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What are you doing with your time right now?

This blog post is a wake-up call. Use this time wisely and you can emerge from your isolation as a new person!

Henry Thoreau was an American philosopher who lived in a hut in the woods in Walden, New England. He told an inspiring story, based on a true event he had heard. As he wrote in his memoir, Walden:

Everyone has heard the story which has gone the rounds of New England, of a strong and beautiful bug which came out of the dry leave of an old table of applewood, which had stood in a farmer’s kitchen for sixty years, first in Connecticut, and afterward in Massachusetts, from an egg deposited in the living tree many years earlier still, as appeared by counting the annual layers beyond it; which was heard gnawing out for several weeks, hatched perchance by the heat of an urn.

The beetle had been in the wood for many decades and then emerged to a new, brighter life. Thoreau hoped humanity could also leave its life of dependence on things and emerge into a greater world of transcendental freedom:

Who knows what beautiful and winged life, whose egg has been buried for ages…may unexpectedly come forth… to enjoy a perfect summer life at last!

Thoreau was a member of the Transcendentalist movement. Transcendentalists were, amongst other things, early environmentalists. They believed in the inherent goodness of people and Nature, and that society and its institutions have corrupted the purity of the individual. People, they said, are at their best when truly self-reliant and independent.

Thoreau’s writings have influenced the Human Potential and New Age movements. By telling us this story, he wanted to confirm that the potential of our ‘winged life’ may be dormant, but we can be woken up — like a princess in the castle surrounded by brambles.

Sometimes it takes warmth from the outside to stimulate this process. Possibly someone else will have to arrive in our lives. Or we will stir in our slumber and catch a glimpse of new possibilities, as if in a dream. Then we will remind ourselves to engage with an ancient promise we made to our divine selves, before we were born into our present incarnation.

How did we fall asleep?

So many old spiritual stories describe how we forget why we decided to come into the material world. In a Jewish version, the Angel Lailah watches over the newly forming baby and touches it gently above the top lip, whispering ‘ssssh’. They say this is why we have a little indentation just there! The angel has made sure we forget most of what we knew in heaven, but wants us to retain enough deep memory, tucked away in the recesses of our consciousness, so we will always be seeking our Divine nature. The poet Wordsworth echoes this story:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star
Hath had elsewhere its setting
And cometh from afar,
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

— Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by William Wordsworth (1770–1850).

In this poem, Wordsworth describes how as a small child he experienced the world being apparelled in celestial light. Through his innocent eyes he could actually see the Divine Radiance shining in the world.

But he is saddened by the fact that he no longer sees the Divine presence… a glory has passed from the Earth.

And how can we wake up?

Wordsworth’s poem is a truly significant testimony for our understanding of Shefa… that is what the child sees in the natural world. Children are in a state of bliss before they are educated to analyse and divide the world – which begins to happen almost as soon as they learn language. (Well, they’re happy most of the time, except when they’re hungry, or when their nappy is soggy!)

Jesus told his disciples that they would need to become ‘as little children’, before they could enter the Kingdom. And the ‘meek’ would inherit the Earth. The state of innocence that allows anyone to see Divine Radiance all around, allows us to appreciate the flow of Shefa in all aspects of Nature, including in our own physical bodies. This visionary capacity may seem far from our everyday, focussed, efficient state of mind – we tell ourselves we must be ‘realistic’. But deep inside each one of us is a winged self, wanting – waiting – to be released. This release leads to an interior knowledge, certainty and confidence. It has nothing to do with social expectations, or what you ‘should’ or should not’ do. It is your life task to encourage your little ‘bug’ to wake up and start flying. Regular meditation takes you to this state of innocence and bliss – your Divine playground. And when you add Shefa characters to a regular meditation habit, you can expect magical blessings, healing and abundance at the very least. Easy peasy!

During these strange times, when so many people have to make huge adjustments to their lifestyles, here is something to consider. Perhaps the pandemic virus is like the tea urn on the table Thoreau talked about. Maybe this is Mother Nature’s way of ‘heating up’ the collective human environment in order to stimulate our forgotten wisdom. Under these circumstances we have an opportunity to draw on our natural resources of compassion and our capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances. But much more than that, we are being given an opportunity to rediscover the secrets hidden within our consciousness, like a seed.

In what are frequently called ‘unprecedented’ times, we now have the ‘unprecedented’ chance to wake up to our real, Divine potential.

CLICK HERE to find out how you can learn to combine a powerful meditation technique with Shefa characters, in your own home.

Unprecedented times…

How many times have you heard the word ‘unprecedented’ recently? Personally, I’ve lost count. Some politicians have been using the word frequently, even within the same speech. I would say we are collectively overwhelmed by a tsunami of anxiety and fear, except ‘tsunami’ is also being used rather a lot as well.

The pulse of life

There is an old story about a Chinese sage who fell into a tumultuous, rushing river. His disciples were in a state of shock. Their wise master had left them to fend for themselves. Some time later, while they were still grieving, the sage arrived back in the village, looking happy and healthy. The disciples were astounded. Their teacher was alive and back in action. They asked, “How did this come about? You were swept away by the raging water, we truly believed you would be lost to us forever.” The sage answered them, smiling. “When you fall into the river, you go with the flow. You allow yourself to go up with up-flow. Then go down with the down-flow. With such surrender, the river’s power will not harm you.”

