Out from the ashes comes PHOENIX RISING

Close encounter of the Abraham kind…

2008-12-18T22:38:00.002+11:00

Here I am, ready to meet Abraham - in the flesh, so to speak. I’m all tuned in, tapped in, turned on! We arrive at the venue more than half an hour early, and the auditorium – Wow! this venue is massive! – is already abuzz with people. There’s eagerness and giddiness in the air; the kind of excitement that would have been present just before a Beatles concert.

What will happen today? Who will be called to the ‘Hot Seat’, which by the way, seems incredibly hot since it’s been put it right ON stage! Whoever gets up there has got to want an answer to their question; because whoever gets up there has got to relinquish their anonymity. Not only will they be up on stage in front of 3000 people, but their face will also be plastered on the two giant screens above the stage for all to see. That rules me out. I’m not that fond of the limelight. So I’ll have to find another way to get my questions answered.

But what questions do I want answered? I’ve so many yet I have none. I’ve read and I’ve listened to the wisdom of Abraham for a while now and – they’ll admit it themselves – they only have one message: stop beating the drum of what you don’t want, stop paddling upstream, stop doing what it is you’re doing that causes you to feel bad. As soon as you do that, you’ll close the gap between who you have become in vibrational escrow and where you are now. So… what question could I possibly ask that wouldn’t have this as an answer?

I think I’ll just listen and take in as much wisdom as I can. I’ll look out for the one sentence that will give me the Ah-Ha! moment I’m looking for. That’s the plan anyway.

It’s 10am. Jerry and Esther walk in. At last, we get to meet them for real. The irony is that the venue is so large that they appear quite small, up there on stage. So we often resort to watching them on the screen like on the DVDs. Yet, this is different. This is real. This is happening live, in front of us. None of the wisdom that comes out of Esther’s mouth has been mouthed before. This moment never existed before. I feel elated and privileged to be here. I bask in the exquisite vibration of jubilation and curiosity.

Abraham speaks. Vibrational escrow, upstream-downstream, well-stocked kitchen – yeah, yeah, yeah – beating the drum – yeah, closing the gap – yeah… I know all that! You’ve said that before! I want NEW information, NEW analogies, something that will help me release resistance. I’ve heard all this before, Abraham! … U-ho… I’m losing the joy, oh no, I’m slipping… Curiosity has gone; I’m sinking into disenchantment and disinterest. Watch out, I’m plummeting! I’m so preoccupied with the free fall of my good mood that I’m about to miss the next bit of information. What was that? Did I hear Abraham say ‘Vortex’? What was this about? Source is creating a vortex with all the positive things we ask, which causes Source to expand. Source needs us, the Physical Aspect in order to expand. Did I hear this before? No, that’s… that’s new! Oh… oh…. I’m back! I’m back up! Interesting how easily one can let themselves be swayed by negative thoughts… But I’m back now, I’m fine. I’m tuned in, tapped, in turned on!

Something inside me is bubbling now and requires my immediate attention. Feelings and images emerge: feeling overwhelmed, like time is flying past. Everything goes too quickly. An image appears – a car going too fast. I’m hanging on. I’m not at the wheel, I’m not even in the passenger seat; I’m on top of the car – stuntman style – hanging on for dear life. This is the story of my life! Wake up one morning and it’s January; go to bed at night, wake up the next day and it’s two weeks before Christmas… Somehow twelve months flew by and I’m still trying to catch up. So here I am, manifesting at the speed of light, and the only thing I can do is to place obstacles in my way to slow down that racing car. The obstacles do slow down the car a bit, but mostly they just make the road more uncomfortable, and make it even more difficult to hang on…

By now, I’ve got no awareness of what Abraham is discussing. I’m too engrossed by what I’m being shown.

Hanging from the car, I wish I could slow down. The wish of most people is to speed things up, to get there quicker. Yet, what I wish for is to slow down my ‘mean-lean—manifesting-machine!’ Why? Another thought comes to mind: if I get it done too quickly, what will I do next? If I’m done in the morning, what will I do for the rest of the afternoon? Hmmm… quite a paradox…

“Good time for a segment of refreshment”. We’re taking a break, and I immediately jump on my notebook and jot down what I saw. My husband comes back from the bathroom; I need to debrief. Scott reckons that slowing things down is not the way to go. The problem is the illusion of being out of control, of falling behind. He says I should try to recall times where I felt in synch, in the zone and when the speed of manifesting felt just right. “If you can recall one event, you can recall two, if you recall two, you can recall three, if you recall three, you know you don't really have problem…” I do that. There’s this time, and this one… I’m feeling the tension go. I need to get used to the speed. Get back in the car. The speed is just an illusion.

“And are you refreshed?” Yes! “Good. Now what?” A guy goes on stage, begins asking his question, but Abraham interrupts:

“You need to get up to speed with what source has caused you to become. You’ve got to get up to speed with what you have created in vibrational escrow. If you’re in a plane, flying above the clouds, you might be traveling at great speed, yet you feel you’re not moving; all is calm. Yet, put that same plane at that same speed on the street; it won’t feel quite as peaceful! Speed itself is not the problem. You need to get up to speed!”

My husband looks at me with wide eyes. Abraham has just confirmed what we had been discussing. I just had my question answered and I didn’t even have to go on stage!

