St. Patrick: Loving Magic

Shutterstock licensed image: St. Patrick Was Full Of Love

The Loving Magic of St. Patrick

Have you ever thought to yourself, “If only I could find just a teeny tiny bit of luck!”? Maybe you’ve been out of work, enduring endless job interviews, or you’re on the tenth blind date this year. Or maybe you’re going through a challenging time emotionally or psychologically. If you’re feeling down on yourself or your luck, it might be time to lean into the loving magic of St. Patrick.

After all, even when deceased, high-vibration souls like his still emanate light and love. Just like any deity we can tap into this vibrant soul’s divine light.

Sure, it might not be March 17th, but his legacy and healing aura extends throughout time. St. Patrick is a man, a devotee of God, and a legend who can guide us and help us learn more about ourselves. In turn, we can manifest new paths and find happiness without the need to rely on luck.

So, how can St. Patrick do all this for us?

Who is St. Patrick?

While St. Patrick has emerged a legend, he lived in the 5th century. One of the things that made him so unique was that he understood the nature of human beings and the Universe. He looked to the divine, yet he was practical in how he served inhabitants of the earth. Additionally, his work was so profound, he deeply impacted Irish, Catholic, Christian, and global cultures for centuries – any milleniums to come.

Modern historians often paint a simple, gentle picture of St. Patrick, as he walked among the Irish, but his life was difficult, full of challenging experiences and painful decisions. Just like you and me, he had to come to know himself and choose his path one hurdle at a time. Once he tapped into his soul and found his divine strength and resolve, this wonderful saint drew from his will power to touch the lives of many individuals throughout time.

The myths of St. Patrick are among the most inspiring in all of human history. Many believe he used clovers as a way to teach a new belief system. Others say he was the first significant leader in history to reject the practice of slavery. It seems this dynamic soul affected the spiritual and political lives of many people.

If you’re looking for the facts of St. Patrick’s life, he was born in Great Britain and torn from his family at the age of 16. Broken hearted, lost, confused, destitute, and without a single companion, young Patrick was sold into slavery. This hardship was his first experience in Ireland, where he toiled as a herdsman and had no belongings to call his own. Instead of losing hope, St. Patrick turned to his faith, praying for guidance and relief.

Devout and loyal to the Divine, he knew that God would help him. He never wavered.

One night, St. Patrick dreamed of a ship that would carry him from slavery and back to his family. He broke from the dreamscape and left his slave owner in the middle of the night. He ran with all his might.

After many hurdles and further hardship, but with heroic determination, St. Patrick found his way back to his homeland. This successful escape might have been the end of his story, but St. Patrick could not ignore what he experienced in Ireland.

He eventually dreamed about the Irish begging for his return.

While he could not banish the chains of slavery that held an entire population, he set out to free the Irish people in another way. Once he made landfall, he immediately began evangelizing and converting the Irish to Christianity. While he was there, he suffered persecution and arrest, but these physical pains did not dampen his spirit.

With glowing love for the Irish and their freedom, St. Patrick fought to help them until his death.

The Powerful Icon of St. Patrick

The best account that we have today of St. Patrick’s life is the Confessio, his diary, in which he bared his soul. Thought to be written near to the time of his death, the Confessio shows the saint’s religious devotion and fervent love for the Irish. It also helps us to better understand his personality, struggles, and motivations. He was truly a remarkable human being!

When you step back and view St. Patrick from a distance, however, he is a powerful icon. Christianity upholds him as one of the most important and influential Christians to have lived. He is revered as a powerful force that converted Ireland from Pagan to mostly Christian. He is now the national apostle and patron saint of Ireland. And as luck would have it, Paganism survived the abuse it endured and is again flourishing today.

A large part of the symbolism, myth, and meditation on St. Patrick that exists today originated in the Catholic faith. St Patrick is often depicted with clovers, snakes, and a shepherd’s staff. This powerful imagery can help us to understand St. Patrick’s power and love of humanity. These icons can help us turn inward, expand ourselves, forgive everything, and become holy servants of humanity.

In many ways, Amma, The Hugging Saint is doing the same for all of the world, not just Hinduism. Check out Amma’s divine magic and global humanitarian mission HERE.

St. Patrick Symbolism

By the 7th century, St. Patrick’s legacy had grown in numbers and spread throughout various parts of the world. Throughout history, St. Patrick’s image has been recreated, most commonly with his foot on a snake, as he held a wooden staff. These images are no coincidence. They emerged from true stories about his life. As you learn about these stories, consider meditating on the image of St. Patrick. This can help you center yourself and find strength within.

The Shepherd’s Staff

The shepherd’s staff is a symbol used in Christian tradition to represent tender yet strict leadership. Just as a shepherd tends to his flock of sheep, a person depicted with a staff is seen as a gentle father-like figure, guiding his followers. St. Patrick was both literally and figuratively a shepherd in Ireland. He was an enslaved herdsmen at first, and then he chose to tend to the Irish people in their need as a loving shepherd of the people.

Today, we can rely on St. Patrick as our shepherd during difficult times, using his loving magic as a guide in our own lives.

Are you in need of guidance?

Are our heart and mind wandering far from afield?

Can you find the inspiration and strength you need to bring you back to yourself?

Go within, seek the help of St. Patrick and the depth of your own divinity.

The Snakes

St. Patrick is often famously depicted with a snake under his foot, which originated from the legend that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. While snakes never existed on the Emerald Isle, this legend actually uses snakes as a symbol for evil. Just like in the Garden of Eden story, the snake is a representation of evil and temptation. As we reflect on St. Patrick’s ability to cast out temptations and evil forces, we should identify the toxic habits, passions, and forces in our own lives and find ways to cast them out.

Three-Leaf And Four-Leaf Clovers

Finally, St. Patrick and his famous St. Patrick’s Day holiday are often tied to three and four-leaf clovers. While three is the number of the Christian Trinity – Father, Son, And Holy Ghost, Four symbolizes the perfect triune’s connection to eternity and the concept of manifestation on three-dimensional planes.

The numbers three and four are extremely powerful. They are used as powerful symbols and tools beyond St. Patrick.

For the Irish, the three Gods Brigid, Ériu, and the Morrigan held serious significance. With the image of a three-leaf clover, he converted the triple Goddesses of the Irish to the three Divine Beings of the Catholic faith. This imagery was so powerful that it eventually turned the innocent little three-leaf clover into the national flower of Ireland.

The number three can give us structure and guidance, just as St. Patrick did for the Irish.

You are far more capable and expanded than we often realize.

St. Patrick Miracles

St. Patrick holds such powerful love and magic that many of his works are still revered today. He recounts in his Confessio raising 33 men from the dead (see that “3” again?), many of whom had been gone for years. There are also reports that a herd of swine mysteriously appeared after St. Patrick prayed for food and water provisions for desperate travelers.

Whether you believe these events occurred or not, there is a powerful lesson here. St. Patrick’s strength and devotion poured out of him and created an undeniable movement that changed the world.

Forge Ahead, No Luck Needed!

Let’s learn from St. Patrick! No matter our circumstances or pains in life, we must turn inward and seek guidance. By meditating on the personality and symbolism of St. Patrick, we can better understand ourselves.

Doing so, we can tackle our challenges from more inspired angles.

If we believe in the Providence Of The Divine and the Power Of Love, we can cast out snakes, evil, and toxins no matter how and when they appear.

Take up your staff and join divine saints like St. Patrick. Your divinity can carry you anywhere. Stay positive, remain prayerful, and seek the light in all things.

You might enjoy my Free Resources pages, as they offer many prayers and rituals that can heal, illuminate, and change your life.

March 8, 2021February 2, 2023

The Nature Of Spirits: What Are They And How Do They Function?

Spirits are everywhere in the world around us

SPIRITS ARE EVERYWHERE! YAY!

Maybe you’ve been visited by a spirit from another realm. It might be that you feel there is an entity attaching to you somehow. Or maybe you’re just curious as to the nature of spirits: what they do, why they appear, where do they reside, and how can they be in both the spirit world and this physical reality?

The veils between here and there are thin. While our lives might appear to be one solid experience with clearly defined forms and boundaries, the truth is far more complex and bizarre.

