​OCEAN/Big 5

Responding to the INFJ post, Chris German wrote:

The Myers Briggs typology is interesting but I find it puts us in a box too much. The only personality rating that is backed by science is the OCEAN/big 5 personality rating. The Big 5 treats human personality much more like a list of ingredients in certain quantities than a baked cake as typology personality ratings do.

What aspects of personality change due to spiritual evolution?

One discovery made from answering the 120 questions of the OCEAN/Big 5 test is that aspects of my personality have changed due to my spiritual work.

For example, anger was an underlying issue for me all my life — but I was able to honestly and appreciatively answer on the test that it is no longer so. Also, I am far less reactive and generally softer and less judgmental towards others. The changes came from the conscious choices made in my spiritual work.

I am interested to read comments from others about their experience with taking the OCEAN/Big 5 test. The test can be accessed by clicking on the image above. Portions of the summary are shown in visuals below. By taking a short survey, a 30 page report is downloadable free of charge.
​

If mindfulness is having no preferences and personality is the sum of an individual's preferences, does it follow that a mindful person has no personality?

It is not so simple, of course. However, what makes this worthy (to me) of deeper inquiry is the glimmer of light I've seen in the choice of living from other than the personality, as in 'The Impersonal Life,' a book anonymously written.

What brought this home was an insight sparked by discussion group interactions on the question of 'What is your personality type?', including comments such as:

Elizabeth Hill 
Interesting. I would love to see someone delve into this topic of spirituality and the different personality types. I would be curious to know how my type in particular has influenced my spiritual evolution.

Kathleen Nowlin Morrison 
I'm an INFP too --- but this has recently begun to make me wonder...for almost all my planets in astrology are considered male/extroverted/assertive -- whichever word one might use to describe the sign they fall in. Anyone know if there should be a connection?

Chris German 
The Myers Briggs typology is interesting but I find it puts us in a box too much. The only personality rating that is backed by science is the OCEAN/big 5 personality rating. The Big 5 treats human personality much more like a list of ingredients in certain quantities than a baked cake as typology personality ratings do.

Earlier in my writings, I related to the inner landscape as the realm of the psyche; the soul; the mind, will and emotions.

Without thought, I suddenly realized it is the rich land of the authentic nature, the greater self, the unmoved mover, the One Being, the PMF (Present Moment Frequency) and the 'constant sun beaming unconditional love.' These are what – not who – I am. The inner landscape is devoid of personality. 

My Work is to live from that inner landscape rather than from personality, as much as possible. It is a choice, an act of will, not a personal preference. 

While writing the above, I ran out of words like a creek running into a dry bed, and closed the laptop to read from 'Mystery of the White Lions' by Linda Tucker, whose words flowed right from mine. On page 251, it says:

"Shamans, who see the fast-approaching future, believe our earth is on the brink of catastrophe because the actions of its human inhabitants have brought about critical insability. I concur with this thinking. There are causes, reasons, and consequences, the patterns of which are identifiable — if we simply open our eyes and our consciousness.

"To speak of lions 'forewarning' implies that they bear a 'consciousness.' I believe this to be so. Yet, rather than ego-consciousness (g. - an aspect of personality) so familiar to humankind, I believe that they carry the consciousness of the Original Source, the Creator identifiable with the solar Logos. Like the shamans of Africa, I accept that the White Lions are agents of light: Lions of God.

"In this way, the words of the spirit master gradually became clear to me: 'When man destroys the agents of light in his world, he freezes consciousness.' Humankind's mismanagement of its planet, and the consequences of this mismanagement, have instilled fear on earth, and for good reason.

"The thought of an Ice Age, of imminent apocalypse and global catastrophe is frightening in the extreme, yet the White Lions' message to us is not to succumb to our fear. They are here as the symbol we might draw upon to overcome this fear — and change the consciousness that is heading us into devastation. As the symbol of the heart of humankind, they are here to teach us the power of being brave and truly lionhearted. We as a species can evolve — not only physically, but ultimately also spiritually. We can overcome fear by summoning principles of courage, faith, and love. Love, in shamanic understanding, is faith in a divine presence. It is the knowledge that we are not alone, that we are all connected, we are all One.

