And Then the Silence

"And Then the Silence"

No one knows why the power of Teotihuacán was silenced around A.D. 700. People simply stopped living in the city. Perhaps the residents reached a spiritual state that allowed them to transcend their physical bodies and go home to their beloved sun. There is evidence of a great fire that burned most of the main buildings; however, there is no way to know who burned them, or why. Maybe the residents torched their city when they left, or it was conquered and plundered by a marauding tribe. 

Archeologists have not solved these mysteries, and probably never will. Whatever the cause, the great city of Teotihuacán, along with its mystique and magnificence, came to an end. Small village groups continued to live in the area, but the city itself was left alone and silent. The origins and destiny of Teotihuacán remain a secret today. Were these people the first Toltecs, who moved to Tula and began again? Or were they a forgotten group of Toltec masters who came together to manifest a magnificent vision of stone and spirit, and then disappeared into the annals of history?

Although the origins and purpose of Teotihuacán have been lost in history, the site remains alive as a tourist destination, and as a place of great spiritual power. Toltec and other teachers and groups from around the world visit to access the energy there for powerful personal and planetary healing.

~ An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

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Join me! Sign up now for a powerful journey to Teotihuacán, Mexico this October! 

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Your Very Own Personal Companion

"Your Very Own Personal Companion"

The Toltecs say that humans are sick because there is a parasite in their minds that eats their negative emotions. It not only eats the negative emotions, but it also does everything it can to get the human to dream in fear, so it will have lots to eat.

In most people, the parasite is in charge of perception. It tells lies in the mind, and the person believes them: "You have to look good for other people. There is a limited amount of love and attention available, and you need them to survive. You have to be good and get it right for other people, to deserve your share of the love." The parasite learned all its lies during childhood, and continues to repeat them in the adult mind. The lies create more fear for the parasite to eat.

The parasite is a living dream, dreamed in different ways and degrees by all humans. When you were born into the parasite dream of your family, they began to take little pieces of their parasite and put them in your mind. These were like seeds -- little beliefs and lies based in fear -- and they grew in your mind. In time, those seeds grew into your unique personal parasite, which has been with you ever since.

Dictionaries define parasite as a living being that lives on or in another organism, sucking its energy, and offering no advantage to the host. Often parasites weaken their hosts a little at a time. The parasite in the human mind creates and eats negative thoughts and emotions, drains the human's personal power, and robs his body of its vitality. The Toltecs know that the parasite is the cause of many diseases of both the mind and body.

The parasite's job is to keep you in line, following the rules that the judge knows society wants you to follow, so you will be loved and accepted. The parasite controls your behavior with fear. The minute you try to create new beliefs for yourself, especially based in love, the parasite is terrified. It knows that in the past, going against the outside dream meant rejection, punishment, or worse. The parasite will do everything it can to sabotage your efforts to change your personal dream. It fears for your safety, and ultimately your life. Who could blame it? The parasite learned well, in a very tough school.

If your personal parasite can't control you, there is always the big parasite, the living being that is the dream of the planet. It taught your parasite everything it knows, and colludes with your parasite to keep you asleep. Everyone knows the rules and how to remind you of what will happen if you break them.

- An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

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Learn to break the spell of the parasite -- order The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book here.

Sign up for my newsletter.

Check out TACO -- my Online Toltec Community of men and women supporting each other and themselves on the road to personal freedom: http://tolteconline.com

I am available for counseling: allanh@sonic.net or call (707) 528-1271

Honoring the Deepest Truth of You

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In the old dream, feelings and emotions are problems to be solved, or embarrassing intrusions into daily life. In children, feelings are repressed, punished, or shamed, and in adults the habit of denial continues. How many men have experienced emotions in a movie theater, and when questioned by a surprised or pleased woman, blamed their tears on the bad air or their (occasional) allergy to popcorn?

The spiritual warrior, alive in the new dream, recognizes and honors feelings as the truth of the moment. The warrior is no longer ashamed of what he feels. He honors his feelings the same way he loves a small child who comes running to him hurt, angry, afraid, or overflowing with joy. He honors and respects the feelings of everyone he relates to, whether a child, a mate, a friend, or a stranger.

~ An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

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It is my passion in life to help you accept every part of yourself so that you can live a truly happy life. We will do this work of accepting and falling into love with ourselves in Teotihuacán, Mexico - September 29 - October 4, 2001. Details here: http://joydancer.com/events/teotihuacanAndtep.html#teo

If you like what you read, you can:

1. Sign up for my newsletter, the Joydancer Weekly Word and News:

http://joydancer.com/Newsletter

2. Get your copy of The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book in the Joydancer Store: 

http://store.joydancer.com/products/the-everything-toltec-wisdom-book

3. Join my Toltec Community Online and be supported by a loving community of people learning how to become free of childhood domestication and claim their power as happy and free adults. 

http://tolteconline.com

4. Get in touch with me! I offer counseling via phone, Skype, or in person. Call or write for a free 30-minute phone consultation. (707) 528-1271. allanh@sonic.net

IN Love,

Allan

Taking Easter Within

This was written for Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Our story so far: On Palm Sunday we celebrated the arrival in our awareness of that Christ Consciousness that knows the truth of the perfection of each and every part of this universe-- including ourselves.

Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and our movement to a higher state of consciousness, invited us to find that place of true forgiveness-- the one that says, "I know there is nothing to forgive, because we are all doing our best in a universe that is unfolding perfectly."

And now, three days after Jesus is crucified and laid in a tomb, he returns to his body and moves about his earthly world for forty days. This event is very important in the Christian tradition, and established the belief in Jesus as the true and powerful son of God. Without the resurrection, Jesus might have simply remained a respected teacher or prophet.

The tradition of resurrection and rebirth has been a human experience for many thousands of years-- and reflects the need to have faith in a story of death and rebirth. The name "Easter" even comes from the name of an early goddess of fertility, Eastre, who was celebrated at the spring equinox. Because of the spring orientation of these celebrations there has always been an emphasis on eggs, new chicks, rabbits, and other symbols of fertility.

(None of this seems fair to those living in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are reversed, but I will have to leave them to deal with that).

Perhaps we can use this time and this story to inform our own personal spiritual journey. The crucifixion is symbolic to us dying to an old way of being. In the tomb of our winter of sleep we begin our transformation, and when we have reached our new understanding we arise and are born into the spring of a new life. If our transformation is complete, we will claim our identity as the Christ Conscious, the Divinity that creates and animates our human experience. We will be re-born. We will have power over the dream of life and death.

The good news is we don't have to die, or even suffer, to be resurrected. Every moment we deny a lie or limitation in our minds, every time we choose love over fear, every step we take toward claiming the ultimate truth of who and what we are-- represents a rolling away of the stone of our imprisonment. We have the potential to awaken and return to the world knowing the Truth, and sharing it with those who can see.

            "...the Father is in me, and I am in the Father."

At this Easter time, and always, may we each use the power of Life and the Christ Consciousness within to deny the limiting beliefs and fears that roll the stone of darkness against our tomb.

May the light shine with us into those dark moments and help resurrect us into the constant truth of who and what we are:

We are all the sons and daughters of Life, belonging here, gifts to the universe from the Life that brought us.

Let us rejoice and Dance in Joy and Gratitude with Life.

We are, after all, Joydancers! (.com)

Happy Easter

I hope you find lots of eggs.

IN love.

Domestication: Downloading the Dream

Who Were You When You Were Born?

You were born into this world as a "bundle of joy." Your mind was free of stories, and you were happy - without even knowing what happiness was. You had no opinions, no fears, no expectations, and no judgments. There was no distorting light in your channels of perception. You had no words yet for colors, sounds, objects, or Mom's bad hair day. You had no concept of good and bad or right and wrong.

You simply existed, in a sea of stimulations and events that you experienced directly, just as they were. Your mind had no experience with naming, categorizing, or separating any of this incoming light. You were simply present, in each moment, without self-awareness. You did not even know you had been given a name or gender identity.

You were actually like a little Toltec master or guru, present in each and every moment, living in the bliss of love and acceptance. If you could have talked and described your experience, spiritual seekers would have come from miles around to sit at your feet and learn from you.

In those first few months of your life, you lived in the bliss of the oneness that gurus teach and to which spiritual seekers aspire. Because you had not yet learned the fears and judgments of the adult world, your nature was openness and love. Your innocence was like that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

~ An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

Interested in what happened to all of us along the way, and how you can reclaim your innocence and joy? Learn about Domestication and Dreaming - read Allan's article, "The Perfect Dream."

A New Year's Blessing Prayer

I am loving my winter in Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico. If you are in a cold place somewhere, I am going to send you some soft warm tropical air....hold on....close your eyes....hold out your heart....aah...there it is.

Take a moment and let it in...let it warm your heart and soul....and prepare you for the new year ahead. I encourage us all to open our hearts to ourselves (especially) and to each other as we make this transition into 2011. I've heard some folks here say: "New Year's Eve is no big deal, and I'll just go to bed early."

Well, fine, however, we can use any excuse to set new intentions and clean up our minds so we can live happier, more creative, and loving lives each day and each year.

I have a simple secret for setting intentions and changing beliefs: Take out the "can't, shouldn't, don't, never" and other black magic words that limit your creation. Example: "I can't find a job." Change your Word to "I find a job." Or, "I'll never find the perfect relationship." Try this, instead: "I'll find the perfect relationship." Or, a bit more creative: "I am the perfect relationship." Or, riffing, "I am in the perfect relationship with myself, one based on unconditional love and acceptance of my divine perfection." THAT oughta' do it.

Happy New LIFE!

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I'm really looking forward to my annual Valentine's Week Workshop on Love, Romance, and Relationship, February 10~14, 2011 (for couples and singles) here at my "House of the Eagles" in Chacala. Chacala is a wonderful and romantic setting for this five-day exploration into conscious relationship, and I hope you'll make plans to be here. You deserve an uplifting and life transforming vacation, don't you think? Click here for more details.

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"A New Year's Blessing Prayer ~ I Fling My Heart Open to Thee"

Divine Presence, I fling my heart open to thee.

Show me the way to your perfect Grace.

I dance with thee in this New Year.

My heart is open wide, and your love pours through me,

And I see your love in all that is.

I see your love in my Beloveds,

In the rain and sun and wind and heat and cold.

I see your love in all success and adversity,

I see your love in every aspect of your Creation.