As we relate with people in our daily lives, we must remember that they comprise a tiny subset of a much larger group of relationships with whom we relate on a regular basis.

When we awake in the morning, we might feel as though we are alone. We might even love our solitude. The reality is that we are never 100% alone. There are always spirits wandering about. They might not be sitting on our beds as we sip our morning java, but you can be certain that some are hovering or meandering somewhere near your home.

Spirits are everywhere. They come and go within this realm and on this planet, and throughout many others. Spacetime is not limited in any way. And neither are spirits.

Spirits Pop In And Out

Like you and me, each spirit has its own electromagnetic signature and vibration. This means it will magnetize aspects of itself – to itself – just like you and I would attract situations, relationships, and learning in our physical lives here on planet earth.

Whether they know it or not, spirits can dematerialize and reappear at will. They might not even know when they are appearing and disappearing. Their electromagnetic signatures have a life of their own.

Most spirits aren’t fully conscious of their skills or the nature of their form. Most often, they behave like children playing Hide-n-Go-Seek or lost puppies who lost track of how to get home.

We are each a collection of particles continuously moving from one reality to another. It’s the same with spirits and it’s the same with every physical object in our lives – the chair, the computer, the couch. Everything is moving within itself and outside itself without any limiting boundaries. The only limiting boundaries are form, assumption, intention, and vibration – all of which are changeable.

And now the super complex part….

What Is Infused In A Spirit’s Vibration?

While you, me, and any spirit might appear to be a very specific thing, there’s a lot going on under the hood. It might look like an old fucked-up truck, but it may have been built in a way to make you think it’s got no teeth. It might appear to be a GMC Pacer or Toyota Prius in the picture, but once you get a look at the engine, you’ll know the nature of the beast.

Each of us has lived thousands of lives. We live, we get excited, we do stuff, then we die. At the moment of our death, we imagine where we are headed, and since we don’t usually clean our palettes at death, we don’t die very well. We leave our bodies, feel confused, get a sense that we have some unfinished business and juicy desires, choose another mom or dad, then, within 6 months of Earth-time, we end up birthing into a similar form doing similar things.

YAY! REINCARNATION! WOOHOOO!

No thanks.

The idea here would be to meditate, pray, have boundaries, learn lessons, and inch toward the simultaneous death of our egos and bodies. Since our egos carry the agendas, if we diminish them over time (reducing our vasanas, desires, etc), we can die and exit our bodies and truly complete.

If we don’t achieve enlightenment in this lifetime, through a great deal of effort, we can certainly achieve a higher level of consciousness. That said, if we’re not careful while we are dying and exiting this body, we could easily trick ourselves (or be tricked) into doing all the same crap all over again.

Yeah, let’s not do that.

When we are born, built into our fabrics, deeply infused into our natures, is the unfinished business of prior lives. Ahh! There’s the rub! Yes. We are not necessarily what we appear to be. This is why when you date someone and it feels all warm-fuzzy and then all of a sudden, it’s holy-moly, this person is NUTZO, it’s because they are working through their stuff – just like you – which is why you attracted them in the first place.

There you are all pretty and wonderful, but you know that something else is going on. You have anger, struggles, concerns, confusion, and more. You might be continuously attracting knuckleheads into your life and losing limbs at every turn. You might be happy on one particular day and then feeling like death on another.

This is all because we have unresolved desires (vasanas), each of which takes quite a bit of effort to dissolve. Each vasana has been with us for many lifetimes. We might dissolve one and then grow another – until we stop growing desires and refuse them all. That’s called LIBERATION.

We might not even know the half of what we’re carrying in terms of karma and vasanas. Our cute little lives might not be able to handle all of them. We birth, have vasanas, and work through as much as possible. What mostly happens though is that we enter this life excited and we continue to be excited about all of it, including the vasanas. We tend to forget that we were mostly in pain during our life. We forget that the pain can be avoided by releasing the vasanas. Therein lies the challenge: we love the emotional roller coasters of karma. We love to own and achieve, even though neither what we own or what we achieve can be carried forward from life to life. Yup, we’re not that bright.

This is why I highly recommend having spiritual masters and gurus in this life. They can help us expedite the burning of karma and vasanas. As a devotee of Amma (Amma.com), The Hugging Saint, I am continuously uplifted. In many ways, I feel Amma has my back. If not Amma, there’s Jesus, Yogananda, Mother Meera, or a host of other loving, enlightened Beings who are either living or recently lived here on Earth.

Keep reading, but enjoy this other article I wrote about what happens when we die. JUICY!

…

How Do We Burn Through Karma

The more we pray, the more we love, the more we meditate, the more we can release the negative aspects of ourselves, including the twisty, tenacious twirls of karma. We can also do rituals, pujas, and ceremonies that help us forgive ourselves, forgive others, and dissolve the attachments and burdens that inhibit us. It’s all about forgiveness. It’s all about letting go.

Remember, this is all an illusion.

I subscribe to and pay Amma’s temple to do pujas for each aspect of my soul and life. Meanwhile, I do rituals that I’ve learned from Native American and other teachers. These rituals are powerful. They’ll change your life. I also pray, chant mantras, chant sutras, and do lots of giveaways. All of these things help me enrich my soul and connect with higher vibrations.

Why Is This Spirit Following Me?

This is one my favorite questions.

One of the more probable answers is that the spirit is someone you knew from this life or a prior life. This spirit might feel unresolved about prior life interactions with you or they’ve come to tell you they love you. This might even just want to hang out with you. Why? They might be bored or they might need to watch you for a while so they can learn something specific from you.

The spirit might also be someone who wants to know you, but hasn’t met you within a physical life experience yet.

And yes, some spirits just want to cuddle. I know that sounds a bit scary, but it’s really no big deal. It’s like when a puppy nuzzles up to you. Just relax and ask them to follow the light and go elsewhere.

While some people like me tend to sensationalize this idea of detached spirits and all the dangers – that’s so rare, it’s not even worth mentioning. They are as open boundaries and a nudge to leave as all the positive and peaceful spirits. They just might need a little more love for a moment. You can also just chant your mantra or a sutra and hold the intention that they find the light.

From a spiritual-lesson perspective, here’s another answer: If you attracted it, it’s you! You are the Universe. You are everything! No matter what is in front of you or within you, you must deal with it as if it were an aspect of YOU. Because it is. You are what you seek. You are what you see. You are what you attract. You are what you project. You are what you experience. Own it all, forgive it all, and release it all. In truth, it’s all nothing.

When we have negative energies and spirits attaching to us, it’s a really GOOD SIGN. It’s a wake-up call. Just like in real life when a crazy person tries to hurt you in some way, it’s God saying, “Hey, you might want to look at this part of yourself.”

I see spirits all time time. Some of them scare the heck out of me. Others are so sweet that I can barely handle it. Here’s the thing – all of these spirits are the same. They are a little lost and they need love. For each spirit who engages me, I might scream at first LOL, but then I immediately tell them I love them. I say things like:

“You are so beautiful and so loved. I am with you and I want you to be happy. God loves you. The light is waiting for you. Follow the light, follow your heart, and seek your highest Self. You are love, my dear. Go toward love and become it! Follow that light and you’ll feel better. I LOVE YOU!”

If you attracted them, they are either interested in your Lightbody or they recognize their shadows as being the same ones within you. It doesn’t really matter why or how they appeared. What matters is that you love them and you want them to be happy. Doing so, you might also see and feel things within yourself that require forgiving.

Look at every aspect of yourself and your life and forgive it all. Go piece by piece, person by person, circumstance by circumstance, and forgive everything about everything, forever backward and forward.

Dissolving it all, we can Be Here Now.

Loving it all, We Can Be Without Fear.

Fear is good because it reminds us of the unprotected parts of our lives. We can then improve those parts. Soon, most fears can become little friends who continue to remind us to protect ourselves.

Fear can also be a nasty sore. The idea here would be to look honestly at your fears and look for ways to either uplevel them into love or dissolve them into history.

The Past Does Not Exist. It Is A Canceled Check. Let It Go.

After doing rituals and forgiving, it’s important that we get back to the present moment. That’s because we only have the present moment. Everything else is a result of our minds and spirits seeking attachments and control.

All we can do is love.

