Universal Magazine issue 5 by Universal Magazine

UNIVERSAL ISSUE 5

MIND BODY SPIRIT

Interview with the Author

Astrology The Shamanic Drum Numerology

2015 Re-connecting with the Spirit of Nature The digital magazine for Holistic Living

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

Contributors Gallery - Meet the Tribe

Aspects of Love - Part 3 Loving Ourselves

The Book Shelf - Recommended Reading

Numerology - 2015

Re-connecting with the Spirit of Nature

Wake Up and Eat The Kale - John of God

Chirology - Part 5 Mounts and Significant Marks

20 Scent of the Divine - Article 4 in the series

Astrology - Saturn in Sagittarius

26 Kokoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen - Raw Gingerbread Cake with Cashew Cream Cheeze Frosting

The Shamanic Drum - Sacred Instrument

28 Interview with the Author - Phyllis Walsh

Crystal Healing - Solar Plexus Chakra

Archangel Metatron

Competition Page

Here are a few of our Favourite Things Gorgeous Gift suggestions

Earth P at Diaryhways 2015

Available at Amazon

UNIVERSAL Greeting and welcome to issue 5 of Universal Magazine, ISSUE 5

MIND BODY SPIRIT

Interview with the Author

Astrology The Shamanic Drum Numerology

2015 Re-connecting with the Spirit of Nature The digital magazine for Holistic Living

As the year 2014 comes to a natural conclusion, we can look back at the lessons learnt and release with gratitude the old, to make way for the new, the next enlightening chapter on our serendipitous journey into 2015. In our Numerology feature on page 46, Vikki Lightweaver shares her insights on the energy of the year 2015, and how to calculate your personal year number to discover how it interacts with an number 8 year. I love Numerology, Astrology, Tarot, Chirology, in fact any tool that can be utilised to gain clarity and an understanding of the energies surrounding us at a particular moment in time - when to pause and suspend acivity or when to take a brave leap of faith and move forward. I’m very excited to announce our new resident Astrologer - Tisch Aitken will be joining our Universal Tribe, to share her wealth of wisdom on the positions of the celestial bodies that mirror the patterns of life on our wonderful planet, Earth. This issue we take a look at Saturn in Sagittarius on page 56. We begin a new feature series - Interview with the Author on page 28. Phyllis Walsh is our first author to share her inspiration and purpose for writing her wonderful book ‘The Illusion of Mortality.’ The book is a brilliant read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend to anyone enduring the grieving process. I can get lost in a good book and find myself again on different pages, which is why we are so enthusiastic about sharing and recommending a good read. Check out The Book Shelf on page 42 and our book Competition on page 72. ‘These are a few of our Favourite Things’ is our gift feature beginning on page 30. It’s always wonderful to give and recieve gifts at Christmas time but don’t forget to reward yourself too, for working hard all year and becoming a better version of yourself year after year.

If you look for magic to be unusual or bigger than yourself, you may never realize how very near it is. It is your heartbeat, your breath, your vision, your voice. Debbie Berrow From myself and our Universal Tribe, we wish you a magical festive season and a year 2015 filled with love, laughter and abundant blessings To discover our competitive advertising rates, please email /contact Samantha Yates

Samantha xxx

Our UNIVERSAL Tribe Greetings, I’m Samantha; Editor and Chief at Universal Magazine. I have a passion for life, sharing knowledge, holistic health, any subject dealing with the hidden aspects of existence and our fabulous British weather! For me the secret of happiness is integration, blending the spiritual and the physical into a harmonious balance. I feel as excited and inspired today as I did when I began my spiritual and personal development journey many years ago. The magazine is the platform to share my discoveries and those of others, to offer an alternative perspective on reality and to infuse you with the courage and inspiration to embrace this amazing serendipitous journey that is LIFE! I wish you an abundance of love, laughter and happiness on your journey. Samantha Yates Koko Brill is a certified raw foods chef and also holds a certificate in baking and pastry arts. After several health struggles, Koko turned to natural healthcare for healing. She learned about holistic nutrition extensively, and now uses her knowledge to create recipes that benefit body, mind, and soul. She is a self-proclaimed “spirit junkie” and is passionate about the powers of positive thinking, and love. Koko is also a novice aromatherapist and enjoys learning all she can about essential oils. Koko believes that organic food is the key to successful preventative healthcare and feels it’s her job to make whole foods as enticing as possible for her readers. www.kokoskitchen.com www.instagram.com/kokobrill koko@kokoskitchen.com

Wendy Banting was always a person who practiced natural and holistic healing in her life. However in 2010 when she was diagnosed with advanced aggressive breast cancer she knew she was going to have to delve deeper into this philosophy. Taking natural healing to a whole new level to show herself and others that it “can” be done, she is almost five years into her profound journey around the possibilities and successes in self healing. She is now a full time author and speaker who takes joy in sharing her experiences in the hopes of inspiring others to believe in their own power! Facebook http://www.wendybanting.com

I am a teacher/author (both non-fiction/fiction)/editor (academic/general/religious) living and working in Japan. I am an ordained Japanese Esoteric Buddhist priest (Shinnyo-en), Alexander Teacher, Sound/Music Creativity Therapist, Indigenous Peoples’ Advocate, and involved in the Cathar revival. My mission is world peace and harmony. My religious pathway has been from Christianity, through Hinduism, Islam, Sufism, Humanism, Catharism, to schools of Hinayana, Vajiriyana, and Mahayana Buddhism (I am now serving and training in the final teachings of the Buddha Shyakyamuni). C. Linden Thorp M.A. (E.L.T.) lindenthorp@gmail.com www.lindenthorp.wordpress.com www.facebook.com/linden.thorp.9

.....the Contributors Sandra became a registered nurse in 1980 and since 1996 has gained qualifications in a range of holistic therapies. These include Massage/Aromatherapy, Crystal Therapy, NLP, Hypnotherapy and EFT. Sandra offers Life Coaching and Crystal Healing in both personal sessions and group workshops, with the intention of bringing emotional balance, coupled with deeper clarity and understanding of how we can live our very best life, despite circumstances. AND she still has time to run a full-time dancing school! She believes passionately in people learning, exploring and discovering their own inner source of wellbeing and happiness, and then sharing that joy with the rest of the world! Sandra Boatman www.insightsandinspirations.co.uk

I have always been at home with the spirit of nature, content with the trees and grasses, flowers,moon and stars. This affinity fuels my writing and is the source of my inspiration. Nature is the real world. Ecology, transition and positive change feature strongly in my work, so does esoteric thought. Man stands between the heavens and the earth and we are all equally linked to both realms. My writing expresses elements of this sacred space. www.annefallas.fr

Vikki Lightweaver - I am an hereditary psychic and Empath and have worked as a Healer and Numerologist at events around East Anglia for over twenty years. I offer Intuitive Numerology Readings, Charts, courses and workshops. Tarot readings ,Sacred geometry readings, workshops and courses. Reiki Attunements to Master/Teacher level and Healer development. Meditation classes and development circles. I am fully insured and work mainly from home. Many of my courses and readings are available online via web chat or e-mail. For more information you can contact me at: www.lightweaver.co.uk www.facebook/TheNumberwitch vikki_lightweaver@hotmail.com

As a qualified accountant Pauline Street had always had a very logical approach to life. It was when her parents passed away in her early 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that she began to realise life wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite as organised and rational as the safety of numbers is. She began to explore her spiritual side and during the last 20years has trained as a qualified Crystal Healer and Reiki Master. Her business, Serenity For You, was launched in 2012 with a view to helping clients overcome obstacles and progress on their life path. At Serenity For You, treatments on offer are Crystal Healing, Reiki, Bach Flower Remedy consultations, earth and house healing,and spiritual counseling. Pauline can be contacted on 07900988138, email info@serenityforyou.co.uk, find her on facebook https:// www.facebook.com/serenityhealingforyou or www.serenityforyou.co.uk

Our UNIVERSAL Tribe the Contributors Prior to her husband’s death Phyllis Walsh was a wife and mother of two children. Her husband Owen was a musician and had his own music school which she helped with the secretarial side of things while raising their two small children. The incredible events which followed her husband’s death led her on a mission to spread the message that our consciousness survives our physical death. And her book “The Illusion of Mortality” was born through her glimpses from the other-side. This is a powerful message aimed at the bereaved and grief stricken. To give the hope and validation that you will see your loved ones again. Death is the end of the physical state but not the end of consciousness as we know it. Phyllis Walsh The Illusion of Mortality / Facebook

After many rewarding years as a Hospice Staff Nurse, Ursula chose early retirement to allow her to care for her husband following his devastating stroke. This allowed her to discover a passion for writing. She devised a formula using magical wishing and visualisations for personal enhancement, happiness and fun and created the Wish Magic series of e-books. Ursula has also published a vegetarian cookbook, and a compilation of loving and uplifting messages received from spirit during 25 years of giving psychic palm and tarot card readings to family and friends is the next project in the pipeline. Ursula Oak www.UrsulaOak.blogspot.co.uk UrsulaOak@gmail.com Jennifer Lynch is an experienced holistic therapist and life guidance counsellor who firmly believes that the key to healing involves integrating the mental, physical and emotional bodies, treating the client as a unique ‘whole person’. She works from her home in the Suffolk countryside giving Massage, Reiki and Angelic Aura readings whilst also attending various events throughout the UK. Author of 3 books;The Silver Lining, Skin Deep and Liberty Angel, which can be found on Amazon. She recently ventured onto a new path as presenter of a new radio show on Natural Health Radio called Natural Co-Creators, on Thursdays between 12.00 and 1pm. Jennifer is looking for therapists and creative people to interview for her show. For further details please click here. More about Jennifer and her work can be found on this website: www.angelwisdom.co.uk I am a NY based Astrologer & Tarot reader with 10 years of experience and I study through the NCGR education program for astrologers. I incorporate both Astrology and Tarot into my readings at parties. I currently read for two major international websites; as well for a diverse personal clientele and at several Corporate and private events. I love working with people at parties and I am very passionate about what I do. I find great accuracy both through looking at what’s impacting the individual’s chart and through empathic guidance through Angel Tarot Readings and have great consistency and accuracy with my clients. Tisch Aitken Website / Facebook

Aspects of Love... Part 3 Loving Universally

How do we achieve universal, unconditional love? Universal – everyone and everything; unconditional – without judgement. A very tall order! Is this then the greatest challenge? Quite possibly, because it needs us to see the world from a different perspective, and become more aware on a day to day basis. Cutting edge science has recently proved the following important points, which help us to understand how universal love can be achieved: 1. We are all connected, we are all part of a greater whole:  We have mirror neurons – we experience the emotions of others we are with.  Human actions and behaviours globally are affected by solar and planetary energy (and even the weather). Essentially we are part of the universe and react to it. 2. It has been discovered that, as a race, humans want to bond. We want unity. We are at our core interdependent. Everything about us, our happiness, our balance, and health, improves when we work as one. Our western society has taught us for centuries to be individual, independent, separate and to be number one - effectively, survival of the fittest. Due to this, many of us think primarily of ourselves, our successes, our own happiness, goals, and what we get out of our lives. In fact, for the majority of the population, it goes against everything we

have been brought up to believe that our community and the rest of humanity on the planet should work in cooperation, and that we should succeed together, and not achieve in isolation. 1. Each one of us transmits “light” out to the world – this is our “intention”.  Being aware that our thoughts are constantly transmitting and that they can harm as well as heal, and we therefore become mindful of their nature.  Thinking about the essence of love and where it is lacking in your life, continuing to understand the concept of love, that it starts with you, and only then will you see love and give love outside.

