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Opening Comments MICHAEL: We are here, as we are always. We greet you, each of you. Tonight we come with a suggestion for you to consider. Remember, we do not prescribe, we merely suggest. Each of you carries the burden of the physical plane by the very fact of being human. This is a burden of some weight. For some of you it is a loss of physical dexterity. For another it is a grief for lost love. For a few it is worry about existence itself. And on and on, through the whole catalog of the plane's concerns. If you were in a large city, new to its boundaries, alone, without connections or very few, no friends, no familiar landmarks, you would of necessity need a few tools to begin to make some kind of accommodation to your surroundings. You would need a map of the area. You would find a book of telephone numbers and the services they offer. You would begin to explore your space, going from the known, your dwelling, to the as yet unknown, objectives for the day. Of a certainty, you would probably not be totally in the dark. You have come to the place for a reason. You may have been hired to do a particular job, for instance. So you begin your day going from your dwelling to the place of the work. That is a path that will become very familiar. There you meet one or many other fragments, people you will come to know better but who are for the moment only blurry faces as you attempt to remember their names. Someone takes you by the hand and shows you the places for your coat, the doors of those who plan, and the other areas of your work. These also will become familiar paths very quickly. In the days and weeks ahead you venture abroad and discover locations that are important to you. There will be places with food for buying, food for eating. There will be shops with shoes and toothpaste and the myriad other items that will soon fill your dwelling and deplete your purse. There are services that you will find when you need them, creating further well-worn paths on your personal map. In a year you will have a very familiar map of your new city, criss-crossed with those well-worn paths. Now step back and think. Are you aware of how much of the city you really know? How much do you consider yours? If you are even the most peripatetic of souls you still would find that you have made perhaps only 5% of that place your own. Yet if someone from another place where to ask you, you would say Oh, yes. I know this place well. The physical plane's burdens are like that. Those well-worn cares you each bear are large on your horizon and become familiar by their presence. But they are a very small part of your whole being. We do not say this to trivialize them. We know, because we have borne such burdens in our own physical experience, how heavy, how all-enveloping, how difficult many of them are. But within your center is Essence, free of the weight of the physical plane, with a much larger map and a far greater vision of your place in the universe. Our intention is to offer you a concrete view of that map. We take you by the hand and introduce you to short-cuts, helpful people, elucidation of the alleys and byways, reminders of the milestones, noting which doors are open and which must be knocked upon. We have walked this plane and we know it very well, even better than the 5% knowing of a metropolis. The place of retreat is your Self, your connection with Essence. When worry bedevils you, when there is one more round of pain, one more misunderstanding with another fragment, one more demand from an uncaring source, look to that center and remember the part of you that is not worried or struggling. Lori: How would you do that if your beautiful teenage daughter were tragically killed, for instance? MICHAEL: This is not to say that such an inner exercise will change the weight of the outer burden. Grief must have its day and worry is endemic to this world's time and place. But neither will lighten of its own accord the burden of being human. That must be a mobilization toward action, whether an interior resolve or an external move. Either may cause the necessary redirection of your energies, allowing more of the map to unfold. Understanding is often the key to relief. This relief may be temporary, but it allows you breathing room to regroup for the next round. The purpose of the teachings we offer is to put both the tragedies and the blessings of incarnate life into perspective. Each life will experience some part of all the possibilities that can be had by a human being. The perspective we offer is based on answering the Whys and Hows of the life you are living at this moment. We made the analogy of the city in the hope that it will bring into focus the reality that is within you, that whatever your state, you only see a small percentage of the whole. The maya that prevents clear understanding is part and parcel of the physical plane, but it can be penetrated occasionally by such actions as we describe. And for that moment in which you gather your 'essential' self and look at the real map of your journey through the physical plane, the pathways become each time more and more familiar, less and less frightening. Fright is the expression of fear, after all, the most negative energy in the universe. The comfort of the positive familiarity of knowing where you are and why, promotes a quiet pleasure in the soul, the path of love. We will now take your questions. Q & A Karolyn: Nancy/Michael, good evening. After a life of general good health I am experiencing endocrine issues that seem to be affecting muscles and stamina. What do you suggest could be the underlying reason for these issues? NancyG: Karolyn, how old are you? KarolynG: 56. MICHAEL: We see a chemical change in the muscle structure which results in tightening and loss of elasticity. This leads to fatigue. It is the same fatigue felt by the athlete who strains to exert as much of his/her self as possible. KarolynG: I get that. I push too hard. MICHAEL: There are medical caregivers who can test these endocrine issues and who will be able to isolate which are causing the distress. Following their advice as to exercise and perhaps intermediate and long range changes in diet and some supplements may alter the rigidity that is the problem. There are herbs that can be taken as a hot drink for relaxation, but should be prescribed by a knowledgeable practitioner. Select one with care.
