Archangel Visits

Archangel Visits

"I have to go; the five Archangels are coming in an hour!" she said.  My mind raced as I visualized a group of costumed individuals from one of the many theater troupes in town, dropping in to my friend's house that Sunday evening.  But it wasn't a visiting theater group.  She explained that the Archangels had been visiting homes in the area, passed from one friend to another.  A sacred ritual was performed as each person who agreed to host them for five days, welcomed them with an altar, a white flower, lit candle, fruit, and 3 wishes - one for the planet, one for family or friends, and one for themselves.

I followed her story intently as she relayed her daily experiences with the Archangels.  She'd greeted them at her front door at 10 pm on a Sunday night, welcoming them into her home and inviting them to honor and bless the three wishes she'd placed on the altar.  She said she felt a large, powerful presence come into the house.  For the five days, she felt as though someone was living in the house with her.  She felt safe, protected and full of peace.  For the five days, she spoke to them constantly, inviting them to go in the car with her when she went to work.  Experiencing some challenging times, she asked them to help stabilize all aspects of her life. She said each time she had a "conversation" with them, she felt assured that all would turn out well.  And so it did for in five days, her dormant business sprang to life, she discovered new income sources, and she found more affordable housing.

My personal relationship with Archangels or Guardian Angels began when I was four years old and living in Antigua in the West Indies.  My great-aunt Rose had a beautiful painting of a Guardian Angel standing watch over a little girl and boy as they crossed a stream.  The painting always fascinated me.  I sensed there really were Angels around and if I studied the image carefully I'd figure out how to see them all the time.  But Aunt Rose had placed it too high over the big pedestal bed for me to get a good look at it.  So I often jumped up and down on the bed flying high in the air to see it better though she often admonished me to stop jumping on the bed for fear I'd fall off. 

One day she was busy doing something so I decided that would be the day to really examine the Angel painting.  I jumped higher and higher on the bed, each leap propelling me closer to the ceiling.  In a moment of delight I realized I was airborne just like the Angel.  But in that same moment I lost my balance and reached out for something to stop my fall.  Those were the days long before OSHA so the only thing available was a live electrical socket protruding from the wall. As I grabbed it, a powerful jolt of electricity ran through me.  As my body was thrown off the bed I felt vibrations everywhere and saw light in myself and everything around me.  In a stunned "in-between state" I knew it was my angel cushioning my fall and letting me "see" her.

Remembering that event vividly, I asked my friend if we could host the archangels.  She sent us the instructions and we began preparing for the arrival of Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael and Metatron.  Setting up an altar on the counter was easy.  We bought a white carnation, got a long tapered white candle, and an apple.  We carefully wrote out our three wishes, placing them on the altar near the candle.  We then waited for them.  As 10 pm approached on the appointed day, we lit the candle and opened the front door to welcome them into the house. 

Though it was a warm, still, clear, night a rush of cool air swept past us into the foyer.  As we closed the front door, we noticed the candle flame on the altar flickering.  The hair on my arms stood up like an electrical current was running through me just as it had in my angelic childhood experience. Both of us felt a powerful presence had come into the room especially when the candle continued to flicker for almost ninety seconds.  Asking the obvious question, "Are you here?" it stabilized.

We hosted the Archangels for five days.  During that time, everything was filled with harmony around us.  Synchronistic events took place daily, confirming for us the angelic presence.  As we told others about our experiences they asked to be hosts.  Before long, they were visiting friends of friends of friends all over southwestern Florida and indeed, all over the world.  People were calling, writing, or begging for the Archangels to come to their homes - especially after they learned of the amazing experiences that were being reported.  Several wanted them to arrive on birthdays, gifting themselves the Archangels.  One received insight to work with animal rescue, something she'd always been drawn to.  Many took them to work as helpers on the job.  Another who "skinny-dipped" in her pool every day said she felt the Archangel's presence so strongly in the house that she was compelled to wear a bathing suit.  Every person reported a powerful happening or experience during the five days they hosted the angels.

One young woman told her fiancé about the Archangels.  He was so moved by some of the stories he arranged his work schedule so he could be home to prepare the altar and welcome the Archangels with her.  It was a fortuitous meeting for him, especially as he asked the Archangels to go to work with him.  While he was on a high ladder next to a power line, the transformers blew up, sending him flying backwards off the ladder.  He was strapped in properly to his safety line so instead of falling to his death, he was carried safely to the ground.  He said he was simply "placed on the ground."  When he realized what had happened and that he should have been electrocuted, he fell to his knees, thanking the Archangels for being there at that moment. 

When I heard his story I was struck by the similarities of my own as a four-year old child.  Both of us had a budding interest in the Archangels.  Both of us had connected with them.  Both of us had almost been electrocuted.  It was a powerful confirmation that the Archangels had always been there for me.  I was reminded of the time when Archangel Michael appeared on the side panel of a white truck confirming a trip to Peru. 

The Archangel visits are confirmation to all of us that if we ask them for help they will be there; and they will never leave us.  In these turbulent times of rising consciousness who wouldn't welcome a little help from our spiritual guardians. If you'd like more information on the Archangels Visits and the rituals that go with it, please send an email with your name and city to jo@starsoundings.com.  Remember, you must agree to send the Archangels from your home to at least one other person.  I look forward to hearing your stories.

Jo - February 2011

Jan. 2011 A Matter of Perspective

The simple act of turning the calendar page from the old year to the new is like buying a lottery ticket.  As the old year is put to rest, the New Year opens wide to endless possibilities.  It conjures up anticipation, hope and belief that things are surely going to be better.  That expectation is even more pronounced as one decade closes and another opens, affording a brief window of time to reflect on the past decade and brace for the new one.  How we interpret events and changes is a matter of perspective.

