Winter Solstice - Activating Our Personal Prism

Winter Solstice - Return of the Light
Activating Our Personal Prism of Light

The winter solstice is one of the four cardinal points in the year identifying the seasonal shifts that remind us of the natural cycles marking life. As the sun gets lower in the sky this time of year, light diminishes day by day. It appears as though the light of the sun will never return.

On December 21st the sun enters the astrological sign of Capricorn ruled by the planet Saturn. Saturn is dedicated to sacramental activity, a time for solitude, a time for slowing down and re-balancing our lives. In the season of shortened days and less light, we reflect on new possibilities, on our intentions, on new beginnings and our personal commitment to the new year.

At the height of the Summer Solstice in June, when the sun was at its highest arc in the skies, we came together as a community of brilliance to envision a crystal city of light - one of 22 such cities around the world. We envisioned an ethereal Prism of Light across this area, anchored it and testified to it through the widespread participation of hundreds of people across 9 locations.

Much has happened since that day on June 20th. From outward appearances it looks as though the world is awash in chaos and destruction with institutions, organizations, and lives changing or crumbling. It would be easy to affirm, that given the fodder of fear and anxiety in the daily news. But if we truly believe in the cities of light, that a new world is dawning, and that there's an evolution of human consciousness underway, it's helpful to know that the unhinging of the old world, the old order, the old ways, is absolutely necessary for the new to come into being. After a raging forest fire new saplings spring up from the ashes of the old growth. So too must the old ways and structures give way so that new life and new ideas can emerge and flourish.

During the Winter Solstice Ceremony, participants will be asked to activate their Personal Prism of Light. After all the years of classes and workshops, hours of meditation, hundreds of books, it's time for us to step up and use what we've learned. We can affirm our personal commitment as Carriers of the Light. We are the Light-bearers! We can no longer preach light on Monday then feed darkness and fear on Tuesday. We can no longer surrender our power, responsibility and accountability to someone else. Guidance has always been within each one of us. The difference is, now we can sense it and experience it more vividly. We are the change agents. On this New Year we can open our hearts and channels so that Spirit comes through guiding us in our commitments for 2009.

With open hearts and trust, participants will place their intentions and commitments into the crystals of Himalayan Salt during the ceremony. Crystal Bowls with the charged Salt will be taken to the Gulf and returned to the waters of the Earth carrying our affirmations and intentions across the planet. We are of the same water and elements that make up the earth, held unified in an energetic forcefield, so it is impossible for those commitments to not return to us. Going forward into the Master Year 2009, we have the opportunity to set in motion our own new directions, created in thought, fired in the heart, borne on water, and seeded for all generations yet to come.

In the next week, please give some time, reflection or thought to what you wish to commit to in 2009. It can be personal or global, individual or community. Sit in the last darkened days of 2008. Affirm the new from the heart of your being. In the Ceremony of the Return of the Light on Sunday, know that it will be set into form in the guidance of Spirit.

Light-filled blessings and happy holidays! See you on Sunday.

Jo - Dec. 15, 2008

The Visible Orbs - December 1, 2008

The Visible Orbs

In the year since Orbs The Veil Is Lifting was published there's been a noticeable shift in how Orbs appear in digital photography. While they continue to be photographed individually or in clusters, they are also appearing as slow-motion blurred streaks of light across the frame of the photographs. Yet, they still hold the shape and familiarity of regular Orbs. But even more exciting is that Orbs have become visible to the naked eye. Many of you reading this journal have reported your own experiences over the last year, sharing how you've seen Orbs without the use of cameras. The following story which happened in our home a few weeks ago reveals how the Orbs are becoming visible in our lives.

Our neighbor in the abutting villa passed away unexpectedly. Some of you might remember Kathy as she often donated her driveway for excess cars when various meditation gatherings were held here at our home. She was familiar with our group and always supportive. Just a few days before her passing we talked in the front yard. We spoke of the dog, her cats, our shared front garden and lanai, and other neighborly things. So when we saw EMT and Firemen rushing into her home one afternoon we were stunned. They valiantly tried to save her life but it was not to be.

