Talismans and Amulets
The wearing of talismans and amulets was practiced by all the great ancient civilizations, and especially that of Ancient Egypt, from which so many symbols emerge. Centuries of magical faith and experience support the belief that these legendary luck-bringers can attract good luck or avert misfortune.
The form of many amulets, such as the Ankh cross, the Scarab and the Swastika, goes back to a vast antiquity, as is the belief in the vibrational powers of crystals.
There is an essential difference between a talisman and an amulet, although the two words are often regarded as the same thing.
A talisman is believed to have some occult potency for attracting some benefits to its possessor. An amulet wards off danger, negative energies and misfortune.
Sometimes a powerful talisman is believed to be capable of both attracting good luck and repelling 'evil'. An amulet has always been used for protection, especially against the dreaded power of the 'evil eye'.
Crystals and gemstones have been used both as amulets and talismans. Given their natural beauty, rarity and value, crystals and precious stones in the ancient cultures were believed to possess intrinsic virtues which radiated its energies to its owner or wearer. This belief is implicit in the custom of members of the monarchy possessing and wearing crystals in their crown jewels and royal regalia, and in the wearing of rings by bishops and other church dignitaries. Many historic family heirlooms, especially those of the more Celtic parts of the British Isles, have crystals and gemstones encrusting them.
Apart from precious stones and their virtues, there are time-honoured amulets and talismans, consisting of things in some form or design which is believed to the 'magical'.
The Swastika
The swastika is an ancient symbol – its date of origin unknown. Unfortunately, due to the adoption of the symbolic swastika by the followers of Adolf Hitler, the image of the swastika image has been tarnished beyond repair.
The swastika is one of the most venerable and worldwide symbols. It is known to the American Indians, who regard it as a sacred and magical sign. It also appears among the remains of prehistoric Mexico. Throughout the ancient relics of the world, the swastika presents itself in many manifestations. It can be found upon the thrones of Tibetan lamas of high rank and upon very old church bells in English belfries. The people of ancient China revered the swastika, as did the people of Troy.
The name 'swastika' comes from the Sankrit, the sacred language of India, and means 'happiness, well-being and good luck'.
Some interesting forms of the swastika are those which appear upon the mysterious stone monuments of pre-historic Scotland.
One of the most famous talisman of the ancient East was the signet ring of Jenghis Khan – a large gold ring set with a magnificent ruby, upon which was engraved the sing of the swastika. It was preserved with the utmost care and secrecy among the Buddhist lamas of Mongolia, as its possession was believed to confer great power and protection.
The great nineteenth-century occultist, Madame Blavatsky, describes the swastika as being basically an equal-armed cross – a symbol far older than Christianity. The upright line represents the masculine influence, the horizontal line the feminine one. From the union of two opposites, masculine and feminine, positive and negative, comes all manifestation. Then lines are added to the cross, signifying motion – the Wheel of Life – or Cycle Law. Thus the swastika appears with its four arms symbolizing birth, life, death and immortality. There are also the four winds, the four seasons and the four elements – and these are all summed up in the swastika.
Over the ages, many an argument has taken place over the issue of which way the arms of the swastika should point – to the right or to the left. Some say to the right is the most beneficial and fortunate and others say that of the left side. Both forms are found in ancient art, and are regarded as being equally sacred. The swastika with its arms pointing to the left is part of the emblem of the Theosophical Society.
The ancient Nordes and Vikings had their version of the swastika also, as displayed in the Elderfuthark Runes.
The Ankh
The ankh cross is the ancient Egyptian symbol of life and immortality. The gods and goddesses of Egypt are generally depicted holding this emblem in their hands, often grasping it by the loop as if it were a key; hence the reason it is sometimes called the 'Key of Life' - the ankh occurs in hieroglyphic inscriptions as the symbol meaning 'life'.
Some authorities believe the shape of the ankh to symbolize and represent the union of male and female – the creative powers of life. The looped part of the ankh, with its oval shape, signifies the opening of the vagina – while the T-shaped part is a simplified figure of the penis and testicles. There are many ancient amulets which were quite openly made in the shape of the human genital organs. They were life symbols and hence 'luck symbols'.
