These Are The Hands - A Poem

  By Michael Rosen

These are the hands That touch us first
Feel your head Find the pulse
And make your bed.

These are the hands That tap your back
Test the skin Hold your arm Wheel the bin
Change the bulb Fix the drip Pour the jug Replace your hip.

Forecast Reading

From the Soulful Woman Oracle Cards by Shushann Mousessian and Gemma Summers, I have chosen:

Boundaries. “Boundaries are necessary and we all have them. They keep us safe and healthy, and without them, we are in danger. The reading states: "My boundaries are like energy doors that help me manage my life. At times, I have the doors open , inviting in blessings from others and my environment. At other times, I need to close them in order to replenish my energies, nourish my creativity, and defend my well-being. I feel good about having boundaries and for being able to say "No Thanks" because I know when I say "No" that I am expressing an important aspect of myself as a person. Having clear boundaries allows me to protect myself, nurture my intentions, and follow my true self. Boundaries are an essential part of self care. Affirmation - My clear boundaries allow me to protect myself, nurture my intentions and follow my true self."

Dreams and Dreaming!

"An uninterpreted dream is like an unopened letter"

Dreams and Dreaming Part 2: When we arrive at 60 years of age, we will have been asleep for 20 years and awake for only 40! Everyone dreams many times each night, but few remember their dreams. Dreaming is vital to our mental health and we cannot do without our dreams even for a few days. If you see someone’s eyes are moving under their closed eyelids whilst asleep, they are almost certainly dreaming.

Fascinating Examples:
The champion golfer, Jack Nicklaus had a dream where he swung the golf club in a new way. He tried it and won many tournaments. There was a mathematical genius in India, Svinivasa Ramanujan, who often saw handwriting on a screen that demonstrated new mathematical solutions and once he dreamed that a Hindu Goddess appeared to him and showed him a new formula.

The Dream of Cybele - A Story

It was a scramble to the cavern. We had been told of the pitfalls and given good instructions as to the position and size of the entrance. I had grazed my hand and the stinging continued as I neared the cave mouth. As I walked within, the blackness consumed me. There was uneven rock and gravel underfoot. I was amazed how clearly I could hear my laboured breathing and the rapid pulse of my heartbeat. The sound seemed amplified and the reverberation echoed around what could only be a vast chamber. I could smell the scent if wood smoke, slightly perfumed with pine resin. I reached out to touch the side walls. they were cold and smooth and hard, like frozen ice. I shivered in the chill air. As i took a few tentative steps forward, my eyes accustomed to the darkness. Within the cavern were extraordinary shapes, huge columns from floor to roof space - great mountains of rock with strange colours and hues. 

Meditation by Anne Yates - Your Garden

An interactive meditation presented by Anne Yates with words by Wendy Stokes
Make yourself comfortable and avoid interruptions, relax and imagine....

Elegy - A Poem

Elegy - Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray.

I am sharing poem that I remember from my childhood...

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
    The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
    And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
    And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
    And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds:

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r
    The moping owl does to the moon complain
Of such as, wand'ring near her secret bow'r,
    Molest her ancient solitary reign.^[34]

Saffron Walden - A Visit

The ancient labyrinth on the common at Saffron Walden is the largest 'free to walk' labyrinth in England and is believed to be based (very loosely) on the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral (which dates to the twelvth century). Saffron Walden has four raised areas at the quarters and a mound at the centre. The labyrinth is reputed to be a portal to other-worlds and this one perhaps lies on a ley node. The round trip to the centre and out again is two miles. I visited it on my birthday to meditate on the year ahead. Before I had left home, I had opened a gift from a friend. It was a tiny bright sculpture of mythical beasts emerging from an egg and was titled, 'new beginnings'.

Journey of the Soul Extract

In all my transactions today, I intend them to come from a place of love within me, to a place of love within others. From a place of honesty in myself to a place of honesty within others. From my integrity to the integrity of others. From a place of openness, as I respect the rights of all living things. I intend to be gentle, kind and forgiving. I intend to be aware of the wonders of the universe and to greet them all with gratitude and awe. And I welcome whatever flows into my life to teach me today, and to listen to the conversation that the universe is trying to have with me. I intend to be inspired, to have joy, to be grateful for all that I have in my life, and for every opportunity I’m given. I intend to use my intuition and all my other spiritual gifts in all transactions today and to help wherever I can, even if that help is in standing still and doing nothing, or letting go of someone I love. I intend for peace and harmony, and that, wherever I can make restitution, I shall have the courage and willingness to do so. I intend to live my humanity and divinity simultaneously today and move further along my path to enlightenment. I dedicate my life to love, to peace, to harmony, to healing, to teaching, to my spiritual growth, and the spiritual growth of others.