"Caught in the treadmill of our consumer societies, we might feel impotent against the ongoing destruction of our earth. This is not so. I do not believe that we are helpless. We become intensely powerful and effective once we start believing in the light within us (g. - the inner landscape, the 'what,' not 'who' we are,) and allow this inner light to guide us toward the right action.

"There are many ways to reconnect. We might not choose the White Lion as our symbol. Our totem might be the doves that we feed at Trafalgar Square, or the stray ct that we rescue along the road, or the vegetables that we plant in our garden, or even the crystal that we cherish as a light-radiating stone in our house. There are many ways to reinvest in our earth and its riches. There are many ways to give something back for what we have received. The important thing is to start make the connections, and the interconnections.

"The truth is that we can make a difference.

"The very first step is to confront, and overcome, our own fears. Fear can hold us back from believing in our own inner radiance. The lion symbol is not a lifeless statue  in bronze or marble guarding the entrances of our state buildings. It is alive. It lives in the courage and truth and light of every one of us. Like Christ himself, and all the other avatars of light who walked this planet in physical form, the White Lions are here on earth as a beacon to guide us to reclaim that light within us (g. - to live from what we are, the rich land of the inner landscape.)"

Reflecting on personality types gave me this last jewel of an insight. Following are excerpts regarding the non-preference of mindfulness. There is more to be uncovered, ahead.

'Having no preference, desire, or aversion, engage mindfully and attend to whatever thoughts and sensory images appear. With your awareness like space, simply be present, without reacting to any appearances. Release any grasping tendencies, allowing your awareness to remain in its own place. Attend to whatever arises in the present moment, without distraction, grasping, or aversion, and sustain an unwavering flow of mindfulness.' - 'The Four Applications of Mindfulness' by B. Alan Wallace

'Again, zazen is the practice of unhooking from our preferences, our stories of ... If we are enlightened, we sit still in the middle of enlightenment with no preference.' - 'Handbook of Zen, Mindfulness, and Behavioral Health' by Akihiko Masuda

"There is a Buddhist teaching attributed to the Chinese Zen patriarch Jianzhi Sengcan call Faith – Mind. It opens with the lines, 'The great way [towards liberation] is not difficult for those who have no preferences. Like not, dislike not. Be illuminated.'"  - 'Judgment Vs. Discernment: Moving from Preferences to Wisdom' by Forrest Hill

​Clive Pardoe 
Its perfectly natural to like and dislike things or circumstances, its called "being human." What the teaching overlooks is the wiser council that we should not have overly strong attachments to our preferences.

Gary R. Smith
I really 'like' this, Clive Pardoe. At least, it is useful to allow oneself to have preferences without attachment. To me, "Being filled with 'what I am' and detached from 'who I am' is the ultimate mindfulness." - Emanate Presence

'Who I am' has preferences. 'What I am' does not.

Elizabeth Hill 
Interesting. I would love to see someone delve into this topic of spirituality and the different personality types. I would be curious to know how my type in particular has influenced my spiritual evolution.

Gary R. Smith
We could delve together. I just wrote a response on Practical Metaphysics, where my post is also published. That has a different angle than your question, but it feels related. I need more time to ponder the connection between spiritual development and one's personality type.

Following my response to Kathleen is an expansion of my earlier comments, which may also apply.

Kathleen Nowlin Morrison 
I'm an INFP too --- but this has recently begun to make me wonder...for almost all my planets in astrology are considered male/extroverted/assertive -- whichever word one might use to describe the sign they fall in. Anyone know if there should be a connection?

G. - To better understand your question, I searched for further explanation of the difference between my primary personality type, INFJ, and yours, INFP (with which I am borderline). I am not clear why you feel there is a contradiction between your personality type and your astrological tendencies. I found this:

'The fourth criterion, Judging – Perceiving, reflects how a person implements the information he or she has processed. Judging means that a person organizes all of his life events and, as a rule, sticks to his plans. Perceiving means that he or she is inclined to improvise and explore alternative options.'

Based on my experience of myself rather than the test results, in the above point I am more INFP. This did not clarify your question for me, so I will use some thinking/feeling process.

My wife and I both tested INFJ. Her astrological sign is Leo, with a Capricorn ascendant. Mine is Gemini, with a Taurus ascendant. Culturally, she is from the former East Germany and I am from Colorado, mid-western America.

