Month: March 2016

The Heart Of Magic

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imageMagic is everywhere. It is all around us, in the air we breathe, in the water we drink. It is a living part of each of us, vibrating to the highest level imaginable. It is a wild and joyful energy: Magic is a celebration of life. The intellect has a hard time grasping this, because that is not it’s job. As a teacher, one of the toughest things for me to teach is the nature of magic, because to do that I have to first challenge the illusions a person has about reality itself. Not so easy.

The mind determines our perceptions of reality. Or what we believe reality to be. Beliefs are what create our experiences, whether they are based on truth or not. Take fear, for example. Fear is a belief. People think of it as an emotion, but it is actually a belief. It is an acceptance of an illusion, and by accepting the illusion as real, we lose our power to change it. Magic is an acceptance of a cosmic truth: That we are a part of a vast sentient Universe that sees us, loves us, upholds us. If we KNOW this, FEEL this, fear can gain no foothold within us.

Magic is at the heart of what we are, it is available, waiting to be accessed. But the mind fears it, because the mind is all about control. It attempts to control everything, and it does this through analysis and judgements. It believes it has the final say about what is real, and what is imaginary. Which is ironic, really, because imagination is the gateway to other realities, other dimensions, and the gateway to creativity itself. The capacity to imagine is the gateway to freedom from the limitations of mind.

One of the limitations of mind is it’s fundamental inability to grasp the true nature of Time. This is a big one. ALL TIME IS EXISTING NOW. Time is not linear. Nothing in the Universe is linear. Understanding this is the heart of magic. If we, as spiritual beings, could grasp this then any miracle is possible. Any healing, any demonstration. There is no past. There is no future. All times, all incarnations, are happening now, separated only by vibration and frequency. Knowing this is empowering, freeing, and liberating. It gives us the ability to transcend and transform any present moment earthly reality. Here’s how.

By refusing to accept any negative or harmful experience as true for us, ON A COSMIC LEVEL, we can erase it. We can wipe it out of our experience, on a soul level, as if it has never happened. Refusing to accept it is key. The moment we accept the negative belief the mind hands us as fact, we have lost the opportunity to change it, to heal it, to learn anything at all from the experience. So our first order of business is to repudiate it. Our affirmation might be: ” I reject any appearance of loss, lack, or fear in my life. They have no place in my consciousness. I know I am one with the Divine, which flows like a river of light through me now. I know that in every moment I am being guided and upheld by this unchanging principle, which is Divine Love and Divine Perfection. I claim my rightful place in this magical Universe, and I live as I was always meant to live: Strong, free, and filled with joy. This is the only truth that I accept. All false appearances that are contrary to this truth are now released, through my word. I am blessed with a perfect demonstration now.”

** A word here about “erasing” things like  death, aging, or trauma. How can we erase the death of a loved one, as if it had never happened, for instance? When I say we can wipe it out of our experience, what this means is that our healing becomes about a deeper understanding about what we are, and what our loved one is. Eternal. We are not this body. There is no death of the soul. The body can age, become injured, suffer abuse or trauma. The body dies. None of this touches the divinity within us. Tapping into this divinity allows us to heal the grief of loss, the shock of trauma, and the physical manifestation of illness or injury. It is no longer in existence as a part of the soul’s experience. That is what alchemy means. We have taken a negative and painful experience and transformed it into something entirely different. The soul is eternal, as is love. The bonds of love that connect us continue, they are unbreakable.

There is only one fact worth believing, and that is this: We live in a magical Universe. Magic is real. Miracles happen every day. We can have everything we imagine. We just need to restore the mind to it’s rightful place as a valued servant, rather than the bully and tyrant it can become, without supervision. We need to engage and empower the Right brain, the seat of imagination and creativity. This is the heart of magic. Live in the Eternal Now, reclaiming your birthright as a child of the Universe, a being of immense power, immense love. Accept the truth of who you are. Surround yourself with people who get you, and who embrace their own magic, as well. There is no place in our experience for the negative, or for fear. There is only this: Love. Magic. Miracles. Truth. Freedom. Blessings, Judith

The March 23rd Full Moon: Entering the Wood Element

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In Chinese Medicine 5-Element Theory, the Wood Element is comprised of the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. Each element has a season, a sound, a taste, a color, associated with it. The season of the Wood Element is spring. The Wood Element has to do with choices, decisions, movement forward, and time. If we feel stuck in the past, or long for the future, if we are in any moment other than the present, that can be indicative of an imbalance in the Wood Element.

