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Awakened Masters & Divine Beings: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

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Illuminating Souls: The Divine Masters of India and Their Transformative Influence

Introduction

India, with its rich spiritual heritage, has been the birthplace of numerous enlightened masters who have left an indelible mark on the world. These luminaries, through their teachings and profound spiritual practices, guide us on a transformative journey towards enlightenment, healing, and alignment with divine consciousness.

In this exploration, we delve into the lives and teachings of ten of the most famous enlightened masters born in India, including Amma, Mother Meera, Anandamayi Ma, Ramakrishna, and others.

Their wisdom not only illuminates our lives but also serves as a beacon, leading us towards a harmonious existence rooted in Dharma and the dissolution of karma.

  1. Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi Devi): The Hugging Saint

Amma, often referred to as the Hugging Saint, embodies the essence of love and compassion. Her selfless service and unconditional love have touched millions worldwide. Amma’s embrace, known as a hug of grace, is believed to transmit divine energy, providing solace and healing to those in need.

Her teachings emphasize the importance of selfless service, compassion, and the realization of the interconnectedness of all beings. Through her divine presence, Amma guides us on a path of love and compassion, helping to dissolve the karmic knots that bind us.

  1. Mother Meera: The Silent Illuminator

Known for her mystical silence and profound transmission of light, Mother Meera is regarded as an embodiment of the Divine Feminine. Born in a small village in India, she brings a profound silence that is said to transmit divine consciousness.

Mother Meera’s teachings emphasize the path of surrender and the transformation of the ego. Through the silent transmission of light, she aids in dissolving the karmic imprints, allowing individuals to align with their divine nature and experience inner illumination.

  1. Anandamayi Ma: The Joy-Permeated Mother

Anandamayi Ma, the Joy-Permeated Mother, radiated an unparalleled spiritual presence. Her life was a testament to the spontaneous and natural expression of divine consciousness. Anandamayi Ma emphasized the importance of surrender, love, and devotion on the spiritual path.

Her teachings guide individuals towards harmonizing with the cosmic order (Dharma) and transcending karmic entanglements. The joy that emanated from Anandamayi Ma’s being serves as a source of inspiration for seekers worldwide.

  1. Ramakrishna Paramahansa: The Eclectic Mystic

Ramakrishna Paramahansa, a 19th-century mystic, played a pivotal role in revitalizing Hinduism and fostering interfaith harmony. His teachings emphasized the universality of spiritual truths and the diverse paths to realizing the divine.

Through his deep spiritual practices, including intense devotion and meditation, Ramakrishna dissolved the boundaries of ego and delved into the ocean of divine consciousness. His life and teachings continue to guide individuals in dissolving personal karma and living in alignment with Dharma.

  1. Sri Aurobindo: The Integral Visionary

Sri Aurobindo, a philosopher, poet, and yogi, introduced the concept of integral yoga, aiming for the transformation of all aspects of human existence. His teachings emphasize the evolution of consciousness, leading towards a divine life on earth. Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga seeks to dissolve the dualities of existence and align individuals with their divine nature.

Through practices like meditation, self-awareness, and conscious living, followers of Sri Aurobindo strive to overcome karma and embrace a life in harmony with the divine.

  1. Swami Vivekananda: The Torchbearer of Vedanta

Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, played a crucial role in introducing Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. His teachings emphasized the universality of religion and the divinity within every soul.

Swami Vivekananda’s call for fearlessness and strength has inspired countless individuals to align with their higher selves and dissolve the karmic obstacles that hinder spiritual progress.

  1. Paramahansa Yogananda: The Yogi-Philosopher

Paramahansa Yogananda, author of “Autobiography of a Yogi,” brought the teachings of Kriya Yoga to the West. His spiritual legacy continues through the organization he founded, Self-Realization Fellowship.

Yogananda’s emphasis on direct communion with the divine through meditation provides a practical path for dissolving karma and aligning with the soul’s journey toward self-realization.

  1. Sai Baba of Shirdi: The Miraculous Mystic

Sai Baba of Shirdi, a revered saint in both Hindu and Muslim communities, is known for his miracles and teachings that transcend religious boundaries. Sai Baba emphasized the importance of love, forgiveness, and service to humanity.

His divine presence is believed to bring healing and liberation from karmic entanglements, encouraging followers to live according to Dharma.

  1. Nisargadatta Maharaj: The Sage of Self-Inquiry

Nisargadatta Maharaj, a 20th-century sage, gained recognition for his teachings on Advaita Vedanta and self-inquiry. His emphasis on realizing the true nature of the self through introspection and self-awareness provides a profound path for dissolving the illusions of karma.

Nisargadatta’s teachings guide individuals towards the direct experience of the divine consciousness that resides within.

  1. Jiddu Krishnamurti: The Iconoclastic Philosopher

Jiddu Krishnamurti, a philosopher and spiritual teacher, challenged traditional concepts of spirituality and religion. His teachings centered on the importance of self-discovery, inner freedom, and the dissolution of psychological conditioning.

Krishnamurti’s radical approach encourages individuals to question the nature of karma, cultivate deep self-awareness, and align with the timeless truth beyond cultural and religious boundaries.

Conclusion

The lives and teachings of these enlightened masters born in India offer a diverse tapestry of spiritual wisdom, providing guidance on how to illuminate our lives, heal our souls, and live in alignment with Dharma.

Whether through the transformative power of love and compassion, the silent transmission of divine light, the joy of surrender, or the integral vision of yoga, each master contributes a unique facet to the journey of self-realization.

Their teachings invite us to dissolve the karmic imprints that bind us, align with our divine nature, and awaken to the profound truth that transcends the limitations of ego and duality.

As we explore these paths, we embark on a transformative journey towards inner illumination, healing, and a harmonious existence rooted in divine consciousness.

