Life and Death

 by Rev. Amari Magdalena

In this lifetime we will have many experiences of opposites. We will experience separation, the very thing we chose to experience as we left the oneness and assumed a human body. These experiences will be realized on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. We will have highs and lows, joy and sorrow, jubilation and depths of despair. Our landscape of family, friends, and relatives will come and go. If we are very fortunate to have a long life, we may come to understand how these opposites complement our lives. In fact, we may not be able to experience joy without the contrast of some sorrow. Grace of age can help us finally understand all that we’ve taken in and left off.

 

Approaching 85, I’ve come to a greater peace than I knew in the tumultuous teens and early life as I sorted out who I was and what I came here to do. Frankly, no one could pay me any large sum of money to go through the teen years again. At times, I do wonder how on earth I got through my teens. I still have faint scars on my wrists from trying to take an early exit. Later I came to realize that I was a drama queen and indeed fed on those high highs and low lows. They fueled a huge part of my younger days until I surrendered them.

 

Should you have a long life, you will experience loss. The parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, best friends, lovers, teachers, and all those people that so influenced our lives will be gone at some point in time. And we will miss them, some terribly. Mementos and pictures will remind us from time to time when they were central to our lives. Goodbyes will become normalized at some level.

 

I’ve lost a mother, two fathers, 11 grandparents, one sibling, cousins, a grandchild, one child, 2 husbands, my very best friend and 2 close friends, a few lovers, and beloved others. I realized that we all have a number out in the ethers of time. When our number is called, we too will be history to others who hold us dear. Like magic, one day someone who has been a huge part of our lives will magically exist no more. I realized that with one of the deaths.

 

So how do we cope as people leave us. How can we redirect our attention to things that still bring us joy and pleasure during great grief. For me the solution has been to seek great beauty at such times. I may choose to focus on beautiful art in my home. Perhaps I will take a drive to the mountains. In walking days, I may have hugged a tree (including very carefully a big Saguaro Cactus). Going to ancient ruins or sites can bring joy. Getting up to see the sunrise on the East Coast or the sunset on the West Coast over water. Holding my loved one in remembrance with candles, pictures, and ceremony also gives me pleasure. Simply being in nature is extremely healing.

 

One day we will return to the oneness. As we traveled into the depths of the birth canal to light and welcoming, we will travel in another tunnel to a commanding light and see our most loved ones luminous and inviting. The circle will be complete. Beyond that lies our next adventure and we will again be in that place we’ve longed for, Home!

 

“We never lose our loved ones. They accompany us; they don’t disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms.” ― Paulo Coelho

 

“What we enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we loved deeply becomes a part of us.” ― Helen Keller

 

Death said to life: “why do people hate me and love you? “Life said : “because I'm a beautiful lie and you're a painful truth “ ― Author unknown

 

"Given a choice between grief and nothing, I'd choose grief." ―William Faulkner

When Places Call

 by Rev. Amari Magdalena

Over the last many years, places have called me. I’ve come to trust that bugle of Spirit and followed the winds of change.  Much like the movie Chocolate, wind always does seem to bring the knowing that it is time to move on. Truthfully, I thought at this age and with some physical infirmities, Mesilla would be my final place. Apparently not!

 There has been a toss up for me between the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest. Both have tugged on me and pulled me towards them. In these waning years I asked my I-Ching if I would have one more move and the answer was yes! So it was that I just got back from Vancouver B.C. where my youngest son and grandson live.

 The majestic meeting of mountain and sea, it seems, is quite compelling. I found I could breathe much better. Altitude has been a more recent challenge for me. The moisture was also helpful. Friends have for some time there told me they’d love to have me back.

 Returning to the desert and altitude of nearly 4,000 ft caused breath issues again as I reacclimated.  The newest, and 10^th, grandchild due in July has also been a draw. When I lived in Bellingham, my Nexus pass was much used to access the nearby boarder to Canada. And thus, I made the big decision to return to the Pacific Northwest. This will indeed be my last move, and I am finding comfort, joy, and anticipation.

Each and every move I’ve made since leaving Colorado at the Angelic Age of 33 has been of great benefit. Everywhere there has been growth, acceptance, and opportunities to carry out my ministry of peace. I have friends all over the US and even in parts of the world. All the changes have contributed to the expansion of my services and appreciation for the different cultures and tempos of each place.

Truly, I will always hold the Southwest in my heart and soul and yet it is time that elusive commodity we all must face. Surely climate change has had an effect, yet the overriding reason has been my knowing. And, I am assured, that knowing is ultimately our greatest sense. When we know, we know. There is comfort in that short sentence.

My advice to you, asked for or not, is to tune into the Spirit Within every now and again to see what joys may be coming your way. Always, Spirit sends messages or winds of change. We’ve only to amplify our inner urgings to find the perfect roads to follow.

 “A man is like a novel: until the very last page you don't know how it will end. Otherwise, it wouldn't even be worth reading.” ― Yevgeny Zamyatin

 “So many believe that it is love that grows, but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it.” ― Wm. Paul Young, The Shack

 “Be not another, if you can be yourself.” ― Paracelsus

 “When you know the knower within, you don't need to know further. When you know the meditator within, you don't need to meditate further. When you truly know the worshiper in you, you are to be worshiped.” ― Amit Ray, Nonviolence: The Transforming Power

Change, Change, Change-The World in Flux

by Rev. Amari Magdalena 

 

The times they are a changing. It often feels like things are upside down in many areas of our lives. In America our politics have taken a 180-degree turn depending on your political view. Our country is losing its number one status in the world influence much like that of other empires. The environment is simultaneously losing steadiness of seasons to which we’ve become acclimated. What is going on?

