Spiritual Burnout

Burnout: 5 tips to Recover

by Featured

You can feel it when you wake up in the morning. You open your eyes with reluctance and a feeling of uneasiness spreads through your body. Is it fear? Is it dread? Another day to be survived. When did this sad state of affairs become your new normal?

Feelings like these can build slowly and eventually become like a dark curtain descending over your spirit. They call it “burnout” because it resembles the fading embers of a dying fire—the warmth and the light are going out. Without fuel, the fire dies.  People who work in the helping professions are always being cautioned to watch for burnout and take measures to prevent it. Your spiritual nature calls you to help others; that means you are susceptible to burnout. How well are you taking care of yourself and making sure that the light you bring to the world isn’t beginning to fade?

The job of keeping yourself healthy and well in mind, body, and spirit is yours alone. The gift of life in this world has been given to you along with the responsibility and the power to nurture it. You even have a soul gauge to tell you how you’re doing. When feelings of gloom and doom replace your optimal setting for joy, love, compassion, and laughter, something needs adjustment. When your soul is crying out for a reset, when you need healing and sanctuary, the symptoms described above will appear. Your burnout alarm will sound.

Here are 5 signs of burnout to watch for, along with some solutions:

  1. You feel angry and bitter. You are mad at life and everything in it. You resent the people who expect something from you (love?). These negative and destructive emotions are blocking the energy that keeps you buoyant and resilient in the world. Where did they come from? How did they begin? What have you not resolved and healed in your past? What have you not forgiven? Try journaling your raw feelings until you have nothing more to say. This will help you feel more balanced.
  2. You feel hopeless. You can’t see any positive future ahead. It feels like the hole you are living in has no bottom and certainly no stairs to the rim. Your problems have no solutions and there is no help available for the likes of you. Look closely at this hopelessness and see if you see any reasons for it. Do you know anyone else who has a more challenging situation than yours? What steps are they taking? Isn’t there a power you are forgetting to reach for? Have you forgotten who you are and why you are here? Look around for an appropriate 12-step program — sharing with like-minded people is a great place to start your recovery.
  3. You are exhausted. You can barely get out of bed in the morning. You feel as if you haven’t really rested in recent memory. A wall of numbness surrounds you. You feel empty and immobile. Have you really not rested enough? Is your fatigue really physical?  Can you imagine a scenario where you can truly relax and “recreate”? Can you picture a place of renewal where you are truly comfortable, happy and free? Where can you find the spiritual fuel you need to revive yourself? You are sleep deprived — change your schedule to get more sleep. You deserve it.
  4. You are unbalanced and out of sync. Something is wrong with the natural rhythm of your life. You can’t connect with the healing patterns that sustain you. Have you fallen off from your practices of meditation, prayer, journaling, exercise, study, and service? What is interrupting your rhythm and keeping you off balance? What can you do to restore your healthy equilibrium of mind, body, and spirit? Meditate, meditate, meditate. 😊
  5. You are living in a box (or a cubicle). You haven’t been outside for a long time because you just don’t have the energy. You haven’t seen the sun, or the moon, for so long. You don’t know how the hills, the grass, the clouds, or that squirrel who lives in the oak tree even look any more. Your world is so small, so narrow, and so cold. How would it feel to walk outside and look up at the sky? When is the last time you visited the park, the woods, the beach and took a long walk? When is the last time you touched the earth with your bare hands or your bare feet? Go outside and enjoy, nature will revive you.

 

The good news is that being susceptible to burnout means you are striving to live with awareness and an open heart. Having a spell of burnout is common for those who love and give and serve.

The important thing is to realize when the fire is burning low and take steps to refuel. Don’t let the light go out! Practice self-love and compassion by healing negativity, seeking balance and rest, and joining in the company of like-minded friends who are also on the path to wellbeing.

If you’re really feeling the burn, you can register for my upcoming October retreat in Ojai and watch in awe as your energy is restored, your heart refilled, and your life aligned with your true purpose. The help you need is just one click away >>>

Krishnamurti

Learn from This Great Modern Philosopher of Ojai

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineEventsFeaturedTrauma and Violence

We have finally moved into the new location of the Deborah King Center in beautiful Ojai. I love it! Ojai has such an extraordinarily high spiritual vibration, and a history rich in spiritual endeavors.

It wasn’t only the Chumash tribe that called Ojai home. So did Jiddu Krishnamurti, one of the great philosophers and spiritual teachers of our modern era. He talked about everyday concerns, life in a society filled with violence and corruption, an abiding respect for nature, and everyone’s search for security and happiness. He precisely explained how the human mind works, and what the practice of meditation can bring to daily life.

Krishnamurti’s story is unusual. He was born in 1895 into a Telugu family in colonial India, one of 11 children (six of whom survived childhood). He lived next to the headquarters for the Theosophical Society in Chennai (Madras). When he was eight years old, he was discovered on the grounds of the headquarters by Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, the leaders of the Society, who raised and groomed him as the next great World Teacher to guide the evolution of humankind. He and his brother Nitya were privately tutored in school subjects as well as in rigorous exercise and sports, theosophical and religious lessons, yoga and meditation, and British culture. Later the boys were brought to Europe to continue their education, and Krishnamurti gave his first public speech in England.

The Theosophical Society established the Order of the Star in the East (OSE) to prepare the world for Krishnamurti, the Coming of the World Teacher. But by the time he was 29, Krishnamurti rejected the title, dissolved the OSE, and withdrew from the Theosophy organization. Sadly, he had been sexually assaulted by a higher-up in the organization as a young boy and, rightfully, he no longer wanted to be affiliated with the Society or anything remotely religious. He dedicated himself to working toward a psychological revolution in the minds of humankind in order to bring about radical change in society. He wrote many books, gave talks and held discussion through his non-profit foundations in India, Great Britain, and the U.S.

In 1922, Krishnamurti and his brother and companion, Nitya, stayed in the Ojai Valley, thinking the climate would be good for Nitya, who had tuberculosis. They, too, loved Ojai and a cottage and property were found for them and Ojai became Krishnamurti’s official residence.

It was in Ojai that Krishnamurti had a life-changing experience, one that wasn’t directed by his mentors. First he went through a three-day spiritual experience of mystical union and immense peace, and a few weeks later went through a longer condition that he called “the process,” which recurred almost nightly until his death. These experiences were described as “the sacredness” or “the otherness.” (Clearly, he had experienced one of the higher initiations that I conduct as well as describe in my writings, e.g., see chapter 8 of my most recent book, Heal Yourself – Heal the World).

As he wrote: … [I] woke up early with that strong feeling of otherness, of another world that is beyond all thought…there is a heightening of sensitivity. Sensitivity, not only to beauty but also to all other things. The blade of grass was astonishingly green; that one blade of grass contained the whole spectrum of colour; it was intense, dazzling and such a small thing…”

The Krishnamurti Foundation of America founded in 1969 is in Ojai. They have a publishing division as well as the Oak Grove School (pre-K-12 college prep), which empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning and to develop life-long practices of inquiry into how they live their daily lives. Krishnamurti’s former home, Pine Cottage, has become a Study Center and Library for reflection and contemplation.

As you can see, his impact on Ojai has been considerable.

I understand completely why he was so attracted to Ojai and why he stayed here until his death at 90 years of age.

If you’d like to experience the exalted spiritual air of Ojai, be sure to join me for our Hallowed Retreat at the magnificent Ojai Valley Inn at the end of October . There, I’ll be talking in depth about some of Krishnamurti’s key teachings and how we can apply them to our lives today. Hope to see you there!

