Anthon St. Maarten Psychic Medium | Discover Your Destiny

What we think, and what we believe, is what we become. We create our own reality. Constantly exposing yourself to popular culture and the mass media will ultimately shape your reality tunnel in ways that are not necessarily conducive to achieving your Soul Purpose and Life Calling.

avoid mass media and toxic relationships, fear, pessimism and negative false beliefs to have spiritual lifestyle, happiness and joy

Modern society has generally ‘lost the plot’. Slavishly following its false gods and idols makes no sense in a spiritually aware life. The same holds true for toxic relationships, and people in your life who consistently indulge in negativity, cynicism, prejudice, fear-mongering, pessimism, and hatred.

But have no illusions – the opposite extreme is just as noxious. Be equally cautious of those who deem themselves spiritually superior or ‘holier-than-thou’. Be wary of the well-meaning souls who profess themselves to be paragons of unconditional love and light, or who claim they have attained perfect insight into all the mysteries of the Universe.

It may seem very “unspiritual” of me to advise you to avoid certain people, but it is often for the best to completely eliminate all the ‘trolls’ from your life if you can, for truth be told, you can be of no real service to any of them if you allow them to impede and obstruct your well-being and spiritual growth. Sure, as your fellow seekers these people do need your love and support, but you can only provide them with the help they need by staying in alignment with your own Soul Purpose and Life Calling. Only by striving towards the accomplishment of your own spiritual mission in this lifetime do you become truly empowered to be of service to others.

It is no longer enough to simply read and write. Students must also become literate in the understanding
of visual images. Our children must learn how to spot a stereotype, isolate a social cliché and distinguish
facts from propaganda, analysis from banter, important news from coverage ~ Ernest Boyer

If you really want to help all the lost souls who have been poisoning your mind with their skepticism, negative attitudes, false beliefs, sacred snobbery, or delusions of grandeur, then get away from them as soon as possible, and first seek your own truth and personal bliss. The people who truly need your help will gravitate to you in time. Don’t try to heal the whole world all at once.

Personally, I had to cut loose several acquaintances, colleagues, ‘friends’ and family members over the years in order to fully come into my own, and as a consequence I have been a source of guidance and support to hundreds of wonderful people all over the world. I used to be a lost soul myself and therefore I did not always keep the most positive or uplifting company. Had I continued to indulge and tolerate some of those toxic people in my aura on a daily basis, I would have been of little or no use to the many amazing clients and students who I now daily assist in transforming their lives. I would certainly not have managed to write this book had I allowed all the ‘naysayers’ and ‘doom prophets’ to stick around.

Unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities manufactured by very sophisticated people
using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms. I do not distrust their motives; I distrust their power.
They have a lot of it. And it is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes,
universes of the mind ~ Philip K. Dick

Practicing social censorship in our daily life presents a real dilemma for some people. We have been so conditioned to believe that we must ‘be nice’ to get ahead in the rat race, and that we need to stay abreast of the mainstream news at all cost, just like we have come to believe that we must be on top of the latest fashions, technologies and lifestyle trends.

I am often asked how I manage to stay informed about what goes on in the world, since I no longer watch, read or listen to the news. My answer often surprises people. I typically have no idea, or any real interest in what the global media chooses to report on from day to day. Most of it is drivel, hype, lies and disinformation anyway. Yet, despite the fact that I do not follow the news, I always know just enough about the really important events happening in the world. I remain reasonably well-informed of the most vital international and local developments. This does not happen by accident or coincidence. It is my firm belief that should there is something in the news that I need to know, the most essential information will find its way to me.

It is further my conscious intention that the news I need to hear will reach me in a form that will not disturb, or upset me. And this is exactly how it manifests in my life. Whatever I need to now, I always attract into my conscious awareness. I trust in the wisdom and guidance I receive from my Divine Self, and I trust in the power of my own intention as a co-creator of our shared reality, to draw to me all that I need to live a happy, safe and fulfilling life. The things I need to hear, or see always come to me in the right way and at the right time.

Books are better than television, the internet, or the computer for educating and maintaining freedom.
Books matter because they state ideas and then attempt to thoroughly prove them. They have an advantage
precisely because they slow down the process, allowing the reader to internalize, respond,
react and transform ~ Oliver DeMille

Why do we have this obsession with “staying informed” about absolutely everything in the world, anyway? How much of what you watch on television, or read in your newspaper, truly affects your daily life directly, and how much of it can you change without some kind of Divine intervention? In my mind the only reason why any spiritually aware soul would want to follow the mainstream news would be to use the information gained to make the world a better place. To follow the news out of fear and uncertainty only breeds further fear and uncertainty.

It is my view that the only people who should be following the mainstream news consistently, should be people who actually need the relevant information to fulfill their Life Calling. Yet, even in those instances modern technology provides us with so many options these days to filter the information that ultimately reaches us. For example, I have set several Google Alerts on my email account that focus on specific news topics that are of particular importance in my professional work. I find it to be more than sufficient.

We cannot be everything to everyone. I cannot possibly do my life’s work as a psychic medium, while at the same time attempting to solve local crime, world hunger, social injustice and political corruption. There are others who have a Life Calling to address those matters. To each his own. If you are searching for inner peace and spiritual truth, take my advice and turn off your television set.

Excerpt from: Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny
© 2012 Anthon St Maarten
Image courtesy of Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos

It is not true that we must live a challenging, tormented life to learn certain spiritual “lessons”. Believing that we are here to “learn” is merely a justification that some folks offer to make sense of the bad things that sometimes happen to good people.

Spiritual Life Lessons by Anthon St Maarten Psychic Medium

The irony is that those who choose to believe this myth will most likely have to face one trial and tribulation after the other, just as they expected. If someone’s life is awash with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” it is often because they choose it to be so. The hardship and suffering we see in this world is mostly man-made. Misery is something we inflict on ourselves, and each other. It is not of Spirit, Source or God.

Someone once asked spiritual teacher Abraham-Hicks “why do dogs risk getting bugs in their eyes when they stick their heads out of car windows”. Abraham’s response was telling and most profound: “Because the contrast of the bugs in the eye is a small price to pay for the exhilaration of that ride, and it is exactly the same way you felt when you made the decision to come into this physical existence. It is exactly the way you felt when you knew there would be contrast and you said, 'the ride is going to be worth it!” Read more >>

The only thing suffering teaches us is that we are capable of suffering ~ Melvin Jules Bukiet

If there is any spiritual "lesson" that must learned in this lifetime then it is that we are the creators of our own reality, and the designers of our own life journey. Your experiences in this lifetime is what you choose it to be. You are the architect of your own destiny. If you consciously choose to sign up for some sort of “metaphysical boot camp” or “hell on earth” then that is undoubtedly the life experience you will have. If not, there is much that you can do to bring to an end all the self-inflicted misery you choose to expose yourself to. And if the torment is inflicted upon you by others, the solution is equally simple: nobody has the power to imprison your mind, dictate your emotions, or enslave your soul… unless you let them.

Planet Earth is not a cosmic classroom, it is a playground. Your life path is not a ‘test of character’ or some kind of ‘metaphysical curriculum’. It is simply an incredible adventure. You did not come into this physical dimension to suffer all manner of hardship, adversity and pain, to make you a “stronger person” or a “more spiritual being”. You are not going to receive some kind of divine medal, or an academic achievement star next to your name when you finally kick the bucket one day. You cannot become more spiritual, because you already are all of that completely. You are born of Spirit and you are a powerful creator of your own life experience. You are a divine being, a deity in jeans and a t-shirt.

Your journey along the path of life is all about the perspective you choose. Some of us prefer to learn lessons, while others choose to explore and enjoy all that life has to offer. Do we all make "mistakes" along the way. Sure, we do! But some of us prefer to make discoveries, instead of mistakes. Coming to a new-found awareness through exploration of all that life has to offer is very different from "learning the hard way" by making mistakes. Discovery exudes a quest for abundance, prosperity, gratitude and well-being, while making errors smacks of a lack consciousness, victim-hood and a scarcity mentality. Believing that we are here to "learn through our mistakes" is an insult to our true spiritual heritage. It supports the assumption that Spirit, Source or God is somehow incompetent or made a mistake with us! We are created in the image of the Divine; we are an expression and a celebration of the Divine. We are not flawed, or sub-standard, or weak or "dumb". We may be temporarily disconnected, misguided or confused, but at our core we are not defective or second-rate. Your soul knows its true mission. We are not here to make mistakes. We are here to make discoveries, to become aware, to unveil, to observe and to celebrate.

There is no beauty in sadness. No honor in suffering. No growth in fear. No relief in hate.
It’s just a waste of perfectly good happiness ~ Katerina Stoykova Klemer

You may not like to hear this in the midst of your earthly agony and anguish, but you are a flawless, crystal clear, meta-dimensional snapshot of God’s image in high-definition Technicolor. There is nothing we are supposed to learn, there is no exam to pass. In our original form we were perfection personified. We come from a faultless state of Pure Consciousness and Celestial Power; we are the product of Infinite Creative Intelligence and Everlasting Unconditional Love. And we still are that original cosmic entity, but we chose this human life to enjoy an amazing physical experience, combined with a profound spiritual adventure!

Instead of coming into this time-space reality to ‘graduate’, we are here to achieve two simple goals: to have a spiritual escapade, and to fulfill a meaningful human mission. Spiritually you are here to evolve and expand your already perfect spiritual beingness. Yes, indeed, you are such an awesome metaphysical marvel that the Universe wants even more of you! And your ultimate soul purpose is not achieved through suffering or lack, but through enthusiastic exploration and thrilling life experiences. Combined with your spiritual quest, your human mission in this lifetime is to create or do something meaningful that will make the world a better place. Your true life calling is to one day leave behind some sort of legacy that will ensure an even more exhilarating and fulfilling Earth experience for future generations. And if you believe in reincarnation, those future generations are very likely to include you.

We are all cosmic shareholders in this amazing adventure camp called Planet Earth. It is a spiritual playground with timeshare, and each and every one of us has a duty towards its continued upkeep, improvement and expansion. But you don’t have to become rich and famous, or highly spiritual to achieve this, neither do you have to be Newton, Ghandi, Picasso, or the Pope to complete your human mission successfully. To each his own. Each person’s life purpose is unique and equally meaningful. Mother Teresa was once asked what ordinary people can do to promote world peace. Her answer was uncomplicated: "Go home and love your family”.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

To become more, to expand, and to seek more complete expression is inherent in our human condition, because it is an innate quality we possess due to our original spiritual nature. ‘Increasing’ or ‘becoming’ is what drives the expansion of the entire Conscious Universe. We are each of us a mirror reflection of the Universal Source; we are created in the image of the Divine. We are a perfect imprint of the magnificent Holographic Web of Consciousness.

manifesting a new reality and a life of abundance

And because we are spiritual beings who reflect the Divine in physical form, we also possess the innate qualities of Divinity. We are self-aware and conscious; we have the capacity for reason, sentience, imagination and creative thought; we command creative freedom and the metaphysical power to manifest; and we have the capacity for complete self-actualization, individuation and transcendence. All these qualities are the expression of our inner Divinity, a direct reflection and extension of the Higher Self. To live a truly awakened and abundant Divine Life, that will ultimately culminate in the achievement of your Soul Purpose and your Life Calling, you must honor these Divine qualities within.

To achieve your Soul Purpose you must strive to become more conscious, continuously reaching for a higher state of being and higher level of awareness, and for unconditional love, peace and harmony. This is the process of transcendence, the process of achieving a superior state of being, or an enlightened existence, above and beyond the limits of our material experience. Read more >>

As you think, you feel. As you feel, you radiate, And All-That-Is, is affected
by your offering. That is your power of influence ~ Abraham-Hicks

To accomplish your Life Calling you must figure out who you really are and begin to differentiate that which makes you truly unique from the rest of the Conscious Universe. For while we are all made in the image of the Divine Source, and we are all reflective fragments of the Universal Hologram, we are each of us also unique in our individual make-up and in how we are meant to contribute to the expansion of our Universe.

And in so far as your business consists in dealing with other men, whether personally
or by letter, the key thought of all your efforts must be to convey to their minds
the impression of increase ~ Wallace D Wattles

It is vital that we identify who we are, what our unique talents and interests are, and what we can offer in service to the greater good. It is our duty to figure out what makes us special. For without the process of individuation we are of no use to our fellow man and the planet. Without individuation we fail to achieve our mission to planet Earth.

It is our mission and our duty in this lifetime to create more, attract more, manifest more, become more. It is our task to create new things, and to reshape and redesign the world as we know it for the better. It is our assignment to increase, expand and improve what is, was and ever will be. In the words of Wallace D Wattles, “You are a creative center, from which increase is given off to all.”

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

If anyone were to ask me what the highlight of my life has been thus far, I would not even need a nanosecond to think about it. It is the easiest question I could ever answer. The most profound moment for me simply was the day I discovered the true power of authenticity. It was the day I discovered me.

