A Message From The Hopi Elders

Here is a great prophesy for the year ahead. Not sure it was actually written by the elders at Oraibi but I plan to find out. Please enjoy.

"A Message From The Hopi Elders"

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.

Here are the things that must be considered:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know our garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift, that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river,
keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personal. Least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word "struggle" from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for!"

- Oraibi, Arizona, Hopi Nation

Mystical Adventures in Belize

Tired already of the cold and wet of northern winters? Perhaps a jaunt to a much warmer place is what you are looking for. Here's a resort with adventure, good climate and also a spiritual bent called Mystical Adventures. They offer snorkeling, deep sea diving with tanks, inland tours to Mayan ruins and other great day trips. The sea is warm and safe for swimming and fishing. They are located near the San Pedro Airport  on Barrier Reef Drive. However, this is not a resort, so you would have to find accommodation nearby . How about a full day snorkel and  a barbecue at night?  Or maybe an eco-tour to go cave-tubing or zip-lining? They also offer diving courses that would qualify you to deal with underwater problems or to be certified as a diving instructor. It's worthwhile going to their Facebook page just to see the creatures, both land and sea that they have posted. Are they all from Belize? Pardon my ignorance, but I don't know if elephants or lions are in Belize. Perhaps in the Nature Preserve that they mention. As for accommodation, I choose Mystic River in the Cayo District. It is publicized as an eco-friendly luxury resort with all meals available for a reasonable price. A spa and yoga are available. The jungle scenery is spectacular and the staff  eager to help. It is located near the Guatemalan border and near the road from Belize City. Here is what Lonely Planet has to say about it.

This beautiful ecolodge on the bank of the Macal River (opened in 2009 by Nadege and Tom Thomas) features six beautifully furnished cabañas with Mexican tiled floors and high wooden ceilings, and three newly built one bedroom suites. All feature spacious living areas and bathrooms, and river-facing verandas. Guests at Mystic River can hang out on the river with tubes, boogie boards and canoes, or take a hike (with or without horses) on the jungle trails that wind through Mystic River's 180 acres. The on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals vary from BZ$20 to BZ$45. Prices are per double occupancy; additional visitors are BZ$50. Low season discounts and packages are available. Check website for details. Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belize/cayo-district/hotels/mystic-river#ixzz3MbfqoCvj

What's the advantage of going to Belize? The country is known to be stable politically. It is the only Central and South American country whose language is English. Belize has a wealth of wild animal and marine species and a lower population than other Central American countries. Formerly known as British Honduras, they still maintain Queen Elizabeth as Head of State, just as most of  the other Commonwealth countries do. Crime in Belize is low compared to other neighboring countries. I would like to see courses given there and perhaps a more meditative atmosphere. I suspect I could take that with me when I visit. I would love to have feedback about visiting Belize. Feel free to leave comments below.

Some Great Places to Spend Christmas

Ice Skating at Christmas Fair in Museumplein

Whether you are a world traveler looking for something new or an armchair traveler who likes to hear about what other people are doing, it's always a treat to hear about special Christmas places where celebrations are "in the air" so to speak. The first group of resorts are in the northern hemisphere where you can experience the traditional cold weather with a good place to warm up and perhaps a hot drink. Thanks to Bree Sposato for suggesting Amsterdam. As you can see form this photo, the canals become wonderful ice skating rinks, and the 16th and 17th century houses are strung with lights. Why not stay till New Year's Eve and celebrate with champagne and fireworks?

Here's a more remote suggestion by Jennifer Coogan: Reykjavik, Iceland. Enjoy the northern lights from the comfort of a thermally heated hotel. There are only 4 hours of daylight, so bring your friends and prepare for an indoor party. Don't miss the unusual Icelandic food such as smoked puffin and Brennivin (like schnapps). "Statues of the 12 Yule Lads (the Icelandic version of Santa Claus) peer out from every corner shop and window."  Click here to read the original version. 

There are a lot of "snow birds" from Canada and the northern states who like to frequent San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for the hot, dry days and cool nights, the traditional crafts made and sold there as well as the old cobblestone streets and the Spanish architecture. However, Christmas is very special with the procession of Mary and Joseph and everyone else who wants to sing traditional carols. The procession goes from one decorated shop to the next, stopping to sing at each one. The children will enjoy the ritual of breaking pinatas filled with candy and small toys. It's a special treat to have blooming flowers such as poinsettias and bougainvilleas.

