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January 2017

Happy Chinese New Year!

The Rooster’s Personality

The Great Year of the Chinese zodiac consists of one year for each of the twelve signs. 2017 is the year of the Rooster, considered to be honorable and upstanding.

Roosters, Chinese astrology describes you as resilient, brave, loyal, a hard worker, astute, a fashionable dresser, charming and witty. Complex, creative and artistic, you are drawn to religious and spiritual studies, especially regarding healing. Problem solving is your special talent.

The Rooster animal from the Chinese astrology is said to correspond with the western sign of Virgo. The Rooster is often associated with the Sun since it crows at dawn. The Sun is the “king” of our solar system and the giver of light, heat and life. The Rooster is also a “king” in his proud mannerisms – and remember his comb is a built-in crown! Thus the Rooster conveys the impression of leadership, of high attainment (especially in the arts and sciences), of exalted character and enlightened insight. In some representations of the Sun the Chinese will place a Rooster. Among the virtues assigned to this sign you will also find high skills in management and sedate deportment.

Roosters are alert to opportunities, and often can see far into the distant horizon for chances to show their leadership abilities. And as leaders Roosters can be self-less in that they will never ask more from others than they themselves are willing to give. While Rooster employers can be hard task-masters, they always have the well being of their employees at heart – even if their only goal is advancement of their personal business interests!

Roosters are extremely confident in their abilities, and like to crow about it to others. While being aware of your own ability is one thing, constantly parading your achievements in front of others can become irritating. But irritation rarely stops (or slows down) a Rooster – they are only interested in getting on with things!

Rooster natives enjoy display, and are often the life of the party in both appearance and behavior. They relish celebrations of all sorts, and frequently act as hosts since their success in business brings them a measure of prosperity. Roosters strive to always win, and often do, both at work and at play.

The best time of day for Roosters is dusk (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM) when they can rest after a long day of exercising leadership and displaying themselves. Similarly, they prefer the later months of the year, when the Sun sets early and the grain has been harvested. This is the time when the Rooster can re-energize before beginning another busy day.

General Predictions For The Year Of The Rooster 2017

January 28, 2017 to February 15, 2018 is marked in the lunar calendar as the Year of the Fire Rooster, a period when the fiery temperament of the Rooster is expected to infuse more enthusiasm and energy into our activities, increasing hopes for better prospects for everyone. How will the Rooster year compare to the previous year of the Monkey?

2016, the year of the Fire Monkey, has been marked by ambition, dynamism and a thirst for adventure, as we had noted.

However, in 2017, we need to brace ourselves for a period of immense changes. Fire destroys Metal, and this destructive relationship means challenges double during the year. Yet, the Fire Rooster shines like a bright star in the dark sky, bringing hope and transformation to those who know how to act harmoniously around prevailing circumstances.

Consider a Rooster in a barnyard, protecting his hens and strutting his stuff- feathers puffed up, head high and extremely proud of his flock. Well, that’s about it. The Year of the Rooster will be a year that the most vital promise made will result in a flawless job no matter what it takes to achieve it. It will be a year when it is truly better to do less, but do it perfectly.

Perched precariously out on a limb, the Rooster is a cheerful and buoyant early bird. A Don Quixote who is tempted by the spirit of adventure, he can bring a few wild goose chases that don’t quite work out. Independence and equality will characterize relationships. Very dramatic theatrical presentations, books and movies will honor the classics. Old stories are retold and appreciated. Too much eccentricity and originality is met with suspect.

Roosters are brave and chivalrous and, when faced with stress, opposition and adversity, will go far beyond what is required to win the battle. The stubborn Rooster will be a dauntless hero who will not back down and who will certainly be unreasonable if he doesn’t get his way.

The year of the Rooster teaches the lessons of order, scrutiny and strategic planning. The sage advice of Sun-Zi which is still taught in modern military circles, advises one to “achieve psychological advantage over the adversary and use force only as a last resort.” I think we can all take heart of that advice in 2017, the year when diplomacy wins!

Rooster is a very fertile bird. Therefore, the chinese horoscope 201 prophesizes to be just as such. You can expect a pleasant addition to your household. In case you are still single, this will be the best time to find the love of your life and form a family of your own, writes Valery Ledovsky. There will be an abundance of romantic dates in the upcoming year of the Rooster.

Roosters are also communal birds. That is why year of the Rooster 2017 predictions promises to be a lucky one for joint ventures, notes the chinese predictions. The chinese horoscope 2017 suggests signing as many business contracts as possible and form new partnerships in the upcoming year. Your circle of friends will definitely expand next year. However, no matter the business, family interests should always come first!

The rooster is the first creature to awake in the morning and wakes up the others with crowing. Time to get up and get on with it, the rooster personality is up-front and focused. Their forthright nature will not make Roosters the best diplomats, however, you can count on their thorough approach and attention to detail to get the job done. We associate the qualities of sharpness and precision with the qi (energy) of the rooster, as its essence is the metal element. In a Rooster year, we will hear more cutting criticisms of those in the public life and feathers might well fly as prides are dented, nevertheless all will benefit from the rude awakening. Despite a fuss and a flap we can expect to prudence to be the key in economic matters for the Rooster is a good money manager.

The optimism of the Rooster year overlaps the Year of the Rooster, but the Rooster tends to be overconfident and is prone to come up with nonsensical plans. While the colorful Rooster brings bright and happy days, he also dissipates energy. Better stick to practical and well-proven paths. Forget about that controversial best seller you were going to write. No get rich quick schemes this year, please!”

