The last couple of months I've been in a more introspective mood. There is a lot happening in the world outside and within, the inner world. Self-work always entails a certain struggle and conflict in order to confront the predator within. According to traditional esoteric teachings, without friction there is no conscious evolution. Suffering is the catalyst for growth if it is transmuted accordingly, the work to own the shadow and not suppress it or project it, within and without. The battle inside, to manifest the real "I", the center of true Being, Knowledge and Love.
John Lennon said, "all you need is love" and you hear it everywhere these days in the New Age World that "love is the answer". Yes, love is the answer, but we first need to really know
what love is. It is a word that is and has been abused and mistaken for many things.
I'm talking about Love not in the sense of sentimental emotions, affection, romance or attachment, but of true Knowing and Understanding, the Kingdom and Wholeness within. If one looks into accounts of true Near-Death experiences and what people have "seen" or realized, there is a common theme: This profound experience of "objective" Love, which is not related to the Love as the human personality experiences it and cannot even be expressed in words. It can only be described as what it is not. They can't truly explain what they experienced or what love is but only what it isn't. It is for example, as Eric Pearl said, "not a sentimental, get a tear, 'feel someone's pain' feeling, not an emotion. It is beyond sentiment or feeling someone else in this form, but relates more to an all expansive, knowing and understanding." Love is a higher state of awareness/being/consciousness and not a feeling as Love is often confused as.
I remember when I first smoked DMT about 9 years ago. It was
5meO-DMT (not to confused with
N,N-DMT as inherent in Ayahuasca). After the breakthrough which was quite terrifying as my ego got shattered into pieces, I was going through a tunnel of light and came out at a "plateau" as if coming "home", fully nurtured by Source/Creator/God, experiencing bliss like I have never known before. However it was not an emotion or even feeling as we know it. It was beyond the Known and not restricted by the body. As I was coming back and I was able to open my eyes and get up, this "state of being" stayed with me for a while. I saw my friends around me and literally saw everyone as he/she is, seeing "through them" beyond the mask of the personality/ego, seeing all the pain, suffering, beauty and innocence at the same time. I was not able to speak at all, but just in awe with my mouth open, trying to articulate what was happening but I couldn't. All what I thought to myself is "if you only knew and could see yourself as you are, all this pain is an illusion". After 40 minutes or so, I slowly came back into my body and waking consciousness. It was up to date the most significant psychedelic experience I ever had.
Years later when I was getting into certain channeled material, I came across the
Cassiopaean transmissions, and there was something they said about Love, which reminded me of the experience I had back then:
"The problem is not the term "love", the problem is the interpretation of the term. Those on third density have a tendency to confuse the issue horribly. After all, they confuse many things as love. When the actual definition of love as you know it is not correct either. It is not necessarily a feeling that one has that can also be interpreted as an emotion, but rather, as we have told you before, the essence of light which is knowledge is love, and this has been corrupted when it is said that love leads to illumination. Love is Light is Knowledge. Love makes no sense when common definitions are used as they are in your environment.
To love you must know.
And to know is to have light.
And to have light is to love.
And to have knowledge is to love."
However, simply doing medicine journeys with the help of psychoactive plants does not alone facilitate permanent change. There is no "magic pill", although these plants can give great insights into the nature of ourselves and heal certain issues simply by becoming conscious of them. Yet, the work to be done is in waking everyday life in order to manifest the true Self permanently and see the world and oneself as one is, beyond social and psychological conditioning. As the late Terence McKenna said:
"It is not what you do when you're on them (psychedelics) but what you do when your off them, how you integrate and apply what your learned and experienced in 'hyperspace'."
Over the years I've gotten glimpses of what I usually only experience under the psychedelic "influence" and the more I apply conscious self-work and apply the knowledge gained, the more I'm centered in my true self with all centers working harmoniously, being able to consciously move into a higher state. Daily Qi Gong and meditation practice also helps in that regard. Yet, in my everyday life I still fall back into my mechanicalness if I'm not watchful and react unconsciously based on habits and patterns, as the ego comes forth with its self-importance and predatory mind.