I say YES to all that is, knowing it is all You.

In this New Year, may I let nothing obscure my vision of you,

And your Grace.

My eyes are open wide, and my heart is ripped open

In my desire to be possessed by you.

Take Me, Take Me, Take Me.

I have nothing to surrender, because all that I AM is You.

Divine Presence, I fling my heart open to thee.

Show me the way to your perfect Grace.

I dance with you in this New Year.

And so it is.

~Allan

Why Go on Spiritual Journeys?

If you are on a path of personal transformation or spiritual growth, I encourage you to use spiritual journeys to sacred sites to enhance and empower your journey. Consider these benefits of spiritual travel.

• Spiritual journeys will take you to places that you might have never considered exploring alone, or will offer you insight into sacred sites that you would never experience on your own. I followed my teacher to the pyramids and temples of Egypt, the Mayan jungle cities of the Yucatan, Guatemala, and Honduras, to Machu Picchu and the magical Inca sites of Peru, Oaxaca, and many times to my favorite, the Toltec pyramid complex of Teotihuacán, Mexico.

• Being in a sacred site away from home releases you from the confines and expectations of people and work, and frees your mind and soul to embrace exciting new possibilities about Life and Love. I guarantee that gazing out from the top of a pyramid after a powerful ceremony, or taking in the sweep of an ancient city like Peru’s Machu Picchu from a high terrace, will offer you a new and perhaps challenging view of your life at home.

• Many sacred sites in the world were built in the ancient mystery school traditions to be “Universities” of silent knowledge and transformation, and that power endures in the dream of each place. When you enter a site like Teotihuacán or Machu Picchu, you are overcome with the spiritual power of the site, and the living intent of those who built it many centuries ago. You are invited to allow their dream to become your reality-- the dream of the absolute Divine Perfection of all of the Universe, including YOU.

• Trips guided by an experienced spiritual teacher offer you opportunities to learn new tools to strengthen the freedom and transformation you have mastered, and to take them home with you to integrate into your daily life.

• In addition, there is the pleasure of bonding and playing with a group of like-minded new friends, and to engage in exotic Power Shopping for yourself and your loved ones that are stuck back home.

The pyramid complex at Teotihuacan in central Mexico is a good example of a powerful spiritual journey site, and my favorite. Perhaps you have read about “Teo” in Beyond Fear, by Miguel Ruiz.

Teo was built two millennia ago, by a little known people often called the Toltecs. The pyramids are easy to get to near Mexico City, blessed with wonderful hotel accommodations, and yet exist in a different world. Teotihuacán means “The Place Where Humans Awake and Remember They are Divine.” What place could be more perfect for a journey of exploration into the spiritual truth of who you are?

The ancient Toltecs gave us three masteries: The Masteries of Awareness, Transformation, and Intent. Teotihuacan is designed as the ideal place to explore each of these masteries. As you move through the complex, you first become aware of the “Mitote” in your mind-- that sound of 1000 people talking at the market place and nobody listening. That confusing and sometimes abusive noise has been programmed into your mind during childhood, and for most people it is the operating system of adult life. It generally does not serve you.

The Mastery of Transformation offers you many tools for re-programming your mind as you choose. When you truly do have choice, my assumption is you will choose to be free from suffering, blame, jealousy, or any of the other reactions that go against your happiness.

After you have transformed how you dream your life, and you are always in a love communion with Creation, you enter the Mastery of Intent, or the Mastery of Love-- Divine Love and acceptance for all of Life. This is the key to true spiritual and human happiness.

Teotihuacán has been built for this journey, and the magic of the place and the energy of the many who have found spiritual awakening there supports the healing and transformation of all who open themselves to receive it.

No matter where your path of personal empowerment takes you, I encourage you to experience spiritual journeys. Leave your books, family, home and clocks behind-- go to sacred places of magic and power, with a teacher or guide that will support your opening to the awe of pure awareness and love. Go away, to come home to yourself.

Join me in Mexico this October! Watch my invitation here: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtmQBhV3VCc

Your Sword in the Stone

by Allan Hardman

After the death of Uther Pendragon, king of the Britons, there was great strife throughout the land, because there was no clear successor to the throne. So Merlin sent word that all of the barons and knights of the land must gather in one place to hold a tournament and there decide who might take the crown and rule the kingdom.

But when the noblemen gathered for the tournament, they found that Merlin had not come. Instead, they saw a huge stone with a naked sword of the brightest steel plunged deep into it. And in the blade of the sword were inscribed in letters of gold, “Whoever pulls this sword from the stone is the rightful king of Britain.”

Many believed they had rightful claim to the throne and attempted to pull the sword from the stone. One by one, they failed. Among those who came to the tournaments was Sir Ector, with his young son, Sir Kay, who had just been granted knighthood and was preparing to compete in the jousts.

When Sir Kay discovered that he had forgotten to bring his sword from their lodgings, he asked his younger brother, Arthur, to go back for it. Unable to find the sword, the young Arthur returned in despair. As he returned to the tournament grounds he saw a strange thing: a sword thrust into a stone. Knowing nothing of Merlin and the challenge, he effortlessly pulled the sword from the stone and took it to his brother.

On seeing Arthur with the sword, Sir Ector, who had been a loyal leigeman to King Pendragon, fell upon his knee and swore his loyalty to the new king of the Britons.

