Wishing you all a very spiritual solstice time!
It’s one of the four most holy days of year for those of us reviving the ancient Religion of the Sun. It’s an important time for reflecting on the meaning of the ancient sites and celebrations connected to this time of year, how this meaning is expressed in nature, and how it relates to our spiritual journey. I’ve done videos about the ancient spiritual meaning of the winter solstice and summer solstice in the religion of the sun.
This solstice brings us to the end of the year, and so I also wish you a happy and peaceful new year holiday. I pray that the Spiritual Sun guide and support us all this coming year, and that we can get a lot done both in our work to uncover the ancient religion of the sun, and in our personal spiritual journeys toward the light.
I want to take this chance to give an update on what Mark and I are working on and our plans. Right now we are working on a bit of an update to our book Ancient Solstice. After that, we’ll be finishing and releasing our next new book (which is largely written). I’ll then make some relatively small additions to my book The Ancient Religion of the Sun. Then after that we’ll be working on yet another new book, but a very small one.
I don’t intend to make any videos during this time, not even clips, as we feel it’s better to just concentrate on the books to get them done sooner. I have to choose between either working on the books or videos, as each need their own focus because they are both very time-consuming.
After this, I’ll then focus on the YouTube channel completely. Although Mark is already working on another book in the pipeline for the future!
That’s our plan for now at least.
Thank you to those of you who have supported us and continue to support us. This would not be possible without you.
Blessed solstice ☀
I had a cute little dream last night that seemed relevant to share here. In it, we all were connected to each other. The message was, if we take this seriously, we can make eachother strong, and feel the strength, like leaning against eachother’s backs to stand up. Michael and I were doing this in the dream, which was in a beautiful grassy place with stone lintels, maybe a garden, maybe a sacred site.
Lara was also there, and told us about an old Irish man that was once curious about sacred sites, and because he was genuine and had a good heart, he had an amazing experience at one. The experience lasted him his whole life, and he spent his whole life telling people about it. I understood that the story had an important message: with the tools we have, we can help people have not just one, but many such experiences. Lara also said he had the best explanation of how the energy/vibrations at sacred sites work, which he described as being like a lawnmower. It’s like the site is an engine, and the engine emits vibration, at least that’s my take. Here’s a visual: https://mega.nz/file/RKEQAIDb#ZG5WFe1hJmuYM7QhGceMSp9yiSBvHvZ_ogopsQEKaoY
I tried to find if there was an actual real person that explained it this way, but alas google is not what it once was and I mainly just got advertisement for tours, or lawnmowers I can buy 🤦🏻♂️.
Those are nice messages you took from that dream Julian. It’s nice I made a cameo appearance in it too! :)
What you described reminded me immediately of the formation two people would make when they’re both leaning against each others’ backs, while squatting. I couldn’t find an image to illustrate this, but you can imagine that it would form a three pointed shape, with the feet at the bottom and the heads together at the top.
This shape reminds me of the triskelion symbol on the Isle of Man and Sicilian flags, which resemble some symbols of the Religion of the Sun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Isle_of_Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Sicily
It’s useful to consider how interconnected we are, both in relation to spirituality, but also in our everyday lives. Lara mentioned the level of effort she and Mark put into researching the history of the Religion of the Sun and making it publicly available. But she also mentioned that it wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of others supporting their work, in various ways.
Likewise, it’s hard to think of anyone who doesn’t depend in various ways on the efforts of others in their daily lives. For instance, for someone to enjoy their morning cup of coffee, orange juice or cereals, they depend on the work of others in growing, transporting and distributing the products of these crops.
It’s detrimental to social cohesion when we begin to see ourselves as totally independent from others. But worse still is when individuals or groups see others as merely as means to an end, like pawns in a chess game, which can be sacrificed as part of a wider plan. I’m sure we can each think of many instances of this mindset throughout history, including over recent years.
I thought Dr John Campbell made a good point in one of his recent videos, where he mentioned that if we recognise people as having a spark of the divine within, then we can see how those who cause harm to others, or even actively seek to destroy them, are actually opposing the manifestation of divinity itself.
I also had a dream a few days ago related to our dependence on others, both practically and in relation to spirituality. It took place within an old narrow stone tower with a rickety rope ladder in place of a staircase. I was observing a family climbing up the ladder, with the father at the top, the mother in the middle, hanging onto his legs and the son beneath her, hanging onto her legs.
Each of these were ascending, but the son was totally dependent on the mother, and both were totally dependent on the father, who was taking the weight of all three people to climb the ladder. The father in turn was dependent on the rope ladder itself maintaining its strength and integrity, which was the only means of ascending within the tower.
As I mentioned elsewhere, I don’t generally have loads of meaningful dreams night after night, but that one stood out more. Thanks for sharing your dream too. There’s some good food for thought in it.
Although I’m a bit late in this thread, I still want to wish Mark, Lara, and everyone in the community a wonderful solstice period and a productive new year. It’s been really nice reading everyone’s comments and experiences in this thread.
I also want to send a heartfelt thank you to Lara and Mark and the Sura Ondrunar Publishing team for all the work with the books, which have been really inspiring, and that I hope to get into seriously in the new year. Regarding videos, if I had a wish list, it would be for casual conversations or interviews about the subject, rather than new content. I find such content much easier to absorb.
HI Everyone,
I hope it has been a wonderful Solstice time for each of you.
I was fortunate to be able to celebrate Summer Solstice with like-minded friends. I found myself staring in the direction of the sun at sunrise and in awe of it’s magnificence. The hues and colours of the sky ever changing as sunrise drew closer. The chatter and chirping of birds also a sign of the sun’s appearance – it’s as though they ‘celebrate this part of the day every day with the same enthusiasm. The trees ahead of our view obscured the strength of the sunlight as the sun kept rising into the morning sky slowly slowly. That’s when I started to see the rays though the tree branches/leaves, as though I could see photons radiating out from the disc sun, with wonderful spectrum of colours radiating out. as though it was sending it’s daily message to us, with a loving, gentle, but powerful presence. I was able to keep staring at the sun without hurting my eyes (as this is not ideal to do with the naked eye) because of the trees in front of my view of the rising sun. I felt blessed that I could witness this moment and feel this message coming through.
Hi Dimi, I loved reading that because your description nearly describes an equinox sunrise experience I once had.
Equinox 2018 photo. After the sun had eventually climbed above the trees.
There the sun was rising along a fairly horizontal path behind the trees. The radiating ‘glistening’ effect was amazing. As this presence was ‘walking’ behind these trees. Silent, unassuming, but radiating. And actually the source of life. Where I initially thought the tree trunked forest might impede the sunrise, but actually it was a gift as I could now witness this silent king’s return and entrance with my bare eyes.
Thanks Dimi. We should follow that bird example more.
Hi Akira,
I can only imagine the awe of that moment captured in your photo.
Having some kind of terrestrial interference (in the form of trees or clouds) seems to make it easier to look at the sun while it is rising. The effect with clouds is rather different to trees. There is a different glow or radiance that I have seen with the naked eye (but of course, being cautious and careful without harming them).
I do find it amazing that birds sing to the glory of the Sun every morning, as though they are an indirect reminder of what they have dedicated their life to.
I have always enjoyed listening to birds at sunrise. I have also found them to be helpful for astral experiences – it’s as though their song is uplifting and resonates into higher realms (perhaps similarly to cicadas or crickets). I know I’ve had many experiences in the astral with birds singing so beautifully and so melodically – I can feel something internally in response to that song/singing.
Thank you Lara for the wonderful wishes and the update.
Thank you, Mark and all the team at Sakro Sawel for the continious work so this precious spiritual information can be avaluable to us.
Thank ‘s everyone for your wishes, posts and sharing experiences, there;re so helpful and encouraging.
Wishing everyone had a very meaningful Solctice and to all for this special period and the new year the best he needs. May the Spritual Sun always guide our harts and steps.
Thank you Lara for the update and to you and Mark for all the fresh energy behind The Religion of the Sun in the last year. Thank you everyone here too for being parts of this small but powerful community, despite being seperate in the physical. I hope this turning of the Solstice, Christmas and New Year will bring everyone time to connect to the divine and reconnect to the vision for their solar work.
The weather in Wales has been grim. Personally I’ve had enough frozen, windy and wet, grey winter dawns to know when to opt for a nice warm indoor ceremony by the log burner. So that’s what we did, with the wind and rain battering on the windows from outside! It’s nice to bring a sense of the spiritual into the everyday too, to transform a living space into a sacred space for a while.
Thank you so much Lara. I really enjoyed reading your post on the way to Aztalan to see the sunrise yesterday.
It is truly a holy day and we were so fortunate to spend it at a beautiful place.
I wanted to share something that I experienced on the morning of the Solstice…
I’ve been fortunate enough to be staying down in a beautiful coastal area of south-eastern Australia, surrounded by pristine forests and coastlines. This particular place is such a long way from any large town that the night sky was filled with millions of stars, so clear I could see the milky way in beautiful clarity.
I set my alarm for 4am, got out of bed and walked around to try and shake off some of the slumber. When returning to my bedroom I chanted the mantra Hari Om seated in my bed for around 30 minutes and then lay down to attempt an astral practice. I started by going through my body to relax all of the different muscle groups from head to toe and then started focusing on my heart. After attempting the practice for some time I began to feel like I wasn’t really getting enough depth of relaxation or concentration that would result in a conscious projection but I stayed with the practice until I was eventually pulled into a dream.
The next thing I noticed is that I became aware in my dream and immediately asked my Divine Mother for a teaching. I started floating a couple of feet from the ground and was taken somewhere by my Mother at an amazingly fast speed. From there I was shown some symbols which I will need to investigate further.
I wanted to share this because I’ve always struggled with astral experiences and strongly believe that it was the efforts made at that time even though I didn’t feel like it that made the difference.
Wishing everyone a time of magical and mystical experience.
What a wonderful solstice experience, Owain! Thanks for sharing it. It’s nice to hear your efforts paid off.
I definitely agree on how important effort is. I think our efforts attract the attention of spiritual beings who then help us to have experiences — I don’t think there are many mystical experiences I’ve had, if any, that haven’t come from divine help in some form when I’m doing my best and practicing hard.
Yes, thanks for sharing that Owain! The starlit night sky sounds lovely and it’s great that you had that experience following your practices and with divine help.
