Sunset at a Napa vineyard

In many spiritual circles there are overlapping interests between Awakening and the Law of Attraction, but are they compatible practices? After all, one typically uses the Law of Attraction to try get what she wants, while a path of Awakening typically includes letting go of all cravings and attachments. Can a person possibly do both at the same time?

With a sigh of relief, the short answer is “Yes!” However, the fine print on this brochure is nothing to sneeze at! In order to incorporate both you have to understand the essential truth that each path is pointing to.

“Someone who has Awakened is no longer capable of believing in their own personhood.”

So let’s start with Awakening – What does it mean to undergo spiritual Awakening? Fundamentally, it means that you have seen through the illusion of the ego, and therefore where your sense of a personal self – your sense of “I” – once sat, now there is only emptiness. Some people have deeper Awakenings than others, and over time some will embody that Awakening and live from Awake consciousness more fully, but in all cases someone who has Awakened is no longer capable of believing in their own personhood. Life goes on much as it always did, but there is no one left to be identified with that life anymore.

What does this have to do with cravings and attachment? To begin, the ego’s existence is made possible by the illusion of separateness – the sense we have of being essential separate from each other and from the divine Source of creation. Therefore, because the ego is so completely cut off from Source, it is impossible for the ego to exist in anything but utter lack. From here it is easy to see how lack begets need, and in turn how need begets attachment. In other words, we get attached to things because we think we need them, and we think we need them because we are in lack, and we are in lack because we are identified with an ego that is cut off from the one and only infinite Source of everything. Et voila! From this basic formula the entire stage is set for all of our many human dramas.

“Each of us is the divine love that created the entire universe.”

As for the Law of Attraction, the essential truth behind it is very similar to that of Awakening, which is that we are all aspects of the same Source. There is no separation between us and the Divine – indeed, each of us is the divine love that created the entire universe. It is only the illusion of separation that makes it so difficult to see this on a daily basis. But regardless of what we know consciously, as aspects of the One we are all creating this universe, each in our own tiny corner of it. And because we are all the One, whatever we create is synchronized perfectly with what every other aspect that the One is creating.

So the “Law of Attraction” could more accurately be called the “Law of One Creator.” We do not “attract” certain things to us, we create from the depths of our being, and the universe finds a way to make sure that what each of us is creating aligns with what everyone around us is creating.

“Each of us is expressing our inner consciousness at all times, and what we express is what we create.”

And how exactly do we do this “creating” thing? Through expression. Each of us is expressing our inner consciousness at all times, and what we express is what we create. Some of us express through artistic creations, some through technological innovations, some by bringing order to chaos, and others by bringing chaos to order! If you have a deep-seated wound, it will express itself by re-creating the circumstances of that wound over and over again, until it has finally resolved itself. If you have a certain talent or gift, it might pressure you to let it out and play! If you express love, you will find yourself surrounded by loving people; if you express hatred, only the hateful will enjoy spending time with you.

So now that we understand the essential truths behind Awakening and the Law of Attraction, it becomes easier to see how the two might intersect. Whatever the nature of your inner consciousness, it will express itself and thereby create certain outcomes. A consciousness that is deeply identified with the ego will express and create the very same lack that defines the ego, so when we create from our egos, we tend to have unsatisfactory outcomes and an endless cycle of drama. If instead we create from our truest essence of love and interconnectedness, the universe meets us there and we tend to have fulfilling outcomes and peaceful, loving relations.

This is why teaching someone the Law of Attraction can be very dangerous, because a mind that is deeply identified with the ego will see the teaching as a way to get what it wants, or to have control, or to be special in some way. But of course none of this is true. You can think all the positive thoughts you want, but if beneath those thoughts is an ego-consciousness that desperately needs to fill an inner void, positive thinking will only have a fleeting impact, and eventually the lack that defines the ego will find itself back into your life.

“You cannot live a truly abundant life as long as you are creating from a place of lack, and that is all that the ego is capable of doing.”

Which brings us back to the basic question that this article is attempting to answer: How can a path of Awakening and the practices of the Law of Attraction be combined into a single practice? I see two ways in which this can work. The first is to use the patterns that emerge in your life as a way of tracking your own consciousness. For example, if you keep winding up in the same sort of abusive relationship, it is probably because you are identified with some past drama that is expressing itself and seeking resolution. Look at the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes you held as you got to know each of your abusive partners, and that will tell you what you have to let go of in order to stop re-creating that same relationship all the time.

The second way that we can combine these paths is to recognize that anything we create from ego is going to “attract” more and more lack, so instead of pointlessly going down that road we can set an intention to create from love and generosity. Rather than using the Law of Attraction to try to get the world to satisfy our needs and to banish our sense of scarcity, we can work on those issues internally, and then express – and receive! – the overflowing sense of abundance that comes from piercing the illusion of separateness and lack.

The ego is a tricky thing, and it will always find a way to distort the truth to get what it wants. There is nothing wrong with that, but obviously this is a failed strategy. You cannot live a truly abundant life as long as you are creating from a place of lack, and that is all that the ego is capable of doing. Therefore, anyone who is seeking an abundant life via the Law of Attraction must, at some point, also work on dissolving the ego and embrace a path of Awakening.

So the final answer to the question of, “Can a person follow the paths of Awakening and the Law of Attraction at the same time?” is “Yes. And in truth, there is no other option!”

Free Divine Prosperity Tele-Seminar

Learn more about how to manifest an abundant lifestyle, by first awakening from the illusion of scarcity. Visit Nathan’s Web site to sign up for the next free tele-seminar: www.healingforthesoul.com

Lightworkers have raised the vibrations of planet Earth so that more souls can walk-in than ever before!woodleywonderworks / Water Photos / CC BY

My Guides channeled a lot of interesting information about Walk-in’s for my new book, Spiritual Toolbox, and they’ve been quite clear that more and more souls are walking-in now than ever before. The fact that more and more souls are able to walk into adult bodies is a direct reflection of the hard work that Lightworkers have been doing for generations. Lightworkers have raised the vibrations of human beings and this planet to the point where it’s possible for more souls to skip childhood, and get right to work on their missions. A Lightworker’s mission is not an easy one, and we don’t often see the results of our hard work, yet changes are happening, and my Guides have shared that Spirit is continually giving the Lightworkers Brigade standing ovations for what we’ve been able to accomplish.