Sir Ector then told Arthur that he was not his real father. Arthur was in truth the son a a high-born noble. As a baby his life had been endangered, and so Merlin the Magician had delivered him to Ector to be raised as his son. Now, the oracle of the Sword in the Stone had spoken, and the boy named Arthur was the chosen one: the true King of the Britons.

You, like Arthur, are of noble birth, and your life was in danger. Your true identity was hidden while you were raised by others. In your domestication, you fell asleep to the truth of your noble birth and personal power.

The sword is your Word, your power of creation. Perhaps believing you were looking for the sword for someone else, you have come here to this place of the Spiritual Warrior, to discover your own power of creation. And now your challenge: The stone is the “Mitote,” the Dream of the Planet. It is a dream based in fear and judgement and lack — it is the dream in which your Word is held. Are you ready to claim your right to be the true king of your inner kingdom? Are you ready to use your word to create gratitude, love, loyalty, and justice, both within and without?

The sword is your Word, the stone is your Mitote. Perhaps this is your moment. Seize it!

Five Ways to Avoid Intimacy

When an apprentice called me to tell me his wife was thinking about leaving him, he was mystified about what more she could want from him. He worked hard, supported her so she could be a stay-at-home Mom, he mowed the lawn, and kept the oil changed in the car. He was always busy with tasks and duties to support his family. He was feeling unappreciated, and helpless to get it right for her.

In my previous writings, I have shared my definition of intimacy as “our willingness to be open and present and share ourselves with others.” I have also described how we lost our connection with our feelings during our childhood domestication, when we were made wrong and punished for them. As adults, to be open and share ourselves with others carries the same fear that it did when we were young. We cannot afford to be present and known as ourselves because of the danger of being rejected, cast out, abandoned, punished, or worse.

So the intimacy we crave is, at the same time, our biggest fear. It is not surprising that many of us have created strategies, mostly during childhood, to protect us from being seen and being known. I offer you here five of the ways people in our culture have learned to avoid intimacy.

When I listened to the story of my apprentice, I noticed that he had many judgments about his wife. He complained about her lack of attention to him because she was always rushing off to help friends, strangers, and causes in need. He told me he wasn't really attracted to her because she wasn't taking care of herself and her body the way she used to. My apprentice had many justifications for being distant from the woman that he was afraid of losing.

In our conversation, my apprentice illustrated two major strategies anyone can use to avoid intimacy with their beloved.

#1: Stay very busy. Always make sure you don't have time to sit, be present, and share with your beloved. She might find out that you are not who you pretend to be. Projects are more important than people. Focus on getting a lot of things done and done well. If you can sacrifice yourself in the process, you can make the other person feel guilty for complaining about your lack of presence.

#2: Judge the other person. Whether it is out loud or silently to yourself, make sure you find and illuminate their faults. This will justify your not wanting to be present with them. It also serves to validate your superiority. When you rise above them, you don't need to be intimate.

It turned out that my apprentice's wife was also illustrating a couple of good strategies for us. She was constantly overwhelmed by taking care of her husband, children, and home, the aging family dog, and her many social and ecological causes. In her rush to get everything done and take care of everyone else, she was not taking good care of herself and her own needs—she said she wanted to, but couldn't find the time. She gives us…

#3: Be a caretaker of others. Caretake to hide. You really want to be intimate, but you are needed elsewhere. When the chores are done, the kids are in bed, all your needy friends have been heard and consoled, the old dog is spoon-fed, and the whales are saved, then you will have time to go for a walk, take a weekend off together, or sit and talk.

#4: Become unattractive. If your partner finds you unattractive, he might not want to relate deeply. Gain some weight, stop using makeup, wear baggy clothes. If you are a man, gain some weight, shave irregularly, and belch regularly.

#5: Anything else you can think of! Do whatever it takes to avoid being seen and known. Drink a bit too much wine at dinner and fall asleep on the couch. Be addicted to TV sports. Work late. Make sure all conversations are intellectual, scientific, or political-- not personal. Remember you need to call a friend, check your e-mail, or finish your novel when your beloved has that "I want to talk" look. Read to the kids and fall asleep on their bed. Be angry, depressed, or stay in La La Land. Tell jokes, gossip, teach or preach-- anything but be real.

There is no need to practice. For many people, these great strategies for avoiding intimacy come naturally. They were learned long ago, and have been mastered through years of practice.

How do you avoid the dangers of intimacy?

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You are invited to share this article with friends, online, wherever. Please include this bio if you do. Thank you.

Allan Hardman is a relationship coach, author, teacher, and Toltec Master, trained by Miguel Ruiz in the tradition The Four Agreements. He teaches in Sonoma County, and guides spiritual and romantic journeys to sacred sites and tropical beaches in Mexico and beyond. He is the author of The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book. Information about his work with The New Relationship ~ Five Agreements to Make Love Come True, and other offerings are at: www.joydancer.com. To inquire about counseling by phone, call (707) 528-1271. E-mail comments: allan@joydancer.com.

A New Year's REVOLUTION

"Making a New Year's REVOLUTION"

We need another REVOLUTION! People in the United States, here in Mexico, and most other countries in the world have revolted against tyrannical and abusive leaders throughout history. Sometimes the revolutions are successful and new freedoms have emerged and stayed, and other times the Big Parasite has triumphed and freedoms have been lost, only to fought for later. 