Buddhas Guidance

Buddha’s Guidance

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeatured

Soon after his enlightenment, the Buddha met a man on the road who was struck by the extraordinary radiance and peacefulness of his presence. The man asked, “My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a god?”

“No,” said the Buddha.

“Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?”

“No,” the Buddha answered again.

“Are you a man?”

“No.”

“Well, my friend, what then are you?”

The Buddha replied, “I am awake.”

When Gandhi was asked about his message to the world, he replied, “My life is my message.”

Is your life your message? Do others comment on your radiant appearance, your love for what you do? Is your message one you are happy to claim, or is it confused, not yet sure of its purpose or passion? If you were to live your life with true wakefulness and compassion, what would your life look like?

The 5,000+ students who are the foundation of my LifeForce Energy Programs®, a school for the Self, know how their studies have transformed them. And how every aspect of their lives has been impacted by lasting change.

My 5 LifeForce Energy® Programs, which are highly experiential, have a profound influence on who you are and, often, on what you do in life. Even after completing just the first level (out of five) of this powerful certification course, students say: “What I learned when I started studying LifeForce Energy is that I have to heal myself before I can help others.” Or, “Now, when I go into a business meeting, I evaluate the attendees and determine the best way to approach each person.” Or, “This course has increased my self-awareness as well as developed deeper understanding and compassion for others.”

When you dig deeply into who people are through the study of mind/body types; experience your connection to seekers just like you in my Soul Family; see how energy medicine can restore your body, mind, and spirit; explore your chakras; learn how to release past traumas and negative experiences; and reconnect to your higher self on all levels of the energy field, your life changes in dramatic ways, and that was just about Level 1!

If you get depressed when you look around at what’s happening in your home, your town, your country, or on Earth, or if you feel ineffectual, unable to take command of your inborn abilities and bring about positive transformation in yourself and others, consider what an in-depth education into the why’s and how’s of personal growth on energetic levels could do for you.

An interviewer for the BBC once said to Mother Teresa of Calcutta that a life of service might be a bit easier for her than for us ordinary householders. After all, she had no possessions, no car, no insurance, and no husband. “That’s not true,” Mother Teresa said at once. “I am married, too.” Her order wears rings to symbolize their wedding to the Christ. Then she added, “And He can be very difficult sometimes!”

It’s not easy. Self-examination never is. Digging deep into yourself—into your thinking mind, your emotional make-up, your physical body, and their interconnections with each other and the realm of Spirit—might be a daunting task if not for my wisdom and guidance as well as the comforting hand-holding of my Soul Family that you become a part of once you join the program.

If you’re searching for the next step, check out my programs. When the student is ready, the teacher appears!

Spiritual Vortexes

Spiritual Vortexes

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeatured

One of the greatest adventures you can have in this lifetime is to visit sacred sites that have a vortex of amazing spiritual energy.

An energy vortex is a swirling pool of energy. A positive vortex can lift you up, while a negative vortex can drain your subtle body of its vitality. Once they are created, an energy vortex can remain for eons. They are a common feature of the unseen world that form in the etheric plane from human interaction with Mother Earth. There are known vortexes at Stonehenge and Glastonbury in England, at the Great Pyramid in Egypt, at Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca in Peru, at the Mount of Olives in Israel, and at Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Here in the United States, the best known vortexes are at Ojai, Mt. Shasta, and Sedona.

Throughout my life, I’ve visited and experienced the powerful energy of several such places. I’d like to share with you two spiritual vortexes, located in California, that I hold very near and dear to my heart.

The Spiritual Vortex of Ojai

Ojai, California is truly a magical place. Its location is incredibly unique, with its natural surroundings creating a powerful vortex that was recognized the Chumash Native Americans, the regions original inhabitants.

The Ojai Valley is nested within mountain ranges that seem to take animal form, the natural shale and sandstone land forms direct the air from above into the valley, and the earth emanates a powerful energy from below.

This is why Ojai makes a perfect case study for identifying spiritual places and vortexes. All the signs are there. Largely due to this, the Ojai Valley has seen an influx of individuals seeking escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby metropolitan areas such as LA.

That is also why the Deborah King Center is proud to call spiritual Ojai its home.

[su_note]If you’d like to experience the powerful energy of the Ojai vortex yourself, The Deborah King Center is holding a retreat October 31st – November 3rd. Join us to connect with seekers of truth and light, get inspired, be uplifted, and let your light shine. Click here to learn more and to get your early-bird ticket.[/su_note]

The Spiritual Vortex of Mount Shasta

Another powerful, spiritual place that is near and dear to me is Mount Shasta.

I’ve been there a number of times in person: I had to spend the night on the mountain in a tent or snow cave that I built, and use an ice ax and crampons to cross the very steep ice slopes. When I finally arrived at the top, I went into the cave that’s right in the crater. What an amazing place it is, full of the most incredible, almost overpowering energy! On all three visits, I descended on mountaineering skis, which saved hours and hours of hiking down but is a fairly risky method of descent; if you fall, you could easily go right over a nearby cliff and tumble all the way to the bottom!

The snow-capped pinnacle of Mount Shasta is actually a giant dormant volcano, part of the Pacific “ring of fire.” At 14,000 feet tall, it towers above the Cascade foothills; five glaciers hold it in place. You can see the atmospheric hole over its peak and start to feel the strong energy pattern the mountain emits; its vortex seems to get stronger every day.

There are wonderful places to stop and meditate—artesian springs, sacred caves, and mystical caverns cover the area. Mysterious lights seem to come from inside the mountain. The Ascended Master Saint Germaine’s Temple of the Violet Flame radiates from the deep inner recesses of the mountain.

Travel to sacred sites is a wonderful way to ramp up your spiritual energy so you can hold more light. And when you find a natural positive vortex of energy, like Mt. Shasta, it can really move you along on your spiritual path.

Mt. Shasta’s great vortex of spiritual energy indicates that there has been a lot of ceremony, prayer, and meditation in that area. The inhabitants who live in the small town of Mount Shasta at the base of the mountain all sense a certain energy that comes from being in the presence of Mt. Shasta’s vortex of vital energy. And those who drink from the pure water at the head of the Sacramento River at the base of Shasta get a feeling of overwhelming peace.

It’s said that the mountain is calling home those who started their experience on Earth in her presence. Since the entire area was once part of Lemuria, where a highly advanced civilization lived, this shouldn’t be surprising. Many have “seen” a mystical brotherhood that moves through jeweled corridors deep inside the mountain; they may have come from the submerged continent of Lemuria. There are mysterious openings inside the mountain where these advanced peoples live. They are highly evolved and radiate in another dimension that is not visible to the physical eye, but you may see them with inner sight.

Feel the tremendous energy emitted by the mountain itself, and ask to meet one of the higher beings who reside within Mt. Shasta, maybe even St. Germaine himself.

Your Aura

Your Aura: What the Human Energy Field Can Reveal About You

by Astral ProjectionEnergy HealingFeaturedMeditation

Look in the mirror and what do you see?  Does your reflection end with the tidy package inside your skin, dressed for work or a walk or a trip to the store? Is that all there is? Or do you see that bright and beautiful being of light that is really you shining through? The truth is that there is a glowing field of energy that surrounds you, emanates from you, serves and protects you as you walk through this world—your aura!

