Steve Wagner's Blog, page 2

SOUL MATES AND TWIN FLAMES

Someone asked me a question that left me contemplating the difference between the soul, the ego, and consciousness. The answer I received has nothing to do with soul mates intrinsically, but it occurred to me that perhaps to truly understand the concept of soul mates, we must first understand the nature of the soul.

In a 2017 workshop, we discussed the shamanic concept that everything created was energy, consciousness, or Spirit. Everything in Creation is animated by its soul or life force emanating from the Creator. This soul is the sine qua non or "without which there is nothing," in other words, we would not be without a soul. It is indispensable and essential. We are souls temporarily inhabiting physical bodies. A soul is the immaterial animating principle or actuating cause of life, infused with Divine Consciousness.

Our original hypothesis that the soul is nonphysical or immaterial is not entirely accurate; it has form, substance, weight, and volume. These qualities are negligible and approach zero; nonetheless, the soul is more "physical" than we understand. The soul is not a singularity as often described but a composite creation. It is a life force imbued with divine consciousness, a mind-body system, that animates the physical body and the biological mind, from which the ego emanates. Yet, the soul is separate from biology; the pure consciousness might be called "the mind of the soul." The soul is the vehicle of the "separated spirit" carrying the divine essence, consciousness, and capacity (for expansion), and installing it into, the physical embodiment.

I've been reluctant to talk about soul mates, especially twin flames because I am not convinced that the popular concepts are accurate. The notions of soul mates and twin flames seemed romanticized and sensationalized. There are no foundational sources to back them. I also had a problem with the mathematical probability of meeting one's other half, which I will go into later. I have always considered anyone in our lives as teachers and soul mates helping us evolve along the way on our path. These teachers and mates might be prearranged before we incarnate, or they might be "called in" according to our vibration.

I referred to soul mates and soul twins in the Keys to the Kingdom discussion and blog post, citing that Teal Swan teaches, "The people who trigger us to feel negative emotions are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed part of our being." People in our experiences will almost always reflect something to us; they are our mirrors. Often, they are just passers-by, not even genuinely involved in our situation. However, some people are more than just messengers; they are the significant players who collaborated with us or were attracted to our reality. These are the foremost teachers in our experience, the ones who cross lines and push limits, teaching us tolerance, acceptance, boundaries, and more. That is often the basis for our shadow work. It may not be that these people necessarily demonstrate a behavior we possess or recognize, but bring out behaviors or feelings from within ourselves for examination and modification.

Carl Jung described this shadow as an unknown dark (i.e., not in the light of consciousness) side of one's personality. In his work, The Republic, Plato wrote about the "unexamined life" and presented his cave analogy: the shadow is to the object as the object is to the archetype. We are a shadow of our archetype or Oversoul; our shadow is a darker reflection of ourselves. That shadow usually presents through other people that come into our life. Shadow Teachers might also include soul mates and twin flames. For the sake of this discussion, we will use the popular view of both these "categories" of people. I will use each category to describe the quality and intensity of the relationship and the potential for expansion and growth, not as what I believe is the overly idealized view of them.

In a previous post, I wrote, "A soul mate is that one person who completes you; they are at least a simpatico, compatible relationship. A soul mate relationship usually includes karmic events, past life contracts, or continuing an experience with them in this lifetime. A twin flame is a perfect mirror or polar shadow, so either way, this is bound to be an extreme or intense relationship, the amalgamation of soul mate aspects and mirror/shadow aspects. That said, this could be our Heaven on Earth or our Hell Walk."

At least to some degree, I still stand by these concepts in the blog article, but perhaps with a more expanded view now. Each one demonstrates vibrational matching; it may even be an example of the ultimate vibrational matching we seek to complete our purpose here. I am not convinced about the idea of two people literally sharing a soul or that we must rely on another person to complete ourselves. Contemporary sources seem to dramatize and overstate the concepts of soul mates without any substantial reference to ancient wisdom.

The ideas are seemingly proven wrong when so many people not only claim to have found their soul mate but also seem to find many of them as they move from one relationship to another. The general idea of a soul mate is that one person in the Universe who matches us perfectly. Still, even the ancient wisdom indicates the possibility that more than one outcome is possible, if not likely. I think we can agree that the concept of soul mates speaks to polarity, which implies not only a duality but a range or spectrum including two extremes and everything between them. This may also speak to paradoxes, often hearing people describing their mate as one that drives them crazy, but also as one they can not live without.

In addition to understanding the soul, we must also understand the concepts of fragmentation and integration. Ancient wisdom speaks to this process and points to the consummation of a soul mate relationship as our purpose's ultimate quest and completion. I have described our fragmentation process, both currently and in other lives. Our division began when we left the nonphysical and continued our process here. The basic concept of integration is to heal all this fragmentation and restore our soul and self to its original state of wholeness. In that regard, I can see why the "soul mate relationship" is a major spiritual event. My big question at this point is whether soul mates are a physical phenomenon or just a metaphor for a more significant metaphysical singularity of total integration or completion of our soul purpose.

I have concluded that integration begins with the individual soul and all the different versions of that soul (or consciousness) across all space, time, dimensions, and realities. But we will start at the beginning. All our chakras must be simpatico, in sync, on the same wavelength for optimum functionality. That, of course, is a component of the Shamanic Consciousness Integration (SCI) treatments. That extends out to include our respective etheric or energetic bodies, meridians, aura, and biofield. We must also retrieve, restore, and integrate all our lost soul parts and dissociated quanta of consciousness, which can be done through the soul retrieval process included in SCI.

The Keys of Enoch explains that humanity must understand this stage before truly understanding soul progression. That process we perceive as "ascension" or completion, which may take eons and many incarnations, is just a stepping stone to what lies ahead in our spiritual evolution. It's a good thing we are eternal. Thoth explains in the Emerald Tablets that "truth" is ever-expanding, and even the Higher Evolution realizes that they have not, nor ever will stop learning and evolving. We contribute to that process through our physical learning experiences here. The journey matters most because, honestly, there is no destination, only resting points along the way. Finding our finalized and completed soul mate is a momentous milestone on our path, but it is also just a new beginning...and often not an easy one.

The concept of a true soul mate or twin flame is about reaching a point in our process where we require no further incarnations. To find our soul mates, we must match that soul mate vibrationally, and we do this in every relationship, every lifetime, to some degree. The key is to reach that point of completion for both souls to form the ultimate reunion or "marriage." To find your perfect match means that you must be offering that most excellent vibration, which can only come after doing all the necessary integration or vibrational work.

Until that time, we are vibrating at less than perfection so that the degree and quality of our soul mate relationships are relative. Our relationships are a perfect match to what we are offering now. The relationship is still that of a "soul mate." Supposedly when we meet our mate or twin, we know it instantly and intensely; but is that not the case in many "love at first sight" scenarios? I propose this is merely soul recognition and can be one of many of our supporting souls coming in as they should. In the Tarot, the Two of Cups reversed often means a relationship meant to be, but not last. It is a stepping stone, a transition, or part of our progressive process. As Abraham Hicks teaches, we have to find out what we don't want to find out what we do want. In our physical reality we call this "dating."

Only matching vibrations can share space. Past generations would marry young, have kids, and stay married for a lifetime. But that doesn't mean they were soul mates; it was practical or what "should" be done. Marriage was a contract and partnership. Today a person may date many people before finding a suitable spouse. We learn what we want by experiencing what we don't want. As we evolve and our capacity and vibe change, as we grow, even those we deemed a soul mate at one time may fall away. We then seek a new vibrational match until we find that one person who does not necessarily "complete" us but grows with us, and we both find that completion. Thus, the journey is most important as both souls evolve and continue to remain a steady vibrational match.

However, these are only examples of the widespread belief that soul mates are lovers or sexual partners. They are also "significant others" beyond that category of relationship. They are "our people," including family members, best friends, and platonic relationships. I maintain that a soul mate is a matter of degree (and intensity), and includes any person simpatico with us (or in some cases the polar opposite), that we love, that we have a connection with or a strong affinity to, or simply one we always choose as an incarnation partner. I have been told that my granddaughter is my soul mate, especially in terms of driving me crazy, pushing all my buttons, and being the love of my life that I canot live without, all at once.

Zohar, the source of Kabbalistic traditions, teaches that two perfect souls, each that have successfully reached their transformation, earn the right to meet and marry on this physical plane. Together, they complete their individual and combined purpose as one being, reaching spiritual fulfillment when their lives are "conducted in purity." It also clearly states this a scenario of a man and a woman who marries. Further, the woman typically completes her purpose first and then observes her twin until he reaches a point where she can take physical form, join him, and help him achieve his purpose.

The two do not usually incarnate simultaneously and it might take many lifetimes before crossing paths. The female often comes in "negative" forms to carry out their divine purpose, those stereotypes that make a man's life uncomfortable or unpleasant. Kabbalah even teaches that should two married people discover they are soul mates, they are to divorce their spouse, who are to willingly let go and allow them to carry out their higher purpose. The man's twin then might even present as "the other woman."

I would like to think is a metaphor relative to the context of the times. Just this example of ancient wisdom makes me believe we should not take the concept of soul mates literally. However, Kabbalah equates women with the Sephrothic level Binah in the Tree of Life, which means "understanding" or "power beside the Throne (Keter)." Treating this as metaphor and not doctrine, we tend to "divorce" those who no longer vibe with us. That is the "falling away" I speak of as we evolve. The mismatched vibrations can no longer share space.

As spiritual beings and seekers, we often reach points at which we must burn bridges, walk away, leave things and people behind, and move forward on our path. We spend a great deal of time learning what is for our highest good, releasing what no longer serves us, and reinventing ourselves. We part ways with people and indoctrination, programming, and belief systems. We are constantly in movement, a divine tendency, and those relationships "meant to last" will move with us.

Soul Mates, especially Twin Flames, are infamous for the seemingly inherent difficulties of the relationships despite the fairy tale perfection of shared beliefs. When we attempt to combine opposites, polarities, and shadows, why would we even consider this might be Heaven on Earth when it leans more toward a Walk Through Hell?

We have been poisoned by fairy tales—Anais Nin

Fallen myths distill venom—Denis De Rougemont

The Lovers card in the Tarot addresses the trials, tests, and obstacles to overcome before successfully consummating the relationship. Sometimes they cannot be overcome. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet might portray a twin flame relationship. Many people refer to this as a story of true love. It is not. This juvenile infatuation lasted four days, and six people died, including the two smitten teenagers. That is a tale of tragedy, not romance. That said, perhaps the Tower card of the Tarot is a fitting soul mate scenario: the destruction of foundations, internal strife, massive upheaval, termination, and devastation. We might even make a case for Yaheshua (Jesus) and Lucifer or Samael (Satan) being Twin Flames.

George Bernard Shaw might have summed up the idea of twins with his quote, "There are two tragedies in life: one is to lose your heart's desire; the other is to gain it." That leads me to my personal experiences with some of these concepts, what I call my favorite regrets, one in particular as it offered the most opportunity for learning. First, I knew she was coming in; I knew what she looked like, the color of her hair, and even the color of her eyes. The initial encounter was intense and led to a whirlwind relationship. She seemed to match up with everything I was looking for, for a while. Then things began to get real as I realized this woman was essentially a sociopath, lying about virtually everything. Nothing she told me about her past was true. She loved to party and spend money, especially mine. At times, it was Heaven on Earth. At other times, it was Hell on Earth. My Guides eventually warned me that I was "walking a razor's edge," and this relationship would ultimately cause me to "fall." I did finally end the relationship.

That was undoubtedly one of those "WTF was that all about" situations when this relationship finally ended. The answer came to me that I should have no regrets or harbor any bad feelings toward her. She was damaged, but she also executed her role relative to me, as she was supposed to. We had many new experiences together, but mainly, she was the principal teacher for me regarding love, relationships, boundaries, and more. This relationship was a necessary learning experience, and I might even be grateful for her participation in it.

