SHINING LOTUS™ METAPHYSICAL BOOKSTORE NEWSLETTER

The Original Metaphysical Bookstore, since 1972

DECEMBER 2013

2178 South Colorado Blvd, Denver Colorado 80222

303-758-9113

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in this issue

AUTHOR TALK AND BOOK SIGNING  with Connie Lehman, author of the Tarot Life Cards: Using Your Birthday to Chart Your Course

WHAT IS DIVINE LOVE??? by Pura Isham

I’M RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN…I JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE I’M GOING by Mario C. Veo

PLANETS AND POSSIBILITIES: A LOOK AT THE ASTROLOGY OF DECEMBER by Sally Shotwell

THE SECRET MEANING OF DRAGONS by Bruce Johnson

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42nd ANNIVERSARY SALE – EVERYTHING 25% OFF

DECEMBER 26 THROUGH 31

During this, the coldest season of the year, winter is regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold. The coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brings a more festive mood. This return of the light is a fantastic reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle is continuing.

It is during this season, we also celebrate our store’s birth 42 years ago in the dawning of the “new age”. When widespread study of Metaphysics was being re-focused, our store was born on the east end of Colfax Avenue.

Please join us during the week between Christmas and New Year’s for our 42nd Anniversary Sale, when you may buy anything in the store at 25% off. We will also have special door prizes, balloons and cake and coffee.

Shining Lotus™ Metaphysical Bookstore, The Original Metaphysical Bookstore, founded in 1972, has been Denver’s best source for metaphysical books and supplies for 42 years.

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AUTHOR TALK & BOOK SIGNING

Connie Lehman, author of Tarot Life Cards: Using Your Birthday to Chart Your Course

Sunday, December 8, 2013.     2 – 3 pm.      FREE PRESENTATION.

Discover what the Tarot says about your personal life in this hands-on workshop with Connie Lehman, author of Tarot Life Cards. Nationally known artist/illustrator Connie Lehman, creator land co-author of the beautiful new book, TAROT LIFE CARDS: Using Your Birthday to Chart Your Course, will help you discover what the Tarot says about your personal life path year-by-year, based on the numerology of your birthday. Whether you are a Tarot beginner or an experienced reader, this hands-on workshop will illuminate your opportunities, challenges and transform the way you think about your journey. Call 303-758-9113 to register.

Which of the Tarot’s 22 Major Arcana cards is your personal lifetime symbol? Which card reflects your life lessons for the current year? How do multi-year cycles guide you through challenges? Whether you are a beginner or an experienced reader, Tarot Life Cards book and deck will transform the way you think about your life! Connie Lehman’s 22 wise and witty Major Arcana cards come with a 5 1/2” x 7” spiral-bound book featuring:

~A step-by-step explanation of how to identify your personal Life and Year Cards through simple numerology.

~Descriptions of what the cards mean as Life and Year Cards and as cards picked in a traditional Tarot reading.

~An informative essay by noted Tarot author and scholar Rachel Pollack.

~Blank pages for your doodles, diagrams, notes and numerology.

Connie Lehman is an artist living and thriving in Colorado. Her work has been exhibited in many galleries, museums and publications around the country and collections of her work could be found in several places in Denver, Kansas City and Boston.

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WHAT IS DIVINE LOVE???

by Pura Isham

What is Divine Love? Every thought, every feeling which does not vibrate love clouds understanding, and takes you further away from Spirit. Spirit is joy, is life, is the breath and movement of creation. Divine Love is Light, is Abundant, is Infinite, is Incorruptible, is Boundless. It is a cord, a stream of Light/Energy that is always available to the Divine Self of who you are.

Divine Love experiences joy whenever you awaken to its Radiance. This joy, and this radiance merging and pausing and merging again and again gives you, the awakened one, the realization, the awareness that you are Divinely loved. You also realize that in you exists the Divine and Love, and that there is no one wthout the Other just as there is no YOU without The Divine and no Love without YOU.

Pura Isham is a student of spirituality, metaphysics and esoteric subjects. As a very inquisitive person, Pura has been studying these areas for many years, most recently with her teacher, Mario C. Veo. We thank her for the inspiration she is to us, and letting us peek through this window to her personal spiritual path.

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I’M RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN… I JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE I’M GOING

by Mario C. Veo

I once saw a young puppy discovering the joys of chasing squirrels… stumbling over his too big paws, jumping back up, and barking in sheer pleasure. I don’t think he ever truly wanted to catch them (and if he ever did, what would he do with them…?), he was just having lots, and lots of fun. Well, for many people Life is pretty much like that – we go stumbling along, tripping over our own enthusiasm, chasing some bizarre Exotic Concept… never taking the time to figure it all out (and at the end – far too late for Wisdom – we wonder what else we could have done).