The human energy field, the aura, is a manifestation of the universal energy field that is the cornerstone of all life. Thousands of years before the birth of Christ, it was called prana by East Indians and chi by the Chinese. The mystics of all cultures talk about the human energy field in some way. Your aura consists of electromagnetic energies of varying densities that permeate through and radiate from the physical body. These particles of energy are suspended around the healthy human body in an oval shaped field, extending out from the body approximately 2-5 feet on all sides.

You can think of your aura as a living template for the body. Your body ultimately mirrors whatever is happening in the energy field. Any distortion or imbalance in your field will sooner or later negatively impact you physically. If you make a correction in the field, a corresponding change will manifest in the body. The energy levels of your field are not only as real as your physical self, but they are also, in some ways, even more important. That’s why energy healing—directed at restructuring, rebalancing, and recharging the energy field—can have so much positive impact.

Seven layers or bodies make up the human energy field. Unlike the layers of an onion, each one interpenetrates the next and then extends out beyond the skin. Each level up the “scale” is a higher vibration and extends out further than the one below it. Each one has its own unique frequency. They are interrelated, and reflect your feelings, emotions, thinking, and behavior. Together, the levels hold our physical form, provide life energy, and make communication possible between all the various parts.

The levels of the human energy field and what each one can tell you about your health and well-being:

Level 1: The Etheric Body

This closest level to your body, a few inches out from your skin, is the seat of pleasure and pain. The more you take care of your body, the stronger and brighter blue these lines will be.

Level 2: The Emotional Body

This cloudlike level reflects your feelings and emotions about yourself. Bright colors indicate positive feelings; dark colors are negative. If you let your feelings flow, the colors keep changing; if you stop the flow, this level looks really dirty and stagnant, creates blocks and impacts your health.

Level 3: The Mental Body

Strong and charged lines here indicate an active, clear mind; weak and undercharged, you won’t be very interested in learning and won’t have much clarity. If your 3rd level is strong but the first 2 are weak, you live mostly in your mind.

Level 4: The Astral Level

Seat of your relationship with the universe and everything in it. If this level is strong and healthy, you’ll have great relationships; if it’s weak, you may avoid intimacy.

Level 5: The Etheric Template

This level of divine will looks just like a blueprint of the 1st level—the form for your body. A level of precise order and symbols, not feelings. If you’re in accord with divine will, you’ll feel a sense of connectedness with the world around you; if you’re weak here, you won’t be comfortable with your place, your job, or your station in life.

Level 6: The Celestial Body

Filled with beautiful streamers of rainbow-colored light radiating out about 2 to 3 feet from the body. When healthy, the colors are bright with straight beams of light. This is the level of divine love. Here we feel the joy and bliss we reach through meditation, prayer, and chanting. A weak 6th means you won’t have much in the way of spiritual experiences. If it’s too strong in relation to the others, you may be avoiding having a physical life. The 6th level can be charged every day by even just 15-20 minutes of meditation.

Level 7: The Ketheric Template or Causal Body

Gold lines that vibrate at a very high frequency and form a golden egg around the body to protect it. This level of divine mind holds the whole field together and is where we learn to communicate telepathically and have knowings that flood our consciousness. A big 7th level indicates a big thinker in direct connection with divine thought. An unhealthy 7th level person will hate their own imperfections and have trouble bringing their creative ideas to fruition.

As you become acquainted with the levels of the human energy field, it’s better to start by feeling your way around rather than by seeing the levels clairvoyantly. I rely on my feelings and knowings; clairvoyant information is just icing on the cake.  In my work as a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I have observed that it is not as important to “see” the energy levels as it is to sense or feel them. You can learn to do this using the sensory power of your whole body.

If you’re interested in learning more about auras and how to sense them, as well as discovering a host of energy healing techniques to heal, thrive and grow, check out my online certification course today.

full moon ritual 5

Full Moon Magic: Harness Lunar Energy for Healing

by Astrological EventsFeatured

You don’t have to be a NASA scientist, astronomer, or astrology-aficionado to appreciate the sheer awe-inspiring magic of a full moon.

It’s an experience we’ve all encountered: after a long day, you’re heading home at twilight and suddenly you notice a stunning full moon rising on the horizon. Whatever thoughts were on your mind disappear and you feel an amazing surge of energy and awe. Your connection to the natural world wakes up and you, too, begin to shine!

Full moon energy

Full moons stir up our emotions and amplify mystical powers connected to the human spirit. You take joy in watching what was once dark come into the light, your mind plays out scenes of potential chaos in a wild and untamed world while also basking in deep and uninhibited feeling that is impossible to define.

The time of the full moon is a powerful energy healing opportunity, an optimum time for meditating, recharging your energy field, and clearing your chakras. That is why so many cultures have full moon rituals and ceremonies—there’s so much pure energy in the moonlight that anything it touches can’t help but respond to its radiance and love.

Using the lunar energy of a full moon can yield incredible healing results, both physically and mentally. Full moons bathe your skin in a soft light, while also illuminating the often overlooked crevices of your subconscious—giving you insights into your spirit and soul.

Five full moon rituals that use the healing power of lunar energy:

Full moon ritual #1
Shine a light on your emotions

full moon ritual 1

During the full moon, emotions are magnified. You have probably heard people blame the full moon when human behavior gets a bit wacky.

Because emotions are more easily accessible during a full moon, it’s a perfect opportunity to acknowledge and release them. By releasing strong emotions that come to light during a full moon, you’ll clear your chakras; this full moon cleansing ritual ensures that you are able to capture the full spectrum of healing energy from the full moon.

If you actively journal, you’ll see big benefits during a full moon.  In addition to expressing your inner truths and feelings, it’s a good time to write out your intentions, make decisions about what you really want, and fully embrace your truest self.

Below are a few journal prompts to help you get started:

  • What does my physical body most need right now?
  • What environments make me feel good?
  • What self-care routines most nourish and heal me?
  • What am I stopping myself from doing?

Full moon ritual #2
Take a moon bath

full moon ritual 3

Moonlight has holistic healing properties and is able to cleanse your mind, body, and spirit. Spending time under a full moon’s vibrant white glow is like stepping into a warm soothing bath (without the water).

Take a walk under the full moon, preferably with some of your skin exposed to its healing light. As you begin to relax, gaze up at the brilliance of the full moon and bask in its energy and love. Pay special attention to the feelings and emotions coursing through your body and in your chakras. Listen closely to your subconscious: perhaps there is a message that the moon is lighting up inside of you.

A moon bath steeps your body and spirit in purifying light, washing away negativity and leaving you fresh and renewed.

Full moon ritual #3
Tack up some dreams

full moon ritual 3

Harness the positive energy of the moon by envisioning your goals and dreams. Picture your life as you wish it to be and tack up some actual pictures of your dreams and desires on your vision board. As you dream, so shall you become!

What are your intentions? Your goals? Bucket list experiences?

The full moon will magnify any energy you send out, and help guide it into the welcoming embrace of the universe. Be clear and specific about what you wish to manifest and don’t be surprised when your intentions come true.

Full moon ritual #4
Turn toward the positive

full moon ritual 4

The full moon’s light is so strong, it’s hard for darkness to stand up in the face of its glory. Use this opportunity to discover and release negativity.

The moon can reach the deepest parts of your soul and pull out the things you’ve been hiding or trying to ignore. The moon illuminates any negative emotions stored in your chakras or your body and reflects that knowledge back to you so that you can begin the process of clearing those blockages through meditation, healing courses, or other practices.