Native American People

"In the Lakota/Sioux tradition, a person who is grieving is considered most holy. There's a sense that when someone is struck by the sudden lightning of loss, he or she stands on the threshold of the spirit world. The prayers of those who grieve are considered especially strong, and it is proper to ask them for their help. You might recall what it's like to be with someone who has grieved deeply. The person has no layer of protection, nothing left to defend. The mystery is looking out through that person's eyes. For the time being, he or she has accepted the reality of loss and has stopped clinging to the past or grasping at the future. In the groundless openness of sorrow, there is a wholeness of presence and a deep natural wisdom." ~ Tara Brach

Early History:  The native people of America were first called “Red Indians” by Christopher Columbus, when, upon arriving in North America, he thought he was in the East Indies on his way to India! There would have been 1,000 native languages in use at this time. Studies have suggested that people traveled during the ice age, perhaps as long as 30,000 years ago, from Mongolia, over the Bering Straits land bridge into Alaska, and down through the Americas. Shamanic culture that survive in Mongolia are thought to be similar to the native American shamanic practices. There is also some evidence that sailors left Europe in small canoes, surviving the frozen ice floes of the Atlantic Ocean to arrive on the Eastern sea board of the Americas. 

Hierophant - The Tarot

The keys represent entry to a holy place, a place of wisdom and truth. Access to spiritual authority. There  is good life guidance and a path of integrity and caring. The hierophant is a man of power, standing and authority but one should be wary of being misled on account of looks and the honour that others give. The 3 tiered papal crown denotes faith, hope and charity, the spiritual, material and intellectual worlds, the mind, body and soul. He wears a cloak and has his right hand raised in blessing. The columns represent rigour and mercy. King Solomon’s Temple had 2 columns. 

Lead by example. Be a guide to others. Meditate on balance, understanding and integrity. 

Counselling Case Study 1985

From my training journal of 1995. 

The approach I use with all my clients is Rogerian / person centred approach, where my clients congruency provides its own focus and momentum, and I accompany the client on that journey in the sessions. In the way I work, each session is complete, and I don’t refer to previous issues. The approach involves reflecting the current client’s feelings. This has been shown to increase emotional tolerance levels, and provide access for catharsis, reflecting thoughts and meanings which may provide insight, and having a nonjudgemental attitude - I may not always be accepting of what they do but I look at my own projections and deal with these in my own therapy and supervision sessions, and I try to remember that we are all in the process of becoming, and I value my clients bravery and potentials. By being congruent where I feel it is appropriate, I may state my thoughts and feelings, which allows the client to see the ‘real’ me and hence transferences are not so likely to occur. If a transference happens, it happens, and I do not interpret it or amplify it. If a client is unhappy with a session, if they tell me before they leave, I return their fee. 

Day Workshops by Wendy Stokes

Wendy is an experienced and qualified tutor. She has been awarded a City & Guilds 7303 certificate in course design and implementation and has taught in adult education institutes and private tuition centres. She is also a qualified counsellor (Central School for Counselling & Therapy 1999). Her counselling is person centred and intuitive. 

Some of Wendy's workshops are as follows:

Tarot and Oracle Card Workshop

Wendy brings to this workshop her expertise and her experience of card divination and several decks to show how to get the best from readings. For beginners. 

Love Workshop - Agape!
Many seek their 'twin flame' life partner. How can we create more love in our life? How can we heal the hurts that prevent us from receiving love? How can we express and experience greater levels of love. 

