Review of Our Spiritual DNA by Carmel Niland

I  just recently finished this fascinating book:

Spiritual DNA Book Review by Lalia Wilson

Carmel Niland’s book, Our Spiritual DNA: Twelve Ascended Masters and the Evidence for Our Divine Ancestry, stands by itself. Niland spent 25 years researching this book and it incorporates spiritual lore from Western sources, as well as some from the East. Niland’s thesis is that every human alive has a spiritual lineage that leads back to one of the twelve Ascended Masters, and to God. This spiritual DNA is not transmitted parent to child like our physical DNA, but instead assigned pre-birth through spiritual means to serve a specific purpose according to our life plan.

While many may take this book to mean a literal spiritual DNA, it is equally valid to consider these connections as threads of personalities, thus not requiring any particular spiritual approach nor violating anyone’s religion.

The book focuses mostly on western thought and western history, particularly through the lives of St. Germain and Mary’s three aspects as Mary the Mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the High Priestess. The focus on Western thought and history is for two reasons, one is the amount of material as we have 272 pages for an introduction and information on two Ascended Masters. The second reason, as Niland states, is that exploring some of the spiritual DNA lineages will require writers who are familiar with and likely speak the languages and know the cultures of other parts of the world.

Just as we as individuals might reincarnate as different genders over many lifetimes, so too will do the Ascended Masters. Both we and the Masters may have a preferred gender. Since there are 12 Ascended Masters and over 7 billion people on this earth, needless to say each Master is simultaneously embodied in many people. Mention is made of all twelve Ascended Masters and their psycho-spiritual traits and embodiments in human history.

The short spiritual biographies of various historical figures are fascinating. The name of the Ascended Master St. Germain, comes from his incarnation as Claude-Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain. As Saint Germain he was a linguist, violinist, raconteur, philosopher, mystic and alchemist. He was a bright light in pre-Revolutionary France and across Europe, given rooms near Versailles by King Louis XV. But the Ascended Master St. Germain has many leading roles in history following three sub-types as Pan, Loki, and Eros. He is mischievous, lucky and lustful. His Pan persona is connected to nature and manifested as the biblical Noah, Johnny Appleseed, and Robin Hood. He lived as famous dancers such as Rudolph Nureyev. He is also famous as a seducer in his lives as Casanova, Julius Caesar, and as Krishna with his 14,000 wives. As a debaucher he lived as King Charles II and Lord Byron. Ultimately St. Germain’s goals were to bring light to the world which he did as Thomas Edison, Homer, Plato, Lao Tzu, St. Patrick, and Columbus. These are just a few of the manifestations of St. Germain in history and in contemporary life. The energy of St. Germain is innovative, starting and establishing language, poetry, art, science, dance, music, entertainment, philosophy, engineering, navigation…

Mary has a quieter style. She displays grace and style as prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn, designer Coco Chanel and Empress Josephine. Mary is restless and questing as Robin Hood’s partner Maid Marian, poet Emily Dickinson, and novelist Virginia Woolf. Mary is a guardian of nature and creation as biologist Rachel Carson, and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. Mary is the co-founder, partner, and colleague in the founding of spiritual movements.

In discussions of these threads through history there are some explanations of what seems to be evil. For example Queen Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt, had to fail in her duty to keep Egypt safe and independent so that power across the Mediterranean could be consolidated in Rome. Stalin’s purpose was to preserve Russia as an independent country.

The book concludes with ways to identify your particular spiritual energy, the result of which will assist you in aligning with your current life path. Methods to identify your particular Ascended Master include your first name and middle name, your aura color(s), and how you see particular threads repeating in your own life. To digress, even if you cannot see your aura color, and don’t have anyone to read it for you, most likely you will have a preference in color in your life—clothing, décor, your automobile—that is quite likely your aura color.

This writer received a free review copy from the publisher.

