Entering the Circle of the Soul Series
by Linda Heron Wind
Lesson One: Circles of Consciousness
Contents
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- Lecture: Welcome to Mystery School (Audio File #1)
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- Meditation: Temple of Light (Audio File #2)
- Song: Spiraling Up Spiraling Down (Audio File #3)
- Discussion Questions
Introduction
This Mystery School course consists of 5 lessons. Each lesson will consist of written material, an audio lecture, a meditation exercise, homework to be completed and emailed to Heron, and discussion questions for the bulletin board. Everyone taking the course will have access to the bulletin board so opportunity will be present to connect with others who are studying the same material. You may work through the lessons at your own pace.
Part 1: Layers of Consciousness
Consciousness resides in layers of energy that surround us like the rings of Saturn. The outermost layer is the one that interacts with the physical world and the innermost layer interacts with the soul. Each layer, or circle, has its own characteristics and corresponds to one of the parts of the human being. The outermost layer is the physical world and is our physical consciousness of the third dimension. Here things appear opposite and polarized, good and bad, and solid and real, and consciousness operates through the mode of sensing. The next layer is the consciousness of the mind, operating through the mode of thinking. Here the mind chooses a particular attitude, or way of thinking about the outer and inner experience. The next layer is the consciousness of the heart, operating through the mode of feeling. Here the heart chooses a way of experiencing the vibration and energy through feeling (not emotion). The innermost circle is the consciousness of the soul. Here the qualities of being that are always present and available to us are waiting for us to access them through the mode of being. The circle of the soul is the place where we are connected to everything. It could be thought of as the mind of God. At the very center are awareness and the balancing point of all the circles.
This workshop takes you on a journey
of embodying higher levels of consciousness through experiential exercises
that allow you to identify the habitual attitudes and feelings that
keep you stuck. When these old patterns are released you can step through
the doorways to higher consciousness. When you can stand with at the
center of the soul and look out through the layers of consciousness
with awareness, the attitudes of the mind and the feelings of the heart
create harmony and flow as we move through our lives as spiritual beings
in physical bodies. The goal is to live in the physical world with awareness
from within the circle of soul consciousness. This is the meaning of
ascension.
The first and outermost circle that
we must master is the Circle of the Mind. Outside of this circle is
the physical world and the qualities or attitudes our mind holds as
it encounters the world of duality and polarity that we perceive through
our physical senses as the "real" world. There are four gates
to the inner mind, aligned with the four directions. To master this
level of consciousness we must be able to pass through each of these
gateways. At each gate we are met by the gatekeeper who asks us to surrender
the outer physical-bound attitudes of the mind to step into the inner
world where the attitude we hold is a choice of how to respond to or
think about the physical world. Stepping through these gates represents
a qualitatively different way of meeting the world in our daily lives.
Likewise, when we can remain in the
inner mind, living from behind our eyes instead of in front of them,
we become aware of the mirrors of the heart that turn into doorways
when we can see through the mirrors. When we step into the Circle of
the Heart, again there is a qualitative shift in consciousness and vibration.
Mastering the four doors to the heart allow us to remain in heart consciousness,
with feeling, in a vibrational sense, being our main way of interacting
with the world rather than thinking.
From the heart consciousness we encounter
the mirrors of the soul, which become doorways when we bring awareness
to them. We can then enter into the Circle of the Soul, where we experience
another qualitative shift in consciousness. Our main way of interacting
with the world there is being, rather than feeling or thinking. Standing
in the center of the Circle of the Soul allows us to be in awareness
of all the other levels of consciousness. From that place it is possible
to create our experience in the world. It is there that we realize the
saying, "Be in the world but not of it."
Exercise
-
Listen to the lecture, Welcome to Mystery School (Audio #1) and journal about your experience of it.
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Answer the following questions:
o What do you know about mystery schools and the evolution of consciousness?
o What work have you done so far on raising your consciousness to a higher level?
