A Sensory World

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

As I drive about at this holiday season and see all of the displays of Light and enjoy the smells of Cedar, Cinnamon, and Ginger, I am reminded of what an amazing sensory world we live in.  In the rush of our daily lives, I feel we often take our five senses for granted until some event triggers a memory or an acknowledgement.

While we have five physical senses, we’ve also a sixth sense that may or may not be well developed. Sight is a miracle for those blessed with sightedness. Our eyes are the windows to the world.  They can afford us an unparalleled vision of beauty or expose us to the worst visions of humanity.  I’ve chosen to see or seek beauty in this elder passage of my life.  If I should have negativity or worry descend, I direct my focus to beauty.  And, beauty is all around us if we just look beyond the limiting vision of our living boxes. I believe beauty is the portal to the soul.

Hearing the sounds of a beautiful symphony, lullaby or Gregorian chant can trigger a splash of positive endorphins and oxytocin hormones being released in our oft stressed systems. We hold so many memories of the music of our generation.  Music can also be cacophony and grate on our peace.  Science is now learning that even the planets and stars have a sound. Sound can open doors to new worlds, if we are willing to listen. Folks with clairaudience have fine tuned the sounds to understand messages from beyond our normal range of listening.

Touch!  So vital to newborns under all circumstances and a needed commodity throughout life. The Puritan, WASP, influence in the early founding of what we call America, led to less touch than is desirable.  As our melting pot of a country has brought peoples of all cultures, we see more touch demonstrated in some than others.  Lack of touch can lead to depression. Kinds of touch in our environment speaks volumes to our mental states: soft, soothing, harsh, rugged, etc. Touch is ultimately about connection. The more, and better quality hugs we receive, the more we feel our existence is affirmed and valued.

Smell, and all the memories associated with it, may be carried from childhood through our adulthood.  The scent of our familiar family has a long-lasting impact on our later connection with people who enter our lives.  We do not all smell alike. Mother’s bond with their newly born infants through smell-they smell like the mother. Scents can enhance our natural smell or repulse others.  Scent sensitivities are growing as natural ones are replaced with chemicals. Even our mental outlook can be impacted by smell.  Surrounding our homes with scents that speak to us in a most positive way, can be uplifting.

Taste, and our culinary preferences, have evolved into an entire smorgasbord of foodie industries. We equate taste with other aspects of life also.  We might say an interaction left a bad taste in our mouths.  Conversely, we exclaim, “Yum!” at a great experience or culinary delight. Another expression of taste is with a value judgment-good taste or poor taste in friendships, home décor, etc.  When our taste buds are keenly developed in all aspects of life, we tend to be more open to the new and untried. 

Development of our Sixth Sense can open a whole world beyond the material. I believe that all of us have the capacity to open that 3^rd Eye.  Much of our early conditioning impacts whether we’ll allow that awakening. When we trust that there is indeed more than what seems to be through our illusions of permanence, a wondrous world of possibility invites our tenancy. With the opening we have a foot in both worlds.

Years ago, I read in a Reader’s Digest article that listed the true capacity of our five physical senses. An example of this is: “See a small candle flame from 30 miles away on a clear, dark night.” Other examples spoke to the other senses.  Our crowded cities with overload on our natural senses have dulled most of them.  Isn’t it time to reclaim this sensory world? In wide open spaces, in nature, away from the proverbial madding crowd, we may discover a world of wonder.

I encourage us all to not depend on seasons or holidays to reawaken our senses.  Choose now to value them, activate them, and experience one of the true joys of having a human body. Add a color to your décor.  Try some new music. Add a new spice to food. Find a pleasant natural aromatherapy oil to diffuse in your living room and bedroom. Choose a new fabric in your clothing or furniture. Experience more of life! And, if you trust yourself, do something to wake up your sixth sense!  And remember, love is the poetry of the senses. (Honore de Balzac)

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul." Oscar Wilde

"There are four Powers: memory and intellect, desire and covetousness.  The first two are mental and the others sensual.  The three senses: sight, hearing, and smell cannot well be prevented; touch and taste not at all." Leonardo da Vinci

"Man has no Body distinct from his Soul; for that called Body is a portion of Soul discerned by the five senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age." William Blake

Saving Humanity and the Planet

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

A wonderful Zen Buddhist Monk at CSL Las Cruces today addressed three poisons and their remedies.  He specifically mentioned: greed, hate, and delusion the cures for which are wisdom, generosity, and loving kindness. These are also referred to as non-delusion, non-attachment, and non-hatred. The latter represent wholesome factors. Right now, our world is squeezing through the center of a very tight hourglass of change as it has become top heavy with greed, hate, and delusion.  It’s a pretty painful process. Many do wish the sand  to reach the other side as time chases us.

At the risk of being redundant, may I remind us all that so many things have created this moment: political unrest; increasing poverty; disappearing niceness, moral compass, and manners; uncontrolled growth at the top tier of economics; changing weather patterns; and the ever-shifting sands of history. All empires fail and have throughout history. Power has been rested away from one group to another, repeatedly.  As the empire waned, many poisons were evidenced. 

While this feels like very bad news, one can look at it as a necessary process to foster a quantum leap in human evolution.  If we are to have a eco evolution, the human evolution must be accelerated.  Polarity and duality have no place in this process, or it will surely derail good intentions, affirmation and prayers for good, and the shreds of a humane society necessary to fuel and foster the evolution.

Delusion is but one aspect of the poison yet a very important one.  In metaphysics, along with many indigenous understandings of the corridor West, it signifies the grand delusion.  If we are to push this process through the narrows, we each will need to explore our own 7 veils of illusion* and remove them. Easier said than done, at times, yet we no longer have the luxury of holding tightly to our comfortable denusions (denial and delusions). 

As the monk said, we can no longer be satisfied with Talking our Talk; time now to Walk the Walk in real time. This requires us to wake the hell up in every given moment, not just in consciousness groups or spiritual gatherings.  As an insurance company may ask us to put a monitor on our mileage for better potential insurance rates, it is time for us to monitor our thoughts for salvation of humanity.

