An Attitude of Gratitude by, Shawn M. Cohen

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. If the mountain crumbled to the sea, it would still be you and me. 

Led Zeppelin wrote those words 4 decades ago now. And the title of this song is, Thank You.  It speaks of a great love and that one is grateful for it. Both my great loves in my own life were born in February, both are passed on, so this song is dedicated to them. However, it is a great song for being grateful for being loved in any way. I believe it speaks of eternal love and that means all of us as we are all eternal beings. So here is my take on being grateful and saying Thank You! 

Since I have been busy and not able to write my usual monthly entry last month, here are some thoughts on why being "grateful" or "an attitude of gratitude" can heal so much in not only a spiritual seeker's life but in any life. 

Valentine's Day with all its furore is usually a day of expressing love and thanks to our partners or people we love. That is a lovely idea and it works for those who have someone to express love to. But what if we sat down and made a list of all the really painful experiences we had in our lives and expressed gratitude for them? What do you think would happen if you did this? Why would you do it? 

Well, let me demonstrate, as in my own painful life experiences here: 

Thank you to my Father, for being so hard on our family, for telling me I was not worth much to you because I was not a son. Thank you for telling me I was not intelligent enough for you to want to pay for my college education, even though you had the money because girls just grow up to "get married". Thank you for teaching me women were inferior and only good for cooking, cleaning, looking "pretty" for men and being subservient. You taught me so much in these lessons of pain, exclusion, humiliation, suffering and abandonment. You taught me to be STRONG though you did not realize this at the time. You taught me COMPASSION for all the women and females in the world who, like me, were told they were not worth much. I CHAMPION their causes and work to heal these patriarchal issues which have harmed their self worth and value.And I work with men too who have also been victimized by them.  I chose to become a HEALER from the pain you inflicted, perhaps through ignorance or ancestral inheritance or your own need to control. When you left my mother for another woman and abandoned us, leaving her with not a dime, I went to work in a Jazz night club as a waitress, which I did not want to do but felt forced to do. Not only did I learn a trade to make money,(and eventually used this to pay MY OWN WAY through the many colleges and universities I eventually went to) but also helped my mother who was devastated and helped her to find her worth, thanks to you. Even with the weight of the world on my back and at the tender young age of 19 going on 20, I also met my SOUL MATE there at the very job I would not have chosen to do! If you had not left, that would have never happened. (See my other blog; and The Pittsburgh Phantom and Me which tells this story in much detail and beautiful music. Here is the link: http://pittsburghphantomandme.blogspot.co.uk ).   

Thank you my Father,  for making fun of my psychic abilities and telling people I was "crazy". Being born with a caul* and told from my birth that I would be "psychic" must have been quite a threat to your own lack of understanding your own intuition and your own inner female side, where all feelings and tenderness and intuition comes from.  Needless to say, my journey to how I became a professional Psychic and Medium had many ups and downs and many people, both friends, family and others who did question my "sanity" BUT this made me work harder, seek MORE information, training, education, years of inner development and looking within, and I read tons of books on so many subjects, studied with so many, and finally to become the very expert in my field. THAT was fueled by my soul's need as well as your fears about my gifts. That I am a strong, self reliant, a Psychic, Medium and a obtained a degree in Metaphysics, which I have used to helped thousands of people in so many parts of this world find peace, healing, light and understanding has made this all worthwhile. To have so much inner awareness to life, the Higher Realms and as a consistent SEEKER of TRUTH is MY choice, but it is clear the adversary role plays its part.

 Thank you to my Father, for taking on this "role" in my life. It made me face all the pitfalls of the path. It showed me what I could handle and what I needed to learn to face, be braver and stronger and more resilient and to know eventually that PAIN can become the greatest SOURCE for ENLIGHTENMENT as well as LOVE.  In so many ways, my Father showed me the very way to grow. He was not conscious of this but his fear, insecurities, lack of compassion and even his upbringing were responsible in part to his issues. He passed away in March, 1998 but we came to some understanding right before he died with him finally accepting and even acknowledging my path.  On a Higher Plane and in Spirit, he would have chosen to be the "bad guy" in my life as a soul contract. Soul Contracts are made between the lives,  in Heaven or the  Astral Plane, where all souls reside and all are in agreement or we do not "play". Knowing this is key to understanding why life is how it is and who is in it and why and for what purpose. There are many good books on "Soul Contracts" but I always recommend Robert Schwartz' book, "Your Soul's Plan" which can be found on Amazon or here: http://www.yoursoulsplan.com

