Happiness Ever After

As written in “Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving”©
by Caroline & Charles Muir

These days, not many of us believe in happily ever after. Statistics show that well over half the married couples in our culture divorce, and many of those who stick it out do so for reasons other than personal happiness–because its such a hassle dividing everthing, moving, having to start over– not to mention children and the emotional and financial aspects of splitting up. In this practical 20th century climate, it’s hard to take happily ever after as much more than a metaphor in which “ever after” means “for a while”.
Theoretically, this definition could allow a person to live happily ever after if he or she livedin consecutively happily-for-a-while relationships. These were fashionable to a degree in the 60’s and 70’s, but became first questionable and then dangerous in the 80’s as the AIDS epidemic was recognized and understood. But it is not just fear of AIDS that is changing contemporary relationships. In our seminars we meet men and women whose desire for partnetship stems from a feeling that there is something important to be gained from a significant relationship. And it seems to be more than a desire to “settle down”. Couples today are looking for a commitment from each other, but a special kind of commitment-one that contains a spiritual as well as a physical element and emotional and psychological aspects as well as material ones.
This may be the start of the “we” generation, a generation that desires an end to the batttle of the sexes and the beginning of a new form of relationship in which partners work together as a team to satisfy needs, uplift one another, and journey together toward personal growth and sexual and spiritual fulfillment.

PROMISES
The past few decades made us some promises of sexual sophistication, personal independence, and prosperity. For a large number of men and women today, many of these promises have been fulfilled. We are richer because we know more about ourselves – in fact, we are a culture fascinated with itself. We take care of our bodies, we exercise andeat well, we stop smoking. We look to imporve. We visualize bright futures.
Being so blessed, so evolved, why are we less successful than previous generations in making relationships last?

IF WE’RE SO SMART, HOW COME WE’RE NOT IN LOVE?
There’s love, and then there’s Love. There’s passionate love, and then there’s love after passion or without passion. The latter has been known, in fact, to be quite cozy and satisfying in many ways; but without passion, may also deteriorate into a pale verson of the original, a benign tolerance. And there is the risk that it may die completely or turn into resentment of disrespect, or worse.

It is not dispassionate love that we want to discuss. We want to focus on love that is full of passion and heat, love that makes your blood fairly pulse inside you; love that is all the nourishment you need. This is the love that overcomes all obstacles, dissolves time, obsesses you, possesses you, and radiates from you so that people comment on your “glow”, and are drawn to you as if by a magnet. This is love that expresses itself sexually as a wonder, the best ever. It is so for both of you-youcan’t get enough of one another.
Love is nor necessariy blind, as Shakespeare claimed, but it is surely an altered state. Physicians tell us that bio-chemically, love shares a lot of the same exhilarating effects that amphetamines produce. We know that the immune system can be strengthened by it; that white blood cells perform better, and that the production of endorphins increases. We feel terrific!
So what happens? What causes passion to close its doors after such a promising opening to such good reviews?
Part of the answer can be found if we consider passion as a kind of energy that depends on other energy for survival. When we are in the early passionate stages of a relationship, we expend a lot of time trying to win one another, enchant, impress, and attract one another. We mentioned that passionate love overcomes obstacles. It is the energy required in that overcoming that is most significant. For example, when men and women decide to live together, they eliminate one of the biggest obstacles of all–physical separation–but they don’t realize that they are removing something that has contributed to their passion. They need to find a way to compensate for the energy-hole their relationship experiences when they no longer need to overcome the obstacle of living separately. They have created an energy void, and passion suffers for it. The diminuition of energy diminishes passion.
In the early stages of a love affair, passionate energy seems self-generating. The newly attracted couple is in a nearly constant state of arousal. They’re charged. They’re superconductors. And then, usually, the lovemaking falls off–quantitatively, anyway. It’s less urgent once you’ve come to trust your ralationship, come to rely on one another–but why must we lose Love?
In fact, we don’t have to lose anything. What usually happens isthat the lessening oflovemaking means a lessening of energy in the relationship. When couples don’t make that physical connection as often, the atmosphere changes. Love begins to stagnate and energy is directed elsewhere.
Men and women who are passionate about their work, or their art, or their politics are recognized for the energy they manufacture in order to pursue and maintain and advance the endeavor to which they are devoted. In the same way, men and women who are passionate about their relationship must be committed to manufacturing the energy needed to sustain it. This is especially true in an era that offers so many opportunities and so much personal freedom. Many of us have several passions, and sometimes the amount of energy spent pursuing them exceeds the amount of energy they return. When this happens, we operate with a ‘passion deficit’ . We have to borrow energy from other source to compensate. Ultimately, unless we rectify the deficit at its source, we will suffer serious losses. Too often one of these losses is passion.
We meet many couples who are simply too busy or too tired to make love. Both work, they have children, they contribute time and energy to their community and to their church. They’re concerned about self-improvement, so they devote several hours a week to health and physical fitness. Many have aging parents to lok after.
The irony is that making love can provide both partners with more energy….
The solution we teach in our seminars and workshops is based in part on the tantric “lifestyle” that was designed centures ago specifically for householders–that is, couples. The tantric texts are exdplicit on how the differences between the sexes can be used as a positive force in a partnership, how the proper combination of these differences can produce a near alchemical reaction, an ether in which everything flourishes, in which the garden of your relationship bursts with color and a new life and growth, and you and your beloved thrive.-