I first learned about walk-ins in the 1980’s when I was reading Ruth Montgomery’s books, Strangers Among Us and Threshold to Tomorrow. Not long after learning about walk-in’s, I saw a show on TV about a man who working under his car when the jack malfunctioned and the car fell and crushed him. He spent months in a coma, and when he woke up, it was like he was a completely different person–his interests had completely changed and he had new life goals that included making positive changes to help make the world a better place. His friends and family said they felt like he was a total stranger.  As I watched that story, I remember thinking to myself, “I bet he’s a Walk-in,” and I wrote a letter to Ruth Montgomery to see what she thought. She answered me saying, “Yes, it seems very possible,” and that was the last of thought about walk-ins until January 2012.

Then, in less than 24 hours, three things happened: (1) I read about them again in Shirley Battie’s wonderful book, Spirit Speaks; (2) I was working with my Guide Group on my new book when they starting channeling information about walk-ins; and (3) I received an email from someone who is a walk-in. The synchronicity of those three events led me to write several columns about walk-ins, and since my Guides have been nudging me to write a full article on this subject, here we go!

What is a walk-in?
A Walk-in situation occurs when an evolved soul, not currently incarnated, is allowed to switch or exchange places with a soul who is currently incarnated. The two souls essentially change places, and they do so by mutual agreement—no one is forcing anyone out of their body so they can take it over for themselves, and there is no possession scenario happening.

How does a soul walk-in?
A Walk-in situation can occur when (1) two souls, prior to incarnation, make an agreement that when the first soul has completed its development or spiritual “to do” list, the second soul will takes its place; or (2) something may have happened to make the outgoing entity want to leave the body early, i.e. chronic illness or a tragic accident, and another soul will take over for the departing soul. The Walk-in soul is always one that is highly/sufficiently evolved enough to skip the birth process and enter at the adult stage of life. Here’s a list of the basic steps that take place during a Walk-in situation:

 • An agreement exists or takes place between two souls
• The two souls switch places
• The outgoing soul continues their journey and learning on the other side of the veil, just as we all do when our current incarnation is over, and can reincarnate again when ready to do so
• The Walk-in must complete the Karma of the outgoing soul; that is part of the agreement
• The Walk-in has a specific mission which can include teaching, assisting humankind in our awakening, and/or to help individuals find their life purpose/path

How can I tell if I’m a walk-in?
As Shirley Battie writes in her book, Spirit Speaks, “How often have you heard of someone who survives a terminal illness…and then has a new lease on life and goes on to raise funds or provide inspiration in one way or another? Often they seem like a changed person in more ways than one to those who knew him or her.”   During an automatic writing session, my Guide Group dictated that a walk-in retains all of the memories and experiences of the soul with whom he/she has exchanged places. The way this works is that the walk-in retains memory of the cellular body of the soul with whom it changes places…but sometimes there are glitches or behaviors that indicate an exchange has taken place. Here are six things to think about to help determine if you, or someone you know, is a walk-in:

1. You feel totally different; you never feel quite “yourself.”
2. You feel uncomfortable or like an outsider when you’re with your friends and family.
3. Your interests and hobbies have changed drastically.
4. You might have memory lapses regarding why you walked-in to this new body, and you may have    memory lapses when it comes to the memory of the outgoing soul.
5. You find yourself wanting to help other people through volunteer work, raising funds, and just plan lending a hand.
6. You are very concerned about the state of the planet and want to help.

I mentioned Shirley Battie earlier in this article. In addition to being an author, she is also a healer, channeler, and a walk-in, and the following is an excerpt of an email she wrote me detailing how she learned that she is a walk-in:

 “I had just closed my circle for Christmas when I was told by spirit to hold a discussion on Walk-ins that same week. I phoned my [study] group and they agreed to come even though we had no idea what it was about. That same week I had occasion to go to a crystal warehouse where the secretary walked up to me and said: ‘You are a Walk-in’ and take this book by Ruth Montgomery: Strangers Among Us.’ That very same week I had an unplanned reading during which the medium said: ‘I don’t know who she is but you will be introduced to someone called Ruth Montgomery.’ Well, three things in a row I could not ignore, so I wrote to Ruth Montgomery through her publisher saying I could not ignore such synchronicity and could we meet. Amazingly she wrote to me, and this was before internet. She suggested I contact someone in Minneapolis who was running things there. I liked the voice immediately. She told me that by chance they were holding their first international conference in the UK that year and would I like to go and make my mind up about Walk-ins. It was not too far from me so I went. What followed led to many astounding things happening, too long to go into here. I have since attended and spoken at other Walk-In conferences.”

What is the initial walk-in experience like?

I first met Sara when she wrote to me about my first book. We started corresponding, became great friends, and eventually she opened up and shared with me that she’s a walk-in. This is something that she was extremely hesitant to share, and I was honored that she chose to share her story with me. Sara came to Earth at this time to help our planet continue to evolve and currently serves as a medium, channeler, reiki Master, life coach, and liaison to the Council of Twelve [a group of ascended masters who are assisting us with our spiritual growth]. Here is Sara to tell us about her entry into body:

 “I arrived March 10, 1991. Two weeks prior to the transition between the two souls, a braiding between them took place. That’s something that takes place where the Walk-in is, so to speak, testing the waters. In my case, just as the transition was about to be complete, the outgoing soul began struggling with the finality of leaving the body, and the “deceased” grandmother of the outgoing soul appeared to assist in the exchange.

 When I woke up in the morning, I was very confused; and I remember thinking, “Where is this room?” and “Who is this man laying next to me?” A young, blonde haired boy walked past the room, and said, “Hi, Mom.” He was about 14 at the time, and this child, I knew I could relate to, and I thought he might be the key to what was happening to me.

