The invitation is not to find fault, but to examine your own soul’s architecture and that of your partner. Asking the questions below may not always result in clear and concise answers, but you will gain deeper understanding about the level of resonance between the two of you.

1. Do we feel physically attracted to each other, is there an erotic spark between us?
This first one seems to be an easy one, especially when we have just ‘fallen in love’. Erotic attraction can be all-consuming, even blinding us to other factors that will become more important once this initial spark has quieted down. In long-lasting healthy relationships physical attraction often takes backstage to other characteristics of your love connection. However, if eroticism has become dormant or even absent over the years, one or both of the partners may feel a need to seek erotic polarity outside of the relationship.

Last night I watched a very old movie: Peter Sellers in "Heavens Above", 1963.

While there were a lots of funny moments, the deep underlying message of the movie was disheartening. Here was a beautiful bright, enthusiastic and idealistic priest who wanted to make a difference in the world through unconditional love, acceptance and sharing. The feature character was very Christ-like, with a naive heart and childlike belief in the goodness of humankind.

Featured in Vision Magazine, Jan 2012

(Reproduced with permission.)

A Conversation with Rev. Uki MacIsaac

by Sydney L. Murray

I first met Reverend Uki MacIsaac at the Whole Being Weekend over 12 years ago. I was with my good friend, ‘Dave,’ who had a session with MacIsaac and exclaimed she was superbly correct with the reading for him and his life. I have to admit all of these years later she definitely still has the ability to hone in on the issues at hand. Just listening to our reading, I am once again reminded of how her readings offer so much, on both an energetic level as well as a spiritual teaching.

She talks about the willingness to be available, which is what I think of when I consider alchemy in my life. Her reading was alchemical both spiritually and physically.

Recently I had a client who just would not be pleased with anything the intuitive reading had to offer. It is rare for me to encounter such a person, but it does happen, I admit. Some people have such a negative outlook on life that nothing, even the most positive perspective offered, will change their views of life. These people seem to be addicted to their negativity. There was so much in this person's life to be grateful for; but she simply could not see the good things, or rather refused to acknowledge what was working in her life. She derived pleasure from stating what all was bad and how she had been wronged by life.

What do some of us derive from being mired in negativity? Maybe it's a need to be *right*, to have life validate our innermost beliefs. We may verbalize that we want life to turn out differently, but our innermost self resists any positive turn of events, since that might prove the ego self wrong.

My personal Mockingbird Saga, in 10 short chapters

Chapter One

What a lovely surprise: a birds nest with beautiful blue eggs adorned with brown dots, set in a well-built nest in our lemon tree. It takes me a while to figure out who these birds might be. Turns out they are mockingbirds, amazing song birds who can remember and repeat almost thirty different tunes.

Why did they build their nest so close to the ground in a tree right next to our patio door? Don’t they know there are four active cats around there (two feral cats and two pets)? Immediately I feel a sense of protection for the little ones who haven’t even emerged from their eggs yet.

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Is luck just a coincidence, or does our attitude have anything to do with attracting good luck?

Some people claim that luck is an illusion; they hold on tight to the idea that preparation is better than counting on luck. The Emerson quote seems to confirm that notion. Is luck nothing more than what we rely upon when we don't prepare, therefore we embrace a very passive attitude? Maybe. But it is also possible that above all preparation, planning, visualization, goal setting etc, we need to show up for life as it happens and be open to the 'miracle' of unexpected results. True, intentionality leads to results, as part of the cause and effect of karmic law. Maybe we get results in life when we take responsibility for ourselves as life unfolds. It is evident that we can’t control the events of life, but we can show up present to them, gather information from them, then make meaningful decisions in the moment. Not showing up for the present moment distracts us and make us vulnerable to the whims or plans of others. We then celebrate good luck or blame bad luck for things.

Ah, the tricky aspect of setting goals for 2014! Haven't we all gone through some aspect or other of committing to new year's resolutions, only to find the momentum fade away even before the end of February? I certainly know I have. Sometimes it seems as if only a miracle could take us through the doorway of good intentions to  our wildest dreams fulfilled, highest vision manifesting, the 'impossible' coming true.

Here is a suggestion that might help. What if instead of trying to force the manifestation of our goals, which often creates a lot of pressure and stress, and maybe even unwanted outcomes, we simply aligned with our highest and best good? Prayer and meditation are proven pathways towards that destination.

Are you ready for a true story as proof that miracles do indeed happen, and that Angels protect us? Here it is, and it just occurred yesterday, December 19.

I need to give you just a little background for my story: many many years ago, I participated in a channeling group. We called ourselves "Brothers and Sisters of the Stars". Over the years the messages and meditations grew ever more meaningful, uplifting our energy for days afterwards. But as life changes, so our group dissolved, after 15 years of monthly gatherings, each of us moving on to different areas of Spirit work.

Recently, I made contact with a dear friend from the group who had moved to the Bay Area. We met and renewed our friendship connection. As we talked about other group members, we both felt a need to check up on them. Some were now in their seventies and eighties. We exchanged contact information and reached out to one dear friend, let's call her Lina. The calls we made that day to Lina saved her life!

Do spiritual shortcuts exist? If they do, this one must be the number one shortcut: the magical words of “thank you”. All languages, all cultures feature the expression of gratitude to someone, be it a person, circumstance, Nature or God. Is feeling or expressing gratitude a secret to happiness? Research seems to support this connection. But why not do the experiment yourself and find out? What is there to lose?

Are earth-bound spirits real? Can they affect us in any way?

Aside from the Halloween obsession with ghosts, we want to look at the possible reality of spirits who have not yet made the transition to the higher planes. They are often stuck in their plane of reality, not even realizing that they are no longer in body. Maybe their time of transition was traumatic, such as in sudden death, suicide or even homicide. Are they evil? Not necessarily. But they may attach themselves to us in order to have access to our life force energy. They can become psychic 'vampires', seeking to control in order to feel validation and importance.