2SistersChat - MONEY CONSCIOUSNESS, CHAPTER 1, PART 1

I have been so remiss in posting this wonderful video series (my humble apology), but I had a chance to replay it and really found it to be so timely right now.  This series is a very interesting and important dialogue between two incredibly insightful sisters, Melissa Higginbotham and Sandy West.  The Topic of the discussion is MONEY CONSCIOUSNESS. CHAPTER 1, PART 1.  Their views are unique, refreshing and extremely thought provoking.  I suspect you may never look at money the same way again.  They also have a number of other videos focusing on a vast array of Spiritual topics.  I give them all 2 thumbs up (more if I had extra thumbs) so enjoy, let me know what you think, and thank you.

Losing My Religion, Gaining My Spirituality

This past week, I listened with great interest to the NPR featured series entitled Losing Our Religion.  I found it most intriguing, in that during the course of the narrative it talked about how so many people in America have moved away from their core religious beliefs into a more secular space of either agnosticism or atheism.  What I found most interesting about the series however, was in my view the glaring omission of one key aspect of this incredibly important transitional process; that of moving through this pivotal phase towards a potentially greater and more nuanced spirituality, while falling away from outmoded, inflexible and dogmatic religious beliefs.

This omission intrigues me because from my own personal perspective and experience, this transitional course is more a part of the natural spiritual progression that most Souls are likely to take in their long-term quest for true enlightenment. I believe this phase (and yes, from a reincarnational Soul perspective I do consider it a phase) to be a kind of weigh station in the ongoing movement towards Spiritual awareness and personal divine understanding. Before something new can grow, something else must first fall away.  I know in my own spiritual journey, I transitioned multiple times from a number of religious and spiritual paths, each time bringing me closer to a greater and more intimate relationship with Divine Source.  I would be remiss if I didn’t state that this road has not been an easy one, and along the way I’ve had to deal with some jarringly painful resets and reaffirmations in my spiritual understanding and commitment to the ultimate search for truth.  I am, however, undaunted in my quest and commitment to finding my way back home, helping as many as I can along the way awaken to their own true purpose and intention.

One key component of my personal steadfastness towards this ultimate journey is an unflinching commitment to the seeking of truth wherever I may find it.  This outlook and perspective is what I believe to be the only true way of Soul’s quest for genuine enlightenment.  It has served me well these many years.  While I would imagine that most of you would also probably espouse to this aspirational metric of truth, the reality is that it is a much trickier and fleeting application than one might admit, fraught with deceptions and disappointments at every turn.  The fact of the matter is that more people tend to fall into the category of “Gatekeepers” than Truth Seekers.  What I mean by gatekeeper is a person who may claim to seek ultimate truth, but will aggressively defend any challenge, contradiction, or potential threat to their current belief system or paradigm.  There way is THE way.  This individual will hold to their beliefs with irrational steadfastness, regardless of any rational argument or counterpoint that they may be confronted with.  A truth seeker in this same situation will be more apt to weigh all aspects of an argument or thing (no matter how uncomfortable), determining what works for them in their own personal quest for truth.  This individual is likely to stay with a belief system for a time, but may ultimately outgrow it, asking questions that cannot be answered by their current paradigm, and move away to something that is more nourishing and spiritually fulfilling for them.  This is the way of the truth seeker.  It can be a lonely road, but the goal is ultimately why we exist.

Please understand that I am in no way standing in judgment of anyone, far from it.  Truth be told, there were moments in my life when I was as strong a gatekeeper as there ever could be, simultaneously believing that I was a truth seeker.  But when old beliefs were challenged by new paradigms that shook me to my core, I had to look at them squarely and determine if these greater concepts were in alignment with my deeper spiritual (gut) instincts; were they consistent with the nudge I was getting from my Higher Self?  When the answer was ultimately yes, I had to move on regardless of the cost.  So I speak from experience, having lived on both sides of this fence.

