What Does the Cross Mean to You?

    

     The cross has different meanings to people depending on their religious persuasion. I grew up in a Protestant church where I learned that our cross was empty, unlike the crucifix in the Catholic Church, because Jesus had risen from the dead and the cross symbolizes the risen Christ. 

    Once, a Mormon friend, told me that the cross is not displayed in the Church of Latter Day Saints, because an instrument of torture and should not be revered. I kind of feel the same way when "The Old Rugged Cross" is sung in church. How can I sing about loving the old rugged cross when it was was used to kill Jesus and MANY other people in a sadistic, horrible manner?

  Sometimes I wear a silver necklace with a Celtic cross on it. The four arms of the Celtic cross are thought to be representative of the four directions of the compass, the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water, and as representation of our mind, soul, body and heart. The center ring of the Celtic Cross is said to be evocative of the Celtic symbol for infinite love.

  

    The cross was an important symbol in many pre-Christian religions and cultures. The swastika was a type of cross historically used as a symbol in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. It was widely popular in the early 20th century as a symbol of good luck or prosperity. Unfortunately this symbol was adopted as a symbol of Nazism in the 1920s and 30s so it has become a symbol of fascism. 

   When I see a cross I think about the metaphysical symbolism: that the horizontal bar represents our earthly life, and the vertical bar represents our connection with heaven. Heaven and Earth meet at the center of the cross which represents the inner sanctum - the still, quiet place within where we connect with the Divine Mystery. 

    When my husband went on a mission trip to Ethiopia he brought back a pair of Ethiopian cross earrings for me. Ethiopian crosses are made of elaborate latticework - each one uniquely fashioned.  The intertwined latticework represents everlasting life. I like this meaning, too. And yes, I believe that Jesus died on a cross and returned to prove to us that life is everlasting. 

Heaven and Earth Collide on Halloween

    Wow. Suddenly this fall I am seeing skeletons everywhere. Skeleton lawn decorations are all the rage here in Wisconsin and the popular twelve-foot skeletons tower over many homes. I wonder if skeletons have taken over the whole country? The world?

    In recent years I have noticed that a lot of people go all out decorating for Halloween, sometimes even more than they do for Christmas. There is something about the macabre that captures the human imagination and gives rise to all kinds of jokes and imaginary creations such as animated skeletons, vampires, and the walking dead. 

    Halloween originated with Samhain, a three-day ancient Celtic pagan festival that marked the end of summer with its bountiful harvest, and ushered in the long, cold winter. The Celts believed that during this period of time, halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds was at its thinnest. This belief was carried into Christian tradition with All Souls' Day honoring the faithful departed on November 2nd, and The Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday when families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives. 

    There are a variety of ways to celebrate Halloween, the season of fall, and the thinning of the veil. I prefer pumpkins and chrysanthemums to the fake graveyards and gory mannequins favored by many of my neighbors. I also like to think that the thinning of the veil between the third dimension and the higher dimensions creates opportunities for us to connect, not only with our departed loved ones, but with the angels, spiritual guides, and all the Company of Heaven. 

    I have a vision for future Octobers, when, instead of celebrating the physical aspects of death, people will celebrate and connect with worlds beyond the veil, where higher beings dwell in peace, love, and harmony. If this is the time when the veil between this world and the next is thinnest, it must be the best time for prayer, meditation, and invocations. It is the best time to pray: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." That prayer may mean different things to different people, but to me it means a permanent thinning of the veil, so that we on earth will live peacefully, according to God's will. 

    

Let's Agree to Protect Innocent Lives

     

    Many of us in the United States are feeling hopeless about the ongoing gun violence in our country, and the lack of will among our representatives to address the issue. I was grateful last Sunday when our pastor conducted a post-service meeting for us to express our concerns and discuss ways to promote changes in our gun control laws. 

    The group made plans to approach our legislators at the upcoming March for Our Lives, to be followed up with a petition and visit to our state capitol. I have already called and written to my representatives, but still waiting for gun rights advocates to realize that children's lives are more important than their gun rights. 

