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Today more than ever humanity is exploring various spiritual practices in search of truth. With so many choices, it can be difficult to know what is best for you and what will really lead to the great goal of enlightenment. As a metaphysical teacher, I see many people do not have a clear picture of what the goal of spiritual development is really all about. It is ironic because the purpose of metaphysics is to help you reach your spiritual potential which will ultimately lead to enlightenment.
Enlightenment is no abstract idea, vague wish or fanciful notion. It is a very real part of your life and something attainable. At the same time, enlightenment is not something you will reach overnight. It will require all your talents, dedication and abilities to accomplish.
What exactly is enlightenment? Enlightenment means many things. It is the culmination of a long spiritual journey where many facets of human development come together as a unified whole. At its core, enlightenment is the ability to connect with the God presence within you. It means attaining the highest power ray in your evolutionary cycle where you become part of the hierarchy of light. It means you have passed from inner faith to inner knowing. An enlightened soul has reached a high level of maturity and awakened the inner sensories latent in all humans.
Enlightenment shows itself unmistakably in the aura. The whole aura changes shape to a beautiful pointed oval. There is an expansive outer glow of light and power. Gold is strongly pronounced with an enlightened soul along with white light. With an enlightened aura, there are no dark or undeveloped areas. Every facet of the aura, from the chakras to the divisions, has taken on new qualities.
How do you reach enlightenment? Like any skill or art, spiritual development takes effort and training; there are no shortcuts. Yet the best way to start is right where you are. Start by building up the spiritual power in your aura and consciousness with every good word, thought, act and deed. Start at home with your family and friends. Bring the divine into your finances and workplace. Every good thing you do builds up and enlightens your aura.
If there is one message I wish to leave you with it is that enlightenment is your destiny. Regardless of when you reach this goal, every soul on this schoolhouse earth is meant to enlighten their soul and graduate so they can go onto greater spiritual adventures. If you have had you spiritual awakening, then it is time to start paying closer attention to this part of your life.
God bless you in your spiritual journey,
Barbara Y. Martin
Spiritual Director
By Jaqueline Marie – Staff Writer
Can prayer heal?
For centuries metaphysics has advocated the power of prayer as a key means of healing. Now science is beginning to understand what the mystics have known all along – prayer heals.
Not long ago science scoffed at the idea of prayer and meditation having an effect on the healing process, but due to the surmounting evidence suggesting otherwise, the mainstream medical community is taking note. Research into the healing power of prayer has doubled in the last 15 years. Dr. Mitchell Krucoff, a cardiovascular specialist at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., has been studying prayer and spirituality and its links to healing since 1996. Medicinenet.com cited him as saying,
“We’re seeing systematic investigations — clinical research — as well as position statements from professional societies supporting this research, federal subsidies from the NIH, funding from Congress. All of these studies, all the reports, are remarkably consistent in suggesting the potential measurable health benefit associated with prayer or spiritual interventions.”
In the Handbook of Religion and Health more than 1,200 case studies on the relation between prayer and health are documented. Some of the findings include:
- Heart patients were 14 times more likely to die following surgery if they did not participate in a spiritual practice or religion.
- Hospitalized people who never attended a spiritual gather have an average stay of three times longer than people who attended regularly.
- Elderly people who never or rarely attended a church or participated in spiritual practices had a stroke rate double that of people who attended/practiced regularly.
- In Israel, religious people had a 40% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
It’s exciting to see the medical community beginning to acknowledge the power of prayer in healing, a truth metaphysics has been practicing all along. According to metaphysics, when you pray and meditate you are accessing a spiritual power that accelerates the healing process. It is this spiritual energy that is sustaining the body.
By working with the aura, your spiritual blueprint, you are directly accessing the source of your spiritual power. This spiritual energy can then be directed to any area of your consciousness that needs healing or transformation, mind, body and soul.
The way you draw spiritual energy into the aura
is through mediation and prayer.
Healing is a proactive, spiritual process. Health consciousness is a key factor in healing. When we meditate and pray we align ourselves with God, bringing ourselves into a greater awareness of God. Renowned healer and teacher Joel Goldsmith understood this spiritual principle and achieved extraordinary results because he was able put his mind in a state of consciousness where illness does not exist.