 Changing your mind about the nature of how things work – being open to see that not all is as you have been conditioned to believe!  Changing your focus. Look for love, look for the good in people, in loving acts, and you will find them. Whatever we put our focus on, we will see! It is like a torch in a dark room, if you are looking for one thing, you won’t stop looking until you find it.  Remembering compassionately that everyone is trying to do the best they can 12

do in the moment with the hand that they have been dealt, and that they are the same as you. Inside they are the essence of love trying to make sense out of their lives, just as you are. They just might not be doing it in the best way possible, according to your judgement – but it’s their only way at the moment. And remembering that all acts come from the layers and filters, not from the essence of the person within - just as yours do.  Seeking to stop blaming, instead being understanding, loving and compassionate.  Watching the bad news on the TV and sending love to the places and people that need it.  Raising your awareness of global issues and

sending love to them.  Sending love to anyone who lets you down.  Filling yourself with love first, so that your love just overflows.

In the end, what really matters is love Marci Smirnoff Sandra Boatman www.insightsandinspirations.co.uk

Available on Amazon

Re-connecting with the

Spirit of Nature As children we made daisy chains, collected autumn leaves, paddled in streams, tasted the rain and felt the earth with our hands, heart and soul.

Nature was a natural and normal part of childhood and we were aware of the the link not only to the external spirit of nature but also to the living awareness within us. However, an illusion has become the ‘real world’ and it has led to our disconnection from the natural part of our self and from the natural world around us. We have been misled into believing that a separate reality, a false reality, is real. We are surrounded and bombarded by an impulse that is constantly generating an image of itself, it is the false reality that we are caught up in. It is present in our everyday lives, the TV, the Internet, the media all constantly reinforce the image of the illusory world and lead us to believe that it is real, this further disconnects us from the true natural part of ourself and the natural world around us. But healing has begun. The true natural part of our self is awakening, starting to re-emerge and it is guiding us back to its heart, the heart within the spirit of nature. By questioning everything around us we can discover the things we ‘know’ to be real and expose the things that are not true. We can recognise and have faith in our ‘gut feelings’, realise that these feelings are telling us what is real and what is right. This intuitive feeling is not a thinking process,

intuition comes from within and we all have the ability to use it and develop it. The intuition is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift. Albert Einstein By recognising and using our own intuition we are able to see clearly what lies around us, to know what is true and what is false. Our intuition can be used as a tool for our transformation, it can guide us back to our true self and it can enable us to fully re-connect with the spirit of nature. Using our inner perception we can communicate with nature, re-establish the link between ourselves and the earth and develop a greater awareness of planetary consciousness. The shift is enabling us to become one not only with the earth herself, but to also reunite with the heavens. We are moving into our rightful place between the heavens and the earth. Anne Fallas www.annefallas.fr

Image © Nigel Dugdale 15

Wake Up and Eat The In the third in our series of articles Wendy Banting shares her amazing journey back to full health after being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. After turning her back on traditional medicine, Wendy offers her success story; traversing the path of alternative healing combined with natural medicine, to empower and inspire others to consider their own personal choices.

There is a quote by Dom Ignacio de Loyola on the wall of the spiritual hospital of John of God in Brazil. It says: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who disbelieve, no amount of proof is sufficient.” This quote goes to the heart of people like myself who intuitively know that healing comes from within, and are willing to pioneer our way forward in a way that allows imagination and the awareness of energy and energy medicine to have a place in our emerging new world. There is a man in Brazil known to the world as “John of God”. This man has been blessed with unique healing abilities that allow him to 16

perform what could be considered miraculous outcomes by modern medicine. He also has the ability to allow entities to communicate through him from what would be considered other dimensions or realms of existence. A healer all his life, in the late 1970”s, John of God was directed by the entities that he communicates with to build a spiritual hospital in the small village of Abadiania, Brazil. This healing centre is situated on a mountain of clear quartz crystal, enhancing the ability of the entities to access our dimension and therefore provide healing for all who come in search of

Kale - John of God it. Thus have millions been helped and healed through the efforts and allowance of John of God as a conduit for this type of work. In my personal healing journey through cancer, I travelled to Brazil twice to see John of God. I came to understand that all illness has emotional components that are wanting to be released so a person can fully heal themselves. I had heard that much of the work done in Brazil centred around this emotional healing, and that the level of vibration there was very high and therefore it could be easier to access buried cellular baggage wanting to come up and be released. I was not disappointed! You can feel the beautiful peaceful energies of the “Casa Dom Ignacio de Loyola” ( named for the principal energy incorporating through John of God). Each Wednesday through Friday of most every week of the year, John of God shows up for the entire day to be used as a vehicle for entities to speak through and help heal and guide all who come for help.

experience a “spiritual operation”, that afternoon, or the next morning. Some are there for guidance only and will receive other answers that are applicable to their journey. There can be up to 2000 people who go before John of God each day, so you can understand the need to be brief. All are seen however, before the day is done. Spiritual operations are done by sitting in a room with many other people and allowing yourself to be worked on from the higher realms. This takes some surrender to established ideas and beliefs that you hold. You sit in a meditative state for about 30 minutes while the entities work on you from the higher realms of energy. The entities are adamant that you have undergone quite a serious change to the energetic body that affects you physically on a profound level. You are required to stay in bed for a full 24 hours after your operation. My first operation was interesting, but I did not feel it as much as I did my second one.

It starts first thing in the morning, when all who desire to have help show up and ask one of the many interpreters to write out their question in Portuguese (the only language John of God speaks). Everyone lines up and waits their turn in what originally seemed like a complicated system but actually turned out to be quite ingenious. All who work at the Casa are volunteers, and it costs nothing to see John of God.

The first time my mind was very engaged in the process, and I was in a heightened state of focus as to the uniqueness of the unusual experience. The second time I knew what it involved, and was in a much deeper state of allowance and acceptance of what was happening. As a result I felt quite euphoric as it was transpiring and even after I went back to my room I experienced them working on me for an extra 4 hours, which I felt immediately within various parts of my body. Overriding all of this was a feeling of great peace and loving intent. I know that my spiritual operations provided healing on both occasions.

When your turn comes, and your question is asked, the answer is usually quick and to the point. Most often you are told that you will

On a deeper level, the most benefit I received from visiting John of God, was partaking in what are called the “currents”. Surrounding the line 17

up to John of God are rooms which have seats that are filled with people wanting to participate in the current. There are 3 of these, and all are different. The first one is where anyone can sit, and it is considered to be the strongest, albeit wild at times. A lot of energy is flying around this one, and it can be quite a challenge for some people to sit in. The other two currents can only be sat in by the direction of John of God. There are many mediums from all over the world who come to Brazil to participate in holding a high vibration to help the entities do their healing work. Many of these people sit in the other two currents. Each morning and afternoon session lasts about 3 hours, and a person sitting in any current must sit for the duration with their eyes closed without getting up. This can be quite a lengthy taxing time for many. I personally found it hard, but learned to let go and reap the benefits of this experience. Ideally what you are looking for is to have what you want to be released to come up within your awareness as you meditate. It can be quite difficult to relax and let go enough to have this happen. The entities are helping you with this, and so being in the current with focused intent allows them to help you get to the deeper recesses of your ingrained cellular memories and bring them up to be released. For me, I experienced this as excruciating pain in my shoulder and back. At first I thought I was just sitting funny, and kept adjusting my body to get relief. Then it got so bad that I thought I could not endure another moment. At that point,

I had an epiphany that showed me that this was the pain wanting to be released and if I just allowed it, went into it and observed it, that was what I was supposed to do. As I did this, it let go, and I felt fine. Then it would start all over again. When I left the current each day, I felt great, no residual effects

of pain at all. But each day anew as I sat there, it would come up in the same manner, and I would repeatedly experience this. Each day, however, it got less. It took two trips to Brazil to fully have this released, and I feel that this was the greatest benefit to my time at the Casa. The skill in learning to move into pain and let it

go was invaluable. I can do this from anywhere now, and I have had much come up in the same way since my time in Brazil. I have great appreciation and respect for all the people who diligently and tirelessly support and maintain this beautiful healing centre and I am grateful to all the entities who do their part from the higher realms. There are no limits, only the ones we place on ourselves. For those people who would like to see a visual representation of John of God, Oprah did a show in the same year I went there which shows the village, the casa, and includes an interview with herself and John of God. Wendy Marie Banting www.wendybanting.com Facebook

Scent of

What can we learn from sensory deprivation about the domination of visual processing, the conseque instinct to pin everything down into permanence in we want to possess and fossilize, and then that b For urban dwellers in the developed world, the allure and provocation of visual signals pulls us out of our true nature. In modern life, the monopolizing visual sense can generate synthetic conditions in which we ‘see,’ but more importantly ‘are seen,’ and interpret everything to suit us. Whereas the non-visual senses - listening/hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling - receive concrete data that needs no interpretation as it is invisible. A recurring theme in this series of articles is that our true nature is both visible and invisible, never limitable to man-made concepts like space and time, to merely seeing and being seen. I believe our responsibility in the visible world is to live with unconditional love and compassion so we can convey the lessons of humanity to others. We can and must revive our divine energy in these days of shocking social deterioration and urban isolation, so that we can be models for others who are drowning in their ignorance and misguided views, entirely dominated by their synthetic views of the world around them. In simple terms, for most of us, our senses are out of balance. By closing down the visual sense and ‘going inside,’ we can make contact with our higher self and the vast magical land of the invisible. The ‘I’ and the physical eye operate in a similar way. As mentioned, the visual sense is the most dominant in our consumerist acquisitive societies. Diversity and pluralism overwhelm us with choices, alternatives, get-out clauses, and so on. If we cannot see something, there is a possibility that we consider it not to exist, or at the very least to have no validity. We need proof either with the naked eye, or in writing, to make things valid because our trust in others and in our perceptions of reality is so weak. It is no wonder then that we cling desperately to 20

the Divine

t accessing other ways of being? How can we avoid ent ownership of everything we see, and the blind n the realities we create in our minds? What we see becomes our reality and naturally we fear its loss.

