The Essential Doreen Virtue Collection Part 22

"There are those who have reached G.o.d directly, retaining no trace of worldly limits and remembering their own Ident.i.ty perfectly. These might be called the Teachers of teachers because, although they're no longer visible, their image can yet be called upon. And they will appear when and where it's helpful for them to do so. To those to whom such appearances would be frightening, they give their ideas. No one can call on them in vain. Nor is there anyone of whom they're unaware. All needs are known to them, and all mistakes are recognized and overlooked by them. The time will come when this is understood. And meanwhile, they give all their gifts to the teachers of G.o.d who look to them for help. . . ."

- from A Course in Miracles Manual for Teachers

Introduction.

From Old Age to New Age

An ascended master is a great healer, teacher, or prophet who previously walked upon the earth, and who is now in the spirit world, helping us from beyond. Ascended masters come from all cultures, religions, and civilizations, both ancient and modern. They include legendary figures such as Jesus, Moses, and Buddha; saints; G.o.ddesses and G.o.ds; and bodhisattvas, devas, and deities.

I've consciously worked with several specific archangels (extremely powerful angels who help us and who oversee the guardian angels) and ascended masters for many years, such as Archangel Michael, Jesus, and Mary. I've written about ascended masters and archangels in many of my books, and I've presented information about them at my workshops.

During my readings, I frequently help people understand which deities are with them as spirit guides. In fact, I first met many of the divinities (another term for "Divine beings") listed in this book during my readings. Sometimes I'll call on audience members at my workshops and ask them to stand up because I can see that they have so many ascended masters around them. I always ask people the same questions, and consistently receive the same answers: Q: "Did you know that you have many ascended masters with you?"

A: "Yes" (or "I was hoping that I did").

Q: "Did you call these beings to your side?"

A: "Yes. I asked G.o.d to send me anyone who could help."

Even though I'd met and heard about these great beings, I wanted to acquire additional knowledge about the ancient Eastern divinities, as well as the New Age ascended masters. I wanted to get to know them firsthand, develop a personal relations.h.i.+p with each one, and know about each being's history and unique traits . . . instead of accepting secondhand reports about their personalities, characteristics, and functions from others.

So, in effect, I've written this book to function as a "Who's Who in the Spirit World," since, like many people I've met, I was confused about the ident.i.ties, functions, and trustworthiness of the divinities I'd heard of up till now and had received conflicting reports about some of them. For example, I'd heard that some G.o.ddesses were friendly, while others were considered not-so-amicable. I'd also received mixed reports about various ascended masters a.s.sociated with the New Age, and G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses of ancient cultures and Eastern religions. And then there were all of those saints and archangels!

Personal Choices I've never felt comfortable telling people who they "should" talk to in the spirit world. Although I work closely with Jesus, I don't feel compelled to push him onto others. My role has been akin to helping people set their radio dial to whatever station they feel comfortable listening to. In my books and workshops, I teach people how to open the channels of Divine communication so they can more clearly see, hear, feel, and know the messengers of Heaven.

As such, I consider this book to be more of an introduction to various ascended masters. I recommend that you create your own experience with each deity to see if you feel happier, healthier, and more peaceful as a result. That is, act like a scientist: Try working with these Divine beings, and then notice the results.

Calling on ascended masters isn't the same as wors.h.i.+ping them-far from it! It's more like the "Phone-a-Friend" segment on the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. If you're not familiar with it, on this program, contestants can call any one of five friends to help them answer a difficult question. For example, if they're asked a question about algebra, they could phone their college math professor (while simultaneously praying to G.o.d for help).

On that show, just like in life, there may be several people you know who are available to help you. As far as I'm concerned, the more friends who can help you, the better!

In other words, you can work with Jesus as your primary guide, yet still develop a benevolent relations.h.i.+p with other wonderful beings. You don't have to align yourself with a particular religious group or engage in impeccable behavior to attract the guidance and a.s.sistance of ascended masters. You only need to call upon them with a sincere heart, which you'll read more about later on.

