Phoenix from the wasteland

The spirit is called by many names. The Holy Spirit, the Tao or Synchronicity to name a few. Personally, I believe that the universe has a fate designated to it by it's starting conditions and the causal laws that sweep it forward. I believe that that universe is guided along it's path by the acausal aspects of the present moment. I believe that the more we align ourselves with this fate the more harmonious our world will become. So, how do we go about doing so?

1. Be receptive to intuition

Through out our body, in every cell, there are microtubules which have the capacity to amplify the effects of quantum collapses. It has been suggested that it is through these microtubules that the brain is effected by quantum mechanics. Acausality is embedded within quantum mechanics. This means we have a potential link within our brain with the acausal, eternal guiding hand of the universe. If we could tune into this divine part of ourselves we could hear the whisperings of fate that many people call intuition.

2. Stillness

When our minds are beset with the cares and the troubles of our our environment the still small voice within can be drowned out. This is why meditation and prayer can help clear the mind and help us hear our intuition. If you imagine that each of our neurons is being effected slightly by the acausal mechanisms of the microtubules then most of the time the electro-chemical mechanisms over-ride them. When we still our mind we can amplify the acausal quantum collapses right up to the level of consciousness. The same principle applies to when we are asleep. This is why the spirit often communicates through dreams.

3. Be mindful of inconsequential decisions

The other time when these quantum effects might be powerful enough to effect our decisions and thoughts is when we have to make an inconsequential decision. Conversely, if we have to make an important decision regarding our survival our instincts will drive out the effect of our intuition. Chaos theory has shown that in a chaotic system, such as the world we live in, a very small action can have huge influences on the future. So, even if a decision seems unimportant to you it has the potential to change the entire course of history. So next time you choose which route to take home, take a second, relax, still your mind and listen to your intuition.

4. Be receptive to signs

Sometimes the spirit is having a hard time in getting through to you. Perhaps you don't want to hear what it has to say. Through the inconsequential actions of other people and the effect of your own intuition on your own decisions you might find yourself in a situation where the symbols and signs around you have special significance for you. Listen to them. Expand their meaning through metaphor. Interpret your life the same way you would a dream. Beware though, signs never come directly from the spirit but always through the mediation of the tricksters. By this I mean your interpretation of them will be coloured by your own subconsciousness. They seldom mean what they appear to and their true consequences on your behaviour may not even be revealed in your life time. Always remember:

There are no such things as bad omens!

5. Fill yourself with universal love

So, if there is no fool proof way of distinguishing your divine intuition from your subconscious desires and fears or a sign from a mere coincidence then how do we go about making decisions based upon them? The only advice I can give is that the spirit always acts from the perspective of everybody since it is by definition universal. If we as a species have a role to play in the fate of the universe as suggested by the anthropic principle then it would guide us to maximise our human potential. The best way it could do this is by filling us with love. The more we can identify with everybody the better.

6. Be willing to sacrifice

Many people are drawn towards sychronicity and magic as a means to improve their own prosperity. However, if the spirit was guided by efficiency then it would have no need to encourage us to behave in a way that was pleasurable and in our own interest as we're drawn in that direction on our own. It is far more likely to compel us to make the decisions that involve a personal sacrifice that will have positive results in the near or far future for humanity as a whole. Jesus' act of self-sacrifice is a great example of this.

7. Be perceptive, alert and self-aware

This is again about practising mindfulness. Through being perceptive and alert we can be more considerate towards the needs of others. The more that we are aware of any disturbances in our own soul the better we will be able to distinguish between the dross and the sublime. Through self-awareness we can channel our lower drives into the service of the higher. The more individuated we are the more energy we have to channel towards other people. This is why the signs we see often relate to our Jungian shadows. They encourage us to face up to the parts of ourselves that we have repressed. When we release blocked emotions we regain the energy that was lost with them. This process also frees us from the compulsions that blocked emotions bring with them.

8. Practice self discipline

It is through self discipline that we define ourselves. With out self discipline we are left enchained by our own passions. These distract ourselves from the spirit and only leaves us needing more. Through practising self-discipline we can create a cockpit for the spirit.

9. Be proactive

Once we have become receptive to the spirit is is important that we act upon it. We must shine the light of our candles upon the world. A proactive attitude draws the spirit towards it far more than a lazy one as it needs less spirit focused upon it to achieve greater results. The more potential for action and influence you have the more the spirit will descend upon. Gentle forcefulness is the key.

10.Have faith

It is important to believe that which will spur you on to be the best that you can be. Every belief about the unknown that you have creates an emotional reaction and changes the way you perceive things. If you believe in an all-loving God then you will feel less anxiety and have greater self-esteem. The belief that I find encourages connection with the spirit is the following. I believe that the world is conspiring to help me become a blessing upon the world. This helps me recognise any oppertunity that comes my way to help other people and the planet. It makes the world feel exciting, dynamic and interactive.

11. Eat ancient virtue

The ancient Chinese referred to the study of holy books as “Eating ancient virtue”. The books that have come down to us over the years that are revered as holy are pathways to accelerating the growth of this spirit within you. They are written by men and women who spent years of practice and training connecting with the spirit. The recognition and respect that they have garnered from other similar people through out the ages shows that the spirit has sought to amplify their influence. They are worthy of study and respect. Those of us that are connected to the internet have access to all the holy books of all the cultures and religions of the world for free. Each one is a ladder to illumination and freedom. With so many ladders around it would be a shame to stay on the ground.

