Reality cannot be avoided. It is a law like gravity, acceleration or slowing down. Reality can be controlled, but it cannot be avoided in any way. There are times that I would love to change the law to suit what I am trying to do, purely. I know, reality is unavoidable as the paper clip falling on the table under normal gravitational conditions on earth. That is all I can start this article with.

Every person has a reality in life I mentioned above, where they cannot win or lose, they just have to go with it. Also, the miracle does not happen and the Red Sea does not part, also. To quote nineteenth century financier Jay Gould on this phenomena: “The perfect speculator, the perfect gambler, if you will, must know when to come in; more important, he must know when to stay out; and most important, he must know when to get out once he is in.” Success in a totally realistic situation only comes through the phenomena in that quote and in not any other way. Trying to get what you want through “genuinely” cheating is always ultimately disappointing at some level. The real shortcut methods come through going through it consciously and looking for genuine better ways through by working at it, not cheating. Persistence and perseverance are usually the only ways through is what I am indeed putting forth, all else cheats you deeply at personal levels.

Runner Marion Jones realized this after she used performance enhancing drugs and “sold her soul” to “win everything”. Same with bicyclist Lance Armstrong. My point? Nobody genuinely has an easy scheme without “genuinely” cheating somehow and even when “successful”, it will catch up with you like a very bad episode of the “Columbo” detective television Mystery Movie series in the late twentieth century. In short, “the way out” is the way into the ultimate trouble you cannot escape. But, the way to a real solution comes down to admitting reality fully and working with it instead of trying to cheat reality, and get away with it for a while. So, I nearly end this article with another quote by Jay Gould about Wall Street: “No man can control Wall Street. Wall Street is like an ocean, full of eddies and currents. The thing to do is to watch them, to exercise a little common sense, and on the wane of speculation to come in on the top.” and I paraphrase that quote with a more applicable meaning to this article: “No person can control reality. Reality is like an ocean, full of eddies and currents. The thing to do is watch them, to exercise a little common sense, and on the wane of work or speculation to come in on the top.” That is how I look at it genuinely and always. No miracles here. Just conscious understanding, remembering myself, remembering my limitations, and working honestly at it all. This is the floor, walls and the ceiling. The house of it all, for me.

We’ve been talking about pain a lot in our recent blogs, which leads us naturally to, talking about Sandler’s Pain Funnel. But, I’d like to tell you a quick story first:

It’s 5:30 in the afternoon on a beautiful summer day. Mom hears little five-year-old Jimmy charging up the back porch. He tears open the screen door and roars into the house. He jumps into the kitchen where Mom is busily cooking dinner. Before she can even ask Jimmy if he had fun playing outside, he says, “Hey Mommy, can I have an ice cream cone?”

His mom replies, “You may have ice cream after dinner.” The next afternoon, Mom hears Jimmy running up the steps. He bursts into the kitchen again and asks the same question: “Can I have an ice cream cone?” His mom says, “Jimmy, after dinner, you can have one.”

On the third day, Jimmy comes running in just the same. He looks at his mom and says, “Mommy, can I… ” As soon as these words get out of his mouth, he sees that look on her face. He already knows what her answer will be. So he says, “What time’s dinner?” “In about 25 minutes,” she says. Jimmy says, “OK,” and heads back outside.

So you ask, “what’s the point of the story?” People are taught at a very young age not to lay down all their cards, or not spill the beans. Why? Because you typically don’t win if you reveal your hand too early in the game. In our story, Jimmy was driving his mom nuts with the same question every day at dinner time, until he realized she was at the boiling point and was going to get angry. Jimmy didn’t want to face the pain of making his mom angry, so he changed his question to one that made mom happy. He avoided pain, much like most prospects want to do when you visit.

Most people are raised to avoid revealing their true agenda in potentially difficult situations. Knowing this, we address this issue in the Sandler Sales process, using the patented, Sandler Pain Funnel, a powerful tool used to uncover a prospects true agenda, or “pain”.

UNDERSTANDING THE PAIN FUNNEL

The Pain Funnel is a strategically organized set of questions designed to uncover a prospect’s pain. On the other hand, it might also help you discover the prospect doesn’t have any pain. Either way, this is good for you. Why? It allows you to qualify or disqualify the prospect as a true prospect. If they have pain, then you can lead them to resolving or eliminating their pain. If not, you can shake hands and part as friends.

Before we go further in to using the Pain Funnel, keep in mind, the funnel works great by itself, but it works best when you combined with other techniques we use in the Sandler Sales Process, especially with the Sandler Pain-O-Meter and reversing tools. So stay tuned for future blogs on these topics.

Again, the Pain Funnel is a series of questions an expert salesperson utilizes during the Pain Step, either in a face-to-face sales call or on the phone. It includes eight pain questions designed to sequentially bring the prospect closer to sharing their true agenda or pain.

Here’s the 8 questions in order:

1. “Tell me more about that… “

2. “Can you be more specific? Give me an example.”

3. “How long has that been a problem?”

4. “What have you tried to do about that?”

5. “And did that work?”

6. “How much do you think that has cost you?”

7. “How do you feel about that?”

8. “Have you given up trying to deal with the problem?”

You saw earlier in the story about Jimmy, how people prefer not to reveal their hand up front. Many people fear the consequences of unbridled honesty and showing their true colors. So, the Pain Funnel assumes the prospect’s agenda will remain hidden, and helps you bring the truth to the surface. But, you need to be subtle and methodical in your approach when using the Pain Funnel. If you try too hard too quickly, you will most likely hit some resistance. The prospect may feel threatened or vulnerable, and quickly shy away from telling you the truth. So stick to the tried and true questions in the funnel along with the other techniques you learn in the Sandler System and you will surely put your prospect at ease and lead them through the discussion of their true issues and pain.