I think we have already learned that the resolutions we make for the New Year don't last long or work out very well. Out intentions are good, but something usually goes wrong. Perhaps you resolve to give up a habit that goes against you, slim down or buff up, be more loving, meditate more, give up sugar, be nicer to your partner, find a partner to be nice to, pay off your credit cards, make more money, find a better job, start your own business, keep your house/ car/ clothes/ kids/ dog cleaner, and hundreds of other good intentions. 

If you have made New Year's resolutions in the past and "failed" to keep them, and then been mad at yourself or judged yourself for your failure, please, Please, PLEASE don't do that again this year. Instead, join me in a New Year's REVOLUTION. 

Revolt and rebel against the voice of that Judge in your mind that says you "should" make all those changes, and then makes you wrong for being who you are and not following through! Don't tolerate anyone inside or out criticizing you. You are not bad, not wrong, not a failure at anything! Revolt! 

Rebel! Fight Back!! Make 2009 the year of your revolt, your revolution against the tyrannical and abusive voices in your head that question you, doubt you, or judge you. Make this the New Year of Freedom in your life! 

YOU ARE PERFECT. I REPEAT, YOU ARE PERFECT, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, AND JUST THE WAY YOU ARE NOT!

I hope you will think about this if you have not; or, if you need to again:

This universe is animated by an amazing and unknowable force. It seems to be in everything, from trees to turtles, from grains of sand to galaxies in space, and from algae in the swamp to humans in the shoe store. It is everywhere. It is even that force that holds the air between the swamp and shoe store in place, moving, balanced in its elements, and available for all life. 

We can call this animating force LIFE. And I think you will agree that there seems to be only one of them. Trees are animated by the same Life force as turtles (and shoe stores). If there is only one Life animating everything in the universe, then YOU are created, animated, and directed by that Life. If we look at the sum total of everything Life creates and animates, we can see that it is all the same, one unified whole, one living being of Life, manifested in countless forms in a physical world. 

(Still with me?)

My point: If there is only one thing here, in all of its different manifested forms, then it is all PERFECT-- there is nothing to compare it to, nothing outside of it. If the one whole is perfect, then every part of it has to be perfect. And YOU are part of it! Therefore, you are perfect! YOU are Life! 

So, back to the REVOLUTION. Any voice-- inside or out, any person, event, memory, fear, or judgement that doubts your perfection is lying. LYING! Do I  make myself clear?? LYING. There is nothing to fear, nothing to doubt. Just to be YOU! As Life. The perfect manifestation of a perfect force.

Then, if you want to work out or be more loving, of course, go ahead! But not because you "should" or have to, to prove you are okay, or are worthy of love. LIFE IS WORTHY OF LOVE ~ LIFE IS LOVE. You are Life.

REVOLT! Make this January calendar change your New Year's REVOLUTION. Stand up for your freedom, for your perfection, your Divine right to be exactly who Life is, as you! Let us declare our freedom from the tyranny and fear inside first, then the outside. Let's not waste any more time! NOW is the time for the Revolution! The goal is a world of peace inside and out, or as don Miguel Ruiz says, ". . .to the eternal happiness of humanity."

If you think it is time for this personal and planetary revolution, and would like to share these ideas with others, please do so, and copy and paste with this information:

This invitation for Revolution is from Allan Hardman, Toltec Master, at http://www.joydancer.com

The Joydancer Summer Celebration of LIFE!

Wow, I am excited about our fourth annual Joydancer Summer Celebration of Life.

It is going to be an amazingly wonderful event. With talks by me, Allan Hardman and a host of talented teachers, ceremonies, and music by Melissa Phillippe, James Nihan, it just doesn't get any better than this! And you MUST be there! (In fact, I heard your soulmate is going to be there).

The Joydancer Summer Celebration of Life


THEME 2008: "Faith in Life"

DATES: August 8 ~ 10, 2008

LOCATION: Walker Creek Ranch, in West Marin County, northern California

COST: Varies depending on accommodations and options. Lots of camping available, dorm, or semi-private rooms. Cheap!!

THE WEEKEND: Friday evening through Sunday lunch. Five Meals, two nights. Music, lectures, experiential groups, a keynote talk by me, Allan Hardman, and a fire ceremony. At the Sunday morning Circle of Love we affirm our intentions to release the limiting beliefs that hold us back in our lives, and embrace new awareness and agreements to be in tune with Life itself, trusting it to guide and inspire us. You will be transformed!

OPTIONS: Come all day Friday for Men's and Women's Wisdom Circles, with Friday lunch and dinner.
Saturday night, experience an all-night DreamTime Mitote, and blow that old dream right out of your mind!

The Joydancer Summer Celebration of Life

We everyone who wants a better life, more fun, greater personal freedom, and a heart filled with love to share this powerful weekend with us. That means you. Space is (really, actually, truthfully) limited, so make your reservation now. Don't be turned away from this incredible experience.

Read, listen to audio descriptions, and claim your space here:

The Joydancer Summer Celebration of Life

I look forward to sharing this powerful weekend with you.

