Castaneda - The Second Ring of Power

“Don Juan said that the core of our being was the act of perceiving, and that the magic of our being was the act of awareness.  For him perception and awareness were a single, functional, inextricable unit, a unit which had two domains.”

“Our ‘first ring of power’ is engaged very early in our lives and we live under the impression that that is all there is to us.  Our ‘second ring of power’ remains hidden for the immense majority of us, and only at the moment of our death is it revealed to us.”

Upon departure, one’s life flashes before their eyes.  In this moment of release from the physical, everything is perceived, all at once.  Our perception can be greatly enhanced during life, we need not wait until death to truly ‘see’.   –The Ram  

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“She laughed with true delight and said that the Nagual was right in saying that I was too lazy to remember what I had “seen”; therefore, I only bothered with what I looked at.”

“Is it possible, I thought to myself, that I am unconsciously selecting what I recall?”

“The Nagual said that everyone can see, and yet we choose not to remember what we see.  Now I understand how right he was.  All of us can see; some, more than others.” 

The Fish taught me this fact with one of his imagination experiments.  It was a short task, only took a few moments to imagine it with the eyes open.  After finishing, he said to me; “Okay, so where were you?”

To my shock and amazement, the whole scene took place while I was sitting in a workshop on a tall stool, in front of a butcher-block workbench.  There were all kinds of tools hanging around on the walls, even had an image of what the outside of the workshop looked like.

The strangest part of all were the markers involved.  The markers on the workbench were like none I’d ever seen before! 

So why on Earth would my mind have created markers and a workshop I’d never seen before in such detail, just to imagine drawing some circles on paper?  Would’ve had absolutely no idea about any of those details, if the Fish hadn’t asked where I was.

-The Ram

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(Excerpts from The Second Ring of Power by Carlos Castaneda in quotations)

 

 

 

 

Treasures Within

The year was 2009, had just successfully printed a birth-chart showing the planetary positions and alignments at the moment of being born. It was so beautiful!  Even though at the time, nothing could really be made of it, there was some part of me that knew this little diagram held great secrets!

Boy, was it true!  There is an unlimited amount of treasure to be found within it.  In all actuality it’s pretty easy too.  The energy of each planet represents a part of us, the Moon as emotions, Mars how we take action, Venus how we love, Mercury how we think and communicate.

Where the planets are positioned in the sky reflect how they might behave and which areas of life they will likely be felt the strongest.  It’s like our very own energetic blueprint!  It can really change something inside you too, when seeing the big picture of who you are, and that it's all represented in the heavens, wow! 

Perhaps life isn’t so random after all!  The awareness gained by becoming familiar with one’s energetic makeup can bring much peace, healing and understanding.  Along with guidance that points toward one’s calling and personal life purpose; what we came here to do and learn.

Working with an Astrologer can be very beneficial for anyone interested in #self-awareness.  The Fish and I both personally work with +Leah Whitehorse of Lua Astrology.  A highly intuitive and knowledgeable Astrologer, she reads and explains the energies in a most beautiful and profound way.  Bringing to light many aspects of the self that we may not recognize within ourselves or that we keep unconsciously hidden.

Each and every one of us is so much more than we realize!

-The Ram

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Who’s Driving Your Car?

In this area of the world a car is a vital part of daily life.  Getting to work, running errands and the occasional road trip are things a car allows us to do on our own schedule.

They have become a symbol of personal freedom in our society. If asked to borrow our car, most of us are extremely cautious giving our keys to just anybody. 

We feel we must know and trust this person.  Someone of high moral character and integrity.  Somebody that will treat our vehicle with dignity and respect.

Mainly, because it’s not theirs and we are sharing something important.

Meanwhile…

At times, we toss the keys for our emotional vehicle to anybody, anywhere, at any time.  Throwing them here and there without so much as a glance.  Much like a peanut vendor working the stands of a ball game. 

