Thank you, Goddess! Thank you everyone who has sent me their positive wishes for finding a house!
I have found a place to live.
I'm very excited about my new home. It's not the beach house I wished for, but, as always, the Universe knows best what I need right now.
I spent the last three months responding to every suitable ad that I saw and even put a couple of my own "desperately seeking" ads. I put the word out to everyone that I knew that I was searching for accommodation. All to no avail. I never even got to the viewing stage.
Then, one day last week, I was sitting in front of my computer talking to my daughter, telling her not to worry and to trust that the Universe will provide and that I had a feeling something was going to happen today, when an email came in. It was an alert I had set for a local classifieds site. The minute I read the message, I knew this was the place for us. I phoned up immediately and we went to view the place 2 hours later.
As I walked in, I just "knew" this house was for me. The landlord walked us through the two living rooms, four huge bedrooms, an oversized kitchen with attached utility room, three bathrooms and a study, before showing us, nearly as an afterthought, what he called the children's playroom. This room is a gorgeous wood-clad attic room with skylights and just screams "meditation, sacred space, etc.". And then I knew why this house was for me.
In the previous two weeks the Universe had been shouting. I received quite a few requests for Reiki and spiritual counselling. Many people also phoned me asking if I knew of a spiritual centre in the Seychelles. There isn't anything like that here. YET.
I've also been pretty broke the last couple of years and just last week I finally sold a piece of land that has given me some financial resources, without which I would never have been able to afford this kind of house.
It's long been a dream of mine to start some sort of spiritual centre here. Long-term, I'd like to live and work in a spiritual retreat centre and have made plans for a cafe where like-minded people could meet.
For a long time now, I've been responding to people who have asked for help that I don't have the space or resources to do anything in that vein. I did help in "smaller" ways, but didn't feel ready for more. Now I have enough resources for the first step; a house where I could start up something in the spiritual area. The Universe has provided and I no longer have an excuse to avoid doing what I'm supposed to be doing...
I mentioned in a previous post that I had been through some dark nights of the soul in the last two years. This time around, when it came to trusting that I would have a roof over my head, I trusted. Completely and totally. I put myself into the hands of the powers that be and let go. When I wavered slightly (ever so slightly), I wrote a post about my worries and received so much encouragement from you. Asking for help was definitely a first for me; I have always found it easy to sense when others needed help and gave it freely. Asking for help for myself was another matter altogether; pride all too easily got in the way of that.
I am over the moon with happiness.
I am filled with joy.
I am overflowing with gratitude.
From the bottom of my heart: Thank you.
Related articles:
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5 Steps to Surrender to Your Life Purpose
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish. About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman. "You should be working rather than lying on the beach!" The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer. "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling. The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said. "And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!" Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!" The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?" 
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This is a lovely Sufi story from The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shah.
A powerful king, ruler of many domains, was in a position of such magnificence that wise men were his mere employees. And yet one day he felt himself confused and called the sages to him.
He said: 'I do not know the cause, but something impels me to seek a certain ring, one that will enable me to stabilize my state. 'I must have such a ring. And this ring must be one which, when I am unhappy, will make me joyful. At the same time, if I am happy and look upon it, I must be made sad.'
The wise men consulted one another, and threw themselves into deep contemplation, and finally they came to a decision as to the character of this ring which would suit their king.
The ring which they devised was one upon which was inscribed the legend:
I've often heard the phrase "This, too, shall pass." as advice when things are rough, but this story emphasizes that happiness, too, shall pass.
It seems to me that it highlights the importance of detachment and letting go. What do you think?
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The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness; and knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.
Kahlil Gibran
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I’ve moved house five times in the last two years.
My kids and I are about to embark on the sixth move.
The first time, I had to make up my mind and switch countries from Switzerland to Seychelles within three weeks. I stayed at a friend’s home for a month and then moved to my own place. This was a horrible dingy little house in the middle of the bush. After 4 months, I was given a month’s notice by my landlady and found a bedsit to share with my two teenage children just two days before I had to move. The place was small, but nonetheless a step up from the previous shack. (We had luxuries such as hot water and proper tiles.) The story repeated itself, but this time I had just one day to move out. The house was larger, but started falling apart on us due to termites attacking the wood. This enabled rats to get in and we had to move out before we all died of leptospirosis...