The personal power being authentic and vulnerable

Since that day, the quest for authenticity has completely altered my life. Like a Columbus of the heart, mind and soul I have hurled myself off the shores of my own fears and limiting beliefs, to venture far out into the uncharted territories of my inner truth in search of what it means to be genuine and at peace with who I really am. I have been abandoning the masquerade of living up to the expectations of others and have been exploring the new horizons of what it means to be truly and completely me, in all my amazing imperfection and most splendid insecurity. It all began when I finally surrendered my shame to accept my psychic abilities as a blessing and not a curse. New doors swung wide open in my life when I discovered that being an empath is not a weakness and that being a psychic medium is not a sinful embarrassment. To be sensitive, vulnerable and emotional are taboos in our world, especially for men. Combine that with being a new age weirdo who hears the voices of dead people… and you have the perfect breeding ground for shame, self-hatred and imagined public humiliation. Read more >>>

We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange
that self may prove to be ~ May Sarton

I remember when the debilitating shame began. Growing up in Apartheid South Africa our school environment was shaped by a government policy known at the time as Christelike Nasionale Opvoeding (Christian National Education). This restrictive policy was geared towards social engineering and allowed very little religious or ideological freedom. Even the Catholic faith was considered suspicious. We were encouraged to embrace the Calvinistic and highly chauvinistic values that were forced upon us. We were programmed not to question authority, and to comply with the prescribed cultural expectations of our community. In this environment I was obviously soon misunderstood, excluded and bullied, to the extent that I began to view my psychic heritage as a shameful secret, as some kind of personal disability.

I soon realized I had to start wearing masks and pretend to be what I am not, for fear of rejection and ridicule. I fervently began to resist my extra sensory experiences. My fascination with all things metaphysical became my ‘dirty little secret’. I no longer told the other children about the metaphysical beings I spoke to, or the paranormal phenomena I saw and heard. I also no longer blurted out the secrets of unsuspecting adults, which often caused many red faces and awkward silences around tea tables and barbeque fires.

I was disregarded by teachers, and rejected and tortured by many of my peers. The name-calling and physical abuse started very early, in my second year at school. I remember finding myself one day surrounded by a group of hyperactive eight-year olds. They were pointing fingers, laughing, and calling me cruel names. Today the scene reminds me of the witch hunters of old. Ironically, I realize now that some of their fathers were most likely firing teargas at rioting youths in one of the black townships at that very moment, while their children were hurling stones at me for daring to be different from the norm.

Those bullies had no idea why they felt the need to terrorize me; they just sensed intuitively that I was somehow unusual, a threat. Within me there was a silent, latent force that made them very uncomfortable. They were taught since birth to despise that which was different from them in race, creed, language, culture and faith. They feared what they did not understand. Being different, or standing out from the crowd in any way, was seen as anti-Christian, non-Afrikaans and unpatriotic. I remember the dread in their eyes when they used to push me around and hurl insults in my direction. It is disturbing to know that many of them still uphold some of those prejudices views and bigoted values to this very day. I know their current beliefs and attitudes, because these days many of them want to be my friends on Facebook.

We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves
to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows
from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection ~ Brené Brown.

People often say that love is the key to conscious living; they say love is the essence of joy and happiness and spiritual enlightenment. I beg to differ. For without authenticity there will never be complete unconditional love. True love and connection with ourselves, others and the planet is impossible without being fully authentic. First we must express and embrace our own authentic self, before we will be able to love anyone else unconditionally.

The lack of authenticity is a modern epidemic. We live in a perpetual hall of mirrors where very few of us are what we appear, or claim to be. We have created a counterfeit, pretentious society where we all seek sincere love and true connection from behind the towering walls of our falsehood. We yearn to reach out to one another from our fortresses of deception and our facades of self-protection. All the world is our stage and every day we dance around each other craving to connect with the real people behind the masks of fear and shame we all wear. Is it any wonder there are so many lonely people on this planet? Is it any surprise that relationships have become so complex and near impossible to navigate?

There is only one true key to lasting personal fulfillment and true intimacy with others – to be authentic. For when we are authentic we release our fears and step into being bona fide, and utterly vulnerable. We cannot experience true love and connection without also risking heartbreak and disillusionment. We must allow ourselves to be vulnerable, because when we shield ourselves from loss, rejection and disappointment, when we hide from sadness and despair, we also shut out opportunities for love, happiness, joy, acceptance and fulfillment. To be authentic is to be vulnerable, and to be vulnerable is to embrace the very essence of all that human life has to offer.

How does one become more authentic? To be authentic is to strip away the layers of pretense we have adopted to please others. To be authentic is to abandon the senseless roles we play to meet the imagined expectations of society. To be authentic is to break free from the oppressive chains of guilt and shame that keep our awkward masks in place, that keep our glasses half empty and not half full. To be authentic is to be stripped bare of all our pretenses and stand proud in the bareness of who we really are. Once we rip off the disguise we assumed for others, the real person is revealed. There is no more putting on a show for the sake of others… and we are finally free!

When your authentic self miraculously awakens and becomes stronger than your ego,
then you will truly begin to make a difference in this world. You will literally enter into
a partnership with the creative principle ~ Andrew Cohen

Carl Jung said, “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” To stand vulnerable before the world in all your brokenness and imperfection is the most powerful place you can ever be. Being vulnerable is not weakness, it is strength. Being authentic and vulnerable yields a phenomenal power that can move mountains. It is the magic of being alive. Holding yourself in a place of false pretense and self-protection only serves to block out all potential for true well-being and joy. When we shutdown and sedate all negative feeling, we also shutdown and sedate all the good stuff. When we anesthetize our sadness and despair with alcohol, drugs or food we also shut out all feelings of happiness, joy and ultimate bliss. We cannot feel selectively. We cannot feel only some things, and not others. We feel, or we don’t feel. So, start feeling!

I sometimes tell my clients that “pity parties” are good to indulge in. But if you are going to throw one, do it properly! Throw yourself the best self-pity extravaganza anyone has ever had. Call forth the violins, bring out the long black garments, decorate the room with all those sad memories of humiliation, betrayal and abuse. Go ahead and cover your head in ash, and flood the floor with your tears. Revel in your misfortune. Get it all out of your system to make space in your heart for love, joy and happiness. And when that clock strikes midnight, declare the party over! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and use the rest of that dark night to sweep the whole miserable mess out the backdoor. Then open the front door to welcome in the sunlight, fling open the windows to let in a fresh breeze of hope and faith. Run outside to embrace the dawning of a bright new day!

Don’t be afraid to love with every fiber in your being. Put your heart on the line each and every time, even when there are no guarantees. Know that you are worthy of love and belonging. Understand that you are imperfect, we all are. We are all defenseless, at risk and flawed in so many ways. Celebrate yourself. Accept that you are enough. Show the real you to the world , for you are special and unique… warts and all. Embrace every opportunity to love and connect with others. Social researcher Brené Brown says, “When we work from a place that says, ‘I am enough’ we stop screaming and start listening. We are kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we are kinder and gentler to our ourselves.”

If you put shame in a Petri dish, it needs three things to grow exponentially:
secrecy, silence and judgment ~ Brené Brown

The truly authentic are blessed. They are the warriors of the soul, the champions of love. Let your authentic self be seen by the rest of the world. You may fear rejection and ridicule, but what you will gain is your freedom and personal power. What you will find is true love and acceptance. We fear the judgment of others, but when we strip away the veils of pretense we discover that there is really only one nasty critic in our lives. There is only one malicious judge who raises eyebrows and wags a disapproving finger at us all the time. That judge is us – you and me. We are our own worst critics. While the rest of the world goes about their business and could care less about our imagined imperfections, we spend hours in our personal hall of mirrors: judging, shaming and blaming ourselves beyond all recognition.

Don’t be afraid to be who you are, but be smart about it. Being authentic is not about exposing yourself like an open book. You need not share your most personal thoughts and deepest personal secrets with the world. You need not wear your heart on your sleeve. Brené Brown sums it up perfectly when she states that one should only share your "shame story" with those who have earned the right to hear your story. Perfect strangers need not know every little intimate fact or detail about your life. Frankly, most people are not all that interested to know it all anyway. But what people are interested in is to engage with other people who are sincere and vulnerable, people who are able to ask for help and affection, people who can admit their own mistakes and imperfections, and people who are always true to themselves and stand up for what they believe in. They are interested in real people who are just like them. So, just be you for change. It will transform your life forever.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

In the coming weeks I will be posting a series of articles from my travel blog, which I wrote during my recent trip to Europe. The blogs are a collection of spiritual adventures, pilgrimages to sacred places and accounts of my personal odyssey into self-realization. Let me be your guide to sacred sites like Stone Henge in the United Kingdom and the Oracle of Delphi at Temple of Apollo in Greece.

I was very excited that my journey began under one of the most rare and powerful aspects in astrology, namely the Grand Sextile, or Star of David. The ancients associated this unique alignment of six planets with the birth and anointing of a king. This rare alignment of the planets occurred on July 29th, 2013. Seven of the ten planets were involved to create six sextiles, three oppositions and two Grand Trines!

The six planets involved are all in the Water and Earth signs, which is believed to present a rare opportunity for planetary healing and harmonizing of the physical world with the spiritual realm. Some believe this to have been a moment of global soul alignment. In Kaballah the Star of David embodies the synchronization of Earth and Water, feminine and masculine, as well as humanity and the Divine. Read more >>

According to kabbalastrology.wordpress.com it represents “the balance between our efforts in prayer, reaching up to the divine realms, and intuition and embodiment, receiving the information we need to step into the divine plan.”

My astrological chart for the month of my trip also talked of turning outward, new adventures, travel for personal fulfillment, leaps of faith, philosophical expansion, higher consciousness and even the possibility of prophetic visions. So, fasten your seatbelts… it will be an interesting ride!

Many centuries have come and gone since the Athenians ascended the Acropolis to seek the guidance and protection of Athena, the maiden goddess of wisdom, war and divine intelligence. Her status as the favorite daughter of Zeus, and powerful patron deity of the city of Athens, remains evident to this day. Expecting to be mostly drawn to the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, when I visited the Acropolis of Athens in Greece*, I was instead keenly aware of the omnipresence of Athena’s legacy.

My undergraduate education in literature and drama afforded me a reasonably good understanding of the role of the god Dionysus in ancient Greek culture. I knew about the festivals and plays, and as a student I often imagined visiting the remains of those historic open-air auditoriums.

But when my friend Sandra and I reached the Theatre of Dionysus, I did not hear the echoes of the choruses of long-forgotten Greek tragedies, or the murmur of the 17,000 spectators who came to see them lament. Instead I heard the resounding, reassuring voice of Athena only – a goddess I never paid much attention to before. She called to me very clearly, inviting me higher up to her sanctuary.

Pagan tradition has it that places and objects are charged with magical, transformative energy through focused ritual, belief, thought and prayer.

A sacred landscape is not simply a backdrop for action, but rather a place filled with
names, associations and memories that link together everything present there.
Humans become linked to the rocks, trees, animals, rivers, mountains and
these bonds guide future human interaction with that place ~ Christopher Tilley

This ancient sacred energy bestowed upon Athena by so many devotees is vividly palpable on the Acropolis. This sacred historical site remains imbued with her electric strength, her infinite wisdom and her feminine charm. The prayers and offerings of every man, woman and child who over the centuries reached out to her for guidance and protection are still whispered by the winds around the marble columns. Her name is perceptibly hummed by the birds in the olive trees on the way up the steep slope.

Millions of feet have made this trek up to the architectural marvels awaiting on top of the Acropolis. One can feel its power underfoot. Expecting to encounter Athena at her most famous and impressive temple, the Parthenon, I was once again surprised to hear her voice coming from the more humble Erechtheion. This temple on the northern side of the Acropolis was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon, the god of the ocean, earth-quakes and horses.

When ancient Greeks had a thought, it occurred to them as a god or goddess giving an order.
Apollo was telling them to be brave. Athena was telling them to fall in love.
Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy,
but now they call this free will. At least the ancient Greeks
were being honest ~ Chuck Palahniuk

Poseidon competed in a contest with Athena for the position as patron and protector of the city of Athens below. But the people chose Athena, because she created the first olive tree as a gift to the Athenians. Poseidon gave them a spring, but it ran salt water and it was of no use to them. According to an archeologist we spoke to at the Acropolis Museum, there are various myths about what exactly happened at that contest. One version has it that Poseidon neglected to bring a witness to his miracle of bringing forth water from the mountain, so nobody believed he was responsible. Another version has it that the people were asked to vote. All the women then voted for Athena, and since there were more women than men… Athena won by a landslide!

A visit to the new Acropolis Museum is highly recommended when you visit Athens and the Acropolis. Athena’s presence is also very much dominant here and I especially appreciated the close-up view of the original Koira (maidens) from the Erechtheion. Statues of Athena are everywhere in the museum in various shapes and sizes. Many of them reminded me of the Virgin Mary. One cannot help but notice the similarities in her depiction, right down to her headdress resembling a halo.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

Would you not do the same if you were going to visit the remains of the legendary sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, Greece? Well, I did! I humbly requested a simple sign or personal omen from the god of light, truth and prophecy, while I was planning my recent European tour*. I knew for several months before I undertook this odyssey that Apollo would not disappoint, but ultimately I received much more than I had anticipated.