As we leave the venue at the end of the day, I can’t help but wonder how many people, just like me, had a personal encounter with Abraham in all anonymity… By the look of the many beaming faces around me, I’d say quite a few!

Thank you Abraham (and thank you Esther and Jerry for coming to Australia!)

Event Season in Sydney

2008-10-05T12:50:00.003+11:00

Event season seems to have arrived for the Phoenix team! We are supporting a number of organisations by selling books, music, DVD and our latest addition to the range - Vibrational Healing stones and jewels!
If you are around you can come and visit us at the following venues

Saturday 18th October and Sunday 19th October - Sth Pacific Private Conference - Spirituality and Intimacy. Guest speakers are: John Lee, Vynthia Morton, Jackie Furey and Khoa Do. For all the details on where to book you can visit the website created by Sth Pacific

Sunday 19th October- The Yoga Expo - Sydney. For all the details visit the Yoga Expo website. Last year over 3000 people attended this event.

Sunday 9th November - Newtown Festival. This is one of the great inner Sydney festivals, with lots of music and buzz! For all the details - visit the website - Newtown Festival -

Sunday 13th November - Glebe Street Fair - this annual event sees Glebe Point Road closed to traffic and thousands of visitors enjoying the music and vast range of ecletic stalls! This year is even more special as the road works will be finished!!

Tuesday 11th November - Screening - Dendy Opera Quays - What About Me! - this film fits into the same genre as What the Bleep do we Know! Come along and watch the cinema version and participate in a Q&A with Duncan Bridgeman - one of the directors. For bookings visit One World Music

Saturday 29th November- The Earth Festival - a first time event for Sydney! Check out all the details!

The Power of the Brain

2008-08-31T12:51:00.004+10:00

Over the past week I have gained an enormous respect for the power of our Brain and its role in our journey to inner peace and happiness. Three authors have added to my knowledge base... Deepak Chopra... listening to his audio program - The New Physics of Healing I began to understand how the brain takes in reams of pure energy from all around us and processes it based on the belief patterns or previous experiences stored away. This information was added to by Gregg Braden in his latest book - The Spontaneous Healing of Belief... he describes that our most deeply held beliefs are subconscious and begin when our brain state allows us to absorb the ideas of others before the age of seven.
And then, I read My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Bolte Taylor. You may have heard about Jill's story on the internet or through her many interviews. A Brain scientist by trade, when she was 39 she had a massive stroke which over a period of four hours shut down the left side of her brain. She writes about her experiences and the feeling state of 'pure joy' she rested in whilst the shut down was happening. For me the key messages were: pure joy and inner peace are only one thought away. and we can choose our thought patterns. As she was rebuilding her left brain, she consciously chose not to rebuild the connections for some patterns of behaviour and thinking.
We don't have to experience a stroke to do the same.... Deepak, Gregg and Jill are all showing us the pointers on getting to that place of peace from where we are right now!

Glebe Point Road

2008-08-09T12:58:00.002+10:00

As I write this a huge machine is digging up Glebe Point Road. It's all part of the City of Sydney program to refurbish the area.
It is rather challengng to keep a business going when the noise and disruption is so high. What we are doing is creating this haven of peace inside Phoenix Rising. The main challenge is how do we get people to come and visit when they can't park, buses are re-routed and the noise is well above safety limits.
Sounds like I'm having a whinge... not really... more 'writing out loud' ....
On behalf of all the cafes, resturants, book shops and other retailers in Glebe I ask you to continue supporting us......
This too will pass .. in the meantime- it's business as usual

Deepka Chopra visits Australia

2008-07-27T11:13:00.003+10:00

Great news, Deepak Chopra is visiting Australia in September 08. From what I can see he will be in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. There are details on all his talks at the website of Red Carpet - the organisers.
I have recently become re-engaged with Deepak's work and so am excited about the opportunity to go and listen to him speak.
Last week we received copies of the DVD - How to Know God - taken from Deepak's book of the same title, I found it enagaging to watch and loved the way he merged the eastern and western views of God. You can purchase the DVD from us at Phoenix Rising Books. Here is the link to a page focused on Deepak's work.

The Moses Code - I AM THAT, I AM

2008-07-19T12:17:00.004+10:00

This week I have read the book and watched the DVD titled The Moses Code. Both I can ‘rave’ about. At last I sense that we are learning the missing bit to manifestation. That part of the creation process spoken about by Caroline Myss and Abraham, via Esther and Jerry Hicks, which is soul focused rather than ego. James Twyman states in his introduction to the book that “the ego is constantly concerned with trying to get what it believes it doesn’t have, while the soul seeks to give everything it needs, thereby realizing that those things are already present within”
The Moses Code comes from the Christian story of Moses at the point when he is leading his flock up Mount Horeb. He sees a bush that was burning with a bright fire, yet the fire was not consuming the bush. He looked at the bush and God spoke to him…. When God gave Moses the task of freeing the Israelites from Egypt, Moses asked what name he could use to convince people to follow him. The answer – I AM THAT I AM.
In the DVD, Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God) talks about an exercise he did for a day. Whenever he came up to a person or living object, he said – I am that. He said that people with him would say – no you are not, to which he would reply – I Am, I am. I tried the exercise during the week and found at the point I was around someone whom I perceived as different I said to myself – I AM THAT, I AM. In that moment I felt a huge opening of my heart and compassion. Without exception, each time was the same. Try it for yourself……