Charles and Caroline Muir are teachers of Tantra yoga and their approach to sexuality incorporates spirituality as well as an honest affinity for pleasure. They have been reviewed by magazines and newspapers, and have appeared on national radio and television as tantric sex experts.
Visit www.sourcetantra.com for more information.

Unlegislated Love

By Alan Cohen

A friend told me, “Marriage is a great institution – if you don’t mind living in an institution”.
So, what does it take to be a great lover…

The funny thing about love is that the more you try to organize it, the less like love it becomes. As spiritual master Meher Baba noted, “Love and coercion can never go together. Love has to spring spontaneously from within. It is in no way amenable to any form of inner or outer force and it cannpt be forced upon anybody, yet it can be awakened in one through love itself.”
People usually institutionalize things when they dont trust life to take care of itself naturally and spontaneously. I’m not saying that institutions are bad or we should not have them; they serve a purpose. But institutions have a way of becoming hollow shells that the heart gradually dies out of. Most religions, for example, began with a genuine enlightenment experience by a prophet whom God spoke to. That experience was so powerful that it inspired others to follow in their footsteps. The glitch in that formula is that if you really want to meet God, you have to follow your own footsteps, not those of another. It’s more about energy than action; more about consciousness than behavior.
A friend of mine studied with a Native American shaman whom she adored. One day my friend asked the shaman, “How can I be more like you?”. The shaman gave the best answer I have ever heard: “If you want to be more like me, be more like yourself”. He was teaching that the road to enlightenment is paved with authenticity, not imitation.
The story is told about an African tribesman who went to his favorite rock by a river and sat there eating an avocado. Suddenly a shaft of light broke through the leaves above him and he realized he was one with all life, eternally whole, and filled with peace. In other words, he became enlightened. When the fellow returned to the village, everyone realized there was something extraordinary about him; he had been transformed and he glowed with a new light. When the villagers asked him, “What happened to you?” he explained, “I was just sitting on the big rock down by the river eating an avocado. A beam of light fell upon me, and I saw God”.
The next morning when the tribesman awoke, he found no one in the village. He looked in all the huts, but everyone had mysteriously disappeared. Finally he decided to give up searching and just go back to the rock he loved to sit on. When he arrived, he was amazed to find all the people from the village clustered on the rock, avocados in hand, scrambling to get to the top of the rock.
Silly as this parable sounds, it’s not very different from the way we try to institutionalize spirit. The key to the tribesman’s illumination is that he sat on his favorite rock enjoying his favorite avocado. The villagers would have met God more quickly and directly by going to their own sacred places rather than legislating his.
Great relationshops are built on joy, choice, and full presence. If you meet in the temple upheld by those pillars, you are in a holy place indeed. You fuel the flame of love by being fully alive yourself, and when your partner is fully alive too, you have a bonfire. If one or both of you brings less than full life to the altar, the relationship becomes a charade of fear, and it will wither and die.
Abraham-Hicks suggests an odd but meaningful marriage vow: “I like you pretty good, and I plan to stick with you as long as being together brings joy to both of us”.
While such a vow may sound scary if you are afraid your relationship might not last without more of a commitment, it can be empowering if you recognize that commitment to life is the foundation of great relationships. If you stay true to your spirit and your partner stays true to his or her spirit, and you find yourself paddling in the same canoe, you are in for the best ride of your life.
I heard about a spiritual community in Italy at which married couples renew their marriage contract on an annual basis. Each year the couple revisits their agreement to be together and they ask each other if they want to remain married for another year. I rather like this formula, since that’s how it is anyway. We are all making it up as we go along.
Commitment is important, and a meaningful lifetime commitment can be highly empowering. Just be sure that your commitment is less about time in your life, and more about life in your time.
St John of the Cross said, “Take God for your spous and friend and walk with Him continually, and … you will learn to love, and the things you must do will work out prosperously for you”. The Steve Winwood song, “Bring me a higher love” bears the same message: Show up as yourself, trust life and love, let higher power orchestrate your relationship, and no rule you make will be as powerful as the joy you feel together when willingness is your motivator.