 

Why “Sanctions” are not the Answer, by Lalia Wilson

The United States has applied sanctions to many governments with the aim to change that government’s laws and actions. For the most part these sanctions have not been effective in changing the countries against which the sanctions are aimed, and instead cause real suffering to the people.

Since the countries involved are not modern democracies, and may not have much of a consumer economy, the people, who have very little if any power to make the changes, are the ones who suffer. Among places where people are suffering now, and their suffering would be eased if sanctions were lifted (or redesigned), are North Korea, Venezuela, and Iran. In each of those countries the people suffer and the rulers continue with their actions that cause hardship to their people.

Now there are calls to “sanction” Saudi Arabia for the horrific crime of murdering a Saudi national in the Saudi embassy in Turkey. Intelligence services in Turkey and the United States are convinced that the Saudi national, journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was tortured, murdered and dismembered at the embassy itself, by a team from Saudi Arabia directed by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

In Saudi Arabia the common people have little to no say in policy matters. Any sanctions that will negatively affect the common people will cause their suffering for no good purpose. The Saudi Royal family, is an immensely wealthy (estimated at $1.4 trillion) group of 15,000 members. However foreign policy experts say that the majority of the power and wealth is possessed by a group of about 2,000 of them. Those 2,000 people are the only ones who determine domestic and foreign policy in the Kingdom. Any sanctions needs to be targeted to those 2,000 people.

Here are my suggestions. Announce that any Saudi journalists who wish to immigrate to the U.S.A. will get green cards as well as their immediate family members who accompany them. This will bring transparency to the maneuvers of the royal family and circulate that information to all the people of the Kingdom (via the internet). There would be so many journalists now in America that any moves against them individually would not stop the exposés. Also, any moves against them would immediately fall under American law with all the remedies available therein.

Secondly I would target economic sanctions to the royal family of Saudi Arabia. I would freeze their financial accounts in all banks doing business in the United States. I would tax their profits on any US sales at 100%, and audit the books of all companies with which they earn those profits no matter which country the business calls home, so as to make sure the taxes are paid. A further action, which I’m not sure the US would do because of the precedent, is to make those financial records publicly available. Then the people of Saudi Arabia would know more about their leaders’ actions, as would the world.

I would maintain the green card policy for Saudi journalists for at least one year, but have an expiration date. For the economic sanctions I would require some official action by Saudi Arabia that assumes responsibility for the death of Khashoggi, provides reparations to his family, and penalizes the Crown Prince. (I have my doubts about the death penalty for the team sent under orders from the Crown Prince. Is it right to execute them for following orders?)

In summary, I am suggesting several ways to open up the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to scrutiny and sanctions targeted to the people who are the decision-makers.  

A Response in the Right Direction: North Korea

North Korea appears to have hacked the Sony computer network, capturing many private business communications and some of their soon-to-be-released movies.  This has hugely damaged the Sony Company.  Apparently the motivation was Sony’s expected new film, The Interview, in which a team is recruited to assassinate North Korea’s President, Kim Jong-un.  Clearly, Mr. Kim was not pleased.  North Korea threatened a terrorist attack on theaters playing this movie, the movie theater chains elected not to screen the film, and Sony “withdrew” the film from release on Christmas Day 2014.

A big picture look at this contretemps shows two sides: a young man in North Korea with little ability, personal or experiential, to deal with the modern world, and the modern world, or the developed world, or the first world, that has little regard to any forces that stop free speech.

But let’s look more deeply.  Mr. Kim is clearly a sensitive man.  He is the absolute ruler of his country and does not have to accommodate any disagreement with his authority or any lack of extreme politeness on the part of people interacting with him.  Briefly, having a movie being released that is about assassinating oneself is not a situation that most people, including westerners, would respond to with aplomb.  

