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OCTOBER 17, 2020
I know you all come here to get your weekly astrology fix. While I understand this, I am here to let you know that I am not a One Trick Pony; I think and write about a lot of things. Lately my own mortality has been coming up, big time. These thoughts inspired me to review something that I wrote, ten years ago.
What follows is excerpted from 'THE WEISER FIELD GUIDE TO ASCENSION - *The Meaning of Miracles and Shifts in Consciousness Past and Present*. Aside from my own story, and the fact that the Moon's in Scorpio, what made me choose this particular piece of writing? Of late all of the changes that are going on in the world have prompted me to consider more deeply, where we are heading... aside from that, I like to share things that stand a chance of turning people on to the idea that there's way more to this life than money, politics, and technology.
Bear with me, this is a long one. If you're up for something completely different, I invite you to open your mind, and read a little bit about the Ascension process.
CHAPTER III
THE ‘WHO’S WHO’ OF ASCENSION
The Bible tells us that we were made in the image of Christ and it makes it very clear that we came here to follow his example; but that’s as far as it goes. Nowhere does it say that we are Christ or mention anything about the fact that we might be capable of exactly the same level of attainment. At some point that information was probably included in the text, but when the Niocene Council chopped up the good book they made sure that what we were left with would lead us to think that it would be a sin for any human being to presume that they could ever be that perfect. This may be why the thought that we could refine our sensitivities to the point where we could leave this world with the physical vehicle intact, rise up to the higher levels, and even go so far as to reappear in the flesh, when and if it became necessary, is pretty hard to believe.
Christ may have been ‘the first of all the race to be transmuted to the image of the I AM’ – but he was not the only one by any means; come to find out there is a long list of people who have gone through the same process – and there are probably many others who found their way to the ascension portal accidentally and never received any publicity for it. I don’t know about you but somehow or other, knowing that the most perfect person who ever lived wasn’t the only one to ever have this experience, takes some of the pressure off and creates a sense of safety in numbers that makes it easier to believe that we could do it too.
THE ASCENDED MASTERS
Next to Christ, Buddha is probably the most famous ascended soul. He incarnated about four or five-hundred years before Jesus was born which means that he made his ascension long before the Magi had even spotted the Eastern Star. At the age of 80 he announced that he was ready to leave this world and ascended bodily into heaven illuminated by an aura of bright white light. His last words were; "All composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with diligence."
We can’t bring up Christ or Buddha without discussing the Ascended Masters; both of them are members of that illustrious brotherhood. The books tell us that there are seventy-two Ascended Masters and that they are otherwise known as Mahatmas, Elder brothers, The Great White Brotherhood, and/or The Masters of Wisdom. It is believed that these beings are individuals who once incarnated here on the Earth plane and who mastered their life lessons by fulfilling their Dharma (life purpose) and burning off at least 51% of their negative Karma. God-like even in the flesh, after their ascension each one of them reunited with their God-Self and like Christ, became transmuted into the image of the ‘I AM’.
The Mahatmas live on a higher octave of the third dimension and for the most part they oversee everything that takes place here on Earth from the invisible realms. But because they have the ability to descend into matter, during times of great change some of the Masters re-enter the physical and walk among us. Whenever the astrological ages shift they are always there in full force, in spirit or in the flesh, to guide us through whatever those changes involve.
A little over a century ago, about a hundred years shy of the Great Shift of the Ages, some of the members of the Great White Brotherhood began to make themselves known to a small circle of spiritual seekers who were connected with the Theosophical movement and the teachings of Madame Blavatsky. Much has been written about the Elder Brothers since the dear Madame introduced them to the public. The following quote from William Q. Judge’s classic, “The Ocean of Theosophy” was written at the peak of the Theosophical craze and it speaks eloquently about the role that the Masters of Wisdom play in human affairs:
“The most intelligent being in the universe, man, has never, then, been without a friend, but has a line of Elder Brothers who continually watch over the progress of the less progressed, preserve the knowledge gained through aeons of trial and experience, and continually seek for opportunities of drawing the developing intelligence of the race on this and other globes to consider the great truths concerning the destiny of the soul. These Elder Brothers also keep the knowledge they have gained of the laws of nature in all departments, and are ready when cyclic law permits to use it for the benefit of mankind. They have always existed as a body, all knowing to each other, no matter in what part of the world they may be, and all working for the race in many different ways. In some periods they are well known to the people and move among ordinary men whenever the social organization, the virtue, and the development of the nations permit it. For if they were to come out openly and be heard of everywhere, they would be worshipped as gods by some and hunted as devils by others. In those periods when they do come out some of their number are rulers of men, some teachers, a few great philosophers, while others remain still unknown except to the most advanced of the body.
“It would be subversive of the ends they have in view were they to make themselves public in the present civilization, which is based wholly on money, fame, glory, and personality. For this age, as one of them has already said, ‘is an age of transition’, when every system of thought, science, religion, government, and society is, and men’s minds are only preparing for an alteration into that state which will permit the race to advance to the point suitable for these Elder Brothers to introduce their actual presence to our sight. They may truly be called the bearers of the torch of truth across the ages; they investigate all changing things and beings; they know what man is in his innermost nature, and what his powers and destiny, his state before birth and the states into which he goes after the death of his body; they have stood by the cradle of nations and seen the vast achievements of the ancients, watched sadly the decay of those who had no power to resist the cyclic law of rise and fall.” *12
There are seventy-two Ascended Masters. At this point all of their names have not been revealed but here is a short list of names that are known to us: Merlin, Kwan Yin, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Enoch, Kuthumi, Abraham, Serapis Bey, Mohammed, Krishna, Yogananda, Annalee Skarin, Hilarion, Confucius, Djwhal Khul, Master Morya, Lao-Tzu, Babaji, Pope John Paul II, and the Comte Saint Germain.