Alan Cohen is the author of inspirational books, including “The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, and his new bestseller “Don’t Get Lucky-Get Smart”.
Visit www.alancohen.com for more information on his work or to recieve his free daily inspirational quotes and monthly newsletter.

The Activation of DNA

Imagine if you woke up one morning and realized that you had dormant superhuman abilities that were waiting to be unleashed.

That once you activated these abilities, you could manifest anything you desired in your life, live a life without drama, create your ideal physical body, become immune to all dis-ease, and REVERSE the aging process.

Imagine if you realized that you could actually change your blueprint of life, your DNA, to enable you to expand your creative potential, provide access to your subconscious mind, and become intuitive, clairvoyant, and know instantly what your purpose is in life.

There is now a process which will allow you to do all these things and more, and it is called DNA Activation.

What exactly is DNA Activation?

Most people know that DNA is the ‘blueprint of life’ and is located in every cell of the body. In addition to each chromosome’s 2 strand double helix of DNA, there are an additional 10 etheric strands of DNA available to each human, which have been dormant since the beginning of recorded history. Each additional strand possesses attributes that permit the individual to perform greater human accomplishments. Scientists acknowledge that we currently only use 3% of our current 2 strand DNA. Thus we live in a society where people are sick, unhappy, stressed out, create wars, have difficulty experiencing love, and are totally disconnected with the universe. Most people have to meditate for many years just to have a so-called ‘mystical’ experience, that’s how disconnected we are now. Imagine activating 100% of your 2 strand DNA, PLUS 10 additional strands! You will go from using 10% of your brain to becoming a multi-dimensional being with psychic, telepathic, and manifestation abilities beyond anything you’ve ever dreamed of. Plus, you will stop the aging process and actually start to rejuvenate to look and feel YOUNGER. This is the Original Divine Blueprint, what man USED to be. It has been written that Jesus had 12 strands of DNA activated. There have been children born throughout the history of humanity to raise the frequency of the planet that have more than 2 strands of DNA active – they are known as Indigo children. These are the incredibly intelligent, loving, and amazing children that are being mistakenly diagnosed as having A.D.D. because they are too smart to pay attention in class. Your DNA is your blueprint of life and is what controls every single function inside each of your cells. If you change your DNA, you really will change your life.

How can there be additional strands of DNA and what does this look like?

The portions of the DNA chain that science has presently identified as the “Double Helix”, represent only the SURFACE portions of the chemical, elemental, and electrical components of the active DNA strands. Science has yet to identify the MULTIDIMENSIONAL spectra of DNA manifestation, and has yet to realize that within the structures of detectable DNA, there are levels of structure and function that direct the operations of the entire genetic blueprint, which are not currently detectable by the contemporary scientific method.

