Fall Celebrations: The Time of the Thinning Veil

Throughout history, celebrations have occurred at this time of year: Halloween, Samhain, The Day of the Dead, and All Soul's Day all take place between October 31st and November 2nd. On these dates we are at the halfway point between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. We are also experiencing the time when the veil between the material and physical worlds is at its thinnest. Some believe this means it's the best time to communicate with departed loved ones. I would like to suggest that it is also a good time to commune with angels and other divine beings who have humanity's best interests at heart. 

The angels and all divine beings who do God's will are working tirelessly to promote the Oneness of humanity, to help us recognize that we are ALL children of God, and that nothing we do can separate us from one another or our divine parents. These divine beings do not recognize the political, religious, and cultural divisions that people have created to separate ourselves into Us and Them camps. The Divine Plan is for all people to realize that we are interconnected and interrelated - so when any one of us hurts another, we also hurt ourselves and all of Creation. The Time of the Thinning Veil is a good time for people and divine beings to work together on this plan. 

One way this happens on Halloween is felt in the comradery of trick-or-treaters and treaters. When I was growing up in the '60's there were a lot of tricksters out on Halloween night: squirting shaving cream on unsuspecting friends and throwing eggs at windows. I don't see this kind of behavior anymore - maybe because there is a 4-6:00 limit on the activity that used to take place only after dark - but maybe because people as a whole have become more considerate of others. 

Last night when trick-or-treaters came to our door, I greeted them in my hippie-peacenik costume. I offered a piece of chocolate to each person who came to our door, regardless of their age, color, or costume. Nearly all of the children said "thank-you," and one boy even gave me a hug! I know that everyone else in our neighborhood was being kind and generous in the same way. Halloween is an equal-giving-and-receiving opportunity!

Our grandchildren live in West Bend, Wisconsin, where trick-or-treating takes place on the Saturday before Halloween. The whole town celebrates, so it feels like one big party. Mark and I joined our family for this event, and I carried my "Imagine Peace" sign as we accompanied Mary Potter, Belle, and a little witch on their treasure hunt. 

As you can see in the above photo, the good people of West Bend like to hang out in their front yards, often sitting around a portable firepit to pass out candy and other treats. As we moseyed from one yard to another, we only met one person who didn't quite get the meaning of togetherness that the rest of the neighborhood was feeling. This guy had generously set up a table with candy for kids and jello shots for adults. But next to the table was a poster insulting President Biden. 

When Mark and I approached his table, this man proudly showed off the front and back of his T-shirt and baseball cap, all with messages that either insulted Biden or extolled Trump. Mark and I were so dumbfounded, we were at a loss for words. The man was clearly disappointed with our lack of response, and we were disappointed that he used this non-political holiday to promote his Us and Them politics. 

Obviously, this man enjoyed the feeling of comradery in his neighborhood. His mistake was believing that everyone in the neighborhood shares his opinions and his inclination to make fun of people with whom he disagrees. I hope that our lack of response helped him to realize his blunder. Thinking about him makes me realize that many people who enjoy being part of a larger family just need to enlarge their circle further in order to help create the peaceful world most of us long for. 

Now, when the veil between the divine and material worlds is thin, it is an opportune time to pray that humanity learns to overlook its differences. Let us pray that all people realize: nobody is better than anyone else, and being in line with divine will means loving all of our neighbors, no matter what they believe, what they look like, or who they vote for. 

Time to Topple the Pyramid

  
                                        

    Roosting in splendor on the uppermost tier of the pyramid of life are the elite who have benefited materially from humanity's mistaken separation from Divine Love and from one another. From this vantage point they can look down on the rest of the world, where those dwelling on the lowest tiers struggle to survive, and those in the middle work hard to maintain varying levels of comfort. Throughout history, those dwelling on the middle and lower tiers have supported the extravagant lifestyle of those on the top. This arrangement is sometimes known as “dualism,” as opposed to the unity that Love desires for humanity.