KarolynG: Thank you, Michael. Barbara H: I have had severe back problems during periods of my life, and right now. When did I choose this and how can I use this on a spiritual path? MICHAEL: We have often said, and it bears repeating, that pain is never a path toward evolution of the soul. Back pain is common to humans, given their spinal column and their bipedal posture. We would say that it has not so much been a matter of choice as such, but rather a by-product of incarnation. Now, do you have to grin and bear it? Of course not. Getting whatever relief you can, be it medical or non-medical therapy, is certainly Good Work. As for using this debility as a spiritual exercise, we wonder how spiritual it can be to suffer pain and at the same time attempt to evolve spiritually. We recommend analgesics whenever possible and, once the edge has been blunted and sufficient professional attention has been sought for remedies, we further suggest a return to evaluating one's situation in light of the teachings. That is all. No one can be reasonably secure in living the teachings who must work at it through a haze of pain. But we do suggest that one's overleaves will certainly dictate how one lives the teachings, pain or no pain. Therefore, separate the back trouble from the teachings. Our message is about the evolution of the soul. Your back is about the disintegration of the skeleton. These are two different arenas of experience. We suggest that working with and through your overleaves will be the best guide to your soul's experience and medical assistance where necessary will be the best guide for the body.
Barbara: Thank you. Bobby: Which previous incarnation's lessons are offering the greatest help with this incarnation and what were those lessons and would you tell me a little about that incarnation? MICHAEL: One lifetime that has bearing on this one is from the 10th C. In that body you were a minor official in a small city in what is now China. During that lifetime you were in constant worry about your safety and as a result you literally folded in on yourself, ending as a stooped and withered old man, without friends, since they might 'tell on you', and without achieving any status, since 'going out on a limb' would call attention to yourself and very bad things could happen. The lessons of that lifetime were never assimilated and the fear of being 'found out' has trickled into this life. It has colored your relationships, preventing deeply intimate friendships. The fear of giving yourself away is the residual of that former lifetime. Bobby: Could you elaborate on the "tell on you" part? MICHAEL: We believe it is part of the ritual of those who wish to advance to denounce others to protect themselves.
Bobby: Thank you! Karen: Hi, Michael and Nancy, you've said before that it appeared that John and I were interested in different stories as far as our intimacy with each other. Can you say whether that's shifted and more about those stories? Thank you for being here. MICHAEL: There seems to be a stalemate in this relationship. The 'stories' you each tell fly past the other, rather than connecting. We do not see a great improvement in the ability to understand each other's history as they encompass your needs, but we do see an intimacy based on mutual respect and co-existence. Sometimes there is a perfectly possible mating experience without the depths of understanding that can sometimes be found between two fragments. If this is enough for either or both of you, then it is as good a work as any other kind of connection. If it does not satisfy, then you both may attempt to bring each history into enough focus for your mate that the degree of intimacy achieved is satisfactory.
We remind you that not every
mating is intended to be with one's 'soul mate'. We do not recognize 'soul
mate' as a reasonable requirement for mating. It implies a limitation on the matings possible, and that is a limitation on choice. As for the meat of your
histories, reflect on your own and those of your mate. Truly listen. You will
be the best judge of their contents. WillmaT: Regarding the man, Doug W and myself, he recently relocated his business (a bookstore) and I worked for him for pay for a few days. For a month after that, I went there & worked for free 2-3 days a week. Did my actions engender more affectionate feelings from him or did he think I was being manipulative? Are we closer now? MICHAEL: We remember your earlier question about your relationship with this fragment. We do not see any great change in it. We do wonder whether offering employment without reimbursement is wise. WilmaT: He was out of funds to pay - I did it as a "friend". MICHAEL: If this fragment owns a profit making business and employs others, or should employ them because of the amount of work involved, then such work should be paid for. Putting your labor on a objective basis might be the better way to deal with this man. As to whether your work has brought you into a closer or more intimate connection, we do not think it has made much difference. We suggest that you consider that it is not you who is being manipulative, whatever the fragment Douglas thinks about it, but rather he who is manipulating you.
WilmaT: Thank you as always for
your help. Gerry P: I would like to know if I have met my task companion in this life, and if so what is his/her name? Nancy: Gerry, the Michaels who guide me do not deal with names. Gerry P: All right, can you tell me if I have met him/her? MICHAEL: The task companion of this woman is not presently on the physical plane. During the fragment's earlier life, the task companion was reaching the end of this incarnation. They did not ever meet. The work they are engaged in is often plotted and discussed on the astral and in another life will probably be executed.