Human contact with bird eggs or a baby bird will not cause the parents to abandon all hope of the family. The parents will come back. Most birds can’t even tell that you have been there at all.

But this is what grownups tell children, likely to safeguard the birds from little fingers.

Birds don’t lay their eggs until they have put a lot of work into building a strong nest. And aren’t likely to desert it at a time when they need it the most. But no one can argue that it is probably best to leave them alone. Looking at babies when they have hatched from a suitable distance will be fun for your grandkids, but touching them is not advisable. They are babies, after all.

But there might come a time when you need to move a birdhouse. If it is not absolutely critical, the best option is to wait until the young have flown out. The breeding season is a short one, and the time it takes for eggs to hatch and babies to be strong enough to fly away is not such a long time if moving the birdhouse is not crucial. Waiting until the chicks have left the nest is the best choice.

But, if there is a reason that it must be moved… perhaps it is in a place where your cat can get to the nest— then by all means, move it.

First, make sure that the receiving location is set up completely. If you begin the process and have to interrupt it, you will stress the birds unnecessarily. Then plan to move the nest during the daylight hours, as gently as possible. You want to be able to preserve the eggs intact, if they haven’t hatched or keep the young ones from bouncing around. Keep the birdhouse upright throughout the move.

Don’t be alarmed if the parents raise a stink, they will get pretty noisy – they want you to leave them alone. As soon as you get the birdhouse relocated, you should get away from the area so that they will feel being to feel secure in their new place.

Once it has been moved, you can watch from a safe distance, hidden from view if at all possible. If the parents were away when you moved it, they will usually find the new location pretty easily and they should begin feeding the young or resume sitting on the eggs in a very short time. But, if it looks as if the parents have abandoned the nest because of the move, it’s advisable to contact someone in your area who has expertise about the species you are watching.

If you can put off moving a nest until the young have flown, this is always the best option.

Some people tend to get confused while telling the difference between USB, Micro USB and lightning. This is because all the three look quite similar and function mostly in the same way. However, you must know that none of them are replaceable with each other. To function rightly, all the three connectors need different technology, accessories and port too. Also, they are not compatible with each other.

Here’s a detailed explanation of all the three connectors so that you can know which connector would work with what device at its optimum ability.

USB

USB is the full form of – Universal Serial Bus. It is the most frequently used connector and is compatible with several operating systems. When you connect a USB to your mobile device or computer, it gets detected easily. You can also add or remove the USB cable without having to restart the device. And that aspect makes them a ‘hot-swappable’ technology. The ‘Type A’ connectors are available in 2.3 and 3.0 formats and can be used with desktops, laptops, notebooks and tablets. ‘Type B’ connectors, on the other hand, are used for scanners and hard drives.

Micro USB

The intent behind the making of Micro USB was to standardize phone charging devices and simplify things for the customers who were tired of using different chargers for their phone. These USBs are a miniature version of USB interface. Several smartphones that work on Android technology are fitted with Micro USB ports. The Micro USB looks smaller to Mini USB but offers a higher transfer rate. One can easily identify a Micro USB as it has black receptacles and a 5 pin design. Although Micro USB charging cable comes with a USB connector and enables transfer of data between desktop and mobiles, you must also know that it is not compatible with all devices.

Lightning Connectors

Lightning Connectors were released in the year 2012 and they were an excellent replacement of the 30 pin dock connector that was used for Apple products. This 8 pin connector was designed to be more efficient as compared to the 30 pin one. Apple devices are very thin and are not compatible with the width of a standard USB port. But these connectors made the whole deal of powering up Apple devices very easy. Lightning connectors are not compatible with other connectors and cannot be accessed with traditional USBs. So how do you identify these connectors? These are white in colour, just like most of Apple devices and also have a slender shape.

You cannot expect all the chargers to be universal in nature. The kind of connector you use depends totally on the type of device you use. Once you know which type of USB you will need for what purpose, it will save you a lot of money and time. If you are looking for good quality USB cables, USB adapters and other accessories at cost-effective rates you will be able to several stores where you can order from. And now that you know the difference, you are sure to make the right choice!

I often refer to ‘source’ when I am talking to people, as do many other teachers in the area of personal development. I also refer to connecting with source, and surrendering to source.

As a result I get frequent questions about what these phrases mean, and how to connect to ‘source’. So here is the first in a series of articles on the subject.

Please remember this is just my opinion. Everyone is free to have their own and I hope that mine helps to inform yours if you have questions around this subject.

What Is Source?

To begin with let’s look at what ‘source’ is.

There a number of dictionary definitions of the word ‘source’, including:

a place, person, or thing from which something originates or can be obtained.

one that initiates

one that supplies information

the place something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something.

For me this makes sense. I use the term ‘source’ in lieu of a denominational phrase like ‘god’, but I could also interchange it with ‘the divine’, or ‘the universe’.

I am not aligned with a religious belief system but I do have a faith in something bigger, a divinity of some sort. I choose to call it ‘source’.

And the word makes sense because of its meaning in our language. I believe it’s from where life originates, or can be obtained, I believe it to be the initiator of everything, one that supplies information through divine guidance, intuition, and inspiration. And it is the place from where we come, where everything starts and the cause of everything.

Where Is Source?

However, I do believe that source isn’t external to us, that we can find ‘source’ within ourselves when we seek wisdom, guidance, growth and more. I believe that as we are a part of ‘it’, ‘it’ is a part of us.

I always remember discussing ‘source’ with a close family member many years ago, except that she called it ‘God’ at the time. The imagery she used really informed my belief system and is something I have regularly challenged but ultimately come back to every time. It is like a big mass of light or energy, and a part breaks away from this big mass, and becomes ‘you’ and you go on your journey through life, and then one day, you return back to this big mass of light or energy. Many years later I read similar in the books Conversations With God, by Neale Donald Walsch, and it made perfect sense. It still does.

