http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/surrender-your-concepts.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/surrender-your-concepts.html Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600
To be who "you" are - the one that is already true of you in this very moment right now - will have you letting go of, surrendering and leaving alone the activity of you trying to be something that is notyou.

You cannot be realized as the divine one that is currently flowing through the eyes of this mindbody that you find yourself flowing through while you persist in attempting to "be" the mindbody. This mindbody is notyou. Who "you" are still is of course, for you cannot get away from this "you" of you no matter what you get up to or which way you may turn, but you will not be realizing who "you" are; you will not be "being" this "you" of you.

You are going to have to surrender and leave alone this constant and consistent unconscious activity of you trying to be who you think you are if you wish to enter the freedom and magnitude of the beingness of this "you" of you – the divine one.

You cannot enter the journey of self and heart discovery while hanging onto the attempts of trying to be who you think you are. You can be very disappointed about how you cannot see the brightness of self; how you are not immersed in the wonder and glory of the heart; how you just cannot realize the divinity of this "you" of you; how your sincerity has not brought you to the immediacy of this freedom that you so deeply desire.

You are going to have to surrender this motion of what it is that you keep on doing so automatically and unconsciously, moment after moment. You are going to have to bring conscious attention to what you are doing on a momentary basis – have you not noticed how you have a tremendous aversion to being consciously attentive in any given moment?

You will have to become aware of what you are doing or where you are coming from moment by moment – and you begin one moment at a time. Who "you" are is already here and a happening thing; it is flowing through the very eyes of this mindbody that you keep on misidentifying yourself to be; find this "you" of you that is already flowing through and stop at and as this one that is "you".

Learn to do this on a momentary basis and you will awaken out of the nightmare of the creation of unlove that you take to be your ordinary and daily existence. You may well be inspired by others to try and awaken to your heart but if you do not learn to shift the focus of attention to the conscious immediacy of this "you" of you that is already true of you, then you are going to be blind to the "seeing and being" of who "you" already are – you will be left with still attempting to be who you think you are with the added bonus of trying to do even more things from the same standpoint of not "being" the one that is true of "you".

You cannot be the unconditional heart - even though "you" are already this one – while you persist in trying to be who you think you are, this mindbody that you find yourself flowing through.

Who "you" are is the energetic "aliveness" that is flowing through your very eyes right now. It will carry you to and into the beyondness that is this one that is who "you" are.

Your conscious attention must be aligned to this "motion of seeing" that is flowing through the eyes of this mindbody that you find yourself so intimately involved with and you must come to being deeply at rest in and as this one, for the immediate "being" of this "you" of you that "you" already are; where you are completely free as the very heart of existence itself.

--
For those of you who are ready to no longer be lost, visit Elysha’s website for more free information - http://www.elysha.org

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/a-general-look-at-alchemy-part-3.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/a-general-look-at-alchemy-part-3.html Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
The Philosopher's Stone is a catalyst that transmutes an object to its highest expression. With the application of the Stone, for instance, base metals are transformed into gold; men are changed into gods. The stone is a prime requisite in Alchemy and Hermeticism, without it the state of regeneration and resurrection are not attained.

Legends of mystical stones are to be found in various cultures; for instance, taoists refer their stone as the "Stone of Wisdom." The Burmese called theirs "the Stone of Live Metal."Muslims venerate a stone that lies reposed in the kaaba. This stone is said to be a fragment of a meteorite. It is traditionally believed to be white in hue but because of the sins of men, it turned black. There is a stone called "Cintamani" said to be a state jewel of the mystical and mythical city of Shamballa. Shamballa is believed to exist in the etheric plane above the Gobi desert. Esoterically speaking, "Cintamani," or the "love-jewel," represents the perfect expression of the anahata, or heart chakra, the enlightened mind, or bodicitta. When a seeker is told to acquire Cintamani, the unfoldment of the heart chakra is meant. This has its parallel with the Grail Quest in that, microcosmically speaking, a spiritual principle within man is the object of the search. This is further supported by the tradition that King Solomon's temple was built without the sound of tools. A certain stone called "shamir" was used to fashion the Temple. Esoterists know that the Temple refers to the causal body, the vessel clothing the Monad, the Spirit of Man. The Temple, or the causal body is built with the shimmering stone of virtues, good works, and an enlightened mind. These are nourishment that beautifies the Temple.

Perfect Love is truly a catalyst. Its power transforms human expression into that of the divine. Love is an aspect of the buddhic component within man; alchemically speaking, it is described as the gluten of the White Eagle.

From the above it can be gathered that the Philosopher's Stone is no stone in an ordinary sense. This is stressed repeatedly by alchemists in their writings. They declare that the Stone is made out of the First Matter, and is composite of the four elements. The Stone is believed to be hidden within man. Powers of the Godhead are ascribed to this fabulous Stone. Its appearance, so say the alchemists, is unsightly to look at, is to be found in filth, and is valueless to the majority of men. Since there are various categories of alchemy, it is probable that the Stone differs at each alchemical level, taking on a different characteristic and nature.

Aside from Love, other aspects of God, of Omneity, can be said to be the Stone, such as Supreme Reason, Wisdom, Power and Light. These qualities all have the ability to purify and illumine body, mind, and soul. To acquire the Stone is to discover Truth, Reality, and the Absolute, the "fixed," the non-aggregate--and this is the Magnum Opus--to experience and to know Reality veiled by the "adversary," "deceiver," "opposer," or "maya." It is the sublimest work any person can do.It fulfills the old adage: "Man, know thyself." The Stone derives its power from the highest aspect of man, from his divine Self which is essentially a spark of God.

Christ is sometimes described as a stone--a corner stone that is also at the same time its peak--which architecturally, describes a pyramidal structure; in the above sense, Christ, Light, Life, and Love are synonymous, for they all partake the nature of the Stone; they all have the capacity to transmute man's being. Christ Consciousness is the Stone that transmutes man holistically.

The heart of the crown chakra, and the heart chakra anchored to the thymus gland, are sites where the stone unfolds its power. Within the crown, the sahasrara chakra, the Christ Stone magnetizes the head centers and crystallizes in the brain ventricles, resulting in the manifestation of hormones and nectars of a spiritual quality that flows into the blood stream and raising the vibratory rate of the body's atomic-structure. This transformed blood is the saving blood of Christ.

There is a divine flame of life, anchored in the heart. When nourished by the mystic Stone, by the Love--Life--Light principle, it radiates energy and magnetism to the surrounding area--to the thymus gland, to the pericardiac sac and fluid, and to the heart itself. It regenerates the blood cells as the blood stream circulates through the heart and lungs resulting in youth, vitality and radiant health. Hindu yogis declare that those who do not love, grow old quickly. In the light of the above, the "how" and "why" are easily discerned.

There are occultists who believe that the Philosopher's Stone represents a certain gnosis transmitted to worthy aspirants by Adepts of the Art. This Stone, then, concerns doctrines of mystical/occult principles that allows one to attain perfection in a single life time. Initiation and ritual play a vital role in this transmission. By applying esoteric principles, the aspirant is transformed into a master soul. An Adept is in a sense the Philosopher's Stone, for his very presence transmutes all who are fortunate enough to come into contact with him.


The First Matter

Nothing comes from nothing, therefore, matter and life must have had a source. The Absolute is that source; it is the Supreme Reality, and it is constantly emanating and absorbing back into Itself the energies and intelligences that manifest universes into existence. Out of the Absolute, there is an effluence of Prakriti and Purusha--Cosmic Root Substance and Cosmic Mind-Consciousness-Intelligence. These two principles are personified by Shiva and Shakti.

Cosmic Root Substance is the Prima Materia, the First Matter, or "Chaos," from which all elements and substance proceed. It is spirit energy unstructured as yet into particles of matter by the Cosmic Mind. Hindu mystics sometimes call First Matter "Akasha," meaning "Space."

Cosmic Mind creates by presenting a form, a thought-form, a blue-print of the intended manifestation, and coalescing around it the required substance from Prima Materia. First, the fluidic energies are concentrated into electrons, protons, and other subatomic particles; they are later combined to form an atom, which possesses the germ of "the Seed," the atomic number and structure of the blue-print and thoughtform of what it will eventually become. Atoms are then grouped to molecules which are later formed into a mass cognizable by the senses. The substance then fills the form-image, the "husk" of the Seed.

The mind of Man, being part of the Cosmic Mind, has the potential of creating in a similar manner as the Supreme Creator. Only when Man truly reflects the image of his creator will he be given authority to do so.

