The 'Island in the Lake' Visualisation

To undertake this powerful visualisation it will be necessary to prepare a 'sacred space' ... ensure your designated room or area will be free of distraction for half an hour. You will also need some ambient 'new age' style meditation music to play gently in the background (preferably something in the vein of Medwyn Goodall or Runestone to set the correct vibration).

I would also recommend that the following commentary is spoken onto a tape/CD-Rom and used as a 'visual aid' to ensure the visualisation is experienced to full effect. If you don't like the idea of using your own voice, then get someone who has a calming voice to speak the commentary ...

Ok. The most important thing to do prior to the visualisation, is to get yourself completely relaxed. Preferably in a upright seated position (lying down might put you to sleep). Spend about ten minutes calming your breathing and clearing your mind of all unwanted and necessary thoughts. Really calm that breathing.

[Commentary start} Focus on each breath. Breath in and count to three feeling the breath reaching down into the bottom of your lungs. Hold it for another count of three ... then blow out the breath slowly ... feel the effect of the breathing. Calming you. Relaxing you. Empowering you.

Take in another breath and count to three slowly ... becoming aware of the breath filling your lungs. Hold it again for another count of three .... you'll feel a little lightheaded at this point. A sense of anticipation filling your mind as your spirit becomes aware of your intention to go on a journey ...

Now. Close your eyes ... keep breathing in and out in the same way .... calmly ... focussed and relaxed. Begin now to visualise a circle of light. A round orb of yellow at your feet. Yellow like sunlight. See it now. Feel its warmth. Find yourself imagining you are moving over to the orb. Aware you are now standing on the orb.

As you step on the orb, become aware of the sense of summer meadows around you in that instance. Your previous environment is forgotten. Relax you will return there shortly. Take in the sense now of the summer meadows. The smells. The bird song on the air. The breeze on your face.

At this point your imagination will create the scenery for you. Relax as the image becomes real and you find yourself standing on a shoreline. Around you are tall reeds. It is early morning and the rays of the warming sun are dancing on the expanse of water before you.

Wander down onto the shoreline and gaze at the lake ahead of you. Notice there is an island ahead of you. An island which has a distinctive hillock or tor in its centre. Walk now towards the water ... feeling excited as if you know the island is your destination.

Feel the rough shale on your bare feet and the touch of spray on your face. Notice too the figure who now stands to your right. A young male walks towards you ... his piercing blue eyes hold your gaze. Follow him then wordlessly to a small boat which is close by, rocked by the waves that suddenly break the millpond surface of the lake.

Clouds begin to form as you clamber aboard the boat, the young male now casting off the boat ... confidentially becoming the oarsman. Expertly guiding the boat across the lake towards the island. The passage across the lake a blur.

In an instance the boat and the young man are gone. You stand alone upon lush green meadows. Ahead of you there is a cave. The scene before you has a dreamlike quality. You know you have entered another dimension. A young girl with tumbling blond hair now stands before you, 'welcome to the isle of Avalon' she is whispering in your mind ... she beckons you to follow her into the cave ....

You are initially apprehensive as the cave appears to be pitch black. But she is pointing towards your feet ... there is a small yellow orb hovering near you. The same orb which transported you into this realm. Watch as it adopts a life of its own ... and hovers in the air above you ... lighting the cave ...

You stare in wonder at the beauty of the place. The cave leads into a large cavern. You walk through into the cavern and sit yourself down on a stone bench close to one of the cavern walls. The orb gives you warmth and gives you comfort. Feel the ease and the wonder that fills your mind at this time ....

Spend a few moments now in deep relaxation. Becoming aware this cavern is a meeting place. It is a space where you can venture to in times of need and in times of understanding. You are able to ask for guidance and understanding when you are here.

You know it is approaching your time to leave this visit. A person will walk towards you now ... someone who will provide you the means to call on them next time you wish to venture to this safe haven.

Watch now as the scene begins to fade ... fade into yellow sunlight ... fade into images of your current lifetime. Become aware now of your physical body ... and all those stray thoughts which are present in your mind.

Spend a few moments to return back to this physical awareness .... then open your eyes ... stand up and have a walk around to bring yourself totally back to this awareness ....

MJ Aug 08

An Introduction to 'Spiritual Self Development'

It is true that every one of us has psychic powers, extrasensory abilities that can extend our experience and insight to the world we live in. We depend upon these abilities even without realizing it, using intuition to make decisions, making 'lucky' guesses, especially in areas that we are skilled in or enjoy. But for most of the time, we remain unaware of this potentially explosive ability that we have at our fingertips!

As much as it is true that we all have these abilities, just like any gift or facility, these talents can lie dormant until they are developed through practice and exercise.

Before delving into the development of these gifts, it is important to understand that there are many types of psychic ability (which have been discussed previously on ALITD):

Clairvoyance - The ability to psychically see clearly;

Clairsentience - The ability to psychically feel or sense clearly;

Clairaudience - The ability to psychically hear clearly

Each of these categories covers a range of gifts and abilities the likes of which vary from person to person. Clairvoyance, for example, can include vivid dreams, visions, seeing auras around people as you look at them, or closing your eyes and seeing auras and much more. Furthermore, each person has all of these gifts, but to varying degrees. So one individual may have wonderful clairvoyance, good clairaudience, but minimal Clairsentience.

As you develop your psychic gifts you will discover your strengths and weaknesses. It's important to develop all of the psychic gifts as all of them have the potential to expand and grow. Also, you may find with a little work, what was once considered your weakest gift can become an extraordinarily strong talent.

Developing your natural gifts is actually quite easy and much of their maturation comes from your intention to progress and the effort you put in to them rather than the exercises themselves. It is important to remove all over exerted effort or force. Imagine that the work you are doing is being fuelled by a river of energy flowing through you rather than being forced or pushed by you. With each exercise you perform, focus on the activity itself rather than worrying about getting a good outcome, just enjoy the exercise for it's own sake.

Prior to starting the psychic development exercises, it is first important to understand how to protect yourself. Protection is important in any area of life, for example, you would not send a child off to walk to school on her own without first teaching her the skills involved in crossing the road safely. Likewise, in developing your psychic ability, you are stepping in to a new area of life, and it is important to do this work safely. These protection techniques will help you to do that.

Why Protection?
Here on Earth, we have healthy and unhealthy people. Violence, hatred, bigotry of all kinds abound. To some degree we have all learnt to create boundaries for ourselves that protect us from the worst of this focus and behavior.