Was it only ten years ago that we held our collective breaths wondering if the world would come to an end at midnight on Dec. 31, 1999 when all the large computer systems on the planet crashed?  The apocalyptic prophecies of a Y2K disaster fizzled when January 1st dawned and the lights were still on.  The Y2K scenario was the start of a decade of fear and double-speak as a tool to control human behavior.  The turmoil and upheavals unbalanced institutions, governments, and the environment, worldwide.  Our safe little world had not come crashing down in the way we thought.  But by the end of the decade computers, social networks, twitter, texts, and smart phones were in fact controlling our lives even more.  Whether those changes were good or bad was simply a matter of perspective.  Or age.

"Hanging chads" called into question a presidential election in 2000?  Black Americans were delayed at roadblocks so they were unable to vote in that election.  But the orderly transfer of power occurred despite the chads and politics, ten years later, the first African American has been elected President.  The Gulf of Mexico was at the top of international news at the start and end of the decade.  In 2000 a little Cuban boy found floating in the Gulf was caught up in international politics before being returned home to his father.  Ten years later the Gulf was again in the news as millions of gallons of oil floated on the water creating an environmental disaster. 

That oil spill showed that ecological management had not much improved since  hurricane Katrina devastated the region.  Global climate changes now routinely show the effects of human mismanagement on all the ecosystems of the planet.  In the last ten years the polar ice caps receded so much Hudson Bay was void of sea ice.  And the Amazon River, largest in the world, is in an alarming drought paralyzing fishing and transportation on the river.  Some say it's climate change, others that it's a normal cycle.  It's still a matter of perspective.

Despite the embarrassments, WikiLeaks showed that government "secrets" were only secrets in the minds of the beholders.  We learned that open countries really wanted to cooperate with one another towards peace as behind the scenes they diplomatically reconsidered their sponsorship of closed regimes.  We always sensed that Gordon Gecko type greed was behind the financial crisis affecting everyone on the planet but WikiLeaks revealed the documents.  Through technology the "little people" had access to any type of information instantaneously via the internet, satellites, and social media networks.  The promised governmental "information age" had been delivered but it was only a matter of perspective as to whom or how it was interpreted.

On a personal note, feelings of optimism and hope abound since turning the calendar to 2011.  Our recent holiday travels included a return trip to NYC where we visited Ground Zero for the fourth time.  You might wonder why it was necessary to continue returning there.  It's because that place holds special significance in my life for I was supposed to be at a meeting in the north tower on the morning of 9/11. 

The recent visit to the site however felt so energetically different from previous visits.  Instead of the blanketing feelings of death, sorrow, and sadness that always seemed to permeate the area, the "hole" as it was called, resonated with new life.  A massive rebuilding effort is underway day and night, as thousands of workers construct the new memorial, museum, and the five sky-scrapers to replace the TwinTowers.

Ten years after 9/11 there's a palpable feeling of vibrancy, hope, and pride at the site.  You can see it in the faces of the hard-hat workers, the police officers standing duty on the streets, and even the tourists who mill around the area.  While dozens stand in line to sponsor a cobblestone for the memorial, many more stand respectfully at the shrines of the fire-fighters honoring their sacrifices not with tears but with admiration.  All look expectantly at the 48 stories that have been completed at one of the towers. 

The same feelings of optimism that happen when turning the page of the calendar from the old year to the new are happening at what has become a world monument in NYC.  The reflecting pools that now stand in the footprints of the old towers, the gardens and the memorial museum are scheduled to re-open on 9/11/2011.   The silver spire of the tallest skyscraper, World Trade 1, will pierce the sky at 1,776 feet, standing as a symbol of the eternal spirit of humanity.  It will proclaim to the world that the TradeCenter has been rebuilt and that out of anguish and grief the page has been turned to one of new life.  This spire affirms that it's much more than a matter of perspective.

Through the endless wars, we've lived in a decade where some have chosen to paint all Muslims with the brush of terrorism, even though the vast majority is law abiding and abhor terrorism as much as we do.  Those who see the world as dangerous and fearful live in a state of constant siege.  Meanwhile, others have seized the opportunity to embrace diversity by bringing the two sides together. 

With the New Year and a new decade dawning, we have a magical opportunity to bring forth a bright new consciousness in ourselves and thus into the world.  The choice is ours!  It's all a matter of our perspective.

Jo - January 2011

Ascension Revisited

Ascension Revisited

My well-ordered world shifted in late 2005 after the death of my mother.  At the time, I couldn't explain what was welling up from inside but sensed my life was about to dramatically change.  It did.  A stellar job, a long term relationship, life-long friends, and a lifestyle that left me wanting for nothing, ended. 

Suddenly unencumbered,  I relocated to Sarasota Florida, moved into an empty house with my "desert island" books, some CD's and a few folding chairs.  In the uncluttered serenity of the house I spent hours in meditation trusting in the unseen and unknowable.  Within a very short time, new friends appeared who had similar interests in spiritual topics.  (You know who you are!)  They felt more familiar than people I'd known all my life.   

That move and those friends set a spiral in motion that allowed me to know Ascension not from what I'd read in books but as an experience.   I learned Ascension was about rising up out of the old to something much more beautiful, like a butterfly emerging from the caterpillar state. 

It's been five years since that move.  My personal changes were evident in 2005, but in retrospect the energies of Ascension moved me into completely new spiritual directions.  I still had the old skills that had served me well, but now I was using them differently.  Instead of organizing business projects like I did in my old life, I was now organizing spiritual events and ceremonies.  Instead of training new managers I was now teaching others how to use meditation and dreams to find their life purpose.  Instead of climbing the corporate ladder with an executive mentor, I was now on a level path with a spiritual master.  I discovered that I could live cheaper and on much less by getting rid of clutter and things I no longer needed.  I found I didn't have to be a consumer to be happy, instead joy was found through simple things like the magic of scent, sound and color in my small garden.  Most importantly, I learned that my beliefs, thoughts and actions affected not only my small circle of influence, but also had consequences in the unseen world.