Yours IN love,

ALLAN

The True Meaning of Forgiveness

"The True Meaning of Forgiveness"

Most religions and spiritual paths include some sort of system or expectation of forgiveness. Very often, unfortunately, these ideas of forgiveness include judgement and a sense of victimization: "You are a __________, and you have hurt me, but I forgive you." Someone once said (or maybe oftener) that everything after the word "but" in a sentence is a lie. In this case, I believe that is true. This is not real forgiveness, it is a generosity for the sake of appearing pious for the sake of the other person, the Judge Within, or God -- or all at once.

So what is true forgiveness? What better description could we find than in my new Everything Toltec Wisdom Book. . .??!!

"In the old dream, there is a "forgiveness" that is actually based on personal importance. It says: "You have hurt me, I judge and condemn you, but I am a better person than you, so I will forgive you." There are many variations on this theme, but they all reflect the old dream of wrongdoing, judgment, and victimization. It is not actually forgiveness at all.

When a Toltec Warrior clears an incident with recapitulation, there is no longer any hurt, no perpetrator, and no victim. The entire incident is released. There is no need to forgive, because from the eagle's perspective, there is no offense to be punished or forgiven. There is no blame. In the Toltec wisdom, this is the true forgiveness, knowing there is nothing to forgive.

This forgiveness results from a change of the assemblage point away from victim and perpetrator to the eagle's view of the perfection of the universe. The cleansing power of this truth releases poison from old emotional wounds. When the warrior applies the poultice of self-love to those cleansed wounds, they heal with only the trace of a scar. When someone touches that place, there is no longer a need to protect it, so the warrior can step forward with his arms wide open to embrace the world."

In the story of Jesus, they say he looked down from his cross, and said "Forgive them father, they know not what they do." Isn't this the message of true forgiveness? We are all doing our best, and sometimes we may react to others as though they deliberately hurt or betrayed us. The Toltec Warrior knows that this universe one big system of actions and reactions. Everything is in contact and changing and acting and reacting everywhere in every time.

There is no where that one action begins (perpetration) and ends (victimization). Everything is acting on everything else, constantly. In that action/reaction you can see the Divine Perfection of each and every movement in the matrix of our world.

There are many days set aside to focus on Forgiveness. Global Forgiveness Day is on August 27, 2008, World Forgiveness Day is March 3, and October 4, is International Forgiveness Day. If you are not ready to forgive yet, you can always wait until Regular Forgiveness Day, on June 26th. Of course these dates may change depending on what organization is promoting them.

Perhaps every day can be your Personal Forgiveness Day. You can begin with the self-forgiveness that says, "I am always doing my best. I am not bad or wrong. I am the only Me there is, and I am being the perfect Me." From that place of self-acceptance, you can accept not only yourself but all of Creation. After all, Creation is doing its best being itself, too.

You are forgiven.

This post is adapted from my Joydancer Weekly Word and News e-newsletter of August 3, 2007. To subscribe, go to my homepage at www.joydancer.com.

Celebrating This Winter Solstice

THIS OFFERING ABOUT USING THE WINTER SOLSTICE IS A GIFT FROM FRANK HAYHURST, aka FRANCIS RICO, A TEACHER IN THIS TRADITION FROM SONOMA COUNTY, CA. . .
It is good advice for anytime, of course:

Beloved fellow travelers of the mystery trend:

Creation offers to share with us her gift of expansion of light, a gift 14
billion years in the making - a gift that is now appearing it's full
blazing glory this Friday, December 21st, at 10:08PM Pacific Standard Time.
(Work it out for your time zone.)

You might ask "how can we possibly share in this cosmic gift, considering
the toxic mess we humans are making of this little planet?"

A native holy man, Joseph Rael - "Beautiful Painted Arrow" - had a vision
of this moment, and he puts it this way:

"We humans have fooled around long enough, and God is now taking over. From
now on, we are going to get plenty of everything we focus on and act on. If
we focus on conflict, we will get more conflict. However, if we focus on
peace we will get plenty of peace. As soon as we focus on a goal, the
universe will take us in that direction."

So, a good question would be: What do you intend for yourself?

It is a wonderful opportunity we are being given! We are "presents" from
Creation to Herself. And, this Solstice Celebration is like a party at
which we are invited to open our present, to open to the precious gift that
we are, opening to find the deep wisdom and freedom that wrap the wild and
beautiful truth of our selves.

Could this be done anywhere, anytime? Yes.

However, with the spiraling energy of our Earth circling our Sun, in a
spiraling galaxy within an expanding cosmos -- well, you get the picture,
this Solstice is a special moment of whirling dancing Light -- of Light
returning to grow the seeds of intent that you select.

Another good question would be: What do you intend to grow in the Fields of
Light of your life?

On Friday evening, create a ceremony, a celebration, with friends. Make it
a party, a SERIOUS party! It is respectful to our hostess, Creation, to
align ourselves with her, leaving the petty hierarchies of humankind out on
the porch, like muddy shoes that are not invited inside.

Move into silence. Let Creation speak within your heart.

Then, CELEBRATE! Share this good fortune, this opportunity to live wild and
free, with all of our relations, our friends, families, neighbors, and ALL
who we share this gift of life with.

As you plant, so shall you reap. It has always been this simple, but as of
now, it is simple to the tenth power!

love you! Many blessings!

