The Winter Solstice - The Light Within

Winter Solstice - The Light Within

The days grow shorter in the northern hemisphere as sunlight diminishes. The growing season is long over, the crops harvested, the fields tilled and supplies put up for the chilly months ahead. As the sun makes a low transit across the skies, its shadows lengthen, more darkness appears, and a primal part of us watches and wonders, "Will it ever come back?"

The watchfulness is even more pronounced in these difficult and challenging times. Fears, anxieties, angry exchanges, and dire pronouncements fill the electronic atmosphere and the agendas of many, causing us to look around expectantly for an uplifting beam of light on any front. We straddle two types of darkness - the disappearance of the sun's light and the sense of foreboding on the land. Yet, in the physical or spiritual darkness the wheel of life's cycle turns, presenting the essential truth of rebirth and renewal.

The light of hope, regardless of human contrivance, appears again on the horizon. It always does. Even in our modern lives, that primitive urge to summon the light is encoded in the deepest parts of ourselves. It is the fundamental essence of who we are - children of the light. So when that light is lessened in any way, melancholy sets in until the light is restored. We've devised rituals, ceremonies, stories and celebrations to insure the light returns especially around the Solstice when the sun appears to 'stand still' before making its trek back across the heavens.

In December in the northern hemisphere (June in the southern hemisphere,) we celebrate a shared human legacy of the sun's return in the company of tribes, cultures and religions all over the world. We join with the Dogon of Africa who celebrate the arrival of humanity from the sky God Amma; with the Japanese who celebrate the re-emergence of their sun goddess Amaterasu from her seclusion in the cave bringing sunshine back to the universe; with the Incas of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru who celebrate Inti-Raymi by tying the sun to a hitching post to prevent its escape; with the Maori of New Zealand who honor the sun God's return with his winter bride the Star Sirius; and with the Druids who announce the feast of Alban Arthuan, a festival of peace celebrating the re-birth of the Sun Child.

The legends, myths and stories of the Sun Gods of Light have striking similarities. They were all born in the winter; of a virgin; performed great miracles; worked with the poor; lived for thirty years or so; when they died the sun darkened; and all of them were resurrected three days later in the springtime, otherwise known as the Vernal Equinox. They go by many names though the stories are similar. In Turkey the Sun God is Attis of Phrygia; in Greece it's Dionysius whose story mimics that of Horus and Osiris of Egypt. Egyptians celebrated for 12 days reflecting the 12 divisions in their sun calendar. In India, the sun God is Krishna and in Persia, Mithra who was protector of the light. Persians took their festival from the Babylonians, which marked the start of the solar year as a celebratory victory of light over darkness with the renewal of the Sun. In Iran, families kept bonfire vigils all night to help the sun battle the darkness. Coincidentally, a discovery in the ancient text of the Dead Sea Scrolls tells of a war between the sons (suns) of light against the suns of darkness. The Archangel Michael referred to in Talmudic tradition as "Who is like El" or the one who is like God is also called the Prince of Light or the Son of Light.

During the darkest days of the year, we all look for comfort in the re-emergence of the sun's light. It's a signal that no matter how difficult or dark our circumstances, no matter the mood of hostility or ugliness on the land, the sun returns to replenish the fields and our sense of aliveness. The visionaries who have always stood with a higher perspective, still do so today. They affirm and hold a global vision of a brighter tomorrow with an unwavering knowingness. They see and understand that it is by aligning consciousness with an image of what is desired that the holographic fabric of space and time will open to that reality. When the image is planted, then one by one it is embraced. Soon the collective mass consciousness agrees to see that vision, changing what we call reality.

On the solstice of December 21st each of us can affirm what we wish to envision in our lives or for the planet. Write three words or phrases describing your personal vision on a piece of paper. Enter into sacred space or ceremony, either alone or preferably with a group. Light a small fire or use candles to set your intentions. At the moment the sun stands still, hovering at its furthest point south, offer the visionary words written on the paper up to the solar fires. Using your breath and your imagination, send these sacred intentions from your heart into the atmosphere. See the visions enter the electro-magnetic fields of the earth, surrounding the planet with good intentions. As those in the southern hemisphere honor the longest day, and those in the northern hemisphere honor the shortest day, the sun's balanced blessings will return to all of us intensified and magnified.

Stay grounded and look straight ahead towards the horizon line. From that perspective, remain focused on the vision and know that the light will always be there. For even in the darkest hours of blackness, light and hope prevail.


Jo - Dec. 7th, 2009

A Mandala In Global Harmonic Resonance

A Mandala in Global Harmonic Resonance

Amid the seeming noise, activity, and chaos we experience daily in our world there's a gentle fluctuation that moves rhythmically and unseen. Most people have no awareness of it, yet it has great impact on our lives. Sometimes a coincidental event brings it to consciousness in a way that makes it vivid and brilliant. It's called Coherent Resonance.

Coherence means there's a logical interconnectedness and balance between two things. Resonance is the frequency at which an object naturally vibrates. In a coherent system, one object may set another in motion if it shares the same vibration or frequency. An example of this is if you strike a tuning fork the vibration cases a second tuning fork which has not been struck to vibrate at the same frequency as the first.