SAINT GERMAIN
Out of all the people on that list Saint Germain is of particular interest to us now because he is the ‘Chohan of the Seventh Ray’. According to the Theosophists, the Seven Rays are seven metaphysical principles that govern both individual souls and the unfolding of each astrological age. The Seventh Ray just so happens to hold rulership over the Aquarian Age, and Saint Germain, as the ‘Chohan of the Seventh Ray’ is considered to be the ‘Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius’. Also known as ‘The God of Freedom for the Earth’ it could be said that he is the chairman of the committee of Masters who have been elected to superintend our passage through the Great Shift.
Born in 1710 the handsome courtier whose occult interests and alchemical abilities reputedly gave him God-like powers, Saint Germain claimed to be hundreds of years old. The myths that surround his origins and his life have obscured the facts but we do know that he made his ascension in 1784. A hundred years later, in the pre-dawn of the Aquarian Age, he began to appear more and more in the physical. Since that era reports of meetings with the Comte have been and continue to be commonplace enough to make it seem as if he’s definitely been here on special assignment for a long time.
Madame Blavatsky conversed with him regularly and was quite open about the fact that Saint Germain was one of the Masters who helped her write the ‘Secret Doctrine’. Annie Besant, C.W. Leadbeater, Godfrey Ray King, Edgar Cayce, Paul Foster Case, and Manly P. Hall; all the great theosophists, spiritualists, and psychics claim to have met with, and received instruction from Saint Germain. But it isn’t just the big names that have had that privilege; ask any seeker on the New Age workshop circuit. Thousands of people have met with the Comte and all of them are more than happy to talk about it.
Never having met him myself, I have always given the people with the Saint Germain stories the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t until my friend Ron Sirchie had a real life encounter with Saint Germain that I began to see that there might actually be some truth to all the tales. A few months after their meeting the two of them arranged to do a videotaped interview. Having seen that footage I have to say that I was convinced. When the time came for me to write this chapter I decided to check in with Ron one more time just to see if he still thought that the man that he spoke with in 2008 was the real Saint Germain. What follows is a copy of the email that he sent in response to that question:
“YES since you’re asking; I just watched the video again last night.... YES I truly believe he was as real as it gets.
Germain's message and the way he portrayed himself was simple and on point about staying in the heart and focusing on the positive.... even though the negative will be there ...... focus on the positive ... Plus his knowledge about the inner earth was awesome.........
I could go on..... But one last thing; I remember him saying that when everything is all said and done ... he told us that he would probably jump back in somewhere to help life rise up again ......
I don't know Cal .... I do know that he said all the correct things and I've been around, for a soon to be 40-year old; I’ve hung out with Tom Kenyon, Greg Braden, Alex Grey, Ken Page (many times with Ken here on the East coast) and on and on; Saint Germain seemed true to his message. I'm actually looking to see him on the east coast again this year. I'll keep you posted.”
I realize that the idea that there enlightened beings living on a higher level whose job it is to keep an eye on human and earthly affairs may seem totally out there to some of you – in my more logical moments, it still seems a little out there to me. At the same time, I’ve heard and seen enough evidence for it to be willing to loan my faith to the possibility that all of the Ascended Masters, and especially Saint Germaine are watching over us, more so now at this critical turning point, than at any other time in recorded history.
It’s been said that belief is what shapes our experience. Most of us understand that what we are willing to welcome into the realm of possibility eventually comes into manifestation. If our own mastery is about to become as real for us as it is for the ones who have already made their ascension, does proof that they exist help us believe that the same level of attainment is as open to us as it was to Christ, or Buddha, or Saint Germain? Let’s move on and see if a few more Ascended Master stories will answer that question for you.
YOGANANDA
Yogananda is not known to be one of the guardians of the Aquarian Age, but he is significant to us, and to it, because he is one of the few Ascended Masters who incarnated just as it was dawning. Born in 1893, he began his spiritual search early in life and at the age of seventeen, met up with Sri Yukteswar and became his disciple. Sri Yukteswar stated that the meeting was a reunion; according to the guru, the two of them had spent many lifetimes together and that the Master Babaji had sent Yogananda to him for a very special purpose.
Well known to anyone who has an interest in spiritual development Yogananda taught that true self-realization is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that the kingdom of God is within us. According to him, what is already ours doesn’t need to be prayed for because all of us are God and in order to experience that, all that is needed is a deep desire to cultivate and refine our relationship to that aspect of ourselves.
In the days leading up to his death Yogananda began to hint that it was time for him to depart. On May 7, 1952 after attending a banquet, he gave a speech about world peace and ended the speech with his poem, ‘My India’. As the last words were spoken he collapsed on the floor, dead of a heart attack. Kriyananda, one of Yogananda’s better known disciples later said that his master had once stated in a lecture, ‘A heart attack is the easiest way to die. That is how I choose to die’.
The interesting thing about Yogananda is that after his passing his physical body never deteriorated. If you find that hard to fathom, the following quote from a notarized letter written by the director of the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California, where Yogananda’s body was embalmed, will make it seem more credible:
“The absence of any visual signs of decay in the dead body of Paramahansa Yogananda offers the most extraordinary case in our experience…No physical disintegration was visible in his body even twenty days after death…No indication of mold was visible on his skin, and no visible drying up took place in the bodily tissues. This state of perfect preservation of a body is, so far as we know from mortuary annals, an unparalleled one…No odor of decay emanated from his body at any time”.
Close to sixty years later Yogananda’s physical vehicle is still on ice, in pristine condition, somewhere in California. This anomaly has been the subject of much speculation. His followers are convinced that their teacher is due to return and save the world any day now. That idea may not be too farfetched; spirit goes both ways after all, and if Yogananda ascended he is just as capable of re-entering his body when and if he chooses to.
Sri Yukteswar’s awareness of Yogananda’s ‘very special purpose’ may have something to do with this. It could be that Paramahansa Yogananda’s return is the miracle that will surprise us into realizing that even for us, death is an illusion. But do we really need him to come back? Isn’t the pristine condition of his body six decades after death enough to prove the point? Hello! I don’t know about you but it’s enough for me; because whether Yogananda decides to reanimate his form, or continues to let it rest in peace, perfectly preserved, one way or another, the lesson is the same.