See what I mean? No one is exempt from pain. But instead of letting pain overwhelm you, break you, cripple you, understand it on a deeper level, one should investigate it, analyse it, figure out why it is there. Pain is a path to enlightenment and it is explained well here: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9928/yes-the-path-to-enlightenment-is-painful.html  

All children love their parents. No matter what. It is a conscious choice which parents we have, even if we are adopted. All souls chose their path and in the end we can see this when we pass over. The life review each soul has shows us without a doubt, that we chose those experiences because they would in some way, allow us to become who we wanted to become, to mature, develop, evolve, share our gifts, learn and help others. Yes, be grateful for the pain. Be grateful for the love. Be grateful for all the "successes" and all the "failures" too because without them, there is no need to seek and if one does not seek, one stays small, stagnant, ignorant and life is meaningless. Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage and we are mere actors playing our parts." How right he was! 

I am so grateful for the broken path, the ups and downs, the ins and outs and all the shifts of consciousness which came with them all. If not for them, who would I be today and where would I be? If I did not rise above with sheer determination and rage against the very obstacles put in my way, I would not have the life lessons I have learned. The deeper meaning of my own life would have been obscured and my own validation for being here on Earth at this time would have eluded me. How hard it has been to come here but how happy I am for it all! Time tells the tale of our lives and eventually we see the entire plot to our play, the reason for being, the love behind it all, even with the so called bad experiences we had. 

Life is meant for our growth and for developing into a Conscious Being. It has no more points to gain, no more races to win, no more competing or judging or wallowing in self pity! It is a consciousness game of evolution. Understanding this makes the journey worthwhile, for it gifts us with dignity, purpose and deep meaning. It heals the wounds of the past and past lives and allows our soul to soar with growth. This conflict of light and dark is what this whole world is based on. Without the dark would we seek the light? Without the pain would we even bother to grow? It is clear we need both to become whole, aware and know the Self. 

 How are you seeing your own life, the "good" and the "bad"? Will you see it  now with gratitude so that you can say to yourself and all you have ever known, all the experiences you have ever had, "Thank You"? It is my wish and hope that you will.  

 Thank You for reading my blog. Comments are always welcome and please share your own experiences too. 

* The caul is a baby born within the casing of the amniotic fluid and membrane intact, so this did not break before birth. The Old Wive's Tales are that if a baby is born this way, they will be psychic. My Irish grandmother who was not at my birth in Pittsburgh, Pa. but in New York City, was called as soon as I was born by my Father. My Mother saw I was born in the sac and was frightened and asked the doctor, what's wrong? He opened it to allow me to breath in air and said to my mother, "nothing, she is a healthy baby girl". My Father was talking to my Irish Grandmother on the phone from the hospital, assuring my Mother's Mother, saying that my mother had me. My Irish Grandmother was also psychic and said to my Father, "I know, I heard a baby crying, so I knew she has been born." (meaning she psychically picked up on my birth, clairaudiently hearing a baby cry.) My Father explained I was born with the sac still intact and my Grandmother said, "Oh she too will be psychic!" I was named after her, Margaret, my middle name.  So from the moment I was born, my life's story was not only foretold but the caul intact declared my gifts!  It has also been used by sailors and much sought after because it was said to keep one would prevent the sailor from drowning. Even Charles Dickens wrote about it in his book, "David Copperfield" and has been cited in much literature and poems.  Were you or your child born with a caul? See this website for more info on it and what it means here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caul  and also here: http://voices.yahoo.com/why-some-babies-born-caul-133065.html?cat=72  and others tell their stories of being born with a caul: http://caulbaby.com/your_stories.html

Shawn M. Cohen (c) Feb. 21, 2014 London, UK.  

Fair usage act for Led Zeppelin video, and the song THANK YOU. No copyright infringement intended. 

My website: http://www.tarotbyshawncohen.weebly.com

ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be a guest on Blog Talk Radio, March 13th*, 2014 talking about my Metaphysical life, Psychic work and Mediumship and taking some of your calls for Readings by me,   so please join me at New Pathway to Healing with host Petey Silveira. Petey has a long list of wonderful and interesting guests on her show and I feel very grateful (Thank You, Petey!) and happy to be asked to be her guest for the entire hour,  so please tune in and call in! The link is here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/peteysilveira/2014/03/13/new-pathway-to-healing-an-interview-with-shawn-m-cohen  

(*March 13th (1998) was the date my Father was buried. Ironic and yet, what an amazing synchronicity. One wonders "who" chose this date! Thanks, Dad! lol )

