Steve Ventola — Welcome everyone to our Temple of Light service. Here we are to worship the Lord and to express from the Lord. Stewart Berger will be leading us today. Let's begin with a devotion. Oh Lord of Love, we still our hearts and minds, putting aside all that's happening in the world, that we may come into this present moment now, acknowledging Thee, acknowledging our love for one another, acknowledging our substance together, put before Thee that Thy Fire may fall from heaven, and Thy radiant influence may extend to all the world. Here we are listening, being meek to thy Word, letting a moment of silence be present in our hearts and minds that we may come together now in this place, giving glory to Thee, honoring Thee, and letting Thy Word go forth in the glory of Thy name. Amen.
Stewart Berger — Thank you, Steve; that was beautiful. It was wonderful to share those moments together, as you mentioned, to allow hearts and minds to be still. In that way, we more readily notice the atmosphere that we have between us here that we are creating in this hour and that we've brought with us in our living. I have some things to say, and hopefully you'll enjoy them, maybe even find them entertaining or correlate with thoughts and feelings you've had; experiences you've had. But beyond the words, what I would say is more important for me these days is the experience that we have when we come together; being together and feeling the radiance go out. We've called it unified radiation, but it's something that can be felt and it's wonderful to allow that power to appear and have its effect. One of the songs we heard was composed by Hildegard von Bingen, the German abbess, composer and visionary, who also preached sermons and who lived in the 1100s. It was sung in Latin, entitled “O Virtus Sapientiae,” and the word “Sapientia” means divine wisdom. The lyrics go:
“O Wisdom's power who, circling, surrounds and encompasses all, in one life-giving path. Three wings you have: one of them soars on high; the second exudes its essence from the Earth [from my reading of it, I would say like the generation of connective substance]. And the third flutters everywhere. Praise to you, as befits you, O Wisdom!”
One of my hobbies for many years has been astrology, and by extension astronomy, so I'd like to take you on a brief journey from the surface of the Earth using our awareness, to go out beyond our beautiful planet home. On Wednesday night, we had a new moon, and that happened at 28 degrees Scorpio, and the planet Mercury was in the same place in the sky from our vantage point on Earth, with Mercury on our side of the Sun. So from Earth's vantage point, in a line were the moon, Mercury and the Sun. We usually say that there are twelve signs in the zodiac, and I'll be mentioning the twelve again later. The Sun has moved into the sign of Sagittarius, which is the constellation past which astronomers say is the center of our galaxy. And the line between Earth, the Sun, and where that galactic center is located will become most exact around the middle of next month. The stars seem far away, but it's said that most of the stars that we see with the naked eye at night, when conditions are good, are here in our galaxy, on this side of it, in a fairly small region of the galaxy. And if you think about the distance from Earth to the Sun, by my calculation the distance from our Sun to the center of our galaxy is about 161 million times that. The Milky Way galaxy moves within what's called the Local Group, which itself is being drawn toward what's called the Great Attractor, which contains a dense cluster of galaxies. So, we're talking big! Meanwhile, Spaceship Earth, as well as our solar system and the Milky Way galaxy, are all moving and revolving at very high speeds. And yet for all that speed, it's a very smooth ride, isn't it? We don't really notice it. So, this conveys part of the largeness that we're about, the part of the cosmos we know about and sometimes theorize about, and is a way to observe cycles like those in our solar system.
And coming back to our solar system, Pluto, whose planetary energy has been related to deep transformation experienced by people in astrological terms, recently entered the sign of Aquarius. And the last time that Pluto was in Aquarius was during the time of the American and French revolutions starting in 1778—a period of certain upheaval—and also the time of the beginning of the United States government. So, there is another cycle there. I thought it was interesting timing that PBS would show, at this time, its series on the American Revolution, which I enjoyed, and maybe you saw some of it as well. By the way, if you're interested in astrology, I recommend following Jeff Peters, a friend that some of us know from our days at Glen Ivy years ago. He's a professional astrologer who makes weekly videos on Facebook and YouTube talking about not only astrology but also how it relates to social changes happening now. Also, I see that Miss Universe was crowned on Friday. Perhaps not so amazingly, she was from right here on Earth! Miss Mexico. So, congratulations, Fatima Bosch.