The Scarab
The Scarab is another ancient Egyptian amulet of tremendous antiquity. The Scarab represents the god 'Kephra'. He was represented as a beetle because of the habits of this insect, which the Egyptians regarded as sacred. Beetles have beautiful, iridescent wing-cases which reflect the light like jewels. They fly about at dusk when the sun is sinking and most important of all, the scarab lays its eggs in the dung of animals, which it then rolls into a bigger ball than itself. The Egyptians saw the little insect propelling this ball with its hind legs and they compared it to the mysterious power which also propels the sun across the sky. The scarab became a potent symbol of resurrection and of eternal life and were interred with Egyptian mummies. The scarab is a popular amulet for the 'living' and might be made from semi-precious stones (such as carnelian) or of stone or pottery, glazed blue or green. Like many Egyptian amulets it would often have a hole pierced through it so that it could be hung around the neck or set in a ring.
Throughout the Moslem countries, both today and centuries past, the conventionalized figure of a hand has been a popular amulet. These amulets are often beautifully made of gold or silver-gilt filigree and set with precious gems and stones. This amulet is called the 'Hand of Fatima' out of respect for Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed – although the hand as an amulet is even older than the days when Mohammed was founding the religion of Islam. It derives from the natural gesture of raising the hand to ward off evil – especially the dreaded 'evil eye'.
The Star of David
The symbol of the Jewish religion, the 'Star of David' is a familiar talismanic figure. This six-pointed star, formed by two interlaced triangles, is also called the 'Seal of Soloman'. The basic form of the six-pointed star occurs consistently in ancient books of magic.
This symbol has also been found in the age-old magical lore of India. The Indian form shows the symbol of the sun in the centre of the interlaced triangles. The modern Jewish version sometimes displays in the centre, the Hebrew letters of the word 'Mazeltov', meaning 'Good Luck'.
The upward-pointing triangle is the elemental symbol of 'Fire' – the downward-pointing one represents 'Water'. Fire is regarded as a masculine element, and water as a feminine one. The union of masculine and feminine is displayed in the form of the interlaced triangles. When the symbol of the sun is drawn in the centre of the figure, it shows the presence of the six other visible heavenly bodies of greatest significance, distributed around the points of the star – Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. These together with the Sun make up the 'sacred seven', whose influence is so important in all ancient magic.
The Pentacle or Pentagram
The Pentacle or Pentagram is another important magical symbol consisting of a five-pointed star. In mediaeval times the pentagram acquired the curious name of the 'Goblins' Cross' and it was also called the 'Endless Knot' because it can be drawn in one continuous line. Like the Seal of Solomon, the pentagram was believed to be a potent amulet against evil, particularly when one of the points of the star is pointed upwards. It then represents the power of the spirit ruling over the four elements of the material world. The pentagram was drawn in this way, or a representation of it was hung at doors and windows of houses to keep out evil spirits.
The Four-leaved Clover
The leaves of the lucky four-leaved clover are sometimes worn enclosed in a locket, or a representation of the leaf in gold or silver. The old folk rhyme about the four-leaved clover goes:
One leaf for fame,
And one for wealth,
And one for a faithful lover,
And one to bring you glorious health,
Are all in a four-leaved clover.
Horseshoes
The lucky horseshoe is really the form of the crescent which derives its fortunate influence from the Moon goddess which has many names such as: Isis, Diana, Artemis, Tanith, Ishtar, Astarte, Hecate, Cerridwen, or any of the other names she has been known by over the ages.
The figures of the lunar crescent and the horse appear together on Ancient British coins, notably those minted by the 'Iceni' – the people of Queen Boadicea.
The horseshoe also carries within it the magic of the blacksmith and his craft. All good blacksmiths were supposed to be natural magicians. Cold iron, especially in the form of a horseshoe, was a protection against the mischief of the fairies and all sorts of negative beings.
The luckiest horseshoe is that which you find yourself by accident. This should then be nailed up over the door for good luck – but be sure to have the ends of the horseshoe pointing upwards, or the luck will run out. Only the blacksmith himself is privileged to hand a lucky horseshoe with the ends down, to pour out the luck upon the forge.
Lodestone/Magnetite
Lodestone (Magnetite), iron ore containing natural magnetic properties, is a potent, natural amulet and talisman for good fortune. To carry a lodestone was believed to bestow wealth, vigour and sexual attractiveness. It is believed to strengthen magical powers and dispel evil spirits and negative energies. Wealthy magicians of old wore their lodestone in a little cage of gold or silver filigree hung from a chain around the neck. The less wealthy carried their lodestone in a small bag of soft leather, together with some magical herbs. This was then hung from a string around the neck or worn somewhere close to the skin. Sometimes the bag may have contained a pair of small, twin lodestones, cleaving together by their own magnetic power. This was considered to be a very potent charm to attract love.