Genetics and environment of upbringing are strong contributing factors, of course. Our approaches to many things and ways of thinking are very different, even conflicting or polar opposites, but in our spiritual depths we are the same. One might think that with the same personality type we would be more alike in our ways of relating and acting. But, we human beings are complex!

Introversion is complex in itself. Elaine Aron wrote that what Jung termed introversion is in many persons actually high sensitivity. She began researching high sensitivity in 1991 and also calls it Sensory-Processing Sensitivity (SPS, the trait’s scientific term). She offers a free self test from her site.

Not that this addresses your question, which still eludes me. I feel there is more to this, and it is worthwhile to explore. If you agree, would you please share with me your astrological sign and ascendant and tell me how you see its tendencies conflicting with your personality type?

Expanded Thoughts

The inner landscape where I do my Work is devoid of personality. It is the rich land of the authentic nature, the greater self, the unmoved mover, the PMF (Present Moment Frequency) and the 'constant sun beaming unconditional love.' These are what – not who – I am.

The inner landscape and the personality are connected — like the earth is to the weather on its surface. In balance, the personality expresses the inner landscape, and the constant sun within beams warmth through the personality 'without.'

Personality types are likened in a metaphorical sense to sixteen micro-climates connected and more or less aligned with the inner landscape. This is not evident in human activity due to 'weather disturbances' between the inner landscape and individual personalities. Most live the 'who,' not the 'what' they are.

Within personality type micro-climates are localized weather patterns of individual and collective thoughts and emotions, which sometimes collide and create storms for cleansing or destruction. Living from the inner landscape (the what) can calm the storm (the who) and bring the light of day.

G. - Kathleen, you wrote, 'First off, I want to thank you both very much for taking time to respond.'

You are very welcome. After all, from my perspective, you are me and I am you and whatever any of us does to help one another on their journey helps all.

All any of us can do, when reaching out to help others, is offer what we know from our own realm of experience. A shaman offers words from her world, an astrologer from his, a religious person from still another perspective. Sometimes their worlds overlap. On my journey, I have developed a way of seeing that is unlike any I have encountered. Not that it is unique, I just don't know of another like it. And it continually evolves. Until yesterday, whenever I used the term 'inner landscape,' I meant it as the human psyche. 

But yesterday 'something happened,' and suddenly, without thinking, I realized the inner landscape is 'the rich land of the authentic nature, the greater self, the unmoved mover, the PMF (Present Moment Frequency) and the 'constant sun beaming unconditional love.' These are what – not who – I am.' 

Now it is clearer to me that my work is to live and act from that inner landscape, which is devoid of personality. I am not saying this is the way for anyone else, only that it is the way I am on. What may be more difficult for 'others' to accept is that there is only one inner landscape. It is not yours and mine, because we are connected to one and the same. This is an unfolding realization.

You wrote, 'So much so that I am in constant protection mode because I take on emotions that are not even mine to the point they are harmful and I actually feel ownership of them. Not sure if that makes sense....'

It makes sense. I am much the same, and my wife is as sensitive as you indicate you are, so I have first-hand experience with it.

You wrote, 'I need to find a way to use that Mercury and communicate without hiding my true self.'

Blessings on your journey!

INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn.

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people — a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood — particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type (possibly by the dominance of the introverted N function).

This empathy can serve as a classic example of the two-edged nature of certain INFJ talents, as it can be strong enough to cause discomfort or pain in negative or stressful situations. More explicit inner conflicts are also not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, there can sometimes be a "tug-of-war" between NF vision and idealism and the J practicality that urges compromise for the sake of achieving the highest priority goals. And the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings.

Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall,  INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields. Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of "hard logic", and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences. However, the significant minority of INFJs who do pursue studies and careers in the latter areas tend to be as successful as their T counterparts, as it is *iNtuition* -- the dominant function for the INFJ type—- which governs the ability to understand abstract theory and implement it creatively.

In their own way, INFJs are just as much "systems builders" as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ "systems" are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually "blurrier" than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted — yet it is these same underlying reasons which make the resulting contributions to society so vital and profound.

Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists — INFJs gravitate toward such a role — are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.

INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden.They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless.The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ.

"There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.

INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.

Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.

(INFJ stands for Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging and represents individual's preferences in four dimensions characterising personality type, according to Jung's and Briggs Myers' theories of personality type.)

