Awareness

Secret Societies: Inside The Most Mysterious Groups

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2020

Secret societies have flourished throughout history and count Founding Fathers and royals among their ranks. By their very name, secret societies inspire curiosity and fascination. Thousands of these mysterious groups have been formed over time, and many have disappeared. Rich and poor, young and old, white and black people have joined mysterious, sometimes forbidden groups, and for what? In this article, we will shed light on the most mysterious groups and agendas behind them. Read on!

What Is a Secret Society?

A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed from non-members. Some of the societies may attempt to conceal its existence, others may not.

Alan Axelrod, the author of the International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders, defines a secret society as an organization that:

is exclusive;
claims to own special secrets;
shows a strong inclination to favor its members.

Richard B. Spence, historian of the University of Idaho similarly defined three-pronged characteristics:

The group’s existence is usually not kept secret, but some beliefs or practices are concealed from the public and require an oath of secrecy to learn.
The group promises superior status or knowledge to members.
The group’s membership is in some way restrictive, such as by race, sex, religious affiliation, or invitation only.

Richard B. Spence also proposes a sub-category of “Elite Secret Societies” which are composed of high-income or socially influential people.

David V. Barrett, author of Secret Societies: From the Ancient and Arcane to the Modern and Clandestine, has used alternative terms to define what qualifies a secret society. He defined a Secret Society as any group that possesses the following characteristics:

carefully graded and progressed teachings;
teachings are available only to selected individuals and lead to hidden truths;
truths bring personal benefits beyond the reach and even the understanding of the uninitiated.

Now let’s take a closer look at the 3 world’s most mysterious Secret Societies.

3 World’s Most Mysterious Secret Societies

#1: Freemasonry

The first thing you should know about this organization is that it is the main wellspring of clandestine societies. It’s been around longer, has had more members and developed more rituals, rites, secret handshakes, legends and myths than almost any other.

The Catholic Church wishes it didn’t exist. No organization has been condemned by the Catholic Church more than the Masonic Lodge. The Catholic Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on all Catholics who become Freemasons (or members of the Masonic Lodge). The 1983 CDF declaration states that Catholics “who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”

It’s a little-known fact that Adolf Hitler believed that the Freemasons were a tool of the Jews. In 1935, the German government dissolved all lodges and confiscated their assets. It is believed that the Nazis murdered between 80,000 and 200,000 Freemasons.

Many of the Founding Fathers (including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin) were Freemasons, as were many of other famous people, including 14 American Presidents, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, John Wayne, Richard Pryor, Wolfgang Mozart, Mark Twain, and Oscar Wilde.

There are three levels of membership:

entered apprentice;
fellow of the craft;
master mason.

To this day, a Freemason signature is the elaborate secret handshake, or “grip”.

Elements of the order’s visual iconography have become part of everyday life – like the “Eye of Providence” on the back of the dollar bill. Some say the layout of Washington, D.C., is a giant reference to Freemasonry, filled with pentagrams and other Masonic designs.

Over the years, there has been a decline in members. It is estimated there are between 2 and 6 million freemasons globally.

#2: The Illuminati

This mysterious group has been the subject of fearmongering and bizarre speculations more than any other secret organization, though is existed less than a decade.

The story starts with Johann Adam Weishaupt, a law professor at a university in Bavaria, where he was the only teacher who wasn’t a Jesuit priest. In fact, he was so fascinated by Enlightenment thinking that he rejected religion. He wanted instead to establish a secret society of people who had the same views, beliefs, and principles as him, and who might help him advance his ideas.

He couldn’t afford the membership in the Freemasons, so he decided to start his own organization, which he called the Perfectibilists.

Within two years, he had changed the name of the organization to the Illuminati and convinced four of his students to join him.

Weishaupt took a pseudonym Spartacus, and the others assumed names like Ajax, Agathon, and Tiberius.