Check out the trailer to the movie on the Phoenix Rising Books website

Spirit of Glebe - Event - Wednesday 16th July 2008

2008-07-06T13:17:00.003+10:00

Did you know we hold author evenings at Cucina di Lusso in Glebe? They are great fun and a fantastic way to meet new people. Over dinner you can chat with those around you and then settle in to listen to our guest speaker. On Wednesday 16th July our guest speaker is Avikal Costantino.
His topic is Freedom to Be Yourself. Avikal is the founder and Director of the Integral Being Institute as well as the founder and co-director of the Awareness Intensive Institute. His working life has included a period of time as a social / political activist, as an anthropologist, a martial arts teacher and a healer. What an amazing mix... I am sure his talk will be very interesting.
Come along and join us. The evening starts at 6.30pm for 7.00pm. The cost is $30 for a two course dinner and the talk. Bookings and prepayment are essential as places are limited. Call us at Phoenix to make your booking. The number is (02) 9566 2157.

Living an Unlived Life

2008-06-29T14:39:00.003+10:00

Living an Unlived Life - doesn't that sound odd given that if you are reading this you most certainly are living, just as I am living writing it! Jungian analyst and author, Robert Johnson has titled his latest book just that. I found myself drawn into what he was saying very deeply. He talks about an unlived life being all those things you have been drawn to, but not done... you know - the woulda-coulda-shoulda moments. These abandoned, unrealised talents and potentials sit with us deep in our psyche and can cause us grief in the lived parts of our lives!
He explains how mythical stories tell us holistic, timeless truths and are a special kind of literature, not written or created by a single individual but produced by the imagination and experience of an entire culture. To help us understand he draws upon the wisdom from a timeless story, the myth of the two Gemini twins - Castor and Pollux. Unified in their childhood they became separated and miserable. In each of us there is a hidden challenge or wish to reconnect with 'the other half or our twin' that we intuitively feel has been lost somewhere over the course of our life. So by using the story of Castor and Pollux to explore the unlived areas of life you can sense as you read what is true for you. In the appendix he has a questionnaire that if you complete will give a sense of where unlived potential maybe in your life. For me the outer life section is where I need to go within and make peace with ignored dreams.

Roadworks in Glebe

2008-06-15T12:01:00.002+10:00

If you are a frequent visitor to Glebe you will have noticed all the road works. The project is a major upgrade to Glebe Point Road and will be fantastic when it is finished. Not only will all the footpaths be level and wide, the services will be underground and lots of trees will be planted to give the feel of an avenue.
In the meantime all the shops and cafes are open for business... so come and visit. Despite the chaos on the street as soon as you step inside Phoenix we promise you will feel calm and relaxed. Music to chill out to will be playing in the background, books to inspire and guide you will be all around and a friendly team ready to assist however they can.

Spirit of Glebe - Events - July 2008

2008-06-14T11:58:00.005+10:00

Did you know that Phoenix Rising Books in conjunction with Cucina di Lusso holds dinner and author talks at least once a month? In July we have two evenings planned. The first is on Wednesday July 16th. The speaker for the evening is Avikal E. Constantino. Avikal is the author of a book titled " Freedom to be Yourself". Are you aware of that part of yourself which is highly critical of everything you do or say. I know I am.... and even though I realise at one level 'this part of myself' is there to protect me, often it is not helpful because it operates from memories which are no longer relevant to my current life. Avikal uses more than 30 years of psychological practice and spiritual seeking to unravel the way our inner judge or critic works and shows us how it limits our personal growth. From there he offers ways to reduce the impact of the critic.

Then on Tuesday 29th July we are hosting Inna Segal, author of the book " The Secret Language of Your Body. Inna's work is internationally recognised and she speaks well about her work as a visionary Intuitive Healer.

Come along and join us..... the meal is fantastic and the talks are always interesting. For more details call us on (02) 9566 2157.

Practical details - the evenings have a 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start and finish around 9.30pm. The meal is two courses and there is a vegan/vegetarian option. Cost is $30.00 per person all inclusive and bookings are necessary.
Cucina di Lusso is on the cnr of Glebe Point Road and Broadway.

New Experiences

2008-06-14T11:32:00.006+10:00

This is my first Saturday in Glebe for a couple of weeks. No, I have not been on holiday rather I have been expanding the awareness for Phoenix Rising Books in both Tasmania and Melbourne. In Tasmania I have the privilege to support a touring yoga teacher Judith Lasater with her Australian tour. Over 60 people from all across the country came to Hobart and worked with Judith over a 4 day workshop. Her yoga style is very practical for our bodies, particularly female bodies. She has a background in anatomical studies and from that has adapted the poses to support the body. Something she said caught my attention - Yoga was developed to assist the yogi's to sit for days and days - and most if not all yogi's are male!
From Tasmania I went on to Melbourne and the Mind Body Spirit Festival. This was the first time I have been an exhibitor at this event. What an experience - we interacted with over 3000 people and have welcomed many Melbourne customers to our community! it is always great to get ideas from others as to what they like reading, what they are learning about and how we can be of more service to everyone who comes through our doors. To all of you I spoke with - Thanks!

the Untethered Soul

2008-05-24T11:18:00.002+10:00

When a new title, the Untethered Soul, arrived in store it was met by excitement by a huge number of customers. So I decided to find out what was written that was causing such a stir!

