Spiritual Development

Essay for Doctor of Spiritual Development Rev. Alasdair Gordon I was originally drawn to this course as it was probably the only one I have seen that links up NLP and hypnosis with aspects of spirituality. I have to lay my cards on the table and say at the outset that I am not exactly new to the subject of NLP. In fact, I have been associated with it now for a number of years, qualifying first as a Practitioner and, in 2009, finally achieving the status of Master Practitioner. I am also a registered hypnotherapist in the United Kingdom with a lifelong interest in that subject. However, I am aware that this is not the "be all and end all".  All systems of belief and practice have their limitations and constraints. The danger of misusing systems such as NLP is that they can achieve an almost cult-like status. NLP has its followers, its own language and jargon, its "founding fathers" and influential writers and teachers. It is tempting, although unhelpful, to live within an NLP world seeing everything in these terms. In my model of the world, I see NLP as most useful when it is integrated into everyday life and practice rather than as a belief system operating on its own (and perhaps that seems strange, coming from an NLP Master Practitioner!). To me, one of the great strengths of NLP that differentiates it from a cult is that it never seeks to assess or judge anyone's beliefs. It does not say what anyone "should" or "should not" believe. It does not question anyone's beliefs. It simply asks the question "Is this belief useful for YOU?"  If someone wants to believe in God and that belief is useful for him, that's fine. If someone prefers to believe that there is no God, and for him, that is a useful belief, that is also OK, from an NLP point of view. Now, for all of us, beliefs are really important since they affect who we are. They are the basis of our values. In other words they are part of our identity. When our beliefs about ourselves and the world are attacked or under threat, we will react in some way, even if only through a strong emotion or sense of anger. Many of the dreadful terrorist activities that have taken place in the last ten years can trace their origin to beliefs and values being under attack (or, more exactly, the perception that they are under attack). Many beliefs are formed in us when we are young. "Don't talk to strangers. They're all bad." "People are out to get you – you can't trust anyone." "Little boys should be seen and not heard" "If you don't do well in school, you'll fail in life."  "A woman's place is in the home" We are all, at least to some extent, the products of our own background and upbringing. We will have cause to follow – or else consciously reject – what our parents, teachers and mentors have told us, whether that has been done expressly or by implication. So, if a child is brought up to believe that he is clumsy, stupid, talented and clever or whatever, this belief about his capabilities will be deeply seated. And the problem is that useful beliefs and non-useful beliefs are equally powerfully rooted. Our unconscious does not know how to differentiate the one from the other. So, if I have a belief that I cannot add up a column of figures, it will, in essence become a self-fulfilling prophecy. [Some people would say that all prophecies are self-fulfilling. That is another story.] If, on the other hand, I believe that I am "good" at addition, I will almost certainly find that I am good at addition. Also, some beliefs are useful but have only a limited shelf life. It is a useful belief for a young child that he needs to check things out with his parents and cannot stand on his own two feet. Young children need protection and guidance. But that need does not and should not last for ever. The time comes when that same belief needs to be changed. The "child" is no longer a child and needs to make his own decisions. He is now independent of his parents or at least moving in that direction. That process of change can prove difficult and painful. Some aspects of personal change can certainly be difficult. But not all personal change needs be so. Some changes can be made surprisingly quickly by using appropriate techniques of NLP or hypnosis or other related disciplines. Reference has already been made to the fact that the subconscious (or the unconscious) does not make moral distinctions. It will seek to reinforce a belief that is already programmed because it thinks that if that belief is there, then it must be useful and in the person's best interests. So, the person who believes in God will look at the world for all signs of a creating and loving God to reinforce that belief. The atheist, on the other hand, will look at the evil in world and ask how a loving God could possibly allow such terrible things to happen. They will also tend to gravitate towards people who hold similar views. At a more mundane level, when a person who believes deep down that he cannot do a particular thing – and is then asked to do it – his subconscious will send him the protective message – "No, you cannot do that; remember?" The subconscious perceives that it is working for the best (and the subconscious always tries to do its best) in preventing the person from attempting something he cannot do, with all the repercussions that brings. In NLP terms, this "cannot do" is an example of a "limiting belief". Some of our limiting beliefs have been with us for a long time and may be so deeply seated that we may not even be consciously aware that we have them. (Of course there are many very useful beliefs that are also programmed in, such as that fire burns.)  