That was my first lesson on gratitude over forgiveness. This soul loved me enough to come in, as she was, not only for her expansion but to help me with mine. There was one moment during our relationship that I will never forget. Her entire persona changed, and she spoke with such clarity, asking me: Do you have any idea what kind of hell I'm living like this? She then immediately returned to being her regular self.

Moving on. Some of the ancient mythology describing human division is interesting. Aristophanes, a contemporary of Plato, wrote a tale supposedly responding to Plato's Symposium. Plato addressed same-sex relationships, specifically men. In any event, that tale was about human giants with two heads and four arms and legs that were cleaved by Zeus because their potential power threatened him. This condition left the humans fated to seek their other half forever. Some sources use this as an analogy to soul mates and the original gender division of humans created as androgynous beings. While the tale may be somewhat disturbing, I can see a parallel concept when tracing the flow of consciousness in the Divine Hierarchy, which I will address a bit later.

In Egyptian mythology, the two gods, Shu and Tefnut, literally shared one soul; however, this soul carried the respective aspects of Osiris and Ra—a composite creation. This relationship produced a supreme god named Atrum. He eventually became Amen-Ra in the New Kingdom dynasty of Egypt and continued to evolve into Zeus, king of Greek gods. However, the god, Khnum, shaped two humans out of clay (a Genesis reference). Still, it was the goddess Hathor (a Shekinah reference) who imparted the life force (Ba) and the soul or Spirit (Ka) into Khnum's composition through the power of the Ankh. Note: this fits more with my previous message defining the soul at the beginning of this discourse.

In the Egyptian Cartouche oracle that incorporates universal archetypes into readings, the Ankh (#24) is the key to life, life force, and emotional human and divine love. The numerology of this card is the number six, the number of love, balance, and humanity. The Twins ((#20) refers to the twin gods Shu and Tefnut, integration, polarity, partnerships, and marriages. The numerology of this card is the number 2, standing for unions, marriage, relationships, while its reversed meaning is basically division.

Continuing with ancient Egyptian wisdom, we can look at the Kybalion and Hermetic principles of Thoth, and how they might align with the Kabbalistic idea of correcting and rectifying to complete our higher purpose, and how these concepts fit into the model of Soul Mates. Principle of Vibration: all things are in movement and a constant state of vibration. Cause and Effect: our karma or consequence of actions. Polarity: everything is a duality with opposites that are identical in nature but different in degree, all on a spectrum of reconcilable paradoxes. Reconciling any paradox is a concept in Relativistic Theory presented by Einstein and Kabbalistic teaching.

The Principle of Correspondence: that above corresponds to that below; that below corresponds to that above, and together form the one true thing. This speaks to a sacred union or marriage of the Divine and the Material "when the two become as one." In the Book of Thomas, Jesus says, "when you make the two one, the inside the outside, and the outside inside, the above as below, and establish the male and female as one unit; you will enter the Kingdom." The Kingdom equates with the "vortex" taught by Abraham Hicks, the energetic holding point containing all our desires pending their actualization into physical form. However, he might be talking about soul mates too.

The purpose of our many incarnations is to correct, rectify, integrate, and become whole. The masculine and feminine energies are two polarities involved in that process; however, I am not convinced that the soul mate or twin flame concept is limited to just those energies, much less restricted to a man-woman relationship. The outcome has to do with a range or spectrum of all our disjointed aspects on multiple levels. The final twinning is the last aspects or polarities that must reconcile to complete the process, not to mention the entire spectrum of sexuality, which might even be a manifestation of the trend to embrace the totality of our being.

The Divine Hierarchy and Flow of Consciousness, from YHWH or Source to our physical world, map out our creation process, including the Divine Feminine in the Elohim Creator Gods, the Shekinah, and the Sons and Daughters of Light (collectively called the Lords of Light). Source Energy or the Creator is beyond non-binary in indefinite ways. All waves or cycles of Creation contain this divine DNA, image, or aspect of the Creator, including our archetype or Oversoul from which all our soul versions emanate and manifest.

The Keys of Enoch, Key 303, explains that the "divine seed" manifested as humanity expresses as a dynamic life force through the diversity of that seed in infinite possibilities of physical experiences and to ultimately evolve to experience levels of Elohistic divinity to co-reign with the Lords of Light. Our souls and the various counterparts are generated as either male or female, the first of our fragmentation, and then is likely to be the last thing we overcome, correct, rectify, or transform. However, males and females are the opposites on a spectrum, so everything "in-between" must also factor into this scenario. That is the final step of integrating the physical plane before we "ascend" back into the Light as our whole original soul. At this point, we then complete our purpose of the ultimate goal of reaching the Oneness or Totality with the Nature of God, a non-binary, androgynous, energetic being of pure Light. Our "twinning" is integrating and returning to the nonphysical from the physical. When the two become one. I see this as a very personal event, not one that requires a second party.

However, if it did, we must look at the probability of that event occurring. According to Wikipedia, "Probability is the branch of mathematics concerning numerical descriptions of how likely an event is to occur, or how likely it is that a proposition is true." The probability of an event is a number between 0 and 1, where, roughly speaking, 0 indicates the impossibility of the event and 1 indicates certainty. The higher the probability of an event, the more likely it is that the event will occur. A simple example is the tossing of a fair (unbiased) coin. Since the coin is fair, the two outcomes (either heads or tails) are equally probable. The probability of "heads" equals the probability of "tails." Since no other results are possible, the probability of either "heads" or "tails" is 1/2 or 0.5 or 50%)."

That is the simplest way to calculate the probability of a single event, dividing the number of favorable events by the number of possible outcomes. A slightly more complex example is determining the likelihood of rolling a three using a single die. There is only one three on the die, so the number of events is one. The number of possible outcomes is six, one through six. The formula then would be 1/6 = 0.16666 or approximately seventeen percent (17%). Using the scenario of rolling two dice (two perfect souls) to roll a double three, representing the singular favorable event each is seeking, we have two events and thirty-six possible outcomes (6x6). 2/36 = 0.05555 or approximately six percent (6%). The odds of rolling one three, one particular outcome, with 36 possible outcomes, drops even more to 2.7777 or 3%.

It is more likely that we have thousands of forms of ourselves spanning space-time and multiple dimensions. Assume we have 10,000 versions ranging from male to female and everything in between, with two souls seeking one another. That puts our odds of finding our soul mate at roughly 0.02%. Finding one's soul mate is a spiritual lottery win. In addition, this assumes that both souls are actively seeking each other. Final reconciliation might have been the plan coming in, but one or both could deviate from that path along the way.

We have a range of views on soul mates and twin flames and various theories about how we transition from the nonphysical to the physical. Some debunk and dismiss the idea of twins altogether. Some teach that we follow our twin over all our incarnations but never actually meet them on this physical plane. Still, we gather all the necessary physical experiences for spiritual evolution and complete our nonphysical process. Others believe only one twin incarnates while the other observes its polarity in the nonphysical. Still, at some point, it takes form to complete the final physical steps before ascending to the higher plane. My opinion is that the ultimate twinning is within and of ourselves, not necessarily involving or relying on another person. In any case, it seems to boil down to finding our authentic and highest version of ourselves.

We exaggerate the concept of soul mates to the point of considering them unattainable when they surround us. We cannot see the forest for the trees; we continue to seek what we might already have. We want perfection without having first to perfect ourselves. We desire fairy tale endings, chase unicorns, and fight dragons when we should be focusing on ourselves. We put too much literal meaning to the term "twin flames," seeking our fulfillment in someone else when we must be seeking self-fulfillment and improvement.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that this is all about you, not someone else, and not in terms of a shared soul. According to Kabbalah and many other sources, we are part of the All, which means we all share a common "soul" or divine DNA-consciousness, and technically, we are all Soul Mates. Our vibration determines who can enter our energetic field and subjective reality, so we must do our vibrational work first to attract and have that ideal mate. They are watching and waiting for us to hit that level. They already exist and, by law, must reveal. When and if you find that one person or soul along the way out of all the possibilities which match your high-quality vibe, who can hang with your weirdness and continue seeking with you, then hang onto them. You have found that unicorn, and there are no more wind mills to fight or dragons to slay.

And they all lived happily everafter. The end.

Next time I think I will drop some Notes on Narcissism: Shadow Teachers. I will also be posting about that elusive Shadow we hear so much about.

Meanwhile, you can learn more about these and other concepts in my book Simpatico and its Essential Supplement. Click here.

Introduction to SIMPATICO

Speaking engagement at the Consciousness Awareness Network meeting;

January 15, 2020

My discourse today is an abbreviated version of my 20-plus year journey, especially over the last several years as a spiritual teacher. “You teach best what you most need to learn,” is a quote from Richard Bach, the author famous for writing Jonathan Livingston Seagull. So, the Universe put me on a steep learning curve. It is a core shamanic concept that you cannot teach what you have not learned, you cannot counsel on what you have not endured, and you cannot heal what you have not experienced...that whole wounded healer thing.

The path of a shaman or shamanic practitioner is one of constantly learning, experiencing, finding simpatico, assimilating, and integrating acquired knowledge, not only for individual growth but for the healing and spiritual development of others. It is an ever-expanding, progressive walk in this reality on all levels of being. It is also about healing and/or reversing the effects of our fragmentation or “disintegration”, the divisive thought patterns, paradigms, and split ego that come from our process of indoctrination.

I have never claimed to be a Shaman, but I am called, sought out, and known as, shaman. I have resisted this path for most of my adult life; but I finally yielded to the Universe, my soul calling, and probably Wolf Medicine, to assume this function and role. The fact that I have been named Shaman by seekers, at least to me, evinces that the strict definition of shaman and shamanism is changing. I have been called a Neo-Shaman by the purists because I choose to teach and practice outside of the approved long-standing methodology of traditional shamanism. But I’ve always been an outlaw of sorts, so no surprise there.

I was somewhat surprised, however, that this label of Neo-Shaman was a criticism; at least that was the intent. It was not the effect, however. I embrace that title or label as a new shaman, a contemporary practitioner that rejects the obsolete ways, antiquated precepts, and archaic protocol that no longer applies to modern souls, spiritual truth, and is simply not necessary or practical in application or purpose. It’s kind of ironic that the primitive rituals and ceremonies of such an ancient practice speak to the younger souls and neophytes before they initiate into the higher understanding.

To paraphrase a Note from the Universe by Mike Dooley, “Young souls look to ritual, ceremony, and teachers. Mature souls look to math, science, and ancient wisdom. Old souls look...within.” This describes the 5-year journey of discovery that we (me and those I have taught) have experienced from 2016 through 2020, and is the subject matter of this composition.

That said, my beliefs and teachings are firmly based on ancient knowledge, they are not just limited to the confines of fundamental shamanic methodology. I credit shamanism to be my basis and foundation, but not my end-all-be-all belief system. Shamanism is considered to be the planet’s oldest known spiritual practice, tens of thousands of years old; and it does hold many valid concepts and precepts. However, these concepts must be reevaluated and updated, brought into a modern context to be malleable, to be extracted and expanded to their higher potential meanings and interpretations.

In short, shamanism, or any spiritual practice for that matter, must evolve. Evolution and expansion are keys to growth, and that is our purpose here. Our divine tendency is to move and grow, to evolve on multiple levels, to seek out truth and expansion. The teaching of Thoth and Jesus both instruct us to never stop seeking, for the truth is ever-expanding.

From the “lost” Book of Thomas: “Yaheshua said to them, ‘The seeker should not stop seeking until he finds. When he finds he will become disturbed. After having been disturbed, he will be astonished. Then he will reign over all; and after having reigned, he will rest.’” Emerald Tablets: Thoth wrote, “Seek thou for wisdom always...Know ye that wisdom is lasting...Only the one that is seeking may ever hope to be free.”

I intend to bring ancient knowledge to the forefront, to integrate the various sources of this wisdom into one system, apply it in new expanded ways, and increase the capacity to understand and use these ancient instructions handed down by master teachers and other texts. Shamanism is a “way” but there are unlimited “ways” or methods, lifestyles, and practices; but there is no one way, despite what organized dogmatic practice might try to dictate.