Frank - Francis Rico

The Secret About Dreaming

In a recent post, I shared some of my “Secrets about The Secret.” I am pleased (of course) to hear from so many of you that agreed with my observations. You shared your experiences as friends and therapists listening to people’s self-judgment for failing to manifest the perfect life, and you shared your own frustrations from trying to use the ideas of The Secret and The Law of Attraction to change your circumstances.

Let us not use these criticisms of the latest pop-culture ideas about how to strike it rich (in money, love, and body perfect) to obscure a very important reality: You do manifest the universe you live in through how you dream it. What do I mean, and why is that different than The Secret?

Basic “Dreaming 101:” You do not see “what is out there.” The light you perceive reflects off the objects in the universe, and enters your mind through your eyes and other senses, and creates a little virtual reality in your mind. The image you see is in your mind, not out there in the universe. That is an amazing and indisputable fact: You only see what is in your mind’s virtual reality, not what is out in the world.

In the Toltec tradition, we call this virtual reality in your mind your “Personal Dream.” You are dreaming reality. Your body is an organ of perception—it collects data from the world around you. That information passes through “channels of perception” in your mind, picking up stored information made up of biases, agreements, emotional memories, fears, traumas, desires, belief systems, and all the knowledge stored in your mind.

That stored information distorts the incoming messages carried on the light, and it is the distorted light that creates the virtual reality dream. You look at that dream and think you are seeing “out there.” You are not. You are dreaming. We could call your mind an organ of “deception,” since it creates the distorted dream of a world that has nothing to do with what is really out there.

“The Secret” says that (simply stated) if you can think the right thoughts you will attract to yourself the right things. The Law of Attraction says that like attracts like. Miguel Ruiz, in The Four Agreements, tells us: Always Be Impeccable With Your Word. He explains that your Word is every thought, action, spoken word, and your most deeply held beliefs.

In other words, your Word is how you dream. Your dream was programmed into your mind from the very beginnings of your awareness. You were taught what was right and wrong, good and bad, who was Us and who was Them. All that stored information and knowledge, which you continued to add to and refine all of your life, is the dream of the world you live in.

The dream in your mind out-pictures itself into what appears to be Reality. If you dream that money is hard to get, so it shall be. If you dream that love is dangerous, you will attract dangerous love. If you believe you are not worthy of kindness and consideration, you will attract abuse and hurt. If you believe you have a Parking Fairy, you will believe the Fairy finds you parking places. It has nothing to do with the nature of the world or your ability to create it, but you will accumulate evidence for the truth of how you dream by what your dream creates—in the dream! None of it happens out there. Am I making sense?

Yes, it is true that your thoughts create your reality—but only in your mind. That is the only place that the universe you live in exists. Yes, there is a universe there, but you cannot perceive it. You can only dream. Everyone lives in a distinctly different universe.

If you can do your deep inner work, clean out the memories, traumas, old belief systems and agreements, etc, from your channels of perception . . .if you can clear away the conflicting desires and the resistance in your programming . . .if you can let go of any attachments to the outcome of your manifesting . . .then perhaps you can make these laws of The Secret work for you. If you get that clear, you probably won’t care about manifesting riches.

Of course, there is always the issue of the Action/Reaction nature of the universe to deal with. Everything is in action all the time everywhere, reacting with everything else in the nonexistent universe. Where does your power and influence begin?

We can come back to that part of the conversation next time.

Thanks for reading.

This post was adapted from "The Weekly Word and News," my e-newsletter from Joydancer.com.

My Secrets About The Secret

“The Secret” and “The Law of Attraction” are the Big Buzz these days, and I am sure that many of you reading this are big fans. I think it is great that so many people are interested in ways to take responsibility for their lives using the power of their minds. I have a few thoughts to share with you about the other side of the teachings, and things to watch out for while practicing the principles.

In the book, The Secret, it says: “The Secret is the law of attraction! It has been . . .hidden, lost, stolen, and bought for vast sums of money. . .Everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life. . .whatever is going on in your mind you are attracting to you. . . As you learn The Secret, you will come to know how you can have, be, or do anything you want.”

Here are some of my secrets about The Secret:

1. It is not a secret.

People have been writing books about how your mind affects your reality since the beginning of books. Jesus and Plato talked about it. Toltec Nagual and author of The Four Agreements, Miguel Ruiz wrote about it. Most of the authors and experts quoted in the movie and book have been writing about it for a long time.

That has nothing to do with the value of The Secret, it only points out the hype factor, which you may have noticed is pretty big. For many people, being able to have power over their lives and the choices they make is a big revelation. This is an important value of The Secret.

2. It does not always work.

If only it were as simple as “what you think, you get” and all you have to do is think good positive spiritual thoughts and your life would be devoted to what the book offers: “. . .eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcome obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.”

In The Four Agreements Miguel Ruiz invites us to be impeccable with our Word, because the Word is the creative force of the universe. He includes in the Word every thought, belief, action, and spoken word. It is the most deeply held beliefs and agreements that are this creative force. Affirmations on the bathroom mirror often do not change us, because there are other agreements that are held deep in the subconscious that are the creative forces in our universe.

It is true that our own personal universe is created by our thoughts, but we usually don’t even know what our thoughts are; or especially, how they are creating the world we live in.

