SHINING LOTUS™ METAPHYSICAL BOOKSTORE NEWSLETTER

The Original Metaphysical Bookstore, since 1972Shining Lotus logo

APRIL 2015

2178 South Colorado Blvd, Denver Colorado 80222

303-758-9113

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in this issue

BEING WHO WE ARE by Norma Mitchell 

EZEKIEL’S VISION & THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE by Bruce Johnson

PLANETS AND POSSIBILITIES: A LOOK AT THE ASTROLOGY OF APRIL by Sally Shotwell

MANIFESTATION… AND THE FANTASIES WE CREATE with Mario C. Veo

LET’S GET STONED with Meghan Taft

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BEING WHO WE ARE
by Norma Mitchell

When we are first born, we remember our connection with God as wholeness, without separation. As we come from our mother’s body into the world we have agreed to experience for our lifetime, we feel that true sense of separation as an individual body in a world that is designed for us to experience an individual identity. By the time we are learning how to use our voice, our limbs, our senses of space, time, realities of this planet which helps us understand the illusions of separation, we begin to forget the awareness of our oneness with our Source.

These conditions are further complicated by the emotions we experience in the people around us. We feel their love and their pain, their joy and their sadness, their peacefulness or their anger, ­­any emotions that expand our awareness of who they are as people. When we, as infants, become overwhelmed by the emotions of others we may retreat within ourselves and experience the unity with our Source again.

Sometimes though, we react to our distress at being wet, hungry, isolated and ignored by crying for attention and help in the outer world rather than within. We also may turn to others who are a part of our spiritual connections, the beings who are there to help us remember our spiritual origin and that we are never abandoned to being in the conditions we as a soul have chosen to experience.

Some of these beings are there to guide us through our own emotional responses. Some are there as playmates to remind us that we are here to experience joy, love and laughter. And some are angelic beings or masters who help us remember that we are divine beings who have chosen to be here to utilize love to show ourselves and each other how to live that love in a world with its illusion of separation. When we accept that we are always connected through love with our Source, we can also accept that we are a part of that Source at our core.

Even if we don’t understand exactly why we’ve chosen to be here­­in a planet whose people pride themselves on individuality and separation­­we are going through the process of remembering who we are and getting closer to that Oneness that is our truth. This isn’t easy to practice, since we are taught to compete and isolate ourselves from each other in the pursuance of individuality and excellence as people .

Scientists have told us this whole universe is made up of Energy. That this Energy simply is. That even though we have accustomed ourselves to the idea that we “see”, “touch”, and experience the various items in our planet as solid or material forms, they are actually atoms and molecules in a perpetual state of motion.

Many of us don’t see this Energy, much as we don’t see the air we breathe. We accept that air is the one substance that our bodies cannot do without for more than several moments. Let’s consider that this Energy is also something that we cannot do without. Without It, nothing is (including us).

This Life Force is the whole of life and everything that is. We see Its love for us in the opportunities and guidance It has provided throughout our lives. We may not always want to hear or follow that guidance, yet we see that when we do, we are able to accomplish our dreams, find the peace we search for within, and experience love in various ways throughout our lives.

In a world where we are accustomed to having what we want more and more instantly, do you trust The One to provide what you want even when you may not receive what you want at the moment and in the way you want? This is called faith. Without it, we are at the mercy of our fears and our issues with control.

What we can do is to accept that The One is within us, as well as around us, and that we are part of Its expression of life. This allows us to trust our Creator and to remember who we are.

Norma Mitchell has been working with clients at the Shining Lotus™ since 2008. She provides Intuitive readings every Monday from 12pm to 5pm and also works from 12pm to 5pm on the second Saturday of every month.

Norma will be continuing her Hypno-Regression Therapy Group that meets on the second Thursday of every month. Each participant is encouraged to work within their own experience to identify, analyze and clear whatever traumas, difficulties, or challenges they encounter during the two-hour regression session.
She also has a spiritual discussion group that meets on the third Thursday and brings about topics that come up in our everyday personal spiritual journeys. This class has been very popular while Norma was conducting it in her own home and now she is bringing this opportunity to our neighborhood.

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Denver Tarot Convention SL ad April

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EZEKIEL’S VISION AND THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE
by Bruce Johnson

WheelOfFortuneThe Bible prophet Ezekiel describes in his heavenly vision- a whirlwind of creation rising out of the north, wheels within wheels, fiery clouds, and four winged creatures in the sky linked to the four cardinal directions. These symbols are also found in the mysterious Wheel of Fortune tarot card. Its arcane meaning is discovered through the application of Ancient Wisdom teachings.

