More Than Words Challenge

I know it has been a while since I post anything creative, I already started on this page a while ago, but some other things came in between, well on the last day of the challenge I managed to finish it. The challenge on More Than Words was to used black and white + one more color, I only used some silver gems on it ( not sure if silver count as a color) , and the word "Dream" , well since the most posts on my blog are about dreamin' this was an easy one.

Spiritual Teachers

Today's blog is all about teaching.  I want to tell something about spiritual teachers. I know for some people it will sound strange or they might not believe but Prince has been my spiritual teacher from the end of May 2016 until the beginning of February 2017.  I  already had that feeling myself and it was confessed by a medium. So despite of what you all think and of what you believe, this is what it is, and I hope you will still continue reading about my spiritual journey and the things he has teached me and showed me around the spiritual realm, which he all did very well and for which I have been very thankful. I still have no idea why I had the privilege of being one of his students, but I felt very honoured and still do. No one can take these experiences anymore away from me. 

https://endless-satsang.com/spiritual-teacher-mentor.htm

A spiritual teacher/mentor’s role is unique in that the goal is not to transmit knowledge or understanding as much as it is to somehow bring about a recognition in the student of the student’s own pre-existing nature. This is a much more subtle thing than simply teaching someone a skill or understanding. It is not that a spiritual teacher never provides spiritual teachings or knowledge or understanding, but that knowledge or understanding by itself is not the goal. A student can have a broad knowledge of spiritual principles, and yet can still not have truly recognized those principles as being inherent in his or her own being. So spiritual teachers or mentors may teach a lot or they may not teach anything, depending on what the student needs in that moment to experience this deeper recognition of their own true nature.

This may seem like a subtle distinction between the role of a spiritual teacher and a regular teacher, but it makes a huge difference. The regular teacher usually has something specific to transmit, and there is often an implied assumption that the student will have more understanding or be better off when the teaching is completed. But the spiritual teacher is pointing to something that is already present in the student. It is like teaching someone to have shoulders. You can’t really teach the having of shoulders to someone who already has shoulders! But you can make them more aware of the shoulders they already have.

So the teaching function of a spiritual teacher operates on the relative level until it’s simply no longer needed because the student has realized his or her deeper nature.

Lastly, there’s the question of surrender and/or devotion to the spiritual teacher. Is it necessary to completely give up all control and direction to the spiritual teacher in order to receive the deepest benefit of their teaching? In a word the answer is no. It’s not necessary. It does sometimes serve especially within the context of a long term committed relationship with a particular teacher who is of the highest level of integrity, but it’s not absolutely necessary. All of the true nature being pointed to is already present in the student. There is nothing that the teacher has to give you or take from you for the recognition of this deeper nature to occur. Anytime there is a surrender or insistence on total devotion, there is also equally a danger of misuse and abuse of that power. Beware of any teacher who demands this kind of total surrender. The truth can be freely given, as it is limitless, and doesn’t need to be guarded or doled out only to a few.

However, there is another form of devotion or love that can naturally arise within the teacher/student relationship which is the immense gratitude that arises when the truth is seen. And while ultimately, every experience is our teacher and with the fullest realization there is gratitude for all of existence, there can also be a natural deep appreciation for the apparent person who has pointed you to that truth. It’s a strange kind of gratitude as you are grateful to them for everything and nothing, but it is there nonetheless. So if there is a human teacher, there may be this gratitude and love that arises in response to the gift of spiritual teaching they have shared with you. But of course at that point there is no need for surrender or giving up of control, and a true teacher or spiritual mentor doesn’t need devotion or surrender from anyone, even if it does arise.

The true spiritual teacher is here simply to serve your own recognition of your true nature. The final measure of his or her functioning in this capacity is the degree of your own depth of realization. The rest is relatively unimportant unless it serves this simple but subtle goal.