Alchemists declare that the First Matter is to be found within Man. Actually, our whole universe is permeated with it. It is everywhere present but no where manifested until magnetized by the Mind.

Differentiation between Matter and Consciousness is solely an illusion existing at the surface of Reality. The Many in its relative existence can be reduced to one--the Absolute, the Supreme Being. Qabalistically speaking, The fruits of the Tree of Life are absorbed into Ain Sof and Ain Sof Aur; these are reduced in their essence to Ain, the One, the All, the Unknowable.


The Seed

In a figurative sense, the alchemical seed, just like an ordinary seed, possesses both germ and husk--the male and female qualities. As applied to alchemy, the germ is the atomic number and the "DNA" of the substance, while the husk is the form that the substance would fill. Thoughtforms are seeds. They are blue-prints that manifest in the physical plane when magnetized and substantialized with the First Matter.

Alchemical Seeds are archetypes--the essences or germs of manifestations, and that which is in the process of being manifested. Everything has a seed, a conception of what a thing is destined to be. Mind, the Director, the Philosopher's Stone, nourishes Seeds with Prima Materia.

The following are the probable steps used by medieval alchemists for a transmutation on the physical level: first, the base metal is molten down--the heat of the flame has a transforming effect on the molecular level. Secondly, at a certain point of the operation, the mind of man comes into play, controlling and directing at atomic and subatomic levels--changing the vibratory rate, the atomic number and structure into gold. It is said that to make gold we must have gold. This does not refer to the adding to base metals a piece of gold. This seed of gold, is a seed in the form of an electronic pattern or blueprint of gold held in one's higher consciousness. The mind must be in a gold-consciousness state.

On a transcendental level, to transmute oneself into a god, one would require a god-pattern, a god-ideal visualized and meditated upon. Once the picture is perfected one assumes or identifies oneself with it, keeping it constantly in mind even after the meditation session. This would result in an increased vibratory rate of the various principles composing Man. Technically, the mind of Man synchornizes with the god-archetype, and by magnetic induction, is transformed into the god. Visualization, or mental imaging, is the method used with which the archetype is established. Precipitation may occur instantly, as in a paranormal manifestation, or after a lapse of time depending on the nature and magnitude of the archetype.

The processes described above appear to be one of the great Hermetic secrets of the Egyptian Mysteries. The methods correspond with the practices of Vajrayana in Tibetan Buddhism, as for instance, the discipline of the "divine pride" of being a Buddha.

Ethically speaking, before man attempts to put the forces of nature into action, it is expedient that he contemplates as to the worthiness of his designs. If his designs do not fit nor fulfill divine requirements, then bringing them into manifestation would simply be a violation of Cosmic law, and consequently, may be regarded as an operation of black magick. According to Martinism, it is this very violation of the Law that brought about "the Fall" of Adam Kadmon.


Mercury-Sulphur-Salt

According to alchemists, Mercury, Salt and Sulphur are the three-fold aspects of all phenomena--to be found in all compounds of a mineral or organic nature. It is postulated that by differing the proportions of each aspect in a compound, would cause a transmutation to occur. Mercury, as well as Salt and Sulphur, are not the common vulgar materials so used to effect a transmutation. This is made clear by exponents of the Royal Art.

Esoterically, Mercury represents Spirit, Salt--Body; and Sulphur--Soul. Every phenomenon and object in Nature is believed to possess these three attributes. It is thought that by separating each aspect of an aggregate substance, purifying, and then recombining them, the result would be a total refinement of the object.

Philosophically speaking, Mercury is the Mind; Salt--Will and Wisdom; Sulphur--Love. The three are components or principles of the Philosopher's Stone, and they work potently to transmute any base metal or character into golden perfection. Without these principles, the coveted Stone is ineffectual in its capacity to change vibratory rates.

Sulphur moulds a person into a balanced individual, with the desire and motive to act creatively; Salt actually bestows the individual with the will and power to act; while Mercury, the intellectual principle, is the coordinating factor of both Sulphur and Salt. Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt together with the mysterious Azoth, the Divine Fire, or "Scamayim," are the attributes of the Stone, and they work wonders when applied knowledgeably. These triune principles and Azoth correspond to the Christian Trinity and teh feminine principle personified by Mary. Azoth is the Shakti aspect of the triune godhead.


The Seven Metals

Metals in the world of alchemy and esotericism, in general, represents various conditions and principles to be found in Man and Nature. For instance, metals may represent the seven components or bodies making-up the being called "Man"; the seven exoteric rays from the Great Central Sun; and the seven major chakras within the subtle body. The seven metals also correspond to the seven angels presiding over the rays; to the seven archangels, the seven Chohans, the seven pairs of Elohims, etc.

Symbolically, the seven metals represent the seven planets known to the ancients--counting also the sun and moon, which are not planets proper, but a solar body and a satellite. The correspondences are as follows: gold-Sun, silver-Moon, lead-Saturn, mercury-Mercury, tin-Jupiter, iron-Mars, and copper-Venus.

The true subject of alchemy is Man--Man is the object of the transmutation. The alchemist is at once the subject and the object, the operator and that which is operated upon. Metals are associated with elements of Man's character. Pure gold is the character of a "perfect" person--it is the manifestation of that perfection already inherent within man's highest principle.

Within the etheric body, the chakras are the microcosmic planets. In Gichtel's "Theosophia Practica," a diagram is shown of a human being with the position of the orbs placed in the body. This indubitably reveals the fact that the chakras were known by Occidental mystics in the past centuries and played an important role in their spiritual tradition. The seven seals in Revelation is indeed another "revelation" of this fact.

Compassion is one of the Ego's highest feelings for other life-units who are struggling in the business of living. The sense of unity with all life around is an indication of one's growing realization of God. Being "my brother's keeper" is no longer a burden to such a person advancing in the spiritual path; it is a dharma or duty that one feels a privilege in obeying--of being true to Self. It was because of such a sense of duty that spiritual alchemists embarked upon the search for a Universal Panacea to cure the ills, suffering, and pain of a fallen humankind.

Pain, illnesses, and imbalances may be found in various levels of the microcosm--the physical, emotional, mental, etc. The Universal Panacea, in general, can be said, to be principles and laws of God that would establish harmony and health if applied.

Physical pain and illness are the result of a lack of prana, of the life-force, or "Mumia," as Paraclesus called it, into the psycho-biological system. This interrupted flow is mainly the result of a psychic condition unleashed by negative thoughts and emotions. When the channels or prana-influx are purified, when the Yin and Yang, the positive and negative polarities within the body are well-balanced, when the four elements residing in the body are in a state of equilibrium, then health should result.

There is a higher source of the life-essence that is rayed from the Great Central Sun directly to the Monad and down to the Atma of man, and this is associated with the flame of life residing in the physical heart. Daily devotions to the flame within and to the "Father who art in heaven," causes a descent of the essences of life, of the Atmic fire, into the quaternary vehicles of Egoic expression and results in a regeneration of the whole psychobiological system.

A surplus of the life-force within the body is radiated-out and forms an aura of protection around the corpus. There are, however, major terminal points where the life-force flow out in a concentrated state. The hands are just two of these terminal points. The energy radiated out from these chakras are called by various names: Od-force, animal magnetism, nerve energy, etc. Egyptian mystics of bygone days called it "Sa-Ankh."

There is an interesting concept concerning the above principle and the Atmic fire. When concentrating and meditating upon the Atma, the higher forces tends to flow more abundantly, and this energy together with the solar, lunar, and earth prana, when imbued upon a substance, such as water, would cause the fluid to be charged with life-essences capable of restoring the sick into wholeness when consumed by them.

This magnetically charged water can be considered as one of the manifestations of the Elixir of lIfe, the Nectar of the gods, or the Universal Panacea. Tantric icons of deities are sometimes depicted as holding a vessel of nectar in their hands. Evidently, a certain law and principle are indicated by this mudra. Practitioners of meditation would do well to experiment holding in their hands a cup of water during meditation and consuming it directly after the meditation session. The result could be invigorating and vivifying to the psycho-biological system, reinforcing the vital forces already present.


Fire

Fire is essentially divine, emanating as it does from the godhead. "God is a consuming fire," is a well-known expression to be found in holy scriptures. Fire purifies and accelerates the motion of atomic particles--it increases their vibration. Fire is a creative principle, a divine tool in Shiva's hand, transforming and transmuting matter to spirit, and spirit to matter. Heraclitus considered fire to be the first principle from whence all things owe their existence; by "fire" he meant the Divine fire, the "Scamayim" of the Qaballists that is continuously being outpoured by Ain Sof. The center of this emanation in our solar system is the sun. In man, it is the Monad. This indicates that all that is, is essentially fire.