MERLIN
Before we can talk about Merlin from an intelligent frame of reference we need to get around the fairy tale and blow a little life into him; because contrary to what we’ve been told, the legendary Druid was real live human being. Give yourself a few minutes to clear that hurdle, because the next one involves exchanging the image of the mythical wizard with the magic wand and the pointy hat for the idea that the man we’ve turned into a Walt Disney character is in fact, an Ascended Master.
If we’ve reduced the real Merlin to a fantasy figure it isn’t entirely our fault. Between the oral traditions of the Druids and the inventiveness of Celtic historians who, when they finally got around to writing things down, took it upon themselves to reinvent a past that they knew very little about, what’s left of Merlin leaves us with nothing to go on but the King Arthur legends – and unfortunately, we are lost when it comes to them too. Far be it from me to set the record straight, but I will try.
If you do enough research you soon find out that the Druids were not indigenous to the British Isles. Come to find out, they originated in Atlantis and migrated to Egypt after The Fall. Their culture and their spiritual practices reemerged there, along with the Coptic and the Essene brotherhoods, approximately five hundred years before the birth of Christ. The three sects worked together to lay the spiritual foundations that would later support the Christ mission.
We know that Merlin was a Druid and that he was the leader of that sect, but few of us are aware that the name that we have come to associate with the Gandolfian character of myth isn’t a name; it is a title. ‘The Merlin’ is the position that is held by the leader, or the High Priest of the Druid faith. For the followers of that faith, ‘The Merlin’ is comparable to what ‘The Dalai Lama’ would be for the Buddhists, or what ‘The Pope’ is to the Catholics. Passed down through lineage descent, at times, when earthly affairs call for it, that position is bestowed upon an Ascended Master.
The Merlin that we are familiar with is said to have lived anywhere between 400 and 600 AD. The story goes that he was a ‘Halfling’ with supernatural abilities and the rest of the legend is filled with accounts that testify to his magical powers. Underneath all the fairy tales, the Ascended Master who held the position of The Merlin during the Fifth Century AD was indeed a magus of the highest order. His reputation for wizardry and his affiliation with Arthur and the Templar Knights (The Knights of the Round Table) are both based on fact. It is also known that The Merlin prepared Druid initiates for the ascension process at his mystery school on the Island of Avalon, and at the circles at Avebury and Stonehenge. Folklore has it that the secrets of the Druidic faith are buried deep in the soil of the Glastonbury Tor.
There may be some truth to that tale because beyond his role as the Druid High Priest, this particular Ascended Master was sent to Earth for a very specific purpose; one that involved helping humanity shift away from traditions that the Druids had upheld for a thousand years into the belief patterns that we have come to associate with Christianity. The Arthurian legends touch upon that issue, but just barely. The truth is, the man who held the position of The Merlin during King Arthur’s time came here to preserve a body of wisdom that was about to go underground for fifteen hundred years. As the High Priest and guardian of those traditions it was his job to pack them up and store them away until the time came for us to return to them.
Would it be too much to presume that in this age of transition, as humanity goes through a shift which in will ultimately bring us back to the old ways, that The Merlin who was chosen to guard that wisdom is here now to assist in its restoration? The following story seems to suggest that he is.
Drunvalo Melchizedek’s Conversation with The Merlin
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Drunvalo Melchizedek, but those of you who are know that he is the disseminator of the Flower of Life Teachings. He is also someone who is deeply involved in all of the changes that are happening on the planet right now. I’ve been his student for about twelve years, and one of the things I enjoy most about Drunvalo is the way things happen to him; he is a magnet for some of the weirdest, wildest, most miraculous experiences I’ve ever heard of; his stories are incredible and all of them are true.
This story goes back to the early 90’s when Drunvalo was asked to take a trip to England to investigate the crop circle phenomenon. Because most crop circles are formed near Britain’s stone megaliths, his research involved a lot of time spent at Stonehenge, and some of the other stone circles that the British Isles are so famous for.
On the day that Drunvalo arrived at Stonehenge, he did what most spiritually oriented people do when they visit this sacred site; he propped himself up against a big rock and went into a meditation. After a few minutes in silence a voice came to him and told him to leave Stonehenge and go to the stone circle at Avebury and wait.
Trusting this message, Drunvalo found his way to Avebury, sat down near the first stone he was drawn to, closed his eyes, and went into another meditation. It didn’t take long for the same voice to come in; it was a deep voice with a heavy old English accent and it turned out to be The Merlin. His first words were; “Thank you for joining the program”. Not knowing what this meant, as images of crop circles began to appear on the screen of his inner vision, Drunvalo listened closely while The Merlin took about forty-five minutes to explain that he and the Ascended Masters were behind the crop circle phenomenon. His next words were, “I will prove it to you”, at which point he instructed Drunvalo to go to Silbury Hill.
The purpose for going to Silbury Hill was not made clear, but what happened when he got there brought him into contact with a woman by the name of Barbara Davies. Barbara runs a crop circle hotline; whenever a crop circle forms, she’s the one who gets the word out. In the course of conversation Drunvalo asked her if the Vesica Pisces symbol had ever appeared in any of the British Crop circles. Barbara told him ‘No’ and went on to say, “You’re staying up in Swindon; I just heard that a new crop circle formed up there last night.” To make a long story short, Drunvalo headed up to Swindon and lo and behold, there right next to the main road, was a crop circle formed in the shape of the Vesica Pisces.**
*All the details around the story of Merlin can be found on Drunvalo Melchizedek’s DVD, “The Story of England”. *The Vesica Pisces is the universal symbol for the Divine Feminine.
If all of this feels a bit too fantastic, what can I say? Drunvalo’s experience is proof enough for me. And while the tale that tells us that The Merlin is here is totally believable, whether we buy it or not, there is another aspect to the story: and that is the crop circles themselves.
