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Ashtara
Eco: abbreviation of ecology:
Ecology: Branch of biology dealing with living organisms’ habits, modes of life, and relations to their surroundings. Concise Oxford dictionary
Spiritual: Of spirit as opposed to matter, of the soul especially as acted on by God; proceeding from God, holy, divine, inspired: Inner nature of man, regenerate man. Spirituality: Spiritual quality. Concise Oxford dictionary
Eco-spirituality: The spiritual quality of the inner divine living
----------------------organism of the human Spirit and its relationship
----------------------to its surroundings.
So, how does this apply practically to we humans in our busy western world?
Many ancient cultures, including that of the Andes in Peru, have practiced eco-spirituality for many thousands of years, preserving their inner divine environment as well as their outer
environment. They respect and care for the land that nurtures them, believing it to have a Spirit which they refer to as Pachamama. They give prayers and offerings of thanksgiving to her daily. They respect and honour the spirits of the four directions and the Sun that gives them warmth and life force energy. They spend time each day reverently communicating with nature. Earth honouring ceremonies are held at the solstices and equinoxes as they recognize these times as being energetically enhanced by cosmic influences.
The people of Bali respect and love their land and make offerings and prayers to it in their daily ceremonies. Our aboriginal brothers and sisters in Australia love their land and respect the spirits associated with it. Native North American Indians have many eco-spiritual practices and ceremonies that honour the land.
Maybe we westerners can learn from these people?
Many westerners are waking up and have started to pay respect to their inner divine nature and the land that feeds, shelters and nourishes them. Many are doing environmentally friendly activities to preserve the Earths natural beauty and ecology. Others are continuing to abuse and destroy it.
What does it mean to preserve our inner environment?
Our spirit is connected to God/Goddess/All That Is. We each have this spark of the divine within. How can we learn to honour, respect, love, listen to and value it? It has no matter; it is formless. The quiet, still voice of our Spirit can only be heard when we calm and still our mind to be in present time.
Our thoughts are a jumble of energy currents. Our emotions contain packages of energy. When we think dark, malicious and hurtful thoughts, of ourselves or directed to others, our Spirit becomes heavy and weakened. These dark thoughts create dense and heavy emotions that add fuel to the already depleted Spirit. You can consciously change this patterning. You can decide to become conscious of the energy package you emit through your thoughts and emotions and choose to utilize only the thoughts and feelings that are uplifting. This takes the willingness to accept total responsibility for your creations, to accept your current status and respect your life’s challenges. Then you can make a conscious decision to break through incarnations of old habits, limitations and fears. If you choose to take this path your divine Spirit rejoices. Your body and mind begin to lighten. You become healthier, will live longer and enjoy a more fulfilling and joyous quality of life.
Ashtara provides many tools to aid your transition through her DIY workbooks, CD’s DVD’s and classes. |
