The Kingdom, aka “heaven on earth", is, in my thinking that space where our physical 3D reality merges with our larger metaphysical reality. It is where the Higher Dimensions meet, transition, and overlap the Lower Dimensions of this world. As spiritual-material beings of Light, we have authority and influence in both realms; but this is where the two become one. I believe that the Kingdom, vortex of creation (Abraham Hicks), or matrix of manifestation (Mike Dooley), is a higher state of being, or consciousness that we achieve through multiple vibrational shifts resulting from our experiences here in this Space-Time dimension as we plod through our soul mission toward evolution and expansion.
As the French philosopher, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Some will refer to these experiences as lessons because our purpose here is to learn, expand, and evolve as souls. We choose this challenging landscape to learn these lessons, but find ourselves struggling through them after we arrive.
In this series of articles I intend to share 5 Keys, or concepts that we must understand, that I believe are a framework that anyone can use to assess, evaluate, analyze, and work though any given walk, experience, or karmic lesson. Each key will have sub-points, but will not include all the information presented at the actual November Teaching Circle as it was specific to those actually attending.
The point of these keys is to (hopefully) gain an objective perspective or lens, and an understanding of what you are experiencing, to diminish your (ego based) emotional reactions to what you experience, and to guide you through the spiritual logic and root causation underlying an experience. The context of each key will be focused on utilizing the concepts in order to navigate through and successfully complete your spiritual process and progress.
The 5 Keys are: (1) Accountability; (2) Law of Attraction (the universal law of mirroring); (3) Boundaries and Limitations; (4) Integration; and (5) Spiritual Tools.
Key 1. Accountability: is probably the most important concept and permeates throughout the other keys. It is the most emphasized in Kabbalistic teachings, can be the most difficult to accept, but also has the potential to be the most empowering. Borrowing from the teachings of Thoth (The Emerald Tablets), accountability means that YOU are the Cause of all your Effects.
Accountability includes “knowing thyself” and your true divine nature, your authentic self; that you are from and of the Light. Thoth taught the we must know we are of the Light and the Light is of us. From the Book of Thomas, Jesus said, If they say to you,’where do you come from?’ Then say to them, ‘we come from the Light, the place where the Light has come into being by itself, has established itself, and has appeared in their image. If they say to you, ‘is it you?’ Then say to them, ‘we are his children, and we are the elect of the living Father. If they ask you, ‘what is the sign of your Father among you?’ Then say to them, ‘It is Movement and Repose.’
In this passage Jesus is clearly stating that we are “children of the Light” supporting the teachings of Thoth; and speaks to our origination as movement and repose, again echoing Thoth’s teaching that in the beginning there existed only Force, a Movement, a Vortex, or Vibration of the purposeful Thought that filled the Void. Even in the Book of Psalms 82: 6 it reads, And I have said that ye are gods; each of you are children of the Most High (Source).
Accountability means that “I AM Responsible for everything that happens in my reality.” Accountability speaks to your responsibility for recognizing that karma is only the consequences of your actions, the results of decisions and choices that you made. However, it also speaks to your personal power and authority that you wield as a divine being and creator in your own right. You are a corresponding counterpart of the divine Source and Light expressing itself as human, experiencing this physical life.
Your reality is not part of “God’s plan” but of your own devise incarnating into this space-time dimension and energetic field. You can live in karma or the kingdom, endure suffering or create miracles. You are never a victim but a willing participant, if not the architect that designs your process here, unless you allow others to victimize you by your lack of knowing thyself and setting the appropriate boundaries (key #3).
Teal Swan teaches, “The people who trigger us to feel negative emotions are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed part of our being.” Those who share this space and this experience with you become part of your story, and usually reflect something back to you to explore within yourself. These messengers may actually be participants in your own story as well, acting as teachers to help you in your soul plan for this incarnation. You may have collaborated with them before you came in, or otherwise “attracted” or brought them in to act out their roles in your play. The point is to realize that you are the reason they are in your reality; you, directly or indirectly, brought them in.
