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Good morning fellow seekers and believers. A warm welcome also to 'ye of little faith.' Take a deep breath, you are indeed still alive! The Mayan calendar has finally come to a grinding halt. Yes, it is December 21st, 2012 and the time is exactly 11:11 GMT, the official time of the Solstice. It is indeed a blessing to greet you at the dawn of yet another perfect Solstice day in this miraculous annual progression of human history. ​If you are one of the more adventurous and spirited among us, you may very well find yourself today on a Mayan galactic alignment cruise or magical pilgrimage to the Chichen Itza in the Mexican state of Yucatan, or at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, waiting for the first light to break on the horizon. I can only imagine how much fun you must be having! If you are more pessimistically inclined, you may however be searching for alien evacuation portals on 'Apocalypse Island' in Chile, or you may very well be reading this from the comfort of the 2012 survival bunker you built in your backyard, whilst snacking on the emergency supply of canned food and water you have carefully stocked up since 2010. It appears to me 2012 isn’t a spiritual awakening, but instead, a human one. It is the disillusionment from the nonsense being sold to us from gurus for centuries and the empowerment of our true selves ~ Steve Maraboli Most people are however simply on their way to work this morning – facing yet another hectic day at the office, and later possibly some last minute holiday shopping at a snail’s pace in another traffic jam. Yet, is it not great to be alive! And like our ancestors have done for millennia, and like our children’s grandchildren will do for many more, we are once again today witnessing the shortest, or longest day of the year, depending on the hemisphere in which you find yourself. Today’s Solstice is however, as you surely know by now, also of unique significance to some people around the world. Yes, indeed, today is that official ‘dark doomsday’ we have been hearing about for several years now. It has finally arrived – the time of ‘the shift’, or the ‘end of time’, depending on how you choose to look at things. ​Yes, it is December, 21st 2012 – the date on which the ancient Mayan calendar is said to come to a grinding halt. And as most of us predicted, the world did not meet a tragic fate in some calamitous catastrophe. Could it be that the Mayans really did just run out of stone to chisel on? ​ As you may well know, the controversy, fear-mongering and apocalyptic opinions regarding this significant date have been widespread and omnipresent for many years now. In fact, the hysteria reached such a fever-pitch some time ago, that most people seemed to have completely lost interest in the whole affair in recent months. Everyone clearly had had enough of the constant bombardment, and all the doom prophecies therefore lost most of its hot air. Even the Mayan spiritual elders, with all their patience and access to ancient wisdom were fed up. It is no secret that most of the hype around the year 2012 originated from the money lenders and merchants who continue to ply their trade inside the temple, like wolves in sheep’s clothing. A year or two ago it was impossible to log into any online spiritual forum, or watch any paranormal TV show, without being confronted with some form of 2012 hullabaloo. Humans just keep picking these false endings to poke at themselves for motivation sake… This time-space reality has the wherewithal to support you farther than your mind can comprehend time! ~ Abraham-Hicks But what goes up must come down, and in recent months the stacks of 2012 books on store shelves were clearly gathering dust. Today many of the half truths, and much of the fear-mongering, will thankfully come to an end. ​​ The feeding frenzy is finally over, for the time being anyway, and Mother Earth continues to spin on her axis as she always has. I just have one concern. What on earth will the publishers and vendors be doing with all those unsold 2012 books? I also shudder at the thought of how many rain forests were destroyed in the process. Of course, in 2013 ye shall also hear of more gloom and rumors of doom, but see that ye be not troubled dear friend. And please keep your wallet or your purse tightly zipped. We live in an abundant Universe where well-being is plentiful, and freely available, and balance and harmony always somehow abounds. For most of us today is just a wonderfully ordinary day, with good weather in some places and a few bad patches in other, just as it always has been, and always will be. If you are one of the lucky people sitting in a traffic jam, or an office cubicle, or especially if you are on vacation, do yourself a favor and take a look outside your window right now. Look up at the wide, open sky and remind yourself that all is well in your world. Well-being and prosperity surrounds you all day, every day. You are truly blessed. Do you not feel the yearning in your heart for hope and inner peace; do you not long to have faith in better days ahead? Do not drift unconsciously and without reflection through the labyrinth of a disconnected, cynical life. Do not fear the natural world. And most of all do not forfeit your Divine right to a life free from struggle, anxiety and suffering. Also, do not surrender your inner Divine guidance to the paranoid opinions, greed and morbid false beliefs of others. Find your truth within. Embrace your bliss. Jump feet first into a life of joy and fulfillment. Live in harmony with yourself, your fellow man and the wonderful planet we inhabit. Make today the first day of the rest of your earthly existence. Simply choose today to flow with the miracles of life, and become more in tune with the gentle wisdom and powerful pulse that is our conscious Universe. Your life is singular, unique and wonderful. A Divine life of abundance, well-being, peace and prosperity is your sacred birthright. You simply need to embrace it. Claim it. The Universe shall provide for you always. © 2012 Anthon St Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

There was no need for a term like ‘magical thinking’ in the Golden Age of Man. There was only genuine everyday magic and mysticism. Children were not mocked or scolded in those days for singing to the rain, or talking to the wind. Magical thinking is a common trait found among all children all over the world, between the ages of approximately two until seven years of age. This time frame is also known as the pre-operational stage of child development and it is the period in our early life when we increasingly explore our environment, and gradually learn to distinguish between ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’. Children at this age initially have all kinds of imaginative ideas and magical interpretations of the world, in order to make sense of their external and internal reality. At this age we still believe that we can grow wings and learn to fly; or that animals can talk and sing; or that our shadow is a magical person following us around; or that the Sun goes to sleep in the ocean; that there is a man living in the Moon; or that the wind, the clouds and the trees notice us and obey our instructions. We often also have imaginary friends at this age. The process of exploring the actual limitations of our time-space reality lasts several years. Most ‘magical thinking’ typically disappears around the time when a child finally accepts that there is no such thing as the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Clause. As our understanding and knowledge of Earth reality increases, we lose our imaginative sense of the magical and metaphysical. Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry Potter, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real? ~ J.K. Rowling It appears that the only reason magical thinking must fade into the background of our consciousness as we grow up is because it can become inappropriate or dangerous from a survival perspective. To live safely in our physical body on this planet in primitive times we had to recognize certain patterns in our environment. For example we had to know that certain berries or plants are poisonous when we eat them, or that we may die should we fall off a cliff, or that wild animals can cause us physical harm. Confronted with the independent forces of nature it is obviously not a good idea for frail young humans to believe that they can fly or give instructions to wild animals. However, we never fully lose the tendency to see the magical or mysterious in the ordinary. Findings in cognitive science suggest that magical thinking is an inherent, human trait that persists into adulthood and this appears to be prevalent in all societies and cultures. It is also a phenomenon that is found in all civilizations. Throughout recorded human history we find clear evidence that mankind has always believed that some things are sacred; that things can be cursed; that the human mind can control matter; that rituals bring prosperity or good fortune; that there is power in words and the names assigned to things; that there is justice and moral order in the Universe (such as karma or God’s judgment); and finally that the Universe is ‘alive’ or has a conscious awareness of its own existence. The fact that these fundamental beliefs are widespread and common in all cultures is no coincidence or accident. If we accept that we are spiritual beings having a physical, human experience, our tendency towards ‘magical thinking’ and metaphysical belief makes all the sense in the world! However, many scientists attach absolutely no metaphysical or spiritual significance to these phenomena. For example, researcher Dr Eugene Subbotsky refers to it as "magical ideation" and suggests that we retain our preference for magical thinking because “it’s much more comfortable to think that your fate is written down in a constellation of stars than that you’re one of a certain group of intelligent animals who are lost in frozen space forever."