 

Ancient texts and modern oracles said that in this time called Ascension the earth and humanity would move from the 3^rd dimension to the 4^th.  Today, it certainly feels like we're living in two worlds.  Part of humanity continues to squarely inhabit the 3^rd while the other is gently sliding into the 4^th.  While the 3D world continues to be stable and solid, has laws governing it, and functions in old familiar ways, it is visibly changing.  Physically, the oceans are warming, ice caps are melting, and food sources are drying up.  Mentally there's angst, fear and uncertainty about the future.  Emotionally, wars continue to be fought at a personal and tribal level.  On the spiritual level religion is being questioned as individuals struggle to understand its long held role amid their personal search for truth.

On the 3^rd Dimensional level, we continue to react to old problems with stagnant ideas.  Fear and anxiety govern most actions.  When changes do happen, most feel powerless to do anything about them.  In that dimension it's hard to hope for better solutions or to experience a better life. 

In the 4^th Dimensional level ease predominates.  In that dimension, form is shaped by thought, time is instantaneous, and consciousness alters both the third and fourth dimensions.  On the physical level disease is managed energetically or is non-existent.  On the mental level the nature of the soul is explored.  On the emotional level high ideals drive behavior.  Finally, on the spiritual level the goal is experiencing enlightenment.  Those in fourth dimensional consciousness know they are part of a mystical journey that will birth a lighter and more refined state of human. 

So where are we collectively on Ascension?  We're in the initiation phase.  But how we move through it is up to each individual.  If you're reading these articles on Ascension, you're probably aware of some of these changes.  Thirty years ago very few people would have seen the articles much less known about the topic.  Today thousands of articles and websites like it are widely read online.  The entire world has become wirelessly connected by keystrokes or through the latest images on nightly news. 

If you Google "Ascension of Earth" 4.8 million references appear.  A search on "Spirituality" generates 32.5M results while a search on "Life Purpose" yields 92.7 million references.  If you type the word "God" on the Google reference line 427 million hits occur.  All of these "hits" tell a story, provide information, or share obscure or arcane knowledge on spiritual topics.  If you spend focused time online, in meditation, or in intensely creative endeavors, you'll find yourself existing between the alpha and theta brain-wave stage where you'll often lose track of time, space, or even your physical needs.  These activities take you out of the 3^rd dimension and into the 4^th where a fluid world, filled with new concepts, inspiring ideals and endless possibilities exist.

But in 4^th Dimensional consciousness, there's a noticeable change.  What we think about the universe and our relation to it is much more heart-centered.  We're able to feel compassion for the global family that is desperately trying to erase feelings of lack, separation, and fear.  More than that, we are actively engaged in a solution, and committed to making the world a better place.  Through effortless efforts our thoughts, our behaviors, and our beliefs are focused on that goal!

During this time of Ascension, more and more people are searching for and finding spiritual ideals, teachers, masters or practices to guide them.  They've heard the real call of their life's purpose and are acting upon it.  No longer slaves to the rational world, they now work with complementary "Soul Groups" offering self-less service and loving healing to others.  They know they do not have to be physically present to affect change.  They only have to be present in consciousness. 

These are the initiates of Ascension whose thoughts and behavior, flowing freely through the 4^th dimension, entrains others who are on the same wave-length.  In this quantum field filled with hope and love, global consciousness is collectively uplifted.  Ascension means courageously living from the heart center, and compassionately caring about the plight of our fellow humans. In that dimensional place, a new world built on love and harmony evolves and together we all ascend.

Jo - December 2010

CARRIER WAVES

The Carrier Waves

At one of our gatherings on behalf of the people and wildlife affected by the Gulf oil spill, I watched the waves' crest, splash down, and push a foamy residue to shore.  The waves came in a rhythmic cycle, moving through the water as if they had been created by an unseen guidance system.  This force propelled the waves forward even as the water itself appeared not to move. 

Every so often, a larger wave, more powerful than the others, came.  It was a Carrier Wave moving with much greater force and speed and causing delighted squeals from the children playing in the surf as the wave tumbled over them.  The big wave carried a different pattern as it pushed ahead of the smaller waves coming in behind it.  The smaller, mimicking the mold of the larger wave, revealed cycles within cycles.

 

The endless waves were a metaphor of cycles that have been happening on earth for eons.   They served as a reminder that within the endless repetitions of smaller cycles, a guiding force was unfolding a greater plan within a much bigger cycle.  Two years shy of 2012 (the end of the Mayan Fifth World) we're witnessing the collapse of infrastructures and institutions that no longer serve the incoming waves.  Banking, health-care, education, jobs, governments, religion, and political parties are being challenged on all fronts.  Citizens of most countries, content in viewing their world from one perspective only, now face the prospect of a new normal. 

Yet, another Carrier Wave is approaching that will re-balance the seats of power and influence.  Different countries and unique individuals are stepping forward to lead the world into its next wave of unfolding.  These individuals are directing changes from small mindedness to big heartedness.  But who are they and where did they come from?  They are us! 

Perhaps it was the brilliant sun beating down on the beach that afternoon, but in a flash of inspiration I heard an inaudible voice say "All is well!"  Those three words spoke volumes at a cellular and energetic place within my being.  In the state where inspiration is transmuted into a state of "knowing" I was filled with an all-pervading hope.  I experienced the Gulf's waves as "the waves" of those who had come before.  Amid perceived darkness, they brought uplifting messages to the planet from unseen worlds.  At that moment I knew that in all periods of history, whether in good or bad times, messengers have always come to help the cause of humanity.

From the gruesome wave of the Dark Ages to the Age of Enlightenment, the messengers arrived in Carrier Waves one after another, breaking up the old belief systems and replacing them with new ideas and thoughts.  As each older generation died out, they carried with them on the outgoing tide, the beliefs that had sustained them.  With their departure from the world of existence, the consciousness still on earth was being prepared for new ideas to be brought forward when the next wave crested.  