    This is a blog about building bridges, but I confess I don't know how to build bridges with people who buy more guns every time there is a mass shooting, instead of working on stronger gun safety laws. One man who attended Sunday's meeting expressed his concern that an obligatory waiting period for gun buyers meant that it would be a felony for him to sell a gun to someone tomorrow. I can't understand how his right to sell a gun right away is more important than protecting innocent lives. 

    The 18-year-old who killed 19 children in Uvalde, Texas, bought two semi-automatic weapons and 375 rounds of ammunition just days before going on his rampage. If there had been a waiting period, he might have had time to reconsider his intentions before trying to kill his grandmother and then going to the school to kill children and teachers. 

    If there had been a higher age limit for gun purchases, this troubled youth would not have had the legal ability to purchase weapons. If he had had a background check, there might have been a red flag regarding his mental instability. Perhaps he would have gotten the help he needed?

    If semi-automatic weapons were not available for purchase by private citizens, most of the mass shootings would not have happened. 

    I really don't understand why people can't build bridges of peace by agreeing on some commonsense measures to prevent tragedies like the ones in Uvalde, Parkland, Sandy Hook, Columbine, and too many others. 

    Please join me in contacting your representatives to beg for commonsense gun safety laws. To quote author Hollye Dexter:

I am begging you to VOTE in every election. Every single one.

To SPEAK UP against this sick gun culture, even when it’s uncomfortable.

To hound your Senators to pass sensible gun reform.

Put this number for Congress in your cell phone (202) 224-3121. Use it often. You will be able to reach your two Senators and your member of Congress. Tell them to pass Universal Background Checks. To ban assault weapons (we did it before, we can do it again). To pass Ethan’s Law (Safe Storage).

Thank you my dear friends. We can do this!

Mother's Day: A Day for All Humanity

     Mother's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world on the second Sunday of May. It is a day to honor our mothers and grandmothers, but I am thinking about all the ways that everyone has a nurturing spirit that should be celebrated and encouraged today - and every day.

    I believe that the Great Divine Spirit is both masculine and feminine: Father-Mother God - and that we were created in that image. If only humanity would recognize and encourage both halves of the whole, I believe there would be peace in the world. 

    The feminine spirit of humanity has been oppressed for millennia. Most men do not want to recognize the feminine, nurturing part of themselves, and women are discouraged from demonstrating their logical, strong, and adventurous side. The resulting imbalance has caused most of the discord, violence, and destruction that has plagued humanity throughout our history. 

    Masculine and feminine energies need each other to be perfectly balanced. Either one in the extreme can be detrimental. It's important to recognize both energies in ourselves so that we can look for ways to balance them. For the most part, the world needs more feminine energy. We can encourage this in ourselves by nurturing anyone or anything in need; caring for those who are sick or oppressed, taking care of children or pets, nurturing the plants and birds in our yards, and all the other ways you can think of. And don't forget to nurture yourself with healthy food and activities. 

    I found this article that nicely expresses the importance of balancing the divine feminine and the divine masculine: The Divine Feminine vs. the Divine Masculine. As the article states: Male energy is direct and projects outward with decisive, positive action; it secures, strengthens, and "has a giving nature." Female energy, on the other hand, is cyclical. It's directed inward, it nurtures and assures, and it "has a receiving nature" (via SacredLightAlchemy.com). Humanity needs both to be whole and complete.

    Humanity has existed far too long as a patriarchal culture. Many want to see a return to the matriarchal society of ancient times when the Great Goddess was worshipped. I think, rather than going back to pre-historic times, humanity must move forward to an egalitarian existence, where all are considered equal, and every aspect of the human soul is respected and loved. 

    The divine feminine and divine masculine are often depicted as Father Sun and Mother Earth. Humanity cannot exist without both parents!

    

The Mystical Month of May

 

                                               

                                                                

2022  -  THE MYSTICAL MONTH OF MAY

 
by Patricia Cota-Robles
www.eraofpeace.org
 
May 1, 2022

Significant changes have recently taken place within every person’s Earthly Bodies due to the powerful influxes of Light we have all experienced since the beginning of 2022. Our I AM Presence has assisted each of us in assimilating these changes at a cellular level. Now, we are able to safely receive the incredible waves of Light we will be blessed with throughout what the Company of Heaven refers to as “The Mystical Month of May.”

