A six-month training culminating in Certification as an Earth Magic® Practitioner. We will meet in person as a group three times in southern Orange County California and online four times. You will have homework in between each meeting. Please join us for this powerful training!
As some of you may already know, Doreen and I have gone our separate ways and are officially divorced. We concluded about 18 months ago that it was time to do so. It’s evident that this was guided by Spirit and completely purposeful, and as for myself, it became clear early on in the process that it was time to set out on my own path. Since then the interest in what I have to offer has dramatically increased, for which I am very grateful.
In spite of it being spiritually correct, I won’t pretend that it was an ideal or easy separation. There have been some bumps along the way. Although any divorce is best kept a private matter, rumors and speculation abounded as to the reasons why we broke up. The rumors about money in particular are a gross distortion of the complexity and realities inherent in this process that should rightly be a private matter in spite of our visibility.
Being in the public eye of at least a good portion of the spiritual community, there will no doubt be ripples for a while amongst those who know us and our story. Some will judge either one or both of us, yet I trust that should you find yourself judging this in anyway, no matter the source of your information, you will shift as quickly as you can to forgiveness.
If you find yourself doing so, first become aware of the judgment (whether about this situation or any other) identify that judgment and let it teach you. Find the mirror. See what is similar in yourself that you judge. Then state out loud, “I forgive myself for . . .” Then let it go. Use this as a healing opportunity.
We first attempted to do this as quietly as possible, yet recognizing that ultimately the people that knew us as spiritual teachers would learn the truth of our separation. The multiple synchronicities in the beginning of the relationship held us in its sway. Then each of us went on to write about it. Very romantic story. Many idealized us and our relationship, yet throughout we’ve shown ourselves to be far too human, with those kind of imperfections that go along with the exquisite perfection that is inherent in any living being, including us humans.
My intention all throughout the separation process has been to be honorable and fair to us both, and when this is completely resolved I trust I’ll be able to look back on it and know that I stayed on track with these intentions
I will always be grateful for what Doreen contributed to my life and my work, and I’m sure she feels the same way about my contributions. I will always love and respect her, and admire how she has provided hope and inspiration for so many people.
I thank all of you for your support, encouragement, and prayers.
Dr. Farmer shares some of the magical rituals and ceremonies introduced in his book Earth Magic. We also talk about Soul Recovery and Soul Fragmentation; what it is, and symptoms of soul loss. Steven also talks about animal spirit guides, totem animals, and power animals, and the difference between each of them. You'll learn about first hand experiences of animal spirit guides, and how to interpret messages from your animal spirit guides. Dr. Farmer concludes the show with his thoughts about the major global changes we're presently experiencing on our planet.
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Thursday, 16 July 2009 17:53
Written by Steven Farmer
So I'm sitting at the Orange County airport, aka John Wayne airport, aka Santa Ana airport (it actually borders Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana). The airport obviously has some identity issues. Anyway, I'm sitting there and down about six or so seats is a guy munching away on some McDonald's french fries. Mind you, this is about 10AM, so I'm sure it's his breakfast.
He's obviously overweight, has a paunch, looked rather disheveled, and I'm thinking he probably also drinks a lot of beer. So as I'm watching him out of the corner of my eye, I hear the voice of judgment in my head: "I don't eat MacDonald's fries. They're bad for you. I've seen the movies, read the books, and know that there's all sorts of bad stuff in there. He must not be as intelligent or as well-informed as I am. Otherwise he would have something healthier. I'm glad that I don't eat that stuff and that I know so much more about the right foods to eat."
But damn those fries smelled good! I can remember what they taste like, and I bet they'd taste real good right now!
Okay, busted! Judgment time! So then it was, "Okay Steven, let's take a look at your eating habits. Yes, you do eat salads and good, healthy, organic foods and little meat. And yes, it's true you wouldn't eat McDonald's food, and yes, you have read a lot about food and don't eat a lot of meat. But what about all that popcorn you eat? And ice cream? And pizza? So Mr. Smarty Pants, what's the deal here judging this other guy?"
Okay, stopped me in my tracks. Had to smile and laugh at this shadow of arrogance that pops up once in awhile. Maybe even more than I notice.
Saturday, 04 July 2009 12:22
Written by Steven Farmer
Did a shamanic journey and was taken by my spirit guides to an old sitting in a cave. Classic archetype, right? Since it was a lower world journey, where there are mainly spirit animals, I was a bit surprised to find a human-looking spirit there. No matter though. My inquiry was just for a general message. Here's what he said:
“All of this spiritual stuff, these spirit guides and such, including animal and plant spirits are really a manifestation of the spirit inside you expressing itself as a seemingly external spirit. You could say it’s a projection of the spirit inside you but that’s not exactly right. More like, as you have been saying, a collaboration of the seeming duality of an internal and external spirit.
“When you hear that whisper in your ear, where is it actually coming from? It does seem slightly outside you, right? This is merely as you experience it, however it is a reflection of the internal force that animates you that we call spirit.
