Ripples in the Universe

Reincarnation, literally means “to be made flesh again” is the belief that the soul, after death of the body, comes back to earth in another body. According to one’s belief, a new body is developed during each life in the physical world, but the soul remains constant throughout the successive lives. Reincarnation involves your past lives and being reborn. Karma involves the choices you have made, are making, and will make. . . You are spirit in physical body. You are here by choice. Your soul has chosen to incarnate into human form to learn, create, heal and play in physical reality.

After death and a period of rest and adjustment, some souls make the decision to return to physical life to advance their souls. Before we are born in this world we decide, while still in the realms of Spirit and along with our higher guides, the lessons we shall pursue here. Spirit helps us engage in these lessons by creating the conditions necessary for us to receive our chosen experience implementing the Law of Karma (Karma simply means cause and effect. We talk about good and bad Karma but Karma is basically neutral. The Law of Karma is sort of like the energy and spiritual equivalent of Newton’s third law. Every action has an equal an opposite reaction. The lessons or effects are not divinely appointed. Karma is more of a mechanical process than a willed process from the divine perspective).

Many effects of one own actions are self chosen and directed from an individual perspective and examined with the Higher Soul or Over-Soul, then contemplates where and how the best place, time and body would work for them. Sometimes, when the soul has a particularly difficult past life, they will choose loving parents and an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Some choose bodies that are deformed for the sake of the parent’s Karma to assist them with love. Some choose parents that will mistreat them, beat, abuse and possibly molest them. The reincarnating soul knows exactly what sort of life is expected and what they may accomplish in the next physical life. They also know it is their duty to help the family they are born to. Everyone in the Spiritual Matrix (soul family) is connected and everyone is expected to grow and develop their soul’s progress and those they connect with.

Likely you have had past lives where you experienced being male and female, rich and poor, big and small, black and white, gay and straight. As a soul in journey, with all these past lives, you have a lot of experiences to draw on.

In each lifetime, you made millions of choices. Each of these choices sent ripples of vibration into the Universe. Some of the choices you made sent ripples of higher vibrations out into the universe. Some of the choices you made sent ripples of lower vibrations out into the universe. All vibrations you send out into the universe eventually cycle back to you in the form of Karma.

Some of your Karma will be heavier energy. When you find the courage to face this heavier energy and work through it, you will learn valuable spiritual lessons. Once you have sincerely learned a spiritual lesson, you will be able to release that lower karmic vibration and move on. Some of your karma will also be lighter energy. This is wonderful stuff that sooner or later manifests as grace and flow in your life.

Your soul has incarnated into your body in this particular lifetime to learn, create and heal something. When you evolve and grow, you lead others by example—this process of transforming yourself—which leads to transforming others and the world in turn creates lighter Karma.

Why is this important part of life open for debate in Christian beliefs?

Even when, Christian religions do not accept the notion of reincarnation of the spirit, this was widely accepted by the contemporary followers of Jesus and the Apostles; it was at the Consul of Constantinople in the year 553 AD when the definition of reincarnation as heresy was inducted as the results of a tract against it by Emperor Justinian, declaring as anathema to this concept. Many reincarnationists claim that the second Consul of Constantinople was specifically called by the Roman emperor Justinian to condemn reincarnation and delete all references to it from the Bible.

To this point we have shown that none of the church fathers commonly recognized as orthodox during the first five centuries of the church held to reincarnation. Faced with this evidence, some reincarnationists have resorted to a last-ditch argument calculated to undermine all of the documentary evidence from the Bible and the church fathers against their doctrine. This argument is a claim that all or nearly all evidence of belief in reincarnation was eliminated from the Bible and the writings of the fathers by the Second Council of Constantinople.

Is there any evidence of reincarnation?

Reincarnation, like anything that takes place after death, is very difficult to study. The evidence of reincarnation comes from the study of incidents where people seem to remember places or people from a distant past. There is also déjà vu and the phenomenon of old souls– that is, people (including children) who conduct themselves with an aura of wisdom far beyond their years. Past-life regression therapy, including hypnosis and other methods, has purportedly been used to uncover memories and hidden psychological dynamics related to past lives. Purely scientific evidence is more scant. Some believers point to the laws of thermodynamics, which state that energy – perhaps even the energies of which a soul is made – can neither be created or destroyed, but must remain constant. Understood this way, the idea may support reincarnation.

A scientist (name unknown) weighed several bodies before and after death and declared that the body was at least 1 oz. lighter after death.

How can I know if my significant other and I knew each other in a past life?

Intuition helps here. If you and your significant other seem drawn to one another in a way that is uniquely compelling – beyond even love at first sight – and seem to know each other far longer than you have in this life, this may be considered a sign that you have met before. Lovers who have been together in previous lives are said to be harmonious and share an unspoken understanding. Their personalities tend to complement and complete one another, though they are not immune to the normal problems of relationships. Be aware that loves in past lives may have been stormy and troubled, and that being re-acquainted with a past lover is no guarantee of perfect happiness.