For several decades now many of us have gathered in consciousness groups that meet once a week or occasionally.  We come away inspired and committed to making a positive change. Some of the enthusiasm results in creating organizations for good.  That is fantastic! Yet it doesn’t solve the problem though it punctures a small hole in the back log of hourglass sand and allows a trickle to reach the new.

What then is necessary beyond continual vigilance on our thinking and exploring more avenues for change?  Finding ways to significantly get in the touch with those who are different than ourselves.  Releasing any smugness in the belief that we’re doing great good and should be receiving accolades for our efforts. Retiring the Ego.

We must include the ‘others’ that our judgment views are separate from us. We’ll need to behold the golden threads of essential light and energy that connects us all. Will it be possible to connect with everyone, perhaps not? Yet, yes, we can attempt to widen our circle of influence and levels of understanding of apparent differences.  When we have opportunity and access, we can see the Divine in those we connect with, even for brief moments.  The others, we can simply extend loving kindness to their souls.  We could even use the Shamanic Journey to connect with those that we are unable to reach in the relative world-totem to totem.

Even small acknowledgements like speaking the name of the person who is serving us, whose tag gives us that information, can be beneficial.  We can join groups that are not all espousing the very same things we are about and just be ourselves. We can ask questions in of people in the group about what they want out of life and how they see the world. Active efforts, no more exalted rhetoric, are much needed.  Stepping into another person’s moccasins, even for moments, will help us find the light connections. Releasing the concept of separate races and epidermal distinctions.

Asking ourselves in each interaction: am I being wise; am I able to be of generous service; is my attitude and behavior conveying loving kindness?  And, when those attributes are not prevalent, stop the interaction, back up and start anew.  Refrain from self-flagellation as it tends to being things back to the self and cause angst and self-judgment. Become the person of a world where everyone thrives.  Then, and only then, can the clogged sands pour effortlessly into the other side of the hourglass and save humanity and the planet.

“We must flex our heart muscles not only to include the least, the last, the lost, but also to include whomever we are currently referring to as ‘snowflake’ or ‘deplorable’ instead of God’s name for all of us which is ‘Beloved.’”  Rev. Robin Bartlett

"A Religion of Evolution: that, when all is said and done is what Man needs ever more explicitly if he is to survive and 'superlive,' as soon as he becomes conscious of his power to ultra-hominize himself and of his duty to do so." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

*7 Veils of Illusion from Unbecoming Me: The Ultimate Shapeshifters Journey

Failure of Family

By Rev. Amari Magdalena          

“It takes a village to raise a child;” a saying never truer than its very need today.  I’m watching families around me succumb to the maladies of the 20^th and 21^st century’s vision of nuclear family.  And, the concept is failing miserably.  Every day we are exposed to media stories of domestic violence, child abuse, and filicide.  I don’t know about you, but I’m wondering how on earth we got here?

What I see magnified here in my visit to Southern California is clarifying my feelings.  The nuclear family is failing.  I’ve previously written about boxes and how they enclose.  Yet it's more than that.  I feel our concepts and beliefs around family are seriously skewed.  Where did we get the idea that 2 adults with any number of children would function well in an enclosed rectangular structure?  The very nature of the squares and rectangles in most homes, large and small, is encapsulating.  No one can feel a sense of freedom therein.  No matter how many glass windows one has, the result of feeling captured is the same.

Add to the above, and both adults working for survival and personal sense of achievement, and you begin to flesh out the problem.  Who’s raising the children?  Teachers, television, iPod's, computers, smart phones, other unsupervised children, babysitters, daycare, shopping malls, and the accumulation of an amazing cache of stuff! Children today spend much more time away from family connection, in general, than with their tribe.

At one time in modern life, the nuclear family included more adult occupants than two adults.  Generations often lived together, or whole families for newly immigrated people.  That, at least, gave relief to the parents of full attention and responsibility for the children.  Extended family nearby further enhanced the picture.  If grandma and grandpa lived a block or two away, children had more access to possible nurturance.  Yet even that scenario was not ideal as all were still in boxes harboring their own dysfunction.

The inheritance then became behaviors that did not result in functional adults.  These adults propagated and resulted in family trees with a slew of problems: alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, sex trafficking, depression, anxiety disorders, and a plethora of yet to be diagnosed mental challenges etc. The number of medications many young parents are on today is mind boggling.  If you take time to graph out your family tree, you may see my point. As an aside, I DO realize some of you had stellar childhoods and may not be able to relate, yet it is important that you understand the growing cancer of dysfunctional families among you.

I believe that if the human species is to survive, we must return to the concept of tribes.  Our physical structures need serious re-design.  Our neighborhoods need to develop as tribal communities devoted to the care and feeding of its inhabitants.  Huge cities need to end along with wall to wall freeways and endless shopping malls.  While technology advances us in many positive ways, it needs to be moderated in use for toddlers, children and young adults.  Education needs to return to human teaching and not depend on plasma, LED, and LCD etc.  We need to bring the human back into the development of our species.

There are many Utopian thinkers in this world.  It is time we culled their vision, listened to them, quit trying to replicate unworkable Band-Aid solutions or old unworkable moments in time like the 50’s, and envision a new world.  Let’s be brave, if it is to be the home promised is our national rhetoric.

What precipitated this tome was being immersed in a town that has grown and more than doubled since I lived here. Everywhere there are shopping malls.  Everyone is walking around with cell phones texting.  Commutes in traffic are normalizing at an hour or more. Smiles are few and far between except with clerks in stores trained to be approachable and friendly, so we are moved to purchase whether we need something or not. It’s all facade here.  Beautiful though that may be with the gleaming stores, sun and beach, it is not real.  I felt the same way almost 10 years go when I visited and was in Pacific Palisades.