Man, the Monad, is a spark of Fire from the Great Central Sun; all of Man's principles are fire in lesser manifestation and intensity. A spark of the Monad lies hidden in Man's heart. Fueling this flame with daily devotions of Right Action, Right Thought, Right Speech, meditation and prayer, increases the power, wisdom, and love of the divine nature of Man--this is spiritually represented by the threefold nature of the heart-flame, the fleur-de-lis.

Adepts of alchemy advise their students to work on the Prima Materia with the Internal and External Fire; that is, the fires of the mind, kundalini, Christ substance, sexual energy, prana, and chemical fire. This teaching of master minds reveals that fire manifests in various ways in visible and non-visible worlds. Fire is defined as "an internal activity whose external manifestation are heat and light."

Fire was worshipped in various ancient cultures as a manifestation of the Supreme Being. Initiates of the temples invoked the Divine Fire within their beings in their daily rituals of adoration and esoteric exercises. Alchemy continues the tradition of honoring the fiery principle, however, adding a new dimension to the rites of worship by applying it practically and scientifically.

Mythologically, Prometheus was said to have stolen fire from heaven and given it to primitive man, to the displeasure of the gods, for humankind was not yet ready to use this principle in a creative, unselfish manner. The secrets of Fire was subsequently withdrawn, but not completely, for here and there, the sons (initiates) of those gods came of age and were, consequently, entrusted with the mysteries of fire and were given the authority to wield the force intelligently, wisely, and compassionately for the benefit of all beings.

In nanotechnology, a science still in the theoretical stage, miniature machines on the nano scale are hoped to be realized by future generations. The problem faced by scientist today is the creation of the first nano-machine, a "universal assembler," that would create other machines and parts composing of selected molecules and which would later be programmed to do special work. One of their ideas of developing this nano universal-assembler is to create a tiny assembler in the millimeter scale that would in turn create another assembler of a smaller dimension, and so on until it reaches the nano scale. This technology when realized, has a wide range of application in the fileds of medicine, ecology, and industry. The potential for abuse is also inherent. In a sense this infant science is related to alchemy, for its development is applicable in the art of transmutation and precipitation on the physical level. Using their own terminology, it is the fires of the alchemist's mind that is the "universal assembler."

Fire fascinates and hypnotizes man, almost bearing him away to higher realities, as allegorized by the myth of Zeus in the form of an eagle snatching away Ganymede to the heavens. The closer one approaches God's fiery presence, the more one is cleansed of all karmic sins lodging and ossifying the four lower bodies.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

--
Leonard Lee aka Luxamore

Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.

Arabian Nights Magick: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.

Animal Totem Pearls: Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/glimpses-of-esoteric-christianity-part-6.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/glimpses-of-esoteric-christianity-part-6.html Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt 5:48)

The Nazarene Master uttered the above verse to the masses, who for centuries have overlooked the significance and importance of the mandate. Even the priesthood do not seem to stress this commandment, teaching instead the erroneous concept of the original sinful nature of man, and his redemption by an external saviour. Supposedly we were born in sin, live in sin, and die in sin; and that there is no way that we will be saved from eternal damnation in hell unless we develop a blind faith in the divinity and the sole sonship of God of a certain individual. This belief contradicts various esoteric precepts of Jesus, including the statement in Genesis, that God created man--gods, in fact, according to Psalms--and saw that his creation was good. Why do we see something as bad when God saw it as good? Certainly, we see imperfectly--cause we see only the form, not the spirit.

It is apparent to the progressive mind that the quotation above hints at the law of evolution, and to one's effort in accelerating one's spiritual development. Perfection is the destiny and purpose of life within the form of each life-unit. "Father" in the opening verse of this chapter represents the archetype of man, the Adam Kadmon, the spiritual image in which each human consciousness is to grow into. Man came forth as a spark of God, with a blueprint of perfection as his spiritual identity. Man is to manifest that perfection in the world of form by reflecting the identity and qualities of the macrocosm within his lower being. Because of the impossibility of attaining perfection in a single embodiment, Nature has designed a system whereby the opportunity to mature into perfection can take place. This system is the cycle of reincarnation. Since we have already dealt with certain fundamentals of reincarnation in a previous topic, we will not repeat them here.

We have all heard the cliche that "nobody's perfect." Every lie that contains a little truth is readily accepted by the unthinking mind, and this cliche constitutes a lie which was wrought by the serpentine mind of the fallen angels, the adversary of mankind--to stall, to retard, and to prevent man's reintegration with his Source; to immobilize his spiritual movement upward in the evolutionary spiral. The reiteration of such "heinous" words acts as a suggestion to the subconscious levels of the minds of men compelling them to believe that such a goal whose mark was set by Life, by God, is unattainable by man. We should free ourselves from such a false notion; for to believe in it, is to cease to think, to act, and to speak righteously and divinely. Human perfection, in the sense of manifesting divine qualities, is attainable, and there are men and women who have secured this exalted state. They are the masters of destiny; and the fundamental difference between them--the masters and immature human souls, is their personal vibratory rate, their soul-frequency--the frequency of consciousness and its manifestations.

Though perfection be relative, man may attain human perfection--this is godhood; and on the scale of divinity, this is but an imperfect state of godliness.

Perfection is attained gradually by personal labor, by ego-effacement and SELF-placement. The attainment of perfection in stages rather than on a particular day of resurrection at the last trumpet call was one of the profound teachings of Origen. Another writer on Christian principles, Thomas a Kempis, declared in his literary work, "the Imitation of Christ" that,

"If every year we rooted out one vice, we should soon become perfect man."

Perfection is Christhood, the universal destiny of all children of the light. True Christians are those who manifest Christ in their daily lives--this is true worship. This state of being is the "Second-Coming" of the Gnostics, of those who interpret the precepts of the Nazarene Master in an esoteric manner. The Christ savior is man's reality, man's Real Self, man's cosmic blueprint with which he will ultimately out-picture in his waking consciousness, not in some future time in heavenly worlds, but right here and now. Everything that is expected to be attained in Heaven in the afterlife is to be attained now. St. Paul understood this teaching, and he conveyed it to others who were ready and prepared to receive it. He said that the Christ within is our "hope and glory" (Col 1:27), and that we should form this Son of God within us (Gal 4:19).

Jesus, the man, became the Christ and therefore showed us the way, the method to which Christhood is to be attained. "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6), exclaimed Jesus, thus indicating to us his role as an exemplar, a model with which we should emulate in attaining our own Christhood, our own Sonship of the Godhead. It is, therefore, evident that we attain salvation not by believing, in depending on another being to save us from our own human faults, weaknesses, and sins, but by replacing the human-ness of our being with the virtues of our own Christ Reality through our own personal effort in manifesting Christ in our daily consciousness, by eliminating the sense of a false ego, "the beast that was, and is not, and yet is" (Rev 17:11,18). There is much necessary repetition in this work--our paper is designed to awaken the slumbering soul.

The false ego and ignorance, as the roots of all vices veils the individual from his divinity. Spirituality is the state of identification and manifestation of the true Self of man; this also entails the non-identification of the Self with the flesh, emotions, and mind. This is one of the first and, paradoxically, last vital step that the aspirant has to undertake along the Path of Ascension. It is imperative that the heart be awakened, that bodhicitta, or compassion and the awareness of the true nature of things be developed. It is said that Love is blind. This is an erroneous notion. Lust is blind, Love is super-sight. Be being possessed by Love man's consciousness and senses expand to encompass the other expressions of Nature. The lower self should be effaced and decentralized. By non-clinging to the false-ego, the greater life is attained. The man who lives for sensual pleasures alone is a man who is in a state of death. St. Paul puts it this way:

" . . . to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)

No matter what religion, sect, or belief system we follow or do not follow, our task is clearly before us, the task of attaining perfection. Reintegrating with the Father in an imperfect state benefits not the Omniversal Collective. We initially emerged in such a state--we should courageously return being something more. If the concept were true, that one is "saved" by merely having faith in a saviour, then imperfect men would find their way to Heaven--these men would soon turn Paradise into a living Hell because of their vices and negative expressions. Death does not transform an individual into an angel of Light, nor does mere beliefs or faith. Our own level of consciousness determines where we will be in the cosmic scheme of things.