The first chapter held me... the topic - the voice inside your head. I don't know about you, but sometimes the chatter that goes on in my head drives me crazy! I remember ages ago learning to become the observer to the chatter and when I am calm and centered I can get that state ... generally in meditation I can become the observer. The daily situations that trigger my stress levels are the times when I forget to 'be the observer' and the voice goes on and on.
In the first chapter the author, Michael Singer says " ... if you watch you will come to see that much of what the voice says in meaningless. Most of the talking is just a waste of time and energy. " Wow! how true is that.
So what do we need to do... as I read through the book I found some really simple concepts to help me in moments of stress. Let me share them with you:

remember that you are the one inside that notices the voice talking
accept that the voice inside will never be content
reclaim your life by releasing the hold your mind has on you
drop into the centre of your consciousness, the real you is behind everything, just watching.

That is the real you! that is where the freedom lies. Go for it!

Radical Gratitude

2008-05-03T12:53:00.004+10:00

Gratitude is a quality I have heaps of time for. Whenever I am feeling a out of sorts I will run through all the reasons I have for being grateful in this world. And 99% of the time it is enough to shift the emotional feelings in my body to being more cheerful.
When I read this new book - Radical Gratitude by Andrew Bienkowski and Mary Akers I was instantly grateful for being alive in this time and this country. Andrew and his family were banished to Siberia from their home in Poland during the Russian invasion. As the story of his family unfolds around lessons in gratitude I was left with a deep sense of awe.
Let me quote a section that has stayed with me for days and I hope for ever.
" Remembering the many things in our lives for which we can be grateful (yes, even the painful experiences), and spending a bit of time and energy each day on practicing gratitude, helps to make gratefulness a way of life. And the ability to focus on the good, to feel grateful, to practise gratefulness is within each of us. When we consciously choose to acknowledge and share our gratitude, we see how quickly gratitude grows and spreads to others. We begin to understand - once gratitude opens the door- that we are all connected" ... Page 17
I now start and finish the day with a silent prayer of gratitude for everthing and everyone in my life....

You Can Heal Your Life - DVD

2008-04-16T09:18:00.002+10:00

For me the name Louise Hay is synonymous with the healing journey of life. Back in 1993, as I was departing Australia for a new life in Asia, my closest friend gave me a copy of 'The Power is Within You". That book was my lifeline on many long, lonely nights. I still have my copy, well worn pages and highlighter through many sentences, reminding me of where I was in 1993 on my journey of life!
Last night I watched the latest DVD - You Can Heal Your Life, also the title of a best selling book by Louise. I enjoyed listening to Louise share her journey, her experiences in teaching the material she writes about and her passion for guiding people to live the life they were born to!
The production is great. The story line follows the key messages in You Can Heal Your Life and there are some great contributions from Dr. Wayne Dyer, Gregg Braden, Esther and Jerry Hicks, Doreen Virtue and Leon Nacson to name but a few.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

2008-03-30T12:23:00.002+11:00

I had been keen to watch this DVD since it appeared on my horizon. I had no expectations although with all the amazing material becoming available on DVD I have become spoilt with amazing production standards.

I found it easy to watch. Deepak narrates well and his voice is easy to listen to. I would have liked to hear more of Olivia’s music in the main feature. Tracks from her last Album Grace and Gratitude are in the special features section.

In each of the Laws I gleaned a pearl of wisdom. Sometimes it was a reminder but often a new way of seeing or considering events in my own life.

When Deepak was talking about the 3rd law – The Law of Giving – there was some dialogue around how when we decline to accept something being offered to us, we stop the flow of energy in the universe for that moment and essentially we are interfering with nature’s intelligence. This got me thinking about all the times I decline an offer of help, often because I don’t want to be a bother, or because I am not present enough to receive with gratitude and thanks. So I have resolved to receive with grace all that is offered to me, knowing that by doing so I am supporting the flow of universal energy.

My recommendation is for you to watch the DVD… maybe get a group of friends together and share your individual experiences with each other.

Oprah and Eckhart Tolle join in a world first

2008-03-08T11:01:00.002+11:00

An amazing event happened this week. Oprah joined with Eckhart Tolle to present the first of 10 workshops on A New Earth via the internet. As far as I am aware the concept is the first of its type and about 500,000 people from 139 countries joined Oprah and Eckhart. What a consciousness shifting moment!!
There was no charge to join in, aside from access to the internet and a broadband connection. Many, due to the sheer volume, experienced difficulties watching live, so a podcast of the show is available for viewing or downloading.
When I watched it, I felt a deep gratitude towards both Eckhart and Oprah for opening this life changing material to everyone across the globe. The format was a little stilted to start. I put this down to the newness and from time to time Oprah would exclaim with joy about the experience. Eckhart went many times into the deep presence he holds well and shared many of the teachings from chapter one of A New Earth.
During the session they were able to take questions from the audience via Skype and that added another dimension.
I will certainly be ‘in the classroom’ for the next session – Tuesday 1pm Australian Eastern Summer Time. Why don’t you join me? Here is the link to Oprah’s site for all the sign in information.