Now I’m not targeting California for those of you whose feathers may be ruffled here.  Any populous state in the sunshine, tends to magnify what is not working.  Florida was the same when I lived there. Maybe cold and clouds mask some of it elsewhere; yet it is everywhere.  Denial is a luxury we cannot afford.

It is beyond time that we move past the unworkable rhetoric that most of our body politic is attempting to hypnotize us with. We need to deal with the very serious problem of failed family.  Mental, emotional and spiritual health is every bit as important as physical well-being.  Everywhere we see evidence that needs addressing.  To save the planet, we may want to think about healing its occupants so that they give the proverbial damn.  Whether you like Marianne Williamson’s bid for the presidency or not, she IS talking about the essence of our problem-Love! Let’s talk about this!

“In families you can find the source of every human drama. It is interesting because the cell of a society, the cell of a country, the cell of humanity – everything lies in the family.” Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

“The more dysfunctional, the more family members seek to control the behavior of others.” David W. Earle

“To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life;  we must first set our hearts right.”  Confucius

Reciprocity

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

Some may call it give and take, reciprocity. Others may look at it as a balance in exchange.  Our dictionary definitions include: when two or more people or nations have equal exchanges of good or services, they are enjoying reciprocity, a situation where each enjoys an equal benefit from the relationship.  However the word is defined, in my opinion, it is about the infinity flow of good energy between others.  When properly applied, reciprocity enhances all parties involved.

It is not news that many exchanges are viewed through the filter of givers and takers in our monetized society.  Yet history has demonstrated that such exchanges always have inherent imbalances and leave feelings of dominance or want.  In a time on our planet where the need for love is touted as the highest form of good, imbalances on all levels spell disaster.

In intimate, familial, and friend relationships, severe imbalances lead to breakdown.  When that is not the ultimate outcome, unhealthy dependencies can develop, along with, anger, angst, and feelings of deep resentment.  Effective relationships cannot tolerate such feelings long.

Many practitioners of spiritual practices and purveyors of alternative healing modalities are asked to do no-cost presentations or donate time and knowledge.  Most of us do this gladly as community service.  It is part of the "giveaway:" a time honored shamanic tradition.  There is no expectation of reciprocity with this charitable work.  There may be, however, a hope that the value of the gift is received, as occasion arises in the lives of the recipients, is shared with others who might benefit (either through testimony or recommendation).  By doing this, it helps the practitioner support their work.

Another way that the receiver of the gift might reciprocate is to be of help when the practitioner has a need for assistance.  I recently heard from someone who has gifted a lot to their community.  They found themselves in need of assistance.  Calling on a few people who they'd particularly supported, doors were closed with weak excuses as to why they could not come forward.  In one case, one of the folks who said they were too busy, was later pictured on social media partying.  This exemplifies a broken infinity of reciprocal good.

In tribal times, the healer, diviner, and teacher were all provided for by the tribe as acknowledgement of their contribution to the common good.  Their basic life needs were happily provided for.  All tribal members received from the greater good and shared from their unique talents.  Sadly, most of us have lost that tribal tether and are often islands unto ourselves surviving.

Thus my call out to everyone to begin to look at the infinity flow of good everywhere in your lives. If you are on the receiving end of good, are you conscious of your responsibility to keep the flow going?  Are you prepared to sometimes sacrifice your pleasure for helping someone who has helped you, not out of obligation, rather an awareness of balance?  Are you wanting to actualize a world that breaks cycles of give and take, so that the need for wars, violence, and separation can subside? Isn't it time we all wake up from the illusion of separation and truly become our brothers and sisters keepers?*

If we are to realize the promised 1,000 years of peace, harmony, love and light on this small planet, I believe it is time.  Time to be more conscious about the symbol of infinite flow between ourselves and others.

"Enlightenment is the AWARENESS that ALL is ONE and ONE is ALL.  Ignorance is the illusion of separateness."  Manprit Kaur

*Cain answered, "I know not, am I my brother's keeper?"  Note:  Cain's words have come to symbolize people's unwillingness to accept responsibility for the welfare of their fellows, "brothers" in the extended sense of the term."

I didn't realize that a rainbow infinity sign is now thought of as a symbol of neurodiversity.  As there are members of my own family experiencing that, perhaps it was an unconscious choice. In any event, diversity can enter into our balancing, accepting, and reciprocal energy exchanges.

Judgments

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

Recently, I was struck by judgmental commentary on Facebook about parenting.  It reminded me of the old singsong, playground torment, “my ____ is better than your _____.”  It presents in my mind, a clear and present danger to building those bridges of understanding that the world so desperately needs.  This mine is best raises its ugly head almost daily on FB with the war of foodies. Then comes the barrage of politics.  Everywhere there seems to be conflict.

We’ve come to a great chasm in our country precipitated by polarizing viewpoints of what is best for our country.  There is a harsh and bitter divide brewing in rhetoric, snarky humor, and resurfacing of buried hurts and prejudices.  Families, friends, cohorts, fraternal organizations, and other associations are experiencing tearing apart over oppositional viewpoints. We are rapidly moving toward the nation divided of which Abraham Lincoln posited we would not stand.

The word judgment suggests that we’ve come to a decision after careful thought.  Yet the judgments being lambasted upon respondents to Facebook posts seem much more impulsive and emotional.  Careful thought has gone begging.  The word, judgmental, on the other hand, displays an excessively critical point of view.

I grew up with extremely critical parents.  As a troubled adult, I found that legacy creeping into my vernacular whenever my own personal self-judgments got projected onto nearby others. Easier to deflect the self-criticisms perhaps than to own up to the underlying self-esteem issues at the real heart of the matter.  If I wasn’t projecting onto others; I was self-flagellating in damaging words.

It took some time of attempting to walk in another person’s shoes and the vagaries of my own life’s unfolding, to realize how harmful criticism is (both self and other).  As an artist and author, I’ve been the recipient of criticism that demonstrated our collective wounds in glaring clarity.  I found a quote in a book I just read that captured this for me poignantly.  “…first rule of being an artist or doing anything creative is to do it for yourself and consider the source when someone criticizes your work.”