 My relationship with my new family changed; my relationship with my spouse was difficult, I knew in the near future that I would have to move on from it. I left the relationship in 1998, and it was difficult because I had all the memories of the original soul that inhabited my new body. My responsibility is to complete the host soul’s Karma, for I entered with none. I watched mankind, and what was happening to Mother Earth, and I just wanted to scream to the world WAKE UP PEOPLE, look at what’s happening to your (our) planet, look at your relationships with one another. It was very frustrating for me and I had to communicate with Council on the other side.”

 As I got to know Sara, she shared with me that she was awake to her mission, and she explained to me that she is here to assist humankind in our awakening, finding our life purpose, to provide comfort for those transitioning to the other side, and also to comfort families whose loved ones have transitioned. And, as all Lightworkers are inclined to do, she also noted that her mission is “Whatever is put in front of me.”

The bottom line
Walk-ins are not body snatchers. A walk-in situation allows two souls to continue on their journeys, and ultimately, it allows a highly-evolved soul to enter as an adult and start their work to help others and our planet almost immediately. It’s an agreement that is a win-win situation for both souls, albeit confusing and difficult for the incoming soul and the outgoing soul’s family and friends.

While the purpose of this article is to provide information about walk-ins, it’s also important to Spirit that the Lightworker Brigade understands that thanks to their hard work raising the vibrational level of this planet, Indigos, Crystals, and Rainbows were able to be born here, and more souls than ever before can skip childhood and move quickly to the important business of helping humankind and our planet continue to evolve. Namaste.
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To learn more about Shirley Battie, here are links to her websites and Facebook page: http://www.discover-spirit.com; http://www.little-owl.org; https://www.facebook.com/shirley.battie http://www.youtube.com/user/littleowlorg

To learn more about Sara and her mission, please contact her at saraslight444@hotmail.com or sara.universal.light@gmail.com.

By Nadine Dassier www.energyworkshealers.com

Just like many of you, part of my family’s morning ritual is taking our daily vitamins and supplements. One day, for reasons I can’t quite explain, I felt the urge to channel the healing energies of the Angels and Ascended Masters, (as I do in my healing practice), into their vitamins before they took them. The experience felt so powerful, that I knew I was onto something, and that it would become a daily practice for us.
These high frequency healing vibrations offer us support in every way, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I also believe that they improve the efficacy of the supplements. That is why shaman all around the world bless their herbs before giving them to their patients. This simple, yet powerful act amplifies the herb’s healing power. The good news is, you don’t need to be a professional healer or shaman to do this. We all possess natural healing abilities. All you need is the power of your intention, and an open heart. However, if you want to be a clear channel, it is important that you eat a healthy diet, practice yoga and meditation and regularly balance your chakras, because all of these activities enable you to channel more purely and easily. Those being said, follow these simple steps to begin to channeling pure healing energies into your family’s vitamins, and into every area of their lives. Let the miracles begin!
You can either do everyone’s vitamins at once (affirming and trusting that the energy will go where it needs to), or do each person’s individually. The latter is obviously much more time consuming, but you may feel that it is more effective. Take the supplements and hold them in your hands with palms closed, and facing each other. Next, white light yourself (by affirming it, it is so), and asking to be a channel of GOD’s (or the Universe’s) love and light. Then call on the angels and ascended masters associated with your family’s needs (see list below). Ask them to imbue you and your loved ones with their divine wisdom, skills/abilities and pure healing energies. Take a few deep breaths, and allow their divine healing energy to enter the top of your head, at your crown, flow down into third eye, your throat, your heart, down your arms and out through your hands into the vitamins or supplements. Allow your heart to expand and fill with love as this pure frequency energy flows through you. You can ask that the energy continue to flow into you, filling your entire body. When you feel the attunement is complete (about 15 seconds will do the trick), use your fingers to draw the infinity symbol in the air just above the vitamins, to lock in the healing energies. The attunement is now complete. You and your loved ones are now filled with divine healing energies! Miracles are abound! I love this practice. It not only brings pure healing energies into our lives, but it reminds us of how supported we truly are! My children love taking their angel vitamins!

Who to call upon
Archangel Raphael is one of the regulars I call upon to infuse the vitamins with his healing green energies. This energy gives my family an extra boost of immunity they need and helps to improve our overall physical health.
While it’s beneficial to be specific, I also like to generally call all the angels, ascended masters, spirit guides and all beings of light that want to come and help me and my family. After all, I never presume to be all knowing (hee-hee)! The angels and countless loving beings of light who watch over us are a step ahead, and have a better understanding of our needs than we do. The law of free will says that before they can intervene, we must ask for their help. Ask and it is given!

WATCH THE VIDEO: Simple Channeling Practice for Everyday Magic and Miracles
Quick Reference to the Angels and Ascended Masters:

Addiction: Archangel Raphael, Babaji (Master Yogi) and Ganesh (Hindu Elephant headed god)
Chakra Clearing: Archangel Metatron and Melchizedek (The Book of Enoch)
Children (protection and assistance of all kinds): Kuan Yin (Chinese Goddess of Mercy) and Mother Mary
Creativity- Archangel Jophiel, St. Germaine and Serapis Bey
Communication-Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Ongkanon
Courage and protection: Archangel Michael, Thor (Nordic God of Thunder and lightning)

Deliberate Creation- Archangel Haniel (planting the seeds, new moon), Archangel Metatron (speaking words high vibration), St. Germaine (alchemy/transformation)
Divine Guidance: Archangels Uriel and Horus (falcon headed Egyptian God)
Emotional balance: Kuan Yin and Archangel Haniel
Faith: Archangel Uzziel and Jesus

Fear: Archangel Michael

Healing Abilities- Merlin, Archangel Raphael, Jesus and Padre Pio
Love: Archangel Chamuel and Jesus
Meditation Practice: Buddha, Jesus and Yoganada
Mental focus/ assistance with learning disabilities and attention issues: Archangel Metatron
Physical Health: Archangel Raphael and Saint Padre Pio

Psychic Development:  Apollo(Greek Sun God) Archangel Jeremiel, Conventina (Celtic Water Goddess) Horus and

Protection: Archangel Michael, El Morya, and Melchizedeck
Removing obstacles, clearing negativity: Ganesh
Self Esteem: Isis(Egyptian Moon Goddess) and Archangel Michael, St. Hildegard
Weight Loss: Archangel Raphael and Serapis Bey (Egyptian god )

Other resources-
Blogs and websites:

http://knowingangels.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/what-is-my-angels-name/

http://ascension-research.org/masters-angels.html

Books:
Angels and Ascended Masters, by Doreen Virtue PHD
Angel Blessings Cards of Sacred Guidance and Inspiration , by Kimberly Marooney
The Encyclopedia of Angels and Ascended Masters, By Susan Gregg

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Archetypes Are What Now?

