Climate Change, the Sun and the Heart

All over the planet weather patterns have changed. Natural disasters are occurring almost monthly, at the same time as we’re experiencing the fall-out of the worst global financial collapse since the Depression (and the astrologers are saying it’s not over yet!) Simply, life as we knew it has ceased to exist. Because I don’t buy the ‘official story’ on climate change (that it is attributed to the man-made impact of greenhouse gasses), I’ve been interested in what actually is going on. What is responsible for climate change and the disasters – natural or otherwise – because there is little doubt, something is up?

At the risk of pointing out the obvious – it appears the Sun has a major role to play in the earth’s temperature; and has done forever – long before we began burning fossil fuels in fact.  Europe has just experienced its coldest winter in 160 years, coinciding with a ‘solar minimum’ period – which began in 1985. Minimum refers to solar activity. We are half way back to a ‘Maunder minimum’ which is: ‘a prolonged period of very low activity on the sun’. The last time this occurred was in the latter half of the 17^th Century – a period referred to as a mini ice age.

Now, we may be half way back to another mini ice age (and it certainly felt like that in Wellington last winter) – but here the story takes a twist. Every eleven years the sun’s magnetic field flips – the north pole becoming the south and vice versa. This ‘flip’ coincides with a period of tremendous solar activity – a ‘solar maximum’.  We are now approaching such a period; which indicates it is unlikely we will continue on into a full Maunder minimum, but rather, the reverse will occur. We have entered ‘solar cycle 24’ – as of late 2008 and this particular cycle is predicted to produce solar flares up to 50 per cent (!) stronger than those of the last cycle. And, what is more, this cycle will peak in 2012!

At this time, the Vedic Kali Yuga cycle comes to a conclusion, along with the Mayan’s 5,125 year cycle.  The Kali Yuga is said to be the most dense of all the cycles of the ages; one dominated by greed and warfare.  Not only do we have two major cycles known in the ancient worlds coming to an end in 2012, but the date also coincides with our ‘galactic alignment.’  Once every 26,000 years the solstice sun lines up with the mid-plane of the Milky Way. According to the Mayans, this rare galactic alignment signals a great transformation on the planet.

There is little doubt we are in the process of a major shift. We are in the transition now – and so is our planet.

This story has many layers – as the physical implications blend with the metaphysical. We are not just physical bodies on a material planet; we are spiritual beings living in an ensouled universe. The cosmos is a living, breathing, conscious entity and there is a spiritual, or invisible counterpart to everything in the manifest or visible world.  Hold that thought….

Our earth is protected by a magnetic shield – which prevents us being burnt up by radiation. Solar flares when they occur, slam into, and compress the earth’s magnetosphere. (The leftover energy falls down the magnetic lines of the planet’s poles – creating the northern and southern lights.)  According to clairvoyant, speaker, writer and founder of Mastering Alchemy (www.masteringalchemy.com) Jim Self, the predicted increase in solar flares of cycle 24 will have the effect of breaking down the magnetic field around the earth which is part of the ‘veils of unconsciousness that hold polarity in place’. Wow! I cannot say all I would like to on this – but you can intuit the significance for yourself, I am sure.  I believe much of what we are all experiencing and feeling right now, is about the beginnings of a break down of polarity.  Behind polarity, lies oneness – and this is where we are heading.

What is occurring during this transformational shift we have entered into (due to peak in 2012) is occurring across every aspect of our being.  Our heartbeat is expanding – in attunement with the energetic pulse of our planet, which itself is being pushed to a higher frequency by the bursts of light flooding in from the central sun, via Alcyone (the sun of our galaxy), and via our own sun. Metaphysically, light is information – in-formation. This light, stepped down from the centre of our galaxy and beyond, is altering our DNA. We are metamorphosising! And we will continue to do so for the next two and a half years.  The earth herself, is cleansing the density of her lower fourth dimensional (astral) energies in preparation for this shift. The earthquakes and natural disasters are part of this cleansing process. (The lower astral holds all the dark, negative thought and emotional energy ever generated by all the individuals living on the earth. No thought or emotion simply disappears…) This is all part of the rebirth process we have entered into – and no birth or rebirth, ever occurs without pain. Many of us are experiencing our own individual rebirth pains in the form of financial disaster (the word ‘disaster’ btw means ‘against the stars’), relationship break-ups, health issues etc. We too, are being ‘cleansed’ – of all the thought and emotion we no longer need – as we prepare to move into a whole new way of being.

It is our unconsciousness which keeps us in the fear and separateness of the 3D world – or the world of form.  We are being asked now, to let go of fear and of separatist thinking and embrace a way of living that is centered in the heart; a way that will take us into the fourth and fifth dimensions.  When we live from the heart, love replaces fear.  As we expand our consciousness we will know oneness is who we really are. We will see the illusion of separateness for what it is, and when we do, life will change in ways we cannot begin to imagine.

It will be imperative for us to become as conscious as possible, as we move through this transitional time. Why? Because, we cannot move into heart based living until we expand our consciousness to the point where we ‘encompass and transcend’ the ego. It is the ego that keeps us anchored in the density and fear of the third dimension. Evolution always progresses through a system of ‘include and transcend’.  We are being called on now to include, which means accept, our ego nature (don’t fight it in other words) and transcend it – which we do by going beyond it – by way of our higher mind. Ego then, no longer determines our perceptions and beliefs. Our divine essence does. We let go of the illusion that we are separate – and embrace our infinite consciousness. This is how we live from the heart.