The Great Mother is etching her wisdom into fields all over the planet; anyone can see that she is not only speaking to us, she is literally rising up out of the ground, blazing with symbols that reflect the feminine face of God. As that aspect of the divine appears to be on its way up, has our logic gone too far over the top to embrace the idea that The Merlin might be here to help us remember her ways? After all, he’s the one that put them to bed. Even if we choose not to believe that, we can’t ignore what Mother Earth and her etchings are trying to tell us. Think about that and let’s move on to lesser mortals.
ANNALEE SKARIN
We’ve talked about a few of the ascension giants; but what about the little people? Wouldn’t all of this feel closer to home if we knew that some ordinary, everyday person had made it through the Eye-of-the-Needle? This is why I love Annalee Skarin’s story. She’s one of us, just an average human being, and she made her ascension in 1952.
Raised in the Mormon Church, Annalee Skarin believed in her heart that immortality could be achieved through the devout application of Christian principles. Her writings were considered heretical because while she accepted the idea that virtuous souls could die and go to heaven, she regarded that pathway as the ‘dreary, back door entrance’ and openly endorsed ascension as the better alternative.
If you’ve ever been exposed to the iron fist of Mormon fundamentalism, it should come as no surprise that the church patriarchs weren’t exactly pleased with Annalee Skarin’s revelations. Accused of blasphemy for daring to suggest that all of us are God, she was excommunicated by the Latter Day Saints after the publication of her first book, ‘Ye Are Gods’. Unwilling to embrace her during her life, it was only after Annalee ascended that she was deemed worthy enough to be readmitted to the Mormon fold.
Her ascension story is as simple and straightforward as she was. On July 16th, 1952, at the home of Sally Franchow, Annalee announced that it was time for her to depart and proceeded to vanish into thin air. Conflicting accounts as to what actually took place grew out of that event but, on the day that it happened, The Deseret News reported, “Many were convinced that the woman had indeed gone heavenward.” *14
Questions as to whether or not she actually made her translation into spirit have been raised by some. Reading through the various perspectives it soon becomes clear that those who
attempt to discredit her seem to choke on the fact that her truth negates theirs.
As most of us know the outer teachings of the Christian church are founded on the belief that we’re here to emulate Christ. In the same breath we are told that the average human being is too sinful to qualify. Other sects get around this ‘Catch 22’ by maintaining that the ascension was/is a total fantasy, even for Christ, and that the whole tale is just a beautiful metaphor.
If her opponents have a problem with Annalee Skarin it is for one reason only: when the nice lady from Idaho translated into spirit she not only made it blatantly obvious that any one of us could do the same, she became living, 20th Century proof that, even for a woman, there is a definite pathway to heaven. Would it be stretching things too far to think that Annalee Skarin might have something to do with the rise of the Female Light, and the idea that, even an average, everyday woman could be a standard bearer for it?
If it suspends belief to think that eight more books were written after her ascension, it may help you to recall that spirit goes both ways. Aside from her purpose as a scribe, Annalee’s love for her husband, Reason, and her desire to assist him in reconnecting with his God-self gave her yet another excuse to move back and forth across the veil. New Age rumor suggests that Reason and Annalee Skarin are now working as a team. They have been known to appear in the same way Saint Germain, The Merlin, and others, like Mother Mary do, materializing at will in order to share their truth and their experience with people all over the world. Both Annalee and Reason Skarin emphasize the importance of gratitude, praise, and love as the keys to the ascension mysteries. If they are here with us it is because they have come to assist; which gets us to the heart of the matter.
If William Q. Judge was right when he said that, ‘this is an age of transition…men’s minds are only preparing for an alteration into that state which will permit the race to advance to the point suitable for these Elder Brothers to introduce their actual presence to our sight’, as we make our entrance into the Age of Light, do these accounts of their presence help us to see that something big enough to require it is definitely on? And, do we understand that in bearing the torch of truth across the Ages that the Masters of Wisdom are also here to teach us everything we need to know about the ascension process?
If we can stretch our minds far enough to embrace all of the above the next question is: With so little time, what would it take to close our eyes, enter our hearts, and open the conversation? The following excerpts from Li Po’s, ‘Ascended Master Dictations’ seem to suggest that all we have to do is pick up the phone:
“The Masters are behind the scenes, behind the veil. We need to learn how to draw them in closer by concentrating our consciousness on them; getting to know them through study, making contact, reaching out to them…We have to take responsibility for reaching out to them in our dimension. They cannot otherwise come into, and affect, our lives unless we give them permission either by thought, calls, or actions…To draw them in closer we, too, must work for the Plan, for the Light. It is easy. We can begin to feel them move closer as we draw them into our consciousness, being, and world. They will eventually expand in us and take over our world at our request. This is how it is done if you want to make contact. There is no big secret; except this will not work for evil intent. It will only work in love. Only love can draw us up into the Ascension.” *13
On the brink of a dimensional shift, it makes sense that all our support and instruction would come from another level. What also makes sense is the idea that only those who have been through the ascension process would be qualified to instruct us in its mysteries. If ringing up The Great White Brotherhood is too much to wrap you your mind around, ask yourself where else are you going to find the information you need right now? We can only be taught by those who have gone before us. Those who have gone before us may be invisible to our sight but they are very much here, and my sense is that our individual and collective ascension process begins when we open our minds to include that possibility.
What follows is excerpted from 'THE WEISER FIELD GUIDE TO ASCENSION - *The Meaning of Miracles and Shifts in Consciousness Past and Present*. Aside from my own story, and the fact that the Moon's in Scorpio, what made me choose this particular piece of writing? Of late all of the changes that are going on in the world have prompted me to consider more deeply, where we are heading... aside from that, I like to share things that stand a chance of turning people on to the idea that there's way more to this life than money, politics, and technology.
Bear with me, this is a long one. If you're up for something completely different, I invite you to open your mind, and read a little bit about the Ascension process.