While science has not yet definitively pinpointed why prayer is helpful, it is already demonstrating that the very act of prayer is healing. To quote Dr. Krucoff,
“We’re looking at whether in all of the energy and interest we have put into systematic investigation of high-tech medicine, if we have actually missed the boat. Have we ignored the rest of the human being — the need for something more — that could make all the high-tech stuff work better?”
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: medicinenet.com
Image by Irina Patrascu
It has been asked what the spiritual significance of the summer solstice is. Astronomically, the summer solstice marks the moment when the Earth’s North Pole is pointed closest to the sun in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter in the southern hemisphere. It is the longest day in the year for the northern hemisphere and the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. And as we all know, summer represents life in full bloom, a time to enjoy ourselves, take that vacation, etc.
Spiritually there are 
rhythms of activities connected to the seasons as well. Spiritual growth is a continual process but summer does represent a period of spiritual flowering. Actually the spiritual peak of the year is during the Spring Equinox but summer is when we feel the effects of that peak the most. It is generally a time to reap the rewards of accumulated spiritual efforts rather than starting a new flow of energy (Fall and winter are the best times for starting a new spiritual flow).
So take a moment to express your gratitude to the Divine for what you have and all that has been done for you. Take time to enjoy yourself and to better appreciate the spiritual opportunities that are opening up. Despite current challenges, this age we live in is one of the best times to grow in the Divine Light.
In Light and love,
Barbara Martin, Dimitri Moraitis
Spiritual Arts Institute
**All works copyright**
Image by xedos4
An excerpt from Barbara and Dimitri’s book, Karma and Reincarnation:
“Karma is a starting point, not an end point. Whatever karmic condition you find yourself in, that is the starting point to turn things around. It is the divine tuning process to bring life back into balance.
“Be careful if you find yourself saying things like, “I’m supposed to suffer like this. This is karma, and I’m suppose to go through this.” Karma doesn’t work like that. You can create karma by doing this because you are avoiding something your supposed to be doing. Karma is not an excuse to avoid dealing with life’s challenges.
“You are born to succeed. It doesn’t matter how dire your circumstances, the divine sees you as precious and essential. When you resist, struggle and strife ensue as part of the spiritual growth to bring you back into harmony. When you harmonize withe your purpose, the universe brings everything together to assist in your success. “
Here are the first 3 points to remember regarding Karma:
- Look to the lesson
- Face your karma
- You’re always given karma you can handle.
In Divine Light,
Barbara Y. Martin
The spiritual path is the most beautiful path you can embark upon – yet it is also the most demanding. Developing your spiritual nature requires effort, dedication and sincerity. It brings out the best in you – gives you courage to overcome adversity, heal conditions in your life and brings talents and abilities to their fullest bloom. Walking the spiritual path helps you to gradually unveil the mysteries of life so you understand your place in the divine plan.
What are the Seven Spiritual Arts? And why are they important in your life and spiritual development? These are seven facets of the spiritual life that are indispensable in your unfoldment. The spiritual path is a like a jewel of many facets. Each facet must be developed to succeed in your spiritual journey. Together they make you a well-rounded individual.
THE AURA
The aura and spiritual energy are essential because it is in your aura that you forge your spiritual mettle. it is through your aura that you generate the power to accomplish anything and everything in life.
There are two basic ways to develop your aura. One is with every good word, thought, act and deed. The other is through meditation. Both ways are essential in the spiritual development process. In the classes there is great emphasis on meditation and application.
HEALING
The second spiritual art is Healing. What is healing? In a word, change. Changing one condition into another. This is the art of spiritual transformation. All of us need healing at one point or another. By understanding the principle of healing you are discovering the keys to healthy living in all facets of life.
KARMA AND REINCARNATION
The third spiritual art is karma and reincarnation. We all come to this earth with unfinished business – the karma, good and bad, we have generated in past lives and come to this life to work through. No matter what other good we do in this life, we cannot reach the spiritual pinnacle without facing and resolving our karma. And understanding the process of reincarnation is essential as it takes many lives to master the lessons of life.
CONSCIOUSNESS
The fourth spiritual art is consciousness. In this study there is special emphasis on understanding the spiritual dimensions of the mind. The mind is the navigator to the soul. An enlightened mind leads to an enlightened soul. By understanding the true source of all thining you can better tune into divine guidance and receive greater creative inspiration.
