Make it a point to try and form a new habit that will create a positive effect on either your, or someone else’s life.
Have you ever wanted to change a bad habit or perhaps just form a new, good habit, but then found that you lack the discipline to stick to your intention? if so changing that pattern might not be as difficult as you think.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle
Uṭṭhahatha! nisīdatha!
Daḷhaṃ sikkhatha santiyā.
Mā vo pamatte viññāya,
maccurājā amohayittha vasānuge.
Rouse yourself! Sit up!
Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.
Do not let the king of death, seeing you are careless,
lead you astray and dominate you.
Sutta Nipāta 2.334
The Discourse Collection: Selected Texts from the Sutta Nipāta,
translated by John D. Ireland
tejavant — splendid, powerful, majestic
In David Crow’s The Ten Virtues of Incense, he writes:
“Fragrant offerings to divinity have always been a major part of every devotional ceremony and ritual. A tear of frankincense melting in a censer; a stick of sandalwood on the altar; a sprinkling of white sage on rocks in a sweat lodge; a bowl of smoldering palo santo chips in an Andean curing ritual: these are the universal expressions of humanity’s desire to communicate with spiritual realms.
But how does fragrance allow us to communicate with the transcendent? Does it form a bridge between the material and immaterial worlds, symbolized so perfectly by smoke rising into the air? Does it attract beneficent devic beings who love the fragrance, taste, and appearance of the offerings, nature’s most beautiful creations? Does it affect our brain chemistry, creating higher states of mental clarity and sattvic emotions, thereby bringing us closer to the ineffable? Does it give substance to the prayers we utter, or external shape to our inner thoughts? These are all ways that people through the ages have explained the powers of using fragrance for communicating with the transcendent.”
The health benefits of Frankincense Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties as an antiseptic, disinfectant, astringent, carminative, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, digestive, diuretic, emenagogue, expectorant, sedative, tonic, uterine and vulnerary substance.
Frankincense Oil is extracted from the gum or resin from Frankincense or Olibanum trees, whose scientific name is Boswellia Carteri. The main components of this essential oil are Alpha Pinene, Actanol, Bornyl Acetate, Linalool, Octyl Acetate, Incensole and Incensyl Acetate. Frankincense has been a popular ingredient in cosmetics and incense burners for centuries. It has even been found in the remains of ancient Egyptian and Anglo-Saxon civilizations. Furthermore, It is closely associated with religious traditions and rites, particularly in the Christian tradition.
Read more about the myriad of health benefits, including treatment of cancer, by clicking on the above image.
Frankincense was one of the gifts the Three Magi brought to Yeshua, the King of Kings. Queens, Pharaohs, and wealthy people of long ago, enjoyed a youthful appearance along with better mood and enhanced brain function, thanks to their use of Frankincense. Queens love to be beautiful, that’s why many of them throughout history have used Frankincense as part of their skin beauty regime.
Mix it all up. Then put it into a spray bottle.
Spray the elixir onto your skin and massage it in if you like. Enjoy the youthful aromatherapy scents.
You are in a sleep, a sleep that is far from ordinary … But a feeling inside moved you to question the world around you … It made you restless and set you out on your search. That part of you is your Navigator here to rouse you from that sleep.
“The Universe left you a secret key.”
Do you want to know what this key is?
What if I told you it is something you already have? In fact, it is something you have probably heard of before, but cast it aside. Perhaps others discouraged you from using it. I wonder what you will do with it if I tell you. Will you listen to your Navigator and use it or push it back under the doormat and forever lock yourself out from awakening? The Universe gave us all a sense so that we can move to the place where the sleeper exists and bring back the knowledge we needed. It gave us the sixth sense. The sixth sense is the missing link that will open the door to awakening.
How does a Sleeper awaken?
The Navigator tells us what we need to do.
It guides and directs us through life, and we must learn to enhance that sense. We must enhance that
sense ….~ Eric Pepin
Not long before she died H.P.B. dictated to a Mr Sturdy, one of the members of her Inner Group, the material for what has now become known as her Meditation Diagram. This has been reproduced in The Theosophist before but perhaps a repetition of its inclusion as part of this article is justified.
This Diagram if used intently and persistently can yield some very significant results, the chief of which is the reorientation of attention from the personal to the impersonal self, even to the liberation of consciousness from the limitations of personal mind thinking and from the identification of consciousness with the personality.
The Diagram of Meditation is really in two parts.
(1) To start, H.P.B. says, ‘First conceive of UNITY by Expansion in Space and infinite in Time (either with or without self-identification)’. Here again we have a technique which is ‘consciousness-raising’ in itself. It relates us to the cosmic ‘whole’ and lifts our attention out of the realms of limitation. If we imagine ourselves ‘.. in Space and infinite in Time’, we cease to be in relation with anything we normally know or can conceive of. Space here does not relate to physical 3-D extension but to subjective space, that space ‘we’ (as a unit of bare subjectivity) are in when we close our eyes. Normally we fill it with mind images and thought symbols, but in this instruction we are to think of Unity, in the abstract, by expansion in space. This removes our attention, from the familiar to the ‘boundless’. It is a way of helping us realize the ‘inner divine man’ as the point of reference for all experience and mental activity. In this exercise that point of consciousness becomes our inner Self, our real single Self as opposed to the multitude of ‘selves’ which make up our personality.