I prescribe to a more eclectic and inclusive approach to shamanism as a spiritual practice, derived from a diverse range of sources which are all in agreement and aligned with one another, including Kabbalah and the teachings of Jesus Christ that were based in ancient knowledge drawn from the Torah, Kabbalah, and the Essene teachings. I draw from the Bible and the “lost” books such as Thomas; the teachings of Thoth in the Hermetic Principles and the Emerald Tablets; to the more contemporary Keys of Enoch (Hurtak, 1977) and The Four Agreements (Ruiz, 1997), as well as Relativistic Theory and Quantum Physics.

I have studied with shamans, various practitioners and healers, psychics, mediums, and spiritualists. I read Tarot, Nordic Runes, and the Egyptian Cartouche. I have studied World Religions at the UCA Honors College and learned Native/Lakota ways so that I have been involved with everything from the inipi and pipe ceremony to observing spiritual rites in various churches, temples, and synagogues.

What I found, and “kept,” was the commonalities that were entrenched in each experience, which constituted or was infused as a major component in any particular belief system. This might be likened to the Core Shamanism of the late Michael Harner (Foundation for Shamanic Studies); however, I did not restrict my explorations to just shamanic systems. I also integrated the “best” elements that I determined by using a rule of three.

If three or more systems or sources expressed the same or very similar view, belief, or doctrine, I would presume that it was at least close to the truth I was seeking. My ultimate discernment came from my Guidance and intuition along the way. Spirit gave me the word “Simpatico”, and this is a concept that I always use in my teachings and applications of ancient knowledge. All these various sources are simpatico, they are on the same wavelength, they agree, and are compatible with one another despite the appearance of being completely in opposition to or conflicting with. Once the simpatico is established, the respective teachings can then be easily integrated into one system.

What I teach is what I believe and/or know to be true, and some of what I teach is often mistakenly viewed as “religious” because it is associated with religion. This is not the case, however. I teach only spiritual concepts, and religion has absorbed or is based on many of these spiritual concepts, but has wrapped them up in their unique trappings. That said, referring back to shamanism being the oldest known spiritual practice, I found beliefs, conceptions, and structures in almost every system, religious and otherwise, that mirrored shamanic tradition in some form, on some level.

Shamanic beliefs permeate many of the major systems, making its integration into almost any other system a logical step. Often, it is not a matter of integrating at all, but simply revealing. After all, truth is truth no matter where it is found. Shamanic practice is very adaptable to almost any belief or faith and is known as a global, cross-cultural phenomenon. It was the other systems, such as Kabbalah, that helped me unravel the highly concentrated truth in the basic precepts of traditional Shamanic practice.

What I have noticed is that this ancient knowledge is much like the ancient languages and the messages we receive from Spirit in the shamanic journey, or even in dreams, readings, insights, etc. That is, that you cannot simply take them at face value; they are concentrated information. They expand in meaning as our consciousness and spiritual capacity increase. The analogy might be like a zip file on your computer, and you must extract information, many more detailed files that are compressed into one file. A great amount of data is condensed into this seemingly simple file and unfolds as we begin to explore it. Each file is simpatico, supportive, and relative to the whole providing you with an all-inclusive framework of understanding along your path.

That said, perhaps it is not entirely accurate to say that Shamanism or any other practice must expand, but that the practitioner must evolve and develop the capacity to understand the deeper truths and higher teachings that already exist in these basic precepts. It is not that the ancient practices are finite in their scope, but that the practitioners are not seeing its full potential of teaching and expanding views.

Examples of this are the expanded view that I have discovered is the ancient Labyrinth as a spiritual tool, connected to the symbolism of the spiral representing our path and the fact that we always tend to come full circle to that which we thought we understood only to discover and explore deeper truths and higher learning. The labyrinth then becomes the very symbol of our path unfolding, spiraling inward for deeper seeking, and of the expansion of both ancient wisdom and our capacity to understand its many layers of meaning.

A big reveal to me was also the expanded view of the shamanic practice of soul retrieval and all the various causes and versions of soul loss that are mirrored in science, medicine, and psychology. These are examples of what an open system can provide, especially when introduced to a closed system, basically adding water and nutrients to seeds already planted but lacking the motivation and required nourishment to flourish. A closed system, much like us and our very souls, are fragmented, segregated, divided, and integration is the key to healing and reversing all that, to stop all our divisive thinking and programming, to thrive and evolve.

I mentioned our “purpose” here. As spiritual-vibrational beings having a human experience, as Source energy expressing itself in a biological form in this space-time dimension containing denser energy vibrating at the frequency of matter, we are here to learn, grow, and evolve spiritually. That speaks to acquiring spiritual knowledge, gaining the capacity to understand and retain this knowledge; and then implementing all the above; what I call increased spiritual IQ.

As our soul experiences and learns, our consciousness expands its capacity to understand more and higher learning. We are more able to retain this higher education and more capable of having even more “advanced” experiences that offer us the greatest expansion toward the evolution of our soul.

We are to find that simpatico, assimilate all this knowledge, and integrate it into our being, building each new experience on the previous ones. It is a divine tendency to evolve and expand, always reaching for more and better, causing effects that launch us forward to more causes and improved effects.

We are in spiritual school, just as we were children facing first grade knowing that we then faced middle school, high school, college, and post-graduate work. None of that resonated with us because our capacity for understanding and learning was limited as we matriculated through our academic process. Our souls are those allegorical children. This physical landscape is our educational center and training ground. Each experience or lesson builds on the other. At some point we graduate or rise to the next level of learning with new subject matter and courses of study; with each graduation, we may experience what many call a “vibrational shift.”

Part of this process also involves discarding the old and obsolete, making room for the new and better we have coming in. Consciousness can only receive what it can hold or accommodate, so we have to clear space to store, contain, retain, and remember. We release what no longer serves or benefits. Only matching vibrations can share the same space, so we have to reach that level of a new vibration to experience it, to share space with it.

This book will get into releasing, limiting beliefs, shifts, etc. as these are components of our process; but my point is that we evolve through this process one way or the other, sometimes kicking and screaming. In school, we require new texts, supplies, teachers, more advanced techniques and methods, higher learning capacity, and even a change in location to progress. We must change and adapt to new environments and conditions. A static belief system or spiritual practice does not offer that expansion our souls require. We are seekers of an ever-expanding truth; our journey is always in process. There is never really a destination, only resting points along the way.

Our (belief) system must be an open system receptive to other sources and perspectives, even if they serve only as contrasts. By definition, this open system is one of the external interactions (information, energy, or matter transfers) into and out of the system. Organized religion or dogmatic attitudes that restrict or impede our thinking outside the box of an ordained methodology is a closed system, an example of our fragmentation or disintegration that by definition does not allow certain “transfers” in or out of that system. It cannot evolve. It remains static. Spiritual closed systems can result in our spiritual stagnation. Holding to tradition merely for the sake of tradition is just no longer feasible or practical.

Systems must become expansive to offer us the growth our soul requires for its evolution, which then impacts our subjective reality. Our consciousness contributes to the Collective Consciousness that shapes our world views and global reality. When you hear of people speaking about “Heaven on Earth” and “be the change you want to see” you begin to realize that World change does begin with the individual consciousness, relationships, acquired knowledge, increased spiritual IQ capacity, assimilation, and the integration, reversal, or healing of our fragmented selves on multiple levels of being.

It is about realizing each individual’s “authentic self” and personal truth and power and then expanding that outward into the world as a result of personal expansion and growth. The more we approach this state of being, the more the Universe mirrors back to us (aka Law of Attraction), and the more we can then advance and evolve.

This concept of integration/assimilation and fragmentation will be covered in later chapters. I will explain the shamanic style chakra healing and soul retrieval (Shamanic Consciousness Integration 2020) which are significant methods to heal this fragmentation and works in conjunction with walking the labyrinth, among other methods, treatments, rituals, and strategies.

The division between spirituality and science is an important talking point. At one time these two doctrines were one of the same disciplines; and when we study science, especially natural physics, quantum physics, and relativistic theory, we can see that a reconciliation is in process. Ancient shamans and mystics observed Nature to gain an understanding of the spiritual-energetic world.

When we study the advanced contemporary sciences, we are doing the same thing, studying the study of natural physics and the way the Universe behaves. Even astrology can blend into this category. After all, nature in all these forms is simply spirit manifesting in different ways, and the underlying behavior can help us understand some of the deeper concepts, even the Law of Attraction. Ironically, the scientific view can also be our launching board to seeing the true Magic of the Universe. Our science describes the physical observations and aspects that are reflections of the invisible energetic realms and the magic of the Source.

It is my hope and intent to blur the lines that have been drawn for too long, to repurpose the ancient wisdom with a fresh look and presentation, to break tradition but honor the laws, delete old patterns and paradigms for the sake of integrating a new consciousness based on individual power and spiritual truth, to bridge the gaps but set new boundaries and standards, to end the segregation, division, divisive compartmentalization, and bring unity, simpatico, assimilation, and integration, to bring the world back to the original divine language it once spoke. This will involve a lot of de-structuring of the old paradigms.

In closing, I believe that the key to finding your authentic self and true path, the key to spirituality, is not to remove yourself from this world, but to engage it, to experience this life to the fullest, to enjoy it even when it is not so enjoyable, to find the positive in everything no matter what, to realize that life is not happening to you but that you are causing life, that you should believe in the ancient knowledge, the modern science, and the magic that both contain.

Call Your Soul Back!

I decided to just open up my new book, SIMPATICO: Reconciling The Disparity of Spirituality, Ancient Wisdom, and Modern Science to a random page and share an excerpt. This is from Chapter 8 Revised Soul Retrieval (2019).

As mentioned, the focus of (shamanic) healing is the soul; and soul retrieval is a means to heal as much of the soul as possible. As with the case of the therapist, a shaman cannot heal what is not there. Healing is then naturally multi-dimensional as it is dealing with a multi-dimensional essence of being or consciousness. Shamans then regard soul retrieval as the ultimate healing; it multiplies the effect of multi-dimensional healing to remove the spiritual dis-ease that manifests as physical illness and conditions. However, the idea of also healing mental and emotional constructs or personas, as well as the associated energetic bodies, adds yet more dimensional effects to this healing ritual.

Integrating a lost aspect of consciousness or persona increases the potential to achieve a higher consciousness, adding capacity to the existing consciousness. Every aspect that is retrieved brings back something to the person, a talent, a gift, knowledge, or a necessary component to move forward in life and/or evolution. A soul retrieval, much like our past lives, is not about reliving these traumatic conditions or events. Sandra Ingerman writes, “Soul retrieval is not a form of therapy that keeps us stuck in our past; it is a step in closing the doors on the places in life that have blocked our growth and evolution.”

She also writes, “…but I believe we must consistently update the ancient techniques to address our current place in human evolution.” This seems to resonate with our “closing the books o the past” journey, and why we do not retain past life memories. Ingerman speaks to “human evolution,” but we are looking more at our spiritual evolution (and soul progression). Soul retrieval is a means to that goal.

So be the mamma bear and call all your cubs home!

Journey on fellow travelers!

Steve

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Simpatico Expanded 2021: The Akashic Records

Simpatico Expanded 2021

Continuing discussions based on previous topics covered in my book, Simpatico: Reconciling the Disparity of Spirituality, Ancient Wisdom, and Modern Science

April 25, 2021 Gathering

The Akashic Records, aka the Mind of God, the Book of Remembrance, the Great Hall of Records, the Book of Life, and more. The Records are said to contain all universal knowledge; and in our most recent gathering as of this post, the Medicine Wheel is also said to contain such knowledge. To understand the concept of the Akashic Records, I feel the reader must also become familiar with various other concepts outside the traditional view of what the Records are believed to be.

These Records are most understood as an interdimensional structure that contains the recorded history of every soul ever created in every detail. They are more than just a storage unit or library; they interact with our current reality, belief systems, and even our future potential experiences.

