CHANGE

“Growth means change and change involves risk,
stepping from the known to the unknown”

Although life involves constant change, often so gradual we do not notice it immediately, we seem to be more nervous about change than almost anything. All progress involves change and without it it we will remain stuck. The objective of life I believe is to move from darkness towards the light and from ignorance towards knowledge. As we gain more knowledge and our generous actions and thoughts to others brighten the light within us, so we learn about unconditional love. Through love we learn wisdom. As Emmanuel Swedenborg said, “Love is the light of the world; wisdom is the light in which love sees.”

In order to learn and grow we have to undergo many different experiences in our lives. Sometimes we fail to learn a particular lesson and when that happens we will be given the chance to learn the same lesson through a different experience. Whatever happens, it is certain that things are going to change. If we learn to accept life as an exciting adventure then it will be much easier for us to embrace change. For some reason we often assume that change is not going to be good or we are so attached to our current situation that we wish it to go on and on and thus fear of change is born.

In my experience, although when we look back we sometimes yearn to return to what we saw as a happy time of our lives, when we take account of who we have become since then as a result of growth and change we realise it would not be suitable for us as we are now. I think it is important to understand that we are the sum of our experiences; we are to a large degree, what those have made us. Alexander Pope said, “Changed through all and yet in all the same,” meaning that we are still the same soul and spirit, even though learning and experience have changed us in many ways. Pope was talking about all humans when he wrote this but I feel it applies just as much to individuals as it does to us as a species. All we have been through remains with us and has moulded us – all that we will experience in the future will mould us further, so that when we eventually leave this world, we will take with us the sum total of all we have learned and experienced and that forms our character. It is all we can possibly take with us because we, of necessity, must leave behind us all the physical things we have collected in our lifetime. Even things which we feel are vitally important to us and to which we are strongly attached must be abandoned.

Through change we build our character and learn to relate more closely with those who share our lives here. If our fear of change becomes too obsessive then we do stand still and when we come to look back on our lives from the spirit world, we will regret the missed opportunities that mean we have to learn lessons in spirit that we should have learned on earth. Some change is dramatic and because of this we are disoriented and wring our hands, wondering why everything can’t remain as it was. I believe that although some changes do appear to us be dramatic and lead to huge upheavals in our lives, the reason for such changes can be found if we look. Often we find that an apparently small action of ours was what began the process. We bring about most of the changes ourselves, we are just not aware until the change manifests. Our inner self knows what we need, it knows why we chose to come to the earth in the first place and it will always strive to create situations from which we can learn what we need for the next step along our chosen pathway. Consciously we cannot recall why we chose to come into this life but inside we know. If we try to understand the process of change in this light, I believe we will anticipate it eagerly rather than fear it.

TREES

I am in the State of Iowa at present, at the Mississippi Valley Spiritualist Association Camp. It is set in beautiful woodland where deer, ground hogs, racoons and squirrels are seen and eagles occasionally fly overhead. It is so very peaceful and I can feel the wonderful energy from the trees energising me for my work with the spirit world.

We take trees and other wild plant life for granted most of the time, without realising their importance to our lives on earth. Much publicity is given to the destruction of rain forest because of its adverse affect on the climate but there is much more than that. The spiritual energy given out by plants and especially trees is phenomenal and can be a great help to us if we are willing to spend time in the woods and the countryside and attune ourselves to their vibration. If you are feeling down for any reason, spending time walking through the woods whilst allowing yourself to feel the energy all around you is one of the best pick-me-ups that there is.

All life interchanges energy unconsciously but because we have consciousness we can exchange energy intentionally. Sometimes we want to be alone. Human company is not desired at such times, so we will often “go for a walk.” In doing that, although we usually don’t realise it, we are inviting the healing energy of the natural world to work its magic with us. Invariably it works and we return from our walk refreshed and ready to face life again. I have sometimes sat down with my back against a tree trunk and it is not long before I feel the energy from the tree surrounding and penetrating my being. Unlike we humans, trees and other plants do not have to be asked to give of themselves. They do it all the time and to all, they do not stop to judge which one deserves and which one does not.

