Portrait of My Heart by Emily VanLaeys

Emily's Heart Chakra

       Last Saturday I had the privilege of meeting a beautiful soul, whose name in this life is Leiah Rubin Bowden, of "Lightspeak Transformational Arts."  Leiah has the intuitive ability
to see and draw chakras, and to interpret what she sees to assist healing and understanding 
in her clients.

         I met Leiah at the Shift New York Holistic Living & Psychic Fair in Oneonta. Although Leiah offers full chakra portraits, these take a couple of hours to create. At the fair, she only had 20 minutes to spend with each client, so she drew an interpretation of just one chakra for each of us. She said my heart chakra was the one calling for attention, I'm guessing because I meditate on "I Am Love" more than anything else. 

         Leiah chanted as she gazed at my heart chakra and began to draw. As she drew she talked about what she was seeing. I can't say I totally understood it all . . . .Some of the symbols that she saw and drew have to do with my "off-planet" being. She talked about how we are all multi-dimensional beings, existing simultaneously on different worlds - even though each self is not consciously aware of the others. The pink and gold rectangle in my heart chakra shows that my off-planet being is structured, benevolent, and clear, with a divine gold lining. 

        The purple flower with a white center in the middle of my heart shows my dedication to a beautiful source. The surrounding pink color comes from the feeling of love and warmth inside of me. The green outside of that shows that I have a mature, nourishing heart. I open my sacred heart energy to everyone in my world. It is an automatic flowing forth - I don't have to think about it to make it happen. 

             I don't remember for sure, but I think the gold symbols at the top and the silver ones on the left are also related to my off-planet being. I don't think she knew exactly what they mean. The last thing I wrote in my notes says: "Attunement of heart to universal appreciation of what love can do." It's all very positive and affirming. My understanding is that everyone who receives a chakra portrait has a positive experience, because our chakras emanate from our divine being rather than the ego where the negative aspects of ourselves reside. 

            Working with our chakras is a good reminder that our true beings are divine, eternal, and good. What could be more affirming than that? 

A Wrinkle in Time - More Timely than Ever!

A Wrinkle in Time is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read it when I was ten years old, and I have read it many times since. The story has more meaning for me as I grow in wisdom and understanding. The heroine, Meg, has lost her little brother, Charles Wallace, to the clutches of IT, a cold, dark force that feeds on human fears and controls the entire population of the planet, Camazotz. There has been no trouble of any kind on this planet for centuries, because everyone is exactly alike and there are no differences to fear. IT told Charles Wallace that he would have peace and utter rest if he surrendered his mind to IT. Charles decided to be free of all responsibility by giving in to IT, and so he lost his individuality and his desire to return home with Meg.

The planet Camazotz has been compared to communist countries; a natural connection since Madeleine L'Engle wrote this book during the Cold War. But now I compare Camazotz to the world we live in, because even though we are not all alike, there is a constant fear and hatred of those who are different from those who belong to the status quo, and these negative emotions are constantly fed by the Powers that Be: in the media, in government, in religion – nearly everywhere. And when we fill our minds with the violence we are fed by the media, the exclusiveness we are taught by certain institutional religions and governments, and the materialism that society showers us with, we lose sight of who we truly are.

Meg knew that she was the only one who could save her brother, and the only way to save him was to discover what she had that IT did not. She had tried fighting against IT, but violent emotions just made IT stronger. The voice that spoke to her from Charles Wallace's body, that was the voice of IT, was full of hate. And so she realized that the one thing she had that IT did not – was love. She could not bring herself to love IT, but she could love Charles Wallace. She knew that the mind and soul of her little brother were still there, deep inside. The first time I read this book, when Meg felt her love for Charles Wallace with all her heart, and her little brother broke free from IT's grasp, the tears rolled down my cheeks. Even now, as I think about it, I feel chills of joy!

And yes, there is a lesson here for all of us, in this present day. There is a dark force attempting to rule over our planet, just as IT ruled Camazotz. This negativity tries to control us by leading us to believe that the world is full of enemies that we must fear and hate. It controls us by entertaining us with mindless drivel on our television sets, and violent sports events. It controls us by feeding us too much of the wrong kind of food. (Have you been out to eat lately? Did you feel like you had to clean your plate even though there was enough food for three people on it? Did you feel fat, content, and happy afterward?) It controls us by leading us to believe that we belong to the One True Church, and we are citizens of the Best Country on Earth.

