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 A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
A New Awareness As with any journey of discovery, there comes a time when you must leave the comfort of what you know as a light-hearted view of life to explore the true nature of your reality. With this in mind comes the realization that this newsletter must now begin to evolve to present more in-depth information so that you can further your own journey of discovery and kindle within the curiosity to explore your own spiritual truths and path. Preparing to Pass On - Death and Dying This one is difficult to write as three people dear to me prepare to leave this physical form; however it is fitting in that more people do decide to leave this existence at this time of the year. With the passing of Christmas, New Years and even birthdays people who are preparing to leave feel they have finished with the "big events" in a year and so they leave feeling they've done all that needed to be done. At some time in our lives we are separated by death from those we know and love; our parents, our siblings, our friends and even our children. We as humans understand that this will happen but we still sometimes refuse to acknowledge this aspect of our own lives. We can stand with our friends in their time of loss but when it comes to our own there is an undeniable refusal to see and accept what is happening. I know for myself when my father passed away, there was a time of denial .... seeing him in the hospital looking rosy cheeked and laughing now seems so unreal. The fact that every other time he had to be in the hospital he was never rosy cheeked never even entered my mind. Whether it was my own refusal to acknowledge what I saw or my spirit's way of insulating me from the truth before me, I can only guess but I believe it to be a combination of the two. Ultimately our response is the same .... your parents and friends are supposed to be invincible and they should always there to support and love you. They are but we suffer with accepting the loss of their physical touch and the comfort of their quiet reassurances. Having those we love reach their time of passing can cause great upset and depression, not for them but for ourselves. Together we can begin to heal any hurt, release the sense of betrayal and gain an greater understanding of the process of dying. Perhaps within this healing we can open our minds and souls to be able to hear the voice of those we love and the voice of the Divine. For those who remain We go through stages; denial, rage, grief, acceptance but these stages can be made harder by unresolved feelings of guilt and blame that we allow ourselves and others to impart to us. If you didn't get to say goodbye because you were busy attending to the day to day activities of living you can end up blaming yourself, thinking your unloving or callus, and then you roll it up into a huge ball of guilt that keeps you from hearing their spirit voice and from feeling their gentle spirit caress. It even divides you from the possibility of peace of mind to know that they will always love you. Grieving is a natural sequence of emotions. We grieve for loss of physical contact and for loss of comforting words, inspiration and actions. However everyone grieves differently. Some people will automatically be reduced to inconsolable tears and cries while others may never shed a tear, in public or in private. Each is right for the person going through the process. What we don't have the right to do is to blame ourselves for following through on the activities of life. People say no one should die alone; unfortunately many people pass away while someone just steps out for a moment. For at that time they know they can pass without someone trying to hold on to their spirit out of a misguided sense of loss. We do however have to learn how to allow those we love to pass while we are with them. Opening our hearts to all that they have done for us, all that they have stood with us for and for the knowledge that they have made a difference in someone else's life; whether you realize it or not. Learning to let someone pass with unconditional love and peace of mind is one of the greatest gifts you can give to them and to yourself. In treating death in this manner you can create a sense of peace that allows you and allows others in your family and in your circle of friends to come to terms with their own personal losses and even their own eventual death. The act of release when accompanied with love and peace erases all fear of death and gives those passing permission to go on ahead. That permission while it may be hard to face is necessary and without it we have people who will continue to prefer to die alone, even if they say differently. It is also important that you allow those passing the right to pass with dignity, no matter what their age or situation. That is to say without being forcefully kept alive because it isn't something you're prepared to deal with. This is about not keeping someone here because you want them here; this is about helping someone you love become open to returning Home and releasing their physical form. In helping someone you love to pass you ease their fears and your own heartache. When the time comes if it is possible to be there sit with them, hold their hand, tell them that you love them and that you always will. Tell them that it is okay for them to go when they are ready. Assure them that you will be fine and so will everyone else that they care about and that you know they will always be with you whether you can see them or not. Allow them to draw courage and serenity from you to go within and begin the process of separating themselves from their body. Allow them to slow their breathing and with a quiet last breath release their hold on their body and pass through the Light to go Home. Then allow yourself to grieve, in whatever manner is fitting for you, irregardless of what others say and do. Be honourable to yourself and to those you love. Ultimately know that you are loved and surrounded by Light as you heal and grow your spirit to understand this process. For those who are ready to leave For you this should be a time of peaceful release. A joyful rest for all that you have gone through, for all that you have learned, for all that you have loved and lost. It is a time of graduation for now you can shed the bonds of a physical form that has served you through your life. It may not have been the healthiest body but it was yours to use. It allowed you to accomplish many of the tasks you set out to do and to help those people that you believed you could help. This time can be both sad and happy; for in leaving you leave behind your current loves and defining situations but you get to connect with those loves you thought were gone forever. There are many stories of people saying that they have seen their spouses, parents and hundreds of others waiting for them. With all of this in mind we can approach this event with less trepidation