The Meaning of Christmas
Just finished watching one of those Hallmark Channel-type Christmas movies, called Paper Angels, and I must sheepishly confess that I am all warm and fuzzy smiles here pondering various aspects of what we’ve come to call the Christmas Spirit.
Perhaps we take a pause and consider making Christmas less about Santa, elves and reindeer, and more about matters of the heart that seem to be universally agreed upon ideals, regardless of age, race, nationality or religion… Some ideas that come to mind…
* No matter what the excuse, nobody deserves to be a victim of domestic abuse. And no matter how challenging or scary it may be, you’ve gotta get yourself out of there. You’re worth it.
* Life doesn’t always work out the way we planned. That was never guaranteed. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
* We can live truly joyful, fulfilling lives whether rich, poor or somewhere in between. Though we certainly obsess over it more than just about anything else, it’s not about the money.
* Giving, helping & serving others is a magical phenomenon in how great it makes us feel.
* That idea that we must “give in secret”… forget you ever heard it. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating how much joy you feel because you made someone’s day or year even. And that joy… is contagious.
* No matter how busy we are, time always finds a way to magically allow more of itself for noble acts like helping another.
* Sometimes helping someone can be as simple as a smile, a prayer or a few kind words.
* Other times serving others may require a major investment of time, attention & energy. Either way it’s a gift we should never deprive ourselves of.
* That little voice in the back of your head, listen to it. That feeling in your heart that you just can’t shake… Our Intuition. Honor it.
* Family & friendship just might be the most valuable gifts we’re blessed with. And for whatever reason, we’re blessed with many.
* We haven’t quite figured out the mechanics of it, but there is a power in prayer that is undeniable. And despite their claims, no religion has a monopoly on it. It’s an activity that is freely available to anyone anywhere anytime, religious or not.
* When we’re in flow and feeling good from doing the right thing, we tend to often end up at the right place at the right time, for ourselves AND others.
* Not everyone is as nice or kind as you are. No one ever said they would be. But those are things that no one can ever take away from you. You’ll just have to be extra nice & kind for those who are still struggling to get there.
* We all “need” sometimes. That’s life. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when we need it. (No one ever died from not having enough pride.)
* A lot more people love and care about you than you probably realize. And you deserve every bit of it.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
Occupy Seattle Rally
Today I woke up and quickly but begrudgingly remembered that there was an Occupy Seattle rally happening downtown. From where we live, way out in the rural burbs (one would be hard pressed to call this the burbs truth be told… houses are separated by blocks if not miles and the nearest store is a few miles away…) I was well aware that trekking to downtown Seattle for an early morning march would take about an hour. Besides all the prep work and getting showered and dressed. Seemed like a lot of work and honestly I just wanted to sleep in. But the thought haunted me…. Was it really okay if we just skipped this rally? More apt, would WE be okay if we just skipped it? How would we feel afterwards? It didn’t feel good.
Be Do Have? Not So Much
I remember it. Be. Do. Have. One of the multitude of platitudes I heard on the path to enlightenment pre-avatar course. Pitched as an easy path to create the life of your dreams. I was intrigued by the vibe. Also felt that like a Zen koan in that it could be interpreted in a variety of different ways.
I remember reading an article in the avatar journal when I was still young, but keenly chasing the path to awakening, by a man named Keith Varnum, who as fate would have it would years later turn out to be my masters master. In the article he explained why affirmations and pretending and even prayers don’t usually work that great for reality creation. Because you’re trying to install new beliefs (software) smack dab on top of older beliefs (an older OS). You have to get in there and dislodge the previous program before you can install new software. You have to discreate prior created beliefs before you go trying to create new ones if they directly oppose each other. Logical.
I was in my teens at the time. It would be a few more years before I took the Avatar Course. But what he said made perfect sense to me at the time. It helped me understand why affirmations and prayers and “be do have” didn’t work that well, and inspired me to take the avatar course as soon as I was able to. The ability to not just control what is happening to us, but to create and discreate the underlying beliefs. This was a revolutionary idea back then. Still is to most people. Sounds like voodoo. But after 20+ years of practicing using the knowledge and tools and countless courses, I can attest that it’s very real. In reality we change our beliefs all the time in the real world. Perhaps not deliberately, but we do. It’s not that mind blowing. more “Be Do Have? Not So Much”
On Taking My First Avatar Course
I’ve written of this experience before, the very first Avatar Course…. On occasions when I’m asked about it. Or when someone is generally at that point where they feel as though they’re at that breakthrough moment and just dying for that something that will give them the tools to really do it.