His goal was to cultivate in his followers a deep belief in the Enlightenment principles of reason, philanthropy, secularity, freedom of expression, individual liberty and morality. They would spread these ideas when they inevitably assumed positions of power.

Essentially, this small group of people in the latter half of the 18th century wanted to take over and rule the world, and they believed they could do it a little bit at a time. One approach was to join other secret societies – like Freemasons, when they could afford to – and to establish sleeper cells within them, recruiting others to their cause.

They were also big on rituals, secret symbols, handshakes, passwords, and initiations. That’s part of what gives the order such a mystique.

At their peak, in the early 1780s, the Illuminati were thought to number between 600 and 2,500 members, most of whom were unaware of each other’s identities.

In 1785, the Duke of Bavaria, fearful of the growing power of the secret societies, banned them all. This brought the Illuminati to the end, less than 10 years after they’d started their existance.

If this organization existed for less than 10 years than why do people still believe in their power more than two centuries later? Well, at least part of the credit for their fame belongs to John Robison, who in 1797 published Proofs of a Conspiracy, a book that claims that the Illuminati had infiltrated other organizations and the rumors of their demise had been greatly exaggerated.

This story spread like wildfire and made its way to America, where George Washington considered it an issue. Around the same time, Charles Brockden Brown was pioneering the American Gothic genre of fiction with novels like Ormond; Or The Secret Witness, which contained clear references to the Illuminati and their sinister activities.

While that panic eventually dissipated, the rumors stayed, mostly in the background. Then, in the 1970s, Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson wrote a series of popular science-fiction books known as The Illuminatus! Trilogy that reintroduced the Illuminati to modern readers. The books combined facts with fantasy. The authors found much of their material in letters sent to Playboy magazine’s forum section, which they edited for many years.

Those books elevated Illuminati fever to a new level, one which conspiracy theorists still embrace to an alarming degree, certain the secret Illuminati groups manipulate all parts of mainstream global life.

#3: The Rosicrucians

This is one of the most secretive orders that roots its beliefs back to ancient Egypt. Egypt was the birthplace, not of the Rosicrucians, but of the Ancient Mysteries and the Secret Doctrines, which gradually, slowly and almost imperceptibly, throughout the centuries of time, developed a system that became Rosicrucianism.

The Rosicrucians brought together into one organization the various associations of individuals previously known as the Hermetists, Pythagoreans, Magi, Platonists, Gnostics, Alchemists, and Paracelsians.

The Rosicrucian Fraternity existed in America prior to the First American Revolution. In 1774, the great Council of Three (the Fraternity’s ultimate governing body) was composed of Benjamin Franklin, George Clymer, and Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine was later succeeded by Lafayette, who, like Benjamin Franklin, was a member of the Paris Rosicrucian lodge “Humanidad.” In 1842, the Great Council of Three was revitalized by the novelist, George Lippard, who rewrote the exoteric ritual, giving it a patriotic-Christian basis. During the Civil War this Great Council was composed of Paschel Beverly Randolph, General Ethan Allen Hitchcock and Abraham Lincoln.

The Rosicrucians follow a doctrine that is built on esoteric truths of the ancient past. Those truths apparently include things that the average person cannot see and give believers insight into nature, the physical universe, and the spiritual realm.

They study many theories and beliefs but specifically, they seek knowledge and spiritual wisdom about the true nature of space and time, mystical power, metaphysical laws, spiritual alchemy and others.

They believe that there is one God, the Creator and source of all. That within each of us is buried a particle of the Divine Spark that is our soul. The Rosicrucians teach how to develop this Divine Spark through transmutation of one’s lower nature and increase the feeling of love within. The main goal of their teaching is to help the adherents to build this soul spark into a glorious, conscious Soul that forms a direct link between the individual and God. This state of spiritual development they term as Soul Illumination.

The name Rosicrucian is derived from rosa (a rose) and crux (a cross). The general symbol of the order was a rose placed on the center of a cross. The Rose Cross has a mystical meaning. The fully bloomed rose in the center of the Cross symbolizes illumination of the Soul.