The orange Wheel of Fortune is the whirlwind of Ezekiel’s vision, a Spiritual Sun of eternal motion and life, and it also symbolizes the the Wheel of Life. It is the creative non-physical source of all solid physical forms. Its physical parallel would be the Sun of a Solar System. The greater wheel, with the name of God engraved on it, contains lesser wheels within it. These wheels are symbolic of vortices within vortices and lesser cycles moving within greater cycles of life. Together, they indicate that life expresses itself on different levels of manifestation and in recurring cycles. Emanation, Reincarnation, Involution and Evolution are all depicted in the Wheel.

The arc of involution is shown by the serpent on the left side of the wheel. The serpent is spirit descending into matter moving toward the bottom of the wheel, the pole of matter. The red figure is Typhon, the devil of the Egyptians and the model for the Biblical Satan. He is symbolic of dense physical matter, the opposite of spirit. He is ascending on the arc of evolution, toward the spiritual pole at the top of the wheel. The direction of the heads of the snake and Typhon, signify a counter-clockwise rotation of the wheel or vortex. The eternal process of involution and evolution is the basis of cyclical reincarnation and the method of human evolution. The blue Sphinx at the top of the Wheel is a symbol of the soul who has transcended the cycles of reincarnation and rebirth, an adept who has found permanence and balance in a universe of ceaseless motion and change.

Interpreted esoterically, The Wheel of Fortune card shows a spiritual vortex of creation that emanates spirit into form and is the non- physical cause behind all physical manifestation. Five elements are represented on the card, with the central vortex depicting the spirit or ether element as the common source of the other four elements. The cross of Spirit and the cross of Matter are interconnected and blended at the center of the inner wheel, indicating spirit, matter, and their respective cycles emanate from the same transcendental cause.

The four living creatures of Ezekiel’s vision are- Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio. They correspond to the four Archangels of the four basic elements of fire earth air and water shown on the Wheel of Fortune card. The Archangels symbolized in astrological symbols are also recording angels, seeing all and recording all in the Book of Life. They are the administrators of God’s plan on earth. Their lofty spiritual level is shown by the yellow of intelligence, wings, and their presence in the clouds.

Bruce Johnson has over 30 years of study in the fields of Ancient Wisdom and occultism. He has taught classes on a wide range of topics, from Atlantis to mediums to Zoroaster. He is also a spiritualist minister, with a background in spiritual astrology. He lives in Colorado with his wife and their cat.

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PLANETS AND POSSIBILITIES: A LOOK AT THE ASTROLOGY OF APRIL
by Sally Shotwell

Planets-PossibilitiesSpring is here and the atmosphere in which we find ourselves is very charged. Mercury (thought process) and Uranus (unpredictability) are keeping company in the assertive cardinal fire sign, Aries. Aries is known for personifying independence, stressing individuality. Contributing umph to this picture are expansive Jupiter in enthusiastic, fiery Leo and normally restrained Saturn in idealistic, sparkly Sagittarius. Since Saturn is traveling backward (retrograde), his influence allows us to go inward to re-evaluate our belief systems without over-reacting in making adjustments in our world views.

April 2nd, the Sun is very friendly with Jupiter which may uplift our spirits encouraging us to tackle new projects. We do need to keep in mind that for the first several days of the month, Pluto is harassing the Aries-based spheres, the impact of which we’ve felt many a time already. Remaining calm should be our chief goal.

This approach aids us as we navigate the terrain created by the April 4th Libra Full Moon (culmination) Lunar Eclipse. Libra is the sign of relationships and strives to establish harmony between opposites, so these themes may crop up in our dealings with the outside world. We know that the Moon represents our emotions and eclipses are gateways to major change so let’s remind ourselves to stay grounded. Here we are fortunate to have Mars (action) in earthy, stable Taurus to help us not go off the rails should we start feeling odd. Taurus values the beauty of Nature and the material world so let’s take advantage of our surroundings as stabilizing factors.

Are we enjoying the gifts our immediate environment affords us?
Should we arrange for an adventure in nature?

The Sabian Symbol offers us encouragement stating “Circular paths, coming to terms with the inevitability of establishing steady rhythms of social activity”. Our lives are linked to those of others and being conscious of these connections facilitates our well being. Do we bring awareness to our relationships?

The Sun joins Mercury April 9 and shines his light to stimulate our thought processes. Venus floats into social Gemini April 11 adding to the ease with which we find interacting comfortable. On April 14th, Mercury enters Taurus throwing encouragement to Venus to really stress beauty in our lives. Both Libra and Taurus are ruled by Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty.

On April 18, we encounter the New Moon (new beginnings) in Aries which expects us to continue on our journey clearing out the dead wood blocking our progress on the path. Keeping in mind our desire to replace that which no longer works encourages us to persevere in envisioning transformative visions. The Symbol “The music of the spheres attunement to the cosmic order” captures our imagination presenting a glimpse of eternal realities.