The bible reminds us to cast not the first stone yet stoning with words seems to be the game du jour of our present environment. From a shamanic perspective, words can be spell casting.  One of the first Toltec premises for a more joyous life, is to become impeccable with our words; reframe from causing harm.

Beyond our words doing harm, are our negative thoughts.  Each, and every, time we see someone perhaps dressed in a way we do not approve of; our judgment is telepathically sent to the person. A sensitive person perceives this. Imagine the fog of judgment floating through the air every day just from our less than stellar thoughts. Now add pixels of projected negativity through our tablets, cell phones, computers, etc.  It’s amazing we are not all going around like the old cartoon character Joe Btfsplk in Li’l Abner who always had a dark cloud over his head.

So, what is the solution? How do we arrest this judgmental tendency in ourselves, our circle of friends, and our nation?  My answer is paying attention; noticing.  It begins with us.  From our first thoughts when we get out of bed until the last thoughts before we go to sleep, we are thinking.  Much of the thoughts are not positive.  If we tune into any media daily, we have had our consciousness filled with thoughts of human failings.  Add to that our own self-judgments and then our stated unhappiness with those around us, and we have a compost pile of very putrid debris.

First solution is NOT to berate yourself; very important.  Notice the thought; thank it; advise it that you are complete with its message; and send it back to the nothingness from which it came.  No harm; no foul. Follow this with a positive thought about whatever was coming up.

I KNOW this is a huge challenge.  Facebook is filled with negative media and just a few truly inspiring stories.  If you’re posting 10 a day; make 9 of them positive.  If you must post a negative to arouse people towards change, couch the posting by substituting “Ain’t it awful” with “this is such a great message for us to really awaken and affirm, though actions and words, for a more humane perspective.”

Most definitely, I am not advocating for burying our heads in the sand when crucial issues for human existence are at stake.  Simply suggesting, I am, that we spin it to the positive.  “Look how clear this example is for bringing us to collective change for good.  See how it is demonstrating in vivid colors, the ways we need to change and experience our society.  What a gift!”

Look, I’m not setting myself up as a saint here or saying that I do this all the time.  Good Lord, no!  What this tome is about is taking baby steps towards a consciousness of love and compassion so that we do create a world where everyone thrives.  We do everything we are capable of to create positive change for the common good.  And, we take time to look inside the flowers of life to see their magnificence!

"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies...Something your hand touched some way, so your soul has somewhere to go when you die...It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it, into something that's like you after you take your hands away."  Ray Bradbury

"You can't make footprints in the sands of time by sitting on your butt.  And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"  Bob Moawad

 😊  A little humor to end on!

Feast of Blossoms

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

While it is true that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Imbolc and blustery Winter is still upon parts of the nation, Spring is starting to unfold.  As the trees display their blossoms in an array of colors, we are reminded of just what Spring invites us to do: jump, leap, bound, hop, vault!  Time to prepare for the male time of year and gathering energies of the sun.

In seven (7) days we arrive at the Vernal Equinox which is the time of the balance of light and dark. It is also the entry into a more energetic time.  Now we are inspired to clean out the cobwebs of our physical location and connect the more active synapses of the brain towards being outward bound. Time to beautify our surroundings under the Taurus moon.

Another definition of spring, is a resilient device—something that can be pressed or pulled yet springs back into shape.  Time to come out of the cave centers of our minds, lose the winter padding, plant new seeds, and shout, Yes!  Indeed, it is time to shed the heavy clothing of winter physically and metaphorically while re-invigorating ourselves and returning to active life.

As a ceremonialist, I love to embrace this new corridor with ritual.  Twilight is a lovely time to begin your Spring Equinox Ceremony.  Here are some suggestions for your celebration.  Form a circle in or outside.  Have something to represent each of the four cardinal directions.  You may choose from the elements present in your surrounding.  If you are on the West Coast, then Water is the element to have in your West area.  For many in the Northern Hemisphere, heat comes from the South. Place a red candle in the South area.  Next decide on the East and North.  If you’ve mountains to the East, place a solid stone in the East area.  In the North, representing air, place a feather.  In the center of your circle, place objects like a cherry blossom branch to represent the unfolding spring (or daffodils or tulips).

Purchase twelve votive candles to represent the 12 months of the year; or one for each attendee.  Place all candles along the curve of the West area of your circle. Gather any other items, totems, talisman, gemstones, fetishes etc. for your circle. Smudge your circle with a sacred herb or mist it with an essential oil in pure water that is energizing.

Begin a calling in ceremony.  If you’ve no idea how to do that, my book, Blue Moons and Golden Suns give examples.  When you are complete with the 4 cardinal directions (and perhaps above, below and within), have all people move to the West.  Light candles in the West.  In concert, have all people move the candles around to the East area and say: “Until the Fall, I move the Light to the East.”  If able, leave the candles burning all night until the dawn the next day.

From here, choose others way to memorialize this Equinox: readings, meditations, dance, music, a collective creative project etc.  Set intentions for what you’d like to experience under the gathering light. This is the time of beginnings, dream big.  Call on Goddess Ostara for guidance and ask for a personal vision. 

Spring Equinox is a festival of revelation, a message of the Sun, the Song of Songs of the immortal and eternal spirit, which proclaims the divine, the creative universal spirit. In concert with Mother Earth we discover our own resurrection through our passion and surrender to the bursting forth of life.  We ourselves are the blazing bonfires of victorious spirit!

Final Moan of Winter

By Amari Magdalena

Winter vacates slowly

Sighing its last raspy breath

Rallying momentarily

Rage surrendered.

Long her cold blanket

Lay around and about

Freezing out enterprise

Forcing introspection.

Silent nights of cold stars

Glitter above and below

Invitation to cherish

Stillness and frozen moments.

Fireplace flickering

Bundled in layers of cloth

Keeping warm an occupation

Soups and hot cider concocted.