The Bottom Line

These 3 mysterious groups are perhaps some of the most well-known secret societies but there have been and certainly still exist many more. With the explosion of the internet and the vast sea of easily accessible information that has come with it, it has become increasingly difficult to determine fact from fiction when it comes to these mysterious secret societies.

Positives and negatives could come from joining or taking an oath of silence with any group. It’s important before committing to any such action to diligently research to ensure one knows exactly what they are getting involved in and that it’s aligned with their highest good.

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Spirituality

14 Signs of Spiritual Maturity that Indicate Your Spiritual Growth

Published

4 days ago

September 22, 2022

Katya Ki

Spiritual maturity is not a religious concept. It has humanitarian objectives through balanced behaviors of spiritual understanding. Spiritual maturity is a gradual process of discovering your inner-self (or God Self) that goes along with self-discipline. It is important to understand that I am talking about a sufficiently “mobile” model of a Mature personality, allowing a different set of characterological features. However, in this article, I want to consider certain factors that can form the Central frame of such a personal model. And these factors I will describe through different signs of spiritual maturity.

Signs Of Spiritual Maturity

Authenticity

The famous American psychotherapist James Bugental calls authenticity the most important existential value of a human being. He identifies three main features of authentic existence:

full awareness of the present moment of life;
independent choice of the way of life at that moment;
taking personal responsibility for this choice.

The authenticity to some extent generalizes many properties of the individual. First of all, it is an expression of sincerity towards another. An authentic person wants to be himself in his immediate reactions and in his holistic behavior. He allows himself not to know all the answers to life’s questions.

He doesn’t act like he’s in love if he feels hostile at the moment. The difficulties of most people are that they spend a lot of vital energy on playing roles, or creating an external facade, instead of using it to solve their real problems.

If the person most of the time hides his true self behind the mask of any selected role, it is not surprising that in response he will receive the same insincere attitude of others. Authenticity is the most complete example of flexible behavior.

Openness to Own Experience and Acceptance of Feelings

Here, by openness, I mean sincerity in the perception of one’s own feelings. Social experience teaches to deny, to reject the feelings, in particular, negative ones. The pressure of others forces to displace or suppress sadness, irritability, and anger. Society tells us: “don’t cry, don’t be nervous”, etc.

A spiritually mature person will not drive away any feelings, including negative ones. He accepts and experiences any feelings he has. Only, in this case, can you successfully control your behavior. It is because our displaced feelings are irrational, that is, they become a source of uncontrolled behavior.

When we realize our emotional reactions, we can choose our behavior in each situation, and not allow unconscious feelings to violate the regulation of our behavior. Therefore, we call ourselves “spiritually mature” only if we are capable of showing our tolerance for the whole range of ours and other emotional reactions.

Development of Self-Knowledge

Limited self-knowledge implies a restriction of freedom, and deep self-knowledge increases the possibility of choice in one’s life. The more a person knows about himself, the better he will understand other people, and Vice versa – the more a person understands others, the deeper he understands himself. Not being able to hear what’s going on inside us increases our exposure to stress and limits our effectiveness in life. It is very important to treat yourself realistically and consciously.

The Strength of Personality and Identity

A mature person knows who he is, who he can become, what he wants from life, what is important for him in essence and what does not matter. He turns to life with questions, answers the questions posed to him by life, and constantly tests his values.

A spiritually mature person can’t be a reflection of the hopes of other people, he acts on his own internal position. This allows him to feel strong in interpersonal relationships.

Tolerance to Uncertainty (the Ability to Withstand Uncertainty)

Many people feel uncomfortable in situations where there is a lack of structure, clarity, and certainty. But spiritual development requires letting the comfort zone go and opening oneself up to a new experience. When we dive into our spiritual journey we have no guarantees or clarity of what to expect. A spiritual journey is very individual and even very experienced spiritual gurus can’t give us all the answers to what to expect.

