We Are All In This Together

I recently came across someone on social media through a friend who carries an interesting energy. He claimed to be a "lightworker", yet he was so full of judgment and arrogance I could tell he carried a good deal of unacknowledged darkness. That is not to say he did not also carry light. He did. He is just not quite as evolved as he believed himself to be.

I noticed a lot of competing energies in him. On the one hand, he had some understanding of the fact that we are all One and are not separate. On the other hand, his understanding of being One was everybody needed to subscribe to his way of thinking because he was right. Every other word was a judgement. Most of what he did and said perpetuated separation.

When I pointed out the judgment and separation, I became the one he judged. I became the one whose darkness he analyzed. I chose not to respond to this personal attack. He was correct in many respects, on top of the fact that he was obviously reacting to my pointing out of his judgment. In other words, I triggered him. As I did not want to continue on in that energy, I let it go. That said, when I failed to engage him in the fight, he went on and attacked someone else. At that point, I blocked him, mostly for my own peace of mind. I do not care to be part of his attacks on others. (He triggered my fight for the underdog instincts. LOL!)

The past several years, I have been working on analyzing and releasing my own judgement. I have been able to let go of many of the judgments I was programmed with through the circumstances of my birth. I am a work in progress. I still have a long way to go before I am able to allow everything that exists without fighting it.

As humans living in this 3D reality, it is easy for us to get lost in the fight. We are taught there is a distinct "right" and "wrong" and that it is important to choose what is "right" and resist all that is "wrong". The problem with this way of doing things is the vast majority of these judgments are subjective and dependent upon the cultures that promote them. When we make the decision to join in the judgment, we choose to stay separate from anyone who does not think like we do.

We are here to play, to learn, to expand in ways that would not be possible outside of separation. This is why we choose to come to such a dark and dense place. The energy of unconditional love is what keeps us connected. It is only when we remember this love that we begin to learn and grow in the ways we intended. We are much stronger and learn much more quickly when we ignore the separation and choose to love without limits. When we make the choice to lift up our fellow BEings, we also lift up ourselves. We are all in this together.

Finding the Divine Within

In this heavy and dense 3-dimensional existence, we often feel alone, separate from everyone and everything in the world around us. It is this sense of separation that leads us to feelings of fear and depression. We don't feel we have the power to cope with the obstacles we face every day. Indeed, we are taught to look outside ourselves for something bigger and better that can to save us. We see this scenario played out in our fairy tales, our television programs and even our religions.

The fact of the matter is, each one of us contains a spark of the Divine. Each one of us has the ability to tap into a place deep within that connects us to Source energy and all that is. This is the place of all wisdom and understanding. This is where we know we are part of the grand whole that is life itself. We are never alone once we understand and live this connection.

Separation is an illusion. Learn to connect to that place inside that connects you to all that is Divine. Your life will never be the same!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! How have you felt this connection to the Divine and what was your experience? Your understanding might be key for someone else to experience their own connection! Please share below!

~CSE

The Journey Home

We come into this 3rd dimensional world to experience the ultimate separation. Here we are separate from our surroundings, each other and even ourselves. This enables us to understand things in their individuality, increasing our insights and knowledge about how things exist.

Quite often, this state of separation comes with problems and traumas which further increase our sense of loneliness. Our journeys in this 3D world are not for the faint of heart! It takes real courage to stand firm and not become embittered by the struggle.

The irony in all this is that we are not separate. While we experience separation and often believe this is reality, we are always connected through our hearts. Love is the energy that binds us all together and makes us One, and we can find this connection any time we choose to remember it.

The ultimate lesson in life is not about functioning in separation. We are here to remember the Oneness we came from and allow it to harmonize our individual pieces so we can function in wholeness.

The journey of life is a process of exploration in which we ultimately discover our way back home.
~CSE

Overcoming Corruption Depends On Love!

The USA is once again being predictably programmed. We were all up in arms against our very corrupt government showing out regarding Hillary's obvious criminality and her lack of prosecution by those in power. Then all of a sudden we have a police shooting in Baton Rouge and an ambush of police in Dallas. No more prosecute Hillary stories. No more anger with our government. It's all about racial tension, violence and fighting among ourselves. Folks, this is the pattern! This is how they keep us from taking back our own power and taking control!