Snakes and Serpents
The appearance of snakes and serpents, either singularly or entwined, is another sacred symbol of old. The sacred serpent appears upon the crowns of Egyptian Pharaohs and in the temple carvings of ancient India.
Hermes, the herald of the gods of Greece and the patron of magic, is portrayed carrying the 'caduceus'; a wand with two serpents entwined. The twin serpents represents the two interacting forces – positive and negative, which manifest throughout nature.
The snake is also a symbol of spiritual power. To the people of ancient times, the snake was a mysterious creature because of the way in which it glided along without legs. Also, the serpent renews itself by shedding its complete skin, and because of this, it has become the emblem of re-birth and immortality. Sometimes the serpent is shown holding its tail in its mouth. The Greeks called this figure of the encircled serpent the 'Ouroborous', and regarded it as a symbol of infinity and eternity.
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business...he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'BULLETS!'
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everyA teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made.
She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference'" on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I have been contemplating suicide, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I know you care."
The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life. The young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson.
Who you are DOES make a difference.
thing.
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business...he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'BULLETS!'
Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made.
She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference'" on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I have been contemplating suicide, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I know you care."
The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life. The young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson.
Who you are DOES make a difference.
Authors Details: Helice Bridges |
The Winner - is always part of the answer
The Loser - is always part of the problem
The Winner - always has a program
The Loser - always has an excuse
The Winner - says "Let me do it for you"
The Loser says "That's not my job"
The Winner - sees an answer for every problem
The Loser - sees a problem for every answer
The Winner - sees a green near every sand trap
The Loser - sees two or three sand traps near every green
The Winner - says "It may be difficult but it's possible"
The Loser - says "It may be possible but it's too difficult"
Authors Details: Unknown Author |
It was a cold December night in West Orange, New Jersey. Thomas Edison's factory was humming with activity. Work was proceeding on a variety of fronts as the great inventor was trying to turn more of his dreams into practical realities. Edison's plant, made of concrete and steel, was deemed "fireproof". As you may have already guessed, it wasn't!
On that frigid night in 1914, the sky was lit up by a sensational blaze that had burst through the plant roof. Edison's 24-year-old son, Charles, made a frenzied search for his famous inventor-father. When he finally found him, he was watching the fire. His white hair was blowing in the wind. His face was illuminated by the leaping flames. "My heart ached for him," said Charles. "Here he was, 67 years old, and everything he had worked for was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, 'Charles! Where's your mother?' When I told him I didn't know, he said, 'Find her! Bring her here! She'll never see anything like this as long as she lives.'"
Next morning, Mr. Edison looked at the ruins of his factory and said this of his loss: "There's value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God, we can start anew."
What a wonderful perspective on things that seem at first to be so disastrous. A business failure, divorce, personal dream gone sour . . . whether these things destroy an individual depends largely on the attitude he or she takes toward them. Sort out why it happened, and learn something from the blunders. Think of different approaches that can be taken.
Start over.
Authors Details: Unknown Author |
1: Life does not work through indecision. Indecision promotes blocks, confusion and stress. Make a decision and allow life to find movement through you. Trust yourself.
2: The 3 C's of life are Courage, Capacity and Commitment. It takes Courage and a commitment to make many of life's decisions, and capacity to follow them through. The 3 C's of a successful relationship are Caring, Consideration and Communication. Communication opens the door between us, consideration allows us to pass through it and our ability to care for each other unites us.
3: Truth is not truth out of timing- yet it remains truth. We are the timing to recognize truth.
4: The mind recoils from the unknown, so we seek to make everything known, and, thus sage. Imagination is the key to the unknown- positive, uplifting imagination.
5: For as long as we search for Our God Self, we deny that we are it. Loving your self reveals your truth.
6: Becoming free is not changing yourself into someone you think you should be. Becoming free is falling in love with who you are- right now.
7: Imagine a room of pitch dark and a room of bright light connected by a door. When you open the door what happens? Light floods into the dark room, illuminating it. Live accordingly, think thoughts of light.
