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.

Hopelessness of Hope

The "Hopeless of Hope" may seem like a strange concept. We've all said things like "I hope this finishes soon," "I hope this change comes soon," "I hope for ....," "I hope that ...." We hope for something better or for something more. We hope for change or that maybe things stay the same. So why would I title this the "Hopelessness of Hope." It seems contrary to everything we've been taught, everything we've been told and everything we've come to believe.

Hopelessness of Hope comes from the energy hidden in the words and in how our mind sets and how our spiritual selves interpret these words. When we hope for something, we are actually saying that we would like that thing to change, but we truly don't believe that they will change. When we hope, we actually prove to our spiritual selves that we have no faith in our path, no faith in our progress, and more importantly no faith in our divine right to bounty, beauty, abundance and every other blessing that comes our way.

When our spiritual self begins to believe that we are not worthy of these items, we shut the door to these opportunities and the more we repeat these phrases the more the door will stay closed to us. Even when we can say aloud that we believe we are entitled and worthy, our spirit and mind will say "No" because we have reinforced hopelessness by repeatedly saying "I hope." Basically, when we hope we discount all that has been good in our lives and all the possibilities that have or will present themselves to us. Ultimately, this leads not only to a lack of faith but also to fear. Fear begins to rule our life and our actions, whether we admit it to ourselves or not.

As we know, fear is the great crippler. It not only closes us to living a spiritual life but to the possibility of living any life we would consider worth having. We bind our progress to fear and when we do this we cut ourselves off from Grace, and all other types of blessings. We begin to feel trapped, hopeless and helpless. We doubt ourselves and the Divine.

This isn't to say that life should be easy, we know it isn't. We know that we have changed and grown. If we look truthfully at our lives, can we really say that we are in the exact same place we were a decade ago, or a few years ago, or a year ago, or even yesterday? Of course we aren't, life doesn't work that way, physically or spiritually. Hence nothing is hopeless and nothing needs to be hoped for. We move forward and slide back a bit every once in a while and sometimes even change course totally, but we are still further ahead and we ourselves have changed. Our system of beliefs have changed and our perception of the world is changing. We must begin to separate ourselves from the expectations of family and society and from what the "experts" say. Not that we need to discount them but not all experts have managed to combine their spiritual lives into the "working, waking world." That indeed will prove to be a daunting but attainable task in which we will all have a role to play.

The life we have chosen now combines both physical and spiritual aspects. We need to adapt our thoughts and speech to reflect this or we will be stuck in the seemingly hopeless mess and drama of day to day living. If we keep concentrating just on the unenviable situations that we are faced with we forever feel hopelessness. So what do we do and say to break this cycle of "hoping?"

Firstly we must remove the word hope from our vocabulary. Replacing "I hope..." with "I know...", "I'm sure...", "It is...", "It's okay..." begins the process of retraining our minds and spirit to accept that change is not only possible but that it is in effect happening. It may not happen as quickly as we like or in the manner that we want it to but each situation is evolving. That evolution is what inspires our spiritual growth and it also offers a measure of peace as we go through the less favourable events that we all must face. Expressing trust and faith in the eventual desired outcome must also become part of our everyday thought and speech patterns. We must however be conscious of our speech and thoughts at all times for it is too easy to slip into the "I hope ... and yes I know it is getting better or moving..." The problem with statements like these is that we've actually started the negation process all over again before we've even managed to express the whole concept. Our words and thoughts are very important if we want to move into the world and life we have envisioned. It is only by the constant process of auditing our thoughts and speech that will allow us to escape the need to "hope" and move toward the life we desire.

I bid you peace as you evolve and have faith in your wondrous life journey. Blessings.

CRYSTALS

Wulfenite

Wulfenite is a very rare and delicate stone. It can be found in many colours ranging from orange, to red, to yellow, to gray and brown. There are even some samples that are colourless. Wulfenite is distinctive in it's appearance with the squarish, blade like crystals. Most Wulfenite comes to us from the United States and Mexico.

As a tool for physical healing, Wulfenite has no specific healing attributes. However, it does have the capability to preserve and rejuvenate energy which in itself may aid in the healing processes of the body. To the mind and mental processes, Wulfenite is an extremely useful and power stone. Wulfenite can aid in accepting the less favourable events of life and can aid in releasing feelings of hopelessness, and despondency. Wulfenite can provide the user with a little added energy in order to face unpleasant, negative situations. When the user becomes unbalanced because of stored anger and frustrations, Wulfenite is often used to rebalanced their outlook to see the balance of positive and negative in each situation they encounter.

Spiritually, Wulfenite has been used to facilitate moving between the physical and physic planes of existence. It can aid in communication, intuition and in accessing the Akashic records for past, present and future events. Wulfenite can also aid the user to recognize, reconnect with and understand the agreements entered into by souls before they reach the physical plane. For example, if you are to reconnect with someone in this life, Wulfenite aids in clarifying each soul's role and in bonding them together until the lessons and purposes have been completed. Wulfenite can also allow the user to understand and release that other soul when the agreement has been fulfilled. For use in "White Magic," Wulfenite can assist in enhancing formal rituals and in regaining both knowledge and skills that were part of a previous life. It can also aid in healing any negative experiences from past lives that dealt with persecution of practices both magical and other wise.

Wulfenite is a very fragile crystal and therefore must be cleaned by delicate means, if at all. As Wulfenite is not used for any specific healing; this is a stone that should remain your own personal means of connection and focus. Smudging, resting in full sun or resting on a bed of salt crystals would be the best way to cleanse any residual energy and then only if needed.

Wulfenite

Blessing for Candlemass and Spring

The celebration of Candlemass/Imbolc (Ground Hog Day) was traditionally the time when planning would start for the growing season ahead. Today we use the season to decide what we would like to manifest into our lives this year. We also begin to welcome the days as they grow noticeably longer and as the chill of winter slowly gives way to spring. As the sun's warmth begins its return we rejoice in all that life has to offer. Celebrate the warming sun, limitless potential and life itself.

"Universal Light, Christ Consciousness, be with us now,

guide us through this wondrous season of change and possibility.

Help us to see the truth of possibility in our life.

Help us to know that our options are not limited by any outside force save for our own beliefs.

Help us to make the choices that are best suited to our life paths,

so that we may celebrate our lives with joy and Grace.

Blessed be."

MONTHLY MEDITATION

"Season of Promise "

"Sitting watching the world through a frosted window, I feel the heat of the returning sun.

It's warmth chases away all thoughts of frosty mornings. I see the sun rise earlier each morning and

last just a bit longer in the sky each evening. A change is upon us. Wonderful change.

The winds feel less cold and gardeners begin to talk of planting their gardens.

Yes, we remember this time, for this the season of promise. Promise of new beginnings, promise of new challenges,

promises of wondrous bounty, promises of new life. We soon will see it in the budding of the trees,

and with the bloom of early crocuses and tulips. Promise floats of the last of the cool winter winds.

The time for hibernation is ending and it is time to stretch ourselves into this new season,

where anything is possible. For this is our season of promise. "

February 2011