and fear. So as you prepare to leave this form, I'm going to ask you to go through a process of release. It is a release from pain given and pain received, from hurts real or imagined, from wrongs done to wrongs endured. It may sound hard and for those who remain here it may be difficult to understand but by going through the process of release we will give you permission to pass gently and with dignity from this life to something new. As in the last newsletter when we dealt with forgiveness this too is a large part of it. The difference is here we have a life time worth of events to go through; however it need not be as daunting a task as it seems. It is true that at one time or another we have all spoken words or done something that we wish we could take back. It's inevitable; it's part of the human form and psyche. This is a time to talk about it. You don't have to go into details with those who weren't involved but by facing the event as it happened and not just from your point of view, you can forgive the emotions, the hurts, the words and/or the deeds. You can even ask someone who is close to you send an apology if it's possible. If it isn't possible at least by sharing it, you open your heart and mind to the truth and in that truth you release cares and hidden guilt. A lot of this reminiscing will be internal. It's something of a private matter between yourself and God/Goddess/Source; it is finding and making peace. That is one thing we can and should do for ourselves before we leave this life. As you review the events of your life you may also come to notice that there were many joys interspersed; the joy of your first accomplishment as a young child, your high school graduation, your first love, your marriage, your first home or holding a newly born child. You may not remember much of it but your soul does and it is important to allow all of these joys to come to mind and to feel that joy fill you. For in sharing and reliving those joys you can find the strength to view some of the unpleasant events. The actual process of letting go of the physical form is in fact a natural process. It is something that the soul remembers for it has done this many times whether you remember it or not. As your breath slows and grows shallower, you will find that your spirit begins to pull away from the body's extremities. Physical sensations still register in some part of the mind but you are still slightly removed from them. You know who is there. You can feel their gentle touch and you can hear what they say. As your spirit gathers its self toward your center, you may find an excitement growing. As your spirit mind expands to its fullness a golden tunnel opens from the body and it leads you up and out of the body with the same feeling as if you were taking flight. The tunnel take you Home. There are no tears, only understanding, joy, peace and love.
We all go through the process of being born, living, and dying. Each experience is different but their basis of understanding is universal. So to you I offer my love, my support and the peace that comes from understanding and knowledge. To those I love who will be passing or have passed, I say thank you for being part of my life. For you have helped to remind me how to be courageous, how to follow through with strength of conviction and you have reminded me of the power and peace found belief. Thank you.
CRYSTALS Opal Opals are unique in the crystal world. Their ability to display a wide range of iridescent colours is unique and so is the fact that it can contain up to 30% moisture. This moisture is what gives opals their stunning almost hypnotic iridescence. Most opals are to be found in Australia but deposits have been found in Mexico and Brazil. Opal can range in colours from translucent to white to yellow to red and even to black; however the iridescent colours within each crystal can range from blue, to green and to all the other colours of the rainbow. Ancient mythology claims that the iridescence in the crystals are the remains of the tears the gods. When used as a crystal of healing, Opals have the ability to open up many of the glands in the body. It is however linked primarily to the heart and digestive systems of the body. When used for healing the heart it can feel like a gentle healing salve. For the digestive system it has been used to open the acid and bile ducts and to enhance the enzymes that help with the break-down of foods. It is rare for opals to be used in healing but it is possible with a highly skilled healer; as the healer must be conscious at all times of the effect on the person being healed. If at any time the wearer becomes uncomfortable or jittery the opal must be removed from the body to allow a state of calm to return. As a meditation crystal Opals can be very beneficial; because of its water content the spirit finds it an easy to crystal to connect with and it opens the spirit to many possibilities. Opals open the lines of psychic communication and can bring inspiration and creativity to the mind. Opals also have a tendency to intensify a wearer's emotional state; so if the person is excitable and tends to feel scatters, opals with magnify this feeling. Opals can however give added drive to those who are centered in their thinking and emotions. Opals should not be worn with other crystals. There is a tendency for the iridescence to fade if the stone comes into contact with other stones, or with the chemicals in perfumes, soaps and body care products. Opals must also be treated very gently. If by chance the crystal cracks, chips or breaks, the water content will evaporate and so will the wondrous iridescence. To cleanse opal crystals allow them to soak in warm water for about 30 minutes to an hour. Opals should not be left to sit in sunlight.
Moss Opal
A BLESSING for Candlemass/Imbolc and Spring As the spring equinox approaches the light and warmth that are returning to the Earth can allow the seeds of hope we planted earlier to take root and begin the process of becoming. "Universal Light, Christ Consciousness, spread your warmth over us like the returning sun. Inspire our hopes and dreams as young seeds within the Earth. Guide their awakening and our rebirth so that we may grow, Bring forth the warmth that bestows upon us the will, strength and knowledge to become what we envision. "
MONTHLY MEDITATION "Take This Darkness Away" "Cosmic Mother, take this Darkness away! When I sit with eyes closed, enveloped in self-created shadows, cause Thou to blaze upon me in splendor the aurora of intuition." "Mother Divine, draw aside Thy glittering veil of cosmic motion pictures and show me Thy delusion-dispersing face of mercy. O blazing Light! awaken my heart, awaken my soul, ignite my darkness, tear the veil of silence, and fill my temple with Thy glory. Heavenly Father, destroy in us the wrong thoughts of ages - that we are frail human beings. Manifest Thyself as the light behind our reason: the deep blaze of wisdom."
From Metaphysical Meditations by Paramahansa Yogananda |