It’s exciting to be in the world at this time, and to be part of the magical mystery tour that is taking us who knows where. We cannot know where we are going and what life will look like when we get there – but the signs are here, for those with eyes to see, and they are all pointing in the same direction – to the heart. All we have to do is stay as conscious as possible, and in this way, we will move from fear to love.  If we choose to stay unconscious, the days ahead will be challenging indeed. At the end of the day, we are simply consciousness having an experience – and all experience is transitory.  Behind the illusion of separation, we are all one, and we are all infinite consciousness.

The Zeitgeist…..Spirit of our times

This is my last butterfly of the season – readying herself to fly……  I love to watch the process of metamorphosis, to follow the caterpillar into the chrysalis, and then to wait, patiently for the beautiful butterfly to emerge 12 days later (did you know they wereoriginally called flutterbys – how gorgeous). A completely new creature, resembling the original not at all.  Then she flies – into her new life.  It occurs me to me the butterfly is a perfect symbol for us – now – as we prepare to metamorph.  We’re being turned upside down and inside out – just like the caterpillar – and everything inside is turning to mush as we await our transformation into our new life..…

As the massive rupture of the world’s financial systems continues to career us towards some unknown destiny and its fallout impacts on a way of life we had grown comfortable with, it is beginning to dawn on many of us that the way we’ve been living, till now, may no longer be viable. The shift that is upon us has come like a thief in the night and we suddenly find ourselves, along with everyone else, facing a future that is looking already, to be quite unlike anything we have ever known.

It is interesting that as the external structures we looked to for security are revealed to be hollow reeds; and that security, an illusion – our internal dynamics are shifting in correspondence. There is a subtle but very real awareness out there, that this meltdown is somehow realigning our values. We are all talking about the materialistic, consumer driven society we’ve been participating in and there seems to be an instinctive, unspoken (till now) understanding it had to come to an end, that it was doomed to fail. What is security after all? What was all that spending about and what happens when we can no longer buy ‘stuff’; what are we left with?

We may have sensed aspects of the life we’ve been living were unsustainable indefinitely, but at the same time, we are confused and anxious because we don’t know what to replace them with.

There is a big hole in our consciousness somewhere between the materialistic way of life we have been living, and another way lying somewhere ahead of us; a way that is more spiritually and ecologically whole. It is hard to envisage but we can intuit that this is where we are headed – hopefully. All the signs are there – if we know how to read them.

Someone who does is American consciousness writer Charles Eisenstein. In his essay ‘Money and the Crisis of Civilization’ he says:

“I think we all sense that we are nearing the end of an era. On the most superficial level, it is the era of unregulated casino-style financial manipulation that is ending. But the current efforts of the political elites to fix the crisis at this level will only reveal its deeper dimensions. In fact, the crisis goes “all the way to the bottom.” It arises from the very nature of money and property in the world today, and it will persist and continue to intensify until money itself is transformed. A process centuries in the making is in its final stages of unfoldment………..

A collapse is coming, unavoidably; indeed, we are in the midst of it. The first government response, the bailout, was an attempt to uphold a tower of money that is far beyond the total value of real goods and services it promises to redeem. Predictably, the bailout was a miserable failure. The next response, Obama’s massive stimulus package, will fail for a different and much deeper reason. It will fail because we are “maxed out”: maxed out on nature’s capacity to receive our wastes without destroying the ecological basis of civilization; maxed out on society’s ability to withstand any more loss of community and connection; maxed out on our forests’ ability to withstand more clearcuts; maxed out on the human body’s capacity to stay viable in a depleted, toxic world. That we are also maxed out on our credit only reflects that we have nothing left to convert into money. Do we really need more roads and bridges? Can we sustain more of them, and more of the industrial economy that goes along? Government stimulus programs will at best prolong the current economic system for two or three years, with perhaps a brief period of growth as we complete the pillage of nature, spirit, body, and culture. When these vestiges of the commonwealth are gone, then nothing will be able to stop a massive inflationary surge and currency collapse on a global scale.”

(read the full article here)

We are maxed out and we know it. We’ve been on a road to nowhere for a while now, and the efforts ‘they’ are making to preserve the status quo are band-aids; they may help short term but in the final analysis, they will not heal that which is beyond repair.

In the above article, Eisenstein goes on to describe the positives of this ‘impending collapse’ and the purer intent of the zeitgeist……. namely, a reorientation of our values; learning to contribute something of beauty to the planet, gifting and investing in projects that protect nature and preserve our cultural commonwealth – and of course, doing so with the expectation of a zero return. That way we are not ‘unintentionally converting even more of the world into money.’

Prophecies & Predictions…..

It all sounds a bit of leap from where we are now – but the reality is – whether we are all ready for it or not, the tide of evolution is turning and it is sweeping us towards something big.

There has been much speculation and discourse on the meaning of the 2012 prophecies. Obviously no conclusions will be reached until then, but it is clear that life as we know it is changing irrevocably. The end of the Mayan long count is but one indication that we are reaching the end of a major cycle and will experience some sort of paradigm shift as we enter a new one. We can each draw our own conclusions.