When we think of the world as a wonderful place that we are sharing with others, our mind tends to dwell on other human beings and animals and we overlook the fact that plants are there as part of the sharing process also. One of the great joys of earthly life is companionship and friendship. To share our joy as much as our pain is very important and this is what true friends and true companions offer to us. However, we should remember that there is spiritual, as well as physical companionship and it is vital for us to share such if we are to be complete as human beings. The difference between the two is that physical companionship requires the presence of the physical body of the companion and communication by word or thought. Spiritual companionship can come from such a situation too but it can also be provided by inanimate beings such as plants and even certain stones.

I feel we should not restrict our search for spiritual companionship to people or animals but should practice opening our awareness to the whole of the natural world, for every living thing is energised by spirit and exudes the power of the spirit. By extending our awareness when out of doors in parks or woods or fields, we open ourselves to receive the pure, unconditional, spiritual love given off by plant life of all kinds. In the case of flowers, for instance, their perfume, wafted to us on the breeze is part of their spiritual essence which is there for our benefit if we choose to accept it. Breathe in deeply when you receive the scent of flowers and see how you become energised by it. You may be surprised at its effect. Offer your own spiritual essence back by imagining your love flowing towards the flowers and this will set up a beautiful exchange of subtle energies between you.

“Go mark the matchless working of the power that shuts within the seed the future flower.”

HELP?

When the pressures of life seem too great, where should we turn? Sometimes it seems impossible to know because the pressures seem to create a barrier around us preventing us from feeling or sensing anything other than the immediate problem.

It is important for us to remember that we are never alone, there are spirit guardians and loved ones belonging to us in spirit who are always there just waiting to help us carry the extra burden that has appeared. Try to do anything that will help you to relax at these times. Listen to your favourite music and let it carry you away for a while – Read an inspiring poem and become lost in its imagery and emotion – Try to imagine yourself back in a place where you were particularly happy and allow the joy of its memory to divert your thoughts. These are the kind of things that will help you to relax, even in the most stressful situations.

When you are relaxed, then your helpers and loved ones in the spirit world can draw closer to you and help you to feel their presence. They can transmit to you, through your aura, their love, strength and energy so that you will feel ready once again to face the next round in the particular challenge that besets you. They cannot of course assume our burden but they can and do help us to find the strength and determination with which to overcome it. This is the wonder and beauty of God’s design, where the spiritual world and the earthly world interpenetrate one another. Spirit is all around us though most of us are unaware of that fact. When we face some of the harshest realities of life, then the spirit people make a special effort to draw close and be there for us. We need to learn how to play our part in the process by practising relaxation and being still whenever we get the chance. If we do that, it will be easier to create the right conditions for spirit to help us, when emergencies arise.

As spirit in a physical body, each one of us is able to become aware of the spiritual world in our own way. This does not mean we are mediums but just that we have the inbuilt capacity for transcending this earthly world for short periods in order to be refreshed and strengthened. Just as the physical body needs the right food to keep it running effectively, so the spirit needs to be fed also. Much of its food is obtained when we sleep and the spirit is freed to roam once more in the spiritual atmosphere which is its natural environment. However, the modern world we have created places individuals under so much stress compared to earlier generations that we need to feed our spirit selves during our waking hours also. We do that by creating an inner stillness and allowing our spirit to impress itself more firmly upon our conscious minds. This is the main purpose of meditation and learning a few basic techniques will stand us in good stead when life’s challenges present themselves.

CHANCE

How often have you said when something unusual happens, “What a co-incidence” or “That was lucky”? Maybe when you meet someone unexpectedly or you find things working out just right for you, you would say “Ah, we met by chance,” or “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time”? Conversely we talk about being unlucky when things go wrong or we are involved in an accident.

Is there such a thing as chance? Do ‘accidents’ happen? I think not. We speak of chance and luck and accident because we have a less than perfect understanding of natural law. The laws chiefly involved in cases of chance and accident are those of “Cause and Effect” and “Attraction”. Both of these we only understand at the physical level and perhaps a little at the emotional level. Of the mental and spiritual operation of these laws we are largely ignorant and are likely to remain so as long as we persist in regarding the mind and the brain as being synonymous and investigate their operation based on this prejudice.

