In Search of Nativity (by Franco Santoro)

The days of Christmas have always been significant times because they marked the entrance into our separated world of a solar deity, a luminous being completely at one with God and a perfect manifestation of our true multidimensional nature on earth. 

Jesus, like other such luminous beings, was either a historical person, a myth or both yet the Christ I refer to here is an eternal multidimensional condition, the representation of our true nature. 

The ego, our separated self, hides our true nature and throughout ages on this planet seekers have tried to transcend this split identity, which is the cause of all pain and evil. The ego in itself is not evil, when it defines the boundaries of the ordinary identity we need in order to cope with everyday reality. Yet the ego is a major calamity when it imprisons us in a separated self, devoid of any connection with others and with the infinity of our being. 

The best way of transcending the ego is through the path of forgiveness, which is a path of true Love, a way of uncovering our connection with God and with who we truly are.

Every human being has the capacity to experience true Love and the presence of God. For many people the term God has lost interest and is even regarded with repulsion and resistance. Among certain groups of people, including also spiritual folks, it is sometimes quite awkward to mention God, since it can easily give a wrong impression and cause prejudices. This is because some concepts of God are largely derived from scriptures and rules that provide a false image of God, one that triggers fear, guilt and judgment. 

This is the god created by the ego, a bogus idol aimed at maintaining our separated world. Yet there is another God, the true God, who is the object of our search. When fear, guilt and judgment are at work the ego is in command and there is no trace of the real God. This God is unconditional Love and is experienced deep in our hearts, in the inner landscape of our being. 

It does not matter what name we use for God. God takes many forms and names, and Christ, Holy Spirit and Jesus are only specific terms among thousands. What counts is obviously the experience of God, rather than the form we employ to address God. 

What most people on the path seek today are not spiritual formalities, doctrines, gurus or creeds, but paths of direct experience. We seek a direct communion with God, a direct experience of Love and the truth regarding who we are. 

Forgiveness is the way to release the separated self, which blocks this experience, and unveil the reality of true Love, who is God Himself. It is a path that involves the systematic resolution of conflicts and dualities, a road that firmly paves the way towards unity and release from all the misery of the separated world.

by Alex Grey

These days of celebrations are powerful because they can allow us to bring into the present the birth of the Christ and of all luminous beings that have lived on this earth. During this time, as we commemorate the Nativity, we also celebrate the birth of the Christ in us. Jesus is reborn in us when we turn within and unveil our inner source of true Love. Each time we stop and look within, inviting the presence of God, of genuine Love, the Christ is reborn in us and the way of forgiveness resolutely unfolds.

What does it actually mean to have Jesus reborn in us? What does it practically mean to move along the way of forgiveness? At times these terms sound like abstractions or void concepts, susceptible to misunderstanding and confusion, especially when we are caught by dramatic and painful issues in everyday life. Having the Christ reborn in us means giving him permission to lead us out of the misery and pain of separated life. 

This is what forgiveness is about. It is the ongoing practice of identifying ourselves and all there is with only the loving and the lovable, actively expressing it, while letting go of whatever is alien to it. 

“To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten. Forgiveness is a selective remembering, based not on your selection.” (ACIM, T 354)

Jesus is reborn in us, and forgiveness unfolds, when we look within for God, when we remember who we truly are, when we let go of our illusory identity and open up to the luminous mystery within. It is reborn when we choose to see the face of Christ in all our brothers and sisters, including ourselves. 

Here forgiveness is the practice of sending the Good Eye, which is the antonym of the Evil Eye, and involves looking at others through the loving eyes of innocence, without seeing grievances and misery. And in this way we all glow and shine in full beauty, not because something physical has happened, but merely because we can see without the projections of guilt and pain that we had once cast there.

“This brother who stands beside you still seems to be a stranger. You do not know him, and your interpretation of him is very fearful. And you attack him still, to keep what seems to be yourself unharmed. Yet in his hands is your salvation. You see his madness, which you hate because you share it. And all the pity and forgiveness that would heal it gives way to fear. Brothers, you need forgiveness of each other for you will share in madness or in Heaven together. And you and he will raise your eyes in faith together, or not at all.” (ACIM, T-19.IV.D.12).

