Showing posts with label Society and Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society and Culture. Show all posts

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Senseless Human Suffering: Being A Part of the Solution



There is so much going on in the world around us, it's so easy to get caught up in it all; to be swept away in the currents of society, and the endless parade of pain and loss and fear which is sweeping across the planet at this time.

I turn on the news and I see what is going on in the Middle East and my heart aches, as I think about the innocent lives being lost, wasted, thrown away, and quickly I feel my energy lower itself, and then I become depressed, and begin to operate from a very dense level of consciousness.

This is natural, and to those of us who are extremely empathic it is simply part of our own personal challenge, to remain neutral, centered, and focused on the positive all around ourselves.

I so easily get caught up in my own anguish over what goes on in the world every day, and when I pin point the tragedies and travesties humanity endures I simply feel so desolate and lost. It is so easy to forget that it is our own free will, collectively and individually, which has brought us to this place we currently hold.

And so I remind myself, and hopefully anyone reading this who feels the way I so often feel, that the best thing any of us can do is to stay grounded, centered, and in the moment. When we get caught up in global storms of ego, power, tyranny and cataclysm it simply drains us of our energy, and leads to illness, and despondency. And brooding over that which happens in the world will certainly not change it, will it...

While we may not be able to change the reality others are living in at this time, and that can lead to a great deal of aggression and unresolved anger within ourselves, it is vital that we all remember that we have within our grasps the ability to channel positive energy and thoughts towards those situations and people.

It is possible to be in the storm - watch it rage all around us, and still remain centered, within the eye of the hurricane, so that we can remain rational, compassionate, observant, and accessible to those around us who need us.

I fall into despondency so easily, as I am so extremely empathetic, and literally feel the pain, sorrow, anguish and loss of others. When I watch the news, or read an article about yet another bombing, or downed airplane, or act of terrorism, my throat chakra locks up and tears well in my eyes and I feel so damned helpless, and that is the hardest thing for me to bear; not being able to do anything to help those people on Earth who so desperately need help!

And yet, if I take a moment to breathe, center, focus, and reach higher within myself to a place of wisdom and Light, I realize that I can help, by simply sending my love, my blessings, my ardent prayers and positive energy. My warring ego spits angry venomous thoughts through my mind, raging at these notions, feeling as though it is not enough! And yet my Higher sense of Self assures me that it is all I can do, all many of us can do, and it is worth more than we may at first think.

While thinking positive thoughts, or praying will not feed a hungry child, or stop a gunman from murdering a helpless victim before him, it is better than feeling like a victim ourselves, or slipping into feelings of rage, revenge, polarized notions of an eye for an eye vengeance. When we get lost in the storm and begin to feel whipped this way and that, and lose sight of our own sense of peace and stability, then we become a part of the problem. And none of us want to be a part of the problem.

So while we can't physically become a solution regarding so many of the big pressing heart wrenching issues on Earth, we can maintain equilibrium at home, in our society and community. We can quietly maintain loving compassionate feelings which we can share with those around us, and as ripples on a pond, watch those energies slowly move around the world.

I became so angry earlier yesterday morning, as I read an article about the ceasefire in Gaza not even lasting a whole day, and I saw a woman comment on the article, saying if everyone prayed on their Rosary beads, the war would end. I literally felt like smashing my laptop to bits on the ground, her comment evoked such a visceral sense of raw fury within me, as I envisioned countless do-gooder people praying together to stop genocide, and it made me feel so useless, meaningless, empty.

Yet later, as I thought on it, and I did, as my thoughts kept circulating around the ire I felt within me at this woman's words, I realized I was being part of the problem in that moment. I was sending so much negative and harmful thought energy towards a notion which made me feel helpless. Here this woman had felt so strongly in her own beliefs as a Catholic that she shared a bit of positivity, and I had responded by feeling angry towards her, and her notion, and indeed her entire religion.

That gave me great pause. She was trying to be a solution, in whatever small degree I deemed it to be, and I was not only judging her, but judging humanity in such a negative light. While I do not think billions of people rubbing rosary beads and praying will bring an end to the aggression in the middle east at this time, I also know that belittling that notion is surely as pointless as engaging in the war itself. I felt ashamed of myself.

So I meditated, and I prayed in my own way, and I came full circle back to the place where I always end up, after feeling anger, aggression, and confusion within myself; I came back to Love.

While I cannot hop on a plane, fly to Israel, and physically save the lives of every Jew and Arab engaged in this conflict, I can pray for them, and I can be hopeful for them, and I can look into ways I can help in my community. I can see if the Red Cross has relief efforts I can in some way assist with. I can see if writing politicians will hold any value. I can make efforts to resist this war in a way which does not resist my sense of Self, and Peace.

So I exhaled, and I calmed the raging mama Bear I am deep inside my ego, and I shrugged off my own immense hubris. I am in the eye of the storm again, and I'm sure the winds will whip up around me again in the future, and I'll find myself raging in the storm, feeling thoughts purely negative, detrimental, and pointless again, and when that happens I will again come full circle. It's what I do. It is what we do, as a species - we fumble towards ecstasy.

While prayer, and positive thinking may seem banal and pointless to many, and I can understand too well that feeling of "what are they thinking?!", I also feel and know deep within me, that it is so much more healing to send feelings of love, light, and prayer to those who are suffering on this planet, than to feel pity, apathy, and desolation.

So perhaps you'll join me, in a few silent moments of prayer at this time. Nothing fancy, nothing predetermined, just take a moment, to close your eyes, focus on humanity, and send love to each man, woman and child on Earth right now. Every single one, regardless of age, race, creed, religion, or background. Send love to the terrorists, and the terror-stricken. Send love to those who abuse their power, and those abused by others in power. Send love, and pray for wisdom, serenity, and release from aggression and hatred.

It surely has to be more productive than raging over the injustices in the world.

In Love,





Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Ego & Communication: Lost in Translation


Did you ever try to tell someone something, or share something with someone, and instead of talking about the thing you wanted to talk about you end up having a ridiculous argument which spirals out of control, gets personal, and ends in confusion?

Chances are, ego stepped in and hijacked your discussion.

I talked about this type of issue a bit in the Spiritual High Horse post I made in 2011. The issue addressed there was how often times Spiritualists can let their Spiritual Ego take the lead, unwittingly speaking from a place of delusion instead of simple Love or Peace.

I'd urge you to familiarize yourself with the concepts of the Ego, and the Spiritual Ego, to truly understand our multi-faceted selves, and how we often lie to not only others, but essentially ourselves. 

You see, we are beings who operate on a few different levels, at all times. Our ego is our sense of identity as a Human being. The psyche is the deeper sub-conscious Self that usually expresses itself through dreams, or deep introspection. The Higher Self is your Soul, which you connect to through your Crown Chakra, and is the truest most authentic version of You on a Universal and Spiritual level. The Spiritual Ego is a savvy aspect of our normal ego, and it follows our journey of self-aware Awakening each and every step of the way.

The Ego seeks to protect itself, and all it feels is valuable and essential to it's survival. In this way you can call the Ego the "False Self" as it really is the by-product of the material world, and has been created, and conditioned by the people and culture around it. I talked about Deprogramming the Mind previously, and in essence that pertains to realizing that who we have "become" as a self-aware individual on Earth is largely due to all we've been subjected to, taught, and steered towards by others in our world. You aren't born with an Ego, it is in the formative years that one begins to develop, as "yours" and "mine" becomes crystal clear to a little mind, that is so much like a sponge. We begin to understand that there are certain ways to behave which are "good" and others which are "bad" and as a result our world begins to guide our values, morality, and personality as a result.

But that personality is not who you really are.

You are Light, water, carbon, and energy, and at the core of your creative brilliance is Love. That is what we all share in common - our Souls, which all originate from the same source of Light in the Universe - we are beings of Light and of Love.