The Hebrew word shefa means ‘everflow’, and it is also often called or, meaning ‘light’. But this is not static light, fixed like the glow from a light bulb. It is a living light energy that flows through Creation, pulsing, almost like electricity. Sometimes pushy or forceful, dynamic and yang; sometimes soft or gentle, receptive and yin. Its rhythmical flow can be likened to a stream, or a river, that can fill every corner of life. We often identify those two contrasting energetic qualities as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’. The pulse of shefa is the ‘rhythm of life’, moving between creative and active, then back to receptive and passive.

Tools we use to see the flow

The classic Chinese oracle, I Ching, is a powerful divinatory tool that uses traditional stories to describe the movement of time. The varying qualities of time are delineated by a series of sixty-four hexagrams (figures made up of six lines each) that describe the wide variety of qualities of the time, when you ask a question. Here are all sixty-four:

In the same way, the ancient tradition of horary astrology also identifies the quality of the time, using the mythological language of the planetary gods and the signs of the zodiac. Using divination – consulting the oracle – isn’t so much about accurately predicting what will happen, but indicating what the ‘weather’ – the overall state of the energetic flow – will be like. Then, like a sailor consulting tide tables, you can make wiser choices when faced with significant decisions.The Chinese sage identified the up-flow and the down-flow, the yang and the yin of the river, then he surrendered to it. He didn’t resist or wrestle with it, but allowed the river’s energy to deliver him at the end of his roller-coaster ride, still happy and laughing.

Flow through the Tree of Life

In Jewish kabbalah – the wisdom received by generations of mystics who certainly did want to wrestle with the flow – we find a dynamic map called the Tree of Life. Here we find a description of the way the living light – shefa – flows through channels and pathways that could be seen to resemble a plumbing system. The mystics tell us that all living processes are underpinned by the same structure, which allows the flow to move easily and harmoniously in Creation. This includes our physical body. Here is the basic map:

Think of the circles as reservoirs, or tanks in a water system – in Hebrew they are called sefira (plural). The flow comes from an invisible, limitless Source outside, above and beyond the top sefirot (singular). In Jewish mystical literature the sefira are also described as ‘gates of light’. Each gate has an Archangelic guardian. (If you want to learn more about the Archangels of the Tree of Life, check out my book, Working with Archangels). The flow moves from one pillar to the next, crossing the central pillar at certain points. If the flow is harmonious, with no resistance, then all will be comfortable and well. It is only when blockages occur in the ‘plumbing’ that tensions, anxieties, or stresses arise, leading to ill-health, individual and collective panic and, quite often to war. When we trust this flow is benevolent, seeking our overall good, then we can allow it to move freely and easily, knowing that…

all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

— Julian of Norwich (late 1342 until after 1416).

Each sefirot is named as one of the Divine qualities. Sometimes they are called the ‘faces of God’, or ‘the hands of God’. None of the qualities is set against us. Even ‘the severity of God’ is a necessary quality for our life-learning and spiritual growth. The sefira are also described as blossoms or jewels on the Tree, which is full of radiant light. The living light comes from a single source, which comes into your life fragmented, like light through a prism:

The One remains, the many change and pass;
Heaven’s light forever shines, Earth’s shadows fly;
Life, like a dome of many-colour’d glass,
Stains the white radiance of Eternity,

— Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

Light and shadow

The Romantic poet Shelley wrote these words after the death of another poet, John Keats, who was only twenty-five when he died of tuberculosis. Shelley himself died in a drowning accident, just before his thirtieth birthday. In the Ode on the death of John Keats, Shelley describes how we live in a shadowy world but, when we die, we will see beyond the dream-like shadowy perceptions and find ourselves back in ‘Heaven’s light’.

The ‘shadows’ are significant for us while we are incarnated. The Ancient Greek philosopher Plato likened our everyday lives to those of prisoners, chained in a cave, who could only see shadows on a wall in front of them. These shadows were cast by a fire behind them, a fire they couldn’t see because their chains held them in such a position that they could not turn their heads. In our kabbalistic Tree of Life map, the light moves through structures in order to create the dance of life, which necessarily casts shadows. They are not ‘evil’ or ‘negative’ in any way. When we ‘go with the flow’ we understand that ‘up’ is not always the best way forward, and that ‘down’ is not always ‘bad’.

Introvert and extrovert

Being isolated was a choice made by mystics like Julian of Norwich. She had lost her family in a time of plague, but she kept her faith. She understood that a personal, life-time retreat would give her the opportunity to commune with God and gain more spiritual insights. (Although so many pictures show her with a cat, so I’m sure she did have someone else to talk to as well!)

The artist Michaelangelo was an extreme introvert. Likely he would have been classed as autistic in today’s world. People who knew him complained about his anti-social behavior, to which he replied: “Unless I have time alone, I cannot hear what God is telling me.”