How can events or memories from a past life affect people in this life?

Past-life memories are considered to have a variety of effects on the present, both positive and negative. Positive past experiences can help draw a person to places, people, and activities that are fulfilling and enlightening to them. Negative past experiences can lead to aversions and phobias that seem to have no cause in the present life. Intense experiences of either sort can lead to disturbances and sensitivities such as dreams about past lives, déjà vu, and other kinds of intuitive phenomena.

If people have lived previous lives, why can’t they remember?

Most belief systems draw important distinctions between the body and soul, and between the eternal part of the spirit that continues to reincarnate and the identity or ego that is experienced in each incarnation. The physical body is discarded and the ego identity is “forgotten” in the period of pure spiritual existence between incarnations. Through exercises like meditation and prayer, the next incarnation is able to connect with the soul and previous incarnations. This can take a very long time.

Does this mean if you believe in reincarnation you can’t believe in Heaven?

No. Belief in reincarnation and belief in Heaven occurs as one and the same. For example, in Buddhism, the cycle of reincarnation ends with the attainment of nirvana, a state of bliss that ends all suffering. There is much discussion about whether beliefs similar to reincarnation were held by early Christians, for whom a belief in Heaven was most definitely central to spiritual identity. Heaven can be seen as the end result of the cycle of reincarnation, one form perfect bliss may take.

Do people who have been reincarnated look like their past selves?

Some modern researchers do believe that consistent facial features are a sign of reincarnation. With this in mind, one should remember that a person’s national origin, gender, and other factors that affect physical appearance are wont to be radically different from one life to the next. Characteristics of the spirit and personality are thought much more likely to be related from one reincarnation to the next – for example, interests and natural talents.

Do people reincarnate as animals and vice-versa?

There is a variety of opinions on this matter. Some belief systems hold that human souls are unique and that the cycle of rebirth applies only to human beings. Others maintain that this cycle begins with the simplest forms of life on Earth and progresses to the first human reincarnation only after much time has passed. In some interpretations, reincarnating as an animal can be a reward, while in others, being human throughout incarnations is an important part of the process of a soul’s development.

How long do people spend between incarnations?

It is generally agreed that the passage of time for the soul is not comparable to the passage of time for embodied people. A person may be reborn immediately after death, or may appear in a new form many years later. Some modern authorities on reincarnation tend strongly to the opinion that reincarnation is almost instant, but accounts from those who believe they recall past lives do not make this clear.

Why can’t everyone remember their past lives?

In theory, anyone can remember past lives with enough effort. However, there may be many reasons for an inability to remember past lives. In this lifetime, one may have inhibiting beliefs that make it difficult to access these memories. In the past, one may have experienced events that would be harmful to recall at present and must wait until more experiences from this life have been gathered. There may be specific people, places, or events that will help to trigger past memories, but that have not yet been encountered. Recalling past lives tends to be a challenge for almost everyone.

Does everyone just keep reincarnating forever?

Reincarnation does come to an end. Virtually all belief systems associated with reincarnation assert that the purpose of reincarnation is growth and spiritual development, culminating in a higher state of being beyond the cycle of reincarnation. Details vary, but it is believed this state is completely different and separate from reincarnation and its sufferings. Therefore, reincarnation does not continue forever – only until the soul reaches a certain level of enlightenment, impossible to describe or understand fully in earthly terms.

“It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.” —Voltaire

“My life often seemed to me like a story that has no beginning and no end. I had the feeling that I was an historical fragment, an excerpt for which the preceding and succeeding text was missing. I could well imagine that I might have lived in former centuries and there encountered questions I was not yet able to answer; that I had been born again because I had not fulfilled the task given to me.” —Carl Jung

Escape from Freedom

New Earth Dawning

Facts and Resources

Ripples in the Universe

Reincarnation: Did the church suppress it?

Animal Reincarnation

What is Reincarnation?

Spiritual Progression

Into the Light

Many contemplate the inevitable passing of their bodies, or the passing of their immediate family and friends with dread and fear. Fear of the unknown or what religion declares if not following dogmatic rules to the letter. Hell—Satan—eternal damnation of the soul, etc., instilling terror in the mind of its patrons. Thousands have had the pleasure of peeking into the after-life through Near Death Experiences (N.D.E.) and virtually all articulate that death is peaceful, loving, and safe. This includes small children who make the journey.

One of the most compelling accounts is from Dr. George G. Ritchie in the early 1900s, “Return from Tomorrow”. In December, 1943, George Ritchie died of pneumonia. Nine minutes later, miraculously and unaccountably, he returned to life to tell of his amazing near-death experience in the afterlife. His near-death experience was the one that profoundly moved Raymond Moody to begin seriously investigating the near-death experience. Since Dr. Moody is considered to be the “father of the near-death experience,” Dr. Ritchie’s near-death experience is in a class of its own. You will find his experience to be one of the most profound near-death experiences ever documented.