In ancient times, many of the deities listed in this book were wors.h.i.+ped in the same way that many of us currently wors.h.i.+p our Creator. Today, we don't wors.h.i.+p deities-we appreciate them. They have small g's in front of their G.o.d and G.o.ddess t.i.tles to show that they're aspects of the G.o.d with a capital G. The deities represent the various faces, aspects, personality variables, and unique traits that G.o.d presents to us. And ultimately, since G.o.d is omnipresent, then G.o.d is within the deities and also within us. In other words, all of the deities and all of us are one with G.o.d.

Just so there's no misunderstanding, this isn't a book promoting polytheism, which is the belief in, and wors.h.i.+p of, many G.o.ds. As mentioned above, the deities in this book are aspects or creations of the G.o.d, with a capital G. The point that needs to be emphasized is that I'm not encouraging you to engage in the wors.h.i.+p of divinities, but to appreciate them as gifts that our Creator has given us to help us love more, heal in all ways, and evolve on our spiritual path. When we accept their help, we're saying thank you to G.o.d.

The world's three major religions are monotheistic, a term derived from the Greek words monos, meaning "only," and theos, meaning "G.o.d." Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic because people affiliated with these faiths believe that there's only one G.o.d. Christianity divides G.o.d into three aspects: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; however, it emphasizes that these are all aspects of the one single Creator. In the same way, the angels, archangels, and ascended masters are one with G.o.d and fit into a monotheistic system.

Monotheism is in contrast to: * Agnosticism: The lack of certainty about G.o.d, G.o.ds, spirituality, or religion. Someone who practices this is unsure or uncertain about G.o.d.

* Atheism: Denying the existence of G.o.d or spirituality.

* Deism: The belief and certainty in natural religion, emphasizing morality.

* Henotheism: The wors.h.i.+p of just one G.o.d, while acknowledging that other G.o.ds exist (or at least, being open to the possibility).

* Pantheism: The belief that everything is G.o.d, and that G.o.d is in everything and everyone.

* Polytheism: The belief in, and wors.h.i.+p of, many G.o.ds, instead of a single Creator.

A Treasure Chest of History While conducting research for this book, I consulted dozens of books; encyclopedias about saints, G.o.ds, G.o.ddesses, divinities, and archangels; and experts in the field. I also reviewed pages and pages of channeled information, using my background as a psychic psychotherapist to access helpful and authentic material about ascended masters.

Some of the New Age material I came across seemed authentic, but was so filled with esoteric lingo that I felt that it would seem unfathomable to those not familiar with such terms. For instance, who but a seasoned New Ager would know what a "Chohan of the Sixth Ray" is? Yes, this was typical of the material I found during my research of New Age ascended masters.

I wanted to create a book filled with down-to-earth explanations of the who, what, and where of each ascended master. I also wanted to provide a simple way for people to discern which divinity to call upon for specific issues. For example, I wanted to explain whom to call upon for healing, for help with abundance issues, and for relations.h.i.+p and family matters.

It seemed simple enough, but the task was daunting, as there are thousands of deities. This undertaking was complicated by my desire to also research ascended masters popularized by Madame Blavatsky, cofounder of the Theosophical Society, and her successors, Alice Bailey and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Blavatsky began channeling beings whom she called "Brothers and Mahatmas" in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Blavatsky made names such as Kathumi, Serapis Bey, El Morya, and Saint-Germain famous in New Age circles.

During her stage shows, Blavatsky would "call up" disembodied voices and ghostly male figures who materialized handwritten messages. The critics of her day charged that the letters were in Blavatsky's and her staff members' handwriting and that she paid people to appear onstage in the guise of ascended masters.