The 2017 Chinese zodiac forecasts that it may require a great deal of effort this year to resist going off on wild goose chases. Refrains from making speculative ventures. Disappointments and conflicts will result.

The Rooster likes to flaunt his authority and a lot of trouble can come from his domineering attitude. But since he also symbolizes the good administrator and conscientious overseer of justice in the barnyard, the peace wil still be kept. Everything will be precariously balanced in the Rooster’s year, as his dramatic personality can set off all kinds of petty disputes.

This year we may have to expend maximum effort for minimum gain. Try not to fuss too much. Details do need looking into, but don’t forget to view the whole picture. Be cautious. Do not aim too high. One is liable to get shot down.

General confidence may lead to new and daring ventures. The year of the Rooster 2017 heralds happiness, color and drama, but this has to be balanced with good old fashioned common sense and tried and tested values. Otherwise it could end up becoming a wild goose chase. Conflicts may come up but will dissipate if we put ourselves in each others shoes, otherwise, the administrator can turn dictator, which may not go over very well in the barnyard.

The motto for the year of the Rooster 2017 should be Kiss Keep It Simple and dont take offense at the slightest provocation. Theres a Chinese saying, If you take a step back, you will find the sea and the sky is boundless. Remember, good values never go out of style, no matter how hard it may seem to apply them. He who dares will have plenty to crow about in the end, with the pockets none too light at that – a perfect challenge for the rooster in all of us.

In the year of the Rooster 2017, we will hear more cutting criticisms of those in the public life and feathers might well fly as prides are dented, nevertheless all will benefit from the rude awakening. Despite a fuss and a flap we can expect the prudence to be the key in economic matters for the Rooster is a good money manager.

Chinese astrologers predict that this unfolding Rooster Year will be all about family and the domestic life, as well as fertility (plenty new children on the way this year).

The Rooster is proud of his appearance. In the Year of the Rooster 2017 invest in some really nice wardrobe items to make the best impression and be very well groomed in public. Medical advances are likely, old drugs and medicines will be rejected in favor of improved alternatives. Herbs, vitamins and yoga practices, consumption of health foods as well as the rejection of smoking and alcohol abuse continues to be a preference for more and more people.

In the year of the Rooster 2017, it is timely to go on a liver cleanse, persevere against the odds, dress like a dandy. It’s the year to chase windmills, for Rooster “is the Don Quixote of the Chinese Cycle . . . the most misunderstood and eccentric of all the signs.

Controversy abounds in a Rooster year, and in an entertaining way. Yet money matters do well in a Rooster year- Rooster knows how to create a budget and make everyone stick to it. Rooster years are not made for gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow dreams. Don’t reach for the sky, come down to earth and dig up gold from your back yard, advise you the Chinese horoscope 2017.

Politically, the Year of the Rooster 2017 it is a year when most nations will adhere to hard-line policies. Governments around the world will puff up like the Rooster, flexing muscles and making threats but probably not following through unless faced with no other solution.

Most nations will be most concerned with protecting the homeland and, unfortunately, it will be a year when most leaders and countrymen will take offense over the smallest thing.

The United States of America was born under the sign Cancer and during the Year of the Monkey, making this a more moderate and stable time to pursue what it has set out to do. It will be an exhausting year for the U.S., ending with commitments that will have to be fulfilled. The Year of the Rooster 2017 is a year when the U.S. must not underestimate its opponents.

Canada, also being born under the sign Cancer but during the Year of the Rabbit, is heading into a difficult time as the economy tightens and funds dwindle. This is truly a time to join forces with others to ease the stress.

The United Kingdom is a Capricorn/Monkey so, therefore, will continue to side with the U.S. They will find this a rather exhausting and perilous year on the home front.

The Year Of The Phoenix 2017
year of phoenix 2017Sometimes the year of the Rooster is translated as the year of the Phoenix or the year of the Chicken. Phoenix is used because it is a more spiritual translation with the potential for personal evolution. Should the spiritual journey of transformation become too challenging in 2017, then you revert to the role of rooster or chicken; resisting change, and scratching and pecking for every grub and worm. So strive to keep your beak to the wind and consciously seek ways to grow and transform.

But facing your fears to be reborn is not always easy. Therefore, the year of the Phoenix 2017 is a time of conscientiousness, hard work, discipline, and a realistic outlook. Practical endeavors succeed. Nonsensical plans do not. Be a bit frugal financially, and refrain from complaining. Choose your battles wisely because there could be much crowing and pecking this year. Keep to the high ground and do not engage in petty arguments. Keep life simple.

Those born in Phoenix years (1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017) are sharp people who are equipped with keen judgment and a quick wit. Phoenixes are so smart and flexible that they can be thrown into any situation on a moment’s notice and emerge a winner. They can predict the direction of any circumstance and act accordingly; they are great schemers and planners. Phoenixes are different, unique, and stand out in a crowd. They often make personal fashion statements and love to exhibit their plumage. Phoenix folks take pride in working hard and following the rules. They don’t waste time – or money – and can be contemptuous of those who do. They are perfectionists who care what other people think, and they want to be praised for doing a splendid job. But if their work ethic is taken to the extreme, they can become fussy, critical, and controlling. Phoenixes benefit by holding back their criticisms, not judging too hastily, and releasing the desire to dominate others and always be in the right.

If spiritually inclined, Phoenix people can develop prophetic abilities. The highest manifestation of the Phoenix individual is to become like a Phoenix, the mystical bird that epitomizes grace and beauty. Just as the Phoenix rose from the ashes to create new life, the mystically inclined Phoenix can overcome all obstacles and create opportunities for new beginnings. The choice is yours.