I believe that world religions are extremely important portals and conduits for spiritual growth and education, but I also believe that we as Soul, as enlightened beings re-awakening to our true origins, were never meant to park forever in one belief system for life.  I feel that Religions by their very nature have some legitimate aspects of the truth, but no religion has all of the truth.  They are a means to a greater end but not an end in themselves.  It is incumbent upon each of us to do the personal work necessary to uncover the truth and reconnect the many puzzle pieces that make up our truth.  Ultimately, we come to a point in our own spiritual evolution where we realize that WE are our own path to God.  

This reality exists within the backdrop of an ongoing march of Religious fundamentalism throughout our world today.  Religions have in many ways been unfortunately co-opted by those who would manipulate and change its original intentions into a toxic mix of selective truth coupled with outrageous, irrational deception.  This irrational dogmatic thinking has resulted in justifications for the most horrific acts of terrorism known to man, all under the guise of serving God.  This must end, our lives depend on it.  

Again, I cannot make this point plain enough; in the final analysis, you are your own path to God.  You must find your truth and take your journey; the journey that was meant for you.  This is the same journey that those we have historically considered to be Saints, Messiahs, and Prophets have taken.  Did they come to this earth in search of the best religion? No.  Did they come to this earth to propagate a religion?  No.  They came to this earth in search of ultimate truth, and in their Divine quest and success became a light for others to follow.  This light was designed to help others find their own way, using these Spiritual Masters and icons as archetypes (examples) to help show all of us the way, not by worshipping them but by loving them and replicating (as best as possible) what they did to personally find your own Divine light.  We all have the same potential.  We only need to exercise our inalienable Spiritual rights.  Hopefully we will all take this journey, meeting up at some point along this golden road to share our experiences.  I look forward to seeing you on that road and trading epic stories of our adventures together. Namaste.

Resolution: 2013

Having survived 2012 and that pesky, much maligned and misunderstood Mayan Apocalypse, I write this with both a sublime and introspective feeling of gratitude and admitted relief.  Relief from a subtle yet disquieting earworm asking “what if…?” despite my intellectual comfort level that 12/21/12 marked more of a shift in conscious evolution than a hard and fast checkout time for Hotel Tara.  Gratitude in the realization that, well, we’re still here to even crack jokes about it (another Y2K).  This gratitude moves headlong into the New Year 2013, to the point of negating any superstitious notion of the 12 + 1 biblical origin that such a unique number creates.  I think surviving the apocalypse trumps this New Year suffix anyway.

But I am also equally mindful of the fact that 2012 was a tumultuous year filled with incredibly wonderful milestones, coupled with unimaginable moments of tragedy and senseless acts of terror.  Sometimes I ask myself “…has this world gone crazy…is there any hope these days for loving one another, for gaining oneness with all?”  The annoyingly vague, yet most likely correct answer to both questions is yes.    Many have lost their way and have seemingly been co-opted by the negative forces, causing them to perform unquestionably cruel and vicious acts.  But I submit to you that still more Souls are finding that light from within, showing them the way to their true Divine origins as conscious sparks of Source energy.  The bottom line in all of this, at least for me is that we all have more time to do the good work necessary to find our way back home, and (where personally applicable) fulfill our respective missions on this physical plane. 

To that end, I have proclaimed 2013 as the start of a new phase of enlightenment for those who consciously desire it, and I hereby submit that this will be a stellar year of rebirth, rejuvenation (hard work), and reawakening.  With this in mind, I want to share with you 10 of my most personal resolutions, mandates, milestones (what have you) for 2013 and beyond:

1.       I will strive to play more, love more, share more, write more, pay things forward more, and live my truth more.

2.       I will consciously choose to live in a state of love and not in the illusion of fear. 

3.       I will constantly remind myself of that which is the true hub of my wheel, Divine Source, and live within this reality every moment of every day. 

4.       I will forgive myself for my mistakes, and remember to love myself unconditionally.  I will also remind myself that I exist because of Godsource’s love for me; that IT’s love is unconditional. 

5.       I will live from the consciousness of Service-to-Others, and not Service-to-Self, for I know that by outflowing my energy, I receive back the Divine gift 100-fold.