Now back to Earth; the Sun enters Taurus April 20 joining Mercury and Mars who pair up on the 22nd to share an intelligent and practical message which stresses the importance of our planet’s health. With Mercury entering Gemini on the 30th this message may blossom with the communication expertise it is known for. Perhaps we may be encouraged to take heed and step up our environmental effort ourselves. It could even prove to be fun!

Blessings!

Sally Shotwell is a life-long student of esoteric spirituality with a super-natural curiosity and an undying thirst for knowledge. Her focus on studies in Astrology have spanned decades, and have included studying with Mario C. Veo, John Joseph, Mark Husson and C. A. Brooks.

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MANIFESTATION… AND THE FANTASIES WE CREATE
by Mario C. Veo

ManifestationMindIn my misspent youth all I really wanted was to study ‘Magic’ – it didn’t matter what Lineage, I devoured books on Spell-craft, on Shamanism and rituals, on Kahunas and Spirit Communication… heck, I even used Ouija Boards and Trance-Work (I don’t recommend these… it’s true that Spirit protects the innocents… but what about the foolish…!?) I attended workshop after workshop, met with Kahunas in Hawaii and Native American Medicine Men and Women in New Mexico, studied with Shamans in Africa and Gurus in India… and in the end had to do my own Inner Search… all in the attempt to find this elusive ‘Magic’.

Later I found out that what I was really looking for was to understand how Energy works, how Creation comes about, and what my role is in all this.

So now, many, many years later, I found that the Key which makes ‘Magic’ possible is quite simple – “get rid of your hurts, pains and sorrows, clean up your hot buttons, really look deep within yourself so you know, 100% who you really are, and live from that True Joy that is you – the Radiant Self… only now can the Energy of Creation flow – unimpeded – within and through you”.

I can just see some of you shaking your head, thinking that this is just some New Age BS that I’ve made up… well, you discontented cynic, consider this: ALL in Creation is Energy, and this has a range of Properties which defines What it is, and How it must work… what’s more, it is Magnetic; meaning that the more it is active, the more it attracts the same (until it crystallizes and upsets the Balance, and now attracts its opposite).

OK, now consider the many Principles of Manifestation – no matter the Techniques, most people forget that it’s the Preparation which determines IF it’s going to work… or, have an opposite effect (yes, Karma plays a big role in all this). I have shared this with many of you: if you’re struggling with Love, Money, Health… and you try to Manifest Changes, the only thing you can attract is more of your struggles… until you first learn how to release your blockages… for always “Like calls to Like”.

…and don’t despair, you can succeed if you’re willing to do the work… and please don’t think that there is something wrong with you… or that you’re ‘cursed’… or that ‘God’ has it in for you, if you want Changes, then do something about it! You see, my original ‘search’ was really correct, ‘Magic’ is simply knowledge of the Laws of Creation, and the Initiations required to be able to access and use them correctly.

So, what’s it going to be, are you willing to wake up the Magician Within you (yep, it’s in all of us!)… or, are you quite content to sit in your pessimistic cynicism, sneering at the World for your lack… hey, it’s easy to blame others for our misfortune, that’s what kids do.

This month is dedicated to the many processes of Manifestation – the do’s and do not’s… and what must be done to get there… ( and still be young enough to enjoy it!!)… so join us, if you dare…

MARIO’S CLASSES IN APRIL

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 — 6:30 – 8 pm — $20.
HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR PERSONAL STRUGGLES…& RECLAIM YOUR JOY

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 — 6:30 – 8 pm — $20.
WHY WE BLOCK MANIFESTATION…& HOW TO RESOLVE IT

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 — 6:30 – 8 pm — $20.
ADVANCED MANIFESTATION TECHNIQUES…RITUALS & CEREMONIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Tuesday, April 28, 2015 — 6:30 – 8 pm — $20.
MANIFESTATION TECHNIQUES FOR THE SPIRITUAL PRACTITIONER

Call 303-758-9113 to register for any or all of these classes.

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LET’S GET STONED
with Meghan Taft

Meghan Taft

Meghan Taft

Happy Spring everyone!  I hope you have had a Magical Winter, and are ready to wake from hibernation!  This month we are going to really shake things up energetically.  We will be going over 3 powerful stones, Apophyllite, Danburite, and Optical Calcite.  Apophyllite is a stone with diverse formations and can form as translucent, white, and green.  Danburite is a beautifully translucent stone, forming mainly in translucent, light or pale pink, and even a deep yellow.  And lastly, Optical Calcite, a beautiful crystal clear variety of Calcite that has a unique quality when examined in the Sunlight!  I hope you are able to make it on Wednesday here at Shining Lotus, these are powerful stones, I look forward to sharing them with you!  As always bring your pieces if you have them, and I will help you identify any stones you can’t, so bring those too!  We are going to have so much fun, so come on out to Shining Lotus and Let’s Get Stoned!

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