Archetypes are repeated energetic patterns. They are your energetic blueprint. They are the patterns of universal behavior that motivate you. There are 100s, if not 1000s, of archetypes. Since the dawn of time there’s been “kinds of people,” which is actually archetypal energy. One example of this is The King archetype. Today a King’s energy can be felt in leaders, managers, bosses, and decision-makers. Two more perpetual examples are The Mother archetype (care-giving and nurturing) and The Artist archetype (creative expression). Archetypes are represented in movies and television shows with reoccurring roles such as The Hero and The Damsel in distress.

Michael’s Archetypes Are…

Each person has many archetypes within them. As an archetype consultant, I help clarify the most prominent ones. I had the pleasure of doing a session with Michael. We discovered his guiding archetypes over skype. Two of his are The Entrepreneur and the Mystic. Michael has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The Entrepreneur’s creative mind constantly comes up with inventive ideas, positive changes to an old system, and money-making ideas. They enjoy business development and prefer to be the decision-maker rather than answering to a boss.

Someone can have a full-time job and still have The Entrepreneur archetype but they may be working on a side project. Or maybe they have tons of idea how to improve the company they work for. It is an energetic pattern you carry inside of you.

Michael has a gift for coming up with different business ventures and creative, win-win ideas. LW is a manifestation of this archetype’s energy and the success of it demonstrates that Michael is in alignment with his Entrepreneur archetype.

When someone is out of alignment with one of their archetypes, it is still there, but they may not be maximizing their full potential.

Many people think I have The Entrepreneur archetype because I have an online business helping people find their guiding archetypes and I market my book, but I am not The Entrepreneur. I do marketing and business development steps because I have to, not because it makes me come alive. I’d rather spend my time using my gifts as The Creative, The Liberator, or The Mother than thinking of business strategies. My plan is to one day hire someone to do my business development, which is essentially hiring someone to cover my weaknesses. Entrepreneurship is a strength for Michael but not for me.

As I continued to uncover Michael’s core archetypes in our skype session, it became clear he has a strong Mystical side. The Mystic archetype has a deep connection with something outside of this planet, be it God/Goddess/Source/Universal Energy/Positive Energy. This connection goes beyond a route or weekly visit to church, synagogue, or temple. For Michael, this connection is instrumental in his daily living and touches all areas of his life; personal, professional, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The Mystic checks in with this connection often since it guides, comforts, and sustains them.

As a member of the LW community, do you think you have The Mystic archetype?

Next week in Part 2 of this article I will review a few more of Michael’s archetypes: The Liberator, The Mentor, and one that is a surprise! Look for Part 2 next week.

Now It’s Your Turn… Discover and Find Your Archetypes

If you’d like to learn more about archetypes and about your own guiding archetypes, please join me on an upcoming free webinar just for Lightworkers.

Lightworkers Know Your Archetypes Free Webinar

Tuesday, June 25 at 5:00pm eastern

If you can’t make the live event, you can listen to the recording for 5 days. But you still need to register.

There will be 2 special live guests: Diantha Harris of Life Potentials and CJ Martes of The Angel Connection.
For more information and to register, visit www.gabriellejaviercerulli.com/lightworkers

All abuse is accompanied by favors and acts of kindness. These “loving” acts of kindness solidify the state of codependency because it perpetuates the utter indifference that most people have to their own diminishing, humiliating, ongoing abuse.

If you are currently in a relationship and you are suffering (to any degree) because of it, then you are being abused—no matter how caring that person may sometimes appear to you on the surface. This is symptomatic of the phantom prey, which is an addiction to the abuse you receive from a codependent relationship without any realization of it. Fear prevents the host of a phantom prey from standing up for their Selves in any abusive relationship, whether it’s from a boss, co-worker, friend, family member, or partner. It’s as if the ego justifies the abuse by saying: “That’s just the way he is but I love him anyway,” or “She’s under a lot of pressure right now so I completely understand,” or “I’ve already made my bed. Now I have to lie in it.” If you observe your mind participating in these rationalizations, then stop. Listen to what your mind is doing.

You’re not helping abusive people transform and dissolve their pain-bodies by permitting them to go on abusing you. And trust me, if you set the precedent by allowing them to continue to abuse you, then I can assure you, they will receive the signal that their bullying behavior is perfectly appropriate for others to endure as well. So you’re not doing anyone any good by being “afraid of hurting them” or by being “Mr. or Ms. Nice” or by “killing them with kindness.” That’s devolution, not evolution.

Know that loving the other unconditionally does not include loving them even though they are abusing you. Why? Because that’s not love at all. That’s self-abuse. And this act of “selfless love” is how the mind rationalizes the abuse in the first place. But this is a self-deluding fantasy and only contributes to the phantom prey’s addiction to more pain, misery, and suffering. Next Humans will always put the Self first and therefore will never, ever allow a partner to abuse them in any way.

There are many subtle forms of abuse that occur frequently by pain-body predators toward unassuming victims. Consequently, the pain-body prey absorb this pernicious energy into their bodies like a sponge. This is a major contributing factor to the anxiety and depression epidemics that we have today.

