The Self-Development Top Ten Christmas Countdown
by Rob Burlinson
As ʻtis the season of goodwill in which many celebrate by giving presents to each other which end up unused and unwanted for years until the receivers can overcome feelings of guilt and release them to the charity shop, I thought what greater gift can we energy workers give ourselves than the most amazing Auric Field Super Deluxe Inner Self Magnifying Microscope. This is a magical Harry Potter type of device that zaps us, turns us into fairy dust and allows us to swim through our auric field scooping up samples of all the stuck thought forms, clouds of emotional debris, and spiritual scars weʼve been holding onto since that time we bumped off rather a lot of people as an Atlantean priest, process them through a special auric field transducer, and ʻhey presto!ʼ, we look through the lens and see ourselves as we really are with total clarity and no illusions. It would be similar in nature to Dumbledoreʼs ʻpensieveʼ, and be constructed from Kyanite and Sugilite, with a Smoky Elestial motor and a Black Obsidian lens, but all coated with a soothing Rose Quartz and Mangano Calcite shell, because otherwise nobody but the most self- flagellating would buy it. For how many people would dare to look in dread of what they might find? Certainly I doubt few of us would be happy to invite friends, family, the neighbours from across the road, and curious passers-by to take a look as well. Gulp. Iʼm feeling a little uncomfortable even writing this.
And yet, according to spiritual sources, this is exactly what happens when we die. Once weʼve left this earthly mirage we can no longer pretend to be anything other than who we really are, and all our spiritual friends and acquaintances will suddenly see us in all our naked auric glory, angelic warts and all. The only consolation is that they will be so busy trying to cover their own dodgy bits that they wonʼt be bothering to look at ours.
So, it may be a good idea to look at all those feelings weʼve stuffed in the attic, or shoved in a vault beneath the Arctic ice. If we fear others finding out about our innermost feelings or of having to relive painful childhood experiences, the truth is that our biggest judge on ʻthe other sideʼ will not be our friends, or even enlightened beings, but ourselves. All we may receive from anyone else is patience, understanding and guidance whilst we try to hide away due to remorse and feelings of failure. We had a job to do down here and we cocked it up. AGAIN.
But why unearth and revisit painful experiences? Because if they are still that painful then they are holding us back. They may have distorted the lens through which we view the world, and as we co-manifest our reality anyway, then all we are doing is recreating what we expect to experience again and again in daily life, and if we are unconsciously expecting rejection or to be told we are worthless, then that is exactly what we will then experience. Or we could be running away, lost in avoidance rather than facing what needs to be healed. This process doesnʼt just happen over one lifetime, but myriad lifetimes. We could be stuck in the same cycle of repeating feelings for thousands of years.
Of course it depends on what you believe the purpose of this reality that we call ʻEarthʼ is. I personally believe it is some type of school down here. After all, if it truly is ʻas above, so belowʼ; and we are merely a pale reflection on a cave wall of a much more substantial higher world, then does it not seem to suggest the same learning process ʻdown hereʼ is an echo of that on higher realms too? Do we not come down here for our classes? Not in Geography, Physics and Double Maths (yuk) but classes in Compassion, Reflection and Double Forgiveness. From which we hope one day to graduate and not have to repeat a year or more. Iʼve certainly had instances in life where Iʼve took a wrong turning (orthree) in my daily existence, and had a dream in which mortifyingly I found myself as an adult in a class, when many around me were clearly still in primary or toddlers. They were young, but I should have known better. Waking up was highly sobering with the feeling of having to improve myself. Perhaps you have magnificent dreams in which Ancient lamas offer you doctorates whilst applauding and bowing before your every pearl of wisdom. In which case please move on to the next article now.
Self-development doesnʼt have to be a dirty, or terrifying word(s). It may seem as if in order to truly know ourselves what stands before us is six years of therapy, when the reality can be different and much simpler. There are many approaches that can be taken, if we just put our fears to one side for a moment. The greatest spur to do this is perhaps to remember we have limited time down here and our hourglass only flows one way.
So, if the Auric Field Super Deluxe Inner Self Magnifying Microscope is a little too scary for your Xmas list, here is the Great Top Ten countdown of Self-Development Christmas presents you can ask for that definitely wonʼt end up in the charity shop window (please note that this list is totally biased towards my own life experience):
10) ʻThe Transformation Gameʼ. This, if you havenʼt heard about it, was created at the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual community in Scotland. Itʼs a wonderful tool to help you to know yourself and also loads of fun to play. The only provisor is to play it with someone who has played the Game before, and who understands it, as it needs to be played seriously, and ʻheldʼ to allow people to explore what comes up.