Anthon St Maarten Psychic Medium consults the Oracle of Dephi at the Temple of Apollo, Greece

The renowned oracle who communicated Apollo’s messages to the people, and the priests who interpreted them, no longer ply their trade at this once glorious place, but Apollo has certainly not abandoned his remarkable temple. He still answers the call of mortals here, despite the fact that most of us now live in a world devoid of the mystical and the miraculous. Yes, he certainly does. I have proof.

At first I was somewhat disenchanted with this sacred site, but I nevertheless paid my respects to Apollo at the foot of his altar. I also paused for a while at the remains of the grand entrance to the temple, reminding him that the two of us had a date here with destiny. But nothing came to me.

I even snooped around the entrance to Pythia’s chamber, in the hope that this famous oracle woman would appear from the depths below to step out onto the Rock of Sybil in an altered state of consciousness. In that trance state, induced by the hallucigenic gasses from below the temple foundation, she would utter mysterious, prophetic messages from Apollo himself. It is rumored that she predicted the fall of Troy, surely she could manage a simple little sign from Apollo for me? Yet, the temple ruins remained as silent as the grave. Read more >>

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun; and find your shoulder to light on;
to bring you luck, happiness and riches…today, tomorrow and beyond ~ Irish Blessing

Maybe the Christians, who later turned a part of the site into a church, were successful in driving out the last remnants of the Old Religion with their Grecian crosses? They posted these crucifixes at the entrance to the sanctuary, possibly to dispel the evil and heresy of the site’s pagan past? They no longer had any need for the protection of the colossal Naxian sphinx who used to guard this place from high up on top of a marble column.

Unlike the clear call of Athena that I heard on the Acropolis in Athens, just a few days earlier, the sacred site of Apollo at Delphi remained shrouded in a mysterious, yet reassuring silence. But then Apollo surprised me with proof that the sacred force of Delphi remains. His presence here reaches as far back as many centuries BC; as far back as the time when he is believed to have dug the foundations of the first temple at Delphi himself.

Delphi did not shape the fate and direct the destiny of so many nations, kings and warriors by accident. This place is after all where Zeus, with the assistance of his two eagles, determined where the center of the world must be. The energy here has gathered over millennia, there is much magical power in these ruins, despite me being so slow on the uptake. The distractions caused by the unusual European summer heat, jet lag, and the chatter of babbling tour guides were all interfering with the radar of my sixth sense.

Eventually, I was going further up the slopes of Mount Parnassus, when I had a sudden intuitive urge to pause, and not take a picture as I normally might, but record a short video of myself with the temple behind me. This is unusual, since it is common knowledge that I am not at all fond of posing for photos, much less appearing on video or television. But Apollo insisted, so I obliged and stopped by trek up the incline.

I had never before used the video capture facility on my smart phone, so it took me a while to figure it out. The heat was becoming unbearable. At last I managed to record a brief video of me just saying a few words about the temple at Delphi behind me. Then I walked on. I still did not realize what had actually occurred, or what the significance was of this seemingly mundane incident.

And then I discovered it: my own little miracle message courtesy of Apollo’s oracle. While waiting at the Delphi Museum for the small tour group I had abandoned earlier, I had made an amazing discovery. I was scanning through the photos I took at the temple earlier, and came upon the video I recorded. I had already forgotten about it by then. I cringed for a moment at the prospect of seeing myself on the screen, but curiosity got the better of me, and I pressed play.

A few seconds into the video my jaw dropped. I was amazed and quite surprised. There I was, mumbling a brief introduction about the temple and the oracle, while from nowhere a large butterfly descended from above and came to rest on my shoulder! It remained there until the end of my short, unplanned monologue. Long after the video ended I remained staring at the screen in bewilderment.

The lord whose is the oracle at Delphi neither utters nor hides his meaning, but shows it
by a sign. The Sibyl, with raving lips uttering things mirthless, unbedizened,
and unperfumed, reaches over a thousand years with her voice,
thanks to the god in her ~ Heraclitus

After I posted the video on Facebook, a friend pointed out to me that apart from the butterfly a second amazing thing happened at the end of the video. I never noticed it the first time around! The moment the butterfly leaves a man walks into view in the background… and proceeds to embrace a tree growing near the temple.

Not only did Apollo answer my prayer for a sign, but he also made sure the moment would be captured for posterity. He made sure nobody would doubt the story of my encounter with him up on that mountain. Some may see it merely as a lucky accident or coincidence, but I see only the blessing of Apollo in this magical, synchronistic occurrence.

In Celtic folklore the butterfly represents growth, personal expansion, transformation and rebirth. In Native American mysticism the butterfly was believed to be a messenger that would carry secret prayers and wishes to the Great Spirit. In ancient Rome, butterflies were found on coins, next to Juno, the goddess of weddings and marriage. And in Greek mythology Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul, is represented by a butterfly. Apollo knew that I was not only embarking on a physical journey, but that I had also entered a period of significant personal change in recent months. He reminded me that I had all the support and courage to continue breaking out of the cocoon of the past. I was on the cusp of a new way of life, and under the watchful eyes of the gods I was preparing to embrace a new chapter in my exhilarating human journey, wrapping my arms around the ever-expanding tree of life.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

In my previous blog I shared the story of the sign I received from the ancient oracle during my visit to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Well, the magical presence of the butterfly totem did not end with my visit to Greece. In all of the other countries I was to visit on this particular European tour, I would encounter butterflies at every sacred site, and during special moments I shared with significant others.

The miracle continued when I arrived at a country inn in Gottsdorf, outside Berlin, Germany. This was to be the venue for a four day meditation seminar I was attending. The event was set to take place in a cozy Yoga studio attached to the small hotel.

The moment I entered this room, I noticed a small altar the seminar organizer had set up in this space. The display was charming and colorful, but that was not what drew my attention. No, what struck me instantaneously was the large, vibrant butterfly hanging on the brick wall behind the altar.

Yes, indeed. I had received yet another mystical route marker along this personal odyssey into self-realization. This time the butterfly was not black and white, like the one who came to whisper in my ear at Delphi. Instead a brightly colored paper butterfly waved hello to me from above! It was like a psychedelic kaleidoscope reminiscent of the shapes one sometimes sees in sacred geometry art… or tie-died T-shirts from the 60s.

Another butterfly sign? Wat was it doing up there? Was this moment the next step in my transformation; did this butterfly signal the next phase of my personal rebirth into a new era in my life? Mr. Butterfly flashed me an affirmative smile.

I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly,
or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man ~ Chuang Tzu

Two days later I had the opportunity to discuss my experience at Delphi with the seminar facilitator. I was curious as to why he brought the butterfly along, because he was not using it any way during the seminar. But to my disappointed he revealed that he was not the one responsible for the butterfly on the wall. I then turned to the owner of the venue for answers. I had to know who put up the butterfly, and why? After my experience in Greece, I knew there was more to the presence of that unusual item of decor, and to discover the answers I had to find out how it got there in the first place.

“Aaah, der schmetterling,” the German inn-keeper sighed, “It does not belong to me either.” She then explained that just prior to our arrival, there was a shamanic workshop conducted at the same venue. The shaman who conducted the classes is originally from Peru and he was in a hurry to leave on the last day. He had asked her to keep the butterfly safe for him, and bring it with her later, when she went to Berlin for shopping.

The sacred cycle of transformation begins by cultivating life experiences
and embracing the evolving human spirit. Meaning, purpose and joy are our birthright
and by dancing our sacred dream we create a richly woven tapestry
of spiritual thought and action ~ Micheal Teal

"Such a coincidence,” added the inn lady, “He contacted me just yesterday to ask how his schmetterling was doing!” I just smiled at her and said, “when you speak to the shaman again, please thank him for the butterfly medicine he brought into my life.”

The butterfly featured as symbol of transformation in Aztec, Inca and Mayan culture. In Peru over 90 varieties of butterfly are found, where they are considered a symbol of transition and celebration. The enchanting Morpho didius, or Blue Morpho is the most famous in South America and considered a national symbol of Peru. ‘Morpho’ means changed or modified. This shimmering butterfly is also an epithet of Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love, beauty, pleasure, and prosperity.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

The host at Burghope Manor country inn in Bradford-on-Avon, England, is a very wise man. He has seen many travelers come and go over the years, and obviously knows what is best for each of them. When I told him I had downloaded an audio tour on my iPod, from the local tourism website, and was going to do a “Jane Austen walk” through the historic town of Bath, he gave me a skeptical look like only the British can and said, “You might want to stop by the Roman Baths first. It is a must-see, but go there early in the morning, before the tour groups arrive from London.”

Empath Anthon St Maarten at Bath Spa, UK

Well, who am I to argue with such a determined a messenger of the Universe?

Arriving at the Roman Baths Museum, I was planning to have a quick 30 minute browse around and then go off in pursuit of the famous Ms Austen’s favorite haunts. Well, what is usually a 90 minute visit for most to the baths, if you use the museum’s audio guide, became for me a four hour metaphysical adventure.

I soon discovered that I was back in the presence of the goddess Athena, who I had encountered at the beginning of this trip in all her magnificence at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Yes indeed, it appears I have unknowingly been stalking her throughout Europe. Or has she lured me here under false pretenses? Read more >>

This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds – the most beautiful senses,
the most exquisite emotions.. the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds.
Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows,
the highs could not be reached ~ Stephenie Meyer

The Roman Baths existed long before the Romans arrived in Bath. The Celts knew for thousands of years that the waters, bubbling up from this one of a kind hot spring in Britain, had special healing powers. This is the sacred place where they came to worship and seek relief for their ailments from Sulis, their goddess of healing.

When the Roman’s arrived here they were enchanted with the place and soon made it their own. Thus the Roman Baths. The Celtic goddess Sulis reminded them of their own goddess Minerva, for whom they built a temple here. And so the temple at the sacred waters of Sulis Minerva came to be. Many interesting offerings to the goddess were thrown into the sacred spring, including thousands of Roman coins which is to date the largest collection ever found in Britain.

People came from far and wide to seek healing… and revenge here. Yes, indeed. Heaps of rolled up lead and pewter sheets with inscriptions (defixiones) were also found at the bottom of the sacred spring. But they do not contain prayers for healing. The inscribed messages were in fact curses thrown into the spring where the spirit of Sulis Minerva dwelt; they were etched with requests for vengeance from the gods – mostly about very mundane trivialities: stolen coins and clothing, cheating husbands and unrequited love.

The punishments and misfortunes wished upon the perpetrators were all extreme considering the offense, and quite surprising to the modern observer. Had the gods responded to these prayers as requested, stealing a couple of coins from someone could easily see you hacked to pieces, eaten by birds of prey and burning in the eternal hell fires of the underworld! Revenge may seem disturbingly out of place in this soothing place of healing, but is releasing anger and letting go of resentment, in order to find forgiveness and inner peace, not one of the most powerful forms of healing?

Docilianus…to the most holy goddess Sulis. I curse him who has stolen my
hooded cloak, whether man or woman, whether slave or free, that... the goddess Sulis
inflict death upon…and not allow him sleep or children now and in the future,
until he has brought my hooded cloak to the temple of her divinity.
~ Tabellae Sulis inscription found at Bath

My personal experience at the temple of Sulis Minerva was profound. As an empath I am a conduit for energy and predisposed to healing others spontaneously. I have as a result spent a significant part of my life being subjected to people infringing on my personal space. They often follow me around in public places, without knowing why, or stand as close to me as possible, in order to heal or somehow exchange energy. I guess you can say people like me are like ‘filtering docks’ or ‘recycling bins’ for the rest of humanity. It’s a tough job, but I guess someone has to do it.

But at the Roman Baths something truly amazing happened.

For the first time in my life I had nobody trampling over my feet, crawling underneath my armpits or breathing down my neck. I was stunned. It was high season in Bath and the museum was extremely crowded, yet I could breathe freely and move around with ease. People kept a decent distance and nobody insisted on getting in my face. I remember thinking that this must be how ‘normal’ folks feel when they are out in public. I spent several hours inside that museum, surrounded by a mass of tourists, yet I felt calm and miraculously energized!

Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel
responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound
with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it.
You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at
the same table with its worst horrors ~ Andrew Boyd

But how could this be? What was it about this place that gave a highly strung clairempath like myself a sense of perfect peace and liberty? Energy, of course! The Roman Baths is a powerful hub of healing energy. It oozes from the stones and bubbles up from the sacred spring, seeping into every pore, nook and cranny. The other museum visitors had no need for a feeble little docking bay like myself – they were broadband downloading from the very place itself! I guess you can say that, in metaphysical terms, I am like a slow dial-up line, while the Roman Baths is like logging into a powerful WiFi signal, while standing directly under the British Telecoms Tower in London.

