Maria Duval - Are The Stars Out Tonight? Reconnecting With The Power Of Mystery

Are The Stars Out Tonight? Reconnecting With The Power Of Mystery
On a crisp June night I?m lying in my sleeping bag at 10,000 feet in the Sierra?s Desolation Wilderness. Here, far from the light and haze of the Bay Area, the sky is deep black, but thick with twinkling dots and dim wisps of cottony light. When I look from the corner of my eye, the dim lights become more defined, easier to perceive as stars. To count them all would take years, if it was even possible. The number seems incomprehensible. And the mystery of what could exist out there, somewhere, at once inspires and humbles me.

Enthralled by the night sky, I struggle to keep my eyes open, knowing with a disquieting certainty that upon my return to the ?real? world my focus will be drawn steadily and relentlessly away from the mysteries of the night sky.

The real world of responsibilities, work, relationships and bills provides a powerful distraction from the mystery of the night sky and the mystery of our lives. This point was driven home, recently, when I heard the following two intriguing but contradictory statements in the same day.

First, in a recording, Carolyn Myss observed that this is the first time in which entire generations will grow up without seeing the stars! Imagine growing up in a big, bright city, without the resources to leave, surrounded by light, smog and tall buildings that blot out all but the most determined of the celestial objects.

The second statement I heard came later that day, in an NPR story about the Hubble Space Telescope. A lead scientist for the telescope explained how, since the dawn of humanity we have been seeking to understand the origin of the Universe. This, he said, is the first time that we do understand it. We can see the spectral remnants from the Big Bang and actually listen to the sounds of the Universe moments after its formation.

What a strange world we have dreamed into existence. Our technology and science enables us to unravel the secrets of the stars while simultaneously creating communities that will never see them. As our understanding of our world and the Universe has expanded, we have, as a culture, become disconnected from the inherently mysterious nature of our existence. And as individuals we run the risk of losing touch with the powerful force of mystery in our lives.

When was the last time you laid out at night gazing into the sky? When was the last time you attempted to count the stars, or trace the outline of Ursa Major? When was the last time you wondered who or what might be out there in the vast reaches of space, or what your place is within this Universe?

Mystery is a source of power for humans. We draw creativity, passion, healing and inspiration from the Unknown. Artists, scientists, inventors and philosophers all speak of the mysterious nature of discovery, creation and problem solving. Shamans and Healers of all cultures understand that the unknown holds the power to heal and transform the Soul, Mind and Body. When we lose touch with that mystery, we lose touch with a source of personal and communal power.

Passion, too, comes from Mystery. Consider your intimate relationships, past or present. It is not the daily encounters or the practical matters that keep a relationship growing. Nor is it the moments of tenderness and intimacy. These are all integral parts of a relationship, forming the foundation and structure. But it is in the moments of Mystery and Discovery that the flame of passion is refueled: It is when your lover surprises you with a perfect gift. Or when you catch an unexpected glimpse of your partner kneeling over a flower to inhale its aroma. The door to Mystery opens also when your partner displays her anger for the first time, or when he trusts you with the sharing of a grief long held hidden.

These moments when you encounter something new and surprising about your lover take the relationship deeper into the mystery and are the moments of growth and renewal for each of you as individuals. It may be love that sustains a relationship, but it is the glimpses into the mystery that refuels love. Relationships begin to stagnate and die, not when love fades, but rather, when the doorway into the Mystery remains closed for too long.

This is equally true in your personal life. When you close the door that leads to your personal mysteries, you deprive yourself of a source of power and passion. One way to reopen that door, or open it wider, is to embrace the mysteries around you. How does a tiny acorn transform itself into a majestic oak tree? How do the birds know when it is time to migrate? How does this computer do what it does? What waits for us in the vast reaches of space?

Do not believe that the scientists know everything. If Christopher Columbus had accepted the prevailing wisdom of his day, he never would have set sail. If Einstein had believed the existing theories of matter, space and time, he would not have formulated the theory of relativity.

Bask in the mysteries. Challenge existing assumptions. Discover your own answers. Become curious and childlike when something intrigues you. Begin to open the door to the external mysteries and the door to your personal mysteries will soon follow. When it does, you will have access to a vast source of inspiration, creativity, and power.

