Sacred Sexuality

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Sacred Sex

It over a year since the consciousness shift began in December 2012. As a result many of us are naturally shifting our spiritual perspectives. It may also be a time to shift our sexual perspectives as well and perhaps even wed our sexual activities with our spiritual practices.

The subject of sacred sex should not be taboo because it is an expression of love – love for another, love for one’s self, and even just the love of sex.

First let’s define what we mean by making love for the purposes of this article. When two people feel an affinity or powerful love towards each other, they want to express their love through touch. If the chemistry is right, especially in the limerence* stage, a couple may have the feeling of wanting to physically merge, swallow up the partner, or be swallowed up by the partner.

*Limerence was defined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe the near-obsessional form of romantic love. It is the involuntary cognitive and emotional state of intense romantic desire for another person. It is experienced in the initial stages of a new relationship.

TYPES OF LOVE

The ancient Greeks identified 5 different types of love:

1.   Eros – Romantic & Sexual
2.   Philia – Friendship
3.   Storge – Kinship
4.   Agape – Divine
5.   Xenia – Hospitality

The Chinese identified yet another category call Ren, which is benevolent love that focuses on duty, action and attitude. In Judaism, Chesed is a form of love described as loving-kindness. Impersonal love is a love for objects, causes, principles, or goals.

SEXUAL ENERGY

Sexual Energy is one of the most powerful energies humans can generate, reflect, and absorb. However, Sexual Energy doesn’t always have to be used for the sexual act or for the goal of orgasm. Many Eastern practices discuss the tantra of love, sex, and yoga. Many of these practices defer the moment of orgasm. Sexual energy can be diverted to be used in creativity, play, prayer, manifesting desires, and making affirmations.

Sex isn’t only about inserting Tab A into slot B. Much more is happening on the energetic level. In fact two individuals can merge energetically not even involving the merging of the physical bodies. The energetic body can be caressed, massaged, and made love to.

Think about how couples make love that do not have physical body parts that work together. The making of love takes place energetically and emotionally. For more information on how to transform your sexual life into a broader experience that includes the energy body, you may want to purchase the DVD, Path of the Sexual Shaman: Teachings on Energy, Orgasm, and Wisdom, available at http://sexualshaman.com/description.html#DPSS.

When the two energies of sexuality and spirituality are combined with one intention and one action, a tremendous amount of energy can be generated and released. The intention becomes the energetic expression and the action becomes the physical expression. This form can be used in solo sex or sex with partners. Think about releasing a wish to manifest something into the Universe with the energy of an orgasm!

In Judaism, the Shekhina is the Divine Feminine, the feminine aspects of G-d. At the beginning of the Shabbath, two candles are lit by the woman of the home, kindling great arousal in the upper world. It is a mitzvah (good deed) for a Kabbalist to make love to his wife on the Shabbath. This act of the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine uniting makes G-d one [whole and balanced]. As above, so below. As it is on Earth, so it is in Heaven.

If you would like to explore your sexuality in safe and sacred space, here are a few ways:

1. Participate in erotic massage exchanges
2. Learn Tantric Yoga
3. Go to Sex Therapy
4. Use a Surrogate Sex Partner
5. Hire a Sacred Intimate

SACRED INTIMATE

A Sacred Intimate is a professional that works erotically and energetically with those seeking healing, guidance or transformation in their erotic and spiritual lives. The primary gifts a Sacred Intimate contributes are Presence and Service. They are of service by: listening deeply, doing whatever is asked (within their power), performing emotional clearing, fulfilling fantasies, countering negative self-talk with affirmations, and erotic healing. A Sacred Intimate helps others remove the stigma and shame from sex and associated body parts. The Sacred Intimate provides a safe and sacred space to heal, teach, and help others explore their sexual issues.

Some of their work may include: intentional hugs, erotic massage, role play, bondage, sacred S&M play or any other things that will meet the needs of the client while not crossing the professional and personal boundaries of the Sacred Intimate. Sacred Intimate work is about healing, reclaiming, rejoicing and celebrating beautiful erotic spirit.

A Sacred Intimate has been called by many names: Erotic Priest, Priest of Love, Sacred Prostitute, Qadishtu, Heriodule, Heteratae, Courtesan, Friends with Benefits, Healer, Sexual Shaman, Sex Worker, Sex Therapist, and Sensual Masseur.

SACRED SEX RULES

In any encounter between two people there should be consent and agreement on what the ground rules are. Too many rules will restrict your freedom of expression, but a few basic ones will protect the participants involved. An agreement on the ground rules provides a safe and sacred place have sex. Sacred Sex rules are:

1. Follow the Wicca Rede of Respect: If it harms none, do what you will.
2. Exorcise shame.
3. Go with the flow of the heart.
4. Use the mind as an erogenous zone, not as a referee or judge.
5. What happens in “intimacy” stays in “intimacy”. Keep your interaction sacred by not gossiping about it to others.

It is important to keep your own energy systems pure. Daily practices of grounding and protection is a must. In addition, carefully consider who you choose to exchange intimate energy with. There are two acceptable motives for intimate energy exchanges (IEE):

1. You are with a partner of equal or higher energetic vibration.
2. You are with a partner of lower energetic vibration as an act of service. In other words, you are volunteering to be with them for teaching or giving motives.

ENERGETIC SEX

When most people think about making love, they picture manifesting that love with their physical bodies. However, there is another body to consider in the use of love expression and that is the energy body.

If you would like to increase your receptiveness to energy or feel it more effectively, here are 3 exercises that may help:

1. Practice with yourself: Rub the palms of your hands together a half dozen times to awaken your hand chakras. Now hold your hands in front of you, palms facing toward each other and spread about 3’ apart. Slowly begin to move the palms toward each other. Note the subtle differences in the energy.
2. Choose a crystal and run it from your crown chakra to your base chakra. Note the feeling of energy movement in your body.
3. Practice with a partner: Have another person lie horizontally. Now do a body scan by holding your open hand, palm down, over your partner’s base chakra. Note what you feel. Try to detect the shape and condition of the chakra with your hand. Now move up to the next chakra and complete this scan for all 7 chakras

The mind is the most erotic organ you your body. That is why fantasy is so powerful. So making love energetically consists of using your mind to:

1. Set intention. Your intention will involve what you want to experience with your partner.
2. Set attention. Focus on the energetic exchange more than on the specific body parts.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

The Ancestors

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Ancestors

We, as descendants, are the phoenix of human life rising from the ashes of our ancestor’s lives. We return to ashes once again to become the ancestors of our descendants.

