Who am I?  Why am I here?  These questions have plagued mankind since the beginning of time.

I pondered these questions for a good long while as a child and young adult, and my thoughts still return to these fundamental questions even today.  However, it was the contemplation of these questions that first brought me to question the principles of my parents and the Christian upbringing I received.  These same questions began my search for meaning and purpose in my life.

I learned early on that contemplating spiritual principles and receiving revelations brought about a “high” like no other I’d ever experienced.  The movie, “What The Bleep Do We Know?” discusses how our bodies are wired to release a naturally occurring feel-good chemical, as a reward to reinforce experiences that are good for us.

It is this same feel-good chemical that also rewards the pursuit of spiritual truths, and keeps us coming back to find more.  Our bodies are literally made so that we are chemically rewarded for spiritual aspirations!

“Scientists call the mesolimbic system the reward or reinforcement centre in the brain. It works like the brain's 'High 5'- when you do something positive, it says "nice job!" And the way it does this is by releasing dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel good.

"The pleasure associated and the rewards from certain behaviours… all seem to involve dopamine," says Dr Andrew Moorhouse at The University of New South Wales.

“When the brain rewards us in this way for certain behaviour, our impulse is to repeat it, reinforcing that it's good for us.”
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/addiction/default.htm

The answers to the basic questions: Why am I here?  What is my purpose? can be summed up in the following quote from the writers of Babylon 5:

“Our atoms are made of the same material that are also the components of stars and planets.  The Universe is made of the same stuff as that which can be found in our bodies.  We are literally "star stuff".

“We view the Universe as a sentient being who is in the process of self-realization, in a way that we can never truly understand.  It breaks itself apart into smaller fragments so that each may grow as it gathers information and understanding of itself.

“We are these smaller pieces of the Whole, each with our own unique perspective and understanding.  Valuable to each other because of the unique experiences we've had and the understanding we've gained from these experiences.”
~ From the writers of Babylon 5

We are taught by the Law of Cause and Effect and motivated by physical rewards to understand our spiritual nature.  We are literally wired to aspire.
 
Why are YOU here?  What is your purpose?  

What are your aspirations?  Have you set the goals to which you aspire?  Are you on The Way?

It’s worth thinking about… 

Change is the only constant in this Universe.  It’s the one thing we can always count on – things change.

I was recently reminded of the following:
1.  People fear what they do not know or understand (sometimes falsely).
2.  People fear change.
3.  Many people are more focused on dwelling where they have been, rather than where they should be heading.

All three are intertwined.  For us to grow, mature and ascend there are quests and challenges that must be met.  If we let our fear rule us (as most do), we will never meet these challenges nor grow from our experiences.  If we do not grow, then we face becoming pessimistic and only look back upon life with regret because things didn’t turn out as we’d hoped. ~ Thanks for this goes out to Silver Oak Wolf!

Hopes and dreams that do not manifest, however, are also ‘gifts’ for our understanding.  
The message in the gift is: not this way, choose another direction.  

Sagittarius tells us that without the flexibility needed for both physical as well as mental mobility - we’re doomed.  From this we can see that if one direction doesn’t work out, then we must try another, and then another until we find the Path that opens for us.  This will be the one we were meant to walk; the one that leads to health and happiness.

Changes come in many shapes and sizes.  Changing eating habits, changing jobs, changing life partners, changing living locations are, of course, only a few.  Knowing that we need to change, for one reason or another, can be quite unsettling, because we ever really know what’s going to happen when things change.  Regrets about things left undone or dreams unfulfilled can certainly hold us back from a Path that will help us take the next step in our life’s journey.  The Universe has a Way, however, of pushing us in the direction we need to go – even if it takes a major catastrophe to get us moving.

The Sagittarian influence reminds us that we need the flexibility to change and move from a destructive path to one that leads to healthy, vibrant and powerful thinking.  It is easy to see, then, that if we hold on to a destructive lifestyle we are certainly doomed.

If we can label those things which bring us health and happiness as Good Medicine, then we can also label those things which lead us to sickness and unhappiness as Bad Medicine.  It takes more than just the awareness of the difference between them.  It takes a willingness to choose the healthy Good Medicine path and make the necessary changes when we become aware of Bad Medicine practices in our lifestyle.
~ For more on this see http://www.goodmedicinesociety.com

Which do you think is the more powerful magician - the vibrantly healthy person, or one who is weak and sickly?