The incoming idea-messengers came as soul groups migrating onto a planet that was ready for new thinking.  Though the mass of humanity was not aware of the impact at the time, these messengers and their messages moved through the medium of our collective consciousness, wiping the sands clean and bringing in new ideas and beliefs.  Some were "Carrier Wave Groups" whose messages had a much greater and longer lasting impact than the smaller though still significant groups that quietly went about implementing the new patterns.  Each collective Soul Group held an ideal, a thought, or a message, that was contained within the medium of the Great Carrier Wave.   The ideals or thought-forms held weight according to its nature.  High ideals of universal love were lighter than air, while fear, hatred and death were heavy, dragging everyone down. 

Influential Carrier Wave Soul-Groups came to earth in the mid-1800's to the mid-1900's embodying the universal balance of dark and light.  Some appeared with peaceful uplifting messages while others were intent on war and destruction.  Though they were raised in different cultures and countries, these messengers had a profound consequence on the world stage, affecting countries, religions and science.  Their orderly arrival, coming on the heels of the departing groups who ushered in the Revolutions of the 1700's, created an opening for "new thought" concepts to take hold.

 

Members of the dark Yin Soul Group (Adolph Hitler, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin) changed the map of the world by waging 'the greatest war civilization has known.'  Yet a spiritually oriented Yang Soul Group (Yogananda, Alice Bailey, Thomas Edison, NiKola Tesla, Susan B. Anthony, Edgar Cayce) balanced the Yin.  They arrived as a group of light-workers who left far greater legacies after their departure than while they were on earth.  As the Yin group brought darkness, death and destruction to earth, the Yang group balanced the atmosphere of the planet with illuminated concepts like metaphysics, electricity, women's rights, electro-magnetic energy, education, sustainable agricultural, psychic phenomena and the even more spiritually advanced notion of human divinity.  

During World War II, as 70 million souls left the planet, they carried away with them the horrors of a world at war.  As that wave receded consciousness was prepared for a more awakened planet.  The incoming Carrier Wave known as Baby Boomers returned in mass numbers.  The Yang Group, whose values were decidedly against conflict, marched against war, saw the unity of all races, and preached love, harmony, and respect for the environment.  The balancing Yin Group of the Baby Boomer Carrier Wave became tycoons of business influencing a capitalist mentality that created extravagant consumerism and the accumulation of money.  

About fifty years after this wave arrived, the ideals they brought somewhat converged.  While pillaging the earth created wealth for many, they realized that the by-products of that activity caused pollution which affected everyone.  When rampant consumerism filled homes and then landfills with unnecessary products, the economic downturn raised the question, "Why do we need all this stuff?" 

Smaller waves were already considering a different way to live harmoniously on the planet.  Billionaires like Bill Gates who created the age of personal computing, turned his formidable wealth into a charitable foundation which increased opportunities for hundreds of million of people in developing countries to overcome hunger and poverty.  Others, seeking to uplift planetary consciousness, turned to science and religion for answers.  They explored NikolaTesla's work in Quantum Physics which said we are not separated from each other, or from our surroundings.  They embraced Spiritual giants like Paramahansa Yogananda, Ernest Holmes and Vivekananda whose teachings said humans are not separate from God but are divine spirits.  Yin and yang, science and religion were coming together. 

Like all wave-cycles before it, the Baby Boomer Carrier Wave must also pass.  But there's an even greater wave right behind it that carries spectacular Group Souls who will enrich and transform our current spiritual ideals into practical form.  Some call them Indigo, Rainbow, or Crystal children.  We already see them in the young people of all nations who seem to know more at their age than we did at the same age.  They are already stepping forward into roles that belie their youth.  They are challenging governmental authorities, asking for better treatment of all people, and advocating respect for the planet.  

These are the magnificent children of the New Earth Spiritual Carrier Wave.  With ideas of universal love and global harmony, they are committed to the spiritual illumination to the planet.  As our wave departs, we can surely take heart in knowing the cycles continue.  In gratitude to the "unseen force" propelling the cycles within the cycles, the next Carrier Wave is here!  Earth is in the beautiful hands of a new generation of messengers.  And as the inaudible voice on the beach said, "All is well!"

Jo - November 2010

10.10.10 - A Catalytic Date

Triple-digit calendar dates are Gregorian calendar numerological points in time that began on the first month of 2001 and will end on the 12^th month of 2012.  The rare dates, 1/1/1 through 12/12/12, correspond to the twelve months of the year and the twelve astrological signs.  As we approach 2012, the dates have become energetic focal points for people to come together.
While most people outside the metaphysical communities have no awareness of the meaning of the dates, the three digits are energetic trigger-points that cause us to focus on the date as a time of personal and planetary healing.  United in thought and intention with people all over the world, these dates can accelerate catalytic changes in us and serve as point-in-time frequency markers.  When we hold a noble intention on these days, it gives us an opportunity to check on our state of consciousness, and to recalibrate ourselves as we prepare for the end times of the Mayan Long Count calendar. 

Since the start of the 21^st century, we've seen much more activity as groups come together to hold gatherings in recognition of the triune dates.  Many have traveled to Egypt, Peru, or Mayan lands to participate in sacred rituals or ceremonies organized by the native peoples on 7/7/7, 8/8/8 and 9/9/9.  Others developed or synchronized local events that united their efforts with those in far-away places.  As the decade has proceeded and we've come closer to the Year Zero end-date of the Mayan Long Count calendar, the events have become even more common. 
While the Gregorian calendar is not aligned with the Mayan Calendar per se, there's general consensus that something unique is happening at this time on earth and we need to step up our intentions of purpose and good-will.  Global communications via the internet or television show us daily how old systems and ways of thinking are collapsing.  New scientific telescopes trained on the solar system and the galaxies dissolve old beliefs and enlighten us with information about the origin of the universe and our place in it.  If nothing else the new findings stir great debate about our cosmology. 