Dr. Melvin Morse who has studied the N.D.E.s experiences since the 80s recounts an 8-year olds experience: “Dr. Morse, I have a wonderful secret to tell you. I was climbing a staircase to heaven”. Chris, age 8, told me this after being resuscitated when his heart stopped beating as a result of kidney failure. As a Pediatrician and neuroscientist, I have been studying that secret since 1980.

Child's interpretation of 'heaven'

This picture was drawn by a seven year old girl who nearly drowned in a swimming pool.  Above the blue line, we see the girl in a world with flowers. As I expressed complete disbelief at her story, she patted me condescendingly on the hand and told me, “You’ll see Dr. Morse, Heaven is fun.”

She wanted to stay in heaven; however, a person she thought was Jesus told her that she had to go back to help her mother with medical problems associated with her (then) unborn brother. She didn’t know what these problems were as the baby was not born yet. Yet she draws her unborn brother at the bottom of the picture with a big heart in his chest. After this drawing was made, he was born with severe heart disease.

Excellent account of a near death experience by a reluctant messenger Mellen-Thomas Benedict

“As the light revealed itself to me, I became aware that what I was really seeing was our Higher Self matrix. The only thing I can tell you is that it turned into a matrix, a mandala of human souls, and what I saw was that what we call our Higher Self in each of us is a matrix. It’s also a conduit to the Source; each one of us comes directly, as a direct experience from the Source. We all have a Higher Self, or an Over Soul part of our being. It revealed itself to me in its truest energy form. The only way I can really describe it is that the being of the Higher Self is more like a conduit. It did not look like that, but it is a direct connection to the Source that each and every one of us has. We are directly connected to the Source. . .”

At any level, high or low, in whatever shape you are in, you are the most beautiful creation, you are.

I was astonished to find that there was no evil in any soul.

I said, “How can this be?”

The answer was that no soul was inherently evil. The terrible things that happened to people might make them do evil things, but their souls were not evil. What all people seek, what sustains them, is love, the light told me. What distorts people is a lack of love.

“. . .As I asked the light to keep explaining, I understood what the Higher Self matrix is. We have a grid around the planet where all the Higher Selves are connected. This is like a great company, a next subtle level of energy around us, the spirit level, you might say.

Then, after a couple of minutes, I asked for more clarification. I really wanted to know what the universe is about, and I was ready to go at that time.”

He had the option to stay, but the Light convinced him it was not his time to leave the life he knew as he had much to do. NM

There are many who are not only afraid to leave their present experience and ready themselves for the next exciting one but live in terror no matter what the condition of their bodies or particular age. The Universe is nothing to fear; “it is like running to the arms of a loving parent.”

Another fear of humans is the thought they are all alone: The children have gone their own way with their new families and responsibilities; a spouse may have passed; you are getting old and feel useless. This is not true. If you are alive you still have many tasks to complete, and you are NEVER alone. Your spirit guides are with you, guiding you each and every day. You are always surrounded by love.

The Law of Attraction is more important now than ever. Your vibration of your desires, joy and happiness are dependent on your thoughts and actions. If you are miserable, you draw that kind of life to you. You deserve better. Do anything that brings you joy. The best way is through service through love. Keep your mind active, and a big one, keep your body active.

There is nothing to fear people of the Spiritual Matrix. Nothing or no one dies, including every species on this wonderful planet. Relax.  . . You are loved. Enjoy the journey.

“Death is nothing more than a doorway, something you walk through.“  Dr. George Ritchie

Everything. You are alive; therefore, you have your mission on earth to accomplish. Healthy family? That’s a biggie. Love? Do you love and have love in return or just because? Do you have health or are you dealing with the prospects of un-wellness or dis-ease?

Everyone alive on this planet has the opportunity to have the life desired or wallow in the muck of illusion—someone else’s illusions. You have the opportunity to change your life and the lives of all those in your soul group—meaning all within your vibrations family—everyone on this planet. You have the opportunity to go the way of fear and pain, or joy and total health. Yes you do!

We are in the winding down period of the 2012 paradigm of choice; choosing whether we wish a life of happiness or choosing the dour life of suffering. The Hopi Prophecy of choosing the path you wish to walk in this time is here, now. Top path leads to nowhere except destruction. Bottom, happiness and abundance. Beginning in 1987, the purging of guilt, regret, old memories, old hurts, resentment of others, began, and is now in the last stages of development. We have only one choice now of which path we want to live in the future. Yes, future, there is no ending but a wonderful beginning of The New World. In the past, we could jump back and forth between the paths of anger and hatred, to love and happiness. We no longer have that choice. There is only one now. The choice is yours and only yours.

As you gather your family, friends, or group of strangers around you this Thanksgiving, bless Mother Earth and vow to take care of her and each other. Know that your life is in your hands and the choice you make is the way your future is destined.

We are all incredible souls disguised in flesh and blood bodies that have personalities that are not the real us. The Soul Self is the reality, the body, the illusion. You have the gift of tapping into your creative soul at any time. All you have to do is believe and spend time meditating (talking) to the real YOU.