The important element to remember is that while you are separate from source, you always maintain a connection with it. It is as though a spark from that mass of light or energy resides within you and connects you to ‘source’ forever.

Our Connection To Source

I believe that’s the part, the spiritual essence, that you tap in to when you work with your intuition, when you seek inner wisdom, or divine guidance, and when you have an inspired thought. I believe that whatever spiritual development work you do develops this connection with ‘source’. It allows you to remember your mission, your vision, and your reason for being. I also believe that part of your reason for being is not only to experience being a real live human being, but also to remember that you are source.

It’s 9 o’ clock in the morning. You begin your day with a routine breakfast and a shower and have big dreams. In Naruto’s case, to be acknowledged by the villagers by becoming the hokage. So, while walking to the academy with proper attire along with equipment and forgetting the past and looking forward to a challenging future with a bright smile, what are the obstacles that Naruto must overcome to become the hokage:

Ninja Ranking System

Academy

The lowest level of the ninja ranking system in the Naruto world. The students learn through broad theoretical ninja abilities, also known as jutsus and perform basic jutsus such as the replacement technique whereby the user has the ability to replicate himself or other people that he desires to replicate. Students graduate from the academy by passing the final exam.

Genin

Achieved after graduating from the ninja academy by wearing a headband which symbolizes their respective village. The ninja’s life begins here as they are exposed to different levels of mission and apply their jutsus during battles. Ninjas are expect to perform D rank jutsus like simple replication technique.

Chuunin

After a few missions, the students would enter into the chuunin exams divided into 3 stages; multiple choice test, forest of death and sudden death tournament to complete the whole exam.

The exams are slightly different to genin as the ninjas have to work together in order to accomplish their common goal.

For instance, in Forest of Death, both Sasuke and Naruto combined their efforts to overcome a group of ninja from the rain village to gather one of the scrolls required in the mission.

The exam also test the ninja’s ability to make the right decisions and working as a team.

Jounin

The jounins normally perform B rank jutsus and have the responsibility to protect the village as a whole. They also have to seek new missions and lead their own team like for example, Kakashi of Team 7, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Some jounins tend to participate in specialized jounins or ANBU which is a group that conduct top secret missions and must conceal their true identity from the other ninjas.

Kage

The highest ranking ninja in the Naruto world. Ultimately posses all the rank jutsus from A to S but more commonly posses the A rank and S rank jutsus also known as kinjutsus or “forbidden” jutsus which cause harm to the user. The most notable example is the sealing jutsu performed by the fourth hokage in sealing the kyuubi into Naruto’s body. Other examples are Naruto’s ability to perform kage bunshins and the cursed seal technique performed by Sasuke.

Also known as one of the most powerful ninja in one of the 5 powerful countries; Konohagakure (Hokage), Sunagakure (Kazekage), Kirigakure (Mizukage), Kumogakure (Raikage) and Iwagakure (Tsuchikage).

The leader of the ninja society, treated as being equal with the rulers of their country, oversees the activities of their villages, sometimes consult with the higher ups people, sending and allocate teams into missions and making decisions regarding the safety of the village.

But what’s the bigger picture for the village?

Only a few elite ninjas achieve the ultimate position along with equipping powerful jutsus, bloodline limits and forbidden techniques. But being at the highest level like for instance, the hokage is not just about having knowledge on all types of jutsu as Sarutobi, the third hokage once emphasized that being the hokage is about relentless determination and willing to sacrifice for others to pass on to the newer and ever stronger generations.

Wow. What kind of title is that – mixing danger and intrigue with cruise vacations? Well I guess that someone needs to answer the question so…

Where Should I Begin?

Well let’s start with some information regarding the location of the Bermuda Triangle. As one might guess it has something to due with the island of Bermuda. Actually there are various theories on the location of the Bermuda Triangle.

For our purposes we will take the generally accepted location of the area between Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Miami. Draw a line on a map from Bermuda to Puerto Rico to Miami and back to Bermuda and you have what many people accept as the Bermuda Triangle.

You have no doubt heard about all the mysterious disappearances in the area of the “Devil’s Triangle” as it is sometimes called. Ships and planes vanishing with no trace. Navigational instruments going crazy… It’s a wonder that anyone ever passes through the area at all!

Yet every year countless ships sail the waters in the Triangle. Planes fly over on their trans-Atlantic flights from the south-eastern U.S. to Europe, Asia and Africa.

What About Cruises?

So what about cruises? Do any cruises actually travel through the Triangle?

Believe it or not, virtually every cruise ship that travel from the east coast of the United States into the Caribbean sails in or through the Bermuda Triangle. (Some cruises out of Miami might miss most of the area if they are travelling to the western Caribbean. But they originate at or near one apex of the triangle.)

Have there been any reported disasters on board cruise ships travelling these waters? Have there been any disturbances? Have there been any concerns?

I have not been able to come across one reported incident on board cruise ships sailing the waters between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico that could not be accounted for. Some weather related incidents have happened but those were related to storms in the area.

Storm Dangers in the Bermuda Triangle

As I mentioned above there have been incidents related to the weather. Any cruise in any waters of the Caribbean are subject to foul weather especially during hurricane season when the reported incident happened.

So no matter where you sail, when you sail might cause more danger than the actual location itself. Cruise ships today have the capability to identify dangerous waters and the Captains have the authority to avoid stormy weather. There are back-up plans for cruises in the events of these seasonal storms.

So How Dangerous Is It?

How dangerous is it to sail through the Bermuda Triangle? Let me ask you these questions:

How many people have you heard of in the news that are killed in car accidents? Walking down the street? Riding their bicycles?

Now how many non-natural deaths have you heard of on cruise ships sailing the waters of the Bermuda Triangle?