A twin flame connection is a force that will single-handedly change your life.

This type of connection is based in stardust and the blood fallen from the hard-earned tears of effort that we take on in this lifetime — it’s the union of two souls who have no understanding of time.

A twin flame connection is the belief that in the beginning of creation we were light — flames of energy that were separated and placed into two separate bodies. These bodies change over the course of several lifetimes, but the souls always remain the same, and they spend most of their lives working their way back toward one another and learning from each other.

There is no other aspect we encounter in our lives that has the ability to not only change our life direction — but our soul as well.

The beauty is that twin flames change us with love so effortlessly that we find ourselves shedding the life we knew, before we even realized that we had outgrown it.

For those who have experienced the uniqueness of this connection, we know that all others cannot compare to their grace and originality. This is the very reason that we sometimes have a hard time understanding and accepting that just because this connection came into our lives, it doesn’t mean that we are supposed to join in this lifetime.

Unfortunately for most of us, the life purpose of the twin flame connection is not to join together, but to come in, stir up one another’s lives and then retreat back into the shadows.
 
Their purpose is to change our lives — not to always become a permanent part of them.

This is such a difficult concept to grasp, because nothing in the world has prepared any of us for what this connection feels like, or how it pulls us in stronger than the moon on the tides. But the reality is that if this connection wasn’t as powerful, it wouldn’t be able to serve its ultimate purpose for our destiny.

There isn’t any way to awaken without a catalyst.

We can’t be propelled from the mediocre into the chaos of ascension. Only the one who has the map of our soul will be able to pull us out of our hiding places, so that we can begin our true journey of finding ourselves.

Through their ability to know exactly what buttons to push, and which parts of ourselves get stuck on the desires of our egos, only they are able to see where we need to grow and how best to accelerate that for our overall soul development.

Because there isn’t any way for us to grow into who we are meant to be if we don’t leave behind who we were only pretending to be.

There’s a break that occurs through this process; it shatters us into a million pieces, and it’s not always one that we are comfortable with or want to be awakened to.

It’s a definable shift that marks a before and after in our lives, and a knowing that even if we wanted to be, never again will we be the same people. No one else in our life is able to initiate that process but our twin flame.

Our twin flame is our counterpart; a twin flame is the balance of darkness and light, and the beautiful magic that occurs when the divine feminine and masculine become strong enough to be able to grow into each other’s energies.

It’s the meeting of our person, the fire that burns and the magic that attracts.

The thing is though, that some of us are meant to join in this lifetime together—but it won’t happen until we have accepted the process of ascension that they have created in our lives.

And it won’t happen if we are still clinging to the outcome and love like we would with an earthly love.

This is because our souls know if we are going to be caged or do the caging, and as long as we haven’t learned all that we have needed to, we will continually unconsciously push our twin away because they can sense we aren’t ready.

This means that we first have to recognize that it’s freedom that we alone crave, and that perhaps all along it’s what we have been working toward. The other possibly equally important aspect is that we need to encourage our twin to be free as well.

In this process, we won’t become overly fixated on the outcome—nor will we judge our togetherness by traditional standards. Instead, we might just realize that this kind of love is made of moments, and maybe it’s a collection of these times that determines what this connection becomes, rather than the twins themselves.

It’s the ability to step back and recreate what we thought was possible through the formation of the unknown into the tangible. It wants our lover to be free and happy more than we need to have our egos satisfied, and it’s about finding that balance for both of them, so that they might move together toward their ultimate soul’s purpose.

There is no denying the overwhelming magic that can occur when two twins choose each other, but even if they don’t, it doesn’t mean that the connection hasn’t served its purpose.

It only means that one or both twins weren’t ready, but the thing we also have to remember is that time is irrelevant for these loves, so what seems impossible today may suddenly move into fruition tomorrow.

And so, at the end of it all, all we can really do is our own soul’s work on our self and allow the one we love to remain as free as possible.

“Beneath the moon’s intimacy, she desired no one else’s shadow to dance with her, but his.” ~ writtenbyhim

~

​​About Kate Rose

Kate Rose is an artist, free thinker, lover, writer, passionate yogi, teacher, mother, rule breaker, and rebel. She can usually be found walking barefoot in the moonlight between worlds with the dreams of stars still hanging in her hair, swaying her hips to the music of life and smelling of sweet bourbon and honeysuckle. She lives for adventure and wakes each morning with the excitement of a new day waiting to unfold at her feet. She truly believes the best is yet to come and waits, with bated breath, to see what it may hold. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and find more of her words on her website.