Here's a part from the following book; 

Living the Illumined Life:

So it is that student and teacher are free. The teacher is free to travel the world and not feel that he has to stay in any one place for any person or group of persons. In a relationship of that kind, a great love develops between the teacher and the student, a real love and friendship. The bond is a spiritual one, but each one is free. 

The bond between a spiritual teacher and student is a bond of divine love, not human love. 

The major function of a teacher is to live so high in consciousness that he is enabled to lift up those who come to him and lift them high enough so that they may have access to the kingdom of God within their own being, an access which they could not have through their mind, through the intellect, through taking thought. You have access to the kingdom of God only as you are lifted into the realm which is above mind, above thinking, above the intellect. And it is only those who have gone a step beyond you who can lift you to that place.

By the end of July 2016 I was on vacation in France and I noticed that I had lost some weight and really needed new clothes and a new bikini. I didn't do any diet, it just happened, see my earlier post (March 10th) about Spiritual Awakening. I saw this bikini in a French shop which I immediately was drawn to, but I thought I was too old to wear such one, but something in me said; you should take this one. Finally I did buy it, first time I wore it at the pool, I had the feeling everybody was looking. Then one night I had this dream in which Prince appeared again. He was wearing his eighties look, the big wild curls and the white lace outifit. He was on stage and all I could do was stare at him, I just couldn't take my eyes off him, when he saw me he started to do the same with me. He stared at me all the time, which made me feel so uncomfortable and I woke up. 

But even that it didn't felt good in my dream, the days after I had such a good feeling about myself, I didn't know where that feeling came from. I wore my bikini and clothes with much pride, I put on more make-up then I usually did, and I really had no idea why I did all this, the only thing was,  that I had the feeling that there was constantly someone walking beside me, whispering in my ear that I looked wonderful. I know it sounds weird, and I never had this before. 

I think that dream was all about giving me confidence, just the confidence I needed, not only for myself to be aware that I was just as pretty as others, but also the confidence about my gift, to let me know I could see and hear more than others. Prince was a small guy, but despite of that he had so much confidence while on stage, therefore he showed me the white lace outfit I think. Well I have to say that after this dream my confidence climbed from 5 till 10 in just one day, lol. So the first lesson he teached me was; having confidence in several ways. 

Yes you can call me weird if you don't believe this has happened, believe what you want to believe, wait until you will read my other messages. My gift is becoming stronger and stronger each time and I feel so blessed. I feel good about myself, and since then people around me noticed that I have changed but they don't know why or what happened. It is good to hear compliments several times a week from different people around you.

So keep the confidence, take care, bless you all xxx

My Special Trip To Paisley Park

I know it has been a while since I wrote a blogpost. I started with a post three weeks ago but it wasn't finished and then I went on my biggest trip, which I had waited for so long, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA to visit Paisley Park. So I decided that now I'm back I will share a little about this trip instead of starting with another dream, because besides emotional, this trip was also spiritual.

As you might know I am a huge Prince fan (actually fam, he didn't like the word fan, because it's short for "fanatic", instead he always used the word "fam" , we are all members of his Purple Family , that is what he called us). Because I have never been able to see him in concert I knew immediately that I had to go to visit his home, Paisley Park, to be as close as I could be. So two weeks ago it was finally time for my trip.

Because he was a spiritual person as well, I was almost as sure that I would feel him around somewhere in his house or maybe even around the city. I already heard from people who had visited Paisley Park that they felt him around very strongly.

When my plane landed I already felt close to him, just being in his country and in his city, it was just like that I already could feel him around everywhere. I know this might sound strange, but that's truly how I felt. I immediately felt at home in Minneapolis, not the typical American city. I loved the quietness that I found there, something totally different than the rushy streets in Holland. Sometimes the streets were even empty, people and police were riding bikes, people took their bike on the bus or tram, the people were friendly everywhere, there were trees and lots of lakes and rivers. I totally can understand why he never wanted to leave that city, he could be who he want to be, not the famous artist, but he could be who he was, just Prince, a man like any of us, who just had become more famous than he ever wanted to be. 