Deep surrender in center

Cave seeded as fertile womb

Pregnant thoughts emerging

Accessing inner muse.

Clinging to light fragments

Gathering luminosity expanding

Silent chants forthcoming

Heralding seasons change.

Storms gathering speed

Blowing through shorter stays

Appreciated for impermanence

Affirming power of change.

Final throws of ravage

Enclose dead branches strewn about

Nature’s pruning evidenced

Siren’s eerie moaning abates. 

Young buds defying

Illusion of final completion

Presenting promise of renewal

Cycles begin, yet again.

Mastery of the Game of Life

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

What if this [sic: life] is really a board game like Monopoly and some own Boardwalk and Park Place and others do not pass Go and are sent directly to jail without collecting their monthly stipend?  Wouldn’t it all seem almost laughable?  Yes, I know, for some it is their very reality and not funny at all.  I’m making a point here and that is that so much of the drama, judgments, emotional roller coasters etc. in life are part of the game.  True some rides are better than others.

Had I not had the following experience after my harsh, autocratic step-father’s passing, I might have missed an important lesson in life.  After he passed, I had a vision.  In this dream-like state, I saw that my life was a movie or play with characters and a casting coach.  The lesson to be learned was about taking my own power.  Souls in my group of actors gathered.  Each was to play a role.  When the casting coach asked for those characters who were willing to play the ‘bad guys,’ my incarnate step-father stepped forward.  Ours was a very close bond in the ethers, it seemed, thus he was willing to risk being intensely disliked or hated, at times, in the material dream world. He knew at a soul level we were always OK.

This was a very illuminating experience because it helped me see his mastery.  Had I been raised by my own father, I believe I’ve have been an adored princess, the apple of my father’s eye.  Would that have lead me to rebel and move towards independence?  I doubt it.  I’d have been too complacent and contented to want to sever ties.  With my difficult step-father, it was easy to want to get the hell away and as far as I could, as soon as I could.

I share this with you to make an important point.  Many of us are unhappy and beyond frustrated with our current White House occupant, Donald J. Trump.  He makes it so easy for us to loathe, hate, denigrate, and eschew his actions and rhetoric each and every day.  Most of us are sick of seeing him and hearing from him. We’d like him gone and the sooner the better.  My hands up for the vote; many of yours are too.

Wait, have we missed something here?  What if DJT is a Master who made a soul agreement to play a vile role in awakening people in this country to what is truly important?  What if his exaggerated gesticulations, relentless tweets, proposed laws of prejudice and class separation, sociopathic and narcissistic antics are simply messages from spirit to wake us the hell up?  What if we needed such a jolt to slay our collective complacency into actions for fostering and preserving our freedoms?

This is not the first, nor probably the last, time in history when a repugnant influencer changed the course of history ultimately for the good.  By the very depth of their deviance from what most consider humanitarian precepts, didn’t all of the lot ultimately succeed in helping people wake up. 

In my lifetime, I am reminded of 13 history changing ‘bad guys:’ Adolph Hitler; Joseph Stalin; Pol Pot; Kim II Jung; Vladimir Lenin; Saddam Hussein; Mao Zedong; Enver Pasha, Ho Chi Minh, Yahya Kahn, Tojo Hideki; Chiang Kai-Shek; Hirohito who killed a conservative estimate of 172 million people.  And there are noteworthy others.  All did an inestimable amount of damage to the human condition.

What lessons were learned from their evil intentions and tenure?  The answer, hue and cry for humanitarianism along with reforms to prevent massive deaths and prejudicial treatment of various targeted populations.  As we watch an unfolding drama of rising hatred and prejudice and severally divisive politics, we are witnessing a picture so bleak that most of us are alarmed.  In our alarm, we are mobilizing, taking actions, hosting salons of discussion, planning for an end to the ugly portraiture that is before us every day in the media keeping us hyper alert. In others word, we are beginning to feel really awake.

Perhaps the ebb and flow of our own lives and history are simply waves or graphs of evolution and devolution which present choices to each of us daily to be truly conscious.  I posit that when we are consciously living, each and every day, we move into our soul’s work of ascension. We look in the reflection of the mirror each day and decide what kind of character we want to play in the Game of Life.  That truth look, helps us master the game.

So, perhaps, we might send ‘thank you’ notes to DJT as we remind him that we are on to his role in the game now and admonish him to not let the door hit him on the way out!

"Once the game is over, the King and the Pawn go back in the same box."  Italian proverb

  "I've come to realize that life is neither a battle nor a game to be won, it is a game nonetheless, but to be played..enjoyed.  There are neither winners nor losers...just players--and what's great is that you can choose who to play with."  Val Uchendu

The Lightworker Label

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

“I’m a Lightworker.”  How many times do we see that phrase bandied around on sites promoting metaphysical spirituality?  How often, over the years, have you or I described ourselves as such? I suggest too often.  Why do I say that?  Semantics often get in the way of communication and communion with our other humans on the planet.  This is one of those words/expressions that separates.

If you and I say we are “light workers” we are in fact saying that we are somehow special or above the fray of those who do not espouse our metaphysical beliefs.  Isn’t that what religions have done for eons resulting in alienation and wars over the chasms created by separateness?

I understand the pride that goes along with this type of label and how intoxicating it may be.  It says, “I’m special.” However, for those not on that boat, it suggests superiority, condescension, and haughtiness.  Oh, not that you/we intended that, yet it certainly is the hidden result of such verbiage.

Let’s consider a metaphysical principal that we are all an aspect of the Divine or Creative Source.  If we truly embrace that value, then how on earth can we use a term that suggests that only a select few embody that?  Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when viewed through that lens, does it?

A greater result of embracing the lightworker label, is feeling unique; another game of life to assuage our inner demons of self-doubt.  I’d suggest in a world that has failed to recognize the very specialness and talents of each person on the planet, many need to somehow stand out. 