So then, how much more does Life offer us… consider this:

• Most importantly, “Life is to embrace a Joyful Living” – so, yes, go out and play, as much as you want… Playfulness fills you with Positive Energies, and allows you to be Vibrant and Magnetic… unfortunately most of us have forgotten how to do this…
• Secondly, “Let go of your Past” – unless YOU want it to recreate itself in your Future. I frequently ask my students this: “If something or someone in your past hurt you so badly, why would you want to ‘honor’ it by still allowing it to affect you today…?” (‘Cutting cords’ is not just a Concept, but a necessity… pity that it is often incorrectly taught!)
• Thirdly, “Learn how to shape Energies correctly”… and this requires that you stop being so passive… take charge of your Life… know What you want… and How to get it all!Here is the (ehm) “Great Secret To Life, Power, And Having It All!” (gee, that sounds good!)

Self Empowerment comes only through the Expansion of our Consciousness

Consider this —

Energy is everywhere, and is the Essence (quality or purpose or form) of Everything… we can only be in charge of It once our own Inner Energy is greater than what is around us. It doesn’t matter if you are doing Cutting Cords, Manifestation, Meditation, Spirit Invocation or Magic… none of it will work unless your Energies are greater than what you want to accomplish (if you ignore this you will become ‘subservient’ to your Creation!)

So… for the month of December, I have created a few classes that will guide you towards the Correct Release of various Bindings; as well as introducing you to Self Empowerment and Higher Manifestation Processes… but there is more… I am introducing a year-long program on the Expansion of Consciousness (which will include Spiritual Development, and the correcty awakening of our Inner Gifts or Psyschic Abilities) where I will share with you the very best techniques I have learned on my Path… (and no, you don’t have to do the whole year… just those sections that best interest you).

These special Classes are open to anyone who is seriously interested in Self Developmnet, no matter your current skill level… we will meet every Saturday from 11 am – 12:30 pm, starting January 11. (pre-registration offers you a discount)… see you then…

Mario’s December classes

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 — 7 to 8:30 pm — $20. BLESS AND RELEASE… IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO GET MORE Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 — 7 to 8:30 pm — $20. WHAT TO DO WHEN ‘FORGIVENESS’ NO LONGER WORKS Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013 — 7 to 8:30 pm — $20. HOW TO MANIFEST A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR

Mario C. Veo was born in Italy and grew up in Africa. From an early age his love for Spirituality and Metaphysics led him to explore a wide range of disciplines. He has studied with Sufis, Shamans and Spiritual Masters from around the world. Mario is a senior T’ai Chi and Chi Gong instructor, a Spiritual Counselor, Shaman and Healer, and teaches classes and individuals on Personal Transformation, Empowerment, Manifestation and Spiritual Alignments. He is available for personal guidance and consultations. Mario is the featured reader on Tuesdays from 12:30pm to 6pm at the Shining Lotus™. He is also available from 12:30pm to 6pm on the last Sunday of every month.

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PLANETS AND POSSIBILITIES: A LOOK AT THE ASTROLOGY OF DECEMBER

by Sally Shotwell

In studying the astrological weather for December, we are embracing the activity established thousands of years ago by our ancestors when their attention was drawn to the night sky. They figured out early on that the information they needed for survival in nature was offered in the cyclical movements of the various orbs they so admired and feared. Seasons were anticipated as well as the scary eclipses.

Today we are theoretically more in control of our environments, but personal and natural cycles continue to dominate our existence and at this time the Sun, symbolizing our free will remains in expansive Sagittarius. It is joined by a New Moon (beginnings) on December 2 whose Sabian Symbol alludes to “an archaic temple in which there is a human-shaped container in which a light burns”. The message connects the images of transcendence (the temple) with the spiritual (light) in the human form and reminds us mortals that our resources extend far beyond our physical bodies. This is important to remember when confronted by the chaos generated by the Uranus (revolution) square to Pluto (intensity).

We have the potential to enlarge our understanding of the meaning and consequences of what’s going on and benefit from this growth. That said, let’s make sure we make sure to create time in our schedules to honor our bodies. Do you love bubble baths, yoga, ice cream? What ever it may be, we all need to be kind to ourselves.

The Symbol for the Full Moon (culmination) in Gemini (communication) on December 17 is “Winter frost in the woods” and implies a time of withdrawl and inner growth. It refers to the fact that physical and psychological renewal are within reach even as the hectic holiday season is in full swing. It’s essential to prioritize our commitments now and simplify our self-expectations. Not everything we accept as a necessary expenditure of energy really is.

December 21 the Winter Solstice in Capricorn (maturity) finds the Sun (identity) ushering in a more serious tone which is reinforced by Mercury (communication) in Capricorn as of December 24. This rather subdued ambiance should encourage us to handle any dramas which may occur with some distance and detachment. Just in case this proves tricky, let’s formulate exit strategies!

Best wishes for a Blessed Holiday Season and New Year!