A spiritually mature person understands this. He knows that life is an adventurous journey. That’s why we never know what the coming day is preparing for us, what kind of challenges we will face, and what decisions we will have to make. All we can have is strong confidence in our own intuition and the adequacy of feelings, confidence in constructive decisions, and the ability to take risks – all these qualities help us to endure the tension created by the uncertainty of the entire series of life situations.

Personal Responsibility

Since most life situations arise under our control, we should be responsible for our actions in these situations. Understanding your responsibility allows you to freely and consciously make a choice at any time of communication – to agree with the arguments of the interlocutor or to enter into a productive confrontation.

Personal responsibility helps to take criticism more constructively. In such cases, criticism does not trigger the mechanisms of psychological protection but serves as useful feedback that improves the efficiency of activities and even life itself.

The Depth of Relationships With Others

When a spiritually mature person evaluates other people (their feelings, views, peculiar traits) he does it without condemnation and the use of labels.

Some people feel that expressing positive feelings obliges and thereby restricts freedom and makes them vulnerable. Others are afraid of rejection, so they feel that the safest position is the rejection of close relations. And they are satisfied with the communication with the partner in the distance.

But if you have enough spiritual maturity you don’t have such fears. You are able to freely express your feelings, both positive and negative, when communicating with other people.

Refusal of Perfectionism

Spiritual maturity involves a refusal of the desire to be perfect. Instead of blaming ourselves for our mistakes, we need to take them as our lessons. If we accept that we are not perfect, we will avoid unnecessary tension and feelings of guilt. In this case, relations with others become deeper and at the same time more real.

Empathy

Spiritual maturity implies the ability of a person to feel empathy. Empaths understand the feelings of the people they communicate with, as well as mandatory consideration of them in the process of communication. The range of empathy manifestation varies widely: from a light emotional response to a full immersion in the world of feelings of your interlocutor. Empaths realize that the feelings they experience are a reflection of the feelings of their interlocutors.

Kindness and Compassion

Kindness is based on the fundamental concept of self-recognition. We are required to treat all aspects of ourselves with compassion. Not just our positive aspects but also those ones that we previously denied. Spiritual maturity is a reflection of our deep gratitude, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

Only once we treat ourselves with kindness and compassion can we treat others the same way. Our attitude towards others is always a reflection of our attitude towards ourselves. That’s why I always say: “Love yourself first!”.

Patience

Spiritual maturity implies an understanding of the fact that the process of awakening goes through many periods and cycles. It requires our deepest commitment.

True patience does not aspire to any achievement. It allows us to open up for the timeless. When Einstein explained the nature of time by example, he said, “When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

Awakening is not a matter of weeks, years, or lives, but a matter of loving and patient disclosure to the mystery at this moment.

A Sense of the Sacred

Spiritually mature people treat every action they do as a sacred practice. Spiritual maturity means an understanding of the fact that if we need to bring light and compassion into the world, we have to start with our own lives. Our personal lives become more genuine spiritual practices than any series of experiences we have or any philosophy we share. This personal approach to practice means respect for the individual and the universal in our lives. Moreover, we also honor our individual body, our individual family, and our community, as well as our personal history of joy and sorrow. Spiritually mature people have a deep understanding that their personal spiritual awakening affects all other creatures.

Independent Discovery

Instead of accepting some philosophy or blindly following some great teacher, going on an insurmountable path, we must recognize that we need to see for ourselves. In spiritual maturity, we find a great sense of autonomy – not as a reaction to authority, but as a basis for sincere recognition of the fact that we, like Buddha, are capable of spiritual awakening. Spiritual maturity has a deeply democratic quality. It means that all individuals have the opportunity to discover what is sacred and to free themselves.

This sense of exploration combines the openness of the mind with “discerning wisdom,” the ability to separate the useful from the harmful, which keeps the eyes open. With an open mind, we always learn.