Metaphysics has predicted this turn for some time.  Several gateways promised major shifts depending on which one you subscribed to. There was the Harmonic Convergence, the 11:11, The Lion’s Gate Portal 8:8, the 12:12, The Harmonic Concordance and perhaps others of lessor importance or acknowledgement.

I was an active participant in the 11:11 Gateway.  From 11:11 am to 11:11 pm in each time zone around the world people were converging. The crux of this gateway was a belief in a 20-year span of spiritual growth and change. It was believed that the poles on Earth would shift as they have over long history of the planet.

Today we know that the poles are indeed shifting though perhaps not as rapidly as was thought. Air traffic controllers at airports are having to adjust flight paths due to magnetic north shifting. These are measurable events not imaginary.

Our country once touted as a democracy and heralded by many countries is becoming authoritative and oligarchy like. Violence is on the rise in every corner in part due to population expansion and rising gun ownership including assault weapons. The long-held dream, though illusionary, that the poor could pull themselves up by their bootstraps has been shattered. Wealth has grown exponentially and poverty a nosedive as necessities have become out of reach.

All this is sufficient to cause concern for concern, and for more awakened folks, announcement that the world is shifting dimensions. There was a time when one could sit on top of the divide of good and evil in gray. No more!  We could be a little ‘bad’ and be OK with that at long as our good outweighed it. Now, we have a definitive choice to make.  There is no more fence sitting.  We are being called to choose: El Mundo Bueno* or El Mundo Mal leaving some preparing for ascension to the 5^th dimension and others to live in the squalor of the 3^rd dimension.

This is the true source of the flux time we are experiencing. Though it is filled with daily distractions, some fear of closure, angst, and anxiety as humans are being replaced by robots, many want to find Waldon Pond and drop out.

On top of all of the above, we enter the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse on February 17^th. According to Eastern Astrology, it’s going to be a whooper. Many institutions falling. Reshuffling of many long-held beliefs and priorities. More divisions. It will be quite challenging to sit back and watch without having feelings about all of the chaos.

Though we may choose to be part of the changes, we may also want to remember to ground ourselves daily and hold visions of a much better world evolving.  Remember we are in charge of how we experience each and every change. We may or may not have contributed to the change though it is up to us to deal with it through love.

If we can hold on to the belief that the only true thing is Love, we may navigate this coming time with peace. I simply suggest that we hold Love in the foreground of our lives and release all else. We keep our intention for ascending in the Fifth Dimension foremost in our minds. Consider wearing something with a heart symbol on it every day.

All Blessings for every inhabitant of the world that chooses Love.  All the rest will sort itself out.

“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” –Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.” – Georg C. Lichtenburg

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do.” – Amelia Earhart

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

 

 

 

·         El Mundo Bueno: Saving Humanity and Our Glorious Planet by Amari Magdalena

 

Ego and the Golden Parachute Clause

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

Our ego, a constant companion or one that sabotages all our relationships. This is the question. What is it for and how does it serve us?  More importantly, when is it time to pry its long fingernails off our day-to-day living.

 

In the beginning, from infancy, life is all about us. If we are fortunate to have parents that welcomed the rather thankless job of raising children, we were coddled, fawned over, even provided entertainment.  At each stage of the “I” growth, we were encouraged to master each task of becoming human.  For many we were the main entertainment. However, that mostly did not last.

 

Astrology divides the zodiac into three groups: “I”, “We,” and “Us.” The first 4 planets are about mastering the “I” (Aires, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer). The next 4 planets are for us to master relationships, of all kinds (Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio). Finally, we have the 3^rd group focused on the Universal “Us” (composed of Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces).” If we were to divide our lives into these groupings the first might be from say 1-26; the next 27-53, and last 54-78 for example.

 

Even our growth in mind, body, and spirit supports these periods. First, we master the “I” with complete identification as a self. Next, we move to the “We” and see a second mastery of “We” which includes all kinds of relationships.  It requires that we look a bit outside of our I, me, and mine, in all circumstances towards working partnerships. This is one area of significant failure for many.  We bring the unmet needs of our childhood to the party romantically, in employment, and all areas of our lives. As a former HR Director I often observed that the workplace can represent a very dysfunctional family if too many of the workers failed to get past the proverbial “I.”

 

Yet approaching that final third of our lives, we are often more interested in the esoteric, our legacy, and final times. At this juncture, we are more likely to move into the Universal “Us.”  Isn’t it interesting that the abbreviation for the United States if US? Someone was on the ball with that! Here is where we finally surrender that old Ego and allow ourselves to provide service to others. Of course, some fail at this task and end up alone and miserable. I would not wish that on anyone.

 

OK, so how do we accomplish putting this part of us that is selfish and self-centered to rest. First, I find it useful to give your Ego a name. I chose my mother’s foster parents name for her that she hated, Mildred. Afterall, it was her judgments, criticisms, and goading, that had preeminence for the first 2/3rds of my life. I could hear her voice in my head much too often. I wanted to banish her to Siberia or Kafiristan but instead came up with the golden parachute program.

 

The way it works is that first you need to flatter your ego and thank him/her for doing such a fabulous job.  Flattery is much appreciated by Ego. Next, conjure up the ideal place for the Ego to go into retirement with all the bells and whistles that are compelling. Sell it hard. Next assure the Ego that should you need its council; you promise to get in touch.  The old “don’t call us, we’ll call you.” Not too many egos can escape such thoughtful flattery and helpful decision making.

 

Now for some reprogramming. Every time you hear a judgment in your head, stop, and then ask yourself if that judgment has any purpose in your head now.  Is it true? Could it be true now? Have you ever spoken in judgment? Is it possible that you might? Just decide to make what is said irrelevant.  It’ll save your sanity and eventually you’ll shut down those little stage 2 bleed-throughs.