“It’s the end of the world as we know it—and I feel fine. Thanks REM.

Blessed be to all this Thankful Giving Season.

Nancy Morgan, New Dawn Ink

Mystical Musings

Bonfire Celtic Samhain

Samhain (pronounced Sow-en) dates back to the ancient Celts who lived some 2,000 years ago. Contrary to what some believe Samhain is not a celebration of a Celtic god of the dead. Instead, it is a Celtic word meaning summer’s end. TheCelts believed that summer came to an end on October 31st and the New Year began on November 1st with the start of winter. The Celts also followed a lunar calendar and their celebrations began at sunset the night before.

At sunset on October 31, Celtic clans began the formal ceremonies of Samhain by lighting a giant bonfire. The people would gather around the fire to burn crops as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. These sacred fires were a big part of the cleansing of the old year and a method preparing for the coming new year. With the hearth fires lit, the families would place food and drink outside their doors. This was done to appease the roaming spirits who might play tricks on the family.

When the community celebration was over, each family would take a torch or burning ember from the sacred bonfire and return home. The home fires that have been extinguished during the day were re-lit by the flame of the sacred bonfire to help protect the dwelling and its inhabitants during the coming winter. These fires were kept burning night and day during the next several months. It was believed that if a home lost it’s fire, tragedy and troubles would soon follow.

During Samhain, the veil between the worlds is at it’s thinnest. It is a time the

Celtic Celebrations

spirits begin their winter round; when the spirits of our departed friends and relatives once again walk upon this beautiful world.

It is a transitional time, a time of doorways, of passing, of possibilities, futures, beginnings and, most importantly, of endings.

While there is fear for some of the unknown here, there is also wonder. Wonder at the potential that hides beneath that fear. Tonight while children revel in make believe and sweets, adults delight in the cheerful cries of “Trick or Treat” and, perhaps, the first snows and chill of the coming winter brings a bright flush to all the eager faces at your door.

On this Halloween or Samhain when the sunsets and the darkness come, there is a magic flowing along the streets carrying the happy energy of children. A magic that comes from the ancient darkness that surrounded our tiny fires in the cold nights of our distant past.

Rituals for Samhain are effective, not only for practitioners but may have the potential of healing friends, family, pets and if enough people, through the rituals of the circle, with candles in hand, strive to rid themselves of past year’s mistakes, not only for themselves but the world. This is a powerful plea to the Universe to help cleanse the world of hatred, wars, and selfish people. The plea is heard. In our group we plead for cleansing and blessings of Mother Earth.

Besides above, Fred Fredson relates a few (abbreviated) examples of how we can reflect on the past year.

• Tonight is a time for reflection on the passing of loved ones.
• Remember them with joy, wish them peace and let them go.
• Think of those things, which have passed beyond reach.
• Think on the coming time of rest.
• Perhaps you have plans that are not as far ahead as they could be.
• Do not fear the darkness for the world sleeps in the same certain knowledge of life’s returning in the spring.
• The peace of knowledge that comes through action (education).

May the peace of the winter’s rest heal and protect you and yours.
Blessed Be. . .

There is much brouhaha regarding marijuana busts with huge fields of marijuana plants being torn down. It raises the ongoing question to legalize marijuana, or let the outlaws continue to grow marijuana for a ton of cash, while cutting the second rate plant with additives, including methadone, and assorted dangerous fillers. Marijuana is much different now than in the 60’s, and highly more dangerous.

Marijuana should be a controlled substance for many reasons. The biggest reason is for purity, eliminating the harmful ingredients that selfish dealers add for a bigger return audience. With government supervision, children would not be able to get their hands on the legalized substance.

Which raises another question: Should children be allowed to smoke marijuana? Unequivocally, NO! Their brains are developing and any substance such as marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes and especially the more dangerous drugs like methadone stunt brain development.

Medical marijuana would be available for terminally sick patients without hassle from the government, and the danger medical people might experience prescribing to their patients.

Why Marijuana Should Be Legal

The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask ‘why should marijuana be legalized’?” but we should ask, “Why should marijuana be illegal?” From a philosophical point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual’s actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs, which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco.

Cost: keeping marijuana illegal is expensive.
The second important reason that marijuana should be legal is that it would save our government money. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the War on Drugs. We currently spend billions of dollars every year to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high. These people get locked up in prison and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money-locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government could collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes.

Failure: prohibition doesn’t work.
The third major reason that marijuana should be legal is because prohibition does not help the country in any way, and causes a lot of problems. There is no good evidence that prohibition decreases drug use, and there are several theories that suggest prohibition might actually increase drug use i.e. the forbidden fruit effect, and easier accessibility for youth. Consider Prohibition in the early part of the 20th century. Who gained monetarily? Alcohol consumption doubled and only a few speak-easy establishments reaped the rewards of prohibition. Telling free people they cannot do something is like putting a carrot on a stick for a horse.