As you develop your psychic gifts, you are opening the ability to tune in to people and energies in ways that you previously have not been able to. It is therefore important, to learn how to protect yourself at these new levels as well. These exercises are simple to use, and are powerful. The important thing to remember is to focus on the river of energy running through you that is being used to build this protection, rather than relying on your own energy and your own mind.

The Mirrorball Exercise
This exercise is a simple visualisation. It is as powerful as it is simple. Simply visualise a giant, sparkling, spinning mirrorball completely surrounding you. Each time a negative thought, focus, or being of any kind comes your way, they are repelled by the blinding light that they are faced with. This is a great exercise to do if you spend a lot of time around negative or needy people.

Once you have completed your practice and development session, make sure you ground yourself. Grounding is being fully connected to your physical body and the Earth. You can become ungrounded in a number of ways, but one of them is by working with your psychic gifts. When you do this work, you raise the level of psychic light or energy that is running through your conscious mind to the point where it can become unsettled and you can feel lightheaded, vague, disconnected. To remedy this, simply do something very physical. Wash the dishes, eat some food, dance to music with a heavy base or beat, or step outside and walk around barefooted on the Earth. These are all easy to follow actions that will bring you fully back into your body.

Dream of the Sages

Source: New Dawn Magazine

To students of history, religion, or the occult, a pattern of individual names and esoteric movements appears on the canvas of time like a sudden flash of light, then just as quickly vanishes. A group of disparate people – sometimes famous, sometimes obscure, sometimes solitary, sometimes united, but always engaged in some amorphous activity – spontaneously surfaces. Just as suddenly their traces evaporate, their true purpose and the scope of their actions never comprehended. Understanding their reality seems to be beyond our grasp. Further study may grudgingly yield information – but it is inconclusive, incomplete, perplexing. Their nature and purpose seems to forever remain a mystery. The search for a solution only leads to speculations, not genuine answers.

For us to intellectually apprehend how and why esoteric groups work and influence the world requires a different type of thinking, a thought process that sees these organisations and their activities as an ebb and flow of an ideal. Most of us have approached the inquiry into the nature of how esoteric groups actually work and influence history by studying the limited and grossly distorted documentation available about them, like an investment analyst abstractly examining from afar the sterile financial structure of a multi-national corporation. But for us to understand the nature of historical esoteric groups, we should first attempt to find their underlying purpose. If we approach their study through that avenue, we may be able to understand why and how they work to achieve their purposes.

All of the positive esoterically tinged movements that have influenced history share one common characteristic. They seek to positively impact and alter, in a transformational way, the entire structure and direction of society. Their impetus is to interject into day to day living a transcendent awareness and communion with the spiritual element of life, to give a spiritual orientation and focus to the material activities of day to day living – to, in effect, spiritualise the material. The reason for this direction is to correctly align man with the necessary spiritual path to fulfill his spiritual destiny. Their motives are highly altruistic, despite the wildly imaginative suspicions and innuendos of many writers and even some church leaders. The methods employed by many powerful Western spiritual movements are always entirely in keeping with these goals.

The best known of these movements have manifested at key transitional points in Western history. The Rosicrucian movement on continental Europe. The less obvious but equally influential hermetic academies in Renaissance Italy and England. The Cathars in southern France. The Essenes at the dawn of the Christian era. And the best known, and by far the most misunderstood, of these groups, the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and The Temple of Solomon – The Knights Templar. Each of these groups formed, existed, and survived a certain duration to accomplish a particular mission, then vanished.

Through their actions, each of them positively influenced society as we know it today. Historians and spiritual writers have expended a great deal of ink unsuccessfully trying to explain what these groups were about and what they believed. Each of these groups encountered considerable opposition and conflict and, seemingly, was superseded by rival groups. History is invariably altered by the victors to suit their goals and needs. Most of the existing works about esoteric groups have been based on deliberately distorted records left by the supposed victors. For example, as has been very aptly stated, attempting to draw an accurate picture of the activities of the Knights Templar by studying the records of the Inquisition is like trying to get an accurate picture of the activities of the wartime French resistance solely by studying the records of the Gestapo.

However, one unaltered stream runs through each of these groups. It is their operational procedure. Each group has several common yet contradictory characteristics. Their organisational structure is both hierarchical and independent. It is at once interdependent and self-sustaining. In other words, it is a cell-like structure, organised around a belief system, designed to be able to function without need for a central governing body, yet still maintaining dutiful fealty and responsibility to the doctrine which the overall body represents. To cite one case, most people, ignorant of the actual working nature of the Essenes, assume that the Qumram monastery was the only Essene entity. In fact, many Essenes lived in the day to day society. The Qumram community was a centralised training base. Essene headquarters were on Mt. Carmel.

The Essenes, like the Cathars, the Templars, and the Hermetic academies, could function independently if cut off from their supposed core. The Rosicrucian groups are the best recognised model of this structure. This system later became the basis for intelligence organisations and underground resistance movements. They were consciously organised like the esoteric societies, designed to continue functioning without support or contact from the main body, yet incapable of revealing the heart or details of the structure of the entire organism if penetrated or compromised by opposing forces.

What is Buddhism?

Source: fwbo.org

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path — a path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood.

Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.

There are around 350 million Buddhists and a growing number of them are Westerners. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterised by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation.

Trans-Portals: Energy Gates in Space and Time

Source: reconnections.net

Doorways are opening, and magic is afoot! All around you, in every place, there exist Energy Gates---portals in time and space---through which a person can pass to new life and experiences. Some are visible, and some are of the mind and heart.

All of them are real. Some portals exist as specific places. Simply to visit these locations is to be transformed. Other portals require energetic "passwords" or "vibratory signatures" to activate them. Still others---those connected to the highest levels of transformation ---require passwords, along with "sponsorship" by an Etheric Guide, so that the unconscious or unprepared can not enter them unaware.

How To Use The Colours

The best way to get the most benefit from a colour is to meditate upon it.

Choose a colour of your choice. Find yourself a picture or a physical representation of this colour. Really focus on the colour. Be aware of how it makes you feel, what you sense when looking directly at the colour.

Now, clear your mind, take a few deep breathes from your belly and stare at the colour. Then imaging breathing in the colour, and really feel it seep into your skin to deep inside you.