These people are all your teachers to some degree, pushing buttons, overstepping boundaries, crossing lines, and pushing your limits. Some might call them the “smoky mirrors” mentioned in The Four Agreements or your “shadow” aspects that are mirrored back to you so that you will recognize them as aspects within yourself that needs healing and integration.
Carl Jung described “shadows” as an unknown dark side of one’s personality. Bear in mind that “dark” here does not mean inherently evil or sinister, but hidden, or fragmented from the mainstream of Light; the shadow is merely the other side of your spiritual coin that even you may not be aware of. Your shadow(s) may reveal your weaknesses, fears, limits, programs, negative indoctrination and default settings that all need your attention for self-work. We are accountable for facing and healing these shadows of ourselves.
This can be an unpleasant process sometimes; we don’t want to admit we have a “dark” side. This is why many people express a desire to “change the world.” They can avoid looking at the inner change they need to make on self. To change the world, you have to start with changing yourself.
Here’s another thing: you have probably heard this a thousand times, “it’s not about you, it’s about them.” This is supported by the second of The Four Agreements, “don’t take anything personally.” Even Teal Swan talks about recognizing another person’s own “tragic relationship” with themselves. I agree that everyone has their own story and path, and what they do, say, believe, act out, or express is a reflection of some inner story or program running in the background. That may seem to contradict all the narrative about them being a teacher in a story “all about you.”
There is a duality in this scenario whereby both concepts are accurate. Not taking things personally recognizes the other person’s right to be who they are, but it also speaks to knowing yourself, not giving them power over you because of their negative words or opinions or actions, and laying down your own personal boundaries of what you will tolerate and/or accept. When you accept responsibility, when you understand that others reflect things back to you, when you get that everyone has their own story as you navigate through yours, you will not take anything personally; but you will not ignore the message either. You might consider that any negative expression from another person aimed at you is not about you; but it is definitely for you.
Now on the other hand, we have been taught to forgive, and that it is all about you—not them. You forgive someone to be free from that person or situation, and not bound to it. You restore your power by forgiving others—especially those that we do not love or that has done us wrong. I absolutely agree with that. However, when you really get this key of accountability, you will reach a point where you realize there truly is nothing to forgive, except yourself.
You get that these people that caused you harm, betrayed you, made your life hell, were those that you attracted or even invited into your reality as a teacher to present a spiritual lesson or experience. You will come to know that you overcame an issue not in spite of them, but because of them; they shook up your reality and forced you to realize inner strength that you did not even know you possessed. They helped you take another step up that spiritual ladder you have been climbing toward your evolution and expansion.
This is the point in your development that you are grateful to them, not forgiving. Gratitude trumps forgiveness in this case. This is really when you are able to take that higher road, so to speak. Gratitude to them provides the same freedom as forgiveness, and it empowers us even more as we approach a higher spiritual perspective on things. As your soul evolves, your consciousness expands (that vibrational shift or way of thinking).
At this point, someone always asks about soul mates and/or twin flames, and this could be content for a separate article in itself. However, to stay within the context of this writing, I believe soul mates/twin flames are our best “shadow teachers.” I believe that the term soul mate is overly romanticized and inaccurate; and that everyone involved in your process here is a soul mate at various levels. Twin flames is just a controversial topic with no real agreed upon definition.
However, the popular concept of a soul mate is that perfect match; and a twin flame is that perfect mirror, which suggests that a flame is the amalgamation of both, and is typically an extreme growth-focused experience. If I were to use these terms I would only call them categorical descriptions of the quality and intensity of the relationship and the expansion either or both offered. I believe that either one can be a heaven on earth, or an arrant hell walk. The thing to remember is that you caused it either way. Think about that for a minute and see if you may want to rethink your definitions.
So I will close this section of the article series with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. This is his actual quote from which someone derived the more popular one, be the change you wish to see in the world. I believe his words articulately speak to this key on being Accountable and the Law of Attraction which will the topic of the next post.
We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.
It really is all about you!
Until next time...
Steve