Any death on a cruise ship is almost international news. The traffic deaths that you hear about are only the local ones.

It is more dangerous for you to walk down a busy street than it is to cruise through the Bermuda Triangle.

As an experienced conversationalist who has been wielding verbal words since toddlerhood, you easily move from one group of people to another adjusting your tone, your vocabulary, and your syntax accordingly. Often without thinking about it, you speak differently to your parents than you do to your teachers and differently from both groups when alone with your friends. You would not dream of using the same speech patterns in the locker room and the church sanctuary.

Most writers understand the concept of audience and why it is important to understand who their audience is when composing. Yet simply understanding the “who” of your audience is only the beginning for experienced writers. Effective writing, writing that works and delivers the intended message and effect, must fit within the discourse community it is destined to serve.

What is a discourse community? A discourse community is a group of people who “speak the same language” or in other words people who share an interest in certain topics, share a body of knowledge about those topics, and possess a common vocabulary for discussing those topics. Have you ever been around a group of people who shared a common passion that you knew nothing about? Perhaps it is a particular sport or activity, an artistic talent, or a job, but it is likely that without sharing that same passion you find it difficult to follow their conversation. That is because you are not a member of that discourse community. While they are speaking the same language as you — English — the context of the discourse community changes the way language is used as well as the content of that language.

You already belong to several discourse communities as a result of your family, ethnic, and religious background as well as your personal interests and activities. Students enter the larger discourse community of the instituion they attend as well as numerous smaller discourse communities within that institution including specific classrooms, clubs and organizations, and majors and programs.Workers enter the larger discourse community of their employer and depending on the size and focus of the institution may also enter smaller discourse communities within it as well. For example, in a hospital a nurse might belong to the discourse community of the hospital, the nursing staff, and the Emergency Department.

So why is it important for writers to consider discourse community?

Discourse is a conversation or more extended and more formal discussion of our ideas in either speech or writing. Discourse is important as this is how we communicate in the social world that we live and work in. The social groups we communicate within are called communities. A community is a group of people connected for a common goal or purpose. So then a discourse community is a social group that is involved in discourse.

When you participate in a discourse community you must understand what language is used, how language is used, what knowledge is generally possessed within the community, and what motivated and interests the community. Understanding discourse community extends beyond simply knowng your audience and purpose — it means understanding what words to use, how to frame those words into units (sentences, paragraphs, etc.), and what information is already possessed by community members.

Once you understand the concept of discourse community and begin to apply it to your writing you will immediately see a rise in the effectiveness of your writing. Then you can begin to make informed decisions about every aspect of your writing from the word choice, grammar, and sentence/paragraph construction to tone and level of formality.

The chakra system is an ancient system, known to many cultures for thousands of years. Chakra (pronounced CHUK-ruh) means wheel or circle in sanskrit. In Tibetan Buddhism the centres are called channel wheels. Taoist yoga is a complex discipline based on the control and circulation of these vital energies seen as vortexes.

Chakras are also called lotuses, which gives us some idea of the nature of the chakras. The lotus with its exquisite flowers blooming on the surface of the water, under the light of the Sun (spirit), has its roots buried in the muddy darkness of the depths (the physical). Just like the lotus blossom, the chakras can be closed, in bud, opening or blossoming, active or dormant.

The ancient western alchemical tradition used the chakra system, with metals and planets being assigned to the chakras in an elaborate system of correspondences, which formed the basis of the alchemists’ quest for spiritual transformation. With the decline of alchemical arts, knowledge of the chakras faded also. Interest in the chakras re-emerged in the west with the appearance of the Theosophy movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The chakra system is an energetic data storage system, very much like a computer, which many healers feel or see. It is the spiritual interface between the physical body, through the nervous system, our spirit body & the holographic web. The nervous system is our physical interface, communicating with all aspects of the physical, giving information to & receiving from the chakras. The chakras function as transmitters of energy from one level to another, distributing qi or prana to the physical body.

While there are many minor chakras in the body & at our joints, it is recognized that there are 7 major chakras between the groin and top of the head, with 2 others that are of major importance located approximately 18 inches above the top of the head, known as the Soul Star, the Earth Star, located approximately 18 inches below the feet. There are differences of opinion as to where some of the minor chakras are. I work with & balance 16 major chakras, from the Earth Star all the way to the Monad:Divine connection, some of which are not recognized by other healers or systems, making my healing work unique.

Personal experience is a vital part of western acceptance for everything, our, “I’ll believe it when I see it” syndrome, & limits humanity’s multi-sensory experiences. There are many reported incidences however, where people have had physical pain, in the heart for example, with no physiological reason found, even after extensive medical testing. When these people went on to have a crystal healing & chakra balance, the healer found that their pain to be connected to a past life injury & the pain resolved after the rebalance. Many healers believe that physical aliments have their root in mental & emotional imbalances & in order to heal the physical body one must also address the mental & emotional bodies as well.

Each one of the commonly recognized 7 chakras corresponds to a physical system and its related organs and glands. Sound, colors and crystals are assigned to each chakra, though the colors and functions of each chakra vary somewhat according to different traditions.

The First Chakra: Base Chakra located at the area of the coccyx at the base of the spine, relates to the adrenals, large intestines and rectum. It shares responsibility of the kidneys with the 2nd chakra. This chakra is known as the kundalini or serpent’s fire; life force for survival, life or “death” struggle, family identity, bonding and loyalty. The root chakra’s expression of energy is directly related to a person’s quality of health. The cosmic fire that awaits release lies dormant until the higher self can properly utilize the potency of its ethereal energy source on physical & spiritual levels of life. The lesson of the first chakra is that of Oneness rather than separation. Its color is red; Crystals: Garnet, Black Tourmaline, Dravite, Black Onyx, Smokey Quartz, Obsidian; & its Note is middle C.

