Issue #39 - The Importance of Purity

One may link purity with chastity and in a way it is but in a rather minor aspect. Purity is more about clarity, simplicity. In reality, purity is always uncomplicated. It is not a mixture of things that might go against its nature, impede its functioning or disturb its harmony. Take nutrition for example, before eating something we need to discard the elements that could impede digestion. When impurities enter the bloodstream it is the beginning of trouble for the organism.

It is also true for the mental, emotional and spiritual levels which means that if a selection is necessary to sort out what is digestible or not, it also goes for our thoughts, feelings and action. Purity is a selection with all the senses:

•  purity in what we taste, drink and ingest
• purity in what see, what we watch
•  purity in what we hear, what we listen to
•  purity in what we smell, what we wear for perfume (the less chemicals the better)
•  purity in what we touch, the way we touch

Purity brings health to the physical body, happiness and joy to the heart, power to act to the will, and to the mind, it brings light and understanding. On the spiritual level, purity protects us from all the undesirable currents and entities.

As such purity is the base, the foundation, of all other virtues, even beauty. One is beautiful when the screens and think layers that prevent the light from showing through have been removed. True beauty is not just about the symmetry of the features but about the amount of light that shines through the face.

In the Cabbalah, Yesod is the ninth Sephira on the Tree of Life (in Hebrew Yesod means foundation, base) where the Moon is represented and it is the Moon that rules over purity. Although the Moon has a lower aspect (turned towards Malkout, the Earth) and a higher aspect (turned towards Tipheret, the Sun). 

Watch our August issue in which we will talk about the influence of the Moon and clairvoyance!

Love and Light to all
Carmen Froment on behalf of The Aquarian Team
PS. This text was inspired from the reading of The Mysteries of Yesod by Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, Complete Works, Vol. 7

Issue #38 - Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet!

We all met in Kathmandu to fly to Lhasa with Yogi Raj Swamiji Amar Jyotiji as a group of 72 people, mostly his devotees and 16 westerners, disciples of Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov. Lhasa stands at nearly 12,000 feet (3656 metres) and most of us felt the abrupt change of altitude from Kathmandu with a shortest of breath as soon as we exited the airplane.

The city of Lhasa was surprisingly big, modern and far more Chinese than Tibetan although Tibetans are quite noticeable as women have maintained wearing their long skirts and men spinning their prayer wheels. We visited the Potala, the highest achievement of Tibetan architecture, with over 1080 stairs from bottom to top, housing 1000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and some 200,000 statues. It is comprised of 2 main sections: the red one serving for religious studies and prayers, and the white one as home to the Daila Lamas and the administrative purposes. We visited a small section opened to the public: the 13th Daila Lama living quarters and study rooms, (the 14th being the present one in exile), the Maitraya room which shows the Buddha of the future: the only Buddha represented in a western sitting position with legs down instead of crossed legged, the Dharma cave and the Healing room. We admired many of the colorful murals, paintings and sacred objects of Tibetan Buddhism.

The next day we went by train from Lhasa to Shigatse saving us a 10 hour drive which took us through numerous tunnels and amazing valleys where people and yaks work the land in a timeless fashion. The next morning, we went as a convoy of buses from Shigatse to Saga, taking us the full day traveling through hills of pale green, deep ochre and magical purple tones going West on the Tibetan plateau alongside the Nepalese boarder, having to stop at many check points for proper permits and authorizations, and capturing some of the snow peaked Himalayas in the horizon. From Saga at 15,223 ft (4640 metres) we proceeded to sacred Lake Manasarovar where we saw at last the mighty Kailash: abode of Shiva and gateway to Shambala (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_mundi). It was a very emotional moment. Swamiji prostrated and upon rising lifted his arms with tears saying "My home"! Such a blessing it was to have done this pilgrimage in his holy presence.