The enlightened masters serve as beacons of light, guiding us through the labyrinth of existence towards the timeless truth that resides within every soul.

Visit TheShankaraExperience.com to learn about The Shankara Oracle – the most divine oracle on Earth.

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Highly Sensitive People (HSPs): The Gifts, Challenges, and Miracles

“Highly Sensitive Person” Written on Paper with Hand Holding a Delicate Flower. Shutterstock licensed image.

HSP: The Gifts, Challenges, and Miracles

Some of us are wildly sensitive. We might be grocery shopping and feel what other shoppers are feeling. We might even sense the emotions of yesterday’s workers – the ones who placed the cucumbers into the bin in front of us.  Alas, if you are feeling like you collect energy from every experience and find it difficult to shake it, you might be a Highly Sensitive Person.

Being more sensitive and vulnerable means that your soul has grown to sense what others are feeling. Some HSPs feel things but don’t internalize them. Others feel them and process them at a deep level.

Some HSPs are compassionate, while others might not have an ounce of empathy. Being sensitive does not necessarily mean you are evolved. It must means that you don’t have the same protective mechanisms as others. It might also mean that your brain process experiences, relationships, and emotions in a unique way.

A few questions the might help you determine if you’re an HSP:

Do you often find yourself more in tune with others’ feelings or having more extreme reactions to certain events than those around you?

Do specific environments, emotions, or situations bother you, while other people go unaffected? 

During an argument, do you begin to feel overwhelmed, as if you’re carrying a burden that is not yours?

At cocktail parties and coffee shops, can you feel the emotions of the people around you?

Do you cry or feel stressed when other people are feeling the same?

If any of these questions are hitting home, it might be time to tune into yourself and learn what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).

The concept of being an HSP might feel like a burden, but it’s not. It’s not only a responsibility, it’s a super-hero power. Also, the more you know about yourself, the easier it is to own your experiences, shift perspectives, and protect yourself.

If you truly take command of your sensitivities, they’ll become immeasurably valuable tools & assets – even weapons.

As HSPs, we are not victims, we are warriors with super-skills.

What is a Highly Sensitive Person?

An HSP, also known as a Highly Sensitive Person, has a highly active nervous system and extreme sensory sensitivities. Studies are being done to show that Highly Sensitive People actually have brains that work a bit differently than others, causing them to react in unique and often powerful ways within their daily lives and relationships.

While this might sound a bit strange or abnormal, HSP is not a disorder. In fact, around 15-20% of people report they might be HSPs, making it a lot more common than you think! At the same time, not enough people experience these symptoms for the personality to be widely accepted. Unfortunately, that can make Highly Sensitive People feel lonely and misunderstood.

What’s really unique about the HSP personality trait is that it can be found in a wide variety of personality types. You can be an HSP and an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert. HSPs also come from a variety of backgrounds. Depending on the culture an HSP lives within, they might be lovingly accepted, pitied, feared, worshiped, or ostracized.

How Do I Know if I’m a Highly Sensitive Person?

You deserve to get to know yourself so that you can be 100% comfortable with who you are! If you’ve ended up reading this article, it’s likely you have the traits of a Highly Sensitive Person – or someone close to you in an HSP.

HSP traits can manifest in several ways. Some people are highly sensitive to environments that have too many stimuli, such as loud noises, bright lights, too many people, or distinct textures found on walls or on clothing. When exploring these environments, you might feel like you need to retreat into a quiet, secret place so you can recharge and prepare for your next outing.

Some HSPs will go to cocktail parties and similar events only to spend most of their time in the bathroom, their car, washing the dishes, or playing with the loneliest child at the event. Others might show up and quickly exit, never to return again.

As a fellow HSP, I know life can be challenging at times. Some experiences can be so overwhelming, you won’t want to speak to anybody for a day, two days, or more! If you’re also empathic, you might then carry some of the reactive emotions of those who felt disappointed by your exit. Being an HSP can be an overwhelming and never-ending cycle of energetic absorption and release.

Some HSPs are more reactive to emotional stimuli such as with friends, family, and romantic partners. A small spat might feel like a life-changing argument, and a small trickle of affection can feel like a profound, intimate, and loving moment. As such, HSPs might also experience deep thoughts and emotions without receiving sufficient reciprocation.

Further, you might feel the need to avoid intense movies, art galleries, books, and other experiences that overwhelm you. The feelings that emerge from being overwhelmed can be unsettling and potentially anxiety-inducing. You might also feel deeply moved by beauty and upon each event, you might experience your own personalized form of ecstasy.

If you’re still unsure about whether you’re a Highly Sensitive Person, there are tests you can take. Specifically, there’s a questionnaire by Elaine N. Aron written in 1996 that has 27 questions. If you answer YES to 14 of the questions, there’s a high probability of being an HSP. Remember, though, that questionnaires like these are subjective, and you should never make changes to your life without further consulting with health care professionals and your most trusted allies and friends. 

Explore my Empath Oath to see how your virtues correlate to your depth of feelings for the world.

 

High Sensitivity Is A Super-Power

Everyone is unique! Each of us has our own personality with unique quirks and needs. Being an HSP means that your super-power is born from sensing energy. If you process and harness this energy in the correct way, you will experience a deeper connection to everyone and everything around you – and you’ll have a highly advanced prayer life – but only if you allow these things.

Having HSP traits can feel burdensome until you decide to master them. 

MASTERING YOUR HSP AWARENESS

Here are a few rules you might consider as you explore the benefits of being a Highly Sensitive Person:

Own your sensitivities and celebrate them.

Never blame others for being sensitive.

Never play the victim. 

Own your experiences and process them like a Warrior.

Use the knowledge gained from being sensitivity to your benefit. 