If we know how to love, we can serve others.

If we have fear, we can meditate on love.

If we have spirits attaching to us, we can meditate on love, and we can pray for those spirits. When we pray for others, the Universe prays for us. We can also pray for ourselves. My gosh, pray for yourself as often as possible! PRAYER WORKS!

If something is bothering you or if someone is attacking you, you can set boundaries. You are powerful. We are resourceful. You are a Light-Being wrapped in light and love, born from stardust.

I already know that I love you, even if you have blocks and even if I don’t see you perfectly as you believe yourself to be. I know that I want to love you. I know that love works. It can dissolve all burdens.

Jesus was love. Jesus is love.

Buddha is nothingness wrapped in love.

You are the same. You are all of it.

Remember yourself. Remember how lovely and wonderful you are.

Be love. You got this!

March 3, 2021April 8, 2023

Thor, Oden, Freya & Loki: Powerful Viking Gods

If you’ve fallen in love with Viking ideology, I can relate! After watching the show “Vikings,” I am even more in love with how this culture most likely connected with nature, each other, and the Gods. While not perfectly historically accurate, the series awakened an ancient part of me, one that connects with my Norwegian roots. I am deeply grateful for the spirit of The Vikings within me – which is found throughout creation.

Prayers to the viking gods are more akin to prose and poem than prayer. They also require action, in the forms of rituals. This is why I suggest so many rituals on my website – these are powerful ways to transform ourselves. When we perform rituals with the purest of intentions, we create protected, high-vibration portals that connect us with all positive aspects and trajectories within our spacetime arenea. Doing so, we invite all Goodness throughout all spacetime to join us in our endeavor.

When Vikings reached to the Gods, it was to pay homage and commune, rather than what Christians came to create – worship. As a pagan, you will only rarely worship something. Moreso, as a pagan, you recognize you are connected to everything, and every aspect is a brother, sister, or partner Light-Being on your quest to merge with and celebrate all of creation.

As a Viking, you would want to inspire the Viking Gods to hear you and see you – and eventually take a specific action in your life. By chanting their names and declaring your hopes, you awaken the Gods to come to your aid and fulfill your dreams and ambitions.

It’s true – when we call good forces to our aid, they are loyal and they will remain with us to the end of each particular pursuit.

BE BRAVE! Call out to the Viking Gods and make your humble request. They are listening!

When reading these, you can almost feel the desires, yearnings, and pains in their hearts. By feeling these aspects, we empathize with all of creation. Doing so, we are invited to step into these ancient days when magic and myth were the orders of the day.

Here are some beautiful Viking God poems found on a lovely and informative pagan website. These samples were written by Diana L. Paxson in this article.

Hail to thee Day, hail, ye Day’s sons;
hail Night and daughter of Night,
with blithe eyes look on both of us,
and grant to those sitting here victory!
Hail Aesir, hail Asynjur!
Hail Earth that givest to all!
Goodly spells and speech bespeak we from you,
and healing hands in this life!

(Sigdrifumál:2-3)

Phol and Wuodan rode to the wood;
then Balder’s horse sprained its leg.
Then Siðgunt sang over it and Sunna her sister,
then Frija sang over it and Volla her sister,
then Wuodan sang over it, as he well knew how,
over this bone-sprain, this blood-sprain, this limb-sprain:
bone to bone,
blood to blood,
limb to limb,
such as they belong together.

(trans. Storm, p. 109)

Calling to the Viking Gods is our right. After all, they somehow earned their status among us. Having lived human lives merged with their divine skills, they know what it feels like to love and bleed. Calling them into our lives can enhance our sense of power and help us bring to life our desires.

Whatever You Name Them, Own Your Connection To The Divine!

Odin (also known as Wōden, Wuodan, Wuotan, and Wuotan) is the lord of frenzy, knowledge, death, royalty, war, victory, sorcery, and poetry. A powerful God, one of the oldest and most primary, is also known as the husband to the goddess Frigg. What a POWER-COUPLE!

Thor, the mighty Viking God warrior, was (is) so powerful, he was able to bring to life his divine tool, the hammer known as Mjollnir (or Lightning). He used this hammer to protect his Asgard from the giants.

Freya, the Viking goddess of the birds, used her falcon feathers to shape a falcon to help her protect her people.

Loki, the shape-shifter could quickly surprise and outwit the many rodents who came to unseat the Gods and their people. Thrym, the chief of the giants didn’t stand a chance against these divine Beings. Thor’s goat-drawn chariot would also serve them well.

You are an abundant servant to the light. Step into your role as a giver and lover of grace and goodness. You are lovely in every way. Own it!

March 1, 2021February 2, 2023

HAIL MARY: INVOCATION OF THE DIVINE MOTHER

••••

Hail Mary,

Full of grace

The Lord is with Thee

Blessed art thou amongst women

and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death

Amen

••••

PRAYER WORKS! GOD LOVES YOU! MARY LOVES YOU!

The Hail Mary is one of the sweetest and loveliest prayers ever written. It asks that we connect with the Divine Mother in the form of Mary, mother of Jesus, one of the divine masters of history. We honor this divine soul, and we ask that She pray for all of us who are imperfect.

When we pray for others, the Universe prays for us. When we seek intercession, we are saying to God, “I invite all the help I can get!” When you pray the Hail Mary earnestly and softly, you will open your heart and merge with the divine, even if only for a moment.

By praying the Hail Mary, you awaken your inner feminine, and you request that the eternal loving and nurturing masters bless, envelop, and protect you.

Remember that in your times of need, God is holding your hand and helping you evolve. It’s for this reason that we accept all challenges and goodness as blessings. As we evolve, expand, and liberate, we help others to do the same.

You are a beautiful aspect of this Universe. God created you to experience Herself through your eyes. It is an honor to have this life. You need not be perfect. You need not be happy. One must only be eager to hope and love with abandon. The rest will flow according to God’s grace.

Who Was Mary, Mother Of Jesus?

Mary was the wife of Joseph the carpenter, born into the Hebrew faith. Mary was also the Mother of Jesus, “Yeshua of Nazareth. ” It is believed that Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus through a divine, virgin, “immaculate” conception.

Mary is an embodiment of The Divine Mother, the eternal feminine force who continues to bless and nurture all of creation. She merged with the divine upon accepting the role of Mother of Jesus. From there, she lived a holy and spiritually enriching life.

Amma, known as The Hugging Saint, and Mother Meera are known to be born as The Divine Mother.

Guan Yin, the Buddhist goddess, is also said to be a manifestation of The Divine Mother. And there are many others! We are so blessed!

Remember that you were born from love. It is your nature. Love yourself so that you can then love and serve others. This is the only path. You can do it!

Aside from saying the Hail Mary to Jesus’s mother, there are other Mary’s to pay attention to. The other important Mary in Jesus’s life is Mary Magdelene, one of His first disciples. She was also known as Mary of Magdala. Following Jesus’s death, Mary is believed to have traveled through the world sharing the teachings and gospels of Jesus. In the Gnostic gospels, the writings rarely included in the bible, it is understood that Jesus saw Mary as the most spiritually advanced member of his early church. She was to be the next container and teacher in his lineage. While Jesus and Mary may also have been lovers and partners, and may have birthed children together, the most important aspect here is that Jesus saw Mary as an equal.

THE DIVINE MOTHER

There are many stories of The Divine Mother appearing throughout human history. In Hinduism, there are spiritual masters and avatars who come to live their lives as human beings. Amma, The Hugging Saint, is known as the Divine Mother, as are Mother Meera and Sri Anandamayi Ma. There have been many throughout time who have taken human form to teach, heal, and illuminate the world.

In Hindu, Egyptian, and other teachings, far more ancient than Christianity, there are many instances of virgin births, including:

Plato: Many Greeks believed that his mother Perictione was a virgin who mated with the Gods to produce Plato, an enlightened man who would illuminate society.

Huitzilopochtli: In Mexico, this spirit is known to be the God of War who was conceived by a virgin mother.

Rama: His mother conceived him by drinking a sacred potion that was delivered to her by the god Vishnu.

Jason: Son to the known virgin Persephone, later killed by Zeus.

Hina: A Tahitian goddess who conceived her child by walking under leaves that were being entranced and moved by God.