CHAPTER III
THE ‘WHO’S WHO’ OF ASCENSION
The Bible tells us that we were made in the image of Christ and it makes it very clear that we came here to follow his example; but that’s as far as it goes. Nowhere does it say that we are Christ or mention anything about the fact that we might be capable of exactly the same level of attainment. At some point that information was probably included in the text, but when the Niocene Council chopped up the good book they made sure that what we were left with would lead us to think that it would be a sin for any human being to presume that they could ever be that perfect. This may be why the thought that we could refine our sensitivities to the point where we could leave this world with the physical vehicle intact, rise up to the higher levels, and even go so far as to reappear in the flesh, when and if it became necessary, is pretty hard to believe.
Christ may have been ‘the first of all the race to be transmuted to the image of the I AM’ – but he was not the only one by any means; come to find out there is a long list of people who have gone through the same process – and there are probably many others who found their way to the ascension portal accidentally and never received any publicity for it. I don’t know about you but somehow or other, knowing that the most perfect person who ever lived wasn’t the only one to ever have this experience, takes some of the pressure off and creates a sense of safety in numbers that makes it easier to believe that we could do it too.
THE ASCENDED MASTERS
Next to Christ, Buddha is probably the most famous ascended soul. He incarnated about four or five-hundred years before Jesus was born which means that he made his ascension long before the Magi had even spotted the Eastern Star. At the age of 80 he announced that he was ready to leave this world and ascended bodily into heaven illuminated by an aura of bright white light. His last words were; "All composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with diligence."
We can’t bring up Christ or Buddha without discussing the Ascended Masters; both of them are members of that illustrious brotherhood. The books tell us that there are seventy-two Ascended Masters and that they are otherwise known as Mahatmas, Elder brothers, The Great White Brotherhood, and/or The Masters of Wisdom. It is believed that these beings are individuals who once incarnated here on the Earth plane and who mastered their life lessons by fulfilling their Dharma (life purpose) and burning off at least 51% of their negative Karma. God-like even in the flesh, after their ascension each one of them reunited with their God-Self and like Christ, became transmuted into the image of the ‘I AM’.
The Mahatmas live on a higher octave of the third dimension and for the most part they oversee everything that takes place here on Earth from the invisible realms. But because they have the ability to descend into matter, during times of great change some of the Masters re-enter the physical and walk among us. Whenever the astrological ages shift they are always there in full force, in spirit or in the flesh, to guide us through whatever those changes involve.
A little over a century ago, about a hundred years shy of the Great Shift of the Ages, some of the members of the Great White Brotherhood began to make themselves known to a small circle of spiritual seekers who were connected with the Theosophical movement and the teachings of Madame Blavatsky. Much has been written about the Elder Brothers since the dear Madame introduced them to the public. The following quote from William Q. Judge’s classic, “The Ocean of Theosophy” was written at the peak of the Theosophical craze and it speaks eloquently about the role that the Masters of Wisdom play in human affairs:
“The most intelligent being in the universe, man, has never, then, been without a friend, but has a line of Elder Brothers who continually watch over the progress of the less progressed, preserve the knowledge gained through aeons of trial and experience, and continually seek for opportunities of drawing the developing intelligence of the race on this and other globes to consider the great truths concerning the destiny of the soul. These Elder Brothers also keep the knowledge they have gained of the laws of nature in all departments, and are ready when cyclic law permits to use it for the benefit of mankind. They have always existed as a body, all knowing to each other, no matter in what part of the world they may be, and all working for the race in many different ways. In some periods they are well known to the people and move among ordinary men whenever the social organization, the virtue, and the development of the nations permit it. For if they were to come out openly and be heard of everywhere, they would be worshipped as gods by some and hunted as devils by others. In those periods when they do come out some of their number are rulers of men, some teachers, a few great philosophers, while others remain still unknown except to the most advanced of the body.
“It would be subversive of the ends they have in view were they to make themselves public in the present civilization, which is based wholly on money, fame, glory, and personality. For this age, as one of them has already said, ‘is an age of transition’, when every system of thought, science, religion, government, and society is, and men’s minds are only preparing for an alteration into that state which will permit the race to advance to the point suitable for these Elder Brothers to introduce their actual presence to our sight. They may truly be called the bearers of the torch of truth across the ages; they investigate all changing things and beings; they know what man is in his innermost nature, and what his powers and destiny, his state before birth and the states into which he goes after the death of his body; they have stood by the cradle of nations and seen the vast achievements of the ancients, watched sadly the decay of those who had no power to resist the cyclic law of rise and fall.” *12
There are seventy-two Ascended Masters. At this point all of their names have not been revealed but here is a short list of names that are known to us: Merlin, Kwan Yin, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Enoch, Kuthumi, Abraham, Serapis Bey, Mohammed, Krishna, Yogananda, Annalee Skarin, Hilarion, Confucius, Djwhal Khul, Master Morya, Lao-Tzu, Babaji, Pope John Paul II, and the Comte Saint Germain.
SAINT GERMAIN
Out of all the people on that list Saint Germain is of particular interest to us now because he is the ‘Chohan of the Seventh Ray’. According to the Theosophists, the Seven Rays are seven metaphysical principles that govern both individual souls and the unfolding of each astrological age. The Seventh Ray just so happens to hold rulership over the Aquarian Age, and Saint Germain, as the ‘Chohan of the Seventh Ray’ is considered to be the ‘Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius’. Also known as ‘The God of Freedom for the Earth’ it could be said that he is the chairman of the committee of Masters who have been elected to superintend our passage through the Great Shift.
Born in 1710 the handsome courtier whose occult interests and alchemical abilities reputedly gave him God-like powers, Saint Germain claimed to be hundreds of years old. The myths that surround his origins and his life have obscured the facts but we do know that he made his ascension in 1784. A hundred years later, in the pre-dawn of the Aquarian Age, he began to appear more and more in the physical. Since that era reports of meetings with the Comte have been and continue to be commonplace enough to make it seem as if he’s definitely been here on special assignment for a long time.
