Celebrating our Mothers

Today we celebrate the women who gave us birth, who changed our diapers, cleaned our snotty noses, stayed with us when we were sick, supported us through multiple crises, and loved us the best they could all their lives. Whether we are lucky enough to still have a mother or honor her as she dwells on Spirit side, we will never forget her.

Relationships with our parents can also leave lifelong imprints, even scars on our psyche. We all crave unconditional love, and a mother’s love is perhaps the closest we can come to that ideal. But there is no required training for parenthood, and mistakes are unavoidable;  being human means having character flaws. How do we feel about the values and beliefs our mother infused us with, early in life?

The end of a calendar year is always an opportunity to go within and reflect on the events, decisions and experiences we encountered. It’s a chance to take inventory of our lives: where we have been, where we are at now, and where we envision ourselves in the near future. As we transition into a new decade, a whole new set of possibilities and challenges awaits us. As a lot of chaos seems to be manifest in the outer world, we are invited to focus ever more on our inner reality and the traits we wish to cultivate in order to meet the new decade with strength, resilience and vision.

I believe that as lightworkers we have to shine our light, no matter what. If we buy into doomsday projections, we feed disempowerment and fear, the very energies we try to counteract.

The human ego has been much-maligned throughout history. Christianity tells us that the seven deadly sins are based on the pursuit of selfish motives or ego. Buddhism reminds us that ego's attachments are the cause for our suffering. From the Course in Miracles we learn that the ego's projection of being separated from God causes us shame, guilt and pain. Contemporary writers such as Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle seek to enlighten us about the pitfalls of eco-centric ways of thinking and acting. None of us likes an egocentric or egomaniac person. But why do we have an ego? Is it really all bad? In Latin language the word ego simply means "I", myself. When we are born we do not yet have a sense of identity. We learn what is other than I through separation and distinction. This is a necessary stage of human development. Later in life, a well-balanced ego helps us to strive and achieve our goals and dreams. It is only when the ego is out of control that it becomes a problem. The ego is then like a fearful child that projects the worst, lives in the past or the future, criticizes and condemns and is rarely ever satisfied. Basically, it wants to protect us from harm, but often doesn't know how to go about it.

De-clutter your life – emotional and spiritual benefits of releasing things

As Spring is in full swing now, we often feel a need to clear out accumulated things in order to make room for the new. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of ‘stuff’ we hold on to, because of indecision, vague sentimentality or hoarding tendencies. Clutter negatively affects our wellbeing on the physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual level, since it creates the energy of stagnation, frustration and confusion. When energy stops flowing, less life force is available to us. We feel out of control, overwhelmed and disempowered to initiate positive change in our life.

Much has been written about identifying ways to de-clutter your environment and therefore your life. In a society driven by consumption, strong movements have emerged that focus on simplicity and minimalism. In order to start sorting out physical clutter, I begin with the two simple questions: do I use it? Do I love it?

Clearing out physical clutter becomes a powerful healing tool for transformation. Can de-cluttering also be a spiritual practice? We believe so. If it is true that our outer environment reflects our inner state, then the act of organizing and clearing out leads to a more relaxed, clearer mind and a heart that is open to new beginnings. Letting go of things helps us to let go of the past and make more room for present and future selves. Hoarding is fear-based, whereas releasing invites us to trust in the generosity of the universe. It really becomes a control issue: do I place my faith in objects and accumulations or in an abundant universe and a loving Source that provides for me? New freedom and awaits us as we welcome transformation and the energy of new beginnings.

Some people visit a psychic or intuitive healer for one reason, and for that one alone: they want confirmation for their hopes and desires.

Those clients can be a challenge to the Intuitive, because they are not open to the more subtle messages from the Spirit world. You see, the spiritual law of non-interference must be respected by all, and your Spirit Guides will most certainly not wish to interfere with your choices and decisions. Therefore they offer, through the intuitive medium, alternative pathways along with the possible outcome of a particular choice.

Here are some suggestions to spiritualize your Holiday experience and feel more deeply connected to the spirit of the season.

1. If buying gifts for others is what you do, bless each person that will receive a gift of yours, even if it is just a small token of appreciation.

2. Make a small altar with images of Jesus or other Masters of Light. Connect with the inner Christ consciousness these masters exemplify to you and ask to partake of this awareness.

Spiritual awakening is a transformational moment or process much desired by spiritual seekers. People may undergo rigorous training towards that goal or travel to ashrams in India in search for an enlightened teacher. But spiritual awakening can also happen in completely unpredictable ways, when we least expect it. Even seemingly trivial circumstances may give rise to a time of profound change, where all our cherished concepts of reality are shattered in one moment of clarity. A sense of truth emerges that wipes out all beliefs and concepts, giving way to a profound sense of connection and all-encompassing love. Time seems to stand still.

This state can last just a few moments, or weeks and months. Few are able to maintain what is also called a state of grace, or enlightenment, even ascension. The rhythms and ordinariness of life can take over again. But one is never the same after a spiritual awakening. Something inside has undergone a profound and irreversible change, and our attitude about ourselves and all of life has shifted into a different level of awareness.

The invitation is not to find fault, but to examine your own soul’s architecture and that of your partner. Asking the questions below may not always result in clear and concise answers, but you will gain deeper understanding about the level of resonance between the two of you.

1. Do we feel physically attracted to each other, is there an erotic spark between us?
This first one seems to be an easy one, especially when we have just ‘fallen in love’. Erotic attraction can be all-consuming, even blinding us to other factors that will become more important once this initial spark has quieted down. In long-lasting healthy relationships physical attraction often takes backstage to other characteristics of your love connection. However, if eroticism has become dormant or even absent over the years, one or both of the partners may feel a need to seek erotic polarity outside of the relationship.

Last night I watched a very old movie: Peter Sellers in "Heavens Above", 1963.

While there were a lots of funny moments, the deep underlying message of the movie was disheartening. Here was a beautiful bright, enthusiastic and idealistic priest who wanted to make a difference in the world through unconditional love, acceptance and sharing. The feature character was very Christ-like, with a naive heart and childlike belief in the goodness of humankind.

Featured in Vision Magazine, Jan 2012

(Reproduced with permission.)

A Conversation with Rev. Uki MacIsaac

by Sydney L. Murray

I first met Reverend Uki MacIsaac at the Whole Being Weekend over 12 years ago. I was with my good friend, ‘Dave,’ who had a session with MacIsaac and exclaimed she was superbly correct with the reading for him and his life. I have to admit all of these years later she definitely still has the ability to hone in on the issues at hand. Just listening to our reading, I am once again reminded of how her readings offer so much, on both an energetic level as well as a spiritual teaching.

She talks about the willingness to be available, which is what I think of when I consider alchemy in my life. Her reading was alchemical both spiritually and physically.

Recently I had a client who just would not be pleased with anything the intuitive reading had to offer. It is rare for me to encounter such a person, but it does happen, I admit. Some people have such a negative outlook on life that nothing, even the most positive perspective offered, will change their views of life. These people seem to be addicted to their negativity. There was so much in this person's life to be grateful for; but she simply could not see the good things, or rather refused to acknowledge what was working in her life. She derived pleasure from stating what all was bad and how she had been wronged by life.

What do some of us derive from being mired in negativity? Maybe it's a need to be *right*, to have life validate our innermost beliefs. We may verbalize that we want life to turn out differently, but our innermost self resists any positive turn of events, since that might prove the ego self wrong.