As it is in Heaven DVD release

2008-02-17T12:30:00.003+11:00

When I read that this movie was to be released on DVD I was so excited. It first came to my attention this time last year. On my first viewing I enjoyed the story line but seemed to miss the depth others were describing to me. So off I went to see it again. This time I sat with more presence and experienced a much deeper connection. I left the cinema passionate about the story line, the music, the visuals and so began many visits to the cinema sharing the experience with friends and colleagues.
For me this is film is about community, passion, fear, courage and music! There is a line of dialogue that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. I may not have the exact words but the essence is "All the music is in the heavens and just needs bringing down" .... The song written for Gabrielle by Daniel is a spine chiller! ... the last line... " I want to feel that I have lived my life"
Don't take my word for it... get yourself a copy and watch for yourself. I am expecting stock about the 19th February.

Has the Global Level of Consciousness shifted?

2008-02-06T20:50:00.000+11:00

This is a question that many people, including myself, are asking.
I sensed a change around the end of November 2007. There seemed to be a feeling of freedom in the air and lightness, like the weight had been lifted off our shoulders. I initially thought the change of government in Australia had generated a huge sigh of relief across the country and we were feeling a sense of hope and freshness. But now I think maybe there has been a shift in global consciousness and the election result was an outcome.

So what is happening? Dr. David R. Hawkins in his bestseller Power vs Force has outlined a Scale of Consciousness from 0 to 1000. He states any level under 200 is in a negative realm. When he published his second book- The Eye of the I in 2001 the consciousness level of mankind was sitting at 207. Is it possible that there has been a shift and we have moved closer to 250? Using his scale 250 would have the following characteristics: Godview is enabling, Life View is satisfactory, Enlightenment is neutrality, Emotion is trust and Process is release. Certainly I can see these elements present with the many people I am interacting with.

Back in May 2007 I was involved in the Global Peace Mediation Day. About 1 million people meditated on “May Peace Prevail on Earth”. Monitoring this event was Roger Nelson from the Global Consciousness Project. He and his team were monitoring effects of the group focus with Random Number Generators across the globe. The results found a “surprisingly strong effect. Independently significant at 0.05 level.” (Source: Press Release issued by Dr. Ervin Laszlo, Founder and president of The Club of Budapest).
This demonstrated to me that field of consciousness is moving and we are influencing it.

Sri Bhagavan, founder of the Oneness University in India says, in an interview with Kiara Windrider and published in Deeksha -The Fire from Heaven, that once sixty-four thousand people have reached cosmic consciousness levels (1000 on the Hawkins scale) the energy will be enough to transform all of mankind.
Maybe we are reaching those numbers?

Eckhart Tolle - Live Broadcast - March 2008

2008-01-26T13:01:00.000+11:00

I have just seen an opportunity to watch Eckhart Tolle give two workshops via web video on Friday March 7th and Saturday March 8th (PST).
There are two workshops and you can purchase both for USD39.95. For that you will get access to the 90 minute and 180 minute sessions via web video, MP3 audio downloads for both sessions and if you register before February 22nd a PDF of an interview with Eckhart. Here is the link with the payment details and exact times.
Enjoy! don't forget the times listed are Pacific Standard Time, which is 19 hours behind Sydney

James Redfield (Celestine Prophecy) visits Australia

2008-01-25T13:06:00.000+11:00

Fantastic News! For the first time James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy is touring Australia in April 2008. He will be visiting Sydney and Melbourne.

Here is the link for all the tour details

The Celestine Prophecy movie

2008-01-23T01:08:00.000+11:00

I have just recently watched the Celestine Prophecy Movie, and I had a huge revelation. Let me start by telling you I first read the book in 1996 I think it was published in 93/94. I was going through a strange, unhappy time in my life, in the process of leaving a marriage and wanting to change my career and whole direction in life.

When I read the book, I didn't really understand it; I wanted someone to explain it to me, and tell me what to do. The message in the book was telling me to let go of all that thinking and just allow. You may ask what the hell does that mean, as I did. Any concept outside of the thinking mode, bought up fear and dread in me. What does this mean, Just Allow, how do I know what is going to happen and how am I going to control what happens, my mind screamed at me and the more I though about it the more fearful I became. Until, the fear paralysed me so much, I put my life on hold for a while. Fear stopped me dead in my tracks for about 2 years.

I didn't think anything was happening, however looking back I realised, there was a ground swell of opportunities, fate and destiny moving into my life, colliding with my old life. My old and new lives came crashing together with such force and velocity it opened up a fissure, a crack that was to become a black hole I fell down into for a while. As emotionally painful as this was, it gave me the opportunity to face some big demons, healing heavy duty emotional issues that were keeping me from moving forward.

I then entered a new period in my life, full of learning and experience and as I moved through this amazing time, I started to see things through new eyes.
I wondered when all the colour and beauty had arrived. It was as though overnight someone had magically painted everything around in brighter, newer colours.
What does all this have to do with The Celestine Prophecy, I Hear you ask?

Well, after viewing the movie, I realised the transformation had happened to me, just as it had said in the book. This deeper realisation, helped me to understand everything I have ever needed has always been around and with me, I just hadn't seen it.