Silvia: She was the wife of Septimius Marcellus. Her procreation partner was said to be the god Mars.

Kneph: As a disembodied and holy spirit, the god Kneph is said to have impregnated a precious virgin by holding a mystical cross near to her mouth.

Attis: Born from his mother, the virgin Nana, he is the Phrygian god.

THE DIVINE SELF

Remember that all divine Beings came to this planet to enlighten and inform us of our potential. You are unlimited in every direction. There is nothing holding you back except your mind. Release the mind and dive within, seeking only divine bliss.

You are a lovely spark of light. Allow yourself to embrace this aspect of yourself. Allow yourself to love yourself. Allow, allow, allow. When we bow to the divine in ourselves and others, we honor all of creation.

Stay positive, choose happiness, and always reach toward the light!

May All The Beings, In All The Worlds,

Throughout All The Realms, BE HAPPY!

May 29, 2020February 2, 2023

Amma: The Loving, Hugging, Humanitarian Saint

Amma, the remarkable, unmatched Hugging Saint. A personal photo (yup, that’s me!). Do not use.

As of the date of this article, Amma has hugged attendees to her programs over 40 million times. Her free events attract thousands upon thousands of people, often taking place in football stadiums. In the early days, when 50 or 60 people were in attendance, Amma was known as “Ammaji” or “Ammachi.”

It was 1990 when I first met Amma. She was seated on a tattered, cushioned chair in the center of a small, basement room in The African-Methodist Episcopal Church in Central Square, Cambridge, MA.

The moment I walked into the room, I was so profoundly struck by Amma’s light and presence that I fell to my knees and bowed to her. I spent the rest of the day sobbing in absolute bliss, happily crouched in a corner. In addition to a few Swamis and helpers, there were less than ten other people in the room.

While indulging my tears, Amma caught my eye and invited me to her chair. I was so nervous, I could barely speak. I walked toward her, awkward and self-conscious as if it were my first time walking. I bowed and she immediately took my hand, then gently bent me across her lap.

Amma then gently rubbed my body from head to toe while I cried. She massaged my scalp and forehead and patted my spine. Amma even squeezed my ears and tussled my hair. It felt as though I were embraced by the most loving bundle of light.

After 20 minutes of her healing touch, Amma lifted my head with her soft hands and pressed her cheek and lips against my ear. She lovingly whispered Sanskrit mantras to me as I absorbed every morsel of her love.

“Pure Love Transcends The Body. It Is Between Hearts. It Has Nothing To Do With Bodies.”
— Amma (Amma.org)

During this timeframe of my life, I was the host of a popular children’s TV show with fantasies of fame running through my head. After meeting Amma, my heart expanded and I changed my approach to my career and every other aspect of my life. Amidst all of my faults and challenges, Amma helped me blossom in ways that I could never have imagined.

During the years to come, Amma would ask me to open her retreats and events with spiritual comedy shows. It was lovely to sit near Amma’s chair and deliver playful lectures and videos about the hilarious things that happen within spiritual communities.

“I don’t see if it is a man or a woman. I don’t see anyone different from my own self. A continuous stream of love flows from me to all of creation. This is my inborn nature. The duty of a doctor is to treat patients. In the same way, my duty is to console those who are suffering.”

— Amma (Amma.org)

Amma’s Birth And Family

Amma, an enlightened master, was born as Sudhamani (bright, precious gem) Idamannel on September 27th, 1953, in Kerala, India. Devotees call her Amma, although she is also known as Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī, an incarnation and embodiment of The Divine Mother. Amma’s ashram, Amritapuri, is in Kerala, India.

Amma was born into a family of fishermen with six siblings, most of whom did not understand her or treat her with kindness. Amma’s commitment to her divine path is what eventually inspired every member of her family to embrace her as the Divine Mother.

Witnesses of her birth say that Amma was born without tears and with a sweet smile on her face. She was reported to have been born with bluish skin, reminiscent of stories Krishna. Even though her skin soon turned to brown, many believe Amma to be an incarnation of Krishna. From age 5 onward, Amma spent most of her time in devotional prayer.

Known as “The Hugging Saint,” Amma tours the world continually, holding free programs in multiple cities on every continent. In the hotels she inhabits, Amma rejects all comfort and sleeps on the floor (requesting that all beds and pillows be removed). She barely eats, yet will hug thousands of attendees, often for longer than 24 hours at one sitting. Amma’s darshan, or blessing, comes in the form of hugs and gentle, loving whispers during the embrace.

Amma offers mantras to those who request them, and she makes herself available to people who have life-or-death questions.

“I am not interested in making believers by showing miracles; I am here to help you find the real truth, and to find liberation of the Self (Soul) through the realization of your eternal nature.”
— Amma (Amma.org)

Amma’s Mission: Hospitals, Housing, Tsunami Relief & More

Amma’s international missions, Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) and Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust, help millions of people around the world.

In addition to spiritual education, these organizations have a long, successful record of helping the poor and uplifting humanity. She has garnered hundreds of millions of dollars in donations for disaster relief, healthcare for the poor, the environment, global hunger, and education for financially strained students.

The primary missions of Amma’s organizations are to promote activities of selfless service. The idea is based on her teachings around karma yoga, which encourages everyone to help those who are less fortunate as a prayer.

Thousands of people around the world volunteer for Amma’s organizations. This includes monastics, students, and householders (married and/or with children), who come from a long list of religions, races, creeds and ideologies.

When you attend Amma’s events, you’ll hear about her mission, “Embracing the World.” All of Amma’s charitable organizations work under this premise and title.

Ranked as the #1 private India university, Amma’s Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, is an accredited university that offers degrees in Arts & Sciences, Chemistry, Biotech, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Medicine, Ayurveda, and more. Students can also learn meditation, Sanskrit and yoga.

Here are a few highlights from a long list of Amma’s unique, humanitarian accomplishments:

Awarded over 100,000 scholarships to help disadvantaged people and the many families stricken with farmer suicide
MAM’s university, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a 5-campus system, teaches nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, and satellite-enabled software solutions. Amma says that their goal is “To harness the power of modern technology to provide the effect of targeted aid to communities and individuals in crisis.”
Built four charitable hospitals that serve the poor and disadvantaged
Established the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (AIMS) and several HIV/AIDS care centers. The AIMS hospitals and related programs have 1,300 beds, a medical college with 400-beds, and a 210-bed Intensive Care Facility. They’ve served over 5.5 million patients since 1998.
Amma’s MAM funds and manages over 47 grammar schools with an education that integrates spiritual and universal values
MAM is part of the “United Nations Billion Tree Campaign” and has actively planted over 1 million trees around the world
Amma’s SREE program and her over 5000 self-help groups serve over 100,000 women to improve their lives and support their families
Built over 200,000 homes for the poor
Raised and gave over $50 million to earthquake, tsunami and hurricane relief
Awarded over 60,000 microloans to help families improve their living conditions, careers, health, and businesses
Established nine tailoring schools and furnished them with over 2000 sewing machines
Educated over 500 students in pursuit of their driver’s licenses to become bus, truck and taxi drivers
Educated hundreds of young people in a variety of trades, including mobile phone and TV/VCR repair, plumbing, fashion design, and bag manufacturing/production
Her Amrita Nidhi financial-aid program is giving out pensions to over 100,000 widows, and physically and mentally disadvantaged individuals
Build four elderly-care homes, equipped with community prayer, ceremony and function halls
Amma’s AYUDH helps young people integrate spiritual and universal values into their lives, as she teaches them ways they can help the elderly, homeless and disadvantaged
Built two homes that continually help hundreds of children with food, housing, and education

There are many other services, functions, and organizations that Amma and her MAM manage or fund across the globe. Her mission represents one of the most profound humanitarian efforts in history.

Amma’s Miracles

Amma began performing miracles very early in life, including licking the sores of lepers which healed them of their debilitating disease. While she does not place emphasis on these miracles, there are many confirmed stories circulating throughout India.

During her early life and beyond, Amma was known to be extraordinarily generous and compassionate with the lower classes in society, her most impoverished neighbors, and all of the nearby animals. She would regularly forsake her own hunger and give her food to hungry cows and goats. To many, Amma was the miracle that saved their livestock and families.