Coherent Resonance means that two or more things are vibrating and interconnected in a balanced, unified, and harmonious energy wave. We 'silently' communicate with one another through our electromagnetic and bio-electrical energy fields in a larger global energy field of consciousness. When we meet someone for the first time and have an instant connection with them we're experiencing a coherent resonance. If we hear about an event which causes a powerful reaction in us, we're experiencing coherent resonance.

Is coherent resonance possible across distance and time? In the unified energy soup we live in, it would appear to be so. Ten months ago a mandala emerged from cosmic mind while in meditation. It coalesced into a vision that said bring the community together in an event focused on prayers, intentions, and blessings for planetary peace. The drawing of the mandala and the vision it represented was presented to the community. Like a tuning fork being struck, it resonated harmoniously with everyone who heard about it and wanted to be a part of it.

The mandala came to be known as the Crystal of Peace Mandala. It was blessed by Tibetan Lamas and the leaders of Spiritual Centers. It was toned by Hindustani classical musicians. It was anointed in sacred ceremony in gatherings. Then the canvas drawing, with more than 200 facets in its design, was colored by hundreds of men, women and children in the community, each one imbuing it with their wishes and prayers for mother earth and all humanity. The Mandala was dedicated in a large ceremony on the Summer Solstice 2009.

The story of this unique Florida spiritual community, the Prism of Light, (which was the first iteration of the vision,) and the resulting Crystal of Peace Mandala was shared casually in conversation with the editor of Spirit of Maat based in Sedona, AZ. Another coherent resonance was toned when the editor, hearing the 'frequency of the story' asked to publish it in the May Issue of the magazine. The coherent resonance sounded loudly after publication like many tuning forks being struck in symphonic harmony.

Upon reading the story, many wrote from all over the world asking for more information about the mandala and to learn more about the spiritual community in Sarasota, FL. One said, "Reading your words I could sense the prism's harmonic in my cells, beginning to feel the sound of its shape." A few were even drawn to visit this area after reading about the Prism and the Mandala. But one contact sounded a harmonic resonance greater than all the rest.

The leader of a group in northwestern Spain wrote to say they had a spiritual center called Dragonfly that was a very special place offering different activities and workshops. But their most powerful work was a monthly gathering focused on Mandalas. She described the "amazing energy" of their center and noted that many synchronous events were happening. One of them was "accidentally finding the Crystal of Peace Mandala" through the Spirit of Maat Magazine. The resonance of the mandala crossed time zones and continents, speaking to the group with great clarity. She said, "When I read about all the work you are doing there I felt completely connected to all of you and your work, as we are working the same line here." She said it was "about the Nagual." For those not familiar with the term, it was used in the work of Carlos Castaneda. Nagual means the greater alternate dimension of reality of which most humans are unaware. A magician or sorcerer is one who has harnessed and commands the sacred knowledge.

She wrote asking for a copy of the Crystal of Peace Mandala so that their "Intensivos de Mandalas" group could join in and create in Spain what had been done in Florida. She continued, "I want to honor this mandala so people can paint it in our next workshop." Each person in the Dragonfly Mandala Intensive was guided to color their own version of the Crystal of Peace Mandala. Each one held a vision and toned their own notes and colors in response to what had been created as a community in Florida.

These images represent a selection from the twenty mandalas Dragonfly created. There's an implicit harmony and resonance with the original mandala because the template was used. But these colors are electric, fluid and dynamic. Though each one is unique in color there's synergy in the overall pattern of the original which carries the imprint of Peace across the continents. One of the Spanish mandalas caught my attention as it was so similar in colors and feeling to one I painted called the New Earth Template of Peace which was exhibited at Sarasota's Expressive Arts Gallery Mandala show this year.

And so it was that a seemingly "coincidental event" called The Crystal of Peace Mandala entered the stream of universal consciousness. It grew into an interconnected harmonic when thousands around the world heard of it. It became an organic entity when it was anchored in Spain, birthing more like unto itself. It lives now in the global energy field of consciousness silently waiting for the next note to be toned.

Jo - November 2, 2009

A Divine Message on a Panel Truck

~ Starsoundings Journals ~

A Divine Message on a Panel Truck

"The 'so-and-so group' is going to Peru."

"What do you think? Should we go?"

"I'm not sure if it feels right."

"Then let's wait until it does."

For over two years, the conversations unfolded like that without any commitment made to any of the trips. That is until Jorge Luis Delgado sent an email in May announcing a gathering of spiritual groups, tribal leaders, religious leaders, teachers and lightworkers at Lake Titicaca for a sacred ceremony called Reactivating the Solar Disk. The email went on to say he would explain the trip in more detail when he arrived in Sarasota at the end of June. And so the conversations began again. "Jorge wants us to go to Peru. What do you think? Should we go? Etc, etc."

It's clear that no one needs to physically go anywhere to do this spiritual work. Every one of us can be just as energetically effective at a distance or while present at the event. Yet, there was something about this trip that felt like it was 'a calling.' It felt different on many levels. So, we asked for guidance from the world of spirit to come in either dreams or meditations. Little did we know that in less than 72 hours it would come in such a profound and meaningful way.