We must realize that the Earth is grossly overpopulated already and there is no need to continue churning out children at the previous rate. Perhaps if we were to embrace our “oneness” and recognize our eternity there would be far less need to perpetuate our personal DNA.

Do I regret not having children in this lifetime to carry on my blood line? No, even though I really wanted kids at certain times of my life, my consolation is that I will become a descendent of myself through future lives. So I strive to live this life, learning as much as I can, in order to enter my next life and take up where I left off. We cannot take any physical items with us when we pass out of this lifetime but we certainly will take the memory of the lessons we encountered and the wisdom we have learned from them.

We inherit the blessings and gifts of our ancestors as well as the baggage. The ancestors are always energetically supporting us as we travel our paths. As we heal ourselves, we should keep in mind that we are affecting the healing of at least seven ancestor generations backward and seven descendant generations forward. By healing the heavy energy of our souls we help lighten the load of future and past generations.

We are all connected, and what we do affects everybody. As we heal ourselves, we help heal others and the world. What we do for one person in the microcosm we do to the greater consciousness of the macrocosm.

THE VEIL

There is a veil that lies between incarnate and discarnate spirits. It’s there to help us focus on our physical goals while incarnated rather than be distracted by the activities in the spirit world. The veil is an aspect of our consciousness that keeps us from perceiving the spirit world. The other side is always there but we usually can’t see it’s there because of the veil.

There are specific times when the veil is considered to be thinner than other times. This allows spirits to pass through more easily. In other words, communication between the incarnated (physical) world and the disincarnated (spirit) world is more easily facilitated.

The veil is thinner during the in-between times. The in-between time is symbolically connected to ordinary reality and to spirit world reality. All places and times that are in-between are magically potent. In-between places are thresholds and gates. In-between times include: midnight, noon, dusk, dawn, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Samhain/Halloween, and May Eve/Beltane.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ANCESTRY

An ancestor is any person from whom one is descended. An individual has a total of 2046 ancestors up to the 10th generation. A person has over a billion 30th generation ancestors. That’s a lot of ancestors. And it doesn’t even include ancestors from our past lives.

The ancestral group soul is the oversoul of all people of a particular heritage. For example, there exists a racial oversoul of all African people, of all Native America ns, all Europeans etc. Within the group soul there are subgroups, each having their own group spirit.

I would like to present the following three ancestor principles to consider:

PRINCIPLE 1: We have 2 ancestral lineages:

1. Our Physical Ancestors – Ancestors of our physical bodies that are connected to us through DNA.

2. Our Spiritual Ancestors – Ancestors through our past life bodies that are connected to us through our souls.

This means we have a lot of ancestors from many different cultures and if we go far enough back in history, it’s easy to understand that we all really are connected. Doing research for this article I read that all blue-eyed people have one common ancestor they evolved from 10,000 years ago. It is also known that all of us originated from a spot in Africa and then spread out across the world over thousands of years.

PRINCIPLE 2: We are our own ancestors.

1. We are the Descendants of ourselves in past lives.2. We become Ancestors when we pass over from this life.

PRINCIPLE 3: We should not only honor ancestors but open communication with them. Our ancestors watch over our shoulders. They are there for protection, assistance, and advice but only if we ask for it.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ANCESTORS

To open communication with your ancestors, it is a good idea to ground and open sacred space. Then clear your mind through meditation, chanting, deep breathing, shamanic journeying, or self-hypnosis. You can call upon the ancestors for help or guidance, silently or aloud. Learn to “feel”, “see”, or “hear” the presence of the ancestor. To contact a specific ancestor, call the ancestor by name 3 times. To contact an unknown ancestor, command that they be brought forth. You can work with guides or guardians as a go-between. When you are finished, thank the ancestors for their assistance.

A fun way to connect with an ancestor is to create a black and white line drawing from a photo. Then color what you think s/he would have looked like while thinking about this ancestor.

One of the best ways to commemorate ancestors is to create an altar. The altar should be visited regularly and can be a place to sit and converse with your ancestors. An altar is created by allocating a special area in your home and add some of the following items:

1. Cigars
2. Crystals
3. Flowers
4. Candles
5. Altar Cloth
6. Ancestor Mementos
7. Photos (do not put pictures of the living)
8. Small Toys (for spirits of deceased children)
9. Dirt from a deceased family member’s grave
10. Mirror (spirits live on the other side of mirrors)
11. Drink Offerings – water, coffee, milk, or whiskey
12. Food Offerings – bread, fruit, candy, rice, chicken, and other white foods (never salt)

Monday is the traditional day to feed the ancestors. Leaving the ancestors hungry means they cannot act on our behalf, which is likely to result in problems such as poverty and other troubles. Allow them to eat for 24 hours. Any food stuffs removed should be place outside at the base of a tree.

BEST TIMES TO CONNECT WITH ANCESTORS

There are different times when the veil between the worlds (the incarnated world and the spirit world) is thinner than usual. These times traditionally are:

1. Daily: In your dreams, just as you wake in the morning, and just as you doze off at night.

2. Altered States: Meditation, shamanic journeys, and hypnosis trances. If you would like to receive a really clear, strong message from your ancestor in the form of a dream, you can sleep in front of the ancestor altar or directly on top of the grave of a chosen ancestor.

3. Yearly: Winter Solstice (Dec 21), Summer Solstice (Jun 21), Halloween/Samhain (Oct 31), Dia de los Muertos/All Saints Day (Nov 1), and All Saints Day (Nov 2).

ANCESTOR VENERATION

People who seek providence from their deceased ancestors practice ancestor worship or ancestor veneration. Veneration means profound reverence, respect or awe.

Ancestor celebrations can be traced back as far as the ancient Egypt when departed souls were honored during the great festival of Osiris.