In 1915, Alice Bailey, the daughter of a wealthy British aristocratic family, met Blavatsky and immersed herself in Theosophy. Alice began receiving channeled messages from Kathumi, and also a Tibetan Master named Djwhal Khul. She published 24 books stemming from these channeled messages, which are filled with profound, extremely advanced spiritual concepts.

From the 1950s to the present day, Elizabeth Clare Prophet and her late husband, Mark, repopularized interest in these beings, and added a few of their own.

Blavatsky, Bailey, and Elizabeth Clare Prophet all used exotic-sounding language such as: "The threefold flame of life," and "Elohim of the third ray," which isn't clearly defined. However, my background in psychology, philosophy, and channeling taught me to keep an open mind. I'd heard about Kathumi, El Morya, and Master Hillarion for years, and I'd listened to Elizabeth Clare Prophet's taped lectures. I'd even had my own profound experiences with Serapis Bey and Saint-Germain.

But I wondered, Who were these figures, really? Being a consummate researcher, I wasn't satisfied to rely solely upon the channelings of others. I wanted to know more about these masters' historical backgrounds myself, and hear about other people's experiences with them.

While researching the "new" ascended masters, I came across thousands of references from different sources-many of whom quoted Blavatsky's, Bailey's, and Elizabeth Clare Prophet's channeled words verbatim. In other words, there weren't many other sources of information about the masters. I did learn, though, that several of the ascended masters' current personas were apparently based on real people who had actually lived, and that their names were pseudonymous to protect the real person's ident.i.ty. In addition, Blavatsky, Bailey, and Prophet contended that the ascended masters often had past lives as famous personas such as Pythagorus, Christopher Columbus, and Saint Francis.

I continued to look into these new ascended masters, but in some cases, I hit a brick wall. It seems that there is little information known about the history of some of the New Age ascended masters-other than what Blavatsky, Bailey, and Prophet have written about them.

However, I knew from experience that channeling is multidimensional, and even a person who is channeling her own ego may also pick up authentic and ultimately helpful material. So I tried contacting the beings myself. I figured that if they answered, there might be some cause for further investigation, which perhaps a researcher even more tenacious than myself might be willing to tackle.

So, when I contacted some of the New Age deities and was greeted with profoundly loving experiences and amazing information, I was pleasantly surprised. I've included the various "new" or New Age ascended masters primarily as a reference tool to know who's who in the spirit world. In cases where their origins are dubious, I've noted so within the pages of this book.

The New Age ascended masters aren't so different from the "Old-Age" divinities, however. Many ancient deities were based on legend and tradition rather than living humans. The Greeks and Romans, for instance, never stated that their G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses were actual people who crossed over. To them, these deities started out in the spirit world and remained there.

As I contacted each Old Age and New Age deity, I was struck by the completeness and distinctiveness of each being's personality and energy. Talking with each one was akin to having unique conversations with a wide variety of powerful men and women.

Often, I'd forestall doing the research on a deity until after I'd first contacted him or her. I was amazed by how closely my personal experiences matched the written descriptions of that deity's unique traits and characteristics. For instance, when I contacted Artemis, a powerful pixielike woman appeared to me. I later saw paintings of her that perfectly matched the way I saw her.

I was also struck by how similar the birth stories of the male deities were. Repeatedly, I read tales telling of a patriarchal figure who would issue sweeping orders to execute all the male babies in his kingdom because he was threatened by potential compet.i.tion. The mother of the infant would hide her son, and the child would grow up in powerful circ.u.mstances that encouraged his spiritual knowledge and encouraged him to become a great hero.

I also read many accounts of a male deity being born to a rich or royal family, and then denying his heritage in favor of spiritual teaching and leaders.h.i.+p. I started to realize that these stories were archetypal legends that may or may not be based upon historical fact.

