Forgive, and shine even brighter

It's that time again, when millions of folk will be stressing about Christmas.

For those people for whom Christmas is purely material, then it truly is expensive.

I once bought a tea-towel at a church Christmas fair when my children were small, that declared boldly 'JESUS is the REASON for the season" and I put it in the window with the Christmas tree one year (but I was pressurised to take it down, in case our neighbours though I was a nutcase!). I relate that with a great big smile on my face as I recollect it may have been taken from the window but it remained behind the door in our hallway so that everyone passing through would see it anyway. My argument was why send the children to Sunday School if I'm unable to demonstrate the real reason for celebrating Christ's birth.

It really is no surprise that faith of many varieties is still hidden in fear of persecution. For those who believe we have carried the 'faith', whatever interpretation it might be, through many lifetimes ... and often at great cost... we are unable and unwilling to dim the flame this time! 

It is time to shine our light as brightly as we ever did, as we ever can, and brighter still! This is it folks, it really is time for us all to raise our alms high, be willing and able to march forward, onward and upwards. This is exactly what was predicted. We are the millions of heavenly hosts.(As above so below rings in my ears)... It is the light workers incarnate now who will save the world. Our family has been waiting for this for such a long time haven't we? There are areas where we can only watch as devastation takes place because of lower vibrational human domination between countries, cultures, and religions. Yet we are part of it all.

Now that we really begin to understand the principles of Universal law, we are all one - yet individuals, we have one home - yet live separately, we have one God - yet worship differently... there is one way forward and each of us in our own unique way is involved in this 'tactical exercise' to save the world. But our tools are those of resonance, our armour is built from high vibration, our goal is ascension and the quality of our sword and our shield demonstrable by our spiritual authenticity.

 

Each morning, following my stillness, I like to start each day reading some words of inspiration. I like to ask what it is I need for the day, then from the many books on my shelves (my Mother-in-Law suggested we change the name of the house to 'Village Library') I take which ever book appeals to me. Today's lesson in A Course of Miracles was about the illusion of blame.... that God does not condemn and therefore there is no need to seek forgiveness. My goodness how appropriate for what I wanted to say in my letter?! How liberating to truly forgive. What a truly beneficial spiritual practice. How sharp the sword and how bright the shield of those who can really forgive with a generous heart.

As I write this the powerful November full moon begins to wane, and using the wonderful energy of that, each day I am going to practice forgiveness. 'I need to polish my shield, and if you'll pardon the pun, at the moment it reflects a little too much 'guilt'.

 Blame resides only in fear, in love there is no condemnation.

With Love, Chrissie

 

Signs and Symbols of Autumn

One of my favourite pastimes when traveling around as much as I do is to glance at the sky and notice the fleeting shapes and pictures within the clouds. For years I have seen cloud-animals, faces, cherubs & angels, but also some very significant symbols, which when noted have given me intuitive information about things in my life. For example on the day I was driving down to the hospital as my daughter was taken in early for a very complicated and potentially life-threatening delivery of her first baby I saw to my delight a clear image of an elephant, with a baby elephant holding onto it's mother's tail by the trunk, and I absolutely knew in my heart by the 'jaunty' way the Mother's head was held high that this was a heavenly sign of reassurance to me, that all would be well, the birth would be successful and the baby would be fine!

Working with angels is often considered a little a little too etherial. But for me, as someone who practices the Essene communions with the angels, and believes in the interconnectedness of everything, I also see angels in the practical down-to-earth everyday world we live in. The creation, God and the angels are everywhere. We have signs, symbols and messages all around us, all the time, and most significantly in the natural world. We don't have to have our head in the clouds - even though the sky is so wondrous and entertaining!