Thinking about a warmer place? Try Kaikoura, New Zealand. It will be summer when you visit, so you can enjoy the beach, kyaking or boating to see the whales, dolphins and fur seals. The vegetation and forests are so totally different. It's like you are visiting another planet. Lee Magill recommends staying at the Kapuku Lodge and Tree Houses with gourmet, natural meals. Make reservations long ahead of time any place in New Zealand over the Christmas holidays. It is after all their summer holiday time.

 Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses is the ne plus ultra of New Zealand’s eco-tourism accommodations: a complex of cedar-covered buildings and six tree houses with views of both the bay and the imperial Kaikoura mountain range. Luxe high design reigns inside and out.

Perhaps you are seeking something more spiritual. May I then recommend Shambhala Mountain Center on 600 acres in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado? Here is a deeply established center which accommodates a great variety of practitioners from week-long "learn to meditate" stays to longer, intensives for advanced meditators. The staff also leads spiritual journeys during the year to Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia. The rooms are elegant but very simple and comfortable. People who have participated in longer retreats say it is like an immersion vacation, and the effects often stay with the person for many months, even years after. It's a bit like unpacking your brain or fragmenting your computer. The effect are nearly always calming, relaxing. It's especially a good choice if you are alone or with a partner rather than a family vacation or a good party celebration.

Let us know what you decide to do this year and how you liked it once you return. I'm always open to new ideas.

Masaru Emoto Passes Away

This week we lost a great man who showed physical proof of the power of thoughts, words and music through his crystallization of water to form the most amazing patterns. His last word he spoke was, "arigato", Japanese for "thank you". Without further introduction, here is the video of his unique work. If you wish to know more about his work, here is his book, The Hidden Messages of Water which was a New York best seller for a long time. However, the book I enjoy the most is entitled, Messages from Water and the Universe in which he shows what water from different places is telling us about the condition of the world and how that relates to our Universe. Click on the link below to order a copy available in Kindle form as well. Rest in Peace, Masaru.

Spiritual Awakening Revisited

Spiritual awakening has become something of a catch-phrase these days. Everyone is looking for that experience - the new age high, the ascension to a higher realm.  It was with a bit of amusement that when doing a Google search for current articles on the topic that I found one on the first page of Google that I had written two years ago (http://www.mysticfare.com/experiences-of-spiritual-awakening/). Why this one had stayed so prominent is the mystery of Google. Today I found an entire website devoted to spiritual awakening, a Wikipedia page under "religious experience" and also 5 ads for groups that will for a fee help you towards that goal including a spiritual awakening test to see how advanced you are, supposedly. 

I suppose I no longer have to begin my article by explaining what spiritual awakening is, but still everyone seems to have a bit of a different idea. Suffice it to say that not only is there more interest in the subject than even 2 years ago when I wrote that first article, but there are more people having all kinds of experiences of a different kind. I know this because they come to me for readings and I tell them they are normal and not to worry. It's long been predicted that we are going through some kind of quickening if not actual evolution as a species. Maybe it's simpler than that. We are just starting to use our right brains, something we could have done at anytime. It's just that we were so in love with our industrial wonder that we overlooked that aspect of our being. OK. Enough philosophy. Let's see what people are experiencing. Jim Tolles on the website, spiritualawakeningprocess.com states that he deals mainly with three types of people. I often work with three main types of people:

• People who want to develop a spiritual practice
• People who are dedicated to spiritual growth
• People who need to heal
• People who are in awakening

So here we are back to the awakening. I suspect that the high some people experience with awakening, the blissful state, is a natural carry-over from the psychedelic drug days, a kind of natural high. What is curious is that so many people are now experiencing this altered state. Back to Mr. Tolles again who is helping people going through awakening.

Orient and Ground You in a Spiritual Awakening
Anyone in awakening can feel completely out of sorts. It's a bewildering and scary place initially because spiritual awakening falls so far out of the realm of what is considered "normal" in Western society. It's also a blissful, ecstatic, and extremely connected space. I'll work with you to find appropriate grounding and help you to fully embody this energy as you shift from an old way of being into your true self. I'll also remind you regularly that you are not "crazy," but are in fact waking up to real "rationality" from the insanity that we live in.