​ Neuropsychologist Peter Brugger, takes a more positive approach, which goes beyond the mere survival theory. He states that it is not healthy for us humans to be entirely stripped of all our magical thinking. His data seems to show that a lack of magical thinking leads to anhedonia, which is the inability to experience pleasure. We should be cautiously open to the spiritual and non-rational, and skeptical of the more invisible magical thinking - what we might call ‘magical reason’ - pervading secular thought and experience in modern society. Science and technology are for most people a new religion, and their orthodoxies are believed with the same fervor ~ David Watson ​We were never really meant to feel like ‘animals’ lost in space. It is clear that we have an innate urge or intuitive desire to find meaning and purpose in our lives, and that we derive a lot of pleasure and joy from the so-called ‘magical ideations’ we attach to random patterns and coincidences. I propose that although it is necessary for us to initially put our ‘magical thinking’ into its proper earthly perspective, while we grow up, we should not be encouraged or pressured to relinquish it entirely, for it is an expression of our original spiritual nature. ​ It is also my experience that a true spiritual awakening is always accompanied by the return of so-called ‘magical thinking’ to our consciousness in some way, shape or form. Without ‘magical ideation’ true spiritual awareness seems impossible. ​Yes, we did come here for a physical human experience and therefore we have to make do with little or no awareness of our ‘superpowers’ for a large portion of our life. It is part of the deal. One cannot expect to have a truly physical life experience bound by time and space, while retaining your full spiritual capacity. The two states of being are mutually exclusive. In this lifetime we are like Superman who must remain disguised as the nerdy newspaper journalist Clark Kent, or Harry Potter and his friends who are not allowed to do magic while they are on holiday, away from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We don’t mind this compulsory precondition for our current physical incarnation, because being more physical than spiritual is essential to the authentic human experience. It is after all what we originally signed up for! However, we were not meant to completely abandon our metaphysical nature and enter this time-space reality entirely ‘unarmed’ and powerless. Even Harry Potter and Clark Kent get to tap into their special powers once in a while, especially when the going gets tough. © 2012 Anthon St Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

What we think, and what we believe, is what we become. We create our own reality. Constantly exposing yourself to popular culture and the mass media will ultimately shape your reality tunnel in ways that are not necessarily conducive to achieving your Soul Purpose and Life Calling. Modern society has generally ‘lost the plot’. Slavishly following its false gods and idols makes no sense in a spiritually aware life. The same holds true for toxic relationships, and people in your life who consistently indulge in negativity, cynicism, prejudice, fear-mongering, pessimism, and hatred. But have no illusions – the opposite extreme is just as noxious. Be equally cautious of those who deem themselves spiritually superior or ‘holier-than-thou’. Be wary of the well-meaning souls who profess themselves to be paragons of unconditional love and light, or who claim they have attained perfect insight into all the mysteries of the Universe. ​It may seem very “unspiritual” of me to advise you to avoid certain people, but it is often for the best to completely eliminate all the ‘trolls’ from your life as much as you possibly can. For truth be told, you can be of no real service to any of them if you allow them to impede and obstruct your well-being and spiritual growth. It is your divine right and your spiritual duty to protect your energy field from unwanted influences. In the wise words of the Mahatma, do not allow anyone to walk through your mind with their dirty feet. Our children must learn how to spot a stereotype, isolate a social cliché and distinguish facts from propaganda, analysis from banter, important news from coverage ~ Ernest Boyer Sure, as your fellow seekers these people do need your love and support, but you can only provide them with the help they need by staying in alignment with your own Soul Purpose and Life Calling. Only by striving towards the accomplishment of your own spiritual mission in this lifetime do you become truly empowered to be of service to others. If you really want to help all the lost souls who have been poisoning your mind with their skepticism, negative attitudes, false beliefs, sacred snobbery, or delusions of grandeur, then get away from them as soon as possible, and first seek your own truth and personal bliss. The people who truly need your help will gravitate to you in time. Don’t try to heal the whole world all at once. Personally, I had to cut loose several acquaintances, colleagues, ‘friends’ and family members over the years in order to fully come into my own, and as a consequence I have been a source of guidance and support to hundreds of wonderful people all over the world. I used to be a lost soul myself and therefore I did not always keep the most positive or uplifting company. ​ Had I continued to indulge and tolerate some of those toxic people in my aura on a daily basis, I would have been of little or no use to the many amazing clients and students who I now daily assist in transforming their lives. I would certainly not have managed to write this book had I allowed all the naysayers and doom prophets to stick around. ​Practicing social censorship in our daily life presents a real dilemma for some people. We have been so conditioned to believe that we must ‘be nice’ to get ahead in the rat race, and that we need to stay abreast of the mainstream news at all cost, just like we have come to believe that we must be on top of the latest fashions, technologies and lifestyle trends. I am often asked how I manage to stay informed about what goes on in the world, since I no longer watch, read or listen to the news. My answer often surprises people. I typically have no idea, or any real interest in what the global media chooses to report on from day to day. Most of it is drivel, hype, lies and disinformation anyway. Yet, despite the fact that I do not follow the news, I always know just enough about the really important events happening in the world. I remain reasonably well-informed of the most vital international and local developments. ​This does not happen by accident or coincidence. It is my firm belief that should there is something in the news that I need to know, the most essential information will find its way to me. It is further my conscious intention that the news I need to hear will reach me in a form that will not disturb, or upset me. And this is exactly how it manifests in my life. Whatever I need to now, I always attract into my conscious awareness. I trust in the wisdom and guidance I receive from my Divine Self and I trust in the power of my own intention as a co-creator of our shared reality, to draw to me all that I need to live a happy, safe and fulfilling life. The things I need to hear, or see always come to me in the right way and at the right time. Unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities manufactured by very sophisticated people using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms. I do not distrust their motives; I distrust their power. They have a lot of it. And it is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes, universes of the mind ~ Philip K. Dick Why do we have this obsession with “staying informed” about absolutely everything in the world, anyway? How much of what you watch on television, or read in your newspaper, truly affects your daily life directly, and how much of it can you change without some kind of Divine intervention? ​In my mind the only reason why any spiritually aware soul would want to follow the mainstream news would be to use the information gained to make the world a better place. To follow the news out of fear and uncertainty only breeds further fear and uncertainty. It is my view that the only people who should be following the mainstream news consistently, should be people who actually need the relevant information to fulfill their Life Calling. Yet, even in those instances modern technology provides us with so many options these days to filter the information that ultimately reaches us. For example, I have set several Google Alerts on my email account that focus on specific news topics that are of particular importance in my professional work. I find it to be more than sufficient. ​We cannot be everything to everyone. I cannot possibly do my life’s work as a psychic medium, while at the same time attempting to solve local crime, world hunger, social injustice and political corruption. There are others who have a Life Calling to address those matters. To each his own. If you are searching for inner peace and spiritual truth, take my advice and turn off your television set. © 2012 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