Scientists have proved that, aerodynamically, a bee should not be able to fly. Of course, no one has told the bee that!  Just recently, I observed my neighbour's tabby cat running up a vertical garage wall. Again, that "shouldn't" be possible, but the cat didn't know that. I remember reading in an NLP book (unfortunately I cannot remember which one) that the most important question anyone can be asked is "What do you want?"  I remember being just a little sceptical when I first read that. However, the more I think about it, the more I realise just how insightful this statement is. If we can actually work out what it is we do actually want, we can move on from there. It is easy to drift through life without any aims, objectives or goals in mind. If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there, as the Cheshire Cat said to Alice. What NLP and hypnosis can do is to allow the conscious and the subconscious to function together, find out what the person really wants and begin the process of moving in that direction. There is no doubt that NLP received a rather bad press in the 1980s when it came to be associated with techniques used by the less reputable end of the used car market. Similarly, for many years, hypnosis was viewed with suspicion although even today it seems to be much more main stream in the USA than it does in the UK. However, if we are thinking (as we are) of the ethical uses of such techniques, we have to be aware that we only seek to help people do what they really want to do. I am sometimes asked, for example, if I can "make" someone stop smoking. The answer to that is a clear "no" – I cannot make anyone do anything they do not actually want to do. I can, however help that person to improve his clarity of purpose. But how does all fit in with the spiritual issues involved? Coming myself originally from a mainstream Christian background, I know that Christianity (and probably all the major world religions) seek to put the puzzles and challenges of life into a meaningful context. Jesus said that he had come to give life and give life abundantly. He healed many people who were sick, not only physically but mentally. It is God's purpose for us to be well and not ill. Indeed, Jesus went even further and told his disciples that they would be able to do greater things even than he had. This was a very radical statement. It is something the mainstream Christian church has not yet come to terms with. Of course, a great deal of what has just been said will clash with our rational minds. If we cannot make sense of something then it doesn't make sense – at least this is the way in which Western society has thought since the beginning of the Age of Reason. We have had a long love affair with reason and tend, culturally, to believe that reason must always triumph over feelings and intuition. If it cannot be measured, we assume only too quickly that it does not exist. (Actually Charles Dickens wrote his novel "Hard Times" to ridicule people, known at that time as "determinists" who believed that everything could, sooner or later, be measured!) Yet, the mediaeval mystics were able to recognise that something can be "true" without there being scientific proof. I can believe that the Genesis account of creation is "true" from a theological and spiritual point of view yet I can also accept that an evolutionary scientist also produces a different version of creation that is "true". If both sides in the creation argument could see that, a great deal of human energy would be saved! In the developing world, some amazing things have taken place even in my own lifetime. This is because people in some of these cultures believe that the words of Jesus are actually true. There are amazing modern accounts of healings through faith, even accounts of people being raised from the dead. This is more than we can take in the Western world.  We often block the power of the spirit with our chilly rationalism. In Capernaum, even Jesus could do no mighty works because of the unbelief of the people. Spiritually, we need to be able to tap into our mystical and intuitive sense in a new way – or else rediscover the older way. It seems (to me) that the world is full of "religion" yet is spiritually parched. There is an old Gospel hymn that has the chorus "I will pour waters on him that is thirsty" There is such a need for a time of refreshing today among all the great world religions. As a registered hypnotherapist, I know that even in a light trance, it is possible to access our true desires even, dare I say, to regress into past lives. In fact our most useful state is that area of light trance – such as when we awake in the morning. People such as Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill were able to put themselves easily into that state and came up with their best solutions as a result. In the Old Testament, many of the prophets went into trance-like states. It is said that the famous Anthony of Padua could, in such a state, bilocate, i.e. be in two places at once. Saint Teresa of Avila could get into such an ecstatic state that she actually levitated and the other nuns had to hold her down! I believe that, in the western world, our religions have become far too cognitive. Certainly where I live, in Scotland, in centuries past it was very important to know what people "thought" from a doctrinal point of view – with much less importance being placed on what they did or how they practiced, far less how they felt. Alasdair Bothwell Gordon Aberdeen, Scotland (UK) ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spiritual Development