Practising forgiveness entails scanning our mind and heart, looking for areas of grievances and pain, and offering them as a gift to God. With Capricorn we have the apex of obscurity, separation and density, yet this maximum expression of darkness is followed by the triumph of light. This is the time of the year marking the peak of darkness, when obscurity comes as a gift in order to be blessed by the emerging light.

“The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come. He comes demanding nothing. No sacrifice of any kind, of anyone, is asked by Him. In His Presence the whole idea of sacrifice loses all meaning. For He is Host to God. And you need but invite Him in Who is there already, by recognising that His Host is One, and no thought alien to His Oneness can abide with Him there.” (ACIM, T15, XI.3)

Forgiveness implies expressing the firm choice of allowing pain and misery to be released. We realise that we do not intend to hold onto our grievances anymore. We become aware that it does not serve us to keep our grievances so as to demonstrate how unfortunate we are, how awfully someone has hurt us, how desperate our life is.

 “This Christmas give the Holy Spirit everything that would hurt you. Let yourself be healed completely that you may join with Him in healing, and let us celebrate our release together by releasing everyone with us. Leave nothing behind, for release is total, and when you have accepted it with me you will give it with me. All pain and sacrifice and littleness will disappear in our relationship, which is as innocent as our relationship with our Father, and as powerful. Pain will be brought to us and disappear in our presence, and without pain there can be no sacrifice. And without sacrifice there love must be.” (ACIM, T15, XI.3)

The essence of the Winter Solstice and Christmas is Love. Spirit is manifested in the separated world through the birth of a luminous human being. Each year during this time the Christ energy slides into the Earth, pervading our world with the seed of unity and the calling to merge with God. Jesus is an example of such embodiment, yet so are we! 

We can all become the manifestation of God, the vehicles of Love in this world. Yet, this is not a solitary enterprise. God and Love are unity, and their manifestation is only feasible when we join together, acknowledging the same Love within each one of us. We cannot see God with our physical eyes, yet we can see our brothers and sisters as they truly are. By unveiling the light and love in them, God will be embodied in them and we will uncover who they truly are. As we see the light in our friends, we learn to acknowledge God expressing through them, and in this way we also learn to become aware of how God operates in us. 

“As you come closer to a brother you approach me, and as you withdraw from him I become distant to you. Salvation is a collaborative venture. It cannot be undertaken successfully by those who disengage themselves from the Sonship, because they are disengaging themselves from me. God will come to you only as you will give Him to your brothers. Learn first of them and you will be ready to hear God. That is because the function of Love is one.” (ACIM, T4.VI:7).

by Alex Grey

Forgiveness is the art of learning to perceive all our relationships as a proof of our holiness, rather than as sources of grievances. It is about letting go of the garbage we have projected on our brothers and sisters, which is the same garbage we have projected on ourselves. It is allowing the starry sky to pierce the obscurity of the winter firmament, shedding blessings on whatever surround us, within and without. 

The entire zodiac can be explored from the perspective of forgiveness, using the 12 different signs as representations of all aspects of life, all the others within and without, letting go of their grievances and supporting their return to the original light they all belong to. And in this way the Christ is born again in us, for it is reborn in everyone and everything. As we enter this holiday season, let’s allow every Christmas tree, every decoration we see in the streets, every time we send or receive a Christmas card, every moment we wish Happy Christmas to someone or receive their holy wishes, to be a confirmation that the Christ has come within us and through us to everyone and all there is.

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive you one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (New Testament, Romans 15:5-7)

Please click here for a Nativity song
Please click here for an alternative Christmas chorus

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For individual consultations with Franco Santoro and Associates click here

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 For recommended movies on Christmas and the Winter Solstice click here
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 For suggested books associated with Capricorn click here 

 For suggested movies associated with Capricorn click here

 For suggested music associated with Capricorn click here

Saint Joseph of Copertino - The Flying Saint

Saint Joseph of Copertino (San Giuseppe da Copertino) was born on 17 June 1603 in Copertino, a village near Lecce (Apulia, Italy). He died on 18 September 1663 in Osimo (Ancona, Italy).