6.       I will continue to eat right and exercise my body, my vessel, my temple.  It is through this that I can best fulfill my mission on this plane.

7.       I will not let setbacks discourage me.  Each experience is a lesson to be learned.

8.       I will live from my higher self, my Divine essence, and not from the little self (ego).

9.       I will treat others as I wish to be treated, despite how they may treat me.

10.   I will do my spiritual exercises daily and consistently, so as to maintain my spiritual balance and remain a beacon for good, light, and hope in this world.

We all have to be consciously aware (daily) of exactly what is our launch point; what is our focus and emphasis.  It is also vitally important to understand that we have the right to choose what that launch point is.   Will it be God-love, or fear?  We’re never alone, we just have to keep reminding ourselves of that.  We must also live our lives from that higher place; that place beyond the senses.  This is our true home, our origin.  So Happy 2013.  Live it in the now and with confidence, and before I go I want to leave you with this amazingly poignant contemplation from Mother Teresa entitled “Do It Anyway”:

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
And self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
Of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
False friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank;
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

My love goes out to all of you.  Be well, be happy, choose love.  I’ll be writing again soon…promise.

What Is Your Mission?

It’s all around us; the signs are everywhere.  All you need do is quiet down and focus your awareness inwardly to feel it, then extend that awareness outwardly and feel the transitional energy shift, as well as the distortions occurring with every passing day.  Divine discontent is impacting those around you more and more, no longer satisfied with status-quo thinking or old ways of doing.  People are waking up to their true purpose, potential, and value.  It is a new day, a new time.  

Perhaps you’re having trouble putting your finger on it right away, and you sense that something is indeed going on, but what?  Maybe there’s a greater urgency to do your part to somehow make this world a better place.  Perhaps you’re feeling a greater frustration coupled with a stronger sense of empowerment to do something about it.  You simply begin to see things differently than how you used to.  Not a lot has necessarily changed on the surface, but you’re changing on the inside.  Could it be that you’re daring to question the veracity and relevance of what you’ve been told and taught all these many years about what’s going on, or are beginning to challenge traditional ways of societal thinking or being?  

The Occupy Wall Street movement and its respective spin-offs around the country and indeed the world are testaments to this new way of thinking, feeling, doing and being.  The 99% are now outwardly vocalizing the sentiment “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” And the status-quo Powers-that-Be are scared.  BUT (and it’s a big but), there still remains the manufactured distractions and fear tactics of our time that certain forces keep throwing at us, keeping us from galvanizing a complete and irrefutable paradigm shift of upward consciousness that is so desperately needed for complete and total spiritual growth, change, and enlightenment.    We as a species should be much farther along in our spiritual development and growth than we are now.  Why is this?

Speaking as a spiritual being inhabiting a physical body, this world has become a very iniquitous and inequitous distraction.  These days so much of our time and energy has been focused on the exercise of simple survival; rising bills and cost-of-living coupled with stagnant employment opportunities resulting in limited means of making a living.  It’s been rough out there, and as a result we’ve been stuck within the lower rungs of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; no time for enlightened thinking, I need to get paid.  

So consider this proposition...You came into this physical plane with a preset contract; a commission to fulfill a spiritual mission.  But by virtue of the dysfunctional nature of our current existence and drama within this 3D realm of distortions, you’ve been cut off from the frequency trigger(s) that would help to awaken you to your true purpose, your spiritual charge.   You as a spark of conscious awareness are eternal, and as such you have incarnated here before, many times.  You bring with you certain highly developed skill sets, not least of which are emotional perception, empathy, intuition, and compassion, and find within your internal arsenal certain things that are very easy for you to do compared to others around you.  As mentioned before, you have great capacity for empathy and it bothers you that things are not as they should be.  The question becomes, what are you going to do about it?  What will it take to flip your inner (innate) switch?