Essay for Doctor of Spiritual Development Rev. Alasdair Gordon I was originally drawn to this course as it was probably the only one I have seen that links up NLP and hypnosis with aspects of spirituality. I have to lay my cards on the table and say at the outset that I am not exactly new to the subject of NLP. In fact, I have been associated with it now for a number of years, qualifying first as a Practitioner and, in 2009, finally achieving the status of Master Practitioner. I am also a registered hypnotherapist in the United Kingdom with a lifelong interest in that subject. However, I am aware that this is not the "be all and end all".  All systems of belief and practice have their limitations and constraints. The danger of misusing systems such as NLP is that they can achieve an almost cult-like status. NLP has its followers, its own language and jargon, its "founding fathers" and influential writers and teachers. It is tempting, although unhelpful, to live within an NLP world seeing everything in these terms. In my model of the world, I see NLP as most useful when it is integrated into everyday life and practice rather than as a belief system operating on its own (and perhaps that seems strange, coming from an NLP Master Practitioner!). To me, one of the great strengths of NLP that differentiates it from a cult is that it never seeks to assess or judge anyone's beliefs. It does not say what anyone "should" or "should not" believe. It does not question anyone's beliefs. It simply asks the question "Is this belief useful for YOU?"  If someone wants to believe in God and that belief is useful for him, that's fine. If someone prefers to believe that there is no God, and for him, that is a useful belief, that is also OK, from an NLP point of view. Now, for all of us, beliefs are really important since they affect who we are. They are the basis of our values. In other words they are part of our identity. When our beliefs about ourselves and the world are attacked or under threat, we will react in some way, even if only through a strong emotion or sense of anger. Many of the dreadful terrorist activities that have taken place in the last ten years can trace their origin to beliefs and values being under attack (or, more exactly, the perception that they are under attack). Many beliefs are formed in us when we are young. "Don't talk to strangers. They're all bad." "People are out to get you – you can't trust anyone." "Little boys should be seen and not heard" "If you don't do well in school, you'll fail in life."  "A woman's place is in the home" We are all, at least to some extent, the products of our own background and upbringing. We will have cause to follow – or else consciously reject – what our parents, teachers and mentors have told us, whether that has been done expressly or by implication. So, if a child is brought up to believe that he is clumsy, stupid, talented and clever or whatever, this belief about his capabilities will be deeply seated. And the problem is that useful beliefs and non-useful beliefs are equally powerfully rooted. Our unconscious does not know how to differentiate the one from the other. So, if I have a belief that I cannot add up a column of figures, it will, in essence become a self-fulfilling prophecy. [Some people would say that all prophecies are self-fulfilling. That is another story.] If, on the other hand, I believe that I am "good" at addition, I will almost certainly find that I am good at addition. Also, some beliefs are useful but have only a limited shelf life. It is a useful belief for a young child that he needs to check things out with his parents and cannot stand on his own two feet. Young children need protection and guidance. But that need does not and should not last for ever. The time comes when that same belief needs to be changed. The "child" is no longer a child and needs to make his own decisions. He is now independent of his parents or at least moving in that direction. That process of change can prove difficult and painful. Some aspects of personal change can certainly be difficult. But not all personal change needs be so. Some changes can be made surprisingly quickly by using appropriate techniques of NLP or hypnosis or other related disciplines. Reference has already been made to the fact that the subconscious (or the unconscious) does not make moral distinctions. It will seek to reinforce a belief that is already programmed because it thinks that if that belief is there, then it must be useful and in the person's best interests. So, the person who believes in God will look at the world for all signs of a creating and loving God to reinforce that belief. The atheist, on the other hand, will look at the evil in world and ask how a loving God could possibly allow such terrible things to happen. They will also tend to gravitate towards people who hold similar views. At a more mundane level, when a person who believes deep down that he cannot do a particular thing – and is then asked to do it – his subconscious will send him the protective message – "No, you cannot do that; remember?" The subconscious perceives that it is working for the best (and the subconscious always tries to do its best) in preventing the person from attempting something he cannot do, with all the repercussions that brings. In NLP terms, this "cannot do" is an example of a "limiting belief". Some of our limiting beliefs have been with us for a long time and may be so deeply seated that we may not even be consciously aware that we have them. (Of course there are many very useful beliefs that are also programmed in, such as that fire burns.)  