His life was distinguished by supernatural and spectacular ecstatic states and healing experiences. His miracles draw such crowds and caused so much admiration and also social disturbance that his embarrassed superiors had to send him away from convent to convent.

As a result of his popularity, he was also brought before the Inquisition and accused of behaving like a false Messiah, yet the charge was not proven. He was ultimately ordered to remain confined in his room for thirty-five years. From 1639 to 1653 Joseph was not allowed to attend public places and lived in his cell in the convent of Assisi, where a small private chapel was prepared for him.

During a devotional pilgrimage to Assisi in 1980 a friar accompanied me to a private area of the convent were Saint Joseph’s cell is still preserved. This was a most significant experience on my path, which I described in full details in my early works.[1]

Perhaps his most famous enterprises were his repeated levitations, when his body would fly and remain suspended in the air. More than seventy documented public cases of levitation were recorded only in his early years and this earned him the nickname “the Flying Friar”.

Spectacular instances involved flying to religious images placed in high areas of the church or lifting a Calvary Cross thirty-six feet high, which several workers had failed to move, “as if it were straw” and install it high above the altar. His life was a long succession of visions and miracles. Whatever had any reference to God, the Virgin or the sacred would cause him to enter into an ecstatic state of consciousness: the sound of a bell, the mention of the name or the thought of God or the Madonna or of a saint, a holy picture, the choir, would put Joseph into an ecstatic state.

“Neither dragging him about, buffeting, piercing with needles, nor even burning his flesh with candles would have any effect on him – only the voice of his superior would make him obey”.

His feast is celebrated on 18 September. He is the patron of students, aviators and air passengers.

The story of this saint is depicted in the movie The Reluctant Saint (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rQZC7pGT-4) and some references are also featured in More Than A Miracle (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hq0V2eriVs)

Bridal Chamber and "Relationships ®"

Cryptic fragments from a talk on the Bridal Chamber...

One of the most captivating features of the Gnostic Christian mysteries is the Sacrament of the Bridal Chamber, which in the Gospel of Philip represents the Way to Christhood. 

The customary tantalising question here is “was this sacrament merely symbolic, or did it imply an actual sexual union?” 

Although the answer to this question makes a huge difference in conventional and religious terms, from the pure shamanic perspective it is entirely irrelevant. Here what counts is the experience rather than the symbolic elements used to describe the experience itself. In this respect whether it is the physical sexual intercourse, or any other metaphorical expression of sacred unions, such as the Holy Communion, the only pertinent question is: “does it serve the Intent of actually linking human separated reality with the Divine and the ecstatic realms of our True Self? Is this a pragmatic way or generating the Christ? Does this bring healing to me, the others and the whole environment?”, "Does it serve the Plan of Salvation?".

Feast of St Mary Magdalene, 22 July

St Mary Magdalene by Piero di Cosimo

Mary Magdalene, whose feast is celebrated on 22 July, is the Cinderella of the New Testament. Despite her canonical and documented major relevance, she has always been considered with a paradoxical low profile by most Christian official authorities. Only in recent times her popularity has climaxed, due to the discovery of ancient texts and mainly to the attention given by the media.

For a selection of books, CD and DVD see: http://astore.amazon.co.uk/astroshamanis-21?_encoding=UTF8&node=186

She is described in early Christian literature as the Apostle of the Apostles (apostola apostolorum) and is prominently featured as having a very close relationship to Jesus in all canonical literature.

Mary Magdalene (from Magdala, a town near Tiberias) is the only person mentioned in all canonical gospels as being present in all three major final events of Jesus' life: the crucifixion, the burial and and the discovery of the empty tomb. She is also the first person to see the Christ risen, endowed with the task of communicating this to the Apostles.

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.” (John, 20:1-18). 

