ACCESS CHANNELING NEWSLETTER

Volume Two, Number Four

Winter 2001

Hope of the Phoenix

Greetings once again from those of us who love you dearly and empathize with the collective consciousness, for the suffering and the loss of all those who are effected by the recent tragedy of September 11, 2001. Let us once come together in peace, in mourning, deeply recognizing the loss of loved ones, realizing it will take time to heal, to find answers within yourself which we hope will console the grief which feels so completely debilitating.

Behind those personality traits which cause so much conflict between your fellow men, there is such love, there is such hope, and perhaps unrecognized, there is great fear and sadness which are the seeds of discord in your lives. Behind those seeds is an envelope of love. It is the sphere or qualities of triumph, of being able to triumph over the inequities, not as in evil, but your own unbecoming, that which is blocked within each.

The times are indeed challenging, as each seeks to find answers and understandings to the tragedy, and the challenge of creating a future. Of choosing how to go forth both in your pain, in your loss, in your anger, and in your resentment; and in that which you hope and envision for the earth and for mankind.

It is truly a time when you dig deep into yourself, and you ask important questions. You ask why? What for? Where was God in all this? You ask the meaning of violence and suffering, and how can we move beyond violence and suffering? How can we be safe? How can we create lives? How can we end the suffering and poverty of others? These are some of your personal and collective questions.

Humanity's consciousness is expanding to a global consciousness. You are realizing that where one is suffering or many are suffering, it radiates out. In this unfortunate incident it radiated out as violence and as tragedy. Now you are looking at many aspects of the act. It has aroused the world not only to the injustice which was committed in America, but to the injustices around the world. For truly it must be global peace. That is within the hearts and minds of many of you.

Moving beyond revenge is a glorious step. There was a time when America would not have separated the acts of violence, the perpetrator, the specific individuals from those who are innocent and also suffering at the hands of others. There was time when you would have used your might to strike back at all. This is a big step.

We encourage each to continue to look within, and discover what truth there is around these difficult issues. There are of course many layers to address. The invocation, "Let Truth Come Forth", can have a powerful effect around the world. For as each discovers truth: truth within themselves, and as the truth of that which is being enacted on your planet comes forth, you will have the opportunity for dealing with the injustices, for healing the deep wounds within yourselves, and within the collective consciousness of humanity. And for those who can work with Source, let the reflections be understood.

Let your truth come forth. Within you, Truth is a divine flame. It will illuminate the psyche of mankind; individually and collectively. It can be rather frightening to look at yourself in quite such a crystal clear fashion. For most do not see themselves clearly. But it is by going within with great compassion and gentleness for your being and looking at any of your issues. For it is as if you will see yourself in a way which you have never seen yourself before. You will see the seeds of separation. You will feel the pain of separation and the longing for wholeness, and there needs to be forgiveness of self and other, and compassion for the human situation, and compassion for yourself. This is so important, the compassion for yourself and others.

For the seeds of violence are anger and rage, and as you are learning, those emotions are the result of an impoverished being. The deep seeded disappointments in God, in life, and in your being as you currently understand it.

To use the image of the Phoenix, one needs to rise out of the ashes after feeling deeply and acknowledging their loss and anger, without acting out against another. Rather, rise with your grief and your loss, and build anew. To build anew out of what that anger and suffering was built upon. To transmute it, to address it, to change it, and heal or eliminate the causes. It is indeed a sad way to learn. To be able to see suffering as a gift seems like the most hypocritical of statements. I can understand anyone's disappointment in the promoting of such a view.

But if no learning comes out of the tragic destruction; even this, shall we say pathetic opportunity, then nothing will have come of it. It is as if the Phoenix would not rise, but lay smoldering in the ashes. I choose the image of the Phoenix for it is a great symbol of transformation. After this wave of destruction, the great spirit that is within each of you is what we hope you will each tune in to, and build anew from again. There is a process of transformation, and the new rising must bring what was at the source of those seeds of destruction, those acts of violence and destruction.