Amma would also give her family’s belongings to those in need. Even as a young girl, Amma would spontaneously hug others with the hope of comforting them.

“If we penetrate deeply into all aspects and all areas of life, we will find that hidden behind everything is love. We will discover that love is the force, the power, and inspiration behind every word and every action. This applies to all people, irrespective of race, caste, creed, sect, religion, or of what work people do.”
— Amma (Amma.org)

Amma Quotes

“Children, love can accomplish anything and everything. Love can cure diseases. Love can heal wounded hearts and transform human minds. Through love, one can overcome all obstacles. Love can help us renounce all physical, mental and intellectual tensions and thereby bring peace and happiness.”
“True worship of God is rendering help to those who are suffering.”
“Different people will think different things – that is the nature of the world. People have the right to have faith or not to have faith.”
“For me, everything in creation is God, there is nothing but God. Every single object is a wonder for me.”
“Only when human beings are able to perceive and acknowledge the Self in each other can there be real peace.”
“All I am concerned with is what positive I can do.”
“Compassion is Consciousness expressed through your actions and words. Compassion is the art of non-hurting. Compassion cannot hurt. Compassion cannot hurt anyone because compassion is Consciousness manifested. Consciousness cannot hurt anyone. Just as the sky cannot hurt anyone and space cannot hurt anyone, the manifestation of Consciousness, compassion, cannot hurt anyone. One who has compassion can only be compassionate.”

Amritapuri: Amma’s Home Ashram

Amma began hugging people at her home in her early teens, and more regularly as spiritual disciples took residence on her family’s property. Amma says that when people would share their troubles with her, she would listen, share advice and then hug them.

This loving ritual eventually became part of Amma’s blessing which new seekers can experience when they visit Amma. By lovingly embracing others, Amma is absorbing a measure of pain in the world, which heals hearts and helps humanity.

Amma’s home ashram, Amritapuri, is in Kerala, India, which is also Amma’s primary residence. There are only a few weeks throughout the year when Amma is not touring the world and therefore resides at Amritapuri. Her original tiny temple is still in perfect working order and often used for Pujas and Homas, ceremonies of light and love.

When visiting the ashram, you’ll find inexpensive accommodations akin to a youth hostel, delicious and affordable vegetarian meals, free spiritual education, and free programs where attendees are invited to receive Amma’s special darshan in the form of a hug.

Mornings at Amritapuri begin long before dawn, when men and women chant in separate halls. If you walk near Amma’s main temple, you can find the sweet spot between the two halls, where you’ll be drenched in waterfalls of chants occurring on either side of you. It’s a profound experience. Visitors are always welcome to attend as fellow-chanters.

Spiritual ceremonies in the forms of Pujas and Homas are performed daily, and can be of benefit to individuals, families, friends, and loved ones. If you have a personal prayer, need or desire for help, healing or cleansing, Amma’s Pujas and Homas can be ordered through her website.

Amma’s Awards And Honors

It seems that every year Amma and her organizations are recognized for their tireless efforts to serve humanity. Here is the most current list of their remarkable achievements:

1993: Named “President of the Hindu Faith,” at The Parliament of the World’s Religions 100th Anniversary
1993: Hindu of the Year, by Hinduism Today
1995: Address at The Interfaith Celebrations, 50th anniversary of the UN
1998: Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award
2000: Keynote speaker at the Millennium World Peace Summit, UN General Assembly
2002: Karma Yogi of the Year, by Yoga Journal
2002: Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence
2005: Mahavir Mahatma Award
2005: Centenary Legendary Award of the International Rotarians
2006: James Parks Morton Interfaith Award
2006: The Philosopher Saint Sri Jnaneswara World Peace Prize
2007: Le Prix Cinéma Vérité
2008: Mahavir Mahatma Award
2008: Keynote at the Summit of the Global Peace Initiative of Women
2010: Honorary Doctorate, The State University of New York
2012: Amma in the Top 100 Most Spiritually Influential, Living People
2013: 1st Annual Award, Vishwaretna Purskar (Gem of the World Award), by Hindu Parliament
2013: Proclamation by the State of Michigan, declaring Amma to be a true citizen of the world for her worldwide charitable works
2014: One of the 50 most powerful women religious leaders, by Huffington Post
2014: Kavithilakam Pandit Karuppan Award
2014: Participated with the first coalition of Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist leaders (including Amma) to sign a shared commitment against modern-day slavery and human trafficking under the direction of The Global Freedom Network
2015: Keynote at The United Nations Academic Impact Conference
2015: Medal of Honor, by Ms. Evie Evangelou, Fashion 4 Development
2015: Special Envoy for the Protection of the Planet in the Summit of Conscience for the Climate in Paris, by French President Francois Hollande
2015: Golden Goody Award (Oscar for Social Good) for Amma’s Worldwide Humanitarian Charities

Amma’s Titles, Roles And Positions

While Amma is hugging people, you’ll often see her Swamis hand her a variety of cell phones. I often wondered why – until I realized that Amma is the CEO of a variety of missions.

Here are Amma’s primary roles and positions in organizations that serve millions of people across the globe:

Founder and Chairperson, Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math
Founder, Embracing the World
Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University
Founder, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS Hospital)
Parliament of the World’s Religions, International Advisory committee member
President, Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary celebration committee
Member, Elijah Interfaith Institute Board of World Religious Leaders

Other Divine Mothers

Mother Meera is also known as an embodiment of The Divine Mother. Born in 1960, Mother Meera can be found touring the world giving visitors her loving blessing. This free transmission of Light, Love, and Grace is Mother’s gift to the world. Mother Meera once said, “The whole purpose of my work is in the calling down of the Paramatman Light and in helping people. For this I came – to open your hearts to the Light.” You can visit MotherMeera.org to learn more.

Sri KarunaMayi has spent her life immersed in prayer and is known for her embodiment of Divine Motherly Love, which she readily shares with all of creation, including people, animals, and plants. Karunamayi has said, “Where there is selfishness, love will not manifest, and where there is love, there is no room for selfishness.” You can learn more at her website here.

Both of these embodiments of divine love regularly tour the world, shedding their eternal light on all walks of life.

Attacks And Allegations

While there have been a few physical attacks and negative statements toward Amma, none have materialized relevant corroboration or material evidence. In the one or two public cases, every accuser recanted their stories and apologized directly to Amma and her organizations.

Despite occasional harsh treatment toward her, Amma repeatedly says that she forgives and loves all of them. Concerning one disgruntled devotee, Amma said, “Even now, Amma is only filled with love for that daughter. I am praying that virtue and goodness come. Time will shine forth the truth.”

“All those who are born will die one day. I am going ahead keeping this reality in mind. I will carry on. I will continue to give darshan to the devotees coming here to meet me.”
— Amma (Amma.org)

Books & Documentaries About Amma

There are hundreds of books written by Amma and her disciples, which can be found on her website at amma.org. Here are the television programs and documentaries that feature Amma and her remarkable work:

River Of Love, 1999
BBC’s Weird Weekends, “Indian Gurus,” 2000
Darshan: The Embrace, 2005
In God’s Name, 2007
Science of Compassion: A Documentary on Amma, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, 2016

“There is always a lack of love. It has always been Amma’s wish that her life should become love and compassion itself. My sole mission is to love and serve one and all.”
— Amma (Amma.org)

Living With A Master

When traveling to or residing at Amma’s ashrams, everyone works as volunteers in service to the poor and disadvantaged. A volunteer might stay for a few weeks or up to several years, and possibly longer. Some people come to Amma’s ashrams to enter into periods of prayer and meditation.

Many of Amma’s devotees spend half their time working in their home cities and then travel in spurts to volunteer for Amma’s organizations, all of which serve humanity. Some devotees have portable businesses that allow them to work when needed, travel with Amma at her programs around the world, and volunteer regularly to help others.

It’s exhilarating to be around Amma, and it’s always of benefit to serve others through her karma yogi programs. As always, Amma encourages her followers and visitors to continually seek ways to serve others, no matter where they live.

Amma continually tours the world and can be found traveling throughout the United States and Canada from May through early August every year. Amma’s unique bookstore and vegan cafe travel are always a lovely and nourishing part of her programs. Admission is always free, although it’s recommended that you arrive early.