We are then told to ‘meditate logically and consistently on this (Unity, etc.) in reference to states of consciousness’. Normally these are the four: waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the transcendental state of Turiya. This exercise must be done to be appreciated. There is much information on the states in Subba Rao’s Esoteric Writings, pp 133 (fn), and 311 (an interesting explanation).
All that he says can be summarised as follows, the four states are:-
1) Jagrat – the normal Waking State
2) Swapna – Dreaming
3) Sushupti – Dreamless Sleep
4) Turiya – Transcendental Conscious Union with one’s Ego.
The Vedanta Philosophy teaches as much as Occult Philosophy that our Monad during its life on earth as a Triad (7th, 6th and 5th principles) has, besides the condition of pure intelligence, three conditions, namely waking, dreaming and sushupti – a state of dreamless sleep – from the standpoint of terrestrial conceptions; of real, actual, soul life – from the occult standpoint, while man is either dreamlessly profoundly asleep or in a trance state, the Triad (spirit, soul, mind) enters into perfect union with the para-atma, the supreme universal soul. The Turiya state is a kamaless one and cannot be obtained by the Yogi unless the Higher Triad is separated from the Lower Quaternary (see S.D.III, 540). The higher spiritual consciousness is described in C.W.XII, 711.
(2) The second part of the Diagram of Meditation consists of important aids prefaced by ‘Then the normal state of our consciousness must be moulded by:-’. Then there are two headings: ‘Acquisitions’ and ‘Deprivations’ summarised briefly in what follows. Under ‘Acquisitions’ there are three main elements: i) ‘Perpetual presence in imagination in all space and time’; ii) Continued attempt at attitude of mind to all existing things, which is neither love, hate nor indifference’; iii) ‘The perception in all embodied beings of limitation only’. For meditation purposes these are extended and illustrated. Time spent in meditation on the ‘Acquisitions’ establishes a point of view (centre of awareness) which becomes distinct from whatever one is thinking about. The content of our thought becomes objective to us, as subject, the point of awareness. These Acquisitions, she says, are completed by the thought ‘I am all Space and Time.’
In the middle leg of Acquisitions, H.P.B. refers to the six virtues set out in verses 207 to 213 of The Voice of the Silence. For would-be meditators there is no better material for contemplation than that little book. In the Preface to it H.P.B. explains that the treatises she selected for translation from the original, ‘will best suit the few real mystics in the Theosophical Society, and (which) are sure to answer their needs’. Much of what she says about the practice of meditation she prefaces with the necessity for high morality and purity, the theme of much of the book.
Under the heading of ‘Deprivations’ we are instructed to steadily deny reality to: i) Separations and meetings, explained as association with places, times and forms; ii) The distinction, friend and foe; iii) Possessions; iv) Personality; v) Sensation. Each of these is illustrated and explained for meditation purposes, in a very illuminating and meaningful way.
A note summarizes the importance of our reviewing the ‘Deprivations’ in the light of ‘the inner divine man’. Our unit of consciousness (now free in space and time and the conditioning of the personality) is the nearest most of us will be able to get to ‘the inner divine man’ to begin with. The note says, we should cultivate the perpetual imagination – without self delusion – of ‘I am without’; the recognition of their being the source of bondage, ignorance and strife. ‘Deprivation’ is completed by the meditation ‘I am without attributes’.
An immediate difficulty arises when we think about these ‘Deprivations’ and identify ourselves with them. This note helps correct that attitude and see that we ourselves as freed units of consciousness, i.e. our inner divine selves, do not have these attributes. We are ‘deprived’ of them. We, our proper Selves, are never so conditioned, hence the injunction to meditate with the words ‘I am without attributes’. To start with and to realize the truth of this can be somewhat frightening. However, if we succeed, we have entered into a state of real freedom which can never again be lost completely. Yet somehow or other our real identity has not been lost although we then could not say what precisely we were. In other words we now, as ‘inner divine Beings’, have broken the habitual identity in consciousness with our personalities. A note on the Diagram says, ‘There is no risk of self-delusion if the personality is deliberately forgotten’.
Having achieved this initial stage of liberation we have to train our lower selves in the practice of the virtues, and H.P.B. says that now there will be ‘greater ease’ in practising them. Quoting The Voice of the Silence, the virtues (Paramitas) are i) Charity and love immortal; ii) Harmony in word and act; iii) Patience sweet; iv) Indifference to pleasure and pain; v) Dauntless energy; vi) Dhyana, whose golden gate once opened leads the Narjol (a saint or adept) towards the realm of Sat eternal and its ceaseless contemplation; vii) Prajna, the key to which makes of man a god, creating him a Bodhisattva. This is the end result of all meditation and spiritual development.
It may be a long time before most of us can achieve, to a significant degree, the sixth and seventh virtues but the first five have some immediate reality for us and the persistent practice of them certainly changes us and our lives greatly to their benefit: then all those with whom we associate, and our environment, benefit accordingly.
There are many references in the classical H.P.B. literature to Hatha Yoga and mostly they are warnings against its practice. For example,
Pranayama … without the previous acquisition of or at least full understanding of the two higher senses, of which there are seven … pertains to the lower yoga [Hatha Yoga]. The Hatha so-called was and still is discountenanced by the Arhats. It is injurious to the health and alone can never develop into Raja Yoga.
[S.D.I, 95 (orig. ed.), 121 (3rd ed.), 157 (4th ed.)]