I’ve been in this house for 10 months now, which is a pretty long time considering the track record of the last couple of years. The house is once again an improvement on the previous accommodation; we have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and unlimited hot water. Not to forget a fantastic view. My landlord now wants to tear the house down to build luxury condominiums and is going to start work on the site by the end of this month. So, once again I’m on the move.
To make matters worse, it’s becoming nearly impossible to find any kind of rental. The prices have shot up in these last few years and there is a huge shortage of accommodation even in the higher priced category.
So what do I do facing these impossible circumstances? I ask the Universe for the absolutely impossible: a house on the beach.
I’ve been yearning for a house on the beach before I even got here. Upon arrival I “realized” that there are only a handful of beach houses for rent and their prices are exorbitant, so I gave up on the idea, thinking it was impossible. Of course, with this attitude, my first home was miles away from the beach. Looking back over the last two years, each move has been an improvement and I’m getting closer to the beach as well. It no longer feels impossible.
These last couple of years have truly been an exercise in trust. I had quite a few dark nights of the soul where I lost faith and had to find a point where I regained trust despite the seemingly hopeless outlook of the situation. Each time I managed to dredge hope from the depths of my soul, the tide turned and a roof over my head was provided by the Universe.
Last month an online friend sent me a lovely link where one can wish upon a star. Without stopping to think, I spontaneously wished for a beach house. On a few blogs I visit, I stated my dream of living in a beach house and writing a novel. I’ve looked at my vision board on my desktop, built myself a beach house on Sims2 and starting visualizing.
Meanwhile, in the “real world”, I’ve placed an ad seeking accommodation, looked at a couple of places (not on the beach), but they haven’t worked out. I’ve got two weeks to go until I have to move out and I’m working on not feeling the fear and trusting that I will have a roof over my head.
I live in hope and surrender…
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The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams.
Elizabeth Gilbert
Related articles:
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Beyond our ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other'
doesn't make sense any more.
Rumi
Remember the one where two mothers are sitting around discussing their children? One mother kindly says “Her child is a coward, yours is timid and mine is careful.”
My children were always what I kindly called “spirited”. Others might say “bloody-minded”. Now that they’re older, one might call them somewhat opinionated. When they were younger, this “spiritedness” often manifested as over-activity and aggressiveness towards each other. (After all, both of them were “right”.)
I never really liked the idea of seating the kids in a chair or room for a period of time as a disciplinary measure. Social ostracism works as punishment, but do we really want our children to learn only about feeling guilty and bad? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on the positive? Just sitting and doing nothing leads to brooding and mutterings of resentment which is counterproductive. I mean, aside from the handful of prisoners who find God, don’t most inmates spend their time focussing on their negative state? I feel that, just as time out of society doesn’t usually rehabilitate adults, it doesn’t do wonders for children either. Instead, the time out can be used constructively for changing the negative energy into a positive force.
When things got out of hand, instead of punishing them, I used to make the kids take a time out to sit and chant the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”.
Chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum” creates a state of compassion that manifests in a subtle way on a longterm basis and in the short term creates a state of calm and peace. The simple teaching of this mantra is the concept that when the heart and mind become united anything is possible. The rough translation for Om Mani Padme Hum is: "Om and salutations to the jewel of the mind that has reached the lotus of the heart".
Ask (or tell!) them to sit in the lotus or crosslegged position, close their eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then begin the chanting. I always used the “Om Mani Padme Hum”, because it is easy to remember and is very calming. It’s also more “magical” than words they know and understand and, hence, more fun and playful.
You can either sit down with them and do the meditation as well (initially, you’ll have to demonstrate it anyway) or let them get on with it. The time out meditation will soothe your frazzled nerves as well whether you participate or not.
Small children may not be able to do this time out meditation for more than a few minutes. Depending on their age, that’s all they need. Chanting the mantra won’t turn them into little buddhas overnight, but it will restore sanity and peace for a while as well as getting them started on a spiritual practice.
Later on, they may be keen on trying other meditations such as guided visualisations to a safe place or simple visualizations. As they understand more, you might add other mantras according to your spiritual tradition.
According to H.H. The Dalai Lama: "Thus the six syllables, Om Mani Padme Hum, mean that in dependence on the practice which is in indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech, and mind of a Buddha."
Ok, so my kids aren’t quite little buddhas. They are still too “spirited” for that, but they are on the path …
"Ask and ye shall receive" I'm told. So here goes: if you like this article, please stumble, add to a social bookmarking site or donate. Thank you.