Around 6 a.m. one morning, a few days after her passing I was working on the computer in my office. All of a sudden the lights dimmed and flickered for a couple seconds then returned to normal. This happened twice, causing what seemed like a short brown-out. At the other end of the house, Patricia came out of the bedroom into the living room asking if I'd "seen the lights flickering on and off for several seconds?" She was standing in the living room against the lanai slider when she asked the question. I came out of my office responding that yes, I had seen the lights flickering on and off. She then said with complete certainty, "It's Kathy!"

At that moment something large, round, and light-filled caught my attention near the ceiling fan. Looking up I saw a large blue-ish white Orb appear, quite visible to my naked eyes. After Patricia's statement I simply asked, "Kathy, is that you?" In response, the blue-ish white Orb powered up brilliantly then dimmed a little. I asked again, "Kathy, is that you?" Once more it did the same thing. Then another Orb appeared beside the first one. Both Orbs slowly moved across the room together towards the lanai slider. I told Patricia what I was seeing and asked her not to move. I said, "Kathy, if that's really you give me a clear sign!" The two Orbs, clearly visible against the wall moved towards each other, powered up, overlapped into the shape of a Vesica Pisces then moved apart. This continued for about 5 minutes with me speaking to the Orbs and the Orbs moving together, powering up, then separating before they finally faded out completely.

We wondered how we might explain to Kathy's son, a Police Captain, that we'd had a visitation from his mother in the form of an Orb. When the opportunity finally presented itself we explained to him what had happened, and told him how two "Circular Lights" had presented themselves. Without a moment's hesitation he explained with tears in his eyes that "the second light was my grandmother; she and my mother were inseparable in life; they're now together in death." He went on to tell us that when teaching new recruits at the police academy he taught them about using their intuition and psychic feelings when on the job and how this 6th sense could save their lives. Our worries about his acceptance of the Orbs was for naught.

In The Orb Project authors Drs. Ledwith and Heinemann state, "First and foremost, an orb is a physical manifestation. We must assume that the Spirit Being has a mechanism to manifest itself in such a way that it can be detected with physical means - and that it will respond to communication." I asked for a clear sign from Kathy and she delivered it. As the veil thins may we all enjoy similar experiences.

The next Spiritual Connections Newsletter will be published on December 15.

Wishing you visible Orbs and endless blessings,

Jo - Dec. 1, 2008

Triumph and Hope - 11-17-08

The Triumph of Hope

The 2008 election was a defining moment in history. It was more than a campaign and it was much more than politics. It was a movement of higher consciousness led by Senator Barack Obama that energized and uplifted young and old. It crossed gender, party and ethnic divides. It was a calling to our character and to our higher selves. We were summoned to this ideal by a man who gave us hope; who made us feel good about ourselves; who shared our possibilities and crafted our potential. Most of all, he invited us to believe we could create a better world together. We believed it could be done! So when hope triumphed on November 4th a tsunami of emotions and experiences was unleashed that will echo in our national consciousness forever.

The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans. It will be led by the 44th President - an African-American - who will be inaugurated in 2009 which is an auspicious Master Number 11 year. The Master Number 11 means revelation and inspiration from the Higher Planes. It is the vibration of brotherly love on a grander scale. It is the number of the Diplomat and Peacemaker. The number 11 needs the number 4 to ground it. In this case the 44th President of the United States is doubly grounded - by structure and order and by the angelic realm.

