Empathy as a Spiritual Discipline

     As you have read plenty of times in this blog, I'm an empath who often struggles with being able to function in our hyper-saturated world.  We empaths often feel overwhelmed, not only by common sensory stimuli, but also by the feelings, moods, thoughts, and physical ailments of others.  It's not an easy path!

     For most of my life, I've vacillated between feeling completely overwhelmed and exhausted by it all, or else putting up a hard protective shell which makes me feel confined and unfeeling.  Lately, I've discovered a third way.

     Years ago, I asked my guides about how to function as an empath, and they gave me the visual mental image of a mollusk at the bottom of the sea.  The mollusk can open itself up or close itself off whenever it wills, and can take in whatever it wants whenever it wants.  That image, frankly, didn't make a whole lot of sense at the time. 

     But recently I've learned that I can safely open myself up to others and all their stuff if I do it with a heart full of compassion and love.  Somehow, that full heart acts as a counterbalance to all the stuff that pours in to me.  I can take things in, and then process them with love and then say appropriate words or take appropriate actions, or just give a kind smile and go on my way.  Things don't "stick" the way they used to, which is great.  I'm able to function so much better now!

     If only it hadn't taken me my whole life to figure this out.

The Missing Mate

     I was rummaging around in my sock drawer the other day and noticed that I had one sock that was missing its mate.  I haven't worn that style of sock for years, which makes me wonder why I've held onto it for so long. 

     Have I been waiting for the washing machine to cough up the missing mate?  Wait -- we bought a new laundry machine since then, so that possibility is out. 

      Could it be that I'm just too lazy to throw the single one away?  Well, I'm not that lazy. 

     Is there some part of me that is just waiting for the missing mate to magically appear?  That sort of magical thinking is beyond even my way of looking at things. 

     No, I think this little sock is just a symbol of what I carry in my heart.  I'm waiting, waiting, waiting for my Twin Soul to connect with me.  My missing mate.

Things I'm Thankful For

     Here in the U.S. we have a holiday which has so far escaped the clutches of rabid commercialism, thank God.  It is time for Thanksgiving.

     In the spirit of gratitude, I want to offer a list of things I'm thankful for:

• that warm, safe, and loving feeling when I am wrapped in my Significant Other's arms
• the sound of a kitten's purr
• the joyous music in children's laughter
• music and art and poetry and traditions which remind us that there is something beautiful and meaningful above the everyday drudge
• my Twin Soul, who brought me on this long and fascinating journey to understand the Twin Soul relationship and its implications
• my guides and spiritual teachers who have led me on this journey
• the authors and philosophers and teachers who informed me piece by tantalizing piece
• the brave souls who bought and read The Gemini Bond
• people who work for a better tomorrow
• being housed, clothed, and well-fed in a world where so many don't enjoy that privilege
• peace, wherever it exists

     I wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving.

Ascension Symptoms or Solar Flares?

     If you have any interest in the spiritual community these days, perhaps you've heard that many believe that we are in a time of spiritual transition.  Where or what are we transitioning to?  Many teach that we're evolving toward the 5th dimension, toward a place of more love, more peace, and more possibilities.

     What are the symptoms of ascension to this higher level?  Here's a partial list:

• A feeling of disorientation
• A sense of stress, like being in a pressure cooker
• Unusual aches and pains throughout the body
• Waking up between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m.
• Memory loss
• "Seeing" and "hearing" things, showing an increased awareness of other dimensions
• Feeling ungrounded, spacey, or not fully in one's body
• Extreme fatigue and sleepiness
• Lack of appetite, or excessive appetite coupled with a craving for extra protein
• Heightened sensitivity to noise, odors, crowds, and so on
• Feeling like one's life doesn't fit any more
• Night sweats
• Periods of depression, crying fits, agitation, or anxiety
• Vivid dreams
• Changes in career, plans, relationships, and so on

     Now, compare this to a list of solar flare symptoms (click here).  There is quite a bit of overlap, especially when comparing the physical and emotional symptoms. 