Help others when you can, but don’t hurt yourself in the process.

Clear the energies as often as possible: Cry, Shout, Pray, Cry Some More, Pound The Earth, Do Cleansing Rituals & Ceremonies, And Forgive Everything Often!

Challenges for HSPs

If someone calls you “sensitive,” it is often meant negatively. It can hurt to hear that we “overreact” or “think too much” because it invalidates our emotions and experiences. People with HSP traits suffer these insults and invalidations more often than others because of their visceral reactions to life. 

It’s true – HSPs experience life, emotions, and thoughts on a much deeper level. What feels good to some will feel great to you, but what feels bad to others can absolutely devastate you. Pain, whether emotional or physical, is experienced much more by HSPs, and recovery time can be much longer.

As a result, many HSPs choose to take a back seat in life to avoid pain and disappointment. It might feel too much to handle when people or life obstacles let you down. HSPs can often pass up opportunities for growth and enjoyment because they’d rather avoid overstimulation, exhaustion, and potential pain.

The Benefits of Being an HSP

Highly Sensitive People have strong gut feelings and are incredibly intuitive. Having a sensitive nervous system means that you pick up on stimuli that most people can’t, and you have stellar observation skills. You won’t only be able to pick up on changes in your environment but also sense the needs of others with fantastic accuracy and foresight.

HSPs can enjoy intense and powerful relationships with others because of their ability to empathize, anticipate needs, and feel emotions deeply. For the same reasons, they make stellar parents.

Being able to pick up on stimuli and experience on an advanced level means you can also enjoy life so much more. Prayer, rituals, devotion, fine food, art, sex, travel, and adventures can be enjoyed on a whole new level. Having a heightened ability to enjoy stimuli means you have a positive attitude.

When you are extremely grateful for life and everything you have, you are an EMPOWERED HSP!

 

Self Care for Highly Sensitive People

Overall, you should celebrate and feel blessed if you are a Highly Sensitive Person! The people you should keep in your life are those who appreciate how deeply you feel things, including how deeply you understand and care about them. In exchange, your personal tribe should understand your need for space and cooldown periods when things get too intense. 

Here are some great methods that HSPs can introduce to their daily lives in order to find balance, peace, and growth:

      • Schedule positive experiences into your most hectic days
      • Plan for alone time and relaxation periods after anticipated times of overwhelm
      • Suggest alternatives to experiences that you aren’t comfortable with – there’s no need to push yourself
      • Come to understand your personal boundaries for environments, people, and tasks – and be clear about your triggers
      • Create a soothing space you can use as a retreat when you’re overstimulated – build a lovely altar
      • Incorporate meditation, yoga, prayer, and other practices that allow you to center your body and mind to find balance

Proper self-care for HSPs is important. To fully know yourself, remember to incorporate helpful practices so that you can continually experience peacefulness in your mind, body, and heart. 

Embrace Your Sensitivity

If you ever become upset over your state as a Highly Sensitive Person, remember that you aren’t alone. Some of the most innovative and profound people in the world are HSPs. And many will go down in history as assets to humanity. Scientists like Albert Einstein, actors like Jim Carey, Gilda Radner, and Nicole Kidman, and social reformers like Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, and Martin Luther King Jr. are also HSPs who made the most of their sensitivity superpowers!

You are extremely intuitive, empathetic, expressive, and compassionate, and all your friends and family are lucky to have you in their lives. You’re on the path to seeing and doing great things. Remember to harness the power of your ultra-sensitive nervous system and unique mind for your own benefit and the benefit of those you engage. 

As a human being, you are the embodiment of love. As an HSP, you have 10X the ability to feel this at a core level – so OWN IT!

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire. 

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us. 

 

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The Metaverse: Realities Colliding

Spirituality & The Metaverse. Shutterstock licensed image.

The Metaverse: The Walls Between This Reality And Others Will Evaporate

One day soon, there will be a metaverse tech launch that enables people to connect with others outside the restrictive and data-driven umbrellas of corporate-run social networks. 

This new Social Sphere will allow users to port their identities and customized data into a free and multi-way encrypted experience. 

The tech will empower everyone to create and engage in unique, protected, anonymous, custom, interactive experiences with friends, fans, and customers. 

Nothing will be compromised, manipulated, accessible, “hackable,” or owned by anyone other than each unique user. 

The interactive environment, sessions, and elements can be extinguished in an instant, creating inaccessible ghosts that can be turned on and off at will. 

In addition to manual participation, the interactivity can also be generated by brain impulse, eye movement, and gesture, but without the cumbersome attachments of cumbersome virtual gear. 

While many of the prior concerns about data and safety will evaporate, new and more serious concerns will emerge around virtual addictions and losing our identities to the enrapturing vapors of projection and illusion. 

While things like projection, illusion and all the related psychological disorders are already occurring in our current reality, they will become far more dangerous and toxic as time goes on – because the veils between the here-and-now and the fabricated digital realms of the metaverse will become far less obvious and far easier to traverse. 

We will become the robots that we are building, not because we envy them, but because we’ll need robotified identities in the metaverse to protect ourselves from our own wandering and self-negating tendencies. 

 

We can see glimpses of the forthcoming reality in the lives of celebrities. They contrive social identities to fulfill their own egos, desires, and the projections of others. The more money they have and the more attention they get, their identities become isolated and warped. They become facsimiles of themselves, unable to meander back to their original God-Given Selves. 

Lost in seas of delusion and paranoia, they break themselves, their relationships, and the hearts of everyone around them. 

The remedy for all of this has and always will be prayer, meditation, selfless-service, nature, healthy eating, and solitude.

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire. 

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us. 

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THE YEAR OF THE TIGER! IT’S TIME TO ROAR!

Happy Chinese New Year 2022: Year of the Tiger. A Shutterstock licensed image. 