At times it is shocking to see the mechanical nature of one's personality if one examines oneself more closely and looking back I can see many instances where I did not act out of my true self, but was simply driving on reactionary, conditioned patterns. Interestingly, the more I see my own mechanicalness, the more I see it in others and understand why Gurdjieff said that humans are "machines" who have no free will, although they think they do. Free Will can only happen if there is conscious doing without conditioned unconscious impulses driving ones' being.
"Suffering" in the esoteric sense of the word comes in if one doesn't feed one's predator and give not in to the mechanicalness of one's personality, but observes what is happening internally and then act with conscious intent rather automatic response. This is called "Conscious Suffering" and a necessity for esoteric evolution, to not given in to the predator within.
But recognizing one's mechanical and reactionary behaviors in any life circumstances is the tricky thing, for at times they are quite subtle and can only be detected after long and persistent work on the self. There are many
buffers to work through. Doing honest self-work does also bring up negative emotions to the surface that cannot be blamed anymore at other people or circumstances, for we are always responsible for our inner world.
However, "conscious suffering" is not about focusing on suffering or getting attached to suffering. Modern man is in many ways addicted to suffering and I can see in my practice as a bodyworker where some clients of mine simply are stuck in "suffering", mostly emotional suffering, not being able to let go and not changing life style or habitual patterns (in particular thought patterns). "Conscious suffering" means to use
the fire ignited inside by putting oneself in a state of vulnerability and conscious struggle between the true and the false and use it as a catalyst to burn and transmute "lead into gold", the
inner alchemical process of transformation.
This means to transmute negative emotions into positive ones eventually and not get stuck in the lower frequencies. It needs to happen naturally and can't be forced, hence many "New Age" techniques, such as visualizing "love and light" or forcing oneself to think "happy thoughts" does not do anything good other than producing a self-deceiving, self-calming, faux-spirituality and suppressing that which needs to come out.
Whatever is hidden in our shadow needs to be confronted and looked at, "shine light into it" and then the shadow will dissolve and transmute into light. This process can be uncomfortable and painful at times, yet it is in this state of open vulnerability where true healing occurs. In Esoteric Christianity this is called the "dark night of the soul" or "Moral Bankruptcy" when the old needs to die for the new to manifest. This process doesn't happen over night, but depending on the issues (karmic, psychologically, cultural, childhood conditioning/trauma), it can take anything from months, years to lifetimes to resolve and transmute "lead into gold", the alchemical process of "becoming" ones true Self. It is not easy and the
first step is the hardest to take.
A condensed version of this process is reflected in traditional shamanic healing sessions like with ayahuasca, San Pedro or psilocybin mushrooms. The most intense effect has been for me on ayahuasca, where the first half of the trip is quite dark and brings up anything that needs to come up in order to be released. There is an intelligence that works through oneself and goes where it needs to go. Eventually the purging is the outer manifestation of the shadow work. In any case, whatever the substance, the dose needs to be strong enough to override the ego who wants to stay in control. In a sense a true psychedelic journey is about loosing control and letting go and even getting lost at first, which undoubtly can be quite terrifying. There were many instances in my own journeys where I thought, '"that's it, I've done too much, I'm loosing it and I'm going mad, this is worse than death!"' But in the end it was just the ego which was trying to hold on. What needs to happen is ego-cide. I've found that people who have the most difficulties with shamanic work, are people who like to stay in control and can't let go in general or have a strong sense of Self, a clear definition of who they think they are. The shaman I worked with said that a good ayahuasca session can be worth 50 years of psychotherapy, yet the tricky part is still to apply what has been realized in everyday life.
I do not advocate plant shamanism to anyone, as everyone needs to find out for themselves what he/she is drawn to on the path of seeking Self-Knowledge. I also do not find the psychedelic experience absolute necessary for spiritual work/growth. It works for some, but not for others and many abuse it rather than using it as a spiritual tool/teaching. There are many other ways and techniques to pursue the path and it is different for each. I see myself being less drawn to plant shamanism and feel more to do the work without them. Much of what I realized during my last trips I already felt I knew all along, but haven't applied yet fully. It is revealing to do Qi Gong "under the influence", as I was able to feel and experience Qi moving through my body with ease and it helped me to integarate my practice more. But as Ethnobiologist Dennis McKenna used to say:"How often do you have to pick up the phone until you get the message?". True words. Knowledge is useless if not applied
.