In service last month, Larry Krantz said that “consciousness is fluid.” One of the main things that I've been experiencing is that there's a greater loosening-up process. I've noticed evidence of this in services we've had over the last few months especially. It's been ongoing, but I've noticed a change myself—I don't know if you have, in the last month or two, like we've gone up a notch, or something has opened up in a greater way, and related to that I think is a softening of heart substance. So I believe the creative process is continuing to do its work, and what we're doing in our individual lives and together is probably also having an effect, especially as we engage together online so often. And I believe because of this loosening-up process and softening, I've been noticing that when I go through the day doing things, all of a sudden I'll notice what seems to be a clearing in awareness: an opening, aperture or portal through which it seems the right thing to do to offer a blessing out to whoever may be connected. Maybe someone somewhere needs a blessing and I'm connected to them. I've been finding this happening several times a day—it's like it will just happen out of the blue. Maybe you're experiencing some of this too. I'm not engaged as some of you are in regular group attunement sessions or working with individual people. But attunement has always been a deep interest of mine. I used to share attunements with some people and still share radiation with myself.
I thought I'd mention something that Uranda said—in one of his early Instruction Papers—that we don't have to share an attunement with every person on earth. It would probably be hard to do that. But through those that we do share attunement with, that radiation can then flow through the connections that they have with others, and on from there. In looking for material on the Great Cosmic Story website, I stumbled on this piece that was given in 1992, which was a time of change in the lives of many people associated with the Emissary ministry and with the ministry itself. But here was a steady word, given by John Gray at Glen Ivy. He said, “Attunement is not something we just share now and then; it is rightly a constant experience. The world is in need of attunement: the restoration of the awareness of connectedness with all that is. In order for that need to be filled there must be human beings—you and me and lots of others who are letting the Word flow through, and who revere and sustain the shaping place, the realm of connection that makes this possible. It is not sustained because we are terribly careful; it is sustained because we love it and joy is flowing through us. That is what maintains holiness: joy springing from the source of joy. We permeate the world with joy, and the stuff of which the world is made leaps up happily and obediently to the impulse of spirit and takes shape accordingly. We are creators, endowed with this capability. Let us use it intelligently, gently, joyously and create the world anew.”
As I mentioned, I'm not sharing direct attunements right now with any individuals, but earlier this last week, I did share an attunement with a cat! I think this is a little boy cat, maybe one or two years old, that lives nearby and is an indoor-outdoor cat. I enjoy seeing it now and then, as I'm not allowed to have a cat or pets in our apartment complex. It was lying down, having a snooze, and when I approached it, it started coughing, eight to ten times, and it didn't sound like normal coughing, so I decided to share an attunement with it and see if that might help. I wondered if it had gotten a cold from heavy rains we had. I wasn't able to pick up the cat's pattern! I didn't know what to look for in that regard. But I offered it some energy anyway for a few minutes, and then it got up, stretched, its tail went up, and it walked a little bit and then lay down again for another little snooze. One moral I got from this is that even though we might not fully know what impact we have when we engage with another being, of whatever species, our presence there and our engagement with them have value and introduce something that wasn't there before and often has benefit. Yesterday, I saw the cat again, and it's doing okay. Something else that I've realized is that we don't have to grasp everything mentally, and we've known this, but it's come to mind recently because it seems that there is more change in the heart realm, as I perceive it. It's not all about the mind, and we can trust the heart. And I recall something that both Chris Jorgensen and John Gray said in a service about a year ago, that we can let unified radiation do the work.