The Second Chakra: Sacral Chakra is located midway between the public bone and naval (some traditions see it at the naval), relates to the testes, prostate and ovaries. The pelvis is the physical representation of the Void & The Goddess. This is where the Inner Feminine/Goddess Self anchors. It is the creative center and relates to sensuality as well as sexuality, power (personal power when it is in balance, & ego domination when it is unbalanced) and money or abundance, the ability to create & take risks, fight or flight, resilience, perseverance, & financial acumen. This then is our creative center, the seat of our passion & our sexuality – being comfortable in our body as a woman or man. Shadow aspects: Disempowering/controlling or using others for your own advantage. Color: orange; Note: D; Crystals: Amber, Tiger Eye, Carnelian.

The Third Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra relates to the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, stomach, spleen and digestion. This is where our unresolved emotions are stored and is therefore the place where we ‘digest’ our emotions, or not! This chakra relates to will power, self-esteem, self-discipline, ambition, courage, generosity, ethics & instincts, self-respect & honoring of self. Shadow aspects: Giving away personal power of choice out of a need for approval; narcissistic behavior. Color: yellow; Note: E; Crystals: Citrine, Sunstone, Lemon Chrysophrase.

The Fourth Chakra: Heart Chakra is located in the center of the chest relates to the thymus gland and heart. This is the chakra of love of self and others, compassion and forgiveness. Shadow aspects: jealousy, joylessness, resentment, & the inability to forgive. Color: a combination of pink, for self-love, & green, for love of others. We must first love ourselves before we can love another; Note: F; Crystals: Rose Quartz, Green Aventurine, Amazonite, Chrysophrase.

The Fifth Chakra: Throat Chakra is located at the base of the throat, relates to the thyroid and parathyroid voice and the neck. It relates to our ability to speak our truth & trust ourselves, and is where we allow love into our lives. It is where we exert our will over others or give our power/will away to others. This is the center of faith, self-knowledge, personal authority & the ability to keep your word. Shadow aspects: An obsessive need to control relationships & events. Color: blue; Note: G; Crystals: Larimar, Blue Lace Agate, Lapis, Aquamarine, Azurite/Malachite, Gem Silica.

The Sixth: Brow Chakra is often called the third eye, is located between and slightly above the eye brows. It relates to the pineal gland and spiritual sight, and the ability to articulate vision and inspiration. Shadow aspects: defining the truth in self-serving ways. Color: purple; Note: A; Crystals: Amethyst, Sugilite, Kyanite, Azurite.

The Seventh Chakra: Crown Chakra is located at the top of the head & can be found by ‘drawing’ a line up from the top of the ears and straight up from the tip of the nose. It relates to the pituitary gland and is our direct connection to spirit and higher consciousness. This is the center of faith in the Divine as well as in inner guidance, insight into healing & devotion to the Divine. Shadow aspect: the need to know why things happen as they do, which causes you to live in the past. Color: white; Note: B; Crystal: Clear Quartz, Selenite, Indicolite (Blue) Quartz.

I received the following information from the Divine in a healing session many years ago. As I have worked with these chakras my understanding of them has grown. People are somewhat familiar with the eighth chakra, also known as the Soul Star or Interpersonal Chakra. Less is known about charkas nine through twelve. Information varies when it comes to the higher dimensions. That is because people are on different levels of awareness, or hold different vibrational levels. You can only see the truth based on where you are looking from in the moment.

The 5 Higher Chakras, 8 – 12

These five higher charkas were disconnected eons ago & are now being reconnected through our opening to Spirit. The process can be speeded up through an Ascension Initiation. The colors of the higher charkas varies from person to person & is dependent on your individual purpose or function as spirit. Crystals: Herkimer & Tibetan Diamonds, double terminated Clear Quartz, Selenite, Indicolite (Blue Tourmaline in Quartz), Moldavite, Cavansite, Apophyllite, Prehnite.

The Eighth Chakra: Soul Star also known as the Transpersonal chakra, is approximately 18 inches above the head. This is the center that holds all our contracts & agreements related to this lifetime, karmic connections and so on. A person’s Soul Star overlaps with that of the people they’ve had long-term relationships or sexual encounters with, & they don’t completely disconnect on their own, even though the couple may part physically. It’s very important, therefore, to be able to clear all those old relationship contracts, in order to make way for new potential relationships to come to you more easily, or to clear a pathway for the relationship of your current, supporting it to grow more fully. The eight chakra is also the center of detachment, staying in the present moment, unconditional trust, acceptance of intuitive guidance & the ability to discern illusion. It is the center of higher intellect. It marks the realm where the individual soul merges with the Universal Mind. It also marks the point where the soul manifests into matter, into the individual energy body. Note: C;

The Ninth Chakra: Intergalactic Gateway to the Divine and the BluePrint for this incarnation, & our Higher Emotional Center. This is where we hold all the information related to who we will be & are, in this current incarnation – our eye color, hair color, other features, personality characteristics & what we are going to be/do in this lifetime. This information becomes our DNA. We choose all this before we come in to this incarnation. In a healing, the BluePrint may appear fragmented, damaged or fractured, split, cracked, scattered or even dispersed. I worked with one woman who was extremely depressed, and I had a sense that she did not want to be here. She confirmed this when I asked her. Her blueprint actually appeared dispersed or scattered & I believe she would have tried to leave somehow if she hadn’t had the session with me. She burst into tears when I asked that a new blueprint be brought in & she felt completely different after the session. In particular she had a huge release when I cleared her ninth and eleventh chakras. Note: D