One unintended effect of marijuana prohibition is that marijuana is very popular in American high schools. Why? Because it is available. You don’t have to be 21 to buy marijuana—marijuana dealers usually don’t care how old you are as long as you have money. It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids. If our goal is to reduce drug consumption, then we should focus on open and honest programs to educate youth, regulation to keep drugs away from kids, and treatment programs for people with drug problems. But the current prohibition scheme does not allow such reasonable approaches to marijuana; instead we are stuck with ‘DARE’ police officers spreading lies about drugs in schools, and policies that result in jail time rather than treatment for people with drug problems. We tried prohibition with alcohol, and that failed miserably. We should be able to learn our lesson and stop repeating the same mistake.
SUMMARY: Prohibition does not work. Education and treatment are better ways to address the drug problem.

There are plenty of other reasons why marijuana should be legal. Just to name a few:
Medicinal use: Marijuana can be used as medicine because it helps to stimulate appetite and relieve nausea in cancer and AIDS patients.

Hemp: The hemp plant is a valuable natural resource. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate the confusion surrounding hemp and allow us to take advantage of hemp’s agricultural and industrial uses.

Religious Use: Some religions instruct their followers to use marijuana. Just like Christianity and Judaism instruct their followers to drink wine on certain occasions, Hindus, Buddhists, Rastafarians, and members of other religions use marijuana as part of their spiritual and religious ceremonies. These people deserve the freedom to practice their religion as they see fit. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that the government cannot ‘prohibit the free exercise’ of religion, and so marijuana should be legal.

The Eight Most Absurd Excuses for Trying to Defeat Legal Pot

1. The federal government will pull all of its contracts with California businesses because they won’t be able to drug test employees!
2. Legalizing marijuana for healthy people will end medical marijuana for sick people!
3. Legalizing marijuana will never raise any money because the social costs would outweigh any fiscal benefits… look at alcohol and tobacco!
4. Big Tobacco will buy up great huge tracts of land in Northern California and mass produce lousy joints pumped full of toxic addictive chemicals!
5. Today’s pot is fourteen times more powerful than Sixties weed and will lead to more crack babies!
6. People who smoke marijuana in the same apartment building as a child will be arrested! (Not that your landlord will let you grow pot anyway.)
7. Legally homegrown marijuana will lead to outbreaks of toxic deadly molds!
8. Workers smoking marijuana on the job would overrun workplaces!

Should Marijuana be legalized under any Circumstances?
In a Nutshell
Yes:

1. The drug generally isn’t more harmful than alcohol or tobacco if used in moderation.
2. Limiting the use of the drug intrudes on personal freedom.
3. Legalization would mean a lower price; thus, related crimes (like theft) would be reduced.
4. There are medical benefits such as those for cancer patients.
5. Street justice related to drug disputes would be reduced.
6. Legalizing marijuana could be a source of additional tax revenues.
7. Police and court resources would be freed up for more serious crimes.
8. Drug dealers (including some terrorists) would lose most or all of their business.
9. The FDA or others could regulate the quality and safety of drugs.
10. Like sex, alcohol, or cigarettes, marijuana is one of life’s little pleasures for some people.
11. Drug busts often trap young people in a flawed system that turns them into lifelong criminal

Maybe:
A caveat from a friend. . . who said that smoking a great deal of marijuana has a definite affect on short term memory–not long term, just short-term. While in college, the friend said she could not grasp new things being taught like chemistry, biology, etc. Who knows, maybe it was the subjects?

NO:

1. Marijuana is often used as a stepping-stone drug, leading to heroin, cocaine, or other harder drugs.
2. Stoned driving and other dangers would be increased.
3. Some consider use of the drug as morally wrong.
4. Legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of kids.
5. Because of drug-related arrests, people who have committed or are likely to commit more serious crimes can be taken off the streets.
6. Physical damage would be done to users that abuse the drug. More widespread use would increase the dangers of secondhand smoke-damage to bystanders.

Core Question
Should marijuana be a medical option? The below are pro and con options from several sites. I am sure you could plug in any disease or condition for an astute answer.

American Medical Association (AMA)
Marinol v. Medical Marijuana

• AIDS (HIV) & AIDS Wasting
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Arthritis
• Asthma / Breathing Disorders
• Crohn’s / Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Epilepsy / Seizures
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• Migraines
• Multiple Sclerosis / Muscle Spasms
• Nausea / Chemotherapy
• Pain / Analgesia
• Psychological Conditions
• Tourette’s Syndrome
• Terminally Ill patients are outstanding people for using marijuana anytime it is necessary or just when they want a little more pleasure out of the life left. There is no “con” only “pro” at this level. NM

Then, labeling is most effective in medicine, science, sociology and nomenclature identification, necessary for distinguishing biological species; which accurately supports and which do not.