It seems that we often confuse amazing and easy.

We run from chaos and then wonder why mediocrity bores us — yet, in terms of love, the twin flame connection will ruin you from the outside in so that you might begin fulfilling your soul contract.

~
In this life, we all start off on the path that we think we should be on; but, in truth, sometimes that differs greatly from where our souls are supposed to be. We make choices based on our upbringing and familial conditioning, never pausing to consider if we are following our own hearts or the expectations of those closest to us.

That is where twin flames enter our lives.

These types of soul contracts arise with the purpose of upsetting the status quo so that we might be redirected on the path of our hearts. This means they will ruin relationships, marriages, careers —essentially anything and everything that keeps us small. 

Twin flames don’t reunite instantly, because the love and relationships they find themselves in are actually byproducts of the actual growth and journey that is the entire purpose of the union. Twins are supposed to trigger one another, bother and upset each other, and cause havoc.

But only because there isn’t any way to become who we are meant to be by remaining who we were.

Many times it seems twins think they’ve messed up their relationship with their counterpart. They think that “not now” is “never,” and that they have done or said the wrong thing, permanently pushing their twin away.

~

Yet, the reality is that will never occur.

There is no way to truly screw up and lose a twin flame connection, even if, at times, it may feel that way. Twins often need to travel through the beginning phases of awakening and ascension alone, and so there may be long breaks in the journey, hurtful words, and triggered egos but there will never be a way to truly ruin the sacred union between these two.

This means that not only will everything happen in divine timing, but also that we can’t ever really mess up what is meant for us. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that there is an ultimate plan for each one of us, possibly one that has been arranged prior to coming to Earth in this lifetime.

Yet, it’s only our fear of greatness that holds us back from realizing our own.

In twin flame dynamics, it’s supposed to be rocky. The runner is supposed to leave multiple times, and the chaser is supposed to feel abandoned—unless these souls move through these specific dynamics there is ultimately no way that they will be triggered enough to engage in the overall process of ascension and vibrational alignment.

But, we are sold the false belief that twins aren’t supposed to reunite in this lifetime when things get difficult or they separate—yet that is only one side that is published and discussed by twins who haven’t yet begun the reuniting phase.

The reality is that if twins venture far enough together to begin ascension and the actual phase of runner and chaser, then they are, in fact, meant to join in this lifetime—as that is the entire purpose of the stages and subsequent journey that they will embark on.

They aren’t just here to develop on their own, they are here to awaken, to raise their consciousness, and to learn to practice and embody unconditional love, which is the highest vibration of God’s energy. Twins are meant to join in this life to help encourage others around them. The more twins that reunite, the higher the consciousness of the planet is raised—and, then, also changed.

To say that twins aren’t meant to join in this lifetime is a feeling of helplessness at the apparent lack of control of the connection. But, this is only felt when we try to rationalize and use logic as we would with a relationship based more in the physical world than the spiritual.

Twin flames aren’t from this three-dimensional physical world, and so they have to be approached differently.

One twin will treat the other awfully at times; they will project and even run. They will blame their twin for their inability to stay asleep and forget that the universe is tapping them on the shoulder to awaken. When this happens, it becomes easier to say that it’s not meant to be, or even that perhaps this person in our lives isn’t our twin.

All this accomplishes, though, is demonstrating the readiness of the twin that feels wounded and perpetuates the status of the victim.

As long as the chaser still feels wounded by the runner’s behavior, then they are not yet ready to practice unconditional love for their twin. One of the purposes of the falling apart and together is not only to trigger so that they might move through the stages of soul development, but also to test and learn how to build unconditional love toward one another.

Yet, instead of seeing it as this, we become hard on ourselves.

We sink into despair; we think that we’ve ruined this sacred union for all time, and that somehow we have messed up our destiny. The important thing to remember, though, is that we can’t change fate; we can battle it, run from it, and ignore it, but, in the end, what was destined to be will always be—even if it’s in spite of ourselves.