We are finding out more and more that one person can make a difference.  Just look at Molly Katchpole of Washington, DC who started a petition to stop Bank of America from charging $5 a month to hold our own money, and later successfully took on Verizon to back off of its attempt to charge a $2 payment fee.  Or how about Marcin Jakubowski who after graduating from college with a PhD in Fusion Energy, decided that the direction of his life was all wrong and chose a more agrarian path.  He bought some land in Missouri and began farming.  After his tractor broke he took it upon himself to build a new one.  It was a simple but revolutionary design that he chose to share with others through an open source network he created called the Open Source Ecology.   Or how about the ongoing tensions in Senagal where Senagalese Rappers are mobilizing to create a movement called Y'en a Marre, which means "We're Fed Up. Enough is Enough" in opposition to President Abdoulaye Wade's bid for a third term in office.

I can go on and on but hopefully you get the point.  You can make a difference; you can make a change.  I would love to hear what you’re doing or even thinking of doing, and how you’re planning to make a difference.  It doesn’t have to be grandiose, just something that is helping someone else; one person at a time, one day at a time.  If you feel you can’t do it alone, help is everywhere.  Just ask.  If you build it they will come.  

All I’m saying is that you have a purpose; you have a mission.  You’ve simply just forgotten it.  And with all the distractions and distortions hitting us from all sides, even the notion to follow your passion has been pushed down the proverbial priority shoot.  But you do have a mission.  You do have a contract.  It’s in your DNA (literally).  Just take a minute and quiet your mind enough to hear that inner-core-seed knowingness that is you.  What’s it telling you?  What is your passion?  What really pisses you off and compels you to be a catalyst for change?  What is it?!?  It’s all inside you, you just need to listen.  Part of my contract (I have come to believe) is to help you spark yours; to help you realize that you have a purpose, a mission, a destiny even…because you do.  

It’s time for you to awakening to who you are and what your role is in creating spiritual ascension for all; for the good of the whole.  If you’re not sure, ask within and look for the signs.  You just need to ask.  You come from a loving God-Source that created all of us to live, learn, and grow.  We live in a LOVE system, but we also live in a free-will system.  Because of this, you can choose to follow the path of Love or choose the alternative.  Some have chosen the latter and because of this fact distortions and difficulty exist.  We live in world of duality and there’s no getting around it.  But you do have a choice, you always have a choice.  You come from Love.  You exist because of God’s love for you.  Embracing this fact alone will put you on the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.  The rest is up to you.  

So what are you going to do?  It’s ok to get pissed at the inequities in life, but you no longer have the luxury of apathy.  You are the 99% (and if you happen to be some of the 1% reading this, then you can certainly do something).

Trust that feeling and intuitive side of you nature; it’s more important than you could ever realize.  It is the means by which you can overcome so many of the distortions around you.  So find your true purpose.  Talk to that man (or woman) in the mirror and make that change.  More often than not, God cannot do for you what it can only do through you.  You are the change, so be the change.  Much love to you all.

Jazz and Spirituality

I may not have shared this before, not sure if it had ever come up in any of my earlier posts, but apart from what I do for a living, my true passion is that of a professional musician.  I play a few instruments, and among my favorites is the saxophone, especially tenor and soprano.  I love the way it responds to me as I play, the resonance of the sound through my body as I blow through the mouthpiece.  When all things are clicking, it can truly be an extension of my conscious intention.  Considering that today, November 6 is “Saxophone Day” in honor of its inventor Adolf Sax (born in Belgium on this day in 1814) it seems only fitting that I pay homage to this wonderful instrument and the art form that it calls home.  The saxophone to me is an honest mistress in that it rarely cuts me any slack, meaning that if I’m not on my game and prepared to give it everything that it needs, totally committed to the instrument fully and completely, it will let me know in no uncertain terms.  But when I give the instrument what it requires, the rewards are immediately gratifying.