One of the most common forms of abuse that gets overlooked is what I refer to as pin-pricking or needling. This is when the abuser makes very subtle comments on a daily or weekly basis to a fellow co-worker, friend, family member, or partner that, to the casual observer, may appear as “playful teases.” At the time the needle is administered, it feels kind of like a mosquito bite, but over long periods of time, these pin-pricks accumulate, fester, and intensify the pain in the host’s pain-body to the point where a chronic, degenerative disease develops. There’s nothing wrong with playful teases, as long as they come infrequently and are sincerely playful. However, when the source is a pain-body predator, you can rest assured that the teases will be neither infrequent nor playful. Needles are delivered by the pain-body parasite to inflict pain so inconspicuously that it goes totally unnoticed by its prey. It becomes the expected “normal and acceptable” behavior from the predator. This way, the vampiric entity can siphon the pain from unsuspecting victims on a continual basis without scaring them off.

In the more subtle form of abuse I’m referring to here, the pain-body predator will be giving an inordinate amount of free, unwelcomed, disrespectful, and assertive advice that is usually accompanied or followed by back-handed compliments, and will typically be a friend, co-worker, family member, or partner who’s alternately kind and mean to you on a continual basis. In other words, they compliment you frequently, but they also deride you just as often, if not more so. They may say things such as: “You are so talented and you do such wonderful work,” but then later they’ll say, “That’s your character flaw,” or “You need to listen to me because you don’t know what you’re doing,” or they’ll destructively criticize you over insignificant things.

Most of the time these predators will exercise their needling in the form of control. For some odd reason, they feel the need to intrude on your business, whether it be personal or professional. They may say things such as: “You are so creative but you need to do this if you want to be a success,” or “You are the smartest person I know but if you had followed my advice, that would never have happened to you,” or “I’m your greatest fan but if you don’t stop painting and get a real job then you’ll never amount to anything.”

The pain-body predator has learned to adapt to the pain-body prey’s rationalizing mind so that it’s able to get away with a continuous, abusive feeding frenzy that sometimes continues for decades. I have witnessed countless relationships endure this “Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde,” passive/aggressive, loving/bullying, nurturing/needling behavioral dynamic on a regular basis where the victim simply shrugs as if the abuse never occurred. They simply take it. But over time, all that pin-pricking adds up. And, of course, the physical body can only endure so much. Then people wonder why they come down with cancer, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, colitis, systemic candida, and other chronic, lingering, painful illnesses. In many cases, it’s nothing more than the ongoing emotional abuse from someone close to them materializing itself as disease in the body.

The prey are simply being “needled to death” by a partner, friend, or family member, and, because the abuse is always layered in the fog of ambiguity, they remain totally oblivious to it. And if you’re attracting abusive people to you then I would take a serious look at your own mind and observe how many times a day you’re allowing it to abuse you.

Because abuse in a codependent relationship is frequently accompanied by a soothing layer of salve, it’s easy for the phantom prey to justify it. Seemingly “kind and loving” behavior from the abuser typically comes in a variety of ways, such as: financial support, job security, gifts, good deeds, praises and compliments, and other forms of help or assistance that cements the codependent’s rationalization process, ensuring that the abuser’s presence remains in the victim’s life. An extreme form of this is what I call the sadomasochistic relationship. More subtle forms of abuse include: coldness, apathy, selfishness, inconsideration, neglect, derisiveness, condemnation, and harsh, destructive criticism.

If you are being abused on a continual basis by anyone, no matter how “nice” or “helpful” or “cool” they may appear to you then wake up and listen to your mind’s ability to rationalize their insanely destructive behavior. Get yourself away from these parasites as fast as you can and stay away from them, no matter who they are. Then allow your Self the time to heal, completely.

A Next Human’s love will not be ambiguous. It will be clear and honest, and he will always treat everyone with equal respect, compassion, and loving kindness. He won’t pin-prick, deride, demean, degrade, harshly criticize, condemn, or degrade anyone for any reason at any time. And he won’t dish out compliments with strings attached because his sincere praise will always come from the heart.

AUTHOR: Jason Lincoln Jeffers is a spiritual teacher, life coach, author of “The Next Human“, artist, evolutionary astrologer, philosopher, entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and authority on metaphysics, transpersonal psychology, and alternative medicine. In 2001 Jason’s life was transformed by an ancient mystical inner body experience known as a kundalini awakening. His mission is to help humanity access its untouched free will, realize its divinity, and evolve into the Next Human. http://www.jasonlincolnjeffers.com

Grieving a loss of any kind can seem as if a storm has ripped away our sail from a well-charted life.

The loss of a loved one, a pet, employment, a lifestyle, physical health, or a way of being can seem as if we were unexpectedly thrown overboard into the ice-cold waters of separation and isolation. We may feel we were forced to swim uncharted waters laden with hidden mines of unpredictable thoughts, feelings, and disharmonious perceptions of self and the outside world.

Grief can distort our own identity, value, & self-worth leaving us limited in our ability to call out for help to passing ships in the night. Grief often shatters our comforting belief, that we live in a safe, predictable, and just world.

The ship of belief that many of us sail in ~that bad things only happen to bad people~ can quickly sink, leaving us floating in the cold wake of aloneness, isolation and fear. We often can become numb and regress into a self-protection mode where, we distance ourselves from taking on healthy new directions, experiences, and people … specifically, at the very times that we need them the very most.

Loss is not only the loss of a loved one or loss of a lifestyle, it may be a loss of a core support structure, familiarity, shared identity, or weekly personal habit. At the times we experience loss throughout the lifespan, we may become embattled with yet another enemy: the fear that we’ve gotten older and lost our pizazz, attractiveness, or deservingness of connection with others.

In our sense of disarray, … not only may we long for a connection of the past, we may actually long for our own past self-identity, which feels unfairly denied to us. As we lay in the wake of a loss with questions of self-worth, we begin to wonder if we even “deserve” to be rescued to calmer waters.

There can be a piggy-back effect, where loss triggers remembrances of other unpleasant experiences in life where thwarting of our most prized dreams had occurred. With our hull punctured and unpleasant waters rising below deck, our fears skew our compass, falsely project that other unpredictable storms lie ahead, and draw into concern if we can even make it at all.

