VERONICA LEE

I have to admit I am super excited about 2015! 

Though "predicting" time-frames and events aren't exactly my specialty, I can certainly feel the potentiality of what lies within the collective consciousness and the year ahead.
 
What I see for 2015 are some HUGE expansions. Like childbirth, they may not always feel so good, but are (oh, so) necessary for new things to emerge! And, I see some pretty major things emerging! 
 
Specifically, I see the emergence of TRUTH. As the "veils of illusions" continue to dissolve, light will shine into those areas which have been hidden - from the public, in relationships, within ourselves. This, of course, can cause backlashes from fear. As much as our essence wants to be revealed, there is still a fearful need to stay hidden. Police brutality, corporate corruption, government agendas, infidelities and the like will continue to be exposed and the results won't always be so pretty. In fact, seeing the truth can be heart-breaking and life-shattering. Yet, it is instrumental to ignite our passion to be free and joyful!
 
Along with the emergence of truth comes CHOICE. In 2015, we will see MORE CHOICES than ever - from job opportunities, to places to live, to the selections of products and services, to ways to interact with each other. The massive amount of choices we have reflect our growing awareness in our choices. We are beginning to really understand that in any given moment we have an infinite selection of thoughts and feelings available to us... and those are the foundation of our future. 
 
What future are you building for 2015?

As a non-astrologer, I have no idea what's happening in the sky unless a full moon illuminates my dark woods at night. Yet, as a sensitive soul myself, I feel energetic influences that touch my own life, as well as collectively. Similar to the ebb and flow of the tide, shifts are constantly taking place under these influences!

The most recent pattern I have noticed in several of my clients is a sort of "re-configuring" of the brain. In our expansion process, it is important we learn to "understand" the world in a whole new way. For some, that understanding will be as simple as learning to view others with compassion. For others, they will see themselves in a profoundly deeper way. Many are trying to bring more light into their bodies which opens them up exponentially. This light affects every part of the body, including the brain - which is where the current shift is happening for many people. 

Brains are incredibly powerful tools in the human body and our relation with our brain is immeasurable. Yet, if we want to evolve to the degree that we can consciously and lovingly affect our lives and our world in amazingly powerful ways, we must be able to bring an entirely new level of effectiveness in to our awareness; into our brains.
​  
If you notice head tingling, movement, confusion, new interesting thoughts and other "different" experiences, focus your awareness and welcome the expansion of your brain's capacity. Trust that your soul is working on your human behalf to help you activate new, powerful areas of your incredible brain.

What does it mean to be a mystic?
Some imagine yogis sitting in meditation for hours on end, or think of mystics as Christ-like people who have extraordinary powers to heal, predict the future, or travel into other realms. Though these are examples of mysticism, a mystic is simply “a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.”

When we believe mysticism is reserved for a chosen few, or for those willing to give up all earthly pleasures, we disconnect from our inner mysticism which can be a powerful link to create the lives we desire. By discovering and embracing the mystic we were born to be, we align with authenticity, empowerment and joy.

Contemplation and Self-Surrender
Meditation can be a form of contemplation, but it is not the only path to unity consciousness. Many mystics use a variety of methods to surrender their egoic limitations and allow for absorption into the absolute. Yoga, spiritual study groups, conscious breathwork, fasting, and dance are all valid actions a mystic can consciously utilize with intention to achieve a spiritual quest. Again, these are not the only methods one can use.

If your intention is to experience oneness, then do so in your daily endeavors. While washing dishes, become completely mindful of your task. Feel the plate, notice the soapy sponge as it makes contact to remove the grease, experience the heat of the water. Don’t limit yourself by believing a mystical experience of oneness with the Divine has certain qualities, or wait for it to happen to you spontaneously. Instead, cultivate a practice of seeking oneness with the mundane tasks you perform each day. Allow absorption into the present moment.

