Tag Archives: ascension

Gratitude in the Midst of Chaos

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Here we are, ready to say good bye to another year. 2020 has been…well, you fill in the blank. I invite each of you to take a few moments to join me now as we look back over the last year. Become aware of the blessings, gifts and new possibilities that have emerged this year for you and let gratitude flow.

For those still focused on the chaos and confusion, this can be challenging. Who wants to be thankful for that? Perhaps you can let go of that and shift your focus, if only for a few moments. Can you recognize, honour and be grateful for all the ways in which you’ve managed to survive if not thrive? Each of us has changed, either by choice or having choice forced upon us.

A few days ago I was playing with the difference between comfortable and familiar. Familiar refers to the times when your mind recognizes certain situations or people. You’ve been with them or in that situation before.

Comfortable means you can relax into the moment, the relationship, and enjoy it…feel some measure of security, balance and peace.

Neither of these words apply to 2020 in any measure. It was a time of change. The familiar was no longer and there were precious few places to be comfortable in all the unknown. Given the situation, we looked for ways to find our balance again. We floundered, we adapted to what the world brought to us and we emerged, time and time again. And we discovered we are resilient. We survived!

I prefer to see 2020 as the divine moving in and through us to open us to new possibilities and potentials. As we shift our focus from the information and ensuing rules that forced us to let go of the familiar and comfortable, we begin to recognize the opportunities for new choices in our life. What feels better, what brings more joy? What allows you to express yourself in a way that was not available before?

The coming of a new year is considered a time of making resolutions. We decide what changes to make in our lives and then promise ourselves to make it happen. This is a mind thing and so very often leads to frustration, disappointment and self-judgment. It is challenging to let go of familiar and comfortable people and situations because of the strong emotional attachments involved.

Now is the time to begin imagining a new way of being in the world…for yourself, your family, at work, in social situations. The divine has given us these moments of quiet to become aware of who we are. We can release the old emotions that come up when we consider making a change, finding new insights and integrating the new into our life. We can choose to change the channel we are watching, to shift our focus from what was to what is now possible. Seeds of freedom and expansion have been planted. Quiet moments of reflection unveil new ways of being in relationship, of creating income, new ways of living in love, joy, peace and harmony with all of creation. Let your love flow with the smallest of dreams… The world around us will reflect the changes happening within.

Let’s use this time of upheaval to create our new lives, our new world. Imagine being in joy, having fun, loving those around you, being in gratitude for all that is happening,  Choose to live and love fully in every moment. The ‘new normal’ can be heaven on earth, moment by moment!

[avatar size=”thumbnail”]Quan Yin – goddess of mercy and compassion[/avatar]  by Eloecea

 

 

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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

 

Feeling Crazy These Days?

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We’ve all been there, feeling crazy at times, like you’re losing your mind. We’re living in a world where we have more information coming in than ever before. Our human ego mind is desperately trying to figure out what’s real, what’s true, what’s best. In 2020, our experience has been compounded by the appearance of COVID-19. It’s a challenge to findImage courtesy of Pixabay - the digital artist balance in a world of competing ideologies. Everyone seems to be have really good reasons (and scientific facts) to support the way they think and act.

Psychology suggests that humans have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and behaviour in harmony and to avoid disharmony, When disharmony, or cognitive dissonance, is present, we experience stress. Our ego mind has options when a contradictory or different piece of information comes up against what we hold as true. We can ignore the new information that is creating the dissonance. We can denigrate those who choose to believe it. This kind of response will strengthen our previous belief. Or we can open to the new, feel our way through the emotions that come up, and make a choice from a higher, divine perspective.

What if the old beliefs keep us trapped in patterns of thought and action that no longer work for us or for humanity? What if it is necessary to break down and break through these old ways of being human in order to create a new world of equality, compassion, love, respect and peace?

The beliefs that we have now are just thoughts with an emotional charge. The older and more revered the belief is, the stronger the emotional attachment. You feel even crazier, out of control, when they are challenged. The more we cling to or push away from a belief the stronger the belief becomes. This is how our mind builds our ego self.

It is not just simpler to follow what our mind already thinks is real, it has been our way of survival. We have been taught to accept guidance and instruction from those we hold as leaders in our lives. Too often, we give authority figures from our religious, political, scientific, educational, familial and other traditional belief systems the power to tell us what is true, what is real and what is not. If have learned that if we follow our leaders, we experience a sense of belonging and we feel safe.

