One of These Things Is Not Like The Other

I 'm anti-religion. More precisely, I'm anti-organized religion. 

So, it really came as quite an eye-opening shock to the system when I first began Shamanic journeying and encountered beings that I'd never really given a modicum of thought to being real.

Although I was raised as a Methodist from an early age and in my later years was very much immersed in the Methodist church, I had never really given thought to angels. I knew of a few ... Archangels Michael, Gabriel and the fallen bad guy, Lucifer. That's about it. They're mentioned in the Bible, after all. Aside from them, I had no idea about other angels.

In addition, I considered angels to be figurines placed on the shelves of senior citizen's curios and people that believed in angels as being a bit 'off'.' 

Up until a few years ago, I was in my church choir, a member of the pastor-parish committee, a Stephen Minister, had participated in the slightly secretive Walk to Emmaeus and had basically decided to become a minister. A mainstream minister.

Then, the lightening bolt struck. Call it what you will, in a single flash, my beliefs in organized religion and all of the rhetoric, pomp and circumstance and rules flew out the window. I was suddenly aware of blatant hypocrisy within the church, my friends, my family and everyone claiming that they were 'saved' and the only way to Heaven was to 'give yourself to the Lord' and live a life of smiling, forgiving and being someone that you weren't created to be in the first place.

My now ex-wife once threw a book at me that I was reading. I had become curious about Buddhism, which is not a religion, by the way. How dare I subject myself to this type of thinking?

That was then. This is now. At the same time that I started undergoing my enlightenment, I unexplicably developed an understanding of Quantum Mechanics. I've never in my life studied or even picked up a book related to physics. I began to see days in colors. Red equaled a bad day. Most days were blue or yellow. I also had an unusual experience in which I was able to look at trees and other natural objects and see them as being composed of numbers. Fives, eights, threes ... it was bizarre to me but somehow felt natural. I felt as if I was a part of something bigger than myself and I didn't have to pass through the eye of a needle to experience that connection to something much more important than myself.

At the same time, I met my soulmate. My then-wife wasn't very happy about this development but I knew that I was destined to be with this woman. This woman, Pamela, is now my wife and is undergoing her own spiritual enlightenment. As an aside, she and I have been part of each other throughout time... that is another story.

In any case, approximately three years ago I began studying and practicing Usui Reiki. Reiki is an ancient energy and light healing practice. It was a natural transition for me. And for you that are doubting the ability to heal with energy, consider this: Everything in this great universe is composed of ever-moving energy and light. And, for you religious nay-sayers, the use of Universal energy was the method in which Jesus healed the sick and performed countless other 'miracles.' 

The astounding thing about Reiki and being a Lightworker is that we are all capable of healing. After all, prayer is nothing more than a transfer of conciousness, which is energy, directed to another, or a situation that needs attention. 

Back to the point of this post. I was directed to write about my journey to the Upper realm that occurred today. Now, this may appear to contradict what I wrote a moment ago, but my belief in angels has changed quite dramatically. In my Shamanic experiences, I have encountered and conversed with beings of Light. They have provided me with their names ... Names I've never heard or thought of in my life. I purchased a book about angels as a result and found these names, these angels, and what I had been told was relevant to what they are tasked with in the Upper realm.

My first wake-up call when I encountered an angel named Sariel. Another when I encountered an angel named Uriel during a journey for my wife, Pam. And, another named Zadkiel. I can't make these names up and I didn't read the book prior to journeying. I have decided that I will research the names of an angel encounter after I return from my Shamanic journey. I do this to validate that I'm not imagining what I'm told and who I'm speaking to during the journey.

Now, this is today's experience. I'll simply relay the experience and expound on some of the nuances in another post, 

As I entered my Sacred Place, I immediately noticed that the sky was bright red. There is a vast body of water directly ahead of me when I go through the door to my Sacred Place. Above the water is a huge, white sun with three moons of various sizes partially eclipsed by the sun. As I turn to my left, I see the white, sandy beach of quartz. Like sand, soft and warm. I step from the door onto the quartz and have an immediate rush of energy and knowledge of some sort rush throughout my conciousness. As I look further to my left, I see the stream emanating from the mountains that ultimately flows into the sea. There is a difference in the stream, The water is an indigo blue and the stream bed is lined with gold. Not gold bars, not paved, but soft golden stones. Pure energy envelopes me as I step into the stream. 

Now, across the stream is a grassy area with a large, beautiful tree. This is the tree that I use to access both the Upper and Lower realms. And, it is here that I always encounter my spiritual teacher and guide, my grandmother. She greets me with a hug and a seriousness. She also brings down upon me a white and blue light that envelops me. This is different. 

Stay with me. I understand that this sounds bizarre, but, possibly the following events will resonate in some way.