It is not true that we are meant to live a challenging, tormented life to learn certain spiritual or life 'lessons.' Believing that we are flawed, broken beings who have come here to 'learn' a few things the hard way, is merely a justification some offer to make sense of the bad things that sometimes happen to good people. The irony is that those who choose to believe this myth will most likely have to face one trial and tribulation after the other, just as they anticipated. If someone's circumstance offers a plethora of opportunity, while their life is seemingly awash with a "weeping and gnashing of teeth," it is usually because they choose it to be so. The hardship and suffering we see in this world is man-made. Misery is something we often tend to inflict on ourselves, and each other. It is not of Spirit, Source or God. Someone once asked spiritual teacher Abraham-Hicks, "Why do dogs risk getting bugs in their eyes when they stick their heads out of car windows." The response was telling and most profound, "Because the contrast of the bugs in the eye is a small price to pay for the exhilaration of that ride, and it is exactly the same way you felt when you made the decision to come into this physical existence. The only thing suffering teaches us is that we are capable of suffering ~ Melvin Jules Bukiet It is exactly the way you felt when you knew there would be contrast and you said, 'the ride is going to be worth it!” If there is any spiritual 'lesson' that must learned in this lifetime, then it is that we are the creators of our own reality, and the designers of our own life journey. Your experiences in this lifetime is what you choose it to be. You are the architect of your own destiny. If you consciously choose to sign up for some sort of 'metaphysical boot camp' or 'hell on earth' then that is undoubtedly the life experience you will have. If not, there is much that you can do to bring to an end all the self-inflicted misery you choose to expose yourself to. And if the torment is inflicted upon you by others, the solution is equally simple: nobody has the power to imprison your mind, dictate your emotions, or enslave your soul…unless you let them. Voluntary suffering results from not being in alignment with your higher self and your true destiny. Planet Earth is not a cosmic classroom or a dungeon of punishment. It is a playground, an adventure camp, a leading-edge laboratory of expansion and creation. Your life path is not a ‘test of character’ or some kind of ‘metaphysical curriculum’. It is simply an incredible adventure. You did not come into this physical dimension to suffer all manner of hardship, adversity or pain, to make you a 'stronger person' or a 'more spiritual being.' You are not going to receive some kind of divine medal, or academic achievement star next to your name, when you finally kick the bucket. You cannot become more spiritual, because you already are all of that completely. You are born of spirit and you are a powerful creator of your own life experience. You are a divine being, a deity in jeans and a t-shirt. Your journey along the path of life is all about the perspective you choose. Some of us prefer to learn lessons, while others choose to explore and enjoy all that life has to offer. Do we all make 'mistakes' along the way. Sure, we do! But some of us prefer to make discoveries, instead of mistakes. Coming to a newfound awareness through exploration of all that life has to offer is very different from 'learning the hard way' by making mistakes. Discovery exudes a quest for abundance, prosperity, gratitude and well-being, while making errors smacks of a lack consciousness, victimhood and a scarcity mentality. There is no beauty in sadness. No honor in suffering. No growth in fear. No relief in hate. It’s just a waste of perfectly good happiness ~ Katerina Stoykova Klemer Believing that we are here to learn through our mistakes, receive punishment for our bad karma, or fix issues from a past life, is an insult to our true spiritual heritage. It supports the assumption that Spirit, Source or God is somehow incompetent, or made some sort of mistake. We are created in the image of the Divine; we are an expression and a celebration of the Divine. We are not flawed, or sub-standard, or weak, or ignorant. We may be temporarily disconnected, misguided or confused, but at our core we are not defective or second-rate. Your soul knows its true mission. We are not here to make mistakes. We are here to make discoveries, to become aware, to unveil, to observe and to celebrate. And once we have begun to achieve that, we are meant to teach, guide and heal others. We are meant to be of service and make the world a better place. Does this mean that the suffering and deprivation of, for example, innocent children, the frail, or the elderly, is also a self-inflicted choice? Certainly not. But somewhere, somehow their suffering came into existence because of choices the rest of us made... or did not make. It certainly was not Spirit, Source, or God's choosing. We have created a manic world, nauseous with the pursuit of material wealth. Many also bear their cross of imagined deprivation, while their fellow human beings remain paralyzed by real poverty. We drown in the thick sweetness of our sensual excess, and our shameless opulence, while our discontent souls suffocate in the arid wasteland of spiritual deprivation. Instead of using the suffering of the innocent as a justification to excuse ourselves from our own voluntary misery, we should strive to find inner healing and realignment with our inherent spiritual nature and purpose. For without it we are of no use to the rest of humanity, and certainly incapable of truly serving the planet. Healing the world starts with healing yourself. Starving children, tortured animals, or victims of genocide, are not the ones reading this message. This was not written for them, or about them. If you wish to end suffering in our world, you can begin by ending your own suffering and getting on board with life.​ You may not like to hear this in the midst of your current agony and anguish, but you are indeed a flawless, crystal clear, meta-dimensional snapshot of God’s image in high-definition Technicolor. There is nothing we are supposed to learn, there is no exam to pass. In our original form we were perfection personified. We come from a faultless state of Pure Consciousness and Celestial Power. We are the product of Infinite Creative Intelligence and Everlasting Unconditional Love. And we still are that original cosmic entity, but we chose this human life to enjoy an amazing physical experience, combined with a profound spiritual adventure, to contribute to the expansion of the universe and the greater good. ​​ I have always held firmly to the thought that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of misery to an end ~ Albert Schweitzer Why do bad things happen to good people? Mostly it is our own doing. We create most of our own reality experience. If you look back in honest retrospect you will often find the choice or decision that brought you to your moment of calamity. The rest is universal law, and Divine intervention. Without contrast this journey would be a monotone, uninspiring affair that will not ignite within us the desire to achieve, discover and create more. If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse. Instead of coming into this time-space reality to ‘graduate’, we are here to achieve two simple goals: to have a spiritual escapade, and to fulfill a meaningful human mission. Spiritually you are here to evolve and expand your already perfect spiritual beingness. Yes, indeed, you are such an awesome metaphysical marvel that the Universe wants even more of you! And your ultimate soul purpose is not achieved through suffering or lack, but through enthusiastic exploration and seeking a thrilling reality experience. Combined with your spiritual quest, your human mission in this lifetime is to create or achieve something meaningful that will make the world a better place. Your true life calling is to one day leave behind some sort of legacy that will ensure an even more exhilarating and fulfilling Earth experience for future generations. And if you believe in reincarnation, those future generations are very likely to include you. We are all cosmic shareholders in this amazing adventure camp called Planet Earth. It is a spiritual playground with timeshare, and each and every one of us has a duty towards its continued upkeep, improvement and expansion. But you don’t have to become rich and famous, or highly spiritual to achieve this, neither do you have to be Newton, Ghandi, Picasso, or the Pope, to complete your human mission successfully. To each his own. Each person’s life purpose is unique and equally meaningful. There is profound power in leading an ordinary life. Mother Teresa was once asked what ordinary people can do to promote world peace. Her answer was uncomplicated: "Go home and love your family”. © 2013 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