12. Do not rely upon it

This last point seems paradoxical. I've spent the whole article describing the ways we can amplify the spirit and embody it in our actions. The aim of the spirit is to mould us in such way so that then when it leaves us we will carry on acting in a loving, productive, negentropic way. By becoming somebody who behaves in accord with the fate of the universe you allow the spirit to focus more upon others who need it. Our aim should be to become so receptive to the spirit and so in tune with it's desires that we require as little of the spirit as possible to be the greatest blessing we can be.

13. Cultivate spontaneity

In order to maximise your potential for expressing the spirit in your life it is important to avoid habit and rigid long term planning. Living spontaneously increases the number of small decisions that you have to make. Living a life of habit is like being a singer lip syncing. It's like the difference when you're going travelling and deciding on which books you're going to read beforehand and buying the books you read in the little independent book stores as you travel. The former does not allow for the changing environment to effect your choice of book while the latter encourages connection with the places you visit. So it is with the spirit of the present moment.

I just finished watching Skellig on Sky one. It is based on a book of the same name written by David Almond. It is a tale of mystery and redemption. The basic premise is that a young boy, Michael, discovers what appears to be an angel, Skellig, in his garden shed. It was well produced and Tim Roth is excellent in the title role.

I imagine angels to be manifestations of the acausal forces in the universe that can protect you until you can live out your cosmic destiny. Michael tells Skellig he believes in him and makes a leap of faith off a tower. Skellig catches him. This resonates with my belief that when you decide to believe in a divine presence within you then you open up a possible channel of communication with it. This relation metaphorically gives us wings and allows us to to soar into the timeless realm.

To me Skellig at the beginning when he is weak, dirty and hidden in a dark shed is a great symbol of the state of faith in these times. Cast out. Away from the glaring rational lights of modernity.

At the end Skellig tells Michael that he is "A bit like him, a bit like a bird and a bit like an angel". It is hinted in the story that Skellig is either an evolution of humanity or a species that we evolved/devolved from. I think this is also a great metaphor for the future of faith. I believe that any future mythology will incorporate both evolution and religion.

We can take great heart from the story's message that feeling your wings, knowing your unique nature, following your dreams, letting yourself fly, is something that no one can take from you, unless you let them.

I've descided that sundays, it being God's day and all, I should post something of a religous nature. Today, I'd like to share another of my favourite poems. It is called Zero Circle and was written by a Sufi called Rumi. He was a 13th century Persian poet, islamic jurist, theologian and mystic. His followers founded the whirling dervishers that are famous for spinning around a lot.

Although of an islamic background his writing is universalist. First it requires us to release all intellectual confusion by envoking a paradox. Then it asks us to surrender ourselves to grace. I can think of no higher aspiration than to become a mighty kindness.

Zero Circle

Be helpless, dumbfounded
Unable to say yes or no.
Then a stretcher will come from grace
to gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.
If we say we can, we're lying.
If we say No, we don't see it,
that No will behead us
And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that, so
Miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,
We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.
When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,
We shall be a mighty kindness.

Every year my family and I stay at a small fishing village, called Aberaeron, on the west coast of Wales. Such is it's beauty that footage of it is used to advertise Wales abroad. We go on the same weekend every year, at the end of august, for their annual festival. My mother has been going there over thirty years and I have been there almost every year of my life.

It is always a refreshing holiday that reconnects me with my childhood. One of my personal traditions while I am there is to visit the village second hand book shop. I have always found these shops magical places in which books have literally leapt off the shelves at me. This shop in particular has furnished me with many a significant and timely read.

So, a couple of years ago I arrived at the book shop full of hope for another lucky find. I focused on my intuition and wandered the shop waiting until I got a hunch that I'd found the right book. The hunch didn't come. None of the books seamed attractive. I kept at it though and eventually buried away in the antique section I found a book of poetry. It was called Poems From Beyond by Reddie Mallet. (Can that truly be a real name?). It was published in 1929. I opened it to find some verses highlighted and on reading them I had to buy it. It was well worth the twenty pounds it cost me.

Mr Reddie Mallet has absolutely no web presence and I believe his work deserves a wider audience. Here are those highlighted verses.

From the poem The Music of the Soul:

“And wisdom, sought of God, would know
That hope, through virtue, finds its rest
Not here, in fierce self-interest-
Where life's experiences attest
That sin and death forever brood
In whatsoever thing is good,
And wealth and want are one to woe;

But whence the eternal love descends
Like sunshine on a troubled sea,
And works inscrutably its ends,
If even in seeming contrariety:-
Thus should we keep our spirit's conflict in control,
And hear God's voice of comfort in the music of
the soul.”

From the poem For Self Release

“I pray not for the toil to cease,
But strength to find in self-release;
More constancy
In seeking Thee
To succour and to soothe;
Help in the hourly strife I crave;
Power to be humble, patient, brave;
For scanty grace
Rests in the race
Whereof the road is smooth.”

Anybody want me to post some more? Some full poems maybe?