It is not easy to let go of the past, to try something new. And yet, most of us have done exactly that in many areas of our lives. We have accepted and welcomed new science, new theologies, new ways of being in relationship as a family or member of a community. Many have found freedom and peace, redefining ourselves in a different way.

What if, just as the world around us seems to be falling apart, we must allow the same process within us? What if the experience of being crazy is integral to letting go of the ego mind as our primary operating system? As we do, our heart, our divine knowing can take its rightful place. In order to make a choice from our heart, to find divine wisdom in the chaos, we must allow the emotions to rise up. Once these are released we can find our balance again as we follow our heart’s knowing, our wisdom. Wisdom, a thought without emotional charge, is available to all of us in every moment.

Wisdom is not information. It is knowing what to do with the information that comes to us. When our human mind gets involved, trying to figure things out or to find the truth, the process is mired in past experiences which are simply emotionally charged memories. This is the source of the dissonance, the confusion, feeling crazy: old emotions are involved, usually fear-based. Wisdom allows for discernment, choosing freely what you know to be loving, kind, compassionate, peaceful.

An evolution of human consciousness is beckoning to us, inviting each of us to let go of the old and allow new, higher perspectives to come through. This is the choice we have as we experience the chaos and confusion in the external world and within ourselves. Do we want to keep living in the black and white world of right/wrong, good/bad, us/them? Is it even possible to create a world of differences without blame or separation?

Letting go of the polarity by releasing the emotional entanglements leads to balance. We can then feel our way through the information and choices presented to us and realize a higher perspective. This is the the way of Unity Consciousness.

As humans, we appreciate and even need duality or contrast, just not the extremes we are experiencing today. Contrast allows for discernment, finding our preferences or what works for us. When judgments (fear-based thoughts) are in the mix, as is prevalent these days, we are operating from old emotions. Knee-jerk reactions are the norm: blaming, pushing against the Other, and fighting for the old way of being.

As creators of our own reality, we can choose to loosen the hold of these old beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. New possibilities from higher perspectives are available when we begin to let go of the old and allow new. Divine awareness flows into and through us. We can stop the blame-games, the confusion and violence we see today by becoming aware of our own thoughts, our self talk. From this awareness of what no longer serves us, we can gain insight as we release the fear-based attachments to that thought. As we put these insights into practice, we integrate a new, higher way of being within our human ego mind and into our attitudes and behaviours.

Let me say this again: We have all made these shifts in some areas already! We have changed positions on a topic or accepted some person that, in the past, we would have judged. Perhaps it was something about you that you finally allowed as your truth. Isn’t it time that we remember we are divine beings here in human form? That we can expand this willingness to allow everyone to have their stories, their truth? It doesn’t need to change who we are or how we live our life – but it can change how we are with the Other, those who are different.

We truly can create a world of peace and harmony, of love, compassion, respect and joy. It begins within each of us. Are you willing to pay attention to those moments you blame or make others wrong for having different beliefs? What about those who hold beliefs that seem to put you in unsafe situations? Or those whose reality challenges yours? We have a choice: We can create our reality from old fear-based thinking and behaviours. Or we can let go and allow our divine self to show us ways to find balance within. Then we can model this balance in the world around us.

Please, please, pay attention to this – remember Einstein:  “We can’t solve problems if we use the same kind of thinking that created them.” Are you willing to do what is necessary to create a world you would like to live in, a world in balance? Become aware, Let go of the old, Allow the new, Become the new. I know, it sounds simple, but it takes intention and attention. It can be life- and world-changing…if you take one step and then another and then another. You will find, moment by moment, more peace, more balance, more joy in yourself and your world.

[avatar size=”thumbnail” align=”left”]Quan Yin – goddess of compassion and mercy[/avatar] by Eloecea

 

 

 

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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

Allowing Unity Consciousness

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As the Intergalactic projects begin to take form, I want to talk about the foundation of who we are in relationship to ourselves and others, the possibility of Unity Consciousness. It is imperative that each of us are open to new ways of being. Our world is changing in the midst of chaos and confusion. Are we going to choose new and different possibilities or are we going to hold on to what was? Will we be part of healing the Great Divide or will we continue to perpetuate it?