The human DNA imprint will always appear from external analysis, as a 2 strand Double Helix configuration. But what is not understood, is that within the Double Helix there are, and will be progressively more, additional Double Helix strands, which fuse together and add their operational coding into the active DNA imprint. As science evolves into comprehension of the mult-dimensional spectrum, the understanding of the tree structure and function of DNA will progressively advance.

But one does not have to wait for science to catch up with a rapidly evolving humanity in order to begin advancing the functions of their DNA. Through the processes of bioregenesis, we are removing ancient blockages within the human anatomy that have been blocking natural DNA activation, and then we are restoring the Original Organic Imprint for Health, that is the birthright of our species. We are progressively reordering portions of the “junk DNA” and stimulating portions of the DNA into activation.

Why is DNA Activation important right now and how does the Earth affect our DNA Activation level?

We are directly connected to the Earth and exist as part of the Earth. Like a baby that is in their mother’s womb, the body of the mother is actually the OUTER body of the baby. So anything that happens to the mother forms an energetic imprint and affects the child. For example, if the mother smokes or drinks alcohol during the pregnancy, this goes directly to the child and forms imprints, which may manifest as physical birth deformities or genetic problems which eventually manifest into physical dis-ease.

So it is the same thing with the Earth and us. The Earth is OUR outer body. This is why it is called Mother Earth. Our morphogenetic field (form holding blueprint) exists as part of the larger morphogenetic field of the Earth. If something happens to the Earth’s energetic grids, then we inherit these problems into our own grids. Our energetic anatomy is exactly like the Earth’s, with chakras, meridians, axiatonal lines, and DNA. Our 13th chakra is actually one we share with the Earth and exists at the Earth’s core. So if a cataclysm happens with the Earth and it pokes a hole in the Earth’s grids, then what happens is that “hole” is poked into every person’s DNA on the planet.

And this has been one of the main influences and problems with our DNA throughout history as there have been many cataclysms. The Earth distortions in history have actually created a planetary DNA distortion that has made every living organism’s DNA on the planet to falsely appear as Base-4, with only 4 chemicals. Humans are supposed to have 12 chemical nucleotide bases. This would allow us to have 144 physical chemical chromosomes as well, whereas now we only have 46. Also the original Angelic Human DNA Template which most people on the planet have, called the Diamond Sun DNA Template, is 12 strands, allowing for 12 dimensions of consciousness, and is built for transmutation from carbon to silica based body, and eventually pre-matter liquid light. This body is not meant to “die”. It is because of the DNA distortions in ancient history (25,500 B.C) that have blocked people from bringing light into their field and naturally evolving through DNA activation. Most people on the planet only have 3 strands active, which only allows 3 dimensions of consciousness and thus they are stuck in 3D.

We are at a very important point in history right now because we have the ability to regenerate our original organic imprint for health. And we don’t need science and fancy equipment to do this. We are just required to learn how to use what we came in with – our mind-body-spirit system to direct our mind to alter the scalar waves by which our DNA is composed.

We are in the middle of an ascension cycle, which is literally a time continuum shift. From now through 2012, the planet is going through this time continuum shift, which only happens once every 25,556 years (called a Euiago cycle). What is happening is that the particles that make up the Earth’s auric field are speeding up in pulsation rhythm to prepare for this shift into ascension from dimension 3 to dimension 4. Since the particles that make up the Earth’s auric field are speeding up in pulsation rate, and we exist as part of the Earth’s auric field, the particles that make up our OWN auric fields must also speed up. This is happening now through 2012. This means that one must have at least 4 strands of DNA active to make the shift into dimension 4.

And this is why DNA activation is so important now. If you have energetic blockages – auric attachments, karmic imprints, DNA distortions, or unnatural energetic seals, then you will not be able to speed up the particles and accrete the frequencies necessary to make this time continuum shift. And the higher frequencies coming into your field will speed up the body deterioration process and many result in physical problems or discomfort. Many people are noticing these “symptoms” now and this is why. They are also noticing how time is speeding up.