Virginia Woolf said that every woman needs a room of her own to be able to write. I would go further; everybody needs some sacred space of their own to survive daily life. We all have to retreat from the mundane at times and get in touch with our Spirit.
As a child, I always wanted a treehouse. It seemed like the perfect sanctuary to me, high up and hidden away from sight. In my imagination, I decorated my treehouse with exotic wall hangings and huge fluffy cushions. Unfortunately, my father had two left thumbs and couldn’t put up a shelf, let alone embark on a dwelling, however minor. Ever the resourceful child, I looked for the next best place and found it behind the Freemason’s Lodge. Nobody ever went there and it seemed sufficiently magical to qualify as a sanctuary. I spent a lot of time just sitting and dreaming and also set up a graveyard for dead birds there. I particularly enjoyed holding funerals for the poor birds. My mother called me a morbid child…
When I hit my teens, I had to go to school camps a couple of times a year. I hated communal living and always carved out a space for myself in the room by throwing an Indian shawl over a chair and setting up some kind of altar. I usually had some incense and a little figurine of some kind. The centrepiece in those days was a little box where I kept my illegal “mind-enhancing” substance …
Even as adults, we need a sanctuary from the world. A place where we can retreat and heal ourselves by getting in touch with our souls. A place to meditate and relax, to get in touch with the Divine. A physical spiritual retreat centre.
This place can be indoors or outdoors. It can be difficult to create a place of your own if you are living with others, but it is possible. If you have a spare room or a basement, consider turning it into your spiritual sanctuary instead of a guest room. If you’re more pressed for space, even a corner of your bedroom, perhaps partitioned off with a screen or curtain will do. If you don’t even have enough room to swing a cat in, a cupboard or a shelf can serve as sacred space in form of an altar. Even the tiniest space can be a focal point for your meditations or prayers.
An outdoor sacred space could be a flat rock situated in a grove of trees, a sheltered part of your garden or a corner of your balcony. A large or small Zen garden might give you peace and tranquillity. Sacred space “on the go” might be an impromptu altar on a tree stump in the woods or a rock on the beach.
Decorate your sacred space with an image that symbolizes Divinity, some candles, a mandala … whatever your intuition tells you to put in the area. I usually like to represent the four elements of fire, water, earth and air as well as Spirit. Then I’ll add on bits and pieces that I am intuitively guided to place there. Also, if I want to manifest something, I will put a vision board or something representing my desire on my altar.
Some people like to consecrate their sacred space with a ritual. I personally feel this isn’t necessary; the intent and setting up is usually enough consecration. Spending time in your sacred space also adds to the energetic charge of the place. Try and take a few moments to meditate or just “be” in your sanctuary every day.
And who knows, you might even get inspired to write a book or two in your room of your own…
You don't have to be an ascetic to become enlightened. On the contrary, if you don't know what you are doing, celibacy can be harmful. You won't actually get blue balls, but suppressing your sexuality without properly sublimating it, can lead to the repressed energy surfacing in destructive ways, both on a psycho-spiritual and physic level. Many a war has been waged due to individual or mass sexual frustration and suppression. Think Crusades, think Troy, think contemporary wars and violence on the streets ...
Although most of the major religions have advocated a path of asceticism as the preferred path to enlightenment, there has always been another path for the more hedonistically inclined amongst us. Humans thousands of years ago cultivated the art of pleasure to transcend into higher dimensions of consciousness. The ritual of hieros gamos (sacred marriage) with temple prostitutes in India, the Near East and even in Ancient Rome. was a way to achieve union with the Divine. More recently, Alistair Crowley and other ceremonial magicians used sex magic to "manipulate consciousness" and reach a higher state of awareness. Pagans participate in the Great Rite, Native Americans practice a form of sacred sex known as Quadoshka and Tantric Yoga of Indian origin and Chinese Taoist sexual practices are gaining popularity in the West as a means of spiritual transformation.
Sacred sex is not about having better orgasms or about becoming a better lover (although both are nice side effects). Sacred sex is more a philosophy of Divine love, a letting go and surrendering with the goal of merging with the Universe. The basic idea is that, if the world is an expression of divinity, then all in it must be Divine, worthy to be worshipped rather than renounced. And this, of course, includes seeing and worshipping divinity in and through the "Other".