As well, seek wonder. By opening yourself to the marvels that are ever-present, you release the walls that keep you confined to your smallness. Finding the awe in the things around you may seem to emphasize your smallness, or minimize you to no-thing, but this is an essential shift in awareness. As you expand your perceptions to take in the wonder that exists in all things, you realize the vastness and wonder that is within you… that is you!

Star-gaze, sincerely hug a tree, notice your plants dancing softly with the wind, listen deeply to the sounds of birds in your yard, watch a squirrel capture an acorn, spend ten minutes snuggling with your dog.  Though you can discover the wonder in anything, connecting with the forces of the natural world is not only pure and easy, it helps align you with your own natural state, which is inherently mystical.

Spiritual Apprehension of Truths
Intellectually speaking, we can get fixated on what truth really is, and formulate thoughts that lock us in to particular beliefs. Yet truth, like light, can be perceived, experienced, and even manipulated, but can never be grasped in the literal sense. Our mind finds comfort in understanding and containment, helping us feel sure, solid, safe. Mystics are willing to experience the discomfort of uncertainty as they seek truth.

The innocence of a child allows each experience or teaching to be taken in as some kind of truth. Through development, understanding and intellect begin to form the information received into perceptions. Discernment allows for rejection of information, whether based on truth or one’s perceptions. Yet, as fallible human beings, our perceptions can become distorted.  Therefore, the thoughts we believe may not be completely true. This is okay, unless they limit us, of course.

If you are experiencing limitation in your life, your move toward freedom begins with a shift in your perceptions. Most notably, the majority of your untrue perceptions are about yourself! You may even believe you are not a mystic! Whether or not you have consciously taken an oath to obtain unity with the absolute, if you believe in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect, by definition, you are a mystic! ​

Just as we enter the Holy Days in which our souls are trying to remind us that Peace on Earth begins with "me," it seems each week we learn about one violent incident after another! More notably, this violence is unprovoked and being caused by those who should be exemplifying Peace.

As a non-TV owner, I do my best to detach from the darkness of the news. Yet, hearing about some stories cannot be avoided. For years I have grappled with my desire to encompass myself with simplicity and peacefulness, while remaining aware of what is going on just enough for me to make clear and aligned choices for my life and my family. 

In 2004, my father's youngest brother - who was just five years older than me - was shot in the back and killed by a plain-clothes state officer. My uncle was unarmed. He was Hispanic. He had a mustache, as did the Hispanic man the officer was seeking, though my uncle was several inches shorter than the parolee.

I remember telling someone in my community about the incident. She was a white, well-to-do mom who simply asked me, "Why was he running?" From her frame of reference, she couldn't even conceive of how this kind of situation would not be my uncle's fault. I saw she was completely clueless, and it made me feel as if she had no compassion.

One of the most valuable aspects of my work - of connecting deeply with others in sessions with them - is I get to experience them in such a way that my compassion and understanding of their limitations (and their unwavering true essence) grows. Personally, I grew up with many human struggles. My family was laced with teen pregnancies, numerous abuses, mental illnesses and addictions, and poverty. In the last decade, I've lost two of my closest cousins to suicide. As a married mother of four, I endured six years of a painful separation from my then-self-destructive husband. As much as I wish I didn't have the heaviness in my biography, it seems these hardships have helped me relate to my clients and compassionately hold space for them.
 
More importantly, however, I trust that my experiences have encouraged me to strive dauntlessly for Peace... in the world, in my family, in me. 
 
As we approach the season when we try to sway from the heavily-hyped consumerism and re-kindle our inner light with the true Spirit of the Holy Days, I invite you to welcome in compassion and understanding. From situations you hear on the news, to the person who took your parking spot, to the homeless person at the street corner, take the time to bring them in to your heart. If you can do this for each person, whether "victim" or "aggressor," and feel (or imagine) his or her story, challenges, feelings, fears, hopes and dreams - even for a moment - then you will be creating Peace. It may not always be easy, but it's one of the most courageous acts you can do. With consciousness and loving actions, we can all become Peace on Earth.