The only way to break free from this dark force, is through love. Jesus said: “You will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free.” The truth is not that you must worship Jesus and bow down to him. The truth is that we must live as he and the other great ones have, loving our neighbors and our enemies: Transforming our enemies into friends. The truth is that we and all of humanity and all of creation are one in spirit - and so there really is nothing to fear!

When we watch the News on television, and give in to fear and horror over what we see, we feel heavy and bleak. Our vibrations are dense and sluggish. This is exactly the result that the dark forces want, because these low vibrations keep the world under their control. Other activities contribute to humanity's low vibratory rate: taking toxins such as nicotine, recreation drugs, alcohol, and food additives into our bodies; resorting to anger or violence as a way of dealing with challenges; or just turning to mindless entertainment instead of facing the deeper questions of life.

Just as Meg set her brother free with love, we can free ourselves and our world with love, and the higher vibrations that emanate from love. Love is not just an emotion that one person feels for another. It is the energy of creation! Feel love and gratitude for your life and you feel light and joyful. Love yourself and your life, and you will not need to numb your mind with drugs or an excess of food. Meditate by inviting love and light into your life, and you feel bliss. At this time,more and more people are living with joy, in gratitude and in love, and so the vibrations of the world are becoming finer and higher. As a result, the dark forces are fighting even harder for a stronghold on human minds. They are doing their best to spread fear and hatred over the media and any way that they can. But fear and hatred are illusions. The only real truth is Love, and Love will win in the end. This is something I'm sure of. But I'd like to see it happen sooner than later, wouldn't you?

No "Ism" in Oneness by Emily VanLaeys

      

       For much of my life I searched for a religious or spiritual group that I could call my own. I wanted to "belong" to a church or spiritual organization whose teachings I believed in. I have been affiliated with Unitarian-Universalist Churches, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, the Unity School of Christianity, Rosicrucianism, the Association of Research & Enlightenment, and many others in my quest for an organization I could truly belong to. I have explored the beliefs of other religions, from Catholicism to Buddhism and Hinduism to animism and paganism. I have found elements of truth in each of these paths. Not that I claim to know what Truth is - but when there is something that feels right and resonates with my soul, it becomes my truth - at least until a new idea feels better. 

       This fall I turned 60. We often hear that wisdom comes with age, although what is wisdom to one person will be folly to another. The wisdom that has come to me, that is surely folly in the eyes of many others, is that I am happy not belonging to any particular religion or spiritual organization. I have realized that to claim one "ism" as my own is to separate myself from those who belong to other "isms." To claim one path as "truth" is to label all others as "false" and set myself above those whose beliefs differ from mine. 

       I have also found that there is no one path that is totally inclusive. And so, it seems that the best way to experience Oneness with all of creation is to remain outside of all humanly-constructed belief systems. I do not avoid these systems though: my husband and I still attend church nearly every Sunday - but not the same one every week. There is always some bit of inspiration to be gained from a church service, and it is beneficial to spend time with others who are seeking a higher path in life. But I no longer feel the need to join one of these churches, and I do not wish to be labeled as a member of any "ism." 

       I claim "Love and Light are All-That-Is" under "Religious Views" on my Facebook page. This is my current belief -  but the details are ever-changing and I feel no need to engrave them in stone.

    P.S. Eight years later I have discovered an "ism" that I can claim. Omnism! As an Omnist I believe that most religions contain some element of truth, but that no one religion can claim the whole truth. 

Beloved Presence

     

     Several years ago I wrote a blog about the many paths of God and how I honor them in different ways. At that time my husband and I were attending the same Red Door Presbyterian Church every Sunday. Now we alternate between our old church and the Unitarian-Universalist Society. When we're able to make the 90-mile trip to Albany we like to visit the Unity Church. When we go to the Red Door Church we hear the familiar old stories about Jesus and his ancestors and see our old friends. We attend the other churches to experience the Divine in different ways, and to hear new and different ideas.