8: F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real
9: Anything of the past that is unresolved is unresolved now. Living NOW resolves the past.
10: Life flows from the inside out, never the reverse. Understand this and you cease to be a victim.
11: Love responds- fear reacts. Love connects- fear separates. Love uplifts- fear deflates. Love creates- fear destroys.
12: There is no such thing as a mistake- only experience. There is no such thing as failure- only people's condemnation. There is no such thing as success- only people's approval. Let life live through you.
13: Do not get caught up in modifying your life, allow life to change YOU. Modification is a superficial exterior veneer, change is an inner shift in consciousness.
14: Pain is a measure of your resistance to change.
15: Decide whether you want to be an onlooker of life or a participant. This is the birthplace of choice.
16: You hear with your ears- but you listen with your mind. You look with your eyes- but you see from the heart.
17: Consciousness is not contained in your body- you are the consciousness that contains the body. Consciousness draws to itself form through which to express
18: Your mind cannot exist in the moment. You cannot think your way into the moment, you can only think your way out of it. This indicates that your mind/intellect cannot set you free. Only your consciousness is aware of NOW. True freedom is a state of consciousness.
19: We each live in our own universe, a universe of our making. It is designed to support our beliefs and our focus. Our thoughts are our focus, so observe your thoughts, focus on your blessings, and trust. This is how you become a participant.
20: Practice seeing all life around you as an aspect of yourself. In this way you shatter the illusion of separation.
21: Your mind does now know the difference between what you do want or what you don't want, it only knows what you focus on. Many people focus on what they don't have, what they are incapable of doing and their sicknesses.
22: If you focus on what you do have, it increases. If you focus on what you don't have, you will have even less. If you focus on your capabilities, they grow, if you focus on your health, it improves.
23: Your mind does not know the difference between a powerfully imagined reality and a physical happening reality. Why? Because there is no difference.
24: You only have a problem if you believe you have a problem.
25: Live these principles and you will be practicing reality. Practice reality until you overcome the illusion. It is only an illusion that you are not free, now!
Celibacy
The Pope dies and, naturally, goes to heaven.
He's met by the reception committee, and after a whirlwind tour he is told that he can enjoy any of the myriad of recreations available.
He decides that he wants to read all of the ancient original text of the Holy Scriptures, so he spends the next eon or so learning the languages.
After becoming a linguistic master, he sits down in the library and begins to pour over every version of the Bible, working back from the most recent "Easy Reading" to the original script.
All of a sudden there is a scream in the library. The Angels come running in only to find the Pope huddled in his chair, crying to himself, and muttering,
"An 'R'! The scribes left out the 'R'."
A particularly concerned Angel takes him aside, offering comfort, and asks him what the problem is and what does he mean.
After collecting his wits, the Pope sobs again, "It's the letter 'R'. They left out the 'R'.
The word was supposed to be CELEBRATE!"
Child Poem
"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."
The Creator gathered all of Creation and said,
"I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realization that they create their own reality."
The eagle said, "Give it to me, I will take it to the moon."
The Creator said, "No. One day they will go there and find it."
The salmon said, "I will bury it on the bottom of the ocean."
"No. They will go there too."
The buffalo said, "I will bury it on the Great Plains."
The Creator said, "They will cut into the skin of the Earth and find it even there."
Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes,
said, "Put it inside of them."
And the Creator said, "It is done."
"It is when your spirit goes wandering upon the wind, That you, alone and unguarded, commit a wrong unto others and therefore unto yourself. And for that wrong committed must you knock and wait a while unheeded at the gate of the blessed.
Like the ocean is your god-self; It remains for ever undefiled. And like the ether it lifts but the winged. Even like the sun is your god-self; It knows not the ways of the mole nor seeks it the holes of the serpent. But your god-self does not dwell alone in your being. Much in you is still man, and much in you is not yet man, But a shapeless pigmy that walks asleep in the mist searching for its own awakening. And of the man in you would I now speak.
For it is he and not your god-self nor the pigmy in the mist, that knows crime and the punishment of crime.
Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world. But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, So the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.
And as a single leaf turns not yellow but with the silent knowledge of the whole tree, So the wrong-doer cannot do wrong without the hidden will of you all.
Like a procession you walk together towards your god-self. You are the way and the wayfarers. And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.