But on Earth, our connection to our truth is only accessed through raising our vibration to a higher level, to be able to connect to our Over Soul through an Ascended state of being. Ascension is simply an upwards rise to a higher vibrating frequency. The Soul is brilliant and vibrates at a rate of speed which the lower level density of 3Dimensional reality simply can't accommodate. To be at One with your Higher Self, to receive messages of inspiration, to connect to Divinity you must accept a higher rate of frequency within you.

This can be achieved quite easily through deep breathing (meditation) or peaceful receptivity. Often, when engaged in activity that brings calm and peace, ones energy level raises upwards and we find ourselves feeling the inspired and fertile energy of our Soul. This can happen in Church, or listening to music, while reading, or being in nature. Anything that touches our heart can raise our energy to a higher state of being. And that is where the truth of the Self resides.

But what of the Ego? 

The ego isn't to be feared, or disliked. It is simply to be understood, and then mastered. To master your ego takes lots of time, patience, and detachment. I am nowhere near mastering my ego. It simply swells up at times and takes over and soon enough I find myself completely removed from where I intended to be, because Ego has derailed my plans with it's own hungry, ambitious agenda. Ego loves attention, and Ego loves being right! And I am so guilty of letting my Ego seek it's own glory and validation - often!

This puts a real monkey wrench into my plans when I try to share knowledge or wisdom with another person. My intention is always to help, to illuminate, to lend a helping hand. And usually if I keep my motives in check, and breathe, and keep Spirit vibrating within my intentions I am able to reach others through my words, or my deeds.

But I'm human, as we all are, and from time to time I stick my Ego's foot in my big mouth, and end up making a mess of a well intended idea!

An example of this happened just yesterday, on Facebook (where else?) as I shared a link to an article about a 1500 year old Bible found in Turkey which denies that Jesus was crucified. I have never resonated with the idea that Jesus was anything other than a brilliantly gifted Lightworker, or Prophet. This Bible emphasizes that, demonstrating Jesus as a mortal man, blessed by God, rather than being the son OF God - who was gifted with healing powers, as well as psychic talents, in order to help draw the children of Israel into Unity in a monotheistic (One - God) ideology.

In short, I find this new discovery intriguing, and wanted to share it! Well an acquaintance wasn't pleased with it, got defensive, and ended up unfriending and blocking me!

My immediate reaction was "boy, she must really have shaky faith to let a post on someone else's wall upset her so!"

My secondary reaction was "Boy, I really could have responded to her in a gentler and more patient way..."

I never said anything mean to her, I simply shared my beliefs, but in my often cool analytic delivery I likely caused her to feel alienated.  I felt deflated, and essentially felt a sense of loss, as I realized I'd had an opportunity to really engage this woman, and I'd failed.

And I realized, that yet again Ego had surreptitiously snuck into my responses to her, and I'd let it happen, and I'd lost a chance to have a truly illuminating moment with someone who deep within feels threatened by my rather unconventional beliefs. The weight of this failure sat heavy on my Heart.

You see, while I didn't say anything harmful to her, and I kept my response neutral and clinical in order to approach the topic from a place of pure science and data, I did something I realize I've been doing for a while without realizing it! When it comes to talking to hard core ultra-conservative Christians and Catholics, I get defensive. I expect to be looked at as a Pagan sinner in their eyes. I expect them to abandon reason in sight of their deeply held beliefs. I expect a breach in communication to occur simply because that is what often has happened in my experience.

I myself have been scripting a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

I apologize to every single person who has ever felt alienated by me in a religious discussion. While I may come off as cool headed, and fact based, the truth is, I have trust issues. And that isn't your doing - it is my issue to work through, and resolve.

While it is my highest and most humble desire to share knowledge with others, and help people keep an open mind, I immediately lower my own vibration and intent by putting up a wall and approaching these subjects with defenses in tact.

Because I've been embroiled in religious arguments in the past, I have adopted a very cool calculated sense of communication when it comes to religion - it simply feels safer to be remote, fact based, and rational in this type of scenario. But I do no one any good when I am letting my Ego divert the discussion.

So I accept this lesson, and I'm grateful to have finally figured it out. I don't know how many people I have made feel "less than" in religious discussions, but from this day out I intend to speak from my Heart as much as from my Head where personal beliefs are concerned. I will stop expecting to be misjudged based on my own personal beliefs. And I will stop assuming that every Christian or Catholic I meet is judging me out of the gates for not sharing their beliefs.

Do you see how Ego operates?

This is why it is imperative to be very honest with yourself on a journey of Awakening. Self-awareness is the most necessary ingredient on the table my friend; for if you can't be honest with yourself, then you're lying to everyone.

There is no harm in accepting there are aspects of who we are that are malignant at times. It's not a sign of weakness, or even a sin - we are physical beings on a heavy energy planet, dealing with our various senses of Self in a world where everyone else wants to shape our morality. It's bound to happen from time to time; ego will trick you and you'll never understand that ego is at the wheel - until you're ready to.

Even the best intentions can be laid asunder by a raging Ego.

Let us all attempt to be more honest with ourselves, about who we are, and who we really Are. And then maybe we can come together and communicate from the Heart, while letting down our walls of defense, and just make connections instead of messes.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

You Can't Buy Beauty, Or Brains...

Being plugged into social networks, blogs, and general internet updates and websites, one is inundated on a daily basis by media controlled advertisements for beauty products, regimes, and procedures. One can hardly go anywhere on-line any more without seeing some advert targeting the physical outward appearance. While many of these ads are beneficial in that they relate to health, diet, and living a clean healthy life, the ads I'm mainly referring to are the ones that focus on the skin deep issues of beauty, ageing, and glamour.

I sometimes feel a sense of shock at just how bizarre the world around me seems to be getting, and wonder if I'm amongst a small number of people who think the world at large is focused on shallow surface level issues. You can hardly check out at the grocery store these days without seeing magazine covers graced by women who have spent thousands of dollars on surgical procedures intended to defy the aging process, or perfect their attributes and looks. And it confuses me, because it's 2014, and the women's right movement began decades ago, and society seems to understand how shallow these surface level aims are, and yet we keep gawking, even admiring or glorifying people who have literally mutilated their bodies in an effort to be "beautiful".

I could go on about my idea of true beauty, but it's cliché and it's all been said before; a natural beauty is a true beauty, and a beautiful inside makes a beautiful person.

Most of the people I know, be it friends, family, or acquaintances, seem to share my views about "real" beauty. In fact I'd go out on a limb and guess that a majority of people on planet Earth know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But still, you flip through the channels on the tv and are faced with plenty of channels devoted to this plastic fantastic sense of beauty worship; the Kardashian's, or "Real Housewives" of anywhere, or Top Models... just to name a few. Why we watch is fairly clear; it's like the circus, only with foul language, arguments, ego pissing contests, and the occasional laugh. But what makes me really wonder is why "they" do it?

Is money the root of this yearning for perfection? Or is it a by-product of the beauty itself? I mean, which comes first, the sugar daddy or the nose job?

I look at someone like Lindsey Lohan and want to shake her a little, sit her down and show her a slideshow of pictures of herself from about five years ago, and then have her take a good long look in the mirror.

Why would a woman in her twenties choose to look like a woman in her forties who's trying to look like a woman in her twenties???



She was a beautiful, naturally comely girl with a lovely complexion, gorgeous hair, a perfectly sculpted face and a wonderfully lithe and healthy body. Yet she underwent what can only be described as self-mutilation through plastic surgery, and I can't understand it. What has to break inside a young girl like Lindsey to make her feel she needs plastic surgery at her age? At any age for that matter?