the ‘self ’ as proof that our flesh and blood actually exist. But in that clinging, there is a possibility that we may have lost all contact with our true self; that our divine flame is either guttering or extinguished altogether. In respect of the above, the visually impaired are fascinating. If we take away visual data from human existence altogether, then how do we make sense of the world? I have had the privilege of working with visually impaired children and adults as a Music Therapist. They have taught me so much about concrete communication, which contributes to my own spiritual insights, and helps me to step beyond the straitjacket of duality which most of us wear. Before writing in detail about my professional experience, I would like to bring attention to a film, which movingly depicts how a person deprived of sight as an adult, makes sense of his new world. The title is ‘Scent of a Woman’ 1992, based on an Italian film released in 1974 Profumo di donna, (director Dino Risi, leading role Vittorio Gassman, based on the story Il Buio e il Miele by Giovanni Arpino). A colonel is injured in an accident, losing his sight entirely. He adapts badly to his disability drinking heavily and lashing out at everyone around him in an obnoxious way. He sees no reason to go on living, so he employs a young student, paying his way at a local university, to accompany him to New York to take his final pleasures before shooting himself. Booking into the best hotel, he lavishes them both during their stay. In the hotel there is a dance floor, a small band playing Latin American music in the afternoon, and guests dancing formally. The colonel senses the fragrance of a woman sitting nearby them and somehow knows that she is alone. He goes to ask her to join them for a drink, and then to his helper’s incredulity, invites her to dance 21

‘Scent of a Woman’ 1992, based on an Italian film released in 1974 Profumo di donna, (director Dino Risi, leading role Vittorio Gassman, based on the story Il Buio e il Miele by Giovanni Arpino).

the tango with him. He knows the steps intimately and the floor clears to watch the spectacle. His partner is nervous at first, but she soon relaxes and they stride out together confidently. This scene has incredible nobility for me because of my experience of visual impairment. Apparently, all the blind colonel needs to achieve the impossible is the fragrance of a woman, his healthy body receptive to vibrations, and his kinaesthetic memories of dancing the Tango, all of them concrete data. Is it possible to reconstruct a visually accessed environment in terms of sound and movement? I know first-hand that this is what the visually impaired do to make sense of their world. A young female client blind from birth had never seen anything or anyone; she did not experience even feint patterns of light or shadow. She used sound as her environment, making mountains out of piano chords and snowy summits with her agile voice. She could create a journey in a ship by jumping high to make wave patterns and the rocking of the vessel, using her fingers and voice as the people on board. She was happiest without words, entirely nourished by the vibrations of sound and sensing them in her body. No intellectual assessment or interpretation, 22

only spontaneous integration with the stimuli. Jiddu Krishnamurti, spiritual teacher and visionary, said, “The description is not the described; I can describe the mountain, but the description is not the mountain, and if you get caught up in the description as most people are, then you will never see the mountain.’ Of course, my young client had never seen a mountain and never would be able to do so, so instead she could sense it made of sound and smells, and her own bodily movements in space. This lack of images and narrative which consumes the mind of most sighted people, can teach us just how attached we become to words and images and their meaning. Being receptive to only the sound of the word can liberate us so we are able to revert to our true spirit nature beyond mere symbols. Colonel Slade on the other hand, has seen many mountains and has lived their descriptions, but is now dependent on memories of mountains. Will he be content with this vagueness when he has made mountains so permanent in his life? Will his awareness of mountains gradually dissolve if it cannot be refreshed? Will his sense of loss, of the living reality that everything is impermanent, finally hit home and bring him to an awakening, or will it be utterly unbearable. Or, will he now be consumed by the description of himself as ‘a blind

helpless and pitiable being,’ and fail to see that he is not the described. It seems that his decision to kill himself in some way represents the final irreversible permanence. Although occasionally troubled by the language and words of her carers and therapists, which she was often unable to interpret, my young client was completely happy, and reasonably well-adjusted in normal life. But she became aggressive if she was not allowed to move her body through the air, or blocked from feeling the vibrations of sound, because this was the only way she could be certain that she existed. So, in terms of her inner spiritual life, she was not beleaguered by dialogue from either her demons or her false angels, not attached to concepts or theories, and not hampered by either the acquisitive ‘I’ or ‘eye.’ Whatever she needed to affirm her identity came from sounds and smells, touches and tastes. Words were not symbols which developed an intellectual reality of their own to her and caused her to live in an abstract world of the mind. The visible. The invisible. A famous blind and deaf phenomenon Helen Keller, who eventually learned to live in the visible and audible world said, ‘ the best and the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt in the heart.’ This spiritual view of life comes from a grueling heart-breaking training as a child to be able to live in the world of the sighted and the hearing. Her adaptation is testimony to our ability to overcome anything if the divine flame in the heart is strong and we do not allow our senses to become out of balance. As the world is designed for the sighted, it is impossible for the majority of the unsighted to make sense of it. They experience existence more directly, more concretely, often from the higher self. This is an inspiration. Many of us have learned to access the higher self through meditation or prayer, which invariably entails closing the eyes and focusing our listening. But how we struggle with distractions in the form of words – notions, speculations, justifications, judgments, criticisms, ad infinitum - and of flashing images. We naturally want to escape from this relentless barrage of concepts, so look for a path leading away, taking us out of ourselves. It is ironic that all we need is already located inside us if only we can

quell the noise of our minds and just be in silence and stillness. The blind cannot escape and have no desire to usually. They are content to finger the complex textures of an item on and on, or jump continuously to experiment with their balance or to mingle with concrete energies. In spiritual practice we aspire to go beyond words and other habitual interpretations of reality. We can learn to sink down into the firm yielding of now and here, of the great still silence where we too, like the visually impaired, can detect vibrations and use other tools accessible to humans such as clairvoyance, perfect pitch, telepathy, that we once utilized. Colonel Slade’s tango with a beautiful fragrant woman almost pushes him over the edge, sending him to lock himself into his room and prepare his gun. Then he feels the love of his young accomplice expressed in angry invective about his cowardliness and self-pity, and knows he could play a useful role in his young life. He could settle for concrete stimuli in time, and found wisdom behind his irascible intolerance. He still believed in questions and their answers learned form memory as he somnambulated around the visual world, at least for a while longer. The questions the congenitally blind may pose are usually mere sound-play empty of meaning: hearing their own voices, imitating other voices, projecting the sounds their being can create to chart their environment. They are not desperate jabs at understanding existence, of ‘seeing’ through or behind impressions, of ‘understanding’ and interpreting everything as those of the sighted, because they know there are actually no questions, so there are no answers. They are not separated away from existence because they cannot see to measure and compare, to judge and sort, to speculate or criticize. We sighted need to change so we can accept everything and so step beyond duality to reconnect with our divine origins. Whereas the blind are embedded in their existence; they cannot easily move around in their concrete environment as easily as we do in the virtual worlds we invent. It is difficult for those who have always been able to see the world to imagine the world of the congenital blind. They are like ghosts using their body form as an instrument to detect their environment. 23

They become concrete in the same way that what they perceive best is concrete. They do not take what is visible and transient deep inside them and make it invisible in order to learn lessons and connect with the invisible world. They are invisible already. They are usually calm and steady because everything is already lost in their world; they can hold on to little and describe nothing. Voices come and go, textures and temperatures are continually changing beyond their control. There is no light or shade. There are no models to imitate except vocally; and they are often excellent mimics because of their exclusive audio focus. We tend to pity them, their deprivation of the treasures of the visual, but their insight into life is extraordinary and their link with the divine I believe functions strongly. We have so much to learn from them, just as I did. In fact, my blind client knew my inner thoughts. She had clairvoyance without doubt, and she could predict my future. As a music therapist I was one of the few people she wanted to be with all the time because I could make soundscapes for her, and she could use instruments and her voice and body to converse with them. Our environment can provide concrete data such as resonance, smell, texture and temperature, taste

and kinaesthetic stimulation, none of which are open to the same kind of interpretation as visual data perceived only by the physical eyes. This data is invisible, the dimension and substance of our spiritual origin. The shaman in primitive tribes enters into a trance to connect with the world of spirits to access wisdom of the elder ancestors. He or she can no longer ’see’ in the physical sense. Soothsayers and seers have traditionally been visually impaired. We are told by Buddhist Masters that during our time in human life we are living in a dream world in which everything is impermanent and created by our minds. The blind colonel on the dance floor moving his own body and his unknown partner’s through space to the majestic rhythms of the Tango inspired by the fragrance she is wearing, is a moving feat to the sighted. There is no hesitation, no speculation, just beautiful bodies moving trustingly through space, responding to resonances and scents. This is surely an unconditional act. At first, he intends this performance to be his swan song – resonance, rhythms, fragrance, bodily accompaniment- all that he needs to shift to the invisible world. But soon he realizes that he can adapt, and at the same time can find peace with his true self. Linden Thorp Website

It is only with the heart that one can

see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Let the Eos Programme help you figure out what really matters to you, and give you what you need to make it happen. The EOS Programme is an inspirational 2 day course I'veI am thought aboutfrom! it a The lot, course and I can't that still buzzing allowsreally you to look at your from describe whatlifeEos is. anAllalternative I know is perspective tht over theand past uncover what it is that you truly want to achieve. two weeks, since I did Day 1, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone from 'I'm There is something so empowering about spending not thewith of like-minded of person who does anythingsharing, out of the time ladies; connecting, laughing, crying and bonding. It was sensational! ordinary to Just wat me! Samantha Yates, Norfolk

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Koko’s Kitchen Recipe

Ingredients:

This cake is totally to die for! It has perfect Christmas-y flavour with nuts, and dates, and lemon, and gingerbread, and a rich, tangy cashew frosting to take it over the top. I think this would look stunning decorated with pomegranate seeds….but…I only had dried cranberries. I really hope you try this if you are looking for a decadent but healthy holiday dessert. I really don’t think anyone would know that is totally raw and vegan. Even my bird wanted some! I was worried little Peaches was going to fly right onto this cake….it’s irresistible! If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can find it here, or you could always replace it with a bit of raw honey. If you don’t have xylitol for the frosting, you can find it here, or replace it with extra maple syrup. The rest of the ingredients are easy to find at the grocery store A raw vegan cake bursting with gingerbread flavour and cashew cream cheese icing. No refined sugars or flours.

