Raiders of the Lost Spark

In the past week, I wrapped up a 2 month intensive study on Edgar Cayce. One of the concepts that particularly struck me was with regards to relationships, soul mates in particular. I have had a certain belief in the concept of soul mates. My past has several romantic relationships that burned with the intensity of a roaring fire (and I have been convinced that the individual involved was my soul mate), yet fizzled out as if being rained on. When a relationships begins with such energy, is it actually sustainable for the long haul? It has made me question whether a person should, in fact, be in a romantic relationship with an individual who they have a certain timeless connection with. With this connection, it seems likely that a certain amount of emotional unhealthiness could also possibly arise. Cayce suggests that even if there are two souls who have “worked together” in the past, they should not necessarily seek each other out in the present. Selection of a partner should not be made solely based on physical attraction as it will fade; selection should be based on spiritual ideals, mental aspirations, and physical agreements.

This has made me think of my current relationship. We never went through the NRE (New Relationship Energy) stage. In the past, a lack of NRE would have made me believe that something was wrong and the person was not someone I should be with. In the present, I see my lack of NRE as something healthy. Rather than the blinding glare of NRE love, I am experiencing something much more subtle. My current situation is comfortable. In the past, comfort would have signified a lack of passion; a downward journey. In my current mindset, this comfort is something that I want to hold onto and continue to experience. It’s not a stagnant comfort, but one (I hope) with potential for a life time of growth. Appreciation, comfort, contentment, care, respect, and the pleasure of experiencing another human being who is, in many ways, like myself. There is a quiet joy in this. I don’t think he is my soul mate; I hope he will turn out to be my life mate.

Is it a miracle or a mystery? Perhaps a bit of both. I am blessed.

I am currently reading The Mystery of Love by Marc Gafni.

“It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.” – Greek Proverb

December 17th marked the death of the poet Rumi.

“If you bake bread with the wheat that grows on my grave
you’ll become drunk with joy and
even the oven will recite ecstatic poems.
If you come to pay your respects
even my gravestone will invite you to dance
so don’t come without your drum.
Don’t be sad. You have come to Gods feast.
Even death cannot stop my yearning
for the sweet kiss of my love.
Tear my shroud and wear it as a shirt,
the door will open and you’ll hear
the music of your soul fill the air.
I am created from the ecstasy of love and
when I die, my essence will be released
like the scent of crushed rose petals.
My soul wants to leap and join
the towering soul of Shams.”

– Ghazal (Ode) 683
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi

Painting by Lisa Deitrich

Twentieth Century Psychic and Medical Clairvoyant

My current course work deals with the life and work of Edgar Cayce, likely made obvious by the fact that I’ve been writing about him for the past several weeks. Cayce (1877-1945) has been called both the “sleeping prophet” and the “father of holistic medicine.” He is the most documented psychic of the 20th century. For more than 40 years of his adult life, Cayce gave “readings” to thousands of people while in an unconscious state, diagnosing illnesses, past lives, and prophecies yet to come.

Cayce was born in 1877, on a farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His psychic abilities began to appear during his childhood. He was able to see and talk to the spirit of his deceased grandfather, and often played with “imaginary friends” whom he said were from the other side. He also displayed an unusual ability to memorize the pages of a book by sleeping on it – a gift which certainly helped his schooling. These attributes labeled young Cayce as strange, but all he really wanted was to help others, especially children. Later in life, Cayce had the ability to put himself into a sleep-like state by lying down on a couch, closing his eyes, and folding his hands over his stomach. In this state, he was able to place his mind in contact with the universal consciousness. From there, he could respond to questions, broad or specific: What are the secrets of the universe? What is my purpose in life? What can I do to help my arthritis? How were the pyramids of Egypt built? His responses to these questions came to be called “readings,” and their insights offer practical help and advice to individuals, even in the modern day. Although he died more than 60 years ago, the material in the readings — both practical and esoteric — is evidenced by the hundreds of books that have been written on the various aspects of this work as well as the numerous books focusing on Cayce’s life itself. They contain invaluable information which have had a tremendous impact on the world. “In 1945, the year of his passing, who could have known that terms such as ‘meditation,’ ‘Akashic records,’ ’spiritual growth,’ ‘auras,’ ’soul mates,’ and ‘holistic health’ would become household words to millions?” The majority of Cayce’s readings deal with the treatment of illness, mostly from a holistic perspective. Individuals today receive physical relief from illnesses or ailments through information given in the readings. Although best known for this material, the Cayce did not seem to be limited to concerns about the physical body. In their entirety, the readings discuss an astonishing 10,000 different topics falling roughly into five main categories: Health-Related Information Philosophy and Reincarnation Dreams and Dream Interpretation ESP and Psychic Phenomena Spiritual Growth, Meditation, and Prayer

http://www.edgarcayce.org/

The Healing Power of Sound

The word Yantra is derived from two Sanskrit words – "Yam" (support) and "Trana&qupt; (freedom). There are two types of Yantra: pictorial – a symbolic diagram used to assist meditation, and magic square/numerological Yantra

A Yantra is a form of a mandala.

Benefits of working with mandalas/yantric images include:

• Aids in dealing with emotional problems
• Teaches patience, the ability to deal with limitations
• Finding self-realization
• Providing a calm and focused mind; better concentration
• Harmonizing the flow of energy
• The ability to enter a trance-like state from colouring or meditation on them
• Developing perfection – the link between the spiritual path and the desire of medicine to heal

Pictorial Yantra

Numerological Yantra

Here is your personal Yantra, based on your Date of Birth of Friday, 6th August 1976:

8	6	76	1
74	3	6	8
2	77	5	7
7	5	4	75

And here is a brief interpretation of your personal Yantra:

Destiny

You are going to have to learn to stand on your own two feet and achieve independence. This is not an easy lesson to learn. Many people on this path start out in life be being dependent, rather than independent, and gradually gain confidence as they mature. The ultimate position for somebody on this path is in a leadership role. This could be in management, self-employment, or some other position where the person has sufficient responsibility.