I believe some procedures are truly helpful towards developing self esteem, such as a rhinoplasty, or removal of an ill situated birth mark or what have you. I have had a couple unsightly moles removed through the years, and vanity was as much a part of the decision as was health related concerns, I won't lie. But that isn't what I'm ranting about here, let me rant further, you'll see... :)

Why do women, and men (because this isn't just a female issue any longer people) feel they are not good enough the way they are, and choose to undergo painful and un-alterable operations to change the way they look? Is it a self esteem issue? Is it a Hollywood issue? Are we as viewers of the gossip programs, and readers of the gossip magazines accountable to any degree? If so, would a collective halt to our gawking help these people any?

Not likely.

The issue must be deep rooted, within the psyche, relating to self-image, self-love, and a skewed sense of what acceptance is.

Just as some people mistake sex for love, and spend much of their time pursuing love through sexual relationships, I believe the people who undergo such drastic measures to try to be beautiful are mistaking external beauty with internal contentment. You can have as many nips and tucks as you want, exhaust your bank account and your surgeon, change every feature on your face; if you aren't content with who you are, you surely won't be when the wounds heal.

Again, it's 2014, and we know better as a global community, don't we? We know that beauty is only skin deep, and that pretty is as pretty does. We are well aware that until we learn to love ourselves, we will never truly know how to be loved by others. We understand that the grass is only greener on the other side because we are standing upwind of the fertilizer (Bull shit).

We are smarter than this; we are have read the self help books, and invested our time in therapy sessions, and go to yoga, and understand what our Chakras are for and how to cleanse them. We know that it is what's inside that counts, and so we must try to nourish and nurture the body, mind, and spirit. We drink 8 glasses of water a day, exercise, hug our loved ones, read great works of literature, try to get enough sleep. And above all this, we know that women are not plastic creatures put on Earth to be objectified as sexual tools. We know men have feelings too, and it's okay in our present day and time for us to all talk about those feelings, in order to be honest, and grow as individuals, and together.

If we know all of this, which I'm quite certain we all do... why the hell are so many people still lining up to shell out thousands of dollars in order to look like they've spent thousands of dollars to get that patented bloated lip, aquiline nose, tight eyed, cherub cheeked no-wrinkle look? And when they've done the unspeakable to themselves in order to look younger, prettier, and sexier, do they really think it's not obvious?

This isn't what beauty is. It isn't what I want my daughter to think beauty is. And to any of the numerous people who obviously do believe beauty can be attained with a scalpel, fat wallet, and team of surgeons, I truly hope you reconsider. Failing that, come visit me, because I think you need some pretty intensive hugs...

I hold out hope that as the next generation steps into positions of power, values which we are currently teaching them will begin to translate on a large scale and global level. Failing that, I truly hope our children are growing up to see their worth within themselves, their behaviours, actions, thoughts, and contributions to the world around them, and not in the mirror.









Sunday, July 21, 2013

How To Change the World?


I am regularly and routinely shocked when I realize that I am amongst a small percentage of human beings who believe the world is not okay the way it currently is. In my own mind and consciousness when I think about the tyranny on this planet, the lies and the ways in which we are truly enslaved by commerce and politics, I can't help but feel infuriated at the way in which society has evolved to become something corrupt and elitist. And yet it is clear to me that while the planet appears to be waking up to the magnitude of our reality in all it's messed up spectacle, there are still so many people who are more comfortable with the lie.

You see, when someone begins to realize that the world is corrupt, and corporate greed runs the planet, it is a scary notion; not something easy to digest. When you really begin to see how big pharmaceutical corporations, oil corporations, banks and politics all strive to keep people complacent and afraid, it leaves you feeling raw, uncertain and extremely fearful. If an entire planet can become blinded by the almighty buck, and suddenly science fiction seems less like fiction and more like a bleak reality, then what is yet to come becomes an overwhelming future full of grim injustice.

The things that weigh on me most heavily right now are the things I cannot control as an individual; such as Hydraulic Fracturing and the way in which the powers that be are actively lying to the world about how invasive and damaging the "Fracking" industry is. People can set their drinking water on fire, tremors are being triggered by the Fracking process, entire ecosystems are rotting before our eyes, because we are reliant on fossil fuels, because those in power have given us no other alternatives. Then there is Monsanto and the GMO reality we are all living and facing; when it becomes okay for a presidential administration to grant secrecy and anonymity to companies who are genetically modifying our crops, and these genetic mutations are proving fatal in animal testing, and yet they are so deregulated that the public is not viewed as having a need of or right to the exact laundry list of toxins that are going into the food we eat. These GMO altered foods are killing the worlds Bee population, which is another huge concern; without Bee's our planets plant life will surely die out.

Why do we allow these things to happen, putting out of mind the horrendous truth of the machine which we are enslaved to and trying to ignore the magnitude of what we are doing to this planet and each other is not changing anything.

The bottom line is the 1% of the worlds Elite are rich because we feel powerless and so we become complacent and just adopt a "you can't fight city hall" frame of mind..

The facts are in people, autism, ADD, panic disorder, and other psychological and neurological illnesses and diseases are directly related to pollution, vaccinations, water contamination, chemical waste - when do we say enough is enough and truly become activists??

The word activist has taken on a negative connotation, as the grass roots movements of the 1960's lost massive amounts of credibility due to right wing criticisms of the peace and love movement. It became almost a joke to think about the long haired "hippies" of the 60's, and instead of their message of liberty, love, community and peace remaining their legacy to the world, we instead look back with comical caricatures of stoners like Cheech and Chong symbolizing a hippy. But the movement itself wasn't about the style or the music; it was about people, and freedom, and sustaining a future for our children which would be fertile and abundant with possibility.

An activist is one who is active: and apathy is the antithesis of activity. We have become complacent and apathetic towards the world around us; we are so desensitized to war, to bloodshed and genocide, we are bombarded by images of murder and terrorism on the television; something within us as a global community has learned to turn off the feeling of fear and shock within. It's a safety mechanism and none of us can be blamed; the world around us has been devised to make us feel exactly this way. It was the vision of our forefathers not to ensure a democratic world for us to build upon with equality and opportunity, but rather to build powerful governmental structures to ensure those with the 'right' ideas stayed in control. This is why the poor fight wars while the rich profit from them; it's why the poor flock to churches while the rich bow down to the dollar alone. As an entire planet we've been duped by those who always had the most money and the most influence; and we are now truly enslaved.

We are enslaved by a system which is thrust upon us from the day we are born; and we seldom question the choices we are groomed for, because to question our reality means we accept something is wrong. And accepting something is wrong requires you to either do something, or live with the guilt of your own inaction; both are undesirable outcomes.

So what do we do?

On a bad day (which I have increasingly to be honest) I fear that nothing can be done, because it is too late and to try to change the mechanisms of the global money machine means complete planetary anarchy is necessary, and the second that occurs we will be living under obvious and conspicuous martial law.

We live under martial law already; it's apparent to anyone willing to truly see, yet it is disregarded or covered up, and we ignore it. The media is owned by those in power, and seldom does a truly unbiased news report surface anywhere in mainstream media. We are blinded by Hollywood, and pointless programming about people who are truly devoid of any redeeming qualities. We watch reality tv, which is totally unreal, and devote our attention to the latest person to OD, or self destruct in the public lens of fame.

Why do we do this? Why do we pay more mind to some singer with loose morals and questionable talent, than we do to the very horrors that are all around us? We do it because we have been conditioned to.

Conditioning is a kinder way to say brainwashed. But to get right to the heart of the matter, that is what has happened. In the last century, while technology and science have begun to explode, and we've become aware of the entire planet on a real time internet basis, we have been brainwashed by the popular culture, the trends, the fashions, the politics, and the money.

We are completely reliant upon the machine now; who among us don't use gasoline, or plastics, or medicines; our whole reality is set up on a foundation of commerce and big business.