Again the two highest tattvas were ignored by exoteric yoga philosophy and Hatha Yoga, but these two are the chief factors in Raja Yoga. No spiritual or intellectual phenomena of a high nature can take place without them, they being the Adi tattva (first Logos, corresponding to Atma) and Anupadaka tattva (second Logos, corresponding to Buddhi). The other tattvas mentioned are Akasa (as Ether), Vayu (Air), Tejas (Fire), Apas (Water) and Prithivi (Earth). Note that akasa is Ether and corresponds to mind, Tejas is luminosity in the atmosphere. Another warning, ‘the Hatha Yogi uses powers only on the material plane’, and then there is a dissertation on the use of will power which specifically states that it does not involve the suppression of breath (see S.D.III, 503, C.W.XII, 616).
There is further instruction by H.P.B. to her Inner Group (see end of S.D.III, which is also in ‘The Inner Group Teachings of H.P. Blavatsky’ reconstructed by H.J. Spierenburg), most of it of an advanced and technical nature not touched on here.
~ from Geoffrey Farthing’s article “HPB on Meditation and Yoga” in “The Theosophist,” December 1992 (http://www.blavatskytrust.org.uk)
* For less complex information about the Raja Yoga of Theosophy and its practical and perpetual application in everyday life, please see the article “The Esoteric Raja Yoga of Theosophy” on this site at http://secretdoctrine.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-esoteric-raja-yoga-of-theosophy/.
“Money is a way of measuring wealth but is not wealth in itself. A chest of gold coins or a fat wallet of bills is of no use whatsoever to a wrecked sailor alone on a raft. He needs real wealth, in the form of a fishing rod, a compass, an outboard motor with gas, and a female companion. But this ingrained and archaic confusion of money with wealth is now the main reason we are not going ahead full tilt with the development of our technological genius for the production of more than adequate food, clothing, housing, and utilities for every person on earth.
It is not going to be at all easy to explain this to the world at large, because mankind has existed for perhaps one million years with relative material scarcity, and it is now roughly a mere one hundred years since the beginning of the industrial revolution. As it was once very difficult to persuade people that the earth is round and that it is in orbit around the sun, or to make it clear that the universe exists in a curved space-time continuum, it may be just as hard to get it through to “common sense” that the virtues of making and saving money are obsolete.
It is an oversimplification to say that this is the result of business valuing profit rather than product, for no one should be expected to do business without the incentive of profit. The actual trouble is that profit is identified entirely with money, as distinct from the real profit of living with dignity and elegance in beautiful surroundings.
To try to correct this irresponsibility by passing laws would be wide of the point, for most of the law has as little relation to life as money to wealth. On the contrary, problems of this kind are aggravated rather than solved by the paperwork of politics and law. What is necessary is at once simpler and more difficult: only that financiers, bankers, and stockholders must turn themselves into real people and ask themselves exactly what they want out of life — in the realization that this strictly practical and hard–nosed question might lead to far more delightful styles of living than those they now pursue. Quite simply and literally, they must come to their senses — for their own personal profit and pleasure.”
Discussion/Meditation Notes:
What does wealth mean to you?
Can you share a personal experience of a time when you understood the “real profit of living with dignity and elegance in beautiful surroundings”?
What do you want out of your life?
I will remain confident and unaffected by negative attitudes around me.
Try to see the things that happen to you in life, both the good and the bad things, as opportunities to practice responding with love.
When you look at your life … if you think about all the details of what happened to you, you will find that there was a time where you had the extra cup of coffee, where if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have met Person A. Your life depends on how you react to those opportunities and challenges that the randomness presents to you. If you’re awake and paying attention, you will find that things happen. They might seem good, they might seem bad but the important thing is how you react to it. It’s all about our search for Beauty … through free will, consciousness, chaos, beauty, spirituality … and Star Trek.
“Mankind’s greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
“Oneness with the beyond is his message of salvation.
The non-duality of eternal bliss is his god.
Mastery of the inner senses is his guiding light.”
~ Nirvana Upanishad
Appampi ce saṃhita bhāsamāno,
dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī,
rāgañca, dosañca, pahāya mohaṃ,
sammappajāno suvimuttacitto,
anupādiyāno idha vā huraṃ vā,
sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
Little though one recites the sacred texts,
but puts the Teaching into practice,
forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion,
with true wisdom and emancipated mind,
clinging to nothing of this or any other world —
one indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.
Dhammapada 1.20
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom,
translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita
When you meet someone who is spiritually healthy, you’re immediately drawn to that person. You feel good just by being around them. These people are magnets for happiness, freedom and generosity, and have a unique ability to enjoy the present moment.
The only way you can achieve true spiritual satisfaction is by following your heart’s desires. Here are some clues that you can use to stay on the right path.
Here are 20 signs you’re spiritually healthy:
1. You stepped out of the victim role and now play the game of designing your destiny.
2. You love your life because you’re living your soul’s purpose.
3. You feel like you’re contributing and serving with generosity.
4. You got off the emotional roller coaster, and your emotions feel like smooth waves on a clear day most of the time.
5. You catch yourself when you judge others and realize that what you’re judging is intimately related to your own self-acceptance.
6. You don’t fear making the wrong decision, because you’re aware that there can always be a spiritual lesson.
7. You understand that freedom and happiness are qualities you cultivate from within, and the more you work on them, the more they grow.
8. You no longer feel like you need to hide out of fear of judgment; you are the full expression of yourself personally and professionally.