 

Finally, you’ll find you are no longer caught up in many of the personal emotional turmoil of youth.  With time running out, your desire for ire wanes. This gives you the gift of brushing off things that have lost importance like ego. You may become more concerned about legacy, emotional equity, and ending days that move at warp speed. Like the snake, you begin to slough off the old sensitive skin, for more reliable ways to interact and engage. You finally understand “LET GO!” This helps you concern yourself with the “Us” and Universal Good.

 

With this you’ve completed the contract you made in this incarnation. You’ve experienced separation, which was the major lesson of this life ride. Once you’ve mastered it and moved into a less attached spiritual view of the Universe, you are as MLK said, “Free at last, free at last!” Welcome home!

 

“True self is non-self, the awareness that the self is made only of non-self-elements. There's no separation between self and other, and everything is interconnected. Once you are aware of that you are no longer caught in the idea that you are a separate entity.” ^_

Thich Nhat Hanh

Light Beings

 by Rev. Amari Magdalena

Why are we so attracted to Light? Why are so many of us prone to star gazing? How many of us enjoyed looking at the Milky Way as kids before city light interfered? Why do so many people prefer sunny climes to those with clouds? How many of us love to follow the moon cycles.

Light is what we are. The material of our physical suit comes from the stars. If we adjust our seeing some and can perceive auras, we then see just how luminous most of us are. In an NDE (near death experience) when we see our loved ones shining in light at the end of the tunnel, we are seeing those luminous bodies sans the flesh suit.

At this particular time on the planet with so much unrest, wars, and creeping autocratic governance, we need to be able to access our light beings for survival. We are able to do this by accessing our etheric body.

Some of you may know that we actually are a trinity of bodies: spiritual, etheric, and a material physical body. Think of the egg with its more substantive outer shell, inner viscus veil of white substance, and solid yolk.  This is much like us.

If you like to practice and have both a safe, quiet place without interruptions, and a time for 20 minutes, you could do this exercise. Find a chair like a dining or kitchen chair. For about 5 minutes or more practice standing up and sitting down repeatedly.

Next imagine that you can command your etheric body to become visible. Now direct that body to repeat the exercise you did with your physical body. From there allow yourself to journey for NO MORE THAN 20 minutes. Tempting though it may be to stay out longer, it messes with the energy of your physical body to be out for any length of time. Hopefully you have had the experience of traveling in your etheric body for this short time. It can be additive so be sure to set an alarm and come back.

In the meantime, develop some candle lighting rituals for either the moon or sun cycles and meditate on the light of the candle. Choose different types of light in your dwelling.  If possible and feasible, choose more natural light and not fluorescents.

You can hold a mirror in front of the candle and perhaps see your other incarnations. You might ask a partner or friend to hold a candle in front of them and see their evolutionary journeys on this planet.

Exercises in managing your energy are also very helpful. Simply remember you came from the stars and we will one day return bathed in Light!

“We are luminous beings. Beneath our transient physical body we are made of intelligent light.”- Frederik Lenz

"For we are continuous, indistinguishable. You can never be lost. When have you ever been apart from me? You can never depart and never return. ... It is the space where our light-bodies are allowed to mingle with the divine." – "Cosmic Christ"

"To love beauty is to see light." –  Victor Hugo

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." – Aaron Rose

 

 

 

 

 

Shamanism: Why It is So Important Today

 by Amari Magdalena

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

In a world that has lost its footing, a world with lots of egoic conflict, a world with few restraints on environmental issues, a world of I, Me and Mine vs. Us, Them and All, shamanism is critical.

Consider that shamanic belief demands living in harmony with all of creation, no matter the particular kingdom. It is a system that that thrives on codependence with all things in the manifest universe. In it, each of us is responsible for every step we take and where and how we place our feet. Our imprint not only affects me and mine but absolutely everything in our universe. We simply cannot take one step without impacting another living cell. It is other focused, not self.

Shamanism teaches respect for all that in existence in the universe. It does not give us a pass for partially adhering to its precepts. It recognizes just how inter-dependent we must be for its survival. It’s a philosophy that is passed down intergenerationally.

Many years ago, I was visiting one of the Mississippi Mounds, Etowah. It was my habit to go down to the nearby river and meditate asking the ancient ones how I could help.  To my great surprise, in the meditation, they spoke “give the land back to the people.” Not a small order and first interpreting it literally, I was overwhelmed by the request.  Just how was I to give it back?

What I came to understand, with a broader brush interpretation, was that by further embracing shamanism and then finding opportunities to teach it in the heretofore conservative south. I had an encounter with a man who had an alternative school for adults.  He was fascinated with my background and asked me to put together a class.

To my amazement, that first class ended with most of the attendees asking, “is there more.” From that second teaching and further requests, I ended up founding The Institute for Shamanic Synthesis which this year celebrates 30 years.

In those three decades, I’ve been privileged to instruct people of all ages, backgrounds, occupations, and ethnicity. I’ve seen people completely change their life trajectory with the teachings.  It has been most gratifying and certainly succeeded in fulfilling the request of the elders: “give the land to the people.”

If you should ever visit mounds or ancient dwellings in the Southwest, or other sacred places, stop. Ask permission to proceed. Remove your shoes and walk barefoot. Touch the walls of the dwelling.  Talk to the ancestors and discover what message they may have for you.

 

I still teach though it has been much scaled down due to infirmities of advancing age and body breakdown. Some of that teaching is through Magdala Spiritual Healing (a 509 2a non-profit) where I’ve incorporated much of my offerings. I’ve posted former talks, interviews, and classes there.

