Tag Archives: energy

A Day in a Life: Worry, Worry, Worry

Everything is interwoven, in a preordained and orderly karmic set up... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Everything is interwoven,
in a preordained and orderly karmic set up…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

I sleep badly, waking every hour. I feel encroaching powerful energy, the approach of rain too, moisture in the air, my sinuses stuffy. Each time I wake a new worry enters my mind and spins a sticky web. I get caught in the web, drift back to sleep and try to get out of it, but sticky web that it is I am its prey. Unwilling to let it have me for very long I wake again. Now a new worry sneaks up and attacks. Once again I am taken back down into the slumber of a new tormentor.

Each hour that I wake up I tell myself to cut it out, to stop worrying. You are aware that worry is futile, I tell myself, useless and unhelpful. Why are you doing it? Stop it! But when the next hour comes around I find myself there again, attaching to whatever comes into my mind, easy prey to the worry monster.

I do Netting, the clearing technique that came to me in a meditation a few weeks ago and which I recently wrote about. I sweep myself over and over again with my imaginary net. I even concentrate on my head, the brain that spins its worry tales, sweeping the net back and forth quickly between my neck and head, flicking out my catch quickly and decisively, but to no avail. I just cannot seem to extricate myself from the worry web I have landed in.

My Dreaming Self finally comes to my aid. It tells me to remember that I am on my own journey and that everything I encounter is important and necessary for me to encounter. It reminds me that it is the same for everyone else, that I cannot alleviate the pain of someone else’s journey. It reminds me that no matter how many times I might advise another person, my advice will not make a dent unless the person is actually ready to receive it, and by that point they won’t need it because they will already be there, doing it for themselves. And so, my Dreaming Self tells me, let your worries go because they are useless thoughts with no impact except to drain your energy.

Our karmic journey is intricately laid out, with a burning desire to be resolved... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Our karmic journey is intricately laid out,
with a burning desire to be resolved…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

And then my Dreaming Self reminds me that everything I experience in my life and everything I have lived through was set up a long time ago. This is the same for everyone, my Dreaming Self reminds me. Parents are just vehicles for life, channels through which life comes into this world. They do not really matter, for in truth they have nothing to do with the Soul’s journey, with the karma that each being must live out in its life in this world.

I know this is true for my own journey, that my parents, though my vehicles into this life did not really provide me with any issues that I did not already have planned for this life. I learned this as I took my recapitulation journey and in the journey since those intense years of inner work.

My life and all the issues in it, down to the minutest details, were set up by my High Self, the being that I am through each lifetime, the being that I evolve closer and closer to in each lifetime, the being that I am becoming. This is the being that comes to me as I dream, that tells me these kinds of things. That High Self reminds me that we are all on our separate journeys, to not blame or resent any aspect of the lives we live because, she/he tells me, we chose it all!

And further more, my Dreaming/High Self reminds me, you must get to a place of letting everyone you are connected to live out their own karma, their own lives in the way that they are meant to. Your only recourse of help is really only energetic, until the time comes when you are shown otherwise.

When others are ready they will show up and ask for help, real help, and then you will know what to do for them and how to do it. Until then they must suffer, just as you have had to suffer. All must suffer. That is the karma of life on earth, suffering until no more suffering is necessary, until the lessons of karma are learned.

And so, my Dreaming/High Self admonishes, use your energy wisely, not in worry but in energetic endeavors, in sending good, positive healing energy to all you are connected with. Without judgment or intent other than pure good energy to aid the karmic journey, send this energy from the heart. Not from the worrisome head, but only from the place of love, kindness, and compassion. Devoid of manipulation and with no personal gain or need, send this pure energy out into the world. If sent in the right unselfish way it will have a positive effect.

This is the most powerful stuff on earth, this energy of love. Envision it hitting the mark. Envision the receiver taking it in to their own heart and being enlightened by it in whatever way is meaningful to them at this moment in their lives. And then envision them taking the steps that will aid them on their journey, to face their karmic debt and evolve beyond it. Keep in mind that even baby steps are an acknowledgement of such powerful energy, as just reaching someone stuck in karmic mud is quite a feat!