THE YEAR OF THE TIGER! IT’S TIME TO ROAR!

Once a year, loving human beings just like you and me begin to reflect on what we’ve done, what we want, and where we’d like to venture. We take stock of our challenges and accomplishments, and we reassess how our goals serve us. Whether it has to do with our physical, mental, or spiritual health, we are likely to begin this reflection process in the weeks prior to the New Year.

Whether we call it New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year, Rosh Hashanah, or What Happened To My Dreams Day – or something else entirely: WE ARE HUNGRY FOR A CHANGE!

In the days surrounding January 1st (and anytime of year), we have a wonderful opportunity to transform and realign ourselves.

If you love rituals, check out my Free Resources pages. You’ll find ancient ceremonies, lovely prayers, and encouragement that you might find helpful during times of change and transition. You might also consider using my Personality Cards – they’re wonderful for all sorts of rituals. 

Let’s Dive In!

You might be wondering, “How did astrology-based New Years’ celebrations get started in the first place?” Since civilization began, the best answer is that humanity has looked to the stars for guidance.

During this time of year, we look beyond ourselves and we reach to the Cosmos, asking questions about our existence and purpose. For eons, ancient astronomers, shamans, and seers have used the movements of the sun, moon, and constellations to find stability and meaning in time and space. 

While many of the most colorful cultures throughout the world long-ago formed unique traditions for their New Years’ celebrations, the Chinese New Year is one of the most specific, complex, and fascinating. Whether you plan on celebrating for fun or for a deep transformation, or you’re just interested in learning more, look no further!

What is the Origin of the Chinese New Year?

The earliest recorded New Years’ celebrations occurred in Babylon over 4000 years ago. These celebrations were marked by the first new moon after the vernal Equinox, as Babylonians celebrated their religious festival called Akitu. Akitu celebrations were closely tied to harvesting barley in the Spring, where devotees would worship various Gods and entities – and crown a new King.

Similarly ancient is the origin of the Chinese New Year. As early as the 14th century BC, the Shang Dynasty began celebrating this holiday with a focus on religious and political significance. Unlike our Western understanding of New Years Day, which is always January 1st, the Chinese New Year has always been changeable according to the empire’s lunar cycle and political power changes. 

While the Babylonians chose their New Year’s celebration schedule according to the moon, the Chinese celebrated the second new moon after the winter solstice. In other words, Chinese New Year always falls between January and February, instead of March or later. The Chinese also track the year differently than other cultures, in that they allow solstices, equinoxes, and religious influences to affect their calendar.

The Chinese begin New Year’s celebrations at the start of that second new moon and continue celebrating for about 15 days, until the Festival of Lanterns, marked by the next full moon. This 15 day period is full of traditions that illuminate the darkness, inviting hope and good fortune. If you were to celebrate Chinese New Year, you might light lanterns and candles and set fireworks aglow.

Why is The Chinese New Year So Late in 2022?

In 2022, the Chinese New Year will occur on February 1st. The date for the Chinese New Year shifts every year according to the lunar calendar. February 1st of 2022 will be the day we experience the second new moon after the winter solstice. If you want to follow the tradition down to the letter of Beijing “law,” you might also make yourself some delicious dumplings. 

What many don’t realize is that China is predominantly Buddhist. While the government of China rightfully rejects the over-organization of religions, it allows temples and worship within reason. This modest policy allows people to choose their practices but prevents religious propaganda from infecting the hearts and minds of the population. With such a large population, any massive movement can affect the economic balance, psychological profile, and the sense of oneness and community within the country.

As each festival ensues, many families will include Buddhist prayers in their daily rituals and they’ll venture out to their favorite temple to honor the Divine Beings who nourished them throughout the year. This is when devotees will pray for their ancestors and living family members, and invite divine grace for the days ahead.

Why Do The Chinese Celebrate The Lunar Year?

The Chinese traditions for the modern Lunar Year are mainly religious and social in nature. During the preparation for the festival and throughout, the Chinese will perform a variety of rituals to appease the various aspects within their cultural and Buddhist traditions. 

For example, those preparing for the Chinese New Year will clean their houses as a way to serve and honor God, cleansing their environments of any negative energy from the past year. They might also sacrifice paper goods and food to their ancestors, while families use firecrackers to dispel any evil spirits.

The Chinese New Year also centers around ensuring good luck for the coming year. Elders sometimes give out money to children, and many will post scrolls with good luck messages. People might also keep their doors unlocked or open to allow good luck to enter their homes.

The New Year celebrations are also meant to ensure longevity for families, so much of the tradition centers around feasting. Long noodles symbolize long life, and the last course, meant to be left uneaten, symbolizes abundance. Extended families gather around dumplings which stand for perfection and the family unit.

The Chinese treat their chronological calendar as part of their zodiac, which uses animals to symbolize personalities and destinies throughout the years. These signs are also used to mark the sun’s path as it visually moves around the Earth.  Each New Year, the Chinese celebrate the end of one animal year and the beginning of a new animal year. Each animal symbolizes specific characteristics for that year. 

What Are The Chinese New Year Symbols?

There are 12 Chinese Zodiac symbols which rotate in a chronological cycle. Each year, a new animal is assigned to that year, marking the year’s characteristics and the people born during that year. According to this tradition and the Zodiac Calendar, 2022 Is The Year Of The Tiger.

The 12 Chinese Zodiac symbols are:

      • Rat
      • Ox
      • Tiger – YAY!
      • Rabbit
      • Dragon
      • Snake
      • Horse
      • Sheep
      • Monkey
      • Rooster
      • Dog
      • Pig

The next animal is always assigned in the same order as each year passes. In other words, 2022 is the third year into the newest cycle of the Zodiac calendar. 

