Sasha's Tea Room
a magical tarot reading place
From time to time I come across articles on spiritual self development that I find to be enlightening and thought I would share on this site.
When we can feel stronger about our purpose here it serves us well and also enhances the relationships that we have with others.
Spiritual development is also a valuable aid in assisting us with the soul connection relationship which by it's very nature requires us
to grow in spirit in order to fulfill the contract or soul agreed to work on in this life time.
Reclaim Your Essence
by Jean-Claude Koven
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"Most people are other people," Oscar Wilde once remarked. "Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." As he so wryly observed, the vast majority of us are not who we've been pretending to be, and the lives we've been living until now are molded according to rules and values that are not our own. Most of humanity is stuck in someone else's discarded chewing gum and has yet to break free.
Unless you have been brave enough to forsake this trap, here is your likely portrait: your religious convictions are those of your parents or community; you root for your hometown sports teams; your political allegiances conform to the party system that society offers; you are an avid observer of the cultural pageantry, like the Super Bowl and the Oscars; your holidays are the standard ones, such as Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Independence Day; you look to your political and religious leaders for guidance and protection; you feel driven to succeed--to make more money, to live a better life.
These are worthy and desirable choices that hold families and societies together. They make you who you are, you might argue. True, but only if you are content with admiring the wrapping and never looking inside the box. If you dared to look, you'd discover how these basic thoughts originate in a fundamental belief formed during the first years of your life: that survival depends on obeying the rules. Children typically bend their perceptions and interpretations of reality to match those of their parents and others who care for them. They find clever ways to please in order to receive attention and belong. As they grow up, the people and issues may change over time, but the initial patterns of conformity remain deeply ingrained in the subconscious.
The price for surrendering to consensus is steep. It is nothing less than the loss of individuality and curiosity. Without these two magnificent attributes, you disengage from the grandness of the creation and implode into the holographic illusion humans have come to call reality. You become one of Oscar Wilde's other people, thinking someone else's opinions and assuming they are your own.
We are trapped in the daily drama that the culture and the media feed us: mortgages, sporting events, tsunamis, sex offenders, AIDS, terrorism, global warming, corrupt governments, and economic inequities... all demanding our attention. The matrix plays us like an instrument. A thirty-second news bite can push our buttons. We get hooked and riled, liberally lacing our collective guts with corrosive biochemicals unleashed by our righteous indignation.
This condition is virtually universal. It is also the underlying cause of the world as we know it. People cling so tightly to their personal and social identities that they are blinded to anything that does not validate them. The inevitable product is a world of war, greed and competition, driven by paranoia and fear.
The way out is easier than anyone might imagine. However, very few summon the courage, for it requires them to leave the comfort of their known world and walk alone, unaided by the crutch of belief and dogma, into the domain of pure consciousness. Most people would rather get caught up in the business of earning a living, raising a family, or helping their community than deal with the unsettling immensity of All That Is.
Yet it seems that all humans are meant to take this epic journey of discovery at some point in their series of lives on this planet. If you choose to walk this path, you will find yourself gaining a new perspective--that of consciousness, where the mind, with its judgments and emotions, ceases to dominate and the heart is your only reliable guide. The great issues of your daily life that once commanded your attention now seem wondrously arbitrary and irrelevant-- simply interesting experiences that lasted far too long and became unnecessarily weighty.
The Illusion is a Game-Board Projection
You now see the illusion for what it is: a game-board projection designed so aspects of the Oneness can experience duality, fear and separation. It is no more real than a programmed matrix in a computer game. You and I are merely units of awareness projected into the matrix, defining ourselves by the points through which we view, and believing what we see to be reality. Who did the projecting? You. Who is the projection? You. There is only you.
How do you get to this liberating place from which you can see the larger picture? The cosmic formula of creation is gloriously simple:
Attention + Intention = Manifestation
Nothing in the universe evades this law. The reality you perceive is entirely a function of the only two forces at your command: your attention and your intention. Bring conscious awareness to this equation-- consciously monitor your attention and intention and what you are manifesting-- and everything changes.
Through this ongoing process of self-observation it will become increasingly clear that the part of you that is projected into the illusion is in trouble. This realization, in fact, marks the beginning of your journey out of the illusion. Once you begin to couple the law of Attention + Intention = Manifestation with the concept of Oneness, you begin to see a completely different picture. You are All That Is. There is nowhere for you to go, nothing to attain, no lessons to learn.