9) Astrology. This can be a deeply serious tool. Forget the nonsense you read in the papers. A birth chart is a spiritual road map to help us to know who we really are. Experiential Astrology can be a rewarding way of approaching Astrology as then you need know nothing of Astrology and yet can experience the planetary energies of your own chart without need of an interpreter.
8) Have some deep body massages with someone who approaches this from an energetic perspective. Our body holds deep memories which can then be released.
7) Do a retreat at a spiritual community which resonates with you. Iʼve personally been many times to the Findhorn Foundation, as mentioned in number 10 (I recommend doing ʻExperience Weekʼ first).
6) Counselling. This also combines well with all other presents on this list. In fact if you do combine them, the insights and self-awareness should flow much quicker and you may find your counsellor wondering if youʼve not been working with someone else sneakily on the side. Always be aware your counsellor is also down here to learn, so please choose wisely someone you resonate with and feel you can talk to.
5) Practice taking Self-responsibility for everything in your life, all that you are manifesting, good and bad (it could just be karma ripening!). This is the cheapest present on the list, costs no money at all, yet is also the most priceless and difficult to achieve.
4) Do Courses. I found the VHF ʻLight Courseʼ to be deeply profound and helped me evolve. But of course there are other many other development courses running at other places. Just donʼt become a course ʻjunkieʼ without ever digesting anything. Number 3 should help with this...
3) Keep a journal. Life is so seductive, with something glittery always waiting to take our mind off the spiritual ball, that we can easily forget a moment of lucidity and incredible insight and fall asleep again. Keeping a journal is a way of having something concrete to refer back to and remind our selves of who we really are. For Christmas instead of that pair of socks or frilly tights your Auntie always buys you tell her to get you the posh recycled journal with the wolf/owl/pigeon on the cover that you saw in Smiths.
2) Crystals! Crystals! Crystals! This goes without saying.
1) Meditate. And if you still feel you are not very good at it do a course in Meditation, to help you. If you donʼt go within how can you ever hope to truly know yourself?
By the way, for the more courageous amongst you, I am now taking orders for the Auric Field Super Deluxe Inner Self Magnifying Microscope. I accept payment by cheques, BACS and Karmic credit notes. The Microscope is also for a limited time available with a unique pair of Selenite and Amethyst Binoculars for those moments when it all becomes a little too overwhelming and you need to look a little higher for some inspiration.
by Rob Burlinson
As ʻtis the season of goodwill in which many celebrate by giving presents to each other which end up unused and unwanted for years until the receivers can overcome feelings of guilt and release them to the charity shop, I thought what greater gift can we energy workers give ourselves than the most amazing Auric Field Super Deluxe Inner Self Magnifying Microscope. This is a magical Harry Potter type of device that zaps us, turns us into fairy dust and allows us to swim through our auric field scooping up samples of all the stuck thought forms, clouds of emotional debris, and spiritual scars weʼve been holding onto since that time we bumped off rather a lot of people as an Atlantean priest, process them through a special auric field transducer, and ʻhey presto!ʼ, we look through the lens and see ourselves as we really are with total clarity and no illusions. It would be similar in nature to Dumbledoreʼs ʻpensieveʼ, and be constructed from Kyanite and Sugilite, with a Smoky Elestial motor and a Black Obsidian lens, but all coated with a soothing Rose Quartz and Mangano Calcite shell, because otherwise nobody but the most self- flagellating would buy it. For how many people would dare to look in dread of what they might find? Certainly I doubt few of us would be happy to invite friends, family, the neighbours from across the road, and curious passers-by to take a look as well. Gulp. Iʼm feeling a little uncomfortable even writing this.
And yet, according to spiritual sources, this is exactly what happens when we die. Once weʼve left this earthly mirage we can no longer pretend to be anything other than who we really are, and all our spiritual friends and acquaintances will suddenly see us in all our naked auric glory, angelic warts and all. The only consolation is that they will be so busy trying to cover their own dodgy bits that they wonʼt be bothering to look at ours.
So, it may be a good idea to look at all those feelings weʼve stuffed in the attic, or shoved in a vault beneath the Arctic ice. If we fear others finding out about our innermost feelings or of having to relive painful childhood experiences, the truth is that our biggest judge on ʻthe other sideʼ will not be our friends, or even enlightened beings, but ourselves. All we may receive from anyone else is patience, understanding and guidance whilst we try to hide away due to remorse and feelings of failure. We had a job to do down here and we cocked it up. AGAIN.