The core belief of ancestor veneration is that there is continued existence after death. Therefore, the Spiritual Scientific Research Foundation identified the following benefits that ancestor veneration can provide:

• Protection: Ancestors may be guardian angels, providing protection and guidance. They may have special powers that can influence events or control well-being.

• Intervention: Ancestors may be intermediaries between family members and deities.

• Fear and Reverence: Neglected Ancestors may cause disease and other misfortunes.

• Communication from the Afterlife: Departed ancestors may have the ability to communicate with the living through dreams and possession.

• Help in Life’s Decisions: Ancestors may provide guidance when contacted séances, mediums, or Ouija boards to help make important decisions.

Some cultures are more closely in touch with their ancestors than others. For instance, in Yoruba, families bury their deceased in the floors of their homes. Their beloved ancestors are literally under their feet living close to the family.

The Hispanic culture reveres their ancestors with a glass of water and a candle, thus giving their ancestral spirits luz (light: to guide their way), progreso (progress; advancement), and refresco (refreshment). In the United States, remembering ancestors occurs year round and at special times such as Memorial Day, Easter, Christmas, Candlemas, and All Souls’ Day people put flowers, wreaths, grave decorations, candles, or small pebbles on graves year-round as a way to honor the dead.

Many cultures have specific days set aside to celebrate and commemorate the ancestors. Following is a list of all the ones I was able to find:

Samhain (so’wen) – Celtic Pagan Oct 31. The dead are believed to return to the world of the living so offerings of food and light are left for them.

Kalan Gwav (Cornwall) / Calan Gaeaf (Wales) Nov 1. Autumn ancestor festivals.

Halloween / All Hallow’s Eve – Western Europe and North America Oct 31. Evolved from pagan festivals of the dead. Wearing masks and costumes provides a disguise that allows people to be unrecognizable to the spirits that wander the earth at this time.

Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead (Mexico) and Finados (Brazil) Todos Los Santos & Undas / Araw ng mga Patay (The Philippines) Nov 1 is the day to remember deceased infants and children. Nov 2 is the day to remember deceased adults.

Dia de los Ñatitas / Day of the Skulls – Bolivia Nov 9. The skulls of family members kept at home to watch over the family are crowned with fresh flowers and given offerings of gratitude.

All Souls Day and All Saints Day – Catholic Church Nov 1 is All Saints’ Day (Hallowmas). It is a day to honor all the saints, known and unknown. All Souls Days commemorate the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven.

Gai Jatra – Nepal Cow Pilgrimage, where a cow leads the spirits of the dead into the next land.

Wag (Wahg / Wagy / Ouag / Uak) Festival – Egypt Aug 8. The Egyptian Day of the Dead celebrated in honor of Osiris.

Fet Tout Namn – Haiti Nov 1 & 2 is Fet Ghede, a vodou feast. Ghede are the family of spirits (Loa) associated with the death and fertility.

Chinese New Year – China Respect is paid to the gods and ancestors before the New Year’s festivities begin.

Tomb Sweeping Day / Grave Sweeping Day / Qingming Festival / Pure Brightness Festival / Clear Bright Festival / Ancestors Day / All Souls Day – China around Apr 5. Respect and homage is paid to all ancestors at the grave sites.

Hungry Ghost Festival – China 15^th day of the 7^th lunar moon. Ghosts of deceased ancestors come out from the lower realm to seek food on Earth. Their sufferings are absolved sufferings and offerings are made for comfort.

Double 9th Festival / Chong Yang Festival – China 9^th day of the 9^th lunar month. Respect is paid to ancestors and elderly.

Bon Festival / Obon Festival – Japan Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of the ancestors. There are 3 different times of Obon based on locality. Hachigatsu Bon (around Aug 15) – most commonly celebrated time. Shichigatsu Bon (around Jul 15) – eastern Japan. Kyu Bon (Old Bon) is celebrated on the 15^th day of the 7^th lunar month – northern Kantō region, Chūgoku region, Shikoku, and the Okinawa Prefecture.

Faun Phii – Thailand The spirit dance or ghost dance is a religious ceremony honoring ancestral spirits.

Tarpan and Pitru Paksha – India Month of Ashwin. Pitru Paksha (fortnight of ancestors) is a 2 week period when Tarpan is offered to all the ancestors. Tarpan is a ritual conducted 1½ years after a family member dies and then is repeated every year on the anniversary of the death.

Jerye / Jesa – Korea Ancestral rites fall into 3 categories:
1. Charye – tea rites held 4 times a year on major holidays such as the Korean New Year.
2. Kije – household rites held the night before an ancestor’s death anniversary.
3. Sije – seasonal rites held for ancestors who are 5 or more generations removed (typically performed annually on the 10th lunar month)

Munmyo Jerye (Apr and Sep) is conducted to commemorate Confucian scholars and Jongmyo Jerye (1^st Sunday of May) is conducted to commemorate kings of ancient times.

Chuseok / Hangawi is a day that people visit the tombs of immediate ancestors.

Feast of the Lemures – Ancient Rome May 9th, 11th, and 13th. There were two kinds of souls: the Lares (guardian spirits and family friends) and Larvae (restless and hungry ghosts). The Lares were honored in the household year round. The Larvae were fed black beans (a food for the dead) then driven away with loud noise and violent gestures.

Dies Parentalia – Ancient Rome A 9-day festival during which the burial rites of one’s departed parents were renewed.

The Anthesteria – Ancient Greece End of Feb. Great annual festival of the dead celebrated with wine.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

The Spiritual Warrior / Warrioress

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Peaceful Warrior, Spiritual Warrior

The term “warrior” is often associated with power, chivalry, honor, integrity, bravery, courage, and battle. However, there is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. A soldier is trained to follow orders and respect authority. A warrior is more autonomous and independent.

You have probably lived many past lives. And of those lives, there is a good chance that at least some of them have been lived as a warrior/warrioress. I know I have lived many lives as a warrior. As a result, I find it difficult to put down the sword and shield at times, even if they are not needed. So in this life I am learning to transition from a warrior identity to a spiritual identity. Rather than to completely suppress or deny the qualities I learned as a warrior, I can apply these qualities in living as a Spiritual Warrior.