The Beauty of Mongolia

Uyanga Batjarjal says: My home country is Outer Mongolia. Mongolians are country people travelling with their camel and sheep herds from one pasture to another. The ancient culture and traditions still exist, and, as mainly Buddhists, we believe we have lived many lives before. My home in the only city, Ulaan Bataar, overlooks Mongolia’s tallest mountain. It's a holy mountain where people go to pray. Our climate is colder than the North Pole in winter, and, in the summer, we get sandy winds from the Gobi desert. It is a harsh landscape but the people are intelligent and happy and have a natural and instinctive spirituality. My country is six times the size of the UK, and has less than three million people scattered throughout its land area. This is an exotic place which has always appealed to travellers, it is sometimes known as 'Shangri-La. The rural countryside was brought to the attention of TV viewers when Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman filmed part of their motor-cycle adventures for the programme ‘Long Way Round’. This publicity brought many young motorcycle visitors. Mongolia is the destination for the annual London to Ulaan Baataar ‘Mongol Rally’ that has taken place since 2004, and is included on the itinery of the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which is a green issues fun-run from New York through Mongolia into China.  

 

Born to Win - An Extract

Born to Win - Transactional Analysis with Gestalt Experiments by Muriel James. 

“Each human being is born as something new, something that never existed before. Each is born with the capacity to win at life. Each person has a unique way of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and thinking. Each has his or her own unique potentials, capabilities and limitations. Each can be a significant, thinking, aware, and creative being, a productive person, a winner. 

The words winner and loser have many meanings. When we refer to a person as a winner, we do not mean one who makes someone else lose. To us, a winner is one who responds authentically by being credible, trustworthy, responsive, and genuine, both as an individual and as a member of society. A loser is one who fails to respond authentically. Martin Buber makes this distinction as he retells an old story of a rabbi who, on his deathbed, is asked if he is ready for the world to come. The rabbi says ‘yes, after all I will not be asked, why were you not Moses? I will only be asked, why were you not yourself?” 

Few people are 100% winners or 100% losers. It’s a matter of degree. However once the person is on the road to being a winner, his or her chances are greater for becoming even more so. This book is intended to facilitate that journey - Born to Win by Muriel James. 

Labyrinths and Mazes

A labyrinth is a single route to a central place, such as one sees upon the floor of Chartres Cathedral, whereas a maze is a puzzle with many possibilities that lead to the centre, such as the hedge maze at Hampton Court. Labyrinths are dotted across the world, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, some extremely ancient and many are modern. They can be made of turf, brick, tiles or anything to demarcate the route that one must travel.

Oracle reading for Harvest

I have chosen at random, the number Seven from Numerology Guidance Cards by Michelle Buchanan is the first card and it is titled ‘Personal Growth’ and you are encouraged to have the highest standards possible, to be the best you can be as a person. It is time to ask yourself “Who am I?” “What do I want from my life?” “What prevents me from self development?” We sometimes need to acknowledge our limitations and work on our weaknesses. Now is the time to be determined to reach your full potential in all you do. Consciousness raising is on the cards for you and you can ask others to help you to reach higher levels of self awareness. Use the affirmation: As I improve myself, I improve the circumstances of my life and improve the lives of others around me.

Changing Woman – Goddess of the Corn from Goddess Inspiration Oracle by Kris Waldherr also tells us about our own transformation and that of the planet, to honour the earth and its nourishment and beauty. This goddess is one of the most powerful deities of the Navajo Holy People and her blessings of music and dance take place at major family celebrations. She is associated with corn and she symbolises the unique planet upon which we live. She appears as a young woman in spring, a mature woman in summer and she becomes a crone in the autumn and winter. Her words are: All of life’s seasons bring blessings. Appreciate them!

Dancing at Lughnasa - A Story

It’s 1936 in the Mindy family’s small village croft in Donegal, a priest returns home after spending thirty years in a leper colony in Africa. 

His five sisters greet him but he is saddened because his mother has died. He is the only son - the only male in the family. His sisters have sent their pennies to him in Africa over all those years, knitting gloves and taking other poorly paid work. As a man, he should have been at home to support the family, emotionally and financially, but he doesn’t fit in with the repressed Irish Catholic society. He talks of goddesses and he plays with his young nephew! There is a thin veil of respectability in the family house that overlies a very embarrassing situation where an illegitimate child was born to the youngest sister - and another sister is having a love affair with a married man! 

The priest says, “I have come home to die!” The sisters have no money to bury him and are resentful! However, the priest slowly changes the lives of those around him - they begin to enjoy a more relaxed happiness in their lives, but the Bishop expresses displeasure with the priest and does not come to visit and tells one of the sisters that she will lose her job as a school teacher…. 