     This begs the question:  Is this coincidence or do solar flares assist in the ascension process?   I don't know, but I rather think that with the 2012 prophecies, the chatter in the spiritual community, and just the general feeling in the world, I wouldn't be surprised if the solar flare activity assists in the ascension process.  Time will tell, won't it?

The Empath and the Bone-Cracker

     Let me tell you a story of my experience with my bone-cracker -- I mean -- chiropractor.  It shows how empaths never seem to escape.

     I was lying on my stomach, face smashed between the two cushions on the adjusting table, and just happened to ask how my chiropractor's arm was doing.  My chiropractor had fallen a week or so before, and this was the hand he used in doing the adjustments.  Our conversation went something like this:

     "So, how's the arm?"  Crack.  Ooff.

     "Oh, better.  I still favoring it, but it doesn't hurt so much."

     "That's good."  Crack.  Moan.  A little voice in my left ear mentions dogs.  "And how are all your puppies?"  My chiropractor has a whole platoon of dogs, from very aged to a few months old.

     "Funny you should ask.  Two of them went at each other the other day and I got the worst of it."  He puts his heavily bandaged thumb under the hole in the face rest for me to see.  "They got off without a scrape."

     "Well, I hope it doesn't slow you down too much."  Crackity-crack.  Owwwww.

     "Nope, not a whit."

     No escape for me.  Too bad.

Solar Flares and Us, Part 2

     Last time we discussed how solar flares affect us physically, including making all your co-workers loony and giving you the teeniest bit of a headache.  There are some who believe that solar flares have a higher purpose, which is to help our species evolve.

     Photon energy, which comes from the sun, has a higher vibration than our usual level.  It has the power to awaken old emotional injuries and traumas and help us release them.  You might recognize it as a sudden and unexplained wave of sadness or grief that may last twenty minutes or so.  Or you may have experienced a sudden flash of heat as your body releases the traumas from its cellular memory. 

     All of this serves the purpose of helping us release the old, the negative, and the painful which no longer helps us.  Like a hot-air balloonist cutting away the bags of sand, it eventually will help us to soar.  It will help our species to evolve. 

     Doesn't that give you hope?

Solar Flares and Their Effects

     A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a huge surge in bizarre behavior at my place of work.  People acted jumpy, irritable (more than usual), spacey, and complained of headaches and stomach problems.  I myself was suffering more than usual with heart palpitations, short-term memory issues, headaches, and difficulty staying grounded. 

     I remembered an article I read about the effects of solar flares on human bodies, and here's a list of symptoms:

• jittery feelings
• irritability
• heart palpitations
• stomach problems and nausea
• dizziness and vertigo
• headaches and increased head pressure
• more worrying and depression
• fatigue and lethargy

     Did you experience any of these symptoms?  Did you notice an increase in complaints for your family members or co-workers?

     Well, there may be a reason beyond the direct influence of the sun.  More on that next time.

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)

The Mayans, the Celts, and the Rest of Us

     We've all heard that December 21, 2012 marks the end of the Mayan calendar, and that the next day starts a new long-count time cycle.  For the Mayans, this date is both an ending and a beginning.

     We've probably heard that some have called the Celtic festival called Samhain, celebrated the night between October 31 and November 1, the Celtic New Year.  It marks the end of harvest and the start of winter.  The Celts used this night to purify themselves with bonfire smoke, to honor the deceased, and to look to the future through divination.  It is a time of ending one season and beginning another. 

     Many in the New Age community have called this present age a time of ascension and evolution in the human race.  They have preached that in order for the human race to survive our self-destructive ways, we need to grow up.  How do we do this?  By letting go of negative habits and thought patterns, and increasing our vibration.  The challenge for us is to recognize that we have things to let go of, and to embrace new ways of thinking and being.

     Let's not dwell on the panic-talk of others about this time.  Let's hold this time as sacred, a time of ending old ways and beginning new ones.  Let's meet the challenge to grow.