The day we went to Paisley Park was magical. It was so surreal to see it in real life. It looked much smaller than on the photo's I had seen. When we walked in, I didn't feel like a nosy stranger, I immediately felt very welcome. he used to invite his fams to his home for parties, or just for hanging out telling them about music. There was everywhere this thick carpet where your feet completely sink into it, there were candles everywhere and felt couches with lot's of pillows on it. This really felt like home, but not the home of a superstar, except for all the awards and golden and platinum records on the walls. As soon as we walked into the Atrium there was a minute of silence in front of his urn, which was hard, but for some reason I could handle it. One of his doves, Divinity, was hopping in her cage, Majesty, has died last January, exactly 9 months after Prince, on the same date. They used to make noises when he was at home, he even give them credits on a song, lol. Since Prince passed they have been very quiet. As we were standing there, Divinity was very quiet, saying just nothing. We walked the many rooms and hallways, trying to put everything we saw into our minds, so we would not forget. I was so busy looking around at all his clothes, guitars, pictures and so on, that I almost forgot if I already felt him somewhere, but as soon as we walked into studio A, the biggest one, with lots of wood on the walls and on the floor, I felt this heavy pressure coming down on me and I immediately knew it was his spirit. I know this feeling, I have had it before, and I always knew some spirit is around me. It feels like you are laying down and a big piece of concrete is on your chest which makes it hard to breath. Well that's how I can best describe the feeling, and believe me, it was a very heavy pressure, I really had a hard time breathing, I just stood there and wasn't able to move around the room, then suddenly our guide said; hey do you hear the dove ?? Wow, the dove was making noises, which meant he was around. As soon as we walked out of that room the pressure was gone. Boy, he was so close in that room, but I felt great that I had that experience.

Here some pictures from Studio A: 

See what the reporter says about this same room; you can feel the presence of energy in here. That's the same as two of his half-sisters and his sister tell in the video I share below. Very weird we all sensed it in the same room, it was his fave recording studio, so probably because he has spend most hours in this room, he still hangout around there, which mean to me that he wasn't ready to go, I hope justice will be " just around the corner", (took this sentence from his movie "Graffiti Bridge" which was a spiritual movie)

Here's something I found on the internet confessing what I just explained above; 

When a human Spirit is present, each one of us has a unique sensation that we experience.

You may feel a heaviness or pressure around you or over your head.

A heat in the air or tingly sensation on your arms and back.

( https://www.amandalinettemeder.com/blog/2014/1/27/how-to-sense-spirit )

After that we went to some other rooms and finally watched him in concert during the Superbowl in 2007, goosebumps all over, it's so hard to believe he's no longer with us, he wasn't ready, he was working on a new album, there were tours planned, he was supposed to come to Europe last November/December including Holland. Before we walked into the merchandise tent where we also had the opportunity to eat, we stopped by a wall where they have put up lot's of memories the fams had put up on the fence around Paisley Park last year. They took everything down and made a wall with it inside Paisley Park, of course not everything fits on that wall, so the rest they've put away and will be placed in an album. Standing by that wall looking at all those precious memories his purple family left there made me weak and I realized he will never walk here again,  me and my friend stood there for a while, holding each other and crying, he was so loved by his fams, I hope he know he was, he will be missed forever, there will never be another one like him.

We took a break before the dance party would start, we ate some from the menu his former cook make, it were his favorite dishes on the menu. I tried the pizza and smoothie and also tasted a little from the curry and black rice and the bread with Dutch cheese and apple. Then we walked among the merchandise, I saw they also sold the peanut/rice candy bar, this was exactly what I had seen in one of my dreams. I just needed to buy one of those, but I am not going to eat it. I haven't told about this dream yet, and I still don't know if I will, it depends on if he want me to. So therefore I cannot tell why I will not eat it or why I bought it.