Our evolution is directly and intimately tied to the Earth’s. And the actual purpose of the Angelic Humans is to assist the Earth with what is happening now. This IS “why we are here”. Because by raising our own frequency and bringing more light into our fields by DNA activation, when enough people do this and it meets “critical mass”, this will actually reset the distortions in the Earth’s grids so that we can all ascend together in 2012. All masters that have come, are here, and will come know about DNA activation and spiritual evolution does not happen without it.

What are the reported benefits and results of DNA Activation?

DNA activation removes the energetic blockages to you embodying your Higher self, Oversoul consciousness, Avatar self, and Rishi – the part of you closest to Source or God. So consciousness expansion is one of the main benefits and after the sessions, you will be more aware of everything, especially what your purpose is and why you incarnated here at this point in “time”. You will start to become aware or see things that others cannot see – some of the hidden agendas going on and how to make decisions to help you and your family in the best way possible. Your dormant brain functions will start to become active, especially your pineal gland. This will help to start tapping into your 7 Higher Senses, and you will be able to use these on a daily basis with practice. Some of the physical benefits reported by clients include thicker hair growth, weight loss and stabilization of desired weight, increased energy, and rejuvenation of various muscles. You will start to see how your body is just a thoughtform as well, and you can change your body more easily with focus, so you won’t have to work out as much. Emotionally, you will go beyond your personal dramas, the aggravation of everyday life. Your body will undergo a detoxification, which will bring old emotional issues to the surface to be released forever, to no longer cause dis-ease and poison the body. You will also experience a renewed sense of confidence and security, and will project that to others, which will allow you to have more fulfilling relationships, increased trust and discernment, and the attraction of soul mates. Almost everyone also reports much quicker manifestations of that which they desire.

What type of healings occur after having DNA Activations?

Spontaneous healings can occur at the time of activations. These usually have to do with acute physical and emotional disorders. After the activations, there is a purification process that begins to detoxify the physical, emotional, and mental bodies. There have been many patients who have cured themselves of cancer and other serious diseases after having the DNA activations.

How long does it take to notice the effects from the sessions?

It really depends on the person. Everyone is different and is at a different level of spiritual evolution. After performing over 10000 sessions, I have noticed the following. Some people notice the effects immediately after the session, have spontaneous healings and miraculous realizations occur immediately, while others have reported consciously seeing the results anywhere from 1 to 5 days after the session. The changes do not just happen overnight though. They continue for weeks and MONTHS after each session. This is because the work that we are doing is on your subtle bodies, the one’s that exist in higher frequencies. You actually have 15 levels to your Auric Field. So the energetic blockages that we remove in these higher dimensions of yourself usually take at least a few days to flow down into a person’s conscious awareness and holographic reality. The idea is to facilitate permanent changes that last a lifetime, so it’s good to have the sessions as soon as possible.

Will I feel anything while the DNA Activation is happening?

YES! It depends on how sensitive you are to energy, but most people feel the session very strongly as it is happening. You may notice a tingle or some other sensation in the head area (crown chakra). In most cases, people experience a spontaneous physical or emotional healing at the time of the activation. After that, there will be numerous changes in the next few weeks and months. Most people experience an increase in energy, and go through a cleansing process. DNA Activation is an eternal process and you will notice changes throughout your life.

*source: DNA Perfection

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For information on how to activate your field of personal power visit the Movie Clips section in the “Topics” list.

Visit The Driven Collective website for an informative article about the DNA and it’s evolution.

eostre

Ostara

(Spring or Vernal Equinox)