And this also, though the word lie heavy upon your hearts: The murdered is not unaccountable for his own murder, And the robbed is not blameless in being robbed. The righteous is not innocent of the deeds of the wicked, And the white-handed is not clean in the doings of the felon.
Yea, the guilty is oftentimes the victim of the injured, And still more often the condemned is the burden-bearer for the guiltless and unblamed. You cannot separate the just from the unjust and the good from the wicked; For they stand together before the face of the sun even as the black thread and the white are woven together. And when the black thread breaks, the weaver shall look into the whole cloth, and he shall examine the loom also.
If any of you would bring judgment the unfaithful wife, Let him also weight the heart of her husband in scales, and measure his soul with measurements.
And let him who would lash the offender look unto the spirit of the offended. And if any of you would punish in the name of righteousness and lay the ax unto the evil tree, let him see to its roots; And verily he will find the roots of the good and the bad, the fruitful and the fruitless, all entwined together in the silent heart of the earth.
And you judges who would be just, What judgment pronounce you upon him who though honest in the flesh yet is a thief in spirit? What penalty lay you upon him who slays in the flesh yet is himself slain in the spirit? And how prosecute you him who in action is a deceiver and an oppressor, Yet who also is aggrieved and outraged?
And how shall you punish those whose remorse is already greater than their misdeeds? Is not remorse the justice which is administered by that very law which you would fain serve? Yet you cannot lay remorse upon the innocent nor lift it from the heart of the guilty.
Unbidden shall it call in the night, that men may wake and gaze upon themselves. And you who would understand justice, how shall you unless you look upon all deeds in the fullness of light?
Only then shall you know that the erect and the fallen are but one man standing in twilight between the night of his pigmy-self and the day of his god-self, And that the corner-stone of the temple is not higher than the lowest stone in its foundation."
Authors Details:Kahlil Gibran |
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it's a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantement, it is as perrenial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Authors Details: Max Ehrmann |
A man distraught by all the pain and suffering he saw all around him broke down and banged his fists into the dirt.
His head turns upward and he yells at his God.
"Look at this mess. Look at all this pain and suffering. Look at all this killing and hate. God. Oh God! WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING!!"
And his God spoke to him and said
"I did. I sent you."
Authors Details: Unknown Author |
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, hat the well needed to be covered anyway and that it just wasn't worth retrieving the donkey. So he invited all his neighbours to come over and help him.
They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quietened down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.
Dr. Phil McGraw's 10 Life Laws
Life Law #1: You either get it, or you don't.
Strategy: Become one of those who gets it.
Life Law #2: You create your own experience.
Strategy: Ackowledge and accept accountability for your life.
Life Law #3: People do what works.
Strategy: Identify the payoffs that drive your behavior and that of others.
Life Law #4: You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.
Strategy: Get real with yourself about life and everybody in it.
Life Law #5: Life rewards Action.
Strategy: Make careful decisions and then pull the trigger.
Life Law #6: There is no reality; only perception.
Strategy: Identify the filters through which you view the world.
Life Law #7: Life is managed; it is not cured.
Strategy: Learn to take charge of your life.
Life Law #8: We teach people how to treat us.
Strategy: Own, rather than compain about, how people treat you.
Life Law #9: There is power in forgiveness.
Strategy: Open your eyes to what anger and resentment are doing to you.
Life Law #10: You have to name it before you can claim it.
Strategy: Get clear about what you want and take your turn.
"...You are good when you are one with yourself. Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil.
For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house. And a ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.
You are good when you strive to give of yourself. Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself. For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast. Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance." For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.
You are good when you are fully awake in your speech, Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose. And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue. You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps. Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping. Even those who limp go not backward.
But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.
You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good, You are only loitering and sluggard. Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.
In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you. But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest. And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore.
But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?"
For the truly good ask not the naked, 'Where is your garment?' nor the houseless, 'What has befallen your house?' "
Authors Details: Kahlil Gibran |
1. Most Important Lesson.
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.
Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count towards our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor.
"In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm.
Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s.
The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console colour TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read,
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole
3. Always remember those who Serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - you see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the kirig's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.
The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,
"Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.
Authors Details: Unknown |
Part 1
There once was a soul who knew itself to be the light. This was a new soul and so, anxious for experience.