Twin flames are going to be reuniting more and more throughout this year and the coming five years as part of the general awakening of the planet. We need them to, as there is no other way to shift the consciousness of this planet.

It’s a love that truly can change the world, which is also why it’s meant to be—no matter what we do.

~

​About Kate Rose

Kate Rose is an artist, free thinker, lover, writer, passionate yogi, teacher, mother, rule breaker, and rebel. She can usually be found walking barefoot in the moonlight between worlds with the dreams of stars still hanging in her hair, swaying her hips to the music of life and smelling of sweet bourbon and honeysuckle. She lives for adventure and wakes each morning with the excitement of a new day waiting to unfold at her feet. She truly believes the best is yet to come and waits, with bated breath, to see what it may hold. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and find more of her words on her website.

There was an awkward hiatus while I waited. Then the showmen entered, radiant after yet another successful conjuring spectacle. Disconcertingly, I realized all my memorized questions had dissolved in my head. They were shaking my hand and introducing me to various minders and publicists and artists from their show.

I was at a loss. The earnestness of the script I had prepared was entirely inappropriate. How could these manicured men shed any light on the profound evolutionary questions that had begun to emerge in the course of my research? What was I doing here?

I gained some comfort at the thought of Mauritz Basson's flattering letter, sent to the showmen by way of introduction, in which he had written in South African English that he 'would like to take this opportunity to introduce [them] to a lady that is almost as passionate about the big cats as Roy is! She is a South African with a Paris fashion modeling background and a Cambridge education and is at present writing a book [on] the White Lions of Timbavati which deals with the 'magic' of those white individuals....'

'White individuals!' Bless him. I had soon detected that the Johannesburg Zoo's animal handler never quite distinguished between animals and humans. And it was on this level of mutual passion that Roy and I reached an immediate rapport. I had been warned I had only fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes? We could have spoken all night and all morning — this being Vegas — of our most passionate topic: big white cats.

We spoke about his visit to Timbavati, and how the wild felines had come to greet him and apparently kept guard outside his tent; we spoke about his introduction to Credo Mutwa, and how the shaman had seen straight through his and Siegfried's pretense at being anything other than showbiz personalities, and we spoke about his goals and visions for the White Lion breeding project.

At 2:30 a.m., over an hour later, we parted — after Roy had invited me to his and Siegfried's 'Secret Garden' later the same day. Feeling elated, I retired to bed, hoping to catch some White Lion-filled dreams. Standing outside the enclosure at around noon, I watched in rapt delight the first White Lions I have ever seen — an entire pride.

The performers' collaboration with the Johannesburg Zoo had resulted in three generations in their possession, and today the delicate exercise was to introduce these to one another. I was so overwhelmed at seeing the White Lions close up that my first request was to be allowed into the enclosure, but this was refused. Understandably, Roy was reluctant to allow a 'new element' into the arena....

There were men standing among the lions, dressed in designer jeans and wearing sunglasses, watching attentively. One of these was Roy. Well into his fifties, he still moved like a panther. I had observed his intense bright eyes the night before, and a delightful lightness of spirit that only those in touch with an inner life-force exude.

I watched as Mystery approached him and rubbed his cheek against Roy's leg in passing en route to tackling his sister from behind a palm tree. Unshaken by the surprise tactic, his sibling returned the onslaught by chewing his ear. Vision tumbled off his rocky perch to join the fray. He had Mystery's tail in his mouth while Quest had hold of his tail. Mesmerized by this scene, I saw him bound over a rock, then stop short — while the daisy chain behind him collided in a mound of cavorting snow-white fur.

Through all of this frivolity, the full solemnity of the moment suddenly dawned on me: I was watching the world's last surviving White Lion pride at play....

​The World of the Magician: A Secret Sympathy

Later that night, in a slightly calmer state of mind, I experienced the spectacular sensation of watching the most celebrated magic show on Earth. For the most part it was a typical Vegas affair: thunderous music; fabulous fanfare; an intergalactic battle between designer-clad aliens and the forces of good, Siegfried and Roy.

Around me, the vast darkened auditorium was packed with diners drinking cocktails, their faces occasionally flashed into illumination with the explosive special effects. No White Lions to be seen. I was beginning to feel disoriented again when, all of a sudden — the felines appeared!

