The Holy Land

Many mysteries surround the antiquity of the Holy Land. Sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it is the most fought over piece of land in the world! Where is Mount Sinai? Sir Colin Humphreys is a Cambridge University academic who questioned the position of Mount Sinai, the place where Exodus states that Moses heard the voice of God from the burning bush and was given the 10 Commandments.

First Force Field Analysis

Hello! The light in me bows to the light in you! Here are some life tips taken from my old diaries!

Be specific with the following questions. Write the answers down and refer back to them after 1 month:

What one thing would add to/improve/enhance your life?

What are you prepared to do to achieve this?

Is it within your control to get it? What might be the obstacles or not within your control?

How could you sabotage yourself from getting it? 

Will others know you want it?  Will they know when you get it?

Is it in keeping with your standards, judgments and ethics?

Introducing John Birch

Brother JOHN BIRCH developed an interesting method of raising money for charity! He embarked on a home-made retreat that included renunciation and self-sacrifice for a charitable cause. John has worked as a UK tutor for "An Introduction to Contemporary Spirituality - The Soul's Journey" by William Bloom and ran the Spiritual Path Network in the UK to help people discover their spiritual path. He has trained mediums and healers. 

John Birch developed an interesting method of raising money for charity! He embarked on a home-made retreat that included renunciation and self-sacrifice for a charitable cause. He restricted his environment by reducing general distractions and cutting out modern comforts and necessities, such as food, electricity, and contact with friends. With these indulgent pastimes out of the way, John went into solitary confinement in his home to raise awareness for the plight of the fast diminishing Amazonian rainforest. His retreat also had the added advantage that John could put the money that he saved during this time towards a cause that helps the world's largest endangered rainforest and the people that are dependent upon it.

The Amazon Cry Foundation is a registered charity that was founded to prevent illegal logging and mining in the Amazon region and also to provide a school, language lessons and a workers' co-operative for the people of the Amazonian basin. The Amazon is a natural temple and its destruction is a threat to the planet's future health. Throughout John's silent week, his feelings of emptiness and a connection with the struggling people of the Amazon surfaced. His solitary confinement became a vision quest. During his deep meditations, John, who is a visionary made spiritual contact with a native shaman, and clearly saw the man's face, with beads of sweat, tattoos and fish bone piercings. John feels his self-imposed week of hardship gave him an empathy and compassion towards the Rainforest people. He noticed that his sense of time slowed and he adopted a more natural pace of life. He also appreciated the solace and calmness of silence and heard bird-song and other natural sounds with new ears. 

John has worked as a UK tutor for "An Introduction to Contemporary Spirituality - The Soul's Journey" by William Bloom, and William provided the preface to John's book of his experience. John has worked with William Bloom on 'the Holistic Spiritual Project' which endorses the wonder of life and celebrates diversity, ecology and health.

John's intention is to challenge buying habits and to use purchasing power. He suggests we reduce the demand of the hardwood trees of the rainforest by avoiding buying hardwood furniture. We need to be aware that the Rainforest is being cleared to raise soya crops for animal food. This is an extravagant use of land for meat eaters and, if we reduce our meat consumption, we also reduce the loss of this extraordinary rainforest.

John ran the Spiritual Path Network in the UK to help people discover their spiritual path. He has trained mediums and healers.  

He worked as a Production Buyer for a Brewery in the North of England and in his spare time is dedicated to conserving the Amazonian Rain-forest and to protect the tribal people who are dependent on the forest for their livelihood. John has become an ordained brother with an interfaith fellowship that believes in leading by example and sowing the seeds of ecology, peace and kindness.

When I interviewed John, I asked: What country or place has had the greatest impact on you? And John replied "I think that the town of Glastonbury has had an enormous impact on me in recent years. I first went there several years ago to work with William Bloom on the final drafts of his course, 'An Introduction to Contemporary Spirituality: The Soul's Journey'. I then relayed it back to my teaching the course at the Blackpool & Fylde College. William and I became good friends and he kindly provided the narration for a spiritual film I made a few years later. I facilitated a Hand-fasting Ceremony in the Chalice Well Garden on the request of one of my former students. It was a very moving and memorable day. I have fond memories of Glastonbury when I sat with a friend in silence on a bench in the Chalice Well Garden for a period of two hours. Time seemed to disappear and we  both had tears of pleasure in our eyes. It was a special soul-enriching experience for both of us." John has also facilitated retreats and workshops in remote UK woodlands and has been involved with One World, a festival that has been running for 14 years on macrobiotic principles.

Asked to describe which books John would you like to recommend to readers and why, he describes several. "I moved away from reading books a few years ago because I more often found that the words and experiences of others did not synchronise with my experience or fit with my inner truth. If I were to recommend a few books, however, I would choose Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and Ram Dass' One Liners. The first is a little difficult to get into, and the second, a 'dip in - dip out' coffee table book.  Both provide the reader with a way to consciously and compassionately engage in the world in a mode of acceptance and presence. Both carry transformative insights that are simple to grasp as the greatest of truths usually are."

John edited a monthly newsletter offering a variety of spiritual paths which has been read by thousands of people and published free of charge. This newsletter has been central to John's mission, to help to increase a 'collective' sense of planetary responsibility.  He is currently creating a retreat centre in France and is writing a book about his spiritual journey.

Wendy Stokes interviewer, columnist and author of The Lightworkers Circle Guide - A Workbook for Spiritual Groups' which raises awareness and funds for The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. H-H readers are welcome to join Wendy on Facebook.