9. You spend time in silence daily and crave it when you miss a day, because you feel like something is “off.”
10. You have the courage to let go of relationships that no longer benefit you because you understand that they already served their purpose.
11. Your soul is happy because you find a moment to play and dream every single day.
12. You don’t feel lonely or disconnected, and you highly appreciate alone time.
13. You seem to notice details, colors, tastes and beauty with a sensibility that makes you feel like a kid.
14. You express your needs and desires with complete confidence and without confrontation.
15. You don’t feel like you have to explain your lifestyle, because you understand how it serves you and might not serve others.
16. You’re able to be in the now at least 25% of the time; you’re fully present and in joy.
17. You don’t second guess yourself because you trust your intuition and act on it.
18. You trust that life is on your side and problems are always opportunities or lessons to be learned.
19. You are able to fall in love over and over again, with your friends, with your partner, with your work.
20. You start your day with an intention and go to bed in gratitude.
Source: Raquel Vasallo, Mind Body Green
If you are feeling pulled in a million directions welcome to the Mad-hatter energy. Right now it dominates this sequence of alignments. We ask ourselves are we running early or late? Which place have we landed, what dimension do we play in? All of these questions and more have run amuck within our not-so-aware consciousness, as it tries to figure it all out.
We all stand head to head heart to heart and toe to toe, with every inch of our self, knocking on the ‘ door’ of the sacred place within. All events begin and end in this corridor of time, pay attention to what seeks your approval, whether wind or tide, tree or animal. The 3 very very full moons slide across our peripheral vision as we continue to scuffle windmills in the twilight. What is illusion and what is real? All blends and emulsifies to create a new element not on the periodic chart. It is time to stop expecting the predictable and embrace what we have not even imagined.
The month of July offers us an opportunity to see with the eyes of a honeybee, at a 1000 different angles and patterns, we are asked to look below the sea of emotions into the underlying reefs. Fragile and in need of attention. We try so hard to block what hurts, we buffer it anyway we can. Eventually all comes full circle in a 24 hr day and one comes face to face with that which you ran away from. The she crab carries her shell hither and fro, shielding herself.
As the clock struck midnight on 7/7/7 (July 7, 2014) we come to a holy intersection of time and ancient sacred days. A great stellar pulse comes forth from our daystar straight into the heart of all matter. This month begins the first pulse of power as we slowly move step, by step forward. Sidestepping as many issues as possible. Stuffing the emotions with the sweetness, you are not finding in life.
On July 25th we will enter the day out of time portal, a place were all and nothing exists simultaneously, side by side. A place that would tie the ‘string theory in knots’ if they ever met. The Mayan ‘day out of time’ is the last day of the galactic year in the Mayan calendar. (13 moons of 28 days = 364 days) the extra day, the 365th day, is July 25, called the day out of time.
Each and everyday we need to allow a few moments to ‘step out of time’ realign our energies. To swim deep into the void for that eternal minute and realign with your heart and souls desire. To see the multi-verse with all your failed and forgotten dreams come to life, built in Technicolor and surround sound. Everything you had given up on and tossed to the wind landed in the sacred place known as ‘the day out of time’.
This Mayan New Year is called the ‘red solar moon’. I could find very little about it, as if it no longer counted.
Red Solar Moon
Red Eastern Castle of Turning
Earth family- Gateway Clan- Blood
I pulse in order to purify
Realizing flow
I seal the process of universal water
With the solar tone of intention
I am guided by the power of life force
Red Solar Moon is awakening to who we really are rather than what we have been conditioned into believing about ourselves. We are drawing to us everything that is seeking to complete.
When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.
Wealth is pouring into my life.
(NaturalNews) The term food preservatives sounds quite positive, and if you don’t look any deeper than the surface, it’s a good thing. It means the food that’s packaged in boxes, bags, jars and cans has a longer shelf life, before mold, mildew, bacteria and fungi kick into high gear and start breaking down the food, changing it’s structure, color and, most of all, its nutritional value. But look deeper, into the science of “preservatives,” and you will find some quite ominous information, and you will forever see the term as something that can affect your life expectancy and lead to something that starts with the letter “c” from which one in every three people suffer.
The same “preservatives” that prolong the shelf life of food also shorten human life. How? Human cells need oxygen. Certain preservatives choke your mitochondria, depriving them of oxygen.
(NaturalNews) For many who love warmth and the outdoors, summer can, by far, be their favorite season. With summer, too, comes growing seasons, and gardeners who love to produce fresh fruit and vegetables for themselves, their families and their friends.
What I am about to say is pretty simple but trust me it has a powerful effect.
When is the last time you took a moment, a moment to center yourself, your life and your heart. I’m very serious. When … is…. The…. Last…. Time… You…. Took… a…. Moment, for Yourself.
If I could make one request of you at this very moment it would be to go out into life this weekend and find a beautiful location that speaks to you and sit, breath in slowly…. Realeaseeeeeeeeee….. Smile on the inside and the outside. Feel the love of the Universe and the love of life for about 10 minutes. The smile part is the most important part. As simple, foolish, artificial and or ridiculous that may sound to some, it really works to change your brains outlook and it’s something you can CHOOSE to do to change your life. Retrain your brain.
If your life is dismal and down, then double dip and get twice the benefit!
Think of your life like a spinning top on a table. Every time something negative happens the top aka your life / consciousness begins to wobble erratically out of control. Bumping into and creating more problems for yourself.