Meaning Of The Year Of The Tiger

The Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac is a symbol of confidence and strength. Those who have birthdays in the Year Of The Tiger are meant to be enthusiastic and confident leaders. At the same time, these people are also sensitive to others’ needs, generous, and committed to selflessly serving others. 

These traits are helpful for those who must lead in business, politics, or religion, because those marked by the Tiger are bold yet compassionate. These Tigers have the necessary emotional intelligence to guide others, while also being ultra-sensitive to the intricacies of life.

This year is marked by the Tiger, but the Tiger comes around every 12 years. That means that anyone born in 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, and so forth are also marked by the characteristics of the Tiger. 

What Should I Do If I’m Born In The Year Of The Tiger?

Born as a Tiger, you’ll have lucky and unlucky colors, numbers, flowers, and directions. You’ll also have opposite and compatible signs!

If you’re a Tiger, your lucky numbers of 1, 3, and 4. Your unlucky numbers are 6, 7, and 8, and your unlucky color is brown.

Your lucky colors are blue, gray, and orange, and you’re in good hands if you’re facing East, North, or South. You’ll want to avoid facing Southwest, which is your unlucky direction!

You also have lucky days and months! Try to plan good things on the 16th and 27th of any month, especially during each lunar year’s 3rd, 7th, and 10th months. Try to avoid planning things for any Chinese year’s 1st, 4th, 5th, and 11th lunar month, as those are your unlucky months.

If you’re looking for love, you’ll want to avoid the Monkey signs at all costs since they are your opposite. Though, for some reason, Tigers and Monkey folk might have very intense and consuming sexual exchanges.

Tigers might also have bad luck with anyone who is an Ox, Snake, or Goat. If you’re a Tiger and hoping for the best life possible, you might consider aiming  for relationships with people who fall under the Horse, Dog, or Pig signs.

Some predictions say that 2022 is a great year for Tiger signs to get married or find a relationship, but those 24 or 36 years old should pay close attention to their love lives, as their luck in love might waver during this year.

For Tigers, having good luck in financial areas might be tricky, but don’t worry, a huge promotion might be on the way as 2022 is a year of personal advancement.

REMEMBER!

In all things astrological, please realize that these aspects are only suggestions to help ease some stress. You are far more powerful than you realize. The blueprints that astrology suggest are not hard and fast rules. It might also be that you have other influences in your life that might greatly enhance your ability to receive what you desire.

To improve your vibration, luck, and happiness, spend time chanting Sanskrit mantras and love-filled sutras. Pray for others and the Universe prays for you.

YOU ARE LOVE!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire. 

 

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Neurofeedback, ACT, And CBT: Powerful Healing for the Heart & Mind

Shutterstock licensed image:  Heal your heart, your mind and life will follow.

Neurofeedback, ACT, and CBT: Powerful Modalities for Healing the Heart & Mind

The events and conditions within our lives can feel dramatic or difficult. At various junctures in our lives, we might feel completely overwhelmed and unable to cope.  We might even lose hope, faith, and focus.

Luckily, our world is constantly changing – and so are we. And while many of the aspects in our lives can feel insurmountable, we are always in control of our perspectives, attitudes, and abilities to look deeply within ourselves. 

Even the darkest night has a dawn.

Shadows disappear when obstacles are dissolved.

Science is working on behalf of all the people who are in pain. Many are creating inspiring, life-changing technological advancements that promise to improve life as we know it. All of these emerging innovations are making life more peaceful and bearable for those who are struggling.

Let’s be honest.

Most of us suffer from at least one of these things: stress, frustration, anxiety, depression, panic attacks – or all of the above. Sadly, each of these things is fueling an accelerating mental health crisis.

It might seem difficult to significantly change our immediate environments or have lasting impacts on the world around us. We might not realize just how powerful and impactful we can be!

Regardless, we can change how we respond to everything. If we’re disciplined, we can deeply heal ourselves and become more resilient. By approaching life with a sense of warriorship – a sense of adventure – we can accomplish just about anything. 

Upon every challenge, we must focus on the positive and forge ahead with courage. It’s vital that we dig deeply within ourselves so that we may heal our hearts, minds, and spirits.

While God and Guru are here to nourish and guide us, the only person who can truly heal and save us is ourselves. 

We’re actually lucky to be on the planet right now.

There are so many unique healing and scientific innovations appearing almost every day —  ever heard of somatic experiencing? Specifically, new therapies are gaining momentum in the mental health space that could unlock a future of brighter days.

No matter the modality, begin by being vulnerable with yourself. Ask yourself what you’re feeling and what you need. If you can, call out to God and ask for Her loving guidance. When we’re open and vulnerable to the Divine, angels and transformative forces will come to our aid.

Knowing which options are available to you during your healing process is important. Here are a few that I love: CBT, ACT, and Neurofeedback therapy. 

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly shortened to CBT, is a wildly successful therapeutic method that has recently gained a lot of recognition. The idea behind CBT is that we can train the brain to respond to certain situations differently than it had before. This method involves talk-therapy mixed with Gestalt-style experiencing. This modality can also be found integrated into mobile phone apps that prompt and guide seekers to change the way they speak, feel, and think about their current situations and feelings.

Why does this work? The mind functions by firing neurons and creating neural pathways. The more your brain responds to a particular event, the more permanent this pathway becomes. People who often react negatively to events might do so because this is the most familiar way the brain knows how to respond. 

In other words, the more you can coax yourself to respond differently or positively to things, the more familiar and comfortable it becomes to stay positive rather than react negatively. 

Through CBT, we can learn to not only cope with stressful situations, we can learn to master and transcend them. Through CBT processes, we can learn to respond positively to even the most disruptive chaos. Breaking our negative cycles and teaching our brains to respond positively help and heal our minds, hearts, and spirits. 