Go back and revisit this gem, the 9 insights are simply truths that help open your heart and be who you truly are.
Are you willing to find your love and beauty?

This is taken from the website promoting the movie

The Nine Insights
1 We are discovering again that we live in a deeply mysterious world, full of sudden coincidences and synchronistic encounters that seem destined.
2 As more of us awaken to this mystery, we will create a completely new worldview - redefining the universe as energetic and sacred.
3 We will discover that everything around us, all matter, consists of and stems from a divine energy that we are beginning to see and understand.
4 From this perspective, we can see that humans have always felt insecure and disconnected from this sacred source, and have tried to take energy by dominating each other. This struggle is responsible for all human conflict.
5 The only solution is to cultivate a personal reconnection with the divine, a mystical transformation that fills us with unlimited energy and love, extends our perception of beauty, and lifts us into a Higher-Self Awareness.
6 In this awareness, we can release our own pattern of controlling, and discover a specific truth, a mission, we are here to share that helps evolve humanity toward this new level of reality.
7 In pursuit of this mission, we can discover an inner intuition that shows us where to go and what to do, and if we make only positive interpretations, brings a flow of coincidences that opens the doors for our mission to unfold.
8 When enough of us enter this evolutionary flow, always giving energy to the higher-self of everyone we meet, we will build a new culture where our bodies evolve to ever higher levels of energy and perception.
9 In this way, we participate in the long journey of evolution from the Big Bang to life's ultimate goal: to energize our bodies, generation by generation, until we walk into a heaven we can finally see.

Catching the Story

2008-01-13T13:50:00.000+11:00

As many of you may know I am a New Zealander by birth. Although I have lived for more years outside New Zealand than in, the soul of the country still runs deep inside me.

When I heard about the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary on Friday I felt a hit to my heart. Memories of his story and his role in New Zealand’s story came flooding into my mind. I recalled the pride and excitement I felt as a child when hearing the stories of his ascent to the top of Mt. Everest. At the time I was in awe (1960’s) that someone from tiny, isolated New Zealand climbed to the highest mountain in the world! His success became our collective success and fueled, for me, the belief of Kiwi ingenuity and adventure.

As all this recall passed through my mind I pondered on the role of story in our lives. Story is what keeps the world moving around, a story is often the motivator for action, and the telling of story can heal the pain, bring a smile and connect like nothing else.

In the world of no coincidences one of the books I am reading is called "The Storycatcher” by Christina Baldwin. A Storycatcher is someone who values story and who looks for ways to live and honour storytelling and listening, story writing and reading. Christina writes powerfully and she describes how in our industrialised world we have turned to machines rather than to each other as our primary source of entertainment and education. The story of Sir Edmund Hillary and Mt Everest, which has fed one of my core strengths, came to me through story both at home and at school via books and conversation. Being a small country everyone seemed to know someone who knew Sir Edmund!

One of the aspects I am enjoying about ‘The Storycatcher’ is the end of chapter questions Christina poses as a guide to start your own stories, either as an individual or a group.

You can purchase the book from Phoenix Rising Books. You may be interested in all the additional material Christina offers on The Storycatcher Website

Mindfulness in every moment

2008-01-06T13:25:00.000+11:00

So often I read or hear the words “ Be in the moment” and whilst I understood at an intellectual level I had an experience last night that gave it to me in practical sense.

I agreed to meet a friend for dinner. When we made arrangements over the phone something didn’t feel right. Ignoring my feeling, I arranged the time and place to meet. I was running late and created ‘a self talk’ story about the reception I would receive. That story I might add was not supportive of my dilemma!!

Over dinner we shared our holiday experiences and all was okay from my perspective. All of a sudden my friend said “ I am not connecting with you… nothing you are saying is touching my heart” I was taken back but sat with it and acknowledged her experience. I shared how when we made the arrangements something had not felt right with me and expressed the idea that maybe I brought the feeling with me to the meeting.

Later I reflected on my friends experience and how I contributed to it. What came to me was how I was not totally present. I had brought my irritation for being late, my unease about our phone call and my excitement about sharing some great times with me. What I had not done before walking into the café was- Breath deeply, empty my mind and allow our exchange to happen out of the moment.

Would the evening have unfolded in a different way – who knows – my feeling is yes it would have. As it is I am grateful I have been shown in a practical sense the importance of being mindful and present.

The Oneness Blessing

2008-01-05T12:16:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year!!

The last entry I made was about the book "Awakening into Oneness" and the Oneness Blessing. My understanding of the blessing was transference of energy into your being. Last Thursday I had the opportunity to experience the Oneness Blessing and can attest that it is certainly transference of energy in a powerful sense!

Pavitar (eventsatbyron@aapt.net.au) led the meditation and blessing. She guided us to open our heart center wide and then move down into the depth of our being, into the stillness. From that place we asked what it was we needed most at that moment. Holding that intention lightly and continuing to move deeper into silence, Pavitar started to move around the group and transfer the blessing to each of us. The energy in the room was electric; I could feel my physical body tingling all over, especially in my hands and my head. As Pavitar moved closer to where I was sitting, the intensity increased to the point that I was almost overtaken by the experience. When she came to me, she placed two hands on my head. The heat/electricity transference was amazing. I am not sure how long her hands were connected to me. I felt myself dropping into the universe in a weightless sense. I am struggling to find the words for the experience. When she left me, I lay down and rested for about 20 minutes. There were no thoughts!