Scientists have proved that, aerodynamically, a bee should not be able to fly. Of course, no one has told the bee that!  Just recently, I observed my neighbour's tabby cat running up a vertical garage wall. Again, that "shouldn't" be possible, but the cat didn't know that. I remember reading in an NLP book (unfortunately I cannot remember which one) that the most important question anyone can be asked is "What do you want?"  I remember being just a little sceptical when I first read that. However, the more I think about it, the more I realise just how insightful this statement is. If we can actually work out what it is we do actually want, we can move on from there. It is easy to drift through life without any aims, objectives or goals in mind. If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there, as the Cheshire Cat said to Alice. What NLP and hypnosis can do is to allow the conscious and the subconscious to function together, find out what the person really wants and begin the process of moving in that direction. There is no doubt that NLP received a rather bad press in the 1980s when it came to be associated with techniques used by the less reputable end of the used car market. Similarly, for many years, hypnosis was viewed with suspicion although even today it seems to be much more main stream in the USA than it does in the UK. However, if we are thinking (as we are) of the ethical uses of such techniques, we have to be aware that we only seek to help people do what they really want to do. I am sometimes asked, for example, if I can "make" someone stop smoking. The answer to that is a clear "no" – I cannot make anyone do anything they do not actually want to do. I can, however help that person to improve his clarity of purpose. But how does all fit in with the spiritual issues involved? Coming myself originally from a mainstream Christian background, I know that Christianity (and probably all the major world religions) seek to put the puzzles and challenges of life into a meaningful context. Jesus said that he had come to give life and give life abundantly. He healed many people who were sick, not only physically but mentally. It is God's purpose for us to be well and not ill. Indeed, Jesus went even further and told his disciples that they would be able to do greater things even than he had. This was a very radical statement. It is something the mainstream Christian church has not yet come to terms with. Of course, a great deal of what has just been said will clash with our rational minds. If we cannot make sense of something then it doesn't make sense – at least this is the way in which Western society has thought since the beginning of the Age of Reason. We have had a long love affair with reason and tend, culturally, to believe that reason must always triumph over feelings and intuition. If it cannot be measured, we assume only too quickly that it does not exist. (Actually Charles Dickens wrote his novel "Hard Times" to ridicule people, known at that time as "determinists" who believed that everything could, sooner or later, be measured!) Yet, the mediaeval mystics were able to recognise that something can be "true" without there being scientific proof. I can believe that the Genesis account of creation is "true" from a theological and spiritual point of view yet I can also accept that an evolutionary scientist also produces a different version of creation that is "true". If both sides in the creation argument could see that, a great deal of human energy would be saved! In the developing world, some amazing things have taken place even in my own lifetime. This is because people in some of these cultures believe that the words of Jesus are actually true. There are amazing modern accounts of healings through faith, even accounts of people being raised from the dead. This is more than we can take in the Western world.  We often block the power of the spirit with our chilly rationalism. In Capernaum, even Jesus could do no mighty works because of the unbelief of the people. Spiritually, we need to be able to tap into our mystical and intuitive sense in a new way – or else rediscover the older way. It seems (to me) that the world is full of "religion" yet is spiritually parched. There is an old Gospel hymn that has the chorus "I will pour waters on him that is thirsty" There is such a need for a time of refreshing today among all the great world religions. As a registered hypnotherapist, I know that even in a light trance, it is possible to access our true desires even, dare I say, to regress into past lives. In fact our most useful state is that area of light trance – such as when we awake in the morning. People such as Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill were able to put themselves easily into that state and came up with their best solutions as a result. In the Old Testament, many of the prophets went into trance-like states. It is said that the famous Anthony of Padua could, in such a state, bilocate, i.e. be in two places at once. Saint Teresa of Avila could get into such an ecstatic state that she actually levitated and the other nuns had to hold her down! I believe that, in the western world, our religions have become far too cognitive. Certainly where I live, in Scotland, in centuries past it was very important to know what people "thought" from a doctrinal point of view – with much less importance being placed on what they did or how they practiced, far less how they felt. Alasdair Bothwell Gordon Aberdeen, Scotland (UK) ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