Our lanes, colourful gardens and parks are filled with noticeable signs and messages right now. As I drive around I am truly inspired by the richness of colour which Autumn brings. I see it as a jewel filled reminder within the glorious reds, oranges, yellows, and greens that we constantly need to ground ourselves and work at balancing our chakra energy within the body. After all we have brought our spirit and wonderful soul-light into a corporeal existence, we must 'embody' our light on a daily basis.
How do we do this? By being aware of taking the breath down into our lower abdomen (known as the hara in yogic traditions), by feeling the ground under our feet; by becoming more consciously aware of feeling our body walking; the ground under foot, the swinging of our arms,  the rotation of our hips, the touch of fabric on our skin, the sounds and smells and temperature.  Rather than using this time in your head 'thinking' about all the things you have to do later, by walking consciously you are in fact using this as a meditative exercise, a spiritual practice, of grounding and embodiment.

I see the abundance of reds in the berries as a reminder of our own blood, giving us courage, fortitude and life force within our bodies. The oranges are motivating and energizing. I see the gold in the trees as a wonderful symbol of the strength of the sun, the power of life, and the greens in all their glorious shades, represent balance, the healing nature of our Mother Earth, and of course universal unconditional love.

Whatever colours, symbols or signs you might see and interpret your own way in nature at this wonderful time of year I wish you too the abundance of blessings, and hope to see many of you at the various talks and workshops I am attending through the next couple of months.

With my love,
Chrissie

What a Summer!

What an amazing Summer it has been! From the Queen’s Jubilee (then our Essene Summer gathering) to the Olympics, and then the Para-olympics we have been drawn together in a continued celebration of some of the best in ‘human-ness’. I was delighted to see that all the plans, preparation, and organization which was clearly evident, came to such glorious fruition, and didn’t we do well winning so many medals too? I have felt enormously proud to be part of it, even as an observer and supporter. Our Olympians were reporting that these were the best games ever! Certainly they were evidently the best para-olympics so far.

Brian and I were unable to buy tickets for the Olympics but we were there to watch the para-olympics during the second week. I could sense (on many levels: visually, emotionally, empathically and spiritually) the effort put in by those great athletes, the strength and determination, the ability and power, the team spirit and camaraderie, the pleasure of winning and the pain of losing. I found myself moved to tears in sheer admiration as people with no sight engaged in ‘shot put’, amputees beat world records racing round the track on prosthetics and in wheelchairs, and I think possibly the deepest, soul-inspiring impression of all, was the passion I experienced from the support within the crowd. There were 80.000 people in a full stadium the morning I was there, (I have no idea how many were filling the other venues at the same time) and the stadium filled three times every day. Millions and millions of people cheering, shouting and willing the athletes on to succeed during the events, again at the finish, and again as the medals were received. It was quite wonderful to watch on the television, but almost overwhelming to witness first hand!

I can’t help relating this olympic stadium experience to ‘As above, so below’, and like everything in life...especially the angelic realms. When we open our minds to the wealth of Divine support available to us, I fell certain it must be the same. Whilst each of is individually taking a role as the olympian, competing in the human race, invisible supporters in their masses are cheering us on, holding the light and willing us to succeed. We know there to be billions of angels advancing towards our earth plane, in waves, to support our ever increasing spiritual evolution and ascension, and we know that this has been so at the dawning of every new age. It’s just that the majority of us don’t hear, see or feel their presence. But I know they are there, and so do most of you. As we move further into the Aquarian age we can surely receive no greater evidence of the acceleration of associated attributes of community, communication, and equality than the 2012 Olympic Games in London.  

On a different topic I’d like to tell you about the Transformational Conference in London recently which I was fortunate to attend,(along with Eric and Mark) albeit for one day only. Organized by Dolores Canon, and her team from Ozark publishing we were presented with many enlightening and inspiring talks. For me one of the high-lights was Arun Ghandi, the grandson of Mahatma Ghandi, who spoke about his life as a boy staying with his grandparents in India. He then went on to describe some of his work in setting up a charity for the Educational welfare of small street-children in the cities of India. I was very inspired by his dedication to serve humanity in this way. 