Our sense of discovery gives us the opportunity to use the great wisdom traditions to learn from teachers and be part of the community. While at the same time in contact with ourselves, to see the truth and speak the truth with great respect to our own integrity and to our own awakening. This kind of research allows us to be more honest with ourselves.

Flexibility

Flexibility implies that spiritual life is not about accepting a particular philosophy or set of beliefs or teachings, nor is it about confronting or opposing anyone. It is the lightness of the heart that implies that all spiritual means are rafts to come to freedom.

The flexibility of the mindset contributes lightness and humor to spiritual practice. It allows us to see that there are thousands of ways to reach spiritual awakening. And if we choose one way and other people choose another way there is nothing wrong with this. We may follow different paths to reach the same destination.

Conclusion

With spiritual maturity, our ability to forgive and free ourselves grows and deepens. This shows the natural resolution of our conflicts and the ability to return to joy and peace. When we reach spiritual maturity we see spirituality as a question of who we are rather than of what ideal, philosophy, religion, or guru we follow. A spirituality of this kind is full of joy and integrity; it is both ordinary and awakened. Such spiritual maturity allows the light of the divine to shine through us.

Astrology

The September New Moon: Here’s How It Will Affect Us

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2022

Katya Ki

The moon is waning to a new moon on September 25th at 5:55 p.m. EDT. This is when the Moon is lost in the glare of the Sun and completely invisible. The September new moon is a powerful time that can give impetus to our spiritual development and personal evolution. I will share everything you need to know about this new moon in this article.

The New Moon In Vedic Astrology

In Vedic astrology, the new moon is called Amavasya. It is the time when the Moon and the Sun line up.

According to Vedic astrology, Shukla paksha, the brightest part of the lunar month begins with Amavasya, when one can count on the indulgence and benefits of the gods. It is recommended to dedicate the new moon to spiritual practices, offerings, and prayers. It is also considered a favorable period for completing previously started projects, cleaning, and charity.

Amavasya is considered the most favorable period to engage in your personal development; spend this day in meditation and prayers.

It is said that any activity related to material affairs will not bring any benefits on this day. However, any spiritual practice you engage in will multiply its benefits when performed during Amavasya. The same can be said about charity and donations done during Amavasya – you will be generously rewarded for your acts of kindness.

The September New Moon

According to Jyotish (Vedic astrology), the September new moon occurs in Virgo.

The moon in Virgo is a time of fuss and the need to take into account a lot of little things. If you have a meeting or a deal to close, be prepared for a lot of additional stipulations and conditions. You will have to spend some extra time working on documents.

The energies of this new moon will make people criticize each other and focus on even minor mistakes that didn’t matter much on other days.

During this time, we will all want more order in life. On the negative side, many of us will be annoyed by negligence, inaccuracy, and violation of obligations. All these small tasks will increase internal tension, which will eventually lead to apathy and laziness.

The new moon in Virgo encourages us to pay more attention to the little things. We will have a desire to improve any shortcomings that we notice. At this time, it will be easier to notice small details than distant prospects. Therefore, it’s best to focus on a detailed study of ongoing projects rather than planning new ones.

If you have to interact with authorities during this new moon period, keep in mind that officials will be biased, uncooperative, and not willing to take into account your circumstances. Therefore, it is better to plan a visit to state institutions for other days.

Virgo increases the need for cleanliness and simplicity, so if you have an interview or important negotiations, pay attention to your appearance! It is better to give preference to calm tones in clothes, and pay attention to high-quality accessories during this period. Also, it is good to wear white quartz, which has the ability to absorb all the negative energy, purify your aura, and relieve stress.

The New Moon In Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra

According to Vedic astrology, the September new moon takes place in the lunar mansion of Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra. Let’s take a closer look at this lunar mansion and what kind of energy it represents.

Uttara Phalguni is the Sun-ruled nakshatra. It carries the iconography of a hammock or the rear legs of a cot. Its symbolism is associated with tranquil spaces, healing, and recuperation.

