soulful parenting

Indigo children and adults! Rainbow, crystal, starseed, diamond children! The evolution of DNA! The new children!

Is all of this really new? If one takes a look at ancient cultures such as the traditional native way of life in the Americas or the aborigine culture, it is clear that this is not a new thing, but rather an awakening to a way of life that is ancient to others.

The awakening has not been a smooth one! Ever since it began with the observation that many spiritual people had the color of indigo (the color of the third eye) in their auras, defining this way of life has been a challenge. This simple definition of being spiritually connected has morphed into a series of personality characteristics such as found in DSM, with only one or two relating to being spiritual. As people, in general, are difficult when they are able to see past the facades of others, indigo came to be synonymous with difficult children. As the awareness increases in regards to the natures of intuitive children, more and more explanations are being offered.

What are these observations about? It is simply that people are intuitive. What I would like people to consider is that the "new" children are not new at all, but rather, with the increasing acceptance of people's differences that began in the 1960's, parents are not asking their children to conform as much as in the past. Instead, they are accepting and nurturing their child to be the individual that s/he is.

This means that instead of teaching children to forget their spiritual roots, parents are allowing these connections to exist, even encouraging them. The children are responding! How can they do otherwise? Everyone has a soul, and being intuitive is simply a matter of being connected to our soul selves which, in turn, are connected to that which is in all things, or Spirit. It is the natural way to live.

Before the Europeans came and decimated the native spiritual way of life, the native people of the Americas walked this path for thousands of years. Communication with animals and plants, healing, thought to thought communication, and the understanding of the elements were simply a way of life. The men and women who were considered medicine men and women were those who were more connected than most and were selected at an early age to strengthen their connections

Academics certainly has its place in the world. However, research, scientific explanations and the English language in general are extremely lacking as tools to understand intuition. Whereas in the academic world, one must work and try; in the spirit world, one must relax and allow. With the academic world, proof is gathered through the five senses. With the intuitive approach, it is a KNOWING that is simply acquired. Dissection and analysis are the chief tools in the academic world. Being one with the subject is the way of the world of spirit. Neither is infallible! Data can be misconstrued or even manipulated. Spiritual impressions are subject to misinterpretations and are negatively influenced by doubt, worry and/or fear. In both worlds, the mind often chooses to recognize what it wants to recognize regardless of what is really there.

Intuition is woven into the fabric of our language with long standing phrases such as gut feeling, got a vibe, got a bad feeling about this, and the like. In poll after poll in America, 75% of the people questioned state they believe in the supernatural. Yet few are willing to say this aloud. even though it is a part of us all to whatever degree we allow. Life would much simpler if we just accepted our innate intuition and learned all the beauty and harmony it can bring us.

When Edgar Cayce was asked, while in a trance state, what was the best way to teach children about spirituality, he responded in Reading 5747-1 by saying,
"Then, as to the development of the mind of the child, develop its imaginative forces rather than the material or objective forces. Acquaint such a mind with the activities in nature, and train especially in the laws of recompense as is seen in nature day by day. Also in those activities that make for a clean body, a clean mind, and the same recompense as in nature should be required in the activities of the developing mind of the individual. A clean, healthy body makes for a better indwelling of a healthy, clean mind, so that the spirit may manifest the better."

Nowhere better than in nature may we show our children how living within the Universal Laws provides us with life's abundance. We can also show how when a seed falls in a place lacking the necessary balance, it will not flourish. These parallels between nature and our own lives about abundance and balance are endless.

Watching the rhythms in the natural cycles can lead to becoming aware of the cycles in one's own body. Watching the perseverance of a squirrel trying to get to its food can lead to talks about perseverance in one's life. Understanding the place each being has in the whole plan can help the child understand there is a master plan and that each of us is essential in maintaining that balance. Seeing what happens in a stream that is not kept clean is a startling reminder of what can happen in one's own body when it is not kept clean inside and out.

Through nature, you can help your child focus and learn to remain still. Birds are fascinating creatures to watch, but they fly away instantly when there are sudden movements or loud noises. I can remember spending much time with my son, and then my granddaughters, watching birds in the yard. We also would watch the butterflies taking long drinks from the flowers near our front door. We would set out sweets and watch the ants cart it all back to their homes. Each of these events requires the same focus, the same stillness as is required for meditation.

