That 11:11 Thing

That 11:11 Thing

by | Energetics, Psycho-Spiritual

The subject of numerology can be quite intriguing.  There are those who maintain that numbers do have meaning and influence in our lives. There are others who are not convinced of any relationship with numbers. The generally “superstitious” numbers, such as thirteen and triple six are given an ominous meaning, while numbers such as three, seven and eight are considered quite lucky.  It is all in the interpretation and the context – or is it?

Much of our spiritual and scientific understanding of numbers comes from Pythagoras (582-495 BC.), the Father of Mathematics.  Although quoted mostly for his scientific work on numbers and their relationships,  he was primarily a mystic and philosopher. His fascination and understanding of numbers led him to discover that the numbers 1 through 9  on a macro level stand for universal principles.  On a micro level, they stand for characteristics, abilities and events.  Pythagoras saw in number patterns and geometrical ratios the explanations of all natural phenomena, musical harmony and tonal qualities.  He knew that the stars and planets as vibrating bodies produced sound which became known as the “music of the spheres”.  

As an aside, Dr. Jeffrey Thompson of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research in California, was given permission by NASA to have special recording equipment placed on-board some of its space missions to record these sounds.  They do indeed exist!  Just like Pythagoras stated.  ( BTW: You can get downloads of the different planetary and lunar sounds from Dr. Thompson’s website).  The idea of planetary music also was the inspiration behind Mike Oldfield’s 2007 release, “Music of the Spheres”.  But what would you expect from the musician who, in 1973, gave us “Tubular Bells“?

Pythagoras established a school of the mysteries in southern Italy. One of his most famous students was Plato. Prerequisites for his students included sound foundational knowledge of the four sciences:  arithmetic, music, astronomy and geometry.  From this foundation, he taught that numbers represented qualities, while figures represented quantities.  Numbers operated on the spiritual plane while figures were for measuring things on the material plane. He believed that everything in the universe was subject to predictable progressive cycles;  his means of measuring these cycles were the numbers one through nine.

The term esoteric numerology is attributed to his teachings. Esoteric numerology is the art and science of understanding the spiritual significance and orderly progression of all manifestation.  Every word or name vibrates to a number and every number has an inner meaning.  The letter and the number code, when rightly understood and applied,bring us in direct and close relationship with the underlying intelligence of the universe.

There are many books available on the subject of numerology.  Most will show you how to do basic calculations for determining your Birth Number, Life Path Number, Career Number and Soul Number.  Different schools of thought offer similar but slightly different interpretations as to what these numbers mean.  One phenomenon that is not always discussed is the significance of double numbers, also known as Master Numbers.  These are 11, 22, 33, and so on.  For example,  in some schools, they are listed as 11/2  which is the Master Number 11 reduced to its one digit number 2. In other schools, the Master Number is always left intact. There are differences between the Master number and its reduction – it is up to the individual to decide which form resonates with them.

The psychic medium, Colette Baron-Reid explains attributes to the Master Numbers this way:

Number 11 – is sometimes known as the Master Psychic.  It generally denotes someone who is here for a greater spiritual purpose or who will be concerned with spiritual or theological pursuits. It also relates to someone involved in music.

Number 22 – is known as the Master Builder. These people are highly sensitive to their physical and emotional surroundings. They are masters of detail and capable of bringing the inspiration of the 11 vibration into the material world.

Number 33 – is known as the Master Giver.  Selfless humanitarians, these are the people on the forefront of caring for others.  They are motivated by compassion and fairness. They have a capacity for deep spiritual wisdom.

Number 44 – is known as the Master Healer.  This number is about the commitment to heal and help solve problems for others.  It is about leadership, strength of conviction and inner strength.

Colette states that these four Master Numbers are the most common for birth dates and names.

From Pythagoras to Mike Oldfield’s music, accounting to construction,  planetary movement to garden’s new growth,  there springs forth a sense of wonderment.  And because of Pythagoras and his followers, there is a number, mathematical ratio or geometrical design just waiting to explain it!

The Positive Gifts of Failure

The Positive Gifts of Failure

by | Life Reflections

The headline in the Sunday Province paper read:  Failure isn’t such a bad thing, study reveals  (Linda Blair, January 28, 2018 p.B6).  Really?  Isn’t failure damaging to your self-esteem and sense of self-worth?  Isn’t it something that can damage you for life?  It seems that researchers have discovered that this isn’t necessarily so. Our failures can help us succeed – if we approach them with a certain attitude.

Research out of Turkey, Belgium and Germany has offered some interesting things to ponder.  It seems that in work and educational settings, people seem to be more cautious, more risk-adverse and more careful not to fail  The emphasis is more often on achieving results rather than on learning and becoming wiser. Students afraid to fail were more cautious, more likely to set goals that allowed them to feel better about themselves (easy to achieve), rather than pursue new interests or enhance personal development.