When you take a moment hence a time out for yourself and do the above. You take that control back and the top rights its self into a balanced position. The more you right yourself, the more control you take back in your life.
Here is one more thing to think about. The optimist vs. the pessimist
Optimist
1. The tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things
2. Hopefulness; confidence
3. The doctrine of the ultimate triumph of good over evil
4. The philosophical doctrine that this is the best of all possible worlds
Pessimist
1. A person who habitually sees or anticipates the worst or is disposed to be gloomy.
2. An adherent of the doctrine of pessimism.
Most of us are by default in the second half, lol and probably a bit cynical about life, but we also have the ability to change our thinking and our lives!
Research has been piling up over the past decade that shows optimistic people have better lives. There relationships are better, finances are better and they live longer! If that doesn’t piss you off!, lol
Interestingly, there are a few people who said that they simply felt cursed at some point in the life. That nothing would go right and they even considered giving up. Then they discovered meditation, and that they could in fact take control of there life. These very same people less then a few weeks later stated that after applying the simple techniques they learned life had righted itself for them and they were excited to see what each new day would bring!
I myself have up’s and down. Shitty things happen and you need to deal with it. By nature I am admittedly an Pessimist, And it is so much easier to just go into that state of mind. But in meditation I learned decades ago that “Mindfulness” Is my secret Kung-Fu of the mind and it helps me to realize at that very moment, I am heading to a deep, dark shitty place mentally! I then take charge as I had learned in my practices and re adjust my mind, attitude and perspective My energy…and just like that the bullshit begins to lift and if it is a slow process I choose to speed it up by applying more technique just like the above and I can literally watch hour by hour things getting better.
You are not powerless, you are not hopeless and God has not forsaken you.
You are powerful, you have a purpose and God is your admirer you just have to decide take charge to your life.
Most people don’t know what to make of Higher Balance because we talk about meditation, altered states of consciousness, paranormal phenomenon etc. the truth is we love it all and we are experts. We see all of those things connected and believe they all interact with each other manipulating and forming your life and its purpose. We believe that can be changed and or improved by your choice if you choose to take action in your own design. We show you things that have been hidden from you that will very much shock you at first and then its followed by revelations of amazing possibilities you truly have and never knew about.
Right now you may be feeling that all you need is a time out from life and what I said earlier seem like the perfect tool to do the job and it is! But it’s also really good to know that when you are ready to take bigger steps that they are ready to be shared with you.
Higher Balance … think about the name and think about the spinning top.
~ Eric Pepin
sukhuma — that which is delicate, or that which is fine, subtle, minute
Sukhā virāgatā loke,
Kāmānaṃ samatikkamo;
Asmimānassa yo vinayo —
etaṃ ve paramaṃ sukhaṃ.
Blissful is passionlessness in the world,
The overcoming of sensual desires;
But the abolition of the conceit I am —
That is truly the supreme bliss.
Udāna 2.11
The Udāna and the Itivuttaka, trans. John D. Ireland
Apple Crumble Loaf with Brown Sugar Custard
(makes one medium loaf cake, serves about 8-10)
For the cake:
225g self-raising flour (about 1 & 3/4 cups)
125g butter, softened
120g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp brown sugar + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the crumble:
125g self raising flour (approx. 1 cup)
90g sugar
45g butter
1.5-2 tbsp water for mixing
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the custard:
3 large egg yolks
75g brown sugar (about 1/3 cup packed, can replace with 75g golden syrup)
300ml pouring cream (about 1 & 1/4 cups)
150ml milk (about 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp)
1 vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Grease and line a 20cm x 10cm (8x4inch) loaf tin with baking paper. Prepare the cake batter; preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and beating until combined. Reduce mixer speed to slow and gradually add flour and and milk and mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared tin and smooth surface with a spatula. Layer apples slices over the top of the batter, there should be enough for two layers of slices. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the apple slices.
Prepare the crumble; place butter, flour, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and rub the mixture gently between the tips of your fingers to combine them, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add a 1/2 tablespoon of water at a time, while still combining with your fingertips until the mixture starts to form fairly bit clumps of around 0.5 cm diameter, rather than fine breadcrumbs. I added about 2 tbps water.
Bake in oven for 50-60mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the crumble on top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely in tin. Serve while still warm (and should be heated before serving always).
Prepare the custard; place milk, cream and vanilla (pod split and seeds scraped) in a medium saucepan and bring just to the boil. Set aside to cool for a minute. Place egg yolks and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until pale and sugar has dissolved. While still whisking, gradually add hot mixture to the bowl until completely combined. Return mixture to the saucepan and place on low heat, stirring continuously. (And I mean continuously, unless you want to end up with scrambled eggs.) Stir until mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover surface of mixture with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Cut cake into slices and serve warm with custard or cream or ice cream. Trust me, it’s not even half as good at room temperature. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
Did you know that Alzheimer’s is ranked as our #1 fear? As anyone over 40 knows forgetting things and feeling less mentally sharp often becomes an unavoidable side effect of getting older.
There are currently 3,000 food additives in the US food supply.
Click on the above image to read about the 5 that are killing your brain…
(NaturalNews) Summer is a great time to create refreshing and cleansing juices. With summer produce and hotter temperatures in full swing, it is the perfect way to keep cool and nourish your body with nutrients that can be lost in the summer heat. Here are three recipes that can get the juice party started.