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply.
Willing is not enought, we must do." - Bruce Lee
Whatever information we gather from outside, the real "enemy" is within and not until we have "conquered" ourselves will we truly have peace.
"Without Self-Knowledge, there is no peace" - Krishnamurti
Over the past year I have posted many writings and excerpts from Esoteric teachings, all of it I'm in the process of processing and applying in myself. Hence, any writings I put up are directed at me as well. I never take myself out of the equation as we are all works in progress, everyone with his/her particular lessons and karma. We're all teachers and students alike. On top of that we seem to be dealing with
forces we can't see and who seem to have manipulated humanity since the beginning of Time. The sea of information out there regarding fringe topics is becoming larger by the day. Coupled with the Internet it is like an atomic bomb of information. But what information is reliable and what is simply unreliable and garbage? What to focus on?
The better we truly know ourselves and separate lies and truth within us, the easier we can navigate in the world and everyday life, truly know what to do and focus on, what information to pursue or what to discard, what decisions to make and when, so we act from our true self in alignment with spirit/god/higher self (or whatever word you want to use) instead of the conditioned personality with it's distorted wants and desires, projected wishful thinking and illusionary hopes stemming from the false Self.
The future is never set in stone. Sure there are signs that indicate a shift, a collapse, a "
Wave" coming that effects us globally, but exactly how it is playing out we don't know. A Golden Age, a splitting, a unification under a fascist world government, an alien invasion, a time/reality split....or anything in-between. There are many self-proclaimed prophets and "awakened" folks who try to tell us (and sell us) how and what is happening. However, all outside information is useless if one has no inner Knowing, our own source for information that always speaks to us if we can find its voice.
I think everyone is in a state of uncertainty these days, well at least the more aware ones, I would imply. It's impossible to make long term goals these days. I can see the struggle of my little "I's" that mask up the true Self. Some days I'm better connected than others. Yet, there are masses of people who are not concerned with what is going on in the world at large or within their own being, not questioning why they are doing what they are doing, but "content" with living life like sheep in pen. Is ignorance really blissful or isn't it just a state of numbness and desensitization?
Modern living, culture, mass media and entertainment has numbed us, not being able to truly even recognize what is going on behind the layers of armor and walls we have built around us for the sake of social conformity and appearance, ego trips and ambition, desires and wants, so-called fulfillment and wealth...which reminds me, the other day I listened to Alan Watts and something he said was quite fitting:
"We confuse many things with reality and the world as it is, just as we confuse money with actual wealth"
We are disconnected from nature. We are disconnected from ourselves. This can only result in chaos and suffering. Yet we must not give in but see any form of conflict as a chance for transmutation, healing and growth.
Friction creates a fire and as long as we can keep the flame up inside we can find the way "out". This only happens through
inner work.
I can't deny to feel a some sort of quickening happening and slowing down at the same time. Actually a slowing down is the best response to "time speeding up". We need to be careful not to make hasty decisions and actions out of desperation, panic, fear, pressure, inner or outer. We need cooperation and communication, not isolationism and survivalist narcissism. We need to make sure that we listen to our true voice and that voice helps us along in the times to come. No need for a guru or leader. We need to awaken our leader within and follow that because this is who we truly are.
It's like the silence between the storm or they eye of a hurricane. Yet, the storm is not only out there, it is inside. As the energies increase and institutions crumble, something inside of us is dying as well. The lies have to go for the truth to shine through. Whatever happens out in the world is happening in us as well. Nothing is isolated. As the Cassiopaean's said:
"The war is through you." And earth at this time and age is the battleground for
spiritual warfare.
