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f there ever was such a person as the Historical Jesus, I can understand why he lost his rag in the temple and upturned the tables of the money lenders. I can understand his anger.
There have always been those who will exploit people’s devotions and vulnerabilities. It’s life! But because it has always been so, does not make it right.
As the world seems to be steering into anarchy and chaos, there is a swing toward things that will act as an antidote to the despair, the fear and the worry, some way to escape or at least to blunt its sharp, painful edges. Booze and drugs have always been a tried and tested counter balance and they are increasingly in evidence on our streets. Another old favourite is religion, but the Church now seems to have lost its control and with it its appeal. Once a brand leader it now has a dwindling number of followers. Medication has also been a mainstay for hiding the pain; tranquilisers and pills have deadened and shortened the lives of many in the process of keeping them comfortable and malleable.
But, as the saying goes… “you can fool some people all of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time” and so in growing numbers people are seeing the reasons behind and recognising the weaknesses in these traditional crutches. They are asking the age old question “there must be something more?” And as an answer are turning to the so called “alternatives”.
Healing modalities like acupuncture, (that have been chugging on for over 2000 years) have become part of this new age of understanding. Self help books, groups and experts have sprung up over night. A rise in awareness! Great! When I was a kid being a vegetarian had me labelled as some kind of weirdo. But with this increase in awareness there has also sprung up the awareness that here is a way of making lots of money.
Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with money and the making of it. I love it and long may it flow my way. But there is a law that can be easily forgotten and that is the law of exchange… It is a law of balance.
If I accept your money as payment for my services it is my duty to give you the goods I promise. And this law of exchange is not only about money. If someone gives me their trust, I am responsible for repaying that trust with respect and honesty. So where is all this going?
With the growing demand for all things mystical and spiritual, there are quite frankly a lot of people out there not helping but doing harm. I see it every day in my practice. When someone needs help they are often in an open and vulnerable state and will accept what they are told if it is done with enough authority. I have had many people come to me worried sick over something some expert has told them.
Now for me the most important thing when treating is not to add to the problem. Telling someone that they have a black demon attacking them or that their past life has created massive problems, that their aura is full of holes or that their chakras are going backwards does not make an already worried person more at ease. When you are in a nervous state even the slight mention of something really wrong goes in deep and it is much easier to sow the seeds of fear than to remove them.
So when I hear of practitioners making these claims, especially Reiki practitioners, I get angry. Wahoo! I hear you say, Anger, heavy!!! There is nothing wrong with anger, it can be much more useful, more real and honest than fluffy “I love everyone, I am tranquil and spiritual, hug, hug, kiss, kiss”. Anger can be just the sort of kick up the bum that gets you started. It moves stuff. It can be a sword cutting through inertia and apathy. It’s when it is suppressed, pushed down, allowed to fester, often under the camouflaged of serenity and knowingness, that it becomes harmful. So if anger is appropriate use it, but carefully. Importantly don’t let it use you.
With energetics and things we are unused to it is so easy to con oneself and then go on to con others. Some do this intentionally, others unconsciously. Different reasons but to the receiver the outcome is the same. If you are setting yourself up as a healer it is probably the biggest danger you face.
No one in my mind should call themselves a healer ‘cos no one can heal another person. Healing is done by that person in the large and in the full sense and meaning of those words. Try always asking yourself do I really believe it is me who is doing all this?
Folk have come to me asking; “can you do this for me? Can you sort out my Khama, remove my demon? Because if not “so and so” says they can.” Really? What can we really do? If we see things are we sure they are what we think they are or is it just our ego and mind playing games? Are we justified therefore in telling someone for certain it is so? Or even hinting with false modesty? For us it can be just a gentle massage of our egos or to ease the embarrassment of “I don’t know”. After all they are sitting there expectantly waiting for an answer, you have to say something. Or maybe it’s just for a few more bob in the pocket with another appointment filled to boot. But for the other person, the person sitting hoping, in doubt and pain, it can mean more. It can affect their lives forever and it can even help to end it. I don’t over egg the cake; one last straw can break a camel's back.
It’s so easy to get someone spaced out and hyped up, especially when they are agitated, deprived of sleep or maybe hungry with low protein intake through fasting, de-toxing or just not bothering to eat. Add the repetition of sounds or words and you have a susceptible subject capable of seeing visions and hearing voices. This is not spiritual training… this is brain washing.
Any treatment should be aimed at empowering the individual not making them dependant on practice, persons or groups. So many unsure of their own beliefs strive to recruit others in order to support fragile egos.
Reiki above all should be free from rigid beliefs; it should strip away the chains of dogma and dependency, allowing the individual to return to clarity; to see themselves and the world as they truly are… as one.
Yet time and time again I hear that this form of Reiki is more powerful than that, this way is newer, bigger, better. This is the only way/the proper way/the true way. After all, it’s got more symbols, more levels, more bells and whistles and more secret teachings.
In a world taught to be greedy and to expect the next edition to be bigger and therefore better, it makes folk dissatisfied with what they already possess. The attention becomes focused on acquiring rather than stripping away. The clutter we have already acquired is added to, the confusion is increased. You find you are doing your practice, and rather than just doing and observing the ego says, “Now if I had the latest version how much better all this would be.
If there is a place called Hell (and I don’t believe there is) there would be a special place for those who mislead, who teach as absolute something that they have no real knowledge of or who just pass on what they have read or seen on the internet as truth.
If there is a thing called Khama (and I think there probably is) then these people are not being very skilful, they are just adding to suffering.
I feel it is important to be mindful in all you do when treating others (and yourself). Do it not with love (unless you really understand that word, I certainly haven’t even scratched the skin of it yet) but do it with respect. Respect for yourself, the person you are treating, and for the privilege we have to learn about this wonderful physical existence we know as life. Live it now, experience it and don’t waste the time by trying to escape from it. While we live let us live.
Rant over! Spleen vented! All done! Lay down in a darkened room.
Thanks for reading.
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