New Horizons

Welcome back to Shelter From The Storm, a Metaphysical blog which offer to serve the Seeker on the Path, as well as examines the various ways to seek. I asked last time, do you bother? If yes is your answer and the great desire to "KNOW" is there it may well be a reaction to something painful, an event of some sort or injury, illness, grief or anything which makes you wonder. The myriad of complexities that must arise to confuse, stimulate, incur pain and even grief make rich soil for the Seeker to finally declare, "I must find out WHY?" Therefore seeking answers becomes the quest, the reason for, the objective carrot dangling in the wind; somewhere, somehow, the mystery offering an opportunity. Who so ever quests to retrieve  (that dangling carrot, that answer to their conundrum, the reason why they went through so much pain..etc.) may well be rewarded with an answer. Each quest is different as each answer is to the inner workings of the individual Self. Our journey therefore is always personal even if it is a Universal experience. Many have walked this path before but each has a different reason.
Who dares to challenge the status quo? Who dares to speak the words of "I don't get it and I want to get it!" Who is brave enough to lay down the "normal" and seek the untold, the mysteries of humanity? Who else but The Seeker. He/She knows it will never be acceptable, the status quo will never satisfy, nor the usual answer. In their quest for Why, there comes a journey and that journey begins with New Horizons. They suspect it is outside the norm, but there is no road map for them, but what they seek is actually buried deep in the subconscious mind. Maybe our dreams will allow a few clues in, so we ask within.  Eventually, a Dream comes, amazingly, but it is vague. We look into the symbolism of it, we read a book on dreams and are rightfully told (though there are many Universal symbols), it is what it means to us. We think about it and can not figure it out. We decide it is not important and let it go. In letting it go, something magical happens. One day, as any other day, we get in our car, turn on the radio and on comes a song. Chills run down our spine as we feel compelled to listen and our ears perk up! In the words of the song, we find an answer. How it is possible? Who gave us this? How did that happen?
Psychoanalyst Dr. Carl Jung, coined the term "synchronicity" for this very reason.  He also had these so called "coincidences" occurring over and over again and more importantly, so did his patients. In an effort to understand them, he surmised that the "Collective Unconscious" allowed these clues into the person's path to give them a clue or to wake them up. This was the signal from the Universe or their own Higher Self that the person was, indeed, on the right Path. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity

Now the journey begins in earnest and this becomes one way to find the way forward, as dreams also provide a very personal way. Our heart awakens to these mysteries by asking even more of us: pain. Pain becomes the impetus for what we discover, for without it, there is no reason or point to seek more. What we know is that if we do not take up the Gauntlet to Seek the Meaning to it all, the pain, the path, the way and the why...we are left in the abyss or the material world with no inner compass to Guide us home. Where is home? It is within, of course, as any truth seeker will tell you. Meditation then becomes the next tool. But first we must get awakened to the need. So our dreams and the world around us are a constant reminder that there is more to know, more to seek, more meaning to be had. A life worth living is well examined. A life of being here with no inner awareness can be mindless, empty, superficial and meaningless. It is the richness of meaning we seek. Purpose comes next, so one asks, "What is my purpose?"  Each and every one of us have one. Do you know what yours is?
 Music, poetry, art, beauty, romance have also been ways to help us, inspire us, lead us to the salvation/inner knowing of the Self.  One of my own personal ways has been music, although I have used all of the tools already mentioned.

 I close this blog with a suggestion. The Progressive Rock band, The Moody Blues, have been going strong now for more than 4 decades but it was their early original works which started me, at the tender age of 14, on the Seeker's Path. I first heard their music and attended  a concert in 1970, in Pittsburgh, Pa., where I grew up. Listening to their music, with full orchestration, was so beautiful and then their mystical, profound lyrics was how I "heard the Word". The times were emotive and turbulent which also meant many were seeking, including the bands of the time.  The Moody Blue's song "New Horizon" is at the top of this entry. Each one of their albums has Metaphysical meaning and profound messages from journeying within. Their songs and lyrics seek to ask and answer many questions so I would encourage anyone to listen to them. The link to their current website is: http://moodybluestoday.com  If you seek wisdom within words, go listen to their music or see them on tour, as they are out there now touring through the USA and the UK. Do catch them, if you have a chance.

  How has music, art, poetry, a song or a dream inspired you to seek something more, given you meaning or allowed you to seek answers to the bigger questions? Please share your experiences. Till next week, be inspired!
Shawn M.Cohen
October 20, 2012
http://www.tarotbyshawncohen.weebly.com

Welcome to my New Metaphysical Blog

Welcome to a place of Sanctuary in a Sea of Confusion! At least, it is my intention to provide this here. I am a Metaphysician. I have been on the Path since I first started asking the question, "Why?" That was 4 decades ago, so I might have learned a thing or two by now. I would like to share some of what I have learned and open up space for others to share here. It is such a crazy world right now, I felt compelled to offer some sanity and solace and maybe some enlightenment. Can I? How do I know? Many clients come to me for just this kind of help. Working in the field of Metaphysics since 1983, I believe I can help. Hence forth my blog. Let's say it is a calling and I have answered it, yet again! Meta is the Greek word for "above" and Physical well, you know, the earth plane 5 senses reality. So we are going above the physical to the Metaphysical. 

