2.07.09 "Sign sign, everywhere a sign." Many years ago I did my readings out of a Metaphysical bookstore in my hometown. I had settled into the cubicle where I did my readings and sipped on my coffee, waiting for the store to open. It was one of those days that I was easily distracted and found myself wrestling with the question of if I was in the right place or not to do my work. I told Spirit that I just needed a sign. Soon enough the usual traffic of clients started wandering in. I did a couple of readings and while the morning seemed to drag, it did pass. On my break I again found myself asking the same question again and just as before all I wanted was a sign.
After break I sat back down and was immediately joined by a woman and her baby. The mother seemed quite upset. I tried my best to calm her and asked what I could help her with. She started crying and said, "my child won't sleep. She just cries all night". Now, I have to admit that as young as this baby was I had to suppress my first thought, which was that this was just normal behavior and that the mother was overreacting. I put that aside and talked to her more about the situation. She was really at her wits end. The stress showed in her voice and the pain for her child showed on her face. Soon my petty personal questions seemed just that, small and minor. Whether this was normal behavior for the child or not, it was making the mother feel like a failure and pushing major buttons of insecurity in her.
Now, not having children of my own I really felt I was out of my area of expertise so I suggested that she give me the night to meditate for a deeper answer and for us to meet again the next day. She agreed and I could tell that she was clinging to the hope of an answer with desperation.
I wrapped up my day and headed home. On the drive I found the old question creeping back in...was I in the right place for my work? The question of the baby sleeping had me even less certain. I got home and immediately sat down to meditate on the two subjects at hand. I needed clarity for myself and knew that if I was to give an answer that would help this lady that it would only be found in talking to Spirit.
Candle lit, incense burning, I slowly started slipping into that altered state of awareness. I reached out with my mind to my Spirit Guide. I asked him about the baby and instantly heard, "turn on the tv". I laughed and thought how easy an answer that was. Surely the noise would lull the young one to sleep.
Again I heard the words, "turn on the tv". Again I thought how simple and quickly the answer came. I was smugly confident that I had solved the riddle, the issue was resolved. It was the third time I heard the words, "turn on the tv" that it occurred to me that right in front of me, just a few feet away was a television set. Once more I laughed and said, "oh, you mean this tv right here.... why didn't you say so". I turned on the set and the show that was on was a sitcom about a couple with a newborn baby that wouldn't sleep through the night. I watched intently as everything that I needed to tell the woman was played out right in front of me in Technicolor and surround sound. Way to go Spirit Guides.
In that moment I realized that it was far easier for my guide to lead me to that source of information than to get all those thoughts to register in my conscious mind. They had used the regular course of daily events to give me my answer and taught me a valuable lesson along the way.
How many times have you held a question in your mind only to find that the song on the radio was talking about your situation? Have you ever had a day where the one thing on your mind seems to be the topic everywhere you go, even if you never bring it up? This is a form of Spirit communication that takes place all the time in all of our lives. Spirit is speaking to us through every available source. Sure, a burning bush would make it easier to spot but the fact is that if we open our minds to look for these messages they are all around us, leading us, guiding us.
The lady came back the next day. I told her the whole story. She thanked me that day but then came in a week later. She told me that her baby was sleeping soundly and that she just felt led to tell me how amazing she thought it was that she found me there in that bookstore. I guess we both got our signs...
11.11.08
"Judge not"
Judge Not...You've heard it all your life, "judge not". Have you ever stopped to ask the question, "why not"? It is a question worthy of an answer because at the core of the issue is your power of choice.
A judgment is simply a choice that one option is better than another. Our entire existence is based upon it. Our very survival as a species depends on judgment. It is hardwired into us and an attempt to deny it is to limit your control of your own self and the world you live in.
If I'm standing on a railroad track and the train is coming at me I personally would judge that stepping off of the track is preferable to staying put. In that moment of choice I empowered myself by making judgment.
Sure, it's as silly example but it speaks to the heart of the matter. Every single day of your life you will make judgments and most of the time never even consider that is what you are doing.