"I am the light" it said. "I am the light"
Yet all the knowing of it and all the saying of it, could not substitute for the experience of it. And in the realm from which this soul emerged, there was nothing but the light. Every soul was grand and every soul was magnificent and every soul shone with the brilliance of God's awesome light. So the little soul was as a candle in the sun. In the midst of the grandest light, of which it was part, it could not see itself, nor experience itself as Who and What it really is.
Now it came to pass that this soul yearned and yearned to know itself. So great was it's yearning that God one day said, "Do you know little one, what you must do to satisfy this yearning of yours?"
"Oh, what, God? What? I'll do anything!" the little soul said.
"You must separate yourself from the rest of us" God answered, "and then you must call upon yourself the darkness"
"What is the darkness, o Holy One?" the little soul asked.
"That which you are not" God replied and the soul understood.
And so this the soul did, removing itself from the ' All ' going even unto another realm. And in this realm the soul had the power to call into it's experience all sorts of darkness. And this it did.
Yet in the midst of all the darkness did it cry out, "Father, Father, why hast thou forsaken me?"
God replied: "Even has have you, in your blackest times. Yet I have never forsaken you, but stand by you always, ready to remind you of Who You Really Are; ready always ready, to call you home.
Therefore be a light unto the darkness and curse it not. And forget not who you are in the moment of your encirclement by that which you are not. But do praise to the creation even as you seek to change it.
And know that what you do in the time of your greatest trial can be your greatest triumph.
For the experience you create is a statement of Who You Are - and Who You Want to Be.
God said to the little soul, "You may choose to be any Part of God you wish to be. You are absolute divinity experiencing itself. What aspect of divinity do you now wish to experience as You?"
"You mean I have a choice", asked the little soul.
God answered, "Yes. You may choose to experience any aspect of divinity in, as and through you."
"Okay," said the little soul, "then I choose forgiveness. I want to experience myself as that aspect of God called complete forgiveness."
Well this created a little challenge, as you can imagine. There was no one to forgive. All God had created was perfection and love.
"No one to forgive?" asked the little soul, somewhat incredulously.
"No one," God repeated. "Look around you. Do you see any souls less than perfect, less wonderful than you?"
At this the little soul twirled around and was surprised to see himself surrounded by all the souls in heaven. They had come from far and wide throughout the kingdom, because they heard that the little soul was having an extraordinary conversation with God.
"I see none less perfect than I!" the little soul exclaimed. "Who, then, shall I have to forgive?"
Just then another soul stepped forward from the crowd.
"You may forgive me" said this friendly soul
"For what?" the little soul asked.
" I will come into your next physical lifetime and do something for you to forgive," replied the friendly soul.
"But what? What could you, a being of such perfect light do to make me want to forgive you?" the little soul wanted to know.
"Oh," smiled the friendly soul, "I'm sure we can think of something."
"But why would you want to do this?" The little soul could not figure out why a being of such perfection would want to slow down it's vibration so much that it could do something 'bad'.
"Simple," the friendly soul explained, "I would do it because I love you. You want to experience yourself as forgiving, don't you? Besides you've done the same for me."
"I have?" asked the little soul.
"Of course, don't you remember? We've been All Of it, you and I. We've been the Up and the Down of it, and the Left and the Right of it. We've been the Here and the There of it, and the Now and the Then of it. We've been the Big and the Small of it, the Male and the Female of it and the Good and the Bad of it. We've been the All of it."
"And we've done it by agreement, so that each of us might experience ourselves as the grandest part of God. For we have understood that...
'In the absence of that which You Are Not, that which you Are, is Not'.
'In the absence of cold you cannot be warm, in the absence of sad you cannot be happy. Without a thing called evil, the experience you call good cannot exist'.
'If you choose to be a thing, something or someone opposite to that has to show up somewhere in your universe to make that possible.' "
The friendly soul then explained that those people are God's Special Angels and these conditions God's Gifts.
"I ask only one thing in return," the friendly soul declared.
"Anything, Anything," the little soul cried. He was excited now to know that he could experience every divine aspect of God. He understood now, The Plan.
"In the moment that I strike you and smite you," said the friendly soul, "in the moment that I do the worst to you that you could ever imagine - in that self same moment...remember Who I Really Am."
"Oh, I wont forget!" promised the little soul. "I will see you in the perfection with which I hold you now, and I will remember Who You Are, always."
Authors Details: Neale Donald Walsch |