The dreams that night were very clear and I sensed full of messages although my rational mind has not worked out the meanings at this point. I woke feeling very clear and with less anxiety. Denise mentioned when she came into the shop that my eyes were very 'bright' and there was a deep sense of peace around me. She summed it up, that’s exactly how I felt!

I spoke with a couple of others who shared the experience with me and they felt energetic shifts and were also experiencing the sense of clearing through powerful dreams.

Two days later the sense of peace is still with me…. The second night of sleep was filled with very clear and powerful dreams… I can certainly say this is a process that I would like to experience again.

From my Bookshelf...

2007-12-02T15:09:00.000+11:00

I'm walking around the shop looking for a book to read. For a couple of weeks I resisted picking up "Awakening into Oneness" - this time I decide to give it a go. My reluctance comes from the challenge I had when trying to read the authors previous work - Translucent Revolution-

So, judgement aside I start reading ... first paragraph of the forward - the writing style is familiar .. flicking over the pages I see Ervin Laszlo is the writer! all of a sudden the book takes on a new meaning. I am a huge fan of Ervin Laszlo's work... so anything he supports has my attention.

Awakening into Oneness tells the story of how a blessing known as Deeksha is sweeping the world. My way of describing the blessing - a very powerful transfer of energy resulting in a transformation of consciousness.

As I'm reading I feel a huge sense of peace... it all just made sense. So many of the experiences being described supported other material I have read or listened to.

Each time I picked up the book, I felt a compelling sense to sit in meditation. On the times that I followed my instinct the meditation was deep and my mind literally stopped!

Recently the local holistic magazines(Nova and Living Now) have run advertisements for the Oneness Blessing, as it is known in the West, so I decided to see what I could find on the Internet. A number of sites came up my search..
The Oneness Centre Australia seems the best place to start.

The Rights of The Reader

2007-11-27T16:22:00.000+11:00

How politically incorrect would it be for me to start my first ever post as a blogger with some sort of controversy? How daring do I feel right now? Should I, dare I? Oh what the heck! If we all had the same opinion on everything, things would rapidly become unbelievably boring, and soon some of us would be redundant… As a friend of mine puts it: “What’s Life without Risk?” (To which another friend always replies: “What’s Risk without Life…”)

So here goes… (drum roll please – I like a bit of drama when I’m about to make a hugely revealing disclosure about myself…)

I have tried several times (5 times to be precise) to read The Power Of Now, in vain. I tried, God knows I tried, to read it; and to like it, but woe is me, I failed miserably.

So here it is, for all to see – my dismal failure at reading a book that changes lives. Not only does it changes lives, but it is apparently so inspiring that people completely turned their life around on account of this book. This, my friends, is one powerful book. Alas, what would I know about it, because I haven’t read it!

For a long time, I tried to hide this shortcoming in me. People would come in to the bookstore and ask my opinion on the book. What was I to tell them? That it was good or that it wasn’t? That I didn’t have time to read it or that I just couldn’t stay awake long enough to get through it?

And what would this awful flaw say about me? That I lack depth and intelligence? That my grasp of the English language is less than adequate? That my future is doomed, all because I haven’t been able to harness The Power of Now?

I reflected quite a bit about my inability to read this book. And this brought me back to Daniel Pennac, who in his essay “Comme un Roman” (Like A Novel) talks about “The 10 Inalienable Rights of the Reader”. These Rights have eased the guilt that countless readers have acquired by long-standing beliefs about books and the act of reading… According to Pennac, we have:

1. The right to not read
2. The right to skip pages
3. The right to not finish a book
4. The right to re-read
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to "Bovary-ism," a textually-transmitted disease
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to glean ("grappiller")
9. The right to read out-loud, and
10. The right to be silent

Once one is acquainted with these rights, Freedom and Inner Peace cannot fail to follow. Imagine, being let off the hook the moment you decide that somehow you do not connect with a book you’re reading and you have PERMISSION to stop reading! Not only that, but you also have permission to read the last page first, and permission to skip pages or a whole chapter even…

For me, it means that I no longer feel inadequate when I find myself finishing a paragraph and wondering what the hell I just read. I no longer feel the need to condemn a book I haven’t finished by saying it’s bad or boring – I just acknowledge that I didn’t connect with it, that maybe, somehow, I am not meant to read it, or that the timing isn’t right, and I trust that the right book will come my way. And it does…

So there you go, I said it: I didn’t read The Power of Now… But I’ve stopped beating myself up for it!

How I found Meditation

2007-11-27T08:40:00.000+11:00

I am so excited to be able to contribute to The Phoenix Rising Blog Site. I thank Sue for all her love and opportunities and for anyone that will read my perspective on this life. Let me know what you think.

I work part time at Phoenix Rising Books as well as run a Meditation group on a Wednesday evening and teach Reiki on Thursday evenings at the shop. I moved to Sydney from Melbourne about two years ago and after a shaky start, I found Phoenix Rising Books and Sue, who has given me the opportunity to be who I am.