How many times have you found yourself held back by someone else in your life? Simply admitting that thought is a judgment that you have placed upon that person or situation and upon yourself. Why then do we hesitate when it comes to the judgment that it is time to let that person or situation go?
we leave some behind, so that they may live their truth instead of the one we would impose on them... in doing so we free them and our self, so that we too may live our truth instead of the one they would impose on us. in this stepping away both are blessed and honored.
Why is it so easy to embrace the truth in this passage and not to recognize it as a judgment? There is judgment that the two paths are not the same and that the individuals are going in different directions. There is judgment that stepping away is better to staying in the same relationship.
Have you ever noticed that no one says, "don't judge me" when you give them a compliment but they will throw it out the second it is a criticism. This shows how detached we are from what judgment really is in our world. It is a means of discernment, a way for us to establish where we are as an individuals and furthermore to know where we want to be. It is our power of choice, our freewill and it is something that should be looked upon as a powerful tool that we can use to instigate personal growth and empowerment.
Many of us in our intention to be enlightened and spiritually based in our approach to life have adopted non-judgment as a way of life. I would suggest that what we really should be holding onto is non-condemnation. It is in the condemning of another that judgment becomes a negative instead of a positive. When we condemn others, even in our own minds, we are stepping into a limiting energy that hurts everyone involved. To feel better about yourself by putting down another is simply wrong, but then again, that is only my judgment and I would never condemn anyone for such action.
It may all sound like word play but in the quest for personal integrity I think we must ask ourselves if we are really meaning what we are saying. Do we spread the word of "judge not" because that is what we really believe and do or because it sounds nice?
Take back your power of choice. Embrace judgment and balance it with a profound understanding of non-condemnation. It is within this balance that we are able to empower ourselves without taking from another.
4.4.08
"Shamans, The Secret and Spells…. Oh My!!!!"
Last week a couple, Kevin and Kelly came for a reading. I have read for them through the years and was surprised to learn that they were in a terrible monetary crisis. So bad that they were facing losing the family property and their home. Kevin had taken a new job in insurance that wasn't paying off yet, but we could see that it would. They were desperate and terribly afraid. We sat down to do a reading on the matter. I told them that I would wave my fees in an effort to help and that they could make it up when they were past the crisis. I told them that I saw a male figure giving them the money as a loan. It really read as though all they had to do was ask. They talked a bit and finally decided on whom they thought the reading was indicating and went to ask them for the money.
A week passed and yesterday Kevin came over again. He was more upset than I had ever seen him. The person didn't give him the money when he asked. They literally had to have $8,000 or they were going to lose their house, land, everything. He looked at me with pleading eyes and I knew that we had to do something. I had met their three children and knew that they were good people that were in a bad way.
I knew a reading wouldn't help. We had done that part. It was time for me to step into another aspect of Shamanism. One of the core roles that a Shaman plays for his tribe is to manipulate energy on the Spirit plane to affect changes in the physical world…Shamanic Spellwork.
They had talked about watching “The Secret” on dvd so I knew they had a basic understanding of the “law of attraction”, but it was just an idea at this point. It was a concept without form for Kevin and I had to get him up to speed quickly. I knew that by using symbols to represent what we were trying to manifest Kevin would be able to connect with the process better. While I scurried off into my Shaman’s Pantry I had him write down exactly what he wanted on a business card of his. He wrote the amount of $8,000. I soon returned with a mortar and pestle full of herbs and incenses…symbols of the four elements, some sage to clear the negativity from his path and a symbol of the Phoenix for rebirth. Step by step I told him how to put the pieces together. Each piece of the spell went into my Shaman’s bowl, symbolically placing those things into his world. When it was all put together I told him to connect with Spirit and when he felt that he was connected to light the candle. He must have gotten the idea because I could feel the energy radiating off of him when he hit that lighter. I told him that the money was there now and all he had to do was to find it. Still upset but with some hope now, he left again to look for this money.
Last night at around 8 there was a knock at the door. It was Kevin. He walked in and shook my hand with a hundred dollar bill in his palm. He said, "I deposited the check in the bank today, everything is going to be ok. Here is the money for that reading". The man he had an appointment with after our session was a friend of his and started talking about his son wanting to borrow $8,000 for a project he wanted to get into. The guy hadn’t given his son the money because he didn't trust him to repay it. Recognizing the opportunity, Kevin asked how much the guy trusted him and long story short...it was enough to write him a check right then and there for the exact amount Kevin had written on his business card. Their home, their land, their lives were safe and back on track.