    The beneficiaries of dualism have gone by many names and labels. At the very tippy top there are the pharaohs, kings and queens, emperors and empresses, czars and czarinas, chiefs, dictators and popes. Not too far below them are the lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, counts and countesses; bishops, presidents and other government leaders - CEOs. In ancient times, the Egyptian pharaohs were worshiped as gods with absolute power, who claimed ownership of everyone and everything in Egypt. In China, the Mandate of Heaven ensured that the gods would bless the authority of a just ruler; and his subjects believed that this blessing should include an opulent lifestyle.

    The Hebrews believed that God had created the lineage of kings that ruled over Israel. Solomon, who ascended to the throne upon the death of his father, King David, amassed a vast amount of wealth during his reign. He took 700 wives and 300 concubines, who were treated more like possessions than the cherished help-mates they might have been if each had been allowed a single husband! Solomon used slave labor for his many building ventures, including the palace that took 13 years to construct; and he placed heavy taxes on his people in order to support his projects. If he had been an instrument of Love, rather than a king anointed by a priest of the misconceived jealous Jehovah, he would have recognized his oneness with all other people, including those he had treated as slaves.

    When Jesus came into the world to teach people about Love, Israel was under rule of the Romans who worshiped their emperor as a god. Neither the Romans nor the Jews could fathom a government ruled by an ordinary person. Jesus never referred to a connection between God and kings. However, he did say: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and render unto God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17). Early church scholars understood this to mean that Christians should submit to worldly rulers as long as they were not being asked to defy God’s commandments. This interpretation would sanction the oppression of vassals and citizens by Christian emperors and kings for hundreds of years, and Love’s angels would weep as they witnessed the evils that took place under the guise of religion.

    I think the angels would have wondered: “Why is it so difficult for people to understand that what belongs to Caesar are the riches of the world, and what belongs to God is the spiritual power that comes with divine creativity, unconditional love, and the knowledge that all are One?” Some of the men who wrote the doctrines that would tell Christians what to believe were quite aware that Jesus wanted people to discover the divine power that is available to all of us. These men remained beloved children of Divine Spirit, even though they preferred not to claim this birthright. To do so would be to recognize that all men and women shared the same heritage, and where would be the fun in that? They enjoyed the luxuries of material wealth and the feeling of power they got by dominating the masses, so they manipulated Love’s messages in order to maintain their lofty positions.

    It was to the advantage of these early church fathers to elevate Jesus to the same level as the Father God who remained separate and inaccessible to the masses. They claimed that the Holy Spirit inspired the twelve disciples of Jesus to write the Apostles’ Creed; and with this assertion, the decree that Jesus is God’s only son was made infallible. After all, no one can argue with the Holy Spirit!

    In the fourth century A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine issued an edict that granted religious tolerance of Christians throughout the empire. “How wonderful!” the angels probably cried. “If only Constantine understood that Christianity should be based on Jesus’ teachings about love, compassion, and forgiveness. Then his generous law would be a real gift to the world!”

    As a general, Constantine led thousands in bloody battles, and spread the Christian religion by brandishing the sword rather than following Jesus' commandment to preach and heal in his name. Constantine also collected from the far reaches of his empire to Nicaea, about 300 bishops who collaborated on a creed that was devised more from their combined heads than from their hearts. Like the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed says nothing about the life and teachings of Jesus, or his plea to the human race to show more love and mercy to one another.

    Jesus offered forgiveness to the woman that the Pharisees and teachers of the Hebrew law brought to him for judgment after catching her in the act of adultery. According to the ancient laws, she should have been stoned to death. But Jesus said to them: “Let any one of you who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7b). Constantine was apparently not familiar with this verse because his laws required that any girl who ran away with her lover would be burned alive. Any chaperone that assisted in an elopement would have molten lead poured into her mouth.

     The angels would have reached out to Constantine’s soul, to make him feel the effects of this evil. If Constantine could experience the oneness between himself and others that Jesus had encouraged, he would have suffered the agony that was inflicted on his victims. But the barrier between his mind and his soul was so strong the angels could not penetrate it.