Full moon ritual #5
Turn down the covers—outside!

full moon ritual 5

I have always tried to spend my summers sleeping outside, especially during the full moons. While some are puzzled by my choice, anyone who is a camper, hiker, or nature-lover understands my habit instantly: in addition to grounding myself to Mother Earth, I give my body much needed Vitamin M (moonlight, that is).

So, grab a sleeping bag and pitch a tent in your backyard or, find a warm blanket and string a hammock between two sturdy trees. Falling asleep under twinkling stars and a glowing full moon will leave your body, mind, and soul more rested than eight hours of sleep ever could.

Go one step further and meditate or pray, and let the peace and beauty of the full moon soak into your body and soul while you drift off to sleep. You’ll wake up refreshed and rejuvenated.

Your meditations, prayers, dreams, willingness to forgive, and extend love are all magnified by the lunar energy of the full moon. Whatever good feelings you experience for yourself (or wish for others) are more powerful than ever right now. Any love you send into the world and any service you perform will be extra powerful.

Give yourself the gift of moonlight this week. Get outside and enjoy the benefits of spending time in the soft white glow of the full moon.

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The Power of Ojai

How to Identify Powerful Places (the Magic of Ojai)

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeatured

Why is Ojai such a magical place? One reason is the vortexes.

In December of 2017, a massive ring of intense wildfire surrounded Ojai. The blaze, called the Thomas Fire, was on a rampage, burning up everything in its path of destruction through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Evacuation orders went out as the fire overtook the entire Ojai Valley, sparing only the village itself, as it roared all the way to the beach and back. Locals know that the seven vortexes in the valley provided protection for the town.

So what are these vortexes that create the mystical energetic charge of Ojai?

First we have to take a look at Ojai’s Dragon, a geo-metaphysical force of nature.

Every major ancient civilization tapped into Earth’s electromagnetic field in one of three ways:

(1) Through ley lines—the energy channels of the Earth’s geomagnetic field. These lines, often running above fault lines, caves, and water, were historically sacred spots for the most important structures in a community.

(2) Through the world grid—the symmetrical pattern of Earth’s powerful energy meridians. The grid connects points on Earth where great stresses (seismic, atmospheric, and magnetic) are generated, such as Giza, Stonehenge, Easter Islands, the Bermuda Triangle, and Ojai. Great thinkers like Nikola Tesla and Buckminster Fuller helped complete the universal World Grid map.

(3) Through Xuan Kong Feng Shui—the geological sister school to the science of acupuncture that uses Earth’s magnetic points to pinpoint where Qi, the life force energy, is released. Natural landforms are identified as special places that create a powerful energy of transcendence. And here is where Ojai’s Dragon comes in.

Ojai’s big Dragon is a large mountain range, bounded by water, that encircles the whole valley and “brings heaven to Earth.” The big Dragon has an entourage—four Divine Celestial Animals with their own powers connected to the mountains that release Qi. Each mountain corresponds to a constellation as seen in the ancient Chinese skies. In the north is the Black Tortoise, a “guardian spirit” that protects the community; in the south is the Red Bird Phoenix, which generates luck for the future; in the west is the White Tiger, which generates powerful Qi for women; and in the east is the Azure Dragon, the leader of the celestial animals, which generates Qi for men.

Different places in the valley are influenced by different types of Qi as the geophysical setting generates tons of deep-earth energy.

Ancient sandstone and shale landforms direct the air from the pristine places above Ojai into the whole valley, and since the valley runs east to west, the lines of energy flow in a gentle path all around the valley, making Ojai a “rare Feng Shui jewel.”

When matter—in the form of water, wind, dust, or magnetic fields—moves, it can move in circles and begin to spiral, forming a vortex. Think of those satellite images of hurricanes, where you can see the rotation of the spiral energy. The giant mass of planet Earth rotates around its axis and creates two huge vortexes from the North and South poles—the magnetic poles of the planet. There are four major vortexes created by Earth, but there are also millions of smaller ones.

How can you tell if there’s a vortex in your area? If you see a tree that has bark spiraling upward, you’re probably inside a vortex. Or if you’ve ever seen a lawn with a perfect super-green round area, there’s a vortex underneath it. Ancient stone circles often had their stones placed around the perimeter of a vortex, as these sites emitted such strong energy that they were considered sacred.

In Ojai, you can feel the magnetic pull of the vortexes that come from the natural land formations and from the minerals in the water that is around and underneath Ojai. It’s always a good thing to have the protection of the Ojai Dragon against the wild forces of nature that could seek to destroy this powerful spiritual location, as well as the spiritual boost it gives you to be in a place with such high energy.

Both residents of Ojai and visitors there can feel the energy of the geomagnetic vortexes and the pull of the Topa Topa Mountains. Come be part of the flow when you join me in Ojai for our “Hallowed Reunion” retreat, would love to share this amazing place with you!

Home of the Deborah King Center

Ojai: The Shangri-La of Spirit

by Energy HealingFeatured

I’m excited to announce that the Deborah King Center has moved to Ojai, California, a true Shangri-La for the spirit. I taught a workshop here a few years ago, and sensed the deep vibration that the Valley holds; that motivated me to relocate our Center here. You may not know much about Ojai, so I thought I’d tell you something about this magical mystical place and the people who were its earliest inhabitants—the Chumash—who chose Ojai as their sacred ground.

The Chumash tribe lived along the California coast, from Malibu to Paso Robles, for the past 13,000 years. They were some of the first people to inhabit North America and may have settled here after Atlantis and Lemuria were lost.

They called themselves “the first people,” and said the Pacific Ocean was their first home. Their creation legend of the Rainbow Bridge says that the Chumash were created from a seed planted by the earth goddess. They prospered for many years on Santa Cruz Island until they became too populous, so the earth goddess created a bridge out of a rainbow in order to move the people over to the mainland. The rainbow bridge stretched from the high peaks of Santa Cruz Island to the shore near modern-day Carpinteria. Many of their people made it across the bridge, but some looked down at the waters of the Pacific, shrouded in fog, became dizzy and fell into the ocean. The earth goddess turned the fallen ones into dolphins, which is why the Chumash claim dolphins as their brothers and sisters.

With a fortunate climate and lots of natural land and sea resources, the Chumash developed over 150 well-organized villages that thrived with basketry, bead making, boat building, and trading. The word “Chumash means “seashell people.”

The Chumash astronomers charted the night sky and had their own solar and star charts, which were interpreted by their shaman/astrologers. In their cosmology, the Sun was an aged widower who carried a blazing torch; the Moon was a female god who controlled human health, and Venus was a kindly god as the morning star, but an evil god as the evening star. The “Scorpion Tree” arborglyph (a carving on a tree) in a centuries-old gnarled oak on top of the Saint Lucia Mountains shows the rotation of stars around Polaris and portrays the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear (which includes the Big Dipper), in relation to the pole star.

The Chumash were a matriarchal society; nevertheless, both men and women were equally able to serve as chiefs and priests. They lived in direct relationship to each other, their land, the greater world, and out into the universe. Every part of nature was seen as imbued with spirit, from lowly rocks to the celestial orbs in the sky, and these spirits could communicate with one another. The Chumash were master herbalists. Their shamans were the healers, astronomers and community leaders; they drew strength from the two sacred mountains at each end of the valley. On the summit of Iwihinmu (Mt. Pinos) was a shrine for offerings—a sacred spot where they could look in all four directions and see their entire world.