It's all about making an energetic connection... - Art by Jan Ketchel
It’s all about making an energetic connection…
– Art by Jan Ketchel

This, my Dreaming and my High Self tell me, is how they communicate with me! It’s all done energetically. Just like electrical currents it courses through the universe and arrives in my body through my own heart, through my own yearning for connection, for healing, for enlightenment. This is what we are all seeking and waiting for. This is what we are all connected to; the electric buzz of connection to our Higher Self who knows all.

It’s not really that hard to do. And don’t forget to do it for the self: Be open. Wait. Receive. And then give in the same way to others, to those you love, to those you hate, to those you resent, to those you worry about. Bring the energy down to the center of your heart chakra, feel its glow, and use it for the greater good of the self, other, and the world. As my Dreaming/High Self tell me, this is what it’s really all about.

On my karmic journey too,
Jan

Chuck’s Place: Our Contract With Planet Earth

Our energy selves are in alignment with our mission on Earth... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Our energy selves are in alignment with our mission on Earth…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

When we are born into this world, our energy body self joins with a physical body self as an entwined unit for the duration of our physical lifespan. Though partners in this life, these two bodies are distinct entities that separate daily in the out-of-body explorations of dreaming, or under willed or inadvertent traumatic jolts that cause these two bodies to separate.

The physical body is constructed of the elements of this Earth and has a finite lifespan. The energy body is constructed of finer elements, distinct from earth’s elements, and houses our spirit, that which separates and ascends at the moment of physical death. This spirit self is the home of consciousness and awareness in our human personality, and though it partners with the human brain in human life, consciousness is separate and distinct from the dense hard drive of the physical brain. This consciousness lives on when the physical body dies, returning to the higher realms from whence it came.

We are indeed beings in this world, but ultimately we are not of this world. We come into this world through the host of a physical body, which we shed upon the death of that body—ashes to ashes, dust to dust—and consciousness, or spirit, lives on. And so, why do we come here?

It is said by the ancients that planet Earth is an “unsacred planet.” (This is not a moral judgment; it’s simply a description of a planet of very dark, dense energy that is engaged in its own process of evolution, so keep in mind that Earth is also a living being, ripe for change.) Evolution is a process of growth that slowly moves toward consciousness as its guiding force. Nature, as depicted by the Garden of Eden, is life devoid of consciousness and choice. For nature to evolve, its consciousness must emerge. We are the light beings, the spirit beings of consciousness, come to partner with the dense energy of earth, charged with advancing its evolution. We are the beings prompted by the kundalini energy, the powerful life-force in us all, to eat from the tree of knowledge and advance the consciousness of earth’s own spiritual development. If you are in this world, you are indeed an advanced spiritual being.

Within the darkness shines always the light... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Within the darkness shines always the light…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

Earth is an extremely dense planet, pure nature and, as previously mentioned, devoid of consciousness, unaware of even itself. As we humans continue to live upon this planet we awaken it to its beauty and bestial qualities alike, to its majesty and its destructive powers, giving it conscious awareness of itself. Imagine how many people have stood high upon a dense mountaintop and marveled at the beauty spread out below, exclaiming “How beautiful! How exquisite! How stunning!” Earth hears and awareness of Earth’s natural beauty expands.

Imagine how many times people have exclaimed over the devastation of volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, the power of nature unleashed. “How frightening! How terrible! How destructive!” Earth hears and awareness of Earth’s natural power expands. These are simple examples of how Earth, a living entity, receives consciousness and awareness through our presence. We are all part of a vast interconnected energy, and whether conscious or unconscious, aware or not, we all impact each other and everything else by our thoughts, our ideas, our agreements and our disagreements.

Of course, as it now stands, we have made a mess of things! Perhaps Earth questions its decision to partner with such spirit beings as us! Well, the truth is that consciousness or spirit energy does not guarantee loving compassion and right action. Consciousness can settle in the lower chakras of “me, me, me,” power, domination and exploitation. This is the dark side of the force of consciousness.

The ancient sorcerers and modern power manipulators—spirit beings of the dark side of consciousness—take their journeys in infinity for their own pleasure and power trips. Spirit beings must contend with their own challenges with these tendencies within themselves, as well as with spirit beings outside themselves who seek to dominate this dense energy planet for their own selfish goals. We are all in this together, conscious beings of the light and dark side of the force. We are all also the embodiment of both light and dark energy, both sides of consciousness. It is up to us to determine the path we will take during our lifetime. A path of heart is consciousness seeking what is right.

Ultimately, our energy body selves utilize planet Earth as our own divine playing field, for our own awakening, clarification, and advancement. Eventually, we must all encounter and reconcile with the dark side of our own spiritual nature, and Earth’s energy field offers the perfect density in which to do that. In turn, Earth benefits from this cosmic drama, as our forays into the dense energy of Earth in our physical bodies awakens and enriches Earth with consciousness through the lives we live while we are here. Simply put, the materials we leave behind when we leave contain an awakened consciousness that serves Earth’s evolutionary imperative. The consciousness we take with us serves our own spiritual advancement.

In balance of light and dark we find what we need... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
In balance of light and dark we find what we need…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

Reincarnation is our continual working project toward spiritual enlightenment, embodying many Earth lifetimes, while also enriching the consciousness of the planet. This joint venture is the ultimate symbiotic partnership, until it consummates in our final separation, in enlightenment, representing the end of our reincarnation cycles: no more compulsory lives in physical form.

Upon enlightenment, our spirit selves choose whether to return to Earth as teachers, to guide Earth from a higher plane, or to move on to new worlds and adventures in infinity, to ever-expanding journeys of consciousness.

We are eternally indebted to planet Earth for offering us the playing field of her physical form for our spiritual advancement. May we pay our debt royally by helping her advance beyond the destructive tendency of the dark side that currently holds her in its grip. May we advance her to the fourth chakra of love and compassion, to the level of the heart, before we fully leave and go on to our own next adventures.

From a path of heart,
Chuck

A Day in a Life: Netting—An Energy Clearing Technique

We don't even realize that everything we need is already inside us, waiting to be discovered... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
We don’t even realize that everything we need is already inside us, waiting to be discovered…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

Finding purpose is a process. In my childhood, through my years as a reclusive artist, writer and illustrator, my years as a wife and mother, I sought a higher purpose. Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing to make this life meaningful? How can I be of service to others? The questions plagued me always.

During my time of recapitulation, doing deep work on myself, I learned that I had to develop a good relationship with money if I was to ever discover my purpose. It was one of my challenges in this life. I did not grow up in a household where money was discussed, it just wasn’t done, and so I never really understood it. I opened a savings account when I was about eight years old and during my entire childhood, until I was 18 years old, I saved a grand total of 66 dollars and some cents. It was pretty pathetic.

In my early career as an illustrator I cared little for money. In fact, I had a non-relationship with money. I took whatever was offered for my work, having no skills at negotiation nor interest in bargaining. Somehow I scraped by, but barely. Even so I gave so much away—money, artwork, time— even when I had nothing, for I could not bear that others would suffer. But this did not prove to be good or helpful, for it caused me a lot of suffering myself.

I finally came to the conclusion, after dealing with a lot of low self-esteem issues, that it was indeed necessary to be compensated fairly for the work I did. Once the intent was set and the universe contacted, things started happening in the money area for me. I did not ask for a lot, for my intention was to live a modest but comfortable life, but it sure was nice to have a few extra dollars for emergencies and pleasure!

Chuck and I live under the same motto. We intend modesty and comfort, but within the parameters of what’s right. And so, we ask a modest fee for the work we do. The general channeled messages for humanity, however, we do not ask payment for; those we give freely through our website. But we also fully live and integrate what we learn from the messages and we are committed to making them relevant within the context of now, interpreting, synthesizing, and configuring those messages in our own writings. We are not only fully aware of the reality that we all must live differently now, but we seek to embody that in everything we do. We are grateful for the opportunity to share all that we learn through this website.

Today, I pass along a visualization technique that came to me, through me, the other day during a 30 minute meditation session. It is called Netting, a clearing, cleansing process that involves the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energies of which we are all comprised.

Here is the process as it was taught to me:

What does "Netting" reveal to you? - Detail of artwork by Jan Ketchel
What does “Netting” reveal to you?
– Detail of artwork by Jan Ketchel

Imagine the self as an energy being. Imagine a net, such as a butterfly net. Imagine sweeping that net through the entire length of the energy body, from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, slowly at first, capturing any energy that does not belong, flicking off any collected debris as the net sweeps past the soles of the feet. Now bring the net back up through the soles of the feet, pulling it up the entire length of the body, visualizing capturing any impurities, negativities, old energies, illness, etc., and then flick out through the top of the head any collected debris. Do this several times, going back and forth, slowly at first and then increasing in speed until you are able to visualize this net sweeping quickly back and forth, both clearing and enlivening all parts of who you are, your energy centers, your vital organs and cells, your mind and thoughts, your entire being, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It’s really quite refreshing!

Do Netting for a few seconds or a few minutes. You can do it anywhere, sitting, standing, lying down. Do it before going to work, during work, after work, and see what happens. Do it before sleep and see what your dreams invite you to. Do it before speaking and see what you say. Do it before therapy to see what comes through. Do it before exercise to see what happens differently in your body and your mind. Do it before loving and see what your love is like. Do it before eating and see what you choose to eat. Do it before meditation and see what your meditation reveals.

All you have to do is give yourself time and permission. You might find yourself invigorated afterwards. You might find yourself calm and collected. You might find yourself vibrating, your energy centers awake. You might find yourself sleepy. You might find that issues are stirred, and if so, be gentle with yourself. Let what comes come, examine it for the value it holds, write it down if it helps, and then let it go. Send the sweeping net through you once again for a final clearing once you have learned what you need to know.

The main purpose of the process, however, coming from Jeanne and the teachers in the soul group of which she is a part, is the intention to clear and cleanse the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual energy so that we may be available for new experiences in life. It is not to be used for gain, but only as a means of supporting the self through an evolving process.

We can only experience what we are ready for, so everyone will have their own unique experience, as it is with all processes. Just as I had to learn to have a new relationship with money in my own life, so do we all have to learn to have a new relationship with our own deepest issues. Our challenges are usually our spirit trying to show us the way to resolution, new life experiences, and new possibilities.

Calmness and centering is the result of Netting... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Calmness and centering is the result of Netting…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

Facing my issue with money led me on a whole string of other challenges, not the least of which was to reveal to Chuck that I was channeling his dead wife! I could only do that after I had faced and cleared myself of a myriad of issues that were keeping me stuck, including that money issue. For how could I ever accept what I was to learn about myself as a spiritual being if I could not accept that I was a worthy physical being?

I had to accept all of me, all that I was, but in the end I had to let all of that go too. It was only after accepting all that I was in this world that I was able to face the final challenge, to be totally empty of me, me, me so I could be open to receive and pass along the messages Jeanne was so eager to impart. Netting is one of those messages.

Personally, I find Netting to be an invigorating process, very clearing. May you also find it helpful. Visualization is a very personal process, so do it in the way that comes to you in your own imagination. This process is yours to receive and use to your fullest advantage. Good luck, and enjoy Netting!

Passing it on with love and gratitude,
Jan

A Day in a Life: Living An Energetic Life

This little pheasant lady, who came into our lives on February 1st, is still here! Did she pick our yard at random or is there a reason? - Photo by Jan Ketchel
This little pheasant lady,
who came into our lives on February 1st, is still here!
Did she pick our yard at random or is there a reason?
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

Today’s Soulbyte, a channeled message, poses a most common dilemma. “Interferences happen,” it says. “Even the best laid plans may have to be canned as life, nature, and even death may interfere. Learn to flow with life, with what comes.” How do we learn to let go of control so that we will flow with the inevitable, yet still remain open to the joys of the improbable? That is the dilemma.

Chuck and I decided, quite a while ago, to let the energy of life, the universe, our higher selves, etc., not only guide us but connect us to our higher potential as energetic beings in human form. Acquiescing to this idea has often been a challenge, as we do often want to make something happen, or make plans that we think are best, either for ourselves or others. In acquiescing to the energy of the greater cosmos, however, we have learned to let go of control, to not focus on outcome but to live each day in the moment, allowing unfolding life to guide us.

We practice this in many ways. We don’t rely on anyone else. We do no advertising, no promotions, no soliciting. Our lives, work, and interests are fully funded by our intent alone. Things happen. Things arrive. Things come to us. We find or discover something in perfect alignment with where we are in our lives, as we continually seek out new and deeper experiences and knowledge.

We have discovered that the key to living an energetic life is, yes, to “learn to flow with life, with what comes,” but also in the choices we make. It has not been easy to always flow with life, but it has certainly been rewarding. Even in times of difficulty we have learned to find the jewel. We have no set practice to achieve this other than our attention to the details of our life, and a certainty that everything is meaningful. We have elected to live consciously, making decisions that are proactive and in alignment with spirit, with the awareness that we are here to learn something important about ourselves.

There are many practices that can aid us in experiencing life on an energetic level, the most common one these days appears to be meditation. Any number of practices exist to choose from, but the overall intent of a practice is to gain control, discipline over the mind, thoughts, all that they attach to and the stories they weave, which interfere with our ability to flow with life.

We hear some news. We spin a tale around it. We expect the worst, we spin a worse tale. We tell ourselves bad things, bad things happen to us. We make a wish, the wish comes true. We want something, we get it. We think and think and think, driving ourselves crazy with thoughts. But when we look closely at those thoughts we realize they don’t exist, they are mere stories in our minds. But in the spinning of our thoughts we have created a reality.

In acceptance of energetic reality we gain a certain peaceful acceptance of all that is... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
In acceptance of energetic reality
we gain a certain peaceful acceptance of all that is…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

If we change our thoughts, actually let them go one at a time as they come into our minds, we free ourselves to exist in the moment. This is the practice that we have found is the most practical method of being present. It is meditation in action, all the time. The purpose being to examine the personal, the life we are in, as we live it consciously each day. Our sitting in meditation, our breathing, our yoga and other physical practices are merely tools to learn how to be in the moment and flow with what comes. But the real practice comes in implementing it, putting it to work in each moment of each day.

Once we set the intent to be in the moment, once we decide we want to live an energetic life, we must acquiesce to that intent. To do this we must learn to let go of our attachments. Attachments include desires, wants, needs, ideas that things should be this way or that way, that life should be a certain way. Letting go of attachments means letting go of our preconceived ideas, what we’ve learned about life and the world, and becoming open to new ideas.

Letting go of attachments means allowing everything to be of interest and yet attaching to none of it. If we are to live an energetic life we must allow ourselves to fully embrace the possibility that everything is possible, that nothing is impossible, that anything can happen. And when we do that we begin to have the experiences of an energetic life.

I think about my daughter. I should call her. The phone rings. It’s my daughter. “Oh,” I say, “I was just thinking I should call you and you called!” “Yes,” she says, “that’s how we operate!” It goes the other way as well. I will call her and she will say, “Oh yes, I knew I would be hearing from you because I’ve been thinking about you.” We operate on an energetic level.

We all communicate on this energetic level, with people we know and with people we don’t know. We might dream of each other, think of each other, run into each other and if we are aware we know that none of these things are coincidences, they are synchronicities, the intent of our higher self directing our lives.

If we can allow this idea, that we have another part of us that directs our life, and acquiesce to this higher self, then we are well on the way to leading an energetic life. I learned how to do this most assuredly during my recapitulation, as I learned to trust the process and found that everything that was happening to me was meaningful. It became the most important and most fulfilling journey of my life. Everything since then has been a continuation of that amazing process, as life since then has unfolded in a most magical, unplanned way.

Anyone doing deep work on the self is in alignment with energetic living, because deep work, the search for self-knowledge is the path that leads to discovery of the higher self. The higher self waits for us to find it and to trust it. But first we must discover and trust who we are in the lives we are living. We must first be interested in ourselves as human beings and how we really operate.

Many people have no interest in knowing who they are at a deeper level. Stepping into the deeper self is frightening, as often the first things we have to face are the things we have suppressed during our lifetimes, the things we consider bad about ourselves, the things we have done, the things we fear, the things that make us sad or pathetic to ourselves. But those things are our challenges to face, obstacles blocking access to our higher self.

The magical in the cosmos is ours to experience... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
The magical in the cosmos is ours to experience…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

In taking the path to self-discovery and self-knowledge we discover so much more about the world too. I am a big proponent of taking an interest in the self! Not in a selfish way, but in exploring the meaning of life.

Someone once said to me, “Oh, that’s such ridiculous stuff!” when I mentioned my interest in astrology. “You really believe that?” he asked, quite disturbed. “No,” I said, “I don’t believe anything, that’s why I’m interested in it. Anything is possible.”

We had two totally different perspectives on life, and although the guy was a very intelligent and warm human being, a college philosophy professor, he just could not ever get out of his head. That is really the first challenge. Can you get out of your head? Try it and see what happens! Think of someone and see if they call you, come into your dreams, knock on your door, or send you a text. Living an energetic life is about having experiences of energy in action.

As today’s Soulbyte also said: “Let the randomness of nature into your life, to be part of it all.”

On an energetic wave,
Jan

Chuck’s Place: World In Transition

Where will that molten energy strike next? - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Where will that molten energy strike next?
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

The world is an interconnected ocean of energy. At present, a tsunami of molten energy is sweeping the globe leaving mass destruction in its wake. The old consensus reality is losing its cohesiveness as new ideas, long in the churning, prepare to manifest on a leveled playing field.

Every individual now alive is a hologram of the one living entity we all call Earth—all inhabitants included—reflecting the world-at-large in the microcosm that we call Self. We need only examine the true state of our inner and outer selves to identify Gaza, Benghazi, and the Ukraine as existing within our own personal playing fields.

Behind all the turmoil is spirit, pressing us to move into new life. Old world defenses, defenses we’ve harbored since early childhood, can no longer contain this spirit change-agent. There are no viable truces left. The old behind-the-scenes deals, kept from consciousness, are being outed and can no longer contain the fierce energy of change. The time of compromise is over. Reason fumbles miserably in the wake of change; witness the militant energy dominating the world.

There is indeed cause for concern in such energetic upheaval. Individuals and nations alike fear psychosis as the tremors of change make themselves felt. Ego is charged, in such instance, with applying its consciousness to the truth: What is the true state of affairs in my personality and what appropriate challenges am I charged to take up? Psychosis is not a danger when ego humbles itself to the service of true need versus selfish greed.

We must all examine our own light and dark... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
We must all examine our own light and dark…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

This same task of self-examination and self-regulation is pressed upon the world’s nations. They too must face the truth of their own greed and abuses of power. They needn’t fear militancy if the rules of governance truly serve the needs of the people. If governance continues to serve only the needs of the greedy few, however, it will be brought down.

Similarly, ego—in alignment with old defenses that starve the needs of the whole personality—is seriously challenged to change. Here, militancy arrives in the form of terrifying nightmares and the onslaught of physical and emotional symptoms, such as the pounding heart of fear and anxiety.

Center stage to the current outer world crisis are Israel and Palestine. The 1948 establishment of the State of Israel was the world solution for a scapegoated people, targeted for extinction by a madman heralding a mass psychosis. Following the destruction of that regime in World War II, a permanent homeland was established to assure the safety and future of a badly decimated people.

The stirrings in that region now reflect the failings of that innocent but naive attempt to compensate a wounded people. The displaced Palestinians, asked to bear the burden of the sins of World War II, have never been adequately given their own secure homeland nor richly rewarded for their own great sacrifice. The complexity of resolution is great, but the time of disingenuous peace talks and statehood creation has ended. Only honest change that is fair and attentive to the true needs of all will work now.

Perhaps we will all arrive at energetic oneness before long... - Photo by Jan Ketchel
Perhaps we will all arrive at energetic oneness before long…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

Similarly, within our personal hologram, we must bring to power rules of governance that reflect the true needs of our evolving selves. We are in the midst of the greatest possible change, within and without, that we will experience in our lifetime. Let us all rise to the occasion as warriors of evolved selfhood, as well as citizens of a new consensus reality, founded upon the interdependent needs of all beings.

Signing on and doing my part,
Chuck