SPIRITUAL LIVING
The fifth spiritual art is an important study called “The Spiritual Keys of Living”. The east Indians call this study Karma yoga – the law of right action.
This is about understanding how the heart chakra, or Hermetic Center, works. The Hermetic center is your action center and is the nucleus of your outer world activities. As you can imagine it is a busy center. The goal is to bring this center in alignment with your spiritual purpose.
The key to this center is application. Metaphysics is really a way of life. In order to grow spiritually you must employ the laws of metaphysics into everyday life. You must LIVE truth for truth to live in you.
THE SPIRITUAL HIERARCHY
The sixth spiritual art is the magnificent study of the spiritual hierarchy – and the understanding of your potential clairvoyant powers.
This spiritual art teaches that you ar never alone in your spiritual journey. Your spiritual unfoldment is a cooperative process with the divine. I know personally, that I could not do what I do without the constant support of the Holy Ones. It can be hard to realize just how much our life is in god’s hands and how much loving, unseen help we receive on a daily basis.
YOUR SPIRITUAL ASCENT
And finally the seventh spiritual art is understanding the grand process of evolution itself – your spiritual ascent. This study steps back and looks at the big picture of your spiritual growth It explores how you are evolving through the spiritual planes and what are the steps of spiritual attainment and what is the ultimate purpose of evolution. By keeping the big picture in mind you will never lose the forest for the trees.
This study also helps you with discernment – understanding the potential pitfalls on the path so you can better evaluate the true from the false as not everything that has a spiritual label is in fact spiritual
Together these seven spiritual arts give you a tremendous spiritual foundation. They make you a true metaphysician and advance you far on the road to spiritual maturity and enlightenment.
In closing, I urge you to make metaphysics a great part of your life. These principles take time to fully blossom in you. Make spiritual truth a living part of you and your life will be blessed in the most beautiful and wondrous ways. Armed with such knowledge you have the tools to succeed in your spiritual quest.
I wish you God’s blessings in all you do.
~Barbara Y. Martin
The Seven Spiritual Arts are enrolling now! Join us and grow!
“The soul of man is like a seed that God plants in the garden of creation. All the potential for realizing its divine nature is already in the core of the soul. To realize that potential, the soul embarks on a pilgrimage through creation where it grows, eventually making its way back, fully realized, to God.” ~Barbara Y. Martin
Spiritual Arts Institute wishes you a blessed, bright New Year. May 2011 heal and regenerate, inspire and awaken the essence of your being, your soul.
There really is a Spiritual Renaissance that is arriving. It is the next step in the evolution of humanity and the planet. While orchestrated by the divine, this New Day will take all of us working together to make happen. As we approach the Holiday season let us ask what we can do personally to quicken the advent of this New Glorious Day.
EFFORT – First and foremost, the Spiritual Renaissance is a call to action. Too many feel they do not have enough time or have too many commitments to pursue the spiritual path. The truth is there is always time for the divine. Make room for God and watch how the rest of your life falls into place. As Alice Bailey said, “Circumstance and environment offer no true obstacle to the spiritual life.”
COOPERATION – We’ve come a long way in realizing that while we are diverse cultures and races, we are part of the family of God and all play an essential part in the divine plan. Of course, there is still work to do to realize the inherent unity within us all. In the spiritual arena, many spiritual groups forget that regardless of the creed or belief we may follow, the New Day is for us all. We need to support all our brothers and sisters in light.
SUPPORT – There needs to be a channeling of resources to materialize the divine plan. Too many groups that are making essential contributions are sorely underfunded and understaffed to complete the task at hand. God has given us worldly resources not so much to suit our own desires but to serve our part in the divine plan.
It takes courage to step up to the plate and do your part regardless of what others are doing. A fire must first start as a flame. Refuse to let fear stand in the way of what you know is the right course of action.
The beauty of the Spiritual Renaissance is, it is not emanating from one single group. It’s truly a grass roots phenomenon. And this is its strength – individual efforts creating a collective effect. As you do your part, others follow. Slowly but surely, the wealth of the earth will flow into areas of life and society it was destined for and this will lay the very groundwork for the New Day.
In closing, let it be said that the divine knows when the Spiritual Renaissance will arrive. One thing is sure, by doing your part not only are you contributing to your own personal enlightenment, you are helping to enlighten the world.
In light and love,
Barbara Y. Martin
It is so important to face your karma.