They were guided by three basic laws: (1) To be happy in your own abilities, not envy those of others; (2) To take only what you needed from the land and sea and leave some for the future; and (3) To give from the kindness of your heart without expecting anything in return.

The Chumash brought their values to the primordial beauty of Ojai, and the vibration of their sacred connection to the land is still palpable here.

Ojai is the only place with a street named for the Theosophist Annie Besant. She owned the Ojai newspaper and felt Ojai was the magnetic center of the universe. She started a school in Ojai where students were taught how to think rather than what to think. Ojai is also home to the Krishnamurti Foundation. Krishnamurti was a protégé of Annie Besant and a noted spiritual teacher in his own right; he founded the Oak Grove School that continues to operate in Ojai today. Ojai is also home to the Krotona School of Theosophy, which began as a Utopian oasis in Hollywood with a focus on Forbidden Knowledge and human potential. There are all sorts of theosophical shrines—as well as the Liberal Catholic Church of Our Lady and All Angels; Meditation Mount, the center of Alice Bailey’s “New Group of World Servers”; and the Ecumenical Ministry of the Unity of All Religions. Even the community Art Center holds monthly Sufi Dances of Universal Peace.

In the Chumash language, Ojai means “Valley of the Moon.” The valley, only three miles wide and ten miles long, served as Shangri-La, the mythical paradise of eternal youth, for the 1930s movie Lost Horizon. And that’s what Ojai can be for you—a paradise in which you restore yourself: body, mind, and soul.

My next Retreat will be in Ojai at the Ojai Valley Inn in the Fall, check it out and hope you can join me for a hallowed and uplifting weekend.

Read more about Ojai, and all it offers spiritually, here.

Successful Relationship

8 Essential Questions for a Successful Relationship

by ChakrasFeaturedRelationshipsSelf Love

It may be cold outside, but you could be enjoying the warmth of the fire of love this Valentine’s Day. If you are in a relationship, the more spiritually expanded you are, the better your intimacy will be. If you are seeking a relationship, your expansive, radiant self will attract the right person to you.

In the West, we believe in romantic love—that starry-eyed encounter between two people who come together with passion. You hope for “happily ever after,” although divorce rates are still around 50% for first marriages and even higher for subsequent marriages. FYI almost 70% of divorces are initiated by the woman.

You rejoice when love comes calling, or sigh over the failure of that knight on a white horse to materialize in your life. The highs and lows of romantic love, the gauzy world of bridal magazines and the terror of fatal attraction, are the movie plots we love to watch.

In the East, however, romantic love is just one of many different types of love. Language shows what’s important to us: the Eskimos have over 30 words for snow—a life-and-death matter for them. Sanskrit has 96 words for love; ancient Persian has 80. English has only one—one little four-letter word has to express everything from the love of ice cream to the love of country, from erotic love to motherly love to the love of the Divine. English plays down the importance of feelings and concentrates on action verbs; in the West, we think that what we do is more important than our ability to be with our feelings.

Because romantic love is only one of many types of love, what’s been more important than initial attraction in the East is compatibility. Over 5,000 years ago, the Vedic sages realized that Jyotish, Vedic astrology, could predict if two people were sufficiently compatible to establish a long-lasting relationship and guarantee, as much as possible, the stability of the family unit. These enlightened sages understood human nature, and they put far more importance on factors like emotional compatibility, basic temperament, mutual interests, and friendship, than on sexual attraction.

Even today, when “love matches” are more and more acceptable in the East, many still rely on astrological marriage charts to see if they’re making the right long-term choice.

When Vedic astrologers look at the charts of two people to see if their union would be a good idea or not, the first crucial aspect they look at is whether or not that couple will respect each other. Then they check on 36 different “wavelength” characteristics. (These all come from an ancient Jyotish text, the Prashna Marga.)

These “wavelengths” are based on eight criteria, in descending order of importance. As you read through these criteria, think of your own intimate relationship and imagine you and your partner’s chart are being compared.

  1. Are you sensitive to each other’s emotional needs?
  2. Are your basic natures compatible (values)? Is there an affinity between your temperaments?
  3. Do you have the ability to have a friendship based on mutual interests, likes and dislikes?
  4. Are you compatible in terms of attractiveness?
  5. Is the man’s presence comforting or threatening to the woman?
  6. Is there mutual affection?
  7. Are you sexually attracted to each other?
  8. Do you tend to help each other improve?

The ancient vedic astrologers skipped a few aspects of relationship that are important in today’s world, but were unknown in their day: do either want children, do they have political affinity, are they similar in socio-economic background, etc. These were factors that were unknown 5000 years ago when your prospective mate was always someone of your economic status and of the same religion.

The astrologer will also note the possibility of a harmful aspect of the planet Mars in the chart, which can make one partner far more assertive than the other. A modern Vedic astrologer looked at the unhappy marriage of the poet Sylvia Plath to Ted Hughes, which eventually led to Plath’s suicide at the age of 30. The most noticeable factor was that Ted measured five times more assertive than Sylvia based on the Mars aspect. He would have been far more powerful, and a Vedic astrologer would have told them to avoid marriage. It wouldn’t even have worked as a friendship.

Of course, marriages arranged through astrology seem archaic to most of us, who believe in “love marriages,” although most devout Hindus and many orthodox Jews still rely on arranged marriages. Some traditional African societies, royal families, and some Muslims have their own practices of arranged marriages. And who’s to say it’s wrong? Over half the marriages worldwide are arranged. And in India, where almost 90 percent of marriages are still arranged (often in a modern way that includes more choice), the divorce rate is only 1 percent.

I’m not advocating for arranged marriages. There are plenty of problems inherent in that practice, as in marriages for love. But it is interesting to examine how compatible you are with someone before you get involved in a serious relationship. Or if you’re having problems in your relationship, it could be helpful to look at the Vedic criteria to see what aspects are causing the trouble.

These days, more people are foregoing marriage than ever before. In 2017, 57.5 percent of Americans over the age of 18 were married, down from 72 percent in 1960. That means over forty percent of Americans are single. You think you’d at least be able to find a date!

Even if you’re dating steadily, you may not have found the one you want. And even then…

Here’s a teaching story from the Sufi tradition:

Mullah Nasrudin was sitting in a tea shop with his friend, who was excited because he was getting married soon. He asked Mullah, “Have you ever thought of marriage yourself?”

Nasrudin replied, “I did think of getting married. In my youth, in fact, I very much wanted to do so. I waited to find for myself the perfect wife. I traveled looking for her, first to Damascus. There I met a beautiful woman who was gracious, kind, and deeply spiritual, but she had no worldly knowledge. I traveled further and went to Isphahan. There I met a woman who was both spiritual and worldly, beautiful in many ways, but we did not communicate well. Finally I went to Cairo and there, after much searching, I found her. She was spiritually deep, graceful, and beautiful in every respect, at home in the world and at home in the realms beyond it. I felt I had found the perfect wife.”

His friend asked, “Then did you not marry her, Mullah?”

“Alas,” said Nasrudin. “She was, unfortunately, waiting for the perfect husband.”