Two weeks later, we continue to feel the uplifting joy of change. Your words flooded my inbox. You shared your joys and tears, your fears and your dreams. Here's what you said:

I tiptoed into my 6 and 8 year old's room at 1 a.m. and whispered the good news, that they could now sleep safely and soundly in a new world. Margaret

I saw his Light and his sense of purpose and mission. He is a Light gifted to us at this very important time in our human and earth history. He is the beacon that was able to transcend race, culture, religion, gender and all the other illusions that would distort the fact that we are all one. Sharon-Elizabeth

As the mother of two, bi-racial children I smiled proudly as I listened to the eloquence of President Obama's speech. My husband and I decided to wake our seven year old son and four year old daughter to share in this momentous and historical evening. As we huddled together in our bedroom my daughter turned to me and said 'look mommy he's brown like me.' I knew America would be forever different. And then I wept. Mina

I remembered myself as a young girl in 1960 touching the hand of John F. Kennedy at a rally. I yelled to my mom, "I touched his hand - I touched his hand." 48 years later, at the Obama rally at Ed Smith Stadium I watched a young girl screaming into her cell phone, "Mom, I touched his hand - I touched his hand." I never forgot my moment of hope. I knew the torch had passed to this young girl who would never forget hers. Now we both have hope again. jm

For the first time in my life I feel I've been a part of something far greater than myself. I have such on overwhelming feeling of gratitude that we are all empowered and able to bring about positive change. I woke this morning with a feeling of anticipation and expectation. I'm ready to stand tall, put my shoulder to the wheel and work. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this history making event. We've only just begun the ride of our lives! Toni

Sometimes, it's a photo that conveys the story. Sitting on the floor of a church in Harlem, is a mother and daughter. The mother, Latrice Barnes, having heard of Obama's victory, is doubled up in tears; her daughter, Jasmine, is reaching a tentative hand up to soothe her. The hand of the future reaches out to heal the tears of the past.

I will remember this day forever. I am praying for him. I am Hopeful. I'm proud that I participated in giving him the opportunity to make a difference. When he said, "For those of you whose votes I have not earned" he was so respectful. Tears of joy fell as I witnessed a new beginning for future generations. Linda W.

Eyes tear, the heart opens and Divine love flows through those of us touched by the enormous significance of this black/white man of superior intelligence, foresight, wisdom and vision who has energized this country with Hope. It reminds me of the Law of Attraction and the idea of holding on to our vision of hope beyond all shadows, facts, history or reason. To step out there, where no one has gone before in holding the hopes, desires, images of positive expectations for this country and for the world community. I tear up hourly with thanksgiving, my heart wide open, because I see that if anyone has the potential of turning this country around and setting us on a new path towards the new dawn for peace, prosperity and well-being, it is this man. Hope is born once again in the USA! Zan

Harriet Tubman crawled, so that Rosa Parks could walk, so that Martin Luther King, Jr. could march, so that Barack Obama could run, so that those little black toddlers I saw at Obama's speech rally last week - and all children like them - can fly! May the Obama family remain safe, and may Barack Obama not only be the bright light that unites our country, but also one that takes part in uniting our world. Barbara G.

Barack Obama's win was not just for America. It affects the entire world. It says many things to our planet. We are all One - all of us, together. Our planet's collective heart beats stronger this day as the sun rises to shine on our collective hope. We have been blessed. Eileen J

I knew all of my grandfather's stories about the marches in Selma. My father told me I could be anything or do anything that I wanted because I lived in the United States. I never really believed it. Tonight, with this election, I finally believe it! Enrique

Every one of my Korean students had been asking all day 'who was the new president?' On November 5th I wrote on the board in a Seoul Korea classroom, Obama Is The New President of the United States. You would not believe the rejoicing and screams that came out of those Middle schoolers. They jumped, cheered and carried on. I was automatically elevated to the highest vibration of love and comprehension beyond boundaries. Vanda - Seoul, Korea

The night before his assassination in Memphis, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said "I have seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land!" The dream is fulfilled. All over the world there are dreams, high hopes and expectations for this new president and the journey that unfolds for him. Meanwhile, our work to support him must continue. Our daily prayers of Divine Light guiding his path surrounds him and his family. There's much to be done, but with strong and good intention, heartfelt love and desire, we will together forge a new destiny for the United States and for this planet. Hope has triumphed!

Every day, all over the world, groups gather individually or together to hold prayers for peace. In our area, we have several groups of twelve who use this mnemonic 68/12 - Start your own group or join us in "no time - no space" for 68 seconds of prayer at any time of the day for this man, this country, this planet and for all of us!