We all come to this Earth with unfinished business.Your soul incarnates in physical form to learn what it has either neglected to learn in past lives or to learn lessons that still are a part of its framework and evolutionary climb.
Your experiences in this life are but one chapter in your book of life. You simply cannot judge or see the whole picture of your life history from the viewpoint of a single lifetime, not matter what that life is like. There will always be good karma that you bring in and karma that you need to redeem. Whatever the karmic slate is, you cannot outrun your karma. Facing and resolving karma is one of the most effective ways to quicken your spiritual development. And avoiding and delaying learning the lessons our karma presents, can slow down your spiritual progress no matter how effective you are in other areas of your life.
Karma is the balancer of life-the harmonizer. You generate karma with your every thought, word, emotion, act and deed. It can reach into any aspect of your life. You can have karma related to family, money, health, relationships. And there are many different types of karma. There is personal karma, soul karma, mental karma, emotional karma, national karma, race karma and world karma. That’s a lot of cause and effect going on!
The law of karma is designed in love to make you a greater being and realize the great goal you have. Karma is designed always to help build you up not tear you down or punish you. Without the laws of karma you could not grow and reach spiritual mastery.
It takes courage to look at your faults and face your karma. There can be a natural inclination is to avoid anything that is unpleasant. One of the hardest things is to realize that as an evolving soul you have done it all. Through your many incarnations, you have done great and noble things and you have done not so great thing things. It’s all part of the growing process and all these things play a role in the karmic pattern of your life.
If you were too passive in a past life, you will have to develop a dynamic will in this life. If you were cruel in a past marriage, you will have to show kindness now. If you were impatient before, you will have to learn patience now and so on. You will find the character traits you express now are as a result of your accumulated past lifetimes of experience.
In Divine Light and Love,
Barbara Martin
copyright Martin/Moraitis 2010
With all the challenges and activities of life, it can be easy to forget that each step you take IS your spiritual path. It can become habitual to feel that you are on a spiritual merry-go-round, pursuing the path but somehow not getting where you need to be. It is at these times that you need to stop, take a breath, and reevaluate where you are in your spiritual journey.
Your Spiritual Ascent is a miraculous journey. It represents the blossoming of your soul, the unfolding of the spiritual powers latent within you. Earth is a schoolhouse and you are here to grow and serve the divine plan. In this school there are definite grades and levels. Right now you are in the process of growing through the spiritual planes. These planes are actual dimensions of life and consciousness that you have to embody and master if you are to win the crown of life, the culminating achievement in your earthly journey.
In the esoteric work, these spiritual planes are called the astral worlds. The astral worlds are the dimensions of life you go to when you pass from this life through the portal called death. These dimensions are magnificent, but they are not just for the day when you are finished with your earthly life. These dimensions are part of you right now. You receive help and support from the astral planes. As you earn spiritual light, you grow through these realms while you are right here in physical life. This is the essence of your spiritual ascent.
There are seven of these astral dimensions that you are evolving through. Eventually you will finish with the astral planes altogether and step into the next dimension of life known as the heaven worlds of Spiritual Etheria.
Your passport to the spiritual worlds is the Divine Light you earn. The more spiritual power you earn the higher in consciousness you can climb and the greater your spiritual ascent through the astral planes. It’s a wondrous journey.
How do you help in your spiritual ascent? Is there a way to quicken this process? The answer is straight forward: there is no shortcut to spiritual enlightenment, but by putting your hands to the plough and applying yourself, you can accelerate the process, right now.
The key to your spiritual ascent is the Divine Light. Do all that you can to earn light. Through every good word, thought, act and deed you are earning light. Your efforts do add up! In all your choices and decisions, look to the best course of action regardless of personal feelings. Be willing to face the challenges of life head on. These tests are the very opportunity to help you grow and mature. And as you master these challenges, you are building your spiritual power.
The other way you earn spiritual light and quicken your spiritual steps is through meditation. By meditating regularly, you are giving yourself time to commune with the Divine and receive the gifts of Spirit. There are some who say they are too busy to meditate or say they do not know how to meditate. This is like saying you have no time for God or don’t know how to receive from God. Of course you do! It’s all a matter of choice.
Through every sincere effort you are growing and unfolding your spiritual power. Put God first in all you do and watch your life blossom.
In Divine Light and Love,
Barbara Y. Martin
Spiritual Director