So what can you do if you’re single and looking to find your perfect love? To help in your search for “the one,” you can simply open to love, especially love for yourself. The love you carry within, the love of your Higher Self that is connected to Source, is what attracts others to you. Lit from within, glowing with openness, compassion, and empathy, you can send a beacon of love out into the universe. And the one you are waiting for will hear your call.

blog-Modern Master

Could You Become a Modern Master? Learn the Spiritual Science of Ancient India

by Be a Modern MasterFeatured

What does it take to become a master of something? What would it mean to finally release your fears, to develop a powerful meditation practice, or to sharpen your unique set of healing abilities and bring them to a higher level of accomplishment?

Mastery includes the process of becoming accomplished through knowledge and practice, gaining control of your inner world, and showing great skill in your actions and your relationships with others and the world around you.

These are all fantastic qualities to strive towards in your daily life, and fortunately, advancements in technology, science, medicine and engineering have brought many of these goals within reach.

But what would it take to become a master of your spiritual life?

People have sought the assistance of spiritual masters throughout the ages. You’ve seen the classic cartoon of the seeker climbing the tallest mountain to ask the Master living all alone on top about the meaning of life. It’s no joke, of course. Spiritual wisdom is real and it resides in all cultures and in all times.

The spiritual science of ancient India, ever-revered in the East, was re-discovered by icons of Western culture (remember when the Beatles went to India?) in the 20th century and interest in yoga, meditation, and musical ritual, like kirtan, blossomed.

During that new age of awakening, I was privileged to spend time studying this ancient tradition in India as part of my training as a spiritual teacher and energy healer… and it brought a level of mastery to my abilities that I would never have expected.

It took a significant period of time, energy, resources and training to become a spiritual master back then, and it could often take just as long to find the right teacher to bring forth this knowledge and insight.

I say this all the time, and it’s never been more true: The frequency and pace of the spiritual awakenings happening today is staggering… but also exciting!

Never before in the history of our civilization have so many people tapped into their own innate healing abilities, embraced spiritual practice and have recognized the immense value of this kind of learning.

So here’s how you can become a Spiritual Modern Master, faster and more effectively than ever before…

Join me for a deeper exploration of this ancient knowledge through my course, Master the Secrets of the Sutras.

(And if you’ve already been through the course, take this time to revisit it, to replenish and refresh your practice). 

This powerful wisdom tradition from India holds great value whether you are interested in learning how to heal yourself and others; to advance on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels; to find your purpose in the world; or to attract more peace, joy, and abundance into your life.

All of these are attributes of the Modern Master, and the path to this mastery is available to you in the spiritual science of ancient India.

Here are 3 ways that becoming a Modern Master could help you advance on the path to higher spiritual consciousness and your best life:

  1. Become a master of your mind. The spiritual science of ancient India offers the secrets of mantra meditation. The purpose of meditation is to still the mind; calm, cleanse, and refresh the body; and increase your connection to Spirit. If enough of us connect to Source and to each other, we will bring about a profound transformation of life on Earth.
  2. Become a master of your unique gifts. Learn to look more clearly at your inner self, your experience, and your beliefs. Who are you and what is your connection to Source and to the world around you? What are you here to do and to give? Expanding your self-awareness with knowledge of the spiritual science of ancient India will give you greater resources for contributing to the healing of the world.
  3. Become a master of your heart. Learn to step back from a fear-based outlook and embrace a massive shift in your energy that will affect every aspect of your life in a positive, heart-opening way. By focusing on the positive, healing qualities of love, compassion, and joy as directed by the spiritual science of ancient India, you will journey to a place of peace and calm where your dreams of good health, abundance, and fulfillment can be realized.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine yourself a master of all the areas of your life that spirituality touches… but that includes everything, doesn’t it?

The growth of your spirit inevitably lifts up every aspect of your being—and contributes to those around you as well. Imagine all that you long to do and be and give—and you are imagining the role of the Modern Master you have the potential to become.

If you’re attracted to this kind of learning, or you’re curious to know more about the path to modern mastery click here to discover more>>>>

Violet Flame blog image

The Violet Flame: A Mystical Tool for Transforming Your Trauma

by Energy HealingFeatured

In my twenties, I was in the fast lane: a young attorney with plans to conquer the corporate world (as well as the highest and hardest ski slopes and mountain tops). But as the saying goes, if you want to make God laugh, tell Her your plans.

I was basically fueling my life with alcohol, Valium, and high-risk sports that helped me keep the memories of childhood abuse under some sort of illusory control. Then came a shocking diagnosis of cervical cancer. I didn’t want the radical surgery that was the standard of care at the time. The doctors gave me a few months before I’d have to have the surgery, so I started looking for alternate ways to heal.

I knew I had to lose the addictions, so I joined AA, which had the added benefit of reconnecting me to spirit. As a child of Catholic schools, I had been able to commune with Jesus and the saints, but had thrown those babies out with bathwater in my rebellious teens; with AA, I got back in touch. I also wanted to figure out what I was really feeling, so I began to journal. Here on the blank pages I could release all my pent-up remembrances of my horrific childhood. And I learned to meditate, which gave me a new-found clarity. It was my meditation teacher who helped me to understand the post-traumatic stress syndrome my childhood had bequeathed me.

In short order, I was led to an energy healer and, several sessions later, to the astonishment of my doctors, I experienced a remission of the cancer. While the physical problem was gone, I knew the emotional trauma that led to the cancer was still inside, waiting for its chance to jump me again.

I started looking for a way to get rid of my leftover emotional baggage. The more I learned about energy healing—the new path my life had taken—the more I realized that emotions have their own energy, and that energy can be transformed: it can shift from being a negative destructive force and become an instrument or force for the light. Like the way my journal entries that helped me release my memories of abuse turned into my first bestselling book, Truth Heals, which has helped countless others with their own traumatic past.

Think of the emotional baggage you carry—the traumatic events you have lived through. It could be a breakup or divorce that really traumatized you or the death of a loved one, especially if they died “too young.” Grief that is not released from the heart can cause havoc with your health. It could be surviving a natural disaster, like a flood or earthquake; a terrifying auto accident; any form of abuse or sexual harassment; a devastating financial loss, like many of us experienced when the real estate market collapsed; or a disease like cancer. It could be that you were bullied in school, mistreated at work, or taunted for being gay or different in any way. There are so many ways in which you can experience trauma, and it doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be words spoken carelessly that cut you to the core. No one sees the scars, but they are there.

Do you shake it off and promptly say, “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” Uh-oh. You may think you’re fine; you may hope you’re fine; but are you really?

After I was physically healed of the cancer, I knew I still had an emotional garbage deep inside, so I searched for methods that were spiritually based and worked with energy. And I came across (oh, the serendipities of life) the Ascended Master Saint Germain and the Temple of the Violet Flame. The technique that utilizes the Violet Flame involves the transmutation of your old wounds, actually transforming the negative energies into a higher light. It’s pure alchemy, and I am offering that astounding experience to you . . . for free.

Do you have old wounds or recent traumas that you’d like to release? Do you want to feel vitally alive and filled with enough energy to get through your to-do list and check off your bucket list? If you are struggling with trauma, if you are seeking emotional healing, check out my free webinar and come experience the Violet Flame with me! on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

How to Lose Weight Without Dieting

How To Lose Weight Without Dieting

by Energy HealingFeaturedHealth

It’s nearly the end of January and chances are you’ve already blown your resolution to eat right and lose weight this year. Resolutions and dieting just don’t work. So what can you do about those unwanted and unhealthy extra pounds?

You can throw away your scales—the one in your bathroom that makes you cringe, and the one in your kitchen where you so carefully weigh out your food portions (before sliding into that pint of cookie dough ice cream). You can stop tracking calories in/calories out. You can stop worrying about which diet, and there are so many of them, might work this time.