I agree, this sounds like a really nice solstice gift Owain! You felt discouraged and overwhelmed by the scope of the work that needs to be done, as you shared before, but you nevertheless made the efforts and it paid off in a beautiful way…. It looks like even if we feel like we are failing, but keep trying and asking sincerely all the time, then the help eventually arrives, in one way or another, in accordance with our level and efforts.
To say the truth, I also often feel overwhelmed by this work, and HOW MUCH change is required from us in order to fulfil even basic spiritual requirements… But, I already decided that its better to die in the battle than to leave the battlefield, so that’s it. 🤺
Wishing you and everyone here a lot of spiritual strength and Divine help in the new year.
TO THE BATTLE! 🌞
Dear Lara, Mark, and the Team at Sakro Sawel,
Wishing you the best for this Solstice period and with the plans to release more updated books and videos in the near future.
Thank you for all you continue to share with humanity.
Happy Solstice, Lara, Mark, and everyone!
Had a lovely little celebration in a local park where I could see the sun rising over a man made lake. It was a magical morning, complete with a rooster crowing nearby to greet the sun. I hope everyone, likewise, got to celebrate in their own way and feel the strength and connection with the sun.
Thanks for the update on the books, Lara. You and Mark are very prolific writers! I’m looking forward to your coming books on the religion of the sun.
Thanks everyone for your wishes! I like to extend these to all who strive for light in whatever way that may be.
One thing that really comes to the fore is how much of strength we need to have when fending off the subconscious and staying aware in the day. It amazes me how being strong internally really makes all the difference. So in line with that I wish everyone to build, sustain and use their strength for the growth of the light within and without.
Thank you, Lara and Mark, for all the work and help. I wish you and everyone a beautiful and inspiring solstice!
Happy Solstice everyone! Thank you Lara and Mark for putting in all the effort in to bringing the knowledge of the religion of the sun back into light, this is indeed truly a priceless treasure! Unfortunately I haven’t been able to arrange any celebration for this solstice,since I have something else planned out to do for this time already. But I was able to see the winter solstice sunrise as I was out and about , and that alone was very empowering! At a time where turmoils are prominent in many parts of the world, in a time of great darkness,I think it’s important not to forget about the importance of light and the message carried by it. Wish everyone a blessed solstice and may us all find light in our spiritual journey!
PS: It may be a little bit late now,but I wanted to share a pegan edition of the Christmas song God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. This lyrics are simple and easy to understand yet also carries profound meanings at the same time, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YCdc2rg-hc
Thanks Emily, that’s a nice version. I also found some pagan versions of well known Christmas carols, when I was looking into music connected with the Religion of the Sun a while back. I’ll try and share the doc I made at some point.
Thank you Emily, I think what you said about how important it is not to forget the light is very helpful, as I think it’s easy to do when there is so much darkness.
I came across this old photo from 1914 of a winter solstice ceremony held at the Temple of Heaven in China https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yuan_Shikai_at_winter_solstice_ceremony,_1914.jpg I thought it was amazing to see it still being performed then. Do you know anything about it?
Hi Lara,
The Winter Solstice ceremony at the Temple of Heaven was indeed held by emperors in China for many centuries. I heard that there is even some type of alignment in the Forbidden city, although I haven’t looked much into it. As for Yuan Shikai, he is a somewhat a controversial figure. There are many ongoing debates about certain people that lived during that time period in the country up until the present day, due to unsettled historical and political controversies. So I apologize that I don’t wanna get too much into it. But I do hope the winter solstice ceremony could be brought back in some way, as that’s part of a very old tradition.
That’s very interesting and helpful Emily. I find it amazing that the ancient tradition of doing a winter solstice ceremony at the Temple of Heaven was still practiced until relatively recently, considering how most other ancient winter solstice traditions in other parts of the world had been extinct for hundreds of years by then. I wonder if there is a possibility of it being brought back in China. It doesn’t seem at a state level it would, but given it’s a valid Chinese tradition, that it could be among the people.
I’m reading about the dragon boat festival, which is on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which is often near the summer solstice (June 10 this year). Interestingly, the chinese name (端午节, duanwujie) has nothing to do with boats. Wikipedia translates duanwujie as “starting five”, but the name actually doesn’t have anything to do with “five” either. It would if the word wu “五“ (five) was used, but the word wu “午” (noon) is used instead.
Wu meaning noon, an obviously important time at the summar solstice, makes a compelling case to me that there’s a deeper history here. Duan can mean a variety of things, all of which are relevant to the summer solstice: “beginning”, “end”, “holding level with both hands”, or “cause”.
I suspect the hidden origin to the festival got covered over by hundreds of years of political appropriation, starting at the turn of the millennium. Wikipedia has an interesting section on possible pre-existing holidays, similar to how many theorize Saturnalia may have evolved into the current celebration of Christmas. The part that stood out to me was dragon worship, the dragon representing yang (the father?), and the traditional food (zongzi) representing an offering to the dragon. During the starting ceremony, they will “awaken the dragon” by painting its eyes. And of course the fact that the dragons are boats, like the various vessels that take kings into heaven… Then there’s the river, which to me would be the milky way. So we have: offerings made to the dragon, which is awakened and journeys upon the milky way at noon, beginning and ending the path of the sun, all at the summer solstice.
As a side note, in learning various chinese characters, I’ve noticed there is hidden information of a spiritual nature, for example “star” (星） is composed of “birth” and “sun”, and “fast” （快）is composed of “heart” and “decision”, and words relating to conciousness or attention can include 神 （shen), which means, loosely, spirit or divinity. There must be books on this… Chinese etymology is fascinating.
Julian I agree – Chinese etymology is absolutely fascinating! I’m exposed to a bit at the moment with my acupuncture studies – I can remember being blown away by how profound the idiograms were. I think there’s a difference between ancient and modern Chinese though, I remember seeing the difference in how the Gallbladder (which is in charge of what’s “right and just” in us apparently) was expressed in an ancient image compared to a modern one and all the spirit was taken away. I guess it’s the same with the mystery behind the English alphabet and vocabulary though, like most people know what a word means as a native but don’t know the etymology. I heard that speakers of tonal languages, like Mandarin, use the right hemisphere of the brain more, whereas English, etc. uses the left. Whether it’s the language use or the reading of pictograms isn’t clear, or probably both.
I was just looking at the Chinese calendar today and discovered that their calendar started with the reign of their solar deity, the Yellow Emperor, in 2637 BC. It was the 61st year of his reign. The 60-year cycle is important in the Chinese calendar so it’s curious it’s the 61st year of his reign, the start of a new cycle.
About the dragon – it’s the only mythical animal in the Chinese astrological calendar … why would they have one mythical one? Another bit of supporting evidence for them once actually existing me thinks!
Interesting Ella, 2637 bc is very close to the start of Kali Yuga (3102bc), which is also when Egyptian civilization started (king Scorpion II, ~3200bc), start of the Mayan long count calendar (3114bc). A lot happened around this time, and it seems more or less to be the start of our historic age. Some say there was a mini-cataclysm around 6,000 years ago, so it might be the most recent time the religion of the sun was reestablished worldwide.
I looked into the calendar a bit, and the first house is, i believe, the “horn” constelation, part of Virgo. I thought it curious, because the last time it aligned with the spring equinox sunrise was 12,800 years ago, which is a curious date indeed. I follow some people on X that say the history does go back that far, and connects with Egyptian prehistory, but I haven’t dug into that meaty subject yet.
There’s clearly something magical about dragons. That might be something interesting to investigate.
Hi Julian,
Thank you for your interest in Chinese culture and language. I didn’t even notice such secrets maybe contained in the characters😲 If you wanna look more into the ancient meanings of Chinese characters,I recommend looking into the traditional scripts since they contain more of the ancient forms of the writing system than the simplifed characters being used in Mainland China,in which case many characters have been changed dramatically from their original forms to make them easier to read and write(not that this is necessary a bad thing,but if you want to discover potential meanings encoded into the writing system since ancient times I highly recommend looking into the Traditional! )
As for the Dragon Boat Festival, the exact origin of it isn’t very clear. A widely accepted explanation is that there was once a patriotic poet named Qu Yuan and he drowned himself in a river under specific circumstances,and in order to commemorate him people began to hold dragon boat racing every year and throwing zongzi into the water,hoping that the fishes would not eat his body. But as Ella mentioned, this could have been narrative arosed later as an attempt to explain this celebration. Your theory about the Dragon Boat Festival seems interesting too,and I think it is plausible. One thing I found hard about researching ancient China is that you are looking into a society with hundreds and thousands of years of history,with there having been so many dynasties, periods of unification and dis unification,the emergence and introduction of different religions and ideologies into the culture(I would assume the latest one being Marxist communism) With all of that in place it makes it hard to research specific things, such as the religion of the sun in its relatively pure form. I guess Sanxingdui could have been one example of such,but it’s clear that its cultures and practices have been long lost in the river of time,and with no record of how those people lived available(written or oral, hidden or lost), whatever it had is now being forgotten. And the solar dynasty that was established originally is certainly long-gone(unlike Japan where the Emperor who claims to be descendant of the Sun continues to rule the country even to this day almost uninterrupted) Given the vast span of time,with the emergence of different ideologies over a long period of time,or even just later reinterpretations of earlier traditions make it hard to find almost anything in its original and pure form. And I’m gonna be honest here that there is still a lot that I could learn about my own tradition that some of you here may even mention something that I don’t know about. There is just too much stuffs that could be found about this culture and I found looking into all the details regarding spiritual practices of every single time period is almost impossible.
Hi Julian&Ella,
I think the Chinese dragon shares some similarities with the feathered-serpent in the legends of the indigenous people of Mesoamerica. I haven’t looked into much of this in detail,but I heard that Chinese dragons and the feathered-serpent of Mesoamerica share similar appearances and also abilities. Both are said to have the abilities of flying and manipulating the air. And unsurprisingly,both are symbols of divinity. Not exactly sure what the connections could be here,but that’s something worth looking into.
A funny little paleontological fact about ‘actual’ dragons.
I used to think dinosaurs were basically reptilian in nature, like in the movies. However: “… the revolution in dinosaur science that has occurred in our generation. Dinosaurs are no longer thought of as lizards so much as birds. The transformation can be seen from the first Jurassic Park movie to the recent reconstructions in the BBC series Walking with Dinosaurs in America where they appear as warm blooded and feathered, attending their young and brooding their nests. This transformation in popular culture is based on excavations at one profoundly important site in China … .”