I’ve been playing for many years now, but have yet to come close to mastering this temperamental tempest.  In many ways it’s served as my own personal barometer in terms of where I might be spiritually at any given moment in my life.  When I’m in the zone, there is no sweeter sound and feeling, no greater unification of improvisational intention and tactile fulfillment – no greater temporal unification of cause and effect.  When I’m not in the zone, it can be a mentally frustrating staccato exercise of force vs. allow.   I like playing all types of music, but more than any other I love traditional and contemporary jazz.  The free-flowing improvisational nature of this medium allows me to express myself in ways that nothing else seems to.  It is one of those rare forms of expression that is both instantly fulfilling and potentially transcendent, where the musician can become the actual music; much like when the dancer becomes the dance.

I bring this intimate partnership of self-expression to light because I have always found a very strong and consistent correlation between my ongoing musical journey and what I experience in my everyday spiritual life.  The importance of commitment to cause and being in the moment at any given time are truly the aspirational exponents of a life fulfilled as a conscious spiritual being.  The ability to creatively improvise during the course of one’s life experience, especially when life throws you curveball after curveball, is what often separates the successful individual from the one filled with stress, strife and dis-ease.  Also, the commitment to engage and practice your craft on a regular basis is an absolutely essential component to anyone’s success, no matter what the focus of attention may be.  All of these factors go into our daily journey as spiritual beings inhabiting a physical body and living in this 3D realm.  This is what we all must do in order to ensure success in our daily life experience. 

But please take in the significance of what I am trying to share with you as a metaphor for life; in order to achieve any level of improvisational proficiency, whether it is musical improvisation or creatively working through the challenges of life, you need to practice your craft; you need to engage.  I muddle through my scales and arpeggios regularly to enable me the enjoyment of free-form expression that is musical improvisation.  As this relates to life, we must proactively engage life in such a way as to determine our own course, taking into account the importance of improvisational/creative flexibility in the process.  We cannot be so rigid as to be unable to adapt to change and creatively work through the curves that life often throws at us.  Within the framework of this proficiency lies the importance of maintaining a strong spiritual foundation, and maintaining it regularly.  This comes down to practicing your spirituality on a daily basis; your spiritual scales and arpeggios take on the forms of your prayers, mantras, visualizations and affirmations.  Balance is key, not sweating the small stuff is essential, and being conscious cause as opposed to unwilling effect is crucial.  To paraphrase Maya Angelou, “…When you know better, you do better.”

The same skill sets that I apply to my quest for musical proficiency are the same skill sets that I apply to my life; it’s just a matter of application.  What matters most is the courage to engage life in such a way that you are fully committed to creating what you want in such a way that it expresses your full potential.  Sri Shakti Gawain expressed this sentiment in a wonderful passage that she wrote in one of her books entitled, Creative Visualization.  She said, “I like to think of myself as an artist, and my life is my greatest work of art.  Every moment is a moment of creation, and each moment of creation contains infinite possibilities.  I can do things the way I’ve always done them, or I can look at all the different alternatives, and try something new and different and potentially more rewarding.  Every moment presents a new opportunity and a new decision. What a wonderful game we are all playing, and what a magnificent art form…”

We are all truly the masters of our respective universes, and despite any attempts by outside forces to manipulate and limit our full capability of expression, we must never forget our true nature, our true potential.  You must never allow anything (other than your higher-self and your connection to Source) to dictate who and what you are in the greater scheme of things.  As Eleanor Roosevelt so eloquently stated “…No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” 

So it’s time for you to play some jazz.  It’s time for you to creatively compose and perform that beautiful music that is you.  It is time to make a personal commitment to your own spiritual growth and development, and live as an aware and awakened Soul.  You have the potential, you have the power.  No one can take it away from you unless you let them.  But you must also put in the daily practice to maintain the all-important Spiritual awareness and nature that is you.  Just like the scales, arpeggios, and lyrical phrases that I play consistently to keep me strong in ability and fluid in my skill set, so too do we all need to practice our spiritual exercises daily, whatever that may mean for you, to keep yourself in balance and able to maneuver the treacherous waters that are a part of our everyday existence.   If you put in the work, and remain conscious and in the moment, living in the now but creating your future by virtue of what you choose to think (NOW), you will become the spiritual master that you were meant to be.  Yours will be the Spiritual Jazz that will forever be an inspiration to others.  So play well, turn on some Coltrane or Parker, be inspired… and stay cool.