Sim Sitkin at Duke University looked at a number of businesses, some with repeated success and others with failures.  He concluded that in business, continual success is associated with growing complacency, decreased attentiveness and less interest in inventing new strategies.  Failure, on the other hand, is associated with increased attention, a search for better and more innovative strategies and as a result, a wider palette of solutions for solving relevant problems.

A friend reminded me today of a story attributed to Thomas Edison.
The short version of this story: Someone asked Edison why it took him 10,000 failures before he perfected the light bulb.  Edison replied that it took him 9,999 times to improve on his design til perfected!

As long as we can learn from our failure, we have the capacity to create a better, more successful path for ourselves.  Failure helps us to learn about resiliency – that quality which helps us rise above our current situation to attain new heights and insights. From this learning, we can create a new way of doing and being that improves upon the present.

By failing, we have a chance to improve and strengthen our resolve for what really matters.  We don’t give up on ourselves, but we might give up on the path we have taken. It wasn’t necessarily you as a person who failed, but it was your approach that didn’t work. Figure out what was wrong with the approach and you are on your way towards solving it. Failure helps us be clear, creative and active – not passive – with our situation and choices.  Failure gives us a reason to design, re-design and try another approach. And Learn!

As long as we continue to learn from our mistakes, we improve our chances for future competency and success. When failure presents itself, we come to learn more about ourselves, our abilities, our knowledge and our limitations. We can evolve and expand. This is something we can build upon.  It puts control for our future in our hands – not those of someone else.

Yes, change demands a degree of risk.  But by not risking a change in our beliefs, attitudes or actions, we increase our chances of failing again.  Why would we want to do that to ourselves?

Past, Present and Future

Past, Present and Future

by | Life Reflections, Psycho-Spiritual

January is named after the Roman god Janus. The story is told that Janus has two faces and looks into the past and the future at the same time. Quite fitting for the month that begins our New Year!  While the Winter Solstice in December asks us to “go within” to review our lives and seek our answers, it is fitting that Janus in January helps us look both backwards at our history and ahead to our future as we set our course in the New Year.  Use the information we learned from our introspection and go forth with renewed hope, energy and knowledge to create our future.

The acts of introspection, self-exploration and self-evaluation are necessary if we are to understand our purpose and direction in life.  Without these actions, we are not fully aware of ourselves.  Some people take a whole lifetime to figure out their inner workings. Why so long?  Perhaps they are afraid of what they might discover – it’s the “what we don’t know can’t hurt us”, philosophy.  Perhaps they think it will be too hard to change anything, so “let’s just leave things alone”.  And others are not interested in setting plans or goals, as they are just “here for the ride”.  No one can ever “make” you look inwards at your thoughts, feelings, reactions, priorities, attitudes or personality traits.  But for those who do take an interest in learning more about themselves and how they “tick”,  the actions of introspection, self-exploration and self-evaluation are amazing gifts to yourself.

One does not need to wait for the perfect moment to be introspective, self-aware or self-evaluative.  Chances are if you are waiting for the perfect moment, it will likely never arrive!  But there are moments throughout the day in which we can be mindful, noticing our thoughts, feelings, or reactions in a non-judgemental way.  As we notice, we learn something about ourselves and how we live in this world.  If we like it, we can continue on.  If we don’t like it, we can make meaningful changes so it is closer to what we do like.

Of course, if you have the time and space to observe yourself daily, you could become truly fascinated with what you discover!  A daily meditative practice, whether it be a staying still or movement style meditation, can open up a calm mindspace for self-exploration and evaluation to occur. Most people associate meditation with sitting still, toning, breath work or silence. These are all wonderful, but there can be other ways to meditate. This quiet mindspace is sometimes found while listening to music we enjoy, walking in a forest, a garden or on the beach.  Soaking in a hot tub, washing the dishes, playing the piano, doing yoga or tai-chi or driving on a country road can also help with getting in touch with one’s inner workings.

How can we truly set a meaningful course for the future we wish, if we don’t know anything about ourselves?  Just guessing at who we are and what we want can waste time and set us up for sadness, anxiety and failure.  How many people get “stuck” in  relationships, jobs or living situations that give them no joy, no positive sense of self and no hope for positive change?  Had they figured out who they really were, what they truly were about and what mattered most to them, they may not have made such sad choices for themselves.

The Roman god Janus has the ability to look back and forward and asks us to do the same.  By not denying our history or the part it has played in shaping ourselves, we can truly appreciate the work we’ve done to arrive at the present.  And this work is what helps us set a positive course for our future.  It is important to our future selves that we create the best present time we can.  As the saying goes, ” We are presently creating memories for our future selves’”.  So do you want to look back on negative or positive memories of this time?  It is always your choice.

January is the beginning of the New Year.  Are you on course to fulfill your purpose, direction and passions?  It’s never too late to make changes – but check in with your Self first!  You will be amazed with what you can do.

Myrrh and Frankincense

Myrrh and Frankincense

by | Aromatics

December is associated with many aromas: vanilla and spices in hot drinks and baking;  evergreens in boughs and trees;  sage and rosemary in dressing for turkey;  myrrh and frankincense for the Christmas story.  Most of these fragrances are familiar to us – except perhaps those aromas associated with the Christmas story. In aromatherapy, these two resin oils are incredible in their healing abilities – on all levels.