Perhaps these stories-and even the deities themselves-provide a way to teach people about some aspect of G.o.d, such as the potential for His healing ability to be encased within the persona of a healing G.o.d. Or, maybe if we focus our prayers and thoughts on a concept over time-such as a G.o.ddess or G.o.d-the collective thought-forms gel into a living spiritual organism that behaves in the way we've come to expect. All of our human thought power is encapsulated into this deity, and comes back to us like princ.i.p.al and interest in a spiritual bank account. It's possible that we humans tap in to divinities that already exist. Or it's possible that our collective beliefs and legends "create" these beings, who then come to have a real life force of their own.

Surrounded by Love My job with this book was clear: I was to select a few ascended masters, get to know them personally, do research on each one, channel messages from them, and then write down my experiences and recommendations. You hold the result in your hands. I apologize if I've left out your favorite ascended master. I needed to keep my list somewhat concise so as to not overwhelm you, the reader, with a mult.i.tude of deities. Through prayer and hard work, my intent was to create a book covering a wide range of divinities that would offer something for everyone.

While researching and writing this book, I had the wonderful opportunity to "hang out" with these amazingly wonderful, loving, and powerful divinities. I would often work late into the night after teaching a workshop all day long. So, my last thoughts before hitting the pillow would be about the G.o.ddess or bodhisattva I'd just finished writing about. During the night, I'd feel that I was surrounded by loving energy, as I would often be contacted by the divinities. I'd awaken feeling refreshed, utterly filled with Divine love!

Most of the channelings recorded in this book occurred outdoors, in fantastic natural settings. I was fortunate enough to spend time leaning against the magical rocks of Stonehenge and Avesbury in England; gazing at the mystical Irish Sea; climbing up the craggy volcanic coast of Kona, Hawaii; walking across the verdant hills of New Zealand; and stepping among the towering boulders of Joshua Tree, California, while channeling these messages.

One remarkable experience occurred during the channelings. I'd discovered that each ascended master delivered completely unique messages to me, and that each one had a distinct personality and style. Yet I was amazed that two ascended masters, Maitreya and Hotei, gave me virtually the same message word for word-both talked about the importance of joy and laughter. I'd channeled them several days apart, yet their messages seemed to be a continuation of the other, so I asked them to tell me what was going on.

A few hours later, I found myself in a shop that carried Buddhist materials. The first book that I selected opened almost automatically to a page about Hotei. Imagine my amazement when the material explained that Maitreya and Hotei were the same beings! I continued my investigation and found that this was correct. No wonder they'd told me the same thing!

As a result of writing this book, I've discovered some ascended masters whom I didn't realize I was already working with. I've also consciously developed close relations.h.i.+ps with some deities who are new to me. As you read along, you'll see that these relations.h.i.+ps have been joyful and miraculous. My prayer is that you'll experience these beings as the loving friends that they are, and enjoy the powerful a.s.sistance that they offer us.

Within these pages, I also describe the ascended masters whom I consider to be highly trustworthy. These beings work closely with the Creator, our guardian angels, and all lightworkers on Earth to steer us in the direction of peace. They donate their afterlife time toward this cause, when they could be relaxing in the spirit world instead.

The divinities can also a.s.sist us with situations that may come up in the future, inspired by Earth and societal changes. They can help us avert "natural disasters," avoid or contain wars, ensure adequate food and water supplies, and heal our bodies. No matter what happens, the archangels and ascended masters will be with us. No one can take them away from us! And that's one more reason why it's wise for lightworkers to become familiar with the various divinities, and to be aware of the special gifts they offer. In the future, these Divinities will prove to be valuable allies (just as they are in the present).

The Newer Masters There are some very powerful beings who have recently departed their physical bodies who are helping planet Earth from their home in the spirit world. A few of them are well known, while many are obscure personalities whose names you wouldn't recognize. I've come into contact with many of these "New Masters" during my readings, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Walt Disney, John Denver, and Mother Teresa.

However, I didn't include them in the body of this book because they're more along the lines of "famous spirit guides," rather than seasoned ascended masters. We can definitely call upon these great beings for help, and they will also offer a.s.sistance without our conscious realization. Several decades from now, these beings will likely move to the higher frequencies of their ascended a.s.sociates.