Chinese Horoscope 2017 – Chinese New Year Of The Rooster 2017

January 29, 2017 0 comment

Astrologically Speaking

New Moon in Aquarius

written by Superhero Sis

We the people.

We the people are finding ways forward, together. We the people are rising up in protest and in protection of one another. We the people can keep calling each other in, to gather, to grow and to learn. We the people gain strength each time we dismantle the ways our privilege plays into our compliance with the systems that cause harm.

We the people can come to understand that our point of privilege is also our point of entry. Our invitation into inquiry. It is the place from which we can get curious instead of frozen in shame. It is the point where we can volunteer ourselves to receive an education instead of becoming more defended in ignorance. It is the point at which we can reach deep down and liberate ourselves from the complacency that privilege produces so that we can access the energy that is available when we choose real freedom over a false sense of importance.

On Friday, January 27th, the new moon in Aquarius will occur at 4:07 PM PT. We the people, the whole of humanity, is what Aquarius is interested in.

Liberation is the libation that Aquarius pours forth. But there is no feel-good phenomena that Aquarius selling. The sign symbolized by the water-bearer is often thought of as a water sign, but Aquarius is an air sign all the way. Aquarius deals in intellect. Aquarius is a visionary. It has insight. Foresight. Aquarius is able to see what others cannot: the bigger picture. The systems we are situated in. The way the entirety of a thing works. Aquarius thinks outside of itself and is perpetually asking, what about everyone else? Who is not here and why might that be? How can this include those that are marginalized, made invisible or left out of the equation?

This new moon is the Imbolc moon. Imbolc is a cross-quarter day, a day in between the solstice and the equinox. Imbolc is a traditional Gaelic festival that marks the stirrings of spring. From deep within the frozen earth new life is emerging. Imbolc is thought to mean “in the belly,” celebrating the life that invisibly starts in the womb. It is a time when the goddess, Brigid, is celebrated and asked to enter into people’s homes so they may receive her blessing. It is a time to offer her food and drink, a bed to sleep on and to hang cloth outside our doors for her to bless. A time to visit a sacred well, pray for health and leave an offering. A time to light candles, have a bonfire and call in the warmth and light of a new season.

This is a time to ask for assistance from the forces of nature that we live within. A time to offer what we have without expectation of what we will receive. This is a time where we ask to be purified by the waters that are thawing and by the promise of new life, a time to be purged of what has is no longer logical, useful or working.

The waters that Aquarius pours forth are cleansing and refreshing. They bring with them the good fortune of washing away the old and outdated ways of thinking to make way for new and innovative modes of understanding. Many cultural practices the world over ask us to pour libation as a ritual offering to the Divine, to the earth, to the ancestors and to awaken a particular spirit for assistance.

Offerings are essential in any interaction. When we need help we seek out a professional’s expertise and we offer something in return for their service. When we receive wisdom from another, we should offer recognition for their labour. When we receive healing through another that shares their experience with us, we should offer, at the very least, our gratitude. An offering is an act of recognition. An act of humility. An act of honoring the efforts of each other.

One of the main doctrines of privilege is that those that have it can take what they like from whomever they’d like to without ever acknowledging that they did. Privilege promises that its benefactors need never need say thank you for the labour, the love, the live’s sacrificed for its own power or comfort. White supremacy, in particular, creates hostile fragility, the kind that is so spiritually malnourished it knows not of a thank you, it knows not of an offering, it knows not of gratitude.

It knows no libation.

May we use this new moon as an offering. An offering of gratitude for the benefits that we have received from the intellectual, emotional and spiritual labour of others. May we use this new moon to recognize what we usually take for granted. May we use this new moon to pour ourselves forward, in gratitude, in whatever way we need to, and may we be cleansed of the notion that we will ever be finished doing so.

New moon blessings,

Chani

We The People: Tomorrow’s New Moon in Aquarius

January 28, 2017 0 comment

Mother Earth Tin-Can Jim

“The Point of Vanishing” book review

written by Tin-Can Jim

A memoir by David Axelrod.

Have you ever felt a need for some extended time away, a time to disconnect, time alone, time to get back to the natural world? Has all the hustle, the noise, the speed of modernity, the pressures of relationships and commitments that come along with them, made you wonder what life would be like to tune it all out? Has ever a single instance in your life made you question your place in the world? Howard Axelrod did, and in his first book, published by Beacon Press, he magnificently leads the reader through his story of loss, disengagement, connection and self discovery that very well may change the way you look at your own life.

This book is about vision, the physical properties of vision, how we see the world, how we perceive ourselves and how we may be perceived by others. Axlerod’s starts literally to see things differently, and it all happened in one instant, in a one-in-a-million freak accident. But it is a fact that one in a million freak accidents happen all the time….

Axelrod was a junior at Harvard University when his life pivoted. He was a smart, sensitive, athletic, well liked academic, with a love of literature. He was raised in a loving Jewish New England family by successful academic parents, and with a older brother who was, at the time, attending med school. As he describes it, he had ‘an all American life’. An innocent pickup game of basketball in the university gym changed his life. He describes how during the game a frantic scrum broke out to get a loose rebound. A teammate’s finger accidentally went deep into his right eye-socket. It severed his optic nerve behind his eyeball and left him permanently blind in that eye. Thus begins a story of Howard Axelrod’s seeing the world differently.