 

In the Heavenly Realms May is considered a Mystical Month because of all of the special events that occur during May. These events involve Divine Intervention, outer world Celebrations and Celestial Gifts from On High. The Company of Heaven said that this year, following the monumental influx of the Resurrection Flame we have been receiving since the opening of the Equinox Portal on March 20-21, the opportunities we will be blessed with in May will affect us, in positive ways, more profoundly than ever before.

 

May 1st is celebrated throughout the World as Saint Germain’s Ascension Day. Saint Germain is known through all Creation as the “Keeper of the Violet Flame.” Every year on May 1^st, Saint Germain directs his Legions of Violet Flame Archangels to traverse the Planet north, south, east and west blazing in, through and around every particle and wave of Life on Earth the most powerful frequencies of the Violet Flame that Humanity, the Elemental Kingdom and Mother Earth are capable of receiving.

 

This powerful Gift is usually intensified for a 24-hour period. However, this year, because of the need of the hour and the tremendous progress we have all made in our ability to assimilate higher frequencies of Light, this Sacred Fire will build in momentum with every Breath we take for the entire month of May.

 

In order to help us grasp the magnitude of just what this Gift from On High means, our Father-Mother God are reminding us that throughout the whole of Creation the Violet Flame is the most powerful tool available for Transmuting negative energy back into Light.
 

We each have the ability to be an Instrument of God during this Cosmic Moment. Saint Germain has given us an invocation that will allow us to be the Open Door for this amazing Gift of Sacred Fire. If this facet of the Divine Plan resonates in your heart of hearts, please utilize this invocation throughout the Month of May and beyond, following the Guidance of your I AM Presence.

 
Violet Flame Invocation
 

“I AM my I AM Presence and I AM One with the I AM Presence of ALL Humanity. As One Voice, One Breath, One Heartbeat, and One Energy, Vibration and Consciousness of Pure Divine Love I invoke the most intensified frequencies of the Violet Flame that Cosmic Law will allow.

 

“Beloved Saint Germain and your Legions of Violet Flame Archangels, I ask that you blaze this Violet Flame with the power and might of a thousand Suns in, through, and around every thought, feeling, word, action, memory and belief that Humanity has ever expressed in any time frame or dimension, both known and unknown, that is reflecting anything less than our Father-Mother God’s Love and the Oneness of ALL Life.

 

“Transmute this energy cause, core, effect, record and memory back into its original perfection and seal it in an invincible Forcefield of God’s Comprehensive Divine Love.

 

“I accept and know that this Activity of Light is being God Victoriously accomplished even as I Call.  And so it is! Beloved I AM, Beloved I AM, Beloved I AM That I AM.”

 
A Gift From Mother Mary
 

Another wonderful thing that occurs during the Month of May is that Mother Mary opens the doors to her Temple of the Immaculate Heart in the Inner Planes for the entire month. She lovingly invites all of Humanity to visit her in our finer bodies while we sleep at night. In order to take full advantage of this opportunity all we have to do is ask our I AM Presence to take us to Mother Mary’s Temple of the Immaculate Heart when we go to sleep and it will be done.
 

Since we are One with all Life, we have the ability to ask the I AM Presence of every person on Earth to do the same for them by simply affirming, “I AM my I AM Presence and I AM One with the I AM Presence of ALL Humanity. What I ask for myself this night, I ask for every person on Earth in perfect alignment with his or her Divine Plan and the highest good for all concerned.”
 

Then, in the timeless and spaceless 5^th-Dimensional frequencies of her Temple of Light, Mother Mary will communicate with each of us individually, and all of us collectively, to determine what assistance she might provide  that will help us to fulfill our greatest need of the hour. 

 

Mother Mary has told us that her most important responsibility is holding the Immaculate Concept for each and every one of us to ultimately fulfill our full Divine Potential as Beloved Sons and Daughters of God. Due to the progress our I AM Presence has made this year in recalibrating our Earthly Bodies into higher frequencies of 5^th-Dimensional Crystalline Solar Light, Mother Mary said she is now able to assist us in ways she could not in the past.

 

Her assistance this month will be unique for each of us individually as well as what she is able to do for us collectively to raise the mass consciousness of Humanity. Mother Mary is encouraging us to pay attention each morning to the thoughts and feelings we have upon awakening. She said it will help for us to ask our I AM Presence to bring back tangible memories of our experiences with her in her Temple of the Immaculate Heart.