Here are links for John Birch 'Spiritual Paths'
http://happy-duck.co.uk/blog/?p=2204

http://leicestershire.thespiritguides.co.uk/Article_Spiritual_Path_Woodland_Retreat_5038.aspx

www.thespiritguides.co.uk/Article_Spiritual_Path_5033.aspx

Or search for Spiritual Paths Bro John Birch into youtube, to watch a series of his videos.

Interview - Les Fuller

 Each month for twenty years at Woodford Spiritualist church, Les Fuller, holds a very popular drop in group that is most easily called a 'shamanic workshop'. Many who attend are Spiritualists, though all are welcome, regardless of background or belief. It is an experiential meeting where we sing, drum, some dance, we smell scents, hear bells and rattles, and are uplifted by the community of friendly and caring attenders. Les asks if anyone needs 'healing' and invites them to sit in the centre of the room and relax while others attend in various ways to lay hands on their head or shoulders. Good attention and relaxation are known to heal many ills, especially those that are stress related. There is always a time of active meditation where Les tells us a story which we follow in our mind's eye. During this inner experience, we see, hear and speak to spirit guides, for inspiration, to understand our purpose, or to gain advice for our life's difficulties. Some of the spirit guides might be an animal, such as a dog, a bird or a fish. The directions of North East, South, West, and the Centre are honoured, and there are seasonal celebrations and duties, such as to give thanks, to clean or rest. 

Watkins Bookstore

During the Victorian era, the intelligentsia, rich and fashionable of London were fascinated by mysticism and spirituality. In this era of excitement, one of the leading lights of the day, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, encouraged her friend, John Watkins to open the first ever specialist esoteric bookshop. It bears the ‘Watkins’ name to this day.

Watkins is situated in the dignified elegance of Cecil Court, off Charing Cross Road, London. The shop’s logo depicts Thoth, Egyptian God of Wisdom in the act of writing with pen and paper. The store stocks the UK’s widest selection of esoteric information in 60,000 book titles, cards, CD’s, DVDs, talismans, artefacts and other interesting items. In its early years, customers included W B Yeats, Aleister Crowley, G R S Mead, Carl Jung, Aldous Huxley, Dion Fortune and the Society of the Inner Light, MacGregor Mathers and members of The Golden Dawn. 

Stephen Wollaston - An Interview

Introducing Stephen WOLLASTON

"What have I been doing... I recovered from a straightforward illness that became serious one night when hospital doctors informed me they needed to contact a member of my family. I remember being quite accepting of the situation and thinking "I won't have any bills to worry about now". Yet, through the quick actions of the doctors, I pulled through and here I am! It was an interesting time. I realised I'm not afraid of dying! 

Before this, in 2017 I co-edited a new title with Ian Mowll, the coordinator of GreenSpirit, in the low-cost GreenSpirit Book Series, ‘Dark Nights of the Green Soul’, which was expanded this year with four additional chapters. The book highlights wisdom about facing difficult times, alongside reflections on our interactive relationship with Nature. The second and largest section has particularly resonated with some readers, and includes personal stories of people who found new meaning and growth by either connecting with an animal friend or in Earth-centred spiritual awakenings and teachings.

John Birch - An Interview

Amazonian Rain-forest activist from the UK, John Birch, has developed an interesting method of raising money for charity! One morning whilst visiting Westminster Cathedral in Central London, John sensed the spirit of Jesus surrounding the entire building. Later that day, he attended an Eckhart Tolle seminar and was inspired to become a facilitator of an Eckhart Tolle Local Silent Group in his area of Blackburn, Lancashire. 

Jocelyn Chaplin - An Interview

Bettany Hughes acclaimed series 'Divine Women' on prime time TV offers a full appreciation of ancient goddess worship and the role of women in the ancient times. Many women writers and speakers are introducing her various paths and how their worship was practised. As a psychotherapist and artist, I have been bringing her into my work, as goddess in various forms and also as the abstract force of rhythmic equalizing flow.

“My first book ‘Feminist Counselling in Action’ was reviewed for the Guardian (15.11.88) as showing how 'the goddess can be an allegory giving shape and form to the feminine principle' and it can be used to empower women today. My most recent book (published in 2008 by O Books) is entitled 'Deep Equality - Living in the Flow of Natural Rhythm'. This is a tapestry of examples, quotes, exercises, thoughts and pictures on the subject of reducing hierarchical structures and replacing them with rhythmic ones, linked to the goddess as flow.

weight loss video

We are so often reminded about the need to watch our weight but it is surprising that just one portion too much each day can pile on more than a stone in weight each year – and every year! If we can’t get weight off during the summer, most people find the winter a more difficult time. Weight gain is exponential: the more weight we have, the less active our life, so the more weight we gain. This puts a strain on joints, increases our risk of fatty liver, heart disease and strokes, and is now said to increase our dementia risk also.

Avalon Oracle of the Day

Avalon Oracle of the Day - LOVE. "This love card relates to the relationship you have with yourself, lover, friend or your family."

Love is the ultimate creative power that lives within us all. It may be so often buried under pain, anger, jealousy and circumstances we have allowed to over shadow us, but ultimately, the flame of love is eternally burning inside us. We must learn to embrace Love for when we do, our relationship with ourselves improves and in so doing it automatically improves the ones we have with others around us.

We often look at relationships and see them as difficult, hard work, overpowering, unyielding, one sided, imperfect. We see idolized relationships on fictitious shows on TV and wish ours was the same. We want someone else to be more loving, outgoing, helpful, caring etc., etc.,. And so we must ask ourselves, are we all those things we want from someone else, to ourselves ? are we loving, caring, helpful towards ourselves ? Do we give time and effort to ourselves ? When we love ourselves unconditionally, this cultivates an unconditionally loving energy towards others.