But maybe we don't need to do anything radical to be a change; maybe it's as simple as deciding to become responsible and think globally while truly acting locally. Little things can make a big difference. So like our parents and their generation during the 1960's grass roots movement, perhaps we can start actively demonstrating our desire to see things begin to take a shift towards conscious creation, proactivism as it were. Research and read, and learn about who is in charge of things where you are interested, and try to stop using products which support tyranny. Switch brands, read ingredients, take the time to investigate the shots you give yourself or your children before committing your genetic health to nameless billionairs living overseas while CEO'ing pharmaceuticals.

Gandhi said we were to "Be the change you wish to see in the world", and this is the basis of any activist group or ideal. Instead of just talking about what's wrong we have to start making it right. It requires us to be willing to make some changes in our own personal lives. And that can be uncomfortable, or an inconvenience. But when you take your own needs out of the equation and think about the future, your own needs seem paltry by comparison. Think about your children, and their children, and imagine a world in which they cannot swim in lakes or streams, or eat a berry off the bush, or get an education without being forced to receive mysterious vaccinations. Imagine a world where there are no green places any more, and where water is recycled because we've run out of clean renewable water sources. Imagine a world where the sky is forever milky white due to chemical trails, and a blue sky with puffy white clouds is something children read about in history books.

Can you live with that heavy weight in your heart? I can't.

Start making changes in your own life. Don't be afraid; there is nothing to fear. If every single person begins to make wiser choices for their own life, then the machine changes, because the only thing dictating supply is demand; if we demand different things then the powers that be will have no choice but to supply what we require.

We don't need fossil fuels, we have renewable and natural resources like the wind and the sun, we don't need vaccinations because our bodies come equipped with beautiful and miraculous immune systems which magically grow stronger when given the chance to create anti-bodies by being ill.

Don't you see? We have everything we need already - and it's all supplied by the very planet we are destroying. 

Switch to a more natural way of thinking, seeing things, and living, and your children will have a richer future because of it. As a single person we are just one small voice; but when we gather and take up a common cause we are unstoppable.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The New Age Cliché



I am sick to death of the new age movement. Anyone who knows me well knows this has been brewing within me for a few years now. I began to see the whole movement as hypocritical a few years ago, in the mirror - personally. I saw my own actions, practices and beliefs and realized that the new age movement has become just another dogmatic offshoot of projectionary pissing contests.

So I quit.

And now I rather make it my mission to be the devils advocate with new age zombies. And yes, I do believe many new agers are zombified; living in a misty perception of life based on too many new age books and tenets. I read all the channellings, I went to the seminars, I attended the global healing sessions, and for a long time it worked for me. Until I began to see the shift within the movement, and the greed people exhibited, as they realized they could not only cash in on this movement, but also justify it because of "free will" and "destiny".

I've witnessed new age people of all ranks use, abuse, and treat people horrendously, and turn around and justify it to themselves because they believe they were meant to play that abominable role in someone elses life in order to be Angelic - do them a favour.

I call bullshit on the whole thing.

An acquaintance of mine is a new age hypnotist, who makes his living coaching athletes spiritually to help them improve their games. This guy subscribes to the new age notion that he is "ascending" in order to reach a higher dimensional state of consciousness. He believes that everything is pre-destined, and he is playing a role as an Angelic being to help the world wake up, and become more spiritual. And yet, he turned around and caused a close friend of mine unspeakable pain, by lying to her and her children, about something extremely intimate. He lied, and got caught, and then acted even more cravenly by trying to pull the "let us learn from this" routine, instead of just saying "yes I'm an ass".

I am so tired of this type of new age disconnect, where people escape reality by living in some fantasy world, where they can make the rules up as they go to better serve their own duplicitous ulterior motives.

So again, I call bullshit on the whole thing.

Lets say for argument sake that the whole Ascension thing is happening; you really are an Angelic being in a physical body come here to help raise the planets vibration so humanity can evolve to 5th dimensional beings of light and Love. Let's assume that's correct thinking for arguments sake. So here you are, living in a world which is in utter chaos, where children go hungry every minute of the day, where women are raped every minute of every day. We are here in this world full of pain, tyranny, and heartache, wars being waged for money and natural resources, and as members of this new age movement of Ascension, we are here to help raise the vibration of the planet up so we can overcome, and become compassionate loving beings of spiritual light.

What are we doing to be a part of this shift? Hanging out in yoga studios, playing with singing bowls, going to Sedona to "feel the vibration" of the desert? It's become a cliché, and where the new age movement was truly a movement twenty years ago, now it is just another industry. It is a cash grab.

Now lets say that the whole Ascension thing is bullshit, man made, created in our psyche to help us overcome the fear and loneliness of being sentient beings on a small rock in an infinite universe. Let's say that we are just creatures of insecurity who are always  seeking validation and love, and that we have created this movement in order to feel more self worth.

How arrogant of us to for a moment think we're so important?

I think the truth of any situation lies within the middle ground, the eye of the storm as it were. And in the middle of the new age movement is a truth I can ascribe to: keep it simple. Stupid.

The truth can either be some grand dreamlike fantasy land which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy within your heart and pineal gland, or it can be what you see and feel and sense right around and within you. I no longer believe or care about the notion that hundreds of thousands of human beings truly believe they are on a mission of epic stellar proportions to help this planet evolve and ascend. What I care about is the lies we tell ourselves, and how we deal with people on a daily basis in our every day life.

Maybe it's time to stop reading the channellings folks, to stop going to the seminars, and ordering the newest new age fad on-line, to add to our pretty altar so we can tell people just how spiritually advanced we are. Maybe it's time to just go outside, sit under a tree, and re-connect to the Spirit within and around.

I challenge any self-professed new ager to put down the labels, and stop wearing the movement like a cool leather jacket, and get back to your roots.

Our roots; the roots and foundation of the new age movement was not about ascending to 5D reality, or going on some trippy astral journey; the roots were simply about love. Sharing love, giving love, receiving love.

Forgiveness, humility, flexibility, and compassion. These are the tenets of the original movement of the new age of Aquarius.

There is no need to complicate this process; in fact simplicity is the pathway to true peace. So simplify your spiritual experience. Stop looking outside of yourself for the "answers". Stop looking for mystery and significance in every shadow or shooting star. Just accept that we do not have all the answers and that in itself is a humbling beautiful component of our life on Earth. We are a part of a living organism which is interconnected by the trees, water, oxygen, plant and animal life. We have so much beauty around us right here on this planet; there is no need to want to escape to some higher dimensional version of Earth.

Heaven on Earth is possible if we take our collective heads out of our collective asses and start being the change we wish to see in the world - right now. Right here.

So take that 30 bucks you were going to spend on the next new age book and donate it to the Red cross, or to an orphanage in Africa, or to your local soup kitchen. You'll be doing something practical and immediate to be the change, and you'll feel so good about yourself after. And isn't that what we want? To feel good?

Call bullshit on the things which don't ring true around you, and then find something you're passionate about, and pursue it actively.

Instead of being part of the cliche, be the change.

It's far more rewarding.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tarot Readers & Free Will



As a Tarot reader, I from time to time am faced with the issue of reading people's future; I would like to clarify a few key issues, first regarding my readings, and then regarding other readers in general.

Let me first start by trying to describe 'the future' as I see them. Yes, I said them - for there is no one future. As the present slips into the next moment there are infinite possibilities spread out before you, and the future takes form based on the actions you take in the now.

Whether you go down Avenue A or Avenue B determines which future unfolds before you. If you answer the phone or let it ring to voice mail, determines how your future shapes up. It is the choices you make now that determine what path you move down next. This is rather elementary I believe, many people understand time is fluid and it has no beginning and no end, and it is shaped by the choices, thoughts, and actions we make.

My readings are intuitive. I am a developing Clairvoyant, but the bulk of my talent is clairsentient - I have clear sense. I feel, and smell and taste, and often see through those senses but not in an ocular way; I see via my internal mechanisms. It is hard to describe to anyone who isn't clairsentient I guess.

The way I see time is like a spiders web, with all strands and filaments branching out from the center. The present moment is the center of that web, and the future possibilities are the webs which weave outwards from the center.