After eating we went back to the dance party, it was amazing, one time after the dj played "Let's go crazy" everybody started to applaud, goosebumps again, like he was on that stage for real. It didn't feel that I was at a dance party, I had the feeling I really joined a concert. I had another spiritual experience during the dance party, I had my arm laying down on the table where we sat, and suddenly I felt it moving, like someone hit into the table, but nobody was there, then I felt that someone pulled my shirt, I looked behind me and nobody was there again. The feeling between the fams is priceless, I wonder if there are more artists who's fans share the same as the Purple Family does. The bond between all of us is very close, and you know what, most Purple Family members are all spiritual people, I think that's what bound us together, his music, his spirituality and our love for  the man behind the music. I have never explore this kind of feeling and I had to wait for this 30 years, but I am so grateful that I finally have found my Purple Family and can finally share my memories with all of them. He will be in my heart 4ever. 

 

This photo is where we had the dance party, the dj played music on the stage, in the middle there were also tables to sit, in front of the stage you were able to dance, there were about 60 people during the party.

Here's a little info I found about feeling a spirit, the part that's interesting I have added in red; 

Many of you have wondered about how you can tell the difference between the times when your imagination is working overtime or you have had a real spirit visit.

If you have a pet in your home and they start acting strangely, then you can be pretty sure that you have a visitor from the other side.  But there are other signs, goosebumps and unexpected waves of cold air are also indications… candles suddenly flickering when there is no draft to affect them, lights dimming, objects falling unexplanably… or you might feel a tap on the shoulder, someone brushing your cheek, touching your arm… or you could hear your name or a knock at the window, or smell tobacco burning when no one is around.

The next day we went to see the house from Purple Rain. It was a beautiful and sunny day, we enjoyed some sightseeing around that neighborhood were some scenes from the movie were recorded. We walked around the house and took several pictures, we met some more Purple Family members, who also had been at the dance party the day before, and we recognized each other, funny thing to say is that the first thing they asked us; did you feel him at Paisley Park ? Yes we sure did ! When I was back home I looked at my pictures on the computer and noticed some orbs on this photo. Orbs represent energy of spirits. You should take a look at your own photo's you will be surprised that you might find some here and there, they are always around us. But it was funny to see that this was the only picture they were on.

Here's what I found about orbs in a picture; 

A lot of people are capturing orbs in their phones and cameras, orbs have always been there but due to the fast speed of iPhone’s and cameras we can see them more easily and mush more quickly as we no longer need to get films processed and developed anymore.

So what are these balls of light? They are spirit and they are just letting us know that they are around us. They can often be seen in family photos taken at birthdays, Christmas, weddings and christenings. They want to say that they are still part of the family but just in another world and that they have never really left you.

 (https://www.suenicholson.co.nz/10-signs-that-spirit-is-trying-to-communicate-with-you/ )

While there is still a lot to be discovered and learned about orbs, it is clear that legitimate orb sightings represent the presence of some form of energy and that energy can represent spirit. If you spot an orb, or a group of orbs in your photographs or with the naked eye, don’t discount it. A spiritual presence may be with you and attempting to communicate with you.
( http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/articles/what-are-orbs.aspx )

 If you would like a little more about Paisley Park, here's a video I found on youtube where you see a lot of things I have seen there, ofcourse I have seen more rooms than they are showing in this video, but listen to what his sisters say about studio A; they could feel him in there, and even the reporter mention that he could feel presence, isn't that awesome !

I will be coming back to Paisley Park and to Minneapolis, I fell in love with that city and I haven't seen everything that I wanted to see, I also would visit Paisley Park a second time because there is so much to see, you can't see all and remember all things you have seen. But for now my mind is filled with beautiful memories, and even I never have seen him in concert, which I of course regret, I really felt that this visit to his house was even more close than any concert could be !

To end with some of his words; love 4 1 another, peace & be wild.