May 28, 2020February 2, 2023

Do Jesus, Dionysius, Krishna, And Mithras Share The Same Life Story?

Krishna and Radha – A Shutterstock Licensed Image

Whether you’re a Christian, Buddhist, Pagan, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, New-Ager, Atheist, Zoroastrian, or Planetary Alienist, you’ve somehow been privy to the story of Jesus. While Christians like Catholics and Baptists might not agree on the procedures required to celebrate and worship Christ, they agree on these aspects of the Christian narrative:

When Jesus’ mother conceived Him, She was a virgin. An angel announced the birth.
Upon his birth, wise men and shepherds visited Jesus and his family. They were guided to a remote manger by the constellations.
At a young age, Jesus had an unusual thirst for spiritual matters and a powerful command of his birth religion.
Throughout his life, Jesus taught about love, faith, hope, devotion, and justice.
He performed many miracles, including healing lepers and casting out demons.
Jesus defined himself as the Son of God and was assumed to be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
He defined the nature of God to be a trinity, comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
He often claimed, “I am the Resurrection,” and promised to cleanse the world of sin.
Jesus gave many lectures and had a core group of disciples who spread his teachings.
He was known to be loving, meek, and merciful, and he forgave his enemies.
Jesus was criticized for associating with society’s outcasts and sinners.
He withdrew to the desert to confront all aspects of the universe within Himself.
Before being betrayed, Jesus held the last supper for his dearest disciples.
His teachings threatened old religious doctrine and fearful politicians, which resulted in Jesus being captured and crucified.
After Jesus died, he rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples.

Click to read Amma: The Loving, Hugging, Humanitarian Saint

“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.”

— Luke 2:46-47

The Life Story of Krishna

What’s surprising is that most of these story elements are also found in Krishna’s narrative. While some might assume that the early Christians stole from the older Hindu religion, it’s fair to say that when the divine births a master, He or She knows that some aspects of the narrative are vital for inspiring devotion to divine love and light. Also, all masters are born from the same cloth, the same mysterious force, and the same eternal consciousness. It might be said that focusing on the narrative detracts from the embodiment of the teachings.

Many other religions claim Christianity stole their stories. Some of the ancient writings on parchments and stone indeed point to this possibility. Regardless, much of the evidence has been poorly constructed and presented. It’s incorrect to say that early Christians and propagandistic writers did not steal from this sacred religion, it’s just that, when considering traditional academic procedures, it’s not apparent.

In all things, our devotion and beliefs are personal, and therefore, sacred. While claiming theft might seem justified, it’s also a distraction. With positivity and focus, we can deepen our devotion to our chosen Gods, refrain from judgment, and circumvent our egos.

No worthy God has a penchant for sustaining a vendetta, ego, or attitude. As all precepts are illusions, details are merely dust.

Horus The Child and The Cult of Isis

Most of the writings that equate Horus The Younger with Jesus were written by comparative religion enthusiasts who often referenced the writings of other enthusiasts, most of whom are from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. While compelling on first-read, the thrust of this research does not stem from accredited religious figures, Egyptologists, or biblical scholars. This could limit its credibility.

While the narratives around Horus The Child and his mother Isis are fascinating and potentially illuminating, there are few proven similarities to the story of Jesus. The research on this topic is vague. Some of it points to teachings assumed to have been birthed in the City of Atlantis. It might be that the writings that promote the connection between Horus and Jesus are born from hopes rather than qualified scholarship.

The original narrative of Horus the Younger, very different from Horus the Elder, featured a powerful Sun God who commanded the elements from the sky. He was the protector of those who suffered affliction and pain. Often depicted in the arms of his mother, Isis, the imagery most likely had a substantial influence on Christian iconography in the forms of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. While there are many other reported similarities, they may or may not be bonafide.

There is a vast array of conflicting information on this subject, found in libraries and on the web. Because of this, our religious beliefs must stem from the core of our beings and the centers of our devotional hearts.

Mithraism life story

Mithra is known as the God Sun, and some have claimed him to be the mediator between God and humanity. Sadly, anti-Christian writers may have sought to defame the religion, hoping to victimize their unique God. Other writers, especially those who lived during the years 100-500 AD, such as Justin Martyr, Athenagoras of Athens, and Clement of Alexandria, wanted to remove the stigmas against Christianity in support of making it a legal religion.

While Mithraic writings may have pointed to the notion of salvation, they were most likely based in Zoroastrian principles around man’s participation in the cosmic struggle of a magnificent creation opposing the eternal forces of evil. Other purported similarities between Christ and Mithra have mainly been dismissed, including shared December 25th births, a water-miracle, and the mark of the cross.

Dionysius and Jesus life story

The culture and religion around Dionysius were born from a philosophical form of Hedonism. While Jesus may have been the true vine of divine love, Dionysius was literally referred to as the God of Grapes, and therefore wine. While both Gods were traveling teachers, performers of miracles, riders of symbolic donkeys, and then murdered, this is where the similarities end.

Summary

Regardless of what you believe, your God is whomever you elevate above yourself. With a little faith, Horus, Dionysius, and Krishna could certainly protect you from the perils of this world and the demons within your nature.

In all religions, the details are sketchy. We’ll never know when or how Christ, Mithra, or the other Gods-in-Human-Form were born. Since all of their narratives were written many years after their deaths, we can only assume their stories were born from combinations of divine intervention, subjective truths, mythology, and hope. While we can love them and honor them, we might never know the truth of their physical lives and purpose. It might also be true that the details are unimportant.

The prevailing truth of our lives is that the divine can spring forth and lovingly envelop our spirits in an instant. She can birth a master from a vibrant flower or a ray of sunlight. He can conjure realities and spacetime trajectories that appear to last forever, yet only last a moment.

There are many ways to connect with a loving, divine master. Given their eternal, non-egoistic natures, they probably don’t care which name you call them. Whether it’s Shiva, Saraswati, Aphrodite, Ares, Sol, Tristan, Dolya, Gabrielle, Isolde, Khepri, Koko, or Lena, because they were either born from light or elevated by human consciousness, their vibrations are bright, beneficial, and eternal.

There are many types of Gods and masters. There are living masters, birthed/deceased Gods, and divine Beings that solely live within the other realms. It is up to each of us to command our divinity, bow to the eternal light, and remain humble in our pursuit of perpetual resurrection.

May 22, 2020February 2, 2023

Jesus Is Far More Eternal, Loving, Powerful Than His Christian Narrative Reveals

Jesus was an enlightened master, still accessible, still embedded in the light. A Shutterstock Licensed Image.

Jesus was one of the first enlightened masters with a broad mission and mass appeal. A true and eternal master, Jesus was likely olive or dark-skinned.

While originally based in the teachings of Jesus, and focused on love and compassion, Christianity has since become somewhat broken, splintered and confusing. Even the white portrayal of the likely olive or darker-skinned Jesus is a fabrication.

It’s a religion with many limbs and branches, most of which are not fully rooted in The Eternal Light of Christ. In many ways, Christianity, in all its forms, has lost its way.

Behind the leadership of each of Christianity’s sub-sects, are lineages of successions that were not always inspired by love. Many of the church’s leaders have been ambitious men who promoted codes and ideologies that defied Jesus’s teachings. This is still happening today.

From protected, pedophile priests who’ve committed multiple crimes with no repercussions to hateful born-again Christians who use Bibles as weapons to judge millions, too many of the church’s factions no longer live by the Master’s teachings. It’s become a sea of conflict and misdirection.

While the core of Christianity is still accessible,

it’s rarely upheld or defended.

Most of its followers seem to almost condone

their religion’s sins, saying things like, “Have faith.”

Consider how “born-again” Christians continue to villainize and denigrate people who are LGBQT, immigrants, agnostics, atheists, or members of other religions. They also taunt those who choose to meditate, do yoga, or exercise their rights to have an abortion.

These sad and misled people have continued to demonstrate hatred against those who don’t follow their cult-like ideologies, by telling them, “you are not saved.” How sad it is that this type of ignorance is still in play!

Many churches that call themselves “Christian” are so steeped in their own hypocrisy, they have rendered themselves ill-equipped to love, meet the spiritual needs, or foster the growth of disciples.