Comments on the Spirit Quest Program by Rev. Ayanvli Rick

To all fellow ULC course members~~

I have worked on FORGIVENESS with family and others for years in different situations.

I never really hit quite the Bulls Eye with those letters as I did with this round of writings.

I chose to write a form of 3 letters.

When I did the assignment, I just let it all flow or, I would never get to it to start with or get this part of the assignment completed. I was amazed at how rigorously honest I could get with each one, my Creator and Medicine Helpers came to help me as I chose to focus and DO THE ASSIGNMENT! They assisted to keep things at bay and helped me to not get to distracted. I was surprised at what came out on the paper in each step of this process in this discourse.

I found; it was Honest, Non-Judgmental and straight to the point in each step of the way which helped me tremendously to stay focused and walk through it as best as possible.

I have assisted in FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS healing work for others. Now I know you receive the healing in your issues that are similar however, I have not been the one speaking of the family dynamics.

When I finished, I noticed a lightness and an understanding of others in a deeper way that I have in a long time.

As I visualized my grounding cord for this weeks work in seminary to ready self with greater protection tools. I find these are gifted to us, a chosen few~~ as we CHOOSE to LOOK for them and HONE, REFINE them, to assist with arming self with tools to destroy the buttons that others seem to push and this in turn allows in pain that harm self in all facets of one's embodiment, no matter how it enter the body.

I learned about the grounding cord and the Golden Sun with a little tweak to it.

I never understood the importance of collecting and burning off the energies. this is very helpful key.

I understand now, these tools are to re-mind us of what we are here to do, you re-member? our our mission our purpose? and how to weave through life carrying out our Divine contract or agreement, with less things attached to us well...

Rev. Amy's discourses are to assist each of us to purify ourselves and Burnish us so we will do our jobs with; Clarity, Courage, Strengh and Love.

I loved this one as I was able to incorporate the assistance of Sister Sun and have her help me collect those parts of my self I have spread out in and throughout my daily events. Collecting this back up and bringing it back into me if I choose or sending it into Sister sun to transmute... great one, Rev. Amy!

I especially love the part of ...

**RE-member to ground out energies that don't belong to you***

Before this course I learned to ground to the center of Mother Earth by descending on a Silver/Golden/White cord and tie it around a large crystal shard in the center of a cluster at the center of the Mother in the center of liquified Crystal. Anything that was not for your highest and best and/or based in a negative not positive would be transmuted in the liquidation that is of Crystalan structure. Only Divine unconditional love could live/exist there in this environment.

With this discourse I can now feel the movement to the crystalan base and I'm there. much quicker....

I have done this during meetings to stay focused and not be scattered, used while supporting clients in overwhelming situations emotionally, and have used this to gather more energy into self when I was needing a nap and no time allowed for this in my schedule.

Thank you Rev. Amy.

Blessings from our Sacred Medicine Circle,

Rev. Ayanvli Rick

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

Comments on the Spirit Quest Program by Rev. Ayanvli Rick

To all fellow ULC course members~~

I have worked on FORGIVENESS with family and others for years in different situations.

I never really hit quite the Bulls Eye with those letters as I did with this round of writings.

I chose to write a form of 3 letters.

When I did the assignment, I just let it all flow or, I would never get to it to start with or get this part of the assignment completed. I was amazed at how rigorously honest I could get with each one, my Creator and Medicine Helpers came to help me as I chose to focus and DO THE ASSIGNMENT! They assisted to keep things at bay and helped me to not get to distracted. I was surprised at what came out on the paper in each step of this process in this discourse.

I found; it was Honest, Non-Judgmental and straight to the point in each step of the way which helped me tremendously to stay focused and walk through it as best as possible.

I have assisted in FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS healing work for others. Now I know you receive the healing in your issues that are similar however, I have not been the one speaking of the family dynamics.