Grief has no particular pattern of recovery and although well wishers advise us to “move on,” such suggestions can result in the denial of unexpressed, painful feelings that only further delay our healing.

Grieving in midlife or later can be even more difficult. Since not only did we suffer loss, but years have gone by and our youth-centered view of attractiveness makes us feel we’ve also been robbed of our resilience to renew ourselves. “I didn’t want to be single at this point in my life.” “I didn’t want to have to search for a new job after so many years of loyalty.” “I feel so alone and numb without the past, that I don’t even know who I am today.”

A Turning Point often comes in the some of the most unexpected forms. One seemingly single random “by chance” experience has the extraordinary power to change, if by only a few degrees, the direction and course, and therefore over time the experiences, and final outcomes, of our lives.

Often at a point only where we felt, we have already lost all of our strength, a beacon of light appears in the distance. The denial that we previously found temporary comfort in, gives way to a more painful, yet necessary awareness: our paralysis by the shock and force of the storm has caused us to drift way off course, and the time to deal with the uncomfortable emotional waters below deck has come.

In Asian culture, the Yin & the Yang shares the belief that all experiences have both good and bad simultaneously occurring at the same time, in each and every experience. What if life’s most painful events could, at times, be best described as our greatest teachers of “learning through opposites” by karmic design ?

As life experiences may have harmed our healthy self image, they also, ironically, have given us a profound opportunity to gain self-worth & autonomy “without the need of the approval of others.” Some of our harshest storms have taught us what our soul has long searched for: “I am already complete.”

As we have all suffered losses, such experiences are the greatest teachers of independence and self-renewal. And, as we look back to the past with both positive and negative perceptions of life and our choices, we can reasonably conclude, “We did the very best that we knew how to do at the time and under the circumstances. And now that I know better, I choose to, and … do better.”

We may be tempted to recall the past, more often than not, with only regret. However our regrets are mere gentle reminders to redefine our inner focus of what is truly important today. We may not have in present moment, what we once dreamed about, however we can recall many nice experiences and connections. And with a renewed sense of self-worth, we may be surprised at what else our own intuitive inspiration can find.

Looking back over the years, love came to me in many shapes and sizes – some of which I was too distracted at the moment to appreciate and unfortunately overlooked. However, it is only through experiencing my past distractions that I am more conscious today to appreciate all that I am, have available, and therefore will experience tomorrow.

As we transgress the storms of recovery, we gain the wisdom of self-discovery. Without challenges in life, we remain in our comfort-zones and can become stagnant while we forget the deep level of resourcefulness that we are. We are not limited in belief, we are resilient beyond belief, and our soul calls out to a deeper understanding beyond that of the physical realm – that I am a great spirit and the sole master of my own destiny.

I may not have needed to know all of the answers in life after all. To me, my most treasured remembrances are less of achievement and more of a simple solitary awareness that I too have been a part of “where heaven met earth.” Regardless of outcome, possession, or reward, I am – my own soul mate, my best adviser, and the key to my recovery.

Life by design, may not only be one single life; but potentially, a series of dramatically different lives sewn together to support the evolutionary needs in expression of the soul. I have already experienced, and … will experience again, the appreciation, gratitude, love, and forgiveness that has freed my soul, so many, many times before in this life herein. I am resilient, deserving of love, and I will be the first to reach out in new directions beginning today.

In swimming in a sea of unexpected loss, I stared into the void for longer than I expected. However, the void only patiently stared back at me; simply bringing to mind my own needed actions, in my own time, to once again, begin to share myself more fully with the rest of the world. Ironically, through loss, I discovered a deep level of resilience within me that I was previously unaware of. I also experienced a deeper level of appreciation of all that I have had, all that I am, and can become.

If grief were one of the great master teachers of “Learning through Opposites,” what has my intimate acquaintance with grief taught me ? What is grief intuitively calling me to do today ? What would our lost loved one wish for us today & ask us to do ?

If my spiritual experience with grief could be represented by the image to the left:

       – what have I learned ?

       – how have I changed ?

       – how have I grown ?

 And finally, if grief is only a prolonged storm, that does indeed have an end …

 What people, places, & experiences will “a new me” chart into my future ?  

About the Author: Mike Schopp is a Psychic Medium & Clairvoyant Counselor with 20+ years of working via telephone & Skype and offers a “Money-back Guarantee” on all readings. His inborn gifts are clairvoyance, clairaudience, & clairsentience which he uses to share messages, love, and guidance from the Spirit-World.

Educated at the Arthur Findlay College for Mediums in Essex, England and the California School of Psychology, he blends channeling with his professional experiences in counseling, career assessment, and organizational development to jump-start others to identify & achieve their soul’s dreams.  He has been a “guest psychic” on radio and has provided entertaining spiritual, psychic, & mediumship development courses & presentations in China, Thailand, England & USA and regularly in Las Vegas.  To learn more, including an online Video: www.PsychicMike.com

My journey onto being a psychic began long before I was one, when I started to smell cigarette smoke around me, even when I was in bed. This may not have been so unusual except for the facts that neither my husband nor I smoke, and we lived, first on a farm, and then in a country town, where cigarette smoke was not within close proximity. After smelling it for quite some time, I began to think that  it may be my late maternal grandfather who died of emphysema, and that perhaps I should find out why he was trying to contact me.

I visited a couple of psychics, who both confirmed that there was a male energy around me and that he was, indeed, trying to give me a message. In the meantime, I was trying valiantly to hear the message, but to no avail. I tried meditating in front of a mirror with a  candle and, on one psychic’s advice, sitting under the archway in the Botanical Gardens in Hobart. It didn’t help that it was almost closing time and I was feeling the pressure! The other limitation was that I had no idea what I was doing! What would happen? Would I  suddenly see the ghost of my grandfather in front of me? Would a voice boom in my head? This channelling business was a lot more challenging than I had ever imagined ( not that I’d given it much thought before now!)