Above the entrance to the former temple of Sulis Minerva the facade used to featured the mesmerizing head of the Gorgon. His magical face and what is left of the original facade is now on display inside the museum. I sat staring at him for ages. The Gorgon’s eyes look straight into your soul; they follow you around like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. But the gorgon is not smiling. His laser beam eyes used to turn his victims into stone, like Medusa in Greek mythology, until he was slain and given as a gift to Minerva. She wore him on her chest as part of her armor, to serve as her shield. I could not resist and bought a Gorgon keyring and pendant at the souvenir shop. The Gorgon was going with me everywhere I go from now on… as a psychic shield to keep out the bad vibes, and freeze those ‘heebie jeebies’ in their tracks when next I visit my local supermarket.

And the goddess Athena? What did she have to do with all of this? Well, that is just it … Minerva is the Roman version of the goddess Athena. This place of healing and energy exchange is home to Athena, in the guise of Sulis and Minerva.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

To be fair, I did not visit to the city of London solely for esoteric purposes, but I found the energy signature quite different and stark there, compared to Athens and Berlin. I found the atmosphere in Berlin, for example, electric, yet peaceful. Stepping off the U-Bahn at Wittenberg Platz in the middle of the high season, I was engulfed by a comforting low-level hum of German families and tourists doing their Saturday afternoon window shopping.

The people here did not seem to have a care in the world. The streets were crowded , much like that of London, but not once did I feel a sense of angst or claustrophobia. The warm buzz was actually quite welcoming and pleasant… and this is major coming from a highly strung empath like myself.

Berlin woke me up on a Sunday morning with the nostalgic chiming of church bells. I was staying inside one of the surviving wings of the Neues Schauspielhaus on Nollendorf Platz, in the Schöneberg district of Berlin. It was built in 1905 as a theatre and concert hall, in the then fashionable Art Nouveau style. Maybe Bertold Brecht was there in the 1920s, discussing his plays with someone in the very room I slept in that night, or maybe the bands Depeche Mode or The Human League used it as a dressing room in the 1980s. While those bells were ringing in the distance, I almost expected Christopher Isherwood’s character Sally Bowles to sneak down the corridor of this old building, back from a busy, decadent night’s work at the Kit Kat Club cabaret.

The Tiergarten park in Berlin is breathtaking and also has amazing energy. I was very tempted to buy a sleeping bag and simply move into the park on a permanent basis! The entire park is apparently larger in size than the principality of Monaco and makes Berlin one of the greenest cities in the world. I even tried to find a four leaf clover there, but had to settle for cheating, like Liza Minnelli did in the movie Cabaret, by putting two sets of leaves together to form one!

We need a renaissance of wonder. We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls,
the deathless dream, the eternal poetry, the perennial sense that
life is miracle and magic ~ E. Merrill Root

Then I hit London. Pity I did not find that four leaf clover.

After spending so many magical moments on the Acropolis in Greece, and in the lush greenery of the Tiergarten forest in Berlin, I was now suddenly at my wit’s end. Just a few days earlier I was meditating at Stonehenge, and before that I was watching people pass by peacefully at street cafe’s in Schöneberg and on Potsdamer Platz. I was poorly prepared for the cut-throat hustle and bustle of the inner city streets of London. Arriving at Paddington Station in the midst of the afternoon peak hour also did not help.

Maybe my distress was due to the lingering effect of the recent energizing experience I had at Bath Spa, as well as a once in a lifetime visit to the inner circle of Stonehenge (which I will write about in my next blog post). This could very well be what set me up for such a subsequent shock to my system – the sheer contrast of it all. Or maybe I was suffering from a lack of peaceful sleep, after being woken up several times in Athens, Berlin and Wiltshire by a phantom who was compulsively sweeping and mopping the floors outside my door every night. I still do not know who she was, but for some reason she followed me around in Europe… until I arrived in London. Then she disappeared without a trace. At least London exorcised the ghostly cleaning lady who shall forever remain unknown.

Survival is for the human animal; fear the motivation. For the spiritual being
survival is irrelevant. Curiosity, compassion and creativity are the name of the game;
unconditional love the motivation ~ Peter Shepherd

But, I did find something spiritual in London after all!

One day, while battling my way through the streets of Soho, I spotted a psychedelic looking piece of modern art in the display window of an art gallery appropriately called Scream. This bold and brash sculpture was the closest I personally came to any real sense of spiritual substance in the London inner city. It just goes to show: never say never. I have no idea who the artist of this bizarre piece is; I was in too much of a restless hurry to stop and ask. That is what one does in London Town. You rush and you stay alive.

London works hard, plays hard, and lives fast. During the day the city is highly stressed, materialistic and fast-paced. It has a sense of urgency and survival of the fittest. And at night the city center becomes loud, angry and intoxicated. I saw youths beat each other up on street corners, and inebriated businessmen, with loosened ties and wrinkled Italian suits, noisily singing along to show tunes in a pub.

No wonder the Jesus statue in that window looked so disappointed. I cannot imagine myself ever living there.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

A radiant dusk was upon us when we reached the top of the concrete staircase. Emerging from below, our trivial conversation abruptly ceased. We were stunned into an instant, breathless, respectful silence. Before us rose the towering magnificence of Stonehenge… graceful and glimmering in the late Summer sunset! Being so suddenly in the presence of the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, was the most memorable moment of my entire journey.

Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten at Stonehenge

I had the privilege of being a member of a small private party on a special tour to this magical place. Our visit took place after hours, with special permission from the authorities. The exclusive access we were granted enabled us to visit Stonehenge at sunset, and later under starlight, after the site was closed to the public. Most importantly, we had the unique privilege to enter into the inner circle, which is not accessible to day visitors.

We had finally reached Stonehenge after an all-day, and at times nerve-wracking, mad dash around the prehistoric English countryside. The fun began early that morning with a clockwise walk around the stones of Avebury. Our guide, Astrologer David Rowan, is a very passionate, dedicated man who has devoted a significant part of his life to exploring and studying the cultural history, archeology and astronomy of the sacred sites and Neolithic landscape surrounding Avebury and Stonehenge. Read more >>>

There is a magik here, an enchantment that seems to come to life after
the Sun has set and the world has begun sleeping ~ David Rowan

Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten at Woodhenge

David took us on a whirlwind tour of the area, including the Kennet Stone Avenue, the mysterious, artificial mound known as Silbury Hill, the Neolithic tombs of West Kennet long barrow, and the Sanctuary. After lunch we trekked on to the Stonehenge landscape, visiting sites like Woodhenge, Durrington Walls and finally Old Sarum, by which time my friend, Christine, and I were longingly eyeing the bottles of Celtic Mead and Strawberry Wine that English Heritage was selling at the gift shop.

Indeed… it had been a long, taxing day. I had the whole group waiting for me earlier, because I got lost and had to use my intuitive radar to locate them at Old Sarum. If you have ever driven around England, on those roundabout, haphazard Celtic roads in a rented car, you will know the challenges I faced!

Then came our first visit inside Stonehenge, just before sunset, and the stresses of the day were soon forgotten. We went right inside the ancient temple, where the ground below the inner circle pulses with a palpable, brilliant energy. Under the careful watch of the guards, we were not allowed to touch the stones, but we did have the once in a lifetime opportunity to wander among them and take amazing pictures. David describes these moments perfectly on his website: “To be able to do this as the light changes and feel the stones grow in stature as the sunlight fades is brilliant; the site really does change from being a load of rocks in a field by daylight to an enigmatic temple by night.”

But the magic did not end there. After a much-needed dinner at a nearby manor house restaurant, we returned to the mysteries of Stonehenge for the second time. This time beneath the stars.

Do you know how there are moments when the world moves so slowly
you can feel your bones shifting, your mind tumbling?
When you think that no matter what happens to you for the rest of your life,
you will remember every last detail of that one minute forever? ~ Jodi Picoult

According to David this tour is always held on a New Moon, “because when the Sun sets, the Moon is also below the horizon, ensuring that when you return to Stonehenge, the only lights in the sky are the stars. To see the night sky illuminated like a planetarium in that place, with the great trilithons in your vision, is simply breathtaking.”

Once inside the temple, David surprised us with a special Astrological chart he had prepared for that exact place and moment in time. He explained the significance of where the planets were positioned around us at that very moment, and then he offered guidance on what we should focus on, and what we might want to avoid, during our subsequent meditation within the inner circle. Of course, this was vitally important, as whatever thoughts, emotions, or wishes we would send out during our meditations would be vastly amplified by the forceful energy vortex emanating from Stonehenge. The Stonehenge is a powerful energy portal, since it is located at the heart of a network of ley line alignments.

I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show,
or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer
or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again ~ William Penn

Then followed the most unforgettable meditation of my entire life. We were given the exceptional opportunity to each find a spot inside the Stonehenge, where we could sit or lie down in comfort to privately meditate for half an hour. David gave strict instructions as to maintaining silence, isolation and absolute darkness.

All flashlights, phones and other devices were switched off, and once everyone got settled in, we all surrendered to the peaceful supremacy of this magical place. I was especially blessed, as I happened to position myself right in the center of the inner circle… and from my little hub at the core of the United Kingdom’s Unmissable Wonder, I sent out rockets of desire for our world to become a better place.

© 2013 Anthon St Maarten

The need for true love and meaningful romance is a profound longing we all share as spiritual beings in human form. But finding the love of your life is not an easy feat in this day and age. Yes, the pursuit of romantic love is certainly not for the weak and cowardly.

Enchanted love mystical relationship sacred romance

I have heard many weary love pilgrims claim they have called off the search. Many even choose to believe that they no longer want an intimate relationship with anyone; they are completely content to remain single and unattached for the rest of their lives. Who needs a soulmate after all, right? The truth is that we all share a deep-seated need for affection and authentic connection with that one special mate. And deep down we all know it.

We were not created to be solitary beings. Research in neuroscience, for example, indicates that our brains are absolutely wired for social connection and belonging. But one does not need research findings, or sacred texts for that matter, to prove the basic need we all have for a shared love or romantic relationship with a significant other. All we need to consider is how much it hurts when our love goes unrequited, or when yet another relationship fails. If finding true love was merely an old-fashioned obsession for those who are foolish, or too needy, then why do our hearts break into a million pieces when love is lost, or rejected? Read more >>>

In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world,
there is no love for you like mine ~ Maya Angelou

Connecting with others is not merely a basic human need, like food and shelter, but it is also a sacred spiritual quest. For without entering into what author Marianne Williamson calls the “psychic womb” of a loving relationship, we become paralyzed in our ability to achieve our soul purpose and life calling. Our sacred mission of fulfilling our true destiny becomes barren, the outlook of our future bleak and unfruitful. Many of us also dream of a better, safer, more caring world, without realizing that it all begins with creating and maintaining a deeper love in our homes and in our hearts.

Every moment of every day people who are all perfectly capable of giving and receiving unadulterated love and belonging, throw in the towel and give up on their dream of finding a sacred companion for this journey. As spiritual beings in the flesh we were all designed and constructed for love and belonging, but for many the quest is simply too emotionally demanding and painful, the process too challenging and complex. For some it also becomes impossible to find true love from inside their prison of self-righteous perfectionism, narcissism or materialistic greed.

The solution is however simple from a spiritual perspective. The reason so many of us struggle to find and keep love is that we have lost touch with our sacred origins. We have forgotten our spiritual roots, the source of our being. We have lost the ability to see our potential beloved through the eyes of our inner divinity. We too often choose to see limitation, instead of potential. The reality coma has made of us numb. Our egotistical sense of entitlement in a superficial, materialistic world has made us blind to love. We no longer see, for we no longer feel or believe.

Love is a hero’s journey, and the hero’s journey is a noble but difficult path ~ Marianne Williamson

If you are struggling to find and keep love, how can you change your approach to invite sacred love into your reality experience? In my consulting practice I use a set of guiding principles that I have devised based on Dr. Carol Pearson’s system of the twelve universal archetypes. Pearson based her system on the archetype theories of renowned Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. We find these archetypes throughout ancient mythology and many sacred texts, and we continue to apply them in creating shared symbols, artworks, literature and popular entertainment. Yet, when it comes to our love lives, we have become devoid of any archetypal foundation.

I have been employing these Twelve Archetypal Secrets of Sacred Love with much success in working with people all over the world, and have been witness to the miraculous transformation it has brought to clients who have made the effort to apply these archetypal keys to unlock the door to sacred romance and lasting relationships. I hope it will do the same for you, and therefore I am offering these twelve keys to you in the form of themes for meditation that you can incorporate into your daily spiritual practice. You can also apply these twelve statements of archetypal love as a set of affirmations. Use them the next time you encounter conflict in your current relationship, or when you write your marriage vows, or before you go on that nerve-wracking first date, or when you consider the qualities you are seeking when creating an online dating profile or a vision board to attract the perfect partner.

Sacred Love is Adventurous. We are both designed to search for a better life and a happier future, my beloved. You and I both wish to expand our horizons, and follow our unique dreams and desires. Let us support each other in our quest to remain true to ourselves while discovering new worlds. Let us together fulfill our separate and unique true life callings. Let us walk this road into the unknown together, hand in hand, just you and me.