Keep breathing deep and slow. Keep looking at the colour for approximately 15 minutes if you wish. You may do for longer or more than once a day also. If you feel you can not meditate properly do not forget practice makes perfect. Not everyone is born a meditater. Practice listening to your breath, maybe put on some gentle music or nature sounds. Most of all stare at the colour, feel it and see it becoming part of you. This is your time to reap the benefits of it so take you time and enjoy it.

Keep a record then of what reactions to experience that relate to this particular colour. Then next time, repeat the process with another colour. Be come aware of the different emotions and the different effects another colour generates .... keep repeating the process until you have drawn up your own diary of experiences relating to colours.

Know that reactions to colours are a personal thing. Each and every one of us responds differently to colours. Keep your own diary of experiences safe ... though not a cure, you should then be able to use a particular colour to temper an emotion or perhaps a fear ... based on your own diary of experiences.

Big Log

Classic track by Robert Plant

Daily Merlin: A Fresh look

Daily Merlin Insight
for Saturday 30th August 2008
Using Merlin Tarot

'A fresh look at the situation ... an insight in the current moments around the Shining Star'

Time moves on. Linking once more into the situation. A gaze at the picture of MM (to the left) and familiar impressions flow to the surface. Psychometric analysis of the picture does not indicate an individual who has left the earth plane. There is so much life still with this spirit. Her determination still courses through telepathically. Short tempered, or impatient ... there are moods and a hot headed nature. Things still have to be her way. She seems to eat erratically ... in fits and starts. A sense I am in the present day. Trying to see around her, to gain a locality.

Curtains are drawn. A room in shadow. There is a mess, with things out of place ... piles of belongings on the floor, on chairs. In piles. A sense of a part wooden strip floor and a part carpeted floor. Perhaps two doors lead out from this room to elsewhere. It is not easy to make sense ...

I know she is alive and safe. Not threatened by the atmosphere around her. Though I am not fully aware of time or place. Disorientated as if I have been spinning round and round. A dizzy head. A sense she is running through the room shouting and screaming ... in jest ... in humour. People around her in dressing gowns. Familiar faces to her. She appears in the kitchen with a big beaming smile. Hands in the air. So much energy.

I am asking for a timing on this that I am seeing.

Turning my attention away, breaking the connection. Focusing now on the Merlin Tarot - a change of divination aid to act as a fresh breeze ... connections from 'them upstairs' ... so much still to fall in place before it all reaches a conclusion. A house with all its curtains drawn each and every day will perhaps draw attention. The occupants perhaps to act as normal as possible, though circumstances have changed. A sense of where this dwelling is located.

But first ... the Merlin Tarot ... impressions of what is around MM at this time .... tears in her left eye for some reason. She looks across at someone and remembers some memory that causes a tear in her eye.

The word 'corruption' courses through my mind. Her family drawn through a conduit ... to the wire. Frustration and despair as this is proving to take so long.

2 of Fishes - 'doubt'
10 of Fishes - 'friendship'
Guardian

The merlin images present an air of impatience and discontentment. In previous days or weeks there seems to have been an elevated sense of hope & humour. Someone light hearted and optimistic? The optimism seemingly dwindling as 'the watched kettle never seems to boil'. Friends seem to be kept at a distance as time has been needed to think. The Guardian image suggests a line of enquiry or direction which seems apparently untrustworthy on first viewing. But ... in the distance of the image is the tower of strength. It seems an unlikely lead or trail could well lead to the tower of strength. There seems to be disagreement between a mother figure and someone who is 'a wise counsel'. Something which is not clear, logical and definable has been disregarded. It seems to be a trail, though winding and rambling ... that could bear fruit. There are celtic/Irish connections with this direction ... a stag's head once more ... and well established 'ancient' trees on an estate.

Warrior of Serpents
9 of Beasts - 'means'
6 of Fishes - 'transition'

MM is very close to being released. It seems a brave statement to post ... but there is an urgency here within these images, and the means to negotiate (three groups/parties seem to have locked their horns together to forge an agreement). The 6 of Fishes marks the sudden emotional change ... from her 'captivity' to her freedom. The Warrior of Serpents is one who looks ... who travels ... who has a very good indication of where she resides. However the timing of this scenario is not that easy to decipher.

Madeleine detectives’ axing denied

Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann have denied they have decided to axe private investigators Oakley International following allegations the company has drained the McCann’s fund of nearly half a million pounds. (The Portugal News on Line 30th August 2008)

Reports on Sunday claimed they were supported in doing so by Madeleine Fund underwriter Brian Kennedy, a self-made millionaire, who was also said to be dissatisfied with the investigators’ work.

It was said he considered their approximate £100,000-per-month fee “excessive” for the results that were being obtained. This has since been refuted.

A written entry on the official ‘Find Madeleine’ website said, “In the light of articles in some UK Sunday newspapers this weekend, we feel it is appropriate to comment briefly on our relationship with the investigation company Oakley International. We appointed them several months ago to investigate the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. We continue to work with them to this end. The working relationship is managed by Brian Kennedy, who also confirms the relationship with Oakley International continues to be good and that it remains entirely focused on the search for Madeleine”.

Oakley International, which is made up of ex-British special forces officers and has FBI contacts, won the contract over the London-based Red Defence International (RDI), though one of the employees, 47-year-old communications expert known as Mr. Halligen, is listed as being involved with both companies.

Image of the Day

Glastonbury Tor and Holy Thorn

Tarot Woman

Classic Rainbow (featuring Ronnie James Dio) ... taken from Rainbow Rising ...

An Enochian Magick Insight

Source: wyldwytch.com

Enochian magic is the system of theurgy, or angel magic, communicated to the Elizabethan mathematician, geographer, astrologer and magician, Dr. John Dee (1527-1608) through the medium of his crystal scryer, the alchemist and necromancer Edward Kelley (1555-1595) by a hierarchy of spiritual intelligences who identified themselves as the same angels that had instructed the biblical patriarch Enoch in the occult wisdom of heaven.

Enoch is the fabled author of a number of mystical and magical texts that deal largely with the fallen angels of God, known collectively as the Watchers, whose task it was to watch over humanity from the four Watchtowers at the corners of creation. These Watchers observed that human women were beautiful and lusted after them. A group of Watchers, led by an angel known by a variety of names, among them Azazel, descended to the earth and adopted material forms so that they could dwell with mortal women. Their consorts bore them sons and daughters who were half-human and half-angelic.