When exploring nature with your child, it does not matter if anyone knows the right names. You can make up your own as you begin your adventures! In one of the state parks where we often took the children hiking, there was a tree shaped like a flamingo's neck. Of course, each summer the experienced camper could not wait to tell the new children about our very own "flamingo tree." Yet it is also a good feeling to find a plant, animal, insect, or bird in a guidebook and learn its correct name.

Patterns are another wonderful aspect of nature. Not only are there the infinite patterns in the tree bark, shadows, and leaves, but also the patterns of the cycles. Nothing about the natural world is wasted in its patterns of growth, decomposition and renewal. And while the realities of the food chain are not always pleasant to encounter, it does provide a great tool to talk about the nature of intent. For in the food chain, the intent is to survive rather than to harm or to make sport of causing death.

With the intuitive child, nature can bring even more delights. Many of the children can see the fairy families as well as the other wee folk that live in the yard. They can easily sense, see, and/or feel the auras of the plants and trees and can learn to read the health of these beings as easily as they can the health of people. It is also a wonderful time to learn to communicate with the animals, insects and other life forms.
Children can find plants that heal by this kind of communication as well as plants that will provide nourishment. While it is always wise to confirm their impressions, they will eventually learn what friendly plants "feel" like and what the harmful ones "feel" like as well.

That some children do know how to use plants to help themselves without any instruction is illustrated by the following story. One summer, three-year-old Ella got upset about something no one understood. While in the car with her mother, she just started bawling. By the time she got to her grandmother's house, she was almost out of control; yet she still could not tell anyone what was wrong. Her family then tried many things to help her calm down, but to no avail. Her grandmother finally just opened the door and sent her out into the front yard. As she walked outside, Ella took a deep breath, walked over to a Cosmos and buried her face in the center of one of the flowers. She then took some of the petals and rubbed them all over her face. After standing there for a minute or two, Ella then returned to the house completely calm and refreshed.

Knowing how to communicate with the animals greatly enriches a child's experiences when outside or even in places like a zoo. Once, when our school visited the Bronx Zoo, I commented that I would like to have seen one of the animals at a closer range. Several minutes later, one of the boys ran up to me and said, "it took me all this time to convince it to come to see you, and it will be really mad if you do not come!" With that he took my arm and led me back to the animal, which was indeed waiting for me by the fence.

Nature can also teach children another perspective on time. In the natural world, beings eat when they are hungry, rest when tired, and play when so moved! Life is not regulated artificially by a clock, but rather by the inner clock that is present within each of us. The sense of timelessness prevails in the natural setting.

If we desire to teach our children an appreciation of life and its cycles and rhythms, then spending time outdoors is one of the best places to do so. It does not need to be in a wilderness setting. A square foot of ground will also suffice, for it also contains an ecosystem from which much can be learned and appreciated. Whether children possess intuitive abilities or not, they can each learn to become more at one with the cycle of life that keeps our planet thriving.

Bibliography
Brown, Tom, with Judy Brown. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children. The Berkley Publishing Group. New York, 1989

One of the two most important gifts you can offer your intuitive child is to listen. Listen without any comments like "how do you know that?" (none of us can really explain with words how we know) or "are you sure?" (to which your child may well think to herself, "well I was sure, but now I'm not!"). Listen with full attention and interest. Do not be embarrassed to ask questions that reflect genuine interest.

We are not surprised when we realize that in any given airspace there are hundreds of radio and tv shows in the air waiting to be "read" when someone tunes into the correct "frequency." This is what it is like when someone tunes into the spirit world. Like with the abilities to write, draw, design buildings, repair things, some of us are born with more talent than others. All of us can be taught to build upon what we have.

What is important for a parent to do is to give support. Find someone who can guide your child and give them the understanding and knowledge they need to walk with spirit. Many have told me that they had someone come in and clear the house for them. This is not giving your child knowledge and understanding. This is making you and your child dependent on someone else. Besides, why is it assumed that the spirit people visiting are unwanted?

Remember that fear is an anacronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. While the spirit world is very real and does contain energy that is not helpful for us, there is nothing to fear. Negative energy requires feeding, and its food is fear, worry and doubt. Its food is also mean spiritedness, bullying and oppression. The presence of these qualities will draw in energies and entities from the spirit world that resonate with them.

If the home is a place of love and compassion, there is no food for the negative energies and entities. In fact, they are downright uncomfortable in its presence! This is the second most important gift you can give your child. They must know that they are supremely loved (which does not include being liked and respected, but that is another thing!), not only by you but by Spirit. No ground is more solid than that of knowing we are loved.