#33 ~ Dun ~ Retiring
Above: Qian/Gan ~ Dynamic forward motion
Below : Gen ~ Stop, still, quiet
The Wisdom:
Go to the mountain;
Honor and hold stillness;
In stillness, without effort
You will be made strong for your return.
It is time to bring the strategy of the great into play.
You have garnered attention by your recent personal and public advancement, this is clear. Normally it would seem that it is time to use this notice as fuel to make an advance. It looks that way… but it is not such a time. Do not fall prey to the temptation of ego to take the good vibes, notice, and acclaim given you by your tribe and community to move further toward your goal of love and abundance. It seems energetically more than possible; it seems to be a no-brainer. But it is not. It is much more complex than that.
It is fine to let it appear that you are holding place and will use the acclaim and notice to advance. Let it look that way, but in reality hold still, at full stop. You need a break, a moment to consider where you have been and how far you have come. It will be a delicate balance to have the appearance that you are moving gracefully forward, all the while you are moving toward retreat.
Leave the stage without a farewell. Don’t be rude, be clever; smile, nod, and be gracious. You have created quite a stir with your actions, growth, and your diligence in keeping an open heart and an open mind. You have in your actions been working on yourself for sure; the key has been that whether you know it or not, this diligence has added to the progress for all, for the greater good.
Here is where strategy is important. There are conflicts just beginning to show themselves. Do not engage; you cannot win those battles right now. You are to go into retreat. Move without your audience, tribe, and associates noticing that you have gone into a quiet stillness and are, in your stillness, gathering your powers and strength. You will come back with such a force and with such great light that all who in the past might have tried to control, obstruct, or manipulate you will be in awe and wonderment as to where this energy blast came from. This will please the spirits and set you in the place necessary to overcome the difficulties and obstacles that appeared just before this necessary retreat. The benefit now is to move into recovery from your great exertions in solitude, into a time of meditative contemplation of what lies ahead. Move to a place known only to you, to your inner self—a peaceful place where the resounding echoes of the divine inner voice of wisdom, fate, and clarity reside.
Covert retreat, on its face, may look feel like it is deception, and you have worked hard not to be deceptive, not to hide your worth and to be seen as the truthful partner and leader. You have done well, but now you must be strategic. Strategy is not deceptive or dishonest; it is a necessary aspect of progress and process. To move forward you will benefit by first moving inward.
Ambition, vanity, ego, and desire would say
You should push forward now,
That you need to make “it” work.
An action such as this will only lead to humiliation and loss.
Quiet the yapping ego and make a dignified, gracious, and unseen retreat.
Just as skill and strength are involved in moving forward toward your goal, there is great strength and subtle skill to be mastered in this called-for retreat. The ego will tell you that with your influence you can “make things right” by engaging and setting the record straight, by meeting conflict head-on. Don’t go there now, it won’t work. You are in a situation in which if you were to do so, your words would not be heard, valued, or respected. See clearly the others involved in your career, business, family, and tribe who are operating from a place of control, doubt, or greed. To attempt to defend against this would-be folly, look to your short-term memory; the attempts to think or maneuver your way around the situation have not, so far, and will not in the future, be effective. Therefore, it is time to retreat.
The mountain shows that it is time to stand still.
Do not engage in battle; let go of desire.
Do not let pride keep you from this vital and proper action.
Calmly retreat and build strength for your reentry.
You will not benefit through confrontation, compromise, or trying to power through the obstacles that were so overtly placed in the road. Instead, take the attitude of the sacred mountain and hold still. This does not mean to do nothing and wait. What the hexagram Dun is teaching is that by making a well-timed and covert retreat you will be able to gather your strength and create a vision that will allow you to formulate a brilliant and well-thought-out plan that you will activate upon your return. Above all, refrain from making the announcement that you are going into retreat.
Keep in mind that in your retreat you will formulate a plan. To all but your trusted confidants of the heart, it will seem like you never went anywhere.
Note well and do not be naïve: there is brewing before you a battle between the dark and the light. Let it play out and do not engage. If you do engage, the dark forces will swallow you and leave you confused, disempowered, weakened, depressed, and angry. Instead, let the drama play out; allow the dragon to eat its own tail.
Don’t wait.
You are on time.
This is the correct time to retreat.
Have a beach day, if not in reality, in spirit.
In retreat you will find purification. You will be able to think more clearly, love more freely, and regain the mantle of confidence and the longed-for feelings of inner peace. Any feelings of impotence will disappear.
Make this retreat joyous. Find new experiences and explore new ideas. Let your eyes and ears find new feasts of delight. Have compassion for yourself and others as you retreat and still your heart. It is here that clarity resides. And when you reemerge, you will be dazzling in your clarity and confidence—a brilliant, shining star.
While you are in your awake state in retreat and stillness, spirit will find you here and bring valued teachings from the masters who have sent their spirit envoys to the Earth plane to assist in the return of the light to our planet. They will come with compassion and great kindness, nurturing the emerging and oh-so-delicate formation of the coming golden age. Harmonize with this alchemical formula of love, kindness, and compassion for your fellow pilgrims. Continue to have this vision for yourself and for all as you contemplate, in retreat, the New Earth that will emerge with the love of Gaia at its forefront.
By joining intentions, all beings become the New Earth tribe. Together we will stand, without fear, in the light to welcome the coming age of simplicity, kindness, compassion, and a firm hand and an open heart.