There is the force, the will, the desire, the knowing on deep and profound levels of your being of who and what you are, and what you are striving to bring forth. The trials and conditions of your earthly lives often veil that deeper longing. But that pulse beats within each, and it is that pulse which we are longing for you to know more deeply, for you to have a fuller more conscious relationship with. It is the Divine I Am within you, the eternal God spark. For you as souls and personalities are indeed that life extended or manifested in the particular space time dimension that you currently find yourself conscious in.

We in the hierarchy are here with you. I would like to reiterate what you have heard, that this act was not caused by God. The act was not caused by the plan, by spiritual beings sitting in other dimensions. There are other beings however, who are not as interested in peace, harmony, or joy upon your planet.

While my message may be simplistic, it is heart felt for all those who indeed lost loved ones, and for this difficult time. Yet I am also full of hope that humanity will rise and meet the challenges of this time. That you will value life over death. That you will value peace and healing over war and revenge. That you will embrace the bigger picture and the steps each can take toward creating a heaven upon earth.

World peace is one of the primary goals for your world at this time. To achieve peace you will have to address many issues. You will have to broaden your notion of peace to include not only yours and the other western nations, but the peoples of all lands. There are many difficult ethical and economic questions to be dealt with.

You are at a focal point, or are passing through one. You can see the imagined consequences of a cause and effect along a certain line. Many are choosing peace and taking steps toward peace because they see more violence will not solve the issues. More violence will lead to more violence, and yet another larger more devastating war. The weapons which are available can create mass destruction. No one wishes to live in that world. It is a powerful deterrent. In a matter of moments thousands of lives were lost; you can envision the economic losses and destruction in your cities, in your home land, or that which you can afflict upon others. I would say most of you do not wish to go there any more, even revenge is not worth the price. You have enough empathy for others that you do not wish to inflict that upon anyone.

There are yet many steps to be taken between where you are now, and the full potential of a non violent world. What is important is to keep taking those steps. To keep choosing love, peace, the rights of all individuals, that which is so beautifully laid out in your Constitution. That which is in alignment with God's commandment, love thy neighbor, do unto to others and you would have them do to you. It is these steps which each must continue to find within themselves, to choose what they want to create for a future.

For indeed the future is created by the collective consciousness of humanity on this planet. Each day, each moment is created by you. Your future is in your hands. We are doing all we can to give you all the possibilities possible to choose love and light. To give you tools to know yourself, to effect change, to manifest the divinity that you are here, now.

See <http://www.masterdk.com> for more information on the invocation "Let Truth Come Forth". Path Monthly Lesson, October 2001 Lesson.

An Astrological View of September 11, 2001

By Rick Riedel

Life is never what it seems. Events on the physical plane always have a mundane and an esoteric perspective. We can look at almost anything around us, but for this article, let us consider the events of September 11, 2001. From an ego-centered perspective, the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon appears to be a horrific, cowardly act, unless you are a member of Al Qaida, in which case it is a heroic and spectacular success. From a purely spiritual perspective, the picture becomes much more complex.

Looking at the events of September 11 astrologically, the seeds were sown on the eclipse of June 22, 2001. The eclipse was at 0 degrees 10 minutes of Cancer, almost exactly on the solstice point. The Cancer/Capricorn polarity, archetypically seen as the spirit/matter opposition, indicated upcoming energies that would strike at the heart of humanity. As is usual with eclipses, nothing happened that day, but the 0 degrees of Cancer spot was specially marked, waiting for transiting planets to activate the energy and bring it into manifestation. Prior to the main event under consideration, on May 12, 2001 Mars, planet of war, aggression and weaponry, made a station at 29 degrees of Sagittarius, just one degree away from a direct opposition to the eclipsed spot. This very intense "stamping" of Martian energy was introverted, or behind the scenes, as Mars slowly carved its retrograde path backwards until making its station at 15 degrees of Sagittarius, opposite a Venus/Saturn conjunction. This configuration is a very anti-social alignment. Mars returned to the point of its station at 29 degrees of Sagittarius on September 7, probably coinciding with the time when the decision to activate the attack was made. Mars proceeded to 0 degrees of Cancer by September 9, lighting the fuse to the bomb that had been constructed during the Mars retrograde period. Now, all that was required was for the Moon to make an aspect to Mars. The opposition came within the usually accepted orb of influence of 5 degrees at approximately 5 AM, EDT on September 11. The Moon/Mars opposition was the culminating aspect at the time of the attacks.