The Book of Life is mentioned in both Exodus and Psalms of the Bible, both speaking to the power and significance of our names, echoing our traditional White Stone Ceremony to receive our “new” spiritual name at the beginning of each new year. According to The Keys of Enoch, “It is through the Sacred Names of the Throne of Christ, and through Metatron and the Elohim, through the Throne of YHWH, that the Masters connect with Man to purify and resurrect our body so that our Name is written in the Book of Life.”

I believe that this “name” is our signature frequency or spiritual identity that lies at the core of our varying vibrational state in this 3D reality. We get into more details about this in our discussions about the Law of Attraction or governing law of Mirroring.

The Vedas of Hinduism and Sanskrit is said to have been extracted from these Records. Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), the most documented psychic of the 20th century credited two sources for his psychic information and readings: the subconscious mind of the person; and the Akashic Records. Somewhat aligned with Cayce’s insights about the Records, I believe that we hold our personal history in our soul, chakras, and biofield. We also have access to the larger universal database as vibrational divine beings. Our subjective consciousness, history, and experiences lend the larger Collective Consciousness, and this all becomes part of the Mind of God, the Book of Remembrance, and the recorded history of the All. The Shamanic Consciousness Integration (SCI) treatment taps into these energetic fields for information which is then used to seek and retrieve the dissociated or separated segments of consciousness as we talked briefly about in the last post.

According to Cayce, this knowledge and information is imparted only as deeply as one understands this life, and is only made available as “the most helpful and hopeful.” In other words, only that information that is a vibrational match to us is made available, and this speaks to the capacity of our consciousness and level of spiritual IQ. Only matching vibrations can share space, and we can only hold and understand what our consciousness can accommodate. We might even say the available information is based on what we are ready to hear and act upon.

In theory, there are four general reasons for accessing the Akashic Records: 1) to discover our spiritual roots and true essence or nature; this includes our purpose for being here as defined by our incarnation plan while we were still in non-physical form; 2) to understand our karma or consequences of previous acts and experiences now causing issues in our present life, aka past lives; 3) to clear this karma by healing the past, completing unresolved matters; examining soul contracts that are still in effect; and aligning ourselves with our present “destiny” or soul plan for this life; and 4) to get a glimpse of our most likely future given our story of past events through the present moment.

Essentially, we would access the great Records to review our past, look at our present, and see where we are headed regarding our most likely future. Just as the Records contain all our past and what is in passing now, they also embody an ever-changing fluid array of possible futures and potential experiences.

The Universe is math, and in mathematical terms, this system is our personal linear regression model, forecasting future events by extrapolating historical data with a confidence interval that contains a margin of error based on a standard deviation. It boils down to our most likely path and outcome based on our past patterns; however, nothing is concrete as our mutable future is shaped by the decisions we make in the present moment.

The observer can change what is observed. Past, present, and future exists at once, much like all the cards in a deck exist at once. We get into the concept of probability; what are the odds of choosing a specific card? What is the most probable result from a set of choices? What is the most likely result when we “spin the wheel” of the cosmic web Space-Time? Probability is a talking point in our next discussion of Soul Mates and Twin Flames. We will also see that our potential results often fall on a spectrum of outcomes with polar opposites and everything in between. In other words, our likely outcomes might come in a range of possibilities, also part of our next blog post and future gatherings.

Ultimately, when we consider all the aspects of the Akashic Records and the mathematical Universe and then compare these to the Shamanic Cosmic Web Model of Time coupled with the findings of our modern science, I believe we can confidently conclude that the Records are a cosmic metaphor for our Space-Time and to some degree our biofield, energetic field, and chakra system. Deeper discussions on Space-Time are covered in other gatherings and of course in the book Simpatico and its Essential Supplement. This brings up the topic of parallel universes, other worlds, and alternate realities as well; and all the events of these various dimensions are part of the Records of the All as Source and all its divine extensions evolve.

One major misconception about the Akashic Records and readings of our individual records is that we can clear our karma and realign our soul to its original purpose. We do not get off that easy. There is no energetic liposuction to simply remove karmic debt or the consequences of our past actions. One reason we are here now, at least part of our purpose and “contract” for this incarnation, is to work through and overcome our karma. Trying to bypass it is not only impossible, it defeats our purpose for being here. A reading or journey may help us to understand what we did and how we got to where we are. It may even offer suggestions on how to correct, work through, and overcome; but it will not just erase events from our Space-Time and recorded history. Sorry.

The concept of overcoming is discussed in our White Stone Ceremony and is usually a spiritual milestone event and/or conclusion to a spiritual experience. Our “purpose” comes down to that, experiencing, learning, and evolving. Kabbalah teaches that our spiritual process is one of correcting and rectifying our karma, and that “soul mates” are typically the last major event we complete and overcome. Zohar, the source of Kabbalistic teaching, explains that we are partners (implying a contract) with the Creator in this creative experience on a material plane, but that even God-Source cannot intervene with our free will choices along the way.

The topic of the Akashic Records lays the groundwork for many other concepts beyond the scope of this post, including the Law of Attraction. We will also see that the Masters all spoke of this governing law and divine binding tendency, and how we might work with the Universe to manage what is and what will be, which is the key to correcting and rectifying what was or used to be.

The Records and most likely outcomes are associated with the Law of Attraction, and at the core speaks to our “vibration” and what we are a vibrational match to. We must learn to carry the highest possible vibe to bring in our most desired results, and this is done in the present moment, not past lives, or events. Buddha said, “to know the future, know the present.” In the Emerald Tablets, Thoth teaches, “Know ye the future is never in fixation but follows man’s free will as it moves through the movements of time-space toward the goal where a new time begins. Man can only read the future through the causes that bring the effects.”

Kabbalah teaches us that we must be accountable for our past actions and their consequences, and proactive in our spiritual transformation and process. In other words, to not be reactive, but respond with positive preemptive changes toward what we wish to have in contrast to what we might be experiencing now. While our history is “written” in the Records, what will be written is up to us.

Be the change you wish to see, and write your life script. What is written in our records is a frame of reference, and the outcomes are open-ended depending on our decisions made in the present moment. Mahatma Gandhi said, “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies of the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

Bottom line is that we are our Record Keepers and authors of our script. If you want to access the Great Hall of Records or Book of Life, you only must look within, maybe with a little help from your Shaman.

Carry on my wayward ones!

Steve

Simpatico Expanded 2021: The Shamanic Journey

Simpatico Expanded 2021 series

Continuing discussions based on previous topics covered in my book, Simpatico: Reconciling the Disparity of Spirituality, Ancient Wisdom, and Modern Science

March 21, 2021 Gathering

It has been a while since I posted anything to my blog, so I thought I would share some abbreviated versions of previous classes so far this year. With my book Simpatico in the (hopefully) final stages of editing before actual publication, I have been asked if I intend to start over with a new group and classes. I was reluctant to start a “new” group since the existing members wished to continue their studies. On the other hand, I did not want new members to feel they were “behind” everyone else.

I felt that the solution to this conundrum might be to use Simpatico as our group “textbook” with supporting and expanded lectures and discussions. I decided to try a new approach in teaching both new and established members referring to concepts in the book so that everyone would be on the same page, wavelength, and simpatico, so to speak. The first gathering of 2021 provided a nice mix of existing members with several new people, and I was eager to see how this experiment would play out.

I intended to have a “free-style” journey circle with no guidance to compare the results between the experienced people and the newcomers. I thought the new people could benefit from the experience of the established members, and wanted them to formulate some original questions based on their experience rather than just be lectured to.

I began with the original Introduction to the Shamanic Journey, but with critiques and expanded views along the way. The basis of teaching remained the same but with additional information not included in the traditional format. While the new concepts might be familiar to the existing members, I had never really tied them in with the shamanic journey in previous classes or discussions. The new members would get the foundational information as well as a preview of some more advanced concepts relative to the Journey.

In shamanic tradition, it is believed that (part of) the soul is free to leave the body and travel to non-ordinary reality, an energetic or spiritual realm that includes the Upper and Lower Words of our Power Animals, Spirit Guides, Ancestors, and more spiritual entities. As an essential skill of the shaman or healer, the Journey is a means to attain direct revelation from Spirit for healing, guidance, insights, information, and more.

Also known as soul flight, the journey is not merely meditation, visualization, or an out-of-body experience. The Journey is focused full-sensory state of being and a tool for spiritual development and growth. The soul might also leave the body during the dream state, astral travel, and to escape trauma (aka soul loss); however, these are often involuntary events. A Journey is an intentional event; it is driven by our intentions free of the critical mind and “rational” thinking and allowed to unfold.

Achieving the alpha level of consciousness, or pre-sleep brain wave frequency allows imagery we could not otherwise conceptualize while in our beta or rational mind consciousness; thus, the Journey depends on our ability to shift our level of consciousness. This state of being can fluctuate among individuals. Some people report that they become immersed in the “higher” state and oblivious to their physical surroundings. Some, including myself, are aware of “walking both worlds” simultaneously.

Now for some of the updated critiques of the classic view of the Journey according to other sources and concepts we have learned along the way and included in Simpatico. A soul does not leave the body; that is called death. A soul does not take flight and one does not lose a piece of his/her soul; the soul remains intact. The real subject of this discussion is not the soul, but of consciousness, which we might call a function of the soul.

Energy flows where our attention goes, and we focus our attention on shifting our consciousness to another level beyond our physical 3D reality. We focus our consciousness on reaching a non-physical level of being. We remain in our physical embodiment, but our consciousness can “take flight” to other dimensions. It is naturally our divine tendency as a non-physical vibrational being in a physical embodiment to always “walk both worlds.” In a Journey we just focus more on achieving that non-physical state of consciousness.

In the case of soul loss, it is also our consciousness that separates from our body, carrying the energy and memory of any traumatic event that might cause that dissociative event or dissociation. This is our coping and/or survival mechanism where a segment of our consciousness splits away from the mainstream consciousness. This topic is covered in detail in discussions and chapters on soul loss, soul retrieval, and the Shamanic Consciousness Integration that combines retrieval with a full-spectrum chakra/energy treatment.

All the various “worlds” are part of the multiple views of shamanic reality, the Upper and Lower worlds being the most common and popular in Journeys. However, these various and specific worlds are only metaphors of other dimensions, time zones, and realities that co-exist in our Space-Time. The Shamanic Cosmic Web Model of Time helps conceptualize and describe how all Time exists at once, simultaneously, concurrently, and at once. Past, Present, and Future are as a cosmic wheel overlapping each other. Ancient wisdom and modern science agree that Time is a static dimension within Space that we move through (via our conscious attention). In other words, time does not “pass” or flow; we pass and flow through Time.

Time is not linear or even sequential it simply “is.” Thoth explains in the Emerald Tablets that Time divides Space and keeps things in their proper place. Our limited biology perceives this concept as linear and chronological, but our soul and divine nature understand the concept of this dimension independent of “time” as we comprehend it.

We have come to understand then how past lives affect us in our present moment through the concepts of “resonance frequency” and “quantum entanglement.” We can now view the Shaman or healer as a traveler across Space-Time and other dimensions as he/she searches for our “lost” soul fragments and consciousness segments in soul retrieval. We can also begin to understand why a future event we have not yet experienced may “draw” us toward it as it vibrates somewhere in the cosmic web of Space-Time.

A group dynamic is always beneficial to those learning or participating in the Journey. This too is science, not just a spiritual concept. Only like vibrations or frequencies can share space, and when like-minded people come together to journey, these similar or like vibrations and intentions combine into a singular amplified energetic wave through a scientific concept called constructive interference. This is just one example of “vibrational matching” which becomes a repeating theme through Simpatico and this “new” circle.

The Introduction to the Shamanic Journey traditionally involves a journey to meet our power animals and/or spirit guides. However, in this gathering, I tried a “free-style” journey without structured guidance or specific intention. I did talk briefly about the imagery they might expect as Spirit typically communicates in metaphor, symbols, and imagery. The short answer is that a picture is worth a thousand words, and conveys messages beyond our simple words; plus, the Language of Light is all about pictographic imagery and concentrated information that expands as we achieve the capacity to understand the higher teachings.