3. It can be a big set-up for self-judgment.

If you see a movie or read a book and it tells you that you have the power to create any life you want, to create wealth and overcome disease and find the perfect relationship. . .well, it sounds great, of course, but if it doesn’t work. . .wow! This is a big set-up for The Judge. They say you can do this if you just do it right. You try, you apply the principles as you understand them, maybe some things work, and maybe you can’t get so much as a good parking space, let alone the riches and love!

The Inner Judge loves those moments, and will use them against you. Don’t let The Secret become another “should” -- like the latest diet you couldn’t stick with, or the gym membership that you never use.

If it were as easy as they say, everyone would be healthy, wealthy, and loved beyond measure.

This, to me, is the most important secret about The Secret: It is not that easy, and it is not your (spiritual) fault if it does not work the way it is advertised.

4. You might not actually have any choice.

This is really a subject worthy of a more thorough exploration than we can give it here, but let me say that The Secret works for those it works for. Their minds and belief systems are prepared in some way for what The Secret offers. For minds that are not prepared, the principles have no place from which to operate.

Again, if it worked as simply for everyone as advertised, we would all be there already. Enjoy The Secret and The Law of Attraction—and do it without any expectations that you should be able to quickly change your entire life and become rich and healthy because you changed your thinking. It is simple, it is true, and it is not easy.

Do your best, and accept yourself just the way you are. The rest is play.

Have fun!

The Hidden Power of Miguel Ruiz' Four Agreements.

It has been ten years since Miguel Ruiz, author and Toltec Nagual, released his famous book, The Four Agreements - A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. Oprah has raved about it, movie stars quote it, and it is read in 32 languages around the world-- and yet many people miss some of the profound depths of this teaching.

Miguel Ruiz begins The Four Agreements by describing how each of us has been "domesticated" by our parents, relatives, siblings, teachers, church leaders, and others. We were expected to agree with their beliefs and agreements about good and bad, and right and wrong - and we did. We had no choice. It was "their way or the highway."

We agreed never to take the last cookie, to always put other people's feelings ahead of ours, to follow the rules, not touch ourselves there, and not talk back. We agreed to stay inside the lines, not be too happy, and always be nice. Following their rules helped us fit in and get our needs met.

Following their rules also had a price: We were required to abandon our truth and the freedom to express ourselves freely. We stopped looking inside for our direction, and learned to look outside to know what "they" wanted us to think and feel. This was a big price to pay for safety and belonging. We had no choice.

The Four Agreements have the power to break thousands of the limiting agreements that you made during your domestication, and set you free to be yourself. They are a wonderful gift. Unfortunately, many people misunderstand the deeper meaning of the agreements, or deny their power by imagining they are like some other philosophy or teaching. Let's take a brief look at each agreement here, and make sure you are using them as the powerful tools they are.

Agreement #1: Always be impeccable with your Word. Miguel Ruiz clearly explains that to be impeccable means to be "without sin," and he defines sin as "going against yourself." Therefore, to be impeccable with your Word is to not use your Word against yourself. Many people seem to miss this definition, and believe the agreement means they should always tell the truth, keep their commitments, and not cheat.

Your Word is a powerful force of creation in your life. How do you use your Word against yourself? The most common way is to judge yourself. The voices of your domesticators follow you around, critcizing what you do or don’t do, and how you do or don’t do it.

Can you imagine living without ever judging yourself for anything you say or do? Imagine your freedom to take action, to create, and to love with your heart wide open. Keeping this one agreement is all you need to go all the way to personal freedom. It is very simple, but not easy. The old habits are hard to break, but you can do it. The Toltec Path has many powerful tools that can help you identify and break the agreements that do not serve you, and I will be describing many of them here.

The other three agreements are given to us as support for the first.

Agreement #2: Don't take anything personally. The danger here is using this agreement as an attitude, rather than a ticket to freedom. The Toltec Wisdom teaches that we are all distorting reality based on our unique beliefs and agreements. Everyone is dreaming you, they are not seeing the real you. Therefore, anything they say to or about you is a description of their dream of you, and truly has nothing to do with you. Likewise, you are dreaming everyone else, and your dream of them has nothing to do with them. The universe it not personal. Be yourself, and enjoy your life.

Agreement #3: Never make assumptions. What a powerful invitation! Stay in the moment. Don't second-guess life. Don't assume you know what someone needs or is thinking. If you want to know, ask. This agreement will break all those lies that say it is bad to ask questions because you might embarrass or hurt someone, or you should know what other people are thinking and meet their needs before they have to ask. Many people think this is a minor agreement, but don't be fooled. Big power resides here. Stay in the juice of Life in this moment-- after all, this moment is the only time and place Life is happening!

Agreement #4: Always do your best. This agreement is often misunderstood to mean you should try harder, do more, and be better. Nothing could be farther from the intention of the agreement. Every choice you make is based on your programming, your previous experiences, and the information available to you-- and every choice is the best you can make in the moment. If you find out ten minutes or ten years later that you have other options, use them, act, change, and grow.

This agreement will break your belief in all the lies your inner and outer judges tell you about your failures, what you should have known or done better, and the grim prospects for your future. Without the voice of your inner judge you are free to be you. What a beautiful thing to behold.

Yours IN love and The New Dream,

Allan