 |
|
Representing a ‘true energy’ approach to doing business, Solarus is recognised by its driving principles of integrity, trust and prosperity in a world which is often at odds with these concepts. Solarus is a reliable source of reputable, unconditional information, without a marketing bias, serving the needs of the collective population who seek to determine their own personal definition of the ‘truth’. By working with a chosen few, on a most personal basis, we endeavour to assist people to become further empowered, to identify the opportunities available to them in order to realise a healthy and happy experience of life. The clients show-cased on this site offer a diverse range of qualified practices, information and assistance. Together we focus on the present whilst paving the way for future generations in the art of living an enriching life.
.jpg) Prophets & Loss (published in More to Life magazine 2011)Nobody living today can honestly give a first hand account of the lives of any of the accepted great ‘prophets’ (teachers and healers), yet around the world people are still prepared to kill and die in their names – why? Can anyone actually claim to know that this is what these sages, these often gentle yet determined men and women, would have wanted? Their teachings and the way they went about their mortal lives speak the opposite. Only thanks to later interpretations is any licence given to the drastic and fatal actions caused by human conflict based on a belief. Is a false pursuit of prophetic teachings actually causing a loss far greater than we can ever imagine?
At the risk of upsetting some, I would argue that all of us, those before us and those to come are ‘human’ first and foremost and we gamble losing the incredible gift of the ‘human’ experience by trying to chase an intangible soul experience that was never designed for this Earth – and it is a message that flows through the teachings of all the prophets. As a teenager I went on a mission – a ‘walk about’ in my mind. Using my heart as a compass I endeavoured to learn as much as I could about all the main faiths in order to find what I believed to be the ultimate answer – God. But nothing, not one faith or belief felt right for me. The paths all seemed to lead back to ‘man’. I even remember being in a small chapel in Germany, weeping profusely at the sight of a smiling, arms outstretched statue of Christ. The precise reason I never really understood then, but recall thinking I am so sorry for what has become of your words. And many years later having learned more about the words and actions of Buddha, Muhammad and the dozens of other men and women, who have sought to bring unity to their people at times of injustices and disharmony, I am left wondering why their simple truths are not enough for us? Why is there a need to embellish, disguise and distort the messages… what positives have we gained? Is there still time to prevent an unfathomable ‘loss’ - the idea that perhaps this is it, all that we will ever really know and remember and so we should seek to find ‘ours on Earth’.
When we speak of ‘traditional’ prophets, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad are probably the best known. Of the three the most elaborate story is that of Jesus, even to this day scholars debate his very existence. However, the more that we learn of these men, their journeys and their teachings, the more their similarities out way the differences. They walked along the same path, albeit at different times. They sought to deliver a fairer life for their peoples – rebelling against the established ‘rule or law’ (that governed through division) – in order to restore harmony, not just between the people but within the hearts and minds of the individuals.
Taking these three accounts as a way of mapping a timeline of spiritual deliverance, we appear to be getting more confused and further away from ‘peace’ than closer to it. Buddha never claimed a special relationship with ‘God’, infact his central theme was about ‘enlightenment’ from within. This was echoed many years later in Christian teachings, but somehow didn’t seem to appease enough, coming from a ‘mere mortal’ no matter how pure his heart or wise his words – perhaps the idea of making him ‘super human’ would make us sit up and take note. Muhammad too understood that real ‘peace’ came not by provoking argument over differences, but embracing and respecting those differences in order to deliver the basic needs for a good life for all. But again it would appear that just being a ‘decent human’ was not enough. But it is precisely because we are all ‘human’ (spirit in the flesh), that our basic needs must be taken into account first. We will be forced to focus on these again soon. Water, food, shelter, good health, to love and be loved sustain us at the real grass roots level. The good health of wise men and women ensures they can teach, they can lead by example and people will pay due attention. We don’t want young martyrs, their lives should mean more than a fleeting moment to be gossiped about today and forgotten tomorrow.