Hold close and dear the ones you love and who love you. The energetic shift that is in progress is laced with love and compassion.
Consider the numbers of this week, the 14th day of the 7th month of the year 2014… It is a magical time with the numbers of alchemical magic… this magic is at your disposal, if used with grace and dignity.
Sending you big hugs from here on the 20th parallel.
Peace out,
BobbyK
GENERAL PLANETARY INFLUENCES 14-20.7.2014
Quite a change planetary wise this coming week, with 3 major changes, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter all changing signs. Jupiter being one of the generation planets makes it a very influential difference over the coming months in various respects. Next week it’s busy again, with the Sun and Mars both changing signs, and Saturn moving Direct again. It one way, the movements of the planets at times seems to be quite busy or nothing much at all. Anyway, now on to the planetary influences and horoscopes for this week.
The Sun is in it’s last phase of affectionate, caring, loving apprehensive and receptive Cancer, making us quite sensitive at times.
The Moon starts the week in impulsive, magnetic, imperative Aquarius. On Wednesday it moves into emotional, responsive, sensitive Pisces. On Saturday it moves again into active, excitable, impulsive Aries, with a Last Quarter Moon then making us aim for personal goals. On Sunday it moves into defensive, possessive, security conscious Taurus, finishing the week there.
Mercury is now in imaginative, intuitive, compassionate & sensitive Cancer. Venus remains in positive, flirtatious Gemini, when we seek some fun. On Saturday it moves into devoted, sympathetic, caring Cancer, and can make us react much more emotionally.
Mars remains in vigilant, just, harmonious Libra until the end of next week. Jupiter remains in intuitive, principled, considerate Cancer, until Thursday, when it moves into benevolent, confident, expansive and flamboyant Leo, enhancing our generosity and honesty.
Saturn remains in responsible, shrewd, strong-willed Scorpio, until the end of 2014. Saturn travels Retrograde for this week, giving a need for privacy, external influences may influence us more than usual.
Uranus remains in assertive, blunt, energetic, self-willed Aries, for several years, and can make us individualistic and rebellious, unexpected events or disruptive emotional matters, may distract us, or help us see things differently.
Neptune remains in sensitive, intuitive Pisces for the foreseeable future, and helps us gradually develop more empathy, compassion, and build understanding, in a wide variety of ways, but also indicates a need to remain realistic. Neptune is now traveling Retrograde until Mid December, indicating boundaries between reality and illusion may blur at times, causing possible confusion, with a need to look at people and situations realistically.
Pluto remains in Capricorn for quite a few years, so is a very long term influence, showing knowledge gradually acquired on deeper levels, with balance, & realistic ways of recycling & developing our intuitive knowledge further, to use practically. Pluto travels Retrograde until late September, with a relentless search for inner truth, furthering our self knowledge approached the right way.
Planetary Aspects This Week
Sun and Jupiter conjunct until Thursday – Better self esteem and enthusiasm, but moderation is important.
Sun square Mars and Uranus – Patience is helpto to avoid over-impulsive behaviour. Lots of ideas but possibly impractical behaviour at times.
Sun trine Saturn – Great skills in dealing with personal responsibilities.
Sun inconjunct Moon Tuesday – Possible stress in personal relations with loved ones or friends.
Sun trine Moon Thursday – Natural reactions encourage success.
Sun square Moon Saturday – Self expression may conflict with family situations.
Moon sextile Uranus Monday – Quick emotional responses and a great rapport with people.
Moon square Saturn Monday – Seriousness, and a need to avoid negativity.
Moon trine Mars Monday and Tuesday – Constructive actions and positive dealings with others.
Moon trine Venus Tuesday – Trust and security in relations with other people.
Moon conjunct Neptune Wednesday – A need for stimulating challenges, to avoid boredom.
Moon sextile Pluto Wednesday – An innate ability to understand and respond to others.
Moon trine Saturn Wednesday – Honesty with a sense of responsibility.
Moon square Venus Thursday – A need for freedom of movement, without feeling tied by circumstances.
Moon conjunct Uranus Friday – Deep intuition, but possible mood swings too.
Moon square Mercury and Pluto Friday – Possible conflict between feelings and logic can cause confusion.
Moon opposite Mars Saturday – It can be hard to compromise in close relationships.
Moon sextile Mercury Sunday – Thoughtfulness and sensitivity shown to others.
Moon sextile Neptune Sunday – Empathy, sensitivity and understanding towards others.
Moon square Jupiter Sunday – Generosity and self indulgence, can lead to a shortfall of funds.
Moon trine Pluto Sunday – Emotional problems handled positively using willpower.
Moon opposite Saturn Sunday – A negative mental attitude can restrict spontaneous ideas.
Mercury trine Neptune – A practical idealistic outlook with a spontaneous mental attitude too.
Mercury conjunct Venus from Saturday – Generally an affable manner with good social skills.
Venus trine Mars up to Friday – Affection, warmth and congenial relations with friends and loved ones.
Venus trine Neptune from Saturday – Kindness and empathy with a rather romantic outlook.
Mars square Jupiter till Friday – A need to avoid extremes of behaviour and find a balance.
Mars opposite Uranus till Wednesday – A need for mental stimulation, challenges are readily accepted.
Jupiter inconjunct Neptune from Saturday – Possible distortion between intellect and emotions at times and a need to balance these.