We stayed at Lake Manasarovar for the full moon of May and did the Kora around the lake, a Puja by the lake the next day followed by a deep meditation and singing with Swamiji. The next day we went to Darchen, at the base of Mount Kailash, to begin the walk to Dira Puk, a 12 km walk along the West side of Kailash, discovering the great guardians cliffs and mystical figures carved unto them. We came across several pilgrims, Tibetans and Hindus, walking in silence or praying before reaching Dira Puk at nearly 17,000 ft (5080 metres) where we slept. This sacred mountain is home to 4 religions (Bön, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism) and the source of 4 rivers feeding Asia: the Brahmaputra, the Karnali (Ganges), the Indus and the Sutlej river.

Despite the difficulty in breathing, the inconvenience of morning headaches (due to the altitude), we were immensely blessed with the presence and sight of Kailash (some pilgrims went 3 times to the area without seeing it a single time). Facing the North side of Kailash while in Dira Puk, some of us made a prayer for the uplifting of humanity, exchanging stones from our home country with those of Kailash, and establishing a feeling of brotherhood with all sentient beings of the planet. The overnight stay brought a change in weather waking up to winter conditions of snow, sleet and strong wind for our return to the starting point of the walk. Even though many of us would have liked to do the circumambulation of the mountain, time restrictions did not allow us that pleasure yet we made the most of the different aspects of this very sacred site.

Certainly, there will be more revealed to the consciousness as time distils this incredible soul experience.

Carmen Froment on behalf of The Aquarian Team

Issue #37 - Celebration of the Wesak

Normally, the Wesak Festival is at the full moon of May, at the time when the sun is in Taurus, but this year the sun was in Taurus on the full moon of April 22. For the Buddhists, this festival is always held at the full moon of May which this year will be May 21st, the Buddha is said to empower forces of Enlightenment seeking contact with humanity. It marks the high-water mark of spiritual blessing in the world. There is an unusual inflow of life and of spiritual stimulation which serves to vitalize the aspiration of all humankind. The intuition of all who seek to serve the good, the beautiful and the true (regardless of their faith or spiritual background) is stimulated by this spiritual blessing.

At Wesak we can visualize the aspiration of all people of goodwill being fused into a concentrated invocation to the Buddha, the Christ, and all Enlightened Beings on the inner side of life. This is a time for dedication, a time to hold ourselves steadily in the light, and above all, a time to focus on the needs of our fellow human beings and the necessity of providing a group channel whereby the spiritual forces can be poured through the body of humanity.

A Ceremony in the Himalayas
The Initiatic Tradition says that all Initiates and spiritual Masters who look after humankind gather either physically or in their astral body for a ceremony in the Himalayas. We too can participate in this special ceremony and join them through our good will and our intention. It is recommended to prepare ourselves couple of days before with an attitude of sacredness and holding in our thoughts the idea of uplifting humanity to a higher level of consciousness, to visualize the pure white light all over the earth.

The annual celebration is one that lasts about 5 days during which people everywhere receive blessings as the Initiates convey their message of wisdom, love and truth.

May you join this celebration in Spirit!
Happy Wesak!

Carmen Froment on behalf of The Aquarian Team
PS. This year I will be in the Himalayas at Lake Manasarovar at the foot of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet precisely at the time of the Wesak with a group of Westerners invited by Swamiji Amar Jyotiji and some of his devotees.
Happy blossoming,

Issue #36 - White Magic

It is such a good time of the year to benefit from the beauty of nature to uplift ourselves and to vivify our environment. Yesterday's Daily Meditation expresses this so perfectly well that we thought we would share it with you:

"There are many ways to help you renew the life force within you! In the morning, as you watch the sun rise, concentrate on it and say, ‘As the sun rises over the world, let the spiritual sun of love, wisdom and truth rise in my heart, in my soul and in my spirit.’ Just as the sun rises in nature, so the spiritual sun will rise in you.

During the waxing phase of the moon, at night before going to sleep, say, ‘As the moon waxes, let my heart be filled with love, my mind be filled with light, my will with strength and my physical body with health and vigour.’