“Center of your body is actually what in T’ai Chi is termed the tantien, which is that point just one or two inches below your navel. The center of your Being is your heart. The flow between the two is what happens when you consciously breathe. It’s also that connection that allows you to intuit what the larger force of Spirit is communicating to you, no matter what way, shape, or form. So take deeper breaths, slow down, and be attentive to this circuit between the two and it will empower the communication with Spirit.
“I’m meditating, not medicating. You don’t need to idealize either process. As Alec said last evening, quoting his guru’s teachings, ‘You’re a slave to your cravings, whether they whip you or caress you.’
Thursday, 11 June 2009 19:27
Written by Steven Farmer
Okay, so I’m driving down a side street in Laguna Beach name of Glenneyre. My Irish friend Tony says it’s pronounced “Glenn-IRE,” but most people who live here pronounce it “Glenn-AIRY.” So what does Tony know anyway?
So as I was saying, or more accurately writing, I was driving down this side street and as I came to a certain intersection noted that it was blocked off due to construction. So naturally I turned right on the street before the blockades to get to Pacific Coast Highway and be on my merry way to my house in South Laguna.
Now, you have to turn left from Calliope to go south on Pacific Coast Highway. I’ve never attempted to do so as typically you can go further south on Glenneyre and take one of the streets, such as Bluebird or Diamond streets, where there are traffic lights that make it a whole lot easier to safely turn left, or for that matter, to turn right.
So I pulled up to the stop sign on Calliope and prepared to turn left to get back home. I confess I was in a bit of a hurry, so although I noticed a couple of signs that said clearly “NO LEFT TURN,” I figured that, well, no one was watching, I could make the turn safely, and therefore it didn’t make sense to have a sign forbidding what seemed like a perfectly safe and do-able turn.
So I went for it.
As I continued down the highway, about a block or so after the turn, I looked to the right and there was a motorcycle cop. He seemed to be watching the flow of traffic more than me, and as I passed him, I felt a surge of relief that I’d somehow gotten away with it.
Wrong.
My next look in the rearview mirror revealed that he in fact had seen me pass by and for some reason had his red and blue lights flashing. At first I wasn’t sure. Had I been speeding? No, don’t think so. Maybe a taillight was out? No, I’d just replaced them both. Oh, okay. Let me guess: he had somehow observed me making that left turn.
So I pulled over, got out of the car, and started to walk around the care to the sidewalk. He said in a very soft but clear voice, “You can stay in the car.” He even repeated it, but I said, “Oh, that’s okay. I’d like to get some fresh air anyway.” He conceded this and walked up to me on the walkway, ticket book in hand.
Me: “What’s the problem officer? (Duh!)”
Him: “You made an illegal left turn back there.”
Me: (still playing dumb) “Oh, I didn’t realize that it was illegal. Seemed okay to do so.” I immediately felt a twinge of guilt, kind of like a faint voice of my mother saying I shouldn’t lie and by the way, do you know where you go for lying?
Him: “Well, there’s three signs there (I only saw two—I swear!) that say ‘no left turn.’ We’ve had a lot of complaints about people ignoring these. And it’s not safe to turn left from that street onto PCH. That’s why I’m posted here.” I didn’t agree, but he was a very imposing figure, obviously a weightlifter, and he had the badge, uniform, and a gun. Okay, I’m not going to argue with him.
Now at this point, even though I’d denied it, he knew that I knew there were signs posted. Further, I knew that he knew that I knew. And of course he knew . . . Well, you got the picture.
I saw his name tag, so I called him Officer Jones (not his real name). His response was, “Call me Bob.” Now only in Laguna Beach, Beverly Hills, or in smaller towns would you ever get away with calling a policeman Bob. Officer Bob.”
Bob started apologizing for having to give a ticket, saying it was the hardest of the job because most of people in Laguna he tickets are so nice. He really meant it to. It wasn’t a ploy. He continued apologizing and at one point I’m thinking, “Oh, good! He feels so bad and I’m such a nice guy that he’s going to let me off with a warning. Cool!”
Then he pulled out his ticket book, all the while being very apologetic about it. Okay, so I’m going to get the ticket. I can still do traffic school even though it’s annoying to spend eight hours of a Saturday in a closed room with other offenders. I shrugged it off. Mainly because he was so nice about it, I couldn’t pout or internally whine but instead found myself feeling a strong bond of some sort with Bob. Maybe man to man or something.
So I’m thinking, “Wow! How can I be upset with this man? He is truly just doing his job, but the way he’s doing it is so . . . dare I say, loving? Something about his self-effacing manner and his humility really affected me.
In fact I started feeling bad for Bob.
Me: “Don’t feel bad about it Bob. You’re just doing your job and I harbor no resentment. This is just what you do and you don’t have to apologize for it. Really, I deserve the ticket, I did something wrong even though I was unaware of the illegality of it (had to slip that in despite the echo of my mother’s voice). So please! Go ahead and just know that I do understand. I do appreciate how nice you are!”