Many of their adherents are being taught to hate rather than love. They’ve become so hyper-focused on their incomplete and over-edited Bible, they can’t help but judge and forsake those who are depressed, poor, lonely, disenfranchised and desperate. Aren’t those the people who Jesus taught us to love and heal?

These types of Christians regularly guilt and shame those who refuse to jump-aboard their exclusionary hate-wagons. In what twisted reality did Jesus use guilt and shame? He didn’t. Jesus was the embodiment of love, compassion, and acceptance. These things are no longer taught at American mega-churches, because hate sells.

When these ignorant people most often quote their “scriptures,” they do so specifically to hurt others, not to nurture them. It’s as if they imagine themselves to be in relationships with a dark, egoistic and fictional Christ, rather than the loving, healing and transformative nature of the Eternal Christ.

Within the first day of posting this article, I was verbally ambushed by some of the most backward, hateful people I’ve experienced, none of whom have any idea what their short-sighted outbursts do to others. I can only imagine how many sad and lonely people they’ve damaged this way. If Jesus were to return as his original person, they wouldn’t recognize him. They’d put him in a detention center and toss the key.

How Do I Access The True Nature Of Christ?

For the purest teachings of Jesus, follow a living, enlightened master, and read the Gnostic gospels, the texts rejected by male, Christian leaders throughout time. With so many dark souls having tainted these teachings, it’s a miracle we can still seek and find Him.

Christianity’s agreed-upon religious tome is The Bible, a 1700 year old text filled with inconsistencies. The old testament has been translated into over 600 languages, and the new testament has been translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, into over 1534 additional languages.

The oldest version of the Bible has over 14,800 discrepancies when compared to the latest King James version. There are now over 2000 uniquely translated and edited versions of the bible. The current version has been rewritten over 300,000 times (yes, three hundred thousand). Over 99.9% of the translators were men.

Given its limitations, the Bible should never be used to limit our beliefs,

define or confine God and the universe, or judge others.

Throughout time, Christian popes, leaders and warriors have maneuvered, raped and pillaged, all in the name of God, and in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus, like any enlightened Being, would disavow his position in such an organization, and he would question the tenets outlined in their limited, manipulated “holy” text.

If Jesus returns, which he continues to do in many forms, he might not limit himself to being Christian. His membership in such a thing might be antithetical to his nature. While he would be loving of Christians, he would most likely neither prefer them nor emblemize his position among them.

If He were here with us now, Jesus would lead us to eternal truths, the ones not properly recorded by early followers, subsequent editors, and the church’s many selfish leaders throughout history.

No matter the religion or creed, it’s silly to put God in a box. The universe and God are unlimited. The Divine has never relegated itself to merging with one master, path or creed. She has been birthing enlightened teachers and teachings for eons. All we have to do is open our hearts and seek Her.

God, the Eternal Consciousness, the everlasting Being of light, in the form of Christ and all of the Eternal Masters, is one glance or thought away. Just open your heart.

Who Was Jesus?

The true nature and lineage of Jesus have little to do with his carpenter father or virgin mother. The depth of Jesus’s spirit and the breadth of his mission is born from many lifetimes in service to humanity and creation.

As a boy, and throughout his teenage years, Jesus benefited from the deep and beautiful teachings of the famous, regional rabbis of his day, including Johanan ben Zakkai, Hanina ben Doda, and Abba Yose Holikufr.

Jesus was a devoted Jew, who quickly emerged as a profound sage and prophet. As he further embodied God’s light, delving deeply into the realities and natures of humanity, love, and the Universe, Jesus grew far beyond the limited teachings and judgmental nature of his birth religion. Within a short period of time, Jesus exponentially expanded into the Eternal Embodiment of Love.

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Although he was born infused with divine light, Jesus most likely became a student of Buddhist and Hindu tenets. Either way, He had a clear, Vedic astrology chart of an Eternal Master. He was not a figurehead of a religion or movement. He was the embodiment of light and love.

This is why gurus and “wise men” flocked to witness his birth. There were many more than three men who came to visit Jesus in his early years.

To be with Jesus, visit with the living masters who travel the planet today. Most of these enlightened Beings are female, and embody feminine qualities. This is because the nature of the universe is predominantly feminine, as are Jesus’s teachings.

One cannot follow Jesus without understanding the nature of the Divine Mother, whether your understanding is conscious or not. It’s in this way that embracing Jesus’s mother Mary can be helpful for unfoldment into Self-realization through Christ.

Click to read “Do Jesus, Dionysius, Krishna, And Mithras Share The Same Life Story?“

Without The Divine Mother, there is no depth of femininity, receptivity, compassion or empathy. In Her embrace, we are immersed in eternal love and embraced by all of creation. It’s through Her arms that we can also experience the living Jesus.

Here is a partial list of living and recently deceased Sons and Daughters of God, who many believe to be akin to Jesus and embodiments of divine love. Other terms for them are “Spiritual Masters” and “Gurus.”

1. Amma

2. Karunamayi Ma

3. Mother Meera

4. Thich Nhat Hanh

5. Paramahansa Yogananda

6. Anandamayi Ma

7. Eckhart Tolle

8. Yogi Bhajan

9. Chogyam Trungpa

The Mystical Teachings of Jesus

Somehow lost in the catacombs of The Vatican and other Christian cultures, these teachings are the foundation for spiritual growth.

Love others as yourself.
Seek forgiveness of yourself and others.
Embrace a life of service to others.
Be lovingly detached from relationships and physical realities.
Transcend beyond your emotional, psychological, and physical limitations.
God is both masculine and feminine, but mostly feminine.
Your imagined self-identity is temporary. If you choose, you can be born again, and into the nature of God.
The physical and spiritual realities that comprise all Beings and all matter, in all the worlds, and in all the realms, are One Living-Being. This Being Is The Embodiment Of Light And Love.
We cannot help others by affirming their illusions, temporary Self-identities or attachments to their temporal physical realities.
We can help ourselves and others by releasing illusions and accepting the fact that we can never be truly trapped by them. We are also eternal.
We only harm ourselves in our own self-perceptions, and our self-limiting thoughts and paradigms.
Our compassion for others should not affirm their illusions, it should free the individuals from their addictions to illusions.
Our mistakes are canceled checks and carry no lasting consequences.
The Divine (God, Jesus, and Other Divine Beings) are not responsible for our mistakes or pain. They allow them, in agreement with our true natures, and in pursuit of our expansion into Self-realization.
Closed minds and closed ecosystems are born from egos.
Remain non-attached to whichever states of consciousness you encounter or achieve.
The substratum of your mind is ego. Sink deeply within yourself and explore that which is beneath and beyond all substratum.
Duality is the belief that there is an “other.” There is no other. It’s all connected.
You are, and you always have been LOVE.
Seek and affirm love in all people, places, and things.
Your love and gratitude will unveil the truth and set you free.

The journey to spiritual liberation begins with devotion to a master. Whether it’s Jesus, Amma, Yogananda, or another Holy Being, be true to your heart and follow the path of light and love. Stay close to your master, in mind and heart. The master will never leave you.

May 15, 2020February 2, 2023

The Personality Cards: Official Launch!!!

Hi Everybody,

I have an exciting announcement! I’ve been working for quite some time now to put together a truly intuitive, personal experience that extends beyond the current tarot reading culture. After much meditation, thought, and experience in intuitive readings and coaching, I’ve finally created my own personality cards for tarot readings!

My Personality Cards just arrived and I’m grateful for all the work that went into them. The card artist Lucy Kyriakidou did an amazing job! I love how the cards, booklet, and box came out.

Here’s a quick taste!

The personality cards are fun to use and can

provide deep insight into who we are.

I use them in every intuitive session I do,

and they are always on-the-mark!

To use them, you can pick out your cards for the day during your dedicated time for self-reflection, prayer, and meditation. Each card has a personality identity which you can read more about in the booklet included. Use these descriptions and helpful guided meditations to dig deep, learn more about yourself, and even navigate the situations you are experiencing currently.

Buy them HERE.

If you need help learning more and using them for the first time, I’d love to hear from you. You can sign up for a 1 hour session with me here, where I’ll guide you in using the personality cards during an intuitive reading.