When people recognize the importance of taking on the mantle or cognition of all that is, each kingdom, and committing to preservation of the eco system, shamanism shines. We are indeed on a very small planet in a vast universe. Only we can change years of ignoring the other kingdoms and embracing the way that each of us is connected to the other. The word shamanism sometimes gets in the way of prejudice. Earth-based spirituality seems to play better with diverse populations.

I encourage you to find teachers and resources that can give you the basics of shamanism so that you can take up the mantle and proactively save our precious planet. Seeking new planets is, in my mind, thoughtless until we begin to take care of the real estate we now occupy. You may find some information in El Mundo Bueno: Saving Humanity and Our Glorious Planet.

“Since all mythical figures correspond to inner psychic experience and originally sprang from them, it is not surprising to find certain phenomena in the field of parapsychology which remind us of the trickster …. His universality is co-extensive, so to speak, with that of shamanism, to which the whole phenomenology of spiritualism belongs.” – Carl Jung

“We don't heal in isolation, but in community.” ― S. Kelley Harrell, Gift of the Dreamtime - Reader's Companion

“The core practice of magic is: The execution of a willed intent to create change in the material world, which either defies, hastens or purifies the consequences of natural cause and effect.”
― Zeena Schreck

“The soul is not a land-locked entity. It can grow feathers.” ― Frank LaRue Owen, The School of Soft Attention

Egoic Leadership

 By Rev. Amari Magdalena

We’ve got a problem.  There’s trouble in river city and it begins with a capital T! While it does take a fair amount of ego to run for prominent office, it is a double- edged sword. Once ensconced, it is time to put that ole nemesis ego to rest and reach in for that heart brain.  Rulers must have heart or otherwise they may make massive mistakes in reaching the very public who elected them.

A ruler must above all have a huge degree of compassion.  Self, is a word that for them needs to be held in abeyance, in any list of true leadership qualities. The heart-centered leader is able to see all sides of dilemmas, relate to a diverse group of the citizenry, get in touch with feelings and relate them to the people being served, recognizes that leadership is not a contest but a high appointment of service. S/he looks for guidance from those they surround themselves.  They listen and quiet the braggadocios behavior that some in office display.

True leaders are also aware of the global impact of their decisions. Not only do they reach across the aisle politically, they also include other leaders. Peace is more important to them than further engagement in wars of others. They admire true guidance and not dictators whose strength comes of absolute rule over subjects, not inclusive. True leaders absolutely know the difference between exclusive objectives and inclusive direction.

Another aspect of leadership is determined by the people who admire and vote for them.  That is, they value each and every constituent and become aware of the needs of all people on the economic spectrum. They tax fairly to divide the monies properly for the general good.

Even a further trait is not having to have every bill signed viewed as a photo opportunity. Also surrounding themselves with voluminous flags does not a patriot make. Bob Dylan captured that in lyrics from What’s a Sweetheart Like You: “Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings, steal a little and they throw you in jail; steal a lot and they make you King.”

Another modern concern for true leaders, is the preservation of the Earth.  They do not bend to monied interests who continue to pollute the airways. They’ve a measured response to the important prospect of preserving the Earth and all of the ways that support her. They also look for new inventive ways to address climate change and to support newly developing industries devoted to Earth preservation.  Sometimes it is time to embrace “off with the old; on with the new.” They know this and are not afraid to address it and help the populace become equally enthused with new prospects and/or projects.

Finally, a true leader eschews cult like behavior from those who support and help elect them. They know that their task is to serve from humility and not from adoration of minions. True heart-based leaders know that they are servants and have been elevated to high office to become one of the greatest servants in history.  The final aspect of true leadership is to be a visionary seeing all of the possibilities for a great future involving all of the people by capturing their imagination and a willingness to implement.

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other" — John F. Kennedy

“A leader takes people where they want to go.  A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” — Rosalynn Carter

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” — Theodore M. Hesburgh

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

“Wise leaders generally have wise counselors because it takes a wise person themselves to distinguish them.”  — Diogenes of Sinope

“A leader. Is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble to out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.” — Nelson Mandela

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pursuit of Happiness

 By Rev. Amari Magdalena

Life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is in the second paragraph of the first article in the Declaration of Independence.  The great American promise. Absolutely a promise worth embracing in our dream of the greater good.  Yet, and there it is the proverbial, yet, we as a nation are not very happy. In fact, We the People are 23^rd in worldwide ranking of happiness. Oh my, we’re not number one in something?  Shock of all shocks.

 And that document in 1776 failed to mention that those same superlative words applied to everyone, and not simply the white conquistadors, of a nation heretofore made up of brown/red people. Now if being usurped from your own lands doesn’t cause a ripple or two, I’d be amazed. So, truth be told, we started in the glory of overcoming a domineering king while ignoring our own confiscation of property of others we considered inferior.

 On this Independence Day remembrance, it is time for that hard look.  In my life I often refer to it as the “come to Jesus” moment.  A big reality check on the difference between promise and reality. It is the time for the congruity checkup. Are we what we say we are or have we fallen away. It is also past time to make amends in every possible way of those we judged and chose to dominate.

 In the meantime, in our little bubbles of individuality and delusion, we are too often feeling unfulfilled, unhappy, depressed, desperate, and angry. No wonder. There is the more hidden shame of how our country was founded and the nagging truth of debt to those we chose to enslave.

 On top of that, our now integrated media advertisements keep promising happiness if we use this or that product, take this or that pill, drink this or that alcoholic drink (hey, they don’t call it spirits for nothing), engage in this or that sport, take this or that exotic vacations, are surrounded by integrated people always laughing and having fun, keep eternally youthful by using this or that product, and the list goes on. Whew! No wonder we often feel we missed the mark.