Spiritual transformation through sacred sex is achieved by making love with the heart, not just the genitals and involves a co-mingling of physical, emotional and spiritual love. Think of it as a mutual meditation and turn the sexual act into a ritual. In Tantra, this ritual is called Maithuna.
Take a ritual bath together. Light candles, scent the room with sandalwood, play some soft or meditative music. Massage each other with aromatherapy oils. A mixture of sandalwood and ylang ylang is a wonderful aphrodisiac for both body and soul. You could also try a yoni massage or lingam massage as part of the ritual. Use your imagination and try and "feel" your partner's desires. Give love whilst engaging all your senses. After gentle penetration (the yab-yum position shown above is very relaxed), remain motionless and concentrate on the energy flowing between you. Breathe deeply, synchronizing your breathing with your partner's, whilst gazing into each other's eyes. Contract your pubic muscles and visualise energy flowing from your genitals up your spine to the crown of your head. Remain relaxed and hold the energy within, resisting the urge to orgasm until the orgasmic energy is overflowing. Finally, when you can no longer contain the energy, let go and surrender into union. Let barriers dissolve to envelope your partner as you both merge into one. Feel the energy spread through your entire being and bask in the afterglow of love. ..
Still committed to asceticism?
In my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I did a lot of experimenting with ceremonial magick and the likes. As is often the case, I got to the point of hubris and attempted to boldy go where I wasn't yet equipped to go. The upshot of this was that I ended up going around the bend and had to bring myself back. I did this mainly by taking myself off to the islands for 3 months. Every morning, after my walk down the beach. I'd spend an hour meditating and chanting the mantra EHYEH ASHER EHYEH. This is the original Hebrew for I AM THAT I AM, the answer god gave when Moses asked via the burning bush who he was.
A few years ago, I came across one of Deepak Chopra's books where he mentions the mantra SO HUM. This is in it's very essence the same as the other two I had been reciting for years. Although I still use the I AM THAT I AM version when I'm feeling dramatic (nothing more fun than standing with arms outstretched chanting in a sonorous voice), I now generally prefer the Sanskrit version for my daily meditation. All of these mantras bring about the union between your self and the divine, but I like the naturalness of the SO HUM mantra. It's called the universal mantra because of the fact that its vibration is already a part of the breath, and everybody breathes. Sooooo... is the sound of inhalation, and Hummmm... is the sound of exhalation. Simple.
A Mantra is a sound repeated over and over until it becomes one with your mind and pushes you into an altered state of consciousness. In a state of higher awareness, you can connect with your soul and ultimately with divine consciousness. The repetition of a mantra, no matter what language, is the easiest way to focus on sound and your breath and clear your mind of all other distractions.
The main reason for reciting the SO HUM mantra (or I AM THAT I AM or EYHEH ASHER EYHEH) is to get aligned with your divine nature. Other benefits that come with regular practice are relaxation, peace and self-healing.
How to do a SO HUM meditation?
Find a comfortable posture for meditation, either sitting with a straight spine or lying down in the corpse position. Put your hands in gyan mudra 
and focus on the rhythm of your breathing. Once your breathing is regular, say SOO silently to yourself whilst inhaling. As you exhale, say HUMM. Keep focussing on your breath whilst silently repeating the mantra. Let your mind become absorbed in the sound of SO HUM and your actual breath. If any thoughts arise, let them come and let them go. Just refocus on the mantra. Keep breathing smoothly.
I also use this mantra if I'm getting stressed out in public. One of my pet peeves is getting stuck behind a bunch of slow or non-moving people on narrow pavements. It's no use telling myself that these people are just being sociable and that this is a good thing; my blood starts boiling. I can't raise my arms and start chanting I AM THAT I AM in deep sonorous tones (well, I could and I guess it would have the desired effect), but silently focussing on the SO HUM mantra offers a civilized and silent alternative to quietly balance my energies.
I first came across the term creative visualization when I read the book of the same name by Shakti Gawain in the early 1980s. The term may have been new to me then, but not the concept. I had been doing magic rituals for some years before and realized that creative visualization and magic were one and the same. Dion Fortune defined magic as "the art of changing consciousness at will" and I recently came across this definition of creative visualization: "Creative visualization is not just a technique. It is a state of consciousness. It is a consciousness in which we realize that we are the continuous creator of our universe and take responsibility for it. "
The idea is that we are always creating our own reality; what we need to do is start consciously creating it. This thought has been flying around the personal development scene much more recently with all the new books and sites about manifestation, Law of Attraction, etc. I truly believe it is a good thing that more and more people are becoming aware and living more consciously. BUT ...