Overall, the experiment was a success. The unstructured journey was not a challenge for the experienced members, and several of them had comparable and “matching” experiences and messages in their journey. The new members tended to struggle, which was understandable. They listened to the older members describe their journeys and how they approached or initiated their experience. For the next journey (the Dismemberment), I offered some suggestions on what to intend with a specific goal or purpose for the journey. With minimal guidance on the front end along with the descriptions provided by older members, even the new people then had successful journeys. Bravo!

While the purists of shamanic principles would strongly rebuke this “neo-shamanic” experiment and expansion on their sacred closed system of teaching, the group seemed happy with the results. At this point, I reached out to the group and asked for topic suggestions, rather than just choosing something to speak on. As of this writing, I am still creating papers for future gatherings to address these questions and suggestions.

Next, I will blog on the Akashic Records as a metaphor for our Space-Time. Keep the questions coming ya’ll. I learn from this as much as you do!

Journey on,

Steve

Raise Your Vibration and the Collective Vibration of Your Family (or Tribe)

The great spiritual quest: how to raise one’s vibration. I will refrain from criticizing this imprecise and mostly misunderstood concept of “raising one’s vibration.” Suffice to say that I teach it is more accurate to say we should strive to improve and enhance the quality of our frequency, which affects our overall vibrational (emotional) state of being. Further, I will not be talking about meditation, yoga, mantras, or expensive online classes. What I wish to share here is what I believe to be a very practical and enjoyable way to achieve this desired vibrational state, and build a spiritual foundation for all members of your tribe, in whatever way you define that. This also presents an opportunity to turn anything you do in life into a transformative consciousness-vibrational-raising spiritual event.

In a recent video, Teal Swan addressed a question from the audience about reaching a “more spiritual” state. She describes such a spiritual state as any activity that we truly focus on and “pour our energy into.” Her example was an athlete playing a sport, completely engaged, and immersed in the moment. It is in this “zone” or state of being that Teal claims this athlete is “more spiritual” than most people who spend hours meditating.

Some folks may view this as a controversial statement. I immediately agreed with Teal Swan, however, as her answer resonated with me, thinking that this was a unique perspective and valid teaching point. However, upon further contemplation, I realized that this was not an exclusive concept, much less a contentious declaration, but an expansion on commonly taught aspects of the Law of Attraction explained and described with a fresh view and understanding.

Those of you familiar with the Law of Attraction, and especially some of my teachings, will recognize what I am about to refer to and explain. For any unfamiliar references, I will be glad to address them in more detail in future blog posts. At this point, I would offer a shameless plug for my upcoming book Simpatico which details these referenced points and much more. Watch for posts on Facebook and Instagram for when Simpatico and its Essential Supplemental is available on Amazon.com

The notion of “more spiritual” parallels the popular concept of “raising one’s vibration” which has become a buzz phrase in spiritual circles. Abraham Hicks has consistently taught that we must always be mindful of our emotions, how we feel, as this is our point of attraction; this vibration we carry and offer is what is then mirrored back to us via the Universe per the Law of Attraction. Therefore, we must then seek out thoughts and take actions that make us feel good so we can enter our “vortex” or energetic field by “pouring our energy” into enjoyable thoughts. Energy flows where your attention goes.

I remembered my own thoughts, experiences, and teachings about “aligning” ourselves with Source energy to enhance and improve our emotional states, and thus our vibration. We align with the divine tendencies of abundance, well-being, prosperity, etc., and become a vibrational match to our desires, to what we wish to experience as the Universe begins to reflect this state of being into our subjective reality. We align with what makes us feel good, and with the Force that brings that into effect.

I have always noticed that I am most aligned, in sync, or simpatico with the Divine when I am either outdoors in Nature, or at the gym working out. These are my zones, vortexes, kingdoms, and the spaces that I pour my energy into the experience on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. In these two scenarios, I have my best prayers, talks with God-Source, and receive a great amount of clarity, answers, and inspirations. In these cases, I completely let go of the mundane thinking or distracting realities of the daily grind; I get out of my way and allow Source to come in.

When we pour our energy into things we enjoy, focus on positive thoughts and experiences, we then essentially change our emotional state of being, improving and enhancing our vibration, and this then becomes our new point of attraction, or vortex, kingdom, or zone. Meditation, the Shamanic Journey, Yoga, etc. are excellent tools to achieve this; however, they are not everyone’s “cup of tea.”

I have pondered how I might teach this more practically, especially to my family; I wished to impart some of what I have learned over the years to my kids and grandkids so that they would benefit spiritually and in life. As Paterfamilias, I felt the obligation to pass along this “legacy” and to reach more people in general that are not quite open to mediation, yoga, or spiritual conversations in general. I wish to take this “more spiritual” concept (and more) to my tribe and empower them with the same tools to pass along in their respective tribes.

One big thing that I truly enjoy, that makes me feel good, improves the quality of my vibration, and evokes a sense of prosperity and well-being, is a family gathering, especially centered around food. We have discussed the ceremony of sharing food to prosper others, to share from our abundance, and that cooking and serving food is a profound metaphor for demonstrating love. Family and Community are major concepts of Shamanic teachings. Sharing is an important teaching in Kabbalah. All that said, pouring one’s energy into such an event transforms a mere dinner or gathering into a spiritual event.

I have discovered too that many people, my family included, have an interest in spiritual things, and questions to ask. Why not then make that first move and introduce spiritual topics to them, bring the idea of spirituality into the conversation? What if we invited our circle, whether friends or family or a mix of both, to share their beliefs, perceptions, understandings, and to bring their questions to you in a very informal open setting? What if we expand our normal dialog, talking points, and mundane chats to real heart-to-hearts, open communications, discovery opportunities, and teaching moments? What if, and this may take some time, everyone “at the table” was comfortable in these discussions, eager to engage in spiritual deliberations? What if this became part of the family dynamic?

I know, this seems academic, and not that easy to implement. Our kids or friends may not be comfortable in discussing their spiritual views, or they may not have any to discuss. Even more, a reason to start this practice. Having such a gathering in a public restaurant is more challenging now considering the pandemic restrictions. Start small. Add to it along the way. Remember how you began your path.

Just start. We have become too isolated from each other, especially over this past year.

Don’t wait for special occasions or holidays. Fire up your grill. Make plans to watch the game together. The key, I believe, is that you set your intention for the gathering, and you make certain those coming are aware of it. Warn them that electronic devices are discouraged. This event is for the sole purpose of spending time together, enjoying each other’s company, sharing, and communicating, and all totally without any type of judgment or expectations.

So, if you want to be “more spiritual” you have options. Become mindful of even your most mundane task, and pour your energy into it. Place your full attention, focus, and intention on taking a run, writing in your journal, cleaning the house, or going fishing.

You do not have to learn how to meditate or journey or do yoga. You don’t have to attend sweat lodges, experience vision quests, or follow some “spiritual” protocol. You don’t even have to go to church. Invite your tribe for a gathering, especially with food. You hit so many spiritual concepts here, from when two or more gather in agreement, to prospering each other with the gift of food, to raising your vibration, to sharing and teaching. You do not have to go seek out God-Source; that is already within you, the family will bring even more when they come.

Next time you feel a need to get into your vortex, enter your kingdom, or raise your vibe, think Olive Garden. We’re all family here.

Ciao’

Steve

The Four Agreements and Heaven on Earth

Since we have been discussing the power of the spoken word and significance in "asking" relative to the Law of Attraction, I thought I would also share this post. This is derived from previous classes, and included in my pending book. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Twelve: The Four Agreements and Heaven on Earth

The Four Agreements:

1. Be impeccable with your word.

* speak with integrity, honesty, truth and love (not with reactionary negative emotions)

* say what you mean; mean what you say; be selective (and cautious) in choosing your words

* avoid using your words to speak against yourself (negative self-talk) or others (gossip or verbal attack)

* always use your words to build and empower; not to tear down

2. Don’t take anything personally.

* Understand that it’s not usually about you (in the context of what others might say about you)

* What others say or do is a reflection of their own internal story, usually rooted in their indoctrinated beliefs

* Build immunity to the opinions or actions of others to avoid being affected by them (do not care what others say)

3. Never make assumptions.

* If you are not sure, ask questions until you understand

* Express what you really want; never take it for granted that a person should just know what you want

* Be clear in your communication with others; information must be given, received, and confirmed it was understood

4. Always do your best.

* Your best will fluctuate from day to day and moment to moment

*Always do the best you can with what you have at any given moment

* The present is your only true reality, so focus your energy on the now 24/7/365

Today we will focus on the first Agreement: be impeccable with your word. However, you will see that many circumstances will include the application of multiple agreements simultaneously. All the Agreements speak to what the author calls our “domestication” as we take on the belief systems of others rather than our own truth (that 95% of what we learn from others is wrong—at least for us); we become what others expect us to be rather than become our authentic self. This process of indoctrination forms our core belief systems, that we often do not believe in at all.

So the Agreements are a tool we can use to become aware of the negative programs, blocks and limiting belief systems we have in place. We can undo them by making new and more accurate Agreements with ourselves—a new “contract” if you will. Awareness is always the first step toward change and releasing “what no longer serves.” The Agreements are pretty basic but yet complex. As you grow, your understanding and capacity expands; so each time you read this book you take in something new. You comprehend a new level of consciousness and awareness. As you become more aware, you notice more applications of each Agreement, and how is corresponds to larger concepts. The truth is almost always simple albeit complex; it is never complicated.

When I use the word “complex” I refer to multiple layers of meaning and various levels of understanding that tends to unfold as we focus on a subject, topic or concept. The Light is simple but complex. The spiritual concepts we study usually fall into this category. So, this is how this topic has been rolling around with me for some time, but I just never seemed to have all the information or “push” to actualize it. I have always been interested in the use of words and expanding my vocabulary. With the recent studies involving the ancient languages and sacred alphabets, I became more aware of our language. The ancient languages are complex. Our modern day (English) language is complicated.

The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. The Latin alphabet has 23 letters. Our English alphabet has 26 letters. Latin and Aramaic are both dead languages; there are no new words. However, these and other ancient languages carry the most power and energy conveying ancient mysteries and knowledge that our language is not capable of translating accurately. We use so many words in order to be descriptive and precise in our wording. We continue to invent new words and even add slang to our accepted vocabulary and dictionary definitions. We delude ourselves into believing we are improving our language when it seems we are only diluting it with so many distinct words that basically mean the same thing, but vary in degree or circumstance. We have to come to accept and use a language of verbosity rather than imagery. We choose to use volumes of words to convey what one ancient word (or symbol) described in much greater detail. The ancient languages reflect that simplicity and complexity of the Light Language.

Jesus taught this to some degree when he presented the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:7:. “And when you pray, do not keep babbling like the pagans or use vain repetitions as the heathens; for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them as your Father knows what you need before you ask. This then is how you pray:” And yes, as we have discussed, even the Lord’s Prayer, a fundamental religious belief and doctrine has been grossly inaccurate due to the various translations and contexts and let’s face it, agendas of the interpreters.

In any event, this topic started to take form recently while I was working on the bathroom remodel, and reached a point where I could have stopped for the day. However, I continued to work on some other things. My daughter, Jackie, pointed out that I could—and should—just start fresh the next morning. She called me a “busy-body.” I would have been offended if not for the complete irrelevance of that word within the context of what I was actually doing. I was more confused, wondering how she came to call me that. It made no sense to me at all why she would refer to me as an officious or meddling person who interferes in the private affairs of others. She completely misused this word assuming that she knew its definition (in her mind meaning “too busy”).

We do this so often—misusing words, using the wrong words, not knowing the definitions or understanding the true connotation of the words we use. This is one reason we have miscommunications or misunderstandings. We assume that we are clear in our communication; but the other party may be confused or take your meaning in a completely different way than what you intended. We may not completely articulate our thoughts, gloss over details, and assume that the other party should just know what we meant. Then the other party makes other assumptions, trying to fill in the blanks because we didn’t provide all the information they required to make an accurate assessment of what we told them.