Some very famous Spiritual Warriors are Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Too some, combining the concept of a warrior to spiritual realms may seem like a paradox. And those who are pacifists at heart may rankle at the thought of warriorship. However, a warrior can be passionate about peace. In addition to that, a Spiritual Warrior/Warrioress has the following characteristics:

• Is creative
• Never give up
• Seizes the day
• Are goal-oriented
• Embraces self-discovery
• Is committed to principles
• Is in touch with their heart
• Forgives and avoids revenge
• Able to share and give to others
• Use strength and power to overcome obstacles
• Takes responsibility for his/her choices and actions
• Serves with love and gives generously while giving to themselves
• Have a strong sense of justice and will defend what they perceive as right
• Are always ready to protect and save loved ones and innocent characters
• Is flexible and adaptable; able to act independently as well as be a team player
• Masters him/herself and overcomes moral issues and all weaknesses of character
• Challenges fear, lies, false beliefs, and judgments that create suffering and unhappiness

A Spiritual Warrior/Warrioress has a lifetime commitment to:

• Study, train and practice
• Develop persistence and mental focus
• Develop discipline both internally and externally
• Face difficulty, pain, discomfort, discouragement, fear without quitting

Following are some examples of the Spiritual Warrior/Warrioress concept:

BUDDHISM
The Buddhist definition of a Spiritual Warrior is one who combats self-ignorance, which is the ultimate source of suffering. The Spiritual Warrior’s practice is compassionately helping others with wisdom. In 1976, Chogyam Trungpa established the Shambhala Training program on spiritual warriorship. He wrote The Sacred Path of the Warrior.

JOCK BROCAS
Jock Brocas wrote a book called The Book of 6 Rings: Secrets of the Spiritual Warrior, which is about increasing intuitive abilities. He defines a Spiritual Warrior’s characteristics as:

• A warrior believes.
• A warrior is mindful.
• A warrior is humble.
• A warrior co-creates.
• A warrior is grateful.
• A warrior gives service.
• A warrior does not worry.
• A warrior is devoid of ego and desire.
• A warrior is relaxed and self-confident.
• A warrior forgives and is compassionate.

DAN MILLMAN
Dan Millman wrote a series of books about the Peaceful Warrior. The first one, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was also made into a movie. It is an autobiographical account of an athlete, who is guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates, while he is training.

CARLOS CASTANEDA
Carlos Castaneda wrote a series of books about Don Juan Matus, who was a Nagual shaman. He is a Man of Knowledge who teaches Castaneda much about wisdom, clarity, shamanism, and warriorship. Castaneda’s book, The Wheel of Time, is a compilation of quotes, mostly on warriors, from 7 of his books.

KIRK PRINE
In Erotic Body Prayer, Kirk Prine says that the basic definition of a Peaceful Warrior is one who is willing to know oneself and willing to face one’s fears. He says:

“Peaceful, a word of inner direction, compassion, mercy, negotiation, alignment, centeredness and tranquility, joins paradoxically, with the word warrior, which expresses the energy of outer directedness, protection, boundary keeping and fighting. Together they combine to produce harmony, freedom and wholeness. Queer folk often embody a 2-spirit worldview, and behave in a way that synthesizes these 2 energies.“

The Peaceful Warrior is the first of 6 Queer Archetypes that Kirk has created. The other 5 are: the Sacred Prostitute, The Lover, The Elder, The Prophet, and The Mystic.

Kirk defines the 5 themes of the Peaceful Warrior’s role as:

• One who is able to ask for help.
• One who is his/her own authority.
• One who deals with conflict heartfully.
• One who lives in their “yes” or “no”.
• One who sets or expands boundaries.

JOHN-ROGER
In Spiritual Warrior, John-Roger identifies 5 characteristics to exercise each day to bring a spiritual warrior closer to Spirit:

1. The Spiritual Warrior accepts all things.
2. The Spiritual Warrior cooperates with all things.
3. The Spiritual Warrior understands all things.
4. The Spiritual Warrior has enthusiasm for all things.
5. The Spiritual Warrior has empathy for all things.

He identifies 3 qualities are especially vital to the Spiritual Warrior:

1. Intention. Spiritual Warriors make sure their intention is very clear because they know that what they put out into the world is what they get back.
2. Impeccability. Spiritual Warriors use their energy wisely and purposefully, conserving and directing it so that they align themselves with Spirit.
3. Ruthlessness is the Spiritual Warrior’s Sword of Truth, the Sword of the Heart, which cuts away all that is no longer necessary or useful.

PAUL COELHO
Paulo Coelho, in his book, Warrior of the Light, defines a Light Warrior as one who appreciates the miracle of being alive, accepts failure, and becomes the person s/he wants to be.

PERUVIAN COSMOLOGY
While learning indigenous Peruvian medicine, we learn that the journey of the peaceful warrior is about the death of the Ego. In order to step beyond death and fear, the Ego must be surrendered. This can be done by creating right relationship and owning both the dark and light side of ourselves.

CELESTE ADAMS
Celeste Adams recognizes the Magician as the archetype that surpasses the Warrior and the Martyr. She says that Warrior struggles and the Martyr is a victim, but the Magician believes in infinite potential and possibility. The archetype of Magicians includes medicine men, wizards, witches, shamans, brujos, curanderos, doctors, and inventors.

MY ROADMAP FROM MARTYR TO MAGICIAN
As a synthesis of the various teachings on Spiritual Warriorship, I created the following 5 archetypes. They may seem like masculine archetypes and may well be well-suited for men. I believe that modern men are in search of strong archetypes that they can model from. But also, let us try to reduce the amount of gender-labeling we put on characteristics. Can we not just identify all characteristics as human rather than classifying them as either male or female?

The Spiritual Warriorship archetypes can almost be following as a journey of self-discovery and growth.

Martyr – We all begin at the Martyr stage, that place of being a victim to all that happens to us. Blame is placed on all the forces that are seemingly out of our control. As martyrs we are in a state of codependence because our boundaries are weak.