When I give a reading and sense (or occasionally see) a glimmer of a possibility down spider strand A, I can then begin to give guidance towards or away from the situation, depending on if the situation is positive or negative. I do not (and I cannot stress this strongly enough my friend) commit you to that possibility as the only future - I do not want to take such great liberties with your free will. So I may mention "you may want to avoid ______" or put in a "pursuing ______ would be adventageous right now" but I will never say you MUST or MUST NOT. It's simply bad manners. And beyond that, it's false logic

If the future is determined by the choices we make in the present moment, then the only person who can truly determine your future is YOU.

What I do is help guide you towards the brightest path you can take. And I do this by connecting to your Spiritual energy, and Guides/Angels, to determine what blocks you, and needs releasing, and what would best serve you, and deserves your attention. This is how I read; I deal in upliftment, affirmation, accentuation of gifts and abilities you have, and an overall redirection of purpose through helping you to really and truly step onto the path of peace and joy in your life.

Years ago I was told by my own Guides to "give them back to themselves" through my Tarot readings. And that is what I humbly and hopefully attempt to do with each reading I give.

Other readers, however, deal on a different level of energy. There are too many readers out there trying to build up their own ego's, and wallets, through manipulation. These are the readers that deal in black and white future outcomes, who tell you what WILL happen. They are not telling you what will happen, they are telling you what they want you to believe will happen, and 99% of the time the client buys it, and sets their own future in stone by decided to take those steps which the reader has pin pointed. I see it often enough in clients who come to me wounded by past readers.

You must try to understand how infinite time truly is, and know that there is no one future. And anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is just trying to mystify you into becoming a minion of their low level energy vampirism.

Many readers exercise this cruel type of manipulation, and most of them aren't aware of the game they play; they are so bogged down by their own ego they know not what they do. They have gifts of sight or sense, but rather than pursue a pure path of sharing that gift for the betterment of others, they pursue it for payoff; that payoff is usually about feeling powerful.

How do I know this? I once walked that road, many years ago. There is a rush and a high felt when one hands you their power. And Tarot clients are as human as anyone else, willing to give up their free will in order to be told the future.

Please learn to discern the difference between a spiritualist who is using you, and a spiritualist who is useful to you.

A Tarot reader should be like a financial adviser; someone who gives you some tips to help you make the wisest choices you can, someone who can forecast trends and crashes, who can help you to invest your energy and time and efforts wisely.

And that is all. We are not to become gurus or lifelines. We are meant to be confidantes, and friends.

I do hope you will discern in all things in life, for your free will is the most precious gift you can have on Earth, and your choices are what set you apart from all others. Choose wisely, and follow your heart.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Depression & Spirituality



Some days it's hard to get out of bed, to get dressed and get on with the day; we're human and its only natural that we have 'bad days' from time to time. And yet it seems that even in our incredibly progressive state of mind on the whole it's still rather taboo to talk about depression, or bi-polar or other emotional/chemical instabilities. People generally don't want to talk about these things as they have negative stigmatic connotations attached to them, and I think it's about time we stop trying to "Grin and Bear it."

Depression is a vastly overused term, when honestly I think it's the human condition to feel "depressed" from time to time. We live in this 3D reality which is very vivid and at times overwhelming - our senses are constantly being bombarded by technology, media, sights smells and sounds. We each have our own daily tasks to grind through, and sometimes that grind can feel like yet further futile and inevitable steps towards mortality. How are we to make it in this world without feeling bummed out every now and then?

And if every now and then is more often than not, that's cool too. Seriously, I have had 'chemical imbalance' most of my life, and have been on and off different anti-depressants since my early teens. It doesn't mean I'm a negative person, or pessimistic; it doesn't even mean I cannot manage my moods, or create my own happiness. Depression isn't a by-product of a lack-luster life; it is a simple dip in neurological chemicals combined much of the time with things, people, or events which just make you feel like crying and eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

Everyone feels blue from time to time, whether it's emotional and you know what's bumming you out, or it's chemical and you don't know why you just feel so sad, you aren't an odd man out; the majority of human beings can relate to how you feel; some just won't admit to it.

Spirituality isn't about transcending sadness, and living a joyful happy life 100% of the time; if that's what you want out of Spirituality then you're doing it wrong :) Spirituality is about finding the balance between all polarity, and walking the middle path with wide awareness. And that will require more self-aware discipline than most humans have. I've seen some Spiritualists talk about negative feelings as though they're akin to evil, and how we must arduously beat back these negative feelings until we are victorious in mastering our ego! Pucky. I've also seen Spiritualists try to make extremely judgmental comments about people who are feeling sad or low, telling them that they are simply receiving from the Universe what they put out so they must be putting out nothing but garbage and sorrow. Also - PUCKY.

Sure, the Universe is a gigantic Xerox machine sending us copies of what we emit, if you buy that I have some swamp-land in Sedona to show you... This intimation by Neale Donald Walsch in the Conversations with God books is warm and fuzzy and it feels good when one's feeling good; but there are too many inconsistencies for it to be a properly operating aspect of Quantum Mechanics.

I'm sure we've all seen dozens upon dozens of examples of how the Law of Attraction seems ill equipped to sum up our reality; it sure scratches at the surface but it's missing out to some massive degrees: not everyone gets what they give. That is just a fact. If it wasn't a fact, we wouldn't have cliche's like "Only the good die young" and "good things come to those that wait" and "the meek shall inherit the Earth". No, it's pretty plain that while the Law of Attraction sure does have some relevancy in our lives in certain ways, it doesn't explain how greedy manipulative people thrive, and how honest hard-working humble people can suffer. And I know there are plenty of Spiritualists who would go on to suggest that this is because our souls decided to learn about these things before being born; I too ascribed to this whacked out state of mind for a long while. But I highly doubt any soul wants to learn about sexual abuse as a child. I can't imagine any spirit floating in the ethers thinking to themSelf "I'd like to better understand Love, so I will live a life full of hate and hardship and abuse. And these challenges will help me better understand Love."

*Pukes*

New Age Rhetoric is detrimental to your emotional health :) Are we really to believe that suffering is the best way to learn about peace? Sure, we do learn a lot via adversity, and I'm the first to point out the marvelous teaching techniques of all manners of life experience, but I cannot accept for a single second that we are expected to be violated, mistreated, abused, neglected or abandoned in order to be a more awake and aware sentient being. It's just ridiculous.

Sadness, sorrow and depression are just shades of the emotional palette; and we all paint vivid scenes in our emotional lives. Some people have a better handle on their emotions than others, and this doesn't make them better people, just better at coping with emotions.

I honestly think the longer something sits in the dark, unexposed, ignored and not talked about, the worse it will fester and ooze. So not talking about our sad days is damaging, as all it will do is create a little more sadness to add to the pile.

I can say with some certainty from my own experience that it is natural to feel sad, or lonely, or depressed at times. And if you cannot cope with your sadness then there is no harm in asking a doctor to prescribe you an appropriate medication to help with your chemical balances. These imbalances are the direct result of a society living off of processed foods, pollution, radiation and the myriad other toxicities we are bombarded by in our "advanced" civilization.

We live in an age of information overload; where we are desensitized by the media, and live amidst such atrocity on our planet yet turn a blind eye to it because it is just so rampant. And we're expected to smile serenely, knowing that the little starving children in Africa dying of AIDS wanted to experience this level of suffering for his soul to advance?!?