A relatively innocent comment could actually result into the other person taking it to be an offensive remark. Arguments or hurt feelings happen over a simple mistake in using words. In this very brief exchange, this passing comment, Jackie was not impeccable (faultless) with her words, making an assumption that she was using her words correctly. It was not her intent to call me this unflattering name; and if not for my total confusion, I might have taken this personally and then turned on her with less than impeccable words of my own.

Impeccable: 1 : not capable of sinning or liable to sin; 2 : free from fault or blame : flawless

It’s not about having an impressive vocabulary, mastery of the language, articulating your thoughts, or even being witty or clever. However, I could make a strong case in general for all the above; including proper grammar and punctuation. All these finer points of language can help you minimize miscommunication and assumptions. Also, we do need to know the correct and accurate definitions of words and how to use them appropriately, not only in daily interaction with others, but with interaction with Spirit and the Universe. The Universe is literal: adhering to fact or to the ordinary construction or primary meaning of a term or expression; actual.

What if the divine alphabet had been misused by the Higher Evolution and Sephiroth when designing creation according to the thoughts of the Father? Remember in a previous class that this arch angelic alpha-numeric code was taken away from humanity after people abused the power and influence it carried. In the story of the Tower of Babel this uniform language of humanity was confused to keep the human race from destroying itself. Basically it is about speaking with integrity, truth (facts not gossip or hearsay or rumors) and love; saying what you mean and meaning what you say; choosing your words wisely and accurately; avoiding gossip and negative self-talk; never using your words to harm or tear down (another person or yourself). Add in here, be concise.

Ephesians: 4:29: Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

Matthew 12:37: For by your words you will be justified (acquitted), and by your words you will be condemned.

Words are not just sounds or a group of symbols that we agree have a particular meaning in our language. Words are a Force with vibrational power. The Power of the Spoken Word is often referred to suggesting its ability or influence to create or to destroy. Your words can sting, hurt, cut to the bone, make one cry, make one smile, empower, uplift, console, counsel, and even heal. Through your words you express creative power. Through words you tend to manifest everything. Thoughts become things because at some point you gave voice to those thoughts. You sent out that vibration carried in the word and that frequency-consciousness began to seek out other like frequencies-consciousnesses. I have always thought that this would be a foundation for a Fifth Agreement; be impeccable with your thoughts.

So when the Kabbalah teaches about being accountable, this is part of that. You have created your reality. Everything you have or experience you have some how brought into effect more than likely by voicing it (and dwelling on it). There is no other person to blame or fault or judge. We create our own karma; all our past actions, non-actions, thoughts, words and deeds carry consequence. But they can carry benefit too, and we should keep that in mind as we monitor our thought before they even become words. Our indoctrination and all our negative programming and automatic reactions were likely seeded in us by the words of those we trusted to teach us. They passed on their opinions and beliefs without a second thought, misusing words coupled with great assumptions that were probably never questioned. At some point we agreed with them and accepted them as truth. This truth then became part of our belief system, and this belief system actually becomes that which sabotages us in life and becomes that major stumbling block to attain the Light.

Anais Nin wrote, “We have been poisoned by fairy tales.”

Denis De Rougemont wrote, “Fallen myths can instill venom.”

Ruiz compares the negative use of words, such as in our “domestication” by others, to casting spells. We are poisoned by the words of others rather than empowered by them; and we tend to repeat and perpetuate this cycle. “They” hook our attention and give us these words. Energy flows where your attention goes, so we focus on these words and feed them energy. They become part of us—kind of—although they are not even our actual opinions or truth. Yet our ego embraces them and causes them to become our reactions. People then tend to pass this legacy down to the next generation, or we gossip about others. Kabbalah teaches that we must resist these reactions in order to weaken the ego and its negative influences. This is how we break that “spell.”

So when focusing on becoming impeccable with your word, you of course start with yourself. You accept the fact that you have made agreements that are based on inaccurate information that is simply not always true for you. You hold yourself accountable for your current reality as a result or consequence of your past actions, that are most likely based on these inaccurate belief systems. You make new agreements with yourself; you make a decision that you will strive to become totally impeccable with your word.

You will now intend to manifest truth and clear out all the emotional and psychological and spiritual poison you have ingested over the years (and lifetimes). Now focus your attention on this new agreement; channel your energy flow to it; practice makes permanent. You must now become aware of your thoughts as well as your words. Awareness is key. As soon as you realize or recognize that negative thought, especially as it becomes words, you “cancel” or “rewind” and the re-frame, re-word and re-speak it impeccably.

Kabbalah refines the idea of “negative” thoughts in that these are not the true source of our problems. The real source of our problems and issues are the Selfish “all about me” thoughts and thought processes. Think about that. Most of our negative thoughts stem from ego based thoughts or feelings. Even the Seven Cardinal Sins (which are not actual sins by the way), are all based in ego. Ego is the root of all sin. To be impeccable is to be without sin. So, logically, to become impeccable (with our word) we must eliminate the influence of the ego (aka the Adversary).

Start by changing the way you deal and communicate with yourself before you can do the same with others. All change begins with you. You have to become that Light you seek before you can pass the flame to others. You are not striving to be “right” but to be accurate and truthful and impeccable. When you become involved in a disagreement, state your case, speak your truth but try to avoid defending your position. Attacking the other person verbally is negative use of your words against them. Remember that even your opinion is merely a point of view, and not necessarily a fact. If the other person rejects your opinion, do not take it personally. You have a choice to consider or dismiss any opinion.

Many of us have a problem with this, especially when we are healers or counselors—or parents and grand parents for that matter. We get frustrated when the client (or child—often both) does not follow our advice or do as they “should” do per our instructions. It is their free will choice and their walk; all we can do is offer the information and then hand it over. It is our ego that makes us frustrated. We are reminded we are not here to fix, save, or rescue; but to teach and mirror (hopefully as a good example). Being impeccable with your word also means speaking your truth, honoring your self and what you believe. This ties into setting healthy boundaries (November 2019: The Keys to the Kingdom).

When we start resisting all these ego based reactions, sorting out the truth from the illusion, we then also become less and less affected by the influence of others. We refuse to take things personally. We stop caring what others think, and that relieves us of expectations and potential indoctrination. We focus on our accountability. We allow others to be who they are and do what they do. It is their walk, not yours. They are their own responsibility, not yours. We can walk away from those who use us, and we create an opportunity for them to become accountable for their actions. We have to get to that point where we just no longer care and we surely do not worry. We remain interested and concerned, but we do not get entangled. We voice our words impeccably and appropriately, and we stand ready to be there when they need us. This is how we share the Light; we feed our souls by being there for and sharing with others. We “hold space” for others by first creating our own sacred space. When others become a more fitting “vibrational match” to us, we can then invite them back in to share our space.

OK, so ultimately words are a force that carries energetic frequencies that can affect our lives. Words are an inherent part of our makeup and innate coding. The spiritual technologies we have studied, especially the 72 Sacred Names are divine frequencies that are said to be encoded within our very DNA, and are made up of the Divine Alphabet and Language of Light. These frequencies carry the power to change us on a molecular level, and resist our ego-driven tendencies. Resonance is the common factor uniting this world with the Upper World of the Higher Evolution and levels of creation; it carries the rhythm and measure that connects us to the Divine and all other states of matter, radiation and vibration. So I have selected three Names of God that you might use to meditate on to strengthen and enhance your study and application of The Four Agreements, primarily the first agreement to be impeccable with your word: #4: Ain Lamed Mem; #25: Nun Tet Hey; and #40: Y od Yod Zain

Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, also wrote, “The first agreement (be impeccable with your word) is the most important one, and also the most difficult one to honor. It is so important that with just this first agreement you will be able to transcend to the level of existence I call “heaven on earth.”

According to Kabbalah, heaven on earth refers to both individual and global peace; and the same principle holds true for the concept of personal and global “Messiah.” For Heaven on Earth to happen we must first achieve a state of Messiah within ourselves; that is liberation and recovery through personal transformation. This personal physical and spiritual transformation happens on two ways, and the Sacred Name associated with this concept is (#13) Yod Zain Lamed.

Kabbalah teaches that ultimately you create your own Heaven (or Hell) on Earth in your subjective reality, via your free will choice of what you observe in contrast to what you wish the condition to be. This comes to be a major concept in 2020 as we move forward with the Law of Attraction as the governing force and law of the universe that subordinates virtually all other cosmic and physical laws. (Refer Law of Attraction and supporting text (2020); alignment; vibration; observing, contrasting, and the power of the spoken word).

John Milton, author of Paradise Lost wrote: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” This is often mistakenly quoted as a Biblical verse. I chose this quote for several reasons, the first being the obvious reference to the power of our minds-thoughts that ultimately create our reality. However, it is also an example of different levels of meaning referring to our study of the ancient languages, symbolism, and metaphors of ancient wisdom.

Paradise Lost was actually a political commentary during the Restoration Period in England, and this theme was the “deeper meaning” of the religious themed, church sanctioned Classic Literature that it is today. The speaker of this quote, Satan or the fallen Lucifer, realizes that he and his legions (once part of the Divine Hierarchy) have been ostracized from heaven, and cast down to this earth. He speaks to the free will choice of making his observed condition into that which he desires to be. He goes on to say, “Here we may reign secure, and in my choice to reign is worth ambitions, though in Hell. Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”

Kabbalah teaches that we have two ways to experience our physical life and carry out our soul purpose here; both speak to your accountability, behavior, and choices.

1. suffering or reactive behavior through your ego (the adversary of your condition); the reactive behavior associated with ego and indoctrinated beliefs, programs, and patterns; continuing to attach to or identify with the mundane, material, and dense vibrations of the physical world; doubting or oblivious to the truth of the Light; considering only self and what this dimension can offer while ignoring the agenda of the soul to evolve through its physical or earthly experiences. In this scenario, rather than observing and changing vibrational circumstance, one simply reacts emotionally.

2. proactive spiritual transformation through your soul; the condition or choice that stops the suffering through exercising your free will in favor of resisting ego and associated programs, constantly seeking out the Light that is concealed; sharing this Light once revealed; and realizing and understanding that this physical world is but illusion, a place of spiritual evolutionary learning and process that can only be experienced through our authentic energetic self taking material form. In this scenario, you observe your condition, sorting the truth from the illusion, do your vibrational work, and move forward to a condition you prefer to experience.

We must become our own “Redeemer” in making the necessary changes in consciousness toward the spiritual path and away from the material trappings. Refer to the original Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic: “...provide me with that which I seek, but let me not become lost in superficial or material things or common temptations; but detach me from these fetters that bind me and keep me from my true purpose.”

Refer to the Prayer of Jabez, Chronicles 4: 10: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. This actually speaks to the Kabbalistic concept of receiving in order to share; you have to take care of yourself first. You have to put the oxygen mask on you first, then the baby. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Global transformation can only occur when the individual transformation of the world reaches critical mass of the Collective Consciousness. That said, the Kabbalistic view of a global savior is not a person or force, but an indication or sign that a significant number of people have actually reached a level of vibrational consciousness shift or transformation in their lives, contributing to that of the Collective, that then shapes or world or global reality. Refer to the 13th Sacred Name in the 72 Names Directory. This is what apparently did NOT happen in 2019.

Kabbalah further teaches, as does many other spiritual practices, that the purpose of our existence, the meaning of life, is to find the Light not only within ourselves, but which is also inside others. Basically we are to find the Light, the true energetic truth behind the illusion of the material, reveal our divine tendencies as Creators, and integrate that into this dense 3D energetic field we call Space Time, or Reality. Moses called this the Promised Land. Buddha called it Nirvana. Jesus called it Heaven or the Kingdom of God. Toltec refer to it as The New Dream. According to the Living Words of Wisdom web site, Namaste’ is both a spoken spiritual salutation and a physical gesture, which recognizes the divine (light) in another person. This word translates simply, “I bow to the divine in you.” As they said in the movie Avatar, “I see you (the real you).” Growing up I remember hearing the elders say this very thing, that they saw through the facade and posturing to the reality of what a person really was, usually indicating a negative trait.