     While I love to hear the stories of God's love from the Bible, I also like to be reminded that Divine Love is known in other cultures and other religions. Today's reading in the Unitarian service is from Shams Ud-Dun Mohammad Hafiz, a Muslim, and it is beautiful:

Beloved Presence

Cloak yourself in a thousand ways;

still shall I know you, my Beloved.

Veil yourself with every

enchantment

and yet I shall feel you,

Presence

most dear, close and intimate.

I shall salute you in the springing 

of cypresses

and in the sheen of lakes, the 

laughter of fountains.

I shall surely see you in 

tumbling clouds,

in brightly embroidered

meadows.

Oh, Beloved Presence, more

beautiful than

all the stars together,

I trace your face in ivy that

climbs,

in clusters of grapes,

in morning flaming the

mountains,

in the clear arch of sky.

You gladden the whole earth and

make every heart great.

You are the breathing of the

world.

     The talk for today was about the Koran, and how it compares to the Bible. The similarity lies in the stories of violence and massacre in which both the God of the early Hebrews and Allah urge their worshipers to slay those who do not pay homage to the "one true God." It is because of these passages in both holy books that I contend there is a great deal of the human ego intermixed with whatever divine inspiration lies behind these scriptures. I see more of the divine in Hafiz's poem than I see in any scriptural stories of violence. 

     If there is ever to be peace and unity in this world, people will first have to recognize how the human ego has inserted itself into the scriptures and teachings of  our religions. The simple truth is that the Prime Creator of this universe is Love, and every bit of Creation is part of that Love from which we emanate. Anything that is not of Love is of the fear and ego that want to be separate from and better than others. I visit different churches and different spiritual groups in search of those who follow this simple teaching. I find the teachings of Love and the teachings of Ego everywhere I go - thus my reason for not choosing a single church or path to follow.

     I recently saw the movie "Life of Pi" in which Pi's parents tell him he is making a mistake by trying to  embrace several different religions. They want him to choose one, even if it's not the same one as theirs. I love the way Pi finds the Divine in a variety of spiritual practices, because he can choose the highest and best of each path, thus growing closer to God than he might if he followed the best and worst parts of a single faith. I think the time has come in human evolution when more and more people will follow the way of Love and Oneness as taught by a variety of divine teachers, realizing that a multi-strand path can take them higher than a one-lane highway. And the Beloved Presence can be felt in any church, in Nature, in our homes, and everywhere we go!

Prayer for Unity

This prayer is the result of a collective effort by members of the Movement for Reforming Society. Please feel free to use this prayer any way you like as there is no copyright for it. 

Building Bridges with the Olympics

The Olympic Games serve as a bridge between cultures and nations, drawing the attention of an estimated 4,500,000,000 people during the 17-days of competition. As pointed out by Patricia Cota-Robles (eraofpeace.com), the Olympic Games signify the Family of Humanity setting aside our differences so we can come together to attain our highest level of excellence. 

Too often, the global events that garner the attention of the masses are horrific ones, such as wars, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism. When this happens, the resulting mass consciousness lowers the vibratory rate of humanity and increases negativity. The Olympic Games are now providing the opportunity for humanity to add to the Light of the world. 

The Olympic Games began with the Opening Ceremonies on July 27th and will build in momentum through the Closing Ceremonies on August 12th. Patricia Cota-Robles says: "Because we are One and there is no separation, we have the ability to set the Divine Intention for the energy, vibration, and consciousness that will be released by the people focusing on the Olympic Games. All we have to do is invoke the I AM Presence of every man, woman, and child and ask that the thoughts, words, actions, feelings, and beliefs associated with the Olympic Games be purified by the 5th-Dimensional Solar Violet Flame and utilized to transmute our human miscreations cause, core, effect, record, and memory back to Humanity’s initial fall from Grace. The Company of Heaven has been given permission to amplify our efforts a thousand times a thousandfold. That means that every call we make will be the same as 1,000,000 people invoking the same thing. Just imagine what a powerful difference it will make when hundreds of thousands of us are making these invocations!"