While preparing for meditation one morning a feeling swept the room with a clear message. "Go to the Shrine of St Michael's in Tarpon Springs!" Without knowing if there was even a Shrine to St Michael's in Tarpon Springs we decided to go to Tarpon Springs that morning and find out. But during the meditation we got parts of a well-known symbol that was important to both of us. The symbol, called The Sacred Dalet, is a blessed seal placed on the back of all the Mandalas. In Patricia's meditation she saw the Mandala Dalet Symbol which looks like the number 7 with two half moons and two squiggly equal signs. (Photo right.) I saw the number 5 with a curl coming out of the top of it. Both of these symbols would become meaningful on the drive to Tarpon Springs.

We both had no idea why we were going to Tarpon Springs on such sudden notice but knew there had to be a reason. As we drove onto the I-75 Interstate we opened a channel to spirit asking to be shown the reason for this trek and also for guidance on going with Jorge to Peru. As we drove we began to notice billboards and car license plates with messages that appeared to be signs directly related to what we'd asked. There were so many that Patricia said "We can't put meaning into every billboard we pass." And yet, each one had a clear message.

Before long an old navy blue car passed us then pulled into the lane in front of us. In the back window of the car, written in large hand-written white block letters, was the number 5 with the curled top. It was the same design I'd seen in meditation that morning. But even more surprising, the curly topped 5 was followed by the watery squiggly equal sign with two half moons. It looked like this: 5 = )). We were awed by that handwritten symbol in the back window which combined both of the symbols we'd received in meditation. After that, the messages became more frequent. We had a sense that our question, "Should we go to Peru with Jorge?" was going to be answered.

As we continued north on the Interstate a white panel truck came up alongside. The logo on the side of the truck said Longboat Construction. This is when the answer from Spirit became unmistakable. Over the Longboat Construction name was a large Incan mask with the sun emerging behind the face in bold colors like the Peruvian Incan sun masks. We were stunned by the message. Even now, writing this account, it sounds farfetched. How did a white construction panel truck, that just happened to have a Peruvian Incan mask as part of its logo, appear next to our car, on I-75, during an unplanned day trip, at a moment in time and space, in answer to a question we'd both released to spirit less than an hour earlier?

There were many more messages enroute to the Shrine of St. Michael's that day. We passed a huge billboard with this message: 888-Admit it! On August 8, 2008 twenty-two women held a pipe ceremony to honor the portal date 8.8.8. During the meditation that evening Rev. Sharon Elizabeth received a vision to activate a crystal template of light on 9.9.9 at Lake Titicaca in Peru. Another billboard said: "You Can Certainly Choose." A third sign said "Be Gold" which we felt was a reference to the Reactivation of the Golden Sun Disk of Aramu Muru.

The billboard messages were clear but the reason for visiting the Shrine was still unclear. We finally arrived at St. Michael's, spending hours that felt like minutes. The tiny white church in an old neighborhood of small homes, was filled with silver and gold icons to St Michael and the Madonna. It was built by Maria Tsalickis, the wife of a Greek sponge diver, as a promise made in 1939 to St. Michael for saving her dying 11-year old son. In the time there we learned about Maria, her son Steve, and the many healings from cancer, blindness, and terminal illnesses that visitors had received while petitioning St. Michael in the chapel. While this was certainly uplifting, it didn't answer the underlying question of why were we told to go to St. Michael's.

Not until we returned home and began to spend weeks researching Michael did we learn of his relationship to the Sun, to Peru and to the Re-Activation of the Solar Disk. St. Michael is actually the Archangel Michael known as "the highest of the seven mountains of creation" and who is called the "Sun Spirit" according to the Book of Enoch - a book left out of the Bible by canonical decree. His name is actually Me-Ka-El which means the Spirit of Light. All of the Archangel names end in 'El', the name of the 'elder' race of 'light' immortals that colonized the ancient earth.

Pre-Egyptian Chaldaean Magi told of a Sun-God that gave life to and protected the inhabitants of the earth. To the Egyptians, Ra was known as the Sun-God, the solar deity responsible for life on earth. In the Talmudic tradition the name Michael originated in Babylon and meant "who is like God." In Greek Mythology Apollo is the God of Illumination or Light and is often depicted as the Sun moving across the heavens. Eventually, the "Sun-God" attributes of a solar deity were carried into Christianity from ancient cultures and assigned to the Archangel Michael.

The relationship between Peru and the Sun God is older than our recorded history. In the book Secret of the Andes, it is revealed that the Pre-Incas came to Peru from the "last remnant of a large ancient island in the Pacific 30,000 years ago." The High Priests who arrived built a Temple of the Sun which eventually housed an artifact known as the Golden Sun Disk. Later, Chancas, Quero and Incas honored the Sun as the giver of life and the ancestor of the people, building temples to the Sun along the Great Diagonal Ley Line stretching from Lake Titicaca to Cuzco.

George Hunt Williamson relates a channeled message from Archangel Michael in January 1956 which said: "Many temples have been raised into the etheric realms. Some day they will be lowered again when man is spiritually ready to receive them. Stones used in the construction of the Temples have been put in the hands of the High Priest where they form a connection with the Celestial Hierarchy. There are several dozens of the stones from My Own Temple (Sun Temple) in the possession of individuals at various points on the Earth's surface." One of the 'stones' referred to by Archangel Michael is the Golden Sun Disk which was put into the hands of the High Priest Aramu Muru before the sinking of Mu.