St Francis Gazing at the Stars

Every year during our Holistic Healing Retreat in Assisi (Italy), which this summer takes place from 15 to 19 July 2011 (click here for information), we visit some relevant zones related with the life of St Francis.

The Eremo delle Carceri, Francis’ contemplative hermitage caves on the slope of Mount Subasio, is one of them. 

There we were drawn by a cluster of bronze statues portraying St Francis and his disciples, Brother Leo and Brother Juniper, while they look at the stars. 

Brother Leo, the most learned among the three, depicts the Large and Small Dipper on the ground, and after having identified other stars, draws a series of complex measurements with his hands and finally finds the Polar Star.

Brother Juniper, the “clown monk” of the Order, appears to mock Brother Leo and points at the Polar Star straight away. 

Right to the side of the two friars there is St Francis, peacefully lying down with his sandals off, his arms behind his neck, gazing at the whole firmament, perhaps listening to the buzz of cicadas, and saintly enjoying the climax of Summer. 

For a video of these statues and other features at the Eremo see the video below:

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

1 July in the Anglican and Catholic Christian traditions is the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This year 1 July is also New Moon (click here for our article)

The Sacred Heart is traditionally depicted as a flaming heart gleaming with divine light surrounded by a crown of thorns and bleeding. A typical illustration shows Jesus pointing with his left hand to the heart and with his right hand to the sky in the act of blessing. This is an exemplification of the function of the hands in many healing practices, such as AstroshamanicHealing Touch, which will be a primary focus in our seminars this month. 

Spiritual Diet for Dummies: On the Eucharist and the Zodiac Sign of Cancer

The Virgin of the Host

By Franco Santoro

In the article titled Gospel in the Stars or Stars in the Gospel? (click here) I referred to the intimate association between the Bible and astrology. I also mentioned the Gospel of Mark and its division in 12 sections, each corresponding to a zodiac sign, set in the natural order from Aries to Pisces. According to this structure, described in details by Bill Davison in The Gospel and the Zodiac, the part associated with the sign of Cancer goes from Mark 6:30 to 8:26.

The sign of Cancer is associated with giving and receiving nourishment, both at a physical and spiritual level, and according both to our separated and multidimensional perception. A major theme here is nourishment, and the discrimination between what feeds our separated identity and what supplies energy to our true Self.

This is a crucial area encompassing ordinary food and healthy diets, as well as spiritual nourishment. Here in both respects individuals seem to have different requirements. Food items that benefit some people may cause harm to others. Nevertheless there are certain elements in food that are vital for every human being, that are typical of all healthy diets no matter how diverse they are, while there are others that are poisonous for all mankind in general. The same situation applies to spiritual food. Hence a few questions on the Cancer’s front are: 

Who is the Holy Spirit?

For most Christians the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is celebrated on the day of Pentecost, this year on 12 June.

According to the biblical narrative (Acts 2:1-6) on that day while the Apostles were together “suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance…”

According to traditions and cultures there are various ways of describing the Holy Spirit, ranging from “a Person really distinct as such from the Father and the Son, God and consubstantial with the Father and the Son” (Roman Catholic) to “a peculiar effect of divine flatulence hissing into the ears of a few chosen of God” (Voltaire).

Pentecost: Birth of a Holistic and Shamanic Church (by Franco Santoro)

There are three major holidays in the Christian calendar.

Two of them (Christmas and Easter) are widely known to all people, Christians and non-Christians.

The third feast, Pentecost, officially taking place this year on 12 June close to one of the longest total lunar eclipses (15 June 2011), is more unfamiliar and even several believers do not know much about it.

Perhaps this is because, unlike the other festivities, it does not involve extra days of vacation, specific things to buy or culinary associations, such as Christmas pudding, turkey, Easter eggs and lamb.[i]

Yet, in actual fact, this feast does relate with food consumption, since it originally celebrates the Jewish fruition of the harvest. In Christian imagery it also refers to Jesus as “the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20) exemplified by “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, he who believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35). This may sound like a catering slogan, yet it does not necessarily promote ordinary business and consumerism, which is perhaps why there is not much fuss about Pentecost.

Holistic Christians

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