Now there are some that would suggest that being alive in the human form is the ultimate deception, that only when we free ourselves from the attachment of being human do we really become enlightened. Well I would say, fine, but does that mean I have to endure this life rather than find my peace as a human being, enjoying the ‘attachments’ I have to my family and to others I care for? No, I choose to embrace the experience not endure. I choose to stumble upon ‘Nirvana’ when I am ready, not spend my whole life desperately chasing it. By continuing to focus on our differences, even down to differentiating between those who appear more ‘spiritual’ than human, we run the real risk of taking our eye off the one thing that really is a certainty – we are all in this together. This ‘experience’ of the thing we call ‘life’ has a beginning and an end, neither of which we have a great deal of control over. It’s the time in between that we can influence, we can make conscious choices and surely we have been told and shown enough times by now. The ‘prophets’ have morphed into ‘common sense’. Perhaps we have had our quota of great mystical ‘teachers’ and now we need to put into practice the knowledge we have inherently accrued.
How we ‘came’ to ‘be’ is not the big question, but how we ‘choose’ to ‘be’ is. And it is now entirely up to us. Short of a huge spaceship landing in full view of the world’s press, with accommodating visitors stepping onto our soil and spelling it out to us that if we don’t make the most of our ‘Eden’ something else just might, what more do we need? What more proof do we have to have? How many more decent humans have to run the risk of a shortened life, through conflict, starvation, disease and disillusionment to try and help voice a simple message, before we just stop driving ourselves mad and get on with living in the real ‘Heaven’ that life on this Earth can offer.
We have long sensed the true simplicity of happiness, we are all born with it – and it’s loss is never more obvious than when we mean nothing and have no one. Perhaps that was at the heart of it all, that the idea of ‘God ‘ simply enabled those who had no one and felt their lives were without meaning to experience a sense of ‘love’ and in that their lives had meaning and mattered. Perhaps the prophets simply wanted nothing more than to have us remember that so long as we each exist to someone, somewhere, we matter we are loved. The thing we may really be at risk of ‘losing’ in all the chatter of ‘who’ and ‘what’ is right or wrong, or better or worse, is our ability to remember that one simple message and what it really means to be human.
(c) Kate Osborne, Solarus Ltd.  To be or not to be? (published in More to Life magazine 2011)There are some who believe a person chooses to be born when their soul agrees to undertake the ‘lessons’ mortal life offers; even down to who the parents will be, the people they encounter and the experiences they will go through. Yet the vast majority see life as something not of the individual’s choosing, but of those responsible for their birth. Either way, it is something truly special when a life enters this world. Having had two children myself there is nothing quite as overwhelming and miraculous as that moment of ‘deliverance’. So what then drives someone to want to put an end to it all? What happens when a person’s ‘coping’ mechanisms fail, when the abyss of non-existence is more appealing than anything life has to offer. Is it part of their ‘divine covenant’, just another experience, or part of the lessons of those directly affected? I don’t believe so. Many people ‘threaten’ suicide in order to exert emotional control over others. And often those people may ‘attempt’ suicide but don’t intend to die. As I have experienced, if a person has the real intention to end their life, they will find a way. These are not ‘well’ people. And facts show that the majority of those who commit suicide are not afflicted by starvation, torture or other real life threatening situations. It is predominantly an occurrence in the ‘wealthier’ countries, among those whose basic needs are not in question. Why then do some people, particularly younger people, feel suicide is an optional at all, never mind the ultimate solution? What does this say about the individuals and more significantly, the society into which they belong?
When my first husband took his life, whilst in his early 30’s, he didn’t have money worries, he wasn’t terminally ill, he appeared to have all that one could want – home, family, a business and a bright future. However, as I soon discovered, he also had a very distorted idea of his self-worth and a deep ingrained fear of facing up to his past – something that money could not change. Though I was 26 and initially ‘angry’ – seeing his decision as tragic loss of a good person, the loss of my best friend and what I saw as a profound failure in his upbringing, I did understand why he sought this ‘freedom’. But for many left with questions and uncertainties when a loved one chooses death over a life with those who care for them, suicide is seen as ‘wasted’ opportunity – a destructive force that has ‘stolen’ a person from them. In veritably we are not angry with the person but with the act that is so final, being left to play out this game of life ‘one man short’.