If I had the gift of creating a more equitable and affirming world, I would make sure that every single being on the planet were acknowledged for their particular talent and how it enhances the greater good.  I am reminded of stories about aboriginal people in Australia.  Interdependence was highly valued along with appreciation for each person’s contribution to the greater good.

Another aspect of this that comes to mind is, in my opinion, failing to understand duality, polarity, and separation.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record yet again, I repeat, “We are here to experience separation.”  Our mastery, should it come, lies in recognizing that separation and arresting judgment. Perhaps learning the old Native American adage of walking in another person’s moccasins. Also embracing the Tao without weighting opposites with too much emphasis.

There have indeed been persons on the earth who on grand and smaller scale have done some horrific things.  They’ve annihilated groups, fostered hatred, murdered, blundered etc. Yet, I’d ask you, how is it that you do not see their mastery in the sense that the ill they did, may have awakened great good? Is it not day and night?  Light and dark?  Opposites on a compendium that offers us the possibility of creating balance?

Truly, I understand, that choosing a spiritual path dedicated to enlightment and doing acts of good is commendable. Using language that separates is the antidote to that good, don’t you see? I advise, go on elevating your consciousness and performing acts of great goodness and kindness.  That will surely make for a better world.  Just please, surrender the judgment through the label lightworker that places others in the abyss.  If you want to help others, find the light in them, and affirm it. 

"A good person can make another person good; it means that goodness will elicit goodness in the society; other persons will also be good." Bhumibol Adulyadej  

"Enlightened leadership is spiritual if we understand spirituality not as some kind of religious dogma, or ideology, but as a domain of awareness where we experience values like truth, goodness, beauty, love, and compassion, and also intuition, creativity, insight and focused attention."  Deepak Chopra

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

Like Aretha sang, it’s about time we sock it to the Earth; some respect that is!  This post is in response to a friend’s Facebook post about litter along the highways in the Sonoran Desert off I-19.  It strikes me that we cannot teach what we don’t possess nor can we pass it down the line of generations in a culture that fails to recognize its footprint and impact on Mother Earth.

I remember distinctly a class I had as perhaps a freshman in high school. Our science teacher instructed us that the main grade earned would be dependent on being able to identify and write about a “litterbug.”  Now as you can imagine, that word was not in the common vernacular in those times.  It was quite the experience.  And, not a joke like identifying, BANA₂.  That was in the middle fifties. We’ve come along sad way since then as evidenced by the litter strewn about our byways and highways.

Longshoreman philosopher, Erik Hoffer, was quoted as saying that observance of maintenance in a country is very telling about the success of the country.  Anyone who has been on Earth for a few decades since the fifties can attest to the fact that our maintenance has devolved along with the growth in unfair economic distribution.  Losing a sense of security and middle-ness can lead to loss of respect.  Never having had it due to untoward economics leads to violence and deep resentment.  When one loses his/her self-respect; concern about externals diminish exponentially.

An administration that espouses hatred for environmental concerns because they encroach on personal freedoms and amassment of wealth, while falsely pandering to the disenfranchised, is summoning a deadly debt that their inheritors will pay for.  That is, if the Earth survives the damages. 

Mother Earth has been giving very loud and frightening signals that ignorance of earth’s principals and eco-system will bring the furry down of feminine scorning.  We’ve seen more natural disasters in this year 2017 collectively than I can remember: horrendous hurricanes; precipitous floods; devastating earthquakes; hell’s furry of fire.  And her message, STOP, cannot be long ignored if we are to survive.

So where does this self-respect begin that allows us to be more respecting of all that surround us? In the womb, in the bassinet, in the pre-schools, in the home, in the elementary schools, in the pulpits, in the higher institutions of education; those are the places of acculturation.  From the first splash in the waters of birth and onward, we are given an indication by those surrounding us as to our favorability or lack thereof. “Oh, what a darling baby,” coos one Mother. “Whoa what a set of lungs,” cries another, in disbelief of the wailing one who emerged after nine months and hours of labor.  Looks and sounds create early impressions as to our perceived worth.

Caregivers surrounding us after birth from parents, to grandparents, to siblings, to nannies, to teachers and preachers are every moment giving us their opinion of us.  Though we many not understand the language, we are hip to the intonation.  It has a long-lasting impact.*  Self-respect and esteem are happily fostered for growth or ignored, much like a garden. Blame gets foisted on the backs of the parents, especially the mother, who was ill prepared to assume the day-to-day responsibilities of raising and effective human being.

Did you take parenting classes?  Did your parents?  Unless you chose Early Childhood Education in college, did you take any courses?  Most answers are no; we parent the way we were parented. Sometimes a few get some help and break the cycle; mostly not. Thus, parents who lack self-respect and esteem, pass it on from one generation to another. My point being is that lack of self-respect and respect for others has become a national disease.  So, let’s give it an acronym and maybe it’ll get some funding. LOSR Syndrome (Lack of Self-Respect).

Ah, now we can form a foundation and solicit grants to address this growing disease.  We can secure funds to study the problem and get it classified as a mental disorder.  Maybe we can design a 12-Step Recovery Program.  Perhaps books will be written about it.  A minor in college will be developed.  The possibilities are endless.

Or just maybe, we can look at all the big and little ways that we personally desecrate or contribute to the destruction of the planet. While we are looking at the results, perhaps we’ll also go within and look at the causes of our own malady (LOSR Syndrome).  With that look, we could start to change our perception of the being in the mirror and give ourselves a break.  As we rescript our opinion of ourselves we can hope that we’ll extend that better opining to our precious planet, our circle of influence and those that come after us.

We're nearing the point of the stripped branch with one small glimmer of budding growth. Let's preserve it with R.E.S.P.E.C.T; of ourselves, of others, of the planet.

"If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die." Maya Angelou

"Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation.  For they are us: our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life." Albert Einstein

*The early impact of our caregivers is addressed in the chapter on the 7 Veils of Illusion in my book, Unbecoming Me: The Ultimate Shapeshifters Journey.