The future seems very uncertain in the wake of a global financial collapse with a very possible world institutionalized banking and fascist government system, earth changes, an increase in
comets hitting the earth, food sources depleting and being poisoned, chemtrails,
HAARP, Mind Control,
alien interference who have not humanity's best interest in mind and psychopaths in places of power. Am I being negative for stating that? No, there are many facts and information out there in regards to the scenarios mentioned above, that show that something just ain't right on this big blue marble...and hasn't been for a long time. There is no denying that and we better look at it and don't ignore it.
Should I maybe jump on the Obama bandwagon chanting 'hope and change', for he will lead us to the golden age?
No. The political game is just a sideshow for distraction. There is something else happening as well and it is beyond the darkest alien/government fascist world conspiracy or even the most beautiful utopia world vision of peace, love and happy faces.
No matter what happens in the world at large, the lessons to learn are in our own personal lives, inner and outer, the way we relate to people and to ourselves. How well do we really know ourselves and who do we think we are? What masks do we use and put up? People always say, "just be yourself!", but do we really know who we are to begin with? How honest are we really with ourselves and others? Not honest in the sense of having no secrets, but in the sense of truly understanding and seeing oneself as one is, seeing the lies, illusions, assumptions and beliefs we have about the world and ourselves.
Everyone has his/her purpose with karmic and other lessons to learn for the sake of growth. Life on planet earth is like a school, a rough one at times, but a school non the less. We all have different lessons to learn and different parts to play. Not one person is alike and what works for one may not work for another. There are people whose soul lessons do not seem to entail waking up in this cycle, but have a different soul wiring, so to speak, as examined in the topic of "
Organic Portals".
A big danger I see these days is the over-simplification of "We're all one" and "humans are all the same". Yes, we're all one, Bush , Hitler, you, me, Gandhi, we're all one, but we're NOT the same. Not everyone is born a Mozart or Michelangelo. Humans are not born equal. 6 billion people on this planet are not the same. Everyone has different lessons. From the outside we appear all the same, but the inside is a whole different story as has been explored in this
blog, and some folks seem not to think and feel like you or I do and have no connection to the higher centers in this current cycle. There's nothing wrong with it, nor is there a need to judge someone as "higher" or "lower", as we all go through the same process. It's just part of the evolution of consciousness. It's natural and normal in the grand scheme of things.
The New Age Movement these days takes lofty higher spiritual truths, projecting their conditioned understanding into it that creates more "problems" and misunderstandings than "solutions" by trying to apply them in this lower density without clearly seeing the limitations and distortions, without clearly seeing themselves. There is much wishful thinking and self-deception going on.
Our consciousness is limited in our current state, so by design we can never fully grasp what is going on. There are too many forces at work here and different (sometimes quite distorted) spiritual understandings sprinkled on top of it. Let's not forget, only 500 years ago we thought the earth is flat. What else will we discover?
The process of awakening is not a walk in the park, not for this planet, nor for a single person. Yet, there seems to be some sort of thread that becomes clearer the more one becomes clearer in oneself. During the process of conscious inner work there are moments of clarity here and there, of more objective understanding and knowing, of true Love, as suddenly the true self makes its appearance, but shys away at the next "shock" or trigger that activates our mechanical personality, the ego with its self-importance, reactionary behaviors and conditioned habits. I certainly fall into my predator's trap here and there. I look sometimes back into my older writings or communications with others on the net or in person and can see where I was acting mechanically and reactionary. Some things I would have said differently, some things maybe not at all. Yet, all this is my learning process as well. Humility is the ground stone for spiritual work to counteract the self-importance of the ego. An interesting excerpt from the Cassiopaea material in that regard:
Q: What creates this environment of limitation?
A: It is the grand illusion which is there for the purpose of learning.
Q: And who put the illusion into place?
A: The Creator who is also the Created. Which is also you and us and all.
As we have told you, we are you and vice versa. And so is everything
else.
Q: Is the key that it is all illusion?