I also spent just a few insightful moments with a stranger I was clearly destined to meet.  We joined at a table during the lunch break. She was clearly distressed and for a while I gave her the space to express her despair caused by her reaction to a speaker who had expounded the virtues of the good and honest Palestinian people and their plight. My lunch companion was dismayed by his unfairness.  This lady, had sons who had been conscripted by the Israeli army. She had been afraid for her son. Now her grandsons were to be conscripted as they approached twenty one. I’m a mother of a son who wanted to join the Royal Marines, now also a grandmother of grandsons too.I felt for her.

This lady’s pain, and anger with the speaker was because there are ‘good and honest’ people living in Israel too who are not represented by the decisions of the politicians, but who are not heard. They too long for peace with all their heart.

It made me realize that when we give our support wholeheartedly, but to one side of any given situation that is not our own, with the best will in the world we can only ever understand it as an outsider. As peace-keepers or peace-makers surely we serve best when we listen carefully, respecting all arguments as valid, take into account all people, all sides and all feelings objectively, to try and see the bigger picture, consciously... and with love. 

Is your service as a peace maker complete? You know what they say? Are you alive? Then it’s not finished yet!

Shalom, peace and love to everyone,

Chrissie

Let's Co-operate to Co-create!

I'm loving the Olympics!
Well, those bits I'm watching anyway. I'm enjoying the races, the excitement, the mutual respect for players, participants and those behind the scenes, the drive toward excellence and the emotion of success, the joy and cheering of the crowds, and the wonderfully evident mutual support and co-operation within the teams.
You might not be surprised that I'm immediately seeing a resemblance here to the Heavenly realms; "As above so below".
My understanding is that we incarnate into soul groups, perhaps taking a different role in each re-incarnation so that our soul has many different experiences by living through various versions of the human life process within the group. I also have an awareness of different angels and guides working with us as our mentors, guides, protectors and ... if you like our team leaders, managers and coaches. From channelled explanations given by the Masters and Archangels we are coming to the realisation that we choose the role we will play and the lessons we need, together with the service we wish to give to humanity, and then along with all the other 'members of our team' we find ourselves in our personal corporeal life situation.
I don't really believe in coincidences. I feel that we co-create our reality and just as we understand that absolutely everything is interconnected it follows that we create our experiences through  the energy we radiate and the power of our thoughts. We co-create in conjunction with the Universe (God, the angels, Ascended Masters, Holy spirit what ever or who ever that may be).
The success of the recent book and film 'The Secret', really is no secret at all... we do get what we wish for! Our thoughts create, what we give we receive, we reap what we sow. God wants nothing more than for us to excel at what we choose to do, to be the very best that we can be, our 'team' is willing us to succeed and the angels love us so much they are cheering us on wishing only joy for us. The only thing that ever lets us down is that negative creep fear!

Yes, I'm loving the Olympics! For me it illustrates the best of us. It exemplifies our ability to exceed our own limitations, to be successful and humble at the same time, and to work together in co-operation in the true sense of 'team spirit'. To be supportive of one another, cheering each other on.

Whenever we create a new venture whether it be a game, sport, or piece of work, we also manifest an angelic helper purely for that (whatever your venture may be). The more love, enthusiasm and positive energy we put into the project or venture ourselves, the more the spirit of the angelic helper grows too. Imagine a genie type figure rising from the centre of the group, exactly like the one portrayed in Disney's 'Aladin' but full of pure love and encouragement and guiding your intuitive processes towards success. Of course this is only a visual aid but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Walt Disney had some mystical insight into the 'Genie' (angel) at work with him throughout his many years of success!

Come on, Let's GO! This is 2012 and we are well into the new Aquarian Age. It's a time for growth of community, equality, communication, humanitarianism, and success through co-operation. Let's help one another to discover what we can do best, then nurture that gift towards excellence with love and mutual support. I'm going for gold... are you up for it too?

Why Retreats are food for the Soul

In June or September each year I have been running my Angels Abroad retreat in West Crete. I always enjoy it.  I always learn from it. I meet wonderful people some of whom are new to me and others are old friends. But the main thing about these retreats is the experience of sharing spiritual growth and healing. For the teacher or facilitator the weeks contain hours of preparation and planning, which when done successfully come across as relaxed and easy going... after all everyone is on holiday aren't they?