• Raw Walnuts – 1 cup • Raw Almonds – 1 cup • Medjool Dates – 1 cup, pitted, soaked in for 10 mins in warm water • Raisins – 1 cup • Gingerbread Spice – 1 tsp • Salt – 1/8 • Lemon Zest – 1 tsp • Coconut Sugar – 1/4 cup • Water – 1 TBSP Cashew Cheeze Frosting: • • • • • • •

Cashews – 1 cup, soaked 2 hours Lemon Juice – 2 TBSP Coconut Oil – 2 TBSP Vanilla Powder – 1/2 tsp Xylitol – 1 TBSP Maple Syrup – 2 TBSP Lemon Zest, to garnish

Raw Gingerbread Cake with Cashew Cream Cheeze Frosting

Instructions: In a food processor, process almond until roughly chopped. Add walnuts, dates, raisins, salt, gingerbread spice, lemon zest, coconut sugar, and water.

all of the topping ingredients until smooth.

Pulse until mixture just starts to ball up. This took me about 5 minutes of pulsing and scraping the processor down, pulsing and scraping the processor down, etc.

Sit back, relax and enjoy every delicious mouthful!

Spread over nut mixture and garnish with lemon zest, and any other desired topping such as dried cranberries, cacao nibs, pomegranate seeds, etc.

www.kokoskitchen.com

If you over process, too much oil will release and the mix will be too sticky. You want the nuts to still be visible- not a puree. When correct texture is reached, press into an 8 inch round pan. I used a parchment-lined spring form for easy removal. In a high speed blender or food processor, blend

Interview with the Author Phyllis Walsh is the author of a fascinating and inspirational book devoted to the world of spirit and her encounters with the afterlife. It’s called The Illusion of Mortality and has been described by none other than James Van Praagh, international medium, as “pure food for the soul”. John West spoke to Phyllis about her work. What inspired you to write a book devoted to the afterlife? “It followed the untimely and early passing of my young husband Owen back in February 12th 2006. From the ravaging pain of my own grief and loss, I felt compelled to help others who have found and will find themselves in this helpless and lonely situation. I wanted to pass on advice, both practical and emotional, to aid their journey on the path of grief and bereavement. And to be able to help them find again a purpose in life”. What were your views on the afterlife before losing Owen? “I always held strong to the belief that there was a higher power governing our life here on Earth. Be it God or whatever form you wish to call this presence. Aside from my religious upbringing, I had a strong feeling that we as human beings are far too precious to be born, live, die and end up in a state of oblivion. I always felt an intangible guidance in my life. The strong notion that every experience – both positive and negative – is to aid our growth and evolve our souls. And since my husband’s death, I am in absolutely no doubt that our consciousness survives our physical demise”. I understand that before Owen’s passing you experienced a feeling that something bad was going to happen? “I did experience a premonition - a strong sense of dread as I was watching my husband. This occurred two weeks before he died. He was playing a piano recital in Airfield House in Dublin. At the end of the concert, I noticed an aura like a void surrounding his body. I then felt an overwhelming feeling that he would not be around much longer 28

in the physical sense. The second time this happened, I saw him standing outside his mother’s house locking the hall door and I again witnessed the same experience. This time, the foreboding had grown even stronger”. In your book, you describe very vivid dreams that you had about Owen after he died. Do you believe that you connected with your husband in these dreams? “Yes. However, I prefer to call them ‘encounters’ using the dream state. And this is the most common and effective way our loved ones communicate with us when we are asleep. One very interesting dream involved my husband asking me where a particular medical document was and to make sure it was in order. The next day my doctor’s secretary phoned me to tell me that the same document was out of date. I then remembered the dream the previous night. He was obviously trying to focus my attention on this important area. There are many more like this, too numerous to mention, where there was direct communication”. I understand that your father also come through to you after his passing? “He also used the dream state. He seemed extremely relaxed and still had his familiar personality and his countenance was exactly as he was in this life. He also helped me with a dilemma that I was struggling with and gave me advice which I followed. The outcome was perfect too. I have had too many of these dreams to dismiss them as mere coincidence”. Apart from dreams, how else can our loved ones connect with us after their passing? Has Owen reached out to you in other ways? “Our loved ones will connect with us using as many ways that are available around us. Sometimes they use the words from a song on the radio which might have had a relevance for you both. If we try not to use too much logic and remove the analytical brain during these times and be prepared to allow signs to show up in our lives, they usually will. 29

One such time, at night, I was feeling especially sad and alone. Later that night, I had a dream and Owen told me to watch out for a sign that he was going to send me the following day. The next day, late in the evening, I noticed something flickering. When I turned my attention to see what was happening, I noticed that the lights in the heels of my young son’s shoes were turning on and off by their themselves. Now these lights are usually activated only if there is pressure applied from above, mainly when the child in running around. But the runners were on their side and there was no external stimulus around the shoes to activate these lights. I had my sign. Incidentally, I was alone in the room and lying on the couch. It was very quiet”. You’ve captured balls of light, known as orbs, on camera. What do you think these are? “Since the advent of digital cameras many people have seen these circular translucent globes which seems to float about in people’s pictures. Nobody can really say with any degree of certainty what they are. In religious buildings and cemeteries and so- called haunted places their appearances are much more numerous. I caught a very interesting orb on camera during my son’s first day at school. I took two pictures of my son which were both taken just moments apart. In the first picture, nothing unusual appeared. I started thinking how sad that his father was missing this special day and there, in the second picture, suddenly appeared a beautiful orb! I think orbs are a type of intangible vehicle that spirit uses to move about in this earthly dimension. I would like to think that on that day Owen made his presence known to us by using the orb”. What do you really think happens after we die? “I believe we transition into a different state. I use an analogy with water in my book. It can turn to ice and steam depending on being subjected to either heat or cold. The water is not destroyed but merely changes into a different state. After our physical body dies we simply transition into a spiritual state. It is death in the physical that changes us into the spiritual”.

Are our loved ones always around us in spirit? “Not all the time. Just as in life, they were not always with us. When we really need them or encounter a crisis in our lives they will come close again. But they have to step back in order to allow us to move forward and complete what experiences and lessons we are destined to live while we are still here. If we felt them around us all the time then our journey may be hindered and our progress take longer. However, when we think of them we do attract them instantly. Remember death ends a life not a relationship. Love never dies and it is this love that is the bonding glue which unites us all, living and deceased. As I mentioned with my dreams from my father and especially my late husband, they are quietly watching over us and giving us helpful signs”. Some claim that Quija boards should never be used in communication with spirit. What are your views on this? “I have never used a Quija board and I never will. I have heard too many frightening stories of people experiencing disturbing phenomena while using these. You really have to know how to use them properly, otherwise you can bring earth bound spirits or negative energies into your space which may linger and cause harm. They are like a portal or doorway and like any doorway, good and bad can enter”. Are we all basically psychic and how can we develop this if we are so inclined? “I do believe we are all psychic - some more so than others. A good way to develop this is to meditate either using a candle and focusing on the light or by just sitting still in your own comfortable space. Also to go to developmental circles. Most spiritualist churches have such groups”. You live in Ireland. Do you think that the Catholic church is now more open to spiritualism? “The catholic church does not have the same hold on the Irish people as it did sixty years or even ten years ago. There is a paradigm shift all over

the world and Ireland is no different. Spirituality is now more common place than it was. People are hungry for hope and answers. They are not confined to a religious belief system that happened to be handed down to them by their parents and grandparents. They are searching for their own truth, whatever that may be. The Catholic church, whether they agree or not with spiritualism, will have to accept it. It is here to stay”. What would you say to those who refuse to believe in the afterlife? “Try and at least have an open mind. My story is subjective. I am fortunate with the wonderful validations that I have received. I am also conscious of the fact that not all people will experience signs and communications and that is OK too. I had an epiphany to tell my story in order to help others. Death is only an illusion. Hence the title of my book ‘The Illusion of Mortality”. Do you believe that you were destined to write your book? “Yes! Out of something extremely traumatic and heart wrenching, I was given a glimpse of eternity in many forms and I want to spread this message to those who will listen - the certainty that you will see your loved ones again in your own good time, whenever that time is ordained. I have always believed that our lives are mapped out for us even before we are born. It is a journey for our souls to evolve to their highest potential”. You have said that you are now on a new road of spirituality since Owen’s passing. Where do you see it taking you? “I definitely had a calling to the spiritual side of things. I see myself giving talks on my experiences to others in a formal and informal setting where I can pass on the message that this life is not the only life we have. Death is not the end but simply a transition to the next stage in our development”.

Finally, how would you advise someone who has recently lost a loved one? “To someone who has recently lost a loved one I would say this; try to be still, your world has imploded. You are in shock physically, emotionally and mentally. Do what needs to be done in a given day and no more. Try to focus on the other areas of your life which still remain the same. Your other family members, your friends, your surroundings etc remain the same. It is at times like these that we have to take a step back so that others can take a step forward and lend their hand in whichever manner it is offered. Accept what feels right and reject what does not. It is your right. Your prerogative. Others close to you will be in shock too. Be patient with them. Take it one hour at a time. Sometimes one day at a time seems like an eternity. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Go slowly and at your own pace not at anyone else. We all grieve differently and in our own way. You have to find your own peace and allow yourself the time to grieve. And finally I will say that the enormous void which has been left by the deceased will in time get smaller and easier to navigate. It varies from person to person and is very natural. Remember that death ends a life not a relationship. The relationship you had will always be binding but just in a different way. And yes in time you will smile and remember the gift that you had from having your loved one in your life”. John West is an author and broadcaster. The Illusion of Mortality by Phyllis Walsh can be obtained from: Original Writing LTD Spade Enterprising Centre North King Street Smithfield Dublin 7 www.originalwriting.ie Available at Amazon on Kindle and paperback.

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Earth Pathways Diary

2015

At Winter Solstice ....

May there be peace in our hearts, in our land, and in our world May we honour each other with kindness and inclusion May we care for the earth and all her beauty, treasuring her gifts to us May love surround us And may we trust that the changes that come are for the good of all.