When I was sitting next to the stones of Stonehenge, for example, the late Princess Diana began speaking to me while I was recording messages from Celtic deities. I didn't invoke her or call upon her; she came to me on her own. She mentioned right up front that she knows she wasn't considered the greatest mother, but said that her children were always of the greatest concern to her.

She then clearly said to me, "Now the world's children are foremost on my mind. The children of the world are at a crossroads and in great need of leaders.h.i.+p. I'm concerned for their welfare, as are you and a great many others. There is a schism with their underlying ma.s.s, as they reach for attainment of their way. The bubbling undercurrent of dissatisfaction among them is bursting into violent rage.

"Just as my death was considered quite violent, so do I also see many outbursts by youth on the horizon that will shock us all . . . unless intervention can be reached.

"A gra.s.sroots campaign by mothers is the only solution that will lead us out of this ditch that has been created, a ditch buried with children, their parents, and their educators. This ditch is sinking deeper by the minute, and there is no time to waste.

"Many of us here have formed a committee to oversee adult volunteers who want to do something about it. Ask me to give you an a.s.signment if you're hard-pressed to know what's expected of you in this campaign."

It's interesting that people whom I meet in North America readily see Princess Di as a benevolent spiritual helper, but the idea isn't so acceptable in Great Britain, where she was often vilified when she was alive. Regardless, I found her message quite compelling, which is why I included it here.

Ask from Love The divinities described in this book are quite real. If you're new to working with spirit guides, or you're skeptical about their existence, you'll soon find that just reading this book is an invocation to the great divinities by your side. They will all come rapidly to whoever calls, without exception.

I had many powerful experiences with the divinities while writing this book. For instance, I still had about half of the deities to record invocations for after I'd finished the bulk of the book, so over a period of two days, I wrote invocations nonstop. I finished writing them the morning before a flight from Chicago's O'Hare airport into Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport-two very large, crowded places.

All that day, my husband and I kept marveling at how smoothly everything was going. For instance, the airport personnel were exceptionally nice, I had one of the best vegan meals I'd ever had on a plane, we were upgraded to a wonderful hotel room in Phoenix, and doors kept opening for us throughout the balance of the day. Steven and I noticed that we each felt wonderful, both physically and emotionally.

"What a great day this is," we kept saying to each other. "Everything's going so well!" Then we realized why: I'd invoked so many deities prior to the flight that we were being helped and guided by Heaven's cream of the crop!

Some advice I'd like to impart to you is this: Be sure to only ask the deities to help you with tasks a.s.sociated with Divine love. If you ask them to fulfill a request involving revenge or acrimony, the negative energy will bounce back to you magnified. If you're in a situation where you're angry with someone, it's best to ask the divinities to create a peaceful solution instead of extracting a pound of flesh from the other person. After all, your true goal is always peace, and the ascended masters are very happy to manifest this for you. In fact, ascended masters help anyone who asks-regardless of that person's spiritual, religious, or lifestyle background-because they're here to enact G.o.d's plan of worldwide peace, one person at a time. Please don't worry that you're wasting the deities' time by asking for so-called small favors. If those favors bring you peace, then it's these beings' sacred honor to help you.

Besides, they're not limited to just helping one person at a time. The ascended masters can help an infinite number of people simultaneously, while having a uniquely personal experience with each individual.

The Format and Layout of This Book This is not an all-inclusive book about deities by any means. Instead, as I mentioned earlier, I've limited my selection of ascended masters to those I've had positive experiences with. I've also whittled down the background material concerning these beings. This book doesn't tackle the entire mythological history of, for instance, the sun G.o.d Apollo. Instead, it offers enough information so that you can understand how Apollo and the other deities can become part of your spiritual team. Should you desire more background information on a particular ascended master, you can consult one of the exhaustive encyclopedias available on the subject-several of which are listed in the Bibliography.