Stop taking sides against your fellow humans! These people are your family, your friends, your neighbors. They want the same things you want--comfortable homes, food on the table, good relationships, the ability to live their lives in freedom. These people are not the enemy! The enemy is ignorance, and hype, and division.

As long as we are fighting each other, we are not concerned with how our country is being run behind the scenes. We could care less that pretty much every politician in DC is corrupt! We ignore the fact they grow wealthy catering to the desires of those who operate behind closed doors. They flaunt their corruption in our faces because they know we are too apathetic to pay attention to their crimes as we hunt down our fellow man.

If we are to overcome those who consider themselves "elite" and hold them accountable for their crimes, we must first embrace our neighbors in love. We cannot hope to have the power to lock these criminals away until we have the ability to stand together in common purpose. Divide and Conquer is the method they have used to take control and keep our power for thousands of years. Love is the force that will unify us to the point we can take our personal power back!

Choose to reach out to your neighbors in love! Talk to them. Get to know them. Share a common meal. Make sure their needs are met. As we break down all barriers that separate us, we are able to come together for common purpose. We can make our world beautiful again when we choose love over separation.

Be the change you wish to see in the world! BE love!

~CSE

  

Nothing Can Separate Us

Most days I feel very separate--separate from others, separate from the world, separate from God, and at times even separate from myself. I know I'm not the only one to feel this way. It shows up in the sadness that surrounds us in the world. 

I shouldn't really be surprised by this state of affairs. From the moment of our births we are taught to identify with our culture, our religion (or lack thereof), our politics, our genders, our sexual orientations, our talents and skills, etc. We learn there is a "right" way to do things and a "wrong" way to do things and it is important to stand up for what is "right" and "good" and "pure". Separation is built into the system because it forces us to look at our differences and judge them accordingly.

What often escapes our notice is the fact we are all connected through the energy of our hearts. Our hearts don't see differences. Our hearts feel a need and immediately rush to where our help is required. It is when we set about the work of following our hearts that separation no longer exists. 

Whether you actually believe in God or a universal power or a higher intelligence is not important. What is important is to be aware that we are all connected to each other and every other thing in the world through our hearts--through love. When we choose to follow the guidance of our hearts, we arrive in those places where we fit and where our gifts and talents can do the most good. We are connected in very real and positive ways. 

There is no separation in love.

~CSE

     

What The Heart Knows

The past few weeks have been difficult, and I can sense it in more than just me. There is a great deal of angst in the world. Tensions have been running high. People are angrier and more aggressive. It feels as though we have all been placed in a pressure cooker to stew and the pressure is steadily increasing with no end in sight.

There are forces in the world working overtime to convince us that we are separate and alone. It is especially easy to see in the US Presidential race. On social media, people get so focused on the righteousness of their candidate they can no longer see that together we are one. People are busy arguing and name-calling and "unfriending" anyone who disagrees with them. It's a craziness that, if people took the time to step back and observe, they would see how ludicrous it has all become. They just can't see the forest for the trees.

What my heart tells me is this: we are nothing without our connection to our fellow beings. When we are focused on our separateness, we are weak. Powerless even. The beings that have ruled our planet for centuries understand this and use it to their advantage. Divide and Conquer is a game they are masterful at, and as long as we continue to sleep they will take advantage of us and keep us separate in order to stay in power.

What the heart knows is this: we are only strong when we rely on our heart connections. We are at our most powerful when we are focused on love and connected in to its Source. This heart connection is where our creativity and strength reside. It is the place of solution. It is the only thing that will free us from tyranny.

It is time to forget our separateness. It is time to forget you are a Democrat or Republican or Tory or whatever your political affiliation. It is time to forget you are Christian or Muslim or Buddhist or Atheist. It is time to forget you are straight, gay, transsexual, etc. It is only by coming together as one we will be able to create a better world. It is only through love we will find our way.

~CSE

   

The Choice

There comes a point in our lives when we all have to make a choice. That choice is to follow the way of the mind or the way of the heart. While neither choice is good or bad in and of itself, they involve two very different ways of functioning--two different ways of BEing. That said, the outcomes of both ways of existence are very different.