The day after the failure under the archway, I returned to the gardens, more determined than ever to receive this important message from Pa. This time, I sat in the rotunda armed with pen and paper, and tried to empty my mind. Gradually, thoughts that were not my own started filtering into my head. Words gelled into ‘The sacrifices in salary that you make today will benefit you long into the future.’ Success at last, and, yes, it made sense because my beloved Pa had been an     accountant! But, I thought, was that it? Was all that effort to hear Pa’s message just for that?

If only I had known what was to come!

If I thought that Pa would leave it at that, I had another think coming, because the smell of smoke around me continued, and I began to get more messages from him. In fact, I started    having conversations in my head with him, and to ask his advice and for answers to questions that I didn’t know the answer to. He was very helpful when I was marking NAPLAN papers and I wasn’t sure of the mark I should give, but I couldn’t always trust the answers I got if I asked for Keno numbers or footy scores! Pa had always had a sense of humour, and it was      evident that he had retained it after death  because he was still partial to making the odd joke or two about his baldness!

It became easier and easier to empty my head and to talk to Pa, and I could even see him if I went into meditation. I saw him dressed in a black tuxedo, and I wondered if he’d been buried in this attire. I never have asked my mother that question!

After ten weeks of channelling Pa, he informed me that it was time to leave. In his place he left Archangel Michael, whom I still channel today. I was sad, but Pa didn’t need to be with me any more: he had done his job. Pa had taught me to hear his voice and to channel Spirit. What a blessing. Thank you, Pa.

Victoria Cochrane

The above quote comes from the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher Socrates. Socrates was writing over two thousand years ago and when he says “he”, he means “we”. That’s you, me and everyone we know.

For those of us familiar with films and books like The Secret, along with
many other enlightening sources of information about the Law Of
Attraction and the thought-based reality of our universe, the message is
crystal clear. Cultivating a strong and persistent gratitude practice is
essential if we are to manifest our heart’s desires and live the life we dream of.

nosha / Water Photos / CC BY-SA

I´ve heard of people who have succeeded in making giving thanks a habit, perhaps you have too. Once developed as a habit practising gratitude becomes automatic and miracles show up. I am not yet one of these people, although I have decided I would like to be.

I am one of the people still struggling with habitual gratitude. Sometimes I remember, sometimes I forget. Too often, in my opinion, I find my mind
dwelling on what’s missing, what’s not going right, and guess what shows
up in my awareness – more of the same, more of what’s not right.

But when I do give thanks, my whole vibration shifts and I find that the
good I desire shows up easily, effortlessly and naturally.

So what to do about it?

Five or six years ago I had the word gratitude tattooed onto my forearm
as a reminder to be grateful. A few years later I founded a group
for gratitude meditation, through which we explore the transformative
power of gratitude together.

My motivation for all of us is simply to remember to give thanks to the
source of all things. When we do we feel amazing and life takes on a feeling of child-like wonder. Experiencing this together, rather than alone, has been a huge morale booster and helps us stay immersed in our gratitude practices.

Following a spiritual path, we’ll come across many ideas and concepts we
would like to believe. In my experience however, these self empowering beliefs become living reality for us when they move from our heads to our
hearts. At this moment we shift from believing to knowing. Connecting with our hearts we move from concerns about the traffic, the weather, our careers, relationships or bank balances to one where we are
not separate, nor powerless. In our thought based universe we are the
prime movers and shakers. Findings from the scientific fields of Quantum
Physics are pretty much common knowledge nowadays amongst spiritual
communities. Experimental results where the effects of the intentions of
a human observer can be measured, indicate to us that we literally
create our lives the way we perceive them to be. Looking at it another
way, the same piece of music may be a source of pleasure for one and a
distress for another. The melodies may be the same but the experience of
them depends on each person’s unique perspective. As perception changes
so experience alters accordingly. As we begin to perceive ourselves as
connected, whole and deserving, our lives change for the better.

So another question forces its way into my mind.

Can practising gratitude help us to improve the quality of our lives? Can
it really help us attract a better job, home, relationship…(you fill in the blank)? Is it possible to connect with the power of gratitude even if it looks like we haven’t got much to be grateful for?

The answer is, I believe, a whole hearted yes!

We can deliberately choose to be grateful. There are simple and quick
exercises we can do each day to help us focus on what’s good now. This
causes us to feel good. Feeling good attracts more people and events to
us that match our vibration.

Anyone can think of one thing to be thankful for in a day. How about that you slept in a bed last night? That you had a roof over your head and food for yourself and your family?

It may seem pretty basic, but according to UNICEF nearly one seventh of the human population of our planet don’t have enough nutrition to support a healthy body.

How would it be if you wrote down just one thing you are thankful for today? Maybe that wouldn’t make such a difference to you, but what if tomorrow you wrote down two things? A practice I, my friends and clients find useful is to keep on adding one more thing each day. By the end of a week you are writing down seven things each day to be grateful for.

We’re just looking for little things. For example my German shepherd gets a little excited every time we get near the park gates on her morning walk. She pulls a little on the lead. Today one of my things to be grateful for is the tension in her lead. That tension tells me that she’s right there with me. That we get to spend some time together. that’s she’s alive and well and healthy and it’s a reminder to enjoy the moments we have.

Once we find a foothold in our mind, something to appreciate, we get onto an upward positive spiral. The key thing is to take that first little step and build from there. Just one thing a day, then two then three and so on.

Another great way to get into the power of gratitude is to join together with other like minded people in meditation.

There is something about the positive energy of a group that is hard to
capture in words. Merging in appreciation, we enter higher and higher
frequencies of being.

At these higher frequencies we come more and more into alignment with our
spiritual nature. Higher levels of awareness reveal to us our true state
of abundance. It’s a feeling that radiates health and wealth from the
inside out, as we realise, often with surprise, the richness of our
physical world.

As our hearts open to one another and to the source of all things, we
relax into who we really are.

From this heightened perspective setting intentions for the
conscious creation of our lives the way we want them to be, seems so
easy. It seems easy because when our vibration is high and we’re feeling good we get into flow and life takes on the magical quality we remember from being kids. You remember the feeling of being in the right place at the right time doing the right thing don’t you?

Getting into that state is all about vibration and how we focus our attention. Understanding vibration is one of the keys to working with The Law Of Attraction.