Hopeful days and endless blessings,

Jo - Nov. 17, 2008

Pause & Trust October 27, 2008

Pause & Trust

While stopped at the light on Tuttle and Fruitville, dozens of cars sped by in both directions of Fruitville. Nothing separated them but white lines on the asphalt. Some people were alone in their cars; some were on cell phones; some were engaged in animated conversation with their passengers; some heads bobbed up and down, obviously listening to music. I went into a state of reflection and pause, not thinking, not doing anything, just watching the traffic. All of a sudden there was a shift in perception. Time and the cars slowed down. Everything turned into thick liquid energetic forms. Each car was still slowly moving in an orderly direction. But, rising up from the white lines, there was a light-filled liquid-energetic buffer of protection which kept each car from hitting the other. The word Trust filled every cell and sense. The people driving their cars at 50 mph with only 6 inches of white paint separating them, were in a state of complete Trust that each driver and each car would stay in their own lanes. In that moment of recognizing the word Trust and taking it into consciousness, the liquid buffer evaporated, time returned to normal, and the cars and their occupants continued speeding by.

The experience in that intersection seemed like a metaphor for what we've been witnessing on a national and global scale. Financial markets are racing in two directions at once, going up and down in 24 hours. Then overnight there's a pause before the frenetic pace begins again the following day. With the election, we're at an intersection of change in US policy and direction. At the end of the evening of November 4th we'll pause, along with the world, and see who has been elected. In cosmic time, solar flares are either increasing or decreasing, and the planet's magnetic field is diminishing or slowing. The ancient Mayan calendar marches towards 12.21.2012. At the end of that katun cycle there's a pause before the next cycle begins.

Witnessing that energetic buffer of protection on Fruitville Road caused ongoing reflection. We know that world events play out on a grander scale while that of humans continue going along no matter what's happening on the global level. My neighbor Louise remarked this week that, "Everything in the news is so upsetting it makes me feel sick to watch it." I asked her if there was anything she could do about what she was watching. She said "No, not really." I then asked if she felt everything would be ok? She said "I think so. It usually works itself out doesn't it?" I suggested she turn off the TV and trust in what she'd just said.

There's great healing in summoning Trust. It's an emotion that causes us to believe that things will work out and things will get better. It empowers us! It helps us to feel safe no mater what we're experiencing in life. Trust teaches us that "there's got to be a morning after" and the sun will always come up. So it is with these national, global or cosmic developments. We can witness them unfolding at incredible rates of speed. We can be buffeted by them or buffered from them. We know that each situation or development has an energetic imprint and that we can be protected in our own light-filled energetic buffer. We can Trust in that but it takes focus and intention to do the work. We can pause and reflect on the events knowing that what we believe, what we think, and what we feel is what we'll attract to us. Doing the work requires us to suspend the impressions coming to us from outside sources and instead see and trust what we wish to create. As Louise said, in the end, it's a matter of Trusting that everything will work out. Because in the grand scheme of life it always does!

Not coincidentally, while writing this article I stumbled on a story about Ana Torres and the lion Jupiter. Ana runs a small animal shelter in Cali Columbia. Years ago, she nursed Jupiter back to health after he was found tortured, abused, and emaciated in a traveling circus. When she found him she paused in her regular life's work and decided instead to open her shelter for animals like Jupiter. The trust and affection both have for one another is evident in the photo which was taken as Ana kissed him. She said, "This hug is the most sincere one that I have received in my life." It's all a matter of Trust!

68:12

Last Issue we talked about the power of thought creating the world we wish to see. Holding a thought for 17 seconds attracts another just like it. Holding for 34 seconds creates a vortex of energy that multiplies so that when held for 68 seconds creates the equivalent of one million powerful actions. Join with us and the millions all over the world who gather for 68 seconds every day at 12 noon. Hold the vision of the world you wish to create. See the peace, love and harmony intensify. If you can't give 68 seconds, then give 17. It will multiply itself.

Wishing you beautiful pauses and trusting days.

Jo - October 27, 2008