As we approach yet another deciding political contest, we are more divided than perhaps even at the civil war. Some of us can’t even talk to our neighbors or some family over this great divide that faces us. We are failing to recognize the very things that once united us.  The similarities that each and every one of us hold dear, that elusive pursuit of happiness!

 Tell me, in truth, that every one of our citizens doesn’t want to be loved, appreciated, held in regard for our innate special talent. Doesn’t each citizen of what was the greatest country in the world, want and deserve, good housing, food on the table, a good measure of dignity, quality education for themselves and their children, safety from crime (we lead the pack of first world nations for crime), access to rejuvenating nature, acceptance without prejudice, pride in what we as a nation and as an individuals can accomplish? Aren’t those our common goals and needs?  Or have I missed something??

 Do you remember some of the lyrics of one of our patriotic songs?

 “America, America may God thy gold refine

'Til all success be nobleness

And every gain divined.

 God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good

With brotherhood,

From sea to shining sea.”

Glorious lyrics from America the Beautiful. Where are we at this very 4^th of July remembrance? I ask, no beg, each of you to remember the promises and on this special day actually intend that the second paragraph of the first article in the Declaration of Independence be revisited in each and every heart and soul. It is past time to pick up the baton of unity, to quell anger and rage, to move beyond our petty differences, to embrace each and every person as worthy of dignity, and value and restore the principals of democracy. It is way past time to also stop these ridiculous pigment prejudices. The red in our flag represents the red blood that all of us possess. The white is for purity and the blue representing the vast sky we all can enjoy.

 If we could collectively do this, we would certainly bring that illusive happiness to our parties of celebration today and perhaps in a future that we desire for each and every citizen.

 

"The Constitution only guarantees you the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself" -Benjamin Franklin

 

"Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence" -Aristotle

“Don’t just talk that talk, walk it and go forward. Also, the walk didn’t have to be long strides; baby steps counted too. Go forward.” -From the Movie: The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith

"…it is the great parent of science & of virtue: and that a nation will be great in both, always in proportion as it is free." "our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." -Thomas Jefferson

"I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man."

- Sun Bear, Chippewa

"And so, the world watches America—the only great power in history made up of people from every corner of the planet, comprising every race and faith and cultural practice—to see if our experiment in democracy can work. To see if we can do what no other nation has ever done. To see if we can actually live up to the meaning of our cree

Loneliness

 by Amari Magdalena

Loneliness in the 21st century has become endemic. Covid certainly played a role yet separation has grown. Most affected are 18–24-year-olds and people 65 and over. Isolation is the partner of loneliness and they are causing depression, anxiety, and psychological disturbance for many.

What is Loneliness? Loneliness is the state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one's desires for social connection and actual experiences of it. It is also described as: an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. The bottom line is that too many of us experience isolation. Certainly, Covid created a lot of isolation for people living alone. The very structures of many of our dwellings, also contribute. Many of us live in apartments without social offerings or in our small separate boxes. Add to that an increase in violence in a city that heretofore had little, and you have fear. An unstable political situation only exacerbates the feelings.

Many of us grew up with family nearby. For me, even though we moved a lot, everywhere we lived, there was family. We had many gatherings with family. Our neighborhood, in the time of wives at home, had many the coffee klatch. There was almost always someone we could call on in an emergency or simply for company.

That is true no more. Many of us left our families and headed west. The tenor of many of the larger cities in the west, was such that we became more fearful. Trust was a factor with a lot of schemes and charlatans playing on our naivety. The burbs for a while provided some of the old klatch gatherings yet wives returning to the workforce or college in the 70’s women’s movement changed that also. All of these factors contributed to a cultural evolution and ultimately, we ended up with more isolation.

One symptom of that is the cyber dating phenomenon. Religious practices where many had socialized, experienced a fall out in attendance. The usual meeting places and/or family gatherings became few and far between. Many of us moved even more having to establish ourselves from scratch, again and again.

Meetups developed to fill some of the gap yet, like all organizations, they didn’t always last due to human foibles and that old nemesis, ego. Another group of us developed physical limitations which further exacerbated spending huge junks of our lives, alone. We couldn’t do the things that others were doing. Others experienced economic downturn which severely limited our spending on leisure activities.

So many factors in 2024 have caused too many people to feel loneliness. Awareness and commitment to some type of involvement may help overcome the feelings. Getting out more even to the store and talking with people may ease the untoward feelings. Making a huge effort to find some opportunities to socialize with like-minded people is another avenue. For seniors, joining a senior community, may after we get over accepting, that we too are ‘old’ people. Picking up the telephone and connecting with old friends may help. Bottom line, all of this requires some effort.

There have been some efforts to house older and younger people. This may be yet another avenue for easing feelings of loneliness. If you have a hobby, finding other people who enjoy it, may bring opportunities to be with people. Seeking counseling if you’ve gotten to the place of feeling depressed. Seeing if your city has a directory with organizations that may be of interest can help.

And, then there is technology. Yet another factor. It is forcing us to carry our smart phones around even in the house with sites that send you a code for access. It consumes way too many hours of our lives that we might have spent with other people. It’s lightning-fast changes often leaving us feeling inadequate and alone. Kids are spending more time inside than out. Adults may be getting depressed in an effort to keep up.

Bottom line, is once you realize that you are lonely, it is important to do something about it. For me, I know that if I spend too much time alone, I have to be the boot in my butt that says, “get out there.” No one is coming to you, if they don’t know where you live. Volunteer. Put on some glad rags, and get out of the house. Accept that this is a different time and you need new tools to cope. Also commit to learning to enjoy and love yourself. Fill in your circle.