Return
to Top
Part 2: Evolution
of Consciousness
So our journey is to learn to master each
level of consciousness. We have already experienced at various times
mind consciousness, heart consciousness, and soul consciousness, but
have not always been able to enter them at will or sustain them for
long periods of time. Perhaps when out in nature or when things are
going well in your life, you spontaneously enter higher levels of consciousness,
but when you need to be in those higher levels is when you are in your
everyday life and things are not going well.
As with all learning, becoming aware is a
process - and sometimes we do well with it and sometimes not. My experience
is that when I set out on a new course of learning, the universe provides
me with ample opportunities to practice in my daily life. This course
is not separate from your daily life. In fact, your daily life is the
classroom for Mystery School. This course only provides the curriculum
that allows you to organize your experience into more understandable
lessons.
In the Mystery School traditions that have been around since before Egyptian times, there is an understanding that we are involved in a process of alchemy. It is not the alchemy of changing lead to gold that many in more recent times have been consumed with. Instead, it is understood that the physical alchemy is simply a metaphor for spiritual alchemy - changing the lead of the small self into the gold of the higher self. There were seven steps in the process as shown below. These steps are the process of our lives that moves us toward ever higher levels of consciousness.
|
The Process of Alchemy
Changing the lead of the small self to the gold of the higher self Calcination
- purifying the mind by burning away illusion Dissolution - dissolving unconscious emotional baggage Separation - releasing limitation and finding pieces of your true self Conjunction - union of all opposites into birth of heart and true self Fermentation - dark night of soul leads to
birth of transpersonal self Distillation - tests of initiation refine psyche to state of pure love Coagulation - embodiment of soul, heaven
on Earth |
Alchemy - Making Gold from Lead
Who would have thought that
the conflicts I had with my mother would have led to the gifts I now
hold? Not me!! There were, of course, many wondrous things about Mom
- she was giving and caring, she felt things deeper than any of us cared
to know about, and she would do anything for me. None of these were
of value to me as a girl, teen, or even a young woman. I tried to define
myself, instead, in ways that were the opposite of my mother. I was
well into midlife before I could begin to tolerate listening to her
concerns about whether I was eating enough or warm enough or working
too hard. And it was probably not until after she died that I could
really appreciate her. My conflict with my mother was some of the "lead"
of my childhood.
Now making lead into gold is a real
process! The ancient mystery school texts say that there are seven steps,
beginning with calcination, which for all practical purposes,
translates into "crash and burn." I clearly remember that
year of my life when I was so sick that working in my garden for five
minutes exhausted me. The purpose of this step is to burn away the delusions
about the physical illusion, and it certainly moved me right out of
the strong, doing, masculine identity that I had adopted during childhood
and into the quiet, receptive, feminine side. I began yoga and meditation
(as opposed to long distance running which I had been doing) and that
moved me into the next stage called dissolution - dissolving
the ash from the fire into water and my emotional baggage with it. I
came face to face with my inner feminine that I had managed to avoid
all those years. She led me to the next stage called separation.
Here I sorted out the pieces of true self from all those other false
identities that I had collected throughout my life. At this point I
felt like I ought to be done, but there was no gold in sight yet, only
some partially refined ore.
The writing of my first book catapulted
me into the next stage called conjunction, where the inner masculine
and feminine begin to work together leading to the birth of the heart
or unified true self. I really thought I had arrived then, only to plunge
into fermentation, known in mystical circles as "the dark night
of the soul!" Here things get heated up again as a new level of
consciousness and the transpersonal self are born. I questioned everything
I had become and finally decided that, even if none of it was really
true, I was certainly having a better time being who I thought I was
than who others expected me to be.
By that time I should have known better
than to relax into the achievement of this awareness, because the refined
gold always has to be distilled into its purest form. This is accomplished
through the stage of distillation, also known as "tests of initiation."
This is where life gives you the qualifying exams to see if you have
been able to integrate this new level of conscious into your life. I
think I am still working on this stage. My mastery of life will move
me to the final stage called coagulation, where the Higher Self is embodied
in each moment.