The show stopped, and a calm descended. Amazingly, there were no cheap circus tricks, no hoops of fire — the audience was suddenly enveloped in the presence of the great cats. At this moment all the fabricated apocalyptic visions, the end-of-world scenarios, and the high-tech Martians and metallic monsters belching fire and brimstone dissolved, and silenced reigned. My heart leapt — it was a truly magical moment.

There is no doubt that the cats stole the show. During that suspended moment, when the tremulous music skipped a beat and the White Lions made their stage debut, I sense the audience holding its breath. Radiating sublime beauty, the lions merely existed. That was enough. They simply appeared, and, well, yes, this being a magic show, they disappeared as well.

At which point Siegfried's voice resounded over the microphone: 'Look for the magic that is around you. In nature, plants, flowers, and all the animals that share the planet with us...'

I began to see what the conjurers were up to. Their magic attempted to serve a higher purpose. Ultimately, the spellbinding devices and perfectly manufactured special effects paid homage to the all-encompassing magic of nature. The audience was encouraged not to forget that the snow leopard, the Siberian tiger, and the White Lions of Timbavati originated in nature's own secrets. Ultimately, the show was saying that the magic of nature superseded all fabrication.

After the performance — their second show that evening — Siegfried and Roy's publicist came to collect me. It was one in the morning. I felt exhausted, and increasingly apprehensive about the imminent interview. Doubtful about my ability to present appropriate questions and get genuine answers in this showbiz context, I followed the smooth-suited figure through the velvet curtains of the stage door.

Backstage, the performers' walls were plastered with autographed celebrity photographs.... I also recognized politicians and royalty: Bill Clinton and Prince Rainier of Monaco. That was about as much as I could take in before being swept up  the stairs and ushered into the lush backstage premises....

From the end of Chapter 15:

.... My immediate feeling was consternation that these majestic beasts had been relocated to such a foreign and unnatural context. But that they were alive at all was the first miracle. What exactly was going on here?

Leaving Pat Condy's offices at the Johannesburg Zoo late on a winter's afternoon in August 1997, I decided to prepare for a trip to Las Vegas. I wanted to meet the world's most celebrated magic men and see the situation for myself. More especially, I wanted to meet the magical White Lions of Timbavati.

WHITE LIONS AND MAGIC MEN (Chapter 16)

In September 1997, after crossing the Atlantic and several time zones, I landed at Los Angeles Airport, and spent the night at my cousin's apartment. The next day, in a hired car, I set off on the long drive through the Nevada Desert to the glittering oasis of Las Vegas.

After six hours, the last light began to fade over the pink desert and I picked out Vegas glittering in the distance. A giant mock-up of Sleeping Beauty's castle greeted my arrival, and, above the high-rise constructions, a roller coaster hoisted new arrivals into the heart of the world's biggest shrine to gambling. 

Casinos lined the city center, and giant billboards, either side advertising nightly shows, were illuminated by gaudy neon fairy lights. It was not long before I picked out Siegfried and Roy's billboard: one blond man, one dark, both surrounded by snowy felines — the brightest of all the stars on the Strip.

Vegas was precisely as I expected: a fabricated world of dreams and illusions. When I arrived at the aptly named Mirage hotel, a valet took my key and a porter collected my bags. At check-in, I was issued with a map to my room, which took me through the so-called Tropical Rain Forest straight into the gambling emporium.

Looking for a way out, through the highly decorated army of the clicking and flashing one-armed bandits, I discovered I'd been walking in circles. I finally enlisted the assistance of a uniformed usher who led me through the maze of marbled corridors to an atrium of platinum elevators. My room was on the 16th floor.

Once in my room, I tried to collect my thoughts, which were spinning like a roulette wheel unable to fix on a lucky number.

(From the back cover...)

This is Linda Tucker’s firsthand account of her journey into the mysteries of the most sacred animal on the African continent: the legendary White Lion. This book reveals the knowledge and ceremonies of Old Africa and the overwhelming love that has driven her every action to save these magnificent beasts, against formidable odds. . . .

After being rescued from a life-threatening encounter with lions in the Timbavati game region by a medicine woman known as the “Lion Queen,” Linda embarked on a journey into the mysteries of the White Lion. It is a mystical journey into the knowledge and ceremonies of Old Africa, in which humans and lions are able to cross the species barrier—in accordance with the most guarded secrets of Ancient Egypt and humankind’s greatest riddle, the sphinx.