“Find company within yourself and you’ll never spend a day alone.” -Connor Chalfant

“We are living in dystopia, in a world that is dominated by technology and disconnect, alienation and dysfunction.” -Steven Wilson

“Negative emotions like loneliness, envy, and guilt have an important role to play in a happy life; they're big, flashing signs that something needs to change.” -Gretchen Rubin

“We can all fight against loneliness by engaging in random acts of kindness.” -Gail Honeyman

“We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found the answer in community.” – Dorothy Day

Entering the Void at Summer Solstice

 

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

Polarities of their nature bespeak irony.  And so it is with our seasonal celebrations.  At the “High Noon” of summer light as we extol the virtues of the maximum hours of daylight, we turn the corner into the void and begin the process of contraction.    From Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice, we are in a phase of expansion, seeding and growing our hopes and dreams.  From June 21^st until December 21^st, we begin to draw our energies within, ever so slowly to celebrate harvests and then release.

 Both our sun and moon express four distinct phases, which parallel one another nicely.  While the moon completes each phase in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, the sun’s phases are more protracted taking our calendar year to complete.  In earth-based traditions throughout the world sun and moon celebrations served as calendars or markers for the passage of time.

 June 21^st decrees the celebration of the North (the polar opposite of the South that we are experiencing).  Along with the summer solstice, it is also near Father’s Day marking the maximum influence of the principal we know as masculine.  While our Spring and Fall Equinox represent balance, the solstices symbolize extreme.  Solstices are more “Tonal” (tonal being ordinary reality); equinox’ are “Nagual” (extraordinary with the availability of magic).  The summer solstice then is a time of excessive immersion into the material world (Tonal).

 Given the extremes and the irony of our celebration of the North in summer and the South in winter, both celebrations are about light; more of it and less of it.  As we acknowledge the longest day of the year with the highest point of the sun, let us remember to take advantage of all that is revealed in the blazing light. 

 Summer Solstice in ancient times was a daylong celebration and observation in northern most climes was 24-hours and 12-hours in the lower latitudes.  In total light a circle was set with many burning candles lit.  A large bonfire was constructed nearby.  Singing, dancing, chanting and/or drumming began.  Vigilance was kept throughout the night until dawn, when the candles and fires were extinguished. 

 The summer solstice may then be a time to give oneself permission to totally immerse into the masculine principal yet acknowledging the winter solstice conception that led to this luxurious fertility.  Set your ceremonial circle with objects of light and representation of the golden, orange, red colors of the sun’s brilliance.  Acknowledge fire for its power of transformation.  Strew the altar with seasonal flowers and ripening berries.  Feast and surrender to the fire within.  Engage in fire ceremonies.  Trance dance.  Tone.  Make joyful noises with percussion and flute.  Invoke Archangel Michael or the Celtic god Lugh (pronounced Looch), God of light, warmth and inspiration.  Sing the praises of the sun in all its representations including the sun ship of the Christ energies.  And slowly but surely, put out each candle in tribute to the returning darkness and the great mystery of the void.  Honor this phase of growth, trust and love and “Coming into Being.”

"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away  many shadows." St. Francis of Assisi

Invalidation

 

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

 

In the world of cyber communication, lacking the in-person reading of intent, we may often feel invalidated. The meaning of the word used in communication is: “the process of denying, rejecting or dismissing someone's feelings. Invalidation sends the message that a person's subjective emotional experience is inaccurate, insignificant, and/or unacceptable.” Sounds pretty harash and rendering a complete denial of another’s emotional sharing.

On the surface, of course, most of us would not want to be found guilty of doing such a thing. Yet, we do it more than is good for having the recipient feel heard. The problem, listening. As a culture, we are failing in the listening department on more occasions than leads to comfort with others in social intercourse. Most of us are pretty guilty of this, certainly without malintent.

Indigenous cultures used different tools for communication. Some had such clarity of thought, they could telepath with others in the tribe; verbal communication was not always necessary. Others used tools like the talking stick and answering feather which encouraged others to listen to the speaker rather than be preparing their immediate response.

Years ago, I introduced the talking stick to a group of fairly diverse people whose similarity was to share a degree of spiritual experiences in their lives, including paranormal occurrences. To my surprise, the group in the main completely rebelled against the concept. They didn’t want to listen preferring to either debate, invalidate, or obfuscate. I found that numbingly aberrant yet was not surprised.

In a cultural setting of competition, rather than cooperation, there is always a tangible quest for one upmanship. Being Number One is more important than actually supporting group consensus and team building.

As we now see daily the destruction of an emphasis on competition, global greed, dismissive politics on earth preservation and freedom of rights of each person’s choice as it relates to their body, it is not surprising. At the same time, we are certainly witnessing the demise of yet another Empire. All previous ones have devolved and fallen yet humankind continues on personal and global paths of destruction.

Given the innate intelligence of humankind, it is then disturbing that history continues to repeat itself over and over and over again. Real communication goes wanting. Relationship building meets its demise. We are not communicating with one another; we are engaging in monologues and duologues. We are collectively behaving like many of the animals that we thought ourselves superior to.

Can this be altered or amened? Yes, it can with the big IF, we choose to individually and collectively effect a change. We can start listening without composing our answers. We can ask ourselves what is the person sharing with us? Are they asking for advice? Are they seeking solutions from us? Are they simply venting and needing validation for their feelings? Can we sit in silence and hold space? Can we shut up??

Some spiritual traditions require periods of complete silence as a way of going further within. For many it’s like doing hard time in isolation and almost crippling. Yet, the benefit may long outweigh the personal needs of the self in deference to the greater good of the universal whole.

