Diary of a Psychic Healer

Last year I found a book called  TARA: the Liberating Power of the Female Buddha, by Dr Rachael Wooten.   The author is a depth psychologist and Tara devotee. It had been on my desk for months. Whenever I'd walk by I'd think to myself, I need to sit down and meditate. Green Tara has such a cool vibe but her energy felt distant somehow. I finally started reading it again this week after meeting up with a friend. She had been connecting with Tara too 😅 Tara is a powerful female Buddha - known as Wisdom Moon in her early incarnations. Wisdom Moon is said to have taken on the challenge of becoming enlightened. At the time, the common belief was that only men could become enlightened (haha). What it means to be enlightened is a separate topic, but if it includes clarity, compassion and having a bigger picture view of life - there is no reason why men and women couldn't both become enlightened.  The name Tara translates as Star. The idea is that the goddess Tara conn...

I’m enrolled in an online class at Columbia University called The Indian & Tibetan River of Buddhism . Signed up when quarantine began and I am glad I did.  The class is taught by Dr Robert Thurman - one of the founders of Tibet House in NYC. We are only on the second week, but I wanted to share it now as you can still  sign up .  We’ve covered the history of Buddhism: what society, culture and government were like 2600 years ago and why the Buddha's approach to happiness, compassion and freedom was appealing to so many people, especially freedom from the hierarchy of the caste systems. It also feels like a  lot of the concepts are still relevant today, for example, the study of the nature of reality and how we can find happiness.   The class looks at the concepts of Dharma (as far as I can tell, a search for truth), the Eightfold Path and how these lay the groundwork for enlightenment through meditation. To become enlightened is to have y...

One of the things that I’ve toyed with is going vegetarian to reduce my environmental footprint, but rational arguments aren't always strong enough for us to give up something we love. And my favourite foods are veggies, salads, steaks and cheeseburgers. The compassion plea might be stronger.  If we think about how animals are kept in factories, it is worth it to choose free-range beef and chicken. Let's say the animal had a humane life and we believe in the food chain (animals eat each other in the wild); there is nothing morally wrong with eating animals. Moderation is healthy too.  Then three months ago I went on a heart healing workshop where we connected with our Higher Selves and with teacher guides such as Buddha or Quan Yin. It sounds like science fiction, but we can all learn to receive their messages and guidance if we meditate with this in mind. Beyond a certain level, the messages that come through are meant to help us ...

Hello Chickpeas,  T his week’s post is based on a book that I am currently reading: The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying , by Sogyal Rinpoche. It is a fantastic read and not the least bit depressing, despite the fact that it is meant to prepare us for the unknown. The chapter I am on now looks at dream states and how the phases we go through while we sleep are similar to the soul's journey when we cross over. In the Buddhist worldview, the transitional period that comes in the moments after we die (referred to as a bardo ) presents a unique chance to pierce the illusions of the mind and become enlightened. Unfortunately, it will also be a new experience for most of us. Even if you believe in reincarnation, very few remember going through that experience. I know I have no recollecting of being born, or of dying. So how would we prepare for such an event? And how can we be sure that our state of mind will be "with it" enough that we will be con...