The way of the mind is living within your programming. You are born with specific genetic birth parents, which determines certain characteristics about you. You are then raised in a family or tribe that places you within certain parameters.. These parameters separate and divide us from each other and include things like culture, religion, country, gender, etc. As we grow up, we are taught the boundaries and limitations of each parameter, which shapes the way we think and act. Quite often, we learn to identify ourselves by these parameters. We also use those parameters to identify and classify others. While we function in the present, living through the mind can also encompass visiting the past and future as well. Many of us are quite happy living within these frameworks of separation.

The way of the heart is living through a natural and internal guidance system which is accessed through the heart. Instead of being shaped by outside forces, it gains wisdom and understanding by connecting to all things through an internal source. It is nonjudgmental, basing its choices on instruction coming directly from this heart connection where all wisdom and knowledge exists. The heart functions in the now, but is not dependent on time. Past, present, and future exist simultaneously within the heart, even while living in the moment. It is a very different way of thinking--a very different way of BEing. It is a state of living in flow. While we sometimes are able to exist within this space, for most of us the instances are rare.

At some point in life we encounter situations that make us question all those values we have been taught within the framework of the mind. These are choice points. They are experiences where you can BEcome something different than what you have always known. They usually occur when something out of the ordinary happens--job loss, death, illness, etc.--although they can happen at less pivotal times as well. The point is, you have come to a place in your life where you are jolted into the realization that your mind programming does not fit the situation comfortably. Most of us are so ingrained with our mind programs that we continue to look for (and find) solutions that come from that way of thinking. Understand that we when find solutions by thinking with the mind, the problem will eventually come back. It may come back in slightly different form, but it always comes back.

The choice is about making the transition from living through the mind to living through the heart. It is not an easy transition as, for most of us, it means letting go of what we think we know. Still, the more we can learn to think and act from the heart, the more we will begin to make decisions based on what is good for the collective instead of our separate selves. We are able to find our place in flow. We are empowered to live in abundance and blessing. We become examples to show others the way.

~CSE

     

Supplying The Contrast

It never ceases to amaze me how many people cling to their politics--particularly spiritual people. If you mention anything that goes against what they believe and/or is something they don't want to hear they immediately react and have to argue why you're wrong. I have to confess, there are times when I rise to the bait even though I know better. Politics consistently supply the contrast we came to discover in this world of duality.

What does supplying the contrast mean exactly? Contrast is the play and pull between two seemingly different or even opposite things. Supplying the contrast means encountering a situation that places something new or different directly in our path. We then use these encounters to learn and grow. At least, that is the ultimate goal of the contrast.

We don't always choose to learn. On many occasions the contrast is so disturbing for us that we first get angry and then we shut down. We deny there is anything new for us to learn--we know it all and there is nothing here left to see. Of course, that is far from the truth. Anything that sets us off in such an extreme way is a valuable clue we have an issue that needs to be resolved.

My personal belief is that we come to this three-dimensional world to study this contrast and learn from it. We come from a place I like to call Oneness, where we are all connected and everything works together for the good of the whole. Because duality was created by separating out individual things (darkness from light, heavens from water, plants from animals from people, etc.) we are able to look at these pieces in new and interesting ways.

We have made the contrasts about separation itself. We look at those people and things that are different from us, and we push them away. It is too scary to accept those things we do not know and understand. The irony is, when we take the time to try to understand something different from ourselves, we end up learning that, deep down, we are truly one and the same.

The next time you encounter something you vehemently feel is wrong, sit back and ask yourself why you feel this way. Explore it. Ask different questions about it. Learn why it is important to someone else. You may just gain a whole new way of thinking that will expand and grow who you are in the world.

~CSE

   

Ramblings Of A Mad Woman

I will claim it. I am mad in both definitions of the word! I am crazy and angry, and at this point in time I really don't care who knows. For all intents and purposes, I am a conspiracy theorist--have been for a number of years now. The irony here is, I am no longer angry at the powers that be. I am angry with my fellow conspiracy theorists.

Why am I angry with my fellow conspiracy theorists? While they like to discuss all the alternative news available, they aren't doing anything to further the cause of truth. In fact, most of them are still so caught up in the programming the cabal has wrapped us up in they still continue to play the game!!! It's playing the game that pisses me off so much!!!