Instead, use intuitive eating, a throwback to our ancestors.

Intuitive eating relies on your connection to your own body. In a culture based on intellect rather than intuition, in a workplace that requires sitting in front of a computer all day, in the fast-paced digital era where there is always a screen available to suck you into your head, you are probably not all that aware of your body . . . until it’s too late.

You didn’t notice what you were doing until the whole bag of chips was gone. Or your knees were hurting and the doctor said those extra 30 pounds weren’t helping. And you swore you would stop, until you remembered you had stashed a chocolate bar in the lower desk drawer.

Why do we so often eat in a way that hurts us rather than nurtures us? There are a lot of theories for why so many people eat in a way that is ultimately harmful to themselves—to their health, their appearance, their self-esteem. But, as a teacher of Ayurveda who’s worked with literally thousands of individuals, I know it all comes down to each individual’s makeup, the time of life they are in, and what they are dealing with emotionally. There is no one way for all, ever.

You may eat too much because you looked awesome in high school and could “get away with” eating everything, until you couldn’t. Or you were a slightly overweight child who grew into an even more overweight adult who is now treading the line of obesity. Or you picked up a wine habit that really added on the calories. Or you took medicine that put on the pounds. Or … or… or…

And you tried Weight Watchers and the Mediterranean diet and veganism and vegetarianism and raw food and fasting and the keto diet and eating right for your blood type and . . . you may have even lost weight, but put it right back on.

So throw away the rule book.

If you’re the type who isn’t hungry in the morning, don’t worry about “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” I have a completely healthy 70-year-old student who has her cup of coffee in the morning and hits the gym for an hour before eating breakfast. On the other hand, if you wake up hungry enough to eat a cow, go ahead, your body is telling you it needs the protein.

The trick is to know when you’ve had enough. As a student of Ayurveda, I would counsel you when you’re eating, take a bite or two or three and then put down your fork. Notice how well you’re chewing. Did you swallow quickly in your haste to eat? That food will be harder for your stomach to digest. Try stopping when you’re halfway through your plate of food. Notice: are you still hungry? Are you emotionally satisfied? Do you want to eat more because you’re needing more food, or just because there is food still on the plate? Were you taught to finish your plate, or are you able to leave food on your plate when you’re no longer hungry? Are there enough of the six flavors (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) in the food you’re eating to be satisfying? You need those six flavors at every meal or you’ll be inclined to overeat because you’re not feeling satiated.

Try eating half your lunch and keeping the other half for a mid-afternoon snack. Maybe you need a lot less food to make your body happy at each meal than you’re thinking. But don’t save food beyond a couple of hours, as it becomes amma, or too dead to do anything except put on pounds and wreak havoc at the cellular level.

Remember, no rules. If you don’t feel like eating, don’t. If you don’t like kale, don’t eat it. If you are craving pasta with alfredo sauce, eat half the serving and then evaluate how you feel.

If you binge, notice how your body feels, as well as your mind. The more you realize what food is doing to your body and how it makes you feel, the more in tune with your body you will become and the healthier and happier you’ll be.

So what should you eat? Anything you want that makes your body feel good rather than painful. How much? Enough to just satisfy hunger, not enough to bring on pain. One of my venerable teachers from the East taught me to eat just enough to fit in the palm of my hand; surprisingly, it is enough.

In a sense, this way of relating food to your body, instead of simply obeying the psychological forces behind your way of eating, is a spiritual path, not just a health fix. You have to become more conscious, more aware of what you’re doing. From Ayurveda, I know we have to acknowledge and respect our digestion—it is the gateway between the food we put in our mouths and the nurturance our bodies receive.

Take a moment and feel your stomach: take a deep breath, deep enough so you can actually feel the middle of your body. Bring your awareness down from your thinking mind and into your body. It is, after all, the temple that is housing your soul.

Make this your resolution: This year I will be kind to my body.

Staying Friends After Divorce

Staying Friends After Divorce

by Energy HealingFeaturedRelationships

It doesn’t have to be a horror show. Divorce, that is. It doesn’t even have to be a battle. True, the marriage is ending. Your role is changing. You didn’t think it would happen to you, but it is. Even when you have all the money in the world.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Bezos, are sitting on a billion dollar fortune, 30 times over. So money obviously wasn’t the problem in their relationship. But people change over a quarter of a century. McKenzie is a novelist, although she worked as an accountant back at the beginning of Amazon. When it was up and running successfully, she stepped out of the business to concentrate on writing and raising their four children. Jeff is busy being a business mogul and the world’s richest man. Desires change, directions shift. Last week they announced their divorce in a joint statement on Twitter. I think it’s important to read the whole tweet.

“We want to make people aware of a development in our lives. As our family and close friends know, after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends. We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other. If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again. We’ve had such a great life together as a married couple, and we also see wonderful futures ahead, as parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures. Though the labels might be different, we remain a family, and we remain cherished friends.”

Isn’t that an incredible attitude toward a divorce!

How is it even possible? How can you split up and still be friends? Aren’t you supposed to hate the other, say bad things about them to the kids, and never see each other or speak again unless absolutely necessary?

A successful relationship is built on mutual respect, admiration, and affection. And over the long term, like 25 years of marriage, two individuals learn how to manage any conflict between them. They trust each other, and share a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. Obviously something has to change for a marriage to split up, and the Bezos have not been forthcoming on whatever situation created their divorce, but they are handling it as mature adults. They aren’t blaming each other. They speak respectfully about each other. They plan to continue sharing their lives—from the divorce announcement itself to raising their four children—as friends, just not as husband and wife.

You may think, well, of course there’s no problem; they have all the money in the world. But money isn’t the only point of contention in the breakup of a relationship; often it’s simply a divergence of interests. It’s not a sign of failure to divorce; instead, focus on all the good things that you got out of the relationship, and be grateful for them. Remember the affection that first brought you together. Respect the person enough to say kind things about them to the kids, co-workers, and friends. You want to go in different directions, but don’t want to lose the other. You started as friends and can stay friends.

I have a student who, when she got divorced, shared a lawyer with her soon-to-be ex, who wrote up their settlement together, saving many dollars and much animosity. They were married 20 years and are still friends, now many years later, working with each other on projects. It is possible.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that there isn’t personal heartbreak. Divorce can be traumatic but you should not feel like you failed; there is no moral rule that a relationship must last a lifetime. Be pleased with the good times that you did have and leave the relationship with as much love and respect as you entered into it. You’ll be glad you did.

You are a Vital Part of the Universe

You Are a Vital Part of the Universe

by ChakrasEnergy HealingFeatured

There are still a few days left in the seasonal opening that occurs around the winter solstice, a time period running from December 12 through January 12, for deep spiritual exploration.

So I want you to do something. Even though it’s cold, step outside on a clear night and look up at the great vault of the heavens at the vast number of stars. Those tiny pinpoints of light are actually large celestial bodies, all moving through space in the stately dance of our solar system. And our solar system is only one among many.

Send your awareness out, out beyond our planet; out beyond our solar system with its orbiting planets, moons, asteroids, and comets; out beyond the multiple suns in our Milky Way galaxy; and further out beyond the billions of distant galaxies that make up our universe. There is no stopping point, no boundary, no end.