In spring when the first leaves and the first flowers appear, say, ‘As nature blossoms, let my whole being blossom and flourish and all of humanity live in an eternal springtime!’

Being aware of the life of nature, joining in with it and saying formulas such as these – that is true white magic. And you will become sons and daughters of God, for you will be continually creating a new world through the creative word, the word that created the world."

Happy blossoming,
The Aquarian Team

Issue #35 - Paneurhythmy: Sacred Dance

Two days before our meeting date, Sylvie a French lady called up to say that she would be available with two of her friends to meet up. Sylvie has absolutely fallen in love with this sacred dance. In the meantime, I called Anne Demarta from France, who happened to here in Sydney on holiday, asking her if she would like to meet up with us.

”Que sera sera” Few weeks ago in February, Carmen Froment called to confirm that she was coming on her normal flight to Sydney and would be available to meet up in the afternoon to teach the Paneurhythmy* in Hyde Park across her hotel. At first, we didn't know if it would be possible because the weather can be so unpredictable. So we said: “

The night before the meeting, I suddenly felt the urge to leave a message with Maria who lives on the opposite side of town asking her to join us. Although it was such short notice, Maria was free and able to join.

We arrived at Carmen’s lobby all at once. It was so lovely to see everyone. Sylvie and her friend Christine had to travel two hours from the north to join us in town. Her other friend was luckier, she was just living nearby. We had few chat waiting for Carmen. Then she arrived dressed in a beautiful and elegant outfit looking very happy to see us all although she only had two hours of rest after such a long flight from Vancouver to Sydney.

We walk together to the park. It was such a beautiful, sunny day and although we were a bit apprehensive of the heat, we found a spot in the shade where a nice breeze was blowing. We began by drawing a circle followed by a few minutes of silence then Carmen proceeded to give explanations of the first sequence of movements. Everyone was listening attentively. Then we practice these movements. Although Carmen brought her Samsung tablet, the sound of the music was lost to the wind, so Anne started to sing to the movements with Carmen and myself joining in, which did the trick.

There were few people around us observing quietly wondering about these ladies dancing in circle. We continued with learning more movements when suddenly a young man by the name of Jacques, who walked by with his friend, came and asked to join. We happily let him dance with us. It was like a beautiful angel had decided to come in to encourage us. Jacques captured the essence of the movements very rapidly and stayed with us for some time until he had to leave. Anne immediately wrote the name of the dance on a piece of paper so he could it Google later.

We danced like this alternating between explanations from Carmen and practicing new movements. Anna was a great support as she knows the dance well. It was a delight to see Carmen teaching us; she was so alive and really fully present and in the moment. One could see how much she loves this dance.

Thank you Carmen and Anne for spreading the teaching in a different way. Thanks to the Paneurhythmy lessons, these ladies are now aware of Master Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov’s teaching and of Peter Deunov's great legacy through this dance.

Christiane van Aken for The Aquarian Team

*Paneurhythmy is a sacred dance composed by Master Peter Deunov of Bulgaria. It represents an interchange between the living forces in us and in nature. The goal for learning and dancing it is to attain a balanced relationship between the movement (body), the understanding (mind) and the psychic life (soul). It is a method to harmonize ourselves with the most beneficial rhythms of the universe.

Issue #34 - Our Two Natures!

Did you know that each one of us possesses two natures?

Yes, one nature that is very human, self-centered, egoist, selfish, manipulative; it loves to pull the blanket its way, it does not like to be corrected, it never thinks of being in the wrong, it cannot handle criticism, it is proud and devious.

The other nature within us is the divine nature, one that is generous, bright, cheerful, understanding, kind, altruist, forgiving. It is also known as the Higher Self of again as Omraam name it: the "individuality", the true identity of our being, our core essence.

The lower self is the illusion we entertain about ourselves, the maya of the Hindus. In Christianity, it is also accepted that Jesus had two natures: God and man. His human nature was clearly expresses when he was on the cross and cried out "Father, why have you abandoned me". In the initiatic teachings it is known as the lower self or as Master Omraam named it: the "personality" because it is like acting in a role at the theatre. It is not who we truly are in our essence. Our true reality is divine.