The Tenth Chakra: Interdimensional Gateway to the Divine is the gateway to all the other experiences (and dimensions) we’ve had throughout the universe. This chakra is where the soul fragments itself & scatters itself throughout the universe, requiring ‘retrieval’. Once all aspects are retrieved the person has full access to all the infinite possibilities of who they’ve been and are–their ‘universal archetypes’, for want of a better term. By bringing the essence of those aspects or soul fragments into one chakra it gives us the ability to work with all our talents and abilities. Most people only have access to between one and ten of their universal archetypes, and that’s quite limiting because we actually have an infinite number. Note: E

The Eleventh chakra: Universal Gateway to the Divine is where duality begins, so to speak. It is the ‘field of overlap’ between Light & Dark is where we have all contracts and agreements belonging to our soul, whereas the eighth chakra is this current incarnation’s contracts and agreements. Clearing the eleventh chakra is pivotal in bringing a person into balance and allowing them to have full access to their Divinity. I find that blocks in the 11th chakra are most likely to interfere with our Divine connection. This is where our contracts with the occult, black magic & the Abyss are held. We all have aspects of ourselves that have experienced the shadow, because that’s part of the Soul’s journey to explore Light and Dark, Order & Chaos. Part of the Divine plan for us is to experience Duality–Light and Dark and all the rays of the rainbow in between. Sometimes I find that this chakra is very imbalanced and may require a substantial infusion of Love, & perhaps a ‘new’ chakra make by needed. When I clear with this chakra people often experience an instant shift, and they comment that they suddenly feel different, more connected to the Divine. Note: F

The Twelfth charka: Monadic Soul Level Completing the five higher charkas is the 12th chakra or the Monad is considered the individualized Spirit-Spark of the Divine & is often called the I am Presence. The Monad is often considered the Ascended Master Level of the Soul. Each Monad or Spirit-Spark creates & is divided into 12 pairs of Souls. Each pair are knows as TwinFlames. The Monad is often considered the Ascended Master or Spirit level of Soul. When being cleared I see the person’s TwinFlame as well as their Divine Ray – their personal flavor of the Divine, in color frequency, which is their ‘function’ as Spirit.

Here is the BluePrint of the Soul, the Soul’s TwinFlame–twin-self or mirror opposite. Occasionally I see the souls of other significant relationships here. It’s a connection where there is no differentiation between the Monad and the Divine. Often I see that the two BluePrints–Soul’s & this incarnation–reflect one another. Sometimes the same fragmentation is going on in each one. If there is a split in the Blueprints, this particularly relates to a disconnection between the male and female aspects of our being. Unify the male/female energy within us is the most important step to experiencing Unity.

If there is a split between the male/female aspects, one half of the BluePrint may be missing. So the Monad is present but their TwinFlame is usually missing. By bringing the BluePrint back together and making it whole, their TwinFlame comes in and the client has access to working with their mirror-self. Note: F#

The following is based on the my own numbering system to include the other major chakras that I work with. The numbers are not important, where the chakras are & what they ‘do’ is:

The Thirteenth Chakra: Divine Heart Space/ Star Tetrahedron Heart Centre: is situated half way between the Throat & Heart Chakras, over the Thymus, this is the chakra of Co-Creative Divine Consciousness, the acceptance of the Divine within, Unconditional Love & compassion for self & others. When we awaken this centre, wellness is potentially an integral part of our path. Life takes on meaning & fulfillment & we experience the joy of Love, which pours forth from this chakra.

When fully activated this centre becomes one Unified Chakra. This is important because a unified chakra allows you then to align your physical, emotional, mental & spiritual bodies, & to harmonize their energy. Working with the unified chakra you unify the five higher & the ten lower chakras into one so that they all function in accordance with the frequency of unconditional love-based energy flowing through this Divine-Heart centre.

The Thymus gland controls the immune system & our rate of ageing. It is fully functional when the physical body (glands & organs) utilizes the thymus-governing imprint. The thymus naturally gets smaller as we age. By tapping the thymus daily you keep it activated. It is said that certain initiations also keep the thymus activated & that you will stop ageing after the initiation. Reiki is one such initiation, particularly after Level II.

When Divine flow is more direct & powerful, we may move consistently through life in tune with the Intention of Spirit. Then as male (thoughts) & female (emotions) are no longer antagonistic, proper hormone balance will begin to be established. Color: depends on the soul’s purpose; Note: F#

The Fourteenth Chakra: Quantum-Holographic Gateway to the Divine is located between the knees & is where the Universal Holographic Web connects to the physical. The Web is like a highway & connects us to everyone & everything in the Universe. We often have inappropriate connections to others through the Web & give our gifts & talents away to hide ourselves. Healing energy can be directed through the Web in such a way as to repair the Web & thereby heal the ‘physical’ body–which only appears solid but is in fact energy. If the physical body is damaged the Web is also damaged–torn or broken. Color: Green-White Note: B

The Fifteenth Chakra: Physical Gateway to the Divine is between the feet, at the level of the ankles, & grounds & connects spirit into the physical plane. When this center is activated we feel connected to Mother Earth & feel one with her energy, & that of all life forms–referred to by Native Americans as All My Relations. Environmental consciousness resides here & our desire to support our Earth Mother. Color: Navy Blue; Note A

The Sixteenth Chakra: Earth Star is approximately 18 inches below our feet & when activated grounds our Spirit-Self fully into the physical into the Infinite Moment of the Present, where we are the most powerful – Spirit having a human experience. We cannot be anything other than Spirit, although humans tend to ignore this Truth, & there is nothing to look for except within the self – to remember we are a piece of the Divine. Color: Forest Green; Note A#

These 16 chakras, along with other major & minor chakras, make up the most important interface between our spirit & physical bodies. The chakras directly interface with our nervous system, hence the importance of clearing both systems–physical & energy bodies. When we observe our patterns (attitudes, values & beliefs) we see clues as to what chakras are out of balance. There are many visualizing techniques to bring the charkras into balance & alignment & in my experience they need to be practiced every day.