Convergent & Divergent Thinking

 

There are two types of thinking:

Convergent thinking focuses on arriving at a single well-established answer to a problem. Convergent thinking is used as a tool to problem-solve. When someone uses critical thinking to solve a problem, they consciously use standard probabilities to make judgements. This contrasts with Divergent thinking where several possible solutions are sought.

Getting to know the Goddess Course 4:2

Goddess-Pages online course. Visit: goddess-pages.co.uk
The Goddess of the Sea

I have always been attracted to the sea. I love the large skies, and the blue of the sea where the horizon meets the blue of the sky. There is a sense of the eternal, and of an everlasting and awesome beauty that is unconquerable by mankind. We can never change that picture.

Aphrodite is not a Goddess I relate to, perhaps her manipulative personality is one I fear. In my childhood 'the Star of the Sea', was Mary, Mother of Jesus, though why she is called this, I have wondered. We had a hymn, that I remember well. Maybe Mary Magdelene should have the  title of ‘star of the sea’ instead.

I did once make a Goddess doll but I buried it in a ceremony. I seem to collect dolls; people give them to me as gifts. Some are very special. I believe some can talk! :-)

We are very lucky that so many ancient artefacts have survived many tens of thousands of years. These earliest of objects made by human hands are statues of the Goddess. It is thought that She was the earliest of deities, and a peaceful, caring society developed under a strong matriarchal society. I would hope that we could look forward to a time when women are once again respected, given power and that men are supportive of this role for women in our world. Maybe the New Age will provide the opening for this to happen. By looking into the past, we can see where patriarchy has made mistakes, in war, materialism which destroys the planet and enslaves other species, does not properly care for children, gives women a second class status. We can address the problems of the future, and I think the Godesss, in all her guises, can help us to do that.

Essay - Dance & Movement Therapy

Foundation Course: Introduction to dance and movement therapy foundation course. 

Clarify and define the meaning of therapy and the meaning of dance. When does dance become therapy?

The word ‘therapy’ derives from the ancient Greek word meaning service. Therapy is an abstract noun, and a popular concept word for the therapeutic process. The word ‘therapeutic’ as defined by the Oxford dictionary means alleviating and of the healing arts. Many activities of daily life can be considered therapeutic and therefore healing, for example listening to music, walking nature, associating with friends etc., all that rewards by way of release, pleasure, esteem, amusement, connection, relaxation, rest, acceptance, refreshment, and understanding. 

The Gospel of Mary

The Gospel of Mary! We do not know which ‘Mary’ this refers to, maybe the mother of Jesus or Mary Magdalene, but many give Mary Magdalene the credit. The Gospel of Mary is considered ‘apocryphal’ that is, it is not accepted by the established Roman Catholic Church. It consists of two small manuscripts from a much larger missing document, one in Greek from the third century, the other in a Coptic translation from the fourth. We have some sayings reputed to be from Jesus, and teaching about the nature of sin, evil and wrongdoing which relates to our physicality. 

22nd July Feast Day

Today, 22nd July, is the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene. It was in very recent years (2016) that she has she been made into a 'saint' by the Vatican, as previously, she was only commemorated because since the early days of Roman Catholicism, she was regarded as a prostitute, a person extremely reviled in her time. 

Now the Vatican have realised - after 1,700 years - that the woman described in the gospels as having seven devils cast out of her by Jesus, two important things, firstly that prostitution might have had nothing to do with '7 devils', and also that this woman gave her money to support Jesus and his disciples in his 3 year ministry. So did the Church think that Jesus was living off immoral earnings! 

Healing & wellbeing with Tarot

Since the dawn of recorded history, healing has been considered a magical art. Healing was a secret  known by shamans, medicine women and men, priestesses and priests, and the wise people whose knowledge was handed down the generations. Many people went on pilgrimages and learnt about the plants that grew by the wayside, how to cure a fever, attend to cuts, blisters, etc., and how to care for the animals that accompanied them on their journey. We know from ancient texts that the Egyptians knew many remedies for illnesses. Originally Egypt was called the Land of Khem, because they knew how to create and use chemicals. To gain more knowledge about their use, the alchemists of the Middle Ages were prepared to risk their own lives. 