For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home ~ Stephanie Perkins

Sacred Love is Compassionate. We are both designed to be caring, generous, selfless beings, my beloved. We are perfectly capable of helping and understanding each other. We both seek compassion and inter-dependence from one another, despite the modern myths of rigid independence and self-righteousness . Let us unconditionally care for each other in a cold, heartless world. Let us embrace each other with empathy and kindness. Let us be forever generous with our hearts.

Sacred Love is Courageous. We are both designed to be strong and brave champions, my beloved. You and I are powerful love warriors, skilled rescuers of the guiltless, determined defenders of the blameless. We both have the capacity to stand up for love, to show up and be strong for one another. Seeking sacred love is not a threat, or a form of weakness, for we know that we are both winners in our shared quest for affection and lasting devotion. Enter with me into this challenging arena, let us conquer together this potential battlefield to claim our prize of true, everlasting love.

Sacred Love is Fun. We are both designed to enjoy life and suck the marrow out of every day, my beloved. You and I can transform the mundane routine of our daily subsistence by making each other laugh more often. We can transform the necessity for physical survival into a constant source of excitement and joy. Let us be free and foolish together. Let us amuse and entertain each other. Let us fully embrace life together and make the most every moment. Let’s have some fun my love.

Sacred Love is Innocent. We are both designed to be innocent, spontaneous children seeking safety and belonging, my beloved. We both fear rejection and abandonment. Let us reach out to each other in trust and faith, for we can give ourselves permission to remain hopeful, inter-dependent and vulnerable in our innocence. Let us choose to see our innocent capacity for fidelity and sincerity in each other’s eyes. Let us be safe with one another my love.

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more,
that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds ~ Nicholas Sparks

Sacred Love is Magical. We are both designed to be magnificent sorcerers, my beloved. You and I hold the magical power to transform ourselves and each other through enchanted love; we possess the mystical talent to make our shared vision a reality. Let us harness our metaphysical power to truly love and be loved. Let us cast a spell on each other, let us be charmed by the miracle of romance and authentic connection. Let us pool our supernatural ability to conjure up true love. Together we shall invoke the ultimate romantic sacrament my love.

Sacred Love is Passionate. We are both designed to be lovers, my beloved. We both wish to experience sensual pleasure and achieve meaningful intimacy. Let us create the passion we both seek by making every effort to gain each other’s trust and commitment. Let us discover together the true meaning of soul sex. Enter with me into the sacred space of a divine connection. Let us together follow our bliss.

Sacred Love is Revolutionary. We are both designed to be agents of radical change and transformation, my beloved. We both wish to destroy the loveless pursuits and self-limiting beliefs that no longer serve us. Let us weed our shared love garden by demolishing our old attitudes and eradicating the undergrowth of failed romance, past disappointments and self-destructive behavior. Let us sow the seeds of our new-found sacred love in the fertile grounds of a clean slate, a fresh lease on life. Let us both be ruthless in removing all forms of carelessness and bygones from our lives. Let us together ignite a potent love revolution.

Sacred Love is Sovereign. We are both designed to be the rulers of our hearts, my beloved. You and I both wish to create order and structure in a chaotic world. Let us together take command of the love we share and accept responsibility for each other’s well-being and happiness. Let us not aim to dominate and control, but instead shape our love with compromise and mutual respect. We can do what kings do, my love. Let us rule our kingdom of love together in peace and harmony.

I will find that special person who is wrong for me in just the right way.
Let our scars fall in love ~ Galway Kinnell

Sacred Love is Transcendent. We are both designed to be wise sages and seekers of the ultimate truth, my beloved. Let us stand in a place of authenticity with each other. Let us seek wisdom, understanding and insight, instead of deception, denial and skepticism. Let us promise to truly get to know each other without judgment. Let us together find enlightenment. Our love shall seek the truth, and it shall set us free.

Sacred Love is Visionary. We are both designed to be imaginative beings and powerful creators of our own reality experience, my beloved. You and I are born innovators. Let us not surrender our divine right to experience sacred love by yielding to the limiting beliefs and lack consciousness of others. Let us find new ways to love and nurture each other, free from the opinions and values of a loveless world. While others may choose to remain blind and give up on possibility of finding and keeping true love, we shall continue to dream together, and hold on to our vision of an enchanted, life-long romance.

Sacred Love is Wounded. We are both designed to be wounded, orphaned children, my beloved. You and I both yearn for the loving arms of the parents and care-givers we once had, or never had. We both long to return to the safety of the maternal womb. Let us not be victims of the past; let us not succumb to the painful scars we acquired in a sometimes cruel world. Let us not be cynical, negative and judgmental. Enter now into this psychic womb of healing and rebirth with me, and let us emerge as the resurrected, divine lovers we were always meant to be.

© 2014 Anthon St Maarten

The state of Divine Disconnect, when you are feeling out of touch, imperfect, inadequate or wanting in your life, is not a reflection of who you really are, neither is it some shameful personal defect that requires salvation. It is in fact a reflection of who you are not, because you have become what you are not. This sense of being disconnected or separated from your Divine Self is not real, it is a

Chasing Rainbows by Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten

distorted phantasm. It is your physical form trying to make sense of the distorted, grotesque image you have of your own Divinity. You are seeing yourself reflected in a house of mirrors lined with rows and rows of limiting fears, self-destructive beliefs and false idols. In this state you become cut off from your true Soul Purpose and Life Calling. You are no longer aligned with your Divine Self and you lose your direction and purpose. The anxiety, fear and pain that you then feel is your inner guidance system attempting to nudge you back into the right direction.

Trying to access your inner Divine Being from such a limiting, ill-defined state of mind amounts to the impossible task of chasing rainbows. A mission impossible. A road to nowhere. Instead of chasing an imaginary pot of gold at the end of some man-made rainbow, you have the power to reawaken the flawless Higher Being that you truly are. You can be like a transparent, multi-faceted prism that bends, shapes, reflects and transforms the light of Divinity into the spectral colors of a truly blessed reality, filled with wonder, joy and purpose.

No one and nothing outside of you can give you salvation, or free you from the misery.
You have to light your own lamp. You have to know the miniature universe
that you yourself are ~ Banani Ray

Once you return to this natural state of being, you will no longer feel the need to go chasing after elusive, earthly rainbows, for you would have unleashed the true, multi-hued rainbow of your intended Divine being. You will then be the rainbow, the true reflection of your Divine origins.

Thomas Troward explains that our spiritual reawakening from the Divine Disconnect is inevitable and will happen as a matter of course at some point in our earthly existence as it was originally intended, whether we are ready or not. He writes:”The awakening to consciousness of our mysterious interior powers will sooner or later take place, and will result in our using them whether we understand the law of their development or not, just as we already use our physical faculties whether we understand their laws or not.”

Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back.
From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger
in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment ~ John O’Donohue

While you remain spiritually asleep, or out of alignment with your original Life Plan, your Divine Self will constantly try to reconnect with you and guide you towards your intended Soul Purpose and Life Calling. You will experience this as an inner sense of urgency, restlessness, longing, sadness or nostalgia. It will feel like missing a loved one you do not know, or being ‘homesick’ for a place you have never been.

Once you become aware of your true spiritual nature and recognize the existence of your inner Divine Being, you will automatically begin to receive the comfort, guidance and assistance to transform your life.

Excerpt from: Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny by Anthon St Maarten

© 2014 Anthon St Maarten

Creating a Divine Life is not a selfish act. Until we are able to find some degree of personal joy, inner peace and lasting contentment, we are actually of little use to our fellow man. If we are to be effective as our proverbial “brother’s keeper”, which is essentially the foundation of our Life Calling, we need to first achieve a happier and more meaningful life for ourselves.

To create a Divine Life, it is important to differentiate between your Soul Purpose and Life Calling (also known as your Life Purpose). I prefer to use the term Life Calling, because Life Purpose is often confused with the concept of Soul Purpose. A prevalent misconception is that Soul Purpose and Life Purpose describe the same thing, and therefore the two terms are often interchanged. There is however a very clear difference between the two concepts.

Life Calling, or Life Purpose, refers to your ‘external’ secular or human purpose in this lifetime; it refers to the contribution you hope to make while you are here in physical form. In other words, it refers to whatever legacy it is you hope to leave behind in this world when you return to the spiritual realm.

Soul Purpose is your ‘inner’ spiritual or metaphysical mission. It refers to the soul growth and spiritual expansion you hope to achieve in this lifetime. Simply put, it refers to the spiritual knowledge, insight and wisdom you aim to take away with you when you depart from this time-space reality one day.

So, how do you find your Soul Purpose? Well, you cannot “find” it. You already know what your Soul Purpose is; it is inscribed in your very being. Your Divine Self is fully aware and informed of your reasons for being here. Your Higher Self is after all the architect and designer of your current life journey.

There is only one purpose for all of life, and that is for you and all that lives to experience fullest glory… everything else you say, think, or do is attendant to that function. There is nothing else for your soul to do, and nothing else your soul wants to do ~ Neal Donald Walsch

The details of our Soul Purpose remain mostly unconscious for most of us, yet it informs and determines our daily choices, decisions and actions. The Divine Self always steers and guides us towards fulfilling our spiritual mission, with or without our cooperation or conscious participation. However, participating actively is much more fulfilling and yields more profound results.

The only difference between those of us who are completing our mission unconsciously and those of us who are spiritually aware and mindful of our reasons for being here, is that the conscious spiritual seekers will ultimately be more successful and satisfied in their quest. Tragically, too many souls reach the end of their human lives only to discover too late that they have not achieved much in the spiritual growth department, nor have they contributed much to the expansion of the Conscious Universe.

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world
will not devote itself to making you happy ~ George Bernard Shaw

The spiritually awakened person is naturally not content with neglecting their Soul Purpose, because they know that we are spiritual beings having a physical life experience, and they wish to make the most of their Earth journey. The spiritually aware soul does not wish to return home ‘empty-handed’ one day. This possibility seems even more unattractive if one considers the notion that you might have to come back and do it all over again! Back to square one. The awakened soul would much rather move on to ‘bigger, brighter and better’ things, by taking on new journeys into other dimensions, alternate planes of existence, deeper realms of consciousness, or parallel universes.

How do you then ensure that you stay on track with your Life Plan and ultimately achieve your Soul Purpose in this lifetime? Easy, you simply realign with your Divine Self and follow the instructions of your inner guidance system. There is no pressing need for you to know the exact details of your Soul Purpose. All you need to do is consistently maintain communication and connection with your Divine Self and follow the inner guidance you receive.

To realign and maintain your connection to your inner Divinity you need to establish some form of daily spiritual practice, and begin to live a more mindful existence. Mindful living is a raised state of consciousness and awareness that is achieved by engaging in spiritual practices and activities that transform your thoughts, evolve your emotions, sharpen your senses and increase your intuition. These are the cornerstones of a Divine Life.

Excerpt from: Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny by Anthon St Maarten © 2012

In Beyond the Postmodern Mind, Huston Smith writes that “Rationalism and Newtonian science has lured us into dark woods, but a new metaphysics can rescue us”. Mankind will never give up its quest to find spiritual meaning and purpose in this world. This quest is what has been driving both science and religion for centuries.

The Rise of a New Spirituality by Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten

The Buddha said, “The teacher appears when the student is ready.” The same principle applies to the human species as a collective. We have been exposed to new esoteric and scientific insights as we evolved – always when the time was right and the world was ready. Prominent religions all over the world were all founded on esoteric guidance and metaphysical wisdom delivered at various times throughout history by great teachers and prophetic messengers. But as time passed and these religions expanded, they were often contaminated by human bureaucracy, superstition, doctrine and dogma, which distorted the original teachings.

Science developed out of this chaos, because dogmatic religion increasingly became unable to offer sensible explanations for the nature of reality and the Universe. In those early days the first scientists were in fact persecuted as “godless heretics” for questioning God and the church. Over the past century the pendulum swung back and the tables were turned, and we have been living in a world in recent times where scientific skepticism of all things esoteric or metaphysical has mostly been dominating the debate.

Both science and religion have however failed to produce all the answers we seek to the origins and meaning of our existence. Maybe the solution is to be found in religion and science coming together and combining its efforts? Albert Einstein said, “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Hopefully the divide between the two will someday soon be bridged, once and for all.

The realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other,
but there are strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies… science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind ~ Albert Einstein

Today, as we venture deeper into the 21st Century, the rising popularity of metaphysics, alternative spirituality and the ‘new science’ seems to indicate that the world is indeed ready for a fresh approach to delving into esoteric wisdom, supported by a paradigm shift in scientific exploration. Sir Arthur Eddington writes, “Life would be stunted and narrow if we could feel no significance in the world around us beyond that which can be weighed and measured with the tools of the physicist or described by the metrical symbols of the mathematician.”