What is ACT?

ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is a direct descendent of CBT, and for many people, it’s the most important modality they’ve adopted in their lives. This method uses CBT in conjunction with acceptance therapy, which teaches the patient to genuinely accept the world and all situations so that they can find peace. Another word for this technique is mindfulness, which encourages us to live in the present and be aware of ourselves and our decisions within the moment. 

An adjunct to ACT and CBT – or something that can replace them entirely – is The Sedona Method, a uniquely powerful and effective technique that helps participants acknowledge, accept, and release every experience and related emotions that emerge. More on that, later!

ACT comes in two steps. First, you accept the things out of your control, whether it is the people around you, your environment, or negative events. Then, you commit to specific actions that will help you handle the stress and pain within your situation. 

This method is useful for everybody, from all walks of life. It can help you,  your mind, heart, and spirit become more flexible, open, and (eventually) more detached. The more we can respond positively or proactively under stress, the stronger we become.

What is Neurofeedback?

While CBT and ACT rely solely on human beings changing their behaviors, Neurofeedback elevates these methods utilizing technology. In Neurofeedback therapy, a practitioner uses EEG Biofeedback to help the patient visualize, track, and understand exactly how their brains respond to a variety of stimuli.

With this technology, the practitioner and patient watch a screen to see the way the brain responds, which becomes a primary tool within the therapeutic model. The practitioner applies electrodes to the scalp and shows the patient how their brain waves appear. Then, the patient is asked to alter this activity consciously through a video-game-like interface. 

Through this method, the brain is trained to reroute its pathways, alter its activity, and ultimately respond positively, all within a fascinating reward system. This method is being used to treat conditions like anxiety, panic attacks, depression, anger, attention-deficits, sleep disorders, migraines, and even seizures and autism.

CBT vs. ACT vs. Neurofeedback: Which Is More Effective?

Whether CBT, ACT, and Neurofeedback therapies are effective has been in question for years. Many therapists are committed to using only these modalities, while more traditional therapists worry that aspects of these things are superfluous and ineffective. 

Experts are regularly and rigorously testing new therapy methods to determine which are truly beneficial to psychotherapeutic practitioners. This trend is especially true for recent attempts to administer CBT through mobile apps, which had once threatened the commonly-held belief that professional therapy requires consistent human interaction and face-time with a therapist.

In 2017, a German study revealed that CBT and Neurofeedback showed the same positive results in adults who had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The kicker? The same positive results were found in the control (placebo) group. If nothing else, doesn’t this show that it’s not about what technologies and advancements we apply, but what our perception of them is? Maybe knowing you’ve acknowledged the problem and taken action to better your health is the most significant step towards healing.

It’s all about you. How do you feel? What helps you heal? What will help you change your mindset, and in turn, your response to the world around you? Whatever that is, that’s the answer.

Using Mindfulness To Heal

Being present and aware is natural to us, yet it often seems so far away from us. With the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, amid all of our complex webs of  responsibilities, we don’t realize how far outside of our bodies we usually are. We are too often living in tomorrow, next month, or even 5 years ahead of this present moment. When we aren’t in the future, we’re thinking of the past. All the while, we’re neglecting ourselves in the present.

Mindfulness is the first step towards healing, and it can be achieved through any of the above therapies. If you choose to attend a CBT or ACT group or individual session, you’re choosing to acknowledge your problems and pain in the present and take action now.

 If you choose to explore Neurofeedback therapy, you’re choosing to be aware of how your brain reacts and performs upon various stimuli and in the moment. 

When conscious of ourselves in the present, we’re paying attention to who we are, what we feel, and what we want. Knowing some of these things, we can successfully heal the aspects that are most troubling to us.

Of course, you don’t need CBT, ACT, or Neurofeedback to become mindful. Mindfulness is the most basic of all modalities for healing. All you need is yourself and the conscious decision to become fully present. 

Just like with CBT, you can train your brain to be mindful by default. Like with ACT, you can accept your reality in the present without being too reactive or overwhelmed. If you sit quietly amid a challenging feeling, you can find its source, accept the feeling, and then release it. This might take some time to master, but along the way, you’ll clear years of stealth emotions and experiences. Doing so, you can become free.

Find a way to make meditation a habit in your life. Encourage yourself to regularly turn inward so that you can acknowledge how you feel  in the present. This alone will train your brain to advance. 

Through mindfulness, we can become non-judgemental of ourselves and others. Instead of judging and feeling ashamed of our thoughts and feelings, we can fully explore them and get to know who we are. 

What can be more healing than completely and unconditionally embracing our authentic selves? Nada. Dive deeply and you’ll find that you are part of a luminous and expanded consciousness.

Get To Know Your True Self

If you truly want to heal your heart and mind, begin with a 10-minute meditation every morning and evening. As you meditate, focus on your inward and outward breaths. You might even imagine that your inward breaths are full of light and your outward breaths carry away stored negativity and stress. 

Explore different methods of therapy and tools for self-reflection. 

Seek a guru like Amma (Amma.org), Jesus, Buddha, or other living saints like Mother Meera and Karunamayi Ma. 

Talking to a professional or a trusted friend can help you acknowledge your pain and hear out loud what you’re really thinking for the first time. 

Use a diary or my Personality Cards to delve deeply into your soul to source and release behaviors and emotions that are stifling you. 

Any resources that help you pause, breathe, and explore yourself in the present will put you on the path to healing.

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire. 

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us. 

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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.

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The Wonders Of Synesthesia: A Unique Neurological Event

The Mind Is Complex! A Shutterstock licensed image.

At first glance, “Synesthesia” appears to be a melodic word, promising something of an adventure. In many ways, this idea holds true. If scientific innovations for the brain, like neurofeedback and ACT, have shown us anything, it’s that there’s so much we still don’t fully understand.

