Human beings, being part of the universe, are evolving.

In this phase, we are gradually becoming aware of our separateness and also of our desire for connection and union. We feel our separation more keenly, as being out of kilter, a sense of deep unease, a constant yearning – and some of us more so than others if we have suffered at the hands of ‘caregivers’ or earth teachers who have not yet started to wake up. We have glimpses of union or ecstasy that manifest as a need to be in nature, feelings of intense love and connection with certain co-travellers, a thirst for esoteric knowledge, efforts to unify mind and body for example through yoga, and peak experiences which may combine elements of some or all of these.

In this age of Aquarius, we are aware of ancient spiritual teachings – these are currently being integrated into a new world view. Part of this knowledge states that we have a physical body, a personality and an essence. Our body and our personality are vehicles for learning.  It is our essence that evolves (possibly over many lifetimes) and remains conscious and aware and entirely awake. Increasingly, we are looking for something we call our ‘life purpose’ which we understand once we start to delve into that, is a purpose we seem called to fulfil in this lifetime we are now living. Being a teacher, I like to think of life purpose as our ‘one big lesson’, which has many parts or aspects. Our essence is aware of the big lesson, but our personality has a harder time of it. But if it was too easy, there would be no creativity, no thought, no effort, no things for humans to play with and learn from! So the hard part of the lesson is that suffering of all kinds is part of the deal. All of our essences learning all at once creates one rich tapestry and there are some amazing connections to be experienced right now.

I am going to share with you an experience I had which proved to me that separateness is not the only state. In November last year, I attended a weekend workshop at Hawkwood College in Stroud facilitated by Philip Shepherd, called Radical Wholeness (also the title of his upcoming book). It was the last day. We had been tapping in to the ‘brain in the belly’ via various exercises which Philp calls ‘TEPP’, and working with each other too was especially powerful. So on the last day I am lying on the floor in a receptive mode, making myself open to receive. This is a whole body-mind experience. I get up off the floor and wander around looking for something that catches my attention, and it happens that it’s a tree, a big old oak that is out in the garden. I stand looking at it through the window and something happens. I feel  two waves one after the other of irresistible emotion, first grief – wracking me with sobs that take over my entire being, then quickly after just like a rainbow through cloud – hilarity, and I stand laughing out loud feeling the happiest I have ever felt. It’s only later that I realise that I was grieving for everything that has been lost, by me and all beings. The laughter seemed to be a way of self-acceptance – me in all of my delusion realising that I am the tree and the tree is me. There was even something ridiculous stopping me from running outside and yes, hugging, the tree – the fact that I was wearing only socks. That gentle, living tree was my teacher in that moment.