We are fluid and moving, never static. Unbound by stasis, we constantly change and enter the future anew; we evolve naturally. In nature we find ourselves and we find each other. Linked by the finely tuned cosmic web, there is no separation. The planets, the dewdrops, you and I, are all connected. Nature creates, and as co-creators we can share her creation, we can become part of her natural community. Beneath our feet the earth moves and the heavens move above our heads. We stand between the two, equally linked to both and it is here that nature unlocks the doorway into the sacred realm. This is our time to journey. It is our time to take light and gentle steps and move with the seasons, the planets and with our own true nature. It is the time to realise our inheritance and to re-connect with the harmony and balance of earth and heavens. Nature’s community is unfolding around us, it is enduring and surviving. It generates healing, radiates love and creates a passage into the sacred realm where truth lies.

Winter Solstice Blessing. © Eleni Zoe Palánzas 2011

Natural Community © Anne Fallas

May we willingly release the things we no longer need, and follow our hearts on a journey into the new light.... May we plant the seeds of our dreams with hope May we nurture them with love and courage, passion and belief May we watch them grow strong, sharing our joys with those who are special to us May our harvests be abundant, and gratefully received And may we celebrate often as community, remembering in our hearts where we truly belong. And always ...

Autumn Dreaming Blanket © Dorrie Joy

112

Midwinter Stones © Wendy Davison

106

Cosmic Craftmanship © Juniper 2013

The Earth Pathways Diary 2015 is a celebration of the work of UK artists

and writers who share a deep love for our land and a vision of a sustainable future for all. All the artwork and writing is placed within the context of the seasonal cycle and the Celtic Wheel of the Year.

More than a diary, it is a networking resource and inspiration for the growing community of people who are willing to actively create positive change in their lives for the benefit of the Earth. The diary is produced by the Earth Pathways Co-operative and profits are used to finance production of the next diary and support projects that benefit the Earth. The 2015 diary is available direct from website (priced £13)

Biodynamic Gardening: Look to the Stars

Earth Pathways Diary 2015

If you’re an organic gardener, you will of course have your feet and awareness firmly on the ground, ensuring the health of your lovely, living soil. If you’re a Biodynamic gardener however, your feet will still be on the ground, but your thinking will also be taken far out to the starry heavens. Take planting for example: you could of course just plant (or sow) whenever is convenient for you. Or you could really connect with the cosmos and plant in the afternoon when the earth is breathing in – when she’s in a receptive mode. Or you could plant in the fortnight when the moon is descending, when plants take root more readily. Or you could also plant with beneficial support from the ring of fixed stars (the zodiac); choosing an earth ‘day’ (root influence) to plant your spuds, or a fire ‘day’ (fruit) to sow your tomatoes (just before the full moon of course to ensure a stronger germination).

Sea glass is born when ordinary glass falls into the water. Broken on the sea bed it tumbles with the rocks and pebbles until all the hard edges are worn into smooth curves. Until the glass is burnished into soft glowing, weird shapes that merely echo what was once part of something else, something discarded. Now utterly transformed into beauty. And then the tide brings it back to the land. As a child on our Mallorcan beach I loved it because when you took it home it was like taking a piece of the sea world with you: beautiful, strange, opaquely glowing. Like the sea when you first open your eyes underwater.

Somerset Levels © Bridgette Nutt

As I grew, other beaches came into my life, but you would still find me pacing, eyes searching, and my heart would leap at the glint of one of my jewels of the sea. Pregnant on Bryher in the Scilly Isles I found the most vivid blue piece that I keep in my purse to this day. On my Father’s D-day landing beach in Normandy, part of a perfume bottle stopper marked with rays like the moon. A beach’s sea glass depends on the tides and who lives, or sails, beyond them. Any beach will do to start. You need keen eyes and a little patience and an appetite to be by the sea. But I think each piece sings to you if you are meant to find it.

We all accept the dramatic influence that the sun has on life here on earth, and few would question the moon’s influence on the liquid body of the earth (in us, in plants, in rivers and seas). Why then is it so crazy to suggest that the other planets in our neighbourhood (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) aren’t also profoundly affecting life growth on Earth?

My sea glass sings to me of the ebb and flow of the tide and how my wounds, my brokenness, given up to the transforming power of the sea, of life, of Goddess, return to me as treasure.

Biodynamics offers a practical pathway of connection with these life-filled universal rhythms.

Sea-change © Katie Player

For more info: www.biodynamic.org.uk

Somerset Levels © Bridgette Nutt

The Earth Pathways Diary is a celebration of the work of UK artists and writerswho share a deep love for our land and a vision of a sustainable future for all. Placed within the context of the seasonal cycle, it includes Moon phases and signs, sunrise and sunset times, moonrise and moonset times and some astrological information for the UK. It has a page-a-week view, month-at-a-view planners, year planner and notes pages. To contribute to the diary or buy direct: www.earthpathwaysdiary.co.uk

Earth Mandala © Anne Thomas 2013

Published by Earth Pathways Co-operative Ltd.

Surfing Waves © Marie Paurin

THE BOOK SHELF I never feel lonely if I’ve got a book - they’re like old friends. Even if you’re not reading them over and over again, you know they are there. And they’re part of your history. They sort of tell a story about your journey through life. Emilia Fox

Jennifer Lynch William’s Wishes Rebecca gives Bridgette up for adoption feeling that she has no choice. After the horrors of the Nuns at St. Catherine’s, she begins to realise that there is only one thing to do, rebuild her life. Years later, Bridgette leaves home to become a nanny and falls for the irresistible Neil, the father of the family. She starts to learn a lot about men, her two mothers, and who is really there for her in her life. Sister Mary’s secret has stayed with her for nearly thirty five years until by sheer chance, she discovers that things haven’t been quite what she was led to believe. The women start to realise that they are connected through the adoption process but the surprises really start to happen as the story unfolds. Can these women help each other, or have the wounds of time been too harsh. This story will help anyone who is adopted, or is connected with adoption in some way. Although written as fiction, many of the feelings expressed are taken from the personal experiences of the author who was adopted. This book is a revised and updated version of Skin Deep. Available on Amazon 42

Patricia Weston

John Of God

Book of Spells & Magic

Heather Cumming and Karen Leffler

This simple little book of spells and magic is all you will need to cast powerful spells to change your life. White Witch Patricia Weston’s Book of Spells & Magic is a practical, easy to follow, no-nonsense guide to magic; including all the information you will need to cast effective spells.

John of God has fulfilled his mission as a medium for more than 48 years. Drawn by the hope of instantaneous healing, over eight million believers have proceeded in front of him throughout his life.

From how to set up your magical altar, tools of the craft, information on moon phases, magical oils, magical herbs, crystals and candles. Including everyday powerful and practical spells to improve your life and moon magic to help you heal. About the Author Patricia Weston, BA MA is a White Witch, Clairvoyant Medium, Reiki Healer, Tarot Reader, Hypnotherapist, Past Life Therapist, Author & Freelance Writer. She is based in beautiful Skerries, County Dublin where she lives with her husband, son, two cats and dog. The kindle version of this book is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble Nook. The paperback is available to purchase from the website through paypal. www.patriciawestonpsychicwitch.com pweston2@gmail.com

Come join Heather and experience the stirring words and vivid photographs which will take you on an affecting and deeply personal journey with the humble medium who offers hope for people with none. The miraculous healer of Brazil lives as a farmer but turns his body over to ‘spirit doctors’ three days a week so they can treat the thousands of people who come to him when doctors can no longer offer hope. Earning his living as a rancher, he takes no money for his healing work, saying, “Joao Teixeira heals no one. God heals.” In John of God: Healing Through Love, two of his helpers, a translator and a photographer who have travelled with him and visited his childhood home, share his life and work with love and understanding. The book includes vivid photographs of the people, the procedures, and the spiritual lights that appear throughout the house as he works. Available at Amazon 43

THE BOOK SHELF

No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. Confucius

The Earth Changes by Anne Fallas Anne Fallas’s allegorical tale challenges us head on to question our views on our dependence upon consumerism; the politics of greed; our general apathy as to the power of nature; and asks should we consider alternatives before one or other catastrophe engulfs us, or will circumstance be allowed to dictate our ultimate condition?

form a close relationship. On an individual level they face personal challenges, overcome hurdles and move into positive change. As a group they build a small self-reliant community and together they face immense challenges. Supporting each other they adapt and with a greater awareness and a new vision, they help create a new world.

“This is a very rare animal, an eco-novel written well. Set in France at time when the Earth’s climate is unravelling, it tells the story of a group of people who are struggling to make sense of their lives, build a small, self-sufficient community and prepare for a post-technological world. Rather than being gloomy, it treats the exploration of a new way of living with optimism and joy. Encoded in the tale are metaphors about human and planetary evolution that would be familiar to students of esoteric psychology. The novel works. I read it cover to cover and enjoyed its style and structure and I didn’t find it obvious or preachy. Worth seeking out.” Maddy Harland, Editor, Permaculture Magazine

‘I realised when I was young that I was living in an unstable world,’ Charlie shrugged. ‘I didn’t and I still don’t, want to depend on a society I can’t trust.’ [ext chap 13]

A small group of people are drawn together and

www.annefallas.fr

‘The rules and confines of man were being replaced by an order that was natural, pure and whole. It had no limits. It was linked to and by the waves of celestial thought. This was truth radiating and illuminating itself.’ [ext epilogue] “We are nature, we are human, we are spirit and we all share the vision.” Anne Fallas. ISBN: 978-0-9568937-0-3

Website

Numerology As a general rule when calculating a the significant number in Numerology, large numbers are broken down into a single digit by adding the numbers together as follows: 2015 = 2+0+1+5 = 8 so 2015 is a year number 8

is often said to be the number of finance and business affairs and although this is true up to a point, I feel that it’s more about management. Not necessarily business management but a general ability to manage, whether it’s finances, people or just circumstances of life. This is the number of material success and worldly involvement. It is the number of the cycles of time and of regeneration and of duality (a circle above a circle).

brings the balance between the Material and Spiritual worlds. On the Spiritual level it often brings opportunities to clear Karmic issues. As a reader I have found that many of the planetary alignments we have had this year have triggered opportunities for releasing old energies. Many people are actually releasing Ancestral energies, old patterns of behaviour which have been passed down through generation after generation. These old patterns need to be released and transformed in order that we may work with the new energies coming in. Others are releasing old hurts from the past or clearing karmic issues. This releasing of the old makes room for the new. Those who have 8 as one of their personal numbers may well find it difficult to “let go” of old emotional hurts as this is one of the karmic lessons of 8. On a planetary scale it is also about letting go of the old ways of being and doing. It is interesting to see the Balance of power being questioned and challenged. Many of the younger generation are stepping into their own power and coming forward as leading lights, such as the young man who has invented a solution to cleaning up our oceans by removing the plastic debris that threatens the waters and the wildlife. The indigenous peoples

who are using the law to reclaim their lands and fight against the pollutions caused by oil companies. These things are positive and give hope for the future. Through use of the internet issues are being brought into awareness on a global scale within minutes encouraging us all to take action. In the Material world 8 brings a natural understanding of how things work. It is the number of Authority and of personal power and reminds us to really think about how our own actions are contributing to the problems and to take steps to create positive change. It is the number of confidence and of self reliance and of stability. 8 reminds us to use our powers of discernment when we make choices about how we live. It brings the energy needed to manifest abundance and reminds us of the law of cause and effect, what we give out is what we receive.

reminds us to address the Balance of life, within our personal lives and within the care and protection of our planet. When turned on its side 8 becomes the symbol of infinity which reminds us that we are creative spirits with the ability to create infinite possibilities. In Sacred geometry 8 resonates with the Octahedron which represents the element of Air and governs our thought processes and mental attitudes. This shape can be a powerful tool to use in meditation and can be programmed mentally to provide Balance, Peace or Protection for an individual or for a space whether that is a home or an office or simply a room. 8 links with spider energy within Native American teachings and reminds us that we are all a part of the Web of Life and that what we do affects everyone around us.