Madame Blavatsky conversed with him regularly and was quite open about the fact that Saint Germain was one of the Masters who helped her write the ‘Secret Doctrine’. Annie Besant, C.W. Leadbeater, Godfrey Ray King, Edgar Cayce, Paul Foster Case, and Manly P. Hall; all the great theosophists, spiritualists, and psychics claim to have met with, and received instruction from Saint Germain. But it isn’t just the big names that have had that privilege; ask any seeker on the New Age workshop circuit. Thousands of people have met with the Comte and all of them are more than happy to talk about it.
Never having met him myself, I have always given the people with the Saint Germain stories the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t until my friend Ron Sirchie had a real life encounter with Saint Germain that I began to see that there might actually be some truth to all the tales. A few months after their meeting the two of them arranged to do a videotaped interview. Having seen that footage I have to say that I was convinced. When the time came for me to write this chapter I decided to check in with Ron one more time just to see if he still thought that the man that he spoke with in 2008 was the real Saint Germain. What follows is a copy of the email that he sent in response to that question:
“YES since you’re asking; I just watched the video again last night.... YES I truly believe he was as real as it gets.
Germain's message and the way he portrayed himself was simple and on point about staying in the heart and focusing on the positive.... even though the negative will be there ...... focus on the positive ... Plus his knowledge about the inner earth was awesome.........
I could go on..... But one last thing; I remember him saying that when everything is all said and done ... he told us that he would probably jump back in somewhere to help life rise up again ......
I don't know Cal .... I do know that he said all the correct things and I've been around, for a soon to be 40-year old; I’ve hung out with Tom Kenyon, Greg Braden, Alex Grey, Ken Page (many times with Ken here on the East coast) and on and on; Saint Germain seemed true to his message. I'm actually looking to see him on the east coast again this year. I'll keep you posted.”
I realize that the idea that there enlightened beings living on a higher level whose job it is to keep an eye on human and earthly affairs may seem totally out there to some of you – in my more logical moments, it still seems a little out there to me. At the same time, I’ve heard and seen enough evidence for it to be willing to loan my faith to the possibility that all of the Ascended Masters, and especially Saint Germaine are watching over us, more so now at this critical turning point, than at any other time in recorded history.
It’s been said that belief is what shapes our experience. Most of us understand that what we are willing to welcome into the realm of possibility eventually comes into manifestation. If our own mastery is about to become as real for us as it is for the ones who have already made their ascension, does proof that they exist help us believe that the same level of attainment is as open to us as it was to Christ, or Buddha, or Saint Germain? Let’s move on and see if a few more Ascended Master stories will answer that question for you.
YOGANANDA
Yogananda is not known to be one of the guardians of the Aquarian Age, but he is significant to us, and to it, because he is one of the few Ascended Masters who incarnated just as it was dawning. Born in 1893, he began his spiritual search early in life and at the age of seventeen, met up with Sri Yukteswar and became his disciple. Sri Yukteswar stated that the meeting was a reunion; according to the guru, the two of them had spent many lifetimes together and that the Master Babaji had sent Yogananda to him for a very special purpose.
Well known to anyone who has an interest in spiritual development Yogananda taught that true self-realization is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that the kingdom of God is within us. According to him, what is already ours doesn’t need to be prayed for because all of us are God and in order to experience that, all that is needed is a deep desire to cultivate and refine our relationship to that aspect of ourselves.
In the days leading up to his death Yogananda began to hint that it was time for him to depart. On May 7, 1952 after attending a banquet, he gave a speech about world peace and ended the speech with his poem, ‘My India’. As the last words were spoken he collapsed on the floor, dead of a heart attack. Kriyananda, one of Yogananda’s better known disciples later said that his master had once stated in a lecture, ‘A heart attack is the easiest way to die. That is how I choose to die’.
The interesting thing about Yogananda is that after his passing his physical body never deteriorated. If you find that hard to fathom, the following quote from a notarized letter written by the director of the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California, where Yogananda’s body was embalmed, will make it seem more credible:
“The absence of any visual signs of decay in the dead body of Paramahansa Yogananda offers the most extraordinary case in our experience…No physical disintegration was visible in his body even twenty days after death…No indication of mold was visible on his skin, and no visible drying up took place in the bodily tissues. This state of perfect preservation of a body is, so far as we know from mortuary annals, an unparalleled one…No odor of decay emanated from his body at any time”.
Close to sixty years later Yogananda’s physical vehicle is still on ice, in pristine condition, somewhere in California. This anomaly has been the subject of much speculation. His followers are convinced that their teacher is due to return and save the world any day now. That idea may not be too farfetched; spirit goes both ways after all, and if Yogananda ascended he is just as capable of re-entering his body when and if he chooses to.
Sri Yukteswar’s awareness of Yogananda’s ‘very special purpose’ may have something to do with this. It could be that Paramahansa Yogananda’s return is the miracle that will surprise us into realizing that even for us, death is an illusion. But do we really need him to come back? Isn’t the pristine condition of his body six decades after death enough to prove the point? Hello! I don’t know about you but it’s enough for me; because whether Yogananda decides to reanimate his form, or continues to let it rest in peace, perfectly preserved, one way or another, the lesson is the same.
MERLIN
Before we can talk about Merlin from an intelligent frame of reference we need to get around the fairy tale and blow a little life into him; because contrary to what we’ve been told, the legendary Druid was real live human being. Give yourself a few minutes to clear that hurdle, because the next one involves exchanging the image of the mythical wizard with the magic wand and the pointy hat for the idea that the man we’ve turned into a Walt Disney character is in fact, an Ascended Master.
If we’ve reduced the real Merlin to a fantasy figure it isn’t entirely our fault. Between the oral traditions of the Druids and the inventiveness of Celtic historians who, when they finally got around to writing things down, took it upon themselves to reinvent a past that they knew very little about, what’s left of Merlin leaves us with nothing to go on but the King Arthur legends – and unfortunately, we are lost when it comes to them too. Far be it from me to set the record straight, but I will try.
If you do enough research you soon find out that the Druids were not indigenous to the British Isles. Come to find out, they originated in Atlantis and migrated to Egypt after The Fall. Their culture and their spiritual practices reemerged there, along with the Coptic and the Essene brotherhoods, approximately five hundred years before the birth of Christ. The three sects worked together to lay the spiritual foundations that would later support the Christ mission.