Physical pain associated with chakra imbalances is very real. Having worked with people as a shaman and healer for over 20 years, I have seen many instances where physical pain has been relieved or released during a healing session. I have found that we carry our past predominately in our backs, which represents our past–literally behind us! People often experience a physical sensation related to a ‘broken’ heart. They may experience pain around their mid spinal region between the shoulder blades, and upon visualizing their emotional heart, ‘see’ either an image of something protecting their heart (e.g., a box or cage) or ‘see’ it as broken. When a person has money issues and feels unsupported in some area of their life, they may experience low back pain.

Over the years my work has evolved into my own modality, Micro-Fusion Holographic Healing, which incorporates Shamanic healing practices as well as the many modalities I have trained in. I have found that the body responds to this gentle work by releasing & opening up to the Spirit-Self in a very gentle, yet profound way.

In this final part of The Chakras, I wanted to address some questions & issues that have come up frequently with clients over the years, including some of the ways I’ve found most effective to keep the chakras working in harmony.

Clients have asked me to ‘close my chakras’ at the end of their session & this is a very important issue to address. As a question this also comes up frequently: “Should I keep my chakras open or closed?” Clients have been told by other healers that they need to close their chakras to be ‘protected’. And since my clients know I open all the charkas & bring them into alignment & then give my clients a visualization for keeping their chakras open, it’s natural that this creates confusion.

The chakras are in essence mini computers, gathering & storing information that then gets transferred to their interfaces, the physical & spirit bodies, through the nervous system & subtle bodies. Having your chakras closed is like trying to operate your computer with it switched off. Therefore it’s not a protection, but rather the opposite keeping you unprotected & open to negative or unwanted energies.

When your chakras are open & operating in harmony with one another, you are communicating freely with your Spirit-Self. Most importantly when your charkas are open, your heart chakra is open, & you are exuding Love, in & around you, & this is your greatest protection.

The next question I get asked the most is, “How do I keep my chakras open?” One thing I find is that when the Earth Star is closed, or deactivated, all the other chakras are affected. Some chakras will be partially open but moving sluggishly, some chakras will be closed. Conversely I have found that when the Earth Star is then opened, all chakras are affected in a positive way also.

In order to go through how to open & maintain your chakras, we first need to establish how they spin – in which direction. There are 2 main beliefs about how the chakra system spins – both are valid & work, if that’s your belief. Typically, how you were first taught is the one that works for you. My Crystal Master taught me this way: Each chakra spins the opposite direction to the one next to it, creating a DNA-like spiral that locks them together, starting with the Earth Star spinning counter clockwise. Another easy way to remember it is that all the odd numbers spin clockwise, while the even numbers spin counter clockwise.

How you check this is with a pendulum, which is also how you clear & open the chakras. You can hold a pendulum over any chakra & ask to be shown how it’s spinning. If a chakra is closed, the pendulum will do nothing. If it’s only partially open the pendulum will spin very slowly. When a chakra is fully open the pendulum will spin smoothly & reasonably fast, in large circle. Once you’ve established if your Earth Star is open or closed, & you’ve checked your solar plexus & heart chakras, you can start realigning all your chakras.

It’s best to be sitting in a chair for this exercise, so you have easy access to all your chakras. Starting at the Earth Star, which is approx. 18 cm below your feet point your pendulum at the chakra. Lean forward & rest you elbow on the knee. This will give you the right position, at the level of your ankles & forward of them. Now, make the pendulum spin counter clockwise. Do this for about 30 seconds, until the pendulum spins easily on its own.

Continue up to your ankle chakra–clockwise, then knees – counter clockwise, first chakra at the base of the spine- counter clockwise, & so on, holding the pendulum over the area of each chakra until you get to the crown chakra on top of your head, which spins clockwise.

I know you’re wondering at this point, how you’re going to clear the higher charkas. Since intention is everything, you’re going to imagine bring each one of them down in front of you–out from your body at approximately the level of your heart chakra. Continuing on with the 8th chakra–counterclockwise, & so on to the 12th chakra. Make each on spin until it can spin naturally on its own without your assistance. Sit quietly for a few minutes at the end, with your eyes closed & notice how you feel. Notice if you feel different to how you did before you started this exercise. Do you feel calmer, more at peace?

Another exercise that you can use to open each chakra is to visualize each one spinning in its appropriate direction & visualizing the appropriate color for each. Another way is to hold a double terminated clear quartz crystal or selenite wand over each chakra while you’re using your pendulum. Alternatively you can hold a Herkimer or Tibetan Diamond at the points, between your thumb & index fingers. This will help to clear each chakra of any unwanted energies more thoroughly. Ideally, Chakra balancing should be practiced daily.

I’ll twine ‘mid the ringlets

Of my raven black hair,

The lilies so pale

And the roses so fair.

Without argument one of the most charming, intriguing, and captivating of all early American folk poems and songs is The Wildwood Flower. Its haunting tale has arrested the fascination and loyalty of untold thousands. A major feature of its fascination and holding-power lies in the fact that it is a riddle that has never been solved. Clearly, as the poem unfolds, the Wildwood Flower is a jilted girl, but what is the meaning of the other metaphors and symbols built into this classic? 

As the heartbroken lover sits alone in the wooded vale that was once their trysting place, she winds the locks of her raven black hair purposefully around her fingers. That image is clear enough but then the lyric becomes vague. Are the lilies flowers of the glen or are they a metaphor for something else? And what are the meanings of the roses, the myrtle, and the pale amanita with bright blue eyes? To the discerning reader or listener is evident that something other than the literal is intended here. The amanita is a deadly poison toadstool known as the Death Hood. It does not have bright blue eyes. And what can be said about the rest of the lyric? Is it simply a lament and a fantasy to try to comfort herself in her heartbreak and loneliness; or is it the revelation of a clever plot to take revenge on this opportunistic swain who has compromised her and then lost interest?