But, let’s look further.  Mr. Kim is quite young, 31, to be the head of a modern country.  In the U.S., for example, a person is not eligible for the highest office until age 35.  In addition to being young, Mr. Kim spent his childhood isolated from the problems of his people, and from the problems of the world.  He represents the things that are wrong with hereditary political systems—isolation from the concerns of the governed and knowledge of the greater world.  Secondly, Asian cultures have the concept of “face.”  In Asia, one does not deliberately put a powerful person in a bad light unless he wants undying hatred and retribution.  Mr. Kim has responded exactly as expected to this threat to his face.

Now for the other side.  The Western world has unfortunately had many encounters with repressive regimes that stifle free speech in their own countries, and attempt to stifle free speech in the world.  Most notably this has been with regard to the Muslims in the Arab world and in Iran, who allow no criticism of their religion, yet prominently satirize and criticize Judaism and Christianity.  After years of this affront to western eyes from the Middle East, North Korea steps into the controversy, in effect inheriting the quarrel.  So North Korea is not only being preyed upon because of its own failures, but is also, in some ways, a proxy for the Middle Eastern states.

What are some effective ways to resolve this situation? 

Here are some responses that North Korea could have made.  One is to call up Sony Pictures and to ask about their upcoming film.  To have responded with a suggestion to host a blow-out world premiere for the film in North Korea, on the order of a modern Olympics Opening Session.  This would have put the spotlight on North Korea in a good way, allowing NK to highlight the positives in their country.  Another response would be to make a film of similar or superior quality with the assassination of some western icon: the Koch brothers, Sony’s President, Johnny Appleseed, Alfred E. Newman…  And to release that film to great fanfare.  Showing one’s sensitivity and vulnerability is not the answer.  Showing humor and irony is better!

Now, what could the west do better?  One way is to make sure this dubious film is now released in some way.  However, what the North Korean leadership most abhors is allowing their citizens to know about, and interact with the world, especially with their cousins in South Korea who speak the same language, share the same heritage until 1953, and are now highly prosperous and modernized.  Connecting North Koreans with uncensored internet and telecommunications would end the isolation and would sooner or later make the leadership have to amend their policies so that North Koreans can be as successful as their South Korean Cousins.  Could we set up uncensored WiFi just across North Korea’s borders?  That would be a good start.  We could also make sure that North Koreans had the means to access the net and the telecommunications…

Another approach would be to sponsor a film contest showing a future vision of a perfected North Korea.  This could be a contest at film schools, or a contest open to all filmmakers with a substantial incentive to participate and to make a winning film.  These films could be publicly screened, again with some access made so that North Korean citizens could view them.  Perhaps the North Korean citizens could vote regarding their choice of winner?

Another film approach would be a contest depicting a resolution of the suffering of the North Korean people.  Unlike the documentary approach likely in the future vision scenario, this might encourage more dramatic fiction, and possibly engage people’s hearts more.

These are just starting ideas about peaceful ways to resolve the mess that now exists in North Korean-American relations.  May we together find a peaceful solution and a way to end the suffering of all!

How the Memes View Global Warming

I’ve been musing for some time about how the different levels of consciousness, or memes, deal with societal issues. Quickly, each meme or level is a step towards greater consciousness and encapsulates a distinct world-view. While you can find extensive discussion of these memes in the work of Ken Wilber and Steve McIntosh, here is just an excerpt. The predominate memes among adults in the US today are the Traditionalist (Blue/Amber), the Rationalist (Orange) and the Pluralist (Green).

The Traditionalist meme believes in God and Country, and believes that behavior should be regulated by the Laws of God. American Traditionalists are big proponents of The 10 Commandments, because of the super-majority of Christians in our society, but Traditionalists are found in all societies and hew to a strict view of God’s Law as is appropriate for their culture—think Sharia Law, or The Taliban. Traditionalists are the largest block of US adults, but are less than 40%. They are less prevalent in Western European nations.

The next level, Rationalists, are about the evidence. They have broken with God, in many instances, unable to reconcile religious tenants with modern science, and wish to have a society in which economic and scientific facts determine public laws. For the most part, Rationalists want government to step back from most regulation, as Rationalists do not want to be imposed upon, nor do they especially want to impose on others. (Except perhaps for education, which to them must include modern science.)