Synesthesia is a unique neurological event that occurs when a combination of our 5 senses intermingle and produce fascinating results. People with synesthesia might taste words or see colors when they hear music. The wonders of this neurological phenomenon certainly point to the complexities of the human mind and sensory systems.

For some, these are the types of things that happen when taking acid or tripping on mushrooms. You might have this experience when ingesting pure MDMA. Meanwhile, some of the more spiritually devout folks out there might have Synesthesic experiences during meditation or an overwhelming spiritual activity, like being hugged by Amma, The Hugging Saint.

We can learn wonderful things about ourselves from Synesthesia. For science, this is relatively uncharted territory, but it’s gaining recognition and popularity. Since many people might never have been able to connect the dots about their condition, they might never realize that are having Synesthetic experiences.

What Does It Mean To Have Synesthesia?

The word “synesthesia” comes from the Greek word: “synthes.” The  Greek translation of the word means unity. Specific senses or stimuli most often trigger Synesthetic experiences. This usually revolves around things related to or involving sound, smell, color, shapes, and touch. 

The most common form of synesthesia is called grapheme. Grapheme-color Synesthesia occurs when individual letters or numbers trigger an automatic association with a particular color. 

Here’s an example for easier understanding: when I type my name on my keyboard, I automatically associate each letter with its corresponding color:

P = red, A = blue, U = green, and L = yellow

Synesthesia always has a core commonality which they all share. The common shared point is that synesthesia fuses two different sensory perceptions together that are not experienced by the majority of all other people. This is what makes each Synesthesia event so unique and fascinating. 

These are seriously wonderful!

Synesthesia is not caused by any disease and it does not harm the nervous system in any way. It’s part of the chemical and neural-magic that’s built into humanity and the experience of being human.

What’s Unique About The People Who Experience Synesthesia?

Synesthesia is a rare condition, and even more perplexing is that those who have it often do not know how or when they began to experience it. People who experience synesthetic perceptions often report they’ve had these sensations their whole lives. Many are more intrigued than bothered by it. Some feel it’s a super-hero skill. 

Interestingly, some professional musicians speak of having the condition because they report they “see” music in color. Or they taste textures like round or pointy. 2%–4% of the population have Synesthesia, yet most of us don’t know anything about it.

There is one thing that is both specific and varied amongst those with synesthesia: whatever color is evoked remains pretty constant over time within the person’s lifetime.  Yet, the color evoked changes and varies from person-to-person depending on their backgrounds or interests.

Synesthesia has been associated with various conceptual and perceptual benefits, suggesting that the genes involved may be selected for their hidden agenda. But no one can agree on the hidden agenda or why it needs to have a clear-cut agenda at all.

Do Animals Experience Synesthesia?

Researchers have found evidence that chimps, like humans, experience some form of Synesthesia. Synesthesia was found in some primates who experience a rare condition known as “synthetic color.”  Primates were able to see different colors for letters or numbers than other objects.book-live-intuitive-reading-with-paul-wagner

We already know the human brain has an incredible ability to negotiate between all our senses when we are sight-impaired. For example, many people associate certain musical notes with specific sounds, such as high Cs sounding like PPP! Yet others taste shapes, and still others hear drawings coming out of their mouths when singing.

Are You a Synesthete?

Have you ever wondered if some of your senses may be overlapping? For example, Synesthetes have unique experiences whereby certain colors, numbers, and letters seem to have an emotional significance. Those who experience this phenomenon will often take part in Synesthesia tests that help provide clarity for their life journeys.

A Synesthesia experience gives some people insights into ranges and depths of what they subjectively perceive through different parts of their brains. Of course, Synesthesia tests have their pros and cons, so don’t take them as 100% accurate diagnostics. Rather, see them as learning tools involving others who experience sounds as colors or shapes. When taking these tests, you might discover what it feels like to experience these sensations.

Several tests can help people with this neurological condition find clarity in their perceptions. Scientists and researchers say that Synesthete tests provide some of the most reliable ways through which we can explore our minds, learn new things, or even wrap our minds around the meanings of our perceptions.  

It is only through understanding of how they relate back together and related to other aspects that can gain value from them. While the testing tools aren’t perfect, they always yield fascinating results.

How Does The Test Work?

An example of a test is as follows:

      • Pick colors from letters of various sizes, numbers on coins, or days off work 
      • If you can correctly identify what these items look like, you may have some type of ‘Synesthesia.’

The next aspect that’s tested is reaction time. You’ll be asked whether or not your color matches any given letter before it’s revealed. If you can complete both tasks quickly without making errors at either the reaction or selection stage – you’ve passed!

The Wondrous World of Living With Synesthesia

The composer Olivier Messiaen, speaking of the union between color and tone in his music, explained to an interviewer: “When I hear music, it is not imagination nor psychic phenomenon. It’s within myself.”

Imagine you were able to meld or blend one sense until it becomes mixed with another? You might wonder if you are able to perceive visually through hearing colors while hearing palate tastes audibly. If every time you touched a texture, and heard a sound that resonated through your body, how much more creative could you be?

If you have this unique condition in which the stimulation of one sense causes you to experience another simultaneous sensation, imagine how different everything in your life would be. There’s a growing body of evidence supporting the idea that Synesthesia is more than just an imaginative or creative use of metaphors.

Amid a Synesthesia event, it seems the boundaries between the senses to bend or break down. Apparently, our senses exist within us but also go beyond what we typically think about as our physical containment and existence.

What Worlds Would You Want to Open if You Could Have Synesthesia for a Day?