By day's end, the Moon was seen preparing to occult Jupiter, which means the Moon would pass directly over the star that was Jupiter, creating the Islamic emblem in the sky of a crescent Moon enfolding a star in its center. This Moon/Jupiter occultation was within one degree of the Sun in the chart of the United States (July 4, 1776), indicating a hidden, but very beneficial influence for the US. It will be interesting to see how it all looks by December 11 of this year, when Jupiter conjuncts the Sun exactly in the US chart. It will be much clearer by then what the benefits actually are. The next eclipse in the Saros cycle occurs on December 14 of this year, at 22 degrees of Sagittarius, making an almost exact square to the Neptune of the US chart. Neptune is the planet of illusion and glamour, as well as the opening to mysticism, and is not generally regarded as an easy passage with national politics. By January 7, 2002, Saturn conjuncts the Uranus of the US chart, an aspect indicating a possible "bottoming out" of the repression of civil liberties that has arisen since the terrorist attacks.

From a spiritual point of view, we see nothing but positive aspects from transiting planets. Blanketing all of these previously mentioned aspects, there is a pervasive Saturn/Pluto opposition, which means that everyone must face their deeply entrenched fears. This opposition occurs once every 35 years and is not complete until May 26, 2002. The Saturn/Pluto opposition is heavy cosmic pressure for everyone to face things that have been put off for many lifetimes, as the dweller on the threshold sits like an armed guard, blocking passage to the next level. This applies to nations, families, and most especially, to each and every individual on this planet at this time. For the first time in history, humanity, as a whole, is being treated as a disciple, rather than as a self-centered personality. The United States may have difficulty in becoming a student. This country is like someone who has never been sick and looks with disdain upon those who have not been able to respond to any of life's challenges in a hale and hearty way. All of a sudden, a spark of compassion is ignited towards those who have suffered some disorder, making them less than perfect. This day marks the dawning of a national awareness of some of the suffering and trials of the rest of the world. We, as a nation, are learning what it is like to live with an enemy in our midst; wounded but courageous.

Between the effects of Jupiter and Mars, everyone, it seems, has come face-to-face with the concept of death. Focused in mundane consciousness, the average person sees an endless string of tomorrows in their future. A disciple knows that death is always lurking over their left shoulder, never more than a heartbeat away. The chances of anyone reading this being killed by a terrorist is extremely remote. However, each and every one of us is going to die. Every month, the same numbers of people die in automobile accidents in this country as died that day in New York City. They suffer the same mangled bodies, the same wrecked families, the same incredulous ending that wasn't supposed to happen. Nationally televised deaths may be more spectacular than getting crunched on the way to the grocery store, but death embraces both just the same. Spiritual persuasion aside, everyone seems to have moved one step closer to their God, however clumsy or graceful that step may have been. In the collective, humanity has taken a leap forward.