One theme that I've been noticing—maybe you have too—is the theme of ascension. Last Sunday, it was mentioned in services by Jae Hyoung Lee in Korea and by Suzanne Core. A month ago, Larry Krantz and Maureen Lakin gave the service entitled “Cycles of Ascension.” In a blog post Chris Jorgensen wrote earlier this month, he mentioned the ascension process twice. And Steve Ventola recently spoke about Apex identity and ascent of the mountain. In 1953, in a class service titled, “Transfiguration—Ascension” [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/transfigurationascension.html] Uranda talked about ascension, the tree of life, and the garden:
“What then is ascension? Not leaving the surface of the earth, but moving from the realm of misery and suffering and sorrow and death, moving from the realm of the self-active state to the realm of attunement in and with the continuity of manifestation coming to us from out of the future, from out of the Garden that God planted eastward in Eden. And where is eastward? In the future. Our days come out of the east; the sunrise comes in the east. And so, in the days of our tomorrows the things of God are already provided, but we must learn how to receive them on earth. If we once start receiving them, we may not receive completely all at once, but then the things of God start being around us, and they start extending into the past. What is it that extends into the past with most people? The beauty of the Garden of God or the misery of the hell that man has made on earth? Once you reach a point where that which comes from out of the future from the Garden that God planted eastward in Eden, has come to you, been made manifest in you and through you because you live on earth so that it surrounds you, and begins to move back and extend into the past, where are you then? You are in the midst of the Garden of God. But it’s the only way you can be, when you let it come out of the east, manifest where you are, and extend into the west or into the past. Finally, you are in the midst of the Garden that God planted. And what is in the midst? The Tree of Life.
“The Tree of Life is in the midst of the Garden. It is to manifest where you are—where you are! If you think you can go to it, by going up or down or sidewise or something else, you are wrong. The Tree of Life is just as available to you as to any Adam or Eve in the past, before the fall or after. It’s at hand; it’s available; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Garden that God planted eastward in Eden is at hand; for they are one and the same thing. But we must let them come into manifestation, and when we do that what do we do? We ascend out of the old order of things into the new, into the Divine Estate. But we do not leave the earth's surface. We are living right here, letting God's Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. And so does His Kingdom come. Where from? From out of the east, from out of the future, in a manifestation through those men and women who let His Will be done; and it takes form around them; and it begins to extend into the past; and others begin to see, and they aspire to that same ascension—to ascend to the place where there is the evidence of the Presence of the One Who Dwells.
“That is the mystery unveiled by Enoch, by Moses, by Elijah, and by our Master, who was made manifest through the body of Jesus. And He said, “Follow me”—follow Me, that the mystery may be unveiled, that you may begin to know the reality of the Cloud of Glory. The Tabernacle—your own body—the Tabernacle filled with the Glory of the Lord until it shone round about. Yes, to be true of you. Where? In the wilderness of this world as it is, until the wilderness is caused to blossom as the rose because the Garden of God comes out of the east and is made manifest through those who let His Will be done.”
“Until the wilderness is caused to blossom as the rose.” In that same service, Uranda also described ascension as a matter of change in the vibrational state or level of being, and we've had that experience. There are many ways that we can allow the ascension process to happen, and it happens at different levels in our experience. One way that I have been conscious of lately, mindful of, is consuming the food that I eat. Here is material of the earth: vegetable, fruit, mineral, dairy, and some of us eat meat, and these provide us with energy. It renews our bodies and it can be delicious—and only pennies a serving! (a lot of the time). But here is material that comes to us from the earth, from outside our bodies, which we take into our bodies to be converted into energy and to fill the body with health. So before I eat, I give thanks for it, bless it. Many of us probably remember a blessing being given before or during meals in Emissary units or in our family homes.
Uranda mentioned the tree of life, which is written about in the Book of Revelation, and there's a passage in Revelation that I was kind of stuck on and didn't quite understand for the longest time, but it's making more sense now, so I'd like to read it. This is John speaking about one of the seven angels who showed him the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
The part I got hung up on was where it says, “In the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life.” I found a service of Uranda's on the Great Cosmic Story in which Uranda talked about this and how, “In the midst of the street of it” relates to the throne of God. So the throne of God is in the midst of the street, “and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life.” I also wondered how a tree could be on either side of the river—I suppose you could say that is one big tree! And we were talking earlier about the scope of things in the cosmos. But it's become more clear now that the tree of life is one tree, and I suppose one microcosm is that the tree of life is us, and the river of water of life is the current of life that flows and moves through us, including substance and pneumaplasm. So the tree of life encompasses the river, and as you noticed, it's described not as water itself but water of life, again relating to the current.
I think I'll read just a few more words from Revelation, because the words are beautiful; the Word is beautiful; truth is beautiful. Again, this is John and what the angel showed him, speaking about that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God—not up in the sky—having the glory of God.