Personal year 8 To discover how your personal year number interacts with the year 8 you need to add your day of birth number (reduced to a single digit) your month of birth number (also reduced to a single digit) and the number of the year of your last birthday. For example Day of birth 31 =4 Month of birth July =7 Year of last birthday 2014 2+0+1+4 = 7 4+7+7 =18 1+8 =9 Personal year number is 9.

Personal year 1 in an 8 year brings opportunities to address the balance within your own life and to work on business ideas. As 1 is all about the self and new beginnings this would be an excellent time to start your own business or to change your job. Personal year 2 in an 8 year may bring emotional sensitivities to the surface. Sometimes we need to re-visit old hurts in order to see the lessons we learned and to move on. You may find yourself re-assessing relationships or working through legal issues. Ultimately it puts you in control of your life and allows you to really let your light shine. Personal year 3 in an 8 year brings the energy needed to really begin to manifest the future you wish to have. It brings opportunities to remember the Joy of life and to work with creative energy. The combination of 3 and 8 also brings opportunities for emotional healing and release. Personal year 4 in a year 8 brings stability and order to the chaos of life and enables you to get on top of finances and work . This year you should really know where you stand with people and in situations which may have been uncertain. Personal year 5 in a year 8. 5 is the number of change and of adventures and travel and 8 brings opportunities to get our finances under control so

this could be a good year to travel. If travel is not an option then positive change that you choose to make. Personal year 6 in a year 8 brings changes in work related areas. If you run your own business this could be a good time to think of expansion. If you wish to change your job this could be the time to apply for work you would like to do. This is also a good time to make changes to your home or to build a home. Personal year 7 in an 8 year brings a need for quiet space. 7s often work too hard or find it difficult to take time out so this year may bring the opportunity to take a break. There is also scope here for personal healing. Personal year 8 in a year 8. Technically this could be your year. The energy around you is right for gaining control of your life on many levels. Go for it. Release the fear and take that leap of faith. Personal year 9 within a year 8 brings the ending of a cycle. If money has been tight then this year things should improve. Some area of your life is coming to its natural end. This is the time to release the old in order to make room for new energies to come into your life. Vikki Lightweaver Facebook

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CHIRO

Part 5 Palm Reading In the penultimate, fifth part of our Palm Reading for beginners series, Ursula Oak shares her wisdom and knowledge for readers to gain an insight into the Mounts and significant marks on the palm. Using my personal style and method of palm reading this series will give you an overview of palm reading and show you how to conduct a basic reading for yourself and your friends, it will help you to understand what the length, shape, and size of the fingers, and the lines marks and mounts on the hands represent. This knowledge can give you a wealth of information about the character of your own palm, or of the owner of the palm you are looking at. When looking at any mark on the palm it is important to look at the non-dominant hand first and then compare this with the dominant hand (the one used for writing). You will then be able to see how the person has used and applied the traits they were born with shown in the non-dominant hand, with the traits they have developed, shown in the dominant hand. The Mounts Under each finger and at the base of the thumb is a mount. A mount is a slightly raised fleshy area. The four finger mounts have the same name as the finger above it, the thumb mount is called the Mount of Venus. The mounts can reveal extra details about the owner of the hand you are looking at. If the mount is large and fleshy more the traits of that mount will apply to its owner, a small of flat mount usually lessens the traits. The Mount of Venus Beginning with the mount of Venus, which is at the base of the thumb, we will work our way clockwise around the rest of the mounts of the hand. As you examine the Mount of Venus, check if is it flat and soft, flat and hard, or raised and fleshy. The Mount of Venus is the Mount of love and relates to 50

OLOGY

ng for Beginners love of all things, including romance, food, drink, excitement and adventure. A very large and soft Mount of Venus can indicate an over indulgence in the love of food or drink, and a difficulty in balancing this part of their life. A large Mount of Venus may also belong to the person who seeks thrills and adventure of all kinds, and is willing to take a risk to achieve their goals. If the Mount of Venus is soft to the touch its owner is likely to be soft and loving. A Mount of Venus which is balanced and in proportion to the rest of the hand belongs to a person who is able to balance all areas of their life. A flat hard Mount of Venus can suggest that the owner holds back their emotions and can at times seem a bit ‘stand offish’. Many fine lines on this mount can indicate a sensitive nature, while heavy horizontal lines represent strong friendships the person has made. A large X often means there will only ever be one significant love during this person’s lifetime. Should there be a triangle formation on the Mount of Venus, the owner may marry for success and money and not for love! The Mount of the Moon Directly opposite the Mount of Venus on the outside edge of the hand is the Mount of the Moon, this mount reflects a person’s imagination, religious or spiritual ideas and their desire to travel. A large Mount of the Moon is often found on the palm of a person who follows or studies religious or spiritual practice, or who has a career in spirituality or religion. If this mount has deeply etched horizontal lines, it could reflect the person’s love of travel and of discovering new things. You need to look at the complete hand to see which of these applies to this person. A large X on the Mount of the Moon can belong to a person who is overfull of their own potential and ability to succeed, this can manifest in dominance and a need to control. 51

A triangle indicates a very creative person, the larger the triangle the greater the creative ability. The Mount of Mercury The Mount of Mercury is beneath the little finger, a large mount here usually belongs to the person who is full of energy and new ideas, and they are likely to be excellent communicators in both the spoken word and the written word. One single and deeply etched horizontal line on the Mount of Mercury can be the very lucky sign of a lottery win or a windfall or inheritance coming to that person. A triangle formation belongs to the person who is a skilled communicator able to see and present both sides of a situation with fairness and diplomacy. A person with a definite star formation in the centre of the Mount of Mercury might struggle to tell truth, or they may live in a fantasy world. The Mount of Apollo The Mount of Apollo is found under the ring finger, and can reveal a lot about the characteristics and commitment abilities of its owner. Many actors will have a large Mount of Apollo. This mount is often seen on the palm of a person who loves the limelight and using their excellent communication skills to charm those about them. A large X on this mount indicates success in business especially if linked to art and creativity. A triangle on the Mount of Apollo indicates that the owner of this palm it likely to be instrumental in helping other people to achieve their goals. Horizontal lines indicate artistic and creative ability. Should there be a square formation under this mount, the owner of the hand will have an easy ability to market and present themselves for future advancement. The Mount of Saturn The Mount of Saturn lies beneath the middle finger. This mount often reflects the academic side of a person. Teachers or lecturers are often found to have squares on this mount. One long single line on this mount suggests very good luck throughout a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, and, if very long, is also said to indicate a peaceful end to life. A triangle is usually found on the hand of a person who possesses an inner strength and an ability to cope with anything which comes into their way. Should you see the very rare mark of a circle on this mount the owner will have exceptionally good luck throughout their life. 52

The Mount of Jupiter Under the first finger lies the Mount of Jupiter, if this is large in comparison to the other mounts on the hand the person may take life far too seriously. A raised Jupiter mount is often found in the hands of actors or those who use acting skills in their career, public speakers or lawyers for instance. A raised Mount of Jupiter belongs to the person who is fully in charge of their life, they are positive and seek to achieve their goals, they do not like being told what to do and need be in control of the direction their life is travelling. A star on the mount of Jupiter is a rare and outstanding feature as it shows the owner is likely to be very successful and maybe even famous. An X indicates the likelihood of a long, happy and loving relationship. A triangle formation can indicate a person who knows how to manage others in an effective and caring way, this might reflect in how they deal with friends and family or how they manage their business life. On the whole marks on this mount relate to power and success.

Other marks in the palm Lay the hand flat, palm side up, at your eye level. Asses which mount is the largest and most raised, this is the mount which has most impact on a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality. If, as you look at the hand the Mount of Venus and the Mount of the Moon flow together into one raised area, this is said to be the mark of a highly spiritual person. Three of more X formations, found anywhere between the major lines in the palm, is thought to indicate psychic abilities and potential. Should the three major lines of the palm, the heart line, head line and lifeline be connected at their ends by fine lines, which then form the letter M in the palm, the owner is likely to have a very happy marriage or romantic partnership. The line of intuition The line of intuition is a curved line which is found on the side of the palm under the Mercury finger and laying over or close to the Mount of the Moon. This line can be short or run the length of the side of the palm. It is important to look to see if this line appears in both palms, it often does but is probably more defined in one palm than the other. As the name suggests a person possessing this line will have a keen intuition and is likely to work within the psychic and spiritual field. If the line is clearer in the non-dominant palm the person has the skills to work in the psychic realm but has not developed them to their full extent. If the line is more formed in the dominant palm the owner is likely to have worked on developing the skills they were born with to a good standard and are probably working successfully in the spiritual field in some way, or have a strong desire and ability to do so. In the final part of this series I will show you how to conduct a palm reading with step by step instructions. www.UrsulaOak.blogspot.co.uk Ursulaoak@gmail.com