For years, channeled information has indicated that these are the "end times" as the Earth moves from the 3rd to the 4th dimensional consciousness. As part of the intellectual body of the Earth, humans are also making the dimensional shift. Throughout time, human soul evolution has been proceeding here on two possible tracks. These are Service-To-Self (STS) and Service-To-Others (STO). The STS path is the "fast track" or left-hand path. These souls have a totally selfish orientation and are trying to gather as much light for themselves as possible, regardless of the effect on anyone else. All karma must be repaid to the universe, however, and, achieving their goal, souls on this path eventually return to pay off their debt to humanity in sometimes spectacular fashion. It is not possible to evolve past the 6th dimension on this path. Even STS souls realize, once they make it to the 5th dimension, that to hurt another soul is to hurt every soul, including themselves, and war is not possible at this level or higher. The STO path is that of the Bodhisattva, where the realization exists that nobody gets to ascend until everyone does. On the STO path, progress is slow, because every soul on Earth is brought along without exploiting anyone. In the familiar, 3rd dimensional consciousness, most souls vacillate between each of these paths, sometimes feeling group-oriented, and sometimes looking out for number 1.

With the ascension of the earth, we have the concept of "the harvest" where all individual souls are eligible for ascension. The STS and STO souls will be separated for 4th dimensional living. After the harvest, there will be places for further evolution of STS and STO souls in the 4th dimension, and an opportunity for both types to continue to gather experience at a 3rd dimensional level, but it will not be here. The people involved in the attack on the WTC are clearly of the STS variety. The earmarks of this group are the notion that they are "right" or "privileged" and are expected to be rewarded for their beliefs while all others must suffer interminably somewhere. They have wars to win, territory to possess, and power to consolidate. Trying to eradicate these people using force or other means, is simply a mirror stance and is also part of the left-hand path. Violence begets violence. We do not stop war with continued war. Souls on the STO path realize that we are all in this together so communication, consideration and respect for others, and an evening up of the economic playing field are the only hope for long-lasting peace and a growth in world understanding that can lead to a 4th dimensional consciousness for everyone.

The September 11 attack seems to have polarized people more strongly than ever into one camp or the other. Each and every soul here in this 3rd dimensional reality has to make a choice as to proceeding to the 4th dimension on the STS or STO path. For those on the STO path (including probably anyone reading this newsletter) the oft-bandied term "ascension" may very well refer to the ability to rise above the petty name-calling and self-righteous attitude of those who would have us believe that the route to peace is through war. Mars is a key planet in the 9/11 incident. It promises war to the STS souls. It gives courage to adhere to higher principles for the STO souls, in the manner of Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln. Mars helps us to "get tough" with ourselves and not get sucked in by group pressure. The Jupiter energy that was conjunct to the Sun of the US chart esoterically rules the sign of Aquarius, or the sudden surprise element that lifts awareness up to the next level.

Up to this point, most souls spend some of their time on the STS path, and some on the STO path. It is necessary to take care of yourself if you are going to have anything to bring to the group effort. To be consciously following one path or the other is something new and takes a bit of effort. If a sworn terrorist is on the STS path, what does someone dedicated to the STO path do? They can begin by interacting with everyone in their immediate environment in an unselfish, loving way. They don't "eliminate" those they don't agree with or find grating. They bring out the best in those people. This applies to family members, friends and work associates. Perhaps a good place to sharpen intent and technique is out on the road, in the car. Notice those drivers who will do anything to make up one car-length of pavement? Try letting them go, with a smile and a wave as they pass you. Are you a little terrorist out there or are you a peacemaker? It's small, day-to-day habits in the global collective that grow into world peace or conflict, whether or not that conflict is internal or external.

These, indeed, are the end times. Which path do you want to follow? In their legends, the Hopis talk about this time as one during which you should "stay inside your house, not looking outside." Allegorically, they refer to staying in your personal integrity and not getting involved in the media-hyped news. Let the world go berserk. Keep your own stability, be it via meditation, art or bodywork. How you treat yourself, your family members, and those you interact with on a daily basis represent the challenge spirit has presented to you at this critical time. Love yourself. Love everyone you encounter. Love melts the barriers that prevent any of us from languishing in the isolation of separation from the Divine. Each of us is an integral part of the One Creator. Everything will be all right; just as intended.

Why?