To create and seek more complete expression is inherent in the human condition, because it is an innate quality we possess due to our original spiritual nature. As spiritual beings it is our mission and duty in this lifetime to create, attract, manifest, and become more. We are destined to live a life of increase. ‘Increasing’ or ‘becoming’ is what drives the expansion of the entire Conscious Universe. We are each of us a mirror reflection of the Universal Source; we are created in the image of the Divine. We are a perfect imprint of a magnificent Holographic Web of Consciousness. And because we are spiritual beings who reflect the Divine in physical form, we also possess the innate qualities of Divinity. We are self-aware and conscious; we have the capacity for reason, sentience, imagination and creative thought; we command creative freedom and the metaphysical power to manifest; and we have the capacity for complete self-actualization, individuation and transcendence. All these qualities are the expression of our inner Divinity, a direct reflection and extension of the Higher Self. As you think, you feel. As you feel, you radiate, And All-That-Is, is affected by your offering. That is your power of influence ~ Abraham-Hicks To live a truly awakened and abundant Divine Life, that will ultimately culminate in the achievement of your Soul Purpose and your Life Calling, you must honor these Divine qualities within. To achieve your Soul Purpose you must strive to become more conscious, continuously reaching for a higher state of being and higher level of awareness, and for unconditional love, peace and harmony. This is the process of transcendence, the process of achieving a superior state of being, or an enlightened existence, above and beyond the limits of our material experience. To accomplish your Life Calling you must figure out who you really are and begin to differentiate that which makes you truly unique from the rest of the Conscious Universe. For while we are all made in the image of the Divine Source, and we are all reflective fragments of a Universal Hologram, we are each of us also unique in our individual make-up and in how we are meant to contribute to the expansion of our Universe. It is vital that we identify who we are, what our unique talents and interests are, and what we can offer in service to the greater good. It is our duty to figure out what makes us special. For without the process of individuation we are of no use to our fellow man and the planet. Without individuation we fail to achieve our mission to planet Earth. It is our mission and our duty in this lifetime to create more, attract more, manifest more, become more. It is our task to create new things, and to reshape and redesign the world as we know it for the better. It is our assignment to increase, expand and improve what is, was and ever will be. What have you done to add value to our world today? In the words of Wallace D Wattles, “You are a creative center, from which increase is given off to all.” ​ © 2013 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

The most significant moment in my life thus far was the day I finally found the real me. In that profound moment I finally came to understand the value of being true to myself. And once I had discovered the true power of authenticity, the quest for living an authentic life completely began to alter my world. Like a Columbus of the heart, mind and soul I have hurled myself off the shores of my own fears and limiting beliefs, to venture far out into the uncharted territories of my inner truth in search of what it means to be genuine and at peace with who I really am. I have abandoned the masquerade of living up to the expectations of others and have been exploring the new horizons of what it means to be truly and completely me, in all my amazing imperfection and most splendid insecurity. It all began when I finally surrendered my shame to accept my psychic abilities as a blessing and not a curse. New doors swung wide open in my life when I discovered that being an empath is not a weakness and that being a psychic medium is not a sinful insanity. To be sensitive, vulnerable and emotional are taboos in our world, especially for men. When your authentic self miraculously awakens and becomes stronger than your ego, then you will truly begin to make a difference in this world. You will literally enter into a partnership with the creative principle ~ Andrew Cohen Combine that with being a new age weirdo who hears the voices of dead people... and you have the perfect breeding ground for shame, self-hatred and imagined public humiliation. I remember when the debilitating shame began. Growing up in Apartheid South Africa our school environment was shaped by a government policy known at the time as Christelike Nasionale Opvoeding (Christian National Education). This restrictive policy was geared towards social engineering and allowed very little religious or ideological freedom. Even the Catholic faith was considered suspicious. We were encouraged to embrace the Calvinistic and highly chauvinistic values that were forced upon us. We were programmed not to question authority, and to comply with the prescribed cultural expectations of our community. In this environment I was obviously soon misunderstood, excluded and bullied, to the extent that I began to view my highly sensitive nature and psychic heritage as a shameful secret, as some kind of personal disability. I soon realized I had to start wearing masks and pretend to be what I am not, for fear of rejection and ridicule. I fervently began to resist my extra sensory experiences. My fascination with all things metaphysical became my ‘dirty little secret’. I no longer told the other children about the metaphysical beings I spoke to, or the paranormal phenomena I saw and heard. I also no longer blurted out the secrets of unsuspecting adults, which often caused many red faces and awkward silences around tea tables and barbeque fires. I was disregarded by teachers, and rejected and tortured by many of my peers. The name-calling and physical abuse started very early, in my second year at school. I remember finding myself one day surrounded by a group of hyperactive eight-year olds. They were pointing fingers, laughing, and calling me cruel names. Today the scene reminds me of the witch hunters of old. Ironically, I realize now that some of their fathers were most likely firing teargas at rioting youths in one of the black townships at that very moment, while their children were hurling stones at me for daring to be different from the norm. Those bullies had no idea why they felt the need to terrorize me; they just sensed intuitively that I was somehow unusual, a threat. Within me there was a silent, latent force that made them very uncomfortable. They were taught since birth to despise that which was different from them in race, creed, language, culture and faith. They feared what they did not understand. Being different, or standing out from the crowd in any way, was seen as anti-Christian, non-Afrikaans and unpatriotic. We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection ~ Brené Brown ​I remember the dread in their eyes when they used to push me around and hurl insults in my direction. It is disturbing to know that many of them still uphold some of those prejudiced views and bigoted values to this very day. I know some of their current beliefs and attitudes, because these days many of them want to be my friends on Facebook. People often say that love is the key to conscious living; they say love is the essence of joy and happiness and spiritual enlightenment. I beg to differ. For without authenticity there will never be complete unconditional love. True love and connection with ourselves, others and the planet is impossible without being fully authentic. First we must express and embrace our authentic self, before we will be able to love anyone else unconditionally. The lack of authenticity is a modern epidemic. We live in a perpetual hall of mirrors where very few of us are what we appear, or claim to be. We have created a counterfeit, pretentious society where we all seek sincere love and true connection from behind the towering walls of our falsehood. We yearn to reach out to one another from our fortresses of deception and our facades of self-protection. All the world is our stage and every day we dance around each other craving to connect with the real people behind the masks of fear and shame we all wear. Is it any wonder there are so many lonely people on this planet? Is it any surprise that relationships have become so complex and near impossible to navigate? ​There is only one true key to lasting personal fulfillment and true intimacy with others – to be authentic. For when we are authentic we release our fears and step into being bona fide, and utterly vulnerable. We cannot experience true love and connection without also risking heartbreak and disillusionment. We must allow ourselves to be vulnerable, because when we shield ourselves from loss, rejection and disappointment, when we hide from sadness and despair, we also shut out opportunities for love, happiness, joy, acceptance and fulfillment. ​ To be authentic is to be vulnerable, and to be vulnerable is to embrace the very essence of all that human life has to offer. How does one become more authentic? To be authentic is to strip away the layers of pretense we have adopted to please others. To be authentic is to abandon the senseless roles we play to meet the imagined expectations of society. To be authentic is to break free from the