The one I have drawn is that we are entering a period of intense transformation (culminating, perhaps in 2012) and that transformation is about an evolutionary leap in consciousness. The external collapse we are witnessing is part of the process of awakening our consciousness to our true nature. For those whose identities are dominated by egoic consciousness, ( ie materialistic thinking), the times ahead will be challenging indeed.

Yet within all the chaos of the transition, there is a small window of time open to us now, to realign ourselves with the intentions of the cosmos. If we take this opportunity, we will surely avoid cataclysmic disaster and the annihilation predicted by many indigenous cultures. If, on a collective level, we fail to take this opportunity; that is, if we continue to hold fast to our resistance to the coming changes and insist on living as we have been doing; if we cleave to the status quo – then the universe may have news for us. And it may not be good news.

What we must wake up to – and begin to live – is the fact that ego is on the way out. That means separatism is destined to dissolve too. The new system will be a unitary one. It is intended that we become fully conscious, of our connection with others and with all of life. The separatist thinking of duality has brought us to this place where gross materialism, competition, fear and control through fear, rule. It has done a good job of destroying our home in the process. We’ve come to see the earth as separate from ourselves, we’ve exploited her miserably and in the process alienated ourselves from our essence – and from nature.

We have reached the depths of our current evolutionary cycle (the end of the Iron Age, or Kali Yuga – the most ‘dense’ of all the ages) and the pendulum is about to swing the other way. The monetary system has been created and sustained through egoic consciousness and when the ego loses its power (as it is destined to) society will metamorphosise. The new earth will look very different. People will come together as one, because they will know that ‘what I do to my brother, I do to myself.’ Fear will no longer be a part of our emotional repertoire. We will instead, trust the universe, trust each other and trust ourselves. Imagine the freedom of living in such a world. This time has been called enlightenment or the Golden Age and our planet has seen such a golden age in its past. The Golden Age follows the Iron Age, of which we are living out the last days.

Eckhart Tolle, in his book “The New Earth”, puts it this way:

“If you look within rather than only without, however, you discover that you have an inner and an outer purpose, and since you are a microcosmic reflection of the macrocosm, it follows that the universe too has an inner and outer purpose inseparable from yours. The outer purpose of the universe is to create form and experience the interaction of forms, the play, the dream, the drama, of whatever you choose to call it. Its inner purpose is to awaken to its formless essence. Then comes the reconciliation of outer and inner purpose: to bring that essence – consciousness – into the world of form and thereby transform the world. The ultimate purpose of that transformation goes far beyond anything the human mind can imagine or comprehend. And yet, on this planet at this time, that transformation is the task allotted us. That is the reconciliation of outer and inner purpose, the reconciliation of the world and God.”

Unitary consciousness is not likely to be birthed without struggle, as the forces which have held the power for so long, feeling it slipping, will hold on even tighter. Individuals dominated by the egoic consciousness, likewise. The challenge then, is for us to willingly relinquish the ego now, while we can; in this small window of time. It has been said that those without ego will survive the coming changes; the others will not.

How do we relinquish the ego? (In my upcoming book “Let Go……& Touch the Infinite I explore this question in detail). Essentially, we let go of the ego by firstly understanding what it is and how it controls us, and secondly by making a decision to change our thoughts and our reactions – to let it go. And yes, it is easier said than done. But the beauty of it is – we are being assisted now, to make this change. There is scientific evidence to show that our solar system is headed into an area of magnetized plasma, which, according to Russian geologist Alexey Dmitriev, is not only causing these changes in weather and other patterns, but the increasing incidence of plasma balls in the atmosphere is a sign of (and I quote) “the imminent ‘transformation of Earth’ – involving an interaction with processes beyond the three-dimensional world.” You may need to read that again.

(See following post entitled Climate Change, the Sun and the Heart)

The mysterious ‘processes beyond the three dimensional world’ hint of this ‘assistance’ we are receiving. On a physical level we have increased sunspot activity, (which is historically associated with higher temperatures globally), and these are predicted to continue to increase to 2012. On a metaphysical level, our Sun acts as an inter-dimensional gateway; it is a transmitter of consciousness from one dimension to another. (The ancient Babylonians and Egyptians worshipped the Sun for this reason, or at least the elite priestly class, who knew the truth, did). This consciousness is flooding into our solar system, from beyond the three dimensional world we perceive with our five senses. It is this heightened vibratory energy which is helping us to release the centuries old bonds of the ego and open our hearts and minds to a more refined existence. This is the reason more and more people, worldwide, are waking up and becoming enlightened – or ‘translucent’ as it has been dubbed. We are in the midst of a transformation of consciousness.

So the news is not all bad. This time that has been called the ‘shift of the ages’ is about a rebirth. Birth is always difficult; emerging from one way of being, or one dimension, into another. The key to transitioning with ease and grace is to open our minds to the intent of this rebirth, and our hearts to cooperating with it. Letting go will be paramount. As Lao Tzu, master of Taoism said: ‘By letting go, it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go.’ Enlightenment is our future – if we wake up in time and decide to open ourselves enough to trust the process.

George Orwell said: “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” If we intuit the significance of this time and task ahead of us, we will speak our truth. We will tell people what they may not want to hear. And we will assist ourselves and them, in this transformational process, by letting go our fear based reactions – which will only amplify any negativity. As we become less attached to the ‘world as we knew it’, we no longer see separation everywhere. It all becomes one luminous, numinous whole. And we can do this one bite at a time. But let’s begin now. We may not have that long….