A truly honest spiritual seeker will see beyond the warm comfort of this particular set of new age notions, and know that breathing blissfully in ignorance of others suffering is NOT the path to Nirvana. True peace is unattainable in the human mind and body, but true moments of peace are abundant and swelling forth in each moment; more joy is derived from helping others than sitting atop ones spiritual pedestal feeling "perfect" in everyone else's imperfection. So all the new age sheeple can continue to ring their Tibetan Singing Bowls and talk about Prana while eating their Big Macs behind the comfortable anonymity of their computer monitor, and feel righteous and Ascendant knowing that their soul has made all the "right" choices. And when the "rapture" inevitably doesn't happen and they're left scratching their glowing heads in curiosity wondering why they didn't go up to Heaven for one-on-one back-pats by the Ascended Masters, they maybe will realize every moment spent in inactive acceptance of tyranny was a moment wasted in a life misdirected.

We all get sad, and we can all talk about that sadness honestly and openly without fear of judgement, because anyone who tells you they don't get sad, they feel joy and peace all the time, is full of sh*t. It isn't possible. Even Buddha himself must have experienced moments of sorrow, how else would he have had such great insights for transcending sorrow?

Do Christians think Jesus sat back on his Spiritual laurels and counted his blessings? That guy was apparently out healing the sick and feeding the hungry every day. He didn't have to, he was already the son of God, he was pretty much guaranteed a clutch spot in Heaven, don't you think? But he still went out of his way to do good things for others. If he wasn't driven by a glory seeking agenda, what do you think compelled him to act this way?

Perhaps it was a genuine and true love for people.

When we genuinely and truly love people, we can accept them, warts and all. Happy or sad, we're all so similar, sitting on this big rock spinning in the outer regions of space, trying to make some sense out of the unknown. Our society is confusing, our governments are corrupt, our finances are dwindling, our technology is over-taking our ability to understand it. And our children are hungry, and don't have warm boots, and have no one to tuck them in gently each night. Is it any wonder we're not all sad from time to time??

The thing I've learned through my own moments of sadness or depression, is that it will always pass eventually, and that I cannot escape my negative or painful thoughts. So I now greet them head on, and the first thing I ask myself when I am confronted by something painful within me is "is this rational?" Does it originate from something I can actually change? Or is it just the "blues". I wake up feeling blue from time to time, with no known reason, and rather than try to "cheer up", I just spend some quiet time with myself (whether I'm alone at home, or driving, or shopping, or working) letting the feelings follow whatever natural flow they will. And if it becomes overwhelming and I can't handle it any more I talk about it with my husband, or my friends. Bringing pain into the light of day and talking about it usually helps to alleviate it, by virtue of just getting it off your chest.

So the next time someone tells you to cheer up, or get over it, or let a smile be your umbrella, feel free to flip em middle-birdie and claim your right to feel how you feel. There's no shame in it. Sadness will always eventually give way to happiness. And then the cycle will reset. May as well be comfortable in your own skin while living between the tug-of-war polarities on Earth.

And failing that, medication isn't a bad option. It can often help to regulate chemical imbalances within a few months.

I'm Dee, and I'm a life-long occasionally depressed woman. And I'm okay telling you that, because I'm okay living with it.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

New Perspective on an Old (New-Age) "Movement"



As promised a few days ago, I've overhauled this blog entirely, to better suit my current state of being. You will note there is a more gentle palette of colors and images, however as with all things created by me - there is a certain sense of "Dee" about the place still.

The reason I find myself wanting some change these last many months, is simply due to my ever-changing perceptions and observations about myself as a physical being, and a spiritual seeker. In the last few years my previous "New Age" notions began to feel hollow to me; no more did I take great comfort from the online channelings from galactic bearers of "peace and love". In fact I began to find their words pap, regurgitated one after another. I could easily sit down and bang out a nice "channeling" by the Galactic Federation of Light, my daughter could, I daresay anyone with the mindset could. It's a simple formula; engage the reader with platitudes of love, draw the reader into a state of euphoria with reminders from a far off Home, where they are great spiritual beings of Light and Love, who have chosen to degrade themselves by coming to Earth to shrink down their omnipotent size to fit into the small vessel of a "human". Spend a few paragraphs spouting out the rules of engagement for "Project Ascension" on Earth, ie: Wake the sleepers, fire the grids, light your inner Chi, blah blah blah. Then for a good shot of WOW factor - throw in some cataclysmic prediction which can only be staved off by the readers willpower and inner Light. Then, at the risk of scaring the reader off, close off with more fluffy notions of "missions" and "loved ones" waiting "beyond the veil" yadda yadda yadda.

Do I sound a bit jaded? I guess I do come off rather cynical and maybe even condescending. I can't help it; where once I found great shelter in those types of messages, now I just see snake oil salesmen and women.

Somewhere along the way, the New Age "movement" stopped moving. I've said it quite a few times here in this blog already, so to anyone who's actually been paying attention this is just reiteration. But for those of you who are new to my thoughts and opinions, I don't say these things to put anyone down, or build myself up, actually my intent is rather the opposite. It took me some pretty harsh Universal reminders to get this far, and I'm only just making baby steps at this point. You see, I believe the New Age "movement" was at first a great planetary experiment, in which we carried forward what the flower children in the 60's began, and used Light and Love as our compass. Really, it's all I want. It's all any of us wanted when we bought the books, the tools, the crystals and cards and candles... isn't it?

But somewhere along the way we got off track. And I feel pretty certain that the internet was the thing which brought the "movement" to a screeching halt. Now, that is not a slam against the internet, I mean come on, I'm using it right now right? I very gently with tongue in cheek chide any single one of us who came online looking for others like ourselves, you remember those first days don't you? We gathered in forums, and other online groups and communities, and we shared everything we could get our hands on; and it was all new and exciting!! Suddenly these inner notions of peace and Love were manifesting globally right before our eyes and it was amazing!!! For the better part of the new millennia we bought all the books and e-zines, met for the online "Fire the Grid" gatherings, met in small and larger circles online to hold healings and vibrational activation ceremonies. I look back on those days with a very real sense of melancholy; I met some of my best friends during those days here online.

And yet, somewhere along the way we stopped going in the direction we initially set out upon; and soon everyone was becoming a preacher, an author, a speaker, a reader, a healer... we were quickly running out of people to share our wisdom with because everyone was becoming a guru!!! :)

So I think in it's own way, just as video killed the radio star (smiling widely here folks) the internet killed the New Age "Movement".

And when I move past my selfish melancholy and yearning for simpler days, I am glad. Yes. I said I am glad.

It isn't just me who feels this way; I know many of you do. I've seen it happening over the last 5 years, so many of us who thought we were steps away from some great Ascension and  Awakening, truly waking up to the stark reality before us. Just what is all this talk of Light and Love doing to change anything here on Earth? Are we really trying to Ascend and go to some higher dimensional place so we can rid ourselves the shackles of the dark oppressive energy of planet polarity?

Of course not.

Listen, I don't have all the answers, I'm pretty certain I don't have any to be honest. But I have some pretty decent ideas, and my intuition is learning how to fire on all cylinders again; I'm not waiting for some channeling to set me in the right direction anymore, and now I'm finally starting to get back in touch with my own inner sense of knowledge. The real knowledge, the Universal knowledge, not some airy fairy breezy far away concept of a euphoric state of being I want to get to by breathing deeply while playing with some tibetan singing bowl... Real and true knowledge - and it all begins within.

Within me I am quite certain that we've taken this whole new age concept as far as we can go with it, because the records been skipping for the better part of a decade, and no ones really getting anything from it anymore. I see so much spiritual ego strutting around the internet as person A tells person B how wrong they are as though they have any more an idea about what is what in the vastness of our Universe!

It wasn't a pointless journey, the last twenty something years brought us together in new ways, helped us build a bigger picture of desire for our future; for our childrens futures. We got a really fantastic grasp of physics through our new age moving and shaking, and many people began to finally understand that everything they know is only hand-me-down knowledge which we are all spoon-fed from the day we're born. So we've learned about sovereignty, and discernment, and the powerful essence of this moment - right here - NOW. We've made a lot of really cool discoveries together! And we've shared some intense and insanely profound LOVE together.