For example, many of my conspiracy theory friends still believe that one party has some moral superiority over the other. For crying out loud! Haven't you figured out BOTH parties are equally rotten? Granted, some people are worse than others. Some ideologies are truly immoral in so many ways. That doesn't mean that professing one good thing makes you a good candidate! More than likely they are just blowing smoke up your butt like they always do to try to persuade you to vote for them! There is a reason voting feels like choosing the lesser of two evils! It's because we ARE choosing the lesser of two evils!!! Choosing evil only perpetuates the problem!!!

Voting is another issue I have a problem with. There is no doubt in my mind the powers that be have the power to fix elections. They manipulate caucuses. They miscount or lose paper ballots. They even fix votes by programming our black box computers to ever-so-subtly change the votes to their party's candidate. I know a lot of supposedly awake people who believe their vote actually still makes a difference! Bah humbug!!!

Another game conspiracy theorists still play is believing that one group or another is going to ride in on a white horse (or in a white hat) and save the day! Fact of the matter is, there is no savior! No one is coming to fix the world, not even God. We are totally responsible for fixing it ourselves! The belief in a savior is a mind control program that has been so ingrained in our subconscious that we all look for solutions to our problems outside ourselves. Such a belief takes us out of our own power and places us in the control of others. It is only by looking within and connecting to our hearts that we find the power to take care of our own problems.

The worst thing conspiracy theorists do is to tear each other down. We have a tendency to call one another out for something that is not totally on the up-and-up. I've got news for you. Nobody is totally on the up-and-up!!! It's called being human, and we all struggle in a continuous battle between the dark half and the light half of ourselves!!! While it's true that some of the things we do might be counterintuitive, the fact that there are things we achieve that weaken the powers that be do matter. Pointing out our neighbor's flaws only serves to separate us from each other, allowing the cabal to continue on in their dark ways.

Until we all wake up and decide to take responsibility for what happens on this planet, we will continue to live in the muck. It is no longer okay to just accept the status quo! It is time to search your own heart for the answers you seek. When you get the inspiration to do something, follow that instinct! It is only through following the advice and wisdom from our hearts that the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place. Trust the One to be able to put it all together into one beautiful whole.

~CSE

Trusting The Divine

In some respects, my life was much easier when I was a Christian. I believed God had a plan for my life. I just sat back and watched it all unfold and accepted that what happened was supposed to happen for my benefit. All I needed to do was acknowledge him and try to live the sort of life the Bible prescribed. The positive aspect of this life was that I was able to live in a state of flow because I always trusted God had my back.

When I began to understand that religion had been put into place to control the masses, the foundation I had built my life on tumbled to the ground. Over time, I have been able to rebuild my life, but it has been a struggle. What I have fought with most is the concept of trust. As I no longer had a working definition for what God is, I struggled to trust something that I couldn't even define.

Trust is important for a smooth life. When you trust, it is much easier to survive the upsets because you understand they will pass and your life will get better once again. You know that some unseen force is standing behind you, enabling you to power on. When you lack trust, you are in the ultimate state of separation. You see yourself as the only thing you can rely on. When you fail, there is nothing else left to support you. You are alone in the world.

The truth is, we are all on this journey together. There are physical realms and spiritual realms, and we can connect with them any time we wish through intention because we are all connected. We are all One.

Life is not about living a life designed by something outside ourselves. Life is created by a force that flows through us and everything else. This force is us. Because all things are connected to it, all that IS works together to support us all. We are literally supported by everything! Trusting the divine becomes a matter of acknowledging our connection to all that IS and understanding we are fully supported by it.

~CSE

   

The Source Of Our Anger

It's funny. I am forever talking about how important it is for us to stop fighting among ourselves, especially on social media. A lot of people will agree with me. Then I hear them talking and/or read their posts and I know they truly just don't get it.

They fight over guns. They fight over politics, religion, and the role of religion in politics. They fight over women in church hierarchy. They fight over the issues of homosexuality and changing genders. They fight over racism. They fight over culture. They fight over socioeconomic status. And the list goes on...and on...and on...