To try to explain what I mean, let us look at the case where ‘out of the blue’ or ‘purely by chance’ we meet a total stranger who turns out to be exactly the person we need at that time to help us cope with or work through a particular problem we are facing. I do not believe such a meeting happens by chance. When we need (rather than want) some particular guidance or help urgently, our inner self sends out signals through our aura, they may be electro-magnetic or they may be light but whatever they are, they are searching for the aura of another person who possesses the qualities we need. The person concerned is one whose aura will respond sympathetically to our aura at that time, although they usually have no conscious awareness of this. Like us, they believe the meeting is pure chance but it is not. As Alexander Pope the English poet said in his ‘Essay on Man,’ “All chance, direction which we cannot see.”

As to accidents, there is always a cause of which the accident is the effect. Sometimes the cause of an accident is obvious, like when we allow ourselves to be distracted when driving and because of that get involved in a collision. Often though causes are difficult or impossible to establish but we can rest assured there was one, even if it is something that occurred years before the ‘accident’ took place. Because of the mysterious way in which our inner selves operate through our aura, the cause of an event can often be due to thoughts another has had. Thoughts are real, no matter how ephemeral they may appear to us. Thoughts create waves of energy that travel through the atmosphere and these energy waves are picked up by minds sensitive to those particular vibrations. Most of us have strong enough minds to be able to reject such thought waves if they are of a negative nature but not everyone has such strength. Such people therefore act upon such thoughts without any conscious awareness of why and perform the negative action thought of by a total stranger. In such cases the cause is so far divorced from the effect, it is impossible for us to trace it but that does not mean it doesn’t exist. As to responsibility for such actions – who do you think should be held responsible, the one who sent out the thought or the one who acted?


The vibrational nature of thought explains why lots of people become involved in a particular way of thinking. For instance, at the moment more and more people seem to be obsessed with the idea that the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 is going to herald a huge change in human spiritual consciousness and some even think it heralds the end of the world. So many thoughts are being projected about his by speakers and over the internet that the atmosphere is full of them and thus more and more of us pick up on such thoughts and also become interested. It is not necessarily bad that this should happen so long as we are each aware of why it is happening and retain our objectivity, think it through for ourselves and try not to become too influenced by the more extremist ideas surrounding it.

We should all guard our thoughts as closely as we can, for a careless thought may lead to a regrettable action, not by us but by someone we might never know. The mind is the most powerful instrument in the universe and as thought is the product of mind, we must accept responsibility for thoughts as well as actions.

Light

I recall an old hymn from my Sunday School days that opens with the words, "Welcome messengers of light."

Ever since that time I have known that these messengers exist but unfortunately most of the time we are too wrapped up in our own little world to become aware of their presence. Nevertheless they are there and they offer this wonderful light they bring with them to us for our guidance and encouragement. If you are fortunate enough to feel their presence, you will notice yourself being lifted up. It is not physical but it feels as if it is.

As you rise up you feel as if you are leaving behind everything mundane and are only aware that there is beauty everywhere, that a celestial light not only surrounds everything that exists but also that same light seems to be emitted by all things, animals, plants and humans. You become conscious that the only reality appears to be the light and that everything and everyone is striving to perfect their light and thus reflect more of our divine creator. You become convinced for the brief time this experience lasts, that light is reality and everything is a different aspect of the light.

We should all try to reach for this light, for it is freely available to us all. However, it is not with our physical eyes that we see it. It is difficult to describe but it seems as though you feel it deep within your very soul. You seem to be suspended within its radiance and you feel totally at peace. To experience it you need to practice going within in meditation and seek inner peace in that condition. Just occasionally, the light will appear and you will feel transformed by it. You will come to know the truth of the words of another hymn -

"Walk in the light and you will own,
That fellowship of love,
His spirit only can bestow,
Who dwells in light above."

Why?

Spend time with children and you will soon get used to the idea that there is one question they ask more than anything else. Why? Even when you feel you have answered their questions, they still come back - But why?

I many ways we are all children throughout our lives. There are so many mysteries in our world and even things we think we understand, occasionally behave so differently we are forced into asking why. It is part of the excitement of living in our world. It is the uncertainty and the change that make it all so interesting, even if we are often confused or disorientated by them.