People come along with different needs and expectations. For some the whole idea of a retreat, or a spiritual holiday is new. Many participants, over the years, have brought pain to be healed, dis-ease to be addressed and issues that need releasing. In the safe space, relaxed atmosphere and expert guidance of a retreat we can look within ourselves with more clarity, more depth and hopefully more honesty.
Without exception I can honestly say that over the twelve years I have been teaching lovely people on my Angel retreat in Crete (and sometimes twice a year) I have always deepened my own growth and understanding while supporting others along their own self discovery. After all, as I keep saying: 'the teacher often teaches what the teacher needs to learn'!

This year was no exception and I had some amazing spiritually uplifting moments while we were visiting the sacred caves of the hermits and sacred areas in the rocks which have now been built into churches. In one beautiful modern church I was standing under the light of the stained glass window and felt a powerful presence which was overwhelming.  When my friend Juliet showed me the photo she had taken we remarked on how the green light had fallen across my heart chakra and the red light towards the sacral and root.  Quite a powerful healing gift I would say!
Others felt something similar and many of the group either sat silently, not wanting to leave, or wandered between the icons with tears in their eyes. There was something special happening throughout the morning, which although we could not explain in words, we all felt in individual ways.

Group retreats are always different. Dynamics can change depending on the character and personality of each of the participants, but whether peaceful, challenging, demure or hilarious each retreat is always another step towards our spiritual goal... and always, without exception, nourishment for the soul.

So, just what is 'karma' to you and me?

Having experienced many challenges (haven't most of us?) during my current lifetime, as a younger person I would question what kind of life I must have led in the past to be going through so much angst in this one! It has been only during the last twenty years that the understanding of 'co-creating' your reality has begun to really sink in. Even now I sometimes step back and reflect on whether I truly understand the process of karma... the idea that perhaps lessons or patterns from one life time can be brought into another. I certainly notice 'instant karma' happening all around me in this life time. Actions of kindness or otherwise coming bouncing back. The concept of actually creating our on-going life experiences and the phrases: 'do as you would be done by' and  'you reap what you sow' actually begin to make sense. I believe only as we waken to our full conscious self, becoming more spiritually mature, can we put the understanding into practice. And that can be at any age not just old age!

Why is it that some people just don't get it? Our thoughts and our words, our actions (however good or bad) effect other people. We even use the terminology in our language, 'what goes around comes around". Like boomerangs... they return to us and if they don't hit us on the head may whistle closely by our ears and make us jump! We know this. It can hurt.

For a long time I have been teaching the idea that 'energy follows thought'. The understanding of how potent our thoughts are, that just as we create positive experiences and happy times when we give positive energy to our day to day activities, our negative thoughts, expressions and actions do exactly the same.
When arguments are going on around us, or if we become involved too, we do not have to be psychic to feel positive or negative 'vibes' from people, it is in the air! Just as our blessings, our love, compassion and positive energy is also picked up by others too. None of us are perfect (and goodness knows I certainly have a long way to go!) but as soon as we become aware that we are judging unfairly, using negative or derogatory language, or acting in an unjust manner to someone.... let's make a determined effort to stop.

The archangel Zadkiel, and the Ascended Master Saint Germaine have given us one of the most powerful tools for transforming negative thought into positive energy: The Violet Flame. By imagining a beautiful violet light, or flame, surrounding us with healing transformative energy and then really allowing ourselves to let go of our negative thoughts, we can move into a much more positive frame of mind. Often we also feel much lighter and the negative situation we found ourselves in becomes easier and clearer to resolve.Particularly if we are also able to transcend the negative behaviour patterns and accept the situation/challenge as a gift, a catalyst offering us the chance to change.

