Serpent Mound and Ancient Sacred Sites

Last week, I visited the Great Serpent Mound in southern Ohio, which is the largest effigy mound in North America, built by an ancient culture estimated to have existed around 100 A.D., or perhaps even earlier. A month prior to this, I had never even heard of this place, and was led to it by a series of random connections, realizing very quickly that it was a place I needed to visit - to feel the energy that the ancients felt in that space, the energy that they were in tune enough to allow and respect.

After initially hearing about the site, I became very intrigued in reading and learning more, fascinated by the unique strategic placement of this work, with specific alignments to summer and winter solstice, spring and fall equinoxes. In further reading, I learned that this entire area seems to have been a site of a very ancient meteor crash, leaving behind much higher traces of rare elements such as iridium, which is now used in some cancer treatments. There an energy that can still be felt, particularly by those who are tuned to experience energy, and I believe it is a great healing energy, that places such as this could help us heal not only our bodies but also our souls, if we would only open our minds long enough to believe that it might be possible. I also learned that adjacent to the site had been two large crop circle formations within the last few years, one pointing directly at the head of the serpent, as if to point out its significance. To me, these crop circles are marking an important site, and are there to trigger knowledge deep within us of our truest capabilities.

In the arrogance of our technologically based society, which believes that our own advances are so superior to others, we ignore that other civilizations may have been more advanced in some ways than we are. Yet in spiritual connectedness, many seem far more intelligent and more advanced that we have ever dreamed. We have based our connection to God on words and thinking, and rarely get to a place of feeling deeply within the inner realms of our hearts, within that place in our soul that connects us to God and Holy Spirit. Rather than running from these ancient customs or mock energy healing or other modalities inspired by faith, love, and spirit, we should come to a point where it is common for one to stand in a sacred place without words, and simply feel the variations in energy, feel God the Source coming through in stronger magnitude.

I felt incredibly energized by this space, to the point that it almost wiped me out later that day, yet I knew that going there had been under Divine direction, and knew that following that odd and sudden calling would only strenghten my healing gifts as well as my connection to Spirit. We often expect that our own spiritual advances be just handed to us, like a magic wand being waved, or believe that it will occur when "it's God's will", sitting back and waiting for our own breakthrough while ignoring opportunities around us to create that breakthrough. But we need to begin to seek our our ascension to a higher place, lest we never get there. We have heard many times, "Seek and you will find", but mostly we don't truly seek, choosing instead the easier path of staying in our own little comfort zones, never venturing far beyond our self-imposed boundaries to see more; and therefore, never finding.

It is our own unwillingness to seek beyond the boundaries that keeps us from knowing God/Source in a greater way. I encourage you to visit some of these sacred grounds from Native American and other cultures to see if you can feel the energy. Ask that you be led along a journey that can truly connect you with God/Spirit in a greater way, then be open to following those opportunities when they arise (in other words, GET OUT OF THE WAY and allow!). If you never seek, you will never find...If you never find, you will only get farther from your soul and true joy.

Click here for the Serpent Mound site.
Click here for information about the Mounds of North America, including Serpent Mound.

Killing the Messenger

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." -Ghandi

Oprah Winfrey recently did a book club study with Eckhart Tolle on his book, "A New Earth". This event was revolutionary in its endeavor, and attracted over 700,000 people to read and study this book simulaneously, tuning in to online study sessions in which Oprah and the author examined and discussed the book in-depth. The idea of 700,000 people reading a book that talks about seeing yourself and others in love (as Jesus and other great masters did), brought me overwhelming excitement and optimism at what the power of that combined energy could do. In reading the book myself, I thought that it would be a wonderful opportunity for those of varied religious beliefs to come together and understand that we are all one in God, no matter what we choose to call that divine source, no matter what our varied avenues to arrive at that place of love and compassion.

Shortly after that enormous response that had so many people talking, the attacks began. I was shocked, stunned, and disappointed in so many fellow "Christians", who are still hell-bent on taking the attack stance toward anyone that suggests there might be a better way. This was a book that was changing people's lives, giving them joy, connecting them to God in such a way that it could change the world in the most positive of directions. It did not seem to matter to the attack-based Christian groups that people were laying down their burdens and seeing a higher place, seeing a grander version of life, and living in more joyous gratitude....just as Jesus taught. What mattered more was that it did not fit their doctrine, or their need to control. So, rather than discussing differences and respecting other's right and need to express their own ideas of God, the chosen method was to kill the messenger. Sadly, that sounds exactly like what was done to Jesus so many years ago, and for the very same reason...for having the audacity to suggest that there may be more to God than what the prominent religions of the time had dictated.