If you were aware that certain lifestyle choices were leading you toward sickness and its accompanying unhappiness, would you have the courage to change your ways? 

My youngest daughter, Skye, arrived last night! 

She said the California hills are brown and gray from all the fires, the air quality has suffered greatly as a result, and the people she’s observed are “burnt out” as well… over burdened with making a life and career that could all disappear in a heartbeat if a disaster occurred. 

She’s decided to come back here to the Ozark hills and live with her mum while she goes back to school to make a new life… a simpler life, in touch with Mother Nature… in touch with Spirit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Hopi Elders say:
“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this IS the Hour. And there are things to be considered...

•    Where are you living?
•    What are you doing?
•    What are your relationships?
•    Where is your water?
•    Know your garden!
•    It is time to speak your Truth.
•    Create your community.
•    Be good to each other.
•    And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.

See who is in there with you and celebrate.
The time of the lone wolf is over.

Gather yourselves!
~ Hopi Elders, Oraibi, Arizona - Hopi Nation
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"At times, the world today reminds me of an egg, with its brittle shell cracking. Cracking because it is brittle, and also because there is something inside... something alive, strong, and new, battering its way out."
~ by Margaret D. McGee  

It takes a LOT of strength to leave the call of Mammon… making money is important, granted, but there are LOTS of ways to make a living - and they don’t all involve living in an over crowded city where there’s no hope of escape should a mass evacuation be called for.

Many will wait until it’s too late.

“A researcher observed a young butterfly’s exertion and struggle to get out of its cocoon. He thought he would help and used a scalpel to make a small slit in the cocoon, thus easing the butterfly’s task. Soon, however, he discovered the butterfly could not fly; its wings had not been strengthened through the effort of escape. The butterfly died because it was not strong enough to become airborne.

“In a similar manner the struggle and suffering we encounter in life can be strengthening.  If it is avoided then our lives may lack the strength and resolve needed to seek and engage transformation. Psychological and spiritual growth is always difficult. It is like the birth process in which something new comes into existence.  A new level of maturity is brought into being.  Birth involves struggle and with struggle comes not only suffering but strength.”
~ Daniel H. Johnston, Ph.D.

There are no short-cuts.  Work is needed for lasting change to take place.  Sometimes change comes easy.  Other times it is a challenge.  Regardless of the changes you experience, remember… You will never be given a challenge you cannot solve.

Sometimes it is the more difficult challenges that provide the greatest understanding and wisdom.

What changes are you being presented with?  Can you find a positive way to look at them?

My older daughter was born mentally handicapped.  Because of this, my family has been faced with many challenges to overcome.  Now that she’s come to live with me, it sometimes seems overwhelming.  However, regardless of what’s going on, when we focus on what we’d like to see happen… doors begin to open, opportunities become available, and eventually we always find a way to deal with the challenge as a family.

My mother used to tell me that God never gives a challenge to someone who cannot handle it.  She was right.  So far, we’ve always found a way handle this challenge in a way that worked for all of us.

My ‘special’ daughter is very sensitive to the emotions around her.  She will close down at the slightest sound of any tension in our voices.  If we are frustrated or upset, it is virtually impossible to communicate with her.  From this, I learned that we were most effective with her when we were happy.  So, no matter what problem comes along, I try to make a joke out of it so we could all laugh together.  Then I can explain what we’d rather have happen, and it’s then, easier for her to take in.

Now that her younger sister is here we’ll all laugh a lot more, I’m sure.  Laughter is so good for us.  It lightens the heart, eases tension, and lowers the defensive shield we put up that closes us off from others.  Joking with my ‘special’ daughter and getting her to laugh about things not only makes it easier to get through to her, but it also teaches us a great deal about ourselves and the way we look at problems.

Out of the problem of how to deal with her sensitivity came one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in this life.  Being happy and focusing on positive outcomes attracts increased opportunities for effective change and growth… more quickly than does being unhappy and focusing on despair.

For instance, my younger daughter focused on what she wanted, and the way opened for her to move here.  She focused on going back to school, and in last weeks newspaper the local college advertised for class registration this next week!!  She focused on finding a dwelling close by, and while she was on the way out here, we were asked by a friend if my daughter would like to house-sit – at a house less than a mile away!!  It’s truly amazing what happens when you focus on what you want.