The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.... There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:2,4)

What the Bible neglects to say is that in return for the pleasure of their company, these fallen Watchers taught the women they loved, along with their half-breed descendants, the beginnings of all the arts and sciences that have so transformed the world in the modern age. They also taught enchantments, spells, the making of talismans and amulets, bewitchments, fascinations, glamours, the knowledge of the occult use of herbs and stones, astrology, and other esoteric arts. The use of cosmetics by women is ascribed to the teachings of the Watchers, who presumably wished their consorts to be more alluring.

More destructively, the Watchers taught their descendants the arts of warfare in order that they could rules as kings over all the lands of the earth. The mighty sons of the Watchers fell into contention with each other, and chaos reigned. The sons of the fallen angels, of which the first generation were known as giants because of their great wisdom and power, were regarded as devils by ordinary human beings. From the union of the daughters of the Watchers with those same Watchers, mortal men and women of great power and intelligence were born; from the union of the sons of the Watchers with those same Watchers (who are both male and female, being angels) spiritual creatures of male and female appearance possessing the power to rule over the earthly elements came forth.

The rule in magic is that from the sexual union between a spirit and a man, a spiritual creature with human qualities is born out of the womb of the spirit; but from the sexual union between a spirit and a woman, a human child with spiritual qualities is born out of the womb of the woman. Merlin falls into the second category -- he was the product of a union between a mortal woman and a spirit. As a practical matter, the offspring between an angel and a mortal woman must have a physical matrix or basis to inhabit before it can fully become flesh -- it must possess an embryo within its mother that was conceived in the usual way with a mortal man.

In this passage quoted from the Book of Enoch, the author explains these matters, though not so clearly as I have done, to his readers by having God speak to the fallen Watchers:

"But you were formerly spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world. And therefore I have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven, in heaven is their dwelling. And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits upon earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offenses. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement -- thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great judgement in which the age shall be consummated, over the Watchers and the godless, yea, shall be wholly consummated."

The biblical Flood was caused to cover the earth by God in order to cleanse it of the tragic creations of humanity, who used the occult arts taught by the Watchers to bring about chaos and destruction. However, Noah and his family survived, the animals and plants survived, and so did a number of the spiritual children of the children of the Watchers.

The Enochian angels informed John Dee that they intended to instruct him in the same magic they had taught to Enoch after his living ascent into heaven. This was similar to the original angel magic taught by the Watchers to the daughters of men and their children. However, the angels informed Dee that their magic was pure, whereas the magic taught by the Watchers had been tainted black magic.

Interconnected Experiences

Source: Daily Om

When events appear to fit together perfectly in our lives it may seem at first that they are random occurrences, things that are the result of coincidence. These synchronous happenings, though, are much more than that, for, if we look at them more closely they can show us that the universe is listening to us and gently communicating with us. Learning to pay attention to and link the things that occur on a daily basis can be a way for us to become more attuned to the fact that most everything happens in our lives for a reason – even when that reason is not clear right away.

When we realize that things often go more smoothly than we can ever imagine, it allows us to take the time to reflect on the patterns in our lives. Even events that might not at first seem to be related to each other are indicators that the universe is working with, not against, us. This idea of synchronicity, then, means that we have to trust there is more to our lives than what we experience on a physical level. We need to be willing to look more closely at the bigger picture, accepting and having confidence in the fact that there is more to our experiences than immediately meets the eye. Being open to synchronicity also means that we have to understand that our lives are filled with both positive and negative events. Once we can recognize that one event is neither more desirable nor better than the other – they all have an overall purpose in our lives -- then we are truly ready to listen to the messages the universe gives us.

While we may not be able to see everything in our lives as being synchronous, we can certainly use hindsight to be more aware of how the universe guides us. This sense of wonder at the mysteries of the universe and the interconnectedness present in our lives will help us see our overall ways of being and will in turn make it easier to work more consciously towards our spiritual evolution.

Tarot Card of the Day

When we reach deep inside ourselves, with a heart that is unafraid and accepting, we will discover new depths of strength and power. These deep reaches of wisdom, which lay dormant with in the subconscious until we are brave enough to search them out, will bring balance and equilibrium. And from new centredness will arise an unshakeable trust in ourselves that will carry us forward through life.

It's true that when we travel deep inside ourselves, we will also find material that we might prefer to leave unacknowledged - but the 9 of Wands, Lord of Strength, reminds us that in being true to ourselves we release energies that will help us to deal with whatever we find within. And after all, whatever lies inside our own subconscious is, for better or for worse, a part of us.

When the 9 of Wands turns up in a reading, we can be re-assured that we have what it takes to get by. Even in times of stress and difficulty, inner strength will rise up to guide us forward toward our goals. And in the process we shall learn more about ourselves and our abilities, gaining a new all-round perspective which brings security and self-confidence.

This card tells us to trust ourselves. We have everything we need. There is no necessity to analyse nor question. And absolutely no excuse to give in to doubt!

Search for missing millionaire family 'could take days' as police finally enter burnt-out mansion

Police finally entered the burnt-out mansion of tycoon Christopher Foster for the first time today - but said it could be 'days' before the owners are located. (Daily Mail 29th August 2008)

Officers moved into the family's £1.2million country house but there was no sign of the family, who are feared to have died in the blaze.

The move came as it was revealed that, along with the £1.2million country house, the 50-year-old had owned a string of prestige cars - a Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Range Rover.

But by the time a fire - started deliberately in three places - ripped through the house early on Tuesday morning, Mr Foster's success was nothing but a facade.

Today police said that 'every possible scenario' behind the fire was being considered and they were following up all possible lines of inquiry.

West Mercia Police Superintendent Gary Higgins said: "There is extensive debris at the site and it will take some days, possibly several weeks, to complete this part of the investigation. We will be seeking to build up a picture of the circumstances leading up to the fire."

Meanwhile police are developing profiles for all three family members.

Mr Higgins added: "I'm aware there is a lot of speculation concerning this incident and we are anxious to clarify the exact circumstances as soon as possible."

Foster's business, which owed more than £1million to creditors and £800,000 in tax, had collapsed and he was forbidden to sell the house without permission of the liquidator, it emerged today.

Parasites Are Killing Off Honeybees

Whether they are making our honey or pollinating our fruit and vegetables, the combined efforts of Britain's humble honeybees contribute £165m to the UK's economy. (Sky News Friday 29 August 2008)

Little wonder then that there is such consternation over the fact they are dying out in record numbers.