The Festival of Renewal

eostre

March is when spring arrives in the northern hemisphere. trees are in leaf, and a carpet of flowers speads over the Earth. Insects are active, birds are building nests, and animals mate and give birth.
The Vernal (Spring) Equinox, when Pagans celebrate the festival of Ostara, which usually falls on or around March 20 or 21 (check your almanac for your time zone).
Our ancestors commemorated the day when light and dark stand in perfect balance (12 hrs of daylight and 12 hrs of night), before days begin to lengthen, and summer light dominates the dark. It marked the growing strength of the young spirit of vegetation, who emerged from a cave or tomb where he had spent the winter.
Called Ostara after the Saxon Lunar Goddess Eostre, this is a time of renewal, regeneration and resurrection as the Earth wakes from her long and deep slumber. This is the time of planting, children, and young animals.
It is the fertility of the Earth that we celebrate, and we symbolize this new life springing from sun and soil with eggs, chicks, lambs, and rabbits (all symbols of the Great Mother).
Ostara promises freedom from the cold and silent of winters, it heralds the return of hope and dreams. With the days lengthening, we fill our lungs with fresh air and drink the pungent cleansing teas that clear our bodies from the heavy foods of winter.
The Saxons believed that the goddess Eostre, in the form of a hare, traveled about the land renewing the fertility of the Earth and its creatures. She gave her name to the festival, Eostre or Ostara, which we carried over the idea of the Easter Bunny.

The Goddess at Ostara

Eostre is the Goddess of dawn and new beginnings. Another name in the same family is Ishtar, the Babylonian Goddess of the forming and evening stars. Eostre’s sacred animal is the rabbit or hare. Rabbits bear young in the springs, and have come to represent fertility and abundance. Hares, which are bigger and wilder than rabbits, have long been identified with magic, the springs, and the mysteries. Hares are associated with the moon – the ancients saw the “rabbit in the moon”, today known as the “man in the moon”.
The other Goddess we associates with the Spring Equinox is Kore or Persephone, daughter of Demeter, the Greek Goddess of grain and growing things. In the Spring, Persephone comes back from the Underworld to be reunited with her mother. A part of the Goddess that has been sleeping all winter reawakens with the warming of the ground of springs. She who has been mother, midwife, and teacher through the winter now welcomes back her own daughter-self, the Maiden of Springs. At this time of balance the Goddess is Mother and Daughter both.

The God at Ostara

The God of Springs is the young God, playful and joyful, the trickster. He is the spirit of everything that is joyful, light, and changeable. Born at Winter Solstice, nurtured at Imbolc, now he’s like a young and mischievous child, still wild and new. He has raw, creative energy that has not yet been harnessed, tamed, civilized. He sees with clear eyes and does not hesitate to announce that the emperor is naked. He deflates the pompous and laughs at self-importance.
The trickster is an important spirit power in many earth-based cultures. To many of the Native American tribes, he is the Coyote. To the First Nations of the Northwest Coast, he is Raven, who creates the world. In parts of West Africa, he is Elegba, the small child-God who as a point of light constantly runs circles around the universe. To early African-Americans, he is Brer Rabbit, who tricks his way out of trouble.
In European earth-based traditions, he is the Fool of the Tarot, who leaps blithely off a cliff as he follows a butterfly, yet always lands on his feet, because he takes himself lightly. He is spirit taking the plunge into matter, idea manifesting as form. He is Robin Goodfellow, shape shifter and wood sprite, child of the Faery King. He comes to us in the springs when all of nature is shifting and changing: seeds poking out sprouts, butterflies emerging from cocoons, tadpoles growing legs and turning into frogs.
We celebrate him on the Spring Equinox, but of course, his proper holiday comes shortly after, on April Fool’s Day. In his honor, we play tricks on one another.

Traditions & Stories

The Sun enters the sign of Aries at the equinox. In one solar myth the Sun is rescued from the underworld dragon and resurrected as the golden ram (Aries Chrysomallon) at the spring equinox. –Jason and his Argonaut crew journeyed to recover a sacred golden ram’s fleece and the stolen fleece was transported to the stars in his honor.
Sheep are said to bow three times to the east to welcome the rising Sun.
Buns marked with a cross, representing the four directions and the four phases of the Moon, was a traditional food at Pagan observances of Spring Equinox. These cakes, made and eaten once a year, were considered to be very powerful. A careful housewife would save a portion, which she tied in a bag and hung from the kitchen rafters. When anyone or beast of the household became ill, a few of the crumbs would be added to any remedy given to them to increase its effectiveness.
The convention of giving Easter eggs stems from a Pagan custom that is also related to the Spring Equinox, though the eggs in question were hen’s eggs and not the chocolate variety we have today! ^_^
Ancient Egyptians and Tomans gave each other presents of eggs at the Spring Equinox as a symbol of resurrection and continuing life. The egg, dyed red, represented the resuurrection of the Sun at the equinox.