This is a story that deals as much with the young author’s loss of binocular vision as it does with the delicate intricacies of how he found a purpose to his life. It jumps between the accident, its aftermath and his two years of living alone in the back mountain woods of Vermont. He describes, vividly and poetically, his solitary time in the Vermont woods and the events that lead him to this very unorthodox lifestyle.

His time living in the White Mts. is spent with very little human contact, with no cell phone, computer or TV. Most of the book’s pages that describe his time in the woods are dedicated to the Winter months, a time when his sense of solitude was at it’s greatest. His vivid descriptions of the quiet, the stark richness and of the oneness he felt with the natural world are intoxicating. He takes the reader on his daily walks through the forests. often with snow shoes on. You are carried along, lost in the woods during a brutal snow squall. You sit with a penetrating loneliness while gazing into a fire. Axelrod takes you into his time; a time where the only clock that matters are the natural rhythms of the sun, the stars, the moon and of the changing of the seasons.

Axelrod’s story also goes in depth about his relationship with his family, with close college friends and with a woman and kindred spirit that he meets and falls in love with in Italy after winning a scholarship to live there for a year. It is a story about relationships as much as it is about solitude. It is about how our relationships cannot be defined by mere words alone, and yet they can very much help us define who we are. It is a book suggesting that to discover what is important in life, sometimes we must be willing to step away from the norm, to be brave enough to reach ‘a point of vanishing’.

I felt while reading this book that the author honestly let me into his mind and allowed me to go on his journey of discovery with him. It is a quick paced narrative as much as it is philosophical treaty. He writes with artistry, using powerful, creative metaphors and beautifully crafted sentences. Axelrod’s authenticity, humor and deep emotional sensitivity comes shining through in this book. He reminds us of the nebulous nature of life, of how we each have to deal with loss and with change on our own terms.

Tin-Can Jim

January 24, 2017 1 comment

Human Evolution Mother Earth Power & Politics Superhero Sis

Freewill leads to CHOICE!

written by Superhero Sis

I am inspired by Shal-Om’s last post and would like to share my opinions about the belief patterns of humanity, through religions, governments, education and media that had successfully shut down the minds of a great many people, including myself until NOW!

What helped me out of the fog? For me, after years of being raised in an organized religion, that indoctrinated me in the belief that God was a judgmental force, who would send me to hell because I was a sinner, I eventually came to see the lie I was being fed. As a child, I was ordered to kneel in a confessional every other week to confess my sins, to a ‘go-between’ me and God. As a naive and innocent child, that equated to believing I was innately no good and that I had no direct connection to God.

I’m not saying that everyone’s experience was as crippling as mine but as a super sensitive child, having to go behind a black curtain, and speak to a dark screen instilled more shame for me, especially since I didn’t know what I had done that was sinful, but I had to have done something awful to have God think so poorly of me. I was a child, I didn’t argue and I didn’t know better.

I would think and think and think to try to confess what made me a sinner. During me week I would watch every step I took as child, wondering if that there was a sin… my foot just hit the side of a flower petal on the way out the door, was that bad? Am I sinner? My poor innocent mind was always looking for the proof that made them right. In the end, I was forced to confess about my shoe hitting the flower petal, and if I couldn’t find a wrong in those two weeks, I would end up making myself a sinner by lying because they needed proof, and I was responsible for that proof. At times, I was forced to make something up, which also made me feel awful because now I was even a bigger SINNER because now I was a liar and, that was one of the commandments! For sure I was going to hell! I’d confess and then be sent on my way to do my pennants, kneeling before Christ, who was nailed to a cross with blood coming out of his hands and ankles. The images and the messages for me were fear based, controlling. Not empowering.

Thankfully later in life the book ” Autobiography of a Yogi” was given to me and I came to understand I had been lied to. I felt like somebody had hit me over the head with a brick when I read that book because I had been so conditioned by religion and those around me, to believe I was powerless and that I had no direct connection to God. Paramahansa Yogananda let the “cat out of the bag” so to speak and I came to understand that GOD or as I like to say DIVINITY resided within me! Not out in the sky looming over me like some dark cloud that was punishing me. Lucky me, I got to do some serious work taking down a fortress of misconceptions having developed an ego built on pummeling myself constantly with negative self talk. I learned to deny my instincts and put beliefs that were in direct oppositions of my mind, body and spirit in place to operate in the world I was told was true.

Saying something is true, does not make it true! I may have not known that as a child even though everything in my body was telling me something wasn’t right but today I know what’s true for me. Sadly, many adults don’t understand that they have choice and that they need to determine what’s true for them, just as Shal-Om Shaman showed us in her own unique journey, in coming to understand and open to her Divine nature. She determined what was true for HER and you can FEEL it.
Yogananda opened up my world. I learned all of the techniques around his Science of Religion. Yes, it destroyed my Western dream that I had created based on my false beliefs. None of the changes I made were easy but well worth every bit of wisdom I now possess. From there, I came to travel with shamans all over the world, who opened my eyes to mysticism and the native american ways. Teachers, workshops, conferences and books were all doorways I walked through to learn more.

In the end, what I felt when I spent time in nature; both on land and in water, was the most immediate and profound connection to my own Divine nature. I came to understand why we call her MOTHER NATURE and why we refer to earth as our Mother. She constantly opens me deeply to my own nature every time I’m with her. That is why I choose to live in the mountains and to be close to the ocean as there’s no greater and constant reflection of LOVE, STILLNESS and a radiating presence of ONENESS that natures provides to every one, no matter who they are, or what religion they identify with.