Yet other changes are also underway, though perhaps not as evident.  Instead of waiting for religious or governmental leaders to lead the way, the people themselves are responding to the changes or directing that which they want to see.  They are engaging in local projects of self-reliance while still caring or looking out for their neighbors.  There's a sense that we're all in this together and only by joining with like-minded resolve can we address and endure the changes that are affecting us. 

While it was always common to celebrate seasonal changes like the equinoxes and solstices the annual triune dates have become beacons of hope to help awaken humanity.  This month we celebrate a rare triple-digit calendar date that happens once a millennium.  It is the 10^th day of the 10^th month of the 10^th year.On 10.10.10 we are summoned to hold sacred space.  On 10.10.10 we calm ourselves from the chaotic mind.  On 10.10.10 we invoke the guidance of self-mastery.  On 10.10.10, we join in ceremony with others who are also called to hold the time sacred.  On 10.10.10 we rise above our limitations and affirm that we are much more than we have ever been.  On 10.10.10 we open our hearts in loving compassion, for our own self-healing and for that of the planet.

But there's more than this happening on 10.10.10.  The date, unique as it is, serves as a catalyst to remind us that not only this date but any date, can be proclaimed sacred.  Any day that calls us together in harmony creates a vibration of unity.  Any day that opens boundlessness in thought lights up an energetic field.  Any day that allows us to live in the heart, begins our awakening.  Any day that reduces tension and dissolves separation between people is a fine day.  On 10.10.10 we are reminded that humanity can indeed achieve illumination by living in the heart and holding sacred every day.

Jo - September 2010

The Benches

The Benches

No matter if it's the world stage or a small residential community, behind most perceived impressions of a given event or situation there's always something else transpiring.  Yet, we never know how an overt action by some individuals might change events, altering the outcome for the greater good.

In this situation, behind the idyllic image presented to the outside world of a harmonic residential area, disharmony was lurking.Four miles of park-like walkways grace the over-55 community.  Residents are out on the trails every day walking their dogs, exercising, or bike riding past the manicured gardens and lawns.  Occasionally, an elderly spouse can be seen pushing the wheelchair of a sick partner.  What sets the community apart is consistent friendliness.  Neighbors will always say hello as they pass one another on the sidewalks or wave as they drive by.  However, noticing the advanced age of some residents, a recommendation was made to the Board that benches be installed along the walkways so older, tired, or ill walkers could rest. 

It seemed like an easy solution to install a few benches.  But that was not the case.  After the proposal was made, unpleasant debates and nasty comments raged for months about the wisdom or necessity of the benches.  While most wanted the benches, a vocal group expressed major objections.  Finally, after a vote by a quorum of residents, the Board, in an attempt to please everyone, made a decision to install "two trial benches."

The benches were placed in a tranquil area near two large lakes next to a main walkway.   Within days of placing the benches by the lakes, residents were shocked when they discovered one of them had been spray painted with black paint.  The word "NO!" was scrawled across the slats.  The shocking part was that this was not the act of outsiders.   The community is walled, gated and has 24 hour security guards.  It was done by someone inside the gates.  Discussion followed and the offending paint was removed. But the bench remained.  But soon after the first incident, the second bench was found tossed into the lake.  Concerned with the bad manners, the Board sent a notice saying that new benches would be permanently installed in concrete, regardless of the adolescent behavior on the part of a few.  The vandalism stopped.

Since the permanent benches were installed, a different tone prevailed in the community.  Attitudes shifted once the concrete was set.  Whatever reservations or objections people previously had about the benches were gone.  The sounds of laughter and chatter could be heard throughout the day, as different residents appeared at the benches at different times of the day.  The benches became gathering places where people exchanged stories about their dogs, their days, or their lives.  If someone was ill, the word quickly went out.  If there was a birthday, good wishes were relayed.  Even the dogs seemed to enjoy the space, cavorting with their own new fur-friends. 

Just as the Benches became a focal point for the fears and intolerance of some individuals in a small community, so a proposed community-center located two blocks from the scene of great devastation and horror has become the rallying point of intolerance and fear among another group of people.  Heated discussions about immigration or building mosques continue to agitate citizens and governments.  Xenophobia has become one of the barometers in how we treat one another.  Yet, most religious and spiritual leaders call for mutual respect and tolerance in the name of their religions.  

Fear seems to be the driving force behind many ill-mannered discussions.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of change.  Fear of someone who is not of the same culture or upbringing.  Fear that there won't be enough.  Or fear that someone will get something they're not entitled to.  In this abundant universe there's always more than enough for everyone. But most don't believe that.

What do we believe? How do we stack up when faced with something unfamiliar, or when faced with our fears? Do we judge every hateful act by a person's religion, culture or country?  The residential community didn't characterize the acts of vandalism on the benches by religion or culture.  They merely called it childish and boorish.  But they persevered in serving the common good.

The message of the gentle, mystic teacher Inayat Khan was unity.  He felt if all of humanity could be brought together we would rise above the differences and distinctions that separate us.  In working towards the unity of all religions, he envisioned a prayer service that honored all the religious traditions of the world as equal sources of spirituality.  The service became known as Universal Worship.

Cooler heads brought discordant factions in a small residential community together when The Benches became gathering places of laughter and easy conversation.  Is it possible that a different dialogue regarding Ground Zero might take place that brings people together rather than pulls them apart?  What if, instead of condemning a community center that is not even visible to Ground Zero, open-minded people embraced the idea of Unity suggested by Inayat Khan? 