The British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) says a record one in three of the UK's 240,000 hives did not survive the spring.

The problem is nobody is sure why the bees are being wiped out in such huge numbers.

At the moment, the Government spends £1.3m on bee health, including £200 000 invested in research. But, as the Government closes its consultation into honeybee health, the country's beekeepers, farmers and honeymakers are calling for action. They want the funding increased to £8m.

Tim Lovett, head of the BBKA told Sky News Online: "We're seeing winter losses rising. It's no good blaming it all on the weather. And it's certainly not appropriate to blame it on bad beekeeping. There's something going on here in the hives that we don't understand and we should therefore research it. Really, in the context of Government expenditure, the money we're asking for is really small change. We cannot afford to take these risks."

There are a number of theories as to why our honeybees may be dying.

The Government partly blames recent bouts of bad weather and certain new pesticides are also thought to be harmful. But the main culprit, here in Britain, is the deadly Varroa mite, a parasite which thrives on hives and leaves dead bees in its wake.

And it is not just British bees that are suffering.

In the United States, 36% of hives have died from a mystery virus called Colony Collapse Disorder. The virus has also spread to France, Germany and Italy, but so far, has not been proved to exist in the UK.

All this is galling news for the UK's honey manufacturers - the biggest of which, Rowse's, is now pouring £100,000 into the national research pot, because of a lack of official funds.

Stuart Bailey, Chairman of Rowse's Honey, told Sky News Online: "By Christmas there will be no English honey in the supermarkets, I'm absolutely sure, because we're just not getting the honey in from the beekeepers. So we will have to import more in from abroad. That's tragic. Imagine if that were a permanent scenario: if there are no British honeybees, there'll be no British honey on the shelves."

We depend on honeybees to pollinate around a third of our home-grown food. A dependence which famously led Albert Einstein to warn: if the bees disappeared off the surface of the globe, man would only have four years left.

Man Utd 1-2 Zenit St Petersburg

BBC Sport (Friday 29th August 2008): Manchester United's bid for European Super Cup glory ended in failure as Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny goals earned Zenit St Petersburg a deserved win.

Fresher and more incisive throughout, Zenit took the lead when Pogrebnyak forced home a header from close range. Playmaker Danny made it 2-0 with a fine solo goal on the hour, before Nemanja Vidic pulled one back from six yards.

It was too little too late, though, with Paul Scholes sent off late on in a lacklustre showing from United. The midfielder saw red when he punched the ball into the net with only seconds left on the clock, earning himself a second booking and one-match European suspension that could see him sit out the Champions League group match against Villarreal.

It was a sorry end to the match for United, who had looked off the pace throughout.

With Zenit midway through the Russian season, the difference in sharpness between the sides was clearly evident, and Dick Advocaat's side showed they could well be a threat in this season's Champions League - even without Andrei Arshavin, who has been heavily linked with Spurs and who only played 45 minutes in Monaco.

The defeat, though, will not be too hard to take for United, who not only had Cristiano Ronaldo watching from the stands, but who will also be hoping to add a striker - most notably Dimitar Berbatov - to their ranks before the close of the transfer window on Monday.

Quote for the Day

How can one find satisfaction in a world filled with suffering? By understanding the nature of suffering and the larger Reality out of which it arises.

Quiet compassion is the strength that endures all suffering and triumphs over all adversity.

When you are exhausted by the suffering in the world, there is nothing to do but love.

The Six Colour Grid - "Solution"

The Solution to the last practice yourself - The Six Colour Grid is the following combination of colours:


Believe me, these type of exercises are NOT easy. It takes plenty of patience and practice (plus knowing your own thoughts and what are not your own thoughts) to succeed in these type of exercises.

Remote Viewing & other psychic techniques ARE a reality. The above exercise (and previous exercises) may seem rather extreme (and improbable) ... but it is possible to extract the 'transmitted' information from your mind. It is just knowing how ... and knowing where it is to find. Plus there is the 'slight' problem of overcoming the logical mind which will provide you with the wrong answers!

Further exercises are to follow. Bear with me ... I'm currently formulating a 'learn how to' workshop and distance learning course at the moment ... so watch this space ...

Over the last couple of decades I've undergone my own self development, plus developed my own 'techniques' which make exercises like these that bit easier to achieve.

I digress, but bear with me ... it will explain one such technique ... a technique which develops the understanding of 'right or wrong' information. Around 15 years ago I was asked by a relatively well known Manchester Medium to work on his Psychic phone line. I was extremely sceptical at the time, having known several people who had been ripped off by the charlatans who man these easy-prey phone lines. However, I decided to give it a go, and soon discovered that 'them upstairs' (my nickname for 'spirit') had set it up to teach me a valuable technique.

Okay, I was surrounded by charlatans in the room where I was to 'work'. But, I proved myself to be anything but a charlatan. Let me explain ... the phone line was set up in such a way that there was no one-to-one conversation between the psychic and the caller. 'Impossible' I hear you cry ... how can that work? Easy ... well not so easy actually. A red light would come on to indicate there was a caller ... I had then to begin the reading with 'anything I had' ... whether the first thing in my head or what was on tarot cards on the table before me. The first few occasions I failed miserably. I could say little at all into the microphone on its stand a few inches away from me. People would hang up after only a few moments.

But then the magic happened. I was soon keeping people on for ten/fifteen/twenty minutes ... sometimes for hours .... but not with crap. I'd began to actually link into the person on the line. I gained a sense of what was on their mind or what their situation was. I began to receive links from 'the other side'. However, it was not clear if this was actually true. That was until the boss's girlfriend had phoned in to try me out and let me know a few days later that I'd been talking to her about her grandmother in spirit and a few family details I couldn't possibly know!!! "How did I do that' she wanted to know? I only smiled ... as it was upstairs' way to let me know I was on the right track.

To further confirm this ... a week or so later ... a close friend of mine at the time rang the phone line one afternoon. I'd gained the sense she was on the other end of the line this afternoon in question and made a note of the time and also a note of the information which was passing through my lips .... a week or two later I bumped into this friend .... who was had been totally blown away by the information I'd given her in the psychic reading!! She was even more shocked to learn that I'd known she'd been on the line at the time yet I couldn't hear the voice on the other end!!! The information I'd given her had been spot on (discussing parts of her life I had absolutely no idea about plus personal information given to her by her late husband through me) ....