The point I’m trying to make, is that so many times we will allow the words or actions of others to influence our emotional well-being.  Giving them the “keys to our emotional vehicle”.  On an energetic level this is referred to as “the Emotional Body”. 

Perceiving that another’s actions has power over us makes it so.  German Philologist Friedrich Nietzsche was quoted as saying “He who cannot obey himself will be commanded.”

Statements like “they make me feel” and “you make me mad” are a complete surrender of control over self.  Pointless wondering and worrying about what someone thinks of us, or what might have been the intent behind the actions of another is a waste of energy. 

It is mind boggling to imagine the amount of energy we humans waste with things out of our control.  Energy that could be directed in a much more productive way toward self and others. 

While it is wise to hear the thoughts and opinion of others it would be foolish to set limitations or have preconceived expectations due to such.  No one is allowed to set the value of self-worth for another. 

Part of this life’s lesson is to pursue the limitless possibilities of our miraculous self.  In doing so, it teaches us to see the beautiful value possessed by all.  

May Peace Be Yours All Ways,

~The Fish

Castaneda - The Power of Silence

“An apprentice is someone who is striving to clear and revive his connecting link with the spirit.”

“The entire truth is that spirit reveals itself to everyone with the same intensity and consistency.”

‘Manifestations of Spirit’

“The story says that once upon a time there was a man, an average man without any special attributes.  He was, like everyone else, a conduit for the spirit.  And by virtue of that, like everyone else, he was part of the spirit, part of the abstract.  But he didn’t know it.  The world kept him so busy that he had neither the time nor the inclination to really examine the matter.

“The spirit tried, uselessly, to reveal their connection.  Using an inner voice, the spirit disclosed its secrets, but the man was incapable of understanding the revelations.  Naturally, he heard the inner voice, but he believed it to be his own feeling he was feeling and his own thoughts he was thinking.”

“The spirit, in order to shake him out of his slumber, gave him three signs, three successive manifestations.  The spirit physically crossed the man’s path in the most obvious manner.  But the man was oblivious to anything but his self-concern.” 

The basic energetic theory here is that we all have an inner-self/soul and a higher-self/spirit.  With the mind/mental field that exists in between them.  The mental field is where the inner-critic resides, the part who wants to prevent - any kind of change.

When the mind is quiet and in a receptive, attentive alpha state, it allows for communication between the inner and the higher, aspects of self.  Allowing for a connection and flow energies that are unavailable to us when we're engaged with the inner-critic, in any manner.

-The Ram

(Excerpts from The Power of Silence by Carlos Castaneda in quotations)

 

 

 

 

Soul Experience

Opening the door to the real self.

The soul is real and anything is possible!  It was early 2011, the Fish and I had just begun classes at the School of Metaphysics.  Along with our daily lessons there were also various exercises assigned, referred to as spiritual practices.

The first practice involved looking into a mirror for 10 minutes.  The instructions were to record our experiences with it - to be discussed later in class.

It seemed to be an attention exercise more than anything.  As new students we were shown very early on, our complete lack of attention.  Meaning the ability to hold our focus and attention on something, for a specified amount of time without the mind wandering off.  It was super difficult at first!

One day after a workout, was stretching in the floor.  It was so comfortable, then an idea!  Got a full length mirror from the other room and laid it over the furniture.  Thought I’d try it lying under the mirror, while the body was so relaxed.

With my gaze and attention on the specific point, I soon began to see black scary looking splotches all over and around the face.  When my focus was moved from the specific point to look at my face, the distortions would disappear.

With all attention back on the point once again, began to wonder if the distortions were somehow relating, that this body really isn’t me.  Started saying the words ‘look within’ over and over in my mind, with all attention on the specific spot.

Out of my peripheral, it looked as if the pupil/iris part of the eyes were getting really black.  But resisted the urge to focus in on them to check for sure.  Just kept my attention where it was focused while repeating the ‘look within’ mantra - that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Before long, am viewing my seemingly empty body from the corner of the room!  My body was laying in the floor, eyes open, pupils all the way dilated.  It looked so empty as if all the light had left it.