Liberation from mortal limitations and finitude is acquired when one's will is aligned with God-will, when one's consciousness is one with God-consciousness. This mystical condition was the consciousness-level acquired by Saints and Sages of all ages. For instance, there was Enoch, who walked with God, and then lost his identity in the Light of his divinity, his ego was "not," being displaced by the expression of his true spiritual SELF (Gen 5:24). What one man has done, another man can do; all that is required is sincerity, perseverance, effort, discipline and practice--"practice makes perfect."

The union of our soul with the Godhead is preceded by our living the Christ life. The virtues of Christ should be our daily expression. They are like beads that we strand with the string of love and adorn ourselves with. The only beings privileged to be denizens of God's kingdom are beings who have acquired perfection. To reiterate our message above, imagine, if you will, those who are spiritually immature allowed entry into the "Kingdom of God," they would turn the place upside down--pandemonium is the result. There is order in the universe--especially so in the celestial spheres; even the primeval chaos is order when seen from divine perspectives. That only perfection exists in the kingdom of God ought to spur us to reconsider the message of Jesus: did he in any way tell us to worship him, or did he tell us to imitate his life, his way of living, and thus become perfect? The answer should be clear enough when considered in the light of natural laws and cross-referenced with other religions.

By acquiring a virtue at a time, we are most certain to reach the goal of human life. The slothful ones await for their salvation by another, the wise ones are captain of their souls, and they take command of the helm of life by giving their Christ presence full control of their ship sailing through the turbulent, and sometimes calm sea of life. The events which occurred to Jesus's life is the story of each soul sojourning in the physical world. Each person will sooner or later undergo the birth of Christ within the consciousness and struggle against the temptations of the carnal mind at the mountain top; each will experience the transfiguration, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension--all of which are related to certain initiations conferred by Life.

To be spiritual, to be holy, one has to constantly focus on one's inherent divinity. Our thinking, acting, and speaking should be spiritually oriented. In the Gospel of Thomas, the Piscean avatar declares that,

"If you will not fast from the world, you will not find the kingdom."


From another literary source, the Pistis Sophia, we find this same precept expressed a little differently:

". . . renounce the world and the whole matter therein."

To be more exact, we should live in the world and not be a part of it; to live as a renunciate amidst the turmoils of life; or in other words, to live as a karma yogi. It is by living the Christ life that we honour and worship the Great One, call it Tao, Allah, Parabrahm, the Absolute, I AM Presence, or what you will; terminology will not change Truth, for Truth is immutable; it may, however, cause schisms and bigotry in the minds of immature souls who are unable to see beyond the form, beyond the letter of the law, and into the Spirit. Unity within apparent diversity should be discerned, for Oneness is Reality, diversity is but an illusion.

Life is leading us to perfection. It offers us opportunities to develop, to unfold, and to manifest the blueprint of our reality, the God-Image that we were so lovingly endowed with. Let us not think that human perfection is the highest goal, for even though a being be humanly perfect, he is still but an imperfect god. There are always higher peaks to be climbed. The subsequent struggle and strivings to be a perfect god is just another step, another cosmic phase of work that would eventually let us rule over even greater things that the mind of man is as yet unable to comprehend. Evolution is the law underlying man's progress, and it is a wise individual who goes with the current and not against it. Please note that when we speak of evolution we refer to the soul or consciousness aspect of the microcosm and not to the physical form itself.

Conquering the resistance of matter, and the carnal mind, is not without its pain, nor paradoxically, its pleasure; however, the sincere alchemist who wishes to transmute his being into God's glorious expression will soon discern the so-called sacrifices that he makes from a spiritual viewpoint. He will consider sacrifices as sacraments offered to the Godhead, and he will offer them with divine reverence and love. Earthly voices will no longer deter him from his obedience to his Holy Christ Self. Such an individual who is close and united with God and his higher spiritual aspects are often regarded as mad by his fellow men. Mass-consciousness will never be able to comprehend the mystical attainment and the sacredness of the spiritual initiate--the little ones of the kingdom. They would stone such a person.

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt18:10)

Life is short and uncertain. It is a pity to pass out of this physical octave without knowing the meaning of life, or to know one's real identity. Going to the beyond through the change of death does not transform us into something that we are not, it does not expand our consciousness, nor does it naturally unfold the light within us; it is a fallacy of orthodox Christianity to maintain that by going to churches or temples, or by professing one's faith to this or that saviour, or dogma, that one would earn a place in the celestial realms, that one would automatically be perfect on the day of reckoning; and this philosophy is preached with a strong fanaticism that blinds its followers of the existence of spiritual beautitides and eternal truths to be found in other mystico-religions. This is Churchianity at its worst--the expression of primitive reasoning and maudlin emotionalism as regards to the false sense of superiority of their beliefs. Orthodox Christianity is not the only religion with such an attitude, however, it is to be found among the followers of most religious system. As said before, perfection requires labour, it needs our personal participation. Leave the work to others and we will be indoctrinated to believe that the world is flat and that it was created in 4004 BC; we would be mobilized and coerced to kill and torture in the name of Religion, Love and God. There is enough evidence of this in profane history. The writer's soul still feel the pangs of these past historical occurrences.


Salvation

The avoidance of entry into a fiery furnace called "Hell" for all eternity is a hopeful goal for exoteric Christians--this they call "salvation." For some it would be better to be in Hell with God than to be in Heaven without His presence. From the esoteric point of view, this belief in Hell as a place created by God is an absurdity. Hell, like heaven, is a state of mind, a state of consciousness, a disposition, and an attitude. Every aggregate, every expression of matter, every phenomenon, is in a state of becoming. There is no permanency in Nature, therefore, such a place as a "lake of fire" to exist eternally is an impossibility. The merciful Father would not be so cruel as to create such a thing and to exile his children therein "forever and ever." God does not punish, but consumes that which is lowly within man so that he would be acceptable in the Spirit's sight.

Creations are transient; emanations of God are eternal in a sense, although they exist according to the cycles of Activity and Rest. To think that a God of Love would create Hell to punish wrong-doers for all eternity is blasphemy. The devil-mind portrays God as one to be feared, one full of wrath, and one who eagerly casts sinful men into a burning ring for His own divine amusement. The devil-mind does not wish the children of Light to approach the Divine Throne and be united with the Supreme Being. This they will stop at all costs.

A false theology is responsible for the perpetration of the concept that man in his inherent nature is a sinful being. To attain the condition called salvation we are indoctrinated to believe that the instrument of spiritual survival is through having faith in another, in a man whom they consider to be the sole son of God--which is really a mask for what they really want us to believe. The truth, as we analyze it, is that the priesthood, with their egoistic nature desire the poor man on the street to consider them and their institution, rather than on self-reliance, as the tool of salvation, and as intermediaries of God. This belief is misleading. It misleads man to byways that go nowhere, but leave him stranded in a labyrinth of delusion. Man, himself, should learn to become his own High Priest without any one to mediate between him and God. This is how Nature would have it; it is what God, and the higher intelligences, the celestial hierarchies would want man to realize. The "sole" son of God is the Christ within, the secret mystery inculcated to disciples by the Gurus of the Esoteric Christian tradition. In Christian mysticism, the growth of the Christ child within is effected by exercises pertaining to the invoked presence and development of divinity. Some of these are given as follows:

Constantly dwelling on the awareness of the presence of God, within and without.

Constantly contemplating the nature of God and God's attributes.

Visualizing and feeding daily God's threefold flame within the heart.

Manifesting in daily life the qualities and nature of God.

Invoking God's concentrated presence (the Shekinah) in one's consciousness

Constantly listening to the "still, small voice," the "Voice of Silence," the reverberating Word of the Supreme.

Increasing the Light quotient in the lower force-field of the microcosm through visualization, prayers, and invocations.

Focusing upon the spiritual star of initiation till it grows within one's being and forms a protective halo around one's head.

Attunement sessions with the Higher Christ Self.

Conservation, sublimation, and the transmutation of force.

Meditation and mystical recitations.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

--
Leonard Lee aka Luxamore

Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.

Arabian Nights Magick: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.

Animal Totem Pearls: Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/what-good-is-prayer-when-it-comes-to-your-health.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/what-good-is-prayer-when-it-comes-to-your-health.html Sun, 17 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600
For some, prayer is a way of actively changing oneself from within. In an interview Hasan Al Turabi, the head of the National Islamic Front in Sudan, sees prayer as a means of personal communication with God, but also as a form of self-improvement. In fact he also says prayer grants your request because it changes you and how you interact with other people. Morning prayers allow you to plan your day. Midday prayers give you a running assessment of how things are going. Night prayers allow you to reflect on what you have done right and wrong and to think about how you might do better tomorrow.