If you buy into the reality that you are an earthbound human stuck in the struggle of life, presto!, there you are. If you focus on the part of you that is watching you flounder in the illusion, snap!, you're free... It can't get much easier than that. Yet why are so few of us awake?
The written or spoken word can do no more than point the way. And trading one belief system for another accomplishes nothing. The answer lies elsewhere. Waking up is a consequence of induction. Just a few years ago you might have placed yourself in the presence of a guru or master and, through devotion, discipline, or some other practice, gradually assumed some of his or her enlightenment. Now, using the law of A + I = M, you become your own master. By focusing your attention on the part of you that is watching the rest of you floundering in the illusion, you are taking a giant step in restoring control over how your attention is commanded. If you add the intention of reclaiming your essence, you complete the formula that can only result in the manifestation of whatever your curiosity seeks to explore.
The payoff of having been so deeply mired in the illusion that you nearly succumbed -is compassion for those still stuck in the matrix, coupled with a large dose of humility. You have learned that the illusion is perfect exactly as it is. The only thing that needs to change is the point from which we view it. Now all that's left is for you to summon the courage to begin the journey home.
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Follow the Love
by Jean Fiorini
We all know the difference between being energized by a situation or person, or being drained by that interaction. Or the feeling of doing something joyfully and willingly, versus the feeling of doing it simply because it's "supposed" to be done. Certainly we all need to do some things that we're supposed to do, like take out the garbage or pay the electric bill or eat nutritious foods. But heaven help us if we allow "I'm supposed to…" to make the bigger decisions in our lives: "I'm supposed to be married to you," "I'm supposed to be a doctor," "I'm supposed to have children," "I'm supposed to make $100,000 a year…"
Joseph Campbell used the term "follow your bliss," and many people mistook it for selfishness. It is not selfish to honor and protect oneself, and by that definition, living authentically requires that we pay attention to how our personal energy is spent, and to how we connect with others. Follow the Love means that we recognize the people, places, and things that feed and nurture us, and distinguish these from others that might sap our energy. We learn to look for the seed of truth in the things that make us feel good. What a concept!
That's the inner version of Follow the Love, but this Key has an outer component, as well. We often try to convince other people of our truth, justify our choices to them, or look to them for affirmation as their stamp of approval. We often don't receive it. Remember: for all the people who might criticize our choices along the path of authenticity, there are an equal (and perhaps greater) number who would offer encouragement and support. Which voices are you listening to? Follow the Love.
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Fill it with all you are
by Ralph Marston
If you’ve been looking for an opportunity, this is it. If
you’ve been waiting for the right time to move forward, that
time has arrived.
On this day, you have the power to take action. In this
moment, you have the ability to make a difference.
Hopes, dreams and wishes can be powerful and compelling, yet
if they remain imprisoned within you, you’ll never know
their true beauty and value. Now is when you can take the
very best of what’s in you, and give it room to grow.
Reality is where you are right here and now. And the great
thing is, you’re able to shape that reality as it arrives.
So take the opportunity to shape the reality of this day to
mirror the best that is within you. This is when your
values, your visions, and your unique essence can be given
expression and fulfillment.
The time is upon you to create and to experience life’s
richness in your own special way. Fill it with meaning and
purpose, and fill it with all you are.
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Aligning with True Power
By Ada Porat
Personal power is the currency of the world. Successful individuals emanate a sense of confidence and power, and others desire to emanate such success by seeking more power in their own lives. We all seek more power to overcome pain and suffering, more power to change the circumstances of our lives, or more power to fulfill our potential... True power is available to everyone by virtue of their Divine origin. It is the result of aligning with integrity, truth and compassion. Those individuals who are willing to do the work of inner clearing and alignment to Truth, find power flowing in their lives. Others look for quick fixes or magic solutions and settle for a counterfeit instead...Society offers a cheap counterfeit for true power in the form of force: manipulation, fear, desire and anger are some of the tools that force uses to masquerade as power. Force always pushes for immediate results, and it does so with overt ego, pomp and drama... often lots of it! However, force always has a down-side: it offers a win-lose proposition at best, and usually leads to loss: loss of freedom, loss of joy, and loss of identity. Force never offers lasting results and can never substitute for the real thing. At the merciless hand of force, manipulation leads to betrayal, fear leads to anxiety, desire drives addiction and anger leads to violence...Power, on the other hand, leads to long-term results and win-win solutions. It brings about change without overt noise or drama, and it operates from the inside out. Here are some key principles to keep in mind about aligning with true power...