oppressive chains of guilt and shame that keep our awkward masks in place, that keep our glasses half empty and not half full. To be authentic is to be stripped bare of all our pretenses and stand proud in the bareness of who we really are. Once we rip off the disguise we assumed for others, the real person is revealed. There is no more putting on a show for the sake of others… and we are finally free! If you put shame in a Petri dish, it needs three things to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence and judgment ~ Brené Brown Carl Jung said, “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” To stand vulnerable before the world in all your brokenness and imperfection is the most powerful place you can ever be. Being vulnerable is not weakness, it is strength. Being authentic and vulnerable yields a phenomenal power that can move mountains. It is the magic of being alive. Holding yourself in a place of false pretense and self-protection only serves to block out all potential for true well-being and joy. When we shutdown and sedate all negative feeling, we also shutdown and sedate all the good stuff. When we anesthetize our sadness and despair with alcohol, drugs or food we also shut out all feelings of happiness, joy and ultimate bliss. We cannot feel selectively. We cannot feel only some things, and not others. We feel, or we don’t feel. So, start feeling! I sometimes tell my clients that “pity parties” are good to indulge in. But if you are going to throw one, do it properly! Throw yourself the best self-pity extravaganza anyone has ever had. Call forth the violins, bring out the long black garments, decorate the room with all those sad memories of humiliation, betrayal and abuse. Go ahead and cover your head in ashes, and flood the floor with your tears. Revel in your misfortune. Get it all out of your system to make space in your heart for love, joy and happiness. And when that clock strikes midnight, declare the party over! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and use the rest of that dark night to sweep the whole miserable mess out the backdoor. Then open the front door to welcome in the sunlight, fling open the windows to let in a fresh breeze of hope and faith. Run outside to embrace the dawning of a bright new day! Don’t be afraid to love with every fiber in your being. Put your heart on the line each and every time, even when there are no guarantees. Know that you are worthy of love and belonging. Understand that you are imperfect, we all are. We are all defenseless, at risk and flawed in so many ways. Celebrate yourself. Accept that you are enough. Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap ~ Hildegard Von Bingen Show the real you to the world , for you are special and unique… warts and all. Embrace every opportunity to love and connect with others. Social researcher Brené Brown says, “When we work from a place that says, ‘I am enough’ we stop screaming and start listening. We are kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we are kinder and gentler to our ourselves.” The truly authentic are blessed. They are the warriors of the soul, the champions of love. Let your authentic self be seen by the rest of the world. You may fear rejection and ridicule, but what you will gain is your freedom and personal power. What you will find is true love and acceptance. We fear the judgment of others, but when we strip away the veils of pretense we discover that there is really only one nasty critic in our lives. There is only one malicious judge who raises eyebrows and wags a disapproving finger at us all the time. That judge is us – you and me. We are our own worst critics. While the rest of the world goes about their business and could care less about our imagined imperfections, we spend hours in our personal hall of mirrors: judging, shaming and blaming ourselves beyond all recognition. Don’t be afraid to be who you are, but be smart about it. Being authentic is not about exposing yourself like an open book. You need not share your most personal thoughts and deepest personal secrets with the world. You need not wear your heart on your sleeve. Brené Brown sums it up perfectly when she states that one should only share your "shame story" with those who have earned the right to hear your story. Perfect strangers need not know every little intimate fact or detail about your life. Frankly, most people are not all that interested to know it all anyway. But what people are interested in is to engage with other people who are sincere and vulnerable, people who are able to ask for help and affection, people who can admit their own mistakes and imperfections, and people who are always true to themselves and stand up for what they believe in. They are interested in real people who are just like them. So, just be you for change. It will transform your life forever. © 2013 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

For millennia pilgrims have made the trek up to the Acropolis, the mythological citadel of Athens. Heeding the whispers of an ancient deity, I wandered off the beaten tourist track to find my way to the doorstep of the Goddess Athena. Many centuries have come and gone since the Athenians ascended the Acropolis to seek the guidance and protection of Athena, the maiden goddess of wisdom, war and divine intelligence. Her status as the favorite daughter of Zeus, and powerful patron deity of the city of Athens, remains evident to this day. Expecting to be mostly drawn to the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, when I visited the Acropolis of Athens in Greece, I was instead keenly aware of the omnipresence of Athena’s legacy. My undergraduate education afforded me a reasonably good understanding of the role of the god Dionysus in ancient Greek culture. I know about the festivals and plays, and as a student I often imagined visiting the remains of those historic open-air auditoriums. A sacred landscape is not simply a backdrop for action, but rather a place filled with names, associations and memories that link together everything present there. Humans become linked to the rocks, trees, animals, rivers, mountains and these bonds guide future human interaction with that place ~ Christopher Tilley But when my friend Sandra and I reached the Theatre of Dionysus, I did not hear the echoes of the choruses of long-forgotten Greek tragedies, or the murmur of the 17,000 spectators who came to see them lament. Instead I heard the resounding, reassuring voice of Athena only – a goddess I never paid much attention to before. She called to me, inviting me higher up to her sanctuary. Pagan tradition has it that places and objects are charged with magical, transformative energy through focused ritual, belief, thought and prayer. This ancient sacred energy bestowed upon Athena by so many devotees is vividly palpable on the Acropolis. This sacred historical site remains imbued with her electric strength, her infinite wisdom and her feminine charm. The prayers and offerings of every man, woman and child who over the centuries reached out to her for guidance and protection are still whispered by the winds around the marble columns. Her name is perceptibly hummed by the birds in the olive trees on the way up the steep slope. Millions of feet have made this trek up to the architectural marvels awaiting on top of the Acropolis. One can feel its power underfoot. Expecting to encounter Athena at her most famous and impressive temple, the Parthenon. I was once again surprised to hear her calling me to the more humble Erechteion. This temple on the northern side of the Acropolis was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon, the god of the ocean, earth-quakes and horses. Poseidon competed in a contest with Athena for the position as patron and protector of the city of Athens below. But the people chose Athena, because she created the first olive tree as a gift to the Athenians. Poseidon gave them a spring, but it ran salt water and it was of no use to them. According to an archaeologist we spoke to at the Acropolis Museum, there are various myths about what exactly happened at that contest. One version has it that Poseidon neglected to bring a witness to his miracle of bringing forth water from the mountain, so nobody believed he was responsible. Another version has it that the people were asked to vote. All the women then voted for Athena, and since there were more women than men… Athena won by a landslide! A visit to the Acropolis Museum is highly recommended when you visit Athens and the Acropolis. Athena’s presence is also very much dominant here and I especially appreciated the close-up view of the original Koira (maidens) from the Erechtheion. Statues of Athena are everywhere in the museum in various shapes and sizes. Many of them reminded me of the Virgin Mary. One cannot help but notice the similarities in her depiction, right down to her headdress resembling a halo. © 2013 Anthon St Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