I'll keep the conversation between me and my beloved grandmother to myself for now. I will tell you this, however. She has been with me for years. In this life, since her death. But, she's been a guiding force in my past, present and future for eons. I'll expound upon the dynamics of Quantum Mechanics, reincarnation and energy manifestation at a later time.

The time to travel to the upper realm is always exhaustive. I'll just say it involves the tree (which I refer to as the Tree of Life), a manifestation of auric colors swirling throughout the tree and exiting the limbs and leaves as I travel upwards. We trave but a short distance when we stop. I'm directed to look to my left, where I see my lovely wife. Then, to my right where I see my mother and my father. Mind you, my mother is still living. Then. I'm instructed to look around me. I see faces that I know and those that I don not know, but they are all peaceful and supportive.

Without a second's pause, we begin an ascent upwards into total darkness. Now, this is where it gets interesting for me. I usually do not see utter darkness. I ask, "Why is it so black and dark?" 

It's not because my eyes are closed. I'm met with the response of, "The higher self of many are here, you can't see them because they haven't yet accepted the enlightenment that they are unknowingly seeking." Like I said, I can't make this shit up.

Within seconds, we stop. In front of me is a wall of blackness. But the wall cracks downward and begins to open. It's not as if the walls slide apart or a curtain opens, the blackness simply dissipates.

In front of me, I see eight figures, all seemingly kneeling on one knee. Beyond them is a brilliant white light but containing swirling celestial bodies... planets, galaxies, I don't know. 

The figures are kneeling on one knee yet have wings that are completely pulled forward, shielding their figures. 

At this time, the brilliance of the light ahead emits a vortex of colors which envelop the figures. The light streams past them, through me and into the blackness that I had passed through moments earlier.

It is at this time that the figure in the middle stood, turned towards me and spoke. The remainder of the eight also stood, turned and surrounded me in an arc. 

This is where things get a bit surreal. I see myself as just any other guy. Nothing special by any means. 

I asked, "Why am I here? Why am I seeing this?" It was obvious that these were the celestial Archangels and they were in the presence of the Divine Light of the Universe. Without going into detail, I'll just say that the one who spoke to me was Archangel Michael. His words were, "You are mine now." To his left were Raphael and Gabriel along with the Celestial Lucifer. To his right were Uriel, Zadkiel and Sariel. And there was one that I didn't know. None but Michael spoke (which is odd since Raphael and I are buds.)

C'mon, keep reading, I'm not crazy. 

Here is the most amazing part of the journey. The eight lifted great wings as they turned back towards the light. Then, lowered them as a figure descended and began walking towards me. He was darker skinned with a short beard. He approached me with a very disarming demeanor.

As I've said many times, I'm not a religious person. Nor will I ever be a religious person. But, I am now quite spiritual. The figure was seen as a man, yet clothed in brilliant white.

Of course, I asked, "Why are you dressed in white?" 

The response? "I'm not dressed in white, I am pure light, love and acceptance."

Yeah, the figure that I was encountering was Jesus. But, this is not the Jesus of the Bible we know. He is not religious or a religion. He appeared as a portion of the Divine Light of the Universe which each of us possess. Then, without warning, he placed a hand on my forehead and another on my heart.

I don't know what I received. But it was clear to me that I am part of something far more important than what this world suggests as being of value.

I was told that there are others that I should seek out. I was told that he came into this world as nothing more than me, or any one of us. Yet, his belief, faith and knowledge of the Divine Light, which has been shunned by so many in this world, enabled him to heal and make a mark upon the lives of many. It was made very clear that it wasn't his works that resounded with those he encountered, but his words and ability to convey Universal truths.

He turned back into the light, and I was really not aware that I had been touched by the Divine. So Jeff, as Jeff would do, asked if he could be in something besides white attire. (Raphael appreciated this.... but, that's another story). The man we call Jesus turned around, smirked and appeared in a simple shirt that had 'Bocephus' on the chest. I kid you not.

"A country boy can survive," he said. "You have much to do."

With that, the drums that signal my journey's end beckoned me back to this realm. But, on the descent, where there was total blackness in the beginning, there were bright spots of light sprinkled about.

These were the higher selves of people here amongst us, maybe you, who were enlightened during that moment I described earlier. These are the sous that will help this planet and people who reside here even though they may not yet realize it. 

Oddly, when I returned, an owl who had been perched on a limb of the tree was still there, just looking at me. I didn't know the meaning of that visitation, as animals are strong protectors and harbingers of information. I researched the owl soon after, to see for myself what the symbolism was meant to represent. Needless to say, the owl was with me for a very good reason. 

Shamanism is a powerful craft and well worth practicing.

And Angels aren't meant to sit on curio shelves. They also don't look like Cherubs. 

I'm lucky, I guess. My traumas and hardships from a few years ago have enabled me to experience otherworldly adventures. But I still can't get the winning lottery numbers. They really need a sense of timekeeping in those realms.

Namaste.