Jorge Luis Delgado is known as the "re-discoverer of the Aramu Muru portal" through which the Priest Aramu Muru disappeared with the Golden Sun Disk. Jorge said the reactivation of the Sun Disk signals the return of the Children of the Sun who will usher in a new dawn of humans who recognize and honor their spiritual heritage. This echoes Archangel Michael's words that the temples will be lowered when 'man' is spiritually ready to receive them.

The ongoing connection between the ancient Sun God and its current representation in Archangel Michael is there for those who read between the lines or research it. According to Rudolph Steiner different ages of the planet are governed by different Archangels. Steiner said "Michael's Rulership of spiritual life began in the 1870's (which was the birth of the New Thought movement.) Whenever Michael sends his impulses into human earthly evolution, he brings the Sun-Forces or the spiritual essence of the Sun. The present Michael Rulership will last three to four centuries. In this time the Cosmic forces of the Sun will penetrate into the human physical and etheric bodies. In the future, the strength of human deeds will come from solar spiritual influences working through humans."

Michael the Archangel, the Incan Sun God on the panel truck, the Shrine in Tarpon Springs, the Solar Disk, and the Peru trip may all seem like disconnected events. However, the synchronicity and resonance of all the messages that came that day was clear. After that trip to Tarpon Springs it was clear that with so many confirming messages it was a calling of a sacred journey to Peru. Its significance and importance continues to be amplified since the messages in June and the subsequent research over the last few months. Many people will hear about this trip and question if they should go or not. Some will know from a place deep inside that they were present when Aramu Muru hid the Sun Disk 500 years ago. Those will hear 'the call' to be present when it is re-awakened, and with its awakening re-activate the Sun's spiritual essence in all of us.

POST-SCRIPT COINCIDENCE

This article was prepared almost three weeks ago. Reading it again before publishing, the coincidences sounded so far-fetched I questioned how it would be received. Then a strong feeling swept over me to "send the article to Jean." Not questioning it, I sent the article to Jean. This was her reply an hour later.

"Add this to your "coincidences". An hour ago, I was in the kitchen making salad and asking if indeed, today is the day to drive up to the shrine of St. Michael in Tarpon Springs which I had gotten a message to do last week. It's getting to be late morning, so I said if I am to go, give me an unmistakable sign and I'll go. I went in to check email and not only was Archangel Michael's name in one of the other emails, which I would have taken as a pretty good hint, but when I opened your email - well, you can imagine! Add to that - part of the reason I want to go is to make a final decision on going to Peru or not. WHEW! Timing is everything. THANK YOU!" Jean H.

The rest of this story will unfold in Peru. In the sunlight of the messages,

Jo - October 5, 2009

9.9.9 Crystal Activation

9.9.9 Activation of the Inner Crystal of the Heart

This is our story of the 9.9.9 Prism of Light Crystal Activation. Our spiritual community united with others who gathered all around the world last Wednesday evening to embrace a vision, hold ceremony, set sacred space, join in meditation and activate a crystalline form in each of us that was centered in the heart.

In preparation for the 9.9.9 event a visionary call was sounded that a large diamond shaped prism of light would be created on the crystal sands of Siesta Key Beach. The creation of the Prism of Light represented a physical visual of the "Inner Crystal" that would be activated within each person that evening. In the weeks leading up to the ceremony participants were guided to prepare themselves with the Tibetan practice known as the Elemental Breaths. Crystals were bathed in salt water and purified under the rays of the sun. And so, preparations continued across the community as the design of the Prism unfolded in meditation.

To set the stage, you might remember that six months previously on the Vernal Equinox of 2009, a large citrine and quartz terminated crystal was used in our ceremony at the Labyrinth. It was placed on the altar in front of the Crystal of Peace Mandala while Sufi master teacher Shahabuddin David Less offered prayers and blessings for over 200 people who’d gathered. Twenty-four hours after the Equinox ceremony ended, the crystal split into two perfect halves like two bookends, each half able to stand by itself.

A crystal splitting in half is not unique. What was unique was the crystal also splintered off a three-inch sliver in the shape of a key. When the two parts of the crystal were placed together, "The Key" kept the two sections locked in place. When "The Key" was removed, the two sections could be opened. That Crystal was placed in the center of the Prism to anchor and to be open to all the offerings of the heart. It was lit from below and surrounded by sands from sacred sites all around the world which included Giza, Machu Picchu, Petra, Jerusalem, the Great Wall of China, the Galapagos, Angkor Wat, the HathorTemple, the Maori Wahi Tapu, Lake Titicaca, as well as Sai Baba Vibhuti and ashes from the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamsala.

In keeping with the integrity of the number 9, the design took form on the beach at 6:30 pm. People came from all over southwestern Florida to hold sacred space and to be part of the ceremony. They came alone or in small groups. They brought babies as young as 3 months and great-grandmothers as old as 90. They brought their offerings, outlining the design with large and small crystals, lit candles, statues, flowers and vases of holy water. They reverently placed their gifts in the nine-foot diamond prism, some of them fashioning small altars, then took their seats across a 54 foot outer circle as the tones of Diana Daffner's flute and Sam Laundon's bamboo saxophone filled the air.

At the start of the ceremony at 7:02 young children carried rose petals to the center of the circle, tossing them throughout the crystals and candles. Shaman Mic McManus called in the spirits devas and guides of the four directions. As if summoned to participate with us, dolphins made an appearance in the shallow surf, as flocks of seagulls soared overhead, and dozens of dragonflies circled the gathering throughout the evening.