Perhaps next time you hear or read of someone simply sharing their experience, you will choose to simply listen and say, “I hear you” or whatever is appropriate to the feelings being expressed. In cyber space, you could send a heart or care symbol and let the other know you heard them without pontificating or rendering solutions not asked for. You could be silently reverent and say to the Universe, “may peace prevail for the good of this individual and humankind.”

“…validation between partners is the communication of understanding and acceptance.” – Alan E. Fruzzetti

“Our desire for sympathy and attention is another major reason we complain. Think about the things you complain about. What are you looking for when you share? I would bet that a lot of the time it’s validation like, “Yeah, that is annoying,”” – Whitney Goodman

“Sometimes, this can be as simple as paying attention and making good eye contact and nodding, or saying “uh-huh” or “right” or “okay.” At other times, validating requires a more thorough acknowledgment of the experience, such as “I know you are really disappointed” or “you look really sad.”” – Alan E. Fruzzetti

“You can disagree with absolutely everything someone, is saying, but you can still validate them.”–James W. Williams.

Does The Universe Care for or about Us?

 

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

Yesterday I posted a word for consideration: Pronoia. Its definition is that “The Universe conspires for my Joy and Abundance.” Nice thought, no? Yet a few people took exception recalling devastating things that the Universe had delivered to them over their lifetimes.

It got me thinking about the times, in my own life, when The Universe most definitely was not conspiring in my favor, or so it seemed. One of the philosophies that I’ve long admired is the Tao. In this belief system one learns to not weight oppositional forces in our lives differently. This belief allows us to surf the waves of our lives in a more even way. We will have some grand things in this lifetime and some pretty challenging things that we may view as soul disrupting. By accepting these oppositional forces, we may be more at peace.

I do not deny that many of us are delivered some pretty devastating things in our lives. There is no denying that. It may also appear that some people receive more than their fare share of those events. Death of a child is certainly at the top of the list. A whole list of tragedies can easily be complied.

Yet, in a long-life review, I believe we also become aware of great graces afforded us. This is, I suppose, a count your blessings scenario. Too often, we forgot that count and allow the bleak occurrences to cast shadow over the better things.

The belief of greater good, allowing for the not so good, can afford us to better appreciate the general balance that life affords us. That is, if we notice. It can also gift us contentment. Contentment gives us an overall view of greater good without the transient, and often prioritized, desire for happiness.

If people were to study my life of 80+ years, they would find a whole laundry list of the ‘not so good’ things that happened. They’d discover that much of my adult life has been a financial struggle. Uncovered would be unexpected deaths, suicide, murder, molestation, mental and physical abuse. They could easily conclude that The Universe did not bring me Joy and Abundance. And, of course, that would bolster their predominant belief about pronoia.

For many years, I too, allowed the negative to rule my life. On further study, I came to adapt a different view, a perspective that gave me greater peace. I learned that I’ve had a fantastic life filled with good surprises, seeming last minute positive interventions, overall goodness, great people, amazing places to visit, abundance of innate talents, etc. In total sum of nine decades, The Universe has conspired for my highest and best good.

Some would say, what about all of the health challenges you’ve experienced in the past 1 ½ years and continue to deal with daily? What about your precarious economic situation? Yup, those have been doozies, no question. Yet the offsets have been human kindness, friends who are supportive, unexpected monies forthcoming, love, and great mental/emotional health. In balance, I can attest that The Universe has indeed delivered more Joy and Abundance than not. Mine has been simply to recognize it and appreciate it.

I would much rather embrace an overall belief in goodness than await the dark side of random deliverance of the negative. It would also be my sincere hope, that many of us can come to the belief that The Universe does give the proverbial damn about us. I would wish that philosophy for anyone wanting to experience a fuller, affirming, and gloriously abundant life!

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
― Nelson Mandela

“A good life is a collection of happy moments.” ― Denis Waitley

Death

by Rev. Amari Magdalena



A subject few people want to talk about, Death. It’s a hush-hush deal that many wish to never address though it, and taxes, are declared to be inevitable.

Aging, illness, and infirmity certainly may cause us to consider an appearance of the grim reaper. For some of us having gone through the demise of our parents, we may be more aware of the obligations and expectations created by a family death. Some people choose to bury their heads and magically keep death at the door.

My own journey of the past year and a half has made me hyper aware of my end date approaching. Depending on who you talk with, I’ll be here for a few more years or could go out like a candle in the wind from heart complications. News like this makes one “listen up.” And, I have.

Our culture is pretty uncomfortable with this subject. As a child, we were never allowed to attend any funerals as grandparents and others passed. This was, in part, due to my mother’s experience of having to kiss her dead mother in the casket at 6 years old. Mother had a deep fear of death. Ultimately this was a great disservice to her children.

The first funeral I attended was for a friend’s whose husband was killed in an auto accident. I was around 21 at the time and found the whole experience shocking. Ultimately, I found it part of my shamanic path to be present at births and deaths. As a minister I’ve been asked to give last rights, help people cross over, and eulogize the deceased.

My mother later shared with me that her Slavic half-sisters celebrated death and mourned births. That made some sense to me as their beliefs were that life has its share of challenges and the new born is entering this plane to experience all of the vagaries of life while death is freeing and we return to the Oneness. They passed a large basin with water and a towel and each person in the circle washed their hands of death and continued passing it around. I don’t know if they bathed the deceased though that may have been appropriate in that time and space. A nicety that might be instituted were we not so fearful of being around the dead person.