Where's the fun?
A lot of the information concentrates on manifesting abundance (many seem to focus on money) and is presented in a deadly serious manner. I'm not saying it's not a serious business (literally business for many!), but a little lightheartedness and humour might not be amiss. My daughter actually pointed this out to me the other day when she said she was sick of the whole spirituality shebang; it used to be much more fun when we sat in front of the altar chanting spells and dancing around standing stones. Out of the mouth of babes ...
We shouldn't just listen to our kids; we should emulate them and PLAY more. Rituals are a good way to play with your imagination. It is much more fun to dress up in red flowing clothes at the full moon and chant spells on the beach or even in front of an altar filled with visual images, candles, etc. Adding a little drama to your visualizing puts you in the mood and prepares your mind and gets those alpha brain waves going.
Once the scene is set (yes, I think of it as a play), it is so much easier to focus on the actual technicalities of creative visualization. Then you can sit down and let your imagination run wild on what you want to manifest. For instance, if you want to manifest love in your life, you might dress in red, light a candle or two, burn some rose oil in an oil burner, put on some music and then visualize your ideal relationship. The principles are the same: use all your senses in imagining you and your beloved being together. Enjoy the feeling of togetherness and love, smell your happiness, hear the violins playing ... Just engage all your senses in some way even before starting the visualization. You'll already be in "pretend mode" and visualization is all about "acting as if".
You might want to end your ritual with a statement. This one works for me:
This, or something better, now manifests for me in totally satisfying and harmonious ways, for the highest good of all concerned. So mote it be. Blessed be.
Then let go of the ritual and start enjoying the moment. Have fun!
There's not much purpose in just knowing your life purpose; you must live it. (In a way, it's worse knowing your mission in life and not doing anything about it. It makes you feel like a real unprincipled louse. I've been there...)
I have found the only way to really live my life purpose is to surrender myself totally to my Higher Self / God / The Universe. Mystical traditions refer to the need to die before being reborn and the way to do this is to surrender totally and put yourself in the hands of the Universe.
Yes, it's frightening and it DOES mean relinquishing control and trusting that everything will work out. Changes WILL happen in big ways and you WILL have to make sacrifices in your life. There is always an element of sacrifice in surrendering, but keep in mind that the things that are sacrificed are the things that are stopping you from living your life purpose. For instance, I was "moved" halfway around the world from Switzerland to the Seychelles. This "moving" seems to be a recurring theme in my life and each time I have to give up all my worldly possessions and lose daily contact with close friends and family.
Step one: Ask and ye shall receive
With an open heart surrender yourself to the Universe. Find a quiet time and ask for help. Say a prayer, shout it to the sea, announce your intention and readiness to surrender. Do it out loud. And do it with a trusting heart and faith.
Step two: The Universe is speaking: just listen
The Universe will respond immediately (well, sort of immediately). Don't expect a voice coming out of a burning bush. But then again, you might be lucky... Trust that you will be supported, go with the flow and look for your messages. These may come in the form of a book, something someone says, a sign on the road. Messages come in all shapes and sizes, often in a humourous manner. If you are open to receiving them, you will recognise them.
Step three: When opportunity knocks, take it
The Universe will also provide you with plenty of opportunities to live your life purpose. Take them. Going with the flow does not mean not acting. Surrender does not mean you will never do anything again. Wait for your cue and then ACT with focus and intent.
Step four: Practice makes perfect
It helps to state your intention to surrender every day. Surrendering is something to be practiced continually and in all areas of your life. For instance, I recite the Gayatri mantra every morning. It is a Sanskrit prayer and it's essence is "I will to will Thy will". Find some form of this prayer that is right for you and practice every day.
Step five: When you get off track, ask again
You may be more enlightened than me and never have to ask again. Most of us, though, do get off track from time to time. Our good intentions fly out the window, when "life" interferes. When I got to the Seychelles, I got sidetracked by going to the beach all the time. A life of leisurely sun-bathing and sipping gin tonics at sundown wasn't really part of my life purpose and things soon started going wrong. (Which is a message in itself!) I had to surrender again, rededicate myself to my life purpose. And I was given (yet) another chance. God is forgiving... Just go back to step one and start again.