“And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." He went on to speak about "a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels.” Here's the twelve again. “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.”
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Yujin Pak — Thank you Stuart. Ascension, serenity, the garden, and the city of God. Lately, I have been going at dusk at the time of sunset almost every day to a nearby large lake that's deserted, and have been biking and walking the shoreline of this lake. From a distance, you can see the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. And at dusk it is really beautiful. And I go there for communion and did so last night, and saw the new moon that you mentioned Stewart. The sky was orange and purple. And as I biked and then stopped and walked along the shore seeing this beautiful purple sky and the new moon, I was immediately in the spirit, and in a time and place that is here and now, and not here and now, transported into the atmosphere of highest being, the garden, the city of God, and in this place. I commune with some of you, with people, and offer the radiation that you spoke of, being in God, being in the city of God, and letting power, love, forgiveness, flow. In the world, but in the vastness of the cosmos that we are a part of, and letting the flow of that cosmos come into my consciousness, and into the world. I so very much appreciate this time of dwelling in ascension and dwelling in the city of God for an hour a week—but we may do so in the various hours of our week. And I'm glad to share this moment of my experience from last night of being in heaven with all of you on earth. Thank you, Stewart.
David Barnes — Yes, thank you Yujin, and Stewart, and everybody who spoke in the spirit in between. I could feel patterns of pressure building in my chest, my heart, from the moment you started speaking Stewart, and continuing right through to Yujin's closing words. I'm glad you mentioned the expansion and the transformation of the heart realm that is underway in an intensified manner. It might relate in a very specific way because of a change that's happening in the mind, the mind of each of us as individuals, and in the whole. The conscious mind is going through an ascension process, from being embedded in the things of the earth and rising into the air of the spirit, to become the light-bearer, a reliable presence, representing the spirit and providing a beautiful compliment of trustworthy, secure interplay with the heart. So this ascension process is affecting our minds and drawing them up into the higher vibratory ranges; and the guidance of the spirit is transforming the heart in a beautiful expansive way, so that we can be prepared and poised to handle what's coming; perhaps suggested by what you referred to as Pluto in Aquarius—this transformation point that is being suggested by that imagery from Mazeroth and astrology.
Great changes are imminent in the outer world and in our own outer capacities, so that the twelve manner of fruits, and the twelve pearls, and the twelve gates in the holy city are in place. This is the design of being. This is us and others, coming into formation to be a living city, a living body, each one playing their part in a living design. So this pressure and this intensification in the heart, and the lifting up of the conscious mind, and this movement in the ascending currents allow us to receive the spirit that brings these most essential transformations in our outer capacities and also in the world body itself. This is something that we obviously must be prepared for. And so what you brought us, your words, and in particular the tone of the beautiful reading from Revelation at the end gave lots of space for this new substance to begin to form. And it was most precious, and deeply felt in the heart, and appreciated very much Stewart. So, thank you my friend.
Stewart Berger — Thank you. I have a final piece to play. And David, you just mentioned Mazzeroth, which reminded me of the Book of Job—and we know we're a part of something vast, something very large, a beautiful process, a peaceful process, but we're here to do something very specific. And that relates to the verse: Can't thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades; or loose the bands of Orion; canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season—to bring the creative process to focus here where we are in this moment, in every day. I want to thank each of you for speaking. I spoke of food. You nourish me with your word, your substance. And I honor and love the magic of your words and the word in your living.
To close, there's a song from the 1500s composed by Thomas Talis using verses from the Gospel of John that Jesus spoke to his disciples, using many of these words. I'm reading them because in the way the song is performed with the different voices, it can be hard to make out a few of the words, but here are the verses in the Bible. “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him. For he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
If Ye Love Me
And I just want to mention that we know the comforter has been associated with an individual. But I saw that Martin said in a service in 1981, that the coming of the comforter is not something separate from human beings. “If there is a comforter available, it is because there is yielded human flesh to let it be so. We are to extend that comfort to those who are potential awakeners. We are stewards, caretakers, comforters. It could be said we have a number of roles in that sense.” And we know very well that we are capable of handling these roles. It's been a joy to be with you. And here is the coral piece.