Because of the psychic phone line I was able to quickly develop the ability to discern when information was right or wrong. The fact that I had no connection with the person I was reading except on a mental/telepathic link plus I was totally relying on mediumistic ability to receive correct information was the valuable lessons which I was taught at that time in my life .... techniques which have become second nature and essential in this field.

United States presidential election, 2008

Source: Wikipedia

The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2008, will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial United States presidential election and will select the President of the United States and Vice President of the United States.

The Republican Party has not officially chosen its nominee, but its presumptive nominee is John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona; Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, has been chosen as the nominee for the Democratic Party.

The 2008 election is particularly notable because it is the first time in U.S. history that two sitting senators will run against each other for president and because it will be the first time an African American will be a presidential nominee for a major party, as well as the first time both major candidates were born outside the continential United States (Hawaii for Obama and the Canal Zone in Panama for McCain).

The election will coincide with the 2008 Senate elections in thirty-three states, House of Representatives elections in all states, and gubernatorial elections in eleven states, as well as various state referendums and local elections.

"Changes"

Classic YES live ... track from 90125

'Where There is Hope, There is a Way ...'

There have been a number of e-mails in the last few days which have asked me to answer the same question. I have therefore, deemed it appropriate, to publish this post under the 'Question Me' category.

The question is a simple one, and is basically in response to a worrying opinion which has been posted elsewhere in cyberspace in the last week ... 'Is she still alive and well?'

My stance, concerning this matter, remains unaltered. My resolve remains slakeless. My feet remain firmly rooted in the same soil as they first did back in May last year.

I still perceive strongly that the answer to this question is YES.

Recent insights, though undeniably cryptic, still report the same intuitive sense of a little girl who is very much in the world of the living. I've received nothing of the contrary. Being very careful to analyse each and every link I receive, in the same way I taught myself to question them a couple of decades ago, I know with certainty the impressions have been received correctly. They relate to the right person and they have been interpreted accurately. There have been no indications of a passing from this world ... all contacts confirm she is STILL on the earth plane.

I still perceive an eventual safe return. However, I do glean the necessity to remain coded with the information that is broadcast into cyberspace relating to the situation. Certain aspects of the information have either been changed slightly, or omitted altogether ... much in the same way as I have been abridging/editing the transcripts from the beginning.

Many thanks to everyone who have e-mailed me recently with their concerns regarding certain posts which appeared elsewhere in cyberspace, which are contrary to my stance ....

I hope this post eases your concern. Let us all remain still hopeful ... where there is hope, there is a way ....

Man Utd to face Celtic in Europe

BBC Sport (Friday 29 August 2008): Champions League holders Manchester United were drawn with Scottish champions Celtic in the group stages of this year's competition.

The British pair will also face Spaniards Villarreal and Danish side Aalborg in Group E.

Chelsea were drawn with Roma, Bordeaux and Romanian minnows CFR Cluj, while Liverpool will meet PSV, Marseille and Atletico Madrid in a tough group.

Arsenal will play Porto, Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev in Group G.

The four English sides were guaranteed to be kept apart after being made top seeds, but Celtic could have faced any one of them after being drawn in the third pot of clubs. They will get their chance to test themselves against the English champions in two mouth-watering clashes.

The fixtures will pit Celtic manager Gordon Strachan against his one-time boss Sir Alex Ferguson. The pair met in the Champions League group stages in 2006/07, with Celtic winning 1-0 at home but Manchester United edging the fixture 3-2 at Old Trafford.

"It was a great event the last time we played," said United chief executive David Gill. "Both clubs have passionate fans and we're looking forward to it.

Last time they won (at Celtic) to qualify and we went down to the last game to ensure we went through.

Group A
CHELSEA
Roma
Bordeaux
CFR Cluj

Group D
LIVERPOOL
PSV Eindhoven
Marseille
Atletico Madrid

Group E
MAN UTD
Villarreal
CELTIC
Aalborg

Group G
ARSENAL
Porto
Fenerbahce
Dynamo Kiev

Totem Animal: The Magpie

Related to the crow the magpie is an intelligent and adaptable bird. Ancient folklore associated with the magpie suggests that when two or more fly into ones life good fortune is coming soon. Since magpies are opportunists and seldom miss a chance to get something for nothing those with this medicine should pay attention to subtle omens that appear in their life then act accordingly so opportunities are not missed. The magpie asks us to wake up and be conscious in every area of our life.

Magpies are curious and have a reputation for stealing anything that they can carry away. They use whatever they find and teach us how to be resourceful. Magpie medicine people have the ability to succeed in life. Those with this totem are usually eclectic and able to draw on a variety of resources to assist them in their pursuits. Being able to adapt to different situations in a spontaneous way is one of the magpies strongest attributes. Those with this totem often find that their interests are varied which make master ship of any one thing difficult although not impossible.

Magpies are extremely vocal especially in groups. They help those with this medicine learn how to use their voice to attract attention, attain desired goals as well as acquire respect from others. This applies only if this medicine is developed sufficiently. Otherwise the voice and its expression may need improvement for positive results to be obtained. Proper communication is one of the lessons that needs to be learned by magpie medicine people .

The black and white colouring of the magpie associates them to the world of magic, prophecy and witchcraft. They know how to live within the light and the dark simultaneously and understand the pros and cons of both. Magic is symbolic of creation. Occult knowledge must be understood fully before it can be used in a beneficial way. Those with this totem have the opportunity of creating a new and better life for themselves once they develop their psychic gifts completely and use those gifts with pure intention and self less service. Past life ties regarding the misuse of magic are common amongst magpie medicine people. The gift of a new creation will be offered to you only when you are ready. When the magpie flies into your life, get ready, your about to embark into the world of opportunity.

A Magpie totem helps you use whatever metaphysical or occult knowledge you have – no matter how incomplete it may be. The flip side is that Magpie people can become jacks of all trades, but masters of none – dabbling into everything. Be careful to apply your intelligence to the task and take it to its completion.

Magpies have the ability to open up the doorways to the Spirit and Fairy Realms and have been familiars to witches and if you have one as a totem, it might have been your familiar in a past life. If this is the case, Magpie will be at your side permanently, helping you as it did in the past. However, again, be careful of using occult power for quick effects and not taking the time to complete training. Misuse of magic can have dire consequences.