Hope

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

We are in the midst of catastrophic events, politically and environmentally. Watching scenes of hazardous rescues from flooding waters and uprooted people, animals, houses, trees, and normal signs of life in devastation can be disheartening.  Observing a rise in hatred and acts against compassion and humanity are, at times, daunting.  Misery, disgust, and fear are strange bedfellows for sensitive, caring people. While change is a constant, it’s true, moments of it catapulted into our daily news and social media feeds, in graphic detail, can dim hope.

One of the definitions of hope is “a feeling of trust.”  You may wonder how does one keep trust, faith, and hope alive when so very much destruction is going on.  For me, it takes a certain mindset and the ability to see the light at the end of dark places.  While there is much evidenced around me that suggests that we as a country and civilization are doomed to failure, I have a clear vision of what may be on the other side of so much devastation.  I believe that we will emerge from the chrysalis as butterflies in the last stage of transformation.

Like Chauncy Gardener proclaimed in the movie “Being There” one has to prune the garden at the end of each growing season to allow regeneration to occur in the next productive cycle.  We are rapidly approaching the natural season of death as our leaves turn and begin to fall.  Already some trees are almost barren.  If we could take the position that there is great beauty in the barrenness and know, in our heart of hearts, that spring will come again, we may find solace.

Winter the truly fallow period will surely follow.  In that dormant time, if we are attuned deeply to the Creative Source that many choose to believe in, we can become more introspective and retrospective. Going within and quieting our fears, negative imaginings, sense of doom, we are more able to tap into that vast body of knowledge that connects us with the wisdom of all times.  I believe that like encyclopedias, Wikipedia, and online research resources, there is a vast pool of knowledge that we can access through meditation. Personally, I’ve often asked people of other times to speak to me through automatic writing. I find it valuable beyond imagination.  Some people will be channels, connecting in that way. Others will find solace and inspiration in the writings of hallowed visionaries of our time.

While we are best served by honoring our emotions of grief and sadness, it is equally important that we not stay in those states of mind too long.  Surely depression will follow if we choose not to lift up our thoughts after sufficient catharsis. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I highly recommend immersion in beauty.  See the wonder of what IS working and how much Mother Nature does provide in visions of amazing exquisiteness. This I find reignites my spirit of hope and wonder.

Finally, be of service to someone.  Often when we step away from our sorrows and seek to be of help to another, we feel a great gratitude.  Being of service and being useful fosters rising hope and renewed affirmation of goodness.  Reach out.

"Infuse your life with action.  Don't wait for it to happen.  Make it happen.  Make your own future. Make your own hope.  Make your own love.  And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen...yourself, right now, right down here on Earth."  Bradley Whitford

Separation

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

As strong oppositional lines were drawn recently in Charlottesville Virginia, social media was flooded with exposure to blatant prejudice and hatred.  In our world of illusion, we’d prefer not to see the underbelly of our society in such public display.  We’re more comfortable if it is hidden in small pockets of lesser towns and hills throughout the country.

One dictionary defines separation as "an act or instance of separating or the state of being separated." Certainly, we might agree that is what was witnessed in Virginia. President Lincoln's admonition of a country divided, brings to mind the question, can we stand united in this time?

Metaphysically, for me, separation represents the veils of illusion of ourselves in form from our essence.  Challenging as it may be to comprehend, I actually believe that we came here for the separation experience.  I know, damn and double damn, as we are getting exactly that in spades lately.

Even our head of state is a polarizing figure that attracts hatred and admiration in any given day, or six months, as you will.  He has thrown the political "Pick up Sticks" mightily in the air and laughed at the disarray as they fall.  And many of us shake our collective heads in dismay as we witness strong lines of allegiance being drawn.

Those of us who would label our beliefs for life order as "spiritual" are finding these savage lines at odds with our beliefs that a true world of light, peace, love and equity can exist.  It can be rattling to the core, to see hateful epitaphs spewed and marches with torches.  In my view when I can see through the veil, I believe we are witnessing the phenomena of split worlds or contiguous Universes.  We are manifesting the reality we desire.

How on earth can you say that?  Depends on your point of view.  Mine comes from two things: (a) the realization that awakened I can better see the veils of illusion and choose how I want to act and react; and (b) I have a faith that our beliefs create our reality.  The latter follows along the lines of what was aspired for in events like the Harmonic Conversion; 11:11 Gateway; Harmonic Concordance; the Lionsgate Portal; and all of the prophetic sharing's of many a year.

If the world is indeed an illusion, then where I place my magical attention is what I see.  Some believe, and I support that belief, that the ultimate gift of this time will be split worlds: El Mundo Bueno and El Mundo Mal-the good and the not so good.  Thus, as these many disturbing things unfold, we are even more motivated to err on the good side of things and return to beliefs that support that world.  No more gray fence-sitting.

Does that mean we remain silent and just relate to the Virginia malevolent march as a 'just is' and do nothing?  No!  As long as these two worlds are connected, I feel we must speak out and yet magically maintain our core belief in the goodness of humanity.  Yet we may also wish to remember to protest peacefully to keep ourselves registered for El Mundo Bueno.

The other side of our challenge is to connect, as we are able. with those on the side of history juxtaposed to ours and begin gentle dialogue.  That may be more possible on a small one-on-one scale vs. a platform and megaphone.  Meeting people in the middle, listening, and hearing what has brought them to their beliefs of this moment, may help us become more compassionate people.  We would not expect to change their minds in this endeavor or we are acting just as separate as we judge them to be.  The purpose would be to just see them through eyes of love.  Perhaps being seen in the light may soften their positions of hate and prejudice; perhaps not.  We will have tried.

Ultimately, we will be called to look through a magnifying glass at places where we are choosing separation.  In that reflection, is the work we individually and collectively still have to do to prepare for El Mundo Bueno.  See the other side of this time, through the portal of love and light.  That sight will help all of us get through.

May Light and Love of that Creative Presence always surround you.