Warrior – Then we rise up out of Martyrdom by becoming Warriors. We step out of victimhood and into our personal power. We learn to establish boundaries and stand up for ourselves. We can distinguish between what is me and what is not me. We learn to develop powerful characteristics that are integrated into our personalities. We begin accept blame as a result of our own actions.

Pacifist – To balance this war-like nature, we must spend time as a Pacifist, learning the ways of the Heart. We learn to erase blame by forgiving ourselves and others. We no longer follow the crowd but instead follow our own beliefs.

Wanderer – Eventually we come to a point when we realize we need to synthesize all that we have learned. That sends us on a journey as a Wanderer, roaming the dimensions, on a spiritual quest for answers.

Magician – Finally as Magicians, we have learned how to integrate the Self with Spirit. We become whole, wise, balanced, and at peace within our own souls. We have learned that there is no such thing as blame because everything happens at the perfect time and place for the perfect reason.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

6 Books to Inspire

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Books about Survival, Inspirational Books

Are you feeling down, discouraged, defeated? Read these 6 books for uplifting inspiration and motivation! They can all be summed up by the following parable: Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up! And yes, miracles do occur…

Dying to be Me – Anita Moorjani
Autobiography of a woman that is dying from cancer and experiences a near-death experience where she realizes her self-worth. Upon regaining consciousness, her cancer rapidly and miraculously disappears.

Touching the Void – Joe Simpson
Autobiography of a man that fell while climbing a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes. Breaking his leg, he crawls on over cliffs and canyons for 3 days to return to base camp.

Proof of Heaven – Eben Alexander
Autobiography of a neurosurgeon who suffers from a rare brain disease that shut down his brain. During his 7 day coma, he experiences an amazing near-death experience, then completely recovers to write about it.

My Stroke of Insight – Jill Bolte Taylor
Autobiography of a brain scientist that experienced a massive stroke and the 8 years it took her to recover.

The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There’s Life After Death – Annie Kagan
Story about the author’s brother, who was an addict that dies and shares after death communications with her.

Between a Rock & a Hard Place – Aron Ralston
Autobiography of a man hiking in Utah. Alone and 8 miles from his truck an 800 pound boulder pins right arm against the canyon wall. After 6 days, he realizes what he must do to survive.

(Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with any of these authors, publishers, or distributors. My recommendations are simply from books that I personally have enjoyed.)

The Hopi Prophecies: Will You Choose the Red Road or the Black Road?

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Hopi Prophecy, Red Road

Hopi is the shortened version of Hopituh Shi-nu-mu, which means “The Peaceful People” or “Peaceful Little Ones”. The Hopi Dictionary gives the primary meaning of the word “Hopi” as: behaving one, one who is mannered, civilized, peaceable, polite, who adheres to the Hopi way.

The Hopi have a prophecy from several thousand years ago that is a petroglyph near Oraibi, Arizona, called Prophecy Rock. There are no dates given but 9 signs:

1st Sign: The white-skinned men will come and strike their enemies with thunder. (interpreted as guns.)

2nd Sign: Spinning wheels with voices will come. (interpreted as pioneer covered wagons.)

3rd Sign: A strange beast like buffalo but with great long horns will overrun the land in large numbers. (interpreted as longhorn cattle.)

4th Sign: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron. (interpreted as railroad tracks.)

5th Sign: The land will be crisscrossed by a giant spider’s web. (interpreted as electric power and telephone lines.)

6th Sign: The land shall be crisscrossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun. (interpreted as concrete highways.)

7th Sign: The sea will turn black and many living things will die because of it. (interpreted as oil spills.)

8th Sign: Many youth, who wear their hair long, will come to join the tribal nations, to learn their ways and wisdom. (interpreted as the Hippy Movement of the 1960s.)

9th Sign: A dwelling-place in the heavens shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. (interpreted as the U.S. Space Station Skylab, which fell to Earth in 1979.)

The Hopi say that the 11th hour is now. And it is uncanny but synchronous that the North and South American indigenous people as well as the Tibetans have similar prophecies. Listen to these prophecies:

“When the iron bird flies, the red-robed people of the East who have lost their land will appear, and the two brothers from across the great ocean will be reunited.” –Hopi Prophecy

“When the iron eagle flies and horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered over the Earth and the dharma will go onto the Land of the Red Man.” –Tibetan Prophecy

“Those from the Center make us unite. The Eagle of the North and the Condor of the South. We will meet with our Relatives because we are One, as the fingers of a hand.” –Hopi Prophecy

 “An ancient prophecy, shared by indigenous people throughout the Americas, says when the Eagle of North America and the Condor of South America unite, the spirit of peace will awaken on Earth. After waiting for millennia, many native peoples believe the time is now.” –Jonette Crowley, The Eagle & the Condor

“The time of the one wolf is over. Gather yourselves! All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” –Oraibi, Arizona, June 8, 2000

The Lakota also have a prophecy that was told by White Buffalo Calf Woman, who also brought the 7 sacred ceremonies to the Lakota. The White Buffalo will return in the way White Buffalo Calf Woman left: by rolling over 4 times, getting up each time as a calf of a different color: red, yellow, black, and finally white. At the beginning of Creation, a buffalo was placed in the West in order to hold back the waters. Each year this buffalo loses one hair and each age he loses one leg. When all his hair and legs are gone then the waters will rush in once again. It is believed the buffalo is on his last leg.

Hindu tradition has a similar prophecy. The bull Dharma has 4 legs that represent the 4 yugas (ages). During the cycle of the ages, spirituality decreases until the cycle ends with catastrophe. It is believed that the bull is also on his last leg.

This final Hindu age is called the Kali Yuga, which began approximately 5,000 years ago and it has 427,000 to go. Within this 432,000 year period, there is a Golden Age which lasts 10,000 years. In 2014, we are in the 5116th year of the cycle (based on the start date of Kali Yuga as 3102 BCE). It is believed that the Golden Age began in 1898.