1 Your Intrinsic PerfectionYou are and have always been an intrinsic part of Divinity. Your intrinsic value has nothing to do with your deservingness, performance or limitations - it has everything to do with the purity and perfection of your Source. Even when a diamond is dropped in mud, it retains its intrinsic properties as a precious stone. You are no different! Even at those moments when you do not live up to your highest standards, your intrinsic value is not diminished by your struggle...
2 Accept The Journey Of Your Soul Every soul chooses to incarnate for the marvelous opportunity to evolve into the highest expression of its innate potential. Along this journey of your soul, every event holds the potential to further your growth. Why resist the very lessons that you have come to learn? Resistance only brings pain and suffering. It is not what happens to you, but how you respond to the events that come your way, that determines what you become on this journey. When you feel resistant, consider that the most valuable lessons may well come from the very obstacles that you have been resisting, and surrender to the process...
3 Maintain Personal Integrity At All Times Your integrity is always found by aligning with the still voice within, and not in aligning with the clamor of the ego or external goals. Personal integrity is the result of bringing about alignment in your core values: aligning your actions, your speech, your thoughts, and your feelings with your core values. Do you know what your core values are? One of the most valuable gifts you can give yourself is to identify those core values. Once you’ve done this, use your core values as a compass to align your responses to life with your inner truth. It will greatly support you in maintaining your personal integrity at all times...
4 Be True To YourselfYou are created of light, of grace and of love. One of the biggest disservices you can do to yourself is to try and be what you think others want you to be. It is the ultimate betrayal of your inner truth! Trying to be what others want you to be is like going through life wearing a mask that hides your true identity. This masquerade cannot last for it is not based on truth; instead, it causes countless breakups, hurts and disappointments. When you stop trying to be who you are not and focus on embracing that which you are, you will discover the Divine nature at the core of your being ready to light up your life. Aligning with this Divine core of Truth brings healing and blessing to you as well as to others...
5 Acknowledge The Value Of Your ExistenceAs an integral part of the holographic universe, you bring to the world around you unique gifts, talents and abilities. Nobody else on the planet has exactly the same combination of gifts and graces, for your gift to the world is the sum total of everything you have ever experienced. You are truly a unique expression of Divinity on this planet! This insight makes you neither greater than nor less than another and is not a cause for pride. Instead, it fosters a deep sense of awe to realize that you were created to be a unique vehicle through which Divinity can reach out to the world. You are the hands and feet of God on this earth to do His work, and your voice is the instrument through which others may receive words of compassion and comfort. Let the awesome beauty of this concept fill you with gratitude to be of service in your own unique way...
6 Accept Your Power True power comes not from ego, but from alignment with the Divine. As Marianne Williamson has so beautifully put it, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate but that we are powerful beyond measure. To fear or to minimize your power is to deny the Source of that power. Acceptance of your true power precedes any meaningful action in the world...
7 Take All Of Your Being Into Your World Gandhi said that we should be the change we desire to see in the world. All true change happens from the inside out: in other words, to bring about change in the world around you, you first need to embody the very change that you desire to bring about. It is in the application of higher principles that you are transformed into a vessel of purity and power...
8 Let Compassion RuleWhen taking action on what you have learned, you are bound to flounder at times. This is an integral part of learning. When it happens, practice having the same compassion for yourself as you would for another! It is in using the same yard stick for both self and for others that the Golden Rule becomes a way of life. True compassion for self and others opens up the doorway for forgiveness, grace and transformation...
9 Let The Love That You Are Touch All You EncounterCompassion for self and others conditions the heart to become more and more loving. The radiance of Divine love will gently fill every cell and touch lives without your even being aware of it. Simply let that Divine love embrace you and flow through you to others. Recognizing the Divinity in others generates compassion for their areas of weakness...
10 Learn To Discern Between Loving kindness and Enabling It is critically important to distinguish between loving kindness and enabling. Loving kindness is not wishy-washy; it does not condone, enable or tolerate lack of integrity in any form, whether in yourself or in another. Loving kindness always seeks to align with Truth in all things; it does not compromise to accommodate lower egoic illusions camouflaged as truth. The ability to discern between Truth and its counterfeit forms will empower you to disregard irrelevant distractions and to more fully align with your soul’s highest potential...
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Ten Steps
Elect
by Van Lint Ineke
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Enthu
Enthu
How do you embar
1) Find your passi
2) Free yours
3) Learn