Today 50 of the 130 medical schools in America are teaching courses on spirituality and medicine. And that number is growing every day.

David Larson, M.D., President of the National Institute for Healthcare Research, and adjunct Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Duke Medical Center and Northwestern Medical School, says that spirituality can become of paramount importance in medicine in death and dying. Dr. Larson maintains that 70-75 percent of gravely sick people cope with God's help, and half of those become more religious as they deal with their illness. And in her work with dying patients, Christina Puchalski, M.D., Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Research at the Center to Improve Care of the Dying at George Washington University School of Medicine, and Director of Education at the National Institute for Healthcare Research, has found that number to be even higher, at 80-85 percent. "Man is not destroyed by suffering. He is destroyed by suffering without meaning," wrote Victor Frankl, M.D., in his classic Man's Search for Meaning; and the sick, even more than the healthy, find meaning through spirituality. When thinking of death and dying, patients' stress and anxiety levels go up dramatically, and people with religious commitment have lower levels of death anxiety, more coping skills, and more social support from their congregations. Since one-third of a person's lifetime health care cost is spent in the last year of life, the health benefits of spirituality also lower health care cost.

"I don't think we should just be looking at prayer and religious commitment; we should also look at spirituality in the more general sense of the term," Dr. Larson says. By spirituality, Dr. Larson means your relationship to a transcendent that gives meaning and purpose to your life - this transcendent that is greater than you can be a divine being, God, or something else, such as nature, an energy force, or even art. "Spirituality seems to be helped by a structure," Dr. Larson says; in other words, if you are practicing your spirituality with others within a belief system (e.g., going to church or synagogue or mosque), you seem to be able to reap greater health benefits. "We should look first at spirituality, then at religious or spiritual commitment, and then at the role of prayer in spiritual or religious commitment."

Prayer is communication with a transcendent. This communication can take two forms: prayer as speaking to the transcendent; or meditation as contemplating or listening to the transcendent.

Guide to Prayer

Develop your own spiritual program

Although the choice of a specific faith is not a medical but a personal decision, several physicians now actually recommend that people incorporate spirituality in their lives. "I encourage a spiritual program consisting of a) prayer, b) reading of scripture, c) worship attendance, and d) involvement with a faith community," says Dale A. Matthews, M.D., author of The Faith Factor and Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

a) Prayer: Although I can't create a formula for you because details of prayer are individually based, try to pray every day.
b) Reading of scriptures: Whatever your faith, read some sacred scripture every day.
c) Worship attendance: If you have religious belief, attend a religious service at least once a week.
d) Involvement with a faith community: Become involved with a worship community; find a comfortable place. People in worship communities help and encourage one another through good and bad times.

Of course I am only suggesting that you undertake prayer and worship if you have a religious belief; if you don't, try using meditation by itself.

Dr Leo Kady

--
Dr Leo Kady is a retired physician and researcher and relishes information in a variety of fields. Dr Kady is an editor for uPublish.info ... http://www.upublish.info . Please feel free to peruse more articles on health at uPublish.info

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/wonderful-magickal-mustika-pearls-part-1.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/wonderful-magickal-mustika-pearls-part-1.html Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
It would be appropriate here to explain the word "Mustika": it is from the Kawi language, of an old Javanese origin and translates as, "magick jewel," or "precious stone." Some Indonesian occultists use the word to refer to any magickal object or power. That most western occultists and shamans do not mention animal pearls or pearls originating from plants is quite unusual in itself. One would expect this knowledge to be universal, especially among aboriginal shamans in all parts of the world--yet we find that this is not--as far as we can tell (if anyone can offer us some info on this regard we would greatly appreciate it). In contrast, the shamans of India, China, and South-East Asia are always on the look-out for these occult objects as they hold great power and magickal virtues--powers and virtues often employed in magickal work, mystical rites, spiritual development, and occult healings. In the past, kings, ministers, and noblemen sought for them and paid handsome rewards for those able to acquire them--many have died trying. Unfamiliar with pearls of origin other than oysters, westerners approach the subject with a good deal of skeptism--even those involved in the occult are somewhat surprised at the possibility. This shows that a good deal of work and investigation still lies before the seeker and average practitioner of the occult from the Occident in the probings of Eastern Mysteries. We also still have to hear what open-minded zoologists and botanists have to say about these mustika-pearls.

In Indonesia, a shamanic specialist on the animal kingdom called a "pawang" is normally the one that goes looking for these objects in the jungles and wilderness. Sometimes magickal pearls are acquired in an occult manner directly from the faerie realms where they are guarded by elemental beings--often with considerable psychological struggle. Pawangs are those who speak the "language" of animals, birds and plants. The pawang would meditate and sleep in the wilds requesting Nature for her gifts in the form of mustikas. In dreams or while in the trance-state he is guided by the spirit-dwellers and guardians of the forests and jungles as to where mustikas may be acquired, and sometimes what he has to do in order to acquire them. He is almost always directed to caves, nearby lakes or streams and shown the cadavers or remains of animals or plants and trees where they are found. Animals are never hunted for their pearls, as shamans and pawangs respect them. Nevertheless, pearls are also sometimes found in animals being hunted for food by native huntsmen. It is said that it is the senior members of any animal species or those displaying exceptional qualities that yields mustikas.

Occasionally, ordinary people in a rural environment would have visitations in dreams by the regional spirits. These intelligences would direct someone to accept a special gift from Nature lying at a certain spot. These dreams are often found to be substantially true as the object is located--objects which are normally mustika-pearls.

Why are mustikas so highly valued? Magickal pearls are held in great regard not only because of their scarcity, and sometimes beauty, but also because of the power that resides in them. These pearls are formed with the help of elementals spirits--gnomes, elves, and other etheric beings of Nature. That etheric spirits help to form gems is not quite unknown in western occultism. In the fairy tale, "Snow White," for instance, we read of 7 dwarfs working in their "mines." From the esoteric perspective, they were actually not mining at all, but forming gems and crystals. Tales such as hens laying "golden eggs" possesses some truth if considered in the light of magickal pearls. There are many such golden eggs available. Elementals are Nature's handmaidens and are the hidden forces acting behind all phenomena and natural formations or creations. Elementals help "paint" the flowers and nourish them with prana and the necessary gases. Science calls the latter process osmosis, but behind the physical scene, in the etheric world, one may perceive fairies frolicking among plants, flying to and fro, entering and exiting the stem and leaves of plants taking the pranic globules from the air and into the flora.

Such similar work as the above are being done by elementals in the formation of mustikas. The difference with ordinary gems and crystals is that these elementals eventually make the pearl their dwelling place until released by the destruction of the pearl or for some other cause--thus sometimes we have genuine pearls without the elemental spirit present. Below we quote a paper, "Conversations on Occultism" by H.P. Blavatsky on elementals to give a greater insight on these beings (italics are ours) :

"Student.- If I understand you, an elemental is a centre of force, without intelligence, without moral character or tendencies, but capable of being directed in its movements by human thoughts, which may, consciously or not, give it any form, and to a certain extent intelligence; in its simplest form it is visible as a disturbance in a transparent medium, such as would be produced by 'a glass fish, so transparent as to be invisible, swimming through the air of the room,' and leaving behind him a shimmer, such as hot air makes when rising from a stove. Also, elementals, attracted and vitalized by certain thoughts, may effect a lodgment in the human system (of which they then share the government of the ego), and are very hard to get out.

"Sage.- Correct, in general, except as to their 'effecting a lodgment.' Some classes of elementals, however, have an intelligence of their own and a character, but they are far beyond our comprehension and ought perhaps to have some other name.

"Student.- Am I to understand that a clairvoyant or clairaudient has to do with or is affected by a certain special class or classes of elementals?

"Sage.- Yes. A clairvoyant can only see the sights properly belonging to the planes his development reaches to or has opened. And the elementals in those planes show to the clairvoyant only such pictures as belong to their plane. Other parts of the idea or thing pictured may be retained in planes not yet open to the seer. For this reason few clairvoyants know the whole truth.

"As to the moral character of elementals, they have none: they are colourless in themselves - except some classes - and merely assume the tint, so to speak, of the person using them."

It is the presence of these elementals in pearls that give them an extra feel of power. Normal gemstones and crystals do not have any elemental spirits dwelling in them unless willed by an occult practitioner; mustikas, however, do have an etheric being living in them as a matter of course. Lacking a spirit dweller, a mustika-pearl is still more powerful than an ordinary gemstone or crystal as it possesses the energies of the Guardian Group-Spirit or Intelligences (Animal Totems/ Plant Devas) of the animal/plant species embedded in it.