But it's time to get off the cloud, because it's not moving. It's stuck in limbo, heading neither back down to Earth nor to shangri-la...

So that's why I'm opting to take the road less traveled now. I'm not following the flow or the current, in fact I've lost a lot of "friends" and acquaintances over the past few years because of my "radical shift in perception where all this is concerned. But it's all good, I'm not here for popularity points. At the height of my online experience with Ascension, I had a successful Starseeds website, in fact it was among the top 3 websites globally for information about Starseeds, the Pleiadians, and Awakening. I had a couple really cool forums, in fact one of them is still kicking around, just under a new name, and with a new look. Mostly it's housed by tumble-weeds, as people are outside playing, and have better things to do with their time than inspect the lint in their belly buttons any longer. Anyways, I remember the days when I went from being a passionate Tarot reader and "Facilitator of Light", to a businesswoman. Yes, I was writing the new age book, to go on the shelf next to the Walch's, Tolle's, and Marciniak's. I was asked to be in a documentary about Tarot readers, which eventually fell through. I was asked on a couple online radio shows which I never ended up doing. Long story short, at some point the "movement" became a very attractive opportunity to me, and the dollar signs in my eyes made me shudder in denial, so I promptly buried head in sand (up own ass as my good friend Jenny would say) and ignored my moral compass... and for a couple of years I flip-flopped with my websites and forums. I was battling my conscience. And in the end, good conquered evil *laughing very loudly* :)

I have no designs on book tours, fame or fortune. I don't even enjoy reading the Tarot anymore. I hope one day I'll re-discover my passion for it, because I know I have something different to offer through my readings. But until the passion returns, the cards sit dustily on a shelf. My websites are kaput, and I've only held on to the Awakenings forum because it felt like the "right" thing to do. I'm even content to slowly hand the reigns over on that project, to younger more passionate people, so that if it does reignite and come to life again one day, I won't be there tripping over my ego and messing the place up with my agenda.

The New Age "movement" stalled friends. Time to get out of the vehicle and choose a new destination.

I highly recommend taking the road less traveled; the discoveries you can make on your own are far more enlightening than the ones other people will tell you to make.

With lots of love and respect I'll end this entry, considering this day one of the new direction for this blog. And if in a month or year or decade I pull the plug on this too, you'll hopefully just smile knowingly, think "that's Dee for ya" and get on with something else, and much more stimulating, in your life.

Eternally Yours,







Saturday, February 11, 2012

2012: Be Ready for Anything



So we're into the second month of 2012, and so far things are fairly peaceful and quiet on Terra Firma. In fact, here in South-Western Ontario Canada, the weather is quite temperate, and we're enjoying warmer than usual weather for this time of year.

I remember wondering a few years ago what 2012 could possibly hold, with the end of the Mayan long-count calendar coming on the Winter Solstice (December 21). There is so much conspiracy theory, pessimistic guestimates and Hollywood hoopla about the upcoming 2012 date, that it can feel like a snowball rolling out of control downhill. I'll admit, I really enjoyed the blockbuster film 2012, and thought it was so over-the-top-exciting! I've read numerous books by various authors guessing and speculating, theorizing and postulating about the impending end of the Mayan calendar, and yet no one really knows for sure what to expect.

So the best advice I think any of us can give or receive is to be ready, for anything.

The end of the world has been prophesied by so many people through the ages, and yet here we are. Remember the big commotion just a short 12 years ago when Y2K was looming? The world was on edge wondering if planes would fall from the sky as world clocks reset to January 1st, 1900. And yet nothing happened, and here we are.

I think it's natural and human to find a small amount of sadistic pleasure in exploring all of the fatalistic options and possibilities regarding a date like December 21, 2012. It's kind of like being a kid watching your first horror movie; you know you'll have nightmares but ultimately there is a deep sense of glee in being scared!

But whether or not anything big happens on the Solstice in December this year, I think it is vital and important for each of us to have a "game-plan" in place; for any chaotic or disastrous situation. Personally, I don't believe the world will come to a halt, but I am aware that many civilizations in our history have fallen due to forces beyond their control. There is every possibility that solar flares will cause cataclysmic grid failure worldwide, as we are in a solar maximum which will only continue to get larger in the coming few years. And we all know that the earth shifted by 2 degrees on it's axis during the big quake in Haiti a couple years ago. Scientists in some circles state that the Earth naturally shifts pole position every 20,000 years or so. If this happens during our lifetime it will no doubt cause massive weather shifts, tectonic reactions, and by and large our lives as we know them will grind to a halt, and we will have to rebuild as a global society.

Let's face it friends, the possibilities are endless. Some certain circles speculate that an asteroid will hurtle through our atmosphere causing a massive extinction event. Others go so far as to believe aliens will make themselves known and attempt to enslave humanity. There really are so very many ideas out there, some are laughable, some are just so Roddenberry-esque to even attempt to see merit in them, and yet many others seem quite possible if not probable.

The key for us all is to remain calm, and to have a plan. And this is quite simple; stock up on necessities - that is a great starting point. I recommend each person have a medical supply kit handy in the home, as you never know when you'll need to bandage a wound or treat a burn. I also recommend having a large supply of bottled water, as you never can tell when your faucet will no longer dole out what seems to be an infinite supply of clean water. Whether you are a pessimist or optimist about 2012, and whether or not you believe there is anything of note regarding the date, and the Mayan civilizations other prophecies, I would like to share a general list of things you would be wise to have handy, at all times, for those "just in case" situations.


  • Bottled water, and lots of it. Account for each family member and pet when stocking up. Cases of bottled water are cheap, and you can always stack cases on top of one another in the corner of a closet, out of the way. I personally plan on having a dozen cases on hand.
  • Medical kit, complete with bandaids, alcohol, aspirin, anti-biotic/fungal cream or spray (solar-cain, polysporin etc.) If you or a family member have a medical condition make sure you have a good stock of supplies, ei: insulin, epinephrine, ventolin, etc.
  • Batteries, flashlights, candles, matches, and a short wave or transistor radio.
  • Blankets and towels. And never forget warm socks, hats, and other winter-wear, just in case.
  • You may want to stock up on some canned food items, for yourself and your pets.
  • Cash - it can't hurt to stash a little mad money someplace safe in the event you cannot access your bank via ATM.
  • Don't forget your car - road flares, jack, blankets, spare tire, windshield washer fluid, etc.
Really, this may sound fatalistic or even fantastical, but blackouts happen, and during the big blackout in North America about 8 years ago people panicked, the last thing anyone needs to do is panic during a disaster event. 

No matter what happens or doesn't happen, it never hurts to be prepared. At worse, you'll be glad you thought ahead as you sit in the dark, without heat and water, while emergency crews work to repair electrical/power/water issues. At best you'll have a closet packed with items to give you peace of mind.

I also recommend talking with your family, especially your children, as they are no doubt hearing confusing things about 2012 in school, and from peers. My own daughter, who is 12, has heard a lot of very off the wall stuff about the Mayan calendar and has asked me questions which made me raise an eyebrow. So I talk candidly with her, and tell her that none of us can truly know if the end of the long-count calendar signified the end of an era, the end of a civilization, or simply the end of a calendar. I reminded her that our own Gregorian calendar ends every year, on December 31st at midnight. While I don't believe we should worry our children with such things, it's prudent to let them in on the game plan for emergencies, so that they know what to do in case of any type of emergency. This is just proactive parenting, in a day and age when we are so reliant upon technology. Imagine losing power completely for a week; how would that impact your life? Imagine having no power for a month... how does that affect your city or town? 

So no matter what may or may not happen in a short 10 months, please do take the time to make a checklist of necessities for yourself, and plan ahead so that if something should happen, you will be prepared to tough it out with your loved ones for some time.

Forewarned is forearmed!







Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Happy Holidays!