The time has come to reclaim our transcendental values – even if we are currently unable to prove many of them scientifically. Once we change our approach and begin to accept that there is more to our world than meets the eye, we will find new theories and new methods to find the scientific validations we have been looking for.

Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.
When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages,
when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual.. The notion that science and spirituality
are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both ~ Carl Sagan

For example, should science begin to take seriously a metaphysical concept like ‘Universal Consciousness’, it might be able to ask all kinds of new questions about our reality and the Universe, and many new theories and concepts can grow from this new perspective. Science will never disappear or become obsolete. It will actually expand and grow, because it will have so many new frontiers and possibilities to explore, and new tools and words to do it with. Deepak Chopra writes in War of the Worldviews that “ordinary people aren’t going to give up emotions and inspiration just because science sniffs at subjectivity. Science shouldn’t be so edgy and defensive. Vandals aren’t going to smash their way into laboratories and throw Bibles at the equipment.”

People will keep searching and asking, because they will always wish to understand what it is that they are feeling and sensing, and more and more they will awaken spiritually. For it is inevitable that our intuition must at some point in our lives force us to admit that there may be more to our existence than what we see in the mirror.

Excerpt from: Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny by Anthon St Maarten © 2012

The separation between man and his Divine origins is the genesis of all religions, cults and belief systems in our world, and it is also the primary driving force behind all science, art and philosophy.

The Divine Disconnect by Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten

Searching for metaphysical meaning and life purpose is a natural attribute of the human condition. Exploring the existence of God or Divine Consciousness beyond our current reality is an innate yearning we all have. No amount of scientific or technological advancement will ever extinguish this urge from human awareness. Whether we admit it to ourselves, or not, we all feel the need within to bridge our disconnection from the Divine.

We begin to separate from the Divine Self the moment we are born. At birth we have no sense of ‘self’, and we have no awareness of being separate from Spirit or Source, but in time we quickly begin to identify with our new physical environment and with the human Ego or Material Self that we choose to adopt, based on the feedback we receive from others. We gradually also adopt the social role assigned to us by our family, our peers and our community

In time we completely lose touch with our Divine Self, because as we grow up we are increasingly exposed to the man-made concepts, theories, paradigms, belief systems, cultures, traditions and history underlying our current time-space reality. We become attached to the Material Self or Ego, and we learn to cling to whatever we are taught to perceive as the parameters, or limits of our shared reality. Eventually we end up fully conditioned and firmly ‘plugged into’ the co-created, human ‘reality matrix’ that forms the foundation for life here on Earth. In the process the memories of our original Divinity often fade completely. This state of separation and ‘spiritual amnesia’ is the Divine Disconnect.

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is
the most difficult period in one’s life ~ Dalai Lama

Why is our human incarnation consciously cut off from its spiritual origins for a large portion of our life? If we really are such Divine Beings, and powerful creators of our own reality, how is it possible that we lose so much of our awareness of the Divinity within, after we arrive on the planet? If we really do design our own Life Plan before we come, why do we allow this disconnect to happen?

The Divine Disconnect in the early years of a person’s life is, in fact, a classic concept found in many ancient wisdom teachings, mythologies and religious traditions. One only needs to consider the biographical information of the well-known prophets, ascended masters and spiritual teachers throughout history to find evidence of the proliferation of this phenomenon:

Abraham. The founding father of the three largest mono-theistic religions of the world, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, had an unremarkable life as a semi-nomadic shepherd and trader, until very late in his life. Somewhere in his 70’s God revealed to him his true destiny as the father of a nation and entered into a sacred covenant with him. Today Abraham is honored as the Father of Faith, yet his connection with the Divine happened very late in life.

Many spiritual teachers – in Buddhism, in Islam – have talked about first-hand experience
of the world as an important part of the path to wisdom, to enlightenment ~ Bell Hooks

Confucious. His reforms and teaching is reported to have only begun when he resigned from his position as Justice Minister in the Chinese state of Lu after the age of 53.

Jesus Christ. He lived an ordinary life and worked as a carpenter, until his baptism at the age of 30, when John the Baptist recognized him as the long-awaited Messiah. Shortly after, Jesus went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray, and at this time he was unsuccessfully tempted by Satan. His return marks the beginning of his ministry and teachings.

Moses. The receiver of the Ten Commandments also had his spiritual awakening very late in life. After 40 years of being a humble shepherd, God appeared to him in a burning bush and instructed him to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews from slavery.

Lao Tzu. It is unclear exactly when he had his spiritual awakening, but there is more than one legend about his life that seems to reflect the concept of an initial Divine Disconnect. According to one popular myth he was conceived when his mother gazed upon a falling star, after which he stayed in the womb for 62 years and was born a grown man with a full grey beard and long earlobes, which are symbols of wisdom and a long life. Another legend has it that he grew weary of urban life and became a hermit at the age of 160. It was at this time that the classic Chinese text known as the Tao Te Ching is said to have come into being, when a guard at the city gate asked him to produce proof of his wisdom. The Tao Te Ching founded Taoism and strongly influenced Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism.

Mahavira. He renounced his kingdom, his family and worldly possessions at the age of 30 and subsequently spent twelve years as an ascetic who practiced constant meditation until he achieved arihant status, which means that he conquered anger, ego, deception, and greed, and attained perfect knowledge and perfect perception, while becoming passionless and gaining infinite power. Mahavira is known as the sage Vardhamāna who established the Jainism faith.

If we remove ourselves from the world, we are pretending that we can follow our own individual enlightenment and let the rest of the world go to hell, so to speak ~ Satish Kumar

Prophet Muhammad. The Founder of Islam was orphaned as a child and brought up by his uncle. As adult he worked as an ordinary merchant and shepherd, until he became discontented with his life in Mecca. He retreated to a cave in the surrounding mountains to meditate and during this time he received his first revelation from God at the age of 40. Three years later he started preaching these revelations publicly.

Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha. He was born into the life of a wealthy prince, set to become king. It is said that he was shielded by his father from all religious education and knowledge of human suffering. Although his father ensured that he was provided with everything he could ever want or need, Siddhartha felt that material wealth was not life’s ultimate goal. His spiritual life began around the age of 29, when he left his father’s palace and became profoundly aware of aging, sickness, suffering and death among his subjects. This depressed him so much that he gave up his life as a prince and initially strove unsuccessfully to overcome human suffering, by living the life of an ascetic. He later changed the direction of his quest and subsequently attained true enlightenment and thus founded Buddhism.

Zoroaster. According to legend he was the son of a mediocre nobleman and he lived a conventional life as a priest, until he had a heavenly vision at the age of 30. In his vision an angel brought him to the god Ahura Mazda, who instructed him to found a new religion known today as Zoroastrianism.

From these examples, among many others, there emerges a clear pattern of metaphysical awakening and spiritual transcendence, namely that it typically occurs towards the second half of a human life, after an initial period of Divine Disconnection.

It is my belief that this initial period of Divine Disconnection is intentional, not coincidental. This preliminary stage of spiritual unconsciousness, or disconnection, is a period of physical orientation and data collection in every young human’s life. It is the preparatory time in our lives when we learn to adapt, function and survive in the Earth environment.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

During this time we also develop our Ego identity and learn to establish and manage relationships with others. Through trial and error we figure out how to use our intuitive and emotional inner guidance system to ensure our survival, and we begin to master the knowledge and skills we will need to accomplish our Life Calling later in life. We seem to need this period of Divine Disconnect to truly focus our attention of the demands of the material world, in order to become fully contributing members of society. Only once we have established a firm footing and a solid understanding of our physical reality, are we ready to reconnect with our original spiritual mission and realign with the Divine Self.

But our world was simpler in the past, when the pace of life was slower and more predictable, and religion provided a firmer spiritual structure to our physical existence. In our post-modern day and age it is increasingly difficult to spontaneously return to our spiritual roots when the time comes; when we are ready to awaken.

Awakening is easier said than done for many people these days. The Material Ego has mutated over the past millennium into an exceptionally dominant and all-pervasive force that somehow paralyzes modern man’s spiritual inclination for much longer periods of time, even whole lifetimes, while enslaving him with fear, superficial materialism and hedonistic pursuits. We have created a manic world nauseous with the pursuit of material wealth. Many also bear their cross of imagined deprivation, while their fellow human beings remain paralyzed by real poverty. We drown in the thick sweetness of our sensual excess, and our shameless opulence, while our discontent souls suffocate in the arid wasteland of spiritual deprivation.

The spontaneous spiritual awakening we are supposed to have no longer occurs as it should for everyone. Some of us become deeply stuck in the reality maze of the modern world and find it difficult to ‘wake up’. Some of us miss our target date, because of life’s distractions and our capacity for free will.

We all will awaken spiritually at some point in this lifetime. As spiritual beings in human form it is inevitable. Unfortunately, this day only arrives for some people towards the end of their journey, sometimes even when they are already on their death bed, because they chose to go through life ignoring the signs and refusing to hear the call. Such a late reconnection means they never have the opportunity to fully self-actualize, individuate and transcend in this lifetime. Therefore they never fully achieve their Soul Purpose, or wholly accomplish their Life Calling. Their Life Plan will remain partly unfulfilled when they depart from this time-space reality.

Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner,
a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest
your innate enlightenment ~ Morihei Ueshiba

Not accomplishing your Life Plan is a tragic act of free will. It is akin to charting an elaborate vacation itinerary before arriving at your holiday destination, with all kinds of plans for outdoor adventures and intentions to go sightseeing and shopping, but then ending up spending the whole trip in your hotel room ordering from room service and watching television. In a similar fashion the unconscious soul spends a lifetime in the semi-conscious state of Divine Disconnection and then returns home mostly ‘empty-handed’.

Fortunately, all is not lost, because the Divine Self has many innovative ways to remind us who we really are when the time draws near for us to awaken. At the end of our lives none of us will be able to claim that we have never received any signs, messages or warnings to emerge from our disconnected slumber. We are invited to reconnect in some way on a daily basis. All we need to do is hear the Inner Calling. The Eternal is Omnipresent. Yet, despite all the messages and signs, many of us choose to remain spiritually deaf and blind. Many choose to continue their unfulfilled half life in a self-imposed spiritual exile… their self-created desert of human suffering. Some are awoken, but then choose to turn their back on the Voice within. Others are eventually forced to awaken through illness, trauma, or tragedy.

Excerpt from: Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny by Anthon St Maarten © 2012

One aspect of spiritual living too seldom addressed is our lack of true appreciation and gratitude for all the blessings in our lives, regardless of our circumstances. Some spiritual seekers tend to be very keen on beating the drum of prosperity, and becoming fixated on the Law of Attraction and manifesting abundance, which is too often merely a thinly disguised obsession with material wealth and earthly comforts.

To Live Gratitude Is To Touch Heaven by Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten

Most of us simply take too much for granted every day. We experience so many blessings of joy, beauty, forgiveness, protection and Divine grace, which we seldom acknowledge in our lives. We always have something to be grateful, or thankful for, no matter how difficult times may be. As a species we are very good at complaining about what we don’t have, but we seem to find it difficult to give thanks for what we do have.

We seldom express our gratitude and appreciation towards those we love and cherish, and we hardly ever remember to share what we have with those who have less – not because we feel obligated, but because we feel so much appreciation that we simply want to share our abundant blessings with others. Charity is not about lending a helping hand; it is about celebrating all that we have, and to share our joy and appreciation.

Research has demonstrated an indisputable connection between gratitude and spirituality. It is no coincidence that gratitude is regarded as a much cherished and valued quality by most world religions, including the Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu Jewish, and Christian traditions. When reviewing the large body of research done on the subject, gratitude seems to play a much more noteworthy role in our happiness and well-being than most other emotions and personality traits.

Several research studies in recent years have shown that people who have a tendency towards higher levels of gratitude also tend to report higher levels of psychological, emotional and physical well-being. People who are grateful have been shown to be happier, more optimistic and more content with their lives. They also appear to have lower levels of stress and depression, and they are more satisfied with their relationships and social interaction with others.

Open your presents at Christmas time, but be thankful year round
for the gifts you receive. ~ Terri Guillemets

Studies have also shown that increased gratitude increases a person’s tendency towards altruism, empathy, helpfulness, and generosity. Grateful test subjects were, for example, more likely to share their money in a financial game with others. It is therefore no wonder that our modern society, with its noticeable lack of gratitude and appreciation, displays such a disturbing shortage of charity, goodwill and compassion.

Another study has shown that grateful people have a greater sense of control over their environment, life purpose, personal growth and self-acceptance. Grateful people also tend to cope well when facing life challenges; they just seem to deal better with problems in general and are much more successful at navigating life transitions. Grateful people also exercise more frequently, sleep better and are even more resistant to viral infections!

It is interesting to note that one study reported major increases in people’s ‘happiness scores’ after they participated in an exercise of writing down their thoughts and feelings of appreciation in a gratitude journal. In fact, the increases in their happiness were so significant during the short experiment of one week that many of the participants chose to continue keeping a gratitude journal.