It is at the foundation of our growth, our development and our evolution to recognize which one is acting within us. It does require some self-observation and enough humbleness to step back and re-evaluate which nature is acting within. In doing so, we develop a new pattern of observation and better able to catch ourselves before the "personality" steps in and takes a hold. Thus we save ourselves trouble and conflicts, and discover more peace and harmony in life.

There is a booklet for children that really helps understanding that idea entitled "the Little Me and THE GREAT ME" by Lou Austin. Children are easily shown how to recognize which "Me" is at play. If one wants to push and pull without regards for others, one will be disliked, despised and rejected. If one supports THE GREAT ME, there is joy, fun and one feels peaceful, accepted, cherished and loved. The numerous illustrations demonstrates the effects of one and the value of the other.

Carmen Froment for The Aquarian Team
See also on Amazon Human's Two Natures: Human and Divine

Issue #33 - The New Year

As I look back on the year that has gone by I am struck by how accepting I am today, right now, of all that has happened both good and not so good, how in the end everything seems to fit together perfectly to always give a new unexpected outcome.

Each year we seem to set our intentions hoping to have a smooth and peaceful year, lots of prosperity and little stress. However, life seems to like to throw that assumption out the window as it twists and turns its way with all types of challenging situations.

Yes, of course, there are peaceful and uplifting moments, often followed by stressful and sad ones. But, for each of those situations, I push myself to say “Thank you”, at times when it is near impossible.

Today, the last day of the year, I look back at this amazing collage of events that went on in the past 365 days and I see a work of art with bright colors and some dark ones that join together to create a year of my life which is a one of a kind and it is mine, so once again, “Thank you!”.

So, as I begin the New Year, I will write down some goals and intentions, also knowing that I am really going out into uncharted waters. Many things will happen, circumstances will always be changing, however the constant I will continue to use as my rudder is my gratitude for each day. I will sit in quiet and acceptance from time to time over the year and look at the newest piece of artwork and admire how it is coming along knowing that once again after 365 days I will have another unique year to hang on my life’s wall as I say “Thank you.”

A wonderful and warm New Years to you all.

Mark Walker for The Aquarian Team

Issue #32 - Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me!

This is one of the songs from the Unity School in Missouri, USA. Simple line yet so heavy with meaning. How can we get peace on Earth?

It does not depend so much on the help of governments and organizations to bring about peace because, as we know, it is not necessarily lasting. Of course, external peace brings about security around us, in the country and in the world, which means we can go about our daily life without the fear of the "Sword of Damocles" hanging above our head!

In general, everyone wishes for peace but is it enough to guarantee it? True peace is a process that extends beyond the simple desire. It is primarily within that we have to remove the cause of war. Peace in our thoughts, feelings, actions and interaction with others.

According to the science of the Initiates (the great Sages, Masters and Seers), peace is the result of an inner state of harmony. To get to that harmony, a knowledge of the human nature and its psychic structure is necessary. The psychic structure if formed of the subtle bodies such as the mental, emotional and spiritual planes.

When we say that peace begins within, where do we look? Let's take the body for example: it has its own requirements such as food, rest and exercise. Not all kinds of food bring peace to the body; there is some types that create havoc in the organs. Do we pay attention to that and make the selection that brings harmony and health? *

Now, let's take the mental body: do we entertain thoughts of judgement on oneself or others, of endless calculations that eat away our peace of mind? And what about the emotional body with feelings of anger, hate and revenge that can turn our blood into vinegar? Or actions filled with regrets and remorse that keep us awake at night?

Since we cannot run away from our thoughts, feelings and actions, we can begin by developing an awareness of what goes on inside and tune in to what is constructive. Just like tuning onto a radio station rather than another, we have the choice to entertain ourselves with a selection of thoughts, feelings and actions that foster a state of harmony rather than cacophony and war like states.