But for now I am content to meet the tests each day knowing that they are moving me toward this final stage. The gold nuggets are forming from the lead that I was gifted with during my childhood. My mother's beauty shines through me now in my caring and love, but in a different way than she was able to express it - a way that carries more wholeness and balance between caring for others and caring for self. That's how it is, you know, our parents and ancestors keep passing the lead down to new generations saying, "Maybe this one will be the one who changes the lead of these survival patterns into the gold of really living."
Every challenge
is
A custom curriculum
Honing mastery
I was given an image of this process as a pyramid, where the base is the tapestry of the physical dimension with all its opposites and seeming contradictions. As we move up the pyramid, our perspective on the tapestry changes as our consciousness changes. At the peak of the pyramid, the cap stone is the Circle of the Soul. That becomes a gateway to an even larger pyramid balanced on top that we could call cosmic consciousness. Our task is to ascend to soul consciousness while our feet are still firmly planted on the Earth - in the tapestry of the third dimension. The events of our lives are designed to move us through this alchemical process, whether we are aware of it or not. Life definitely becomes easier and lighter, however, if you are aware of the process. Once aware, you will not be in Kansas any more. The world of OZ will appear and you must follow the yellow brick road to higher consciousness.
The consciousness of humanity, as a whole, is now evolving and you are part of that process. Evolution occurs from generation to generation but also within generations. I like to think of it as having an upgradeable computer vs. coming in with the new operating system. The children coming in now have the new operating system. We, however, need to keep upgrading our operating systems and raising our vibrational rate, or consciousness, is how we do that. When you can maintain a high consciousness, it adds to the universal consciousness of human kind, allowing others to raise their consciousness easier. Since higher frequencies of vibration are more powerful than lower frequencies, even a small number of people holding a higher consciousness can affect a large number of people.
Operating System Version 11 (OS11)
I have been upgrading my computer
lately and pondering the ways in which our human operating systems are
being upgraded as well. As I go through the process of seeing what programs
work with the new operating system (OS) and what ones don't, I am struck
by the parallels between upgrading a computer and the shifts in consciousness
that are presently taking place. So I thought it might be good to comment
on what I believe to be the characteristics of the new human operating
system - OS11.
Why eleven? Well, eleven is a
number that represents a gateway so that seems appropriate. Over the
past several years there have been energy accelerations around 11:11
or November 11th. A gateway symbolizes passing from one place to another,
or in this case from one level of consciousness to another. It also
represents the passing from duality to unity and, in the present shift,
from the consciousness of the mind to the consciousness of the heart
and soul.
So here is what's new about the
OS11:
-
There are numerous old mind-based programs that simply won't work. Examples include: fear, worrying, fighting, deception (self or other), separation, wanting, ego, blame, and addiction.
-
Programs that do work much better now are heart and soul-centered and are based on connection, presence, openness, love, centeredness, peace, compassion, grace, gratitude, and joy.
-
Heart and soul-centered programs now have added features and work much faster under OS11. For example, manifestation is much quicker now with thought forms showing up in physical form with little delay. The added features include a sense of inner peacefulness in the midst of outer chaos, a decoder that allows symbols to translate to a feeling level faster, and instant messaging as a way of communicating with other humans without words.
-
The conscious interface with OS11 has been simplified, making use of the system much easier. Fewer buttons and commands are available and one program will address a multitude of situations. For example, the LOVE button now works well in any situation. It is no longer dependent on discerning the correct person or story and no judgment or decision is needed at all. Likewise PRESENCE will work 24/7 with no other choices to make.
-
The programming language is no longer story-based. This eliminates untold dramas and emotional upheavals. Instead the language is reality-based. Unlike reality TV (which is really story-based programming), reality-based programming language is based on the understanding that there is really only one of us here. That simplifies a lot!
-
Programs that are not sustainable for Earth and all her inhabitants actually self-destruct when you try to operate them. This is actually a good thing since we have been trying to rid ourselves of those programs for a long time.
