and
the taming of the false ego. The injunction is to first seek the kingdom  of God that all things shall be added unto us. In metaphysics we come to learn of many teachings of Cosmic laws and principles that aid us to deal with life, to master our lower self and express all that is divine in us. This is true mastery. The word Master does not mean being able to control Nature or others, it is the ability to effectively work in cooperation with Her and with our fellow man in creating harmony, peace,
and abundance in our world, in our shared reality, in our conjoined dream.  Real Masters are those who have mastered the animalistic and humanistic elements of their being and are now expressing their god-hood. Cosmic or Ascended Masters do not generally consider themselves as Masters for they realize that they themselves are in a state of learning.

Such is their humility.