The magpie teases eagles and other predatory species in front of its magpie friends, in order to win higher status, better mates, and sometimes simply for the risk of it. Magpie represents risk-taking for prestige and daredevilry. It might be time in our jobs or amongst colleagues, to take risks in order to win favours. It might also be time to be a bit of a daredevil, and face the fact that sometimes we have to put ourselves on the line around others in order to grow. We can't just take risks when no one's looking.

- The magpie comes into our lives to tell us to focus on our homes, is our home protected? Do we have the luxury of material security? Magpie brings these aspects into focus.

- Magpie is an animal that comes into our lives to tell us that it's okay to have irrational fears. Magpie helps us confront that which we irrationally fear, and does so in a gentle and compassionate manner.

- Magpie, with their dualism of colour and representation in culture as both a good and a bad omen, represent duality and binary opposites. The specific focus on this duality tends to be on a reconciliation of emotional or spiritual opposites. It is time to balance opposing emotions, like anger and compassion, or spiritual opposites, like the mysteries life and death.

- When magpie comes into your life, chances are there are a few wights (spirits) in your life as well. Magpie represents Wight-attraction, and might imply a time in your life where you might be more obsessed with faeries, and goblins, or unicorns and dragons, far more often than usual.

- The magpie has long cultural links with witchcraft and many aspects associated with this. In particular, the magpie is associated with omens, prophecy and divination. When magpie comes into your life, it might be time to start strengthening these aspects in your spiritual life, or alternatively it might be time to start paying attention to the omens, dreams and hunches you might be getting.

- Magpie comes into our lives to either represent that part of ourselves that collects and hoards bright shiny thoughts or objects, or to suggest that we might want to start collecting the things we value.

- The magpie is the cunning prophet who comes into our lives in order to help us to use prophecy and divination in ways which are clever and even stealthy. We are able to divine for great personal gain, and the gain of others, with magpie as a totem or a spirit guide.

- Magpie teaches us to take joy in the process of change, to recognise that it is not a laboursome event, but something to look forward to as it will very likely bring a new and exciting nourishment to our spirits, that we would not have had without the change. Let go of the old! Bring in the new! Cries magpie.

- Magpie is an excellent muse for those who are creative with words. In addition to this, magpie

- with its complex language of body and vocalisations - represents the significance of voice. It is time to understand the impact of your voice and your speech upon others, and the impact of other people's speech, tone and words on yourself.

- Magpie is a greatly magical creature, and tends to confer spiritual protection upon you once it enters your life.

Those with magpie medicine tend to teach people life and spirit truths in the way they live their lives, and in the council they give through words and writing. Magpie people tend to write down their wisdom, or say it eloquently. They don't often specifically desire to lead intensely spiritual or solitary lives, because family, children and friends are such a high priority.

Like all animal helpers, this animal will only appear when right and appropriate, and cannot be forced to visit you, commune with you, or share messages with you. Remember that you will find methods of contact suggested here are not the 'be all and end all' when it comes to contacting the magpie, and you will find methods here or elsewhere that are far more suitable for yourself. I'm not aware of any particular methods which are less likely to make magpie visit. Invocations, chants, singing, drumming, flute, sticks, dancing etc. are all successful methods. Use of all the elements (with less success given to the element of water) are also ways one can contact the magpie. Magpie will often come to anyone who summons it, but if we aren't ready for the lessons, we may simply misinterpret their wisdom, or miss it entirely.

"Juvenile Totem!"

Not one ... not two ... but four young Magpies visited us today. All choosing to pick from the bread which we put out ... barely inches from our feet. One Magpie even decided to eat out of Kristine's hand! The same Magpie, is a really cheeky sod ... jumping onto the window cill and looking in at us ... literally demanding more bread from us. Our 'Juvenile Totems' paid us a visit at least five times today ....

The Teachings of the Qabalah

Source: Mystical Keys.com

A knowledge of the basic principles of the Qabalah reveals that the body of the Heavenly Man, the macrocosm, is epitomized in the body of Man. The planets, as mundane chakras (centers) in the Solar System, have a tidal action on the corresponding centers in Man. This concept fits well with the Hindu Chakra system that recognizes that the seven tattvas (the cosmic tides) not only form the levels of potential existence (the Lokas) of Man and of all living beings, but that these tides rise and fall in Man and therefore have a direct influence on him. The Greek god Hermes was a giver of increase, so his art was devised to increase the effect of these tides in Man so that man could have a greater share in the bounteous energies of the universe. Man invokes the increase of these energies at his own risk, however, and that is why we should enquire about the magical properties in the "foods of the gods" before we eat them! Who, in Western science, understands why certain consciousness-altering herbs produce "flashbacks"? How many modem alchemists know that their "chemical combinations" have a catalytic effect in the endocrine system? The concept of the law of correspondences constitutes the true esotericism to the astute student of the Qabalah.

In a larger sense, the idea of the correspondences implies that if a law is Universal, then it recurs again and again and applies to all levels of existence. For example, if some psychological principles are universal, then they should apply to nations as well as to persons. We could view each nation as one person with his own virtues and vices, his hopes and fears and aspirations and neurotic eccentricities. We ought then to be able to evaluate the interactions of nations, and to plot their destinies. But we could do this only if we were careful in our analysis, and only if such a psychology was really applicable to different worlds of existence. If it is not applicable, then it still may be a valid psychology within a local environment. But the Qabalist is particularly interested in those principles which are universally valid. A modern nursery rhyme tells us, with more truth than was probably intended, that "Once upon a time the world was round, and you could go round-and- round-and-round on it, and everywhere was somewhere." If the world is one entity, made up of connected parts, then what is happening between nations today may indicate that the world is having a nervous breakdown. We are all in this one world together so we cannot, avoid influencing each other, for good or ill. The Hindu would say that we are just instruments for world karma. "Karma must come, but woe unto those through whom it must come." We may hope to be instruments for the good karma of the world, however, and toward that end we may diligently apply ourselves, by not passing judgement on effects that are not causal in this plane.

Man’s situation on Earth, for good or ill, cannot be blamed on Man, anymore than we can blame him for earthquakes, tidal waves, or other "acts of God." If we can blame him for anything, we may blame him for being stupid enough to have to live in the wake of the gods. When two totally unrelated situations come together meaningfully in time and space, that is Synchronicity, it is not causality. So if the situation is what we call "good" then no one can be given credit for it, anymore than anyone can be blamed for it if it is not "good."

