The Tree of Peace

Here in our lovely Temple at New Lands, blessed with Autumn sunshine, we have just celebrated our Peace Day—21^st September— the day of the equinox, and linked with the global event ‘Peace One Day’. Our special focus for prayer on this day was Africa. We visualised a great tree of peace growing in the heart of this beautiful continent, its golden leaves and fruit nurturing all in need of sustenance and healing. The roots of the tree reached deep into the earth, taking healing right into the soul of this great land and helping its ancient light arise in blessing for the whole world. White Eagle has said many times that the healing of Africa is of the greatest importance in our work for the healing of the whole world. Africa has many gifts of wisdom and understanding of Mother Earth to give us all.

At the time of equinox, I feel there is a wonderful opportunity to pray for peace and deeper understanding, heart-to-heart, in all areas of conflict. Now as we approach the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, with the Sun moving into Libra on 23^rd September, there is very powerful angelic vibration which helps us not only in our endeavours for peace, but also in our work of deep Earth healing. So, with White Eagle’s encouragement, I would like to think of us visualising the ‘Tree of Peace’ with its golden light and fruit blessing the whole earth. You may like—at this equinox time—to visualise a golden tree of peace, the perfectly balanced Star shining above it, as we did in the temple on Sunday. 

As White Eagle says in ‘Seeking Serenity’:  ‘We would lead you to the peace of the heavenly life. Without this inner peace of the heavenly life, you live in a state of stress and anxiety and fear. The Brotherhood of the Star, who are so close to your spirit always, work to dispel all the fears and anxieties to which you on earth are subject. When you are in trouble you become tense, and because of the tension whatever you are suffering from is more painful and the suffering increases. When there is conflict in the mind there is no peace in the soul, but when the spirit controls the mind and the nervous system, then peace and tranquillity rule. The love, the light in the heart, is pure spirit; and human life must be guided by the spirit. Once you can relax and relinquish your problems to God, all conflict ceases and health, wholeness and holiness return.’

Courageous Heros

A little while ago I had a small accident and cut my leg, which has given me a great deal of pain. It is taking a long time to heal and testing my patience! One evening it was particularly troubling me when I was watching on television such an inspiring programme about the work Prince Harry is doing to encourage wounded servicemen and women to take part in sport, in spite of their injuries.

As many will know, he has set up a five-day event beginning this week, which is called the Invictus Games. Wounded servicemen and women from 14 nations are competing in different sporting events. Prince Harry’s encouragement is making a huge difference. To quote a newspaper article: ‘Public support has always been there’, says a competitor Andy Grant. ‘But Harry’s backing has taken it to another level.’ The ex-Marine chose to have his leg amputated rather than live with a debilitating limp after being injured by an IED in Afghanistan in 2009, and says sport has played a huge part in his recovery. ‘The first time I ran again, I felt like I was flying,’ says Andy, 26. ‘It spurred me on. The thought of sport always provided the light at the end of the tunnel and taking part in the Invictus Games is the pinnacle of what I’ve achieved. It justifies my decision to have my leg amputated.’

Reading and hearing these amazing stories in spite of terrible injuries, really put my little injury in perspective! I find it so inspiring to hear these stories of courage and also realise the bravery of not only the wounded person but all their close family, as together they have to face a completely new life.

With the understanding which White Eagle’s teaching brings us, we know that ‘Nothing happens out of order or by chance’, and that all the difficulties are actually opportunities to grow and serve and move forward in new ways. This thought was reinforced for me whilst watching parts of our UK Great North Run taking place this past weekend in Manchester. So many were running for charities and running because they had been touched in some way by a close one’s illness or death. This suffering had encouraged them to give everything they could in personal effort to help relieve others’ suffering. This is indeed a wonderful way in which communication works: we know what is going on for other people, and shows us that the new age urge for brotherhood and working together with others is unfolding in the human spirit.

As I listen and read these things, I see the shining Star touching people’s hearts and minds, and encouraging new things to unfold through the darkness.

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PS.  After writing the above, I have been having an early morning walk around our Temple cross-within-the-circle field. It is an exquisite Autumn morning, with the sun breaking through the early mist. White Eagle was very close as I walked and I heard him saying to me, ‘Don’t forget, every cloud has a silver lining’. This is a message for us all I think as we face the challenges and difficulties in our personal lives. There is always something that we can learn and gain through the experience—the gift of silver, which blends with the gold of the joy that follows as we move through the difficult time.

The Star Shines in Nepal

I am writing this on the plane home after a few extraordinary days with the White Eagle group in Nepal. From my visits, it really seems to me that the Nepalese people have the remarkable ability of presenting a smiling face and happy, positive attitude, no matter what hardship they are facing in their lives, being born into one of the poorest countries of the world. Our White Eagle Nepalese family are no exception to this, and I have been deeply touched by their commitment to service and the ideals of the true brotherhood of all people of every culture and religion.