-
Keeping your operating system up and running with OS11 is also different. It requires regular maintenance in the form of meditation, exercise, whole foods and connections with other systems. It is much less tolerant of stress, sugar, and isolation than previous versions have been. Because of its simplicity of operation, however, there will be plenty of time for these maintenance procedures.
The upgrade of your present system has probably already been completed. Hopefully these helpful hints on the use of your system will make your transition to OS11 easier. As we all know, upgrades rarely come with a manual these days!
OS Eleven
Gateway to Soul Consciousness
No turning back now!
Step through the
gateway
It's easy if you don't think
Just feel your way through
Exercises
-
Where are you in the alchemical process?
-
Can you identify with any of the steps of the journey?
-
How are you doing with the new operating system?
Part 3: Guidance for the Journey
What I know for sure is that we are all guided on our
journeys. The material presented in this Circle of the Soul course was
given to me by some Star Beings. My guides always present things to
me in an experiential way, so I have been walking through these circles
for the last two years. More information is still coming and awareness
about the circles keeps surfacing. I have been directed to share the
material in this way so that it might help others develop a level of
mastery with the different levels of consciousness. As you enter into
the material, expect that you will have guidance as you walk through
the circles. Regular daily practice will enhance your experience and
help you connect with that guidance.
I do not feel as if I am presenting any new information,
only confirming and awakening that which you already know. If you are
drawn to this course, your guides are directing you to use it as a tool
to refine your awareness and open up to greater possibilities for your
life. Take whatever feels right to you and leave whatever doesn't. Your
journey is not like anyone else's, it is uniquely your own and perfect
for you. So do not judge your process against anyone else's, as comparisons
are a quick trip to lower consciousness. Instead, honor your journey
and honor other journeys as well. Every journey is an important part
of the whole.
One of the most inspiring things that I do daily is sing. Sometimes they are songs that come to me from spirit and teach me how to be with life. You may have your own inspiring songs or some may come to you as part of your work with the circles. I would like to share one with you here that came to me while working with the circles. It is about the movement of energy from Earth to Sky and back again through all parts of our self. It relates to the four directions, four elements and four parts of ourselves. It begins in the East with Spirit and fire energy, moves to the South with emotions and water energy, then to the West with body and physical energy, and finally to the North with mind and air energy.
Spiraling down, spiraling up, energy flows, filling
me up
Energy flows from the Sun to the Earth
Blessing my Spirit with the Fire of rebirth
Spiraling down, spiraling up, energy flows, filling
me up
Energy flows from the River to the Sea
Blessing Emotion and setting me free
Spiraling down, spiraling up, energy flows, filling
me up
Energy flows from the Earth to the Sky
Blessing my Body, with roots I can fly
Spiraling down, spiraling up, energy flows, filling
me up
Energy flows like the Wind blowing free
Blessing my Mind with clarity
(Spiraling
Song - Audio #3)
Exercises
Do the meditation, The
Temple of Light (Audio #2), and journal about your experience.
Do you have a tendency to compare yourself with others
or do you honor your own journey?
Listen to the Spiraling song (Audio #3) and see how it feels to sing it.
Illusion's mirrors
Are really doors to the soul
If you walk through them
Singing the Star Song
With angelic harmony
In perfect silence
Dancing the Star Path
Through spiraling galaxies
In perfect stillness
Breath of the divine
Enter and teach me presence
I dance with my soul
Discussion Questions for the Bulletin Board
(Contact Linda Heron Wind to sign up for the course and for directions for accessing and posting)
Questions for Lesson 1:
1. What drew you to take this course?
2. Say a little bit about yourself and your spiritual journey.
3. What lesson seems to be up in your life right now?
Audio files for Lesson 1
Lecture: Welcome to Mystery School (Audio #1)
Meditation: The Temple of Light (Audio #2)
Song:
The Spiraling Song (Audio #3)
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