An Indian Guru, Sri Ama Bgagavan was asked the question: What is the significance of the year 2012?

This was his reply:

Bhagavan:

“OK. Most of you know that the earth has got a magnetic field. As the earth’s molten core is rotating; the magnetic field is created. The thought sphere of the human mind is located in the earth’s magnetic field. This magnetic field has been weakening dramatically over last ten years. Now, in physics there is a parameter called “Schumann’s Resonance”. Using that we can determine the strength of the earth’s magnetic field. While for many centuries, it was constant around 7.80 cycles per second, during the last 7-8 years, it has risen to 11 cycles per second and is continuing to increase dramatically. If you work it out mathematically, it appears that, by the year 2012, the “Schumann’s Resonance” is likely to be 13 cycles per second. When this resonance is 13 cycles per second, the earth’s core would stop rotating with magnetic field gone, your mind is gone. When I say “your mind”, what I mean is your ” samskaras”. The pressure of the past 11.000 years of samskaras will vanish. In the Dharma, we also say, ” Mind is Karma”. All actions start from your mind. The mind is nothing but a storehouse of samskaras or past life vasanas from which all action emanates. This is stored in the earth’s magnetic field. So in the year 2012, it will become zero for a few days. After that the core will start rotating again. This would be a fresh beginning for man or the dawn of the Golden Age. This is the significance of the year 2012.

How do we know, it will happen? The study of fossil records has shown that, it happens roughly after 11,000 years. It’s only a short time away and then we can all start afresh. That is why I want you to become enlightened by 2012. If you are enlightened, with all your samskaras gone, we can begin a new yuga, which can be called Sathya Yuga or the Golden Age. Man will enter into a new state of altered consciousness. As I told you already, the earth’s resonance is increasing which means the earth’s heart is undergoing a transformation. The earth has got a physical body, like you have a body. It has got a consciousness as well. Now as the resonance is increasing the earths heart functioning very differently from before. Now, your heart and the earth’s heart are connected. The earth’s heart can be influenced by your heart and vice versa. That is why, it is essential that your heart- beat synchronises with the earth’s resonance. This means your heart must flower. Your heart will flower when you discover love in your relationships. If you have discovered love, you must stop judging your parents, spouses, etc., internally. Nobody can be judged as the whole universe directly influences all events, even the behaviour of the people. So learn to experience life. Life has to be experienced, be it pain or pleasure.”

“Oneness has always been there, but now it is being felt again and, for those who are freeing themselves from the program, home is calling.” (D. Icke)

Conscious or not? Ready or not?

As sentient beings, we are all conscious – to lesser or greater degrees. Animals have conscious awareness; all life forms in fact, have a rudimentary consciousness. But when we refer to consciousness here, we are talking about a higher consciousness. This is consciousness which is characterized by an awareness of our individuality and, more importantly, a simultaneous awareness of our connectedness with a greater whole; with the universe. As Einstein said:

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

In this time period we are all lucky enough (?) to be living through, an intensification of consciousness is occurring. There is a massive ‘awakening’ happening. People everywhere, from all walks of life, are experiencing a shift that is invariably life changing. They are speaking of their experiences of ‘waking up’. And what are they waking up to? Actually it is more a case of waking up from. They are waking up from the trance; the trance the ego has held them in. It is the trance we have labeled ‘reality’. We are witnessing, or will do in the next few years, a change of reality – en masse.

There are cosmological correlates of this awakening as well, which we will discuss. And you may be aware of the prophecies and predictions hooked to the year 2012 – we will look at what all of this means. The consensus amongst the commentators seems to be, this time period is one of a massive amplification of consciousness. Undoubtedly, the changes we are seeing in the external world (the breaking down of existing structures and systems) are inextricably linked to this shift in consciousness. As above, so below, as without, so within.

David Icke, researcher of consciousness and the conspiracy (or the deception) writes:

“….We need to embrace the fact that we are Infinite Consciousness, or what I call Infinite Awareness. This is a level of consciousness that knows it is everything. It is the self-aware ALL. Think of the difference between a droplet of water and the ocean; the droplet symbolizes the sense of division, of being an individual ‘me’, unconnected to anything else……..But, put that droplet back in the ocean and where does the ocean end and the droplet begin? ……. We are always the ocean, always Infinite Awareness, and we cannot literally become disconnected from that.” *

The awakening that is occurring now, is about a growing awareness of exactly this – our essential connection with the ocean of Oneness, and a disconnection from the ‘illusion’ (of separation), or the trance we have been living under. This illusion is the one which tells us we are finite, physical beings. This illusion is the one which tells us we are our ‘body-computer’, and when it ceases to exist, when it dies, so will we.

Icke goes on to say:

“We are Infinite Awareness and not our bodies. We use the biological computer to experience this ‘world’ or reality, that’s all. If we didn’t we could not interact with our environment. What we call ‘creation’ is made up of a vast web of interconnecting frequencies, or ‘dimensions’, of life and experience.”