We know that Merlin was a Druid and that he was the leader of that sect, but few of us are aware that the name that we have come to associate with the Gandolfian character of myth isn’t a name; it is a title. ‘The Merlin’ is the position that is held by the leader, or the High Priest of the Druid faith. For the followers of that faith, ‘The Merlin’ is comparable to what ‘The Dalai Lama’ would be for the Buddhists, or what ‘The Pope’ is to the Catholics. Passed down through lineage descent, at times, when earthly affairs call for it, that position is bestowed upon an Ascended Master.
The Merlin that we are familiar with is said to have lived anywhere between 400 and 600 AD. The story goes that he was a ‘Halfling’ with supernatural abilities and the rest of the legend is filled with accounts that testify to his magical powers. Underneath all the fairy tales, the Ascended Master who held the position of The Merlin during the Fifth Century AD was indeed a magus of the highest order. His reputation for wizardry and his affiliation with Arthur and the Templar Knights (The Knights of the Round Table) are both based on fact. It is also known that The Merlin prepared Druid initiates for the ascension process at his mystery school on the Island of Avalon, and at the circles at Avebury and Stonehenge. Folklore has it that the secrets of the Druidic faith are buried deep in the soil of the Glastonbury Tor.
There may be some truth to that tale because beyond his role as the Druid High Priest, this particular Ascended Master was sent to Earth for a very specific purpose; one that involved helping humanity shift away from traditions that the Druids had upheld for a thousand years into the belief patterns that we have come to associate with Christianity. The Arthurian legends touch upon that issue, but just barely. The truth is, the man who held the position of The Merlin during King Arthur’s time came here to preserve a body of wisdom that was about to go underground for fifteen hundred years. As the High Priest and guardian of those traditions it was his job to pack them up and store them away until the time came for us to return to them.
Would it be too much to presume that in this age of transition, as humanity goes through a shift which in will ultimately bring us back to the old ways, that The Merlin who was chosen to guard that wisdom is here now to assist in its restoration? The following story seems to suggest that he is.
Drunvalo Melchizedek’s Conversation with The Merlin
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Drunvalo Melchizedek, but those of you who are know that he is the disseminator of the Flower of Life Teachings. He is also someone who is deeply involved in all of the changes that are happening on the planet right now. I’ve been his student for about twelve years, and one of the things I enjoy most about Drunvalo is the way things happen to him; he is a magnet for some of the weirdest, wildest, most miraculous experiences I’ve ever heard of; his stories are incredible and all of them are true.
This story goes back to the early 90’s when Drunvalo was asked to take a trip to England to investigate the crop circle phenomenon. Because most crop circles are formed near Britain’s stone megaliths, his research involved a lot of time spent at Stonehenge, and some of the other stone circles that the British Isles are so famous for.
On the day that Drunvalo arrived at Stonehenge, he did what most spiritually oriented people do when they visit this sacred site; he propped himself up against a big rock and went into a meditation. After a few minutes in silence a voice came to him and told him to leave Stonehenge and go to the stone circle at Avebury and wait.
Trusting this message, Drunvalo found his way to Avebury, sat down near the first stone he was drawn to, closed his eyes, and went into another meditation. It didn’t take long for the same voice to come in; it was a deep voice with a heavy old English accent and it turned out to be The Merlin. His first words were; “Thank you for joining the program”. Not knowing what this meant, as images of crop circles began to appear on the screen of his inner vision, Drunvalo listened closely while The Merlin took about forty-five minutes to explain that he and the Ascended Masters were behind the crop circle phenomenon. His next words were, “I will prove it to you”, at which point he instructed Drunvalo to go to Silbury Hill.
The purpose for going to Silbury Hill was not made clear, but what happened when he got there brought him into contact with a woman by the name of Barbara Davies. Barbara runs a crop circle hotline; whenever a crop circle forms, she’s the one who gets the word out. In the course of conversation Drunvalo asked her if the Vesica Pisces symbol had ever appeared in any of the British Crop circles. Barbara told him ‘No’ and went on to say, “You’re staying up in Swindon; I just heard that a new crop circle formed up there last night.” To make a long story short, Drunvalo headed up to Swindon and lo and behold, there right next to the main road, was a crop circle formed in the shape of the Vesica Pisces.**
*All the details around the story of Merlin can be found on Drunvalo Melchizedek’s DVD, “The Story of England”. *The Vesica Pisces is the universal symbol for the Divine Feminine.
If all of this feels a bit too fantastic, what can I say? Drunvalo’s experience is proof enough for me. And while the tale that tells us that The Merlin is here is totally believable, whether we buy it or not, there is another aspect to the story: and that is the crop circles themselves.
The Great Mother is etching her wisdom into fields all over the planet; anyone can see that she is not only speaking to us, she is literally rising up out of the ground, blazing with symbols that reflect the feminine face of God. As that aspect of the divine appears to be on its way up, has our logic gone too far over the top to embrace the idea that The Merlin might be here to help us remember her ways? After all, he’s the one that put them to bed. Even if we choose not to believe that, we can’t ignore what Mother Earth and her etchings are trying to tell us. Think about that and let’s move on to lesser mortals.
ANNALEE SKARIN
We’ve talked about a few of the ascension giants; but what about the little people? Wouldn’t all of this feel closer to home if we knew that some ordinary, everyday person had made it through the Eye-of-the-Needle? This is why I love Annalee Skarin’s story. She’s one of us, just an average human being, and she made her ascension in 1952.
Raised in the Mormon Church, Annalee Skarin believed in her heart that immortality could be achieved through the devout application of Christian principles. Her writings were considered heretical because while she accepted the idea that virtuous souls could die and go to heaven, she regarded that pathway as the ‘dreary, back door entrance’ and openly endorsed ascension as the better alternative.