Could you imagine a garden-like setting where 8 stone plaques and 8 stone benches are placed in a circle at Ground Zero?  Each stone and bench would be inscribed with the symbol and the name of one of the 8 major religions of the world.  Perhaps future visitors to Ground Zero might sit in the circle of benches and see the unity of all religions and all people instead of the horrors of disharmony that caused the destruction.  Maybe the benches might become gathering places where people from all cultures come to exchange good wishes.  Maybe the charter of the United Nations which includes "respect, universal peace, and the harmonizing action of nations" might be recorded in that garden.  Maybe it's worth considering some benches. 

Jo - September 2010

The Gulf Coast Oil Spill - A Perspective of Hope

On The Gulf Coast - A Perspective of Hope

Since April when the Deep Horizon oil well explosion shattered the induced apathy of 'safe drilling', the attention of the world has been focused on the spill, its effects on the Gulf coast, and the potential for a global environmental disaster. The initial outrage was to cast blame, even as the endless spewing of crude from the belly of the earth continued to foul the ocean and the food chain.

Blame is much easier to manage. It's a wonderful excuse for inaction and for not feeling. But something happened as the months went by. Blame abated only to be replaced by feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and despair. In the past few weeks, fear has taken center stage.

The internet has been awash in dire predictions of tsunamis, methane gas explosions and the imminent annihilation of the State of Florida, if not the entire planet. The 'scientific' predictions have been enjoined by those that come from well-meaning 'spiritual channels, guides and organizations' that warn residents to flee the area and get to safety before it's too late. Too late for what? Death? Get to safety? Where?

The explosion on April 21, 2010 was not an isolated action. It was the result of our collective actions, in-actions or beliefs. Whether we know it or not, we are all BP! And, we're in this solution together or we fail together. We're in a situation now where we can become paralyzed by fear or we can stand courageously as beacons of hope in front of this global environmental disaster.

Never before has a collective disaster motivated so many to review their beliefs, lifestyles, or behavior in regards to the environment. Entrepreneurs and scientists who have toiled in the back-rooms of the "Green Energy" movement designing alternative ways to keep energy clean have come forward with ideas to fix the problem. Thousands of workers have been hired by oil-spill clean-up companies. An abandoned Kia dealership in Mississippi, a relic of the recent auto crisis, is now home to 1500 workers in new environmental jobs. Billions of dollars are pouring into the Gulf, even as the oil gushes. The old order is crumbling as the birth of the new appears before our eyes. That is, if we look beyond what is obvious.

The world renowned Sufi master and mystic Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, author of That Which Transpires Behind That Which Appears, said: "In order for there to be change, one has to accept a breakdown and trust that there will be a breakthrough. That is the principle of alchemy. Death is the ultimate breakdown. When one does not want to continue to be what one was, then you are not afraid of death."

All the institutions that we once thought were beyond criticism are crumbling. We've come to realize that not only are we 'the ones we've been waiting for' but we are the ones who must lay the foundation for the re-building of the new institutions that will serve the new world. We can only do that from a place of trust in a holy order. We must have faith that there is a Divine Plan and that nature can restructure herself. We must have hope in the promises of ancient texts, seers and prophets about the coming new age. We must know that it is only from the heart center that we can find resolution for what has happened and perhaps forgive ourselves.

Are you concerned about the perceived chaos and strife in governments and homes around the world? Do you wonder why you came here to be present at this time on earth? Because you were called here, at this time, and to this place, to birth a revolutionary new consciousness. You were called to stand courageously in the face of tsunami and methane gas fears and warnings. You were called to be beacons of compassion that hold a heart-centered focus.

That is what the Sarasota community did when we stood with a Sri Lankan monk in chanting the Buddhist Ratan Sutta. That is what we did when dozens of new Water Emissaries were commissioned to be carriers that would bless the waterways of their communities with the sacred waters of the world. That is what we did when we collectively blessed the Gulf of Mexico knowing that our deepest intentions would unite, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific, and touching all the waterways of the planet.

That is why we're here! And this is what we do on the southwestern Gulf Coast!

Connecting the Inca Maya & Pueblo Peoples

While traveling in Peru in February the stories of the Incas, their predecessors, and the exploration of the architectural ruins felt very familiar. Allowing the experiences in South America to simmer for a few months, a strong interest in the Southwestern U.S. began to emerge from unexpected sources which showed a possible connection between the cultures. So, for about six weeks, my partner and I researched the southwest. We learned about the migration of Asian tribes across the Bering landmass, about the cliff dwellers, the petroglyphs, the geology, and the geography of the area.

Plans for a trip to New Mexico to see the connection first-hand were sealed when, waking from a dream one morning, I clearly heard a voice say, "Go to the Anasazi." With little more than trust in the next unfolding journey, we went to see the Anasazi of the dream. We had a strong sense that the stories, legends and oral histories of the indigenous people of Peru or the Maya might unfold and connect with those who lived in the American southwest. And so, in early June we visited the dwellings, ceremonial sites and the Pueblos of the ancient people who lived in New Mexico and southern Colorado.

The Geography

Arriving in Albuquerque to begin the trek north by car, the similarities in terrain and culture was immediate. The brown, dusty, landscape of the high, arid, desert mountains sitting alongside small plots of green plants was identical to that of Peru. The facial rock-formations that were prolific in the mountains of Peru were equally noticeable in the American southwest. The "spirit faces" in both lands are formed naturally by wind and the occasional water that floods the mountains in spring. The people of Peru call the faces in the mountains, Apus or spirits. They're looked upon as "guardians" of the ruins or sacred areas. The American southwest has its own myriad of faces appearing around every turn of the road. They too "guard" many of the ruins or oversee the mountains and canyons.