Once and for all, I would like people to sit back and really think about it instead of just paying the idea of peace lip service. Do they REALLY think guns are bad (or good)? Do they REALLY think only Democrats or Republicans have a monopoly on morals/values? Do they REALLY think homosexuality is a choice in all circumstances?

In my experience, absolutes are limitations. The vast majority of people don't fit in neat little boxes that are easily defined. We are all a mix of good and bad, right and wrong. Sometimes we do things well and sometimes we make terrible mistakes. It's what makes us human.

If people really took the time to look at things, they might just discover that they have a lot more in common with those folks they consider "different". They might understand that beyond the differences, we are all connected through our humanness. We are all connected through our hearts, through love.

Maybe if they stopped and thought about it, they would understand that the source of their anger was not based on that internal connection but on some external force trying to separate where no real separation exists. This force is the nature of duality and what we all came here to experience.

It is time to see the source of our anger for what it is and understand that we have spent enough time in separation. We may not look alike. We may not act alike. We may not think alike. Regardless, we are all connected through our hearts. We are all One.


~CSE

One

Some of my best friends are African American. Through no fault of their own, they are born into a society that does not always value them as it should. Some of my white friends get offended when they hear about programs that favor minorities or when they hear African Americans promoting themselves or their businesses. Personally, I believe they need a little extra help and should promote themselves. The simple truth is because we still think with our minds and not our hearts, African Americans and other minorities can be treated as second class citizens.

I am a woman. While progress toward equality with men has been made in this country, it is not what it needs to be. Yes. Women can vote and hold public office. We can choose to marry or divorce. We have even made progress in career fields when it comes to being paid the same wage as a man doing the same exact job. Still, most of our progress has to do with allowing women to do the same things that men do. Equality for women in this country has nothing to do with seeing the qualities of women as equal to the qualities of men. Don't believe me? When was the last time you were encouraged to think with your intuitive heart over your rational mind? It is just not done because it is not thought of as worthy.

The fact of the matter is, when we see someone or something else as different than ourselves or outside ourselves, we cannot be whole. We are, in fact, separate and broken. Societies that are separate and broken do not get along. They have problems and struggles and fights. They do not have peace.

Essentially, we are at war with ourselves. We are at war because we do not understand that deep down we are all connected. At the level of the heart, we are all One.

It's time to bring divinity back into our own lives. It's time to remember who we are. It's time to bring back peace. We do that by recognizing one simple truth: we are One.

~CSE

    

How Do You Look At The World?

I have been a people person from the time I was a small child. My parents are both outgoing, and they have always been great examples on how to love and accept other people--even people who are different from themselves. When I was growing up they introduced me to people from other cultures, and I enjoyed getting to know and understand those differences firsthand.

I was able to embrace and carry this philosophy into adulthood. I have been fortunate enough in this lifetime to meet people who have originated from all over the world, not to mention from various subcultures within the United States. I am lucky to have friends from many different countries, from all races, all religions, all political affiliations, all sexual orientations. I like to call myself an "equal opportunity friend". All I require for friendship is accepting me for who I am, just as I accept you, regardless of differences.

Unfortunately, not everyone has had it as easy as I have. Some people live in areas of the world that have experienced tremendous problems and suffering. These people have learned to live in fear. Even people here in the United States live in fear, much of it caused by listening to the news provided by the mainstream media about how bad things are in the world and even in this country.

If you look at the world through eyes of fear, you automatically live in a state of separation. Fear is the emotion that blocks you off and shuts you down from the rest of the world. Holding fear will not allow you to embrace others or their differences.

On the other hand, if you look at the world through eyes of acceptance and love, you allow yourself to embrace differences. You may not totally understand those differences. You may not really even like them. Liking differences is not required for acceptance and love. True love is open, accepting and inviting, regardless of differences. Love is also the doorway to peace and prosperity.

Note that holding fear is not the same as looking at problems. You can open your eyes to problems in order to find solutions without falling into fear. If your focus on the problem revolves around bringing light and love to it, you create solutions instead of separation.

How do you look at the world? Are you afraid of all those who are different from yourself, or are you able to look past those differences to embrace the heart of each one? Fear or love? The choice you make will either destroy you or bless you. Choose wisely.