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time.
Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton

If you only had time to adopt from this book one simple life strategy or lifestyle technique to apply in your life, I would recommend making gratitude your first choice and main aim. Even if you had to ignore everything else in this book, do make an effort to be more grateful. It will change your life.

Gratitude is no doubt encouraged as a popular religious or spiritual sentiment because of its precious ‘side-effects’. The Prophets, Ascended Masters, Teachers and Founders of the diverse world religions brought us messages of encouragement to live our earthly lives with gratitude and appreciation, because they knew its importance in achieving our true Soul Purpose and Life Calling. Living in a state of true appreciation is the key to the expression and fulfillment of your Life Plan. A Divine Life is a grateful life.

When you go to the seaside to enjoy a day on the beach, you do have a choice about how you will perceive and interpret your experience. You may choose to focus on feeling miserable all day and complain about the sand in your shoes, the noisy seagulls, the irritating wind, the smelly seaweed and the hot sun; or you can choose to appreciate the unusual texture of the sand between your toes, mindful of the fact that it was created through mechanical weathering and erosion of rocks, mollusk shells, and coralline algae over billions of years, by way of the cycles of the moon and the tides of the ocean. Our planet is indeed a marvel!

You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness
of your joy and in your days of abundance ~ Khalil Gibran

And then you can set out to build an incredible sand castle to the delight of all the children that pass by, or use the ‘sands of time’ to exfoliate the protective organic miracle that is your skin, while you smile at the comical antics of the seagulls fighting in the distance over a piece of food. Don’t forget to bask in the warmth of the sun, which is perfectly balanced by the coolness and fresh smell of an occasional breeze from the magnificent ocean. Then take a deep breath in deep appreciation and sincere gratitude for this amazing experience that is your Divine Life.

Counting your blessings go way beyond holiday season. Johannes A. Gaertner said, “To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven”. So much to appreciate, and so little time. No need to say ‘thank you’ at this year’s Christmas dinner table. Just live a thankful, grateful life every day of the year.

Adapted from: Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny by Anthon St Maarten © 2012

Distinctive smells have long been associated with a variety of paranormal and psychic phenomena. Many mediums specifically rely on their ability to ‘smell spirit’ in order to validate loved ones who have crossed over, or to identify the presence of spiritual entities.

Clairolfaction - The Gift of Psychic Smell

Some psychics also use smell to gain insight into events of the past, present and future. This unusual ability is known as the extra-sensory ability or psychic gift of clairolfaction. Other interchangeable terms used to identify this ‘clair sense’ is clairosmesis, clairalience, clairessence and clairscent. They all refer to the same psychic ability, namely ‘clear smelling’.

Clairolfaction is a form of extra-sensory perception (ESP) that enables the gifted person to receive psychic or paranormal information by means of ‘psychic smelling’. It is, however, important to note that a person with this ability does not smell any real odors or fragrances. Psychics with this extra-sensory gift are able to ’smell’ beyond the normal range of the smelling sense. There is no physical source for such a smell, and other people in the room would usually not smell anything, unless they are also gifted.

Most psychics and mediums have a combination of extra-sensory abilities* which, apart from the sense of olfaction or smell, may include clairvoyance (vision or seeing), clairsentience (somatosensation or sensing), clairaudience (audition or hearing), clairgustance (gustation or tasting), claircognizance (knowing). Additionally, some experts also prefer to identify two “sub-senses” within the realm of clairsentience, namely clairempathy (emotion or feeling), and clairtangency (tactition or touching, or psychometry).

Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached
through the sense of smell than through any other channel – Oliver Wendell

Clairolfaction is typically accompanied by clairgustance (clear taste). It would make sense that this partnership exists on a spiritual level, since our normal sense of taste and smell also go hand-in-hand. You will therefore find that many clairolfactory psychics also experience associated tastes, together with the relevant smells. Clairalience is also closely associated with clairsentience (clear sensing).

Clairolfactory psychics are in essence able to ’smell energy’. Everything in the Universe consists of energy vibrating at different frequencies. It may very well be that with clairolfaction certain energy vibrations could stimulate the odor-detecting receptors of the human nervous system in people who are gifted. A recent scientific discovery supports this belief. For a long time scientists proposed that our sense of smell is based on the shape of the air-borne molecules that make up different odors. However, scientist Dr Luca Turin proposes that our ability to smell may instead be based on how these molecules ‘quiver and shake’.

Luca believes that the vibrational spectrum of a molecule is the actual property that is detected by the nose, and then interpreted by the brain. In other words, it is possible that our sense of smell is based on vibration, in the same way our ability to see or hear or sense is made possible by our brain’s interpretation of different vibrations.

Experiencing certain smells in the presence of spiritual manifestations is a common occurrence for psychic mediums and paranormal investigators. According to an informal survey of more than 2000 mediums worldwide, it is estimated that approximately 90% of all mediums experience psychic smelling from time to time. Mediums may typically smell things like an aunt’s favorite perfume, or your uncle’s cigarette smoke. This makes it very easy to identify who a spiritual message is coming from.

For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to
recall memories and it’s a pity we use it so little - Rachel Carson

I will never forget the embarrassment I experienced once, on a first date. We were having lunch. After solemnly promising my nervous companion that my work is never allowed to interfere with my personal life, I began to smell the stench of second-hand tobacco smoke. I was annoyed and complained about inconsiderate people puffing away secretly, inside a non-smoking restaurant! Both my date and the waiter must have thought that I was psychologically unstable, because they smelled nothing and there was absolutely nobody smoking anywhere inside that venue.

Driving home from the disaster date, I soon realized what was going on. Whoever was stinking up the restaurant was now chain-smoking inside my car! That evening the culprit made himself known during a mediumship reading. The first thing I said to my client was: “Whoever this guy is that you were hoping to connect with, I can tell you one thing for certain…he must have smoked like a chimney!” She was not sure whether she should laugh or cry. Apparently he smoked two to three packets a day!

But smoke and perfume are not the only smells that psychic mediums experience. We also smell odors associated with places or events. For example, the distinctive smell of someone’s place of work, or their home, or the odor of fireworks or burning candles, for example, which may indicate a certain holiday or celebration. When I do psychic readings I typically experience smells that have no personal association for me, but they are meaningful for my clients. Smells I have encountered include flowers (especially roses), perfume or cologne, cigarette smoke, leather, incense, spices, fresh bread, fast food (hamburgers and pizza), animals (dogs, cats and horses), sea water and wet sand. I find that the smell of roses or flowers often is most intense when someone passed away very recently.

Don ‘t hurry. Don’t worry. You’re only here for a short visit.
So don’t forget to stop and smell the roses – Walter Hagen

At times some of these odors can be very unpleasant, but fortunately that does not happen very often in my case. Foul smells I have had to endure have included urine, dirty laundry and chemicals (alcohol, turpentine and disinfectant). But I have also heard of people smelling even worse things, like ‘burning rubber’, ‘wet dog’ and ‘rotting eggs’! Paranormal investigators sometimes report the smell of sulphur as one of the classic signs of haunting.

But, surely there are other ways for spirit to make contact, especially if a less than pleasant odor is involved? Why does spirit communicate with us through smell? Well, from your own experience you will know that smell is indeed a very powerful sense! It is no accident that we have popular sayings like “I smell a rat” or “she came out of it smelling like roses” or “it smells to high heaven” or “something smells fishy” when we have negative intuitions or gut feelings. Smells have the unique ability to immediately evoke strong emotions within us, or trigger intense memories. Nothing else can so instantly bring back a meaningful moment from the past, or invoke the presence of a special person. It therefore comes as no surprise that so many mediums possess the gift of clairolfaction. It is clearly one of the more powerful ways spirit can validate or clarify whatever message is coming through for us.

Some psychics also know from experience that odor or smell can reflect the state of someone’s health, or aspects of their mood or personality. This is now supported by recent advances in science, which makes it possible to use odor print analysis to detect illness or to identify a person, similar to fingerprinting.

Clairolfaction is especially useful in the fields of holistic health and energy work. Some gifted healers are able to smell the early symptoms of illness or dietary shortages. This can make traditional diagnosis and treatment much less invasive, and far more proactive. Some medical intuitives have the ability to smell disease or identify affected areas of the body through smell. Research in this field is unfortunately limited, but studies have found that dogs, for example, are able to smell the presence of cancer cells in human subjects. In fact, in one study dogs correctly detected 99% of the lung cancer samples, and made a mistake with only 1% of the healthy controls.

Cancer cells emit different metabolic waste products than normal cells. The differences
between these metabolic products are so great that they can be detected by a dog’s
keen sense of smell, even in the early stages of disease – Nicholas Broffman

For me personally the most interesting aspect of my ‘smelling ability’ is the unique odor I smell when I encounter orbs. Spirit often reveals itself to me in the form of floating orbs of light, or what I could describe as ‘flickering light bubbles’ or ‘bundles of fireflies’. These orbs usually bring with them a distinctive smell, which is unlike anything I have ever encountered in ordinary life. The best way I can describe it is that it smells like ‘electricity’, or ‘ozone’. It is not unpleasant, simply unusual. For a long time I had no way of describing it, until I bought a small air purifier. I soon discovered that the faint smell of ozone, which is generated in small quantities by the negative ions from the purifier, was rather similar.

In my experience psychics and mediums develop intuitive associations with certain smells, in the same way we each develop through trial and error our own code of psychic symbols, or attach our own unique meanings to sights, sensations and sounds. A good example in my case is how I always know a stranger is terminally ill when I smell ‘rotting peaches’ in their presence. This association comes from one of my earliest childhood memories when I was about five years old. Visiting my maternal grandparents over the holidays, I was introduced to the neighbors’ sickly little girl who lived across the street. The day we met she was playing behind their house with her teenage brother. He was gently pushing her in a swing attached to a large peach tree. The instant I saw her, it seemed like all the bright sunlight on that perfect summer’s day simply disappeared from the garden. A dark, depressing shadow descended over the home, and I was overwhelmed by a sense of profound sadness and despair. At that moment, the air was thick with the unpleasant odor of rotting peaches lying under the tree. I instantly knew that she was very sick and dying. Years later I heard that she did pass away from leukemia soon after we met.

Sometimes psychic smells also serve me personally. There are, for example, smells I associate with friends or family members that often show up when I am about to hear from that person, or when it becomes necessary for me to make contact with them. I have a long-standing joke with one of my best friends. We have known each other for many years, but do not see each other very often. When I do get around to calling her, she always wants to know if I was smelling coffee again. The aroma of fresh coffee is always a clear sign that it is time for us to meet at our favorite restaurant! Once I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with the unmistakable smell of coffee in the room. I instantly knew she was in trouble and when I finally got hold of her partner, he told me that she had been hijacked earlier that night in her car and was being treated for a minor gunshot wound.

Another of my favorite smells is that of melted candle wax, which I associate with my maternal grandmother. One of her hobbies was to make colored candles for weddings and special events. She always let me ‘help’ her when I was a little boy. She passed away when I was about 10 years old, but since then the smell of candle wax has made her presence known to me on several occasions.

© 2010 Anthon St Maarten

* Anthon was interviewed on the subject of the ‘Clair Senses’ by Psychic Viewpoint on Psychic Access Talk Radio during two broadcasts on August 11, 2011 and October 27, 2011. To listen to the archive recordings visit Anthon’s guest page at Psychic Access Talk Radio.

A yellow butterfly guided me to Blanke Helle, or “Hel’s Pond” during a recent visit to Berlin, Germany. It darted ahead of me all the way from the bus stop in AlboinStraße, until I reached the entrance to the park where lies forgotten, and hidden from public notice, the ancient pagan site sacred to Hela, or Hel, the Norse-Germanic goddess of death and the underworld.

Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten at Hel's Pond (Blanke Helle) in Berlin, Germany

I have been guided by butterflies on a regular basis over the past two years, since the first one appeared to me at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece. I was much encouraged by the sudden presence of this golden, magical creature, because it predicted that my visit to this sacred pagan site would be less somber than I had imagined. Yellow butterflies represent rebirth, new life, transformation and resurrection in several cultures. The Irish believe yellow butterflies to be an indicator of the peaceful transition of departed souls. And in Christian tradition yellow butterflies are symbolic of the Christ’s resurrection from death. They are also regarded as a sign of the presence of angels. Would Hel’s dark waters ultimately leave me with a message of hope?
Hel’s pond is located in the Templehof area of Berlin, which is so named due to its historical association with the Knights Templar. It is a small remnant of what used to be a vast lake surrounded by acres of forest. The murky pond is believed to be the entrance to the underworld and is rumored to have been a place of human sacrifice.

Everyone who has ever built anywhere a new heaven first found the power thereto in his own hell ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

There is an unmarked statue of a gigantic bull overlooking this gateway to “Helheim,” which is a reference to the black bulls Hel used to send from the lake up to the surface. The bulls helped the pagan priest who tended her altar – to toil the land and feed himself. One day the old pagan priest had to retire and he found a Christian monk to take his place. But the Christians soon discontinued the worship of Hel, and she was so angered that she sent one of her black bulls to destroy the monk who refused to maintain her altar. From that day it is said Hel lures her own sacrificial victims to the murky waters of her pond… to claim their lives. She is pretty much known to be a “take charge and do-it-yourself” kind of goddess.