    Constantine was a harsh ruler in other areas of government, including the tax policy that required city dwellers to pay a tax in gold or silver every four years. Sometimes parents sold their children into slavery or prostitution to avoid the beatings or torture that tax evaders received. The angels just couldn’t believe that this emperor was largely responsible for a creed that would construct a cage around Christian belief, making heretics of anyone who did not accept it. Never-the-less, Constantine has been venerated as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, and greatly revered by Roman Catholics. He is remembered for ending the persecution of Christians and for spreading Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.

    As their religious allegiance morphed from paganism into Christianity, the beneficiaries of dualism managed to keep themselves in lofty places by remaining separate from Love and Love’s creation. They wove heavy veils around their souls with the lies they told about Jesus and his teachings. Many Christians believed these lies, or feared the punishment of their rulers, and so they wove similar veils around their own souls, thus closing themselves off from any feelings of compassion they may have had for people who were different or less fortunate than they were.

The above is a chapter from my book, The World According to Love. And today, February 2, 2023, I add that the time has come for all of us in the middle and at the bottom of the pyramid to recognize our oneness, to love and respect one another, and expose the lies that the capstone has been using to keep us divided for thousands of years. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us NOW.

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. 

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/

Rebuilding Bridges of Friendship

Two Girls Reading in a Garden by Pierre-August Renoir

Forty-six years ago three 11-year-old girls in a group of four ostracized the fourth because she was the prettiest. While this had not posed a problem during their younger years, it was quite apparent that the boys in their sixth grade class had their eyes on the prettiest one, and so the other three were jealous. The three girls teased Cheryl during recess, mimicking her mannerisms and speech. I was one of the three. I don’t remember behaving this way, but than we tend not to remember our own misdeeds. I'm sure it never occurred to me that my behavior would result in the end of a friendship I cherished. But Cheryl was badly hurt, and so she abandoned us and found other friends.

I never took responsibility for the loss of that friendship, always blaming Cheryl for dropping me in favor of the “cool” pretty girls, not realizing they just happened to be the girls who treated her kindly and welcomed her into their circle. We didn’t speak to each other all through junior high and high school, but I never forgot her, and she continued to visit me in my dreams throughout our adulthood. At our twentieth high school reunion Cheryl – now Cheri – and I finally spoke to each other. Cheri smiled at me and exclaimed warmly: “Emily! You look exactly the way I remembered you!” 

“I was hoping to see you here!” I responded, overwhelmed with emotion. 

“Look, she’s twinkling!” Cheri said to our husbands. Then the tears that had been sparkling in my eyes spilled over, and sobbing, I confided to her about the dreams that had haunted me for so many years, and the sadness I felt about our broken friendship.

“But I have only fond memories of you,” she said. “Our friendship was very precious to me and I’ve always remembered it that way.” She handed me a tissue for my tears. “We used to share a lot of things, didn’t we?” 

As I wiped away my tears I felt myself cleansed and forgiven. After the reunion I returned home to central New York and Cheri to Florida, but we exchanged Christmas cards and friendly notes every year for another twenty years. However, it wasn’t until this year, just a month ago, that we started to e-mail each other and open up about the misunderstanding of our past. I learned why it was that Cheri walked out of my life so long ago, and I understood. We realized what a mistake we had both made by coming to wrong conclusions about each other and not communicating. But then we were only eleven years old! Many adults make the same mistake, and so end relationships that could have been saved by an honest heart-to-heart talk. 

When we were children, Cheri and I enjoyed reading the same books, spending time in nature, and working on school projects together. Now we are discovering that we still share many of the same interests, and we’re making up for the lost years. This experience has taught me not to give up on an estranged friend before extending an offer to rebuild the crumbling bridge between us. I can only hope that as people build and rebuild stronger bridges between themselves, the bridges of oneness with all of humanity will become stronger as well!