~CSE

Ascension, the Rapture, and Spirituality

There is a popular New Age principle referred to as Ascension. In one form or another, it hints at a human's potential for upward expansion. While there are many versions of what is supposed to happen in this process, the most disturbing to me is the thought that certain people have made more progress than others. In this version of ascension, those who have made it to a certain stage of development by an unspecified date will magically enter a much higher realm. After all, those who are ready to ascend have such different frequencies than those still asleep. They no longer need to deal with the problems average mortals face!

Ironically, this particular idea of Ascension reminds me heavily of the Christian concept of the Rapture. The Rapture is supposedly the time when Christ returns back to earth. He will gather his believers to him and save them from the great tribulation that will fall on those left behind. Become a good Christian and you too will be saved from a potentially terrible fate!

What bothers me about these two concepts is judgment. In Ascension, those who have learned enough to overcome the limitations of society will go on to a place free from those who cannot handle it. In the Rapture, people are judged by God and if found to be following the precepts He has laid out will be separated out and spared from potential pain. In either scenario, there are standards to be followed which will determine whether or not you make the cut. To me, both ideas scream separation and ego--not very spiritual ideas in my book.

I would offer up an alternative view of Ascension. I see Ascension as a learning process. While we may be at different stages of growth and development, it is not about making any cut or adhering to any standard. It is about learning to deal with your pain and your obstacles in ways to keep you moving forward. We all backslide at times, and that is part of the process. Beings are not singled out for punishment or accolades. Rather, each individual success is a success for the greater whole. Ascension is ever changing, progressive. It has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with Oneness.

If your principles on spirituality result in leaving people out, might I suggest you try looking at them from a different angle? Ask yourself if you would really be happy with part of your family or friends left behind? It would be as if part of yourself was left behind (and indeed it would be exactly that).

We're all on this human journey together. When we understand how to live and work together, we will be on the road to Ascension. When we are unwilling to leave anyone behind, we will have arrived in the promised land!

~CSE

Tired Of Labels!!!

I am not a capitalist,
a socialist,
a communist.
I am not Democrat
or Republican
or Libertarian.
Politics do not define me.

I am not a Christian,
a Jew,
a Muslim,
a Buddhist,
a Hindu,
an Agnostic,
an Atheist,
a Witch
or practioner of any other religion.
Religions do not define me.

I will be classified by society as
female
and heterosexual,
Not by any choice I have consciously made,
But because the world loves
to place people into neat little defined boxes.

If I have to BE something,
allow me to be
creative,
and witty,
and sensitive,
and passionate,
and loving.
Allow me to stand
on my own two feet
and express the
thoughts
and feelings
and intuitions
of my heart--
my heart that is infinitely connected
to your heart.

My value system consists of
following that beating within
in the hope that
my response will be what is needed by
the world,
others,
myself.
Allow me to express
the love I feel
without judging it,
without criticizing it.
Let my love be enough
for you to understand
we are not separate!

I am tired of separation,
tired of feeling lost
and alone.
I am tired of labels.
I release them in the winds of change
and watch them blow away
into nothingness.

~Cindy Shippy Evans

The Will Of God IS Your Will

I'm going to share a little secret with you today: the will of God/Source IS your will!

In many cultures, we have been programmed to believe that God/Source is something separate from ourselves. He is also all-knowing and all-powerful. Consequently, God knows what is best for each and every one of us and it is important to defer to his infinite wisdom in all situations. Many of us are all too willing to leave the planning all up to him (and consequently to those who desire our power for their own use).

The thing is, we are not separate from God. God/Source is in us and through us as we are in him. It is illusion that keeps us thinking and believing we are separate entities unto ourselves! The thought that we are separate has been given to us so we willingly give up our own innate power and allow it to be used by others who crave power.

Religion is a funny thing. It was instituted to keep We the People separate from Source and consequently under control through focusing our attention on something "higher" than themselves. The irony is, there are times when believers are able to drop the barriers that separate them long enough to discover their true connection to God! Remembering this God connection is what makes them come back to the religion that was designed to keep them away from God!!! This was definitely not the outcome the controllers wanted!!!

Now, back to the will of God/Source being your will. Sit back for a few minutes and focus on your heart. Do you feel its strength and power radiating out to the world around you? Can you feel its energetic connections?