Edward Mills, MIM, is a life coach, teacher and speaker, empowering people to more joyfully and abundantly share their essential gifts with the world. You can sign up for his monthly ezine, Evolving Times, at his website: http://www.edwardmills.com or blog: http://www.evolvingtimes.com

Clairvoyance | Voluntary And Involuntary Clairvoyance
The direct translation of the word ?clairvoyance? is ?clear sight?.It is defined as the ability to perceive or even see with the ?mind?s eye? something that is going on in a remote location without any previous knowledge of the event. Most paranormal professionals and enthusiasts believe that psychic ability resides (albeit unlocked) within every human being. Their belief is that most people do not tap into their clairvoyance because they are either too unaware or unwilling to unveil it, and that it takes perseverance to develop one?s own personal psychic abilities. In other words, everyone has a second sight but it has to be awakened. Don?t worry ? you don?t have to obtain a tarot reading or call a psychic phone reading line. It just takes some introspection.

There are two basic types of clairvoyant abilities ? voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary clairvoyance is generally seen as a good, positive thing whereas involuntary is usually considered dark, negative, and possibly even dangerous. Most psychics maintain that voluntary clairvoyance is obtained through good, healthy, and generous living, plus the willingness to reach deep within one?s own psyche and see invisible things. Involuntary clairvoyance is forced upon its victim, and the person has no control over when and where it happens. In this state, the involuntarily clairvoyant person is generally believed to be open to malevolent spiritual influences and may face the danger of being totally possessed by a malicious being.

Many people trying to develop their clairvoyant abilities tend to assume that once they have had a breakthrough, they will now know everything that is going to happen for the rest of their lives. Learned psychics urge: This is not the truth! It takes caution and proper cultivation of the psychic abilities to have a healthy connection to the unseen world. It is also important not to push your limits or the limits of the unseen energy surrounding you. People who study the paranormal insist that to do so is to play with fire and possibly invite dark influences into your life. These people usually put it something like this: In the physical world, things are not as subject to change as they are in the unseen world or ? as some call it ? the world of desires. Because of this, professional clairvoyants and studiers of the paranormal world insist that people serious about developing their clairvoyance be trained before they try anything too advanced.

Many parapsychologists suggest that human beings are born clairvoyant and most remain so at least for the first year of life. Dependent on his or her environment and his or her own development of personal spirituality, the child may maintain this increased level of sensitivity or see it diminish, if not disappear entirely. These psychics suggest that it takes positive clairvoyance to truly and accurately interpret the unseen world, and warn against the accidental cultivation of negative energy and involuntary or negative clairvoyance that invite negativity and evil influences into the lives of everyone involved.

Clairaudience is a similar type of psychic ability, except that it entails hearing things that are otherwise invisible or inaudible to other people. Considered by many psychics to be the voices of spirits in another world, most people claim to hear the voices in their minds or ?inside? their heads, rather than through their physical ears ? although some claim to hear as though it were from the physical world, despite the lack of a sensory source.

Malcolm Moorhouse is a professional psychic, tarot and astrology reader with over 16 years experience. Email: psychic@psychics4you.co.uk Web: www.psychics4you.co.uk www.psychicreading4you.co.uk

Meditation The Easy Way To Relieve Stress
Have you ever been so stressed out from work, kids, relationships or the other millions of things that you just want to pull your hair out? I know you have, we all have. When we are upset by someone at work or in society, danger signals are sent to our brain and our heart starts beating faster and our blood pressure rises. However, we don’t usually run away and we usually don’t start fighting physically. We hold it all in, perhaps showing a smile on the outside. If this is kept up all day, the stress builds and if it continues over a long time it can damage our heart. There is a very easy, relaxing solution to relieve the pressures of modern day life, and it has been there the whole time, its meditation. Many people all around the world use different techniques to meditate but the end result is very similar - “Relaxation”. One of the most popular ways is by listening to meditation cds. You may be thinking you just don’t have time to meditate, but trust me if you just start making a few minutes a day to lock yourself away and find the peace within yourself it will be well worth its weight in gold. If you just start out meditating for a few minutes at a time and stick with it you will find that it is so enjoyable and relaxing you will find it is hard to pull yourself away from it. You’ll soon find that you look forward to grabbing your favorite meditation cd and sitting back to seek peace and harmony. To practice meditation we don’t need to follow a particular religion; anybody can meditate, the only requirement is our conscious aspiration to silence the thoughts of the mind. In fact, one of the important aspects of meditation is that it is a form of sense withdrawal. When you become adept at this technique it relieves stress and is just as effective as going away to the top of a forested mountain or sitting alone on a sandy beach. You’ll find that many meditation cds will take you away to beautiful special places in your mind…more beautiful than you can imagine without experiencing it yourself. There are many positive results that you will get from meditating, besides just a relaxation tool. If you can teach yourself to focus on goals you would like to achieve or something you would like to improve about yourself you will find many answers to a great number of things in the silence of meditation. For thousands of years people have been using this method to obtain the things that they want and the things that they dream of. Many great leaders in history and very successful people have been using meditation to do their most productive thinking and soul searching. Some say there is no connection to the universal energy like the one you will find when develop the skills of a very deep relaxing meditation. Walking meditation is also becoming more popular these days because you can get both mental and physical benefits and some say it is more effective as it is easier for most people to be more intense and more easily aware of their bodies while walking, as compared to sitting. It is truly amazing some of the story’s I have heard about people that have overcome illness and many other disorders with simple meditation. A real possibility of a compassion and wisdom-based world exists, replacing the fear-based world that we find ourselves living in, but it has to begin with each of us taking the time to understand our “selves.” It is one thing to talk about peace and love but it is only when we meditate that we can experience these qualities as a living reality. Our ability to meditate is not some special skill out of human reach. Every human being looking for peace in life should practice meditation and experience how it will relieve mental stress and suffering. To find out more about meditation and get some very helpful tools including some wonderful meditation cds to get you started in finding real inner peace go to www.easy-meditation-cd.com.