Why did this event happen, and what was the role of those individuals involved? These are big questions. I do not know the answers to either. I have had a wide range of feelings and thoughts in regards to September 11. There are many layers of meaning to this event, and each of us will interpret it according to our beliefs.

On the most basic level for me, it is a tragedy. The senselessness of the killing and the violence, especially of innocent people, and all the loved ones who woke up one day and found their lives changed forever is a tragedy. The children who lost their mother and-or father; the parents who lost a child. I have certainly asked myself, what do we really learn by such acts?

Can the possible good which may come out of this event, somehow make meaningful the suffering and sorrow that those individuals have and will continue to experience? Or is the means the message, more killing and violence, more hatred, more distrust of God and man. Each will have to answer this for themselves. Those individuals who have suffered the loss of loved ones and have the strength to go forward in the face of such adversity, have my complete admiration.

There are three layers that I am thinking about which need healing: the relationship between man and man, heaven and earth, man and God. Within each layer are many beliefs and points of view. For me there is no one view that explains why such things happen, but each layer offers me some insights into the problem, and perhaps directions for healing.

A materialist point of view: the terrorist bombings were a senseless act of murder, and the individuals who became the victims were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some fundamentalist religious beliefs and views: America and those individuals are being punished for their sins and the sins of our nation. This view has become so unacceptable that our president asked those publicly making such comments to apologize. Some new age thinking: those individuals are balancing their personal karma and each agreed on a soul level to participate in the event. You can see and hear all these beliefs in the news and other mediums.

The materialist point in some ways offers us the most direct means of understanding and addressing the issues. The individuals were the victims of seriously disturbed fundamentalists who don't value life. Some parts of the world hate America and what those factions perceive as our political agenda. You can trace the hatred of America to previous injustices, greed, power, or misunderstandings. We need to address any just claims where our country's actions are not in alignment with the rights we believe in.

All people have the right to life, and war and killing violates that right, whether it is a commandment from God, or simply the best way for us to live together, Thou shall not kill. Mankind needs to move beyond violence as a means of solving problems.

Gandhi was the world's forerunner in demonstrating a non-violent way to create change and address injustices. The major question which a non-violent approach brings up is, how do we stop a Hitler or a terrorist? On a purely physical level it seems might against might is the means we have available to us so far, just as the police are armed to apprehend a criminal. Does one have the right to defend oneself and bring criminals to justice? That is within the laws of our societies. The difference is: Gandhi was instigating a transformational change, and the other is bringing a criminal to justice.

Within the materialist point of view, it seems ludicrous to try to defend yourself or our nation against an armed invading force by solely a non-violence means, unless you are willing to give up your life. The question the materialist asks the metaphysician is an important one, How can I be non-violent in the face of violence and still honor my desire for continued life here, now, and not in some other dimension? How can I be safe? After all, the promise being offered is heaven, the same promise that is being offered to the terrorist, with no proof that it will be so.

The idea of heaven and earth is a religious one, and is deeply tied to the issues between man and God. I unfortunately do not have a degree in comparative religion, but I am willing to speculate that the ideas of man falling from grace, living in sin, punishment from God for his/her sins, and man's hopeful return to the Godhead are prevalent in one form or another in most of them.

From our earliest history man has sought to invoke, through the unfortunate means of sacrifice lead by the religious leaders, the lessening of God's wrath upon mankind for their sins, and to invoke God to act on behalf of us to defeat our enemies. This point of view to the materialist is superstitious, to the esoteric student, naive.

The great hope is: somewhere, if not on earth, mankind can live without suffering and death. The great hope is that God has a home for us where we can live out our dreams and our lives with loved ones. It is our hope that someone cares for us and will keep us safe from exterior harm and keep us empowered to live our lives. This is what the pragmatic person asks our military and government to provide, and the religious person asks our belief in God to provide.

Materialism via science overcame religion in bringing heaven to earth. Science brought a higher standard of living than God, at least that is how it appears. In every nation we have the haves and the have nots. If each individual is to be extended those rights of life and the pursuit of well being, then the poor and unempowered must be lifted up.