In conclusion, I believe that; media, many religions and our own government, have failed to include the DIVINE connection we each have within us, as the liberating force to our own personal freedom. They have made themselves out to be SUPERIOR and in an OWNERSHIP position of this planet and its people. I bought into their concept of an “unknowable God” and was held hostage, to the manipulation until I connected to the greater aspect within me: my Divine connection. The “powers that be” who want to: distract, control, pollute the people and planet while robbing the earth of its minerals, while keeping people busy doing, and in fear CANNOT WIN because of one ingredient within the Universal Law which is FREEWILL.

I am here to say it’s your CHOICE, or the responsibility of your decision to choose to change this experience. I used my FREEWILL to choose a direct connection with the DIVINITY WITHIN me. In developing AWARENESS and becoming an OBSERVER of my experience, I came to SEE what was FALSE for me, in order to CHANGE my life. I AM NO LONGER A VICTIM and therefore, as a collective representation of the consciousness of the beings on this planet, I invite everyone to CHOOSE to become FREE. Put your focus on the things you care about and not on fear based media. Join forces with people like us here at The IO. We choose where we invest our time, our energy, and our focus dependent upon our VALUES. Those of us here at The Intuitive Observer are a part of creating a New Paradigm here on earth by speaking out in the heart of: kindness and love for ALL of humanity, including the earth and all its inhabitants. Where’s your freewill invested? It’s your choice.

In Love,
Superhero Sis

January 24, 2017 3 comments

Human Evolution Shal-OM Shaman

Christ Consciousness? Enlightenment?

written by Shal-OM Shaman

I am a Jew. I was born in this lifetime as a child of a Holocaust Survivor, Freedom Fighter for the State of Israel and Pioneer of Jewish Education and Synagogue life. I love Judaism. I have complete honor and respect for the teachings, traditions and many of the rituals that have been passed down for thousands of years. No, I have not become a “Christian”… and, of course, this essay is not about convincing anyone to believe anything new, it is only a way of expressing the understanding of what I feel it to be the new truth and way of viewing the world, and for me, a different perspective and understanding.

If you know me personally, the idea that I am presenting may shock you that I am even writing or talking about it, because this thought process goes against everything I have been programed to believe, but, please, read and see that I am the same person that you all love (as I hope and pray). It is just that my inner being has been expanded with more knowledge and understanding, and I am now exploring and sharing the possibilities of this revelation with new thoughts and wisdom.

As a Jew growing up in America, I was always told that Jesus was a person of high ideals and we should not believe in his existence as a “godly” being, only that he was a good person. “ Jesus is not the son of God”, my parents, family and peers would say. “He was an exceptional human being that started a religion”. I do not know, even today, if he was the “son” of God, (although I believe we all are sons and daughters of God, but that is another essay, in time), I do believe though, that he was created in the image of God, like all of us are, and that he was a LIGHT onto this earth to lead the way of our own awakening. To many millions of people, Jesus demonstrated and exemplified how to live a life full of unconditional LOVE, kindness and compassion towards others. And, if that is what he was about in his pure essence, I want to walk like him as well. Not so much in a religious context, but as a holy person on this earth and through my relationships with others.

I have studied the five books of Moses (the Torah) extensively and for many years. It has brought me beautiful, unforeseen wisdom. I have not studied the “New Testament” or the scriptures. Nor have I delved into the any of the teachings of Jesus and his disciples. I do not have any propensity to do so. To me, that is not what Christ Consciousness is all about, although many people may feel it is necessary to study and learn the writings of this period of time and his teachings. I know, within myself, only that I want to live an “enlightened “life. I will explain…

I believe that Christ Consciousness is the “idea” that Jesus Christ, and MANY OTHERS before us, have embodied what we are all moving towards in the present time and for the future, (the new age of Aquarius)… becoming light energy beings on this planet.

Jesus wasn’t the only one to exemplify this type of soul-being of pure light. Like him, Moses, Muhammad, Buddha, and many more recent gurus, messengers and mystics such as Mahatma Ghandi, The Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, Amma, Yogananda and more have lead the way for our extraordinary human evolution.

How do we embody their essence in ourselves today? We must choose to live the life that they each embodied. We strive to do our best to be more conscious of our whole selves and the actions that we take as we move in the direction of clarity, openness, honesty, beauty, authenticity, light and love. Our hearts and purpose are to be in service everyday in order to lift the vibration of the human race, so we can all be in serenity and peace one day.

I practice yoga regularly, I lay in Savasana at the end of my yoga class, I meditate and I say Namaste (my inner light acknowledges your inner light) and I bow my head and hold my hands in prayer along with my yoga instructor. I hear the beautiful poetry of Rumi, Buddha and other authors and listen to the words of the Sutras, which is the wisdom of Buddhism, Do I consider myself a Buddhist?

I participate and facilitate workshops on the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine energies coming together as one, as taught through the stories of Shakti and Shiva and the fascinating and relevant stories of the many God’s and Goddesses in the Hindu belief system, I chant Kirtan music and participate in vibrational sound healing with Tibetan bowls and Gongs, Do I consider myself a Hindu?

I have close friends from Africa and New Zealand who have different spiritual traditions that I explore with love, and enjoy participating in the practices and rituals. Do I consider myself a mystical tribe member of their culture?