So they had feathers! For me this was interesting because in a way in nature they were already a combination of lizard&bird.
An interesting coincidence is that that site with the exceptionally high amount of fossil finds that allowed this change of view is also the region where dragon symbols and artefacts first emerge…
The only slight little snag is the 120million year time gap :^ D.
However it is not at all impossible and in fact quite likely that the local people then encountered huge dragon-like fossils, just as farmers do right now.
It is however also possible that knowledge of such creatures, and to use them symbolically too, came about from older pre-ice age ways.
All very mysterious ☝🏻
Hi Akira,
Interesting that you mentioned about dinosaurs. In Chinese, Korean and Japanese languages the word for dinosaur is literally translated as “terrifying dragon”, with “dragon” referring to lizard, or something reptilian.
Double Ninth festival (重阳节) directly translated means “heavy sun day”, and is on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. Another festival with a hidden meaning?
Near the autumn equinox, but combined with the lunar calendar to emphasize the number 9, associated with the underworld, and the moon itself, being the light we guide ourselves by in the darkness, and of course “heavy sun” because it descends into the underworld. Quoting Wikipedia, a number of interesting and pertinent customs exist:
“It is customary to climb a mountain,[6][7] drink chrysanthemum liquor,[6][7] and wear the zhuyu (茱萸) plant (Cornus officinalis). Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used on other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses.
On this holiday, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects”
In a very similar way to the DuanWuJie festival, the official story (as of the Han dynasty, about 200bc), there’s a somewhat trivial story about a single individual. It’s only two festivals so far, but it’s hard not to see this as a pattern, perhaps a way for the Han dynasty to subsume traditions and claim them in much the same way Christianity did with pagan holidays. In the same way Christmas trees survived Christian conversion, it seems the customs survived the Han dynasty, and there may be many such customs with hidden origins.
It’s interesting that you noticed this Julian. Looks like you maybe onto something (maybe more so than I am!) As for the meaning of the name of this festival in Chinese, it could also mean “extra yang”. There is an explanation that this is the day with the most yang,which afterwards the power of the yin would grow. I can see how you mentioned there may be a potential connection of this festival to the autumn equinox. But yes, a lot of ancient secrets may have been lost over time due to wars and political upheavals over hundreds of thousands of years. I feel that the Double Ninth Festival is not being viewed as much of an important festival in China nowadays as the Dragon Boat Festival, people don’t really celebrate it as much, and it’s not a public day. I think the religion of the sun in China in its most recognizable form has been watered down quite a bit over the centuries, though esoteric knowledge and practices have been preserved in spiritual traditions such as Taoism, while later also being influenced by the spread of Buddhism from India and have some of their doctrines changed. Like I’ve said before, reconstructing the religion of the sun is like digging through muds to find powders of gold. But I’m glad that you were able to find traces of signs like this one.
Some of the celebrations, or similar ones, derive from very ancient ones I believe. Well before Shang times even. Though morphing and being reinvented etc.
Some speculate that the dawn of agriculture gave people more time to ‘come up with gods and beliefs’, that it brought about stratification in society which put leaders in higher positions and them wanting to keep those. And because people so heavily relied on nature for their food crop the main concern of that religion was to somehow appease nature’s gods. Building temples and monuments etc. Roughly something like that.
But it’s not like that, not initially at least. As shown in the ‘The deeper, spiritual meaning of the winter solstice‘ and ‘Why did ancient pagans worship the sun’ videos. The original motives being deeply spiritual and real. And bringing a whole ‘culture’, not only the knowledge of agriculture. This is the most essential thing to bring forward today in my opinion.
However. And this is the thing I want to say with this post. In the Far East in the far past, at times at least, it seemed to be an incredibly beautiful harmonious whole I believe. (or the exoteric side of royal rites also imbued the esoteric principles beautifully)
Some quotes.
“Among all humans, the ruler as the “Son of Heaven” (tianzi 天子) had the most intimate relationship with Heaven. Heaven had bestowed upon him the “Heavenly Mandate” (tianming 天命), allowing him to rule, and supported him in this responsible position. The ruler was, on the other side, also obliged to take over this rule with the necessary feeling of responsibility.” ~ chinaknowledge.de
“The Son of Heaven could not properly fulfil his functions unless his moral nature was pure and
his conduct above reproach. Heaven could not be served by a tyrant or a debauchee, the sacrifices of such a ruler would be of no wail, the divine harmony would be upset, prodigies and catastrophes would manifest the wrath of Heaven.”
“The King, the Son of Heaven, was the instrument by which this balance was maintained. His duty was to perform the sacrifices at appropriate times and establish a relationship between Man and Heaven.”
“One of the most important duties of the Son of Heaven was the ritual opening of the agricultural year … .”
“In these sacrifices were centred all the most important religious functions of the prince. His rule was intimately bound up with the fate of the gods of the soil and the grain; … .”
“The Son of Heaven ploughed a furrow in the precincts of the temple of Heaven, with just such a primitive hand plough as was used by the early Japanese Emperors for this purpose. This ancient rite endured down to the fall of the Manchu dynasty in modern time, … .” ~ C. P. Fritzgerald
The amount of preparation and effort that went into such royal ceremonies is really something else! and (if the ruler and court were vituous) could be something really powerful.
A silk cultivation ceremony in Korea
I’m optimistic. We have tools to search for knowledge with the heart as well as the mind, it makes the task possible :)
The growing power of yin also makes sense for the autumn equinox.
Looking for the other two holidays, there’s Dongzhi, known to be the winter solstice festival. That leaves the spring Equinox.
I looked and found SanYueSan (三月三, 3 month 3, celebrated on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month), also known as ShangSi (上巳节, or “washing festival”? Not sure about that translation…). Like summer and autumn, it has a somewhat questionable story (this time from the Zhou dynasty) about a dinner party. The main relevant custom is purifying oneself of evil by bathing in a river, which certainly is something that aligns with the meaning of the spring equinox. Then there’s the character “巳” (si), which is the snake in the Chinese zodiac (which unlike Western zodiac, doesn’t align to stars). The serpent could be a representation of the mother, which plays an important role in the rebirth/resurrection at the equinox, possibly also representing the river which looks like a snake, and/or the milky way. I’m reaching here, but I feel there’s something there, even if I don’t articulate it well. The number 3 seems important as well, in the same way 9 was in the autumn, but I can’t quite place that puzzle piece.
There’s a certain cleverness in the way the solar and lunar calendar are combined in the Chinese system, and in a way it would be easier to follow, because the math can be less precise (you just need to know what month the solstices/equinoxes are, and orient around the phases of the moon to have a pretty good approximation of when the solar events are).
Akira, that’s really beautiful about the ancient rulers, tianzi, I hadn’t heard that title before. It’s a very similar idea to the sun kings of the Inca, Norse, and Egyptians. I saw a royal Chinese ruler in a dreams a few months ago (perhaps the Jade Emperor?), he had a very beautiful temple and throne, was very wise and serene, wore traditional Chinese clothing, he had what looked like a pumpkin in front of him carved with Chinese characters that glowed from within. Looking at images, it was probably an incense burner (like this: https://vietfuntravel.com/image/data/Blog/HCMC/jadeemperorpagodainhochiminhcity45.jpg, his appreance looked quite a bit like this: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-07-12/Jincheng-s-Jade-Emporer-Temple-awash-with-cultural-treasures-1vaTNmPnn5S/img/fd894351dcde4fe4b8116563695b9de9/fd894351dcde4fe4b8116563695b9de9.jpeg). We discussed our favorite Chinese books, he gave me a recommendation.
But speaking of this, I have been looked into a way which Chinese people in ancient times used a sort of device to mark out the lengths of shadows casted by the sun around the year during the 24 solar terms. The marking of the shadows apparently form a curve similar to the curve in the middle of a yin and yang symbol. That’s something I found really interesting but unfortunately I haven’t found detailed info about this in the English language:( The traditional Chinese calendar, despite often being referred to as the lunar calendar because it was partially being influenced by the changing phases of the moon, actually also has a solar component to it. The exact details regarding this can take a long time to explain. But there is indeed a lot that could go into about ancient Chinese traditions. I just find a lot of these information unavailable in English and it can be hard trying to put them together in a presentable way.
I’m sorry if it seems like I am of little to no help here– It’s not like there isn’t anything that could be discussed about China, there is a lot in fact, especially when it comes to ancient traditions. That’s where I struggle with…trying to put them together in an organized manner! I have been doing my best to help with researching the cultures that I’m familiar with, but it just happens that I do have my own limitations. I do hope that someone finds the information I have shared so far helpful, and I’m still happy to do the same in the future if I find anything new that I could share;)
Hi Emily,
The things you raise are always fresh and alive. Your research has brought awareness of new topics, which directly added greater insights or indirectly triggered it to eventually lead to it.
Your initial discovery of the religion of the sun info (already like 5? years ago or something 🫢) and wondering how the Far East is part of that, plus Lara’s interest. Is what made me look into that area then. 🙇♂️ Which then became another research project/journey thing, of great importance for me..
I so know what you mean about the vast history there and trying to get a grip or view of things.
I had to halt my research about 2.5 years ago, due to other pressing demands of another plan for my life. Good thing was that I already found the essence of what I was looking for. However I didn’t have the chance to put it together. Now, I feel, is that time I need to do it, or that work will be lost. I won’t get to the same level of being able to discover new things like at that time when I was really into it, but it’s not needed, it’s more of a work of putting what I have together. I’m now again reading and remembering all the information. I hope that it can be useful. I hope that Lara can use it. And I know the chance seems far off, or like a mountain as Owain and Lara were saying, but at the same time this is the information that can transform and open up one’s life to the real spiritual, and and can have an impact on the world at some point we can’t even imagine now.
Happy Solstice to everyone.
Happy solstice Rich. Somehow your comment got missed in the jumble of solstice comments! so it’s just been published. Sorry about that. Thank you for your wishes.