Then he went on to tell me there’s a possibility I can do an Internet traffic school that takes only four hours rather than eight. He handed the ticket to me then we shook hands. As he sauntered back to his motorcycle, he said, “Hey if you ever need anything, just ask for me.”
So Bob, if you ever happen to read this I thank you for the powerful way you set the tone for a difficult situation for both parties. You taught me a couple of big lessons just by being who you are.”
Monday, 06 April 2009 13:59
Written by Steven Farmer
Malidoma Patrice Somé is a healer, teacher, and elder of the Dagara peoples in the small West African nation of Burkina Faso in West Africa. He travels extensively giving classes and workshops, and in one of his teachings, he describes how the Dagara believe there are three levels of intelligence on Earth. Plants are considered to be the most intelligent beings, animals second, while humans capture the ribbon for third place. It’s a different way of looking at life and our relationship with plants and animals, one that contradicts the more typical and subtle arrogance ingrained within many of us in the more “civilized” societies.
Whether we agree that we’re somehow less intelligent than plants or animals, most indigenous peoples, who are more intimately connected to the natural world, know that we are intrinsically related to all life on this fair planet. Chief Seattle, of the Suqwamish and Duwamish tribes of British Columbia said it best: “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
So how is it that those of us who have been raised in the more “civilized” parts of the world have forgotten this connection? How did we forget how to talk with the animals, to listen to their language, to connect with their spirit, and to show them compassion and gratitude for all they give us? How did we come to live in this illusion that we’re somehow separate from all other beings and nature herself?
Of course there’s no single cause for this dissociation from the natural world and specifically from animals, yet we can point to a couple of powerful influences. One of these was the beginning of the scientific revolution, heralded by Sir Francis Bacon in the early 16th century. Considered the founder of modern science, Bacon claimed that goal seeking was a specifically human activity, and attributing goals to nature misrepresents it as human-like. It became science’s job to objectify nature, and to think otherwise became a cardinal sin. Then in 1637, along came Descartes, famous for his quote, “I think, therefore I am” (although it’s more accurate to say, “I am, therefore I think!”). Descartes maintained that only humans have souls, so animals can’t really feel pain, and thus pioneered the practice of vivisection, further objectifying the animal world.
In the 20th century many others would openly disagree with this way of thinking. Darwin was one who challenged this view and demonstrated that animals had their own unique intelligence. Yet paradoxically, in the past century and even to today, animals have continued to be treated like objects, as having no soul or spirit, here mainly to serve humankind’s needs and purposes. Yet these attitudes are slowly changing.
With the spark of ancient memory awakening in many of us comes a deep longing to experience the intimacy with the natural world that was a way of life for our ancestors, who expressed their gratitude for the gifts of the earth through continuous prayer, ceremony, and ritual. They appreciated that whatever you took from nature, you always gave something back, and you used every part of what you’ve taken. They knew that every aspect of life was infused with Spirit and consistently honored that fact. Animals were seen as kin, as brothers and sisters, and even when hunted for sustenance, they were honored and treated with the utmost respect and gratitude for sacrificing their lives.
Another aspect was the relationship to the spirit of these various animals. Typically a clan, tribe, or community would have a spirit animal in common, called a totem animal, one that everyone in the clan could call on for protection and guidance. Shamans in these communities typically had one or more spirit animals that they used in their work on behalf of the people, called power animals. An animal spirit guide was any animal that showed itself in an unusual way or repeatedly. The animal was believed to be bringing a message from the spirit of that animal.
The purpose of my books and cards (Animal Spirit Guides, Power Animals, and Power Animal Oracle Cards) is not only to help people discover how our animal brothers and sisters and their spirits can help us in our lives with guidance and healing, but also to encourage the re-awakening of that inherent connection we have to animals. As they did for our ancestors, the spirit of an animal will attempt to reach us through unusual or repetitive visitations, whether the physical animal or a symbolic representation. If a crow lands three feet away and looks at you, or a crow shows up repeatedly throughout the day, Crow spirit is trying to pass along a message. Crow may also show up symbolically, such as in dreams, on a TV show, or a ceramic figure in a bookshop. Regardless, Crow spirit is trying to pass along a message.
I always suggest to pause and ask Crow (or whatever animal) what the message is before referring to any of these books or cards that contain possible meanings of any such sighting. Once you ask the animal, pay attention to any impressions that comes to you, whether visual, auditory, thoughts, or sensations in your body. Ifthe message isn’t clear right away, often through the coming days you’ll pick up other signs or omens that clarify the message from the animal spirit.
Our animal brothers and sisters want to reach us, teach us, and heal us. It’s simply a matter of being open and receptive to Spirit’s communication through the specific animal spirit, and doing whatever we can to maintain the awareness of our relationship our brothers and sisters.
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