 
Acknowledging the Divine Feminine
 

Another event that greatly adds to the Light of the World during the month of May is the Celebration of Mother’s Day which takes place in several countries around the World. Mother’s Day in the USA and Canada will be May 8^th this year. In Mexico Mother’s Day is always on May 10^th and in France Mother’s Day will be celebrated on May 29^th.

 

This year on every Mother’s Day celebrated throughout the World our Mother God and all of the Feminine Aspects of Deity are going to flood the Earth with the highest possible frequencies of God’s Comprehensive Divine Love. The Company of Heaven said this intensified influx of God’s Comprehensive Divine Love will enhance and greatly amplify the tangible results of the Violet Flame that is bathing the Earth for the entire month of May.

 
The Full Moon Eclipse and the Golden Buddha of Enlightenment
 

All of the events in May will enhance the blessings Humanity and the Earth will receive during another influx of Light that blesses the Earth during the Month of May. This event is the known as the Wesak Festival which takes place during the Full Moon in the Sun Cycle of Taurus. This Festival celebrates the Enlightenment of the Buddha and the unveiling of the Golden Buddha of Enlightenment now pulsating in every person’s Heart Flame. This year the Wesak Full Moon will take place on May 15^th-16^th. During that Full Moon, we will also be blessed with a powerful Lunar Eclipse.

 

Enlightenment is a level of Divine Consciousness that allows us to KNOW the true meaning of Christ Consciousness or Unity Consciousness which the masses of Humanity are beginning to realize expresses the very essence of the Oneness of our Father-Mother God. The Beings of Light have revealed that this year during the powerful Full Moon Lunar Eclipse of Wesak, we will each experience through our I AM Presence and our Body Elemental a shift of energy, vibration and consciousness that will begin revealing, in new and profound ways, the Sacred Knowledge now pulsating from the newly unveiled Golden Buddha of Enlightenment in every Heart Flame.
 

We are being told that the first way this shift will begin to reveal itself to us is through a gentler and kinder way of perceiving even the most recalcitrant of our Brothers and Sisters in the Family of Humanity. When we recognize the TRUTH of the Divinity in ALL Life, we open our hearts and minds and experience new ways of thinking and feeling that are infused with Divine Love, Oneness and Reverence for ALL Life.

 

This in turn lifts us into a higher level of Unity Consciousness which allows us to clearly perceive viable solutions for all of the maladies still surfacing around the World to be Healed and Transmuted back into Light. Then, the TRUTH becomes blatantly obvious that we are One and only through cooperation and Reverence for ALL Life will the problems of the day be solved. With this Enlightenment we will realize with great clarity that indeed, “We are the Ones we have been waiting for.”

 
God Bless You,
Patricia Cota-Robles
 
Era of Peace
PO Box 17446, Tucson, Arizona 85731-7446, Phone: 520-885-7909
Fax: 520-347-5440    www.eraofpeace.org
 

This article is copyrighted, but you have my permission to share it through any medium as long as it is offered for FREE, it is not altered, and the proper credit line is included.

 
Era of Peace is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit educational organization
 ©2022 Patricia Cota-Robles

Unlock the Door!

    I consider myself to be an Omnist, believing that most religions contain some truth, but that none contains the whole truth; the whole truth being unknowable in this physical existence. Unlike many people who claim to be "spiritual but not religious" I do like to attend church for the fellowship and stimulation. I have attended a wide variety of churches in my lifetime, including Methodist, Presbyterian, Unitarian-Universalist, and Unity. In our new Wisconsin home Mark and I have been attending the United Church of Christ which I like for its progressive theology and it's comma logo, which "invites us to believe that God speaks through other people, nature, music, art . . . the Bible, and in so many other ways."

    Today's sermon centered on the story about Jesus entering the locked room where the disciples were sequestered after his crucifixion, and about Thomas not believing they'd seen Jesus until he saw the nail marks in his hands and put his fingers in his side where the sword had pierced him. When he had done this and proclaimed, "My Lord and My God" Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed."