Ultimately, the message here is that Heaven on Earth only comes when you focus on yourself first. We started this discussion about self-love in 2019 and it carries over into 2020. A lot of people will try to focus on global peace, but this is often just an avoidance strategy that keeps them from looking at their own inner conflicts. Such coping mechanisms simply mean things will stay status quo without change. The two concepts of Kabbalah can actually be summarized as 1. suffering = resistance; and 2. proactive spiritual transformation = flow.

If you want to see change in the world, you must be willing to change yourself. Start with how you use your words. "Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder." -Rumi

Until next time,

Steve

Keys to the Kingdom Part 4: Integration

Article 4; Key 4: Integration

To wrap up the original intention of this series, I want to just briefly speak on the subject of Integration, the key that may well describe our purpose soul purpose. I will not get into the 5th key of using all the available spiritual tools since that is a highly subjective choice; and each of my preferred choices would merit its own discourse.

In general, integration is all about healing the great fragmentation or dis-integration we have suffered from the time we incarnated to any given point along the way. It is about recognizing the illusion of separation and the faults of divisive thinking; and putting everyone on the same level playing field as an equal, applying your divine lens to see them as souls that are part of you, part of the All, and all reflect something back to you.

It is about taking your accumulated knowledge and incorporating it into your beliefs, decisions, and being, as well as racking up spiritual points for the larger evolutionary process; and ultimately to take what you have learned and carry it through to the next lesson. We are approaching that end result walking our path now.

While writing this article I realized that to fully understand the concept of integration one must also understand its antithesis fragmentation. This then led me to also realize all the various forms and levels of fragmentation we all suffer from resistance, to comparing, to shadow work, to shamanic soul loss, to split consciousness segments, to psychotic breaks.

Clearly, this topic is far beyond the scope of this writing; and I will continue to delve into fragmentation in both classes and upcoming posts. Along with this future information I will also begin to “re-define” some of the outdated notions of spirituality, especially shamanic terminology as I begin to apply a new meaning and application to the ancient knowledge surrounding these important themes.

So back to integrating… In the 12th of the Emerald Tablets, the key of prophecy (also referring to the Hermetic Principal of Cause and Effect), “All effects shall bring forth its causes as all effects grew from the First Cause. Know ye the future is not fixed or stable but varies as Cause brings forth an effect. So O man, be sure the effects ye bring forth are ever causes for more perfect effects (progression). Know ye the future is never in fixation but follows man’s free will as it moves through the Movements of the time-space toward the goal where a new time begins.

Bottom line here folks is that we have two choices, struggle and resist our path or simply flow with it. The latter is facilitated if we actually not only learn from our experience, but integrate this acquired knowledge into our daily life and utilize it in all our upcoming experiences. This is our task, to discard all the old and extraneous and to keep and catalog all the new learning that matches our true power and self.

We can work through all our experiences using this and other previous keys, facilitating our process. At some point, we can begin to short cut the sometimes painful process as we begin to “get it.” when we really get it, we will realize that the best way to work through an experience is to pull together all we have already learned, and the best way to predict any future even is to create it ourselves.

Integration might be considered the next step beyond simpatico. Getting everything on the same wavelength is one thing, but then you must unify and blend all this into your life and knowledge base. It is about harmonizing and healing all your chakras, energetic bodies, lost soul fragments, displaced or dissociated consciousness and/or personas, about becoming connected back to the Source and Light as one. It’s about reconciling ego with soul, physical with spiritual, energetic with material, mind with body with soul; heart with brain, when the 2 become 1, stepping into your personal power and authority—your kingdom.

We are here to integrate and heal all the fragmentation that causes us such distress and dis-ease. We are here to integrate all our knowledge and consciousness into our path and the larger evolution of All. We are here to once again be Whole and of the Light...even though we always have been.

No matter how many problems you think you have, or how many experiences you seem to muddle through, it always boils down to just one thing: separation or fragmentation; not being integrated.

When you continue to look outside yourself for answers, or see others as separate from yourself (not recognizing or appreciated the reflection they may offer to you), or consider God as some external force or deity, your are not integrated. So strive for simpatico and then push for full integration.

Integration brings your inner Knowing or higher intuition that plugs you in and pulls answers from your accumulated knowledge and Guidance. Paraphrased from Mike Dooley’s Notes from the Universe: young souls look to ritual, ceremony, and teachers; mature souls look to math, science, and law; and old souls look within.

But we know that even the old souls went through the first two steps first—and then integrated.

The Need for Diversity and Integration

“You teach best what you most need to learn.” Richard Bach; Jonathan Livingston Seagull. This brings to mind a Shamanic concept that basically means walk the talk; you cannot teach what you have not learned; you cannot advise on what you have not endured; and you cannot heal what you have not experienced. This is the story of the Wounded Healer (Chiron).

The path of a Shaman or Shamanic Practitioner is one of constantly seeking, learning, experiencing, finding the simpatico in the Universe, integrating and assimilating all this information not only for personal growth, but for the healing and spiritual development of others. Shamanism is about working with Spirit, and that includes working with one’s Soul. The focus of any healing is always the Soul, energetic and vibrational healing.

It’s about bridging gaps and reconciling: between the spiritual/energetic and the physical/material worlds; reversing and healing the gaps and division in our realities; and reversing our fragmentation, dis-integration, or dissociated aspects of oneself. It is an ever-expanding progressive process; it becomes a lifestyle. A Shaman is a seeker even more so than a healer, medicine person, priest, or magician; a Shaman is one that seeks truth.

I have never claimed to be Shaman, but I am called shaman, sought out as shaman, known as shaman. I have actually spent most of my adult life resisting this path. I have been called Neo-Shaman by the purists and traditionalist of shamanism because I choose to learn, practice, and teach outside of their accepted parameters and approved long-standing methodologies.

I did not realize at first that this is not a flattering comment or description, at least in the eyes of a purist; but while criticism was the intent behind the word, it was surely not the effect. I have come to embrace the title of neo-shaman: a new style shaman not limited to the old belief structures that no longer apply, that thinks outside the traditional boxed beliefs, that rejects obsolete ways and antiquated precepts, and skips over the archaic protocol that is just not practical in application or purpose in our contemporary lives.

The fact that the Universe seemed to constantly shut down everything else, and that I was named Shaman by other seekers, and called Neo-Shaman by others, suggests to me that the definition of Shaman and Shamanism is changing and expanding and evolving—as it should.

That said, however, make no mistake that my beliefs and practices are deeply rooted in ancient knowledge and direct revelation from Spirit; they are just not restricted to the basic shamanic methodologies of tradition. Shamanism became my base and foundation from which I then went “outside” to expand and seek more and expanded truths. This is when I met with the opposition from the purists, going outside that system for truth.

Shamanism is said to be the planet’s oldest known spiritual practice, that it is a global cross-cultural phenomenon; that it apparent over this entire world. Yet, ironically, expansion of its core truths and teachings seem to be restricted or restrictive. However, over the last 20 something years I have studied a broad range of practices, ancient texts and teaching, and even World Religions, and I have found that core shamanic beliefs exist int them all: it only makes sense that the Source would be present in the All. In a sense, shamanism has already expanded, even if only by its own fragmentation.

From my point of view, I merely followed the apparent extensions and parallels of the original system that are expressed in other views, beliefs, and perspective. Shamanism is a way; it may have even been the first way; but it is not the only right way. Truth is truth no matter where it is found. These other “outside” belief systems are but expansions on some basic truth or truths that may have shamanic origins.

In many ways, these extended beliefs actually help to unfold and further explain a fundamental truth or concept. You might say that seeds of truth are planted in shamanic concepts, but they have “grown” outside that container system nourished by various other elements, and have taken a new shape and form—but still from that original seed.

The key words here are expansion and integration. Many of the core truths of shamanism and any ancient knowledge are restricted within the context given at some particular point in time. We can only receive and understand what our consciousness can accommodate. Today we have evolved in every way, and as we evolve, especially on a spiritual and intellectual level, our capacity to understand increases.

What many do not understand is the ancient laws and knowledge are not static, they are alive and adaptive, although expressed in a “primitive” style and different language. It must also be noted that the ancient languages had much deeper scopes and levels of meaning that we tend to overlook. While we use many words to express a concept, the ancient languages expressed many concepts with few words or even symbols.

Spiritual laws do not change, but they are ever expanding and adapting to our new ways and expanded consciousness, and their applications change. We don’t scrawl on cave walls any more; we have computers and smart phones. Our souls evolve much the same way; our spiritual technology advances and we need updates, new compatible software, higher broadband lengths, and the most recent apps.

Ancient knowledge is much like a zip file: one small icon on your screen from which you can extract great amounts of information, if you know how—if you have the capacity to tap into that deeper level. Ancient knowledge is that metamorphic acorn, just as we are, and will grow with us we take the time to study it.

Ancient knowledge is a highly concentrated and condensed way of expressing truth to us that we can understand; and what we understand depends on our spiritual IQ and capacity to learn and understand at any given point in time and within a given context.

We are in spiritual school in this Space-Time dimension; our souls are like young children going through the educational system, subject by subject, grade by grade. Obviously a first-grader has no concept of college algebra; that concept and subject matter simply cannot make sense to that child; it does not “vibe” with him.

Only matching vibrations can occupy the same space, so the child must mature and learn through a progressive process, with each level of experience becoming a building block for the next level, to increase his capacity to both learn and to perform such processes or grade levels. During this process, the child is constantly changing schedules and class rooms, learning from different teachers; and with each graduation comes new text books, new supply lists, and sometimes even a change out of one school into another entirely new system.

This physical landscape in which we exist as spiritual beings in biological form is our spiritual training ground and institution of learning; ancient knowledge is the aggregate sum of knowledge and subject matter, condensed into one source: it is both basic arithmetic and advanced calculus; it is both elementary science and quantum physics; it is both simple ABC’s and advanced language. It all depends on your unique perspective, your capacity, and state of being, which will determine if you are going to “vibe” with that knowledge, or not.

Our way of thinking, our spiritual practice, no matter what it is, must be an open system receptive to external interactions both into and out of the system in order to evolve, expand, and meet our spiritual requirements. We are here to grow. We are Source expressing as humans in order to evolve and integrate into the Collective good of the All. Our practice and spiritual IQ and consciousness must be open and receptive to various sources of truth and “new” ways that may seem to be outside the conventional views, even if only for contrast.

Any closed system, by contrast, which is often organized religions and/or other dogmatized practices, do not allow such transfers; they close themselves off, and the growth of any organism in a closed system is restricted.

The timing of this discussion is interesting, in that we are now entering a new year that will herald new foundations, that the “old school” way of thinking and doing things will be de-structured to make room for a new way of thinking, for breakthroughs and revelations; to discard all the old paradigms for the sake of creating not only new ones, but those based on our own personal views and power—not from indoctrinated beliefs.

I mentioned fragmentation, which we do not have time to go into today; however, I wanted to mention this one thing. One example of this fragmentation, division, and separation is that between the spiritual and the scientific. Spiritual Science was once a combined concept, and we are now seeing its reconciliation through the advanced sciences such as Relativistic Theory and Quantum Physics.

The ancient mystics observed Nature in order to understand the behavior of Spirit. Science is the study of the Universe, Nature, and the observations of its behavior. That said, by studying Science we can gain some insights on the Spiritual aka the Energetic. Physical form is simply the material expression of an underlying energetic pattern; everything is energy. We can then integrate here by comparing ancient knowledge to the contemporary science, and personally I find it fascinating how simpatico they are.

This sort of separation is also apparent in the split between religion and spirituality. Jesus did not come here to establish a religion, but to teach ancient knowledge: the Kabbalah, Torah, and teachings of the Essences. He did not teach anything really “new” at all, but re-purposed the ancient texts and laws into a more contemporary format in the context of his times and people and language. When you really look at the ancient Aramaic Lord’s Prayer, you take away an entirely different message and understanding than that religion perpetuates.