Hey Rich, concise and to the point as usual. 😉
Hope you’ve had a nice solstice and Christmas, and sending the wishes of spiritually strong upcoming year from Rajko and myself! 💪🌞💪
Thank you very much for your wishes Lara, and all the incredible work you and Mark have been doing in revealing this religion of Light to the world…
I also think that your decision to focus on finishing and updating the books makes a lot of sense, as getting all the body of this teaching out there for people to study and practice is indeed a priority! Once the books are out, there will be just soooo much material for making even hundreds of videos if needed. 😊
Wishing you, Mark, and everyone here a very spiritual and meaningful solstice, and for those of us in the Northern hemisphere a beautiful Christmas time! 🌞
Spot on Lucia. There are literally hundreds of potential video ideas. I already have a long list I want to start making, and I can hardly wait as there are so many incredible subjects to bring to life, but I have to focus and get these books done first!
Thanks to everyone for their lovely wishes. I hope everyone has a wonderful solstice, one in which you can connect with the spiritual to strengthen your faith and reach inner peace. As the new year approaches, I would like to wish everyone much strength and spiritual guidance to face whatever is to come. May we be granted the understanding to face the challenges of the road with calmness, knowing that these situations are always for our greatest benefit if we make the effort to extract from them the knowledge that allows us to return to the peace of the heart when darkness tries to bring us down.
Lately, I have been remembering a lot about that time a few years ago when Mark, or his Being, visited me in the astral… That experience completely changed my life and, in a way, marked the beginning of the journey I am on now. I remember how happy I felt when I first saw him, like someone rejoicing in seeing a very old friend. I especially remember the peace he emanated—something I have aspired to since then and for which he shows the way. I have been thinking a lot about how much I owe to him, to his wife Lara, and to all of you who have been supporting them for years, contributing your valuable knowledge and experiences. Now that I have been reading The Kolbrin, my perspective and sense of debt extends to all those who came before us, who made immense efforts to ensure this knowledge reached our hands, in some cases even giving their lives for it. All I can say is thank you. I am someone who learns very slowly, but I pray for the strength, guidance, and resolution to someday be a helpful element for the great cause, as all of you are.
Thank you for the update regarding the books, Lara.
I am very excited that maybe next year I might be able to read a book of yours regarding self-knowledge. That is something I have been eagerly awaiting for a few years now, and I know that book will be of immense help to us.
Blessed solstice.
I have felt that too. The more I learn about the past, the more I see how people made such sacrifices to share and preserve the spiritual knowledge we now have. What would we have without their efforts? It made me realize how important the work of preserving and passing on spiritual knowledge is, as without these efforts, it simply wouldn’t exist. To me it seems like a flaming torch, passed down through the ages for the good of all beings on Earth in an epic journey of hope and tragedy – sometimes extinguished and then rekindled from the embers.
The book on self-knowledge is definitely on its way – I think it will be out next year.
Thank you Lara for your wishes!!
I wish everyone has a positive and inspiring outcome from this celebration of Winter Solstice.
Let’s the Spiritual Light of Sun guide and help everyone the New Year!
Yes, may the Spiritual Sun guide us all in the new year 🙏
Thanks Lara. I also wish you, Mark and all who celebrate a blessed solstice time and a happy Christmas to those in the northern hemisphere.
Happy Solstice to you and Mark and to everyone here 🌞
Thanks for the wishes – right back at you and everyone else celebrating around the world!
Greetings and best wishes to all.
This Summer Solstice brings mixed feelings for me. I feel a great yearning to return to the light but also realise that I have a truly enormous journey ahead of me which can often feel unsurmountable at times. As the material world seems to be growing in darkness and suffering it feels more urgent than ever to really define myself for the spiritual path.
I’d like to offer a sincere and warm thank you to everyone who has continued to make insightful and thoughtful posts over the years. I really hope we can practice and worship together some day.
Wishing everyone a time of deep spiritual communion with the Spiritual Son.
I know what you mean. We have such an enormous journey ahead (and that we are on), both personally and with bringing the religion of the sun back; it does feel like attempting to sprint up Mount Everest! Thankfully we are supported by the great beings of light, and by the Source. I remember feeling that very strongly one time – that the Source/Spiritual Sun was sending, with its light, a continuous outpouring of love and support to all beings, even though most are completely unaware of it. We are never alone, though it’s the nature of being here and being human it can feel that way. With patient and steady steps, always focused on the opportunities of the moment, you will be surprised how far you can travel.
Yes, I know what you mean too Owain about the journey ahead often feeling unsurmountable. I also feel the same as you regarding focusing on the spiritual as a means of countering the darkness.
To be honest, it seems most other options have been gradually removed for me, as my ability to engage in uplifting activities, such as connecting with nature or other people, listening to or writing music, etc. continues to be eroded. So it narrows things down to a spiritual focus, as this is one of few options left to avoid sinking into the darkness.
Despite the physical suffering, I feel I would’ve suffered far more psychologically if I didn’t have a spiritual interest. So I find it remarkable that Prof. Stephen Hawking was able to keep going for so many years, while maintaining an atheist outlook, as MND (motor neurone disease) is one of a handful of chronic physical illnesses with a lower overall quality of life than my own.
It’s a great challenge when our options are restricted so severely. But on the other hand, it can be easier to prioritise spiritual things, as a greater understanding can develop of the transience of material pursuits.
Thanks for sharing your reflections. I also appreciate others’ input here and hope everyone will be able to connect further with the spiritual in their own lives.
Hi Michael,
I’m sorry to hear that you have been suffering to the point where you are unable to connect with things such as nature and music. I would struggle greatly with these restrictions as these are both things which have provided me with a lot of spiritual sustenance over the years.
An old friend of mine who passed away a couple of years ago on the Autumn Equinox had a great deal of physical suffering to deal with throughout his life and it was truly inspiring to see how he met that suffering with humility, faith, acceptance and a deep connection with the divine.
I can see what you mean with regards to prioritising spiritual things and being able to develop a deeper understanding of the temporary nature of material pursuits. When material life is easy and “going well” I’ve noticed that a lot of time can roll past without any real spiritual progress and we can end up feeling quite empty inside when those same material things are removed.
Wishing you a profound inner peace and spiritual guidance moving forward.
Thanks very much Owain and sorry to hear about your friend passing away. I also lost some family members over the last couple of years, who suffered a lot in the years before their passing. Your friend’s outlook sounds inspiring, as it’s a great challenge to face daily suffering, but an even greater challenge to also face the end of one’s life with a similar acceptance, faith and humility.
Yes, I can relate to what you mentioned about the good times not necessarily leading to progress and how we can feel empty once these things pass. I recall some years back when I was working towards a good career, in a happy relationship and living in a really comfortable rented house in a nice area. I look back on those times with fondness, but a year or so later, I’d lost each of these comforts, which caused a lot of anguish and uncertainty at the time.
I’ve mentioned a few times before how being so restricted over many years was useful when it came to the Covid lock downs. It was very noticeable that for the general population, it was a massive upheaval to suddenly lose the comforts and lifestyles they loved. But it showed very clearly how these structures were like the houses built on sand, which Jesus spoke about in his Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders.
I do really miss spending time in nature, as I also find it nourishing. Although I still have glimpses of the local environment if I look outside the house. It takes a lot of energy to process music now, so even jauntier classical pieces like a lot of Mozart’s works drain my battery quickly and I need to recover silently in bed if I’m over exposed. But if I budget my energy well, I can still sometimes listen to slow ambient or other music at a low volume, if it doesn’t have any percussion.
This still makes a difference actually and I’ve found it uplifting listening to some of the softer Christmas carols recently. I was also recently listening to a podcast interview with the journalist and former hostage John McCarthy. You’ll probably be old enough to remember the media coverage of the hostages in Lebanon during the late ‘80’s/ early ‘90’s, although it may not have received quite as much attention in Australia, compared to the UK.
It’s remarkable that John McCarthy endured over 5 years as a hostage, during which he was also blindfolded and/or in solitary confinement for some of the time. He spoke about how later in his captivity, small comforts such as a pillow made a huge difference, as these were denied over several years. But he was surprisingly stoic about the whole experience and commented “If I was still bitter, I’d still be a hostage”.
Footage of his release appears in the video of Enya’s version of How Can I Keep From Singing?, which is one of the songs I included in the autumn playlist I shared (in reply to Marco): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM8mOKfxmWw
Thanks for your comments and I also wish you inner peace and spiritual guidance to move further forwards.
Michael, I just wanted to let you know that I pray for your healing daily. You are a much loved part of this community, and I find your will to post, to thoughtfully reply, and show care for others, despite your own circumstances, admirable.
I really felt this last week or so that somehow the community here has grown stronger together this year; I feel a strength here that wasn’t as palpable before. As Ella put it, “small but powerful.” That’s thanks to the efforts of everyone who’s been posting here. We have achieved a lot given our limitations, and I know we can continue to work wonders together with the help of each other and the divine.
That’s so lovely Lara! Thanks very much for your prayers; I really appreciate it! :) A couple of friends and family members also mentioned the same recently, which I appreciated.
Yes, I agree, a lot can be achieved when we work together towards a shared aim, as has also been shown with people’s input in making the videos, books and so on.
I also really appreciate people sharing and contributing here and it’s something I look forward to reading. As my face-to-face social contact with others is very minimal, it really helps to connect with others here, who share the same spiritual interests.
I hope the strength that has been already built will increase throughout the year ahead and beyond.
A big thanks to all who have helped build it so far!
I also echo the sentiment that this community has an increasing glowing strength of support and warmth (which is contagious). Its a wonderful place to come to virtually and swim in the vibe of so many thoughtful contributions.
Michael, its so heartbreaking to hear about your ongoing distress, especially from such a kind and generous soul like yourself. Its mind blowing to grasp that somehow maybe your soul has provided or designed the highly specific life-experience that is best suited for the greatest possibility of learning available to you, and how much strength you have held on to over the years to persevere.
I wonder if you have had a look at the dream incubation part in the new book? I have incorporated the simplified version to start with, which is basically a call out to a being + a need + a time frame, so for example, “Spiritual Mother + please guide me in my dreams + tonight” … I have really felt a difference with my renewed attitude/appreciation/perception of my dreams, and I have been sticking with it for some time recognizing and being grateful for the guidance given each night. Although I generally keep the prayer broad, I have asked for specific problems too. Maybe others have had some experiences with this too?
I am also in the process of slightly redoing our room to be a bit more temple-like, while also exploring the requirement of inner purity and discipline as sought after by the ancient practitioners to better reflect my relationship with the practice and make this a bigger part of my life.