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The Altar: The altar for springs includes — what else?– images of rabbits and birds, eggs of all sorts, nests, flowers, and living plants. Start some seeds, to be planted out in the garden.

The Colors of Ostara: All pastels are appropriate for Ostara — especially the greens, yellows, and pinks. White makes a nice accent, but seems too sparse for an altar cloth representing the season of growth and fertility.

Incense, Herbs and Wood: Violet, honeysuckle, narcissus, and lemon make good incenses for Ostara. Jasmine, Rose, Strawberry, Floral of any type — the scents should be clear and light, floral and evocative, but not overwhelming or intoxicating.
Herbs associated with spring include meadowsweet, cleavers, clover, lemongrass, spearmint and catnip.
If you want to use wood in your spells and rituals, ash has a strong link with the equinox due to its connection with the macrocosm-microcosm concept in the Celtic ogham runes – the balance of light and dark… as above, so below.

Flowers: What better day to decorate for the spring season than with the flowers that blossom at this time? They are abundant and beautiful! Daffodils, jonquils, tulips, narcissus, woodruff, Gorse, Olive, Peony, Iris, violets and crocus and snowdrops – fill the house with their color after you’ve finished your spring cleaning.

Meditation: Take a walk around your neighborhood, walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the Magick of nature and our Great Mother and her bounty; looking and listening for signs of spring: the fattening leaf buds on trees, the first flowers of spring, the first Robin. Think about the Earth’s movement toward greater light and less darkness. How can you mirror this in your life?

Questions for Ostara:
1. Besides sunlight and darkness, what other signs of “balance” do you notice at this time of year? (Look both outside and within yourself to answer this question)
2. What could you do to welcome the signs of spring you notice on your walks?
3. Is there someone in your life who seems more dark than light in his/her makeup? Would you be willing to try to find more of their light? How can you do this? Does their darkness remind you of anything about yourself?

Sacred Gemstone: Jasper

Traditional Foods: Green leafy vegetables, Dairy foods (unless u’re a vegetarian — try soy milk and organic cheese!). Flower Dishes and Sprouts. Seeds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.

Special Activities: Planting seeds or starting a Magickal Herb Garden.

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An Ostara Recipe

Violet Salad

1TBSP raspberry vinegar
1TBSP minced Shallot
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mixed greens washed
1/4 cup violet blossoms
1/4 cup wild strawberries (optional)

Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard and some pepper in a small bowl.  Let stand 5 minutes
Whisk in stock then oil.  Toss greens with dressings,  top with violets and strawberries and serve immediately.

Purification Meditation

Why do we need to purify? We always want to be free from suffering – even in our dreams we try to be free from problems, fear and danger – but unless we purify, this wish can never be fulfilled. Buddha taught that all the problems we have experienced in the past, are experiencing now, and will experience in the future come from our own negative intentions and actions. It does not matter what we do externally to try to avoid suffering – if the cause of suffering remains in our mind, suffering is what we will experience. Therefore we can see that there is nothing more important than to purify our mind as quickly as we can.

Fortunately, Vajrasattva practice, taught by Buddha, is one of the most powerful purification practices that exists. Through this practice you will feel rejuvenated, re-energized and cleansed.

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Blessing Empowerment of Buddha Vajrasattva and Teachings with Kadam Nick and Kadam Lucy at Ellenton, Florida

The blissful meditation practice of Buddha Vajrasattva is an extremely powerful, quick method for cleansing our impure mind and actions, making us light and happy. During this special empowerment weekend we will draw close to Vajrasattva and receive powerful wisdom blessings, as well as receive clear and inspiring instructions on purification practice.

Friday, March 28th – Sunday, March 30th 2008
Visit the Vajrasattva Empowerment Weekend site for more information.