When our thoughts, beliefs, and actions are based in fear, separation is present from the first thought. It is subtle and it usually begins with thinking something or someone is wrong, ‘We’ are going to heal, support, shut down, explain to or otherwise affect change for ‘them’. It may feel compassionate, be intended as loving, but know that it creates a division.  This is true whether you are being with yourself or others. Judgment, blame, frustration, pushing against, etc. have no place in relationships based in Unity Consciousness. And, it doesn’t have to be this hard!

From a 3D or mass consciousness perspective, our planet looks like a mess. Confusion reigns as our ego minds try to figure out how to fix anything and everything with little apparent change. This is not new, it has been our way of being as humans for a very long time.  We have been trying diligently to create change within the familiar 3D paradigm for all the ‘right’ reasons, Einstein knew this doesn’t work: “We can’t solve problems if we use the same kind of thinking that created them.”

We are divine beings, souls, a fragment of divine consciousness in bodies that are part of physical creation. Most of humanity, myself included for the majority of this life, believe that we are our bodies. We focus on the 3D thinking that what is external, what we can see, hear and touch, is real. The rest, sometimes even our connection with the divine, is outside our inner reality. God, Source, Allah is out there, separate from our soul self. We may hold the divine as greater than this 3D reality, but we still are caught in thinking and focusing on the external in general.

This paradigm keeps us trapped in limitation. The divine ‘out there’ is all the omni’s…omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, but we, as humans, are not. Can you feel that separation, that divide? What if we choose to know, to remember, that we are souls first, divine consciousness inhabiting a body that is part of the physical world. Can you feel the shift into a closer connection with the divine?

This is the experience of Unity Consciousness, the Christ/Buddha Consciousness, the Fifth Dimension. Remembering that we are divine beings allows us to receive more of the divine in our physical vessel. We have greater awareness, more potency and more connection with others and all of creation. Love, peace, joy, abundance, compassion, safety, gratitude, health, freedom, empathy, and respect for others naturally flow in and through us as we shift our awareness. We become these attributes as we focus on our soul self as our primary identity.

Until and unless we acknowledge that we are souls first, we are trapped in the limitations and futility of humans in 3D reality, a Sisyphean task* in my experience. Hopelessness, helplessness, exhaustion, and failure are common human experiences…sound and feel familiar? It’s all coming up now that our world is on Pause, as our usual distractions are not available. We are finally feeling and experiencing what’s been hidden or stuffed down: anger, fatigue, anxiety and panic, depression. The information we receive is conflicting, adding to the cognitive dissonance in our minds. We react from fear even as we strive to create something better and it doesn’t work. The Great Divide plays out in our minds, in our homes and in our world. Now what?

Now we let go of the human ego mind thinking it’s in control, that it has to have all the answers. We choose to spend time in the quiet, connecting with our soul self, beginning to

recognize that voice, that knowing that has been there in the background all these years. We begin to pay attention to all the other voices in our head that distract, the emotional entanglements that keep us stuck and we find tools that work for us as we choose to let go.

There is no place here for self-judgment or blame, simply awareness. We choose to allow our soul to enlighten us, to show us what is ready to be released so there is more space for new possibilities, new ways of being. There is space for divine wisdom to show us the next step to unity…a step that might surprise or frighten us because it’s different. Different is what will break us free of the old. Different allows us to remember we are the divine in human form, to see the divine in others and all of creation, no matter what it looks like out there.

I have used ‘we’ throughout this writing because I’m writing for me as much as for you. When I try to write for you, to teach you or help you, I get bogged down in my mind and its emotional reactions. ‘What will they think? Will they really get it?’ ad nauseum. As I write from my own knowing, my desire to share my story just because it’s fun, the words flow and a sense of fulfillment comes even before I send it out.  This kind of awareness is becoming part of who I am, my way of being, more and more. My life continues to expand into a peaceful place filled with magical moments that are fun and satisfying and exciting.

This is why Unity Consciousness is the foundation of Intergalactic Connections. I’m tired of pushing boulders up a hill only to watch them roll back again. I enjoy experiencing serendipity and synchronicity and, yes, miracles, as they show up more and more. I love being in the divine flow of the universe and look forward to the coming years knowing all is well. It is no longer my responsibility to figure it out, just let go and allow my soul self to inspire and guide my choices. This is the foundation of Unity Consciousness, of healing the Great Divide.

Then, too, our Intergalactic visitors will not show up until we are able to receive them from a place of unity, a place of safety for all. They also know the futility of trying hard in 3D. Many off-world beings are supporting our shift even now. With us, their desire is for humanity to embody Unity Consciousness, a place where we can encounter each other in joy and celebration without fear.