Gerry P: Thank you. BrianW: Hello, and nice to meet you. How does one begin to let go of the burdens and addictions of the past, no matter who it may have affected or the outcome, and learn to forgive both yourself and others in life? MICHAEL: Every path we have ever known has guidelines for resolving the conditions you describe. We suggest that any one of them would provide you with the ways and means to do so. We are not sure of your use of the word 'past'. The past of this present incarnation, or the past of past lives? BrianW: Past of this present incarnation, notably the past ten years. MICHAEL: Following a map of the terrain is a beginning for the dissolution of unwanted baggage. Leaving it by the wayside frees one from its burden. BrianW: Of what terrain do you speak? MICHAEL: The terrain we speak of is the evolution of your soul through the medium of the physical plane. We have before suggested that an exercise in visualization might help. These addictions and fears constitute garbage. Imagine that you are piling them into a garbage bag and taking them to a disposal depot. The open carriage that rests there is for you to throw that bag into. The interesting part of that disposal container is this: It rests over an open pit that reaches to the center of the earth. Each day that you pack up your garbage and throw it away, you banish your addictions and fears to be composed and returned as healthy mulch for a variety of uses. This is a parable, of course, an imaginary activity. However, it may propel you into the frame of mind that says the past is the past and only the present has meaning for you. Brian: But one cannot be in the present without their past as their past is what defines them. MICHAEL: We beg to differ. The past does not have to define one permanently. Each day is a new beginning and without that realization, the past will continue to define you as well as haunt you.
Brian: Thank you. YY2: Dear Nancy and Michael, I am worried about my brother Ping. Can you tell me how is he doing? He is diabetic and he was a heavy drinker. Recently he went to China and he has a break down there. He begins to drink again. He cries for help but I was only angry at him for getting drunk. I have been taking care of Ping for the past two years. I worry that he is destructive to his own life. MICHAEL: The fragment Ping has chosen to ignore the advice he has received about the effects of alcohol on his diabetic system. This you know. You also know that his addiction is so much a part of him that it is very unlikely that he will attempt to overcome it at this stage in his life. The mature soul finds addictions a relief from the demands of relationships. It is a retreat, a camouflage, allowing him to hide in the haze of irresponsibility. This fragment is fragile and dependent. You have an agreement with him to care for his physical well-being. That his choices make this difficult for you is not something that he can worry about. We are unable to give you much hope that things will change.
YY2: Thank you. Darleene: Hi, Michael, Nancy. I was wondering if you could give me some examples of True Rest, True Play, True Work, and True Study. I am trying to get familiar with them and think some examples would help me understand what they 'feel' like so I can learn more on my own, based more on understanding rather than conjecture. At least for ME as a fragment, what is true rest, play etc., for ME? MICHAEL: The Pillars are unique to each fragment but we can give some generalities. True Rest might mean physically being still. Sitting on a park bench and watching the world go by, perhaps. Or it can be activity but result in restfulness, such as walking slowly through a light rain. True Play is the return of the fragment to carefree-ness, to the irresponsibility of childhood. Almost anything can be play, depending on who is doing it. For one it could be carving figures from soap or marble. For another it might be drawing or painting. Play means one does not HAVE to do it. True Study is usually a life-long interest in something other than one's livelihood. A dentist might have an attraction to geology, a pianist might like to know as much about astronomy as an amateur can manage. True Work is the focus of the True Personality on the Physical Plane. It might be bringing a sense of camaraderie whenever one finds oneself in a group. It might be a tendency to nurture, even if one is not a Server. It might be holding a spot light on what IS whenever there is a need for it. Darleene: So for me as a fragment, an example of each: true rest is watching a fire and feeling the wind, true play is my crafts or drawing, true study is my interest in history or the weather, true work is nurturing, I guess. Would this be true for ME? MICHAEL: We agree, you have identified your Pillars nicely. Darleene: I think I see more clearly. Are there sometimes more than one activity? MICHAEL: Of course.
Darleene: Thank you so much! Glo: Does Essence have anything to impart to me about my current life path -- that is -- is there anything I should pay particular attention to, or begin to focus on? MICHAEL: Essence has a general idea of where a particular lifetime is going, although not the particulars. (Michael is smiling.) Essence can make lemonade out the most unlikely lemons. Leaving choices up to the individual can produce very unlikely lemons, but that does not matter to Essence. For you, Gloria, the choices of this life have been many and the results have not always been comfortable. We do not believe that there is any one thing that you 'need' to focus on. You might choose to concentrate more on your innate ability to understand and counsel others as they work through their own paths. We recognize that you have often done this and we also recognize that it has been a now-and-again sort of thing. This is a True Work for you, should you choose to make it a greater part of your life. Glo: Thank you. Closing Comments MICHAEL: We receive your good night and wish you the same, Geraldine. In fact, we wish all of you the best of each day and night. We wish for you all, also, that you make of your sojourn here as light a journey as you can manage. We are not taskmasters. We hold no whip over you. No one does unless you choose to allow it. Within the boundaries of each life, given the burdens and the fears, there is still room for joy and love. Seek them when it seems most unlikely. Finding peace in the midst of pain, fear, anger, loneliness, worry, can be nearly impossible unless you practice doing it, one thought at a time. Peace then leads to contentment, and contentment leads to bliss. One of your teachers used to say: Follow your bliss. Not Get well and follow your bliss, or Get over being worried and follow your bliss, or Make peace with the world and then follow your bliss. No, just Follow your bliss. It may be no larger or brighter than a firefly, or it may be a splendid comet. Either way it is yours to find and follow. Go in peace. Kathryn41: Thank you, Michael and Nancy :)
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