The birth pangs of the new time continue. There are struggles still going on wherever we look, among friends and acquaintances and in the world in general (eg. fracking – hydraulic fracturing to obtain gas from shale), the problem of waste treatment and toxicity, among many other issues). It seems we are being asked to develop new talents and qualities to take us into a different way of being, in and with ourselves, in and with the world, so that we can address the problems that arise.
Shifting Sands
As I write this I am staying with my husband, Rob, at Llansteffan, a favourite haunt of ours for retreat and inner refreshment. The little town sits beside the Towy estuary, just south of Carmarthen in West Wales. The Towy flows out into Carmarthen Bay joined by two other rivers, the Gwendraeth from the east and the Taf, where Dylan Thomas’s boathouse is, from the northwest. The result is Carmarthen Bar, a large area of constantly shifting sands, as the tides and the rivers sweep in and out and mingle in this area, which once thronged with sailing boats, carrying coal and other cargoes, plying the coast and also sailing to America. The shifting sands caused many shipwrecks and even today one cannot fail to notice how on the beach the sands are moved, sometimes revealing whole new areas of boulders, previously invisible.
Help is at hand
So it can be in our lives too. Underneath the apparently stable appearance of our everyday lives and occupations, behind what seems to be happening on the surface, other dynamics can be at work, which can suddenly upset the state of affairs. We are challenged to develop clarity in our thinking, a truly grounded intelligence and, above all, discernment, a quality, which I associate strongly with the great angel Mikhaël. His sword of light can be seen as an acute and penetrating power of thinking, which lets us discern beyond the surface of the water, anticipating, intuiting, where the unseen shoals may be and so take avoiding action when necessary, thus steering a calm course to land; and when perhaps we have not been able to avoid an upset, this active discernment can guide us to find a way forward, rather than be disempowered, overcome by the difficulties. Mikhaël is also associated with strong courage. Although these qualities can be our focus particularly in the autumn time, the season of Michaelmas, this mighty angelic being is one whose gifts can be called on at any time, and with his special association with clear thinking and penetration beyond the veils of illusion and dis-information, that abound in the realms of the media and politics, he can become a firm friend and companion in our search for the truth. It is a rule that the invisible beings of the worlds of spirit cannot intervene to help us, unless we ask. We are the ones who call the tune, but if we inform our helpers of what the challenges are, the help will come.
Don’t be afraid to ask
When it comes to the elemental beings connected with the natural world, the situation is slightly different. Again it is not a question of our mikhaëlic discernment, but here of recognizing that these beings are neutral in their nature and our thoughts about them, as you can read in Susan Raven’s enlightening book, can influence the way these beings act to hinder or help us. When the natural world is threatened by human activities that are destructive, we can obtain the help of the elemental beings by being grateful for and appreciative of all they do to keep this beautiful planet, the plant and animal world, healthy and dynamic, perhaps even to reverse some of the damage.
With the intervention of the high spirit beings and the help of the elemental world we have far more possibility of bringing healing to the Earth than we may imagine. Let us use our discernment and appreciation, and be unafraid to ask for help.
© 2013 by Jehanne Mehta March
www.jehannemehta.com