This month’s Full Moon ushers in the beginning of Spring, and has a number of very powerful aspects. The Sun at 3 degrees of Aries is Conjunct to Mercury at almost 2 degrees of Aries. Both are opposing the Moon at 3 degrees of Libra. Both are trine Mars at 5 degrees of Sagittarius, a very fiery combination. Mars actually helps balance this Full Moon, as a harmonizer. It not only Trines the Sun and Mercury conjunction, as I said, it also sextiles the Libra Moon, supporting it. Since the Moon represents the feelings, emotions, and the subconscious mind, having Mercury in opposition can make expressing how we feel more difficult. ( Mercury being the planet the rules the conscious mind and communication. ) Having Mars, the planet of courage and passion, play a supporting role here gives us the courage to stand in our truth, while helping us to move forward, to get unstuck.

Jupiter and Saturn, in the meantime, continue the Square aspect to each other that they have been making, contributing to ambivalence globally and personally. Jupiter is the planet of optimism and expansion. Saturn is the planet of discipline and patience. Jupiter can be overly optimistic, while Saturn can be overly pessimistic. If we look at the volatility of the stock markets lately, all around the world, we see these two driving it, with what some people feel is an unrealistic situation waiting for a correction downwards. On a human level we see these two planets represented politically, Jupiter representing benevolence and kindness, which Democrats have always stood for, and Saturn representing resistance and obstructionism, which Republicans and Conservatives have come to stand for. This Square, more than any other aspect, represents the opposing  dynamics playing out in this country.

On an individual level, this Square can bring up to the consciousness any conflicting beliefs within the self. Jupiter is at 16 degrees of Virgo, the sign of the analyst and perfectionist. Saturn is at 16 degrees of Sagittarius, the sign of the philosopher and teacher. Here, we can either tap into the teacher within, or the perfectionist. In reality we always need to be humble to learn. If you need to be right all the time, you become unteachable. Perfection is a dead, static state. Nothing in the Universe is perfect, as that word implies completion, while all living things are ever evolving. In motion. Moving. Which brings us back to the Wood Element.

This Full Moon, called the Crow Moon by some Native tribes, can be a time of liberation if we let it be. We can free ourselves from the prison of perfectionism and fear. We can make decisions that move us away from the past, and it’s hold on us, and away from the fantasy worlds of some future time not yet in existence. Louise Hay famously wrote: ” Your point of power is always in the present moment”. So true. The springtime always ushers in new growth, tender green shoots coming up out of the ground after a long winter. It is a time of awakening. A quickening of the spirit. May we seize this moment, allowing the quickening of our Souls connection to All That Is. May we embrace the Wood Element, and the opportunities for new growth that it offers us. I have a sign in my office that inspires me, that says: ” Change is inevitable. Struggle is an option”. May I always, in every moment, embrace and accept change with grace. Blessings, Judith

 

Evolution vs Revolution

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imageThere is a crossroads coming up for humanity now, a drama playing itself out on the world stage in the form of beliefs and ideologies. We see it globally and at home in the U.S., with political campaigns calling for extreme change, religious zealots trying to undermine the constitution, and the rampant obstructionism happening in our Congress. This can be extremely distressing to awake and aware souls, and I’ve had a number of clients and friends ask me about what’s going on. Here’s how I see it.

First, let’s look at the dictionary and the definition of revolution and evolution, starting with revolution. Revolution: noun. 1. An overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed. 2. A radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence.

Evolution: noun. 1. A process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage, ( especially a more advanced or mature stage.) 2. Any process of formation or growth; developement. 3. A process of gradual, progressive change and developement, as in a social or economic structure. 4. Social evolution: noun. Sociology: 1. The gradual development of society and social forms, institutions, etc., usually through a series of peaceful stages.