The Hopi say we have a choice. We can choose to travel the Red Road of the spiritual world or the Black Road of the material world. Traveling the Red Road puts us in harmony with Earth, leads us to the Great Spirit, to higher dimensions of spirituality, and Oneness. The Black Road causes the ruin of Earth and leads to avarice, greed, and destruction. The further along the Black Road is traveled, the harder it is to rejoin the Red Road. Eventually a point of no return will be reached.

Which road do you choose?

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

Why Time Moves Faster as We Age

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Time

I was talking to a good friend of mine and she asked me “do you think that time moves faster in the second half of life than the first?” I agreed that time does seem to move faster the older we get. I know that linear time stays constant but our perception of time passing changes.

A great metaphor for time speeding up is to watch the sand fall through an hourglass. We know that the rate that the sand falls through the opening never changes but the level of the sand falling in the top half speeds up as the sand diminishes.

I think that the major reason that time seems to move much slower when we are young is because everything we encounter as children and young adults is new. Encountering new experiences slows time as we become absorbed in the wonders of discovery. When we are young, everything is new.

As we age, everything becomes old. Do you have those times when nothing sounds good to eat? You might feel bored with the same foods that you have eaten over and over again. You crave something new to excite the palate but you rack your brain trying to think what that might be. And if you are like me, when I find something new to eat, I eat it to death. Over and over until that, too, becomes old and no longer excites. The same phenomenon can occur with lots of other situations in our lives: our jobs, our relationships, our sex life, our wardrobe, our geography.

Another phenomenon of time is that it has no anchor. I have found that after retiring from a job with a regular schedule, I am now a resident in No-Time-Land. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays no longer have the special magic they used to and Mondays don’t have to be dreaded. Every day is pretty much the same as another. Most mornings I have to lay around awhile when I wake to figure out which day it really is. I am not yet sure if this speeds up or slows down time, though.

So the key to slowing time in the 2^nd half of our lives is to make everything old new again. Here are a few thoughts on how to do this:

1. Become as childlike as possible. Playing will help you view the world through eyes of awe and wonder.
2. Travel. Visiting new places we have never been before creates new experiences and we are absorbed into the moment, forgetting the passage of time.
3. Find a new hobby that you can passionately immerse yourself in. Whenever we become turned on by learning, time disappears.
4. Any form of meditation or focusing of the mind will bring you into the present moment, which slows time down.
5. Watch time pass. Have you ever noticed how slow time moves when you are watching the clock? Especially if you are waiting for time to pass.

I am open to suggestions to add to this list. I bet you have some ideas about how to slow time down and I would love to hear them…

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

Feel Like a 5th Wheel?

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Blue-rays, Crystals, Indigos, Lightworkers, Rainbows, Starseeds

Do you feel like a 5^th Wheel? Chances are real good that you are a starseed.

Starseeds are beings from other planets, star systems, or galaxies. The motivations for all starseeds to come to Earth are to assist and serve. We all are starseeds in that the human body is extraterrestrial in terms of its building blocks such as DNA etc. However, there are starseeds coming to the planet now in great numbers because Earth is in great need of being saved from destruction.

There are 3 categories of starseeds:

Typical starseeds may have lived 5-50 life times on Earth. They retain some of their extraterrestrial abilities such as healing, telepathy, channeling and other higher consciousness qualities.

Old soul starseeds have had hundreds of life times on earth. They have strong links to Sirius. Their life missions are tied into the long term evolution of earth and humanity. They often perform the roles of spiritual teachers, shamans, prophets, light workers, temple guardians, healers, and leaders.

New starseeds have had few or no previous lifetimes on earth. The new starseeds are young and can be identified as crystal, indigo, rainbow, blue-ray, and millennium children:

Star children are children who have been sent here from all areas of the universe to help the earth and the people on it. The labels given to these Lightworkers accurately describe their aura colors and energy patterns.

Here are some characteristics of each type:

INDIGOS
Influx: 1970-1990
Operate from Chakra: 3rd Eye (mostly)
Aura Color: Indigo

BLUE RAYS
Born: 1980s
Operate from Chakra: Throat
Aura Color: Blue

CRYSTALS
Born: 1980-2010
Influx: 1990-2010
Operate from Chakra: Crown (mostly)
Aura Color: Opalescent with multi-colored pastel hues

RAINBOWS
Born: 2000-2030
Predicted Influx: 2010-2030
Operate from Chakra: Heart with centered power energy
Aura Color: All colors of the rainbow

Starseeds, lightworkers, and star children have distinctive qualities, but they all have one quality in common and that is: they feel like a 5^th wheel. They feel alone, out of place, unique, and have difficulty fitting in to traditional Earth cultures.

So if you feel like the 5th Wheel on the Wheel of Life just let it drive you to find new roads. You are here to share your gifts with the world and to assist in the transformation and healing of the planet.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

Loving Unconditionally

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Unconditional Love

How many times have you heard that you must love yourself before you can be loved? What is really meant by this statement is that you must feel worthy of love to give yourself permission to be loved.

Then how many times have you heard that we must love unconditionally.What is unconditional love? First, what it is not. It is not romantic, fluffy, flowery words to be thrown about at leisure. It is instead these practical policies of:

• Being in service to others
• Not forcing your will on others
• Nurturing and mentoring others
• Having empathy and sympathy for others
• Not profiling or forming prejudices and stereotypes of others
• Treating others as you believe the loving Great Spirit Creator would treat them
• A knowledge that we are all unique individuals but all related by the divine in all of us
• Recognizing each individual’s gift to the world and encouraging the expression of that gift

So how do we transition our incarnate Ego into unconditional love? I believe it involves moving out of the fear zone and into the love zone. There are only two human emotions: love and fear. It is fear, and not hate, that is the polar opposite of love, because it is fear of the unknown that is the core cause of prejudices. We can become thrivers by spending as much time as possible living in the love zone.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

The Androgyneous Soul and Gender Blending

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Androgyneous Soul, Gender Blending

The soul in spirit form is androgynous. It has no sex, hormones, or biological tendencies that are associated with the physical form. Advanced souls are androgynous possessing the perfect balance of yin and yang. All souls experience both male and female lives when incarnated in the physical form. Living in both genders helps the soul develop androgyny. In the end, everyone probably lives 50% of their lives as male and 50% as female.