Man is not evolved yet on this planet to where he can make conscious decisions about his destiny. This does not give us leave to act irresponsibly, but we should be cautious about blaming specific persons for collective events. Wars (and truces) are not caused by presidents, dictators, or mad assassins. Such people are usually the agents of collective desires-conscious or unconscious.

The Otz Chum gives a picture of some of these principles which are also found in Jung’s work. A glance at the glyph reveals that it has ten spheres, or sephiroth, connected by paths. The sephiroth represent ten basic qualities in the manifested universe. The connecting paths attempt to show that these basic qualities, while apparently separate, are united as in a network like the organs in the human body. The organs are semi-autonomous, but a change in any one causes all the others to adjust to maintain the balance of the total organism. The organism is only as strong as its weakest organ. There is, therefore, no such thing as lopsided development. Every principle must be brought into balance with every other principle, as we go along. If this is not attended to, nature will redress the balance for us. Nature does not, however, take the human situation into account, so if we leave the balance up to nature, "She" has some surprises in store for us.

The qualities of the sephiroth are:

Kether (Crown) pure Existence.

Chokmah (Wisdom) the principle of Force.

Binah (Understanding) the principle of Form.

Chesed (Mercy) the Principle of Growth, or Anabolism.

Geburah (Strength) the principle of Destruction, or Catabolism.

Tiphareth (Beauty) Agape, or the principle of Mediation. (Without this principle being functional, none of the other principles can be synthesized.)

Netzach (Victory) the principle of Aesthetics.

Hod (Glory) the principle of Concentration (ratiocination).

Yesod (Foundation) the principle of Generation or Formation. (The secret of regeneration lies in generation, so without the functional aspect of this principle, there can be no increase of energy.)

Malkuth (Kingdom) the principle of Consolidation, Concretion.

The patterns formed by the sephiroth have meanings in themselves which amplify the meanings of the spheres. The spheres are arranged in three columns, or pillars, called the Pillar of Severity (left), the Pillar of Mercy (right), and the Pillar of Mildness (the Middle Pillar). The Pillar of Mercy represents the Force aspect of Nature, and the Pillar of Severity represents the Form aspect. The spheres are also arranged into three triangles or triads, with the tenth Sephiroth, Malkuth, standing alone. These four groups represent the four worlds of manifestation, or four levels of existence, and are called from top to bottom, Atziluth (the archetypal world), Briah (the creative world), Yetzirah (the formative world), and Assiah (the material world). These correspond to four phases of manifestation.

For example, the process of creating a house involves 1) the creative urge or intent, 2) the overall concept or idea of what is to be built, 3) the detailed plans and drawings, and 4) the house itself. We tend to think only of the end result (the actual house) as being real, but the Qabalist would view all four as different aspects of the "thing" whose manifestation in Assiah is the house.

To the Qabalist, the plans and drawings are every bit as real as the bricks and lumber; they are just a different aspect or view of the same entity. This is another formulation of the idea of correspondences, and we see that on the Tree the triads are replicated in the different worlds, each triad being a reflection in a "lower" world of the triad above it. The glyph is somewhat misleading in showing the worlds and the spheres in an up down format; it is preferable to think of them as different dimensions, but that is difficult to portray on a flat chart. The Teachings of the Qabalah.

When we view the Tree as a picture of the microcosm (Man) then there are two other patterns which are useful. First, the triads are separated by three boundaries, called respectively, the Great Abyss, the veil Paroketh, and the First Crossing. (Each term was invented during a different stage in Qabalistic growth.) These represent three major crises in Man’s psychological growth. Also, the Tree can be viewed as having seven levels, which correspond with the seven chakras of the Hindu system

Today's Quote

Captives of our own imaginations, we dream of fleeting pleasures and long for deeper passions, even as Life's sweetness is dripping from our lips.

Tarot Card of the Day

Source: angelpaths.com

And here we have the Lord of Love, a card of bliss, deep joyous love reciprocated fully and with great enthusiasm, a card of reconciliations and new growth! Here we see harmonious and contented exchanges of emotion, which vibrate with an ecstatic undercurrent of passion and heat.

Because this card is a reflective and receptive one, there's an issue that people sometimes forget when reading it - to be truly loved, deeply treasured, valued highly by others, we must first and foremost strive to feel those things for ourselves. When we work toward loving ourselves, we hold our inner nature in high regard, treating it with deference and proper respect. When we see ourselves in that light, other people cannot help but respond to our personal sense of value.

Furthermore, when we work to love ourselves, we release so many areas of self-doubt and uncertainty that we become infused by a new energy - and this we can lavish on others. The 2 of Cups is about engaging in a caring and tender fashion with our own needs, first and foremost.

It isn't so much about achieving self-love, as about, in every single day of our lives, striving towards self-love. That action leads us into a positive, self-supportive and accepting approach to life. And also, when we stop wasting energy telling ourselves what's wrong with us, we have lots more energy to enjoy being who we are.

When this card comes up in a reading, if it relates to the inner journey, then it tells you to put your attention in the moment, to leave the past behind, and to let yourself be free to enjoy everything that comes your way.

If it relates to outer events, it may point to a forthcoming reconciliation in a relationship where there has been pain and disappointment - this need not be a love affair, it can cover many different types of loving relationship.

It might point up a new relationship which has recently begun and which will grow into a deep and lasting friendship or affair.

And finally, it may reassure you that the meaningful relationship in your life will strengthen and grow, developing into exactly what you need it to be!!

A Quick Muse

The 'pennies' have begun to drop. Sense comes out of confusion. Draw back all those white billowing mists (from the cloud making machine), especially after a few weeks of incommunicado .... and a clearer picture forms ....

And it is most certainly not the picture which the 'leaks', via the media, has painted.

The clues are all around. Written clearly but obscured by distraction.

Future insights might go all little closer to the bone (or home) ....

How can it be ... so much confusion? Is that perhaps the trojan horse after all? The very confusion created? The execution of distractions ... to lead the minds of the public away from what it is that is before their eyes? The entire thing has been baffling. Spellbinding. Perfectly executed. Nothing by chance ... look to what has been gained and is yet to be gained and by whom. Look to all those who have been inadvertently involved. Looked at their common links and ties.

Pennies may have finally been dropped but it is more than pennies that this is relating too. Cryptic garbage again, perhaps, but it is better to be that way when perhaps the eyes of the High Priestess (along with countless other unknown sets of eyes) are upon this code. It can only be this way until ... the ability comes to say it as it is behind this veil.