Dear Friends,
Well, what a year it has been! So very many of us have been shaken till we rattle, stirred till we no longer know in which direction we are facing, swept out of our comfort zones by a wave of change we are powerless to resist. At a time like this, it is more important than ever before to hold fast – as if to a life-raft – to the awareness that what we are faced with is not a wave of destruction, but a wave of awakening; a wave that will – if we go with rather than against it – deposit us on the pristine shores of a new state of being, in which both we and the Earth will be able to express our true selves more fully and freely than has been possible for many a long year. To help you hold that vision amid all the confusion and discomfort that rapid change brings with it, we feel it is important to remind you about something we first wrote about a couple of years ago: an easy and very grounded way to remember ‘which way is up’!
We can start simply by looking at our own physical bodies: at our biology in general, and our immune system in particular. As we understand it (and putting it very simply, of course), the immune system is the part of the physical body that distinguishes between what is ‘self’ and what is ‘other’. Cells which are determined by the immune system to be ‘other’ are neutralised and eliminated from the body with the aid of white blood cells. So it could also be said that the immune system is the part of our physical body that communicates to us what our self – our true self – is and is not, and what it wants and does not want.
In fact, this is what many spiritual teachers confirm. On a subtle body level, they say that the heart chakra governs the immune system, and that the heart chakra also communicates to us the needs of our true self, or Higher Self, as some people call it. Well, now we know why they make this connection. There really is a biological link between the immune system and our sense of self.
Boosting the immune system
Now, if you’ve followed our logic so far, you’ll see that, if we simply look at the immune system and what makes it strong, we’ll be able to discover quite a lot about our true self and what it wants us to do. And since it appears that there are many similarities in the way the immune system works in different people, we could start from the idea that there are also many similarities in the nature of our true selves, although of course each one of us is utterly unique and individual.
OK. So hands up anyone whose immune system is boosted by negativity, closed-mindedness, dejection, self-centredness, fear, anxiety, worry, cruelty, meanness, hatred, repressed emotion, lack of self love or lack of compassion for others. No takers so far? We thought so.
How, on the other hand, would kindness, goodwill, appreciation, gratitude, cheerfulness, love for yourself and others, trust, confidence and inner peace work for you? And as a firm foundation for all those lovely feelings, how about loving acceptance and release of all your emotions and motives – not just the nice ones, but the ones you’d really rather not see, too? Well, scientific evidence abounds these days that, on an emotional level, these are the kinds of things that boost the immune system. Which means that these things are not just ‘what you need’. They are what you ARE. They are Self. They are YOU. What you NEED is what you ARE.
Just let yourself dance in that for a moment, inwardly. You ARE kindness, acceptance, goodwill, appreciation, joy. And nothing can change that because it’s engraved right into every cell of your body, in your immune system. Now it’s in that core awareness – not in a state of dejection, weariness and grim determination – that we’re supposed to embrace and address the problems in our lives. Then we do not need to be scared of the dark places within us – places that are always revealed through any healing process – and nothing will defeat us any longer.
We need to develop the unshakable conviction that there is a place in each of us where we are already pure, innocent, unsullied, radiant, true; where we know and are known; where we love and are loved. This is the divine child in us, the child who, coming from a state of bliss and knowing, incarnates into an earthly body – in which it suddenly finds itself vulnerable to the whole system of madness we call human life. Small wonder – in the face of such madness – if this divine child in human form is constricted into silence, bewildered into compromise, repressed into forgetfulness, or frightened into conformity or blindness. This compression and constriction of the inner, divine child is the origin of all our emotional (and often physical) suffering, and the underlying cause of the universal ‘illness’ from which all of us seek healing.
Be reborn as your true self
Through all the changes that occur in our lives, pleasant or less pleasant, the truth of that divine child’s existence deep within us is seeking to reveal itself. By being absolutely honest with ourselves and open to that truth, trusting it even when it is not comfortable or convenient, we can gradually liberate the divine child from its prison; in fact, we become that child, and step out freely into the glory of a new day.
That is why our wish for you is that 2010 may be the year when you finally know yourself, beyond any shadow of doubt, to be a part of the wave of awakening currently sweeping the world; when you step with great courage and confidence into the pure, radiant clothing that is truly your own. By opening yourself fully to the truth that seeks to well up from your innermost depths – and then acting on it – you will be letting the divine child in you fully incarnate; you will reclaim your original innocence, and be reborn as your true self.
The visual images and texts in this year’s Cygnus Review Calendar are signposts that we hope will help you find your way back to your true self, whenever you feel the need. When you immerse yourself in them, you’ll find they unlock the possibility of a new way forward, enabling transformation and healing. They are portals, gateways through which you can come to find your treasure – the gift which you – in your deepest essence – are.
Rest comfortably within your own space
So become still, be silent, be aware, be peace – and you will not only know your reason for existence, but you will also understand the pilgrimage of healing that has carried you to this point. There is a special place, within the heart of creation, that only you can fill. In truth, creation and the ‘bigger picture’ are incomplete until we rest comfortably in our own space; for it is in that sacred and joyful place that miracles perform their magic.
Mary Wainwright, who has written the healing texts in this year’s Cygnus Review Calendar, wrote this poem through a veil of tears, sometime ago, on her own inner healing quest. It helped her through. Perhaps it will help you, too.
The Ladder of Healing
When your energy’s low, let TRUTH be the guide,
To open within you the blocks held inside.
Emotions will surface as you face the day,
Revealing the secrets kept hidden away.
Accept and acknowledge, surrender and know
That what lies within you will pass – bringing peace
As the memory lets go.
Acceptance brings freedom to breathe, and to find
That new thoughts surround you, new dreams fill your mind.
Forgiveness is everything, starting anew,
Not only for others but your own self too.
Hope born from courage, your energies rise
To see new horizons in another disguise.
Maybe – just FAITH will dispel all the fear,
Bring LOVE to your soul, now all becomes clear.
Joy as your heart blossoms again.
May the peace found within you truly remain.
With much love from Ann, Mary and the Cygnus Team