As a Shaman this was a huge thing for me. It was a chance to not only read for someone and give them guidance, but to step into the true role of Shamanism and help to empower them to shift the energies of their reality to make their life as they would have it to be. This situation is a prime example of one of my favorite sayings, “it is better to happen to life than to let life happen to you”.
3.30.08 “White light and Neosporin”
I was in a full headstand when I heard Zack come tumbling out of his. He hit the floor with a loud thud. I came out of the posture to see him holding his hand, a little trickle of blood running down his arm. We all rushed to him and after a bit had cleaned him up and all regained our composure. He had caught his hand on an unnoticed nail. The cut looked bad and I’m sure felt even worse. We wrapped up yoga class for the day and all went our own ways.
The next day I saw Zack and asked how his hand was. He held it up for me to see that in just one day it was nearly healed. I asked what he had done to cause such spontaneous healing. He laughed and said, “white light and Neosporin”. He went on to explain that he had visualized it healed and perfect and then gave it a good dose of antibacterial and a band-aid. He had managed to balance his faith with a practical/physical approach. The most impressive point being that it had worked.
I have recently found myself revisiting that mindset a lot. I just had to have a golf ball sized tumor taken off my jaw. When I first heard the news I was shaken but then remembered the story from yoga class. I booked in with a specialist for the surgery and went to work making my “medicine bundle”. This is a collection of symbols, herbs, stones, all sorts of stuff from people literally all over the world. I reached out to everyone I knew and asked them for some symbol of healing and energy that I might put in the bundle even if it was just the word “healing” on a piece of paper. Well, I got that piece of paper along with an amazing collection of energetic objects. I was simply blown away by the response and support that I received simply by asking. It was hard for me to open up to help….so many lessons.
Naturally, my family and friends rallied around and more often than once I was told how proud they were that I wasn’t trying to “airy fairy” the tumor away. Over and again I explained to people that I was using my faith to empower my surgeon. I found myself quoting Father Martin. Father Martin was a Catholic self-help guru from the seventies. I once herd him respond to a question about whether prayer could heal a bad tooth or not. He said, “yes, prayer can heal your bad tooth…especially if you say it on the way to the dentist”.
My point here is that so often we find ourselves trying to separate out our spiritual and physical lives when the entire purpose of our existence here on Earth is to see everything we encounter as an aspect of Spirit.
Between each Doctor visit I would meditate on what the symbology of a tumor, in that place, at this time of my life might mean. I found myself communicating things that I had before left unsaid to key people in my life. I allowed the situation to teach me about myself. By addressing the very physical aspects of Doctors and hospitals and the spiritual connections that were revealed to me, I found myself healing much more than just the lump on my jaw. It has truly been a transformational time and I am so thankful for it.
We all have a choice when presented with life situations. We can work to simply get past it or we can step into it and allow the experience to change us…to help us grow and evolve. We can ground our higher views and intentions with very physical actions and by doing so empower ourselves to a far greater degree than if we try to keep them separate.
The night before surgery we held a smudging ceremony to remove any blockages and to bless me for a perfect procedure. We then blessed the Doc and lit a candle with the medicine bundle. I am so happy to say that all went well. The tumor is out. It is benign. Other than a little soreness I am well. Thank you again to all those, physical and non-physical, who offered their support and energy
2.7.08
Last week in my animal medicine column I wrote about the magnificent macaw as the Animal Medicine or the week. I felt that I was paying homage to an amazing creature that has impacted my life profoundly. I stepped into my personal experience to a greater extent than before with an animal I actually live with. Well, being who I am that started a whole series of events all centered around self discovery.
It all clicked the day that I found myself feeling very much caught up in a feeling that my life wasn’t just as I wanted it to be. I was struggling with identity and had allowed myself to fall into frustration. We have a new puppy, “Gunner”, a full blood German Shepherd puppy that we rescued and added to the pack. As noble as that all sounds it doesn’t convey the feeling I have every time I have to clean up a puppy mess. On top of that I had found myself giving into meaningless arguments with my partner and general self-sabotage. You know, the demons we all convince ourselves we have laid to rest but end up staring us in the face anyway. Am I good enough? Can I ever really be successful? They were the kind of questions that make you weak in the knees.