While planning my visit to this sacred site in Delphi, Greece, I set the intention to receive a sign from the famous Oracle at the Temple of Apollo. The deity of revelation and inspiration did not disappoint and sent me a good omen, without me being aware of it at the time. Would you not do the same if you were going to visit the remains of the legendary sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, Greece? Well, I did! I humbly requested a simple sign or personal omen from the god of light, truth and prophecy, while I was planning my visit to this ancient sacred space. I sensed several months before I undertook this pilgrimage that the place would not disappoint, but ultimately I received much more than I had anticipated. The famous oracle who communicated Apollo’s messages to the people, and the priests who interpreted them, no longer ply their trade at this once glorious place, but Apollo has certainly not abandoned his remarkable temple. He still answers the call of mortals here, despite the fact that most of us now live in a world devoid of the mystical and the miraculous. Yes, he certainly does. I have proof. At first I was somewhat disenchanted with this sacred site, but I nevertheless paid my respects to Apollo at the foot of his altar. I also paused for a while at the remains of the grand entrance to the temple, reminding him that the two of us had a date here with destiny. But nothing came to me. I even snooped around the entrance to Pythia's chamber, in the hope that the famous oracle woman would appear from the depths below to step out onto the Rock of Sybil in a trance. The lord whose is the oracle at Delphi neither utters nor hides his meaning, but shows it by a sign. The Sibyl, with raving lips uttering things mirthless, unbedizened, and unperfumed, reaches over a thousand years with her voice, thanks to the god in her ~ Heraclitus In this altered state of consciousness, possibly induced by the hallucinogenic gasses from below the temple foundation, she would utter mysterious, prophetic messages from Apollo himself. It is rumored that she predicted the fall of Troy. Surely she could manage a simple little sign from Apollo for me? Yet, the temple ruins remained as silent as the grave. Maybe the Christians, who later turned a part of the site into a church, were successful in driving out the last remnants of the old religion with their Grecian crosses? They posted these crucifixes at the entrance to the sanctuary, possibly to dispel the evil and heresy of the site’s pagan past. They no longer had any need for the protection of the colossal Naxian sphinx, which used to guard this place from up high, on top of a marble column. Unlike the clear call of Athena that I heard on the Acropolis in Athens, just a few days earlier, the sacred site of Apollo at Delphi remained shrouded in a mysterious, yet reassuring silence. ​But then Apollo surprised me with proof that the sacred force of Delphi remains. His presence here reaches as far back as many centuries BC; as far back as the time when he is believed to have dug the foundations of the first temple at Delphi himself. Delphi did not shape the fate and direct the destiny of so many nations, kings and warriors by accident. This place is after all where Zeus, with the assistance of his two eagles, determined where the center of the world must be. The energy here has gathered over millennia. This is after all where the ancient Greek aphorism "Know Thyself" was inscribed in the forecourt of the temple, along with the other 147 Delphic maxims. There is much magical power in these ruins, despite me being so slow on the uptake. The distractions caused by the unusual European summer heat, jet lag, and the chatter of babbling tour guides, seemed to be interfering with the radar of my sixth sense. Eventually, I was going further up the slopes of Mount Parnassus, when I had a sudden intuitive urge to pause. Not to take a picture, as I normally might, but record a short video of myself with the temple behind me. This was unusual at the time. I am not at all fond of posing for photos, much less appearing on video or television. But Apollo insisted, so I obliged, and paused my trek up the incline. I had never before used the video capture facility on my new smart phone, so it took me a while to figure it out. The heat was becoming unbearable. At last I managed to record a brief video of myself, just saying a few words about the temple at Delphi behind me. Then I walked on. I still did not realize what had actually occurred, or what the significance was of this seemingly mundane incident. May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun; and find your shoulder to light on; to bring you luck, happiness and riches… today, tomorrow and beyond ~ Irish Blessing And then I discovered it: my own little miracle message courtesy of Apollo’s oracle! While waiting at the Delphi Museum, for the small tour group I had abandoned earlier, to catch up with me, I made an amazing discovery. I was scanning through the photos I took at the temple earlier, and came upon the video I recorded. I had already forgotten about it. I cringed for a moment at the prospect of seeing myself on the screen, but curiosity got the better of me, and I pressed play. A few seconds into the video... my jaw dropped. I was amazed and very surprised. There I was, mumbling a brief introduction about the temple and the oracle, while from nowhere a large black butterfly descended from above and came to rest on my shoulder! It remained there until the end of my unplanned monologue. Long after the video ended, I remained staring at the screen in bewilderment. After I posted the video on Facebook, a friend pointed out to me that apart from the butterfly a second amazing thing happened at the end of the video. I never noticed it the first time around. The moment the butterfly leaves my shoulder, a man walks into view in the background… and proceeds to embrace a tree growing near the temple. This held a special, personal symbolism for me. ​Not only did Apollo answer my prayer for a sign, but he also made sure the moment would be captured for posterity. He made sure nobody would doubt the story of my encounter with him up on that mountain. Some may see it merely as a lucky accident or coincidence, but I see only the blessing of a spiritual sign in this synchronistic occurrence. Greece was my first stop in Europe. Butterflies came to me in every country and at every sacred site I subsequently visited. In Celtic folklore the butterfly represents growth, personal expansion, transformation and rebirth. In Native American mysticism the butterfly was believed to be a messenger that would carry secret prayers and wishes to the Great Spirit. In ancient Rome, butterflies were found on coins, next to Juno, the goddess of weddings and marriage. And in Greek mythology Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul, is represented by a butterfly. ​What was the significance to me? Apollo knew that I was not only embarking on a physical journey, but that I had also entered a period of significant personal change in my life in recent months. He reminded me that I had all the spiritual support I needed to continue breaking out of the cocoon of the past with courage. I was on the cusp of a new way of life, and under the watchful eyes of the gods, I was preparing to embrace a new chapter in my human journey, while wrapping my arms around the ever-expanding tree of life. © 2013 Anthon St Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

Butterflies appear as a synchronistic sign every time I visit a sacred site, but I never expected a psychedelic paper butterfly to be one of mystical route markers upon my spiritual travels. In a previous blog I shared the story of the sign I received from the ancient oracle during my visit to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Well, the magical presence of the butterfly totem did not end with my visit to Greece. In all of the other spiritual places I was to subsequently visit I would encounter butterflies at every sacred site, and also at other special moments of spiritual and personal significance. The butterfly phenomenon took an unexpected turn when I arrived at a country inn in Gottsdorf, outside Berlin, Germany. This was to be the venue for a four-day spiritual retreat I was attending. The event was set to take place in a cozy Yoga studio attached to the small hotel. The moment I entered this room, I noticed a small altar the seminar organizer had set up in this space. The display was charming and colorful, but that was not what drew my attention. No, what struck me instantaneously was the large, vibrant butterfly hanging on the brick wall behind the altar. Yes, indeed. I had received yet another mystical route marker along this personal odyssey into self-realization. The sacred cycle of transformation begins by cultivating life experiences and embracing the evolving human spirit. Meaning, purpose and joy are our birthright and by dancing our sacred dream we create a richly woven tapestry of spiritual thought and action ~ Micheal Teal This time the butterfly was not black and white, like the one who came to whisper in my ear at Delphi. Instead a brightly colored paper butterfly waved hello to me from above! It was like a psychedelic kaleidoscope reminiscent of the shapes one sometimes sees in sacred geometry art or tie-died T-shirts from the 60's. Another butterfly sign? What was it doing up there? Was this moment the next step in my transformation; did this butterfly signal the next phase of my personal rebirth into a new era in my life? Mr. Butterfly flashed me an affirmative smile. ​Two days later I had the opportunity to discuss my experience at Delphi with the course facilitator. I was curious as to why he brought the butterfly along, because he was not using it any way during the seminar. But to my disappointed he revealed that he was not the one responsible for the butterfly on the wall. He found it there upon his arrival and decided to