A careless label tossed at a sensitive child may stay with her or him the rest of their lives. Labeling a child as stupid, ugly, lazy to name a few leads the child into believing they are incapable of intelligence, and may excuse negative behaviors unknowingly on the label, stupidity. Harmful comments from careless parents, relatives, or teacher are seriously damaging to young people.

Also, as adults, we are quick to put extremely damaging labels on ourselves. This might come from poor self-esteem, or lack of confidence for any reason. Everyone has moments of doubt and pain, but only an individual can sort it out for himself or herself, and if the label becomes overwhelming, professional help is everywhere.

Then, there is the famous parent guilt when a son or daughter is not doing well in school.

One parent’s son is doing poorly in school. She feels that she must be a bad mother. It’s all her fault that he isn’t studying. She is taking all the responsibility for how her son is doing in school. She fails to take into consideration that her son is an individual who is ultimately responsible for himself. She can do her best to guide him, but in the end he controls his actions. When questioned, would you take credit if this person were doing something exemplary? Chances are you’d say, “No, he accomplished that himself.” So why blame yourself when your child does something not so admirable? Beating yourself up is not going to change his or her behavior. Anyone must do that for himself or herself.

An interesting theory on ridiculous labeling from early criminologists, is a person’s natal features, and is conclusive evidence of criminality.

The theory of atavism—atavistic of or relating to reversion to a former or more primitive type of, pertaining to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type—also referred to as sociobiology, was a concept developed by the criminologist Cesare Lombroso (1835 – 1909) that offers a biological explanation for criminal deviance. His theory states that criminal deviance is inherited and this inheritance is visible in the shape of the human skull. Through biological determinism Lombroso attempted to show that physical traits are determinants of criminal behavior.

Ms. K. Wood, a vocational care-giver of autistic and children with special needs, offered two examples of appropriate labeling, when not only desirable, but essential.

I wanted to plant a fruitless mulberry tree. Given the opportunity, I would plant a grove. Therefore, I went to a community nursery and bought one in my price range. It looked different from my 9-year-old mature trees however the label on the tree said, Fruitless Mulberry. I lovingly planted my new tree in the front yard and was pleased.

Last fall the leaves looked feathery and reddish. I Googled all kinds of solutions for ailing Fruitless Mulberry trees and tried all suggested remedies. The tree became worse. I took a sickly branch from the tree to the nursery and asked them what disease it had.

“Well, first of all, this isn’t a Fruitless Mulberry. It is a Staghorn Sumac, and a healthy one at that. This is exactly what it’s supposed to do and how it is supposed to look.”

Putting the wrong label on the tree changed not only my reality, but could have been the tree’s demise. I saw the tree as sick and ugly and treated it as both. Knowing the proper label helped me accept, nurture and love this tree for what it was.

I applied this concept to my career working with children who cannot care for themselves. Diagnoses labeling is imperative to care and adaptation for the children. I thought about a few children who were not ever going to have the capability to care for themselves, but depend on feelings and care of everyone. These are special souls whose only mission in life is to garner love and watch the behavior of others. Who knows why? More love for the caregiver? After all, we all bloom in the light of unconditional love.

Know that you are connected to everyone else. View everyone you meet as people who are a part of the humanity you encompass. A non-spiritual person feels separated from others, creating self-centeredness within. Although able to muster some sympathy for others in need, overall is more concentrated on personal issues. By understanding that you are spiritually connected to others, you eliminate feelings of superiority and the desire to use others for your own gain.

Spiritually, inappropriate mislabeling is negative karma on the labeler. When judging others harshly, the psyche and the soul are damaged more than possibly imagined. The label is generally personal, a behavior we do not like about ourselves. We feel comfortable dwelling on another’s faults, that we fail to see clearly how judgmental thoughts are creating that very reality in our own lives.

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”
-Dr. Wayne Dyer

“Judge not, lest thee be judged”
-Bible (Matthew)
Ms. K. Wood
Depression
Thinking Clearly
Dr. Wayne Dyer
Law of Attraction
Age of Spiritual Enlightenment
Karma

The incredible movie, Avatar, portrays Pandora, the Jupiter-like moon that is beautiful beyond imagination, a literal Garden of Eden—or even more. Avatar’s storyline appears roughly linked back to early America’s Manifest Destiny of the 1800s. The term combined a belief in expansionism with other popular ideas of the era, including American exceptionalism, Romantic nationalism, and a belief in the natural superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race. American expansionism when discussing Manifest Destiny, others see in the term a broader expression of a belief in America’s mission in the world, which has meant different things to different people over the years such as conversion to religious beliefs and belief that the native required so-called civilizing.

The indigenous Americans lived eons in innocent pristine conditions, and at first, eagerly accepted the white foreigners, until it was obvious that the new people’s intentions were taking everything, leaving their hosts with nothing but dank reservations.