A: Basically, yes. As we have told you before, if you will be patient just a moment,
the universe is merely a school. And, a school is there for all to
learn. That is why everything exists. There is no other reason. Now, if
only you understood the true depth of that statement, you would begin
to start to see, and experience for yourself, all the levels of density
that it is possible to experience, all the dimensions that it is
possible to experience, all awareness. When an individual understands
that statement to its greatest possible depth, that individual becomes
illumined. And, certainly you have heard of that. And, for one
moment, which lasts for all eternity, that individual knows absolutely
everything that there is to know.
From the
RA Material/Law of One:
"At the time at which each of you incarnated, my friends, each of
you was aware that certain lessons, hitherto unlearned, were to be the
goals for achievement in this incarnation. If it seems to you that your
entire incarnation within this illusion has been a series of
difficulties of one particular type, then you are almost certainly
aware in some manner of one of your lessons.As you can see, these
lessons are not to be avoided. They are to be learned. "
There are many tools for gaining Self-Knowledge. Besides the esoteric sources as posted on this site, there are many other teachings. Whatever works best for oneself, but no one can tell you what works for you. There is not ONE way or ONE path. 'Truth is a pathless land', as Krishnamurti used to say. However, there are certainly so-called "Spiritual", "Self-Help" and "New Age" teachings out there that are mere deceptions and distortions of true spiritual inner work. Let's not forget, the "New Age" is a billion dollar industry as well and there seems to be many people who have better sale/marketing skills (with quite large egos) than spiritual/esoteric understanding. So discernment is necessary and not confusing truth with emotional manipulation, as it is all too common in the so-called New Age Movement.
What follows are some methods and suggestions that I found helpful on my path of working towards higher awareness and gaining Self Knowledge. It is just a small fraction of what relates to this topic, yet it all points to the same.
AstrologyOne of the best systems to get a good basic description of the soul's "blue print", lessons and talents is through an astrological reading. I don't count sun sign descriptions in newspapers and magazines as astrology, since that is mere entertainment. To get an accurate understanding one needs to see the whole chart through a birth/natal astrology reading. There are many astrologers on the web. Some better than others. There are also many computer generated charts available, however the most accurate reading is only through a professional astrologer who can see the overall picture and dynamics.
Contrary to popular belief, the planets do not compel us to do anything. In many ways the planets and transits just reflect our inner psychological and spiritual process and how we act under certain energies depends on many factors. Astrology shows a part of ourselves and potentials, but it is not the whole picture, as upbringing and social conditioning plays a big part as well. Nevertheless it is a great tool to use and has been used by ancient cultures who were more in tune with the natural cycles.
Here are some websites and astrologers I can recommend:
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www.astro.comThis is a great site to get a free birthchart. The computer generated charts on there are well done and based on the work of Dr. Liz Greene, one of the foremost astrology experts in the world, who combines astrology with Jungian Psychology.
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Aquarius PapersGlobal Astrology with Robert Wilkinson who mixes esoteric wisdom with
bigger-picture astrology. An interesting interview with him can be
listened to
HERE. I received a reading from him recently and can highly recommend him. Very knowledgeable.
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Michael LutinVery funny and insightful writings with daily astrology. One of the few sources for sun sign astrology that I've found somewhat accurate.
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Dreamspell Mayan AstrologyInteresting astrology profiles that also offer some clues into one's inner world.
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Five Element AstrologyFor the ones familiar with Taoism and chinese cosmology/medicine these reports offer some clues to one's personal Five Element Alchemy
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Human DesignVery insightful system combining Astrology, Kabbalah and the I Ching.
Another great attribute of understanding astrology is the realization that we all are unique and complex beings who act in accordance to our celestial blue prints and recognizing this helps us to understand each other better as well. There is no such thing as a good or bad chart. Any chart has opposing and harmonious forces. There is no good or bad, just Karma, lessons, potentials, talents and purpose. What is "good" for one, is "bad" for another, all subjective judgments.
DivinationThere are other systems of self-exploration, such as Tarot, I Ching, Numerology, Dowsing, Kabbalah, etc.. Tarot I find very helpful as well, but in order to get an accurate reading one is advised not to read one's own cards all the time, but go to a Tarot reader in order to avoid Subjectivity, Tunnel Vision and Wishful Thinking. As with everything, there a good tarot readers and....not so good ones.