Uttara Phalguni is also called the “Star of Patronage” for its love of humanity and its caring nature. It will drive a desire to alleviate the suffering of society. However, in this desire, a person could become controlling and very stubborn. During this new moon, we may see how those in power will become more totalitarian and controlling, pushing their agenda “in the name of love for humanity”.

Also, this nakshatra deals with relationships and commitments, which makes this new moon a good time to reflect on your relationships and what you can do to improve them. Use this powerful time to honor your current relationships and express your gratitude for the people around you. This is a good time for introspection. Think about what you can do to develop a deeper level of commitment in your relationships and become more loyal to others.

Health-related Issues

Uttara Phalguni may cause weakness of the small intestine (ulcers), disease of the genitalia, injury to the lower spine, severe headaches, appendicitis, thrombosis, and inflammatory conditions of the liver.

The nature of Uttara Phalguni nakshatra: Rajas

Rajas is the energy of change. It represents passion, desire, effort, and pain. The nature of rajas is characterized by a sense of attachment, a desire to satisfy desires.

The new moon in Rajas manifests itself as an active desire to do something, irritation, passion, and strength. The energy of the new moon in Rajas gives anxiety, stubbornness, and a strong possessive instinct. Many will experience anxiety and difficulty with mental concentration during this time.

The goal of Uttara Phalguni nakshatra: Moksha

Moksha is the release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma. It is liberation from dependence, from the mirage created by dharma, kama, and artha. Moksha is the dissolution of delusions. The influence of this nakshatra gives an impetus to spiritual practice. During the new moon period, we should be more focused on our spiritual goals and less on the material.

Spiritual Lessons to Learn

During the new moon in Virgo, we will be more than usual irritated by other people’s shortcomings. This is a good time for working on patience and acceptance of others the way they are. The energy of the new moon will help to acquire these qualities throughout the month.
Refrain from criticism! Don’t criticize people even in your thoughts. Let people be the way they are without trying to change them or tell them what to do. Any criticism during the new moon in Virgo may turn into a conflict. Therefore, try to control your thoughts and your words.
Learn to relax and let go of your attachments. Your desire to control everything causes lots of stress and may even lead to depression. Use this powerful time of the month to relax, meditate, and practice pranayama and yoga. This will help you to clear your mind and cultivate more self-love and compassion for the world.

Dos and Don’ts During the September New Moon

Amavasya is one of the best days for donations. When you’re making donations during the new moon, the beneficial effect of it is greatly enhanced, and your negative karma gets purified.

Our emotions play a very important role on the new moon. If you are happy on this day, you will become even happier; if you are unhappy – you will become unhappier. Any of our qualities are strengthened on this day. Therefore, the new moon is a very important time for spiritual seekers since the effect of any puja or recited mantra becomes even stronger on this day.

Amavasya is a great time for new beginnings. This is the time to discard old habits and thoughts, all failures, and embrace the new experience that the new moon promises us.

Favorable activities during Amavasya:

Completing tasks
Paying off debts
Throwing away the old and unnecessary things
Fasting
Giving donations and gifts
Meeting with your parents or other family members
Performing any spiritual practices
House cleaning (it will help you to clean not only the space around you but also your mind)
Honoring deceased ancestors (you can just think about them or look at their pictures)
Doing charity (you can donate anything except money)
Tuning in to harmony and love
Forgiving yourself and others

Unfavorable activities during Amavasya:

Making important purchases
Getting married
Making important appointments
Start training
Making promises
Surgeries
Start building a house, or enter the house
Making final decisions
Taking trips, business trips, travel
Making repairs, renovations
Appointing important meetings that can affect the execution of transactions, the conduct of business, etc.
Making money transactions (invest money, transfer large sums, borrow or lend);
Overworking

Manifesting On New Moon

It’s very beneficial to use positive affirmations during the new moon. During this time, affirmations have a special power – they make your positive thoughts and intentions grow and gain strength more quickly. That is why such practices as creating a vision board or Reiki wish box, will be particularly effective on the new moon.