Enthusiasm & Energy

You pour your enthusiasm and energy into idealistic pursuits. You are happiest when doing – or thinking about – worthy aims that could benefit humanity as a whole. As you are so idealistic, your ideas are often unpractical, and you need to share your ideas with others to gauge how effective they will be. You spend a great deal of time in pleasant daydreams.

Family & Friends

You are the organizer of the family. You enjoy arranging parties and other entertainments. You shy away from deep, involved discussions, preferring more light-hearted conversation that does not probe into things too deeply. You are warm-hearted, friendly, and fun to be around. You may not be willing to take on too much responsibility, however.

Generosity

You are particularly generous with family and loved ones. You are a caring person and will give generously to any worthy cause. However, you make sure the needs of your loved ones are met first. You are inclined to be a soft touch to a sad story.

Humanitarianism

You are more likely to help with a donation rather than jump in and help in other ways. Once involved, though, you will work long and hard to help any cause you believe in.

Intuition

You rely very much on your natural, strong intuition. You take it for granted as being an essential part of your life. You are especially intuitive when it comes to people you care about, and often know instantly when something is wrong with a friend or family member.

Joie De Vivre

You are happiest when you have something exciting to look forward to. You enjoy travel, meeting new people, and enjoying new and different experiences.

Karma

You wasted time in a past lifetime. You probably overindulged in a wide range of sensual activities. The lesson is for you to learn to use your time wisely. This is not an easy lesson, and it usually takes many years before you realize that time is slipping away.

Love

You need time on your own, and require a partner who will respect this. Given the right relationship, you can be very loving in thought and action, but always find it hard to express these feelings in words.

Money

You enjoy scientific or technical occupations. You enjoy the research and study that is involved. You seldom earn as much as you could, as you seek job satisfaction ahead of financial rewards.

Nurture

You help and advise people in all sorts of different areas. Your advice is sound and well meant, but you have often gone before the results are apparent. You need to be encouraged to nurture something for yourself, and to follow it through to completion.

Opportunities

You will find your best opportunities close at hand. You need to work within the limits you find, and will also find your opportunities there. You are likely to make mistakes when seeking opportunities outside your field of expertise.

Philosophy

You have a philosophy of life that you work out logically, questioning everything. You often fail to explore subjects in great depth, preferring a superficial glance, and your philosophy is likely to be an amalgam of everything you have explored.

Yoga doesn’t just benefit your muscle tone, mental state and emotional health, it can have a big effect on internal things you can’t see, but certainly can feel. There are numerous aspects of body chemistry that are impacted in a positive manner by yoga, including:

• Sodium – Prepackaged, canned and fast foods can be loaded with sodium. Yoga can help battle some of the bad effects of these foods that form a large part of many people’s diets. For even greater benefits, try doing yoga in a hot room, just make sure to rehydrate when you’re done.
• Glucose – The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study in 2007 that suggested that yoga may alter or lower blood glucose levels, helping you more effectively keep them in a healthy range.
• Cholesterol – If you’ve got high cholesterol, yoga may be able to help by burning fat and improving your blood circulation. Additionally, The Buffalo Center for Integrated Medicine reported that yoga can help in lowering LDL cholesterol, due to the stress-lowering effects it has.
• Lymphatic System – Many people are only aware of their lymph nodes when they’re swollen and painful when they’ve got a cold or flu. At these times, the lymphatic system is doing what it was designed to do: boost your immunity. Many proponents of yoga recommend poses that invert or twist, that are supposed to promote lymphatic system strength.
• Endocrine System – Doing yoga regularly can help regulate and control hormones in your body, making you feel better physically and mentally.
• Vitamin C – Some studies have suggested that doing yoga actually causes your body to retain more vitamin C, boosting your immunity and offering many antioxidant benefits.
• Triglycerides – Having too many triglycerides in the blood can put you at a higher risk for a heart attack or high blood pressure. Doing yoga regularly, according to a study by the SP Medical College in India, can significantly lower your levels and keep you healthier.
• Red Blood Cells – When you don’t have enough red blood cells in the body you can feel run down and ill. Yoga has been shown to actually increase the number of red blood cells in the body, bringing more oxygen to your whole body and making you more alert.

Doing yoga regularly can have numerous benefits, even if you can’t see them immediately on the surface so consider adding it to your workout schedule or practicing it whenever you can.

This article was contributed by Meredith Walker, who writes about the online nursing programs. She welcomes your feedback at MeredithWalker1983 at gmail.com.

I am fascinated by faith. I may not agree with it. I may downright disagree with it. I may find it absurd, even. It doesn’t change the fact, however, that I have a certain admiration for people who have deep conviction in their beliefs and want to impact the world in a positive manner (not in proselytizing down the throats of others). I have met several evangelical Christians in my life who fall into this category. Although I don’t share their views of Jesus, God, or the Bible, I can’t help but feel attracted to their charismatic energy and I thus have a sincere interest in asking questions and understanding their tenets of belief. I also respect the fact that they wait until I broach the topic before enthusiastically warming up to the subject. From my perspective, this makes me feel respected in our differences, as I try to also reciprocate this sentiment.

This weekend past, I met with a minister who wants a web site done for his congregation. Am I interested in doing this for him? Absolutely! Although we are certainly different, we both having a human experience after all. I remember a line from My Big Fat Greek Wedding – “we may be apples and oranges, but both of them are fruit.” How true