There is a fundamental principle in the body of knowledge of all philosophic systems that human beings are composed of two natures: the human, lower self-named the personality and divine nature, the Higher Self named the individuality**. The personality is the egoist, self-centered one; it only wants to take, profit, push and pull to achieve its own interests. The individuality is the altruist one; it only wants to give, to shine, to radiate, to help others. It is in the image of the sun, of Spirit. Remember the Greek aphorism at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi: "Know thyself!"

So peace within begins with the awareness of our thoughts, feelings and actions, replacing the self serving ones with those of a more impersonal, altruist nature. Knowing thyself in our human nature and discovering thy Self in our divine nature! In that state of harmony, we can then emanate the peace we wish for!

Happy reflection on this December month and wishing you a joyful preparation for the New Year.

Carmen Froment for The Aquarian Team

Issue #31 - Time to light up our inner lamp!

Perfect month to reflect and go within; month of gratitude and devotion towards the souls who have lived amongst us and left for the world of light! All of nature invites us to a quiet and gentle return to our “home”, to go within in our sacred sanctuary, our favourite space for meditation.

Following the exuberance of summer, its heat, abundance and generosity, now comes the opportune moment to rediscover the beauty of silence and the peace of our inner world. As the tree drops its leaves and slowly prepares for winter, life is inviting us to detach ourselves in order to focus on the essential and discover the soul and spirit hidden in beings and things around us. Days grow shorter and bring the twilight much earlier yet paradoxically life invites us to light up our lamps to shed a bright light within!

At the antipode of the globe, in the Southern hemisphere, spring is coming to our brothers, sisters and friends! And they rejoice in the return of the light and its victory over long nights. How wonderful our Earth is for there is always a place for the eternal spring and where the golden sun shines.

The Christ said “there are many mansions in my Father’s house”; well, there are many rooms and floors in our inner palace and here is a perfect month to begin visiting all these rooms and wings unexplored yet. How many beings reside in our inner temple and sometimes are undesirable parasites! With the help of our enlightened consciousness and the sword of our willpower, let’s walk through our inner sanctuary to clear the unpleasant tenants, discover new spaces where we can invite luminous and beneficial Beings who will bring us their hidden treasures and riches!

May this time give us a chance to welcome new Entities, shining and resplendent, bearing new forces who will help us prepare for the coming of the Christ child.

France Gilbert for The Aquarian Team

Issue #30 - Expressing our thankfulness to Mother Nature

Mother Nature is so generous in her beauty, her fertility, her grandeur; how can we not be thankful for all the gifts she provides. She is a living organism, connecting us to the cosmos and transmitting us its energy and messages of the love and life. By giving her our reverence and conscious appreciation, we receive the gifts of her bounty.

She shows us through her summits how to look up to remain optimistic in the most adverse conditions and to rise above difficulties with a strong stand. She also shows us through her valleys how to remain humble by working and gathering the produce that will support our health and longevity. The nutritious elements she provides through trees and plants are only one aspect of her generosity. She works in perfect symbiosis with the sun, the air, the water, the earth to ensure growth, diversity and sustainability for humanity.

The challenge we are now faced with is to learn to eat from nature's bounty without destroying it in the process and to find our appropriate niche within nature. She has the power to feed us, to heal us and to transform the by-products into renewable energies for the earth. How magnificent is that! She deserves our respect and appreciation!

Next week, in Canada, the celebration of Thanksgiving will take place and this could be an opportunity to offer our sense of reverence and thankfulness to Mother Nature. This celebration takes place at other times in other countries but we can all link in the spirit of thankfulness wherever we are and whatever time of the year it is.

A most informative documentary is now available to that effect called "Forks over knifes" and the power that living food has to rebuild our organs. It comes with a warning: "This movie could save your life"!!! Simply fascinating. I invite you to see it:

Thank you, thank you, thank you Mother Nature for your goodness and your generosity.

Carmen Froment for The Aquarian Team