What is a Metaphysical Blog?  It is my attempt to allow anyone who seeks to ask the big questions, share the answers and analyse how it all works. This Universe and how it all spins out, plays out and our place here in this life on Planet Earth. I will incorporate my observations, experiences with my own journey, some of the many clients, students and friends, teachers along the path I have met, helped, taught  and was educated by and with this comes Gnosis= Knowledge, Wisdom, Truth Revealed and so many wondrous things! The word Enlightenment...was does it mean? It is the question of the Ages. I hope to show some answers of what it is, how to "get there" and why we should bother. 

I remembered the times, so many times, I was thrown onto the path, yes, thrown! Seeking answers, looking everywhere, reading anything I could get my hands on which might explain, and all the while asking the questions no one I knew was asking. I had these incredible experiences which no one else I knew had. I was young, innocent, not aware of words like "Karma", "Consciousness", Past Lives" etc., etc. but these experiences kept coming and making me ask and seek the answers to.." Who am I really? Why am I here? What is my purpose? Why did this happen to me and what does it mean?" I was no more then 19 years old at the time.
Eventually and quite by chance (later learning there is nothing by "chance", ever!) I sought and found a school of Metaphysics, The American National Institute for Psychical Research and Development in Westlake, California in 1980 and spent 4 years learning the ways of the Mystic/ Metaphysician. In essence, it led to even more learning and discovery of which you could say I am still doing. Having graduated with a BSc. Metaphysics and trained in Nursing with an emphasis on Holistic Medicine in 1983, I was previously intent on becoming a Psychologist, so all my previous studies were in Psychology. I went to many institutes for Higher Learning before and after my degree. What I learned was this: Astrology, Tarot, Past Life Regression, Numerology, Symbology, Dream Analysis, Archetypes, Healing, Laying on of Hands, Energy Work, Chakra Balancing, Meta. 1 (beginning) and Meta. 2 (advanced), Kabbalah, Crystals and Gems and what they can do and how they Heal, Seeing and Analysing Auras, Seeing into the Soul,  Messages from the Great Beyond, Guides, Angels, Archangels, and Passed On Loved Ones and so much more! All of this came to me, as I sought the answers to "Why?" 

It is a very good question, don't you think? Why? So simple and yet so profound. I invite you to ask this question and see where it takes you. I also invite you to enjoy sharing your own path with me or, if you choose, jump on board the Path. What is the Path? It is the Path that leads within, that leads to your Heart, your Soul, your Higher Mind, your inner Self, your Divine Self. Therein lies all your truth, your own reasons for incarnating in this lifetime. Your purpose, your destiny and divinity  all the answers to your many selves...your Multi-Dimensional Self. There are many tools which help, of course, as I mentioned them above. All the "ologies" work very well and I would suggest using them or finding someone to help you who knows well how to use them for Guidance and Insight.
The time of Dec. 21st, 2012 is near. What does this really mean? It is my belief from all I have seen and studied that we are on a wave of enlightenment. Why not catch that wave? Learn this and be made aware or be out there in a Storm of confusion. 
I invite you to, "Come in", she, said," I'll give you Shelter from the Storm." words by Bob Dylan.
Here is Bob Dylan's beautiful song which really demonstrates the Seeker  (individual) who is out there in the storm,(life, ego raging, unconscious, trying to survive, unaware as to what to do or how, finds himself in constant trouble, dramas ensuing) ...he finds comfort in a single act of kindness from a woman with silver bangles and flowers in her hair (the Divine Feminine, The Mystic) who creates a place of safety and comfort for him. My silver bracelets still jangle but the flowers in my hair are long gone with my teens...but were there in the 1970's! The Inner work very much intact, the reasons all answered, so do come in and seek some Shelter from the Storm. Click on the video, look at the words, Dylan's masterpiece of poetry, mood and music created by a man who knows, lived it and enjoy! 

Your comments and experiences  are welcome!  
How has this journey of seeking the inner self and truth been for you? Do you even bother? Is there more then what we see with our 5 senses? Are you a Light Worker, Healer, Therapist, Seeker of Truth? What works for you?

 Peace, love, enlightenment,
 Shawn M. Cohen, London, U.K.      October 13, 2012
http://www.tarotbyshawncohen.weebly.com