Asking why is the beginning of learning, whether it be the mysteries of mathematics or the complexity of the universe. In my experience the important thing is never to be afraid to ask and never be surprised when the answer you receive just leads to more questions. We are compelled to view our infinite life through finite eyes and reason it out using finite minds. We will naturally be tempted to place limitations upon everything because, to our finite minds, everything must have limitations. This is where we make a serious error. By expecting there to be imitations on everything, we restrict our ability to see the complete picture.

Even though it is certainly impossible for us to see the whole picture, we will be able to see much more of it if we free ourselves by opening up to all possibilities. The imagination is such a valuable tool because it exercises this quality constantly. This is why those who refuse to entertain even the possibility that there is more to everything than immediately meets the eye, consider imagination to be for children or the simple minded. How wrong that view is. All steps in the progress of humanity have been due to those who have been prepared to exercise their imagination and refuse to be bound by precedent.

The imagination can tap into the greater consciousness that is available to us all and where we can find information and ideas that will enhance our understanding of who we are, what this world in which we live really is and how we relate to it and to the greater power or powers that appear to control everything. It is the real tool that can bring us the solutions to the why and the wherefore. It can help us escape from the habit of thinking in a linear way; to appreciate that eternity means just that and there really are no beginnings and no endings but one continuous process of creation and realisation. To understand that we as individuals play a key role in the process of creation. It is not something that happens due to some external power but is something of which we are an integral part and our minds are the vital factor in this process.

Because we are spirit, our true, inner self, is part of the source of all life - God, the Great Spirit, the Great First Cause, Infinite Intelligence - whatever name you feel most comfortable in using to describe this great mystery. As part of this, we cannot escape being part of the creative process which never stops. Our thoughts help to mould the world in which we live even more than do our actions and never forget that every action is a thought first in any case.

Never be afraid to ask why. Ask it and then try to find the answer with a totally open mind. Put no restrictions upon yourself but also be aware that the answer will ivariably lead to more questions. This is the natural law and we should try never to despair just because we never seem able to answer all the questions. After all, we as eternal beings need something with which our minds can wrestle throughout eternity!

Thanksgiving

I know my American friends have an annual celebration of thanksgiving because the Pilgrims held a special ceremony to give thanks to God for successfully surviving their first year after landing in Massachusetts.

I would like us to look at giving thanks in general because that is such an important part of life. I am not saying my American friends are insincere about their thanksgiving but the big problem with national holidays for whatever reason is that the original intention tends to get lost for most people in the hype surrounding the day and the commercial pressure applied to all.

It is so important I believe to say thank you for all that is done for us, whether it be by another person or by our God. I often receive messages from people in the spiritual world apologising that they did not say "thank you" while they were here. Now sometimes it is because they were too ill to do so but not always. I am sure you must know of people who have said to you how upset they are with themselves because they did not take the time to say "thank you" to a particular person before they died. We never know what tomorrow may hold, which is one of the exciting features of our life here on earth but it should teach us to try never to forget to express our thanks as soon as ever we can. Try never to put it off.

I know I have so much to be thankful for and I am sure you must be the same. I am grateful that after 75 years on earth I am still fit and well enough to travel to visit my friends in other countries and to serve the spirit. I am grateful to all my friends who never seem to tire of helping me in a thousand different ways and I am grateful also for the beauty I see all around me, for eyes with which to see it and for ears (imperfect thought they are now!) with which to hear the symphony of birdsong and insect humming that is all around and the loving words of my family and friends. I am so lucky to know love, happiness, joy - yes and sadness too - to feel all these emotions welling up in my heart and making me alive. Because of these emotions I vibrate to the music of life; I dance to the rhythm of creation. My family -those loved ones who I far too often take for granted, are a never ending source of the need for me to say "thank you".

I am so blessed and have a feeling that so are we all. In saying "thank you" to whoever, we are able to experience all over again, these many gifts given to us so freely. We should remember also that receiving thanks is something special too. Very few people perform actions in expectation of being thanked but it is always so good when the person you have helped does take the time to do so. It is all part of this wonderful experience of life on earth that we share - SHARING is the key. If we really do share our experiences and enjoy life's munificence in the company of others, it makes everything so much more poignant I believe. Giving thanks is part of that sharing experience and it helps us to stay together and continue to enjoy this wonderful life in the most marvelous company.

May God bless you.