The third major meme in today’s American society is the Pluralists. Pluralists are big believers in the equality of all, the story of all, the fair process, and “political correctness.” At their worst, Pluralists want a society in which individuals are coerced into environmentally friendly behavior, some form of Gaian worship (which may be incorporated into Christianity), and making sure not to offend anyone.  The Pluralist world is idealized in Starhawk's novel, The Fifth Sacred Thing, and in the film Avatar, and the Jean Auel's Earth's Children sextet.

How do these three memes, the overwhelming majority of today’s adult citizens, see global warming?

The Traditionalists see the effects of Global Warming as God’s Judgment. New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina because it was a town of sinners. They got what they deserved. The solution, to Traditionalists, is to behave better, to join a church, to live right. Then God won’t send any more hurricanes or other disasters. When Traditionalists think about environmental legislation, they want to be aligned with God. What would Jesus do? They will search through a Bible for some appropriate verse that might apply. Any laws that are secular ought to be obeyed, though, because good Godly people OBEY the law.

Rationalists are entirely different. They see global warming as the consequence of changes that can be scientifically demonstrated. The remedies ought to be scientific and economic in nature. Examples of these are treaties to clean the air, clean the oceans, have “trade credits” to swap, so as to avoid consequences of applying all laws evenly to all entities. Environmental regulations on the books mostly follow the precepts of the Rationalists.

Pluralists make the Earth a Goddess, Gaia. They have emotional and spiritual attachments to Gaia, even if they do not specifically recognize the name. They want everyone to tread lightly on earth, have a low carbon footprint, otherwise we are disrespecting Gaia. They feel Gaia’s pain. They want laws to make everyone respect Gaia.

Fortunately there are at least two higher memes, even though few are operating at those levels: Integral and Holistic. The Integral meme is the first to recognize the entire developmental sequence. The Integral meme is not sentimental, but acknowledges the importance of each step along the way. Integralists want laws and policies that work with the natural urges of each meme. Thus successful laws and policies would uphold Traditionalists’ beliefs in God, Law and Order. They would uphold the scientific and economic strategies of the Rationalists. And they would uplift the love of Gaia of the Pluralists. But Integral policies and laws would not allow the lower memes to be in charge of the process.

Integral policies about global warming would acknowledge the unlikely reversibility of the global warming trend—even the most astringent adherence to new laws would only turn the corner on global warming 20 years down the road. Integral policies would start dealing with the realities of the situation. More hurricanes, more severe hurricanes, more tornados, more rising sea levels, all those are in our future. Integralists would start demanding that low-lying towns be moved inland, to higher elevations, or put on stilts, instead of being rebuilt as before—especially when the public is paying for it. Integralists know that another flood will be coming. This is how Integralists see the environmental situation: without sentiment, with practical suggestions.

What about that higher meme? The Holistic meme, which is almost unpopulated, is more about allowing human beings of less evolved memes to make the mistakes they must make in order to learn. Holists have compassionate hearts, but do not see needs to get overly excited. Their interventions would be directed to systems, especially education. Holists are not public forces in society at this time.



Lalia Wilson

A fan of Integral Theory

For more on the actual process of dealing with Global Climate Changes, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptation_to_global_warming#Necessity_for_adaptation

How the USA’s Enneagram Type Assists or Thwarts You!

The Enneagram is a system of understanding yourself and others. Basically it lists nine types of personalities, identified by number so as to insure neutrality. This system is further complicated by the relationships numbers have with one another and the three universal sub-types or variants—self-preservation, sexual and social.

It turns out that countries have dominant enneagram types, and sub-types. France is a Four culture, Canada is a Social Nine, and the USA is a Social Three.