The variety of colors and shapes in the world are more beautiful than we might be able to communicate. What if you were given a chance to experience a whole other level of the rich perception of color, shapes, and sounds? Wouldn’t it inspire an inner peace and feeling of supernatural beauty? Every plastic cup can hold sparkling ice with lemon-colored sounds covered with sugar that emits a sigh that only you hear. The possibilities are endless!

The month of December can make most of us shiver and think of decaying branches and hard-packed snow. Imagine, if instead of feeling cold when you read the word December, you see the word in beautiful, lush blue? Try to wonder if instead of shivering in forlorn thoughts, you hear music that lights up your heart and soul with wonderful memories.

Try to Live Your Life Every Day By Opening Up Your Senses to Possibilities

Colors have always danced with sounds, even if you have never noticed them before. You can often listen to music, and if you turn it loud enough, you will register the vibrations. If you try to live your life every day by taking flight into another realm where time stops but eternity lives, what could or would you find?

There’s no right or wrong answer. There are just possibilities. What’s even better is that they are your possibilities because it is your life, your memories, and with only your essence that gives you power every day. Use that power to experience the wonders of opening doors by experiencing some of our unknowns, like synesthesia. 

All of us should experience things we’ve never thought we would try. If we don’t try, we may never know what could have been. 

 

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Mercury Retrograde: How To Handle This Wonderful Phenomenon

 

Shutterstock licensed photo.

If you travel in new-age styled circles, you’ve heard of Mercury Retrograde. If you listen to most of the folks preaching about this unique cycle, you might think these are dangerous and horrible events. They’re not. Mercury Retrogrades tend to be wonderful for pausing, reflecting, writing, depending ourselves, and expanding our most creative projects.

What is a Mercury Retrograde?

As science tells us, all of the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun at various speeds and unique distances. Mercury Retrograde is when the planet Mercury appears to shift directions as it orbits the Sun. This is only an optical illusion because of the position Mercury in relation to our position on Earth.

It’s not really changing direction. It never changes direction or goes in reverse. It just appears that way.

As planets rotate around the sun, they are all at unique distances from the Sun and each other. When one planet is nearer to the Sun than a second planet, it might appear to pass the second planet in its rotation. This is what creates the illusion, possibly appearing that the second planet is going backward. This Retrograde concept is how the ancients saw this phenomenon.

Mercury goes retrograde 3-4 times every year, going into this phase more than any other planet. Every Mercury Retrograde lasts roughly a month, yet we will also want to consider the “shadow periods,” which run about 1 week prior and 1 week following the retrograde. These shadow periods are when the energies are either forming or dissolving.

A Mercury Retrograde, or any planetary dynamic is how The Eternal Consciousness rejuvenates, regenerates, and re-stimulates the energies throughout the cosmos. We are, after all, made of stardust. It would make sense that we would feel the shift as planets move around the Sun.

What’s Challenging About Mercury Retrograde?

Many feel confused and even dizzy during a Mercury Retrograde. Some feel like a completely different person living a completely different life. You might feel like you’re personality has changed some or you might feel like you’ve somehow become a Super-Intuitive Psychic  and Super-Healing Superhero! You might also feel somehow defeated during the shadow periods or during the majority of the retrograde. It all depends on how deeply tuned you are to your true nature.

Retrogrades can cause a lot of problems in relationships, even between soulmates, because somehow communication becomes a little more emotional or less specific. This creates the confusion that many might feel during these times. The confusion is generated by the disparity between who you truly are and you are pretending to be.

Most of make decisions and live our lives from a temporary self-identity – one that we contrived in order to sustain our ego-related goals and satisfy our temporary desires. When we’re confronted with a shift in universal dynamics with the planetary system we live within, we are basically confronted with our true nature.

Within that experience, we might run from what we created during our pre-retrograde lives or run head-first into experiences that are born from a whole other set of contrivances – ones based on our warped sense of creativity, our inner-feminine aspects, or our secret, unprocessed desires.

We are complex to say the least.

Things to temper:

      • Signing contracts
      • Having sex with new people
      • Making long-term plans
      • Signing a lease
      • Starting a business (although it’s a great time to explore ways to expand a business already in progress)
      • Playing with technology
      • Being angry
      • Being sad
      • Beating yourself up

I tell all of my coaching clients that Mercury Retrogrades are the perfect time to clean house, cry, write, and move beyond the desire to become “something” in this world. They are the perfect times to get over ourselves and go within.

What’s Awesome About Mercury Retrograde?

I LOVE Mercury Retrogrades. They’re wonderful for getting back in touch with aspects of yourself that either fell by the wayside or that you neglected for one reason or another. The downside of retrogrades are often overplayed and over-exaggerated. This is because the new-age scene loves to crank out hilariously insane content that tends to create more fear than anything else.

Btw, the new-age movement is a weak, spineless ego-realized collective that over-accentuates the feminine and devalues the masculine. It’s a warped scene.  The new-age encourages people to build narcissistic self-identities instead of promoting spiritual discipline. It’s all about how you look and feel – and who you pretend to be – instead of knowing yourself, loving yourself, being authentic, and going within. New-agers love selfies while donning Prana pants and faux-light makeup. And they love talking about how spiritually evolved they are. It’s so sad!

It’s the perfect time to:

      • Write
      • Be creative
      • Express your feelings
      • Pray
      • Start new and deeper spiritual disciplines
      • Reflect on prior experiences
      • Unearth old emotions and finally release them
      • Forgive others
      • Set boundaries
      • Heal & evolve broken aspects of yourself
      • Heal relationships
      • Release relationships
      • Release aspects of your life and nature
      • Meet new people

But wait, aren’t we all connected to the Divine? Aren’t we able to surpass all the limits a retrograde might present? Yes, but even Superman had issues with kryptonite.

In all things: Be Happy. Be Peaceful. Encourage the same in others. You are truly an infinite Being. Live according to this idea and life will flow accordingly.

 

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