Back to the point, it was during this moment of self-berating and condemnation that Apollo, my macaw, decided to put in his two cents. The scream was deafening, but that wasn’t what got to me. The bird sat straight up on his perch after rendering a scream that sounded like the beginning of the apocalypse and said, quite clearly, “stop it”.
I was stunned.
Now, I preach the law of attraction. I speak freely and easily about creating your reality but in this moment I realized how “real” those statements are. This pure creature of nature, uncaring of societal rule or expectations, quite clearly showed me how I was reacting to my life in his scream and slapping me upside the head with his resounding “stop it”. In one breath he showed me how I had over-reacted and the only answer….”stop it”
I have to say, I’ve worked hard to teach him to say “I love you” and “namaste”…we work on the “om namah shivaya” chant often, but the clearest words he’s spoken to this day are, “stop it”. My reaction to the situation caused things to worsen. Not only do I get the scream, but also get mocked every time he does it with my own words.
What would have happened if I had responded differently or not responded at all? What would have been altered if I had listened to his cry as a statement of longing to be with me and simply picked him up and given him the attention he wanted? What would change if I responded with love instead of irritation? What would happen if I did that for myself instead of falling into the familiar routine of self-deprecation and internally spouting the same old tired lines and thoughts that kept taking me back to a place I have previously been, but do not want to return to?
“Stop it”.
I seriously looked at my life because of this and now when I hear him say, “stop it”, I think to myself that I should stop reacting to life and start choosing my actions.
If a loud voice in your world said, “stop it”, what would you change today?
Thanks Apollo……..
9.5.07
In a day when concepts like THE SECRET and THE LAW OF ATTRACTION are commonplace I continue to hear the same thing over and over again…”that sounds great, but how do I make it work?” It would seem the ideas are readily grasped and even accepted, but the notion of how to plug them into our daily lives seems to be missing. The answer lies in something called energetic alignment. If we can agree that everything in the universe is made of energy then it becomes a simple matter of aligning our energy with that which we wish to experience. What could be easier, right? Ok, not so much. The trick lies in understanding the types of creational energies that emanate from each of us as individuals. These energies, whether consciously or unconsciously generated create our experience. They are, what we think…what we believe…what we say…and what we do. These four components can be viewed as legs of a table. All four strongly in place and you have a firm table to place your intentions upon. Only three and the table gets wobbly. Two and it won’t stand at all and if you get down to only one leg and still call it a table we have more to talk about than this page will allow.
So, let’s take a closer look at these four energies. What we think. Seems simple enough, but as we will see with all of these we have to face up to honest assessment of ourselves in order to create personal change. Do you really know what you think individually or are your thoughts simply the repetition of the thoughts of others? Are they actually your desire and intention or your hardwired need to conform or even to rebel? Once we decide to take an honest look at what we think we have begun the task of empowering ourselves for change and creation. All things begin with thought. So, we must first form this intention, in truth and honesty, in our minds. The clearer the thought or intention the more the energy is focused and set into motion. It is important to note that practicality is essential. For example, let’s say you want a new job. Set the intention as something attainable for you. While the title of CEO for Apple sounds like a good job, it’s not likely that you are going to create that reality. Set your intention on obtainable, not over or undershot goals
Once we have our thought clearly in mind we move onto beliefs. This is often where the lines of energy begin to go in two different directions. What you believe goes to the core of your being. It isn’t analytical like what you think, it is emotional. Your beliefs are formed by your experiences and programming. It boils down to a matter of faith. Faith has nothing to do with when everything is just as we want it to be. It is the belief that everything will be as we want with no evidence to back it up. Again it is important to interject that notion of honesty. What do you really feel that you deserve in this life? How much faith do you have that your intentions will become reality? Once this is clear and aligned with true intention of thought we are well on the way to our new and improved reality. This also speaks to the idea of practicality. What do you actually believe is possible for you? This is not stated as a limitation but as a focusing perspective.