Rose Lettiere, known as the Waterbearer intoned a blessing around and through the Prism. Rose carries waters collected from sacred sites around the world which are used for many of our ceremonies. She sprinkled drops of the holy waters on the crystals and the altar while ringing a Balinese priest’s bell and offering a prayer.

A guided meditation led by Rev. Zan Butterfly Deerwoman balanced the chakras, activated the crystal within, and opened the heart center. Two crystal bowls were toned in accompaniment as the meditation conveyed the power of the vision and filled the gathering with the solemnity of the activation. The meditation affirmed the spiritual inter-connectedness of each of the 300 people on the beach with all those holding similar ceremonies around the world.

That gathering radiated a holy feeling across the atmosphere. Men and women who were on the beach to watch the sunset gravitated to the circle. A few new arrivals to the city had come to the beach seeking “the spiritual community” and experiencing the meditation and gathering, knew they’d found it. One very tiny great-grandmother who spoke no English mimed that she wanted to touch the Key Crystal. She bent her elderly body to scoop up sand and flower petals from around it. Through an interpreter, she asked how she might create an altar at her home. As she lovingly touched the sand and petals she asked if it was ok to put her statues of Jesus and Mary on the altar too.

On the evening of 9.9.9 we became a family of heart centered humans. We were empathically united with one another and with all humanity. You could feel that wave pervading the group. We experienced feelings of peace, sacredness, power and meaning. It filled our faces that seemed illuminated from within.

This feeling did not end on the day after 9.9.9. Rather it lives in us now and for all time. It can be summoned with a thought or a memory. It can be activated with feelings of good will and well-being. Because of that activation we have become guardians and custodians of a collective cosmic vision - a vision that is present and gives us purpose when we remember to come from the heart.

To see a slide show of photos click on David Cooper's 9.9.9 or Sam Laundon's 9.9.9.

In the light of ours heart centered crystals,

Jo - Sept. 21, 2009

Activation of the Inner Crystal Template

The Story Behind the
Activation of the Inner Crystal Template

Some may think this article sounds like alot of woo-woo. For others it will resonate. Either way, if you read with an open mind, perhaps you'll embrace the significance of what's happening on 9.9.9 at Siesta Key. And, you might have a further appreciation of The Lull we've been living in.

After the work we did together on the Prism of Light in 2008, dreams and altered states in meditation relating to that original work began to come in. One dream resulted in us anchoring 9 Peace Poles at several Prism of Light locations. Another dream was a catalyst for the Crystal of Peace Mandala that the community colored and dedicated. More dreams have come that I'd like to share before the 9.9.9 Activation of the Inner Crystal Template within each of us. But first, a little background.

The Grid

The first thing to be aware of is "The Grid." A Grid or framework of imperceptible light has been around the planet since its creation. Large numbers of people believe "the grid" is something new, but it's not. Patricia had a dream recently about Hermes Trismegistus who was known as "the personification of Universal Wisdom" "the Egyptian God Thoth" or the "messenger of the Gods." In the dream she was shown a white stone tablet with ancient inscriptions on it. This dream resulted in hours of research. Hermes earliest writings which survived the destruction of the library of Alexandria was called the Divine Pymander. In it he was shown the wonder of the Cosmic Mind and the birth of form in "cosmic streams of light" which happened at creation. Plato called the grid a "dodecahedron" and said it was the "ideal body of the Cosmos." To Native Americans the web around the planet was created by Spider Woman who sacredly connects the earth to spirit in this web.

The grid is a "crystalline" blueprint of energy behind all form and in all dimensions - seen and unseen. The physical universe cannot exist without it and is made up of it. It is the unseen web which holds all matter together. The grid in the earth and over it, is an organic matrix of lines of light, of magnetic energies, of fractal thought forms, in a geometric design, holding the consciousness code for all life.

During the Harmonic Convergence in August 1987 "The Grid" was brought to the awareness of thousands worldwide when an astrological configuration of planets created a six-pointed Star of David over the planet. Sixteen years later, during the Full Lunar Eclipse of the Harmonic Concordance, the grid was fully experienced in consciousness by millions of people worldwide who had an awakening that they were spiritual beings having a physical experience. It was said that those two events created the openings for what we now participate in - the return of the Children of Light, the New Age, the New Human, the Shift and Ascension.

The Dreams of The Crystals

So what does all that have to do with us on 09/09/09? We're all familiar with one of the Hermetic "Truths" in the Emerald Tablets which says, "As above, so below." If the grid exists above, in the unseen world, so too must it exist below in the visible world. If there's a crystalline grid around the planet and within all forms on earth, then humans, who are made up of the elements of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, must also contain a similar crystalline grid. Most everyone knows that diamond crystals come from carbon and water holds crystalline form as shown in the work of Dr Masaru Emoto. So in essence, we are already crystal beings.

There were several more dreams confirming the importance of the work of09/09/09. In one dream the large crystal that split in half during our ceremony on the 2009 vernal equinox was shown. The words "Crystals will absorb and change colors depending on whatever you want to release or change. Crystals are activated by thought and energy and are transmitters and receivers of energy" were heard. If you attended that Equinox ceremony, you know it was a highly charged and sacred atmosphere. The 7" x 5" crystal split in half at the end of that ceremony.