Some occultist believe that the beings living in mustikas are human spirits, but we feel this to be untrue. Human spirits do not return to dwell in animals or stones but live in the various realms of the astral and higher regions.

Elementals dwelling in pearls are not demonic; although some may be amoral. Some may assist the owner to gamble for instance--directed to do something negative by its master. The elemental would not know the difference between good and evil or the natural law of consequence. Elementals love to imitate human beings in clothings, names and titles. Thus, psychics of high-caliber have found that most elementals adopt the titles and names of saints and kings. These names and titles should not be taken too seriously, but when given by the elementals themselves, they do respond psychically to them. Acquiring the names and details of the elemental dweller is not an easy process, although once acquired and contact made with the pearl-intelligence, many things may be known about the origin of the mustika and its virtues. Yet, psychics who manage to contact the elemental spirit are probably 40-70% accurate in this matter. It should be noted that even without such knowledge, the powers and virtues of a magickal pearl may still be readily felt by those possessing it after a short period of time.

Undeveloped psychics may have trouble detecting and communicating with elementals. Interacting with human spirits and jinns may not pose a problem but elementals may sometime elude them. This is because elementals will not interact with humans that are spiritually unbalanced and have not harmonized their element psychologically within the psyche. For this reason, genuine mustikas or magickal pearls may be mistaken for fakes by psychics who know no better. Sometimes other factors fool people who think they know something about mustikas; two such factors are the color and form of a pearl. When shown a genuine pearl of a certain color and size, like one having its origin from a bamboo plant, for instance, they would search for further bamboo mustikas having only such characteristics--other genuine bamboo pearls of a different form and color would be labeled as "false." This is unreasonable as there is nothing in Nature that are exactly alike. Oyster pearls, as an example, come in various colors, sizes, and forms. Oyster pearls are not always round, they may come in pear-shape forms, as in tear-drops, and even flat pieces resembling angel-wings. We personally possess bamboo pearls as large as a chicken egg, red in color. We also have blue and green, and black bamboo pearls of diverse shapes and sizes. Not all of our stock are presented on our web-site. The pearls shown are merely representative of what is available. Those ordering mustika-pearls from us are not always given the exact same mustika as seen in the pearl-pictures--mustika-pearls are one-of-a-kind.

Descriptions from ancient texts as to the color and shape of a mustika do not tell the whole story as not enough pearls were found at that time to make a proper comparison or a true statement. To put it plainly, mustikas or magickal pearls of the same animal or plant origin do not always have the same color, size or form. They may appear as an unworthy object or as a thing of beauty--their appearance should not be too much of an issue for the magickal practitioner, for their true value lies in their occult nature.

In their natural state most mustikas have rough textures. It is only after being tumbled and polished do they give a lustre. It is actually in their natural state that one may see that a mustika is genuine as they are unlike any crystal or gem stone in their uncut, untumbled, and unpolished state. Sometimes natural objects such as a grass or part of an insect may be found embedded within them--these magickal pearls often possesses additional power.

Pearls may be tested by the layman whether they are genuine or fake using the finger test; however, this method is not conclusive--it does entail having some psychic sensitivity on the person testing it. The method is to hold a pearl with the right hand between the thumb and forefinger. Inhale and hold your breath, then feel the energy flowing along the arms to the heart. Exhale when you need to. Repeat the breathing cycle--the more you do this, the more definite will the energy be felt. The arm holding the pearl would feel intensely heavy at one point--this effect is generally not felt with ordinary stones and objects. You may test this for yourself should you possess a magickal pearl. Some people make a mistake of stating that testing every object makes their fingers tingle and thus feeling this as a result of holding a magickal pearl is of no import. This is fallacious, and is not the effect sought. This tingling is the result of the blood pulsation as the fingers are pressed against the hard surface of the pearl. What we are actually after in this experiment is to feel the subtle energy flowing into the arms--thus the pearl should not be held between the fingers too tightly. When the energy flows, it accumulates in the arm before reaching the body--this makes the arm intensely heavy. When one's subtle nadis or etheric nerves have been cleansed of psychic toxins and enlargened for a greater capacity of energy-flow, just holding a mustika-pearl for a few seconds is sufficient enough to feel the rush of the force.

In the days of yore, most men could only mention animal/plant pearls in their writings. Nowadays, magickal pearls are bountiful and readily available to a wider public--to those that seek them. The reason has partly to do with the Aquarian-Age that we find ourselves living in. It is, however, mainly because Nature wishes to offer humanity something that would help men embrace her and not destroy the platform where the other lower kingdoms have their place of evolution. Mustika-pearls are Nature's gifts to humanity, it connects us directly to the Spirit-Intelligences of the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms.
As alluded to previously, the reality of mustika pearls are to be found in certain literature. Below we quote fully the summary/translation of the Sri Garuda Purana by the gemologist , Robert S. Brown, regarding this matter. The commentary in square brackets are ours:

"Besides (natural) oyster pearls there are seven other types [In fact, almost every animal specie and perhaps plant-life may produce pearls--although rare] found in conch shells, wild boar heads, elephant heads, king cobra heads, bamboo stems, clouds, and fish heads.

"Pearls from elephant heads, bamboo stems, boar heads, fish mouths, and conch shells are lusterless, even though possessed of other auspicious qualities [Not all crowns of animals are lusterless--some have clear crystalline-structures and do give forth a sheen; some bamboo pearls also have lustre]. Pearls from conch shells are usually the size of a large kona (the large end of a drum stick), and they possess a color similar to their host shell.

"Fish pearls are perfectly round and symmetrical. They possess a yellowish hue like the scales of the pathenam fish which often inhabit the mouths of deep sea whales [Again, not totally true, we have seen shark pearls white in color.]

"Boar pearls [we have this pearl available in our collection] are colored like a boar's tusks and are found only in remote parts of the world. Such pearls are auspicious symbols of the Varaha boar incarnation of the Supreme Lord, Sri Vishnu.

"Pearls derived from bamboo appear like hailstones in color, and they are found only within bamboo that has grown in a region populated by religious people [Lots of bamboo pearls in our collection--they mostly come from Ujung Kulon, Java, which secret sources say is one of the remote places where the Indonesian Spiritual Masters regularly convene].

"Pearls from the cobra's hood are perfectly round, like fish pearls, and they radiate a natural effulgence. By repeated washing, a snake pearl becomes as lustrous as a polished sword blade. Anyone possessing such a naga-mani attains piety, rare good fortune, and eventually becomes illustrious as a leader of men, complete with a great collection of all precious gems [Cobra-pearls are not always round, they may also come in other shapes].

"Upon acquiring such a snake pearl, the owner should have the rite of installation performed by a priest who is learned in religious formalities. After hearing from the owner how the pearl was obtained and conducting the benedictory ritual, the priest should formally install the jewel inside the owner's house. On such an auspicious occasion, the sky becomes filled with dark and heavy rain clouds, thunder, and flashing lightning, such as exhibited at the time of universal dissolution. A man in possession of such a snake pearl will never be troubled by snakes, demonic beings, diseases, or disturbances in any form.

"Cloud pearls [this could possibly be a "dew pearl" or a variation], being naturally effulgent like the sun, illuminate the sky in all directions and dispel the darkness of cloudy days. Glowing brighter than the combined light of the moon, the twinkling stars, and fire, a cloud-born pearl dissipates even the darkest night exactly like the sunrise. A cloud pearl is so priceless that the entire earth, with her oceans filled with countless jewels and covered in layers of gold, would not be equal in value. Cloud pearls rarely reach this earthly world, because they are usually taken away by the demigods.

"Even a low born man would become supreme ruler of the entire world if, as result of some past pious actions, he were to come into possession of such a pearl. The appearance of such a man on earth who obtained a cloud pearl during his lifetime would bring good fortune not only to himself, but to the entire human race as well. No form of evil could even touch the land within an 8,000 mile radius of his birthplace."

THE "OTHER" PEARLS By Richard S. Brown, Gemologist (G.I.A.)


How do animal/plant pearls differ from ordinary gem stones and crystals? Mustika-pearls contain energies of the Totem Animal/Plant Spirit-Guardians (Power-Animals/Plant Devas) of the species under its care. During its construction, an elemental spirit appropriates these energies to actually construct every line of force within the pearl and to actually dwell within it after it is fully formed. The energies of the Totem-Animal/Plant Spirit and the presence of the elemental are the two occult factors that differentiates mustikas from ordinary crystals and gems.