One of the symptoms of awakening, is a desire to ‘know oneself’; a need to understand why we are here, what is life, creation, our purpose. If we are even part way conscious (in the sense we are using the word here), then we will have no problem accepting the idea that we have a personality, a ‘biological computer’ and a higher self, or soul. We also have little difficulty with the notion that we are creating our own reality. The problem is, there is a gap, a hole in our consciousness that many of our creations seem to fall into. The hole represents the split between higher self and personality, between the illusion (programmed by the biological computer), and the truth (Infinite Consciousness)……. Waking up, means filling in the hole – and becoming whole.

Astrology, despite its less than brilliant reputation (since the rise of the scientific paradigm), is one of the most effective tools I know to connect personality with higher self. In short, to ‘know oneself’. It is through an awareness of this connection that we come to know our purpose here and to glean the intent of it all, within a wider framework. Our perspective is broadened through understanding the cosmos (Infinite Awareness) and how we interface with it; or how it interfaces with us. This knowledge doesn’t mean we become whole, by any means; but astrology can help us join some dots along the way…..

Glenn Perry, one of my teachers, has this to say on the subject:

“Physician and New Age sage, Deepak Chopra, who combines Hindu, Buddhist and Western thought with the latest research in quantum physics said “there are about 300 million things happening in my body every second when you measure all the biochemical activities. Each cell seems to know what the other cell is doing. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be able to coordinate its activities. At the same time, the body is monitoring the movement of the stars. Biological movements are a function of planetary movements – circadian, seasonal, etc. There is an underlying intelligence that organizes the infinity of things happening in the Universe and connects all things with each other.” If this is true, and there is a mountain of scientific evidence and spiritual testimony to attest that it is, then surely the Universe is orchestrating my life in accordance with a divine plan….Given the stupendous intelligence that is operating behind the scenes, is it really necessary to advise our clients on what they should or should not do? For if we trust our fate, and realize it is purposeful in a way that transcends the petty concerns that plague our everyday lives, then much unnecessary suffering can be avoided…….I want to help people not only to know themselves but to trust in a process that is inexorably moving them towards greater realization of their fullest potential.” **

This intelligence, the God-force, the Infinite, is pushing us now, as it never has before, to wake up to the truth of who we are. Believing in our separation from the universe, nature, our planet, has wrecked havoc – on ourselves, nature, the planet and the time has come to let that go. We desperately need to get conscious. It has been said, if we do not, the coming shift will be challenging indeed.  Our very lives may depend on how conscious we are……  It is time to move from polartiy back to unity, from the illusion of our separateness, to the truth of our oneness.

* (The David Icke Guide to the Global Conspiracy – (and how to end it), David Icke Books Ltd, 2007)

**(Glenn Perry Ph.D, astrologer and psychotherapist in ‘The Journal of Astro-Psychology’):

Comment: Please share any thoughts you may have on this article

The Power of Belief… How our Consciousness is Creating our Lives – at a Cellular Level

We have been inundated, in the last few years with information, self-help books, films and even articles in the mainstream media, telling us about the power of our thoughts.

The phenomenal success of the book ‘The Secret’ (which was actually a ‘readers digest’ selection of insights from a book written nearly a century ago – endorsed by some of today’s thinkers and commentators in consciousness) and a plethora of other books of this ilk are all giving us the same message. And the message is – our thoughts and beliefs control our lives. If we change our thoughts, we change our lives. We can think our way to perfect health, perfect wealth, harmony, love and abundance.

It all sounds great and when we read these books we join the millions and, for a few days, maybe a while longer, we think about our thoughts – when we remember to. It is then that we realize, our conscious minds don’t seem to be particularly conscious………..our thoughts haven’t changed, and neither have our lives. Something is clearly not connecting somewhere.

Bruce Lipton, PhD, a former medical school professor and research scientist, is the author of a book ‘The Biology of Belief’. His work has been described as ‘bridging science and spirit’. It is revolutionary work and it is changing our understanding of how our genes function.

Lipton’s research shows that our genes and DNA do not control our biology. They are simply blueprints (plans). Instead, DNA is controlled by signals outside the cell, including the energetic messages from our positive and negative thoughts.

This discovery created a major shift because up until now, science has subscribed to the ‘belief’ that we are victims of our biology because our genes, our DNA, controlled life. Now, we know that we are masters of our biology instead. Our bodies can be changed by retraining our thinking.

We need to go deeper, because at this point it would seem the books telling us to think positive were right – and now they have the backing of science. The story, according to Lipton, does not end there…………. He says when people try to put positive thinking into practice, they are leaving out a vital step.

The mind tells the cells what it anticipates and the cells go to the DNA which creates what the mind is telling it. But, what we are not realizing, is that the mind consists of two parts: the conscious mind and the subconscious.

According to Lipton, when it comes to processing information the subconscious mind is over a million times more powerful than the conscious mind.

This bit is really hard to believe: neuro scientists, say Lipton, have revealed that the conscious mind operates for only 5 per cent of the day! 90 to 95% of the time we run our lives from the automatic processor – the subconscious mind.

This is the basis for the placebo effect. It has been established that one third of all medical healings are derived from the placebo effect (the power of belief) as opposed to intervention.

Apparently, we have all been endowed with a natural healing ability – and that healing extends to all areas of our lives. BUT, from the age of six, our brain patterns alter as we start acquiring perceptions about who we are in the world. We become conditioned (to live in this dimension) and this over-rides our natural healing ability. How tragic.