All these systems are great assistants on the path of self-exploration to get a "description" of one's potentials and issues and help along the way if one is still blocked to the All-Knowing within. But they can't substitute the self-work that is needed in order to gain true Self-Knowledge, the inner knowing that transcends any systems out there. All Systems are just a part and can not show the whole picture. They are crutches and assistants that can help us walk, but eventually we need to walk on our own. Many people just want to hear "good" news through a divination system or astrology reading without doing the work to make true change happen, internally and externally.
Esoterica, Self-Work
Wholeness and full Understanding is only reached through inner work and realization. This is where esoteric teachings come in, as only through conscious work on the Self can true change happen, inner and outer, no matter what a tarot or astrology reading tells us. Many of so-called esoterica is really common sense if one is somewhat aware of oneself, however there are traps everywhere, so one can not skip any steps on the spiral out. There are many self-proclaimed "aware" or "awake" people out there who are far from it, but merely substitute one illusion for another. True esoteric teachings warn of these traps and are not just fluffy "feel good" messages (emotionally manipulative) as one can find in the mainstream New Age world these days.
Other works that are recommended are the writings by Krishnamurti, Alan Watts, Carl Jung, Wilhelm Reich, Carlos Castaneda, Gurdjieff, "Gnosis" by Boris Mouravieff, "In Search of the Miraculous" by P.D. Ouspensky. I've posted excerpts from these sources before. Mainstream books like "The Celestine Prophecy" by J. Redfield, "The Power of Now" by Eckart Tolle or from authors like Deepak Chopra, etc. also give insights into the world of Self-Exploration, but are also quite washed down and filtered in terms of deeper spiritual knowledge and can be misleading, although I did get something out of them here and there. As a general rule, the more successful a book in worldly terms (like NY bestseller list or on Oprah's book list), the lighter and more superficial/distorted the material. Don't forget, suppression of truth and knowledge is the name of the game. Anything that is not a threat to the system/Matrix will be more supported than something that may be a thorn in the eye of the powers that be. Many of the mainstream Self-help authors are just good sales men who rewash spiritual concepts to fit the masses. This doesn't mean that all what is out there is junk, no, it is lies mixed with truth, sometimes more lies than truth. The devil, as always, is in the details. One needs to separate the wheat form the chaff. There are hundreds if not thousands of other books on Spirituality, Esoterica, Self-Development, etc., so discernment becomes crucial and gaining false knowledge can be worse than gaining no knowledge, making the seeker believe he's on the "way" to awakening but in reality is being deceived into another illusion. The best way to make sure one recognizes truth vs. lie is to tune and work on the reading instrument:
the Self"If we only knew what Illusion is, we would then know the opposite:
what Truth is. This Truth would liberate us from slavery"
- Boris Mouravieff
No matter what I or other people recommend, it is up to oneself to discern and develop the intuition to separate the true from the false with wise discernment, to recognize what works for one and what not. All I give is some food for thought, no answers. I'm in the process of learning and discerning myself. With the right intention, the right teaching always appears. What I've found on my own path is that the right book came along just at the right time. Certain esoteric material I'm getting into now I wouldn't have had the awareness and ability to grasp years ago. The learning/working process goes step by step and it is different for each of us depending on our individual lessons. Not everyone has to read the same books/sources.
"Impeccability begins with a single act that has to be deliberate,
precise and sustained. If that act is repeated long enough, one
acquires a sense of unbending intent which can be applied to anything
else. If that is accomplished the road is clear. One thing will lead to
another until the warrior realizes his full potential." - Don Juan
Spiritual Practices, Bodywork
A very important issue worthwhile mentioning is the body-mind connection. As "modern" people most of us are disconnected from our bodies. We are mostly in our heads. Before we can even try to attain any form of higher states of being and consciousness we need to unite body and mind again, getting into our bodies and become sensitive to our energy body. Full body relaxation is prerequisite for meditation and attaining more awareness. For example, many people do not know that astanga yoga, which entails the yoga poses, is just a preparation practice for meditation, to relax and loosen the body, so it is easier to meditate.