In the second dream, these two words, "Chad Tahara" was heard. Waking the next morning neither word made any sense, so it was another day of research. Chad is a landlocked country in the middle of Africa known as the "Heart of Africa." Africa is the birthplace of humanity. Tahara was an actual Islamic word that means "ritual cleansing" or "crystal clear purification." These dreams were instrumental in suggesting two things - an alchemical transforming of carbon into diamond. The first was that we prepare ourselves by purifying and cleansing using a specific technique called elemental breathing. The second was that we go into the heart center to activate our inner crystal selves to birth the new crystalline human.

Grand energetic portals will open on 09/09/09, 10/10/10, 11/11/11 and 12/12/12. These doorways of light open to the invisible and unseen. The openings are readying the planet for the shift from old alignments, old cycles, old ways of thinking, being and doing, into a new harmonic. Groups, organizations, gatherings, teachers, and holy leaders all over the world are coming together on those dates to hold ceremony, activate ancient memories and tools and bring people of the heart together as one family.

We are aligning ourselves with the Cosmic Blueprint. We are activating the crystal within, weaving a web of light between one another. We are realizing and magnifying the promises in the prophecies of old. In the Divine Pymander, Hermes Trismegistus taught that 'man' will shed his darkness and return to the Light of the Eighth Sphere. That light is the Grid of magnetic love and harmony that encircles the planet. By living in our heart centers we activate the crystals within, coming home to our Divine Selves.

Sending heart light and love in the crystal grid,

Jo - Sept. 7th, 2009

IN THE LULL - AUGUST 2009

In the Lull

It first started in early June. Then the three eclipses came one behind the other leaving energetic impressions on the psyche. Something was going on but we weren't quite sure about it. There was something palpable in the air over and beyond the snow birds' departure, the summer doldrums or the eclipses. There was a fall off in attendance at classes and group events that would otherwise draw large crowds. Friends said they were experiencing feelings of malaise or uncertainty but no one was entirely sure what was happening. What was certain was that everyone felt they were re-trenching. They were pulling back from the outside world, going within, doing nothing, taking a break, or doing something completely out of the ordinary.

It appears we've been in some sort of self-imposed lull which bears examining. For a couple years now, we've been consciously taking stock of our lives, shifting our perspectives of what's real and what's not, examining how we relate to one another, and gaining insight on how to develop our own authenticity and individual power. We've been questioning everything. More importantly, we've been getting answers from within through insights or synchronous events. While living our daily lives, facing obstacles and challenges, or even molting, we've been consciously or unconsciously "doing the work."

The stories shared have been notable. Some long term marriages have suddenly ended. Unexpected illnesses or deaths have occurred. Friendships have been severely tested, re-examined or put in limbo. Attendance at group functions or centers has fallen off. Some have spent time inside the confines of their homes, venturing out very little. Others have taken a break from "spiritual pursuits" by participating in more mundane activities. Many have been on deep personal inner journeys.

The linear, analytical and logical mind, (province of the masculine energies,) has been dominant on earth for more than 2500 years. It called us to action by going outside of ourselves, by doing or fixing things. Now, we're witnessing this energy sliding aside so that the more receptive and reflective energy (the feminine energies) can stand equally with it. In the Lull, we're experiencing and receiving the feminine nurturing energies that teach us how to go within for our own answers. In the quiet time we're understanding that one is not more important than the other, rather we're learning how to embrace and integrate both energies. There's a realization that we can hold and sustain both sides of our nature in harmony.

It's clear from the stories that the lull has caused new ways of being and behaving. Reacting the same way to people, relationships, problems or events that no longer "feel right" simply continues the old cycle. And so, many have made conscious decisions to change the way they act or react, eliminating the need to continue the endless drama. The decisions were made with inner confidence and in surprising calmness. Focus was directed only on the desired outcome. All said they were peacefully detached from the outcome. The tail no longer wagged the dog.

Seeds were planted over the years through the people, books, teachers or studies that we encountered along the way. The seeds lay in fertile ground, waiting for light (sun) and knowledge (rain) to germinate and bring forth the new fruit. There's a time in the growing season before the harvest when what's been planted is left alone to grow. Left alone in the quiet time we can now experience inspired action. It's the time to rest and shore up our resources before the next wave of activity. For activity, or creative motion, is the basis of our 3-Dimensional world. We're regaining our equilibrium and balance so that when new insights are uncovered during the lull, they have easy access to consciousness so that we're ready for the creative bursts that follow.

Unusual ideas, people with different teachings, startling concepts, and changes in consciousness are on the horizon and will soon make themselves known. Our connection to our Inner Guidance will become clearer. Problems will surface but without the intense energies of the past feeding them, or the hooks into the outcome, they will gently disappear. We'll act with a spirit of cooperation and reconciliation, releasing old patterns of anger and resentment calmly and quickly. We'll align ourselves with Source, seeing and experiencing the signs and messages and patterns that have always been present for us to see.

Every shift in consciousness and awareness brings us into deep knowing that we are never separate from one another but united in the common experience. We've arrived. In this lull time before the next wave of action, enjoy the rest and retrenchment for what it is. Ponder the solutions that we can bring to the table. Practice peace, compassion, and lovingness. Remember, it's a magnificent time to be alive on Earth!