In my experience, I have learned that we are not “religion”. Religion has been a useful tool, a means of moving us in the direction of what we truly are today and are here to become. The beautiful traditions and rituals of each religion help us, at times, to see and become more light. They have reminded us that there is a God, a higher source in our universe, and that we are created in the image of that power and are here for the highest calling of our being as one within our selves and one with each other. I am grateful for these souls who have come before me, I am also thankful for the Angels in the Heavens that guide me, Mother Earth resting below me, and the vast sky souring above me. I make choices everyday and sometimes, they are in the best interest of myself, and sometimes, they are in the best interest of others. I live the best way I know how. That is my Consciousness. I may not be perfect in the way you see me, with my frailties and faults, but I know who I am and I am love.

Do we need to call it Christ Consciousness? Not sure if that is necessary. It seems to be enlightenment and consciousness for ALL. Did Jesus, Moses, Buddha and many others show us the way? Yes, … much gratitude and humble appreciation to them all. We are now stepping into a new paradigm of Love. Here’s to 2017 and all the beautiful spirit and light it brings to us everyday.

The Shal-Om Shaman

January 20, 2017 3 comments

Human Evolution Love & Relationships Power & Politics Tin-Can Jim

A Case for PEACE

written by Tin-Can Jim

On Dec. 6th President Obama gave a foreign policy speech at MacDill Air Force base in Florida. At one point in the speech he said,
“…I will become the first President of the United States to serve two full terms during a time of war.”
After which there was a great applause from the audience.
I thought to myself , Wow, we’ve reached the point now where people are applauding the state of perpetual war.
I also asked myself, what if the president would have had a legitimate right to say, and could have said, something like, “I’m the only two term President not to be involved in any wars.” What kind of response would that have drawn? A thunderous cascade of clapping hands? A patronizing spattering of claps? Complete silence? It’s hard for me to even guess what kind of response a statement like that would elicit now, though I would hope, in the best of worlds, it would be the former. I have hope that a day will come when a future president can say that.
Put in simple terms, The USA is only a group of human beings living on a relatively small plot of land, sandwiched between two great oceans. But what makes us such a tribe of war makers? Why have we become so callused, so conditioned, so ambivalent towards war? War seems to be almost a national routine of ours, just another one of life’s ongoing banalities. Wouldn’t it be wise to take a closer look? Shouldn’t the realities of this nation’s purposeful killing of other people in other lands make us take a closer look at ourselves?
I believe that if I were to ask individual Americans, one on one, if they thought of themselves as ‘peaceful’, they would overwhelmingly say, ‘Yes, I am a peaceful person.’ Maybe it is because we have been programmed to believe that that is in fact the case. But our collective actions would surly tell a different story. If we were truly a nation of peace loving people, why are we so quick, and why are we so enthusiastic about making war? Remember the sea of American flags, the fever and pride that was on display around the country before and during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why didn’t all those thunderous fighter-jet fly-overs before football games induce any terror in us? Shouldn’t they have? Why can’t we imagine what it would feel like if those same killing machines were flying towards us with the intentions of bringing death and destruction to our families and our communities? What were these machines built for?
At last count the USA is making war in seven different countries around the world. We sell more weapons to other counties than any other nation. We have over 800 military bases around the world. It costs billions of tax payer dollars per year to keep these facilities going. America has assembled the greatest war making machine ever in the world’s history. There are people making extreme sums of money making this weaponry. Politicians, military high command and corporate execs acquire fortunes and power through war. They use propaganda and fear for the sake of their own greed. Ironically, the rest of us have been brainwashed into thinking that this is all being done in the name of ‘peace’, that it is done for a ‘greater good’, that it will make us ‘safe’, that it will ease our fears. I argue that these are all lies.
I also argue that it would be wiser for us to allocate our time, our resources and our hearts to help people in need, to protect the natural world and to promote the idea of universal love. It is moronic to think that we can ever do this by continuing to stock pile weapons and treating other people as our enemies. Violence always breeds violence, always has and it always will.
The good thing is that we can change our course, as individuals and as a nation. We can see through this deceit and this fear. The war mongering can be seen for what it is, a giving into hate and distrust. I believe we can come together as a nation and as a world. We can come together and say, “NO MORE WAR!” Let’s disarm. Let’s show the rest of the world that we are peaceful. Let’s turn all those destroyers and aircraft carriers into floating hospitals, floating universities, ships of hope for a better future. Let’s reallocate all those war making resources. Let’s feed people who are hungry, shelter people who are homeless and educate people starving for knowledge. Let Americans be the first people there to help when natural disasters strike. Let’s promote love and compassion.
There will be those who continue to hate, those who will kill. But they will be seen clearly, they will see themselves clearly in the light of day. They will have nowhere to hide and their fear, their will to hate and their desire to kill, will dissolve in the face of all the love around them.
I can hear people thinking that these ideas are unreasonable and unattainable, that war and destructive tribalism is a part of human nature, that it is idealistic and unrealistic to think otherwise.
To that I say; Why put limits on human potential? Look how far we have come as a species. Look how fast things can change. Look at how the world has grown smaller. Look how, more and more, people are understanding that we are all in this thing called ‘life’ together and that we are dependent on each other. Look at what the power of love has brought to you in your own life.
Tin-Can Jim

January 16, 2017 1 comment

Human Evolution Shal-OM Shaman

How do you choose Love over Fear?

written by Shal-OM Shaman

How do you choose Love over Fear?

This may sound a bit strange… but patterns of “fear” may actually feel comfortable to us. In essence, that is what we have been subjected to for many, years, in this lifetime and sometimes in past lifetimes. I have made many choices in my life. I didn’t realize though, that I was actually choosing to fear, at times, over choosing to love. Yes, we have a choice.