The gender of a specific lifetime may be chosen based on the following criteria: to fulfill a specific purpose, for a specific timing, to be sexually available or unavailable to a specific mate, to provide an experience out of the norm, or for physical/genetic reasons.

A series of lives may be lived in one gender until it is necessary to changeover in order to establish balance. This transition is not likely to be easy and some believe that transgender or gay lifetimes are a result of the incarnated soul transitioning from one gender to another.

A spirit guide may appear as either male or female, depending on the gender-specific need for the soul in the current incarnation. A spirit guide may appear as neither male or female if the incarnated soul is being applauded for being balanced or the spirit guide is suggesting that the incarnated soul focus more on a gender-balanced lifestyle.

Gender blending is the blurring or breaking down of gender divisions. Gender expression of male and female attributes become points along a continuum instead of polar opposites. The old binary, limited-to-two-gender choices, belief system is beginning to collapse. Of course, many Native American tribes knew this long before the white people arrived in North America. Most of the tribes had 3rd gender cultures and honored the 3rd gender individuals as powerful medicine people and big contributors to society.

A startling example of this is Facebook’s recent addition of 58 gender options for users. The choices are now male, female, and custom. If you click on “custom”, you can type in your identity. To get a full list of all 58 titles, read the article at this link:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/02/heres-a-list-of-58-gender-options-for-facebook-users/

Wikipedia also has a list of alternate gender identities at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Ephilei/List_of_genders

The day may soon arrive when we will have more than two gender options to check on forms and it will be correct etiquette to ask people during introductions, not only what their preferred name is, but their preferred pronoun when being addressed.

I am writing a book, Soul Sex: The Alchemy of Sex and Gender, that greatly expands on all aspects of gender and sexual identities. It is due to be published later this year.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

Trans-Spiritual Services

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Transgender, Two Spirit

A lot of time and resources are spent addressing physical and emotional issues for gender diverse individuals especially if they undergo steps to transform the physical body to a desired gender. There are many services available to support the body and mind. However, there is one aspect of transgender and gender fluid individuals that is often overlooked or ignored. That aspect is the soul.

There are many different forces that influence the creation of who we are at this moment in time. Many of them are from the physical world, such as hormones, genetics, familial nurturing, and social culture. However, there are metaphysical forces that influence us as well, including spiritual beliefs, past lives, karma, and contracts for our soul purposes.

I provide a new concept of services for the two spirit, transgender, and transsexual community. It is spiritual services that support an individual that is pre, post, or in transition. All of the services I will be discussing below can be applied to any individual regardless of identity, however, I am adapting many common ceremonies specifically to support transgender and gender fluid individuals especially while preparing for transition.

Many individuals in our Western culture may not know that these spiritual services are available. The source of these services are not based in any dogma or specific religious tradition but are generic spirituality that can augment any individual’s religious belief.

The purpose of the services is to empower gender diverse individuals by creating pride in who one is, by honoring one’s place in the world, by identifying one’s gifts, and by encouraging those gifts to be shared with the world. Many transgender folks have spent years in fear, shame, stigma, pain, isolation, and victimization. By tapping into one’s soul purpose, finding one’s spiritual path, the old painful skins can be shed and a new skin of hope, healing, and happiness can be stepped into.

The development of these services and ceremonies is designed to aid transgender and transsexual individuals in the following areas:

1. Develop freedom from physical and emotional pain
2. Manifest financial security
3. Feel social acceptance
4. Acknowledge spiritual assistance
5. Create self-empowerment
6. Embrace transition as the true gift it is

NAMING CEREMONY

This section applies to anyone that is considering changing your name. Your name is an energetic sign to everyone you meet of who you are and what your identity is.  In our Western culture, this usually is marked by going to the DMV to obtain a new driver’s license. In addition, all legal documents including passport, social security, and birth certificate need to be changed. Quite often, a person will have their name legally changed by a court order.

There are many ways to choose a new name for yourself. You can do it randomly, choosing a name that you like the sound of. You can choose a name that is symbolic of something important to you. You can even go on line and find a name generator and see what comes up.

If you are really meticulous about the energy of your name, you can use numerology to design a name with specific intent or meaning. Here are a few on line sites that will help you figure out the numerology of your name choices:

What is most often overlooked is the ceremony that should go with acquiring a new name. A name is a huge identity marker. Stepping into the energy of a new name should be honored with a ritual. This ritual can be performed in solitary as a contract between you and your soul. Or it can be a ceremony in which others are present as witnesses.

GRATITUDE & RELEASE CEREMONY

As a trans person about to embark on the great transition, a Gratitude and Release Ceremony is highly recommended to aid in removing old energetic patterns and making space for new ones to come in. Gratitude is a huge part of acceptance that is necessary to bringing peace to your soul.

4. RITE OF PASSAGE CEREMONY FOR 2ND PUBERTY

A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks one’s transition from one status to another. One of the biggest transitions is between childhood and initiation into adulthood. Rites of passage are also used celebrate other milestones in an individual’s life. The seven major ones in binary gender, hetero-normative society identified as:

1. Birth
2. Puberty
3. Adulthood
4. Marriage
5. Parenthood
6. Eldership
7. Ancestorship (death)

A transsexual’s rite of passage stages can be quite different. The stages of rites of passages are dependent on what age transition is undertaken. In most instances, transition occurs in early to late adulthood so I have based the stages (below) on this. However, some transitions are being undergone at the actual age of 1^st puberty, hence the general population’s model above can be used. The stages are:

1. First Birth
2. First Puberty
3. First Adulthood
4. Rebirth (commences with decision to transition and is accompanied with Naming Ceremony, adopting a new name)
5. Second Puberty (commences with hormone treatment therapy)
6. New Adulthood (commences with sex reassignment surgery if chosen)
7. Eldership
8. Ancestorship (death)

The Rite of Passage for a gender transitioning individual can be configured in two ways:

• Transitioning from Girlhood to Manhood – A celebration of joining the adult male world includes a symbolic activation of fertilizing seeds. As a new father of the world, you use your masculine values to welcome your new self, standing in the fields of self-empowerment and bringing to harvest, the gifts of your soul.
• Transitioning from Boyhood to Womanhood – A celebration of joining the adult female world includes a symbolic activation of menses. As a new mother of the world, you use your feminine values to welcome your new self into your loving arms and rebirth then nurture all the gifts of your soul.