I have personal links with this very special country which go back to 1989. In that year I visited twice! In January I went on holiday with an adventure travel group. The trip included time in the Chitwan National Park (elephant rides, canoeing and nature trails), and wild water rafting, camping at the riverside. But the life-changing highlight was my first glimpse of what is for me the most wonderful mountain in the world—

Machapuchare. When I saw it, a few days into our trek in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas, I did not know it was the holy mountain of the Nepalese, and no-one was allowed to climb it. I could see with my inner eyes a bright pulsating, shining six-pointed star above the Himalayan peak. I knew I had to get as near to it as I could. That first trek did not take me near enough. This led to my return in October that same year, when I was personally guided by a Sherpa friend I had made in the first trek to the base camp and into the Annapurna Sanctuary. I knew then that this amazing valley, surrounded by some of the highest peaks of the Himalayas, was and is an etheric meeting place of wise teachers of the Star Brotherhood who inspire the worldwide White Eagle work. Then, and on subsequent visits, I have been deeply aware of the special spiritual heritage of Nepal (and of course the bordering country Tibet, both in the heart of the Himalayas), and its deep connection with the White Eagle work.

Now it has been my great joy to re-visit—this time to meet with our White Eagle family in Nepal and to initiate our leaders there, Krishna and Sunita Ardikari, as Star Brothers, thus laying the foundations for our first physical brotherhood in the Indian subcontinent. (Dedicated co-workers will be joining in this work in due course.)

Something which makes the White Eagle work in Nepal very special is that our leaders are also personally committed to ‘brotherhood in action’ service in the community. During my visit I was asked to officially open and bless their ‘Haven on Earth’ Children’s Care Centre and help distribute blankets and food to the blind and disabled poor of Kathmandu. I also visited and talked with the children in a school for those who are truly desperately poor , also sponsored by our White Eagle family in Nepal. It was all an incredibly moving experience. For Krishna, Sunita and their group leaders and White Eagle workers, this is all an intrinsic part of their ‘Star service’. This touched my heart specially of course, because of my own work in founding the separate little charity, Star Action.

The final joy of my visit was to be presented with the first printed copies of my children’s book Peter Parrot and his Magic Star’ translated into Nepalese, with Rosemary Young’s delightful colour illustrations immaculately reproduced. It was an extraordinary moment in my life to hear Krishna’s right hand man, Keshib  talking eloquently about his hope that all Nepalese children would be inspired by this magical parrot (my idea to write these books had come when I was in Nepal all those years ago). Thank you Keshib and Krishna and all your amazing team of Star workers. Already, as I fly home to the UK, I am looking forward to my return!

Vision for Good

When I was in Denmark at the beginning of June for a Conference of our European Star Centres Leaders, I was very aware of Grace Cooke, the founder of our work. She had very bright and sparkling brown eyes. (In fact in the early days of her work with White Eagle he called her ‘Brighteyes’.) She reminded me of the Biblical saying ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’. As she spoke inwardly to me, I could see again so clearly her lovely eyes twinkling with loving understanding, but also a fiery encouragement to be strong in our endeavours to hold the positive vision of the Star helping us create miracles.

White Eagle is constantly encouraging us to hold a positive vision for the world and our own lives. When I was asked recently if it is wrong to use affirmations for our own personal lives, I answered that I felt it was alright to do so as long as we use the qualifying words, ‘If it is according to God’s will and plan for my life’. I feel it is positive to keep affirming good and harmony, and indeed miracles filling our lives. This feeling of good coming and the harmony of God’s love flowing through all we experience, brings a deep feeling of peace and wellbeing which must also touch the lives of all those around us. Positive affirmations encourage the light of God, the Christ, to arise within us. As White Eagle says in Initiations on the Path of the Soul:  ‘We think that there are a great many people today who have unknowingly reached the stage of being “poor in spirit”. If so, they all have a great work before them, not necessarily to be accomplished by teaching or preaching from a platform or pulpit, but by putting the power of Christ into their everyday life. With Christ anything can be accomplished. The mistake that so many people make is to depend on their own power. For the secret is to enter the heart chamber, the inner well, the place of tranquillity and stillness, and there pray; in other words, to stand on one side and let the God-power work through the medium of the body, mind and soul. Then there is nothing that cannot be accomplished because whatever is done is to the glory of God. Any soul able to commune with God is ready to manifest God.’

I feel these inspiring words help us to realise that all things are possible. As White Eagle also says (in his much loved book, The Quiet Mind): ‘To think you are no good, is to doubt God’s power. Never doubt the power of God to work through you.’

