Be inspired and challenged by these articles about grace, spirituality and spiritual growth.
Preparing for a Soulful Christmas
With Christmas rapidly approaching, it’s a good idea to take some time to think about what Christmas means for us.
For many, Christmas is a time of reflection, sharing and love.
It’s the time of year when we go to extra lengths to show those we love just how much they mean to us.
So spending some time connecting with and being moved by our soul, as well as reflecting on the spiritual aspects of Christmas, is a wonderful place to begin.
But what does it actually mean to connect with our soul and the spiritual aspects of Christmas? Continue reading
Vegan or not, true compassion extends to animals and people alike
One of the many accusations frequently levelled at vegans is how intolerant they are towards people who choose to eat meat and people who behave cruelly towards animals.
I’ve personally encountered interactions just like this.
For example, I follow articles and social media about animal equality, which support the elimination of animal farming practices and other forms of cruelty towards animals.
And what I’ve repeatedly noticed are vegans imposing guilt on others who comment on the upsetting content of the posts, but who haven’t yet arrived at a decision to stop eating meat.
Instead of influencing these people towards veganism, they end up alienating and embarrassing them.
I feel this is one of the reasons, vegans are often viewed as extremist, unrealistic and, at times, a little flaky.
They’re seldom seen as compassionate because their compassion can appear to be quite biased towards animals.
So why would it be helpful for vegans to change their approach and attitude towards people doing harm to animals?
Because then our love becomes grace-filled and truly unconditional. Continue reading
People just want to be loved, don’t they?
‘I just want to be loved.’
Have you ever heard someone say these words, or have you ever said them yourself?
Well I’ve definitely heard them before.
And it makes me wonder what these words really mean.
Is that what people really want? To be loved?
Most people would answer with a resounding ‘YES!’
‘Yes, I want to be loved. Of course I do.’
But could it be that, rather than wanting to be loved, it’s the experience of feeling love that people are actually searching for?
If it is, then our attention needs to shift from looking outside ourselves for love, to the more immediate experience of love which can be found within.
Yet because so few people know how to connect with love in a fulfilling way, they look to others for love instead.
They turn their attention outside in, and stop viewing life from the inside out. Continue reading
A vegan life — naturally compassionate
Choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is growing in popularity. More and more people understand the many benefits to be gained from this choice.
Compassion, kindness and peace of mind, as well as improved energy and physical health, to name a few.
Yet conventional thinking considers eating meat to be normal and good for you.
Being vegan, therefore, is often viewed by mainstream thinking to be a radical approach to life.
Few seem to stop to consider the radical nature of factory farming, with its breeding and slaughtering of food animals en masse to turn a buck and satisfy the lust for meat. Continue reading
Consult your heart before choosing a psychic
It’s easy for people to make the assumption that psychic awareness and spirituality are the same thing.
On many occasions I’ve heard people discuss readings they have sought and received, automatically presuming them to be spiritual in nature.
But there is a world of difference between psychic awareness — the ability to perceive impressions — and the universal truths pursued in committed spiritual practices.
And whilst the two aren’t mutually exclusive, they don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
The use of readings to obtain information regarding our path can be enlightening, emotionally relieving — even healing.
But to confuse this with the important motivation of the pursuit of truth, wisdom and love within a spiritual practice, would be misguided.
Although it is a natural graduation from spiritual dedication and practice to psychic awakening, without a strong spiritual foundation, psychic abilities can be misused.
A pure intent and an elevated quality of thoughts and energy are desirable when consulting a psychic medium for a reading. These qualities lend a level of purity to the experience and ensure the appropriateness of the information which is brought through by the medium. Continue reading
The sacred value of motherhood
Motherhood is one the most sacred roles women can play in life. Its sacredness exists in its potential to teach us unconditional love.
From the moment of conception, a mother’s thoughts can turn from her own personal interests to the best interests of her child.
Or not.
What she eats and drinks, as well as her lifestyle choices, will ultimately define just how sacred this role is for her.
With her thoughts and aspirations for her future now imbued with considerations for another human being, a woman is challenged to act with greater love. Through this greater love, fulfilment, expansion and contentment can be experienced and understood. Continue reading
Karma: its influence on your life and spiritual path
We’re always moving along our spiritual path.
Whether we’re actively seeking it or trying to avoid it, we can’t escape being on the road to enlightenment.
Karma sees to that.
Sometimes, it feels that we’ve detoured, or that we’ve become lost in life’s maze. We can feel that life has taken over and is moving us along. Yet even then, we remain firmly set on our spiritual journey through life.
Though we may not feel connected to spirit, we can be sure that karma is at work and is providing us with the lessons necessary for our growth. Continue reading
Invite the Angels into your life
Over the years I’ve practised as a therapist, I’ve been filled with many moments of grace.
The Angels — who I actively invoke every day, and who’s guidance I request with every encounter — have repeatedly given me visions and insights for those I’m assisting, as well as enlightened me about what’s taking place as I engage people.
I’ve been guided to particular books in related fields where the message contained is consistent with what I’ve been shown by the Angels in my own work.
I’ve had the experience where I’ll begin to use some new technique, totally intuitively, only to discover it belongs to a whole modality of its own.
It’s not uncommon for me, before I embark on any new form of study or practice, to start to see, think or feel new experiences that support or reflect fully the new material.
In this way, grace is active in guiding me — without any fear on my part — to every new experience and encounter in my life and in my work.
The Angels ensure that, if I’m doubting something, they provide me with confirmations — which take various forms — to reassure me and encourage me in that direction.
It never ceases to surprise and amaze me. And, even after all these years, I still feel the excitement of a child when the Angels make their presence known to me.
And you can experience the Angels, too.
Through meditation, invocation and surrender, you can cross the bridge, which leads from this world into Spirit. Continue reading
The healing power of confession, and of hearing others confess
Confession, now known as the Rite of Reconciliation, is a Catholic sacrament in which we share our transgressions with a priest.
According to church law, the priest has the power to absolve the sins of anyone who confesses to him.
Many non-Catholics don’t understand why we should confess. Why we should bear our souls to a perfect stranger, or worse still, to a parish priest who has known us since infancy.
Yet, through my work, I’ve come to understand the incredible healing power of confession. Continue reading
Vulnerability, the sacred space of strength
Life is a process of unfolding.
Like the petals of a delicate flower, we open and move into new states of grace. As we open ourselves more fully, we become increasingly more vulnerable and exposed.
But this isn’t a fragile place.
Quite the contrary.
Within the heart of vulnerability lies the realisation that love can’t be fully experienced whilst we actively keep secrets or try to withhold or protect ourselves.
Keeping secrets leads to fear and guilt. This wastes our precious energies. On the other hand, within our vulnerability sits our tenderness, gentility and compassion. And it’s here that our true strength is seated.
The ability to be gentle yet strong creates a powerful healing force, which gives permission to others to let their defences down when they’re around us. This allows us be open to loving communication and fulfilling experiences. Continue reading