"Throughout the Olympic Games let’s join our hearts and minds with the hearts and minds of our Father-Mother God, the entire Company of Heaven, and the I AM Presence of every man, woman, and child on Earth. Together we will cocreate the matrix that will form the collective Cup of Humanity’s Consciousness during the Olympic Games. Let’s invoke the new 5th-Dimensional Solar Violet Flame of God’s Infinite Perfection and clear the surfacing negativity that is overwhelming so many people. Let’s also invoke the Light of God to assist all of our sisters and brothers in the Family of Humanity to lift their heads above the chaos and confusion, so they will remember who they are and why they have volunteered to be on Earth during this Cosmic Moment."

Please join prayerfully with this invocation:

"I AM my I AM Presence and I AM One with the I AM Presence of every man, woman, and child on Earth. I AM also One with my Father-Mother God and with the entire Company of Heaven. Beloved Ones, as One Voice, One Heartbeat, One Breath, and One Consciousness of Pure Divine Love I ask that you gather up every electron of precious Life energy that is expressed in any way during the Olympic Games. Purify that energy with the 5th-Dimensional Solar Violet Flame of God’s Infinite Perfection, and Transmute into Light every thought, word, action, feeling, and belief associated with the Olympic Games. Utilize that Light to transmute Humanity’s surfacing human miscreations cause, core, effect, record, and memory, through all time frames and dimensions, back to our initial fall from Grace. Beloved Company of Heaven, I ask that you amplify this invocation a thousand times a thousandfold. I accept with deep appreciation and gratitude that with your assistance every invocation I make will be intensified with the power of 1,000,000 people."

For the complete invocation see: http://www.eraofpeace.org/important-information/latest-news/

Mother's Day Blessings

Mother and Child by kelliemarian

      This coming Sunday we will celebrate Mother's Day with gifts and flowers for our mothers, cards and calls, and expressions of love. Our mothers are the earthly representatives of our Mother God - the feminine aspect of Divine Love. 

      The Divine Feminine has been suppressed for way too long, allowing an imbalance of masculine power to create the havoc that we see in the world. God is both Father AND Mother, and it is only when these two aspects of the Divine are balanced that love, peace, and harmony will prevail on earth. 

     The wonderful thing about Mother's Day is that the holiday invites millions of people around the world to focus on their love of Mother. This love creates a collective consciousness through which the Light of our Mother God, also known as the Holy Spirit, can flow throughout humanity, blessing all of creation.

     In the Roman Catholic Church, the entire month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Mother's Day falls during the month that millions of people are also devoting their prayers to Mother Mary, one of heaven's most beautiful representatives of our Divine Mother. All of these prayers join together with the collective consciousness of love that is opening the way for our Mother God's return to the world. 

     According to Patricia Cota-Robles, author of Who Am I? Why Am I Here?, Mother Mary's Temple of the Immaculate Heart is opened in the Inner Realms throughout the month of May. Patricia says: "Throughout the month of May, while we are in our finer bodies at night, our I AM Presence will escort us into Mother Mary's Temple of The Immaculate Heart. Once we are there, Mother Mary will work with our I AM Presence to help prepare the Immortal Victorious Threefold Flame in our heart to receive the New Solar Frequencies of the 5th Dimension that we are Ascending into. Last May Mother Mary helped our I AM Presence to expand our Threefold Flame until that aspect of our Divinity returned to its original Divine Potential and enveloped our physical, etheric, mental, and emotional bodies. 

This year Mother Mary is intensifying our Threefold Flame’s ability to assimilate higher frequencies of Solar Light without harming the cellular structure of our Earthly bodies. This is occurring in order to prepare every man, woman, and child on Earth for the unprecedented influx of Solar Light that will flood the planet during the 25th Anniversary of Harmonic Convergence, August 11-16, 2012. At that time we will reboot the patterns of perfection that have been downloaded from our New Planetary CAUSE of Divine Love. When this influx of Light occurs, Humanity’s I AM Presence will activate the newly imprinted genetic codings within our Twelve Solar Strands of DNA. This will allow us to Birth a NEW Renaissance of Love for the Earth and ALL Life evolving upon her."

As we celebrate Mother's Day this year, let us be fully conscious of the miraculous changes being wrought by our Mother God's love!