A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

A New Awareness

As 2015 begins we may find ourselves full of hope for the new year and for all the promises that this new beginning brings. It will be important to remember that while there will be new beginnings, there will also be many more endings. Many of these ending may indeed seem overwhelming but are truly part of the re-balancing needed within our own spirits. The energy changes and shifts will still continue although they should not fluctuate like those of 2014. Again of year of change is upon us and it is important to be calm and loving as each of us travels along our life path.

A Wasted Life

Can we really waste a life? This question was brought to mind while listening to an early morning service my mother was watching. The sermon talked about a man who had been wasting his life. I began to wonder about the concept of a wasted life. If I don't do what I planned, does that constitute a wasted life? If I suffer with an illness and my journey changes or ends early, have I wasted my life? What about if I settle into a routine; marry, have children and live a simple life when I could have been a lawyer or doctor or something similar that could change people's lives? Why do we constantly criticize our lives and the lives of others? How do we determine if we have wasted our lives? Are we in any position to tell another person that they've wasted their lives when they don't fulfil our expectations?

Perhaps that has the simplest to answer. The answer is in the question itself. "Our expectations." When we talk about other lives it can be easy to say "Oh you had so much potential why would you waste it doing or not doing .. whatever?" The verdict of a wasted life lays not within the actual living of a life but within society's expectations of each individual and on the demands we place upon ourselves.

Society expects us to excel and exceed expectations. They want us to celebrate and be the best we can be and it something that we want for ourselves also. Yet if the best we can be is less than what those around us will accept, we fall prey to judgment. Unfortunately the judgment is not a quick and simple act. It can and often does become a continuing criticism of our life, our decisions and what other people see as missed opportunities. Like missed opportunities, things are not always as they seem. What is known is that this type of talk and criticism, even from ourselves, becomes as nasty and abusive when we hear it. Sometimes it can be even worse.

We allow ourselves and our journeys to be judged and measured by the standards that society deems appropriate. Where we fail ourselves is in remembering that society for the most part, is judged on success. Success being defined as the standards that say we must have more, do more, be more, experience more, and yet condones us for being weak in the face of illness, pain, trauma and even our choices. Our frail sense of self can become crippled by the criticism and judgments of others and when our voice joins in it grows to overwhelming proportions. It feeds our sense of defeat and betrayal even if nothing has occurred.

With all the demands of society it really isn't very hard to see why we will all experience a "wasted" life at some point. It may last a few weeks, a few months, a few years or even a few decades. Still there is a reason for those times of inaction, those times of staying within the comfort of our known lives. That answer lays within our own spirit and it's knowledge of what is ahead.

We are spirit beings having a human experience ... its a quote we hear often and yet we only give it credence when it suits us. The reality is that it is the one constant in our lives. We are spirit and our journey through this life and whatever other lives we've experienced haven't been for the faint of heart. We have journeyed vast oceans of growth. We've seen lives that have taken us to the pinnacle of life , to the depths of despair, and through the vast space in between. Yet here we are, again. A willing, sometimes reluctant participant in a pattern of growth and understanding.

In having this type of life we have to re,e,remember that the trials and tribulations we face may at times be daunting and there are times when we will seek and need the time of inactivity, the time of comfort and a time to stay still for it is during these times that we can see the ever-changing patterns that we have sometimes spent lifetimes fighting against. In these times the quiet wins out over the need to fight to change or to grow. It is simply a time when our spirit comes back to being in balance. Sometimes its a new balance, one that wasn't expected or desired at the outset. Sometimes is a rest for what will become a powerful, life altering catalyst, either for ourselves or for others.

So is there such a thing as a wasted life? No, I don't believe there is. Our stalling may take our life to unexpected places but is it truly something that we didn't plan? Our time within what society would deem as a wasted life, is really a time of rest for the spirit. A time of reorganizing memories from lifetimes of experience that give us the knowledge that growth is coming and that when we do move we will shine in ways unexpected for all to see.

I bid you peace as you work through your journey and realize that nothing is wasted. Blessings.

CRYSTALS

Jade (Revisited)

Jade is a very common crystal and it is well known to many cultures. Of course when we think of Jade most of us will think of the orient. Indeed China has had a long history of using Jade, both as jewelry and as works of art. Jade comes in many colours though green and red are most common, but Jade can also be orange, white, brown, blue, violet and black. Historically Jade was seen as a stone of healing and of luck and in many parts of the world it still is. While most Jade comes from China and other parts of Asia, some of the rarer varieties can come from Canada, New Zealand, Russia and the Middle East.

As a tool for physical healing, Jade is well known as a strong support for kidney function. Many crystal elixir practitioners recommend Jade water first thing in the morning to help the kidneys flush toxins from the body. Before trying this at home please consult a practitioner. Jade has been used by women during childbirth to help control the loss of blood. Jade is also used to help the body heal from surgery and to support the adrenal system. Jade will help to balance bodily fluids to ensure salts and acid/alkaline ratios are maintained. Jade is great for body detoxification. Jade can also help with creating healthy sleep patterns; for a restful sleep place a Jade crystal in the centre of the forehead for about 15 - 20 minutes before trying to go to sleep.

Spiritually, Jade is a crystal that helps calm the mind. Jade can also aid in releasing preconceived prejudices while promoting a sense of justice. Jade has a strong calming effect on the mind and allows for the flow of ideas to deal with life's problems. Jade is also a crystal of friendship and companionship allowing the mind and spirit to accept people and ideas. Jade is also used for opening up awareness for our spirit's journey and in being able to sort out what belongs to spirit and what belongs to the human condition.

Jade should be cleansed when it becomes cloudy or opaque or if it doesn't seem to warm up while being held. Simply rinse under warm running water and allow the Jade to sit on a raw piece of Amethyst or within an Amethyst geode for a few hours or overnight.

Jade

Thoughts for June & July

Summer is here and how we have waited for its arrival. The sun and warmth invite us out into the world to play and make it our own! Early summer is a time when we begin to see the results of our planning and preparation that took us through the spring. Life is becoming abundant and we begin to see the changes in our lives spiritually. Many of us have felt like we were on a roller coaster ride with the energy shifts and solar flares that have been a very real part of our lives for the first half of the year. Yet while some of us will experience a slowing down of the effects many others are coming to a point of change and decision. Many changes will be thrust upon us even if we were working toward the same outcome. The quick changes that come may be upsetting to some, for there will be a need to finally let go of hidden triggers and blockages. It really is difficult to hold on to something that no longer exists.

With that done, summer is still a time of fun and enjoyment. Our spirits will want to climb and soar in the gentle breezes that whisper of dreams and desires ahead. We can face the world and the summer with heart, mind, and spirit of a child. Seek the simple everyday joys that life brings, while we prepare our minds and souls for an abundant harvest.

MONTHLY MEDITATION

"This Moment"

"This moment exists and it calls to me to see it for what it is.

An instant in time, outside of the constraints of the ticking of the clock.

In this moment, the world and myself are complete.

The world shutters with a new dawn and a glorious sunset.

It sees both light and dark, both life and death.

It is compete and in and of itself, perfect.

When I look to myself, my human side calls to me to look forward or backward.

But I do not exist in either of those times.

I exist in the here and now; breathing, seeing, feeling, hearing and tasting life.

The love that surrounds me is a bonus that the Divine and the world grant to me.

I am complete, whole and well within this moment."

June 2015