"In the stillness of your presence, you can feel your own formless and timeless reality as the unmanifested life that animates your physical form.  You can then feel the same life deep within every other human and every other creature.  You look beyond the veil of form and separation.  This is the realization of oneness." 

Eckhart Tolle

Being Grateful for What Is

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

Even though I do not have cable or satellite service to access network news, the internet takes up the gap.  If I choose, I can indulge in all the negativity and horror that is so frequently shared there. As the unfolding world, according to Yahoo, Google, Bing or another search engine’s titles glimmer at me inviting a click, I am aware of choice.  On the other hand, I do not choose to ignore that much of our small planet has its sufferings and challenges caused by war, famine, disease etc.

Exposed by my selective clicks to the sufferings of humanity, I’ve become so very aware of just how much we, in this country, take for granted.  My attention is grabbed by any random click of worldwide suffering at a level that most of us will never be exposed to.  Even if we have financial struggles and rank among the growing statistical poor in our country, we are far beyond rich compared to most of the planet.

All of this gives me a heightened appreciation for the ‘what is of my life.’  This affords a golden opportunity to remember to count my blessings and say thank you each day.  As I turn on the faucet of my apartment, I can count on sufficient, and good water, hot and cold as I choose.  My tub, showers and sinks provide venues for bathing and cleaning.  A short trip down the hallway, gives me access to electric washers and dryers for cleaning my clothing.

My apartment, though sparse by some standards without a garbage disposal, dishwasher or built in microware, is pleasant with large windows inviting light in a semi-dark Pacific Northwest environment.  My furniture, though not matched and certainly showing signs of aging, is attractive and functional.  I’ve been gifted a talent for creating beautiful art which greatly enhances the walls and making this space homey. A lovely courtyard is below me now resplendent with plants, flowers, and blooming trees.

I do not live in fear of my safety nor stress about what untoward things may be presented in my life. My shamanic training gives me a sense of protection and inner knowing as to where and when to proceed in many areas of my life.  The city I live in, compared with crowded others, is not dangerous.

Though not too close physically to my friends and family, venues like Facebook and other social media, give me a feeling of connection with those near and far.  Skype, Facetime, Google Duo, or Hangouts, afford me valuable time with my children and grandchildren. If I choose, I can engage in friendly hellos and light conversation as I collect my mail or go to the store.  My car though almost 20 years old is steady and running.  I’ve lots of low, to no cost, entertainment with my movie collection, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. My refrigerator is filled, as I choose, with nutritious or not, food beyond sufficient for nutrition, energy, and health. 

Shelves are filled with books worthy of re-reads and eBooks are gathering space on my devices. Health, though at times facing the challenges of an aging body, is generally good and I’ve sufficient energy to accomplish the things most important in my life.  I recover from the challenges and feel renewed to forge on.

Some debt tends to pile up and I may be cash short on occasion, yet compared to MOST of the world, I am wealthy beyond measure.  More importantly, I feel SO abundant in all the truly important ways in this life.  For this, I am profoundly grateful.  Life IS good!

I hope that you too, can pause in all of your busyness, and take stock of being grateful for the ‘what is’ in your own life. Being appreciative becomes a habit that brings deepening peace.  While you are expressing your gratitude, why not affirm that more of the world will know and share your experiences.  As Foster Gamble said, and demonstrated, in his movie Thrive, we were all intended to flourish.  It was/is the Divine Plan.  So, prosper and share what you can, in the ways you are able, to help others do so. And, remember what you learned in kindergarten when you are given a gift, say Thank You!

Lost and Found

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

How tight is your box of routines and habits?  How habituated are you?  Do you take the same route to your familiar places all the time or perhaps mix it up with one or two other, yet familiar, routes?  How much diversity do you have in your average day?

Why am I asking you this?  I’m exploring how willing you are to get lost; to lose your familiar bearings. How much do your trust yourself to find your way back to the familiar when you get a bit twisted around in your life?

In my own life, I’ve found that when I feel a certain stagnation or lack of newness, I usually recognize the need to move outside of my assumptions, routines, idea of stability.  In the past, I might physically move.  Now I recognize that it is not necessarily what is needed to break up stale energy.

Our Western culture tends to promote a belief in attaining some thing or goal, followed by great satiation. We are then to languish in our achievement and be completely happy.  Isn’t that what many of our advertisements suggest to us?  And, many people, reach their pinnacles and after basking, a deep dissatisfaction and perhaps a tad of depression sets in.

Why?  It is my deep belief that life is intended to be dynamic from our first splash in the birth waters to our last assignment to fire or earth.  It [sic.] life is to be lived with adventure and discovery.  Never was the design to be static.  I observe nothing in nature that is simple static.  If it were, early death would ensue.

Purposefully changing up our routines and willingness to try the untried, immeasurably contributes to a life well lived.  I’m not saying we must throw out the proverbial baby with the bath water, simply that we make some changes in how we immerse ourselves in this rather short span of life.

How many times have you passed a street that you’ve never been down? Have you seen an exit on the highway to a town you’ve never been to?  Watched a genre of movies that you normally would not choose? Read controversial opinions on subjects near and dear to you.  Do you vary what you eat? Could you put your pants on the other leg first?  Have you tried writing with your non-dominant hand until it was reasonably legible?

Have you made a bucket list, no matter your age?  Would you be willing to make such a list for each decade of your life and do what’s on the list?  Are you signing up for new courses, workshops, or seminars on topics unrelated to your primary interests?

Perhaps we do go around more than once.  Maybe reincarnation is real.  But wouldn’t you want to make the best of this life, just in case it is the only one or the completion one?  Are you willing to risk getting a bit lost to challenge yourself and discover more and more about you and this precious life?

Trust yourself.  Get lost. Go down that new street.  Explore that unknown city.  Try jumping out of a plane or go up in a hot air balloon. Do something that is completely out of the ordinary for you.  Get lost and discover the wonderful person that lives within you.  Fall in love with yourself over and over again as you find out just how magnificent you truly are.