Sally Shotwell is a life-long student of esoteric spirituality with a super-natural curiosity and an undying thirst for knowledge. Her focus on studies in Astrology have spanned decades, and have included studying with Mario C. Veo, John Joseph, Mark Husson and C. A. Brooks.

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THE SECRET MEANING OF DRAGONS

by Bruce Johnson

Good and evil dragons are one of the most universal symbols in mythology, religion and Occultism. The constellation Draco, a dragon flying through the heavens, has positive and negative symbolism. Let’s begin with the adversaries of good, the evil dragons.

The sun god or hero slaying the evil dragon takes varied forms in different cultures and nations. The Babylonian hero Merodach, defeats the dragon monster Tiamet. Thoth, the Egyptian sun god, vanquishes Typhon, the dragon of darkness and chaos. Greek mythology shows us Hercules, slaying the nine- headed hydra, and Jason overcoming the dragon that guards the Golden Fleece. The Indian avatar Krishna stands on the back of the evil dragon Kaliya, like the Buddhist saint Kwan Yin, standing with a water dragon beneath her feet.  St. George and Archangel Michael are examples of Christian dragon- slayers. Ancient myths and religions show diverse and numerous dragons and dragon-slayers.

The evil dragon symbolizes death, darkness, chaos, ignorance, negative power, lower passions, and bestial qualities. It indicates the force of negativity that opposes the positive force of light and goodness. It is slain or conquered by the force of light and truth, represented by the sun god, saint or angel. The evil dragon is a symbol of the lower animal nature in humans that is conquered and subjugated by the Divine Self within. Spears and swords used to vanquish the evil dragon are symbols of spiritual light penetrating and subduing the darkness of ignorance, death, and destruction.  Satan, serpents, scorpions, and fantastic monsters are interchangeable symbols with the evil dragon in various religious scriptures.

Positive dragons include the Magical Crocodile of the Egyptians, the Yellow Dragon of Asia, and Quetzcoatl, the flying serpent of the Maya.  Dragons and serpents are interchangeable symbols in many mythologies. Fiery Serpents or Serpents of Wisdom are identical to Fiery Dragons. The “Fiery Dragons of Wisdom” are the adepts of the secret heavenly knowledge, and demonstrate soul perfection and immortality. The Hierophants of ancient priesthoods were called “Sons of the Dragon” or “Flying Fire Dragons”. Having awakened their own spiritual fires, they taught the Ancient Wisdom to the initiates of their respective temples.

The book- Dragons, by Peter Hogarth and Val Clery, is a great source of further dragon lore.

The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom by Mark Amaru Pinkham intelligently explores the ancient mystery school connections to the Fiery Serpents or Dragons of Wisdom.

Bruce Johnson has over 30 years of study in the fields of Ancient Wisdom and occultism. He has taught classes on a wide range of topics, from Atlantis to mediums to Zoroaster. He is also a spiritualist minister, with a background in spiritual astrology. He lives in Colorado with his wife and their cat.

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SUNRISE, SUNSET

by Drusant

You are the marker of my progress, the measure of my joy. You are the orb of my awareness and the motion to my soul.

Where in the heavens do you reside? Are you there in spite of me, just for me or because of me? Why are you there?

Am I entitled to your warmth or did I earn it? Does my perception entitle me or enslave me to your passage? Do you feel stress or do you ever worry? Did I ever thank you for your constancy and dependability?

Do you need me? Does it help when I see the flowers grow in your garden? Can I offer myself in service to your cycle? Do you grow in spirit as we do?

Do you have good days and bad ones? Is my smile your reward? Why are we here, do you ever wonder? Do you ever smile? What is the difference between you and me? Can you hear my thoughts?

If you can hear me, thank you for being there, thank you for summer and winter, thank you for supporting my happiness and thank you for my tomorrows. You are my special mornings and my glorious evenings. You are the height of my bliss and the space between my pride.

You are the song to my soul and the heartbeat of my cheer. You are the footsteps of my voyage and the delight of my age. You are the light of my face and the quiet of my thoughts. You are the shadow of my growth and the volume of my heaven.

You are an inspiration by day and my charm at night. You are what drives me through happiness and sorrow; you are the greatness of my vision. You cover all in the expanse of your warmth through to the sunset of my life.

You are constant and unrewarded; you are dignified but unadorned. You are the wonder of my heart; you are the jewel of my journey.

Drusant is the pen name of a long-time, faithful customer of the Shining Lotus™ Metaphysical Bookstore. A unendingly inquisitive mind that never stops asking ‘why?’ or ‘how?’, he continues to quest for esoteric, spiritual and paranormal answers in the Denver area. We are extremely grateful to him for allowing us to publish his creative writings in our newsletter and on our website. Go to www.shininglotus.com and find the search field, type “drusant” and enjoy some of his other articles.