Up until that age we are in a trance-like state where the brain records experiences of the world – just like a tape recorder. This is all part of the plan, because it means the ‘new entrant’ can download the program – language, behaviour, etc, with relative ease. Of course a lot of negative stuff will be programmed in those first six years, depending on our early experiences, as well as the natural healing abilities and instincts we have for survival – and we faithfully record it all, like little machines.

Lipton provides a good example of what often happens. Every baby is born able to swim. It is a natural ability. We are all able to swim like dolphins from the moment we enter the world. But someone forgot to tell our parents that. We were then ‘protected’ from water and further down the track we needed to be taught how to swim. This is negative programming in operation.

Negative programming shuts off our natural inborn abilities; it even shuts off instinct.

This is essentially what occurs right across the board. Our parents and others give us messages that tell us we are not good enough, we will not succeed, we need doctors to make us well, water is dangerous, life is dangerous….

These messages become the new program. The brain then, will not let us create behaviours that contradict the program.

What we need to do to move beyond our negative programming is to realize that we have two minds and everything that occurs in our life, positive or negative, is related to this fact. We need to drop the belief that we are victims of circumstances beyond our control.

If the conscious mind is busy thinking about something – and it pretty much always is, the subconscious gets on and does whatever task is at hand. But, according to Lipton, this is the critical thing: it will do it, according to the program that was put there – which is often negative and therefore reduces our abilities.

So what we end up doing, despite our best intentions and all the positive thinking we can find the time and energy for, is sabotaging ourselves. The mind behind the mind works on fulfilling ‘the program’ – and unfortunately the program is often negative.

How then, do we make friends with the subconscious mind?

Lipton says first we must own the fact that we are operating from the subconscious mind 95% of the time. Until we own that – we can’t go to the next level. When we compete the subconscious with the conscious, he says, the subconscious always wins! And this is the mind that was programmed by other people with limitations!

As an evolutionary astrologer I would add to that, it was also programmed by the vibratory energy that we brought in with us from former existences. Our old karmic story – which essentially comprises our belief system – is largely unconscious, but clearly alive and well. We can see through the symbolism of the chart, where the sticky points in the belief system of an individual lie. The events of childhood serve as prototypical events that crystallise the beliefs which are unerringly, already depicted in the chart! Fascinating. The gift of astrology is that through interpreting this symbolism we can become aware of what is in our unconscious, or subconscious as Lipton calls it. We can make the unconscious conscious. Then we can work on changing it.

But back to the scientist… First he says, we must become conscious of this state of affairs and then we must habituate a new program by doing it consciously.

“That’s called Buddhist mindfulness. That’s what consciousness is all about.

“But that’s too hard for most people who are running at a million miles per hour.”

We can change the subconscious mind’s programming, but not, apparently, by talking to it or reasoning with it. People ‘talk to themselves’ in the hope of changing the program, but this can’t work. And the reason is, the subconscious is just like a tape recorder – it keeps playing over and over again. This is the foundation of habit – and the reason the subconscious can’t listen is because there is no ‘entity’ there to hear the message. Spooky. We are robotic. From my understanding, this is an aspect of residing in this ‘matrix’ we call reality. The only thing that can wake us out of the trance of the program is consciousness……The practice of mindfulness is a way to constantly bring the conscious mind into the present moment. This is the truth of the ‘Power of Now’. Only in the Now can we free ourselves, consciously, from the program.

Lipton says there are three ways that are very effective in changing old, sabotaging, limiting beliefs in the subconscious mind: Buddhist mindfulness, clinical hypnotherapy, and an ‘exciting new healing modality called energy psychology’. Discussions of these modalities are available in the resource section of his website.

Asked for an example in his own life where ‘changing his beliefs’ has changed his life – this is what Lipton replied:

“I first started writing my book in 1992 and over 15 years I had started and restarted the book several times, going half way into the story each time before I hit a wall, writers block, and I couldn’t go on. I later found that my subconscious mind was in fear of completing the project because I felt my life (career) would be threatened if I published a book that my conventional colleagues would consider as heretical.

Once I found the subconscious program that was sabotaging writing, I “reprogrammed” my subconscious mind with the belief that it would be safe to write this the book and that the writing process itself would be fun, easy and fast. Within three months the book was in final form and on its way to press.

My partner Margaret and I programmed our subconscious minds so that we would, in fairytale fashion, “live happily ever after…on an eternal honeymoon.” Though it’s not yet “ever after,” we have been on a continuous honeymoon for twelve years and that’s just the beginning!”

Sounds worth the effort to me!

Health and the Power of the Mind

When it comes to our health, Lipton says we are a ‘community’ – made up of 50 trillion cells that have an intelligence and can survive independently outside of the body (in a culture dish). He goes on to say:

“However, when in the body, each cell is becomes an integral part of a community, working with the other cells that share the common vision of the community. The nervous system acts as a government that controls and coordinates the functions of the body’s cells. When the mind serves as a “good” government, the cellular community is in harmony and expresses health. If the mind is confused, angered, in fear or disturbed, it can destroy the harmony of the cellular community and lead to dis-ease or even death.

Just remember, your thoughts are sent to the body’s cells via neuro-chemicals and nerve transmission. If you are harsh on yourself, it’s your cells that are the ones that physically feel the brunt of your anger. Cell’s are generally very loyal, to the extent that if you so wish it, they will actually commit suicide (apoptosis in the cellular world). Positive and negative thoughts shape your biology, for your mind is actually “governing” 50 trillion cells.”