Extraordinary mustika-pearls are sometimes found. These are the crowns and horns of animals that normally do not possess them. In this category are also the fossilized-eyes and other parts of animals and creatures. Crowns are normally lusterless as described in the Sri Purana Garuda. There are, however, crocodile-crowns that are crystalline in nature. Most crown-pearls come from snakes and centipedes. These crowns normally have a spiral, conic shape. Horns/crowns of animals such as horses (unicorn) and cats do exist, though they are scarce.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

--
Leonard Lee aka Luxamore

Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.

Magickal Items from Indonesia: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.

Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/darling-youre-divine.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/darling-youre-divine.html Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Does it seem presumptuous or arrogant or …? For many of us, we were brought up to think we did not count for much. I remember one of my mother’s seemingly favorite questions being “Who do you think you are, young lady?” You might have a similar memory.

I know there is great freedom, prosperity and joy waiting for you on the other side of any question of your divine nature. Once you can accept this right down to your toes, life changes. I know because I experienced it and you will, too.

We measure ourselves against others, or, we’ve been taught to. Perhaps you’ve already overcome that obstacle. It’s a big mistake. I remember hearing the story of Albert Schweitzer, the amazing medical missionary, who was asked late in life if he was afraid of dying. He was reported to have said,

“I’m not afraid of dying. I’m a little afraid of St. Peter’s questions, though.”

“How so?” said the reporter.

“I’m not afraid of St. Peter asking me why I wasn’t Albert Einstein. That’s easy. I’m afraid he might ask me why I wasn’t Albert Schweitzer.”

Think about that! We are supposed to be us, not someone else, not someone else’s idea of who we are supposed to be. We are here to make our unique contribution, not anyone else’s. That’s truly the “opportunity of a lifetime!” We have a lifetime to step up and be fully expressing who we are, yet many people keep themselves so busy they avoid finding out.

Recently, I’ve been struck by the number of people who tell me they are so busy they are exhausted. They are usually a little taken aback when I ask them why they choose that. There they were, all ready to tell me their tale of constant activity and pressure and I’m not ready to hear. In fact, I’m not even very willing to hear because they are the ones keeping themselves so busy. The world is not doing it no matter how much they would like me to think so.

Does that sound a little tough to you? It will if you cannot see that you are choosing what you do, say and think every moment and be responsible for it. There is no one running after you with a pitchfork prodding you on…unless you allow them to. There is no one deciding what you think…unless you allow them to. There is no one making any decisions in your life but you. You are choosing your life just as it is. If you are not experiencing joy, delight, love and prosperity, change your thinking.

DARLING, YOU’RE DIVINE. Remembering that, would you treat yourself differently? I hope so. Would your interests, attention and expectations change? I think so.

Are you willing to accept the absolute best in your life? Are you expecting to? That’s the key. When you know you are divinely connected, everything is possible…everything good.

If you have taken my four-week teleseminar program, Midas Thinking, you’ll know that there is a way to move towards accepting the best for yourself in every way. Once you change your perspective and your consciousness about that, life is forever changed. You know one of my favorite sayings is “Once you are conscious you were unconscious, you can never be unconscious again!” That’s the truth.

Become a Midas Thinker! Seek, see, select and savor the riches and richness of life. You are that richness right here and now.

DARLING, YOU’RE DIVINE!

By Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, Founder.
www.SpiritualLivingNetwork.com .

--
Dr. Rhoberta Shaler is the Founder of Spiritual Living Network www.SpiritualLivingNetwork.com , a social networking site that provides a safe place to discuss spiritual matters and find support for your spiritual journey.
At www.SpiritualLivingNetwork.com , meet amazing, spiritually-minded people worldwide for real-time chats, forums, articles---and you can even have your own blog!


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/big-ears-and-a-radiant-heart.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/big-ears-and-a-radiant-heart.html Tue, 19 May 2009 07:24:25 -0500
The secret to being a good healer is to have big ears and a radiant heart. Let's focus for the moment on the ears—the importance of listening to others—since in general this is an area where so much improvement can be brought about with such a small degree of effort. Listen.

Listen doesn't mean hear; there's more. Hearing is passive and uncommitted and listening is much more involved. There are two distinct aspects to the process of speaking—the verbal and the non-verbal—and good listening requires that we relate well to both aspects. Non-verbal messages are delivered mainly in the tone of voice and body language and can be seen as the most important part of the message because this is the aspect that the person cannot easily conceal, so is much more authentic and free from social and other pressures.

However, though it may be the tip of an iceberg, it is the verbal content that we have to work with—these are the words we are offered and represent what is consciously (partly) opened up for the exchange. There are clues in the specific choice of words that show how best we can relate to our conversational partner. For example, if John says ‘my wife is going to have a baby', we may want to focus some attention on his concerns about her; if he says ‘I'm going to be a father', we would be likelier to form better rapport by talking about John's new life role and its attendant issues and responsibilities.

Good listening requires that we are able to some significant degree to suspend our own attention needs, to pull back from expressing our opinions or experiences. Here: Alice says ‘I'm feeling depressed because my boyfriend has left me'; it is hardly appropriate to grab the focus of attention back with a pseudo-empathy ‘I know how you feel, Peter left me last week', because Alice wants to talk about Alice not Peter. Great help can be given to the process of healing our thinking if we can learn to improve listen skills, and apply them more often.

Inevitably, if we are to develop a better rapport with others, we need to form closer bonds of empathy and, through a deeper understanding, to express a greater tolerance and compassion. As this spreads from individual to individual we hope that our communities will become more and more based upon principles that ennoble humanity rather than debase it. This will in time bring governments into alignment with the wishes of the people so that corruption, despoiling and war may fade away from the human psyche. They are aspects of the mental ill health that—if they are to be healed—requires right thinking and right speech. It is futile to hold anyone to blame for the problem—this simply increases it and focuses attention and energy away from the solutions. Let's remember that we are all, (even the ‘bad guys'), sons and daughters of parents who were unable to treat us more consciously.

There are those who would ask the point in helping others. ‘Why should I take the trouble to offer attention to others? My own life is so busy, my time so limited, my emotions drained and fraught—and my own attention needs are not being met anyway.' Well, indeed if a person really is at the end of their tether and has little to offer another, then it may not be realistic to help others and more appropriate to receive. However if we feel okay and meet someone who needs some care and attention—TLC as the nursing profession calls tender loving care—then why not give a little? Surely as humanity heals its thinking it will awaken in the knowledge that everything is connected, we are all likely to benefit in a small way for every good deed ever done anywhere by anyone. As John Donne put it in a slightly different context: ‘do not ask for whom the bell tolls—it tolls for thee'. Bad for another is bad for me; good for another is good for me.

We have the response ability to help others, we have the subtle emotional rapport to feel for others and we have surely hurt others, albeit unintentionally. So to balance the books, we serve ourselves by acts of atonement—the essence of meaning in the doctrine of Karma and also of Christian forgiveness—in order to release suffering and poverty-consciousness. This person in front of me—now, today, here in this ordinary situation—this person is currently the most important person in my life, and since I want my life to be good, I want this person to feel worthy of my good attention. That's why we help people—because we can. Each one is a reflection of us, a part of who we really are—even the angry car driver, the morose waitress, the domineering boss and the unhelpful landlord are drawn into our lives to show us ourselves by reflection. Let's be good to them because it's the quickest—and actually the only—way to heal ourselves.

In normal life most people don't receive enough attention, especially good quality attention, so the very act of offering this has a healing effect. It has to be sincere, it has to be kind and it is more profound when it is well formed—hence the value of the questionnaire. We don't need to ‘push' or ‘pull', it's better if the flow of the exchange is easy and light, so a gentle nudge is all that is required if the client goes off on a tangent and loses the thread of the matter.


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Free Questionnaires are available on the 7 Words Associates


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/your-inner-power-of-apotrophy.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/your-inner-power-of-apotrophy.html Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The crop undergoing apotrophy is feeding from something--your fertile soil. And your fertile soil is feeding away from itself and into something completely different--the crop you bear.


You have what it takes inside you to become this garden and feed the seed. You have the innate ability for you have what is required inside you already, even without any help from God.


That is right. You have what your crop requires inside you even without any help from God. Not that you need to go without God's help. But you need to realize what power is within you.


All the nutrients needed to provide for your garden are within you. And when a little seed begins to grow in that garden, its roots will probe into your thoughts looking for what it needs to survive.


Your thoughts will bring the nourishment to that little seed and it will grow. In time it will come to full flower and bear fruit. It is all possible with your thoughts which provide the nutrients.