The spoken word is next on the list. Yep, it’s a hard one indeed. Now that you know what you think and believe and have gotten them to match, how are you talking? What are you saying? Does it match the intention you have set? This energy is the one that is most difficult in a social context. When everyone is gossiping or talking negatively it is so tempting to join in. When we hear others talking about lack and unhappiness it is hard to stand up and be the voice of a different perspective but that is exactly the challenge. Do you speak your truth or do you say what you think others want to hear? Are your words matching your intentions and beliefs? To be empowered is to own your words and be accountable for them. Our breath is life and our words are our thoughts being sent out into the world on our very life force. Think about this the next time you find yourself blurting out something just to fit in. Bring your spoken energy in line with belief and intention and there is only one aspect left.
Action. Ya, I know. I could have just stopped with nice thoughts and emotions and pretty words but I would have left out the most important aspect. Action is the point where we take our thoughts, feelings and energies to the physical plane, the place where we are wanting this intention to manifest. Let’s say your intention is to create a new love in your life. You think you deserve love and are ready…. you even believe it. You speak in a way that matches your intention perfectly but you never leave the house. You’d better hope love comes in the form of the pizzaboy. The thoughts, beliefs and words place your intention into your path in this life. You must however be actively walking that path for those things to manifest into your reality. Ask yourself this, have you done everything you possibly can in the physical to manifest your intention? If not, why?
When we step into honesty and align what we think, believe, say and do we have vibrational integrity that allows us to manifest our world as we wish. When we empower ourselves with such integrity anything is possible…
Shane Knox
12.14.05
the new year brings with it many changes for a lot of people. it is a time of reflection on our accomplishments and places we are lacking. we all hear the talk of new years resolutions. the promises we make ourself to become more than we have been. to achieve greater personal expression and truth. to change. change is the one constant in life and also the one most difficult thing to master that we face as humans. some changes we seek, like a new job or a life partner or possibly becomming more physically fit. these changes we embrace. we boost our ego and self image through them. in some way we take control of ourself or our life. this is to most, a joy. change is good. other changes, like death or a breakup or the loss of a friendship, are thrust upon us. even if they are by choice these changes are difficult for most. guilt, anger and confusion often accompany these types of changes. change sucks. whatever the circumstance, change brings about a new awareness within us. as we grow upon our spiritual path we begin to realize that sometimes this growth means that we will have to leave people or places, habits or tendencies behind. in order to truely change our lives and fulfill our spiritual path we have to free ourselves from that which holds us back. i recently discussed this with a good friend and client. as had happened so many times with this person, i found myself writing down words and thoughts that weren't mine just before her reading. the following is what i read on the paper in front of me:
we leave some behind, so that they may live their truth instead of the one we would impose on them... in doing so we free them and ourself, so that we too may live our truth instead of the one they would impose on us. in this stepping away both are blessed and honored.
with this in mind i challenge you all. in this new year, embrace the changes your spirit is calling for and allow the falling away of those things that do not fit the higher vision of the self that is trying to emerge. find within yourselves the power to change. the grace to rise above the limitation and to let go of the people, habits, places and things that hold you back...that lock you into your current circumstance. while doing this be mindful that the letting go is a blessing in itself. in our arrogance we tend to think we know better for others what they should do and how they should act. this is usually a control issue on our part. trying to force someone into our image of what they should be to reinforce our own sense of self righteousness. i have often said that just because we can see someone's potential it in no way requires them to live up to it. that is a choice and if we wish to have our freewill we must allow it in others as well. within us all is a spark of the creator. the eternal light of spirit. when we learn to go within and listen to this part of ourselves we are led to a greater expression of our true selves. this is the point of change. the change that leads to personal joy and peace. it is this inner connection that allow us access to all that is and brings forth expression and happiness. this new year, take some time and go within. find what your spirit is calling for you to change and decide in your own mind who or what you will have to be willing to let go because they no longer match your truth. then find the blessing of allowing and honoring freewill in that person that you step away from. bless them on their journey, as you would wish to be blessed on yours... i bless you all with the wisdom, knowledge and courage to change