leave it up, since it made a colorful contribution to his own display of spiritual items. ​I then turned to the owner of the venue for answers. I had to know who put up that butterfly, and why? After my experience in Greece, I knew there was more to the presence of that unusual item of decor, and to discover the answers, I had to find out how it got there in the first place. ​“Aaah, der schmetterling,” the German inn-keeper sighed, “It does not belong to me either.” She then explained that just prior to our arrival, there was a shamanic workshop conducted at the same venue. The shaman who conducted the classes is originally from Peru and he was in a hurry to leave on the last day. He had asked her to keep the butterfly safe for him, and bring it with her later, when she went to Berlin for shopping. Such a coincidence,” added the inn owner, “He contacted me just yesterday to ask how his butterfly was doing!” I just smiled at her and said, “When you speak to the shaman again, please thank him for the butterfly medicine he brought into my life.” The butterfly featured as symbol of transformation in Aztec, Inca and Mayan culture. In Peru over 90 varieties of butterfly are found, where they are considered a symbol of transition and celebration. The enchanting Morpho didius, or Blue Morpho is the most famous in South America and considered a national symbol of Peru. ‘Morpho’ means changed or modified. This shimmering butterfly is also an epithet of Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love, beauty, pleasure, and prosperity. © 2013 Anthon St Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

The ancient Roman Baths in the South-West of England is a powerful energy vortex for healing. For the highly strung traveling empath the sacred waters of Celtic-Roman goddess Sulis Minerva offers an unexpected tranquil refuge and invigorating sanctuary, even at the height of the European tourist season. My host in Bradford-on-Avon, England, is a very wise man. He has seen many travelers come and go over the years, and obviously knows what is best for each of them. When I told him over breakfast that I had downloaded an audio tour from the local tourism website and was going to do a 'Jane Austen walk' through the historic town of Bath, he gave me a somewhat skeptical look, like only the British can, and said, “You might want to stop by the Roman Baths first. It is a must-see, but go there early in the morning, before the tour groups arrive from London.” Well, who am I to argue with such a determined a messenger of the Universe? So, I went. Arriving at the Roman Baths Museum, I was planning to just have a quick browse around and then go off in pursuit of the famous Ms. Austen’s favorite haunts after all. Well, what is usually a 90 minute visit for the average visitor to the baths, according to the museum’s audio guide, became for me a four hour metaphysical adventure. ​I soon discovered that I was back in the presence of the Goddess Athena, who I had encountered at the beginning of this trip in all her magnificence on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Yes indeed, it appears I have unknowingly been stalking her throughout Europe. Or had she lured me here under false pretenses? This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds – the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions.. the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached ~ Stephenie Meyer The Roman Baths existed long before the Romans arrived in Bath. The Celts knew for thousands of years that the waters, bubbling up from this one of a kind hot spring in Britain, had special healing powers. This is the sacred place where they came to worship and seek relief for their ailments from Sulis, their goddess of healing. When the Roman’s arrived here they were enchanted with the place and soon made it their own. Thus the Roman Baths. The Celtic goddess Sulis reminded them of their own goddess Minerva, for whom they built a temple here. And so the temple at the sacred waters of Sulis Minerva came to be. Many interesting offerings to the goddess were thrown into the sacred spring, including thousands of Roman coins which is to date the largest collection ever found in Britain. People came from far and wide to seek healing… and revenge here. Yes, indeed. Heaps of rolled up lead and pewter sheets with inscriptions, known as defixiones or 'curse tablets' were also found at the bottom of the sacred spring. But they do not contain prayers for healing. The inscribed messages were in fact curses thrown into the spring where the spirit of Sulis Minerva dwelt; they are etched with requests for vengeance from the gods – mostly about very mundane trivialities: stolen coins and clothing, cheating husbands and unrequited love. The punishments and misfortunes wished upon the perpetrators were all extreme considering the offense, and quite surprising to the modern observer. Had the gods responded to these prayers as requested, stealing a couple of coins from someone could easily see you hacked to pieces, eaten by birds of prey and burning in the eternal hell fires of the underworld! Revenge may seem disturbingly out of place in this soothing place of healing, but is releasing anger and letting go of resentment, in order to find forgiveness and inner peace, not one of the most powerful forms of healing? My personal experience at the temple of Sulis Minerva was profound. As an empath I am a conduit for energy and predisposed to healing others spontaneously. I have as a result spent a significant part of my life being subjected to people infringing on my personal space. They often follow me around in public places, without knowing why, or stand as close to me as possible, in order to heal or somehow exchange energy. I guess you can say people like me are like ‘filtering docks’ or ‘recycling bins’ for the rest of humanity. It’s a tough job, but I guess someone has to do it. But at the Roman Baths something truly amazing happened. For the first time in my life I had nobody trampling over my feet, crawling underneath my armpits or breathing down my neck. I was stunned. It was high season in Bath and the museum was extremely crowded, yet I could breathe freely and move around with ease. People kept a decent distance and nobody insisted on getting in my face. I remember thinking that this must be how ‘normal’ folks feel when they are out in public. I spent several hours inside that museum, surrounded by a mass of tourists, yet I felt calm and miraculously energized! But how could this be? What was it about this place that gave a highly strung empath like me, a sense of perfect peace and liberty? Energy, of course! The Roman Baths is a powerful hub of healing energy. It oozes from the stones and bubbles up from the sacred spring, seeping into every pore, nook and cranny. The other museum visitors had no need for a feeble little docking bay like myself – they were broadband downloading from the very place itself! I guess you can say that, in metaphysical terms, I am like a slow dial-up line, while the Roman Baths is like logging into a powerful WiFi signal, while standing directly under the British Telecoms Tower in London. Above the entrance to the former temple of Sulis Minerva the facade used to featured the mesmerizing head of the Gorgon. His magical face and what is left of the original facade is now on display inside the museum. I sat staring at him for ages. The Gorgon’s eyes look straight into your soul; they follow you around like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. But the gorgon is not smiling. His laser beam eyes used to turn his victims into stone, like Medusa in Greek mythology, until he was slain and given as a gift to Minerva. ​ She wore him on her chest as part of her armor, to serve as her shield. I could not resist and bought a Gorgon keyring and pendant at the souvenir shop. The Gorgon was going with me everywhere I go from now on… as a psychic shield to keep out the bad vibes, and freeze those ‘heebie jeebies’ in their tracks when next I visit my local supermarket! And the goddess Athena? What did she have to do with all of this? Well, that is just it … Minerva is the Roman version of the goddess Athena. This place of healing and energy exchange is home to Athena, in the guise of Sulis and Minerva. © 2013 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