7th & 8th March and 17th & 8th October 2015

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Saturn in Sagittarius: Restructuring Your Beliefs The Art of Astrology is a subject that has fascinated people since the earliest records began. The movements and positions of the celestial bodies mirror the patterns of life on Earth. Understanding the planetary alignments offers an enlightened opportunity to interpret the influence that they have on human affairs and the natural world around us. It is an important turning point when Saturn changes signs because it brings in a whole new set of lessons and rules into our lives. On December 23, 2014, Saturn heralds this important new cycle when it enters the mutable fire sign of Sagittarius, where it will tour through to December 20, 2017. Since October 6, 2012, Saturn has been in the fixed water sign of Scorpio, which has been an intense and reflective time emotionally. Each of us has had to face some kind of hidden fear or block in the past two years; an area where Saturn in Scorpio has demanded our facing emotional blocks so that we can transcend. This December, the hot seat is being transferred from Scorpio to Sagittarius. Some of the keywords for Saturn are boundaries, restrictions, limitations, discipline, lessons, karma, and challenges. In the past few years with Saturn in Scorpio, we have all been dealing with karmic challenges around fear, intimacy, joint financial partnerships, credit, debt, and taxes, as Scorpio rules those areas of our lives. Because Scorpio is a fixed sign, a lot of us have had resistance to the lesson. It has been difficult for many to process all that has been dug up from the darkness in the past two years. Saturn in Sagittarius is going to have a far different theme. To begin with, Sagittarius is a jovial sign. The sign of Sagittarius is ruled by the grand benefic, Jupiter. Jupiter represents growth, expansion, optimism, higher learning, foreign affairs, philosophy, religion and spirituality. As a mutable sign, Sagittarius does not get stuck in issues the way that fixed Scorpio tends to do. Mutable signs have a much easier time than fixed

signs in adapting to new circumstances. The other mutable signs that will be impacted strongly by Saturnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transit in Sagittarius are Pisces, Gemini and Virgo. Everyone will feel the shift of Saturn; however, it is the mutable signs that will be most impacted. The next few years will have a lighter tone for all of us collectively, and there will be a variety of solutions to the lessons and challenges that get triggered.

be much more of an emphasis in trying to restructure this issue. I read recently that a free local college in Manhattan, Cooper Union, is implementing a new tuition plan for their students. This college represents Peter Cooperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 155-year legacy of a free education in the arts and sciences for the working class. It would be a shame for such an amazing legacy to have to end.

For those born under the sign of Sagittarius, this will mark a pivotal time in your life since Saturn only returns to your sun sign every 29 years. Saturn will travel through Sagittarius on and off from December 23, 2014 through to December 2017. The next few years will have significant restructuring for those born under the fiery sign of Sagittarius.

There could be religious scandals with Saturn in Sagittarius, as religious figures might have karmic challenges for past wrong doing; Saturn will demand they face the consequences of past actions. When Saturn was last in Sagittarius from 1985 through 1987, there was the Jim Baker scandal which served as gossip fodder - poking fun at the hypocrisy of religious zealots.

When Saturn is in your sun sign, it is a time of self assessment and figuring out certain karmic lessons which come your way. Saturn brings major life beginnings and endings. The seemingly heavy tone of Saturn is diminished a bit in Sagittarius, as Sagittarius is a very optimistic and adventurous sign. This could help to bring some levity to the demanding challenges of Saturn. This is a great time for anchoring those Sagittarian souls, who have trouble committing to one thing, person, or project. Saturn will help to anchor your life purpose, but it will make you work hard for it. What is interesting about this planetary combination is that Saturn and Jupiter are very divergent planets. Saturn represents restriction. Jupiter represents expansion. However, the combination could help Saturn provide the structure to implement the expansion that Jupiter can provide. This is is a useful way of looking at Saturn in Sagittarius in the next few years for all of us. Some of the challenges we may view collectively as a society are the restrictions that Saturn could impose on belief systems and teaching. The challenge that some might become dogmatic and fanatical in their definitions of truth, religion, and spirituality and want to impose their beliefs on others. Restriction of the freedom that Sagittarius so desperately craves. This is a time where you might question your own freedom and redefine what that means to you. There could also be challenges with the education system, as Saturn rules universities and higher learning. The increasingly exorbitant price of education has become much more of an issue in the past several years. With Saturn in Sagittarius, this will

Some might seek the tradition that Saturn represents and return to traditional religion for solace in turbulent times. The irony is that traditional institutions will also have their restructuring and shifting on ancient values and traditions. Old ways will no longer serve, and there will be a need to expand towards the forward thinking nature of Sagittarius, even though it will be fought vehemently. Some will feel the need to stand up for their beliefs and religious truths, and they may face big consequences for fighting for their beliefs. I think an important way to handle this energy is to seek the higher level of Sagittarius, which is exploration, discovery, seeking truth, finding a vision, and learning through peripatetic experience. This will enable you to expand your perspective and may challenge and change what you once held to be true. Saturn dips back briefly into the sign of Scorpio from June 14, 2015 through to September 17, 2015, when it retrogrades back to 28 degrees of Scorpio. It completes the last two degrees of Scorpio, so there are some lingering issues that need to be sorted out during that time regarding intimacy and karmic debts. After that, we are in full swing ahead with Saturn in Sagittarius through to December 20, 2017. This is a great time for taking classes, going to college and learning through daily experience. This is a time of broadening the mind. Enjoy the journey! Tish Aitken Facebook / Website

Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what real love amounts to letting a person be what he really is. Jim Morrison

The Sham

manic Drum A teacher, a healer and a friend: the Shamanic Drum is one of the most sacred instruments to those on the Shamanic path. Many today, from all over the world, are being called to the healing rhythms of the drum and feel the connection to spirit that it allows. Ever since our ancestors beat on hollowed out logs and stretched animal skins over wooden hoops, these instruments have been a major part of cultures. From the Sami to the Siberian shaman, the Irish bodhran to the Indian dhol, the Native Americans to the Australian Aborigines, the drumbeat has led us into song, dance and into journeys through the worlds. Shamanic drumming, as distinguished from other types of drumming, usually refers to the use of sustained, repetitive drumming rhythms. These sustained rhythms act as sonic drivers, creating a shift in your brain rhythms from a busy Beta state to a trance like Theta state, optimal for shamanic journeying and astral travel. Nowadays, there is a revival in the use of the drum, as many are experiencing the benefits of this wonderful medicine tool. Benefits of Shamanic Drumming * Drumming allows self-expression; Shamanic drumming allows individuals to express themselves in a non-verbal way to others. For many, speaking about feelings is still tough. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a shame and I wish we were a society where people felt safe to discuss their feelings in front of others. 61

Give them a drum, however, and people begin to express themselves creatively and passionately. * Drumming allows for deeper self-awareness; Drumming creates a synchronisation of brain function, and gets the left and right side working more harmoniously together. Time drumming is good quality you-time, feeling relaxed and happy and with opportunity for reflection and thinking about your current situation from a slightly different viewpoint. * Drumming is good for your health; Aside from the obvious exercise you get from playing a drum for however many hours you are lucky enough to be playing, shamanic drumming has some great documented health benefits. Beating depression, addiction, anxiety and stress and helping the management of pain, blood pressure, immune function and recovery from stroke, surely the drum should be in every medicine cabinet. * Drumming brings communities together;

Gathering a number of you together with drums and playing a rhythm together breaks down barriers between people, promotes social cohesion within that group, encourages listening to one another, interchanging responsibilities of leading and following the rhythm, and provides an activity where you are all focused creatively on one thing, unity. Unsurprisingly, drumming is becoming more common in team-building events with businesses as it helps a group bond, be more involved and communicate better. * Drumming is accessible to everyone; No matter how old or young you are, how able bodied you are, or whether it is your first time with a drum or whether you have been playing forever, everyone can join in. I have drummed in circles with little ones under the age of two and with people well into their eighties â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no stopping anyone who wants to drum. First time drummers quickly get over the doubt and the worry about keeping rhythm once they start. Everyone has a drum beat beating in their chest, and with drum in hand, you all can keep a sustained rhythm with a group and feel good for it.

* Drumming is fun; Fun should be at the centre of everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spiritual practice, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing that gets those endorphins surging around the bloodstream than joining together in circle with a drum rhythm, singing and dancing, and with smiles on your faces.

of their connection with one another and with spirit. What is more, the drum gives the power to the individual to find this balance and find this connection themselves.

* Drumming assists spiritual growth and insight; Whether drumming in a group, or journeying to the rhythm of someone else drumming, the beat can drive you into a deep meditation like state where you are physically very relaxed by consciously very aware. Riding the sacred rhythm of the drum into the shamanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cosmos, drumming allows you to journey to connect with the timeless wisdom and medicine that is available. As well as connecting you spiritually, the drum rhythm is extremely grounding and brings you firmly into the now. The Shamanic Drum is helping many find balance, health and happiness, helping people connect more deeply to themselves and become more aware

Birthing a Shamanic Drum The drum is a living being, and bringing a drum into being is a very special and sacred ceremony. It is the process of transformation whereby the animal and the tree that have left this life are brought together to become something new; reborn as a sacred medicine tool that will share its wisdom and its healing with all who hear its heartbeat. It is done with honour and gratitude for the animal and tree that provide the hide and the hoop and gratitude for the spirit of the drum being born that will be such a special teacher to many. I believe, just as many are drawn to the call of the drum, the drum is also answering the call that many feel to raise our consciousness and connect with the sacred. I consider it a privilege and an honour to birth Shamanic Drums, knowing the difference they make to peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives and how they contribute to our collective spiritual growth, assisting us in being more spiritually and selfaware. For those who use a Shamanic Drum, to birth your own is a truly rewarding experience where you put in your love and energy to create this powerful medicine tool. By birthing your own drum you have a unique and unmatched relationship with it, to the point that it becomes an extension of yourself, and will share with you so much on this journey of inner and outer exploration. Upcoming Shamanic Drum Birthing Workshops: Kent Glastonbury Essex PembrokeshireStaffordshire Staffordshire Shropshire Bratton, Wiltshire -

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Solar Plexus

Our body has seven major energy centres kn Heart, Throat, Third Eye, Crown) which sh series of articles we are looking at each of t the base and sacral chakras so now

You will find your solar plexus chakra just above your belly button, half way to the bottom of your rib cage. The colour associated with this chakra is yellow. The solar plexus chakra governs your self esteem, confidence, emotions, willpower and concentration. It is known as your â&#x20AC;&#x153;power houseâ&#x20AC;?. The butterflies you get in your stomach are connected with the chakra when you are apprehensive about situations which test the above emotions ie job interview, first date, exams. When the solar plexus chakra is balanced and open you feel unique, valued, confident and energetic. People respond to your charisma and respect your integrities and boundaries. You are spontaneous, open and loving as the energy moves freely up to your heart chakra. Drawing on the energy from the first two chakras you feel grounded and go with the flow. If this chakra is blocked however, it may bring about a need to manipulate or to be controlled by others. You may lack sensitivity and be intolerant of those with less energy. You may also be judgemental, aggressive, a perfectionist and a desire to satisfy the ego. An imbalance can also lead to anger and pride issues, emotional neediness

and attention seeking. You may also lack the energy to put ideas into practice, fear rejection, be indecisive, over sensitive to criticism, become depressed and have poor self confidence. Physically this chakra relates to the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digestive system, muscles and your inner thermostat. An imbalance can result in problems with digestive complaints, food intolerance, blood sugar problems, diabetes, eating disorders and muscle spasms. Very often imbalances within the chakra will have arisen during teenage years. The sacral chakra is thought to develop between the ages 14-21. It can be helpful to review these years for boundaries imposed by others in your environment, this can be family members or people in positions of authority. Boundaries either too strict or too weak can have a detrimental effect removing the need to think for yourself and take responsibility for any direction in life, this in turn affects our ego and confidence. To address any underlying issues with the solar plexus chakra it can be helpful to think about following:

healing...

us Chakra

nown as chakras (Base, Sacral, Solar Plexus, hould all be in a balanced state. During this the chakras in turn, so far we have covered w move onto the solar plexus chakra

* * * * * * *

Am I confident ? Do people respect my boundaries ? Can I follow instruction imposed by authority? Do I feel a need to be right all the time ? Do I lack willpower ? Am I emotionally needy ? Do I worry about other people’s opinions ?