Getting through life is a team effort. As a society we are only as strong as the most vulnerable among us. Suicide is never painless. Even for those who have very legitimate and compassionate reasons for taking their life (or death) into their own hands others, it is an agonising process for those they leave behind. Even more difficult still then is when the threat of suicide is wielded like an emotional axe, not just a cry for help, but a painfully shrill screech for attention – there is something fundamentally amiss. Shortly before my husband killed himself I discovered he had taken overdoses twice in his youth, but these cries for help went unheeded. And his third attempt was far more brutal and fatal. Had someone asked him all those years before, why, what’s wrong, please let us help, perhaps he might have valued his part in this life more.
It is often said that in life we choose to ‘sink or swim’ when faced with dilemmas, trials and tribulations, but you really only have this choice if you have been taught to ‘swim’ in the first place. And in addition have had instilled in you a sense of worth and belonging. This has little to do with fame or fortune. In fact suicidal tendencies are on the up among the current culture of celebrity. This is about the responsibility of those who bring a being into this world in the first place. After my first husband’s death I was blessed to marry again and have children, and having a son myself now I could not imagine anything more heart wrenching and soul destroying than for him to be in a situation where he would want to take his own life. I can only believe that his father, myself and our extended family members especially, have and continue to nurture him in such a way that he never feels he has to contemplate such an act. I can only believe that whatever life throws at him he will know to ask for the help that is always there for him, from within and from his family and friends.
And there is also a vast chasm between the thought and the act of suicide. There certainly have been times in my life when I have wanted to ‘get off the treadmill’. There are few people I have met who have never thought about it at low points in their lives, so it is something most people can relate too, but to actually threaten suicide physically takes a real down shift in our internal gearbox. In my brief time as a Samaritan I realised those calling, far from wanting to die, where desperate to find a reason to live. Had they really wanted to end their lives, they would not have taken the decision to call. Most people as seeking a light in a very, very dark place. And this is a place of great emotional instability, of a dis-ease within that needs to be acknowledged and treated.
Suicide is an option but it is seldom the answer. Even if you believe in a ‘divine covenant’ or ‘spiritual contract’ then you have to acknowledge that suicide will not exempt you from returning again, for suicide leaves so many loose ties. Neither can ‘wolf cries’ of suicide be used to keep others in bondage. Again this is an unwise and unhealthy route; often turning those you want attention from, against you. There are sadly some people who have no-one, who feel their life is worthless, that they are worthless, and the idea of ending their heartache seems the best option, but when I recently spoke to a good friend who had attempted suicide three times as a young woman, had she been given the option to take a pill that would change her circumstances rather that a pill to end it, she would have opted for the former.
Now I don’t believe in the idea that those who commit suicide, will ‘rot in hell’, as I don’t believe in a biblical hell. The person who kills themselves has already been through their hell and leaves some hot embers behind for their loved ones who may be left to question why. What I would ask anyone who is really contemplating suicide is – do you want to your life or would you rather live a better one? And if, as I suspect most will want to live a happier life, then please ask for help, from friends, family or the Samaritans. And to those left behind as ‘victims’, look into your hearts – and if you know you had done and said all you could for the one you lost then, let it go…if not, then be prepared to change your ways from today and make sure the ones you love and still have in your life know this.
(c) Kate Osborne, Solarus Ltd.  What's Going On? (published in More to Life magazine 2011)Decades ago when Marvin Gaye asked this very question in song, when Bob Marley sang of people power in his hit 'Exodus' and when Don Mclean put into music the incredibly poignant lyrics for ‘Tapestry’, did they all know something our leaders today have missed, or all of us are choosing to ignore?
