Let us reach out to the All that is, Universal Consciousness, and the God of your/our understanding. We invite the highest energy to join us here today in this virtual space. Give us the love and compassion we all so much need to help us through the day-to-day worries. Wash us free of those things we need to let go of and help us find answers to the questions that hold us back.
May we feel our loved ones on the other side as we send them love today. May we have good memories return, and put a smile on our faces.
We permit the angels, guides, and helpers to hear our thoughts of charity and blessings that we send out to the world. Help us heal ourselves and heal others who are in need.
Stand in this light and love, and hold it in our hearts throughout the year to come.
And so, it is.
Living in the World of Imagination
I have heard many times someone say, “As a child, I lived in a world of my imagination.” I was one of those children, but during my childhood, which mostly happened in the 70s, I had so many new tools to fuel that imagination. Many TV shows, like ‘In Search Of’. Movies such as Star Wars, Comic books, and great books. Oh boy, the books… Watership Down, so many Stephan King novels, Shogun, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Mary Stewart books, Victoria Holt books, Roald Dahl books, The Far Pavillion, Seth Speaks, the peak of Harlequin Romance novels, and The Secret World of Og. These are just a few that I remember capturing my attention and taking me to places with people I didn’t have in my day-to-day life.
I was the youngest, only daughter, and also the only child of my parents. Both brought sons into the marriage. So, my half-brothers were a lot older than I was. The oldest is 19 years older than me, and the closest to my age is 5 years older. So, from my birth up till my mid-teens, I spent a lot of time alone, and with parents who did not pay much attention to me or my whereabouts.
I was a free-range child.
I often did things that were beyond my developmental stage just because no one said no. And I had a great time with imaginary friends. Three of which I called “Peter, Paul, and Mary,” most likely named after the musicians and their song Puff the Magic Dragon. These three were my guardians and sounding board till I was nine. As an adult, I see them as my first experience in mediumship. My memories are of them being 100% real, and they were not children but adults. I remember how they rushed to my side when I was alone and injured. And this happened often in the woods by our house.
I look back at how I spent so much time alone, right up into my third grade. It was careless, but it also shaped who I am today. I had a vivid imagination and was a child who easily entertained herself. At the age of nine, Peter, Paul, and Mary came to me in the little area between our house and the IGA next door and held a meeting. Sitting with me, they said, “It is time for you to have real friends, friends your own age, so that you won’t see us anymore.” I don’t remember being upset or crying; I just remember feeling slightly excited and knowing this meant I would have kids my own age come into my life. Then the house across the street sold, and I met my first best friend. After that, I slowly developed social skills and made more friends at school. By nine, I was more grounded and less in my head, but even today, at my age, I still feed my imagination.
As a spiritualist and medium, I talk to people about the importance of imagination. Sometimes, an extraordinary experience is explained as imagination, or because the younger generation of the family is spending too much time engaged in imagination. How does imagination play a part in our lives?
My guide, Aza, says very clearly, “Imagination is the foundation for all of our extrasensory perceptions”. If our hearts and minds can imagine possibilities and see outside of the box, we can create rich lives. How many famous historical people dreamed at night and then went on to improve humanity? Here is one I find very intriguing:
Srinivasa Ramanujan said that, throughout his life, he repeatedly dreamed of a Hindu goddess known as Namakkal. She presented him with complex mathematical formulas over and over, which he could then test and verify upon waking. Once, such an example was the infinite series for Pi.
If Srinivasa had not allowed his imagination to explore, then he would not have been the man who discovered infinity.
We have some very good examples of this in Spirituality. One of them is Emma Hardinge Britten and the Seven Principles of Spiritualism. A spirit called Robert Owen helped Emma create the Seven Principles, and this church has adapted a more modern version as a guide. Several of our Seven Principles emphasize the importance of engaging the imagination, like 1) The presence of a Universal Force. The imaginative play we did as children gave us the tools to sense this presence.
In general, we have many opportunities to cultivate imagination through everyday things, discussions with friends and family, and the younger generations. What can be more heart-pleasing than introducing a granddaughter or nephew to a favorite imaginary tale in a book or movie? Or to encourage play in our own lives.
I often think of my childhood and those moments with a spiritual aspect that came to me in what others call ‘my imagination’. Sometimes saving me, sometimes teaching me, and always letting me know I am not alone, even when I was physically alone.
I wonder what would happen if we put the leaders of our countries in a cabin in the woods and said, “Use your imagination to get back home.” Could they do it? Would it change things…
Here is Peter, Paul, and Mary, the musicians singing Puff the Magic Dragon. Maybe you have young people in your life who have not yet heard this song.
Rev. Lea Walters
West Coast Spiritual Evolution~Rev. Lea Walters 