That’s great that you are focusing a great deal of your attention on understanding yourself through the dream incubation practice, Olga.
There’s so much to learn about ourselves and this practice has been a tremendously useful tool for me.
I am actually doing it by the book mainly but sometimes when the moon is waning I use the shorter version similar to your own.
I found that by doing it regularly I often come to a point where a very deep aspect of an inner state is shown to me, so deep stretching over many lifetimes. It’s like a whole different persona expecting to be sustained and not even realising it’s days are numbered.. . just strolling around like it’ll live forever. How great to see that, as I am able to study it better in that way. It can seem daunting at first but over time I can see it disintegrating slowly.
As someone mentioned before, those aspects of our selves are often being developed as a means of coping with whatever situation we were in but as we are stepping into the dimension of inner work and soul growth we realise that they don’t serve us anymore. So I wish everyone much insights and strength on this amazing journey.
Hi Olga,
Thanks very much for your comments and kind words! Yes, I also do a simplified version of the dream incubation prayer at bedtime, as you described. To be honest though, I haven’t noticed any difference in the nature of my dreams as a result. But I’ll try the more detailed version, which is described in the dreams and OBE book.
Regarding making your room more conducive to the practice, I’ve also been fortunate to have some help recently in cleaning and tidying my room, which I’ve struggled with over the last decade. It’s a big relief to have a more comfortable living space, particularly as I’m in the same room for most of the day.
With my own dreams, I find the majority seem to be of a more random subconscious nature, as Mark describes is often the case in the book. I look out for behaviours that are out of line in dreams, whether from myself or characters I encounter, so I can correct them in daily life. But most of my dreams are pretty banal everyday scenarios.
Having said that, there are some which seem to have more significance, such as a particular recurring scenario that seemed related to persistence. I also mentioned a while back that I’ve had other recurring dreams where I’ve been stuck with something, but then eventually faced the same situation with nonchalance, even though it would cause serious injury if it occurred in reality. It’s surprising to see that sort of thing, as I don’t doubt I’d be terrified if the same scenario occurred in real life!
Generally speaking though, I still find interpreting my more mundane dreams to still be quite a puzzle. I’ve sometimes referred to symbols guides since I was a teenager, but as Mark also pointed out in the book, one symbol could have multiple meanings, particularly depending on the overall context.
I can think of some symbols that could be interpreted as having a spiritual significance. For example, lending someone a listening ear could relate to Jesus’ quote in the gospels “He who has an ear, let him hear”. An ordinary cup could represent the Holy Grail, a chalice, or Odin’s mead horn. Bathroom items like a mirror or towel could relate to our ability to self observe and reflect, or the process of spiritual cleansing and purification. Small clothing items, such as a belt or glove could relate to Orion’s belt, or protection from harm, such as when we wear gloves to avoid being pricked by thorns when tending to a rose bush and gathering its flowers.
Similarly, river birds such as swan, geese and ducks are present on land and air, as well in in water, similar to the earthly mother, heavenly father and primordial waters. More exotic animals, like elephants also appear in Hindu creation stories, such as the World Elephants on top of a turtle, with the world on their back. Exotic fruit, such as a coconut could also represent the primordial waters of creation residing within the outer shell of a planet’s surface.
The trouble with my examples though is that they are lifted from a list I made as part of an experiment in another thread! I was interested in Jon’s mention of confirmation bias and Lucia’s comment on fake info, so I looked at 9 random items in the room and then did a web search on each, followed by the word “conspiracy” and sure enough quickly found results: https://sakrosawel.com/spiritual-experiences-religion-of-the-sun
So that’s a bit of a long winded way of saying I find it tricky to work out a profound meaning to many of my dreams, as it only took me a few minutes to link each of those terms to a potential spiritual interpretation, but they were each just random words.
I think my hesitance to search for meaning within my vaguer dreams is in some ways a blessing, as I’m less likely to go off on tangents by believing they offer me divine guidance. But on the other hand, it’s also a curse, as I could equally be “throwing the baby out with the bath water”, as the saying goes.
It’s wonderful you have felt some kind of guidance in your own dreams though, following the dream incubation practice. I’ll look into this further and wondered if you have any particular tips on how to separate the wheat from the chaff within dreams, such as whether some dreams have a different feel to them, as I mentioned with some of mine.
Whether I get immediate results or not, the principle of trying to maintain inner purity, which you mentioned, is a good place to start. And if I’m drifting off track in this respect sometimes, it’s fortunately pretty easy for me to spot these kinds of scenarios in my dreams.
Very moving dream incubation experience Tina. To receive the “deep stretching” insight must have been really impactful, like you caught a thread and direction to keep heading towards. Really beautiful.
Michael, I definitely agree that it’s not always easy to find the meaning of dreams, and maybe a lot of them are indeed banal. The dreams that stand out to me are usually the ones that are meant to, without a shadow of a doubt. And so perhaps the craft of decipherment, and not ‘throwing the baby with the bathwater’ comes with the right relationship, respect and reverence to the dreams, and the messages they may bring.
Since writing to you, I have tried the full dream incubation practice written out in the book, and what a difference. I wonder if this is the key to building that relationship to the other side.
It is one thing to do a prayer before going to bed, that is intentional and heartfelt, but I have found that it is another story altogether to carry out a dream incubation ritual that requires more preparation and consideration. So much of me shifts/reflects/moves towards this one dedicated activity/experience.
I believe this process helps to put someone in the right mindset to look at dreams, and receiving dreams with a more serious frame of mind and appreciation.
I wrote out my dream message under the stars, genuinely surprised at how in the only clearing that I could see outside my house was the constellation of Orion, vividly standing out.
When I finished writing, I felt really different, focused, and reverent; it completely changed the feeling of my nightly routine. When I was ready I made my way to my bedroom and finished the rest of the ritual. When I awoke, the last dream I had was so direct I was speechless. I actually snuck in two questions in my message and got them both in the way they relate to one another.
Being so isolated that we all are, I feel the dream incubation practice can certainly create a very unique integration to the way life is lived, similar to perhaps gathering with like minded individuals, and coming home recharged. Creating a sacred space and relationship with the dream world, and the beings that have the power to teach us show how truly not alone we are, and it’s a relationship that can keep strengthening over time.
I also wanted to mention that I believe dreams are not always hard-coded, and banal dreams may sometimes carry profound or apropos messages, such as a reflection of our general frame of mind and where it may currently be orientating towards. To see a snapshot of where the “ordinary” absorption our psyche is drawn to can be quite eye-opening. For example if I am dreaming of something that I deem uninteresting, or unimpactful, and I recognize these are things I do/think about throughout the day, it might be time to change/reassess the thinking/doing in the day, or pay more attention so that my consciousness is more active during those times.
Many years ago, I had a streak of out-of-body experiences, where I would find my self in a very neutral setting if I can call it that. I would remain in the astral for a long period but the experience was not “out-standing” so to speak. The neutrality of it really puzzled me at the time, but recently I wonder how perhaps this was revealing a sort of neutral attitude about my behaviour and such. So in the same way, do not fret for not understanding experiences when you have them, you never know if in time you will have your “aha”.
Regardless of not knowing how to always interpret dreams, I do believe the dream incubation may be really helpful, especially in creating that mind-shift towards the idea that dreams are important, and “I am going to set time aside to explore/use my dreams for something important, like getting an answer”.
There are so many things we can ask in dream incubation messages, anything from: please teach me in my dreams, help me learn from my dreams, help me understand the meaning of my dreams, how can I heal, how can I make progress in in my inner work, what is holding me back, where I am I stuck etc..
I wish you and everyone many many meaningful explorations in the world of dreams with this wonderful practice, which I am so so grateful to have discovered. What a gift.
Wonderful to hear you did the full dream incubation ritual and had success Olga! You’re the first person I know of who has tried the full ritual from the book. I spent about a month going through the magical papyri and researching dream incubation to find out how it was practiced to then reconstruct a ritual for it, particularly from ancient Greece. I was amazed to read how people had such a different attitude to dreams, in that they knew they are a means to receive communication from the divine. They had a fluid understanding of reality in which the other worlds were connected to this world. Very different to the prevailing Western attitude today. Even if you don’t get the answer you’re after, just doing the ritual brings so much magic into everyday life and can completely change your approach toward sleep. It makes me feel like I am living in those ancient times.
Hi Tina, I’m intrigued by you adjusting your practices with the waxing and waning moon – would you be able to elaborate? I’ve often thought how it could be an interesting way to sort of schedule a particular investigation and effort. I have definitely seen changes in my energy level with the moon (maybe because it also has such an impact on women’s hormonal fluctuations and it seems the female psyche too) and would love to get more organised to be able to work with it and understand it more and hearing your experience could provide some inspiration!
Hey Michael, I also wanted to let you know that inspired by Lara I started to pray for the restoration of your health on a regular basis. I also pray for the strength and guidance of this lovely community. 🕯
I came across this NDE of a woman who saw that prayer isn’t just asking for something, but is a form of co-creating. I found this explanation incredible as I’d never thought of prayer in this way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ASNtkuiohc I haven’t been able to find the original NDE this is based on to verify it though. It seems like people have started to create fictitious NDE accounts using AI, so it’s now harder to tell.
That was great Olga, thanks. You inspired me to try it last night. Though my evening ended up going very differently unexpectedly, but still that inspiration earlier in the eve had an effect on my dreams.
I also very much want to reforge the connection to the other side again, through what is given in the night. Increase the quality one could say. To get my nights in order, I need to get my days in order. Get that whole wheel rolling (which requires efforts on all fronts). This practice specifically sounds like a great avenue to help directly with that connection. Will try it.
Hi Ella, as you said the phases of the moon affects us all. I see it like a mirror of the sun’s phases, summer solstice being in line with full moon. Just looking at it brings so much strength to me. When it’s waxing it’s a symbol of growing something, like knowledge of the self – it gives and when it’s waning it’s about shedding, letting go motion..
In the section on dream incubation, Mark suggests to write our petition under the light of the stars or when the moon is rising, preferably when its waxing or when full. It made so much sense and well in accordance with what I have learned about the moon.
So that made me even more inspired to organise my practices and decisions making or when embarking on something new.
Hi Ella, In a simple sense, it seems the moon is mirroring the path od the sun on a smaller scale and in relation to our emotional/material aspect. For example when the moon is waxing, she is in a giving mood, in this sense giving knowledge and when waning it resonates the action of shedding something, in this case emotional states that we no longer need.