The waters of the pond did seem dark, cold and menacing on the day of my visit in mid-April, but I was soon reminded of its power to regenerate and give birth to new life. All around the pond I found the early signs of spring bursting forth in the blues and yellows of the season’s first wild flowers. It was my intention to visit Hel’s Pond on a previous trip to Europe, but my schedule made it impossible. Standing now at the gateway to the Nordic Netherworld, I understood why Hela chose for me to pay my respects at this time, and not sooner. My previous visit to Berlin was during the height of the summer season. That time of the year would not have conveyed her mythical significance as profoundly as these frosty first days of springtime. The air on the day of my pilgrimage was crisp and icy with a sense of last minute winter despair, and the stark trees remained leafless and gloomy from their frozen sleep, but all around my feet little blooms, butterflies and bees whispered messages of hope, new life, rebirth and resurrection.

I told him I believed in hell, and that certain people, like me, had to live in hell before they died, to make up for missing out on it after death, since they didn’t believe in life after death, and what each person believed happened to him when he died ~ Sylvia Plath

Personally, my favorite aspect of the goddess Hela is the fact that she is supportive of the art of mediumship. The visit to her pond reaffirmed for me the value of my work as psychic medium, as well as my principles and personal beliefs about spiritualism and its practice. Raven Kaldera writes on the online shrine of Hel: “Since then, she has dutifully tended to her Dead, about whom she feels fiercely protective. She looks down on necromancy and other forms of magic used to “bother the Dead”, although she will allow seidhr-workers (Old Norse term for a type of Nordic sorcery) and others who respect her boundaries to enter a special area close to Hel’s Gate, and speak with what Dead wish to come to them.”

At first glance Goddess Hel seems evil and menacing, but her symbolism speaks profoundly of the human condition of impermanence and ephemerality, and her true character reveals deep transpersonal compassion. She is a favorite with artists and traditionally her physical appearance is depicted as blue-grey corpse, or skeleton, on one side of her body, and sensual, beautiful woman on the other… vertically split down the middle. Hela reminds us of the eternal cycles of life, and that death is omnipresent, yet transient. It is not something evil or fearful, but a natural part of our spiritual journey. For this reason she embodies at once both living beauty and rotting flesh.

It seems profoundly appropriate that Hel’s sacred pond is located in the heart of Berlin, because to me she epitomizes the essence of Berlin: the intense dualistic nature of this world city and its dark and enchanting history… right down to its former division by a brick wall. She embodies both Eros (life, love, sexuality) and Thanatos (death, violence, destruction). One of my German friends told me Berlin’s former mayor, Klaus Wowereit, once said, “Berlin ist arm, aber sexy!” Berlin is poor, but sexy. Indeed, she is, just like the Goddess Hela.

Do not fear suffering, She told me, for My blessing to you is courage which bursts forth in its thousand-petaled loveliness from the raw stink of loss and betrayal. Do not fear Me, She said, holding the tip of Her sword at my breast, for it is better to rush upon this blade now than to shrink away from life, in fear ~ Elizabeth Vongvisith

Hela teaches us the spiritual principle of duality: life and death, light and darkness. She raises our awareness of the laws of polarity and contrast. There is not only happiness and joy in our human existence, but also pain, loss and suffering. These are all sacred states of beingness. Contrast is after all what gives life it’s deeper meaning and reveals its true wonders.

In most spiritual traditions there is a myth about descending into the underworld. These myths exist in various cultures and religions all over the world, and they are a universal archetype of leaving the old behind and transcending into the new. Hela invites us to descend fearlessly into her kingdom of the night. The Dark Night of the Soul is a powerful pathway to rebirth and enlightenment. She commands us to not settle for bitterness, self-pity or resentment during times of trial and tribulation. Embrace instead the Divine miracle of your path to greater awareness and understanding. Acknowledge your growing empathy for others and validate and cherish those people who stand by you, for better or worse. There is always much light at the end of every tunnel of life, and someday soon you too shall find that silver lining. Without the contrast created by loss, disappointment or suffering, it is unlikely that we will ever truly treasure the real blessings in our lives.

Goddess Hel also reminds us that nothing lasts forever, that life as we know it is fleeting and impermanent. And although there is life beyond this life, we must live in the fullness of today and its abundant miracles. Hela is known as a no-nonsense deity who has little patience with cowards who waste away their empty lives procrastinating, whining and complaining. Life is after all for the living! It is our duty to make the most of it, instead of merely waiting for the end to come. There is absolutely no worse death curse than the humdrum daily existence of the living dead.

Hail to Hel, queen of Helheim; wisest of wights; keeper of secrets; keeper of the hopes for tomorrow; guardian of souls; implacable one of the frozen realm. Half the face of beauty, half the face of Death, you who feed the dead at your meager table, where everyone gets their fair share. Lady who takes away, yet holds always promise, teach us to praise loss and death and the passing of all things. For from this flux we know your blessings flow ~ Raven Kaldera

Hel’s Pond is not located on the mainstream tourist routes. You will find it at Alboinplatz park on the corner of Kaiserin-Augusta Straße and AlboinStraße in Tempelhof-Schöneberg. If you plan to visit Hel’s Pond, please be aware that to the locals this place is nothing more than just another public park and most may be unaware of the true metaphysical significance of this place. There are no signs or placque to identify it as a historical, much less a sacred site. If you did not know about it you would walk by it completely ignorant of its mythical legacy.

The Bull of Hel by Paul Mersmann is more commonly known as the “largest ox of Berlin”. The enormous sculpture constructed with Rüdersdorfer limestone is nine meters long and seven meters in height. It was erected in the early 1930s by unemployed Berlin sculptors according to Mersmann’s design. Legend has it that a secret cartridge was placed inside the sculpture containing an appeal against Hitler signed by the builders.

A zealous pastor once pointed at me in front of a congregation of churchgoers and said, “You, young man, will someday go into the darkest of places and bring many souls to the Light.” At the time I did not realize that I would first have to drag myself through a dark night of the soul, before his prophecy would finally become manifest and I would be of any real use to anyone else.

Indigo Adults by Psychic Medium Anthon St Maarten

As ethereal and cool as his words may have sounded at the time, the actual journey itself was certainly not a glamorous affair! Yet, I still consider myself to be one of the lucky ones.

I have been asked why my first book, Divine Living, was dedicated to “those Indigo Souls of my generation who may have lost their way.” As a formerly lost, unconscious Lightworker, and one of the seemingly misplaced New Children, it was simply my hope that my experiences might inspire others of my kind. It was my humble attempt at helping to prevent the tragedy of more of us being unnecessarily lost to humanity and our true life purpose.

I am one of the early New Children who arrived on the planet to pave the way for future generations. As a Lightworker, I struggled for many years to find my path and lacked the courage to spread my wings. Those of us who turned up very early, since the end of the Second World War until the advent of the Information Age, did not exactly hit the ground running when we arrived here. Quite the contrary… it was a rather bumpy landing! And it has been a roller coaster ride ever since.

Every spiritual being in human form brings a special talent or unique gift to this world. Yet, we all come into this life with the same basic purpose or mission: to be of service. Some of us are meant to serve the environment or planet, while others are here to serve the animal and plant kingdoms, or our fellow human beings, or the realm of spirit. This mission to serve expresses itself in a unique and distinctive way in each one of us, no matter how simple or grandiose.

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom ~ Anais Nin

And then there are those among us who come with what Doreen Virtue describes as a “global mission”. These are the souls alive on the planet today who are known as the “Lightworkers”. We are also known as the “New Children“, among many other names. We are a generation of souls who have chosen to incarnate at this pivotal time in human history to bring about a new spiritual awareness. We came to be the wayshowers for a new era in human evolution. There are many other labels and belief systems attached to this phenomenon, such as the concepts of Indigo, Crystal, Rainbow and Diamond Children, Empaths, Healers, Starseeds, Walk-ins, Shapeshifters, Mystic Stars, Incarnated and Earth Angels, Lightwarriors, and so forth. No matter what we choose to call ourselves, our essential purpose remains the same. We are here to awaken, to heal, to teach, to guide and to help make the world a better place.

In the foreword of my book, Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny, I single out three individuals whose stories touched me the most. Maybe I chose to do this because I suffer from some form of survivor guilt? There was a time in my life when I also contemplated ending my life like the three people on my dedication list. Some days I am still amazed I actually made it this far, despite everything I endured since childhood. I can only be grateful. What else can I say about this matter that would not sound feeble or totally self-righteous? I really have no words.

The first Indigo soul listed in my dedication was a very close friend, Hilet, who chose to end her life in 2012. Hilet was an unmistakable Indigo Child with an all-embracing love for animals, especially dogs, which I have never observed to such an extent in any other person of my acquaintance. She was a radical when it came to the well-being of animals. Hilet’s premature departure from this world left a void in the cause for animal rights and animal anti-cruelty. I was haunted by disturbing dreams and premonitions about her, and I made numerous attempts to reach out to her in the weeks leading up to her tragic death. But true to her stubborn nature she would let nobody in. Instead she posted a smiling picture of herself on the beach with her dogs, telling her friends and family on Facebook how happy she was at the time. Soon after she was gone. A Lightworker with a sacred mission became lost to us.

Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours ~ Ayn Rand

The second person I mention in the dedication is Jamey Rodemeyer, the budding young activist who committed suicide at the tender age of 14. Jamey lived openly gay and was severely bullied as a result. He posted videos on his YouTube blog to speak out against homophobia and encourage other gay teenagers and victims of bullying to be strong and have faith. “It gets better, I promise!” he bravely told his followers. Soon after, on September 18, 2011, Jamey hanged himself. He had a bright future as a human rights advocate and educator. But another Lightworker with a sacred mission was lost to us.

The singer Amy Jade Winehouse completes my trilogy. Amy has been called “the voice of her generation” and was one of the New Children who was meant to bring a powerful message of healing to the world. She was meant to be a role-model for her generation. She knew from a young age that she was destined for great things; she even wrote a note at the age of 12 stating, “I want people to hear my voice and just… forget their troubles for five minutes.” Amy struggled for years with substance abuse and ultimately died of alcohol poisoning. Another Lightworker with a sacred mission once again lost to us.

I saw a television documentary a few years ago about efforts to save a species of sea turtles from going extinct. These endangered turtles breed once a year on a piece of land near a specific beach. They have traveled to this beach to lay their eggs for centuries, but in recent years a highway has been built through that area, cutting off their breeding grounds from the ocean. Due to property development and human interference, more predators alienated from their habitat are increasingly also scavenging the area for food. After hatching from their eggs, the baby turtles are easy prey and face much danger crossing that busy road. Very few of them ultimately make it back to the ocean. Watching this tragedy unfold on my TV screen made me think of the many Lightworkers who may have lost their way in this lifetime, only to be lost to our cause due to a premature, untimely death.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us….You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world ~ Marianne Williamson

Like those tiny turtles, many of the early arrivals of New Children from my generation did not make it. Arriving here as pioneers, we found ourselves in a hostile, harsh environment which led some of us into very dark places and much danger. Finding our way in this world has not exactly been a walk in the park, and for many the struggle continues. Some could simply not go on and have meanwhile aborted the mission, by ending their own lives, while others remain trapped in tragic, aimless lives of self-imposed suffering, learned helplessness, victimhood, and self-pity, while they self-medicate with drugs, alcohol and over the counter medication. They have forgotten who they really are; they do not know their own strength and power. “Under-staffed” the rest of us continue to break new ground and pave the way for those who have come after us, and will continue to come. It’s a sometimes dirty job, but someone has to do it, because there are more and more of us arriving each day.

We have a sacred duty to be our brother’s and sister’s keeper. We must reach out to each other and offer the necessary support and guidance. We need to stand together in our efforts, and we must especially take better care of the young ones. The Lightworkers and New children of our generation did not come into this world to be victims. We came to be warriors, to be pioneers. Remember who you are. There is much work to be done, much courage to be mustered. Be brave my fellow Indigo. Stay strong. We need all hands on deck.

Free Your Mind, Find Your Bliss

The Myth of Spiritual Life Lessons

Living A Life Of Increase

The Powerful Magic Of Being Authentic

Journey Born Under A Divine Star

In The Powerful Presence Of The Maiden Goddess

A Sign From Apollo At The Delphic Oracle

The Shaman’s Schmetterling In Gottsdorf

Empath Unplugged At Bath Spa

The Disappointed Jesus In London

From The Inner Circle At Stonehenge

The Twelve Archetypal Secrets Of Sacred Love

Chasing Rainbows In A House Of Mirrors

Finding Your Soul Purpose

The Rise Of A New Spirituality

The Divine Disconnect

To Live Gratitude Is To Touch Heaven

Clairolfaction – The Gift Of Psychic Smell

A Message Of Hope From Hel’s Pond

Be Brave My Fellow Indigo