James Cameron’s Avatar not only reflects the past, but the Na’vi or Omaticaya people mirrors 2010 humanity. Humans have the potential to live peacefully contented with each other, assisting with others’ technological growth while carefully guarding planet earth, or destroy her because of personal greed. The 2012 date of massive changes are upon us now, but many are burying their heads in the proverbial sand, unwilling to take the prophecies seriously. Actually, 2012 depends on what humanity chooses now concerning challenges of the future—how Earth manifests her destiny.

The healing of humanity during 2012 paradigm shift (which began in 1987) along with heightened knowledge and awareness are but a few of the wondrous events taking place. This is truly a gift for those of us who chose a physical nature at this particular time. We knew there were only two paths left to humankind, the way of healing and prosperity, or the black, white and gray images of destruction portrayed in Avatar after the military leveled everything precious to the people.

Earth’s healing takes place as a mother in the throes of labor of birth. The pangs of re-birth are now, and we see many of the ramifications of her anguish such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and pandemic diseases, within the frailty of contemporary days. Creating self-empowerment through envisioning the brightest future for one’s self is not always easy because it is dependent on willingness to change beliefs.

Find your heart, and you will find your way.

If we imagine ourselves a few years in the future, we can visualize a vastly enhanced humanity, applying the growing edge of human consciousness, potentialities and technologies to life-affirming goals, resulting in quantum transformations of all species. This transformation takes a critical mass of awakened awareness to support the necessary changes for a higher development. The path to New Earth’s Golden Age phenomenon—the result of the collective stream of consciousness humanity has passively engaged for the past 20 years—and is unmistakably the end of life, as we know it. Make no mistake; it is not the end of humanity but the exquisite beginning of a unique and extraordinary epoch that this planet has experienced to date. Not Utopian—even more remarkable.

Remember Eywa, and the “Tree of Souls”. We live within the beautiful spirit of Eywa, transforming our avatar dream bodies (physical) that we believe is our reality, into real life beauty of who we are in reality, where we live—how each belief constantly changes the life tapestry of 2012— or the black and gray Manifest Destiny reality of destruction of all we are, all the possibilities of what we might become. We are spirits experiencing a human body

Open your eyes. . .look deep within the network of souls, the Spiritual Matrix, there is light and purity in everyone.

We are all connected.

I See The All of You. . .the real you.

Namaste

Rocky also received a horrifying email that sounded like a threat: The emailer stated that he wished Rocky and Gardner’s lawyer were beside Gardner when he was executed, and that they, too, were shot with him.

The American Civil Liberties Union said Thursday that the upcoming execution highlights the need to abolish the death penalty.

In a Thursday news release, John Holdridge, Director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project, said: “. . . Those who are executed in this country are casualties of an unequal system of justice, in which decisions about who lives and who dies are largely dependent upon the skill of their attorneys, the race of their victim, their socioeconomic status and where the crime took place. Such arbitrary and discriminatory administration of the death penalty is the very definition of a failed system.”

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday decried Gardner’s imminent execution as an example of what it called the United States’ “barbaric, arbitrary and bankrupting practice of capital punishment.”

At an interfaith vigil in Salt Lake City on Thursday evening, religious leaders called for an end to the death penalty.

“Murdering the murderer doesn’t create justice or settle any score,” said Rev. Tom Goldsmith of the First Unitarian Church.

The decision to legally murder anyone, regardless of the perpetrator’s crime, is still murder, no matter how you define punishment. Murder is murder.

Peggy Fletcher Stack Salt Lake Tribune reporter writes In the Mormon psyche: The symbolism of blood atonement mirrors the Christian story of Jesus’ death on the cross as a ransom for all humanity.

The 19th-century Mormon pioneers added an emphasis on self-sacrifice for sin as a way to appease an angry God, says Levi Peterson, a Mormon novelist and retired Weber State University professor of English. It may have particularly appealed to the settlers, who were coping with a bloody and death-filled era.

Mormon doctrine was “full of promised blessings for the obedient, blessings which were not forthcoming as the Saints were driven from pillar to post,” says Peterson, who now lives in Issaquah, Wash. “An obverse logic took over: The Saints were obviously remiss in their duties; they deserved to suffer; the quickest way back to divine favor was to inflict more suffering on themselves.”

Their approach, he says, would be similar to that of Roman Catholics during the Middle Ages in the aftermath of the plague, which decimated Europe. Religious orders in which members would flog themselves as penance “arose to deal with the psychological effect of the terrible scourge.”

The idea of self-punishing was central to the “guilt I inherited or felt in the people around me,” says Peterson, who was reared in a small Mormon community in northern Arizona. “We believed in a severe God who didn’t forgive easily. You had to pay with some kind of pain.”

In 2010, these ideas may seem foreign to most members of the nearly 14 million-member LDS Church as it has moved far from its rural Utah roots, says Gardner, the Nebraska law professor and a member of his LDS stake’s high council. “I just don’t think people are aware of [blood atonement] anymore.” Salt Lake City Tribune

The majority of the population of Utah is L.D.S. and so is most of the legislative body. The idea of blood atonement is deeply embedded in the Mormon consciousness. Blood atonement is the notion that if one shed’s his or her blood, that in order to be forgiven in the physical life, blood atonement was necessary for whatever waited in spirit life. If the LDS Church does not preach blood atonement and the firing squad is virtually finished, why, then, does the notion linger in public and private conversations across the state and on the screen (Big Love)?