So when the moon is waxing it seems to be best suited for actions such as prayer and starting something new (as Mark has mentioned to write our petition ideally under the rising waxing or full moon) and when is waning it’s giving off the energy of letting go. Of course there’s a lot to it but in short, when there’s a waning moon in a natal chart, for example the emotional turmoil is more pronounced so that the person takes actions to overcome it.
Hi Lara,
Your note about not being able to find the original NDE yet is what made me look into that YouTube channel’s videos a bit more. I’ve checked about 10 of the videos and tried to find the experiencers’ accounts online by their full names, but no results came back for any of them. As far as I can see there’s no actual video accounts provided by real people and all are voiced over. So I thought maybe they were written stories turned into videos, but with no other verifiable material of these accounts online I think it’s ai generated, plus some stock footage. Not sure if this particular one, or some others, are of actual accounts.
Not that that takes anything away from the reality of the power of prayer.
Thanks Akira, I was hoping someone might do that. I had a search too, but thought maybe it was just me. Unfortunately not. It looks like there are quite a few channels that are creating completely AI generated “NDEs,” and people in the comments have no idea. Very sad development. Anything that is substantially generated by AI should be clearly labeled as such. I hope laws will be passed to require this soon. The AI experience must have been based on real NDEs about prayer, so I’ll watch some real NDEs about prayer when I get the chance.
Thanks Marco, that’s very kind of you. I also pray for strength and guidance for people here too.
Yes, thanks for sharing your experience Olga. It’s lovely that you had some useful results straight away, in both areas you prayed for guidance with.
I agree with you and Lara that this practice looks very good in creating a shift of mindset before bedtime. I burned some incense recently for the first time in several years and felt uplifted by it. Looking out the window at sunset and watching the birds fly home to roost was also focusing and relaxing. So the various steps of this practice should create a similar mystical feel and the practice itself sounds beneficial, regardless of its results within dreams.
It’s funny I mentioned birds and elephants previously, by the way, as when I was drifting off to sleep recently, I saw traces of a dream scene with both, like at watering hole. I also remember many years ago seeing a beautiful scene of swans taking off by a lake, as I was approaching sleep. I don’t see those kinds of scenes often, but it’s nice when I do. I also remember swimming through a starlit sky in a dream several times and passing through some beautiful landscapes another time.
Yes, I agree Olga, these types of dreams stand out more than the mundane dreams I often have. Those that seem to immediately have a clear message stand out even more, particularly if there’s a certain pattern or sequence to them.
That’s nice you gazed out at the Orion constellation while you prayed before bed. I don’t know much about the names of constellations or the positions in the night sky. So I was surprised to realise the other day that their position actually moves during the night, just as the moon does. It seems so obvious now, as our view of the sun also changes during the day. But somehow I didn’t make the connection! :)
Thanks Lara for your efforts in researching and putting this practice together! It’s interesting to hear of the approach of the ancient Greeks. I’ll also make an effort to explore this practice and hope others will find it beneficial too.
DREAM INCUBATION PLAN
Just wanted to say that Olga’s experiences with dream incubation re-ignited my desire to try this practice in a serious way too. Since I first read about it in the book, I really wanted to try it, especially because of the reverent atmosphere that it would surely create, but somehow never got to it. But just last night, before falling asleep, I told my husband that we HAD to try this together seriously! And then seeing Lara’s message today morning, I felt ashamed that I didn’t try this sooner, as obviously, it is such a beautiful and original practice that Lara and Mark put together for us, with so much potential, that its a shame to put it “for later”. In fact, my mom, who is also interested in these studies, got inspired with this practice when reading the book too, but she has to figure out what and whom to ask first. 😉
So I looked into the calendar to see where the next full moon would be 🌝 (its going to be tomorrow, but that’s too soon to prepare properly). Like Tina, I also read in Mark’s book about how conducive the waxing moon can be for these practices, plus I have seen that the chances of me having astral experiences or getting conscious in dreams usually increase during the full moon (as if its light brought more clarity to my consciousness?) So I decided to aim for the next full moon, which will be on February 12. My plan is to start working with special purity and disciplined behaviour on 1-st February, and increase the efforts heading towards the full moon. Before that, both my husband and myself will study the ritual together to see which areas of our life together can be brought to a higher level, and make a plan, including changes in our room. Some ideas include putting more freshly cut flowers there, not working on mundane stuff on the computers there, try to control our thoughts when there, etc.
Then at around 7-th February, I hope we can write down our petitions (depending on the weather, so that we can either catch a full sun or stars), which will give us about a week of serious efforts to incubate a dream.
I decided to write this here in case anyone else here would like to join our efforts at this time, so that we can hopefully achieve something of that group strength Olga mentioned, sharing our ideas and plans to reinforce our determination. 💪
Wishing everyone a lot of inspiration and strength from the Divine, and thank you Lara again for all your efforts to unbury these spiritual treasures!
I will definitely be joining in Lucia :) Anyone else ;-) ?
I don’t know what it is exactly, but it feels like this is a practice I have been waiting for for a long time. While I have always loved the mysticism surrounding seeking conscious spiritual out-of-body experiences, and receiving real teachings and interacting with beings/situations on the other side, I don’t think I fully grasped the commitment to “earn” those experiences, and furthermore “work” for them in a continuous and sustainable stream. Something was disjointed for me on a personal level, something like, “I will be aware during the day, do some practices, and have an experience” but these things were all kind of separate, meaning I didn’t feel them as closely as I feel them now. I believe the dream incubation ritual is teaching me the work/effort that is involved in a much more delicate and sensitive way, guiding me towards a better understanding of inner purification, and opening up to the relationship of the dream world and the guidance that can be available to us should we meet the bar.
It’s a bit of a miracle that someone up there on the other side would take an interest to create a teaching for us, it’s very humbling, and I believe this helps to create the right frame of mind, vs. thinking we deserve a mystical experience just because. When I received the answer to my dream, “loud and clear” it was like a new energy had rushed through me to not take it for granted, even if the dream was not the celebrating/congratulatory kind!
It feels as though this kind of ritual integrates very well with the cyclic nature of wakefulness vs sleep, helping us use our dreams as they monitor the effects of our efforts throughout the day over a period of time, propelling a new purpose upon each waking day. The messages of my dreams seem to be staying closer with me during the day, and I often catch myself wondering if I am correctly considering the warnings, messages, and insights that have been given to me from my dreams during the day, and what I question my self if I have something of value to offer when I go to bed again that night.
Lucia, in terms of decor, I have been thinking of this practice a long time before starting, but when Michael mentioned in a previous comment about cleanliness, it inspired me to take more care to see if this was up to scratch. I made a big deal to make sure this was settled for our bedroom, for example when I remove the overlay/external toppings and extra pillows of our bed, to make sure that it is placed in a neat spot, to have a nice spot in a closed drawer to lay my day clothes away, instead of leaving them out on the chair. The message in the book was to remove all impurities, if I recall correctly, so with this in mind I just tried to rearrange things so that area was optimal. Already the room feels much more temple-like, not necessarily by the external appearance of additional items but through the internal efforts that made it that way. I am not the happiest cleaning lady you will find :D , but I definitely found this external purification to be very noticeably uplifting.
Michael those are some really lovely dreams, and I can imagine the incense would have been wonderful. How lucky you are to see the sunset from your window. A precious moment to the close of every day.
Happy dream incubation everyone!
I’m in :)
The YouTube channel Heaven Awaits often chooses NDEs from the IANDS website, or ones sent in directly, or otherwise clearly says the source.
Thank You to all for this inspiring thread; Olga, yes, I’m in :)
Hi Lara,
This may be it. Is it the one from Cynthia Greer?
Woman dies in surgery; Shows how prayers work during NDE
https://youtu.be/JvOApdqU2IU?si=lAvuK_N6AO9w_Si-
Hi Olga and Julian, that’s great you will be joining this, really looking forward to it!
And you are totally right about the clutter Olga. No amount of beautiful decorations will improve on an untidy or disharmonious room with too much stuff in it. My problem in this area is….. my husband. 😱 Let’s hope the transition is going to be as smooth as possible! 😆
Thanks,Lara!
I definitely overlooked some important steps to the dream incubation ritual but since then I’m improving this practice/ritual on a daily basis. I also wish to acknowledge that you have put a tremendous work in researching and recreating this ritual. It’s immensely valuable to us who are trying to connect deeper to the ancient practice of the Religion of the Sun.
Lucia, I think we could join in the group effort also when the waxing of the moon starts, visible to the eye. Although I’m happy to join in on the full moon too. Or that could be the culminating point to try to create a powerful group strength.
I’ve watched that video that narrates that supposed NDE of the prayer account and also couldn’t find the original retelling of it but it seems a lot of people had been deeply touched by it.
Although it may not be real I have felt something similar when I was a child around 7 or 8 years old. I borrowed a bike from a friend and together we went somewhere in nature and I left that bike on the side of a dirt road. When I came back the bike wasn’t there anymore. I felt so bad because it wasn’t main and so being left without options I thought I’ll try praying. So I prayed looking up so intensely for a while. Like something if there’s God please let me get that bike back.. Little later I came to a neighbour’s house and saw the bike there. It was an adult who took it from the road and brought it there so he can give it back to whom it belonged.
I remember thinking how my prayer influenced this guy’s actions and was really overwhelmed by the response and I think from that day on my faith was restored.
Yes I am so up for this! Thanks for the inspiration and organisation Lucia and Olga, it feels right on time. I absolutely love the combination of working with the cycle of the moon and exploring this practice for a longer period. I’ve been cleaning and tidying my room today and have already had some plans to bring in some more plants and pictures to make it more alive, which I’ll need to act on. (I have this one plant above my bed that’s become a bit of an elemental-plant, I have these fairies my mother-in-law made in them and recently put little bright birds around it to remind me of the astral…) I already have a lovely shrine that I really enjoy gazing at when I’m drifting off, but fresh offerings and flowers can be added. I am really drawn to appealing to Mercury/Hermes, but also my divine mother. I re-read the ritual today. It reminded me of things I used to do as a child/teenager, which felt so natural and magical, it’s such a shame we have to be reminded of this connection (but also so great to be reminded now it’s half-forgotten) and ways to access it, and amazing to realise it can emerge spontaneously when the consciousness is less weighed down. I have a sense of what I’m going to ask about already.