Even though I love Jesus, have regular overwhelmingly powerful experiences with him, and even though I seem to have a gift of bringing his presence and that of angels to others in a more direct and more fulfilling way, it sometimes embarrasses me to call myself a Christian. I feel that I am a follower of Christ in trying to be more like him, but sometimes shudder at the Christian label. Ghandi said it very well when he said, "Your Christians are so unlike your Christ".

The very powerful religion of Christianity, in its control-based thinking, has a very ugly wing to it that is not fitting to the way its chief figure behaved. The wing that is not so ugly sometimes chooses to be blind instead, burying its head in the sand to new ideas, controlling its people with guilt and obligations to the church, rather than directly to or with God. It is THE classic power-based relationship.

But I have to look at the reason behind the attacks, which is pure fear. If the message of Christianity is real and is a fundamental truth, there should be no reason to fear because the message will come out supreme under any scrutiny. Anyone who attacks another idea with such an irrational vengence must not truly believe in their own message. Further, anyone who is too fearful to look outside the tight boundaries of their religion to examine some of the miraculous things that are happening through new thoughts (like what happened in Jesus' time), must be afraid that their message won't hold up to a brighter way. Any message that changes the lives of many, often in an instantaneous and dramatically positive way that is founded in love, should be worth at least considering.

I can tell fellow followers or admirers of Christ that his message is deeper (and simpler) than we have been taught previously. So many of us have a greater yearning right now, as paradigms shift in our world to provide energies that can lead us back to joy and abundance..the energies that can lead us back to Eden. Dare to dream, dare to look for a better God than we have allowed, dare to let go of limitations and restrictions that hold us all back. Each one of us that has the courage, like Oprah, to seek and find a greater God, adds to the magnitude of the message, the power of the collective consciousness, the strength of the energy of love which can heal the world. In that action, we are being like Jesus and truly demonstrating the courage he showed.

Click here to go to Oprah & Eckhart's online class series.

Sticks and Stones...

Most of us remember the adage, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" from our childhoods. But is this really true? Do the words we say have an effect beyond their immediate resonance...Do we have far reaching responsibility for our words and thoughts, individually and collectively? I say that yes, our words and thoughts do have a powerful effect, and our responsibility for them lies far beyond what most of us might have imagined.

Dr. Massuro Emoto, of Japan, has shown this immensely powerful impact in his bestselling Messages from Water book series. Almost by accident, Dr. Emoto stumbled upon scientific evidence of how words and thoughts actually change the structure and well-being of molecules of water. Knowing that most of our world, including 80% (+/-) of the human body is made up of water, and therefore tremendously succeptible to the power of words, he embarked on a journey to discover more. His work is a brilliant demonstration of how our thoughts affect not only our own situation, but that of those around us...that of the collective consciousness of the world.

Once you read his books and look at his images, you will understand the magnitude of his discovery, and begin to see how we are all connected and all responsible for each other. If you are the least bit conscientious, you will begin to realize how judgmental and negative thoughts toward others truly do impact their lives and their choices, and you will realize that you may be just as much responsible for others' pain as they are, due to your judgments and lack of real love and acceptance. This can be an unsettling thought, but for those brave enough to recognize it and change, it can be a miracle in itself.

Dr. Emoto's research is also founded in vibration, and the understanding that everything is vibration, or energy. Higher vibration (as in more enlightened, less caught up in the material world and ego) produces higher results, while lower vibration produces lower results. Healing modalities such as Reiki, which rely on the healer's high energy vibration, are grounded in this idea, in this spiritual truth. To achieve the high energy vibration, one must lay down judgment and accept others in love, knowing that we are all one.

I believe we have lost our ability to attract and achieve miracles in our daily lives because we have become shrouded in judgment, control, ego, and the need to be right. Miracles should be the rule, rather than the exception, but because we have come to expect that they only occur in rare situations, because we have been led to believe that we don't really deserve them, they have been lost to us. The art of healing that was natural to ancient generations, Native Americans, as well as other cultures has, in our arrogance, disappeared from our daily lives.

It would not take much to return to miracles, little more than the willingness to open our minds to them, or simply open our eyes to those that are happening around us. In our need to make sure that our own chosen religion stays supreme, we often overlook the magificent spiritual miracles and occurences that are happening every day in healing circles. Is it fair to God to bury our heads in the sand rather than celebrate these blessings and share them readily? I believe that failing to be open to these things, to the fullness of God, is betrayal in the highest sense, not only to God, but to the greatness that we are capable of being from his creation.

I would like to challenge anyone reading this to be open to some of the healing that is discussed on this blog and in the links herein. Don't bury your head in the sand, rather, explore some of the information with an open mind... dare to discuss it in your churches and communities, as true spiritual leaders like Jesus did. Be willing to open your hearts to the possibilies and not afraid to share that with others. I believe it will strengthen your life and your faith.

CLICK HERE for more information regarding Dr. Emoto's discoveries. His books are widely available in bookstores and online.