To find out more about meditation and get some very helpful tools including some wonderful meditation cds to get you started in finding real inner peace go to www.easy-meditation-cd.com

The divine fruits of meditation
The best way to achieve the Sreyokarma or the liberating karma is through the meditation. And meditating will lead us to the eternal and sacred path of soul's happiness. As a fruit of the meditation the mind will withdraw from the sensorial world and will reach joy, happiness and truth and will not be disturbed any more by sorrow and greed. Meditation should be practiced with enthusiasm faith and care, following strictly the established disciplines. Some think that the benefits of the meditation are that they will be able to easily satisfy their mundane wishes. But that is a great mistake, because the meditation and the repetition of the name of God are meant to acquire an undivided attention in God, to freedom us from the sensorial bonds therefore reaching happiness in God. We mustn't practice meditation with the idea of obtaining earth's fruits; we must meditate looking towards inside of us, until we become able to contemplate the soul’s blessedness. Do not pay attention to the time that it takes to reach the objective, just practice with faith and persistence until God's grace falls over you. Three forms exist of following the meditation's path: The Satvic path, where you consider that the repetition of God's name and the meditation, are duties that you have to do. That our life in earth is an illusion and you only wish and do good to everyone loving them, and not even do it for the fruits. The Rajasic path, where every step that you give, you give it because of the fruits that that will provide you. (With this attitude you will gradually loose the desire of practicing meditation) The Tamasic path where you only remember God when you are in danger or suffering, and as soon as you get rid of the problems you forget God. (Those that are in this path will never be able to purify their minds). Meditating will allow you to get reed of the ignorance, layer after layer, but in order to achieve that you must be equipped with good habits, discipline, and high ideals. When we develop the interest and pleasure of meditating, then we achieve a will and a strength, bigger than the effort of meditating. Sathya the truth is so comforting, that when we reach it, there isn't any more a meditation, a meditator or an object of the meditation, because they all become One. The atmic blessedness is the goal and the fruit of the meditation. The human being that reaches that becomes pure, free from suffering and divine. Then he will find happiness within himself, because the meditation will help him discover within himself the fountain of blessedness, he will be able to submerge himself into his inherent divine state, and become a Mahatma (a great soul). From there on he will be free and realized, and will live in blessedness and peace. That's the fruit of meditation! Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi

You will find many articles about meditation like this one, at Dr. Bonomi's web site: http://www.rb-meditation.com This article may be reprinted provided no changes are made and this resource box is included in full.