I think it’s obvious that the energy and vibration of these two concepts are vastly different. What I see happening on the political stage ( and, yes, it is very much a stage), is the tapping into the fear, grief, and anger many people are feeling about their circumstances. I also see a conscious manipulation of those emotions. For me, as a Medicine Woman, manipulation of people’s emotions, their pain, their vulnerabilities, is a form of black magic. It is the lowest vibration a soul can sink to. I believe that is why we are seeing such hatred, racism and violence at Donald Trump rallies. He is clearly personality disordered, ( Narcisstic Personality Disorder), diagnosed by a number of mental health practioners. His dangerous rhetoric is fueling the actions of his supporters, many of them racists and white supremacists. His cry of ” make America great again” is a thinly veiled appeal to those who miss the 50’s, a time of racial inequality and misogyny. What he is really saying is ” make America white again.” If you look at his rallies you see a sea of white faces. ( Angry white faces.) No people of color.

Then we have Senator Sanders, tapping into the collective frustration of the vanishing middle class, and college kids saddled with debt from student loans. He has been an Independent and Socialist his whole life, deciding to run for president as a Democrat in 2015. He knew he would have no chance running as a third-party candidate. He is also calling for a revolution. Some of his supporters can also be rabid and ugly.

What people aren’t seeing is that the only thing that works to effect change in the world is the individual evolution of one’s own consciousness. By raising our consciousness to one of compassion for others, we can change the world. Dr. Martin Luther King taught us that. We can come together, we can stand with each other, we can march, we can protest, and have all of that come from love. It can be peaceful. Evolution is  always peaceful,  revolution never is. And it never lasts. It shatters the existing structures, but that’s all it does. Revolution is about tearing down. Evolution is about evolving existing structures into something stronger and better. Evolution is about transformation.

I love music, and the lyrics to the Beatles song ” Revolution” comes to mind. Some of them are: ” You say you want a revolution, well, you know… We all want to change the world. You tell me that it’s evolution, well, you know… We all want to change the world. But when you talk about destruction, don’t you know that you can count me out. …. You say you’ve got a real solution, well, you know.. We’d all love to see the plan. You ask me for a contribution, well, you know, we’re doing what we can. You tell me it’s the institution, well, you know, you better free your mind instead. ” Brilliant.

I understand that we want things to change, and that we want those changes to happen NOW! We have to remember that we can’t force people to evolve, we can’t cancel out anyone’s Karma. We can’t force people to be kind, or to have compassion for others. That’s why revolution never works. It’s about force. It’s about attempting to drag one level of fear and hate-based humans somewhere they have no interest in going. Republicans understand this very well. They win elections by telling people they don’t have to change. They oppose change, growth, and progress. They have turned the word ” progressive” into a slur. Strange, when you think about evolution as the progress and growth of the soul.  Think about the things Republicans are opposing: Health care for all, as a basic human right. Equal pay for women. Civil rights. Reproductive freedom for women. Clean water and clean air. Protecting the environment. Progress. All, while having no problem invading and bombing other countries. Presidential candidate Ted Cruz said about bombing countries in the Middle East ” When I’m president we’re going to see if we can make sand glow in the dark”. Disgusting.

I’m not interested in attempting to teach the unteachable. I’m interested in inspiring people who choose to live from heart, compassion, and kindness to believe that by healing ourselves, we can save the planet. By raising our own consciousness, we become a living lighthouse for those around us. By using the time-honored traditions of AA, ” Sharing our experience, strength, and hope” with those that want it. Not proselytizing or preaching, not fomenting, not encouraging others to perceive themselves as victims. Rather, to invite that rising up in consciousness that is possible for all of us. That’s what evolution represents. Evolution is contagious. When we rise up into the glory within us, we hold a space for others to do the same.

The last line of the Beatles song is:” Don’t you know it’s gonna be alright. All right, all right. All right, all right.” It will be, if we each change what we can, and that is all we can do. We don’t need a revolution. We need evolution, and we need to start with ourselves, and let it go out into the world. One soul at a time. Starting with us. Blessings, Judith