Reflections on the Commonwealth Games

Over the past two weeks here in the UK, we have had the opportunity to watch on television (or maybe lucky enough to actually attend) the inspiring spectacle of the Commonwealth Games taking place this time in Glasgow. This famous Scottish city has done the games proud. In these games the different countries of the UK—Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland—compete separately, but with great camaraderie and mutual support. Indeed, this seems to have been a feature of these games. There have been many scenes of competitors warmly congratulating their rivals, although they themselves missed out on their hoped for medals. In a previous blog—at the time of the World Cup—I wrote a piece entitled ‘Who Wins’, citing the Olympic creed and the importance of courageously taking part whatever the result. This spirit has certainly been demonstrated throughout these past days.

In both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games (the World Cup too, of course), there is an opportunity for many different nations to come together with a common purpose. The Commonwealth Games actually began many months ago when the Queen’s baton started its long journey across all the Commonwealth countries, in a similar way to the Olympic flame. But there is something very moving to me about a baton going from hand to hand, truly a symbol of friendship. These games are called ‘The Friendly Games’ with seventy-one countries taking part. During the fortnight of the games, with the news also full of the sad conflict in the Middle East, I have found the spectacle of so many other nations coming together in true friendship and shared endeavour, very balancing and uplifting.

This time also coincides with the centenary of the beginning of the tragedy of first World War I. And today, even though conflicts still rage in some parts of the world, there are many signs of hope. More and more people of so many countries around the world are realising that killing one another is not the answer, whereas the hand of friendship and understanding truly makes a difference. White Eagle tells us to keep hope high in our hearts and focus on the positive, and I believe that events like the Games, do help us to do that and show that there is another side to humanity, which is our ability to be there for each other even when we are competing. As resources in the world become stretched we will need to be able to work together in this way more and more.

The six-pointed Star, which White Eagle gave us as a powerful focal point for our prayer for peace eighty years ago now, is shining brightly over our world today, encouraging goodwill to arise in every heart and mind. I truly believe that conflicts will end, maybe sooner than we think.

As White Eagle says in Seeking Serenity : ‘We can see a glorious future for humankind when the injustices have been righted and men and women have learned the way of wisdom. We see the natural and beautiful coming together of all nations, united in one vast brotherhood; a time coming when human beings will understand their responsibility towards all the kingdoms of life! Be assured also that in world affairs right will conquer and justice will balance apparent wrongs. There will come an expansion of consciousness and humanity will look up beyond the astral planes to that celestial world where Christ and the angels and all the shining company of heaven dwell.’

Nothing Happens By Chance

I have been brought up with White Eagle’s teachings and a belief that all major events in our lives have been pre-chosen before we came back into incarnation in this particular earthly lifetime. This, for me, brings a wonderful sense of security  and wellbeing.

Many years ago now I decided to set off on my own on some adventure travels.  Having had a very secluded and secure upbringing at New Lands, our main centre of what is now the worldwide White Eagle work, I felt I wanted to discover the world and knew inwardly that I had to do this on my own. I was fortunate enough to feel safe and protected by the power of the Star throughout all my travels.

When we hear of violence around the world, or terrible tragedies such as the recent shooting down of the Malaysian civilian flight, our natural thought is how terrible it is that such a thing happened, but also fear for ourselves or loved ones whenever we travel. Statistically it is much more dangerous to drive our cars than it is to travel on aeroplanes. But whether it is by plane, car, train, or however we venture out of our houses, I believe that rather than living our lives in fear, we can give ourselves a wonderful feeling of security if we trust what White Eagle is telling us: ‘Nothing happens out of order or by chance. The great law brings into your life the very circumstances that you need for growth.’  This is a quote from his much loved, best selling book The Quiet Mind—a quote which may be very familiar to many of you.

I am sure that everyone has been deeply touched by the media stories of the grieving families and our hearts and healing thoughts go out to them, but I do not believe it was actually ‘by accident’ that their relatives were on that particular flight. I could not help thinking about the story of Barry and Izzy Sim, the British family who were booked on MH17. When they arrived at the airport they were told there were not enough seats on the plane and they were ‘bumped off’. Was this a chance happening, or was it that it was not in their life plan to pass at that time, nor for their little baby? So in this interesting way they were protected. I expect if we look back on our lives we can think of circumstances, maybe near miss car crashes for example, where we feel so deeply blessed that we have been looked after, I would say by our guardian angel? White Eagle has given much reassuring teaching about this. Here is an extract from his Little Book of Angels:

‘At the time of a person’s birth, and even before the actual birth, the guardian angel is at work. The moment that the soul takes the decision to reincarnate, it comes under the care of the guardian angel. That guardian angel remains with the soul during the whole of its life, and when the soul passes onward, the guardian angel receives the soul in the spirit world. The guardian angel works under the direction of the Lords of Karma, because the soul in its charge has come back in order to pay its karmic debts and thereby to clear certain lessons. The guardian angel is not of the human kingdom. It is concerned with the karma of the soul in its charge and helps to bring about certain conditions in the soul’s life.’