How Do We Control Unwanted Thoughts?
Most of us have the problem that, from time to time, we are troubled by the encroachment into our minds of thoughts that we really do not want. Getting rid of them, however, can be a protracted problem and we therefore need the help of Scripture to deal with them. Enlisting The Help Of Paul In 2 Corinthians 10:3 - 5 Paul says: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV) Anyone in a fight needs weapons of some sort. So in Ephesians 6. 14 - 18, Paul details some of the weapons we have available for warfare and most readers will be familiar with the belt of truth, with the breastplate of righteousness, and with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We are also told to take up the shield of faith to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one and the helmet of salvation plus the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We may be very familiar with these verses, but they will stand to be read anew, from our present, specific standpoint of dealing with thoughts. Applying The Lessons Our purpose is to take every thought captive. When a captive is taken in war, the individual is first recognised as a member of the opposing force. He is arrested, then he is first bound so that his movements are restricted. Then he is interrogated, and then imprisoned for the duration of the conflict. We need to proceed similarly. As soon as we recognise a foreign thought (in the sense of it not belonging to the spirituality of a disciple of Christ), we must arrest that thought, then confront it, and restrict its rights and freedom. We can do all this using the weapons and defensive equipment which Paul has detailed for us. First, Paul tells us that we have truth, likened to a belt round our waist, but still part of our weaponry. We need to ask, therefore, whether the thought is a truthful one? Even if it is truthful, there may be reasons why we do not wish to entertain it. If we cannot substantiate it as true, then it is certainly an enemy. Secondly, is it a righteous thought? Righteousness acts like a breastplate, defending us from that which would pierce us. In practice it means acting (and thinking!) always in ways of which God approves. Being righteous means being able to stand before the Father, being upright before him. Therefore we ask if this thought undermines that ability? If so, it is one which needs to be taken captive; we do that by deliberately refusing it permission to be active in our mind. How? We recognise that the promise of salvation has been won for us by Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on the cross and from the tomb is like a soldier’s helmet which protects his head. Our remembrance of salvation and our intention never to put it at risk, reinforces our determination against evil thoughts which are like deadly blows from the enemy rained down on our head. Faith is as a shield to use against that which is directed against us. Every illicit thought falls into that category. But a shield used to be used in very close cooperation with a soldier’s sword, which is why Paul likens the word of God to a sword. So the practicality of this is that we draw out an appropriate word from the arsenal of living words which God has given in Scripture. Just as a soldier might have various kinds of swords for dealing with different kinds of enemies and their defences, so we have a choice, but a far wider choice, of which sword to use. In other words, using the weapon of faith we call on God’s promises: ... wash me and I shall be whiter than snow... A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. (Psalm 52. 9, 11.) (New American Bible). If we cry out to God he will hear us, as the psalmist knew. In faith we can rely on his word that he will cleanse us. Some thoughts we find impossible to deal with, but there is nothing he cannot take captive, if we have the faith to expect him to do it. We should also be prepared to do our part: by refusing to allow these thoughts to have residence in our minds, by rejecting them every time we realise their presence, and by calling on the Lord each and every time we are under attack from them. Finally, we need to ask the other troops to come to our defence. A soldier in war who is slow to ask for reinforcements when he needs them is a dead soldier. When they need it, we should pray for our fellow Christians; when we need their prayers we should be quick to ask for them. All this might seem to be a lengthy process. But in practise, we are, or should be, or should be becoming, very quick to recognise every enemy thought. Some kinds of thoughts will be repeated, and are therefore easily identifiable. We need to find the right scriptures through which to call on God to defeat the enemy. Over time, as we grow in spiritual awareness, we shall recognise more thoughts and thought patterns as enemies, and we shall find God dealing with them, through our co-operation with his grace, in must the same manner.

AUTHOR: Anthony Keith Whitehead WEB SITE: http://www.christianword.co.uk This article is copyright but may be reproduced providing that all this information is included Over twenty-five years in Christian healing teaching writing ministries. Wide range of secular employments before being called by the Lord into full time independent ministry in 1987. With his wife Iris he has ministered both in the UK and USA. Has written several books on healing meditation and various aspects of spirituality. Formal qualifications include: B.A. M.Phil. Cambridge University Certificate in Religious Studies. Post Grad Cert. in Education.

Ten Reasons to Meditate
Meditation is the practice of lowering one’s brain frequency from a waking Beta state to a slower Alpha state. Just as a heart beats a certain number of beats per minute, the brain pulses a certain amount of brainwaves per second. In the Beta waking state, brainwaves vary from 15 to 40 cycles per second. In the Alpha state, brainwaves vary from 9 to 14 cycles per second.

Beta is the normal state for waking thoughts and daily activities including talking, working, and shopping. Beta is the state most people are in when in a working mode. Alpha is the slower state where an individual can reflect, meditate or ponder thoughts.

The following are 10 key benefits to daily meditation:

• Oneness with God and creation

• Stress reduction and decreased anxiety

• Reduces the noise and chatter of our waking minds

• Pain reduction and management

• Supports the immune system

• Reduces blood pressure

• Improved memory and ability to learn

• Feelings of peace, calmness and an awareness of self

• Improves moodiness and irritability

• Feelings of rejuvenation

In his book Getting in the Gap, Dr Wayne Dyer discusses how daily meditation brings us into a closer, more personal relationship with God. By knowing God, our source of being, we can find true meaning for our lives. Dr. Dyer writes, “The paramount reason for making meditation a part of our daily life is to join forces with our sacred energy and regain the power of our Source (God). Through meditation, we can tap in to an abundance of creative energy that resides within us, and a more meaningful experience of life, which enriches us permanently. By meditating, we come to know God rather than knowing about God”.