I was raised in a Christian household, by a Catholic mother and a Presbyterian father. But my mother had evolved to a point in her spirituality that she didn't let the church dictate her worshiping methods, and my father was basically agnostic.

My parents let me choose my own path from an early age, and I explored the Christian church through my childhood and teens, then branched out to explore Wicca, Buddhism, Taoism and eventually settled into a personal set of Pagan ideals and values.

But in my own home, we still put up a Christmas tree, and my child received gifts from Santa every year growing up. My husband is Jewish, and not at all religious, and he never really cared about how I chose to celebrate the Yule season, so I was free to put up a tree, light the Menorah and combine beliefs to my own desire.

I have always been aware to the fact that December is not just for Christians, and in fact the holidays were celebrated for thousands of years before Christianity began, by Pagan peoples who celebrated Yule, and the Winter Solstice. The season is a festival of Lights as it is the longest period of night through the year, and this is why there are lights on a Christmas tree, why we light a Menorah in the Jewish faith. Each belief system has incorporated Lights into their own celebration and this is again an ancient Pagan ritual of celebrating Light during a dark time of year.

I say Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and family. It does not hurt me to do so. I also wish my Jewish friends and family Happy Hanukkah. I have no trouble saying Happy Kwanzaa, or Blessed Ramadan to people observing those faiths. And it would do me absolutely no harm to say happy Bodhi day or blessed Hogmanay.

Why do we make such a big deal about the words we use??? By saying "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" are we killing Christianity? Or are we respecting that not everyone on the planet worships in the same way, nor should we expect them to?

The holidays are a special time to each individual in their own way, and everyone has their own family traditions, and special plans at this time of year. Rather than butt heads about something as ridiculous as a simple two word greeting, just live and let live. Celebrate as you wish to, and let others do the same thing.

We have a long history as a species of hurting one another over our differing beliefs. Millions and millions of people have died throughout our history on this planet simply because they chose to call their beliefs by different names. But ultimately, we all believe in something mysterious - a higher power - doesn't matter what name that being goes by - what matters is that you put your spiritual teachings where your mouth is. Live and let live. Don't cram your beliefs down the throat of others, and yet remain open minded, knowing that God does work through each and every one of us.

No one on Earth knows it all, has all the answers. At best, we are taught what to believe by our parents, family, and society. Remember that, at this time of year when generosity of spirit and peace on Earth are the things we sing about as we gather amongst family and friends and loved ones.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noelle, Blessed Hogmanay.... no matter what you're celebrating, may you be blessed and surrounded by love.





Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Bonds of Judgment



Human beings are polarity infused beings from the core of our psyche - everything we see, and encounter on a daily basis is run through our internal filters and judged as either "good" or "bad", "safe" or "unsafe" etc. This is a normal function of the Human mind, as our ability to judge the duality in our life helps us make good choices, as well as assists us in assessing the world around us.

However, as a species we are also constantly judging other people; much of the time this is pointless egocentric behavior which we use to build ourselves up by tearing the other down. We learn this behavior very early on in our lives, on the playground and in the school room. As we mature and grow we continue to use this judgment of others as a tool to pad our own sense of self while comparing ourselves to others in a very polarized way. A lot of this judgment takes place on an unconscious level as it is so deeply ingrained within our behaviors that we aren't consciously aware that we are doing it. But we are doing it; all of us, as we continue to judge one another based on body type, skin color, clothing, socio-economic standing etc. The media plays into these judgments by continually bombarding us with concepts of "right" and "wrong" through advertising and television and big screen cinema.

Some people naturally have an ability to ignore the judgments others make of them, and I commend these people as they must know innately that the only opinion that matters is their own. However, many of us fall victim to feeling affected by how others judge us, and I have found through the years that most empaths are extremely sensitive to how others perceive and judge them.

As a lifelong people-pleaser, I have always been extremely attuned to how I perceive myself to be judged by others, and have always tried to go the extra mile with people who seem incapable of seeing me in a positive light. I have never reacted well to being misjudged or held in a negative light, and for many years I wondered why it would bother me so much if someone else saw me in a way which wasn't true of who I actually am. And as you know, the Universe will continue to give us ample opportunity to learn about the things we just can't figure out; so in my life I've dealt with a lot of judgment as I have never been able to rise above the petty or misguided understandings people have towards me.

It has actually made me so angry in my life to be misjudged by others; when someone insists upon seeing me through their own filter of egotistical self-righteousness instead of seeing me for who I am I tend to feel very anxious and angry! I present myself to the world as I am, I don't put on airs or pretend to be someone I am not, with me what you see is truly what you get. And yet there are some people in life who insist upon seeing me in a completely different way.

Recently I've had another opportunity to experience the inequity of someone elses negative judgment of myself, and this time it really served as an epiphany; by George I think I'm finally getting it.

I experienced someone judging me to suit their own need to feel victimized by me. My brother in law has not gotten along with his brother, my husband, since we met 9 years ago. For many years I held myself responsible for the gap in their relationship, as I knew that my husbands brother didn't like me, and assumed this was enough for them to be at odds. Of course, I let my brother in law's judgments of me make me feel lesser, guilty, and as though I should be doing more, being better, living up to his expectations. But circumstances in the last week made it crystal clear to me that this man has never once attempted to really know me for who I am - I was judged the first moment he looked at me, and I never stood a chance with him from that point on.

No matter what I may have attempted or done in the last decade, this man has built up his own vision of who he believes I am, so no amount of effort on my part will change his mind. And for a long time I tried to accept this. But now I have a renewed sense of self-awareness, and I realize that his opinion of me is truly none of my business.

I am none of what he accuses me of being, and each time I tried to evidence that to him he became angrier, and more sure of my evil nature, and my ruining his relationship with his brother. Each time I have tried to tell him that it was never my intention for him and his brother to become estranged, he becomes more certain that I have plotted to do so all along. It is quite comical really, when I take myself out of the equation and look at it from an unbiased third party position; this man has accused me of stealing his brother from him, and yet he can't see how his negative judgments of me have been what has pushed his brother out of his life.

So when someone chooses to judge you and believe you are someone you are not, are you responsible to change their mind? Of course not.

The only opinion that matters is that of yourself, and I see that so clearly now. The people who really know me know who I am to the core of my heart, and the fact that they see me clearly for who I am gives me peace of mind; and yet it doesn't define me.

No one else's opinion of me can define me, unless I allow myself to feel insecure towards their perception.

So I am thankful to my brother in law for hating me so fully; he hates a figment of his imagination. It isn't me, and never was me that he disliked, because he never gave himself the chance to really know me. It is a load off my heart to know that the person he blames for ruining his fraternal relationship isn't real. It frees me from feelings of guilt and obligation to know that I have never been the issue in the rift between these two men; I was a good point of contention in a relationship which my husband assures me was troubled before I even came into his life.

So when you feel judged by someone else, rather than pay attention to their judgment of you, pay attention to your response to that judgment. If you feel the need to fight the judgment and alter the others perception of yourself, ask yourself why? I have done a lot of this in the last few days, and come to the conclusion that it was my ego needing to assert itself to this man, my heart and soul knows who I am, and is at peace with myself. But my ego is a bear and wanted to claw him with my words until he realized how wrong he is about me.

But he isn't wrong; in his mind and understanding I am all of the horrible things he thinks I am. And until he sees me for who I am, instead of who he chooses to believe I am, I will be all of those horrible things he has accused me of - to him. But his opinion and judgment does not touch my life unless I let it. And I am not responsible for fixing his faulty perception; I am only accountable for who I am being, and how I myself am perceiving others.

So I let it go. And I forgive him for his need to blame others for his failed relationships. And I forgive myself for ever feeling that I needed to try to be more acceptable to him.

His brother is the one who loves me, who took vows with me on our wedding day; it is his brother who sees me clearly, and that is what love is.

I can't recall who said it, but it is an apt statement to end this entry with: "other people's opinions of me are none of my business."