On some level the terrorist and those living lives of poverty, whether it be material, emotional, or spiritual poverty, feel their lives here are not worth while. The only way they feel alive is to die or live for the promised glory and joy of the after life with God. Every spiritual tradition that I know of points to heaven as bliss, and earth as the place to get away from. This creates a devaluing of life here. This is the split between heaven and earth. That envisioned and idealized heaven, and hope which lives within each of us for a fulfilling meaningful life, needs to be made manifest here. Then we won't need to war with our neighbors or covet what they have, for each will be living in accord with their own idea of abundance and joy.

If God is wrathful and all powerful, like some deadbeat angry punitive father, forget it, we haven't got a chance. New age thinking, with the help of Jesus, evolved to God as love: at least that offers hope, and the blame for your current situation moved from God to yourself. Karma is not really that much different than sin, and is used to justify the poor being poor and the rich being rich. You are still being punished, but now for what you did in some other lifetime, but it isn't the personal act of God, but rather the impersonal administration of cosmic laws.

New Age thinking is beautifully illustrated in the following: "There is a dimension of pure holiness and pure love which is God itself, and that dimension is our ultimate Reality. The world as we know it is a kind of mass hallucination, and while, within this dimension, tragedies do occur, they neither reflect nor modify the ultimate truth of who we are. That is why those who died in this tragic situation, lost their bodies but they did not die. While the body is destructible, the spirit is not.

"Therefore, when we ask, 'Where was God in all this?', the answer is that He was and is right here, keeping every soul safe in the palm of His hands. He did not cause these events, nor did He will them. This tragedy reflects choices made by those who had turned their hearts from love. He heals the world not by interfering with the effects of our lovelessness, but by calling us back to love. It is not for any of us to know the deeper workings, on a soul level, of the karmic paths of any single person involved in any of these events. Let's not forget: God did not do this. People did."

What is so seductive about this line of thinking is, in part it is true, but once again we are all going to die and eventually go back to heaven, and you can't know why things happen to you. While it is certainly more comforting to believe God isn't wrathful, but loving, I'm no closer to being able to explain my reality here or believe that any day I might not just be the next victim, whether it be due to random chance or punishment for my sinful acts from this life or some other life.

If we are going to be able to instigate Gandhi's next step of non-violence even in the face of an armed aggressor, for me there needs to be some hope that somehow I am empowered and not just laying down my life for my beliefs. Christ said that his captors could not take him if it wasn't the will of the Father, yet he offered no resistance, but rather gave himself up for the sacrifice. How was Christ so empowered that tragedy could not befall him if he or God did not will it? Why Christ accepted the crucifixion is another line of thought.

Is there a model that both acknowledges divinity and our lives here? Science has discovered many laws of the physical universe, but doesn't address why, but rather how. Ethical laws have attempted to give us codes of conduct to live by. Quantum mechanics is investigating the domain where consciousness and energy interact. The mystics have given us the knowledge of the etheric and cosmic laws which govern those aspects of manifestation. And I'm sure there is more.

For me, without some understanding of the etheric levels, of the many other bodies that are lumped to together in the term "spiritual body", and how they interact with our physical, emotional, and mental bodies, I do not know a way to integrate the idea of God interacting with man other than the superstitious and sometimes ludicrous thinking religions have provided us. If God is intelligent, then I am sure there must be answers that satisfy both the heart and the mind.

Hopefully in the next issue, I'll try to put together how I think some of these complexities fit together in a way which values life here and there.

Contributors

Rick Riedel received his B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Washington in 1968. After 3 years of graduate school studying Physical Chemistry and Nuclear Physics, he discovered computer programming and enjoyed a 25 year career in systems work. Happily retired, he now pursues writing, metaphysics and the spiritual path. He has been a practicing astrologer for over 30 years and has written extensively on the subject.