    Our pastor spoke about the way so many people are like Thomas, needing physical proof before they can believe something. I have always been comforted by the words, "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed," because I know people who have actually seen angels, spirit guides, and even Jesus, while I have retained a strong faith in the unseen side of life without having seen any of it myself. Pastor Christie also spoke about the symbolism of the locked room, something I had not thought about before. 

    The locked room can symbolize our minds; our creativity and imagination that so many keep under lock and key because we have not seen proof that anything exists beyond the limits of our senses and the acceptable beliefs of society. Jesus is the divine messenger of Love who can enter our locked minds when we seek spiritual knowledge as did his disciples. Divine Love can then release our creativity, our imagination, and our sense of wonder. 

    With open minds we can understand that Jesus was resurrected to demonstrate that life is eternal and always has been. If life is eternal there must be an infinite universe full of beauty and wonderful experiences beyond the confines of the world we know. Everything that exists began in the imagination. So let's unlock our minds and let our imaginations go wild!

    Astronomers estimate there are about 100 thousand million stars in the Milky Way and about 200 billion trillion stars in the universe. I can't begin to imagine how many planets revolve around all those stars, and how many are hosts to intelligent life. Not to mention the possibility of other universes that might be accessible through black hole portals (Black Holes Are 'Portals to Other Universes,' According to New Quantum Results).

    I know people who say it's silly to wonder about life on other planets when we have to take care of our own Mother Earth. I very much agree that we must take better care of our world, but I also believe that we must use our imagination to create a better world, and imagining a world where everyone lives together in peace and harmony can make us realize the possibilities for humanity. What would a world at peace look like? How would its inhabitants resolve conflict? With millions of worlds, there must be some where the inhabitants exemplify a peaceful life. Perhaps they want to help us and they're just waiting for the earth to become more hospitable so they can make themselves known.

    In addition to other physical worlds, we can imagine multiple dimensions right here in our own world. I know people with clairvoyant vision who have seen some of the nature spirits and other beings who dwell on other planes. I cannot see them myself, but my imagination reminds me that these invisible ones are helping my garden to grow and are doing their best to clean up the mess that we humans are making of God's creation!

    Once we unlock the door of our imagination, there is no limit to what we can discover about our universe and the possibilities for the advancement of the human race. I recommend these few books to jumpstart your imagination: 

    On Angels' Wings by Mariana Stjerna 

    Telos: Revelations of the New Lemuria by Aurelia Louise Jones

    The Real World of Fairies: A First-Person Account by Dora van Gelder

    There are many other wonderful books by authors who are not afraid to cross the boundaries of conventional thought. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments! 

Without Politics

    

    I have avoided any discussion of politics on this blog because politics are divisive and my posts are about building bridges of oneness. Yesterday I received a letter from Donald Trump and my husband, Mark, received a letter from President Biden. Comparing the two letters caused me to think about the divisiveness of politics and how difficult it is for the people of a country to understand one another and build bridges when leaders and media are doing their best to create conflict. 

    I would like to point out some differences in the two letters and leave it to my readers to consider how we can build bridges between parties in the United States, considering the ideas that are being promoted by politicians. 

    My letter from Trump began, "Dear Patriot," whereas Mark's letter from Biden began, "Dear Mark."

    Both letter writers are requesting money to support their respective political parties. Biden says: "If we want to get more meaningful legislation passed that's going to move this country forward, we need a fully funded DNC working to hold and expand our Democratic majorities in this November's midterm elections."

    Trump writes about Biden's failed leadership and how we are "a laughingstock all over the world." He says: "We can't let this happen! The only way to stop Biden is to elect Trump Republican Majorities to the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in November."

    Biden's letter only refers to Republicans once, to point out that they are trying to make it harder for Americans to vote. He never refers to Trump, whereas Trump's letter makes numerous derogatory remarks about Biden and the Democratic party, referring to "Marxist Democrats," "their allies in the Fake News Media," Biden's "Far-Left puppet masters," and "the radical Socialists/Communists who are hell-bent on ruining our country."

    Biden is asking for an investment in the Democratic National Committee. Trump is requesting funds for "Trump Republican Majorities."

    My thought is that we cannot build bridges between the people of our own country if we listen to leaders who use propaganda and name calling to further their goals. 

    By the way, Mark and I are not sending money to either party. We prefer to support the causes and individuals whose goals we believe in.