POWER ANIMAL RETRIEVAL

A power animal is an animal spirit guide that watches over a person from birth. A person can have multiple power animals that serve as guides and spirit helpers. Each animal has specific traits that can be used to provide positive qualities for an individual as needed. (To read about specific attributes of power animals, refer to Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer.)

A power animal can be retrieved on a guided meditation by an experienced practitioner, by having a shaman journey for the retrieval, or by an individual journeying for his/her own animal. During a power animal retrieval journey, an animal should appear a minimum of 4 times. Power animal retrievals help restores a person’s personal power.

SOUL RETRIEVAL

Soul retrieval is bringing back soul parts that have been lost, stolen, or put away for safe keeping. Soul parts may be lost in two basic ways:

• Parts of one’s soul can be lost during traumatic events. Soul parts may be given away for safe keeping by the individual as a means of defense.
• Parts of one’s soul may be stolen by others that want to hold a piece of someone.

The symptoms of soul loss are many and include: trauma, post traumatic stress syndrome, shock, immune deficiency problems, chronic illness, coma, chronic depression, suicidal feelings, inability to heal, inability to move forward, long term grief, addictions, disassociation, lost memories, spaciness, inability to feel, feeling lost, incomplete, stuck, dispirited, or feeling unable to move forward, like you have no control, like a part of you has died, like something in life is missing, like someone stole your soul or a part of you, or like you want to return to a person/location for no good reason, or lost something you can’t get back.

It is almost guaranteed that someone who has grown up transgender or gender fluid has put away soul pieces for safe keeping. Transition is the perfect time to bring those pieces back to fully integrate in the new lifestyle.

The benefits of a soul retrieval can be: feeling more present, feeling more connected, moving forward easier, making decisions or changes easier, or making self-improvements.

In addition, a person may be possessing soul pieces from others. During the process of soul retrieval, these bits can be released. It would make perfect sense that a transgender person may be holding soul bits of others especially individuals in the desired gender that one aspires to.

BODY PART RETRIEVAL

The mechanics of body part retrieval is similar to those of soul retrieval however instead of bringing lost soul pieces back to the client for integration, the energetic imprint of specific body parts are united with the client for integration.

This procedure is designed to bring in the desired body part before sex reassignment surgery. For example, an MTF (male-to-female) may want to release a penis and “call in” a new vagina. Or a FTM (female-to-male) may want to release breasts and “call in” a new penis.

I believe in the case of a pre-op transsexual that the desired body parts already reside within the energy body. During a body part retrieval those energetic parts would be “pulled down into” the physical body, creating an imprint for the actual physical manifestation to occur through surgical procedure. This ceremony makes the integration of the energy body and physical body a conscious process as well as providing a celebration of the incorporation of wholeness between body and mind

In addition, this pre-surgical ceremony includes making the chakras and aura healthy and strong which will aid in post-surgical healing.

PAST LIFE REGRESSION JOURNEYS

A past life regression (PLR) is a therapeutic process accessing the unconscious memory of birth and past lives through hypnosis. Discovering past lives can give information and understanding often not found in this lifetime. It is also an effective way to heal past trauma by transforming the way we remember core issues.

A hypnotherapist trained in past life regression is an excellent facilitator in helping a person journey to other lives. The main reason a transgender client may want to explore past lives is to discover karma, contracts, and vows created in past lives that profoundly affect this life or have set the stage to come in as a transgender body.

A between lives regression (BLR) is a visit to the 5^th dimension, spirit world, or after life space that we live in when we are not incarnated. This experience is also facilitated through a hypnotic state. The between lives state is where we meet our spirit guides and teachers and other members of our soul group. Some of the reasons to visit the between lives dimension is to discover pre-life contracts and agreements, one’s purpose for this lifetime, and one’s overall soul purpose.

SPIRITUAL MENTORING, GENDER & SEXUALITY WORKSHOPS, & PERSONAL RETREATS

I have identified the following common energetic themes for transgender, transsexual, and gender fluid (TG/TS/GF) individuals.

• The physical body is not grounded. Often someone who is TG/TS/GF does not really like their physical body so they do not spend a lot of time in it. Perhaps they only partially inhabit the physical body, for example from the waist up or the neck up. Instead they tend to spend a lot of time in their heads. Not being grounded in the physical body can leave an individual vulnerable to accidents and other problems.
•  Energy boundaries may be weak or damaged. Rejecting the physical body that does not match the energetic body and wishing for another physical body weakens the boundaries of the body, leaving it susceptible to invasion by foreign energy such as entities or seeds that can develop into disease. In addition, energetic bodies may have sustained rips, tears, and dents from life events that are in need of repair.
•  Hyper-vigilance is strong. The 3rd eye, the home of intuition, of a TG/TS/GF individual is wide open due to learning the skills of hyper-vigilance and empathy at a young age. Hyper-vigilance is further developed from reading how others read yourself.
•  Holding shame creates low self-esteem. TG/TS/GF individuals are shunned, stared at, and whispered about beginning in early childhood. A lifetime of being stigmatized creates feelings of worthlessness and deserving to be unloved.
•  Preferred genitalia really are present. Others may not see your genitals physically manifested but you know they exist energetically. As Shirley Maclaine often says: “The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” The body of your choice does exist in an energetic state.
•  There is no such thing as “being born in the wrong body”. The root origins that make a person TG/TS/GF are varied and multi-dimensional but the most important influence is that of past lives. There are no accidents or coincidences in the universe. Being TG/TS/GF is a part of the pre-birth contract that was created for this incarnation and may be related to a karmic lesson.

As a certified hypnotherapist and trained shamanic energy medicine practitioner and teacher, I can provide energy medicine exercises, healing sessions, and regression sessions that will assist individuals in all of the above themes.

You can request a full-length article on Trans-Spiritual Services, by going to DrakeInnerprizes.com/soulstore.htm.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com