The Symbols

Oral history indicates the cultures worshipped nature, mother earth, the sun and the sky beings. There were symbols prominent in both cultures related to the sun. One symbol, similar in appearance, was sacred in both the Peruvian and Pueblo cultures,as it appeared in many sacred sites. The Inca chakana is a 3-stepped symbol in the shape of a cross representing the upper, middle and lower worlds. Like the Incas who revered Inti, the sun, in the Pueblo culture, the sun was revered as the giver of life. Their symbol for the sun is the Zia, a design remarkably similar to the chakana showing stepped rays of light emerging from a red circle. The symbol is found along with spirals throughout the walls of the ruins. The symbol of the Zia is still used in many settings. The state of New Mexico features it in the center of today's modern auto tags and its at the center of the state flag.

Effects of the Spanish Invasion

The Maya, Inca and Pueblo countries bear the scars of the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors about 500 years ago. Spanish continues to be the prevailing language though the indigenous tribes still use their original language. In Peru the tribal people speak Quechua or Ayamara while in the southwest the language of the original people is Tewa or a derivative of it. In the Pueblos Tewa is still taught in the native schools. The Catholic religion's dominance over the indigenous people was evident in the many churches left behind by the Jesuits. Cathedrals abound in both the Maya and Peruvian lands. However, in the American southwest, there were many more small missions or shrines to the Lady of Guadalupe, Mother Mary, or Saint Michael. Readers of past Spirit of Maat articles might remember that it was a powerful experience with Archangel Michael that guided us to Peru on the initial trip.

The Structures

Aside from the language, the colors of the land and the high mountain desert conditions, the dwellings and ruins of the ancient people proved to be the most intriguing. There was a similarity and a familiarity in how the buildings were constructed, especially the adobe structures. While the ancient stones creations of pre-Inca Peru were immense in size, those of the southwestern Pueblo people were intricate architectural structures built on a large, complex scale. Given the altitude and sheer rock faces of the mountains that they were built on, the stone-masons had mastered the art of geometry and construction.

The Inca, Maya and the Pueblo people lived and worked with respect for mother earth, the cycles of nature, and especially with spirit at the center of their lives. In Peru, the high round towers of Silustani had their compliment in the large round Kivas of the southwest. Peruvian guides told us that the Silustani towers were "burial places" while shamans claimed they were "observatories to the space brothers." While in a state of meditation, experienced on the high plateaus of Peru away from the ever-present 'tour group" I was told that these tall towers were actually "sound chambers." The towers, which were arranged in a semi-circle, had an energetic frequency alignment between each one, forming an invisible grid-pattern across the flat mesa. (photo left NM - photo above right: Peru)

While in that meditation, we were guided to conduct a sound experiment. We found that when the massive stones at the base of the circular towers were struck with another stone a deep tone could be heard. The sound reverberated from inside the small entrance hole at the base of each structure, and a low vibration could be felt. Each large stone had a different sound. So if these were in fact observatories to the space brothers, sound and vibration were probably used as a form of communication. But it wasn't until we arrived in New Mexico that we learned of a "sound connection" with the Pueblo people.

In the dwelling places of the Southwestern Pueblos large kivas were centrally built by the ancient cliff people. These kivas were large, intricately designed, round, ceremonial chambers with strategically placed openings. There were two rectangular openings into the "under world" built at the bottom of each kiva. One of the ceremonial practices performed by the Pueblo priests was the pounding of large drums which were set over the openings to the underworld on the floor of the kiva. The sound of the drums was amplified within the round chamber, and was said to be heard throughout the village echoing across the canyons. (photo above: Kiva NM)

In fact, before learning that the kivas were used as sound chambers, we climbed Bandelier's 140' high cliff dwellings with two other women, one from Switzerland and one from New Zealand. After reaching the summit, high above the trees, we then climbed ten feet down into the kiva. We positioned ourselves at directional points forming a square within the circular enclosure. Together, we began to chant the OM sound and to tone. We were later told by those outside the Kiva that the echoing sound could be heard reverberating around the walls and a vibration felt across the rock cliffs. (photo left: Bandelier Kiva)

Astronomy & Archaeology

The Maya and Inca aligned many of their temples and structures astronomically with the stars or the cycles of the sun and moon. In the southwest, we discovered that the entire tribe gathered for rituals or celebrations in the large kiva. The smaller kivas built near family quarters were used for more personal family ceremonies. But outside the main dwelling areas of the tribe, kivas were also built and these were aligned along a north-south or east-west line. Scientific researchers showed these kivas were solar and lunar observation towers marking the seasons, the years, and the cycles of nature in this agrarian society. The alignments also indicated that the structures were built along energetic Ley lines, much the same as they were in Peru where a series of temples between Lake Titicaca and the sacred valley were positioned along a "Grand Ley Line." It became obvious that the Mayans, Incas and their predecessors were not the only cultures observing or recording the stars, the sun, and the moon's cycles. (photo right: White Sands half moon)

There is also a relationship between the structures and cultures of Central, South America and the American southwest. Some of the ruins in New Mexico had "facial" protrusions out of the rock walls much like the protruding faces at the ancient site of Tiwanaku in Bolivia. While not as detailed in New Mexico, they were similar in nature and structure. Also, the openings of windows or doorways, in the shape of a large square opening over a narrower rectangular one, were identical in design to the portals in the ruins of Peru, specifically that of Aramu Muru and those of Tiwanaku. But more evidence of a direct relationship between the Pueblo, the Maya and the Peruvian Amazon was forthcoming as we continued our trek northward through the mis-named "Aztec" ruins, Chaco Canyon, the active and continually inhabited Taos Pueblo, and Mesa Verde. (Photo Left Window Door Shapes NM - Photo Right - Tiwanaku)