Once you have identified your answers to the above, isolate the areas of concern and go back through your life to ascertain where this may have arisen. This can helps to remove blocks as you begin to understand what has lead to these feelings and you can try to readdress your relationship with your self confidence. If nothing comes to mind as to why these issues may arisen try a simple meditation and ask how you might rebalance it. Dietary needs: As you work with your solar plexus chakra it is important that your diet contains foods that work with the fire energy as much as possible and if feasible that these are organic. Also avoid overindulging as this will induce a heavy, sluggish energy. Such foods are:

* Spices (to build fire) – Black pepper, cayenne, cloves, ginger * Seeds (to cool excess fire) –Fennel, cumin, linseed, sunflower seeds * Complex carbohydrates (to support fire) – Rice, pasta, oats, bread, museli Affirmations: Affirmations can help to remove blocks and reprogram our way of thinking and therefore can be very beneficial in rebalancing chakras, removing old out dated thought patterns and replacing them with new positive thoughts. Below is a selection of positive affirmations, specifically in relation to the solar plexus chakra. Review the list and pick what feels appropriate for you – either one or two but no more. Repeat this affirmation 11 times in sequence (it can be helpful to look in a mirror whilst doing this) and at least 3 times a day but more if possible. If you want to, you can always make up your own affirmation which is personal to you.

* I am a confident, powerful individual. * I am positively empowered and successful in all my ventures. * I release judgement and let my life flow. * I fully step into my power now. * I am emotionally secure. * I love and approve of who I am. Meditation: Meditation and self healing are a helpful way to rebalance the energy through visualisation. If meditation is new to you, try to start with a five minute one twice a day and then work up to a longer one that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re comfortable with. Choose either meditation to follow or both at different times, depending on your lifestyle. * Sitting meditation Sit (or lay) comfortably with arms and legs uncrossed and place the crystal on your solar plexus chakra. Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply, in for a count of four, hold for a count of four, release to a count of four, then after a count of four start again. After a few cycles of this you should start to feel relaxed. Turn your attention to your crown chakra at the top of your head and visualize a white light entering your crown and slowly moving down your entire body to your feet and then back up to the top of your head.

Now place your hands over your solar plexus chakra and imagine this yellow sphere which is your chakra. Take note of what you sense, if its spinning fast/sluggish or at all, if its a dull or vibrant colour, if its a solid colour or if there are shades. This chakra should be a strong, steadily spinning yellow. Visualise this chakra becoming a deep solid yellow spinning and focus on this for the length of your meditation. If you wish to address and issues as mentioned earlier, simply turn your attention to them and ask to be given guidance. Note what comes to mind. Ask that your solar plexus chakra is rebalanced. When you feel ready slowly open your eyes and become aware of your surroundings again. * Fire meditation As the solar plexus chakra is largely connected with fire a meditation with candles effectively taps into this chakra. Sit comfortably in front of a lit candle. Close your fists, releasing the thumbs and rest your hands on your knees with thumbs pointing straight up.

Mentally surround yourself with the warmth and power of the candle flame and think of a past unpleasant experience or relationship that needs to be released. Write this memory on a piece of paper (keys words are fine) and hold one corner of the paper to the flame. Drop the paper onto a fireproof dish and watch it burn to ashes feeling freed from the memory. If you wish you can either/also think of a current experience which is not going well. Decide which direction you would like this to take and write this on a piece of paper and let the flame burn it as before. Let the flame give you the energy to put this into action.

possible dress with something yellow on, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a ribbon or scarf around you. Try and surround yourself during this time with yellow items, such as candles, lighting these when doing the meditations. Crystals such as tigers eye, yellow jasper and citrine are specifically related to the solar plexus and can be carried around or placed under your pillow at night to enhance the healing and balancing of this chakra. If you use incense sandalwood, nag champa and dragons blood are particular to the solar plexus chakra so these are also useful to be burnt during meditations or at other times. Pauline Street www.serenityforyou.co.uk

Think of your visions for the future and again write one on a piece of paper and let it burn asking the flame to show you how to transform this vision into reality. End the meditation by repeating one of your affirmations. Keep a notebook next to your bed and record details of any dreams you may have as they can guide you towards your true path. Colour and surroundings The colour yellow is extremely important in relation to the solar plexus chakra. As far as

Archangel Metatron Archangels are the highest-ranking angels in heaven. They are given the most important responsibilities, and they do their work both in the heavenly dimension and on the physical plain. Jennifer Lynch continues our series with a look at Archangel Metatron

Archangel Metatron is associated with sacred geometry and also with the activation of our 12th strand DNA. Many of the things we see in our world now are illusionary. One of these is the feeling that we can achieve happiness with things outside of ourselves. In geometric terms Metatron is complete as in (Metatron’s cube) there is no need for anything from the outside. There is only ‘to be’, which in simple terms creates a “spiral of light.” Human beings will enter the spiral when they learn to let go of their ego, a need to identify with roles, or possessions. This allows us to be more at-one with who we really are. The essential Metatronic pattern is the 3D form “The Flower of Life” which I personally refer to as the Mystic Rose. This flower brings focus, balance and harmony through the heart chakra and also brings all the other chakras into alignment. The colours of Metatron are pink and green with blue stripes.

Metatron’s cube has often been drawn around a person to protect them from dark energies. It is good to visualise for protection along with other sacred geometry symbols. Putting yourself inside a crystal whilst meditating can have a similar effect. When we are balanced, we are ready to manifest. Call in Archangel Metatron for inner transformation, alignment, cosmic ordering and ascension. Sometimes he is called to watch over Archangels Gabriel and Samael in their work helping souls on the journey from the earth plain. Crystals which are associated with this angel are: Amethyst for perception. Angelite to connect to the wisdom of the angels. Sapphire for cleansing, illumination and purity. Jennifer Lynch www.angelwisdom.co.uk For further details please click here amazon.com/author/jenniferlynch Facebook

Artist - Keziah Osborne / website / facebook

UNIVERSAL competition We have 3 fabulous books to give away from Singing Dragon Publishing House Authoritative books on complementary and alternative health, Tai Chi, Qigong and ancient wisdom traditions for health, wellbeing, and professional and personal development

The Functional Nutrition Cookbook Addressing Biochemical Imbalances through Diet Lorraine Nicolle and Christine Bailey Foreword by The Institute of Functional Medicine This unique cookbook with a CD-ROM of printable recipes looks beyond intervening in the symptoms of health problems and addresses the ways in which diet can be used to help correct underlying imbalances in the body. Dealing with a range of different issues, including gastro-intestinal, immune system and hormone Chasing the Phantom In Pursuit of Myth and Meaning in the Realm of the Snow Leopard Eduard Fischer Eduard Fischer takes us on an exploration of myth, art, science, and the sacred space of high mountains. This is an account of adventure and deep reflection accompanied by a selection of the author’s stunning colour photographs. After first visiting the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh in 1985, he returned again and again, seeking to catch a glimpse of the phantom of the Himalayas - the elusive snow leopard. During these visits he became enthralled with the unique culture of this ancient mountain kingdom, one of the oldest enclaves of Buddhism. The phantom cat itself becomes, at turns, Eduard’s quarry, nemesis, obsession, and finally, in a surprising twist of destiny, his teacher. 2014, Paperback: £9.99/ $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-84819-172-3

For a chance to win one of these three books simply ‘LIKE’ our Facebook page and post one word to describe the magazine or the book title that you would like to win on the launch post, dated 6th December 2014. Closing date 14th January 2015 72

Body Intelligence Creating a New Environment 2nd edition Ged Sumner Body Intelligence offers a new understanding of how the body works and leads the reader to a greater sense of wellbeing and an enriched sense of self.

imbalances, this book clearly explains the intricacies of each problem and offers useful tips on how to truly make a difference through diet. The recipes provided for each imbalance are easy to follow and are accompanied by detailed nutritional information. The information throughout the book, including the chapter on healthy ageing, is designed for clients who wish to optimise their health, whether or not they are currently facing health problems. With its focus on a personalised approach to helping people through diet, this book is an invaluable resource for nutritionists, health professionals and their clients. 2012, Paperback: ÂŁ24.99/ $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-84819-079-5

Alternatively you can email samantha@ universal-magazine.com, subject Universal Competitions and leave your one word to describe the magazine or book title.

The anatomy of the body is explored without the complexity of medical terminology. Instead, common descriptions are used along with a multitude of images, allowing the reader to visualize and work with different levels of the body. Experiential exercises, guided meditations and movements are provided throughout the book, helping the reader to develop improved levels of health and body intelligence that are natural and accessible all the time. As body intelligence increases through these exercises, physical changes occur and a new posture emerges, followed by positive mental and emotional shifts. The reader will begin to feel differently, move differently and think differently. This book will benefit everyone. People experiencing depression, fatigue, emotional issues, stress and anxiety and in fact any condition associated with living in a human body have the potential to be relieved of their symptoms with practice using this book as guidance. 2009, Paperback: ÂŁ12.99/ $19.95 ISBN: 978-1-84819-026-9

For more information about Singing Dragon - Jessica Kingsley Publishers please visit their website: www.singingdragon.com 73

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MIND BODY ODY SPIRIT IT OD SPIR

ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2014 ISSUE 6 - OUT FEBRUARY 2015 Editor Samantha Yates Publisher Andrew Dibble The digital magazine for Holistic Living