Good luck everyone! Looking forward to hearing about people’s efforts and experiences!
Hi all, it’s nice to see people coming together to give the full dream incubation ritual a good try. Remember though that writing the petition under the full moon isn’t a requirement, or even listed as the first option – the first being the sun at or just after sunrise, or just before sunset, the second being under the stars. The simplest option given though is just writing it at any time (of course the celestial option might be more special, but personally I wouldn’t wait for a full moon if I had something really important I wanted to ask about now – and if the answer doesn’t come for a bit the petition could always be redone when it is a full moon if wanting to use that approach).
When doing it under the stars it says “you can do it while the moon is out” which doesn’t sound like a requirement. (It then talks about phases of the moon.)
And I’m not sure whether doing it with the sun or the stars is better and might just be a personal preference.
Regarding the NDE that Lara posted, I also think that AI videos of this kind can only be generated based on existing experiences, so there must be an experience somewhere, where a person talked about the way prayers work as a kind of “co-creation” with God. Its a really nice way of putting it actually, as even though of course, our creative force is not as powerful as that of the higher beings/God, we still have a chance to ”co-create’ with God, especially if we take care that we are asking for things to be done in accordance with the Divine Law. AI maight have actually put a few experiences together to create a new one, so there may be different videos that have different elements of it. The one that Olga shared is really beautiful (I loved how she said our state while dying and the period leading to it is very important), but it does not contain the element of “co-creation” that was so prominent in the video Lara posted.
Hi Tina, yeah, I suggested to start 2 days after new moon, which is 1-st February. But feel free to start 2 days before that if you want, I just thought 1-st February would be a nice number to start, plus it gives us a little buffer from the new moon, as I feel the day immediately after a new moon may still carry some energies and the darkness of the new moon.
So I thought to start on 1-st February with extra purity behaviour, prayers, mantras, etc., with our efforts culminating on 12-th, when the full moon is. The petition can be written and the ritual started anytime within this period, according to what people prefer. For me, I thought I would give us the first 6 days of just working with increasing our inner level, doing special prayers and preparing everything, kind of showing the Beings out there we are serious and really mean it. Then on 6-th or 7-th, we will write the petition under a chosen source of light, and start the actual ritual for about a week, culminating in 12-th (if the inspiration is still there, we may go a day or 2 longer, as there will still be a lot of light from the moon, but it depends on how we feel).
I thought this time-frame would be suitable, as it would not be too long, nor too short. Now of course, somebody may say “Oh, but I want to always be increasing my inner level and working on myself and pray, etc…”, which is ok, but I think this ritual is set up for us to go an EXTRA mile, as a kind of offering to higher beings to deserve their help. The level may be quite a higher up, and be unsustainable in the long run, or impractical (for example we need to work on computers in that room, also on mundane stuff, and have more things in the room on normal days). So having just a time frame makes it clearly defined and so the efforts may be intensive and focused during this time. Kind of like group efforts to astral project to a certain location…. We can of course theoretically “try all the time”, but by having a time frame, our efforts can be focused and powerful, especially if we coordinate with others.
Hey Lucia,
It’s really hard to say unfortunately whether there are already NDE experiences out there that mention co-creation. There definitely could be, as from what I understand a large part of the way AI text generation works is based on text / word prediction based on its training data.
If someone prompted it to specifically talk about an NDE where someone is shown that prayer is an act of co-creation with god though, then it will talk about that. I was just playing around with ChatGPT to test it out and was able to get that result.
I wanted to test it with a very random, silly concept too that isn’t already talked about on the web to see if I could replicate it with a fresh topic, so I asked it to write me a story about a spaceship aardvark that flies inside a gigantic terrarium.
This is what it wrote:
Zora was skeptical the first time she heard about “a spaceship aardvark that flies inside a terrarium.” Whispers around the research station spoke of a tiny vessel shaped like the curious, long-snouted creature, capable of navigating micro-environments sealed beneath glass domes. One evening, while cataloging flora in the station’s greenhouse wing, she stumbled upon a hidden enclosure: a terrarium the size of a small room, where a bright blue, aardvark-shaped craft zipped between towering strands of moss.
Its pilot, a lone biologist from an alien colony, waved through the clear hull. Unlike a conventional ship, the vessel inhaled and exhaled the terrarium’s atmosphere, purifying it in real time. Fascinated, Zora approached the glass to get a closer look, watching tiny thrusters flare at the aardvark’s hindquarters. With each burst of light, the miniature craft maneuvered around rocks and low-hanging vines. It was then she realized the bizarre rumor was true: this was indeed a spaceship aardvark that flies inside a terrarium, bridging the boundaries of engineering and biology to safeguard life in even the most fragile micro-habitats.
So if people are being a bit creative with their prompting then they could get AI content that is unique or not completely based on things already online.
That sounds like a great plan, Lucia.
I thought maybe we could also harness the energies of the waning moon. For example using that time to letting go of clutter externally and internally. To really put our focus on the elimination of inner states, unnecessary thoughts and all the internal distractions in daily lives.
If getting distracted, we could keep asking a question: ‘is this really important ?’ Every time I get into unnecessary thought pattern asking that question really helps me bring the focus back on the eternity of the moment. Or if someone is really struggling with that they could try focusing on the body and feel what the body is doing rather than being all in mind. .
I thought putting efforts in together we could generate not just strength within and a group strength but also affect a wider field with its vibrations. As Lara have said recently that every little action has a ripple effect so imagine all of us putting efforts in together supported by the nature itself and the divine (as we know they rejoice when we are really trying) who knows where that could lead?..
Yes, it’s nice to see a fresh enthusiasm for the dream incubation practice. I’d like to try out the more detailed version over the upcoming weeks too.
Hi Jon,
Thank you for mentioning these details. I agree with you that looking at the phases of the moon is just an extra, supportive element. After all, it is the Sun and the stars that are the real “suns” that we are connecting to in the Religion of the Sun, while the moon is just a reflected light. So the moon phases (and their appropriate energies) are just an additional influence that we can take into consideration. Since this is my first dream incubation attempt, I thought to make the best possible and mystical conditions for it, that is why I decided to support the efforts by the energies of the waxing moon, leading to the full moon. It is a supportive condition, but why not to use it if we can chose. Of course, if somebody wants to do the ritual right away and not to wait till 1-st February, then they are free to do so. This initiative is just for those who don’t mind to be doing it at this time (1 – 12 February approximately), for the sake of combined strength of our efforts at this defined time.
Also, just to clarify, I didn’t suggest writing the petition under the full moon (even though Mark and Lara do mention it as a possibility on page 354: “Dream incubation petitions could be written out before the setting sun, but could also be spoken to the sunrise, full moon or moonrise.”). I only suggested to write it at some point during the time-frame. Personally, I am planning to write it somewhere around the middle of this period, using the first half as a “build up” towards it. But if somebody wants to do it on the beginning, and to do the whole ritual for the full 13 days, or even longer, thats ok too. The point was for a group of people to focus on this during this approximately 2-week period. It would be very interesting to hear about how people go about it…
@Erik or even bypass creativity.
Prompt: “Give me 5 attention-grabbing ideas for a powerful NDE experience that would appeal to Christians. Draw on real NDE experiences, and give it a unique twist.”
Result:
1. The Living Tapestry: The experiencer sees their life woven into an infinite, glowing tapestry, realizing their struggles and joys form vital threads in a grand design.
2. The River of Resonance: Immersed in a shimmering river, they feel its currents carrying echoes of their choices and how they ripple through eternity.
3. The Golden Horizon: Standing on the edge of a radiant horizon, they witness their life’s impact extending like golden rays into unseen realms.
4. The Whispering Light: A gentle, sentient light surrounds them, whispering truths about their deepest purpose and forgotten connections.
5. The Mirror of Essence: Facing a radiant mirror, they see not their reflection but the essence of their soul as it truly is, brimming with potential.
Nice coincidence, Lara, I came across that video you shared in early December. It also changed my perspective on prayer and it was a big factor in joining your prayer for Michael. Although I did not verify the NDE, thinking about it that way makes sense. It was interesting to me what is mentioned about “The Tapestry of Prayers” because earlier last year I came across an NDE of a guy who speaks about how we all humans are part of the “Tapestry of Life” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGm6alWUfA4). I thought that maybe the best way to pray and find answers to our personal prayers is to live accordingly and I believe this is true from the experience I have gathered this past year, like what Mark said about changing to materialize the conditions that would help him move forward in the spiritual work. Also in The Flight Of The Feathered, Armando’s friend tells him about how knowing what you want and fighting for it is like living in a permanent state of prayer but as we regularly don’t know what our heart really wants we rarely ask for what’s best for us. It made me think that if our prayers are threads in the tapestry of prayers then we as individuals and the way we live our lives are like threads of prayer in the tapestry of life itself.
Thanks for sharing your plan for this group practice, Lucía✨, this initiative of yours feels warming, I will be joining your schedule. On Wednesday night of last week, I had a dream where I was on my way to a school with no rush but with a resolution to get there, I had to go back from where I was to take a bus to get there but before I left to take the “old method of transportation” someone said “eventually there will be that for you to get there” and they pointed to the rails of a train that were in construction. I think we should not underestimate the effect that grouping up for practices like this can have in order to materialize better conditions for our spiritual work in groups, even if for now it’s at a distance.
I certainly see the moon as more of a time-keeper, whereas the sun feels like the source to connect to spiritually. I do find the moon seems to give a rhythm to life and certainly has an influence, maybe as a woman it’s more obvious, there are four different seasons in a month, hormonally and physically, which I see have an undeniable impact on my body and mind. I heard someone describe the new moon as a time when a particular tone is created in the cosmos, as the celestial mother and father come together in a particular place in the heavens, then this tone is disseminated and particular events or influences come into existence here in a learning phase and then materialising phase. I have no idea if this is accurate, but it touched my imagination. The two lights and their interplay are very mysterious and undoubtably meaningful. I always feel refreshed and renewed when I see the crescent moon in the sunset sky and have really enjoyed learning how to naviagate the month by the shape and place of the moon. As I have found so much joy and wonder in learning to recognise the stars, constellation and planets.