Let us look at what the role of the dominant culture means to the spectrum of individuals within that culture, who naturally represent all the possible types. We will limit our discussion to the United States of America, with an easily recognizable Social Three type, but the method is equally applicable to other cultures and subcultures within the dominate culture.

What does a Social Three dominant culture mean? The Social variant means that the expected way of being in the US is for people to be social, not the intensity of the sexual type (also called one-to-one ), or the hermit-like style of the self-preservation style. This Social variant is most easily recognized in the Presidential election season where every candidate needs a full “social” calendar and is expected to spend most of the day interacting with groups of people!

What does the Three mean? Three culture is one of personal achievement, picking oneself up by one’s bootstraps, salesmanship , self-promotion. An example of an individual with this style is the actor Tom Cruise, who is always a Three, but especially his role in Jerry Maguire.

Each type has a natural connection with some other types and two types with no connection. Since type Three is our dominant culture in the USA, the way Three interacts with other types plays out in individual’s roles in the larger society. Let us go through the nine types to see which are advantaged and which are not.

As a type Three culture, type Three is in the privileged position. Type Threes are living the national myth of self promotion and achievement. If you are a type Three in this culture, you are directly and positively connected to the national story and myth.

Type Three as two possible wings—the adjoining types. Type Two, the Helper, is advantaged as part of the community spirit of volunteering and helping others, as the wife and helpmate, as the one who makes the whole work. The other wing, Type Four, is the artist. Here we have entertainment, especially music, television and film, as major national economic systems and major exports. We value our type Fours.

Three’s direction of integration is the type Six, the Skeptic or Loyalist. The positive side of Six is the patriot, who sacrifices for the common good. But there is a downside to Six in our culture, the Tea Party, Arian Nation, Gun Rights combination of extreme isolation from the mainstream and from the world community.  Timothy McVeigh would be an example of this version of Six.

The direction of disintegration is type Nine, the peacemaker or mediator. At its best, we have the Marshall Plan, international diplomacy, peaceful multi-cultural neighborhoods. But there is again a downside. The Nine can manifest as the lazy, the welfare nation, those who are expecting (rightly or wrongly) to be supported by others.

We have now explored type Three’s connection to four other types: Two, Four, Six and Nine. Together they are five of the nine types. Each type has a fascination with its two opposite types. For Three these are Seven and Eight. Type Seven is the adventurer, the explorer, the bon vivant. The US culture admires type Sevens, holding them up in literature, television and movies. Think of Lewis and Clark and their expedition to explore the Northwestern part of what is now the United States.  The downside of type Seven is the addict, and we have plenty of people who are addicted to fame, sugar, alcohol and drugs.

Type Eight is also an object of fascination for the Three. Eight is the Boss, the Director, the Master. We need our strong heroes. Consider the adoration of winning Generals in times past: MacArthur and Patton and Eisenhower, Grant and Robert E. Lee! The downside of the powerful Eight is the crime lord: Al Capone would be an example.

We now have two types that are not directly connected to type Three: One and Five. These two types are less at home in American culture. They are almost always seen as their negative stereotypes, not their positive expressions. Type One is the Perfectionist, the Purist, the Saint. Ones are seen as their negatives in the religious extremists of American history, who have lives of simplicity, purity and little commerce. Consider the Salem Witch Trials as an example. Type Five is the Theoretician, the Scholar, the Scientist. Fives are not highly regarded in our culture, as seen in much popular culture with the Mad Scientist as a stock character. They are nerds, and crazy or evil scientists.

How does understanding the USA’s Social Three type help us understand the world? The downside of the Three is the Self-Aggrandizer who has little or nothing to promote. We are seen as loudmouthed people who lack much depth, but expect to always have the leadership position. Countries of other types will each seen us differently, with some more inclined to our favor than others. The innate connection between Three and Nine, for example, explains the natural alliance of the USA with Canada. Countries with strong One or Five cultures would be less swayed by our press releases.