Off the Grid

As I peak my head out from the bunker to try and catch a few rays, I log back in with family, friends and my many fellow travelers who’ve been so supportive during this hiatus. I reconnect now with all of you to simply say, “Hello, I’m back”. Thank you all for your love, understanding and support, both online and off.

It’s been quite a tumultuous year so far, but of course, I don’t need to tell you that, you’ve lived it as much as I have. With the constant specter of a bleak economic future and a relentless unemployment rate stagnating around 9+% nationwide, ongoing threats of world terrorism, increasing signs of global warming, and a gnawing divisive/polarizing fundamentalism permeating our planet, all of us, in one way or another are being affected by and caught up in the growing angst of our times. Like so many of you, I’ve been dealing with what might best be described as a Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs juggling act. Moving back and forth between the layers, living paycheck-to-paycheck with the challenges that ensue while simultaneously being (consciously) aware of the subtle yet emergent energetic Spiritual forces at play (within our dynamic universe and multiverse). This can create an unrelenting and annoying distraction from our true nature, purpose, focus, and identity as Spiritual beings. Let us never forget that we are Spiritual beings inhabiting a physical body, on an unending journey and quest for Source enlightenment and growth. Out of this dynamic morass of dueling consciousness comes a never-ending need for personal balance directly impacting the prospect for Spiritual growth. Everything is about choice.

Let us also never forget that all things are Spiritual; that there is nothing that is not of a Spiritual significance, providing an opportunity for us to learn and grow. That being said, it is important to acknowledge that we do not exist within a level playing field, that there are forces on the move designed to keep us out-of-balance and constantly within the ubiquitous specter of fear. Is this by design? There are those that certainly ascribe to this theory. Whether it is true or not will serve as grist for the mill of future discussion and dialogue. Assuming for a moment that this assertion has some merit, how do we deal with it; what are we to do about it?

As I mentioned earlier, everything is about choice. You can choose your thoughts and your consciousness during every waking moment (and inner experience). Notice that I used the word “can”. Many of us understand this truth intellectually, but fail to exercise our God-given right of self-awareness and self-expression. We often allow ourselves to be effect and not cause, subsequently forfeiting freewill with groupthink. As I have said in many earlier entries, vigilance is key. We are in a time now where it feels as though we must constantly tread water just to maintain a sense of “normal”, and constantly swim upstream against the tide in order to grow and progress. Despite our conditioning, it is important for everyone to understand and realize that this is not normal and should not be considered as such.

The current world experience that we all share is the exception within our multi-layered existence and not the rule. We are surviving in a dysfunctional holographic matrix. Acceptance of this pervasive “normal” is your choice, and many have consciously and/or unconsciously accepted this dysfunction as the way things simply are. But within the reality of everyone’s personal universe is in fact a choice as to whether or not you want your consciousness to be held captive within this matrix, or to rise above it while still physically existing within it; in essence “Being in this world but not of it.” This is the constant juggling act of Maslow that I spoke of earlier. We have to do the daily things of this world in order to survive (that’s just how it is), but we have a choice as to whether or not we will live within the victim/victimizer consciousness of the times as we maneuver these waters.

We who are conscious truth seekers and awakened Souls becoming more and more aware of our incarnational contracts and life purpose, must break out of these restrictive shackles and become the true conduits of Source energy we were commissioned to be. Again, it is our choice. Yes, you have bills that are due and financial debts you are struggling to pay, you are appropriately concerned about finding a job or keeping your home, but these things do not define who and what you are; they do not define your value within the universe, within God’s unconditional love. Please make a conscious and concerted effort to delineate yourself from your surroundings and/or circumstances and live within your higher truth. You are not the situation you are dealing with. You are, however, responsible for your own personal universe and as such have free will to change it based on your level of consciousness and ability of direct manifestational change. REMEMBER WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE, a spark of God-Source.