Today, we know a great deal about health care; we are told daily to cut salt, sugar and fat from our diet, take exercise, avoid over indulgence in alcohol, and long term stresses. Regular daily mindfulness and meditation are shown to provide increased concentration and greater relaxation. They can also help to deal with the difficulties that present themselves to us through bereavement, disappointments, poor health and relationship breakdowns. 

The Magdalene’s Story

We don’t know very much about the Magdalene. She is mentioned 12 times in the New Testament - the earliest of Christian writings. At no time is there ever any suggestion of her age, though she is usually shown as a young woman, equally, she could have been very old. She is one of several female followers of Jesus who assisted him financially when he was teaching and healing from Galilee to Jerusalem. As she ministered to Jesus and the disciples from her own resources, it can be assumed she had an independent source of wealth. She is not named after a father or a husband, but after a word meaning 'tower'. This could be a place name, or a name of distinction relating to her ability and kindness. Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward, Chumash, and Suzanna and many others also provided Jesus with resources, therefore they were vital to his ministry. 

The gospels tell us that Jesus healed her of seven demons. We do not know what these demons involved, perhaps illness or distress. Did she come from Migdal, a town in Galilee? It is not thought so, as there was no town of this name in the first century. 

 

Anti-Social Personality Disorder

 What is “an Anti-Social Personality Disorder? 

Traits: Those with ASPD have little regard for norms, standards, boundaries and issues of right and wrong and therefore have little regard for the wellbeing of other people. They will frequently antagonise, manipulate, exploit and demand, and suffer no guilt or remorse due to a lack of ability to reflect on their destructive behaviour. They often violate the law by behaving impulsively and recklessly, lying and cheating, and can act with great irritability and hostility due to lack of impulse control, and major addictions to drugs or alcohol. They can display charming behaviour when they want something and are consummate actors. But the charm belies a cynical and highly opinionated interior. 

The Great Bell Chant

For peace, truth, justice, kindness, compassion, and all spiritual values

The Lady in the Forest - A Legend

The Legend of the Lady in the Forest by Jo Gregory

Deep in a woodland glade, sunbeams filtered through the branches of the ancient oak, ash and thorn. A path woven by deer was well worn and threaded through the undergrowth. The only clue that someone lived there was the small curl of wood smoke and the tip of a small chimney within the leaves. It was an ancient dwelling with worn walls, clambering roses and small windows under ragged thatch and ivy. The roof gave a haven to many creatures including sickled swallows diving for insects to feed their young.

No one came here. Legends and folklore passed across generations had warned of a woman, elusive and strange sometimes seen wandering the woods with a basket and muttering. In local hostels word would pass of her ability to vanish with a swirl of her old cloak.

The girl was desperate. Her chest heaved and her breath was ragged. Her dress was torn through running in blackthorn thickets and brambles, her hair tangled in a halo around her head. She had run like the wind from the village, morning dew soaking her clothes. Her face showed her determination as she paused and then opened the old gate to the cottage beyond. Eyes fixed on the door to calm he nerves she knocked and waited. No sound came from within but the door eased open slowly and after a moment she crossed the threshold.

Judgments!

Pray! Don’t find fault with the man who limps, or stumbles along life’s road. Unless you have the shoes he wears, or struggle beneath his load. There may be nails in his shoes that hurt - though hidden from your view, Or the burden he bears, placed upon your back may cause you to stumble too. 

Don’t be harsh with the man who sins or pelt him with words or stones, unless you are sure, yea! doubly sure, that you have no sins of your own. For you know, perhaps, if the tempter’s voice should whisper as soft to you, as it did to him when he went astray, it may cause you to stagger too. 

Don’t sneer at the man who is down, unless you have felt the blow, that caused his fall, or felt his shame  - as only the fallen know. You might feel strong, but remember those blows, if dealt to you, in the self same way, and at the self same time, it could cause you to fall too!  

The Green Knight

 The film above is set in the 14th century when this story was originally written. 

King Arthur sits with this Queen and his retinue in his Christmas court in Camelot. His nephew, the gallant Sir Gawain is also in attendance. An enormous noise occurs at the entrance of the baronial hall and a green giant makes a dynamic entrance on a horse. The giant offers his axe and makes a wager with King Arthur. He says that whoever cuts him will face the same cut a year and a day from that date. Sir Gawain steps forward. He has waited a life time to prove he is the most loyal protector to his uncle, King Arthur. Immediately, Gawain strikes the green giant across the neck, slicing off his head. Red blood flows over green cloth! This story is about life and death. How easy it is to behead someone with such a sharp sword! But the green giant is not killed. He picks up his head and rides out of the baronial hall, out of Camelot, and into the far distance! 