It is my intent to demystify as many spiritual concepts (or perhaps I should say misconceptions) as I can, bring ancient knowledge to the fore-front again, and integrate advanced science so as to view spirituality as technology and protocol, that there is an order and formula here, not just mysteries, that the various levels of fragmentation and divisive labels are removed and we have just the system of truth found in the ancient ways and modern times. The religious stigma attached to much of this knowledge must be removed so more will open up to it as truth.

The Universe mirrors us, and vice versa, so get universal, go general, blur the lines, break tradition, follow your path, not one just handed down to you. Be ready to create your own beliefs and paradigms, bridge your gaps, fill in the blanks, set new boundaries and standards; but always honor the Law that governs them.

There really is nothing new, and the truth always stands; so begin to view the ancient knowledge in new ways, with new understanding and that the “new” is actually just the ancient re-purposed, restated, and re-presented. Just because it is ancient does not mean it is obsolete; truth withstands all tests of time.

I want to leave you with this: the way to your spiritual path and knowing of self is not to forsake this dense material world, but to engage it fully. Explore it, seek and find, question everything and answers will come. Understand that life is not happening to you, you are causing it. Fill in all your blanks. Check off all your boxes—but don’t get trapped in one. It may seem paradoxical, but we must both integrate AND diversify.

Walk the Labyrinth, the ancient sacred meandering path, the walking prayer that reflects your life here. Notice that as you walk you must be constantly aware of your present moment—not where you are headed. As you walk you are seeking and releasing, as you enter the center you are receiving, and as you exit you are integrating and acclimating all you have just experienced. This is a model of your path, an ever-changing spiral of experiences—never a straight line.

What you seek is often just a means to put you on a path of experience, not necessarily to achieve that perceived desired end result: it is the journey that matters, not the destination. What you truly seek is usually found along the way, not at the end of the road; and that way is ever-spiraling outward ever-seeking, and ever-finding.

Believe in the ancient knowledge and the science; and the Magic found in both. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were going to live forever.”

Keys to the Kingdom Part Three: Boundaries

Article 3: Key 3: Boundaries and Limitations: Setting your personal and spiritual boundaries are imperative, and not to be confused with the concept of limiting beliefs that impede your progress or otherwise hold you back. What you accept and/or tolerate teaches others how they can treat you; and how you feel about yourself will determine those boundaries, not to mention be reflected back to you by the Law of Attraction (Mirroring). Your tendencies bring in more of the same. The teachers you bring in test your boundaries, and hopefully, you then recognize where you need to establish or fortify the limits on what you will bear or not. At some point you will realize just how much you are willing to take, how far you are willing to go, before something must change.

What must change is your indoctrinated belief systems and programs that cause your tendencies to lack boundaries. Ruiz talks about this his book, The Four Agreements, in some length. The process of indoctrination, what he calls the domestication of humans is the surrender of our personal beliefs, truth, and power by agreement. We diminish our personal power with each negative agreement we make, that we accept as truth; and this leads us to reject ourselves, not believe in or even recognize our true nature. When we reject, or at least deny ourselves, we cause self-abuse and that inner feeling is reflected back to our physical reality via the Law of Attraction.

You are accountable for the way life treats you, and that includes how people treat you. Allowing others to take advantage of you in any way, or to try to please everyone even when it means self-sacrifice, is handing over your power. Energy flows where your attention goes, and if you focus all your energy on others you have none left for you; and it is you that creates your subjective reality. How you allow others to treat you is a reflection of your own self-worth, and that is mirrored in your reality. You must assume responsibility and stand up for yourself, not blame, not play victim, not fall into “poor me” thinking, and definitely not rationalize that any of this is OK. “In your life nobody has abused you more than you have abused yourself. And the limit of your self-abuse is exactly the limit that you will tolerate from someone else.” Don Miguel Ruiz

You do have to know yourself in order to really know what your boundaries are, and often you will not realize your own boundaries until these teachers cross them. Knowing yourself, as discussed in the key of Accountability, means that you recognize your divine value and power, that feelings of being a victim, not loved, not good enough, abused, etc. are not acceptable, to you as a person much less as a being of Light. “When you feel yourself becoming angry, resentful, or exhausted, pay attention to where you haven’t set a healthy boundary.” Crystal Andrus

This key also includes the concept of righteous anger that is usually an indicator that you have been silent for too long, that you have held back your words, suppressed your feelings, not expressed what you truly thought, or have just been in denial, until finally you just reach that point of “enough.” This righteous anger is your right, but must be channeled in positive and productive ways to avoid becoming negative. It may rise out of a long-standing repetitive situation or a single incident, but is almost always a strong reaction to some sort of lie, injustice, or wrong-doing, usually done to you by another person; but can be something you observe done to others outside yourself.

This anger may manifest when you are on the receiving end of some egregious act by another person; but it can rise up when you see wrong-doing by some person to another person, group, or animal (which more than likely mirrors something back to you to observe and explore). You may feel this anger when you realize that your indoctrinated beliefs have been wrong and have actually been working against you, which is a sign you are evolving and expanding. You then must recognize that the sources of this learned behavior was only passing down what they knew, and you forgive them accordingly. You may feel anger at yourself for buying into the negative programs and paradigms passed down to you; again, it’s all you knew at the time and you are now aware and working toward your own truth. Forgive yourself and move on. We are all wounded and damaged to some extent, and we have been raised by wounded and damaged people. Hind sight is always 20-20, so take back your power and establish new beliefs and boundaries for yourself.

The easiest workaround for this righteous anger issue, and to begin asserting your own power again, is to first make the decision that you are going to initiate self-change, that you are either going to change the situation or rise above it (allowing others to their free will choices and own lessons which will be discussed in more detail shortly). You now have that divine lens through which to observe the situation, and you know that you must now speak your truth, express your thoughts, and draw some hard lines. Stand up for yourself, but within your limitations.

By limitations, I mean that you can still stand firmly without being totally disagreeable; you can still compromise a mutually acceptable arrangement, you can articulate your feelings without being harsh or abrasive. I love the book, The Four Agreements. The first Agreement is to be impeccable with your word. Choose your words. Say what you mean and mean what you say, but also remember that what you zing out there will return to you. Do no harm, but take no shit. The idea of your limitations can also be summarized as this: you must not interfere with another person’s free will or lesson.

Those of you who are “Rescuers” or “Enablers” must be aware that over-helping someone, allowing them to become overly reliant on you, over-protecting them, or not being able to so “no” can actually be detrimental to you and a spiritual disservice to the one you are “helping.” The Rescuers an Enablers are often just acting on their need to be needed, and/or a need to control; neither of which is a positive thing. The person you are helping may rely on you too much, so they are not being accountable for their own actions or reality. This is what is being reflected back to you.

This overly reliant behavior may stem from lack thinking, not believing in themselves, or let’s face it, just laziness and avoidance of their responsibility. The more you enable them to continue bad behavior, the more likely they will just continue without effort to change. They will not face their own accountability for their reality. Of course I am not referring to those who have physical, mental, or medical conditions that are beyond their control; but to those who could overcome their situation on their own without draining you in their process.

At some point you must love yourself and them enough to draw the line and just say “no more.” Never give until it hurts, when it begins to deplete you in any way, when it is to your detriment or sacrifice or when you know you should not. This speaks to any aspect of your resources; your time, health, money, emotions, etc. You cannot pour from an empty cup. This is not being selfish (although you are likely to be accused of that), it is being self-protecting. You are of no help to anyone if you are depleted, not even yourself. If you really want to help them then teach them the same lesson you are learning (as they are your mirror), to be accountable and to establish boundaries and limits. Teach them to fish, not just take your fish. You are teaching them an invaluable lesson to be self sufficient, and that leads to self esteem and personal self-empowerment.

The “Controllers” out there must also learn to let go of some things or they will just wear themselves out (self depletion) believing they must do it all, or for it to be done right they have to do it. Delegating can be a liberating experience and frees up your time to do other things; it can actually increase your overall productivity. So put some limits on yourself on how much you need to “control” everything. Again, the other person is mirroring something back to you. Ease up on the restrictions you put on others and expand your boundaries. Be their teacher on this one, allow them and let them learn more authority and responsibility. You will be helping yourself and them. A shaman knows that he-she can only “control” through allowing.

Then there is the second of the four Agreements, never take anything personally. You won’t be angry, hurt, or resentful when you realize that your offender is only mirroring something to you for a learning experience; and that they have their own lessons to learn. We touched on this in the first key of Accountability, when you can reach of point of gratitude over forgiveness. Let’s continue: the third Agreement, to never make assumptions, and this ties into the first Agreement of keeping your word impeccable. Don't Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. Don Miguel Ruiz

When you begin to love yourself enough to set some hard boundaries, when you stop being a doormat, when you refuse to continue to bail out or save or rescue others, when you learn to say “no” you may also experience some of these people in your life fall away. If you are no longer their primary source, when they cannot overly rely on you any more, when they now face their own accountability, they may just move on to another source. So, do not take this personally either; they made their choice. You led them to a point where they could choose to make changes or continue the same negative path. If they choose the latter then they no longer “vibe” with you. Only matching vibrations can share the same space.

I know this may sound harsh, and can be a hard habit to break, but you must keep your focus on self and self-heath and self-protection. So here is the fourth Agreement; always do your best. Just do what you can with what you have, but do not self-sacrifice. You are not here to be in service or to be a martyr. You are not here to hand over your power to another person or thing; if anything, you are here to help them understand their own power. Sadly, many people do not want that responsibility, so when you take that power away, they go away to find another power source.

Speaking about the Controllers I alluded to broadening your boundaries, easing up on some of your personal restrictions. On the other hand, placing limitations on yourself can often bring out some of your strengths that you do not even realize you have. By saying “no” you realize that you do have power, it may boost your self-confidence. Telling yourself “no” is the first step in self-discipline toward self-improvement. For example, managing weight, going to the gym, working on your self-image, breaking old habits, or even gaining your own independence rather than relying on some external source. Is that not exactly what you would hope to do for the one you are helping? Mirrors.

Boundaries and limitations are not restrictive, but selective and empowering. They speak to your self-respect and value. They speak to you actually stepping out into your power and what you really desire, to live life by your design and not by default. They are about loving yourself, protecting yourself, honoring your SELF, and becoming the best possible version of yourself. By becoming the best you, you are of more help to others, you send out more positive signals to the Universe which then reciprocates and sends more positive to you. The more you have the more you can share, so fill your cup.

Setting boundaries is not the same thing as building walls or erecting barriers to separate or isolate. Robert Frost wrote in the poem “Mending Wall” that “Good fences make good neighbors.” Boundaries are all about you, setting limits to what you will allow, but also allowing some latitude to others when approaching those boundaries. Boundaries in the right form are actually a mutually beneficial arrangement. You are in control, you set the limits, you set the consequences for violating those limits. This is not control of others, it is about control of your self and your space. It also keeps your space from overlapping into that of other people, and any “good neighbor” will respect the fences you put up.

Articulate you boundaries clearly with no room for assumptions, and reinforce them with actions. Respond, do not react. You might certainly explain the limits you set, but you should never have to defend them. You should never have to apologize or feel guilty about setting healthy boundaries and self-protecting. As Annie Lamott wrote, “’No’ is a complete sentence.” Anyone who wishes to stay in your life, who is part of your tribe, will respect those boundaries. The more someone complains about your boundaries evinces the necessity for those boundaries in the first place.

Setting boundaries is not only healthy and smart, they are necessary. Continue to give, but refuse to be used. Help, but refuse to enable and do what you can to teach; also, be sure to stay in your lane. Love, but refuse to be abused or taken advantage of. Boundaries empower you, they can define you, and enable you to stay on your path free of any external source or influence, positive or negative. A lack of boundaries just invites discourtesy and expectations. Boundaries enable you to more effectively manage your energy and well-being, not to mention your reality.

Look at it this way; by setting boundaries, you are asserting your personal power and setting standards for yourself.

Raise the bar ya’ll.

Until next time...

Steve