The next thought was, “I wonder if it’s healthy for the soul to be out of the body like this.”  As soon as that thought happened, found myself immediately back in the body, looking up at the mirror with completely dilated pupils.

Jumped up and ran over to a mirror on the wall, to see if this is how my eyes really looked.  The dilation had minimized slightly, but the pupils were still huge - I was as high as a kite!  A real and tangible experience of the soul!  Something I’d never dreamed was possible.

This one single life altering experience changed everything, my identity, beliefs, and what I know to be true.  There’s been a rewiring of sorts going on ever since that remarkable day, after learning firsthand the soul is real and anything is possible!   

-The Ram

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Castaneda - The Fire from Within

“Impeccability is nothing else but the proper use of #energy.”

“Warriors take strategic inventories.  They list everything they do.  Then they decide which of those things can be changed in order to allow themselves a respite, in terms of expending their energy.”

“Self-importance is our greatest enemy.  Think about it – what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men.  Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.”

“Without self-importance we are invulnerable.”

“In the strategic inventories of warriors, self-importance figures as the activity that consumes the greatest amount of energy, hence, their effort to eradicate it.”

“The seer who travels into the unknown to see the unknowable must be in an impeccable state of being.  He winked at me and said that to be in an impeccable state of being is to be free of rational assumptions and rational fears.”

“What is seeing then?”  

“Seeing is alignment.  When seers see, something explains everything as the new alignment takes place.  It’s a voice that tells them in their ear what’s what.  If that voice is not present, what the seer is engaged in is not seeing.”

“Attention is man’s greatest single accomplishment.  Seers perfect it even further until it uncovers the whole scope of human possibilities.  There is no end to the mystery of man and to the mystery of the world.” 

Perception is #alignment, it’s all about the alignment of our energy.  But since we can’t see our energy, most of us completely disregard it - as if it doesn’t even exist!  A great method for building the attention muscle, is through the Art of stalking.  Stalking requires paying attention to what is being seen, heard or felt.

When engaged in this ancient art, you’re in a receptive and attentive mode.  In this alpha brainwave state, the inner dialog is no longer running the show.  It takes practice but the results will blow you away!  We never realize how unaware we are until we start becoming #aware.

-The Ram

(Excerpts from TheFire from Within by Carlos Castaneda in quotations)



 

Quest for Heroes

Ever since the little self-love experiment, there’s been a lot of thought toward those I admire and those who are my heroes.  Perhaps the idea is to define them and their admirable qualities and learn to see those same things within myself.

It’s as if the Universe is directing me to this whole hero theme.  Just a small sampling of items from a vision board made at New Year’s…

-Clint Eastwood in old western attire with caption, Hero’s Journey

-Russell Brand with caption, Forthright with Love & Kindness

By making a list or creating a vision board, it literally brings the ideas or desires into the physical.  As we give attention to these ideas and desires, they magically start to manifest into being.

Here are a few of my personal heroes, in order as they came into awareness as a hero.  They range from real life people to celebrities and characters.

Kathleen Shannon - &Kathleen

Leah Whitehorse - Lua Astrology

The Dude – The Dude and the Zen Master

Russell Brand – British celebrity

Don Juan Matus – Castaneda’s teacher/mentor 

At the very moment this was being typed, it all began to make sense!  One common thread connecting these five – their authenticity!  What I love about all these people is their authentic expression of self!

In my eyes, it’s a highly valued trait.  Being and expressing one’s authentic self is so bold, beautiful and brave.

By learning to see and appreciate my own authentic self, it will be like following the guidance the Universe seems to be so generously providing. 

-The Ram

How about your personal heroes, what qualities do you love and admire?

 

(Photo from MomsWhoThink.com)