Sending oceans of blessings and love in the lull,
Jo - Aug. 10th, 2009

Summer Solstice 2009

Summer Solstice 2009
Dedicating the Crystal of Peace Mandala

In the vastness of space, amid millions of brilliant stars is The Endless Field of Possibilities. In that place we create and re-create eternally. In that field we gathered to honor the full return of the Light of Arthur, the Light of the Christ Consciousness, the Light of the Sun God RA, and most of all, the illumination of the Sun's Light into our Hearts.

Last December we stood on the dark shores of the Gulf and placed our dreams, intentions and visions into Tibetan Rock Salt, releasing those prayers into the Gulf waters. On the Summer Solstice we welcomed back the illumination and manifestation of those dreams. On Sunday June 21 the solar rays were at maximum power reflecting the direct physical manifestations of growth, fullness, and abundance.

A special part of this Solstice was the dedication of the community mandala known as the Crystal of Peace Mandala. Students Cheyenne, Katie, Ian and Mikayla carried it around the circle so that fresh flower petals, holding the desires and intentions of all the people gathered, could be placed on the center of the mandala. Those intentions were joined with the intentions of the ones who colored the mandala at Wellness Fest. The flower petals will be dried over the summer then released into the waters of the gulf on the Winter Solstice in December and carried on the tides and currents around the world.

The ceremony was carefully orchestrated to coincide with events happening around the world, specifically the One Song Project. A song was created by Aborigines, musicians and song-keepers as a love song tribute to the planet's waters. The chant Oma Ka Om began on the shores of Australia in the morning and moved across the world with us joining in for a full minute of chanting with the sounds of the Blue Whales.

And so it was that after weeks of planning, coordinating and organizing, drumming began on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon. More than 150 men, women and children came to celebrate the Summer Solstice at Unity. Deep gratitude to all the leaders and participants in the community who gave their service to make the ceremony so magical. Without their participation this ceremony would not have been as successful.

Dr. Marguerite Barnett who emerged from the crowd swirling and dancing in a costume of hot yellows, oranges and reds designed to reflect the solar intensity of the day. Reverend Elizabeth Thompson, Senior Minister at Unity who welcomed and blessed the attendees. Seven men, in the ceremonial attire of their respective spiritual practices, who opened the seven directions by calling in the guardian spirits. 13 Clan Mothers in the vibrant colors representative of their moon, who stepped forward in the circle to offer a prayer.

Thank you to Subhan Dawson of Rising Tide (East), Sal Manfre, Healer & Dowser (South), James West, Qi Gong Master (West), David Hamera of the Mockingbird Clan (North), Jay Turtle Hawk of the Mockingbird Clan (Earth-Below), David Cooper, Baliyan Priest and Healer (Sky-Above) and Jim Toole of Radiance of Sarasota, (Center.)

Thank you Clanmothers - Trish Engert, Zan Benham, Pat Ready, Ann Houk, Patricia Cockerill, Eileen Kemp, Lisa Clift, Joanne Driscoll, Sharon Elizabeth James, Pam Cooper, Jean Hamilton, Linda Williams and Michelle Bowling, mother of Ian and Mikayla.

Thank you Rose Lettiere for the blessing of the waters and Patti Star for the spray oils. Thank you Lisa Nelson and Lee DeOvies our Fire goddesses. Thank you Diana Daffner and Susan Safiya Slack for fluting and drumming as twirler Kismet Weber performed the final dance. Thank you Elizabeth Jacoby for your help with the Crystal of Peace shirts.

Special affection and gratitude to Zan Benham and Patricia Cockerill for the endless hours you devoted to reviewing and editing the seven rewrites. Thank you for your endless support and the effort that you poured into the ceremony. None of this can happen without our wonderful collaborative partnership.

Most of all THANK YOU COMMUNITY for coming out to be a part of these ceremonies. It's always done in service to you and you make it all worthwhile!

Photos of the event can be seen on this link: Summer Solstice 2009 or on Sarasota Sam's Blog where you can hear the chant Oma Ka Om.

Endless blessings and love,

Jo - July 6, 2009

Being in the Vortex - Abraham

Being in the Vortex
From the Abraham-Hicks Conference

When we learned Esther & Jerry Hicks were returning to Florida we booked a ticket for Orlando. Attending an Abraham seminar is like receiving a spiritual shot of caffeine. No matter where you're sitting, no matter what question you want answered, everyone and every thing in the room is carried on a wave to a higher state of vibration in an energetic frequency that is palpable.

The basic teachings of Abraham declare we are eternal energy beings who come into this physical world to experience and explore the great variety of contrasts available to us. Our thoughts and desires attract that which is like us, to us. When we enjoy the contrasts, explore the variety, understand what we want and what we don't want, enjoy the things we like and ignore the things we don't like, then we live in a vortex of exhilaration where we can and do create everything.

As questions came from those selected to sit in the "hot seat" Abraham honed in on two emotions - feeling good or feeling bad. Like the food from a buffet, we choose the foods we like and ignore the food we don't like. The more we choose the things we like or that feel good, the more other things that feel good line up for us. The closer we get to the things we like, the bigger the vortex of energy or attraction we create around us and the further away the things we don't like recede.