Now your feelings also help your garden grow. Your feelings can enable you to have many of the kinds of thoughts that will grow as good things. Yet if you are often in pain it can hinder the progress of your garden.


The Holy Spirit will come to live within you. And this will comfort you. So your feelings will reinforce good thoughts in your mind. When you are comforted, you are ready to change the way you think.


But you must know that not everything in the garden is a pleasing plant. There will be weeds sown by the enemy. And you will have negative thoughts like doubt and fear which will feed those plants like they want.


Just as you tend a garden to grow vegetables you can tend the garden of your mind. You can uproot the negative plants. You can pull the weeds. But often you need to do it daily, sometimes many times within the day.


Because apotrophy works with anything you want to grow. You have the necessary nutrients within your mind. And your thoughts bring those nutrients up to whatever is growing, whether it is good or something negative.


So you can bear fruit. And you can do it without the help of God or anyone else. You can change your thoughts and think about certain things more while cutting out other thoughts. You can choose. You have the power.


But you do want to include God. When you are sealed you belong to God so you do not exclude Him. And though you are able to grow your garden independently, God's help makes everything much easier.


God sows good seed in you. A lot of good seed. So you can depend on God to help you engender a good garden. And God will also help you to change the constitution of your soil.


Is your soil sandy or rocky? Does it have much clay in it? What is causing you to provide less than ideal for your garden? God can change that. And He can change some of your thoughts and where they come from.


God wants you to provide for your plants with apotrophy. He wants you to become a little garden so you can grow them. And so you can do it, He wants you to receive the Seal.




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And now Jason would like to invite you to get your FREE report Are You Making These Mistakes as a Christian? and visit to learn about being sealed here
Jason Witt




Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/the-fourth-house-is-the-expensive-house-of-indian-astrology.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/the-fourth-house-is-the-expensive-house-of-indian-astrology.html Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Graha (house); Vesma (home); Kshiti (land); Bandhu (felation); Matri (mother) ; Vehicle) ; Sukha (happoness); Ambu (water) ; Vidya (learning).

The fourth house of Indian astrology corresponds to the feminine sign cancer (kataka) ruled by Moon have therefore attributer the fourth house to the mother. Westerners however consider the fourth house for father which is not supported by the wise Hindu astrologer. The fourth house related to one's home residence, domestic environments and general condition of the native in the later part of his life. This house is also called the 'grave', meaning thereby that it is concerned with all hidden things such as private affairs, curious secrets and secret life. One may hoard one's saving good aspects from the lords of 2 and 11.The fourth also shows one's lease or rent as also those rented or leased out possessions such as fields, pastures, corn-fields, farms, orchards, mines, real estate, estate, gardens, ancient dwellings, monument and antiquities are influenced by this house.

The fourth house of Indian astrology is also to be examined in connection with patrimony (all inheritance descending by a right line, hereditary properties and treasured hidden under the ground. The house has a bearing on education and qualifications of a person. In this respect the fourth house may be taken to indicate school and collegiate education in contra- distinction to higher education and research denoted by the ninth house. The third house relates to mental inclination to study a particular subject. The fourth house bears significance to the termination conclusion and end of every undertaking whether in the nativity or in horary Indian astrology.

IN State Astrology, the fourth house holds sway over mines gardens, public buildings, crops, and determines the termination of any undertaking. Kalidasa says in Uttara kalamaritam that the following are to be guessed from the fourth bhava. Learning, vehicles similar to rickshaws, small boats and the like, mother , oil bath, relations, caste small well, water, milk, a medicine or great supernatural efficacy (sun in 4 well, expected by Uranus), trust, false allegation a tent or pavilion, digging of a pond or well and their installation for public use, mansion, art, entrance into a house, conclusion, disposition loss of one's dwelling, paternal property, celestial food, the art of finding out where stolen property is kept, development of Vedic and secret tests, cow, buffalo and abundance of corn, gain, etc., produced in wet lands. Bhattotpala is or the view that fourth house has to do with great herds, treasures and entering holes or caves.

If the fourth house and Mars are favorable during their conjoined periods one will buy lands. If they ate unfavorable, he may sell away or there can be loss through the investment on land, buildings etc. If the 4th house and Venus are beneficial one will possess a car or any other vehicle when he runs the conjoined period of the signification of the4th house and Venus or any planet connected with Venus. If there is an evil aspect, then in their conjoined period one can incur heavy expenses due to the vehicle or meet with an accident or sell away the conveyance and suffer for the usual transport, he enjoyed. 4th house of indian astrology indicates the bank position of the younger brother the health of mother, the loss to children (children may go to popularity, prosperity and profession of the partner, danger to father as it is the 8th house to the 9th, the open enemies of the elder brother, since4th house is the 6th counted from the 11th house. 12th house indicates secret enemies. Their speculative activities, their children etc., are also shown by the 4th house.


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Rajendra Raaj Sudhanshu is the astrologer of India who practices “stellar KP system (vedic), on, Medical astrology, Astro-Vastu, Vedic astrology, indian astrology. For more you visit www.sudhanshu.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/earth-gaia-is-a-living-organism.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/spirituality/earth-gaia-is-a-living-organism.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Is planet Earth a conscious living organism, much like us but on a grander scale? What if the Earth was experiencing its own life much like the way we experience ours?

The human body is a single living organism made up of billions of individual living cells with different roles and functions within our body. Are they truly us or are they separate micro-beings living and dying to provide us with the experience of life? What if the people on the planet acted like the cells in our body adding to a collective experience, only larger? That billions and billions of cells contribute their individual experiences for one consciousness, one being, planet Earth. By observing our inner-verse, the micro-world within us, it is possible to see a similarity between our cellular life, our nervous system, and the potential role we play to that of the Earth.

At first glance this comparison could seem far fetched, but let us look at some of the similarities between our body's and the Earth. Our bodies are comprised of roughly seventy five percent water and twenty five percent mass. The planet ironically is also formed of about seventy five percent ocean and twenty five percent lands mass. The human body regulates a precise temperature at all times. The Earth, which is floating in space at subzero temperatures is also regulated at a consistent temperature.

One could almost imagine that all of our communications, from the Internet to the satellite, are like neurotransmitters, and thoughts of a much larger brain, a much larger consciousness. Is it possible that the human race with all of its collective experiences play the role of the central nervous system of the planet? Knowing that our cells contribute to our consciousness, is it so hard to imagine we are part of the Earth's consciousness?

If all of the species on the planet make up the micro life of the planet, how would that micro life relay its experiences, its data, to create thought?

In 1940 there was a study in the Philippines regarding monkeys and a food shortage. The scientist began feeding the monkeys sweet potatoes. They would throw these sweet potatoes to the monkeys and they would fall to the ground and land in the dirt. They found that the monkeys would eat some of the potatoes spitting out the dirty part and only eat the inner core. They observed that one of the baby monkeys had accidentally dropped the potato in the water therefore learning to wash it. The other monkeys that played with the baby monkey learned to wash theirs also. The mothers learned from the babies how to wash their potatoes and the males that were the mates to the females learned to wash theirs also, so on and so forth until all of the monkeys on the island had learned this new skill. This took about a year and a half for approximately all one hundred monkeys to learn how to wash their potatoes on an isolated island. What is truly amazing is that within a span of about two months, monkeys in captivity from the Americas to Asia, had learned to wash their food instinctually. The question is how was this possible?

Collective Consciousness. Imagine that the monkey's brainwaves had a certain frequency that was unique to their species. Like radio stations, 103.7 or 104.9. When enough monkeys have the same thought on the same frequency their collective thought ripples like a stone in a pond creating a "thought ripple" that encompasses the entire planet. This collective thought unique to the frequency of the particular species is a small example of the planet and the flow process of information, experiences, and thought. We could say that each species on the planet from whales, dolphins, birds and even humans have a collective energy consciousness that is constantly moving throughout the planet. This energy is the collective consciousness of the planet.

Referring back to the human body we see again the similarity between our cells and their collective contribution to the whole. We can see how the cells that make up the nerves that send the signals to our brain is bringing in data to us, collectively acting to provide us with our sentient experience. Likewise, the Earth is using all of the collective experiences and thoughts of the micro life of the planet, its cells and nerves to relay thought and experiences for its singular consciousness. Perhaps it's just another day in the life of Earth.


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Higher Balance Institute is the world leader in advanced programs for spiritual growth and development of the sixth sense. It is the most comprehensive and unique program of its kind. Designed to produce direct, real personal paranormal experiences to learn from. Our mission is simple - to awaken the world one mind at a time. For more information and free eBooks visit us at www.higherbalance.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>