Myrrh comes from the Arabic word “murr” meaing bitter. It is the first scented plant mentioned in the Bible, where it was called “bdellium”.  Myrrh was valued from earliest times as the only substance that could provide a powerful and lasting scent.  In countries with water shortages, Myrrh was worn suspended from the neck where body heat caused the aroma to be diffused. The Egyptians burned Myrrh at noon in honor of Ra, the Sun God. For mummification, the stomach of the corpse was filled with Myrrh and Cassia before being sewn up.

According to Joni Keim Loughran and Ruah Bull,
“There is a belief in many spiritual traditions that our greatest teachings are found within our emotional wounds.  Our task is to accept life’s challenges and allow them to teach us compassionate wisdom – a great spiritual gift that enables us to feel compassion for the suffering of others as well as ourselves.  Myrrh helps us get through the trials and tribulations of life. It helps us to understand and cope with our inevitable physical/emotional/psychological wounds. … Held and blessed by Myrrh, we have the capacity to face, feel and integrate some of the most potent earthly challenges.” 

They note occasions for its use:
– When feeling exhausted or overwhelmed by our own troubles or the suffering of others.
– To help us understand, from a spiritual perspective, the meaning of emotional challenges.

Frankincense has one of the longest histories of any fragrance.  The ancients valued it as an incense and the demand for it exceeded myrrh by five to one.  Egyptians sent their prayers to the gods/goddesses upon its aromatic smoke. The Jews adapted the Egyptians’ sacramental use of perfumes and decreed that only pure Frankincense could be used for holy incense.  Herodotus claimed that Frankincense burned on the altar at the Tower of Babel. It is also said to have burned on the altars at Eleutherae in the Temples of Zeus and Demeter.  English lore says that Edward the Confessor donated a portion of the Frankincense offered to Christ by the Magi as a relic for Westminster Abbey.

According to Joni Keim Loughran and Ruah Bull,
“The word for “breath’ also means “spirit” or “life force” in several languages and it symbolizes filling one with life. Many traditions teach breathing meditations, in which focusing on the breath becomes a tool to clear the mind and expand consciousness. Frankincense deepens our breath, calms and focuses our mind and opens our consciousness to make clear, direct contact with the Divine.  It has long been recognized as a sacred essential oil that helps heal the spirit and comfort the heart. It creates a mindful, meditative state in which we can experience and integrate Divine wisdom.”

They note occasions for its use:
–  To ground and open consciousness and to connect with the Divine during meditation.
–  To connect body, mind and spirit on the spiritual path.
– To help in pursuit of enlightenment and grace.

Given all that these two resin essential oils can do, it is no wonder they were presented as gifts to the baby Jesus.  Know that we also  have access to these same oils for our continued health and healing.  Why wouldn’t we want to use them!

Remembrance

Remembrance

by | Life Reflections

During November, we have opportunities for Remembrance.  By definition, this is a time of acknowledging and reflecting upon the past.  People, places, pets, objects, situations from our past come forth to be acknowledged and “remembered” apotheke-zag.de.

The month starts with All Saints Day and the Feast of the Dead.  At this time, it is believed that the veil separating the living and the dead is parted ever so briefly, offering opportunity for the exchange of guidance and prophecy.  On the 11th month, on the 11th day at the 11th hour,  we “remember” those who defended our country and its rights and freedoms. Some came back, some did not. And some came back damaged on many levels from the ordeal.  At the end of the month, our American friends have their Thanksgiving Day. On this day, they reflect upon their lives and give thanks.  Reflections of one’s life require “remembrance” and acknowledgement.

Some people question the importance of remembrance.  It’s history – old news. What is done, is done.  So move on.  Some people don’t wish to remember their past as it holds too many painful memories; they block everything from their past.  Some people tightly hold onto the past memories because they were the best of times; they live in the past instead of the present.  But there is a difference between memories and remembrance.

Whereas memories hold the thought and emotion of the past, remembrance takes that thought and emotion and offers reflection and understanding of how it influenced our life and  life choices since. This is how we can integrate the great and not so great moments in our lives.  By remembering, we can learn.  By remembering, we offer ourselves a chance to not be tied to the past, yet allow the past to be acknowledged for what it was.

The past happened – that can’t be changed.  But our view and reaction to the past can be changed.  But not by denying or clinging to it.  When we face it for what it was and realize that we can choose a more self-helpful way of responding to it, the memory becomes a remembrance.  The emotional power a memory holds over us is softened.  Over time, this emotion is gently released.  And we are left with a remembrance of that memory.  And its lesson.

It is helpful to remember our history. It offers roots and context to our life story. But it isn’t our whole story. We must live in the present.  Having remembrances lets us realize where we came from and where we are now.  Should we need to course-correct in a direction more in alignment with our dreams and purpose, it is our choice to do so.

Remembrance and Memories – crucial steps in our evolution.