Explaining the vortex, Abraham said there will "always be a new contrast to reach for" because "at the end of each sound wave or vibration the nature of our physical world is that there will always be another want or vibration." Explaining the concept of Death and the Law of Karma, Abraham said "when you feel you've achieved everything" then it's over. We withdraw our energy from the physical. Yet the larger non-physical part of us always remains connected to Source, so "Source sends out another rocket of itself to experience the contrasts." The next sentence requires an expansion of our limited and linear understanding of existence. "In the simultaneously occurring worlds of self, all of which are launching desires, there's an interaction and a rebirth."
(Note - The Seth Material by Jane Roberts which was published in 11 volumes, explores multi-dimensional universes and selves occurring simultaneously. Yale University maintains an extensive archive collection on the personal journals and unpublished works of Jane Roberts.)

Responding to a father's question about his daughter's desire to be a history teacher, Abraham said, "Do not take your children's experiences away from them. Better to teach them how to be in alignment with their feelings of good and bad and how to be closer to their Source." Asked by another how to get into the vortex, Abraham gave the following examples. Meditation was the fastest way. Do the easy things first - walk on the beach, garden, read an uplifting book, or listen to sweet music. When you find yourself in activities that have no feelings of angst or resistance, you're in the vortex.

In every issue of this newsletter there's a reminder of the power of holding thoughts of peace for 68 seconds. Abraham, using the example of a thought held in imagery as being in alignment with the vortex, said "one person in the vortex can have an effect on one million."

There were several questions about relationships and about the environment and the world we now live in. Giving examples of being out of the vortex in relationships, Abraham said "if you ignore yourself to please another you're out of the vortex" and "If you give your love freely and notice it not coming back to you, you're out of the vortex." Regarding the almost 7 billion people inhabiting the planet, they said "The planet is balanced by non-physical - everything is in perfect alignment." On the human condition and those in or out of the vortex Abraham said "The fearful humans are dying off. Appeal to the humans coming in, not to the ones dying. The appeal is being in the vortex. People who want the status quo are out of the vortex. More and more humans are reaching out for alternative fuel sources, wind farms, and a new way of living. They are connecting to Source and are in the vortex. Loving life, the planet and it's beauty and abundance is in the vortex."

So what's the vortex? It's a place of appreciation. It's a place where we can feel a rampage of exhilaration for life, it's gifts, it's experiences and it's abundance. When you're in that place, you want for nothing yet anything and everything becomes possible.

Jo - June 8, 2009

Crystal of Peace Mandala - Solstice Journey

The Summer Solstice Journey
The Prism & the Crystal of Peace Mandala

One year ago on the summer solstice of 2008 our community anchored an ethereal Prism of Light across a 65 mile geographic area in southwestern Florida. On that day, we envisioned a crystal city of light forming in Sarasota that would become part of the future earth's 22 cities of light network. This link has the story of that event in case you weren't there:
http://spiritofmaat.com/may09/prism_of_light.html

On the Summer Solstice of 2009 we'll celebrate and dedicate the opening of the Prism through the Crystal of Peace Mandala. The mandala has been in the consciousness of many in this community since it's introduction on the Equinox. It's been blessed by Tibetan monks, Hindustani musicians as well as by many local spiritual leaders and practitioners. It's been honored at a number of spiritual centers' Sunday services. At Wellness Fest more than 150 people recorded their intentions for peace on earth in a notebook then selected a color, imbued their prayer into the color, and then painted one of the many facets of the Mandala.

On that day over a dozen children left smaller colored versions of their Mandalas with us. All of them, some with the help of mom or dad, offered their wishes for the earth. The children's intensity and focus was extraordinary. Some didn't want to leave, insisting their parents go and they'd paint. They did. The Kramer sisters ages 5 and 8 stayed while their parents visited other booths. Each time the parents returned the girls told them they weren't finished their mandalas. Four year old McKenna couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to paint the "big kids" mandala or use the "big kids colors." Told she could color her own Mandala she insisted her dad "wait over there till I'm done." He did.

Painting this mandala was a community-wide "spiritual happening." Everyone who joined in the effort was reverent and treated the mandala and what it represented with great respect. A few felt such strong emotions that they cried or prayed after they colored their prism. Having the children participate with such sweet devotion was a punctuation mark about the importance of the Mandala.

I watched them all for more than 8 hours. I watched each one ponder the words they wrote in the notebook. I saw the care and time each one took in selecting the colors they wished to use. Some knew immediately which faceted opening they wished to paint, others asked respectfully if they could paint a certain block. Each painter took alot of time applying their words, designs or colors. I realized through the diversity of colors, words, intentions and application was one bigger word - UNITY. The mandala was filled with diverse messages, shades, tones and color. Yet out of that diversity emerged a tapestry of design that created a COMMON UNITY. The feelings evoked around that phrase is what we call our spiritual comm-unity.

On June 21st at Unity's Labyrinth we will formally dedicate the Crystal of Peace Mandala in a Summer Solstice Ceremony. Spiritual leaders from all across the area will offer their prayers and blessings for a lasting peace on earth. We'll light candles, sing, dance and drum around a central fire. We'll honor the work we all embraced with the Prism of Light. With confidence we'll declare the opening of our own inner crystal represented in the Mandala.

This mandala is for the use of the community. It will be made available to our spiritual centers and spiritual leaders after the Solstice for their own ceremonies and sacred gatherings.

Endless blessings and gratitude to all who poured their magnificent grace into the Mandala.

Jo - May 25, 2009