Ask yourself the following questions. Are you connected to the world around you? Are you connected to God/Source? What are those things you can do in this moment that bring you joy and make you happy? Are those things separate from God? Do those things draw you closer to your Source or farther away from it?

If you are in God and God is in you, your will and the will of God are ONE. Understand that by following your heart--the place where that connection lives--you are following the will of the One.

~CSE

The Day Of Atonement

Beginning at sunset tonight (September 22nd, 2015) and ending sunset tomorrow (September 23rd, 2015), Jews the world over will be celebrating their New Year. Called Yom Kippur, it is also known as the Day of Atonement. Traditionally, it is the end of a ten day period where believers are supposed to repent of all their sins in order to make themselves right with God.

I have seen and heard the word broken down a little differently that resonates with me a whole lot more; At-One-Ment. Today is the day to become One!!! For me, that means looking at all those barriers we have placed upon ourselves to keep us insulated and apart from everyone and everything else and doing what we can to remove them.

Separation is an illusion. We are taught we are independent entities who need to rely solely on ourselves, but this is not true. We are connected in unseen ways. This is why the energies we put out into the world always come back to us.

Take some time today to identify those barriers that separate you from your fellow man. Maybe the issue is money or culture or race or sexual preference or any number of things. Look beyond the labels to the person within. Recognize the light that is there. Allow that light to enter the light that is you and feel that connection.

We can fix the world on this Day of At-One-Ment. We just have to remember our connection. We just have to remember that we are truly all One.

~CSE

No Man Is An Island

The Separation Of Death

In the past few months, I've noticed what I consider a large number of deaths that have touched the lives of myself and people I know and am close to. Granted, I am older now and common sense says the older you get and the more people you know the more likely you will be to know people who are making this transition. Still I can't help but feel there are a good many extra people "checking out" at this time.

As I contemplate the people leaving the planet, several thoughts come to mind. The first is, "Why are you leaving the planet now, when we are on the verge of such breakthrough?" I feel as though I am witnessing history in the making in this very moment, even though it is slow going. I don't understand how people could want to leave just as world events are getting particularly interesting! I really want to stick around for a while to witness the changes firsthand, in a state I am old enough to appreciate them in!

My second thought stems from my belief in reincarnation. As I view the deaths going on right now, I am a little resentful. In my admittedly limited view, it feels like these people are checking out for the really hard stuff, only to come back a bit later when things are a little more together and they can grow up in a world that is a whole lot better (and probably easier). I've always believed myself to be tougher than most, but is it really that bad?

Death is a tough transition, at least for the people who are left back on Earth, stuck in this time and this dimension. We are so invested in separateness here in this place of duality. Death often seems permanent--like someplace we cannot venture into as we live these earthly lives.

The thing is, the lives we experience now are extremely limited. They are defined by timelines and space. Our spirits, on the other hand, have no such limits. We are eternal, infinite beings. The fact of the matter is, when we remember how to tap into those versions of ourselves, we can do magnificent, limitless things!

This is how psychic mediums are able to tap into the spirits of those who pass on. The mediums are tapping in to the unlimited self that is present in all times and all dimensions. The "deaths" we experience here on Earth are not what most of us believe them to be. Our spirits are pure energy. Energy does not go away. It just changes forms.

Understand death is not the separation it seems. Regardless of whether a person chooses to leave the planet at this time, their energies still continue to exist on some level. We truly will meet again. Hopefully that meeting will occur in a much better time, a much better space, a much better dimension. The grand experiment of separation is coming to and end!!! Are you ready to experience something infinitely greater and more powerful?

~CSE

The Lesson Of Duality

The creation story in the Bible intrigues me. The following is the first chapter of Genesis (KJV):

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Notice the use of the word divide. This is important!!!

What was the state of the world before it was created as we know it at present? The creation story talks about God having to divide, or separate, things from one another in order to create the world we know!!! It stands to reason if you create by separating, everything began as ONE thing!!!

Pretend everything that exists can be contained in a single piece of clay. The artist, some force or energy, removes a piece of the clay and shapes it into an object. The artist continues to remove pieces from the clay and mold them into various forms until the entire piece of clay has been used. Even though the clay has been separated into an endless supply of tiny pieces, each piece is still a part of that infinite piece of clay. Every piece contains exactly the same physical composition of elements, yet each one is an expression of its own unique self.