Take time to listen to your inner voice. There is so much inner wisdom we miss out on when we engage in a constant round of socialising. Don’t even think, “How can I fill my time with more Netflix movies, or catch up with books I’ve been meaning to read?” Use at least some of your time to dive deep and converse with your personal guide, daimon, angel – whatever word you like to use. They are waiting for you and will help you go with the flow.

People usually practice meditation simply for keeping calm in the chaos of everyday life. But Creative Meditation is a tool for unlocking your potential.

Meditation systems usually promise that taking regular quiet time will help you get through your busy day. You will deal with rush hours, demands of family, and bickering in the office, in a state of Buddha-like calm.

But I want to suggest something much more creative. Ancient wisdom tells us that yogis and mystics practiced meditation, not because they wanted to escape the busy world – they were on a mission to change their world. Let me introduce you to some different options in the shopping mall of spiritual practices.

Visualisations and guided journeys

Many personal development teachers offer students recordings of guided journeys, carefully designed to lead you into an inner experience. You will take time out in a peaceful place – by a lake, in a wooded glade, in a temple…

This interior world will be created by your imagination, according to the suggestions of the teacher. But you can take such journeys on your own, without any guidance. You can explore your personal imaginal worlds whenever you wish. These inner quests can be truly life enhancing, putting you in touch with your inner sanctuary and even allowing you to converse with guides or angels. Over the years, I have recorded many journeys for my students and I know how inspiring these inner journeys can be. Some people come back with wisdom and make real transformations in their daily lives. Four stars out of five for a really helpful practice… keep up the good work!

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the now, while still going around your daily business. This practice was popularised by a Buddhist monk and is based on the Buddha’s teaching. He suggested we all needed to find an island of stillness within the busy world.

Practitioners train themselves to observe and be present to their activities. If you are eating an apple… notice every juicy bite, notice the crunch, notice the taste. This is a really brilliant practice, because it also makes you aware of how you are feeling inside, and how your thoughts arise, sometimes provoking difficult emotions. Again, I give mindfulness four stars!

Meditation

The word ‘meditation’ is used as a catchall description for many practices with a variety of approaches. Some people describe mindfulness as meditation. The goal of meditation is to briefly transcend your thoughts and come back into everyday thinking refreshed. You can focus on something external, such as a candle, and that process can shift your attention from ‘monkey-mind’ chatter.

Or, you could repeat prayers, using beads or a rosary…

Repetitive chanting aloud is another tried and tested method remedy for a busy mind.

Transcendental meditation gives students a mantra to repeat – but inwardly, not outwardly. A mantra is a sacred word, chosen from Sanskrit scriptures. Sanskrit is regarded as a divine language and is based on the primordial sounds of the universe. Om is the most famous Sanskrit mantra. Hebrew is also a divine language, again based on primordial sounds. I teach my students to use a zera, a seed word from Hebrew. Many forms of meditation will qualify for the four star reward! So what can I suggest that gets five stars?

Creative Meditation

What we need to take our practice to a new level is a method that not only takes us to the peaceful island (escaping for recuperation), but also gives us the tools to build a boat.

What I mean by this is that we need to explore how to redesign the reality we return to, after our meditation session has finished. As an individual human you contain your own personal unique, immense potential. When you touch base with your beingness, you can harness that potential. You can take authority over your own life. You don’t need to lead a life that is stressful, in which you can only cope by escaping regularly, or being mindful, in order to alleviate your ‘suffering’.

While on the subject of ‘suffering’ – which was what the Buddha claimed we are condemned to – I disagree. I was definitely not satisfied with that suggestion, and that was why I drifted away from being a member of the Buddhist society, after joining aged fourteen.  We human beings are creative, intelligent creatures, so we don’t have to suffer! It’s just a question of realigning the way we use our intelligence.

How do we do this?

Let’s get back to our process. The first thing is to get to the island. A technique that allows you easily, naturally and effortlessly to drop into the deepest realm of your own consciousness is essential. Rather than thinking of an island, think of this as diving deep into your ocean of consciousness and taking time to sit quietly on the ocean floor, beyond everyday concerns and aware only of your own beingness.

When you find this place you will become aware that your individual being is at one with a vast presence, a limitless field of energy. The experience of this will be truly blissful. Why wouldn’t you want to stay there, in this boundless zone of beauty, stillness and tranquillity?

The answer is: you are a creator! When you are there in the stillness, you will know, deep in your being, that you can create what you choose. You are at one with all that is. In that state of innocence you are like a child. You have entered heaven. You are passive, receptive to the wisdom, love and power that will arise easily and gracefully within you. But, like a child, you are inquisitive, curious and demanding. What a playground this is! What can you do now?

You can shift from the receptive to the creative mode. You can build new worlds. You can re-vision your life. You can recall your original choices that you made when you chose to incarnate into this present life. To live a unique destiny.

So first, you must learn how to dive into this field of all possibilities. This is where, as a creative, you get your blank canvas.

You take your inner charcoal and sketch in your vision. You will discover how to craft your chosen life at a subtle, vibrational level. Then your personal reality will start conforming to your picture.

So where do you find your inner ‘charcoal’? Find out more about The Shefa Method – Creative Meditation with extra stars!