Most of us have experienced Unity Consciousness from time to time…are you ready for more? What are your next steps? You already have tools…what are they? Are they working for you? What thoughts or fears get in your way? Is there something more you need?

Humans are designed for community…coming together in common-unity in our physical world. Sharing more of my own journey, releasing the emotional entanglements that kept me in limitation, brings me joy. I invite you to join me with your questions and concerns, your awarenesses and transformation…we are indeed all in this together. Each of us has the opportunity, perhaps even a divine directive from our soul, to become that which we desire for all of humanity – a divine being walking here in human form. From that place, peace and harmony flow within you, throughout our world and beyond. Thank you for being with me on this journey, however you choose to Heal the Great Divide.

* Sisyphean describes a task as seemingly endless and futile—you keep doing it but it never gets done. The word comes from the name of Sisyphus, a character in Greek mythology who was punished by being forced to continuously roll a boulder up a steep hill.

[avatar size=”thumbnail” align=”left”]Quan Yin – goddess of compassion and mercy[/avatar]   by Eloecea

 

 

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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

The Essence and Projects of Intergalactic Connections

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The first weekend in August I met some friends at ECETI Ranch. Located at the base of Mt. Adams in southern Washington state, ECETI Ranch has been around for over 35 years and is known as a UFO ‘hotspot’,

Photo Courtesy of GoodFreePhotos.com Jeff Hollett

There, I learned how to differentiate between satellites, the space station, other planets, planes, and UFO’s (or Unknown Aerial Phenomena – UAP’s) with the naked eye. The ECETI website has hours of videos and stills if you are interested. James Gilliland, founder of ECETI, intends to increase public awareness of extraterrestrial presence, train ambassadors of peace and establish a Galactic Exchange Center where an exchange of wisdom and technologies can occur. I am deeply grateful for James (and others) who have led the way and held this space until the rest of humanity here on Earth was ready to take our place in Intergalactic relationships.

Unity Consciousness underlies all of what James and ECETI Ranch are about. From his perspective, Unity Consciousness refers to individual freedom, brother/sister love, prosperity for all, service to others and the presence of the Creator in all of creation. From my own experience and knowing of Unity Consciousness, this vibration is one of love, peace, joy, abundance, compassion, safety, gratitude, health, freedom, empathy and respect for and oneness with all of creation. The more specific aspects of James’ perspective would naturally flow from my understanding.

As you know, I believe we are in a massive evolutionary shift in consciousness, often called the ascension process. Within this shift, we are now experiencing what some refer to as the Great Pause. We are being shaken up to dislodge old lower frequency ways of being in our external and internal worlds. This unparalleled time on earth gives each of us the opportunity to go within…to choose between living from love or from fear. The more we choose love, the more the divine light shines in our lives. Our old fear-based thoughts, beliefs and actions are illuminated so that even more can be released. This is all right here in our faces right now. It is an opportunity to feel our way through every moment, to choose that which opens us to more love and lifts us into Unity Consciousness..

Intergalactic Connections is here to prepare humanity to become intergalactic citizens, grounded in Unity Consciousness. I intend to develop this company and its projects from the space of higher consciousness. I don’t know exactly what this will look like. Most of this is coming to me as I can receive it and in alignment with everything else happening on Earth. I do know that anyone associated with Intergalactic Connections must be willing to let go of old paradigms and create new ways of being together.

The first piece of this three-piece project is the Intergalactic Welcome Centre, located in the Greater Vancouver area. The Welcome Centre is a meeting place where individuals and groups are introduced to our Intergalactic neighbours and prepare for their arrival. It is a space (online for now) where anyone can come to learn about and

Artist: Jean Luc Bozzoli

eventually begin to interact with representatives from other intelligent civilizations. There will be information regarding topics such as Earth’s history with UFO’s, what we know about our star families, and the presence of UFO’s in sacred texts. Conferences and workshops will be available to expand visitors’ awareness and appreciation of our Intergalactic neighbours.

 

The Intergalactic Academy for Peace and Harmony is the second piece. The Academy is grounded in the wisdom of Unity Consciousness and informed by psychology, spirituality, and science as a way of understanding and being with the Other. The programs at this hub of learning are balanced with information and experience. Communication skills are an important aspect of the programs as students prepare to engage with Others from off world. More in-depth information from and about our Intergalactic neighbours will add content to the foundation of Unity Consciousness. Graduates might choose to do further research, teach in other settings, or serve as diplomatic representatives to extraterrestrials here or off world.