The most challenging funeral was for my 3-year-old grandson in Mexico. Death of a child defies the natural order of things and quashes all of our dreams and desires for a full life. It is so out-of-order. The Mexican way of death, we the American family, were not prepared for. Embalming is not done. One has to witness the deceased changing colors and find some way to deal with all of the smelly flowers covering physical demise. The actual burial is right in front of the pile of dirt that will be unceremoniously bulldozed over the casket at the end of the ceremony. The shock of it all was eased some by the Sponge Bob Balloon that released rose higher and higher and higher in the sky, turning at the end as if to say goodbye.

At my middle sister’s funeral, I was able to do the commending of spirit shortly before she passed. They whisked her away to a funeral home in downtown Thornbury, Bristol England. After a day or two, I said to my mother, I’m going to go visit her. You are welcome to come with me. She decided, in spite of her natural hesitation, to do that with me. We talked with my sister and I feel it helped my mother with the passing. It provided last words and wishes for the next life. We even witnessed both a cathedral filled to capacity in celebration of her life and then the final movement of the casket into the crematory. There was a full sense of completion there.

People who have experienced an NDE (near death experience) have reported experiences of great light and perhaps seeing loved ones on the other side. Personally, I have gone through this and recognize that seeing translucent bodies of our departed, may be part of the process of letting go of the body suit. The bright light is comforting and inviting. What is on the other side? We will surely discover? Perhaps if we were to choose the new Natural Burial method of being wrapped and interred in dirt so that natural decomposition occurs, we may indeed return in another form like a flower.

We’ve only to look at nature and the seasons of seed, growth, flower, and death to know that absolutely nothing is permanent on this plane of existence. Perhaps we can gather courage from the renewal cycles and some intention that a greater consciousness state is our next expression. On the other hand, comfort with death may help us choose to live life to the fullest in every way without the shroud of death hampering our spirit.

” Nothing endures but change, and accepting this has the potential to transform the dread of dying into joyful living."

H.E. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.”
― Isaac Asimov

“It is best as one grows older to strip oneself of possessions, to shed oneself downward like a tree, to be almost wholly earth before one dies.”
― Sylvia Townsend Warner, Lolly Willowes

“That's the secret. If you always make sure you're exactly the person you hoped to be, if you always make sure you know only the very best people, then you won't care if you die tomorrow.”
― Carol Rifka Brunt, Tell the Wolves I'm Home

“Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace.” – Oscar Wilde

“Those we love are always alive if we keep them alive in our hearts.” – Carson McCullers

Who Do We Trust?

  

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

Erik Erikson believed that trust is developed from birth to 18 months. During this stage, the infant either comes to view other people and himself or herself as trustworthy or comes to develop a fundamental distrust of his or her environment. Trust is defined as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

As we move through infancy, early, middle, and later childhood into adulthood, trust may become an issue in our interrelationships. If the initial trust was broken in the earliest developmental stage it may take considerable therapy to learn trust.

Early broken trust leads, in shamanic shields terms, to a skewed South Shield.* The untrusting child carries that lack into each relationship in hopes that somehow magically, the other person will help them overcome their trust issues. In essence, they are looking for that compensatory partner. Of course, the rising dissolution of these relationships speaks to this issue.

When you may hear someone saying: “I just don’t trust anyone.” What they are truly saying is they don’t trust themselves sufficiently to even speak to trust of others. It’s a signal to any therapist or spiritual advisor that inner work is needed.

For an aware adult, that lack of trust may signal a need to develop and foster trusting themselves. Inner child work along with redirecting the North Shield and awakening the Nagual shields of West and East, can make a huge difference in healing basis distrust. This inner work was some of the most successful that I experienced with students and myself.

I was left with my grandparents from about 4 to 10 months. That helped me later understand why I was so attached to them. At the same time, the parental absence at such an early juncture, surely had its impact. There was no social media platform in those days to have us see missing persons in our lives. And written communications at such an early development stage didn’t have any meaning. I’m certain trust was broken.

Thus, I recognized my own need to develop adult trust. That can be done, with a lot of work. First one develops self-trust built on evidence that we can become reliable, truthful, and strong. As we assess and build more self-trust, we can then extend it to others.

At the same time, we need to attract trustworthy people and have some device for forgiving small lapses in trust. I’ve often said that compassion without discernment can be dangerous. That suggests that after we deal with the ‘me,’ we learn to deal with the ‘we,’ and then if we are most fortunate, we come to embracing the greater ‘us.’’ In actuality, that is part of our life work.

We may wish to develop markers of trust in new relationships. A European friend of mine observed how Americans almost instantly trust people rather than build trust over time. That instant trust and superficial bonding can lead to disappointments. In the romantic realm I once wrote a piece on 22 guides for Metaphysical Lovers to help people avoid the karmic macarena.

Discernment certainly comes into play if we are going to embrace and recognize another’s worth for inclusion in our emotional world. Our media often exposes us to such unrealistic pictures of romantic love that we may have incorporated delusional expectations about ourselves and other people’s worth.

The bottom line, is start building self-trust. Develop criteria for the types of people you’d value coming into your lives. Become trustworthy. Demand trustworthiness in all of your relationships. When that wounded inner child shows up, take some time to talk with him or her and see what old emotional issues are still unmet. Become the person that meets those needs and perhaps you will stop finding others and entrusting them with your basket of unmet emotional needs to foster.

Trust is elemental. Our world has shown us many, many examples of misplaced trust on all levels. Yet ultimately it is up to us to discern what is and is not working for our emotional stability. Start with you. Become more reliable, trustworthy, and strong. When we have that inherent trust in self, others, and life, our lives become the heaven we seek.

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” William Shakespeare

“Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” Stephen Covey

“Trust is built with consistency.” Lincoln Chafee

“He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.” Lao Tzu







*Awaken Your Inner Shields: Transform Your Life." by Amari Magdalena