When I finished, I noticed a lightness and an understanding of others in a deeper way that I have in a long time.

As I visualized my grounding cord for this weeks work in seminary to ready self with greater protection tools. I find these are gifted to us, a chosen few~~ as we CHOOSE to LOOK for them and HONE, REFINE them, to assist with arming self with tools to destroy the buttons that others seem to push and this in turn allows in pain that harm self in all facets of one's embodiment, no matter how it enter the body.

I learned about the grounding cord and the Golden Sun with a little tweak to it.

I never understood the importance of collecting and burning off the energies. this is very helpful key.

I understand now, these tools are to re-mind us of what we are here to do, you re-member? our our mission our purpose? and how to weave through life carrying out our Divine contract or agreement, with less things attached to us well...

Rev. Amy's discourses are to assist each of us to purify ourselves and Burnish us so we will do our jobs with; Clarity, Courage, Strengh and Love.

I loved this one as I was able to incorporate the assistance of Sister Sun and have her help me collect those parts of my self I have spread out in and throughout my daily events. Collecting this back up and bringing it back into me if I choose or sending it into Sister sun to transmute... great one, Rev. Amy!

I especially love the part of ...

**RE-member to ground out energies that don't belong to you***

Before this course I learned to ground to the center of Mother Earth by descending on a Silver/Golden/White cord and tie it around a large crystal shard in the center of a cluster at the center of the Mother in the center of liquified Crystal. Anything that was not for your highest and best and/or based in a negative not positive would be transmuted in the liquidation that is of Crystalan structure. Only Divine unconditional love could live/exist there in this environment.

With this discourse I can now feel the movement to the crystalan base and I'm there. much quicker....

I have done this during meetings to stay focused and not be scattered, used while supporting clients in overwhelming situations emotionally, and have used this to gather more energy into self when I was needing a nap and no time allowed for this in my schedule.

Thank you Rev. Amy.

Blessings from our Sacred Medicine Circle,

Rev. Ayanvli Rick

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

Final Essay – Spirit Quest by Rev. Arthur Putnam

Over the last several months there has been many manifestations of new perceptions of ultimate reality all around me and within me. The course of Spirit Quest has played a important role in providing new insights and tools in the development of my embracing the new knowledge in a form of experience that has brought on a newest of my view of the every expanding universal life force we all share in.

One of my favorite tools in this course I have found most useful is the grounding cord. What an awesome tool we all have built into us once it is recognized and used in the manner it is explained in this course. I also believe it shows the inter-connectivity that we have with earth but also all of creation. Which I believe the course also bring to light the importance of the ALL of creation in this inter-connectedness of our being. When we view Life Source as the source that is not only in the things around us but also within us. That there is no separation between the individual and the Source of Creation or Life that we are empowered in many new ways of freedom and enlightenment.

Even thou the grounding cord is my favorite from this course, I also found that many of the other subjects covered also proved to be very empowering and revealing to the nature of our being. To be able to draw in the energy of the golden sun or to use the flower as tool of protection of energy you do not choose to have bombard you, is a great concept of the many things the Spirit Soul can manifest for you.

Over all I rank this as one of the best study course I have done in some time on gifts of the Spirit that we all have, if we would only get to know ourselves and make use of them.

I highly recommend this course to anyone that is interested in expanding their perception of energy fields and nature of Spirit that resides with in each of us.

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

Final Essay – Spirit Quest by Rev. Arthur Putnam

Over the last several months there has been many manifestations of new perceptions of ultimate reality all around me and within me. The course of Spirit Quest has played a important role in providing new insights and tools in the development of my embracing the new knowledge in a form of experience that has brought on a newest of my view of the every expanding universal life force we all share in.

One of my favorite tools in this course I have found most useful is the grounding cord. What an awesome tool we all have built into us once it is recognized and used in the manner it is explained in this course. I also believe it shows the inter-connectivity that we have with earth but also all of creation. Which I believe the course also bring to light the importance of the ALL of creation in this inter-connectedness of our being. When we view Life Source as the source that is not only in the things around us but also within us. That there is no separation between the individual and the Source of Creation or Life that we are empowered in many new ways of freedom and enlightenment.