The last piece of the Intergalactic Connections project is The Dome: An Intergalactic Space Port. The Dome will receive Intergalactic space vessels and serve as a home base for their crews. It will provide space for small- and large-scale interactions for diplomacy as Earth begins to establish her presence in the Intergalactic community. Laboratory space is necessary for collaborative scientific research to enhance life here on Earth. Room for maintenance and other necessities for those space vessels that use the port are also part of The Dome project.

I was contacted telepathically by the Andromedan Council in October and joined their council meeting by remote viewing. Their representative told me they were to be my primary liaison to the Galactic Federation of Light for these projects. Last week, the Arcturians came to me  to validate the Andromedans’ message and offer their support as well. These star beings will not arrive in a public manner until our world is a safe place for them to be with us. They are from higher levels of consciousness, inviting us to join with them, to take our place in Intergalactic affairs. They know they are strong as individual Councils, and they are stronger together as members of the Galactic Federation of Light.

I am honoured and humbled, knowing I came for this purpose. When I think about this, it feels crazy and impossible. But the more I’m in my highest self, I am excited, filled with awe and wonder, gratitude and joy. Thank you for following my story, learning about my new playground. I wanted to share this with you – to remind us that good things are coming even as it looks like our world is falling apart. It’s so important to keep our focus on new possibilities that lift us up.

I am here to build for our future. I know that we are all in this together. Each of us have our own way of creating peace and harmony in our life, of building for our future – within you, at home, at work or school. What does that look like? What is your story?

[avatar size=”thumbnail” align=”left”]Quan Yin – goddess of compassion and mercy[/avatar]  by Eloecea

 

 

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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

There’s Gotta Be More!

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I was honoured to share parts of my journey as part of a panel on Interfaith: An Inner Journey at VST’s Inter-Religious Studies Conference. This year the (virtual) conference theme was “Religious, Spiritual, Secular: Living in a Pluralistic Society”. These are my thoughts.

(The script from which I spoke is below this video and yet I strongly encourage you to watch the video. It’s short – less than 9 minutes long. As I began to share what I know to be true from my journey thus far, an energetic burst of compassion from the divine feminine came through filling my heart. The opportunity to experience this with me even as we feel our way through the words cannot but emphasize my knowing that there is more, much more, available to all of us – awaiting our choice to let go and allow joy to flow.)

 

Hello, I’m Eloecea. I came to Vancouver from the States as a retired psychologist three years ago, led here to attend VST. The search for meaning, for fulfillment in my life has guided me into religious, spiritual and secular places.

I was raised in the Calvinist tradition of Christianity amidst a great deal of thinking and doing. I attended many services, listened to hellfire and brimstone sermons of the 1950’s, memorized catechism and Bible stories, knew the books of the Bible and verses and sang in choir…yet, something was missing. Somehow, I was empty…I rebelled against all the ‘have to’s’ and ‘don’t do’s’…and left religion behind when I left home.

After a few years of nothing but doing and thinking in college and work, I shared my misery with a friend. She suggested that the Bible spoke of love and grace from her Baptist tradition (thank you, Phyl). The Living Bible had just come out in the ‘70’s. Reading these words without the emotional baggage I had accumulated with the King James version allowed me to feel into new possibilities. I found grace in Philippians first, and then in so many other places in the Christian scriptures.

In my early 30’s, I knew I wanted to help Christians who were unhappy and troubled…so I entered the doctorate program in clinical psychology at Fuller…AND I started my own therapy for the first time. It took many months to break through the shield of defences my ego had created to survive…but finally, I realized I was trying to fit into the mold of being a good Christian woman from a good Christian family, doing good Christian work. As I opened the well of stuffed emotions, I knew I didn’t fit there – and I finally found a door that offered More…I was lesbian. I loved women. I wasn’t sourced in the usual cisgender or heterosexual manner of relationships, be they intimate or more formal. And I wasn’t sourced by a religious tradition or God that considered homosexuality a sin.

And then someone outed me to the Fuller Board of Trustees. I didn’t know if they would expel me before I finished my 5 year degree program. In the end they did let me graduate, but I was done with the limitations and judgments of Conservative Christianity.