Scientists in our day have established that humankind’s most significant evolutionary leap occurred as a result of our ancestors’ interaction with great cats. The White Lion is a genetic rarity of Panthera leo, and occurred in just one region on earth: Timbavati. Today White Lions form the center of the notorious “canned” trophy hunting industry—hand-reared captive lions, shot in enclosures for gross sums of money. By contrast, shamans believe that killing a “lion sun god” is the ultimate sacrilege. How the human species treats such precious symbols of God in nature may determine how nature treats the human species.
​
       Whether we view them as prophetic “Lions of God” or simply as rare genetic mutations, the story of the White Lions is a true legend unfolding in our own extraordinary times.

Continued from Heartstone 019

An on-going conversation with cooperative networks of conscious particles through the focal point of Heartstone.

Wildfires raged in forests nearby, and their ashes fell like snow.

Last night (9/3) the setting sun blazed red as blood, and the rising orange moon was indistinct in the smoke-hazed sky.

After lying down for the night, we felt winds whipping up and lashing the yurt and trees of the yard. We wondered how it must be for the firefighters, already worn from weeks of using their force to contain blazes. Each day the temperature from the sun has risen on land to over 100 degrees, and the firefighters in their heavy protective gear....

I'd had a session of inversion and toning, and was ready for sleep which did not come. Each time my body quieted into rest, words arose and I felt urged to get up and write. Even when I protested with, 'I'll remember it and write in the morning,' the words persisted and I gave in and got up.

This was not a typical conversation with Heartstone, which I have initiated by asking questions. Instead, it just came and would not stop. Questions are asked, but I don't know who asked them, or from which dimension they originated. The energy behind some of the words felt like Heartstone, like thoughts from beyond my usual brain activity, yet I feel my personal thought process participated. It is what it is, and shared here as it was written.

Heartstone

Humans are cellular biomass. 

What is the largest human cell? The egg.

And the smallest? The sperm.

Suppressed emotions are stored in the cells.

Intuition is also cellular.

But, cells are made of molecules.

Is intuition generated from the cells, or the molecules?

Or, does a true intuitive signal emit from the atoms? Or from the particle networks?

Is there thought at all in the PMF? No. None.

To be in the present moment one can have no thought.

For how long can you have no thought?

You know thoughts have different sources.

They can, for example, be chemical, cellular, molecular or atomic. 

They can originate from the particle nets.

But the Present Moment is without thought.

Being without thought does not mean one is necessarily in the Present Moment.

But one cannot be in the Present Moment so long as there is thought activity present.

Such thought activity is an electrical storm which obliterates an experience of the PMF.

Thoughts cannot be calmed by force, and humans do not currently have command over them.

Shift focus to the silence within the static.

It is always there, and will lead to direct experience with the PMF.

Silence is the medium in which static can move.

Stillness is the medium in which movement itself (all that is) exists.

Listen to the silence.

Feel the stillness.

There are many realities in the multi-dimensional universes of existence.

There is only one actuality — the PMF, which is all frequencies undifferentiated.

And how can this be applied practically in human life?

By, for one thing, providing motivation to take steps to be attuned to the PMF.

Would you rather experience one of many differentiated, incomplete realities or the wholeness of the one actuality?

Focus on the dryness between the raindrops, the stillness between the motions, the silence within the static. Yes, you may get wet from the rain, but know the dry space is there.

Where there is rain, there is dry.

Where there is fire, there is no fire.

When you know you can do it, you will walk through fire unscathed.

This 'philosophy' of your differentiated timeline is the science of the undifferentiated PMF.

The orbits of the celestial, the turning of earth's seasons, the spinning of the atoms, are all movements in the rotating view.

The stillness is the kaleidoscope which enables the movement to be.

Together as one, kaleidoscope and rotating view are the PMF.

The rotating, tumbling view is not orderly. Oh no.

Yet in the chaos there is order, in the stillness there is motion, in the kaleidoscope there is a turning view.

In the midst of the storm there is peace as one cannot exist without the other.

In the midst of the storm, keep your eyes on Me, sayeth the Lord, the Present Moment.

The more you resist emotionally the chaos, the more exaggerated you will perceive it to be.

Let go of the resistance, accept the chaos, and from within turn it to order in your experience.