There are many forms of integrating body and mind. Yoga is one, others are Qi Gong, Tai Qi, Martial Arts, dancing and even sex can be used to access higher states of awareness and healing through tantric and
taoist practices. Repressed emotions, stress, negativity all takes toll in the body, resulting in tightness, strains, armoring and toxic energy. If the body can't take the load anymore, it results into sickness and dis-ease.
Regular Massage and Bodywork as well as energy work is also very helpful in that regard, not only for full body relaxation but as a preventive medicine as well. As long as we are in tune with our body and are sensitive to its needs, we won't get sick. But finding a right massage therapist or energy healer is like finding the right "teaching". It needs to fit. Whatever you feel like getting into, follow that what you are truly drawn to and works for you. I know out of my own experience that getting a bad massage is worse than getting no massage at all.
ShamanasimFor the one's drawn to work with "madre ayahuasca", here's a good source in Peru I have had personal experience with and can recommend:
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www.ayahuasca-wasi.comThere are many pseudo-shamans out there and wanna-be's , especially in regards to Ayahuasca tourism, so the same goes for this line of exploration as any other: Discernment is key and follow your intuition.
Art and Music
For the artistic inclined, producing works of art and music can be a spiritual practice as well and not just a display for ego and entertainment. I touched on that subject in
Art, Music and ShadoworkFood and DietBesides all that, of course a healthy diet is needed to support the body with nutritional food. There is much to be said about this topic, but in general it always good to eat raw, organic food,
alkaline based, fresh fruits and vegetables, staying away from processed food, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, wheat, dairy, red meat, soft drinks and unfiltered water. The more one engages in inner work combined with a spiritual physical practice, the more one becomes more sensitive to what to eat or not, hence the body will eventually reject what is not good for it and you won't even like to eat it anymore. No need to force anything. As with everything, moderation is key. A change in lifestyle/diet doesn't happen over night. It's a process. Being vegetarian or vegan is not a sign of higher spiritual development. However, no matter what we eat, we need to make sure it is quality and has nutrition. You are what you eat. The more alive food you eat, the more alive you will feel.
NatureLast but no least, the best way to get in tune with the natural cycles and our selves is by spending more time in nature, away from the city noise, hyperactive frequencies and electromagnetic radiation. Periods of solitude and being alone are also beneficial and necessary to get clear and grounded. It's important to be comfortable with oneself.
In regards to technology, I don't recommend using a cell phone too often, but if you must, use a
radiation free head set (not a bluetooth), so the brain doesn't get microwaved directly and also do not carry it close to the body when not in use. Certainly do not sleep with your cell phone next to you. Not only in regards to health but in relation to
Mind Control. There are many things that can be transmitted through radiation into our minds. No, I'm not being paranoid. There is valid research out there that shows that already in the 60's this kind of technology existed. This is another big topic that deserves closer examination. I just mention it here to give some food for thought. What can happen in forty year of perfecting such technology?
"[...]The agency continued its work on mind control. Following the work of
Dr. Jose Delgado [experiments in] Electrical Stimulation of the Brain
[were conducted.] This involves implanting electrodes into the brain
and body, with the result that the subject's memory, impulses, and
feelings could all be controlled. Moreover, ESB could evoke hallucinations, as well as fear and pleasure. "It could literally manipulate the human will at will," [said Dr. Robert Keefe, a neurosurgeon at Tulane University.]" - From "UFO's and the Nationl Security State" by Richard Dolan
The goal of Self-Work is to be in this world but not of it, not to be persuaded by external influence, Mind control attempts or spiritual deception, but to build the inner cage, the kingdom within, that keeps our connection to Knowledge and Spirit always intact, so that we do not need any outside sources of information, but can trust our inner guidance system in any moment. There might be even a time when there is no internet anymore, so it is good not to make oneself too dependent on technology, but as long as we have it, it is the best tool to research, reach out, network, connect and spread information world wide. The internet is still uncensored, but for how much longer is the question.