This has been and continues to be my journey, and I have made the conscious choice and effort to continue the fight, not giving in to the negative consciousness. As a practical nature, some of this choice involves removing myself from the 24/7/365 information cycles of our times, and only allowing that which is positive and uplifting to enter my life and consciousness. The rest of it has to do with practicing my daily spiritual rituals and exercises that keep me in balance and above the fray. My ongoing discussions are not as much about the mechanics (though there may be some helpful suggestions shared and considered along the way) as much as it is about making sure you keep the faith, the focus, and continue to fight the good fight. We’re all in this together; we are all ONE. My love goes out to all of you and I look forward to your continued dialogue and insights as we respectively pay it forward. Blessed be and Namaste.

Spiritual Equilibrium (A State of Grace)

In my last entry I talked about the importance of remaining vigilant in ones daily quest for spiritual balance and enlightenment; that Heaven must be re-won everyday. As we move directly into the celebration of the birth of the Christ child, it is worth noting that this wonderful being, this Christ consciousness known as Jesus (Yeshua) who was incarnated so long ago to bring light and love to the world and its people, is a symbol (template) for how we all should approach our lives. Now I’m not talking about overcoming original sin or anything of that nature; this is not a doctrine that I espouse or accept as my reality, as my truth. We all have choices and those choices have consequences, good or bad, right or wrong; it’s the karmic nature of things. What I’m referring to here is that beautiful and celestial state of grace; that balanced state of divine consciousness that this child of God represented then and for many still represents now. What I’m talking about is maintaining that all-important spiritual equilibrium so vital now as we move forward in our day-to-day activities and lives.

Remaining in a balanced state of being in the midst of constant challenge, struggle and turmoil is an attribute that takes daily practice and focus, but will inevitably delineate the weak from the strong, the wheat from the chaff, the awakened from the sleeper, as we move forward on this tumultuous and dichotomous cycle of ascension. Just like the opening lines of a jazz piece by saxophone great Wilton Felder states, "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you can inherit the wind", this sentiment speaks to the heart of the matter and is more true now than ever before. The wind, in this case, is that sometimes fleeting state of grace that we need to possess and maintain when confronted with dysfunctional circumstances and the people who are caught up in the limited illusion of a growing survival consciousness facing our times now.

Circumstances have made those who have lived most of their lives in comfort, now confront the harsh insecurities of financial and socio-economic downturn. People are scared right now like never before. The one upside to this potentially overwhelming dynamic is that many more individuals are being forced into the renewal of their faith, whatever their belief system may be, because for so many there is nowhere else to turn. With this reality of emotional and spiritual vulnerability, it is incumbent upon all of those who have awakened and are becoming more and more aware of their connection to Godsource and the illusion we are living in, to serve as beacons of light for those who are not yet as tapped in. Everyone has the potential for awakening, but until we go within and find our truth, the love that is within all of us through Godsource, the "net" of fear will remain. It is time for us to be the light.

On this most important celebration of the birth of the Christ child, may we all who are awakening and understanding our true identities as divine sparks of the eternal, serve as those beacons of light for so many who are looking for a way to spiritually help themselves. It’s not about finding any wise words of wisdom to say, though they are important, it’s about living your life in a state of grace and serving as a living and breathing example for others who want to be better and do better, but aren’t sure how. It’s about being that beacon of light, that wave of divine consciousness that permeates the room whenever you walk in; it’s not you, but the light and resonant vibration from Godsource that flows through you. From this day forward may you all be the enlightened, loving sparks of divine grace, a true testament to God’s loving energy and essence. Within this spiritual equilibrium will come an amazing gift for all who come in your path; a gift of love energy and an opportunity to find the love within themselves. As a beacon, the gift you receive in return comes back 1000-fold. You don’t have to say a word, just be. Here’s wishing all of you a wondrous and wonderful celebration, and a heartfelt wish for happiness and prosperity in the New Year. May you create your reality in the way that is most perfect for you.

With love, Namaste.