You are as vast as the universe

As you look out into the enormity of space, do you feel small? Insignificant? Powerless? Do you feel like “you” stops at your skin? While it’s true that your physical body, one of 7.7 billion on our planet, is infinitesimally tiny when compared to the universe, you are made from the same stardust as the huge celestial orbs of multiple galaxies.

You are as vast as the universe. You hold within yourself the infinity of cosmic creation, the birthing of stars, the mystery of life. As Walt Whitman wrote in “Song of Myself”: “I am large, I contain multitudes.”

When you allow yourself to expand into the boundless and limitless universe, you connect to your own immensity. Yes, you are the child of Mother Earth and Father Sky, an amalgam of dark and light, conflict and harmony, imperfections and stunning abilities. You contain multitudes. And the universe recognizes your unique existence, just as it acknowledges every spark of life in each plant, animal, and human on earth, each seeking its own merging with the light into the unity of universal unconditional love.

Outer and inner space

One of my students visited the Kennedy Space Center over the holidays and told us how impressed she was by the enormous size of the Saturn V rocket that blasted the Apollo astronauts to the moon, and the courage it took for those early space travelers to sit atop that monstrous rocket about to be hurled into the unknown with the force of 7.5 million pounds of thrust. And yet going to the moon is but a baby step in the exploration of outer space.

“Inner” space also seeks to be known. As many questions as scientists have about outer space and the planets and stars of our solar system and beyond, so do you have questions about the unknowns of your own inner space. What is my purpose here? Who am I? What is my path to happiness? The rocketship that launches you into this type of discovery is meditation and other contemplative practices—ones that make you look inside.

One of the seven principles of Hermes Trismegistus, written in the Hermetic sacred texts, is: As within, so without; as above, so below. This interconnectedness of all things is one of the great secrets of life. What you think and feel inside yourself is expressed or reflected in the outer world. It means there needs to be harmony between your inner spiritual realm and the physical world you inhabit (including your body) in order to grow in consciousness and expand into the furthest reaches of inner and outer space.

All the great spiritual teachers have expounded on the same lesson. Plato called self-knowledge the “very essence of knowledge.” Confucius instructed the Chinese emperor to deal honestly within himself as well as dealing honestly with all in his empire. Muhammad put it like this: “That which perceives this world is sight, while that which perceives the World of the Unseen is insight.”

In the Vedic Upanishads, it is said:

“Thus we look to the world

Without and see not the Self within us.

A sage withdrew his senses from the world

Of change and, seeking immortality,

Looked within and beheld the deathless Self.”

As you stand outside on a cold winter’s night, gazing up at the endless firmament, the vast dome of the heavens, breathe as one with the universe. Your breath is the breath of the universe. Your eyes are its eyes. Its pulsing heart is the beat of your heart. You are as immeasurable as the stars, which shine with your reflected light.

In these next few days, feel how expansive you and your chakras really are. Know that you, a tiny dot of physicality on the third planet around a single sun, are a vital part of the universe. And as you awaken, so does the cosmos.

Mother in the new year

5 Ways to Replenish Your Divine Feminine (and Why Now is the Ideal Time to Do It)

by Divine FeminineEnergy HealingFeatured

5 Ways to Replenish Your Divine Feminine (and Why Now is the Ideal Time to Do It)

The beginning is always a birth, and a birth needs a mother. The same is as true for the beginning of a new year as it is for the start of any new life. The Mother comes first.

Many cultures throughout history have birthed their Sun gods in late December or early January. In Hellenistic times in Greece, on the night of the January 5th, Aion, or time, was born from his mother Kore, the Virgin. Early Christians chose December 25 as the day of Christ’s birth from a Virgin, the same day the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis gave birth to her son Horus, a sky god who contained the sun and the moon and was thus the god of light.

Why was December 25th the birthday of solar deities? Because the Roman calendar considered December 25th the traditional date of the winter solstice, even though it was off from the astronomical solstice. By December 25th, you can actually see that the sun is returning. Early Christians chose that date because it was the return of the light, thus connecting the birth of Jesus with the birth of Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun.

Christians were not the only ones to recognize the days between the Winter Solstice on December 21st, when the return of the light begins, and January 10th as the period of time that rightfully belongs to the returning light as it is birthed by the Mother.

Images of Isis with Horus on her lap became the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus when the temples of Isis were turned into Christian cathedrals. In her temple at Philae, Isis was herself worshipped as a Sun Goddess and as the Sun itself. An inscription at that temple says Isis is the “One Who illumines the Two Lands with Her radiance…”

Isis herself was born at this time of year. The Egyptian calendar had 360 days and added the “epagomenal”—five days at the end of the year to complete the 365 days of the solar year. During those extra five days, the Egyptian goddess Nut gave birth on the first day to Osiris, on the second to Horus the Elder, on the third to Set, and on the fourth to Isis.

Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of Mary on January 1st, the Octave (8th) day of Christmastide. In 1960, Pope John XXIII gave the day fully to Mary and the part she played in the “mystery of salvation.”

All of that is to say the Divine Feminine energy is uppermost, and most available to you, from mid-December to mid-January, when the mother births the return of the light. The feminine part of your consciousness, whether you are male or female, is responsible for nurturance, intuition, empathy, creation, community, collaboration, and the feeling rather than thinking sense.

So how can you replenish your divine feminine at this auspicious time of year? Or as the ancient Sumerians put it: “In Hestia, the darkest month, a tiny light is born. Our Lady, Inanna, the Queen of Heaven, in Her Mother’s arms, shines forth on the grey dawn.”

Here are a few suggestions for bringing the light of the divine feminine more strongly into your life:

Try cooperation instead of competition

Climbing the ladder of success by stepping on other people is the masculine image of competition. Other people are seen as possible threats and you have to fight for what’s yours. But when you operate out of your divine feminine, others are seen as allies or mentors that you want to bring into your circle, not keep them out. The circle, not the hierarchical ladder, is the symbol of the divine feminine energy of inclusion.

Intuition, not just rationality.

The cognitive mind does a great job at thinking, but often misses the wisdom that is available from the senses of the body. Your mind may say “I’m confident I can do this,” while your stomach is “tied up in knots.” Listen to your body. Listen to the intuitive sense that says “stay away from this guy” rather than thinking, “what a great job he has.” Meditation is the master key to strengthening your intuition.

Seek balance.

You may be working on “loving everyone,” but have you allowed into yourself the love that is offered to you by others? Is the energy you expend balanced with the energy you take in? Are you taking care of yourself as well as caring for others? Are of head and heart in balance? Are your chakras in alignment?

Help Mother Earth.

We have dishonored the Great Mother in the way mankind has treated Gaia, our beloved planet Earth. Spend some time caring for the earth in any way you can—recycling; planting trees; cleaning the waters; using alternative forms of energy; clearing your house of toxic chemicals; eating more plant-based food than animals; living in harmony with the plant and animal kingdoms.

Listen, and keep your heart open.

The divine feminine is birthed in an open heart and receptive frame of mind.

So before you take down all those Christmas lights, or put away the menorah that held the Hanukkah candles, or light the seven candles in the Kwanzaa kinara, or get out the lanterns for Chinese New Year, or remember all the floating lights of Diwali, think about how you can birth this new year and strengthen your divine feminine connection to the light.

 

This is the ideal time of year to awaken the Divine Feminine energy within you, to discover this sacred power of healing and grace, so you can see the world with clear eyes and a full heart. To begin your journey towards activating your sacred feminine energy and connecting to your soul’s wisdom, so you can live a life of beautiful radiance, click here.