Chaco Canyon & Machu Picchu

Chaco Canyon was the most important hub of all the ancient Pueblo people, lying at the center of a 25,000 square mile area. It was here at this crossroads that all the people of the north, central and south Americas would gather for seasonal ceremonies and to annually trade with one another. This site, like Machu Picchu in Peru, was an archaeological and astronomical wonder as well as the center of trade, commerce, and culture for the entire region. While much of it is in ruins, the site, like Machu Picchu, was immense in size and in its significance to the people of the area. It was a monumental semi-circular center revealing the masonry scope and skills of the builders. It was at the center of more than 400 miles of extensive prehistoric roadways connecting Chaco to the outlying communities and tribes across the area. Sitting for hours and watching the sun move across the face of the canyon walls, the ancient petroglyphs in Chaco Canyon resembled street signs, welcoming visitors, identifying homes, or pointing in the direction of good elk or deer hunting. (Photo Chaco Canyon)

Oral Traditions & Astro-Archaeology

While visiting three different locations in northern New Mexico, the oral stories of three different people tied the circumstantial evidence together in a very synchronistic way. The Taos Pueblo is an active site where Taos descendants continue to live in adobe houses much the same as their ancestors did. These adobe structures are similar in design to the Peruvian adobe huts in villages all across the high plateau. Neither the Taos Pueblo nor the Peruvian adobe huts had running water or electricity; instead they drew water from a creek, river or lake.

Standing in 102 degree heat on a dusty dirt street of the Taos Pueblo, we sought relief from the elements by entering an adobe hut with its door ajar. Instead of a traditional shop selling souvenirs to visitors, this one was sparse. Hanging on one wall were ten feathered fans, and on the opposing wall, three enormous ceremonial drums, the largest about five feet in diameter, and all in various states of creation. A man's voice behind us identified the feathered healing fans on the wall that we were staring at. His name was Vernon, the tribe's Medicine Man. He told us he'd been trained since boyhood by his grandfather, the previous Medicine Man, to make the feathered fans that were to be used for healings or in ceremonies. The feathers had to be respectfully gathered from birds, and had to be smoked with white sage, blessed and healing intentions placed into the fans. Each fan took about three to four years to be completed. (Photo Taos Pueblo)

We spent a serendipitous afternoon with Vernon, learning about his upbringing, his culture and his healing craft. He showed us the healing fan made for him at his birth by his grandfather who "knew he was going to be born." Then he showed us an elegant ceremonial fan of white feathers with a brilliant orange Macaw feather that he'd made for his daughter's wedding.

It was then we learned the story of the Macaws of Central and South America and how they'd made their way into the Pueblo cultures. Vernon shared the stories of his grand-father's great-grandfather. He said in the ancient days the Mayan people often came to the region to trade with the northern people, bringing with them their customs, sacred objects, traditions, and ways of building. They also brought Macaws which were prized for their brilliant feathers. As it turned out, this was the first of several times the stories of the Mayans and the Macaws would be shared on this trip. He told us that the Pueblo War Chief and Council had agreed to send four warriors from the Taos Pueblo back to the Mayan lands with the Mayan traders, insuring safe passage and continued trade between the people of the south and the north. He said the people of the north walked all the way through Central America into South America and the people of those regions were also visitors to the north. (Photo Macaw Petroglyph)

Another synchronous meeting occurred at the "Aztec Ruins" that confirmed not only Vernon's story, but shed light on the Mayan astronomical observances. We met a park ranger whose life passion was astro-archaeology, the study of the relationship between megalithic sites and the sun, moon and stars. Marti showed us old photos of the archaeological dig at the ruins that unearthed not only Macaw feathers but the mummified remains of intact Macaw birds. She told us Macaws had been found in many of the archaeological digs giving evidence that the people of central and South America had traveled and traded widely in the area.

Solstices & Equinoxes

We spent an undisturbed afternoon with Marti who took us on a tour of the ruins. She told us how doctoral students had discovered that the windows of the great kiva had been set into the stones and aligned with the sun's passages of the equinoxes and solstices. More importantly, the researchers found that the placement of the windows in the kiva was aligned with the less well-known 18-year lunar cycle - a cycle showing the highest northern arc and lowest southern arc of the full moon every 18.6 years.

Marti said all of the Great Kivas were designed as solar and lunar observatories, perhaps learned from the Mayans. She indicated which windows corresponded to the two equinoxes and solstices during the solar year. Unbeknownst to us, earlier in the day we had been sitting in meditation inside the kiva at the exact spot that the sun would illuminate a beam of light across the chamber on the summer solstice of June 21st. (Photo Aztec Ruins Solstice Alignment - notice the Orbs)

A Navajo Future

Our last meeting was with a Navajo woman named Arna Billie Yazi, the daughter of a tribal elder who had come to Chaco canyon on that day for inspiration. She knew a little of the ancient people but felt she should learn more about the past so she could teach the young people of her tribe about hope in the future. She said there was much despair among the young Navajo with twelve suicides since the first of the year. Arna wanted to see how pride in the old cultures and ways might stimulate the young people to a better understanding of the future. We talked of Peru and Machu Picchu and how that country had created jobs, hope and opportunities for their people as they uncovered the glories of the ancient stories. We talked for over an hour. After a long pause in the conversation, Arna said, "If they can do that in Peru, why not here?" Indeed, Arna! (Photo Machu Picchu)

The Union of All People

We traveled the Pueblo lands for most of the month of June. We climbed hot, dry mountains to experience the massive stone buildings. We saw the strong similarities between ancient cultures, spiritual beliefs, the people, their homes and the land. We meditated, prayed and reflected in the ruins. We chanted with two like-minded souls from far away countries in a kiva high above the towering tree-tops. We met descendants of the ancient people who warmly shared their knowledge of the past and sang of their hopes for the future. We witnessed that all people are related, if not by DNA then surely by circumstance. We affirmed that in this connection, we are not alone nor have we ever been. We may be separated by geography or by oceans, but in the place where we open our homes and our hearts to strangers or to travelers, we are united. We truly are threads in the fabric of life, weaving an unfolding story of the unity of all people, as one single family. From the ancient peoples of Peru, the Mayan lands and the Pueblo to the people of the new earth, Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!

Jo - July 2010