In Part I, you'll find the most commonly used name of the divinity, alternate names, and his or her country, religion, or affiliation of origin. Then, you'll read a brief history and background about the being, followed by a current story or channeling (I've put the deities' words in italics to make them stand out from the rest of the text). Next, there's a list called "Helps with," outlining the specific life areas that the divinity offers a.s.sistance with.

After that, I've presented an invocation that will help you contact that particular deity. The invocations provided in this book are suggestions, not hard-and-fast rules. In fact, I like to think of them as "invitations" rather than "invocations." If you're new to working with invocations, then this book will give you a great starting point. However, in much the same way that you add your own variations to recipes while cooking, you're encouraged to use your own wording to invoke the deities. After all, the specific words that you use don't matter to the ascended masters. It's the fact that you called upon them, and that you've opened your heart in an effort to receive spiritual help.

Part II lists prayers you can use when working with multiple divinities, applicable to specific problems or situations. Just as with the invocations in Part I, these prayers are merely templates and not rigid directives. Use the words that come into your heart and mind as your guide. Then you can't go wrong when calling upon divinities. They're loving and entirely forgiving, so don't worry that eloquence is required to elicit their help!

In Part III, you'll find desired goals and life areas of all types, such as "Increasing Faith" or "Finding Soulmate Relations.h.i.+ps." Beneath each heading are all the ascended masters and archangels who specialize in that particular area. This is a list that I've always wanted to use in my own life, and it's one of the reasons why I was guided to write this book. You'll find that it's a handy reference guide to keep nearby so you'll know whom to consult during times of need.

Part IV lists various reference materials that you may find useful, such as a Glossary of Terms, and a Bibliography for further information.

This book can also function as an oracle device. Just ask any question and allow the pages to fall open. Whatever page it opens to is the one that can provide an answer to your question.

My prayer is that this work will serve as an introduction to the Divine beings who will become your close, loving companions. May this be the beginning of many beautiful relations.h.i.+ps with the archangels and ascended masters!

PART I.

The Archangels.

Ascended Masters.

Abundantia.

(Roman; Teutonic).

Also known as Abundia, Habone, Fulla.

A beautiful G.o.ddess of success, prosperity, abundance, and good fortune, Abundantia is also considered to be a protector of savings, investments, and wealth. Her image graced Roman coins in centuries past.

In Roman mythology, Abundantia brought money and grain to people while they were sleeping, shaking her gifts from the cornucopia she continuously carried.

In Norse mythology, she was called Fulla, the first and favorite attendant of Frigg (the Norse G.o.ddess of the atmosphere and clouds). Fulla carried Frigg's valuables for her, and also acted as her intermediary, performing favors for mortals who called upon the G.o.ddess for help.

Every time I see Abundantia, gold coins magically spill from her, from no particular container. The coins just seem to pour out of her, and even trail behind her, accompanied by a musical jangling sound similar to belly dancers who jingle their coin-laden outfits.

She's a vision of great beauty and angelic purity, very patient and extremely loving. "I'm a way-shower to the mighty Source of all," she says. "It's my greatest pleasure to reward your efforts, and I become ecstatic at the sound of grat.i.tude and joy when someone is rescued through my interventions. I'm here to serve, to help you plan for uninterrupted financial bliss, and to uncover hidden treasures that you do not yet know of."

Abundantia is like a gracious hostess, constantly asking if you need anything, and then lovingly fulfilling your every wish. She says, "I also easily come into your dreams to answer any questions you may have about high finance, investments, and such. Never forget that finances can fuel healing projects and afford you freedom where time is concerned. But money can also be a trap if you allow worry and concern to rule over you. That's where I come in: to alleviate these lower thoughts and take you to the high road of prosperity."

Helps with: Abundance, attracting all kinds of Financial investments, guidance about and protection of Good fortune Valuables, protecting INVOCATION.