The human ego has been much-maligned throughout history. Christianity tells us that the seven deadly sins are based on the pursuit of selfish motives or ego. Buddhism reminds us that ego's attachments are the cause for our suffering. From the Course in Miracles we learn that the ego's projection of being separated from God causes us shame, guilt and pain. Contemporary writers such as Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle seek to enlighten us about the pitfalls of eco-centric ways of thinking and acting. None of us likes an egocentric or egomaniac person. But why do we have an ego? Is it really all bad? In Latin language the word ego simply means "I", myself. When we are born we do not yet have a sense of identity. We learn what is other than I through separation and distinction. This is a necessary stage of human development. Later in life, a well-balanced ego helps us to strive and achieve our goals and dreams. It is only when the ego is out of control that it becomes a problem. The ego is then like a fearful child that projects the worst, lives in the past or the future, criticizes and condemns and is rarely ever satisfied. Basically, it wants to protect us from harm, but often doesn't know how to go about it.

De-clutter your life – emotional and spiritual benefits of releasing things

As Spring is in full swing now, we often feel a need to clear out accumulated things in order to make room for the new. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of ‘stuff’ we hold on to, because of indecision, vague sentimentality or hoarding tendencies. Clutter negatively affects our wellbeing on the physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual level, since it creates the energy of stagnation, frustration and confusion. When energy stops flowing, less life force is available to us. We feel out of control, overwhelmed and disempowered to initiate positive change in our life.

Much has been written about identifying ways to de-clutter your environment and therefore your life. In a society driven by consumption, strong movements have emerged that focus on simplicity and minimalism. In order to start sorting out physical clutter, I begin with the two simple questions: do I use it? Do I love it?

Clearing out physical clutter becomes a powerful healing tool for transformation. Can de-cluttering also be a spiritual practice? We believe so. If it is true that our outer environment reflects our inner state, then the act of organizing and clearing out leads to a more relaxed, clearer mind and a heart that is open to new beginnings. Letting go of things helps us to let go of the past and make more room for present and future selves. Hoarding is fear-based, whereas releasing invites us to trust in the generosity of the universe. It really becomes a control issue: do I place my faith in objects and accumulations or in an abundant universe and a loving Source that provides for me? New freedom and awaits us as we welcome transformation and the energy of new beginnings.

Some people visit a psychic or intuitive healer for one reason, and for that one alone: they want confirmation for their hopes and desires.

Those clients can be a challenge to the Intuitive, because they are not open to the more subtle messages from the Spirit world. You see, the spiritual law of non-interference must be respected by all, and your Spirit Guides will most certainly not wish to interfere with your choices and decisions. Therefore they offer, through the intuitive medium, alternative pathways along with the possible outcome of a particular choice.

Here are some suggestions to spiritualize your Holiday experience and feel more deeply connected to the spirit of the season.

1. If buying gifts for others is what you do, bless each person that will receive a gift of yours, even if it is just a small token of appreciation.

2. Make a small altar with images of Jesus or other Masters of Light. Connect with the inner Christ consciousness these masters exemplify to you and ask to partake of this awareness.

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.

Summer time: a time to enjoy the gifts of the season, to interact and play, and a time to tend to the garden - verbatim and figuratively speaking.

Whether you are a gardener or not, have you considered the garden of your soul? That metaphor relates to our self-care and the loving awareness that helps us to distinguish weeds from things we want to grow. We plant seeds with every thought, every action, even every non-action. Some seeds germinate quickly, others take more time to root and unfold. Seeds of negativity, such as resentment, living in the past, envy and doubt develop into 'weeds' that are often hard to eliminate. The most persistent weeds are the ones with deep roots and survival strategies. They grow underground, in the depths of our unconscious/subconscious mind. Awareness is the tool that exposes these pernicious weeds and stops them from propagating in the garden of our soul.

What are you planting today?

How does Great Spirit speak to us?

Sometimes we want God to communicate with us in grandiose ways. Maybe we want a clear message, written in flames on the wall and signed by God. In my experience, it rarely happens that way. Source, Spirit, whatever you want to call it, speaks to us in quiet, unexpected ways.

Today we had a meditation gathering in honor of Divine Mother. A beautiful meditation came through that touched everyone's heart.

Much later I went into the kitchen to clean up. I found a paper towel that had absorbed water in such a way that it created a perfect heart shape. Does Divine Mother speak to us through paper towels? I don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence.

This time of year, spiders seem to be spinning their webs all day and all night long. Maybe that is why spider webs have become a symbol for Halloween: a little eery, reminders of invisible worlds; annoying when we don’t see them and run into that delicate web that seems to cling to everything. And who is really fond of spiders anyway?!

I appreciate spiders at a distance. My mother taught me never to harm one unless it is toxic and in attack mode. I have very little tolerance for black spiders, since I’ve gotten bitten a few times, and believe me, those bites are nasty.

When you have the opportunity to look at a spider web from just the right angle, against the sunlight, the beauty of its construction and magical fabric is breath-taking.