This is so fascinating; our cells ‘react’ to vibrations within, and without. That is, if we are feeling happy, they are happy. If we are feeling depressed or fearful, they are depressed or fearful. And they can pick up on vibrations in the room we are in, the vibrations (energetic frequencies) of other people around us (!) The brain will detect the vibrations and send out chemicals to control the body’s functions.

This is why, and how, energy medicine works – and why it is, or will be the medicine of the future. Everything is energy in motion. We are beginning to understand how our thoughts and energy affects our physical body, at a cellular level. Our cells are like miniature people; they experience the same life as us! As above so below….

In conclusion, we can re-create our lives, when we realize how powerful our unconscious beliefs and thoughts are and consciously intend, and attend, to reprogram them. We can rewrite the program, but first we have to know it’s there. We are ‘continuously participating in the creation of our own life experiences’, and when we decide to use our consciousness more consciously – we can create lives of joy, positive health, love, harmony and happiness. Lipton says he has done exactly that, for the past 20 years – and doesn’t believe the joy in his life is there by accident. They key is mindfulness, which means paying attention to the present moment, watching thoughts but not becoming attached to them. And witness feelings as they arise, because they are the clues to the unconscious; the program that is running invisibly. Feelings are the portal to the invisible world. We can live our lives on purpose, and all it takes is the light of awareness.

“One’s real life is so often the life that one does not lead” (Oscar Wilde)

Comment:  Please share your thoughts and experiences on the power of belief……Have you had any success with changing your own program?

Astrology in Real Life…….and what Saturn and Uranus have to say

Astrology is a powerful tool in the quest for self knowledge. The birthchart, when accurately read, is a mine of information – revealing character, strengths, weaknesses, karmic legacy, soul intentions….. It objectifies the subjective. The interior world of the psyche is crystallized into a symbolic mandala; an object of sacred significance.

And yet, when we mention astrology, most people think immediately of ‘the future’; of astrology’s power as a predictive art. It is true, astrology was born out of man’s desire to ‘know the future’. He learnt, through empirical observation, of the correlation between cosmic and terrestrial activity and through this, was able to anticipate future cycles and events. He knew the best time of year and phase of the moon to plant his corn. He later observed that a child born when Mars was rising would grow up to be energetic, hot tempered, impulsive, competitive, fierce.

“The dance along the artery

The circulation of the lymph

Are figured in the drift of stars” (T S Eliot)

As astrology has evolved – like everything else – it has shown itself to be infinitely richer than a mere ‘predictive tool’. Lumping astrology in with psychic and tarot card readings, is to do the art/profession a grave disservice – no disrespect to psychic and tarot readers, who are valuable in their own right.

But in any form of prediction – the best you can be is right.

Then what? Surely, to be of any real service, the consultation needs to be much deeper than an ‘educated guess’ as to what will unfold in the future. If we are of a mind to take responsibility for the development of our own consciousness, we will ask more – of the consultation and of ourselves. How can we best align ourselves with the energy that lies ahead? What are we supposed to be learning from it and through it? How can we negotiate this passage of time most adeptly?

If it is a more challenging transit, how can we ease this time; make it less onerous? If it is one of growth and buoyancy, how can we take advantage of it and make the progress, fulfill the potential, that is promised?

If we are in a relationship – what is the purpose of this coming together? What is the karmic legacy we have brought with us? Where will our challenges lie? What are we intended to resolve, in this union? What business is unfinished?

And of course – where is the beauty of our connection? How do we feed and nourish that beauty? What fuel does our relationship need to grow and evolve in harmony? Ultimately, how am I evolving through this relationship? What lessons am I meant to be getting here?

These are the questions astrology can answer. These are the questions that join personality with soul – and bring about a shift in awareness, an alteration in consciousness. We see, in a flash, that we are not ‘skin encapsulated egos’, living quiet lives of desperation in a random Universe that doesn’t care about us.

We are an integral aspect of the creative, evolving universe and we have a part to play. We are not here by chance. Our lives are not an accidental occurence.

We were born at a precise moment in time; the one that most perfectly suited the needs and intentions of our soul. The word hora from which the word horoscope comes, meant the ‘correct moment’. So our ancestors understood that our moment of birth (symbolized in our horoscope) was the right one for us to be born in. And in another sense, the Universe had a need for the energy of the cosmos, at a particular moment in time, to be embodied in us!

“Whatever is born or done this moment of time has the qualities of this moment of time.” (Carl Jung)

Astrology helps us to see how we ‘fit’ into the Universe.

Astrologer Gregory Szanto says: “Everything that occurs in the Universe reflects it at any particular moment of time. We can realize the quality of the moment simply by being in tune with the Universe, by being in Tao. We don’t need astrology any more than we need glasses to see it. But astrology can, and does, help us to experience the meaning of the Universe, just as glasses can help us to see it.”

The cosmic cycles that symbolize the potentials of our individual lives, are the signatures too, of the evolving collective. The slower moving, outer planets symbolize generational influences and demarcate collective transitions and developments.