I am going to offer some thoughts as to what this fascinating tale says to me but before I do I want to preface it with some realities about the times in which this occurred, and these kinds of situations. In the lonely backwoods of early America opportunities for romance and a future did not come around that often. Beside that, in the times in which this poem was written, a girl who had lost her virtue had a greatly reduced chance of finding marriage and happiness with a respectable man. Lying to a young woman, telling her you loved her, seducing her, and then going off and leaving her was virtually a death sentence. The hatred and vengeance that eventually emerged from these numbing heartbreaks often resulted in the death of the offender. There are many such stories that have caught on as legends from the rural settings of early America. There is Frankie and Johnny, the Banks of the Ohio, Barbara Allen, and many others where jilted love and betrayal resulted in the death of the perpetrator. That having said, I wish to give you my version of the meaning of this elusive tale. 

It is obvious that I possess no special insights and what I am going to say is nothing more than my own opinion. It is not offered to contradict the conclusions of anyone else, to intrude into the sanctuary that may have been built up in anyone’s mind about this haunting story, or to in any way offend anyone. It is just my offering as to what is taking place here.

I’ll twine ‘mid the ringlets

Of my raven black hair,

The lilies so pale

And the roses so fair,

The myrtle so bright

With an emerald hue,

And the pale amanita

With eyes of bright blue.  

A girl is sitting, probably in the all-together, in a wooded glen where she used to meet with her lover, where she succumbed to his lies of love and marriage, and where she lost her virtue. The last line of verse 3 reveals that she is a frail girl and not a great physical beauty, but she has some charms. She has raven black hair which she is absently but aggressively twisting around her fingers. The Song of Solomon and other historic literature lay the foundation for inferring that lilies are her breasts. The roses are her glowing red cheeks, not glowing now because of love and excitement as in verse 2, but in this instance burning with anger and hurt. The myrtle is the dark green lashes over her eyes and the pale amanita is the ghostly white face, colorless with rage and hatred (the death hood), out of which bright blue eyes are blazing as if to make appear before her now in the glen the scene that she is envisioning in her mind.

2.

I’ll sing and I’ll dance,  

My laugh shall be gay;  

I’ll cease this wild weeping – 

Drive sorrow away,  

Tho’ my heart is now breaking,  

He never shall know  

That his name made me tremble  

And my pale cheeks to glow.  

The girl has struggled with heartbreak and hurt until her tears are dry. Now the desperate but futile hope that he will return to her has faded. In its place a plan for revenge has begun to form. First of all she must stop acting as if she cares. She must come to the party, throw herself with abandonment into the game, charm every man whom she can, and make herself an item of discussion and an object of ambition. All of this will be a part of her plot to get even with him for what he has done to her but he must never know it. He must be made to believe that she cared no more about him than he did about her and that he was just another of her flings.

3.

I’ll think of him never –

I’ll be wildly gay,  

I’ll charm ev’ry heart,  

And the crowd I will sway,  

I’ll live yet to see him,  

Regret the dark hour  

When he won, then neglected,  

The frail wildwood flower.  

Until the trap is ready to spring she must put him out of her mind and apply herself to her plan. She will let her hair down and be the life of the party. She will play the lover to every man whom she can charm. Why not? What is there for her to lose now? But this will be an act, not the real desires of her heart. The purpose is to make him jealous. Such young men as he are selfish and possessive. The time will come when he will begin to wonder what he has walked away from and he will eventually take the bait and come back to her. When he does, their meeting place will not be the dance hall but again the wild wood glen where he broke her heart and ruined her life. Her plan will succeed and he will come back, but he will never leave her again. Once she has him in the power of her charms the death hood will engulf him and take his life from him.

4.

He told me he loved me,  

And promis’d to love,  

Trough ill and misfortune,  

All others above,  

Another has won him;  

Ah, misery to tell;  

He left me in silence –

no word of farewell.  

As the girl sits in the wild wood and contemplates her drastic scheme, she begins to rationalize. It is his fault; not hers. He told her loved her and she believed him or she would never have given herself away to him. He spoke of love and lifelong commitment and he was so convincing. He callously took her life and future to fulfill his lust and greed. He shattered her dreams and grand hopes for husband, home, and family, and then walked away without so much as a “goodbye.”

5.

He taught me to love him,  

He call’d me his flower  

That blossom’d for him  

All the brighter each hour;  

But I woke from my dreaming,  

My idol was clay;  

My visions of love  

Have all faded away.  

Clearly an intimate conjugal relationship is indicated here. No girl needs to be “taught” how to have feelings of love and endearment. The sweet intimacy that ought to have belonged to her soul mate alone was given to this deceiver. He told her the things she wanted to hear. “She was what he had always wanted and what he lived for. She was his glorious wildwood flower that kept opening out its blossom bigger and brighter each hour.”

But then the dream vanished in the harsh light of reality. It was all a lie. Her marvelous idol was nothing more that a pile of dirt. He was gone, and with him her hopes for a happy future. He had killed her, and now she had a plot to get even. It was justified; what he had done to her, she would do to him.

Could this frail country girl actually carry out her plan for vengeance? Did her wild scheme have a chance of success? Was she another Frankie with a pistol behind her back?  Who knows? And for the narrative, it does not matter. She is a crushed, jilted, and heartbroken country maid who has been used and cast aside; and she is trying desperately to survive. She seeks to find some satisfaction for the wrong that has been done her. She will make him pay; he has to pay. If in no other way, it has all played out before her in the meadow this day while she sits as she was when she saw him last, twists her raven black hair forcefully around he long white fingers, and seeks consolation in feelings of revenge.