As I sit and write this piece, I feel I do have a choice right now, because it has been presented to me in many ways, through tough times, lessons and, also, in an arising of those fears. But, I am truly choose to embrace God, the universe and all of it’s awesome energy, to help me through my days and help me through my nights.

The shadows of the nights alone, have sometimes been dark ones for me, lonely at times; in my head, in my self, in my brain, in my soul. It seems that when I turn out the light, the unconscious, the subconscious, and the darkness of the spirit almost come alive.

How do we bring lightness, beauty, joy and peace to the soul at night when we sleep? We ACCEPT. We know that God is good and right there with us. We try to turn off our fears, the fear of a mean spirit entering the body and trying to possess it, we turn off the fear of dreams of not being what we need to see, the fear of “not getting enough sleep” of being exhausted, the fear of not waking up alive in the morning to enjoy another day.

A few days ago, ,I chose LOVE for good, but FEAR tried to creep in.

I actually came home from a late night out of amazing music in downtown Los Angeles, an beautiful human being sang meaningful and peace -inspired songs. As I changed into my bathrobe, washing my face with cold water and continuing with my evening rituals before I slid into my comfortable bed, I had many negative thoughts popping through my head. I wasn’t sure what to do? I actually felt a bit confused. Do I go to bed with these negative thoughts and feelings flowing though my mind? Or do I do something different that I believed would help me be more at peace with myself?

I slowly walked upstairs, into my kitchen and then decided to light some sage and clear the negative energy and to try to take my negative thoughts away. I was certain that there was a negative spirit inside my body and soul that was attaching itself to me and placing me in that “fear”. Was I right or was that fear itself talking to me? Can negative entities attach themselves to us when we are vulnerable? When we are in our negative flow instead of our more positive and light bearing flow? Yes, I believe so.

What happened next, was that I actually became afraid of the very same action that I had just done. I thought, what if I was not supposed to do that? …but maybe I was? Confusing myself even more, I went to bed, afraid of my dreams, afraid of my thoughts and afraid of myself.

But, maybe, by witnessing the other side of the situation, observing the stories that I am telling myself, and changing the thought patterns of the past, I realize that I am in the process of actually reversing the fear and allowing the LIGHT to slowly seep into my body and my brain. I know my soul loves to love… and wants to love unconditionally. The essence of love is real and is the true intention of God. But, the old patterns can (and will) creep through if we let them, so I said this prayer with all my heart…

Be strong Andrea, let God guide you. Trust that the Universe is good and blessing you with positive power and love. Trust that you are a warrior and can ward off any evil spirit that may possess you and want to take hold of your thoughts and hijack them with negativity and fear. Move forward with the good, be a light to everyone you meet, be compassionate, non-judgmental and open hearted to the full extent. And don’t judge your own self!!! Know that we are all having a “human experience” on this planet earth. We can say something we deem to be wrong, hurtful or inappropriate, we can do something that we deem to be silly, stupid or unimportant, and yes, there may be consequences to our words and behaviors, but know that EVERYTHING we do, say and think is a learning lesson and a path for us to elevate ourselves more significantly in this world.

Sweet dreams my friends. Know that you are loved and that you are being watched over by beautiful angels. They want you to be happy, they want you to be healthy, they want you to choose what is best for you and not be in fear. When we all collectively loose those old patterns of fear, we will be together again as one….with God and with each other, in peace. Choose wisely, but know that all of our choices are already full of wisdom and helpful to our souls in the end. Amen.

Love and light always,

The Shal-Om Shaman

January 10, 2017 2 comments

Biagi

The Evolution of Hestia

written by Paul Biagi

The Dancer From Beyond

She follows this evolution and watches the formation of atoms, stars, planets… She feels the power of Being, the source of Existence, in each step of the evolution, a power she feels in this realm as the deepest form of love. Woven into this development are the laws that make material existence possible. These are the laws that we struggle to discover. They are the warp and woof of the tapestry we call material existence.

She stands outside this as pure consciousness, for Being expresses consciousness in different ways. While the laws of consciousness differ from the laws of matter, they are both expressions of the Source. While matter and physical energy constantly transform back and forth into each other, their totality must stay the same, at least in our closed universe. Consciousness has no such restriction. Nor is it confined in space and time but moves instantly through all the universes and beyond.

She watches as the laws of Being inexorably mold material existence. The mysterious and glorious laws, we discover and yes invent (for because of our origins in Being, there is no difference).

Hestia experiences the wonder and the incredible beauty as she watches our place, our universe expand and grow in ever increasing complexity. She watches as congregations of matter form into dust and gases, pushed by gravity, the bass rhythm of Being. And she watches as the faster tempo of electromagnetism gathers electrons and protons to form hydrogen. She feels the nuclear forces build neutrons and combine them with protons creating the nuclear centers of helium. All of this comes out of the primordial soup of quarks and leptons streaming through the dying star, the black hole, that was the parent of our universe. Gravity pulls all of these together out of the streaming gases and dust, and under the incredible pressure of their mass, forms proto-stars, squeezing them together to ignite the stellar furnaces.

With Hydrogen the process of star building begins. And finally the strong nuclear force saves the neutrons, by combining them with protons, since in solitude they barely hold themselves together. The combination of two protons and two neutrons form Helium, the second of the star building atoms. In the form of dust and gas these elements push outwards into the newly forming bubble of space and time. These are the inseparable processes and elements of Being, of existence.

Watching and waiting, she sees all the many levels of consciousness join with these new entities. She waits as the evolutionary process creates more forms that allow a more complex consciousness to combine with an awareness similar to hers. She recognizes this as the beginning of the formation of minds.