I was introduced to liberation and feminist theologies through the Metropolitan Community Church fellowship, a church founded by and for LGBTQ+ folks. The pastor at the time, an ‘out’ Southern Baptist, gave me new information from biblical archaeology and more informed translation work. God loved me exactly as I was…it didn’t matter what other people thought, including my family. This was the first time I remember consciously choosing what I Know, what felt right to me, over what other people told me was true.

Then this community that had supported and informed my own personal shift started changing too quickly for my ego mind to accept…changing the interpretation of familiar bible stories, the language of favourite passages and the words to meaningful hymns in the name of inclusivity. Remnants of my conservative self remained. It became less emotionally fulfilling to be part of that and I left religion altogether for several years – again.

And then, in 2000, another friend (thank you, Carol) suggested that I have a personal reading with a trance channel from a New Age group she belonged to…once again my life shifted. More on that in a moment…

There are three imperatives that come from my search for More, my Journey into Joy. I encourage you to feel through how these might impact your life today:

  1. We must leave room for emotions – all of the emotions. When we preach and teach about love and compassion and joy without acknowledging the presence of fear and anger, depression and anxiety, trauma and stress, and encourage ways of releasing them, we negate the experience of those who listen. Guilt and shame come in and the open heart shuts down a bit more each time. Encouraging ourselves and others to be who and where we are, to accept who and where we are and then open to new possibilities helps that door stay open for More.
  1. We must leave room for differences – all differences. Not that we accept another’s truth or their actions as our truth, but that we appreciate and affirm that their truth serves them in their journey. For me, it was finally allowing myself to be lesbian, queer and now, non-binary (new terms I picked up here at VST). I am both masculine and feminine and everything in between – I am gender fluid. Accepting myself in that way, choosing to live from that truth, has opened a door to feeling more whole, more real and more confident in who I am and what I am about…more able to love myself and others and to receive love.
  1. And we must leave room for a bigger picture of what is going on in our reality. You know, I was frustrated and then scared when the whole idea of alternative facts started coming out – what others were saying made no sense to me. But I think of Galileo and the church, of quantum mechanics and mainstream science, and other pivotal times of change. The normal human reaction is to push against new, unfamiliar thoughts. We see that today with COVID-19, not to mention the political scene. Who do we believe? What do we believe? When do we shift what we believe? In my experience, it means releasing the emotional attachments I have to old beliefs and allowing the Divine within to guide me in my choices as I think and feel through new possibilities, allowing new wisdom.

I really faced this head on in 2000 when I was invited to open to a new world view, a universal or cosmic understanding through a New Age group I met with for five years. Channeling? Ascended Masters? Reincarnation? This was anathema in my earlier years. And yet these new truths have opened me to More.  I am no longer a human with a soul. I am a soul, a spark of the Divine, of Pure Consciousness, having experiences in this human form.

What I can tell you is that it works for me. It gives me a different perspective on why I am here and what’s up with this Great Pause or Global Reset we’re experiencing today. It feels right in all of my being and experience that I am a Creator, not a pawn or helpless human waiting for, beseeching some outside force to intervene. We are finally realizing that life will never be the old normal again – I see this as an opportunity for all to begin to create a new future with every breath we take and every thought we have. I know together we can create a world of Unity Consciousness, where Interfaith lives for me.

Are you willing to open to ‘More’? Is there a new door, a new way of being that is available in your life, offering More?

[avatar user=”admin” size=”thumbnail” align=”left”]Quan Yin – goddess of compassion[/avatar]

 

 

by Eloecea

 

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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

Ascension: Then and Now (Part Two)

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That was then, and this is now…

For me, today, ascension is all about home. Some call it waking up or becoming conscious. Some refer to Unity or Christ Consciousness as a higher perspective, a way of bringing heaven to or being heaven here on earth. This is my path, my passion; it is simple and it’s an inside job…it begins with who I am:

     1. Waking Up

Most of my beliefs, thoughts, behaviours are unconscious until I become aware of what my ego mind is saying, or my body is doing. We all know about self-talk, that murmuring (or sometimes shouting) inside our heads that never seems to stop. These words and the accompanying emotion is the underlying truth of who I am. When I am quiet, I might hear critical, judgmental, or harsh words…or I might hear gentle, loving and supportive words. We learned this, of course, which means we can unlearn in and shift into another way of being. But it starts with a choice…a choice to become aware and a desire to change. It starts with waking up.

     2. Letting Go

Once I am aware of a thought, belief or behaviour that doesn’t reflect who I want to be, there are many tools available to begin to shift from the old and open to the new. You can find some of these here. We all know that change is hard – dislodging old patterns brings up old emotions associated with what was. Emotions become entangled energetically with our thoughts and act like glue which hardens over time. Letting go refers to releasing the old emotions to create room for new experiences, new thoughts and behaviours. Much of this part of ascension consists of grieving what is lost even as we shift to what we desire. So we can expect cycles of shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing and acceptance or letting go.

     3. Refocusing and Allowing the Divine

The ego mind doesn’t want to let go because it loses the control it had. It has no idea what comes next because it only knows the past. The unknown can be frightening. This is where our faith comes in again. In Part One, we’ve noted that most faith traditions tell of a higher way of being, offer guidance on thoughts and behaviours that are based in love rather than fear.

This is where we place our focus – on the most loving, compassionate and peaceful thoughts and behaviours we desire to have. In the Christian tradition this might be called becoming more Christ-like. We imagine what it will look like, how it will feel. We bring the full experience of what we desire into our conscious awareness, into our reality. And then we let go, knowing the Divine, the Universe will assist us in this transformation, in this ascension step, as we continue to consciously create a new way of being.

Ascension is possible today

You can see and feel the possibilities…You can begin to speak encouragement and love to yourself, to choose behaviours that are in harmony with who you choose to be. You can also hear and feel the push back from the old patterns. ‘This will never work’, etc. Just let that be and continue to let go, refocus and allow the Divine to do its work.

Who you are within is reflected in your external world. It’s not somebody or some situation out there that’s making you do or think or say anything, it’s within you – it’s your choice. The more we accept this and choose to shift our perspectives, the more miracles we begin to see around us until miracles become common place. This is living from a higher perspective. This is living in Unity or the Christ Consciousness.

What Might Ascension Look Like Today?

For me, I see change happening in me and my life that I never thought possible. Not in the areas my mind thinks it should change (which are many), but in who I am within as it’s reflected back to me in my external reality. This is the evidence, the proof for my ego mind that this works. I am happier, more fulfilled, more at peace with myself and the world than ever before. I feel as though my life is just beginning…a new life grounded in knowing all is well because nothing is as it seems while everything is as it should be. My ego mind doesn’t have to figure anything out because the Divine within me knows and I am choosing to allow the Divine, my SoulSelf, to be my new primary operating system.

It’s an exciting adventure, this path of ascension…one that my ego mind could not have predicted because it only knows the past and that is rooted in survival. But the Divine, Pure Consciousness holds new possibilities and potentials that come to each of us on our own path in perfect timing.

There’s a wealth of information available to assist us on our ascension journey – from our own faith tradition as well as that of others, from psychology and more and more from science as it explores the realm of consciousness. My search for ‘more’ spiritually has shifted from intellectual understanding in my earlier years to life experiences of the divine, moments of feeling that love and compassion and hope. There’s a balance, I know. I invite you to allow this balance to come to you today.

Your Reflection on Ascension Today

So far, this was a lot of words, a lot of thinking. Please take a few moments to feel into all that’s been written and all that’s come up for you. Relax into your body wherever you are. Breathe deeply a few times, letting your mind, your heart and your body open and expand. Then allow yourself to reflect for a few moments on what ascension means to you today. Let your mind go loose and allow the Divine to show you new possibilities…

I would love to hear from you – what came up for you? Let’s have a discussion in the comment section below.

Quan Yin, goddess of compassion

 

by Eloecea

 

 

 

 

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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

 

Ascension: Then and Now (Part One)

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Today is Ascension Day, 2020, in the Christian Tradition. When Cathy showed me the schedule of services at Living Interfaith Sanctuary this spring, I knew this was my time to speak. The following is the first part of my message at the LISanctuary service last Saturday.

Christianity

Ascension is what my life is about these days, but let’s start with honouring the Christian tradition. Ascension Day, or the day Jesus ascended into the heavens, is celebrated  on the 40th day after Easter. Along with Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, Ascension day is one of the main Christian Holy Days.