What do you make of this part of the story? The green giant is similar to tree pollarding and if you chop its head off, another grows! Green is related to nature and nature’s ability to recover after perceived death in winter. Humans are not able to recover from death, so the story is about the vulnerability of Sir Gawain, who was after all, only human. The story might be related to the advantages of agriculture and what can be achieved with knowledge of plant husbandry. Green was related to plant life so it is likely the contest with the Green Man was a contest with the harsh and chaotic realities of nature, of the need to survive the harshest of times. 

Psychic Discovery - Free YouTube Video

Find out if you are clairvoyant, clairaudient or clairsentient by listening to this video. 
Do not drive or operate machinery. You might experience relaxation and a light trance state.  Make yourself comfortable. Ensure you will not be interrupted for 15 minutes. This is your time to relax and enjoy the inner world of spirit. Written by Wendy Stokes, presented by Dawn Ramsey of The Shakra Centre. 

Sustainable Living

To minimise your carbon footprint, 

Never throw away fabric. It can be recycled! 

Superdrug recycle your medicine blister packs. 

Use oat milk rather that cow’s milk.

Only buy locally sourced and sustainable fish, such as Cornish hake, Dover sole, and handling caught mackerel. 

Buy environmental toothbrushes, not made of plastic but made of bamboo. Body Shop still has refillable bottles for toiletries, etc. 

How to Make Non Alcoholic Elderflower Champagne

Ingredients:

15 elderflower heads in full bloom

4 litres of hot water

Juice and zest of 4 lemons

2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

Portia’s speech - Shakespeare

You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, Such as I am: though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish, To wish myself much better; yet, for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself; A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;

That only to stand high in your account, I might in virtue, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account; but the full sum of me Is sum of something, which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractised;

Happy in this, she is not yet so old, But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn; Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed, As from her lord, her governor, her king.

Myself and what is mine to you and yours Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, Queen o’er myself: and even now, but now,
This house, these servants and this same myself Are yours, my lord:

I give them with this ring; Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

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. 

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 Last Duel - A Film

 In 1386 Marguerite de Carrouges watched a duel to the death that would decide her fate. She had accused Sir Jacques ld Gris of rape. A trial by combat riveted the French nobility as Le Gris was pitted against Marguerite’s husband and champion Sir Jean de Carrouges. If he was killed, she would be declared a false accuser and burned alive. She has largely been accused of mistaken identity or of lies. Her report is filed in the Parlement of Paris. The defendant had an alibi and was offered a chance to defend himself in court. The Court preferred his story but failed to reach a verdict so the duel was authorised under the ancient theory that God would reveal the truth on the battlefield. 

Your Film Story Meditation

 With thanks to Erica Longdon for the voice over and the video creation
 Do.not drive or operate machinery. Get comfortable, close your eyes, enter your inner world…. 

Midsummer Thoughts

St John’s Day is a fire festival, three fires are created, one of bone (the bonfire), one of wood (the wake fire) and one of bone and wood (the fire of St John). Goatsbeard and masterwork used to be made into crosses, but crosses can also be made from hypericum branches. It is a day to bathe in the water of holy springs (I used to bring home water from the springs in Springfield Park, from my mother’s home in Glengarriff, or from my local spring at the Elizabethan Hunting Lodge, and put the water in with my bath water with some Hypericum flowers! 

It is a day to collect fennel, rue, rosemary, lemon verbena, mallow, laburnum seeds, foxgloves, and elderflower to make an incense/smoke sticks that are said to repel all evil. Yarrow is also burned, a herb sometimes used for the I Ching divination. It is likely that the red antibiotic juice of Hypericum was used by the Knights of St John, where it’s common name, Wort of St John could have originated. The Wort of St John is a medicinal plant that blooms at midsummer when the feast of the Baptist is celebrated often by ecstatic dancing, carnival processions and costumes as the plant is also known to have antidepressant qualities. St John is known as the Sacred Clown possibly because of his wild living style of wearing goatskin and eating locusts and honey and crying out for repentance and to prepare the way for the messiah. 

Lakota Code of Ethics

1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy - and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it be people or plant.

7. Honor other people's thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

Your Healer Meditation

 

Please don't drive or operate machinery while listening to this meditation. Make yourself comfortable, take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and relax. 

Conflict Resolution Tips

Some barriers to resolving disputes can be cultural, clashes in communication style, emotional defensiveness and frustrations, hidden agendas, lack of confidence, loss of focus, mismatched understanding, difference in vocabulary and terminology. 

Pointers: stay with what is, be factual. Conflict is a boundary issue requiring possible mediation, negotiation or arbitration. Initiate problem solving as a conversation. Gain agreement to follow a process. Be clear about all issues. How far can you and they stretch? What is your priority? Can you separate the relationship from the problem? Are you prepared to work together or part ways? Separate the person from the problem. Are they prepared to work with you or not? Can you give this a time scale? Can you negotiate an outcome to your acceptance? What is your ultimate objective? Identify the other person’s strengths and weaknesses. Identify your own. What is your new learning? What is their new learning? Keep a record. 

If - A Poem

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain, or help one fainting robin unto its nest again, I shall not live in vain. (Alternative words) or help a lonely person into happiness again. 

Emily Dickinson

Why is the Raven black?

Great Spirit decided it was time to give the winged (the birds) their colors. Before this time all of the birds were gray. Their feathers did not carry the beautiful colors they do today. Great Spirit told all of the winged to gather at a special lake which was hidden high in the mountains. All of the winged flew to this magical body of water. Great Spirit told them to dive into the water and they would emerge with beautiful colors in their feathers. Brave little Hummingbird dove in first. He didn't stay long but when he came out he was a beautiful green and had ruby on his throat. Jaybird was next. He stayed a little longer than Hummingbird had. When he emerged he was a bright blue and had a white throat. He wore a black necklace low on his neck. Wren splashed into the depths. When he got out of the water he was brown with a golden chest. Cardinal flew into the lake. He stayed in a bit longer than the others. When Cardinal broke the surface he was bright red and beautiful. Bluebird splashed into the water and stayed for a while. He came up blue with his beautiful red breast. Indigo Bunting dived in. He stayed linger than any of the previous birds. He came up such a beautiful blue that the other birds gasped at his gorgeous color. 

Healing

The word ‘healing’ comes from the root word for hearth ‘HALE’ which means whole. To be whole, we avoid self deception, we engage with others with authenticity, kindness and understanding, empathy and goodwill. When we are disturbed or distressed this affects everything in our life - our work, health, relationships, et cetera. 

Know Thyself was written on the temple of Apollo 2500 years ago along with Everything in Moderation. Knowing yourself means knowing what you are doing to yourself and others. Freud stated that therapy could only replace ‘hysterical misery’ with ‘common unhappiness’.

Codependency No More Book Extract

Dependency issues: Many codependents don’t feel happy, content, or peaceful with themselves. They look for happiness outside themselves. The latch on to whoever or whatever they think will provide happiness for them. They feel terribly threatened by the loss of anything or person they think provides their happiness. They didn’t feel love or approval from their parents. And they don’t love themselves. They believe other people can’t or don’t love them. Desperately they seek love and approval. They often seek love from people incapable of loving. They believe other people are never there for them. They equate love with pain.

Lee Harris - Tribute to his Dad

Lee Harris wrote this song as a love letter to his Father. And as a way of having a difficult conversation with him, at a difficult time for the family.

"I wrote it at my piano in California, August of 2019, nine months before he died, and I trusted his soul would ‘hear’ me over in England. I had no intention at the time that this very personal song, would be released publicly. Nor did I realize that it would become increasingly relevant in our world the more we travelled through 2020.

"My dear Dad, David Ernest Harris, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in July of 2019, just a couple of weeks after Steven and I had visited him with my family in England. During that trip, he and several members of my family had attended our workshop in London, which was lovely for all of us. It always lit Dad up to be at our live events, and I loved nothing more than seeing he and my mum chatting to those who attended. So that day is now a very special memory.

If - A Poem

 

Your Spirit Guide Meditation

 

With thanks to Sherry Wakeman for the voiceover and video creation

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?

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.