Saturn and Pluto still sextile – A deeper sense of inevitable changes and transformation.
Saturn inconjunct Uranus – Probable difficulty at times establishing priorities in obligations that are undertaken.
Uranus square Pluto – A need for freedom and independence, and tendencies to rebel against interactions that feel too close for comfort.
Neptune and Pluto sextile long term – A need for positive reactions to circumstances and general changes that occur within society.
ARIES 21 March – 20 April
You enjoy family time, feeling more secure at home. You may worry about a relative. You’re drawn to intellectual people. From Saturday you feel close to loved ones. You seek a balance with a partner, enjoying quality family time. From Thursday you’re great company. You’re purposeful, concentrate, & are original, but erratic & contemplative, focus on career progress.
TAURUS 21 April – 21 May
You need to get out & about & mix with other people. You’re chatty, curious & edgy. You may spend on luxury items. From Saturday you need good relations with others. You need stimulation & balance at work, are alert & enthusiastic. From Thursday you’re happiest at home. You support your partner, are intuitive, & view friends idealistically, but have inflexible views.
GEMINI 22 May – 21 June
You need to appear successful, & may spend or invest more. You’re astute with money. You’re charismatic & peaceable. From Saturday you seek security & luxury items. You’re vigorous, eager & spontaneous, cleverly investing money. From Thursday you seek to improve your mind. You may ignore health issues, are original, friendly & ambitious, but emotional or obsessive.
CANCER 22 June – 23 July
You may react very sensitively to people & situations. You express yourself astutely. You may feel unwanted. From Saturday your charm makes you popular. You may try to control family matters & are enthusiastic & optimistic. From Thursday you may consider investing money. You’re creative, innovative & professional, but naive, & may manipulate your partner at times.
LEO 24 July – 23 August
You feel deeply intuitive & can rely on your instincts. Your mind & emotions may clash. You have a close bond with friends. From Saturday you may be more emotional. You speak your mind abrasively, & need privacy on occasion. From Thursday your enthusiasm inspires others. You may feel insecure & seek stimulus, are ingenious, & should look at ongoing health issues.
VIRGO 24 August – 23 September
You enjoy socialising with your close friends. You’re drawn to intellectual people. You may have many career goals. From Saturday you’re an affectionate, caring friend. You’re acquisitive, financially astute, & inspiring. From Thursday you’re selfless but private. You’re reliable & focused, argue about joint money, are vague to a partner, but emotional & passionate.
LIBRA 24 September – 23 October
You focus on your goals, & aim high for success. You’re methodical & reliable. You’re drawn to faraway places. From Saturday you have professional responsibility. You’re competitive & resolute, motivated & proficient. From Thursday you’re inspiring to friends. You money may be limited, dislike partnership restrictions, should watch your health, & are changeable at home.
SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November
You enjoy getting away from it all, or leaning more. You may lack concentration. You feel emotionally intense. From Saturday you want to expand your horizons. You’re empathetic but covert, philosophical & knowledgeable. From Thursday you’re driven to succeed professionally. You lack confidence, are innovative & overly imaginative, curious but preoccupied by detail.
SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December
You feel intuitive, but emotionally overwhelmed. You astutely manage business issues. You share a close bond with a partner. From Saturday you may feel intense or jealous. You enjoy mixing & socialising, & easily make money. From Thursday you’re positive & philosophical. You’re introspective & creative, with a busy home life, but are competent & financially astute.
CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January
You feel happy & quite positive with your partner. You communicate well with them. You need a balanced working life. From Saturday you feel close in a partnership. You focus on personal ambitions, & are happy with a partner. From Thursday you can make money in business. You may meet old friends, home life is erratic, you’re vague, & inscrutable, but have great potential.
AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February
You put in a great deal of effort & support at work. You’re practical & responsible. You feel flirtatious & positive. From Saturday you need harmony with colleagues. You’re innovative, seeking challenges, & ambitious. From Thursday you feel really happy with a partner. You’re responsible, have many ideas, are financially vulnerable, but focused, secretive & tense at times.
PISCES 20 February – 20 March
You really enjoy your leisure time & getting out. You communicate positively. You enjoy spending time with loved ones. From Saturday you aim for some luxuries. You work best alone, & are charismatic. From Thursday you’re supportive to others. You’re wary of changes, erratic with money, self deceptive, & have ongoing challenging friendships to deal with.
Disclaimer
I can’t guarantee anything shown on these horoscopes, they can only offer general information, as written by Beverley Taylor or Astrologymix so please note that they should be considered for entertainment purposes only. However I do make every effort to ensure the information I give is as accurate as possible. If you do have any queries please feel free to contact me.
There is no next time, no Time-outs, no second chances …
Sometimes, it’s Now or Never.
My life and spirit have been cleansed for this new day.
I am born again in the full light of love, peace and positivity!
ñāya — method, truth, system, fitness, right manner, right conduct
Traditionally, in India, Sandalwood was the choice of royalty. Sandalwood oil has many properties, including medicinal … and the body responds to it. Read the article by clicking on the image, above.
Bahumpi ce saṃhita bhāsamāno,
na takkaro hoti naro pamatto,
gopova gāvo gaṇayaṃ paresaṃ,
na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
Much though one recites the sacred texts,
but acts not accordingly,
that heedless one is like a cowherd
who only counts the cows of others —
one does not partake of the blessings of the holy life.
Dhammapada 1.19
The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom,
translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita
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