On New Years Eve of 1994 I started day one of the 9 day Avatar Course. It had been a long time coming. I had already spent years deep diving into everything else throughout human history that claimed to be truly effective at managing consciousness, i.e. to deliberately affect our feelings thoughts ideas beliefs and the events and experiences of our lives, and not found anything that truly delivered on the promise. If anyone in 10,000 years of human history had claimed to discover something that worked and wrote about it, I dove in, jumped in, joined up and explored and tested it to its absolute outermost limits; and looking back now, did so in a pretty logical, predictable order. Religions of all ilks, became born again, which inevitably lead to converting to Judaism (if you go deep enough), fell in love with Lord Krishna and became a devotee, studied and practiced Buddhism, A Course in Miracles, The Vedas, self help books and courses aplenty, Yogananda, Chopra, Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer all became favorites if not radically transformative, hallucinogens, Tony Robbins is still a mentor and favorite, NLP, the secret teachings of the Rosicrucians, the Knights Templar, EST and Landmark Forum, philosophy, Anthroposophy and Theosophy, went deeper still…. fasting, prayer, chanting, meditation, rebirthing, psychics, body scanners, reiki, past life regression, astrology and Akashic Records readings, discovered the beauty of the Goddess through practicing witchcraft Wicca and Magic, psychiatrists and meds, psychotropics, psychoanalysis and therapy…. the list is endless. As are the promises.
Eventually a series of what could only be called a series of serendipitous, near supernatural, events led me to the Avatar Course. It was expensive, IMO, because I was young and without wealth as of yet. But coming up with the money needed came miraculously out of nowhere. And it was then that I took the intuitive knowing that it was meant to be seriously. more “On Taking My First Avatar Course”
Surprisingly Joyously Thankfully True Love Really Does Exist
For Context
This is the very first photo taken of Ed Hale and Nahal Mishel-Ghashghai together — three days after they met for the first time. The picture was taken on October 15th, 2002 in a hotel ballroom during a 2002 Avatar Course in Orlando, FL. They came from two different worlds, one an engineer and soccer mom who emigrated from Iran; the other an all American rocker boy. She was calm and cool. He was fast and furious. And between Miami and Seattle, they couldn’t live further apart. But the two became instant best friends from the very moment they met in those first few minutes they spent working together on one of the Course’s consciousness exploration exercises.
more “Surprisingly Joyously Thankfully True Love Really Does Exist”
Ed Hale & the Transcendence New Album The Great Mistake Promo Video
The Great Mistake album promo video by Ed Hale and the Transcendence
Ed Hale – Scene in San Francisco Live in Concert in Los Angeles
Ed Hale and band perform the song “Scene in San Francisco” from the Ballad On Third Avenue album Live in Concert in Los Angeles
Ed Hale Releases New Album Ballad On Third Avenue
Ballad On Third Avenue, the new album by Ed Hale, Promo Video. Featuring the songs “I walk alone”, “”Scene in San Francisco”, “New Orleans Dreams”, “Incompatible”, “It feels too good”, and “Everywhere she is there”.
Ed Hale and Nahal Mishel-Ghashghai — Bed Peace for Gaza
Ed Hale and Nahal Mishel-Ghashghai — Bed Peace for Gaza
How can we celebrate New Years Eve with respect for the recent violence and various humanitarian crises happening around the world? The Bed Peace project, featuring Ed Hale and Nahal Mishel-Ghashghai, a live performance art project for PEACE — acknowledging and paying homage to the anniversary of John and Yoko’s original event 40 years ago this year, and addressing modern times. What can we do in four days and nights if we focus 100% on creating more peace in the world? Let’s give it a try and see! During this critical time others are encouraged to take their own actions and post their own projects for peace to help spread the message. P E A C E is possible.