This deeper, richer, calming experience has a profound effect on body, mind and spirit. Our minds become clearer; the noise and chatter in our minds fades away. In its place come feelings of peace, calmness and a sense of awareness. We feel lighter, younger and rejuvenated. Moods brighten and irritability is eliminated paving the way for clearer thoughts, improved memory, insightfulness and creativity.

The ability to relax and calm our minds has its physical benefits as well.

As our minds our soothed, physical pain and tension are reduced or eliminated. Chronic pain including severe headaches can be completely negated. Our circulatory, cardiovascular and immune systems operate more efficiently.

The benefits of meditation are vast. In a world of daily stress and anxiety, meditation paves the way for a healthy mind, body and spirit. For healthy living, practice meditation daily.

Sharon B. Gilbert, Ph.D. is an avid researcher and writer particularly interested in the areas of women’s health, meditation, metaphysics, organic foods and cooking, and natural health remedies. She is the author of a free weekly ezine on healthy living tips. For further information or to contact the author, please visit www.Healthylifestylesfortoday.com. Copyright 2006.

19. The Importance Of Exchanging Energy
Everything around us is energy. Our universe, the planet we are living on, everything that lives on our planet, the chair we are sitting on, the clothes we are wearing, the glass we are drinking from, the substance that’s in the glass, the car we are driving, the people we meet; in short, everything is energy. Our own energy is the energy that specifically belongs to us as an individual. Continuously we tend to give that away to others, to other things, to interests, to meetings with others, to places, to books, to films, etc. Very often we tend to give our energy away to others when we express certain words or phrases. “I love you” is a good example hereof. Besides we ourselves often tend to pick up energies from others. In contrast to nature we humans constantly tinker in each other’s energy field and in this way we try to influence or manipulate others. Have you ever seen a rosy tree or a treelike rose? However we do see many, many people, who live under the strong influence of a certain person or certain people around them. They don’t live their own life, but they live the life of how someone else wants them to live. Therefore it is important that we do an energy exchange on a regular basis, meaning that after intense contact with another person or after putting energy into something or someone, we ask our own energy back and we give back the ones we picked up. The best method to do this is by means of a short meditation, during which we visualize the energy exchange. This is also beneficial for the development of the right hemisphere of the brain, which at such moments balances with the left hemisphere of the brain. Enjoy these self motivation tips that will help you to become an expert in exchanging energy. With self motivation exercise you create self motivation skills and ultimately it will help you to see from the inside out what happens in your energy field. Meditation: Close your eyes and start to breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. (if you learn to do this on a regular basis it will positively stimulate your ability to let go) 1. From your 1st chakra get in touch with your grounding-cord and feel how it goes all the way down to the centre of the Earth. Say to yourself 3 times: “I let go of everything I don’t need anymore” and feel how everything you are letting go is moving down your grounding-cord into the centre of the Earth. 2. Ask your energy field or aura to come closer (at approx. 50 cm from your body) and visualize this in front of you, in the back of you, at your sides, above you and beneath you. 3. Give the energy in your aura any colour you wish and gather all the other colours that are in it in a ball in front of your heart, and say twice: “All energy that is not mine, gather in a ball in front of my heart”. Gather all that energy in 4 breaths and remember to look well behind you and beneath you, too. 4. Lovingly and respectfully push the ball outside your aura with your left hand and say: “I lovingly send you back to wherever you come from”. (This energy knows exactly where it comes from. If a certain colour should not disappear, it is you that’s holding on to it.) 5. Next, with all the strength you have inside of you, ask your own energy back by repeating twice: “All energy that I left elsewhere, come back to me now”. Calmly breath it into your pelvis in 4 breaths and feel how it fills you up again. 6. Humbly ask Mother Earth to send you crystal energy up your grounding-cord and let it go passed your 1st chakra, up your spine, passed your other chakra’s and let it flow out your 7th (crown)chakra like a fountain, so that it refreshes your whole aura. (Again feel how the fountain of crystal energy flows through your aura in front of you, at both sides of you and behind you) 7. Always finish such meditation, just before you open your eyes, with 3 short and loud exhalations (pfff, pfff, pfff). This helps you to be totally “aware“ afterwards.

Ab van Deemter (http://www.passiontogrow.com) is a Personal Growth specialist and a spiritual person, who believes in sharing his knowledge of personal perseverance. He has studied metaphysics and other holistic methods for many, many years and embarked on a life of success. With successful tools for personal freedom he has made it past a life full of obstacles and now mentors and teaches business owners, their staff, his own employees, as well as a large group of private individuals.