Having grown up in the southern hemisphere, I have always had a healthy respect for the forces of Mother Nature. There is a fine line between the use and the abuse of her resources. Being surrounded by the decedents of some of the oldest peoples of the Pacific was intriguing to me as a European youngster, learning of their myths and legends in the school ‘Marae’. But somehow it all seemed too far in the past, not so relevant in an age that was bowing to the Gods of consumerism, commercialism and scientific doctrine preaching the virtues of a nuclear age. How different my perspective is today as I keep in touch with friends affected by the recent quake in New Zealand and stare, wide-eyed at the mighty waters and exploding power-plants in Japan. Suddenly the teachings of the Maori and Aboriginal elders; their love for, and understanding of, the land and the elements conveyed through song, storytelling and ceremony seem to speak so poignantly of the 'here and now'. The Universe in which our planet exists and the planet itself provides us with all we need, but these resources are finite. Our fresh water, food and shelter can only be sustained if (and that's a big 'if') we take from Nature what can be replaced. We are but one form of life on Earth, not 'the' form of life and we must learn to use our gift as custodians of this 'Eden' to help this living entity thrive, not plunder, rape and pillage at random. There are accounts of ancient civilisations, long before us, like the Atlanteans and the peoples of 'Mu’ whose scientific, medical and technological advances far surpassed anything we know now. Yet they perished, imploding, despite their vast intellect and knowledge. Perhaps their desires to control 'All' is the lesson with confronts us now. We are not in a position to control the very elements that give us life. We cannot expect to extract volatile matter from deep within the ground and 'pretend' nothing will change. Nor can we build industries upon the surface of the land that sit like ticking time bombs, from whose destruction all life will struggle to recover. Are we really prepared to believe that we are all so arrogant or so stupid to think that we can master over the forces of creation? Have we learnt nothing from our previous attempts to dictate, and manipulate the who what and why we are...
Is the real problem the fact that we are looking to feed our greed rather than our need? If there is one organism that is 'plaguing' Earth, that poses the greatest threat to all life, it is us. Too many human beings have forgotten the joy of being alive and replaced it with the fear of their own mortality and fragility. I believe that w all have the creative life force (or God) within us, but we are not the only living entities in creation - we are just a part of 'God'. And this is what our ancestors not only understood, but felt it was enough to sustain them and they lived with enough humility on this Earth to enrich it. We are not a 'bad' people; we are inventive, generous, compassionate, inquisitive, loving and we have free will. And it is the free will that gives us the power to make choices. We can choose to alter our needs, moderate our wants, see past the superficial differences and re-claim our place on this Earth as perpetuators of life, not destroyers.
Perhaps what is going on right now has always done so. But with more than six billion of us it is more obvious than ever that in order for any of us to have a future we must once again embrace a simpler life where having our basic needs met will give us the freedom to 'be' happier rather than chase the false God that fools us into thinking that our individual happiness can only come at a cost to others. When George Orwell wrote 'Animal Farm' as a commentary on communism, who would have thought it would be so apt a reflection on humanity as a whole. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others, could so easily be translated to all life is equal, but some life is more equal... In order to live we must not only respect the planet (by preserving and managing the resources successfully) but we must also acknowledge the differences between our ideas, cultures, and aspirations.
We need to remember that the ultimate decision as to which life continues or flourishes on Earth may one day be taken out of our hands. Natural selection, once our saving grace, may now not be if we choose to keep pushing ourselves closer and closer to the cliff's edge. By realising that the way in which we experience our lives on Earth can be made more pleasurable, content and joyful to a greater extent by our own actions and trusting to 'let go' of the things we cannot control- perhaps then we will reflect back on this time as a 'life-line' rather than the beginning of our end. The choices to live a simpler life, to re-distribute wealth and resources may not come easy. The realisation that we are all part of a living planet over which no 'particular' God resides, will not sit well with all. The belief that we should tamper with the laws of birth and death, just because we can, and without the consideration of the individuals involved, may make us uncomfortable. But the facts are now increasingly lining up before us. We see, hear and feel them. Humanity cannot continue to enforce global domination without serious repercussions. The way in which the minority desire to live means that the vast majority will have no choice but to increase in number as they struggle to survive and we will all tip off the see-saw. I, for one, am not ready to leave the playground just yet and neither should we enforce that on the younger generations to come. By treading lightly on this Earth we can all continue to enjoy the journey we have been gifted in an environment we should protect.
(c) Kate Osborne, Solarus Ltd. |
Mind How You Go! (published in More To Life Magazine 2011)(c) Kate Osborne, Solarus Ltd.
Will The Real 'Lightworkers' Please Stand Up (published in More To Life magazine 2010)
You may think it odd that I take this stance in an esoteric publication, but if we are to really take our own ‘growth’ seriously then the first place we should be looking is within. No human on this planet can change that fact. There are no special prayer mats that allow you exclusive access to angels or guides, no single building, institution or belief that has a monopoly on the great energy from which we are all created. If people truly believed they were super human, divine, or have special gifts to find places that all the other mere mortals could never hope to reach, then they wouldn’t be here in the first place!