Here are some examples of the high-vibe affirmations you can practice on the New Moon:

Love is my inspiration, my conversation, and my life! Peace is my natural state! Gratitude is my way of seeing and being! The face of God greets me everywhere I go!
Every cell of my body temple celebrates health and wholeness!
All my relationships match the high vibration of unconditional love!
Positive thoughts revitalize my body temple!
Abundance blesses every aspect of my life!
I am guided, governed, and gifted by the eternal presence of Spirit within me! The high frequency of divine love resounds through all of my relationships! Excellence is encoded in my soul and evident in my expression! A consciousness of awe and wonder makes things possible in my life!
My commitment to peace, love, and kindness raises the vibrations of the planet!
The sweet water of appreciation bathes everything I do!

The Moon Mantra

During the New Moon, it’s beneficial to chant the Moon mantra “Om Chandraya Namaha” 108 times. This powerful mantra vibrates with the energy of the Moon. Chanting this beautiful mantra will help you see things more clearly and look beyond “illusions” to see the deeper meaning in things and the truth that lies within.

Buddha Shakyamuni Mantra

It is very beneficial to chant the Buddha Shakyamuni mantra during the new moon. Recite “Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Soha” 3, 7, 21, or 108 times. When chanting the mantra, visualize how the Divine Light purifies all your subtle bodies and frees your consciousness from outdated programs.

Chanting the Buddha Shakyamuni mantra brings a change in our consciousness, helps to reach enlightenment, inspires us with new ideas, and gives us confidence in our abilities. Also, it relieves uncertainty and distorted perception of reality.

The Bottom Line

The September new moon will make us more attentive to others’ shortcomings. Don’t let your inner critic ruin your relationship. Focus on your inner peace instead and give yourself a gift of relaxation by meditating, practicing yoga, taking a ritual bath, and doing breathwork. This is a great time for hobbies, studying something you’re really interested in (like astrology, tarot, or foreign languages, for example). It’s great to spend this time closer to nature, hiking or gardening. This is a powerful time for loosening control and following Divine guidance. Be kind, compassionate, and gentle with people during this new moon and always!

Awareness

Are You Gaslighting Yourself? 6 Signs You Could Be Unknowingly Doing It

Published

1 week ago

September 19, 2022

SOLANCHA STAFF

All people ever talk about is being gaslighted by other parties. But do you know you could also unknowingly be gaslighting yourself? You are your best friend and also your worst enemy. How you treat yourself is a significant determinant of how your mental health turns out. It also determines how you associate with other people. For instance, if you gaslight yourself, you will most likely let other people gaslight you.

What is Self-Gaslighting?

Self-gaslighting happens when we dismiss our feelings and experiences. You can be deeply hurt, but with self-gaslighting, you will invalidate the pain and try to get yourself over it. It may sound like,

“I know friends who have been through worse,”

‘It is not that bad,”

“Other victims got over this fast; I don’t know why I cannot get over it.”

“I should let go of this and move on.”

Many times, self-gaslighting happens when you pick the mantra from a gaslighter. It may also come from past childhood traumas.

Self-gaslighting can be difficult to recognize, especially by people who identify as being spiritual. This is because self-reflection, shadow work, and mindfulness practices are all based on the truthful relfection of our thoughts, behaviors, and actions. This level of awareness allows us to make positive changes in our thoughts and behaviors in an effort to create a more harmonious life for ourselves. The issue arises when the constructive self-reflection and awareness turn into destructive self-blame.

Signs You Are Gaslighting Yourself

Here are six clear signs that you are a self-gaslighter. If you do any of this, please do your mental health some justice and work on stopping the gaslighting.

#1: You Justify Someone Else’s Bad Behavior

Many of us have been here, making excuses for other people’s toxic behaviors. When people make mistakes, they should take personal responsibility for them. How many times have you heard things in the line of:

“They cheated because I was emotionally unavailable,”

“My mother kept yelling at me because I was a difficult child,”

“He pushed me because he was drunk,”

No, do not make excuses for people’s bad behavior. Take responsibility for your part but don’t blame yourself for theirs.