Currently, we are nearing the end of a series of oppositions (180 degrees) between the planets Saturn and Uranus. Themes related to a link up of Saturn and Uranus include the old (SA) versus the new (UR) authority (SA) versus the individual (UR) the status quo (SA) versus overthrow/rebellion/change (UR) traditional (SA) versus modern (UR), resistance (SA) versus awakening (UR).

When the ringed planet Saturn, and Uranus, the planet symbolizing shocks and sudden ‘awakenings’ come together, they signify a time of exacerbation of tensions as the existing order clashes with the emergence of a new one. The opposition is associated with sudden breakdowns, grim awakenings, conflict between order and freedom. Widespread political and economic destabilization is another signature of this planetary linkage. I think we can all relate.

Saturn taken alone signifies fear and anxiety. It symbolizes father time, and all structures and forms in the physical world are eventually cut down by time (the grim reaper). It also symbolizes the need for order, discipline and control – all vital to life – but if overdone leading to oppression, abuse of authority and erosion of freedom. Uranus is associated with sudden, shocking awakenings and desperate, rebellious grabs for freedom. We can anticipate then some of what can occur when these two come together in the heavens in the challenging opposition aspect – a geometrical energetic pattern that itself represents tension and conflict; until it is integrated.

These two serious players in the planetary line-up have never let humanity off lightly. Interestingly, the opposition became exact on the day of the American Election (November 2008). We can see how the ‘themes’ were played out in the respective characters of the presidential candidates. The status quo (McCain) versus change (Obama), the old (experienced) (McCain), versus the new (Obama), traditional (white man, McCain) versus radical (black man, Obama). America opted for Uranus – the new – and elected Obama. It remains to be seen just how much of a ‘change from the status quo’ he represents. At this stage, the much vented ‘promise of change’ appears to be just that – a promise. (An examination of his ‘inner circle’ confirms its business as usual at the White House). (For more on this subject read this article and watch this movie).

But the ‘promise’ of the Saturn Uranus aspect is not over yet. The final opposition occurs in August 2010 when it becomes exact again. At this time, it will be intensified by the presence of Pluto. The t-square, as it is known, between these three, was last seen in the years 1929 to 1933 – the years of the Great Depression.

Have we learnt the lessons of history? Many of the powers that be, which control these ‘events’ (such as the US Federal Reserve) seem to have held their grip.

Will we allow this state of affairs to carry us through to 2010 and another great depression? Or will we dismantle the power structures that clearly serve vested interests (the elite) and the greed, as George Bush so tellingly put it, of ‘the haves and the have mores?’

Saturn’s current configuration is bringing up many of our deepest fears: security is paramount. As the external structures crumble in the economic collapse, we feel our very survival is threatened. At the same time, Uranus is saying: “do not resist, the time for change is here. You must become more inclusive, bigger of heart than you were. Become conscious of your connection with all of life.” (Uranus is the awakener).

It becomes apparent that the status quo has not, in an ultimate sense, served the greater good of the whole. The changes, most of them economically based, may be hard to cope with – but an enlightened vision would see they are a push for us to become more internally integrated, more aligned with spirit than matter.

It seems, no matter how much the ego rails, and it will, loudly, the times we are living in are demanding we change. The challenge we all face is to become larger, less ego driven. We are being asked to break with tradition, to dismantle the status quo in places where it hasn’t served us and transition to a new way of being. There is, as always when the ego is feeling threatened, a sense of impending doom. We resist the call to change; we stubbornly stamp our feet and say we want life to go back to how it was. There can be no going back to how it was.

The challenge we face, with this energetic pattern prevailing, is to find the balance between dependence on the past and over-radical transformation. There are parts of the past that still serve us and that need to be brought forward; but the danger of these times could be that of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The status quo is being challenged – and it needs to be, the times demand it. But can we do so without sacrificing the positives we have gained? Equally, can we relinquish our resistance to change and free ourselves to let go and trust the process?

The intention of this opposition series seems to be the wake up call to transformation. The new is pushing to be born, but the old is not ready to give way just yet. (The planets signify the work is not yet complete). The forces that control the world through corporations and international business (the elite) represent Saturn – (the grim reapers!) and they are holding on for dear life. The equal and opposite forces for change, is the awakening that is occurring across the planet. The infusion of consciousness coming in now is penetrating far and wide; we are seeing the translucent effect of enlightened individuals in every sphere. The flood of new babies coming in now will embody this consciousness. We are all in the process of becoming.

There is confusion in this time as the old energy struggles with the new, and the prevailing mood of ‘I don’t know’ may well continue until the series of confrontations between Saturn and Uranus is complete; the final showdown coming with Pluto (transformation, annihilation, rebirth, regeneration, cataclysm – take your pick) joining in on the act, in August. Who knows what that little gem will add to the mix? One thing’s for sure – none of us will sleep through it.

By the way, the last time Saturn and Uranus were in opposition, it was 1966. The song, “The Eve of Destruction” was playing on the radio. Sometimes, it all feels a little too familiar……. Cycles within cycles, echoes of past echoes. But we didn’t destruct then, and we wont this time. Innate in us is a vastly creative and adaptive spirit; and an impulse to evolve and grow. Besides which, we are infinite consciousness, and infinite consciousness is indestructible.

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is. Infinite.” (William Blake)

Comment:  Please share your thoughts on how the Saturn/Uranus opposition has impacted on your own life – if at all.  And do you think astrology is most useful as a predictive or a psychological tool?