A brash neon sculpture of Jesus was the closest I personally came to anything of spiritual significance in the city streets of London, apart from the gilded bronze angel on top of the Victoria Memorial. It just goes to show...never say never. To be fair, I did not visit to the city of London solely for esoteric purposes, but as a highly sensitive person I did find the energy signature of this city spiritually quite different and stark, compared to Athens and Berlin. The atmosphere recently in Berlin, for example, felt electric, yet peaceful. Stepping off the U-Bahn at Wittenberg Platz in the middle of the high season, I was engulfed by a comforting low-level 'buzz' of German families and tourists doing their Saturday afternoon window shopping. The people there did not seem to have a care in the world. The streets were crowded , much like that of London, but not once did I sense angst or claustrophobic nervous energy. The vibe was welcoming and pleasant… and this really is a big deal for a 'highly strung' empath like myself. Berlin woke me up on a Sunday morning with the nostalgic chiming of church bells. I was staying inside one of the surviving wings of the Neues Schauspielhaus on Nollendorf Platz, in the Schöneberg district of Berlin. It was built in 1905 as a theatre and concert hall, in the then fashionable Art Nouveau style. Survival is for the human animal; fear the motivation. For the spiritual being survival is irrelevant. Curiosity, compassion and creativity are the name of the game; unconditional love the motivation ~ Peter Shepherd While the bells were ringing in the distance, I almost expected Christopher Isherwood’s character Sally Bowles to sneak down the corridor of this old building, back from a busy, decadent night at the Kit Kat Club. Maybe Bertold Brecht was in here in the 1920s, discussing his plays with someone in the very room I slept in that night, or maybe the bands Depeche Mode or The Human League used it as a dressing room in the 1980s. ​​The Tiergarten park in Berlin is breathtaking and also has amazing energy. I was very tempted to buy a sleeping bag and simply move into the park on a permanent basis! The entire park is apparently larger in size than the principality of Monaco and makes Berlin one of the greenest cities in the world. I even tried to find a four leaf clover there, but had to settle for cheating, the same way Liza Minnelli did in this same park in a scene in the movie Cabaret, by putting two sets of leaves together to form one! Then I stumbled into London. If only I had found that four leaf clover, because it might have been very helpful. After spending some magical moments on the Acropolis in Greece, and in the lush greenery of the Tiergarten forest in Berlin, I was now suddenly in whirlpool intense energy and soon at my wit’s end. ​Just a few days earlier I was meditating in the center of Stonehenge, and before that I was watching people pass by peacefully at street cafe’s in Schöneberg and on Potsdamer Platz. I was poorly prepared for the cut-throat hustle and bustle of the downtown streets in London. Arriving at Paddington Station in the midst of the Friday afternoon peak hour also did not help! Maybe my distress was due to the lingering effect of the recent energizing experience I had at Bath Spa, as well as the once in a lifetime visit to Stonehenge. This could very well be what set me up for the subsequent shock to my system. The sheer contrast of it all! Or maybe I was suffering from a lack of peaceful sleep, after being woken up several times in Athens, Berlin and Wiltshire by an unidentified phantom who was compulsively sweeping and mopping the floors outside my door every night? I still do not know who she was, but for some reason she followed me around in Europe… until I arrived in London. Then she disappeared without a trace. I can't blame her. At least London exorcised the ghostly cleaning lady... whom shall forever remain unknown. But all was not lost. I did find something somewhat spiritual in London after all! One day, while making my way through the brutal streets of Soho, I spotted a psychedelic looking piece of post-modern art on display in the window of an art gallery appropriately called Scream. This bold and brash sculpture was the closest I personally came to any real sense of spiritual significance in the London inner city. But still, it just goes to show: never say never. I have no idea who the artist of this bizarre piece is; I was in too much of a restless hurry to stop and ask. That is what one does in London Town. You rush. And you stay alive! London works hard, plays hard, and lives fast. During the day the city is highly stressed, materialistic and fast-paced. It has a sense of urgency, and survival of the fittest. And at night the city becomes loud, angry and intoxicated. No wonder the Jesus statue in that window looked so disappointed. I cannot imagine my highly sensitive ass ever living there. © 2013 Anthon St Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

One of the most memorable highlights of my spiritual travels is a midnight meditation in the inner circle at Stonehenge. I had the privilege of being a member of a small, private tour to this magical place. I was especially blessed, as I happened to position myself right in the center of the henge… and from my little hub at the core of the United Kingdom’s Unmissable Wonder, I sent out rockets of desire for our world to become a better place. A radiant dusk was upon us when we reached the top of the concrete staircase. Emerging from below, our trivial conversation abruptly ceased. We were stunned into an instant, breathless, respectful silence. ​Before us rose the towering magnificence of Stonehenge… graceful and glimmering in the late Summer sunset! Being so suddenly in the presence of the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, was the most memorable moment of my entire journey. I had the privilege of being a member of a small private party on a special tour to this magical place. Our visit took place after hours, with special permission from the authorities. The exclusive access we were granted enabled us to visit Stonehenge at sunset, and later under starlight, after the site was closed to the public. Do you know how there are moments when the world moves so slowly you can feel your bones shifting, your mind tumbling? When you think that no matter what happens to you for the rest of your life, you will remember every last detail of that one minute forever? ~ Jodi Picoult Most importantly, we had the unique privilege to enter into the inner circle, which is not accessible to day visitors. We had finally reached Stonehenge after an all-day, and at times nerve-wracking, mad dash around the prehistoric English countryside. The fun began early that morning with a clockwise walk around the stones of Avebury. Our guide, Astrologer David Rowan, is a very passionate, dedicated man who has devoted a significant part of his life to exploring and studying the cultural history, archeology and astronomy of the sacred sites and Neolithic landscape surrounding Avebury and Stonehenge. David took us on a whirlwind tour of the area, including the Kennet Stone Avenue, the mysterious, artificial mound known as Silbury Hill, the Neolithic tombs of West Kennet long barrow, and the Sanctuary. After lunch we trekked on to the Stonehenge landscape, visiting sites like Woodhenge, Durrington Walls and finally Old Sarum, by which time my friend, Christine, and I were longingly eyeing the bottles of Celtic Mead and Strawberry Wine that English Heritage was selling at the gift shop. ​Indeed… it had been a long, taxing day. I had the whole group waiting for me earlier, because I got lost and had to use my intuitive radar to locate them at Old Sarum. If you have ever driven around England, on those roundabout, haphazard Celtic roads in a rented car, you will know the challenges I faced! Then came our first visit inside Stonehenge, just before sunset, and the stresses of the day were soon forgotten. We went right inside the ancient temple, where the ground below the inner circle pulses with a palpable, brilliant energy. Under the careful watch of the guards, we were not allowed to touch the stones, but we did have the once in a lifetime opportunity to wander among them and take amazing pictures. David describes these moments perfectly on his website: “To be able to do this as the light changes and feel the stones grow in stature as the sunlight fades is brilliant; the site really does change from being a load of rocks in a field by daylight to an enigmatic temple by night. According to David this tour is always held on a New Moon, “because when the Sun sets, the Moon is also below the horizon, ensuring that when you return to Stonehenge, the only lights in the sky are the stars. To see the night sky illuminated like a planetarium in that place, with the great trilithons in your vision, is simply breathtaking.” But the magic did not end there. After a much-needed dinner at a nearby manor house restaurant, we returned to the mysteries of Stonehenge for the second time. This time beneath the stars. Once inside the temple, David surprised us with a special Astrological chart he had prepared for that exact place and moment in time. He explained the significance of where the planets were positioned around us at that very moment, and then he offered guidance on what we should focus on, and what we might want to avoid, during our subsequent meditation within the inner circle. Of course, this was vitally important, as whatever thoughts, emotions, or wishes we would send out during our meditations would be vastly amplified by the forceful energy vortex emanating from Stonehenge. The Stonehenge is a powerful energy portal, since it is located at the heart of a network of ley line alignments. Then followed the most unforgettable meditation of my entire life. We were given the exceptional opportunity to each find a spot inside the Stonehenge, where we could sit or lie down in comfort to privately meditate for half an hour. David gave strict instructions as to maintaining silence, isolation and absolute darkness. All flashlights, phones and other devices were switched off, and once everyone got settled in, we all surrendered to the peaceful supremacy of this magical place. I was especially blessed, as I happened to position myself right in the center of the inner circle… and from my little hub at the core of the United Kingdom’s Unmissable Wonder, I sent out rockets of desire for our world to become a better place. © 2013 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology. Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.