#2: You Discredit Your Feelings

There is a valid reason behind every emotion you are feeling. If you constantly invalidate your feelings, it is clear that you are gaslighting yourself. For instance, whenever you are hurting, you keep suppressing your feelings because you think you always overreact.

You may have had people hurt you, but you bottled up the hurt because it is not a big deal after all. Or, you dismiss your feelings because you know people who have been in tougher situations than you.

This self-manipulation piles up, and sooner or later, you will have to face the trauma. Remember that invalidating your feelings is an unhealthy way of escaping the trauma, but it will eventually catch up with you.

#3: You are Constantly Rethinking How You Should Have Handled Things

One way self-gaslighting happens is by overthinking what you could have done to prevent other people’s bad behavior.

I should have left the party early.

I should have dressed more decently when going on that date.

I should not have said that.

SOLANCHA principles teach us to harmonize our polarized way of thinking. To avoid any self-blame or shame, it’s important to learn to accept two realities simultaneously. Yes, there are certain actions and behaviors we could have taken to avoid the situation, while at the same time, the bad behavior is completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, we tend to only focus on one or the other which ends up being destructive.

#4: You Never Trust Your Judgment

You could be manipulating yourself if you constantly second-guess your decisions or judgment on things. If you always feel your intuition is wrong, you are self-gaslighting. You can never build a trustworthy relationship with anyone if you do not trust yourself. Constant self-doubt may happen from being gaslighted as a child. This makes you constantly doubt your inner voice.

Also, if you think you are not good enough, you probably got there through gaslighting. Besides, self-gaslighting may make you doubt some physical feelings. For instance, you may dismiss physical sickness because you think you can keep pushing on. Or because you are afraid of your bosses’ reaction.

If you have been sick but were too scared to call in sick, that is it. We have also had people dismiss constant headaches for dehydration or just a little pressure. Well, these may be true but do not second guess yourself. Get the check-up when you feel something, do not invalidate your sickness.

#5: You Say All the Negative Things About Yourself

Self-gaslighters typically say things about themselves that they would never say about other people. If you constantly think that you are crazy for saying something, or are an idiot for doing something, then it is a clear sign of self-gaslighting. Self-gaslighters have made such words and harshness too familiar for them.

If you are at a point where such grossness feels at home, while affection and sweetness feel out of place, you are deep into self-gaslighting. Remember that any self-reflection should be constructive and an insightful opportunity for growth. If your self-talk becomes so negative that it makes you feel horrible about yourself, you know that it’s become destructive and you are self-gaslighting.

#6: You Always Believe That the Worst Is Going to Happen

If you are never optimistic about the things happening in your life, it is a clear sign you are a self-gaslighter. You always think nothing will happen in your favor in this unhealthy zone. If you are always awaiting the worst in every situation, it is a clear sign that you have gaslighted yourself to that zone.

How to Stop the Pattern?

Here are some practical tips to stop the pattern of gaslighting yourself.

#1: Face Your Trauma

One thing that stands out in self-gaslighting is constant self-doubt and questioning yourself. This typically arises from childhood trauma. You cannot keep escaping your traumas; they will haunt you for a long time. Take courage and face the trauma to resolve it. One great way is to talk to a therapist and find ways to make peace with your past.

#2: Build Your Self-Esteem

Another great way to stop self-gaslighting is by building your self-esteem. Everything you feel is valid and matters. Always take a stand and recognize that everything you feel should not be compromised to accommodate others. Allow yourself to feel your feelings without judging yourself for having them.

#3: Get Away From Being Gaslighted

Being gaslighted will eventually make you a self-gaslighter. You must break that pattern if your friend, partner, or family is a habitual gaslighter. You can get them to stop the habit by talking it out. If they cannot stop, you need to get out of that environment.