From my own experience with this state and from what people have told me, there is often a feeling of dizziness, feeling light-headed and a need to take a break from "deadlines", pressure and the rat race. Some people feel more connected to others, even people they just met. Others may know things before they happen, or at least what others are thinking. The Eco Institute has an whole list of characteristics. Se if you can relate to any of these:

• Letting go of once tightly held beliefs and views. 
• Zoning out for extended periods of time. A spacey feeling.
• Sensitivity to negative people, events.
• Feelings of “tingling” electrical-like energy running through parts of the body.
• Having more meaningful dreams.
• Becoming aware of “synchronicity”, the seemingly unrelated events & signs we see & experience.
• Wishing to break away from blind conformity, outdated institutions, unnecessary customs, & the overall status quo.
• Unexplained changes in appetite & eating habits, weight. May sometimes look younger.
• Wishing to spend more time in nature.
• Changes in what you read, do with your spare time, & watch on TV (or turning off the TV altogether).
• Greater “awareness” of yourself and the outside world. 
• A greater sense of inner peace and interconnectedness, with intermittent periods of emotional upheaval.  Read more from this source here.

Please leave any comments about your own experiences with spiritual awakening. It's only beginning and I see it as a hopeful process towards possible world peace and more harmony in this sad world.

Near Death Experiences: What Do We Know?

Near death experiences are actually a new phenomena brought on by the advent of modern medicine. Before people just died; they were not brought back from death’s doorstep by modern machines. Now we have several decades of reports of what people have experienced when they were between life and death, and the accounts are amazingly similar, even from small children.

For example, many people experience going through a long tunnel towards a bright light. They see religious figures that they recognize, relatives that have passed on or spirit guides who help them decide what to do. Others don’t leave the room they are in but they float over their body that the medical personnel are working on. They can remember conversations that the doctors or relatives had about them. This is more than imagination; it’s reported too often and in detail to be faked.

Therefore, our knowledge of “the other side” is building up. It seems that it’s a nice place, mostly. People report feeling blissful and completely relaxed. Is there a hell or purgatory? There are reports that some people when they “pass on” have to stay in one room for some time to “reprogram”. This might be like purgatory. It seems that everyone must also review their lives, the events and the reactions of people around them. There is some evidence that if something is not resolved in one lifetime that soul must repeat the situation in another lifetime, perhaps the next one.

I find it quite fascinating that souls do not just float on clouds after death. It seems they continue to work and progress in spiritual evolution towards a more pure and giving being. Want to know more? I recommend these books: Life After Death by Deepak Chopra and Life is Forever: Evidence for Survival After Death by David Howe and Susy Smith. While there are a number of sensational approaches to this subject, these two books are very grounded and clearly describe the experiences and conclusions.

The mystery to me is that if we do live multiple times and need to resolve some past issues, why don’t we remember all of this? Last words: here’s a video so you can see this visually

Spiritual Gifts for You Today

We have all heard the term, "charisma" but did you know that the original meaning coming from Greek meant spiritual gifts from God, not a compelling charm and attraction as it means today. According to the Biblical stories, especially from Paul, there are various gifts that we all could be granted in order to help others. They are not to be earned, purchased or used as rewards. In other words, they are given to us by the higher power for the benefit of everyone. It's a nice idea and perhaps it has happened many times. Here's a passage from Wikipedia about the different spiritual gifts.

It is generally acknowledged that Paul did not list all of the gifts of the Spirit,[8] and many believe that there are as many gifts as there are needs in the body of Christ.[12] The gifts have at times been organized into distinct categories based on their similarities and differences to other gifts. Some divide them into three categories using Old Testament offices. "Prophetic" gifts include any gift involving teaching, encouraging, or rebuking others. "Priestly" gifts include showing mercy and care for the needy or involve intercession before God. "Kingly" gifts are those involving church administration or government.[13] Others categorize them into "gifts of knowledge" (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, distinguishing between spirits), "gifts of speech" (tongues, interpretation, prophecy), and "gifts of power" (faith, healing, miracles).[14] The gifts have also been categorized as those that promote the inner growth of the church (apostle, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, teaching, word of wisdom/knowledge, helps, and administration) and those that promote the church's outer development (faith, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues).[8] To read more click here.

Apparently one of the reasons for the early split between the Catholics and Protestants involved this type of spiritualism. The Catholics believe that these types of miracles continue while the Protestants think they ceased in the early days of the church. They are still held as a strong belief by the Pentecostals and the Charismatics (yes, there is such a group). I quite agree myself that they are still being given to certain people and indeed there is a line on some palms called the ring of Solomon that show inspiration - a gift from a higher source. I've seen people from all walks of life who have this line and indeed I consider them blessed. What do you think? Leave a comment as to you ideas or experience.