But why unearth and revisit painful experiences? Because if they are still that painful then they are holding us back. They may have distorted the lens through which we view the world, and as we co-manifest our reality anyway, then all we are doing is recreating what we expect to experience again and again in daily life, and if we are unconsciously expecting rejection or to be told we are worthless, then that is exactly what we will then experience. Or we could be running away, lost in avoidance rather than facing what needs to be healed. This process doesnʼt just happen over one lifetime, but myriad lifetimes. We could be stuck in the same cycle of repeating feelings for thousands of years.
Of course it depends on what you believe the purpose of this reality that we call ʻEarthʼ is. I personally believe it is some type of school down here. After all, if it truly is ʻas above, so belowʼ; and we are merely a pale reflection on a cave wall of a much more substantial higher world, then does it not seem to suggest the same learning process ʻdown hereʼ is an echo of that on higher realms too? Do we not come down here for our classes? Not in Geography, Physics and Double Maths (yuk) but classes in Compassion, Reflection and Double Forgiveness. From which we hope one day to graduate and not have to repeat a year or more. Iʼve certainly had instances in life where Iʼve took a wrong turning (orthree) in my daily existence, and had a dream in which mortifyingly I found myself as an adult in a class, when many around me were clearly still in primary or toddlers. They were young, but I should have known better. Waking up was highly sobering with the feeling of having to improve myself. Perhaps you have magnificent dreams in which Ancient lamas offer you doctorates whilst applauding and bowing before your every pearl of wisdom. In which case please move on to the next article now.
Self-development doesnʼt have to be a dirty, or terrifying word(s). It may seem as if in order to truly know ourselves what stands before us is six years of therapy, when the reality can be different and much simpler. There are many approaches that can be taken, if we just put our fears to one side for a moment. The greatest spur to do this is perhaps to remember we have limited time down here and our hourglass only flows one way.
So, if the Auric Field Super Deluxe Inner Self Magnifying Microscope is a little too scary for your Xmas list, here is the Great Top Ten countdown of Self-Development Christmas presents you can ask for that definitely wonʼt end up in the charity shop window (please note that this list is totally biased towards my own life experience):
10) ʻThe Transformation Gameʼ. This, if you havenʼt heard about it, was created at the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual community in Scotland. Itʼs a wonderful tool to help you to know yourself and also loads of fun to play. The only provisor is to play it with someone who has played the Game before, and who understands it, as it needs to be played seriously, and ʻheldʼ to allow people to explore what comes up.
9) Astrology. This can be a deeply serious tool. Forget the nonsense you read in the papers. A birth chart is a spiritual road map to help us to know who we really are. Experiential Astrology can be a rewarding way of approaching Astrology as then you need know nothing of Astrology and yet can experience the planetary energies of your own chart without need of an interpreter.
8) Have some deep body massages with someone who approaches this from an energetic perspective. Our body holds deep memories which can then be released.
7) Do a retreat at a spiritual community which resonates with you. Iʼve personally been many times to the Findhorn Foundation, as mentioned in number 10 (I recommend doing ʻExperience Weekʼ first).
6) Counselling. This also combines well with all other presents on this list. In fact if you do combine them, the insights and self-awareness should flow much quicker and you may find your counsellor wondering if youʼve not been working with someone else sneakily on the side. Always be aware your counsellor is also down here to learn, so please choose wisely someone you resonate with and feel you can talk to.
5) Practice taking Self-responsibility for everything in your life, all that you are manifesting, good and bad (it could just be karma ripening!). This is the cheapest present on the list, costs no money at all, yet is also the most priceless and difficult to achieve.
4) Do Courses. I found the VHF ʻLight Courseʼ to be deeply profound and helped me evolve. But of course there are other many other development courses running at other places. Just donʼt become a course ʻjunkieʼ without ever digesting anything. Number 3 should help with this...
3) Keep a journal. Life is so seductive, with something glittery always waiting to take our mind off the spiritual ball, that we can easily forget a moment of lucidity and incredible insight and fall asleep again. Keeping a journal is a way of having something concrete to refer back to and remind our selves of who we really are. For Christmas instead of that pair of socks or frilly tights your Auntie always buys you tell her to get you the posh recycled journal with the wolf/owl/pigeon on the cover that you saw in Smiths.
2) Crystals! Crystals! Crystals! This goes without saying.
1) Meditate. And if you still feel you are not very good at it do a course in Meditation, to help you. If you donʼt go within how can you ever hope to truly know yourself?
By the way, for the more courageous amongst you, I am now taking orders for the Auric Field Super Deluxe Inner Self Magnifying Microscope. I accept payment by cheques, BACS and Karmic credit notes. The Microscope is also for a limited time available with a unique pair of Selenite and Amethyst Binoculars for those moments when it all becomes a little too overwhelming and you need to look a little higher for some inspiration.