When I had my own 'epiphany' and started running workshops to teach others how to connect with their angels I was so very happy that I sent loving thoughts to everyone I passed by in the street. I would travel on London's underground silently sending love to everyone in the carriage, then throughout the whole train, then on each platform as I travelled through town. The more I sent loving blessings to everyone, the happier I felt. That was a long time ago, and I no longer travel on the underground very often. But I do have to sit in traffic jams on motorways, and sometimes I like to do the same exercise through the line of waiting cars.

I have just recently had a birthday, and a good friend bought me a book I have been waiting to read. The Gentle Art of Blessing by Pierre Pradervand. I've been re-visiting the art of blessing others as part of my  daily spiritual practice and even while I sit doing my work. I have to admit it has given me a huge surge of renewed positive energy!

All the great teachers throughout our world religions have taught us to bless our enemies, to offer loving kindness and compassion even to those who may wish us harm. Our loving thoughts are a thousand times more powerful. By blessing and wishing others well we all have the opportunity to raise our vibration, to heal situations, challenging behaviour and our health. Let's get blessing... if nothing else it's going to create good karma!

My love and blessings in abundance to everyone,
Chrissie

Love-hearts, Pancakes & Lent

For some reason, and possibly because it can be wet, dark and dismal, February has been considered a dreary month. It certainly frequently brings the snow to either inspire us with sheer white sparkling beauty, or chill us through, but love it or hate it snow is hardly boring, and very bright. In our village the snow brought out faces I don't think I'd ever seen before. Families were out with sledges, people were clearing footpaths and shovels were swinging all over the place! A real sense of good hearted community spirit was shared.

Valentine's Day greets us in the middle of the month flooding the shops with pink and red love-hearts hoping to remind us not to forget to send roses and sweet words to those we love. We may have forgotten the origins of Saint Valentine's, when a young maiden may have seen the face of her future husband in the mirror, and to cynics it's rather commercial, but to the romantic it warms the cockles of our heart. Whether we want to express our love in card form or otherwise it is a perfect opportunity to remember that the words 'I love you' are so very important. Love is the most important driving force in human beings. I believe it always as been, as this quote from scriptures from the Essenes, written over two thousand years ago shows: "...For without Love, a man's heart is parched and cracked as the bottom of a dry well, and his words are empty as a hollow gourd. But loving words are as a honeycomb sweet to the soul; loving words in a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of love as a flowing brook. By this we know the Children of Light: as those who walk with the Angel of Love".... Seen as a Divine virtue shared by God and the angels then, and I hope it always will be.

Then how can we forget Shrove Tuesday, a delightful day of batter mix and pancake tossing. Golden pancakes in all shapes and sizes consumed by the plate load, laced with sugar and dripping with lemon juice. Possibly followed by the reluctant deprivation of chocolate, biscuits or other goodies, for Lent.
I think most of us remember the pancakes on Shrove Tuesday part. But I wonder if we all remember, or even know, the Christian ritual of Lent, of clearing out the larder, so that they could live on less until Easter... of giving something up and focus on 'not having' something for the sake of faith.

Many years ago I joined in a month of spiritual practices with a group from the local church where I lived in London's East End. Each week we chose a topic of focus rather than give up chocolate , biscuits or alcohol. We decided to concentrate on four themes, one for each week. These were inner peace, kindness, meditation, and letting go of grudges held against others. It seems to me that it may have been a little more meaningful to me at the time than giving up a few biscuits! I think of it each year. I never give up chocolate for Lent. I always try to focus more on kindness throughout the month though.

Then tailing on the end of the month, last but not least, is the significant extra day of a Leap year when all those poor babies who would otherwise forego a birthday celebration get to enjoy their specialness of having been born on the elusive 29th! And, not forgetting the magic of this traditional day when women get to propose marriage to their lover.

So actually this boring little month of February, is not insignificant in the slightest even though it lies in the heart of the dark days of Winter. Personally I love the snowdrops, the birdsong in the fields as I'm walking with my dog on frosty cold day, choosing a Valentine card with just the right words.... and celebrating the birthday each year of my lovely daughter. Yes I do believe February has quite a lot going for it after all.

With all my Love, Chrissie