So with this practice effort, it’s just nice to work with a natural/cosmic time keeper and aknowledge the moon and maybe learn more about its impact, rather than almost arbitary dates in a diary. I don’t mean to suggest to use the moon as the focus of prayer, more as a time keeper. The full moon certainly seems to help lucidity in the astral, for whatever reason, so why not utilise that! But the sun and its light will always be the key source of the strength. Nothing beats being bathed in the sun while connecting to it inwardly. Yesterday it was crystal clear for the first time in a while and the light has returned just enough to mean I had time to go for a sunset walk in the hills after work. Being bathed in that light was so deeply uplifting and healing, I could feel it reach parts of me that nothing else can.
Haha Eric, that is indeed a nice futuristic story! Looks like AI can be very creative already, and even kind of making sense…
I agree with Lara that there should be a clear designation if a video is AI generated or if it is a real experience, otherwise it is really just a deception. Not just in the spirituality area, but also in other areas. I already saw people complaining on Youtube about the fake “friendly tigers” videos, and other videos, which portray these wild creatures as very friendly and grateful to humans, which can easily create a false impression on some young people that they can approach these animals without problems. I guess the legislative still needs to catch up…
@dream Incubation.
I am also joining, in the exploration of this practice, I feel I can very much use it right now, to know ‘what to do’. Though I’ll do it in my own timeframe and circumstances, but will report in.
I felt I wanted to get to it but couldn’t, to those circumstances where that mystique I’m after can be felt. So I thought the first thing is the space. So I’ve cleaned my room, with a conscious focus. Feels so different already. Clean and fresh. And will further improve it.
I’ve also re-read the relevant parts in the book a few times. In the last few days what my petition will be is also surfacing more specifically. And I might have the being in mind I want petition to.
‘I’ll aim for the stars’ ^^ in terms of writing the petition down.
Need to prep things still to get there. Though the main thing is the connection and work in the now, and to build on that.
I’m sad to hear things are so difficult for you at the moment Michael. I pray it’s just some reflection of the light being at such a low ebb and that you will get stronger at it waxes. I’ve become increasingly aware of how I need so much more rest in the winter to just maintain health and I now embrace it. I’m not trying to compare our energy levels, I know (at least some) of how much you’ve suffered. I just hope it might be a seasonal thing that one day will be less limiting.
Alex and I were talking about how difficult things can get in the winter recently. People can really get pulled into a dark depression too, especially in places like the UK when sometimes it seems like the sun never rises. A friend of mine is really struggling with mental health and he knew it was coming “this time of year” and sure enough it’s engulfed him. The forces of darkness must literally have more strength now? Hope you can hold onto the knowledge that the light is returning, even though it’s still so nascent.
Thanks for your well wishes Ella, which are appreciated. I’ve had some benefit from various light or heat based treatments and there is some research on sunlight or nature being beneficial for certain conditions, as you probably know.
Sunlight does make a difference to my mood, as I’ve also had some severe depressive episodes during the autumn and winter months, although these are generally milder now. Sorry to hear your friend is also struggling with this. If he’s able, it may be of benefit to spend some time outdoors during daylight hours, as the level of light is still greater than indoors, even on cloudy days. It’s not an instant fix, but a “lesser evil” so to speak. As I’m generally unable to go out, I use bright lighting indoors during daylight hours, to help my mood and circadian rhythm.
When my symptoms of exhaustion were much milder, I thought I’d also had some benefit from simply being in the sun. Unfortunately though, my experience over the last decade is that it makes no difference whether it’s winter or summer. I’ve actually had several relapses during the spring and summer, including this year, so can’t say there’s a correlation with improved energy.
I’m still very proactive in researching and trying out potential treatments and hold onto a hope of eventual recovery. I’ve found there’s often an expectation to be constantly fighting chronic illness, including from within myself. But I think there comes a point when one just needs to accept the situation too, once the gulf between life goals and daily reality becomes ever wider. A CBT practitioner mentioned Dr Russ Harris’ work on ACT in relation to this.
It’s a bit of a silly analogy, but it’s the kind of mindset Harry Potter had in The Deathly Hallows, where he needed to face his own death to defeat Voldemort. With my own illness, fatality is also a possibility, if it progresses to the later stages where the body can no longer provide energy to maintain its vital functions.
Over the years, I’ve been encouraged both medically and socially to push beyond the point of exhaustion. But I learnt the folly of this the hard way, as it simply led to a greater level of dysfunction. So I agree that rest is just as essential as activity, especially during chronic illness, as the body depends on it.
I have discovered that every bit of suffering has a purpose in one’s life. It’s like a soul is trying to communicate something to us, same when we are in physical pain, the body is communicating that an area needs to be looked at and fixed. So when we’re in ill health there’s always something psychological that reveals itself, otherwise it wouldn’t be seen.
I feel that is the purpose of being ill, to accept the situation and look into what needs to be changing within (obviously on the outside too) maybe one needs to stop relying on psychological comforts and really see what’s on the way. It’s easy when we’re healthy we just bypass any emotions and go out and see friends for example or eat a comforting meal. But when we’re ill that is restricted so one is forced to face their inner turmoil. What a great gift this is. Imagine never meeting your subconscious friends, we might think we’re doing well but it only takes a split moment to let lose those grotesque figures.
Isolation seems to be what a lot of people experience when being ill. Some people go to great lengths to isolate themselves from society as they know how powerful it can be. I have experienced that myself and really liked it but I understand that for some it might be really distressing though I feel oftentimes people are using socialising as an escape route also. So I feel, Michael you are actually in a great position because you are facing yourself really and in that way building a great strength for the future.
I thought how children experience the time being so much longer than when adults and it made me think how we are just like those children not being aware how fast the time really passes by and so when experiencing difficulties it seems as though it takes so long but it isn’t its just that our perception is warped and I feel there’s this notion that suffering is bad and so that can also influence us on how we experience it. .
I can relate to your feelings, Owain. It’s like being in a thick jungle or attempting to clean a room that we didn’t open for so long. I think everyone has their own way of going through these and the way i do it is just going for it no matter what knowing at some point I must come to a clearing. There’s something in the physical world that also triggers me and that is the absence of any solid fulfilment in any part of this existence.
I feel, our soul itself has chosen this particular path so that we may find solace in the spiritual,restricting all other options, as Michael said, it’s really remarkable how things are laid out just so that we may reach for the beyond. This in itself is a great gift only if we realise it.
As you said, there’s so much darkness in the world and if we are a part of everything then anything that we do will influence all that everything. Just like the efforts we do to clean ourselves from all that clutter, that clarity is not confined just to our head but imbudes every atom of our body with it. Imagine now, being a part of everything, how just that clarity affects all that is…
Hello and Thank you Lara, Mark and everyone involved in bringing life to The religion of the Sun
Your dedication and hard work is very much appreciated, I hope you all have a solstice that strengthens your connection to the Divine particularly so for those among challenging times. May the solstice allow you to cut through the mundane aspects of life and find a moment to connect brilliantly and cherish that often seemingly fleeting moment.
Dear Lara and Mark,
Happy Solstice.
Thank you for the opportunity to reconnect with our spiritual heritage. Your work has made it possible to connect the dots to a past civilization which was once a grander humanity.
Thank you also for providing the foundations to get back to those grass roots once again.
I hope more people realise their spiritual deprivation and seek to rejoice in their spiritual heritage thus working towards their own salvation from needless misery, suffering, etc.
I am grateful for this revival and for re-igniting it again – it is truly a gift in this time of need.
Happy (Winter or Summer) Solstice to Everyone!
Dear Mark and Lara,
Happy and a blessed solstice and Christmas to you and to everyone doing the Inner Work. 🙏
Thank you so much for all your precious efforts in researching and sharing the teachings.
Wishing everyone to activate their consciousness, right here, and onward. To see the outside world – getting out of the thoughts, and drag of emotions of the year passed. To unblock yourself by activity. To do. To focus, to be resolute, until it becomes strong. To humbly ask for the connection to real magic around this time. To engage with the Spiritual OBE book personally, to try something seriously. To be grateful for others around you, their love, and that given to you from the secret divine above.
Wishing everyone many little fulfilling moments this Christmas and solstice.
And much perseverance and increased results in the year ahead.
Also thank you to everyone for every of your choices to make an effort for the light ⭐️
Thanks Akira, I really echo your feeling – I am deeply grateful for the choices everyone here has made for the light. The effect that our choices have on each other is more profound that we can probably imagine – how we have changed the course of each other’s life and greater journey for the better. With words of encouragement, an inspiring experience shared, prayers and efforts, like ripples of light.
Happy Solstice to all the practitioners of the religion of the sun!
I wonder will there ever be a group we can join , or a place we can ask questions about what is detailed in the books and videos? Sometimes I don’t fully comprehend something or have further questions and there isn’t really anyone to ask.
I think that there will be temples and places of the religion of the sun again once the religion is fleshed out and it’s clear how it was practiced. You can ask questions here if you like. I’ll try answer with the time I have, or there are others here that have read the book that I’m sure could help.
Wonderful, thank you ☀️🙏🏼
Thank you for the update and solstice wishes Lara – wishing you and Mark and everyone here a very meaningful and uplifting solstice ☀️
Really looking forward to those book updates and new books!
Thank you, Lara, for the wishes and the update. It is wonderful that both of you and the team continue to inspire those who wish to align themselves with universal truths and that you keep recovering the ancient solar wisdom, which, in my opinion, is humanity’s most valuable heritage. I am very slowly learning that this time of year is truly holy, that it is when the silent, mysterious inner yearning to continually strive to align oneself with Divinity is stronger and awakens one’s heart.
I also wish everyone inner peace, solid progress in their work, and much inner light from the Spiritual Sun.
Thank you Lara, and a big heartfelt thanks to you and Mark for all your important work this year. Wishing you both an uplifting Solstice and a happy new year too.
Looking forward to the new books!
Wishing everyone here a spiritual solstice, and lots of light, guidance and inspiration for the new year ahead!
Thank you for your beautiful blessings and wishes, and for the update Lara. It sounds like you have the next year and perhaps beyond already planned in terms of book updates and new books. It’s very exciting and inspiring and I’m looking forward to it all. Also for what will unfold as you steadily and carefully lay the foundations for the magnificent revival of the ancient religion of the sun that is so desperately needed in this time of spiritual darkness. Thank you for shining the light from the beyond. Wishing you and Mark a wonderful time of peace and rest this solstice, and a successful year ahead in all your pursuits.