While doing inner work and learning the lessons in our personal lives we also must not forget the bigger picture and what is happening in the world, for seeking inner truth goes in hand with seeking outer truth, and recognizing the lies within and without. Simply seeking inner peace and being passive while ignoring the outside world misses the point and that's also where the danger and deception lies in many New Age teachings these days. As mediation teacher M.V. Summers warned:
"[...]The next is manipulation of spiritual values and tendencies. It is
no accident that in the last four years that we've seen in new
religious thought the religion of acquiescence and passivity: trusting
in the process; whatever happens is what needs to happen; everyone is
right where they need to be; if the extraterrestrials are here it's
because they're supposed to be; you don't resist; you acquiesce; to
resist is to be negative, is to be fearful, is to be unconscious. A
great prescription for convincing the natives to give over the keys to
the kingdom, a very good, clever form of manipulation."
We need to act and engage in the world at the same time and apply what we learn. Yet, the only resort and safety is inside each of us, our connection to Source, Spirit, to All That Is, so that we always know what to do and when.
"Inward transformation is not isolation, is not withdrawal from outward action. On the contrary, there can be right action only when there is right thinking and there is no right thinking when there is no self-knowledge. Without knowing yourself, there is no peace."
- Krishnamurti
"All kind of knowledge, eventually becomes self knowledge"- Bruce Lee
In the end, we're all in this together, we're all teachers and students alike, but we all have different lessons to learn and integrate. What works for one may not work for another or as Carl Jung said:
“The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.”
We can all assist each other in this Time of Transition and do the best we can to move from Service to Self to Service to Others, create community and be around like-minded people. If you can't be truly yourself with the people you are hanging out with, then you may want to ask yourself, what does true friendship really mean if you can't be yourself? On the path of Awakening and Self-work people and long-time friends my fall out of one's life to make room for new ones to enter. That is a normal process. As we change inside, the outer changes as well. It can get lonely at times and confusing, but there are assisting forces all around, even if we can't see them.
Whatever happens in the world and in our lives, we must be careful not to get stuck in a frequency of fear or negative emotions, for that is what certain beings would like to see happen on this planet, using all kinds of deceptions and mind control techniques to keep us away from our true Self and Knowledge, from true Love and Understanding. Our path to (Self-)Knowledge and Truth is the biggest threat to the Ones wanting to control humanity for their own good. Hence, don't expect this to be a smooth ride, but enjoy it all the way, the ups and downs. The reasons for the importance of Self-Work and hence vibrating on a higher frequency of TRUE love and light in this time and age are obvious and self-evident when looking at the state of the world. With that in mind I'll end this writing with an excerpt from the RA Material that gives a little insight into shift we're currently in.......remember, all there is, are lessons.
"There is a choice to be made very shortly, and it would be preferable if all of
the people of this planet understand the choice that is to be made. It
will be difficult for many of the people of this planet to understand
what this choice is, because it is a choice that they have not
considered. They have been much too involved in their daily activities
and their confusion and their desires of a very trivial nature to be
concerned with an understanding of the choice that they are very
shortly to make. Whether they wish to or not, whether they
understand it or not, regardless of any influence, each and every one
of the people who dwell upon planet Earth will shortly make a choice. There
will be no middle area. There will be those who choose to follow the
path of love and light (knowledge) and those who choose otherwise.
This choice will not be made by saying, "I choose the path of love and
light,"or "l do not choose it." The verbal choice will mean nothing.
This choice will be measured by the individual's demonstration of his
choice. This choice is measured by what we term the vibratory rate of the individual.
It is necessary, if an individual is to join those who make the choice of love and understanding,
for his rate of vibration to be above a certain
minimal level.
At the time at which each of you incarnated, my friends, each of
you was aware that certain lessons, hitherto unlearned, were to be the
goals for achievement in this incarnation. If it seems to you that your
entire incarnation within this illusion has been a series of
difficulties of one particular type, then you are almost certainly
aware in some manner of one of your lessons. As you can see, these
lessons are not to be avoided. They are to be learned....
[Truth] must be realized from within. It cannot be impressed from without."