May 13, 2020October 14, 2022

The Humble Life Of Yoga Master, B.K.S Iyengar

Iyengar Yoga – A Shutterstock Licensed Image

As trendy as yoga has become, when it’s properly practiced it can help earnest people release physical and emotional toxins, and reach deeper levels of clarity and self-realization. Improperly practiced or bastardized, yoga becomes nothing more than an ego-serving, adrenaline-inducing exercise.

While there are many social-experimenters in the US and UK offering varieties of classes involving Party-in-Your-Pants Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar, and his Iyengar Yoga are the real deal, both grounded in spiritual truths and ancient texts. While some of Iyengar’s followers and teachers may come from a more egoistic state than their master, Iyengar’s teachings have endured the tests of time and dilution. They remain profound and penetrating.

“My Body Is My Temple And Asanas Are My Prayers”
— B.K.S. Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar’s career spanned eight decades, during which he developed and taught a unique version of Hatha Yoga. Hatha was founded in the early 10th century by Matsyendra, the yogi-saint known to be an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara, who has been honored in both Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Iyengar’s style focused on correcting alignment through the precise performance of yoga postures (asanas). This “new yoga” was the first popularized form that utilized benches, blocks, belts, sandbags, blankets, and other tools within the practice. This was not only revolutionary, but it also opened the doors for people with physical limitations to correctly perform the asanas without hurting themselves.

Yoga And Sex

Hatha Yoga was originally an extension of Tantra, the celebratory practice of physical and spiritual fusion of masculine and feminine aspects. With specific poses aimed at raising the kundalini or “life force,” Tantric aspirants were enveloped in blissful unions with the eternal consciousness of the cosmos. Tantra, as it’s practiced today, can be exciting, transformative, and yet challenging to master. It can also become addictive and inspire ongoing sexual promiscuity, which can detract from living a balanced, love-based life.

Have no doubt, yoga awakens our most coveted aspects, including our sexual prowess. This is why some yoga masters become sexual predators or at least sexual experimenters. The lure of multiple partners can be enticing and overwhelming, and eventually intoxicating.

But if we consider that most yoga asanas were designed to awaken the flames within us, how can we find faults in our desires, addictions, and yoga teachers? Sexual expression and healing have always been intertwined with the tenets of yoga. Eventually, it comes down to taking responsibility for our projections, and enjoying the outcomes, whether they result in disaster or bliss. Remember, there is no “other.”

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”
— B.K.S. Iyengar

Trendy Yoga

While it used to be an honor to be invited to study yoga, today, anybody can wander into a gym and sign-up for classic forms of yoga. Gym and yoga studio members can also engage with the more hipster versions of this ancient rite, including “Rage Yoga,” Metal Yoga,” and “Sailor’s Mouth Yoga,” the latest forms designed to massacre the ancient texts with ego and attitude. There’s even a USA Yoga Championship and The International Federation of Sports Yoga. Hooray!

While these concepts are exciting and potentially fruitful for their followers, they have nothing to do with the original yogic disciplines. Yoga is not a sport or a hobby. It’s a spiritual path that can lead to awakening. And while you might feel joyful, accomplished, and self-validated when competing, copping attitudes, or slamming shots of Jäger after downward-facing-dog, these activities tend to be more self-aggrandizing than transformative.

The Basics of Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga requires discipline as it strives to unify the body, breath, mind, and soul. What also makes Iyengar Yoga unique is that it focuses on learning and experiencing rather than pushing through a list of poses in one sitting. It’s all about quality instead of quantity. While this style of yoga veers from the traditional flow of Hatha Yoga, it’s equally calm, gentle, and mindful. While the practice of Iyengar Yoga does not require its students to adopt any set of beliefs, it follows this teaching to its core:

“Let us bow before the noblest of sages Patanjali, who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind,

grammar for clarity and purity of speech, and medicine for perfection of health.”

BKS Iyengar authored many books on yoga, including “Light on Yoga,” which sold over 3 million copies, and became an international best-seller, translated into 17 languages. He also authored 13 additional books, including “The Tree of Yoga,” “Light on Pranayama,” “Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,” and “Light on Life.” Although he was a profound teacher and master, he never required his students to follow his personal, religious traditions. In fact, he would encourage them to remain devout to their birth religions and cultures, the sign of a true spiritual master.

The BKS and Ramamani Iyengar Family

Married to BKS in 1943, Iyengar’s wife was a humble, loving woman named Ramamani, for whom he later opened The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. During their loving marriage, Ramamani gave birth to five daughters and one son. Their children Geeta and Prashant continued the Iyengar Yoga legacy by becoming internationally-known teachers and authors.

Throughout her life, Geeta (1944-2018) focused on yoga for women and published “Yoga: A Gem for Women.” Prashant authored several books on yoga and served as director of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute for many years. It is said that Iyengar’s and Ramamani’s other children Vanita, Sunita, Suchita, and Savita, led more secular lives. Yet, the lineage continues: Abhijata Sridhar Iyengar, their granddaughter, continues to each at the family’s institute in Pune, and in other countries.

While many yoga masters fall under the tutelage of a guru very early in their lives, Iyengar did not hear the calling until his brother-in-law invited him to a class when he was 15. Not only was his brother-in-law a respected teacher of yoga, but Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is also often referred to as “The Father of Modern Yoga.”

“There is a universal reality in ourselves that aligns us

with a universal reality that is everywhere.”
— B.K.S. Iyengar

BKS Iyengar’s Early Education

BKS Iyengar lived a fascinating life. Born in a poor village in Karnataka, India, he was the 11th child of 13. After contracting influenza during the pandemic that ravaged his hometown, the young BKS was never the same. Before reaching adulthood, he was stricken with malaria, typhoid fever, poor nutrition, and bouts of tuberculosis.

By the time he was 15, he was ready for a change. Beckoned by his famous brother-in-law, the yogi Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, Iyengar moved to Mysore, India, and spent two years devoutly practicing yoga asanas. In 1937, when Iyengar was 18 years old, Sri Krishnamacharya ordained the young man as a yoga instructor and sent him to Pune to spread the gospel of asanas.

During the time of his study with Sri Krishnamacharya, the young Iyengar struggled. Since he neither showed spiritual promise or was a favored student, Iyengar was often assigned to the drudgery of household chores. Because of this, his relationship with Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was often strained.

It wasn’t until Sri Krishnamacharya’s prize students moved away when Iyengar’s master training began.

While some students were given lighter exercises and less stringent schedules, Iyengar was taught a series of difficult postures, often being instructed to fast until he mastered specific asanas.

After teaching yoga for many years, Iyengar felt called to teach in other parts of the world. He spent time in Switzerland and Europe teaching violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Back at home, Iyengar taught celebrities Jiddu Krishnamurti and Jayaprakassh Narayan. He also taught the Queen of Belgium how to do a headstand, and writer Aldous Huxley and actress Annette Bening to perform his unique asanas. Iyengar continued to teach and lecture through to his death on August 20, 2014. He was 95 years old.

“Be inspired but not proud.”
— B.K.S Iyengar

B.K.S. Iyengar Quotes

“It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.”

“Breath is the king of mind.”

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.”

“Yoga does not just change the way we see things; it transforms the person who sees.”

“There is no difference in souls, only the ideas about ourselves that we wear.”

B.K.S. Iyengar’s Legacy

As an Indian national hero, Iyengar’s government awarded him several prizes, including “The Padma Shri” in 1991, “The Padma Bhushan” in 2002, and “The Padma Vibhushan” in 2014. These accolades were heard around the world. In 2004, Time Magazine named Iyengar as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2005, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared October 3 as “B.K.S. Iyengar Day.” In 2011, Beijing’s China Post honored this prolific writer and teacher with a commemorative stamp.

More recently, the Oxford Dictionary recently defined the noun “Iyengar” as “a type of Hatha Yoga focusing on correct alignment of the body.” On December 14, 2015, Google honored what would have been Iyengar’s 97th birthday with a Google Doodle, a digital animation that was shown on browsers in India, North America, Europe, Russia, and Indonesia.

A true master of yoga, BKS Iyengar continues to inspire millions of people to improve their postures, health, happiness, and souls through his uniquely profound Iyengar Yoga.