If you’ve ever been exposed to the iron fist of Mormon fundamentalism, it should come as no surprise that the church patriarchs weren’t exactly pleased with Annalee Skarin’s revelations. Accused of blasphemy for daring to suggest that all of us are God, she was excommunicated by the Latter Day Saints after the publication of her first book, ‘Ye Are Gods’. Unwilling to embrace her during her life, it was only after Annalee ascended that she was deemed worthy enough to be readmitted to the Mormon fold.
Her ascension story is as simple and straightforward as she was. On July 16th, 1952, at the home of Sally Franchow, Annalee announced that it was time for her to depart and proceeded to vanish into thin air. Conflicting accounts as to what actually took place grew out of that event but, on the day that it happened, The Deseret News reported, “Many were convinced that the woman had indeed gone heavenward.” *14
Questions as to whether or not she actually made her translation into spirit have been raised by some. Reading through the various perspectives it soon becomes clear that those who
attempt to discredit her seem to choke on the fact that her truth negates theirs.
As most of us know the outer teachings of the Christian church are founded on the belief that we’re here to emulate Christ. In the same breath we are told that the average human being is too sinful to qualify. Other sects get around this ‘Catch 22’ by maintaining that the ascension was/is a total fantasy, even for Christ, and that the whole tale is just a beautiful metaphor.
If her opponents have a problem with Annalee Skarin it is for one reason only: when the nice lady from Idaho translated into spirit she not only made it blatantly obvious that any one of us could do the same, she became living, 20th Century proof that, even for a woman, there is a definite pathway to heaven. Would it be stretching things too far to think that Annalee Skarin might have something to do with the rise of the Female Light, and the idea that, even an average, everyday woman could be a standard bearer for it?
If it suspends belief to think that eight more books were written after her ascension, it may help you to recall that spirit goes both ways. Aside from her purpose as a scribe, Annalee’s love for her husband, Reason, and her desire to assist him in reconnecting with his God-self gave her yet another excuse to move back and forth across the veil. New Age rumor suggests that Reason and Annalee Skarin are now working as a team. They have been known to appear in the same way Saint Germain, The Merlin, and others, like Mother Mary do, materializing at will in order to share their truth and their experience with people all over the world. Both Annalee and Reason Skarin emphasize the importance of gratitude, praise, and love as the keys to the ascension mysteries. If they are here with us it is because they have come to assist; which gets us to the heart of the matter.
If William Q. Judge was right when he said that, ‘this is an age of transition…men’s minds are only preparing for an alteration into that state which will permit the race to advance to the point suitable for these Elder Brothers to introduce their actual presence to our sight’, as we make our entrance into the Age of Light, do these accounts of their presence help us to see that something big enough to require it is definitely on? And, do we understand that in bearing the torch of truth across the Ages that the Masters of Wisdom are also here to teach us everything we need to know about the ascension process?
If we can stretch our minds far enough to embrace all of the above the next question is: With so little time, what would it take to close our eyes, enter our hearts, and open the conversation? The following excerpts from Li Po’s, ‘Ascended Master Dictations’ seem to suggest that all we have to do is pick up the phone:
“The Masters are behind the scenes, behind the veil. We need to learn how to draw them in closer by concentrating our consciousness on them; getting to know them through study, making contact, reaching out to them…We have to take responsibility for reaching out to them in our dimension. They cannot otherwise come into, and affect, our lives unless we give them permission either by thought, calls, or actions…To draw them in closer we, too, must work for the Plan, for the Light. It is easy. We can begin to feel them move closer as we draw them into our consciousness, being, and world. They will eventually expand in us and take over our world at our request. This is how it is done if you want to make contact. There is no big secret; except this will not work for evil intent. It will only work in love. Only love can draw us up into the Ascension.” *13
On the brink of a dimensional shift, it makes sense that all our support and instruction would come from another level. What also makes sense is the idea that only those who have been through the ascension process would be qualified to instruct us in its mysteries. If ringing up The Great White Brotherhood is too much to wrap you your mind around, ask yourself where else are you going to find the information you need right now? We can only be taught by those who have gone before us. Those who have gone before us may be invisible to our sight but they are very much here, and my sense is that our individual and collective ascension process begins when we open our minds to include that possibility.
“The Walk of Life”
I have been a working astrologer for fifty years. The column that you see posted here every Sunday has been in print for the last thirty. Over time, my horoscopes have gained quite a following. Of late, they have expanded to include articles that showcase more than just run-of-the-mill, sign-to-sign predictions. If you learn something from what you find here, or if what I write helps you to make sense of things, or inspires you in some way, it means a lot to me. While you are on this website, you are welcome to take a look around. There are short stories, articles, videos, and free downloads that you won’t find anywhere else. All of it is free, and shared with a desire to bring light to the world. On any day when what’s written here opens your heart or your mind to something new, and you feel called to ‘pay it forward’ with some ‘loose change’, a donation, large or small, made to my PayPal account (cal.garrison@gmail.com) would be greatly appreciated, and make it possible for me to not only share the very best of what I have to offer, but to continue, “The Walk of Life”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qTHn_sxrN0&list=RD_qTHn_sxrN0&start_radio=1&t=0
“The Walk of Life”
I have been a working astrologer for fifty years. The column that you see posted here every Sunday has been in print for the last thirty. Over time, my horoscopes have gained quite a following. Of late, they have expanded to include articles that showcase more than just run-of-the-mill, sign-to-sign predictions. If you learn something from what you find here, or if what I write helps you to make sense of things, or inspires you in some way, it means a lot to me. While you are on this website, you are welcome to take a look around. There are short stories, articles, videos, and free downloads that you won’t find anywhere else. All of it is free, and shared with a desire to bring light to the world. On any day when what’s written here opens your heart or your mind to something new, and you feel called to ‘pay it forward’ with some ‘loose change’, a donation, large or small, made to my PayPal account (cal.garrison@gmail.com) would be greatly appreciated, and make it possible for me to not only share the very best of what I have to offer, but to continue, “The Walk of Life”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qTHn_sxrN0&list=RD_qTHn_sxrN0&start_radio=1&t=0