Our experiences in this dimension, timeline and place are adventures in this state of separation. Many know this state as duality. Duality is a gift we are given that allows us to experience ourselves and each other in new and profound ways.

The lessons of duality are not easy. We experience pain and suffering on a regular basis. There are times we hurt so much we long for escape. The other side of that coin is we also experience very different aspects of Oneness--things like love, joy and peace. Ironically, all these things and more have been separated out from the same piece of clay!!!

We are here to experience all aspects of Oneness in their own unique and varied forms. Most days we forget this and attempt to stay away from parts and pieces of ourselves we judge as "bad" or "evil". Many times, we don't even recognize these dark aspects of ourselves are really us.

Living in flow requires living in a state of balance. It has never been about separation but rather about understanding the uniqueness of each thing and appreciating the contrast. It is important to not let one thing dominate or control others. Extremism in any form creates unnecessary problems.

We live in a world of separation in order to experience a new way of being, a new form of expression. When we learn to balance the elements contained therein, we once again fall into a state of peaceful coexistence. We understand how to live as One. This is the lesson of duality.

~CSE

Taking Down The Walls That Separate

This morning, I ready this BRILLIANT article on the subtleties of racism, written by an African American man named John Metta. (Please take the time to read it here! Lengthy, but explains the concept in a very masterful way!!!) It made me look at all the little things I ignore about society that truly have racist undertones.

Separation is not just a racial thing. It is a gender thing. It is a political thing. It is a religious thing. It's a socioeconomic thing. It's a cultural thing. It's a homophobic thing. There are so many ways we distance ourselves from one another, so many ways we keep ourselves from our own wisdom and our own power. And that's where the problems begin.

Because we are so caught up in our "identities" we have forgotten we are connected individuals. We have forgotten that what happens to one of us happens to all of us. We create division where there is none. In doing so, we forget our own humanity. We mistreat those we perceive as different from ourselves merely as a consequence of having those perceptions in the first place.

It doesn't have to be that way. I have always been fascinated by other cultures (my parents were great examples of introducing me to things different from myself). Back when I was teaching PreK, I made a friend of one of my student's mothers who came in to help with class parties and such. She was Indian and Hindu and a really sweet and loving person. I had many discussions with her about topics such as arranged marriages and religious ceremonies. This was back in the time I was still caught up by Christianity in many ways, although I loved trying to understand the perspectives of others.

There was one day my friend explained to me about a holiday they were celebrating. The story behind the celebration was that God's wife had been stolen by some evil god at their wedding. The holiday commemorates her return. I found it intriguing because, in Christianity, the church is often associated with the bride and Christ is known as the bridegroom. The church is stolen by the evil one to be eventually taken back by the bridegroom. I mentioned it to my friend at the time. She thought the parallels were interesting as well.

My friend really touched me at Christmas time that year. She had given me a bag full of treats for Christmas from herself and her son. Most of what she gave me I can't recall now, but one gift stood out. It was a small picture frame with three openings for pictures (because I have three children). On one corner of the frame was a Christian cross. Even though we came from very different backgrounds and cultures, we had a mutual love and respect for one another. She was honoring me with something she knew to be important to me. The fact that she was Hindu and I was Christian did not matter.

It is time to begin getting to know your neighbor. Allow yourselves to get to know your fellow human in new ways. Ask about cultural traditions and food preferences. Discuss things you both like and things that make you both happy. Question all those things that make a person tick and be willing to lay judgement aside. We all have different spiritual journeys. If you expect others to honor your journey you need to be willing to honor the journeys of others.

Our differences do not have to separate us from each other. As we open ourselves up to understanding, know that their experiences can also be yours. We can all learn from each other and grow ourselves through accessing the knowledge of others.

Breaking down barriers does not have to be a scary, difficult process. Recognize the humanity of each one. Understand their experiences are for their own personal growth. Be willing to honor their journeys as they, in turn, honor yours. We truly are in this together. By acting in ways that benefit the whole we come into our full inheritance of love, joy, peace and abundance. By taking down the walls that separate, we come into our own power.

~CSE