What’s going on in your life right now?  If you could do anything you wanted to, what changes would YOU make?  What kind of life do you dream about?

“Follow your bliss, and doors will open where there were no doors before.”
~ Joseph Campbell

“Focus is the hocus pocus.”
~ Karen Karbo

Perhaps if you changed your focus upon the way you look at things, then the things you look at will also change. 

To what do YOU Aspire?  Is it something worth focusing upon?

It’s worth thinking about… 

The day after Thanksgiving is noted as the biggest money-making day of the year by retail businesses.  The kids are home from school and families can go shopping for Yule or Christmas presents together helping each other with those on their gift list.  Sometimes I think that the Sagittarian influence of SCOPE comes into our lives at this point to remind us that this task is really not so overwhelming as it seems if we would only limit our range of action to that which we can reasonably cover.

The commercialism of buying gifts has been a sore spot with me, personally.  I have long been a fan of making gifts for those that I’d like to give to because I think it becomes more personal thereby touching the heart of the matter.

My Gift

The gift I offer to all of YOU who read this newsletter, is the understanding that you are not bounced around through the circumstances of your life by uncontrollable outside events.  The truth is just the opposite.  The way you feel is a vibration that acts as a powerful magnet attracting similar frequencies into your experience.  

In other words, no one can ‘fix’ your situation but you.  You do it by deliberately taking your mind off your troubles and focusing upon your blessings.  This ‘fixing’ involves the inner work of resolving negative feelings, because the way you feel is your point of attraction.  If you find that your bad feelings can’t easily be resolved, then be determined to take your attention off them by distracting yourself with other things that are more pleasing until this re-direction of thought changes the way you feel.  When you feel good, you will attract good things into your experience.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “When all else fails, read the directions.”  Sometimes it’s just that simple.  Changing your life is not difficult.  It’s just a matter of following a discipline that works for you.

Are you ready to climb – leave the mortal behind – the importance of mental the key?  

First Hermetic Principle: "The ALL is Mind; the Universe is Mental."

"As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much. There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force, which brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together.

“We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter."
~ Max Planck from his Nobel Prize for Physics acceptance speech

“The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order.”
~ Stephen W. Hawking

“The visible world is the invisible organization of energy.”
~ Physicist Heinz Pagels

“There is no reality in the absence of observation.”
~ The Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.”
~ William James

When I am praising or appreciating or being grateful for the object of my attention then I am thinking in a way that connects me with Source Energy, and I feel good.  When I am objecting to, or being critical of, or I am angry or irritated at the object of my attention, then I am thinking in a way that dis-connects me from Source Energy, and I feel bad.
~ Misty-Eve*

“Make a list of positive aspects of yourself and of those that are closest to you that mean the most to you in terms of interaction.  Count your blessings and name them continually expressing them in every way you can.  For in that day to day, moment to moment deliberate acknowledgment, you bring yourself into alignment with how you really feel about you.

“How you really feel about you is abject adoration.  And if you ever feel anything less about you or about anyone, you are not being yourself… you’re not in alignment with who you really are.”
~ Abraham-Hicks

The Beauty of Simplicity

When we feel things “aren’t going right” in our lives, it is sometimes hard to see our own Path of Wisdom.  At those times it is easy to lose our balance.  The distractions of everyday life can sometimes blind us to the Path of Peace.  

The mind, being the agent of reality, is limitless in scope, but the minds of those who are not yet perfected are still limited by their beliefs and misconceptions.  Limiting oneself to one's own territory makes one more effective and efficient and allows one to know and cover one's own ground well. Limiting ourselves to our own scope, therefore, increases our efficiency, reduces tension, and improves results accordingly.

The Druidic Craft of the Wise is not the only organization that teaches the Way that leads to the perfection of spirit.  There are as many paths as there are people to walk them.  However, I see evidence everyday of people from all walks of life – from different religions, cultural, and social backgrounds – who have found that the teachings of the Druidic Craft “tie together” ideas, concepts, and practices that they may already hold.

To learn more about how YOU can change your life for the better, please accept this invitation to explore the pages of the Druidic Craft of the Wise http://DruidCraft.us

The greatest gift I can offer you is the empowerment to change your life for the better.
 
Are you ready for a change?

It’s worth thinking about…