Some Utahans, though, had a different explanation for why such an anachronistic execution technique remained an option in the 21st century: blood atonement.

The term refers to an arcane LDS belief that a murderer must shed his own blood — literally — to be forgiven by God. Since Mormon pioneers first entered the valley in 1847 until today, most of Utah’s formal executions (until recent decades) have been by firing squad.

The LDS Church disavows any connection to blood atonement, says spokesman Scott Trotter. “[It] is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in and teach the infinite and all-encompassing atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes forgiveness of sin and salvation possible for all people.”

A gentleman appeared on television, hours before Gardner’s execution, proudly taking a stand on the upcoming death. Paraphrasing, he said, “This execution is for just a short time. Just wait until he [Gardner] gets to the other side and sees what awaits him.”

I would pose the question to law makers, religions that uphold the ‘eye for an eye’ punishments, and citizens that feel in their souls that capital punishment is ever defensible: How does killing anyone for any reason acceptable, and those with justifiable termination in their hearts, unlike the perpetrator? Many innocent people look to scriptures to give them spiritual validation for even thought agreements of murdering in the Spiritual Matrix.

Marriage, as we know it in our Western civilization today, has a long history with roots in several different ancient cultures, of which the Roman, Hebrew, and Germanic are the most important. The doctrines and policies of the medieval Christian church, the demands of the Protestant Reformation, and the social impact of the Industrial Revolution further developed western marriage.

Within matriarchal social organization, the female was the head of the family and all descendants are within the female line. The children belonged only to the mother’s clan. This was a most convivial and balanced arrangement, as peace and prosperity reined supreme. The mother was significant as there was no marriage system; the mothers ruled the clans. All knew who their mother’s were, but the father’s identity was often unclear. All could remember and honor the mother who took care of them in their childhood, but as to the father, this was a mystery. No one knew nor cared.

Those who bore many healthy, strong children and who lived through childbearing became highly honored. They were respected for being mothers, for bearing the children. This was their great accomplishment in life. The mother became worshiped as the source of nurturance, of love and compassion, and as the protector and caregiver for the clan.

As the hunter/gatherer matriarchal clans diffused through growth, the recognition of human males as defenders of the tribe became an apparent necessity in terms of engineering and technology, living conditions, health, and security. In patriarchal society, the social organization in which the father is the supreme authority in the family, clan, or tribe and descent passed to male lineage, with the children belonging to the father’s clan or tribe. Women were considered chattel, as were their children. Women married through arrangements of the father (which is still in practice today in some cultures), especially since women and children needed protection against other men and the only way to have security was to marry. Men seemingly respect other males’ property.

Coincident with the retreat of the last great continental ice sheets at the beginning of the Holocene Epoch, approximately 10,000 years Before Present (BP), tribes in at least China, India, and present-day Iraq, human males would go to great lengths to protect and defend children, and their children’s mother, only if they knew that they had sired her children.

These early tribes also recognized the great values of a patriarchal hierarchy. Among the benefits that accrued to tribes who adopted patriarchy enabled them to establish permanent settlements, or cities that define what is meant by “civilization.”

All of our present civilization stems from the social and biological revolution inherent in the development of the patriarchal method of associating children with their biological fathers.

To know paternity required basic changes in ancient human society. Without means of birth control, women could not be allowed to have sexual relations with any man except their mate. Therefore, marriage was invented and rigid strictures placed on women that are still reflected in many societies and religions. Religious dogma regarding marriage is spoon-fed from infancy to marriageable age—and beyond.

In 2010 society, many recognize the need for reform or simply another way of living peacefully with their chosen partner and family without the necessity of legalization through church or society. The happiness of the individual is paramount, and as the higher spirituality within society unfolds, when humans believe peace is the only answer, when loving your neighbors, even a world apart is the norm, then personal relationships are not only harmonizing, but satisfying.

When one reaches the plateau in their earthly development, and knows for sure there is no out there, no other human counterpart to rescue them from the mundane, no geography that could possibly makes you happier then you know for sure that only you are the captain of your own ship. No longer are you buffeted by life, but are in control of your own destiny. People come together for bringing other souls to earth, for help with personal development, and if needed, discover their twin soul. The twin is the other half of your soul or part of your soul family, according to Plato. Twins are not needy; do not allow economic failure, religion, or misunderstanding to deter their destiny, only understanding the importance of a life well lived, with or without the other.

Through critical mass consciousness of optimistic change, humankind may live a life desired, without fear, without scarcity or lack. Life, as we know it, will dramatically change over the next few years. As with all potential, it is an individual, ongoing process. The journey to 2012 demands spiritual changes, because without change, the world as we know it, will not exist.

Modern Matriarchal Studies