Even thou the grounding cord is my favorite from this course, I also found that many of the other subjects covered also proved to be very empowering and revealing to the nature of our being. To be able to draw in the energy of the golden sun or to use the flower as tool of protection of energy you do not choose to have bombard you, is a great concept of the many things the Spirit Soul can manifest for you.

Over all I rank this as one of the best study course I have done in some time on gifts of the Spirit that we all have, if we would only get to know ourselves and make use of them.

I highly recommend this course to anyone that is interested in expanding their perception of energy fields and nature of Spirit that resides with in each of us.

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

Spirit Quest Tools by Rev. Gene Rapalyea

Spirit quest Final Essay Tools

To initiate this discussion of spiritual tools I am going to regress to a need for such an understanding. All of the things I am going to say here are postulation, my understanding to date, hence, quest, Spirit Quest. We start with an awakening of self-awareness; at this stage our understanding is stimulus and response. Next we move to social awareness, trade, getting along without merely grabbing and running or beating and taking.

During these first two stages we have started to recognize that we are able to manipulate the environment around us to our benefit this gives rise to physical tools and all manor of physical fabrication. In these earlier periods of growth we began to recognize that some things that we tried worked and others didn't, this gave rise to the concepts of right and wrong, the law and justice, the accumulation of knowledge, aesthetics (the critique of taste and technique, that which is beautiful and pleasing or is not). While moving through this growth we began to see that there were and are forces that we don't understand or mystify us these forces that seem to control both cause and effect, acting on and in a medium undefined by our physical knowledge and reason. Is it an external agent or emanated from within or both for we both seem to be in control and the out of control. Spirit is intuited and recognized, but what is it and where is it? The quest began as time went by we began to recognize that pretty much all of the above is true, it is both internal and external simultaneously, we are individual and a part of the whole in the broadest sense. We are both in and out of Control.

The Sages through the ages tell us faith and Grace is the key to this control, a topic for another conversation. Beyond faith and grace is the word (spoken or unspoken concept, imagination) and action (ritual) "actions speak louder than words". The word precedes action. So what does this have to do with Spirit, Control and tools? The tools are the outcome of generations of listening to the word and experiencing (including observing) the out come of the generated action. This may be a state of grace.

These statements direct us to the tools, which are to implement and explore the effect we as energetic facets of the whole, can exert as a change agent on our being experience. The tools embody the word and its conversion to experience, i.e. Matter. Some of these tools include:

· Goals, direction and focus.

· Forgiveness, the release of previous burdens to explore new possibilities.

· Meditation, getting in contact with the energy we have to work with.

· Grounding, a first step in directing the energy we have come to recognize.

· The Center of the Head, a safe house and command station to work out of.

· The Trap Door, another look at energetic burdens and their release.

· Golden Suns, starting the use of active movement of that energy.

· Little sticky Suns and roses, protection Roses, Blowing up Roses, more clearing of the work surface.

· Spiritual Hellos

· Mock ups

· Amusement

· Chakra

· Glass Body

My favorite of these tools thus far, are meditation with grounding, bringing in the golden suns the center of the head, workspace, with the trapdoor, to allow others to leave by, the little sticky suns and sticky roses and blowing up roses. All of these tools are of a clearing and releasing nature, which it seems at this time, is what I need the most. Using other clearing tool from various different disciplines I had discovered years ago that we are many layers of energies values and beliefs that have shaped out outcomes, but all of the tools seem to have a effective lifespan of usefulness or that certain tools are useful for some issues and in effective for others. Through the use the little sticky suns I found that I could remove my energy from places or people in the distant past even of those that have been long since deceased. Maybe due to the possible simultaneity of existence this all makes some sort of sense.

As for the tools for manifesting I have only scratched the surface with little effectiveness. It might have to do with focus of direction or level of visualization, imagination or depth of meditation. It occurred to me that perhaps as our strengths in these areas develop, along with the release or our anchors and small successes are recognized, our expectations turn more to the desired outcome and we gain the faith the sages speak of, a faith with works and mountains moved.

The quest continues on.

Rev. Gene Rapalyea

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar