A warrior knows that everything is contained within the self. A warrior knows that to access the energy of self to the fullest is a process of breaking down the walls that block that energy, destroying the foundations that have been constructed during a lifetime of socializations, judgments, fears, doubts, beliefs, and misinterpretations of reality and life’s experiences.
A warrior knows that to look in the mirror with fully open eyes is to face the false self that has evolved through a lifetime of untruths and false realizations. A warrior knows that the only way to understand true reality is to first destroy the old one and create a new one based on a system that says everything is energy.
And so, a warrior slowly and calmly goes about dismantling the self and the world as they appear, creating a new self and a new world. And then, when a warrior looks in the mirror, a warrior sees nothing except the energy of self and the world as it truly is, a new reality without constraints. Only then is a warrior free to be.
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
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
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!
Behavioral patterns are the map to the unconscious, suggesting the route to knowledge of self and deeper awareness of how to resolve issues and advance. A warrior studies patterns of behavior to learn about the human condition, to understand the deeper issues of self that may appear to entice and captivate outside entities that seek sustenance, that seek to feed off human energy. A warrior is always a student of life. In this manner a warrior learns how to navigate through even the trickiest of situations, leaving behind the behaviors that do not advance the journey of life but only inhibit. To study one’s own life patterns, as well as to observe and study others, is to know the self on the deepest level. This is the warrior’s way, always a student but always advancing to new levels of awareness, mastering self and life.
It takes courage to face the self with honesty, to be absolutely truthful, without the constant need to protect and be safe, without the needs of the child self getting the upper hand. To be courageous is the warrior’s way. This requires not only maturity but a commitment to change and growth. To draw from the vast pool of courage is to draw to the self the greater intention of all beings: the quest for wholeness. And so the warrior does not shirk the duty to self in this endeavor but pushes through needs, desires, and wants to find personal truth. Only then will needs, desires, and wants be fulfilled, and only then will they become less necessary, for in the end the warrior discovers that there is so much more to strive for. This too is the warrior’s way. To face the truth of the self is a journey taken alone, for no one else can do this for you. The warrior knows firsthand that this is what it means to be courageous.
All begin as the Child… – Detail from artwork by Jan Ketchel
If we examine the inner workings of our everyday mind, we will likely discover three distinct characters: the Child, the Adult, and the Wise One.
The Child may be observed as the one who immediately reacts with fear as the day begins or when the day ends. The Morning Child may fear what bad things await in the day, whereas the Evening Child may fear what may pop out and surprise it in the darkness of the night.
The Child might constantly feel it has done something wrong; it’s in trouble; it’s not as good as everyone else; it’s simply inadequate and flawed. Perhaps the Child holds a secret belief that it truly is unlovable, that it must hide and cover up for fear of being exposed as simply a fraud—deep shame indeed.
The Child might lodge itself in the throat or the jaw or the heart, its tension shutting down the deeply opening and releasing breath of abdominal breathing. Or the Child might pressure for constant physical activity—running, spinning, climbing—racing in some form to release its fear in constant activity. Or, in contrast, the Child might remain sluggish and hidden, seeking never to attract the attention of interaction that threatens exposure, failure, and disappointment.
The Adult is the ego self. In one form or another the Adult is formed to manage the needs, feelings, and beliefs of the Child self. Donald Winnicott, pediatrician and psychoanalyst, proposed the term “false self” to capture the compensatory nature of the adult ego that tries to cover up the felt deficiencies of the now subterranean child self. This falseness is a kind of inflation where the Adult wears a mask that suggests talent or competency, when the truth is that it’s really covering areas of deep doubt within. For example: a man who is terrified of woman might don the mask of Don Juan and become a conqueror of women, or a woman might play the role of seductress to secure a babysitter for her frightened child self, afraid to be alone in the night.
Beyond its falseness, the Adult ego is the legitimate heir or chief navigator of this life in the body. The ego ate the apple in the Garden, it is the center of consciousness and decision making. It is a powerhouse in its own right and for better or worse must steer the ship of our choices.
Our Adult self seeks balance of masculine and feminine… – Photo of art by Jan Ketchel
Appropriately, the Adult must turn its attention toward securing its place in the world. A living must be made, basic needs must be met. The Adult must become the hero that charts the course to survival and perhaps thrives in the daily adventures of life. Depending on a host of factors, such as DNA, family of origin, finances, and relationships, the Adult ego might find itself confident and solidly grounded, adventurous and daring, or it might be barely holding on in the most basic of life’s challenges.
Regardless, however, of the degree of ego success, the truth is that all egos are equally confronted with the truth that life in this world will end, and that a far more comprehensive world awaits in death, where particles are waves—where everything is energy—and there is nothing solid to hold onto.
Fortunately, in the background of the self is the Wise One, the quiet voice in the depths of ourselves that reconnects us with the fruits of the Garden. The Wise One tells us the truth when we ask it what to do. Often there’s a moment of calm, of clarity, when we’re told, see, or know the truth—what is right action. Should we continue in this relationship? Should we eat this food, take this drink? Should we take this job? Should we speak the truth?
The Wise One generally does not press us. It realizes the futility of teacher approaching student. And so, often the Wise One sits back and let’s life with all its consequences be the elementary school teacher. When we’ve accrued enough knowledge through willful failures we become ready to ask and acquiesce to the guidance of the Wise One within and begin to choose right action as our life’s modus operandi.
Our Wise One is always in balance… – Detail of cover painting from KRSNA: The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Much of life is spirit developing a homogenous whole between the heterogenous entities of these tripartite selves of Child, Adult, and Wise One. The Child is the channel to our deepest needs and innocence. The Adult is our greatest hope for reconciliation and karmic advance in the sea of oppositions we must confront within and without in this life. The Wise One is our truest guide who holds the wisdom of countless generations and past lives, as well as access to life beyond space and time. But the Wise One will only come to us in a meaningful way if we assume full responsibility for life in this world and preparation for life beyond this world as well, or at the very least are humbly ready to listen. Such is the mystery and magic of the tripartite, holy trinity of self.
Homogenizing, Chuck
Note: Although no reference is given to the illustrator of the work pictured above that we have chosen to represent the Wise One within us all, the painting is from the cover of KRSNA: The Supreme Personality of Godhead by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness. With thanks and gratitude!