Our universe understands vibration, vibration manifests in us
as emotion. The higher the vibration of our thoughts the more positive
our emotions. Whenever we fall into worrying or doubt we’ve temporarily
stopped giving thanks and at the same time halted the manifestation of what we desire.

It’s okay to feel negative emotions. They’re there to communicate to us that what we are focusing on, or our perspective about it, is taking us in the wrong direction. This is why developing the habit of being grateful is so important. It sets us off in the right direction.

If you sometimes, like me, struggle with feeling grateful. Or if you’d
like to get more out of your gratitude practice, how about starting
your own meditation group or joining one near you?

You’re welcome to join our group the London Gratitude Group. Membership is free. You can find us by googling The London Gratitude Group or clicking on our name.

As for me, well, I know that personal and spiritual growth is a life long
process. We can give thanks for everything that has happened to us up to
this point that has made us who we are. In this article we’ve only just
touched the surface of the astonishing power of gratitude, so if you are ready for a change then it’s time to do something to bring about that change.

Why not write down that one thing you are grateful for? Think it, write it and then read it out loud to yourself. It’s a little step towards a better life. You can do it again tomorrow, but this time write down two things and then just keep on building from there. Who knows where this tiny shift in your day will take you.

Over the next few weeks and months I’ll be sharing more insights and tips
on how you can harness the power of gratitude to achieve your soul’s
purpose and live more and more in harmony with your greatest good.

Till then, smile often,

Step lightly, be kind to yourself and enjoy.

Love and Light

Mike Warwick

The London Gratitude Group

It may surprise you to learn that when it comes to living a live by design and establishing a mindset that is firmly rooted in peace, joy and abundance, that our biggest limitation is our own habits. The definition of a habit is a behavior pattern that is regularly followed until it becomes almost involuntary. Sometimes, this can come in pretty handy, like looking both ways before we cross the street, but unfortunately we also develop habits that severely limit us in demonstrating joy, peace, abundance or creativity. These are the habits that are developed by repetitive or long term beliefs about ourselves, the world around us and our relationships.

I recently wrote a bog article on my website, www.breakingfreefromlimits, about a wonderful new book on this topic; Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, How to Lose your Mind and Create a New One.  In the article I give a couple of key notes from the book that helps us to understand our non self-serving habits and then break free from them. Until we see the relationship between our habits and our behaviors and how these both can affect the outcomes in our life experiences, then we may go through the remainder of our days unconsciously being driven by habits of thought that have potentially robbed us of living our life to the fullest.

When we talk about habits, we usually limit our viewpoint on habits to how they relate to our physical well being or physical determent, like smoking or biting our nails. We forget that our basic state of mind about how we view ourselves, our capabilities and our potential in life is also firmly rooted in the habit of thinking specific thoughts that may be very hurtful to us or to others. For instance, from a very early age, we may have been hurt by a friend or humiliated in front of our classmates and so, in order to avoid that in the future, we developed a finely tuned habit of thinking that generally people cannot be trusted.  This line of thinking that we reinforce over the years may limit our social, intimate and family relationships because we are constantly setting up scenarios with our habitual thoughts about mistrust  that severely limit us in demonstrating joy, peace, abundance or creativity.

Seeing the misspelled word correctly every time – how did I miss it?

Einstein tells us that we cannot solve any problem from the same consciousness that created the problem. So when we have a problem in our minds, we have a difficult time seeing the options available to us because we are in the habit of viewing all problems in the same manner. By recognizing these habitual patterns in our life and the way that they affect us, we have taken the first step in solving a problem outside of the consciousness that created it. Our next step then would be to look for opportunities to view our situation differently.

h.koppdelaney / Art Photos / CC BY-ND

To get a taste of how powerful and freeing the recognition of habits are in our lives, here are a few tips to test the waters of breaking free from your habits that do not serve you.

• Look for patterns in your life, especially regarding relationships where your reactions are highly predictable. Like when your child misbehaves or when a spouse or loved one forgets to call. Ask yourself some important questions about why you always seem to react in this manner. Ask yourself how often this particular reaction has resolved the situation. Ask yourself what alternatives you would be willing to try to get a different outcome to these situations.
• Determine two or three habits in your life that you do rigidly, like sleeping on one particular side of the bed, order of dressing/bathing, driving habits, cleaning habits, etc. Once you have determined these habits, mix up the habit and do the opposite of what you normally do for a couple of weeks. Drive a different route to work, sleep on the new side of the bed, take your shower at night instead of morning, and so on. This can be extremely freeing if applied in your life, so really try to find at least 2, hopefully more habits to change up.
• Single out a particular individual who brings out a negative habitual behavior, like irritation, disgust, disrespect and intentionally initiate dialogue with them. During this encounter, look for ways to behave differently to this person. Open your heart and mind to see this person in a new way.
• Start a new habit that absolutely serves you. Be honest here. Use the opportunity to start this new habit to be one that help you continue your exploration of your deeper self and help you compassionately find new ways to break old non-serving habits. Here are some strongly suggested hints on some new habits you might want to consider: journaling, meditation and/or prayer, a bedtime ritual of naming 5 things you are grateful for, a morning ritual of blessing each new day, yoga or tai chi, long contemplative walks. There are so many other good ideas to consider here, so be creative and have fun with developing your new habits.

In our journey through life, we all have the opportunity to be an active participant or we can just jump in the middle of the boat and go along for the ride, where ever it takes us. For myself, I want to be an active participant. I know that until I can see the old tired habits I harbor from past fears, doubts, and conditioning and learn to transpose these habit into new way of seeing myself and others, that I will most likely just keep experiencing the same things over and over again.

I began thinking about this not-so-newfound topic (it’s a question that has occurred over and over for me and for countless others), and started rummaging through the works of Osho, Walter Benjamin, Picasso, and even my own notebooks to find some clues. What I found is reproduced here, although this is less a finished and complete summary and more of an excursion in my own voice through my notes, thoughts, and ideas. And, as always, we find it and ourselves in conversation with the Muse.