Are people becoming blinded by their own desire for ‘illumination’ to the point of being lead to believe they can only ‘buy’ their way into bliss? Simple acts of courage, compassion, kindness and generosity of time are just as powerful as a reiki attunement, a crystal healing or dowsing ourselves in a waterfall of essences and sprays. Already this industry is feeling the ‘pinch’ but I would go as far to say as it is more a case of weeding out the less authentic people from the real light workers, than a case of feeling the effects of the current economic downturn. Life is about quality not quantity, and it is no different for those who profess to teach and facilitate enlightenment. Perhaps as many as 80 in every 100 mind, body and spirit professionals will not honestly be able to rise up when the real beacons of light are called upon.
People need to earn money, have their palms crossed with silver as it were, I don’t begrudge anyone making an honest living, but I ask, please make it honestly, don’t pretend to know more than you do, or worse still make it up as you go along. You can only fool some of the people some of the time… We are all ‘angel experts’, for we can, when looking with our hearts, recognise the purity of humanity in others when it shines through. When someone pays you a compliment, a child smiles, when fireman rush into a burning building, when you are told you are loved… the energy of ‘angels’ or what ever you want to call it, works through us and will use vessels that mean something to each and everyone of us to get the point across. Now you may be an avid fan of the angelic realm, own a few books, have attended a few courses, and that’s fine if it has given you what you have sought. But if after all this investment, both financial and energetic, you still feel you need more, then stop and ask yourself why.
For some time it has been a case of ‘he who shouts loudest’ getting heard or drawing some of the most vulnerable people to them. They may not be the best teacher, though. To anyone walking their path, please continue to seek help, advice and understanding, but exercise discernment, ask questions of your prospective guide. And remember your guides will come in many different forms; a friend, a neighbour, a stranger in the park, a shopkeeper, the dustbin man, a nurse, you son, your daughter, your grandmother, your partner, an elder, a therapist, a musician, anyone we come in to contact with has the potential to share with us something amazing.And if your questions are met with resistance, consider why. A good teacher will gladly share what they know and say just as easily if they don’t. As a pupil you have the opportunity to teach those who wish to guide you. If your questions are met with, ‘because my guides say so’, or ‘I know better’, make a gracious exit. And never be afraid to ask how someone came to teach or share what they now know, why they choose to do it in the way they do and so on… A good teacher will delight in being able to express this to you, a good teacher only wishes for you to grow to get to a point where you no longer need them, not the other way around… be aware that true enlightenment is our destiny not an addiction to be groomed and fed.
And I say all this in defence of the simple, yet incredible wisdoms that are now coming more and more to the fore, and in defence of the authentic, passionate and generous souls who facilitate this, in whatever guise they choose to get the message out there. Some years ago I came into the mind, body, spirit ‘business’ naively thinking,’ love and light’ from all to all, but was reminded quite quickly that as emotional beings, we all have our failings, and so I uncovered just as many ‘big egos’, power and control misers as I had seen in the advertising, pharmaceutical and political realms that I had previously frequented. But this has made me even more determined to keep walking the path, which now crosses all areas of understanding be it spiritual, religious, political, environmental, scientific and emotional and it has given my amazing opportunities to speak with some wonderful and knowledgeable people. They are out there and they are approachable.
I know we are all different, there are some better placed to teach, and some better ready to learn. But if you are reading this publication you have already set out your stall to want to understand more, and it is specifically to you I would advise that you rejoice in your hunger for experience, your love of life, your desire for greater understanding. Soak it all in, but just be aware of the pools of water in which you dip your sponge… see beyond the fancy literature, the flowing gowns, the intoxicating accents and take a good, long look into the heart and soul of the person and you will know if they are ready for you!
There will always be those who are happy to ‘follow’, to live their lives according to others, but I’m not speaking to those people today. I hope that if you are curious enough to question your life; why you are here and what is out there for you, in order for you to experience all you can, then to you I say, ’Stand up and be counted as one who wishes to know, not as one who needs to be told.’ Where ever you are in your life, whether you are giving out information or receiving it, I wish you all that you need and may you find your truth, getting the answers and the inner peace that we all seek from the very moment we are ‘conceived’.
(c) Kate Osborne, Solarus Ltd.