She watches as these and all the other driving processes, the fabric of Being, generate a universe of suns, planets and ultimately life. She sees the awakening, aware forms of consciousness wed at last with the evolving organisms. And again through processes that cannot be separated from Being these organisms evolve into higher and higher states of awareness. In all of this she sees the unity of Being and feels less alone. She knows that after eons of separateness she will at last find belonging.

Each stage of the evolution accompanies a new level of vibration and it is this that attracts her to one special world. She senses shifts in vibration as this world evolves through each of its developmental stages. These signal to her a rise in a level of consciousness. But often this is followed by a loss. She feels something strange, something she could only sense in the higher levels of Being. She senses what we call love in those beings where the wedding of mind and body is growing toward completion. She herself does not love in her present form because she is no longer wedded to the physical, but she recognized that love for these beings is a trace of the power and energy of Existence.

As she experiences all the elements of Being, she realized above all that she wants to feel love. She recognized that in their purest form love and joy are the same.

To be close to these beings, these earth humans, as she came to know them she would have to take their form. She too would have to become human, at least physically.

She gathers the elements of her former physical existence, the particles of pure electric charge moving at high energies, connecting and disconnecting to form the neural networks compatible with consciousness. She enters a star, a ball of pure plasma and surrounds herself with the elements she needs.

In this form she approaches earth and assembles the knowledge and materials to become fully human. Electromagnetic radiation carries the knowledge she needs to understand Earth, its history and culture. From the myths and legends abounding in all of Earth’s civilizations she gathers herself into who she wants to be. She chooses Helen of Troy, Isis, Aphrodite and many of the other figures from myth and spiritual traditions as her ideals. Finally she is ready.

January 6, 2017 1 comment

Mother Earth Power & Politics Tin-Can Jim

Book review: PACIFIC by Simon Winchester

written by Tin-Can Jim

Have you ever heard of a country called Kiribati? It’s the former British run Gilbert islands. It’s in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It constituents hundreds of islands and only has a population of about 100,000 people. It is spread over 1.35 million sq. miles of ocean. Not only does the International Dateline go between the country’s many islands, but so does the equator. It can be a Summer Sunday and a Christmas Saturday on the same day in Kiribati. It is also one of the poorest counties in the world. Most of its inhabitants can’t afford to buy the crops, seaweed and the fish that it exports. Like many of the island counties that are around it, they have been victimized, colonized and exploited by imperial powers like the USA, Briton, Netherlands, Japan etc. Between 1946 to 1962 the United States alone detonated 105 nuclear bombs on the islands and atolls of the Pacific Ocean. This and many other interesting and sometimes disturbing facts can be found in Simon Winchester’s new book, “Pacific”. (HarperCollins Publisher)
For instance, did you know that one modest, Tokyo academic is single-handily responsible for the saving of an entire sea bird specie, the Short-Tailed Albatross? And did you know why so many other species in and around the Pacific ocean were not so lucky?
How did the Sony corporation, and Japan as a whole, rise to become a tech powerhouse in the post war era? Two tenacious visionaries led the way.
How did humans discover, and how may they be responsible for ‘corral bleaching’? It may be a very ominous sign of future ecological destruction.
How did one magnificent piece of modern architecture, The Sydney Oprah House, come into being? It’s an inspiring and sometimes sorted tale.
How did the country of North Korea become such a frightening, enigmatic, totalitarian state? It maybe as simple as one American Colonel’s finger running across a map of the Pacific ocean.
How did the ancient Polynesian pleasure of wave riding (surfing) become a passion and a sport for so many around the world? An Olympic swimmer and an iconic writer of short stories played a big part.
And how did Australia shake itself free from British rule to become one of the most prosperous and liberal counties of the world? A popular, progressive politician and the way he was sacked, sealed the deal.
I’m flabbergasted and awed by the wide range of subject matter that Mr. Winchester has so eloquently compiled. This is his 26th book to date. Mr. Winchester is an obvious erudite whose travels and researches has served us well.
From Geo-politics, history, geology, oceanography, business, biology, art, ecology and sociology, it’s all here, in this page turning and fact filled, overlapping narrative. It is both informative and a pleasure to read. It helps us to understand why we find ourselves where we do in the 21st century, and how we, as a species are coming to grips with the challenges and uncertainties that, like the vast Pacific Ocean, (‘the eye of the world’) itself, lay spread out so majestically and still so mysteriously before us.

January 3, 2017 0 comment

Daily Inspirations Human Evolution Love & Relationships Superhero Sis

The MAGIC of Gratitude in 2017!

written by Superhero Sis

Happy New Year! I welcome each and everyone of you as new readers, writers and explorers of the ascension process to 2017. As a connector, I meet A LOT of people and this past year end was chock full of amazing individuals who are awake and aware and using their gifts and talents to help others. I’m fortunate enough to work with many of those individuals in promoting their work by connecting them to others. If you are interested in manifesting a new life for yourself please be in touch with me and I’ll be happy to connect you to the person or people who can support your process. In the meantime, I want to extend a gift to you that I received on New Years Eve.

Begin this year in a Gratitude circle by writing down ten things you are grateful for whether that are happening right now or not, write them down as if they are already so. Write the reason why you are grateful for each of those things and then say THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU after each one. This works best when you are supported by others in doing this gratitude practice each day for 28 days so if you are interested please contact me and we’ll get you in a text circle with daily exercises for you to manifest the life your heart desires.

Much Love and Magic to you and yours!
Andrea

January 2, 2017 0 comment

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