My interests lie in the transformation of all people, animals and the earth. This assists us as we move through this life, helping us all to find the love and beauty in all situations, places and people. There is no right or wrong way, only a willingness to look within yourself, to find your hidden, sometimes buried treasure. When your treasure chest is opened as you open your heart, your essence, beauty, creativity and love will become part of you. As you discover the beauty of being who you are, you will also realise all your wisdom and answers lie here also.

Some Books that have inspired me:
The Spiral Dance: A rebirth of the Ancient Religion - By Starhawk
The Kryon series of 10 books - By Lee Carroll
Radical Forgiveness: Making Room For The Miracle - By Colin C Tipping
The Power of Now - By Eckhart Tolle
Alchemy of Nine Dimensions - By Barbara Hand Clow and Gerry Clow
The Pleiadian Agenda - By Barbara Hand Clow
Pleiadian Workbook - By Amorah Quan Yin
Wherever You Go, There You are - By Jon Kabat-Zinn
Creative Visualisation - By Shakti Gawain

Meditation helps us to become responsible for the thoughts that flow in and from our minds. We always have the ability to change, transform and heal any words and thoughts that may flow from our mind, our inner dialogue. We have made our minds so powerful with the illusions we feed ourselves everyday. Messages come through on all physical levels reminding us that we are not good enough and we need new clothes, make up, cosmetics, a different job, a better car, a bigger house a more caring partner, that earns lots of money and is successful.

Do any of these things really matter? Are they going to make you happy? For years I looked outside of myself for happiness, thinking that once I had every thing I thought, would make me happy, maybe I could accept myself, everything would be great and I could finally be happy. I had allowed my head to do a number on me, as I fed into the illusion of fear that this society perpetuates on all levels. What I put out there came back to me. Be mindful of your thoughts and actions; remember you reap what you sow.

I thought if I did the right thing (what ever that is) as far as my parents, friends and society were concerned, I would be safe and good things would happen. Instead I became more and more disillusioned, unhappy, constantly looking for the next thing, person or information that would make me happy all to no avail.

All this time, unknown to me, I had been placing more and more layers around my self, able only to hear the constant negative talk in my head and not positive love talk from my heart. My inner dialogue had become unbalanced, as I could only hear one side, I had disconnected from my feelings and become cynical, logical, able to justify anything through my mind, all the time becoming more and more emotional, experiencing extreme highs and lows, depression and suicidal thoughts.

As I worked through a very dark period in my life, bit by bit I let go of the old and my life changed on all levels, I left a marriage, changed my work and lived by myself for the first time. My biggest fear in my life was being by myself. Your biggest fear will always come your way to help you to realise there is nothing to be fearful of. The Universe will only send you what you are capable of, to help you find your strength and become more of who you are.

One day after I had moved in to my own place, I went to the local shops and a shop I had never noticed before jumped out in front of me. I have no idea how long this shop had been here, but all of a sudden I could see it.

I was drawn to this shop, not really knowing why I wanted to go in. The name of this curious place was The Blue Angel Gallery.

When I entered I felt happiness and love, (like I had somehow, come home) but also fear, fear of what I may find out about myself.

This was to be the place where I started meditation and where I would eventually work. Life has a way of surprising you and this was one of those times. Finally I stop looking outside of myself and embarked on the biggest journey of all, the one that took me into my inner realms, I realised I had nothing left to lose as the foundations I had based my life on had crumbled away and I had no idea who I was, why I was here and what the hell I was meant to be doing.

That happened in 1998 and the shop no longer exists in Mt Waverley, but it will always exist within my heart. It is always with me, I carry it wherever I go, reminding me a place doesn’t make you spiritual. The spiritual part of ourselves, resides within and it is our responsibility to find it.

Through Martine and Toni, I had the opportunity to work with Tammy at Heart and Soul Centre. Martine was my teacher and to break out on your own can be a difficult thing. Tammy had an amazing vision that she manifested into Heart and Soul, she fully supported me on my journey of self-discovery and I will always be truly grateful for the opportunity for me to step into my own power. A wonderful place, training beautiful lightworkers, to find their own truth and step into their own power.

Now, I have moved to Sydney to be with an amazing man and I look forward to the next chapter, as we travel this life together. All things happen for a reason. Even more amazing, I found Phoenix Rising Books, where the wisdom of Sue and the talents of Judith, Lorraine and Sarah fully support me with love as I move forward, once again I am so grateful for this life.
The Adventure continues...

Entering the Web 2.0 world with "PRESENCE"

2007-11-25T15:07:00.002+11:00

Welcome into the Phoenix web 2.0 world.... Phoenix is rising from the ashes into this new form and shape.

The scary element for me is 'being' with the uncertainty ... being okay with not knowing what the form will be like. And to quote one of my favourite teachers - Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now... all form dissolves and all we are left with is presence.

Has the writing and audio workshops of Eckhart Tolle crossed your path? I read The Power of Now for the first time in 1999 and it had a profound effect on me. My way of seeing the world changed! The idea of the past being a dream and the future a fantasy stuck with me. Same with the words... " you can only arrive in the future through the now" ...
Since 1999 I have recommended The Power of Now to hundred's of people, all ages, all nationalities and both sexes. many have come back to me and said that reading it had changed their lives.....
Read it.... and then tell me how it has made an impact on your life?