For individuals knowing the dominant culture tells us how we can make our way. The dominant culture is Three. How does our type connect with Three? Two types are particularly disadvantaged in a Three culture: One and Five. These types are best isolating themselves in a subculture that honors their type, with links to the main culture through appropriate types that can bridge the difference.

Other types will find themselves cast in particular roles, as their type is seen by Threes. It is helpful to understanding that assignment, if not necessarily to limit themselves by it.

Understanding a country’s enneagram type is very helpful to individuals immersed in that culture and to other countries and their understanding. 

I hope this has assisted you in understanding yourself and your culture.

Lalia

How a system of understanding impacts culture: BaZi

The ancient Chinese system of telling time, understanding nature, and divination known as BaZi or Four Pillars astrology is important in understanding the culture of China. This influence impacts China and other Asian cultures today; it is not an historical artifact.  Immediately below is the BaZi for the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan this year.

What is BaZi? It is a system of telling time, and understanding the physical, psychological and spiritual environment, by using 60 combinations of element and animal. The Chinese system uses five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. Each can exist in yin or yang form. There are twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Six of these are yang: Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey and Dog. The other six are yin: Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep, Rooster and Pig. Each animal pairs with each of the elements to form a cycle of 60. These cycles are 60 years, 60 months, 60 days and 60 hours (Chinese hours are two western hours).

Each moment in time can be pinpointed (within two hours, and within a 60 year cycle) by a combination of the four pillars. I am writing this on 03 Oct 2011 at 9:48 am EDT in East Tennessee. In BaZi this is the Yin Water Snake hour, the Yin Metal Rabbit day, the Yin Fire Rooster month and the Yin Metal Rabbit year.

Each person is thus described by the combination of pillars for the day and time he was born. But more specifically, he is described by the Day Master, the element of the day of his birth. In the illustration above it is Yin Metal. Knowing one’s Day Master, and whether it is weak or strong, lets you know what times and seasons are favorable for you and which are ones where you need to attend to personal business only and not stick your head up. A strong Day Master has three elements which are favorable; a weak Day Master has only two. In the cycle of 60, a strong Day Master will have 24 days of everything going in his favor, about 16 when all forces are against him, and the remaining 20 days are mixed. A weak Day Master will have about 16 favorable days, 24 days with all forces against him, and 20 days of mixed luck. Although the illustration above is for a strong Day Master, most people and most BaZi are for weak Day Masters.

Knowing your favorable elements, which depends upon whether your Day Master is weak or strong and which element it is, allows you to know when to step out, and when to hunker down. It is the “hunker down” part that is more pronounced with Asian cultures, and I propose that it comes directly from understanding and using BaZi over centuries. It has become part of the culture.

In contrast, Western cultures uplift individuals who step forward and act without regard to their individual fortune. One might say in ignorance of their BaZi. However if one did a BaZi analysis of prominent individuals, most would be shown to manifest their success as their element is rewarded by the changing cycles.

May you grow in understanding, and have the elements in your favor!

Lalia

More Thoughts on Integral Compatibility

I want to highlight one of the implications of the model I suggested for Integral Compatibility. It suggests that relationships gain when both parties grow in levels of psycho-spiritual development.

Let us consider two people with average compatibility in type, state, lines and quadrants. Thus, their score on these would be 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 5. If they are both at the Traditional level of development, their total compatibility is 5. If they are both at the Modern level of development, their total compatibility is 7.5. If Pluralist, 10. If Integral 12.5. Both parties gain from the relationship when each advances in psycho-spiritual development.

Now consider how an excellent relationship benefits from psycho-spiritual development. Here the base score of type, state, lines and quadrants is much higher: 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 10. If they are both at Traditional, their overall score is 10. If Modern, 15. If Pluralist, 20. If Integral, 25!

Thus, in addition to having basic compatibility, psycho-spiritual growth adds dimensions to already good relationships that parties may never have realized were possible!

The moral here is that psycho-spiritual development makes all things better. It makes average relationships good, and it makes good relationships great.

Lalia