Image Courtesy of daily-prayers.org

Jesus had lived his life, been crucified in Jerusalem, resurrected on Easter and then he began showing himself to various people and groups during those 40 days. Imagine being one of the disciples. Your leader, your teacher, your friend had just willingly gone to his death, then showed up again! He tells you to spread this story, the gospel, to all the nations of the world and then tells you to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He gives you a blessing and then steps away only to be lifted up into a cloud and disappear.

I would certainly be confused…and also sad and maybe a bit angry or scared. But, no… we are told the disciples were in joy. Stunned, yes, but in joy because they knew that when Jesus ascended, all the promises regarding His ministry to the disciples were about to be fulfilled.

The disciples accepted His ascension, for they had accepted Jesus’ word about the promised One to come, the Holy Spirit. Their doubts and fears were gone. They were convinced of who He was. They knew that He died to forgive them of their sins. They knew He was alive from the dead. In His resurrection, they had hope in victory over death, and knew they would be joining him in heaven with God the Father. Jesus was not leaving but shifting from a physical to a spiritual relationship. He was to be their Intercessor at the right hand of the Father, giving them hope and comfort and companionship.

This is the heart of the Christian tradition and Jesus’ ascension is the final piece of his work here on earth.

The concept of Ascension

Ascension has been around for a very long time. It is defined as a ‘raising up of a person above the heavens’ (without dying). Some suggest the most ancient definition is that which was used to describe the elevation of a visionary so that one is able to contemplate the heavenly world normally hidden from one’s eyes. In ancient Greek mythology it was known as entering the realm of the god(s). For instance, Hercules is said to have ascended. And then, as I was learning about and experiencing other faiths at the Vancouver School of Theology, I realized that other Abrahamic religions also had the concept of ascension as part of their tradition. Similarly, Ascension in these traditions refers to the translation or taking up to heaven of a few chosen ones, either to remain there in lieu of dying, or merely to receive revelations and then to return to earth.

Judaism

In Judaism, Ascension as a ‘taking up’ or the granting of a vision is associated with Patriarchs such as Enoch and Prophets such as Elijah. Jewish Rabbinical literature suggests that there were others, but Enoch and Elijah are the most often noted.

From the Hebrew scriptures we read that, during a life span of 365 years “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Genesis 2 v.24 (NIV) In II Kings 2 v.11-12 (NIV), we read that Elijah was walking with Elisha along the Jordan River:

Image Courtesy of Jewish News

“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more.”

The Jewish tradition of the Elijah Cup celebrates this. A door is opened and a cup of wine is set on the table at the celebration of the Seder on Passover and reserved for the precursor of the Messiah, the prophet Elijah, who according to Jewish tradition may come anytime as a guest. Perhaps you noticed this during our Sanctuary Seder service last month.

Islam

The prophet Muhammad, in the Islamic tradition, is said to have ascended around the year 621 CE, specifically to receive revelations and then to return to earth in what is

Image Courtesy of khalifatworld.com

referred to as The Night Journey or Miraj. This is referenced briefly in the Quran and expanded upon in the Hadith.

The festival is celebrated by telling the story of how the Prophet Muhammad was visited by two archangels while he was asleep, who purified his heart and filled him with knowledge and faith. The Prophet, in this visitation, travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night on a strange winged creature called Buraq. From Jerusalem he ascended into heaven, where he met the earlier prophets, and eventually God. During his time in heaven Muhammad was told of the duty of Muslims to recite Salat (ritual prayer) five times a day. (Islamic tradition avoids the images of any living creature.)

A Brief Historical Perspective

An ascension narrative is present in each of these faith traditions. To give you some historical perspective, Judaism’s beginnings were in the 7th century BCE; Christianity’s in the 1st century CE and Islam’s in the 7th century CE.

As we focus on the earliest wisdom teachings, the essence of each faith, all Abrahamic traditions find at their core the same ethics and values: that of love, peace, compassion and service to others. Indeed, when specific language, doctrine and rituals are set aside, the foundation of most religions come from the same source: Yahweh, God, Allah. This is also the heart of Interfaith.

Of course, ascension narratives are also present if not a central tenet in Gnosticism as well as many of the Eastern faith traditions. To go there would mean those at the service on Saturday would have a very late lunch. It would also make this post’s length unwieldy. Just know that it is present everywhere.

That was then, and this is now…

For me, today, ascension is all about home. I’ll share that final piece of my message in the next post, Ascension: Then and Now (Part II).

Quan Yin – Bodhisattva/Goddess of Compassion

 

by Eloecea

 

 

 

 

 

Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope