Bradford Keeney, Ph.D, is an internationally renowned traditional healer, creative therapist, anthropologist of cultural healing traditions, and improvisational performer. Currently a professor at the University of Louisiana, Keeney has served as a professor, founder, and director of clinical doctoral programs in numerous universities.
As a scholar, his classic text, Aesthetics of Change, was cited by Heinz von Foerster as one of the key texts of cybernetics, the original science of complexity. He is the inventor of recursive frame analysis, a research method that discerns patterns of transformation in conversation and has been called “the Marco Polo of psychology and an anthropologist of the spirit” by Utne Reader. Keeneyhas spent over a decade traveling the globe living with spiritual teachers and healers and the result of his work is one of the broadest and most intense field studies of healing, chronicled in the critically acclaimed series, Profiles of Healing, an eleven-volume encyclopedia of the world’s healing practices.
In 2009, I interviewed Bradford Keeney to discuss his book, Shaking Medicine, which reintroduces one of the oldest forms of medicine on earth, the ecstatic shaking of the human body. With his many notable accomplishments, including authoring over thirty-six books, what I find most intriguing about Keeney is that he intuitively knows how to touch people at their spiritual core. Gently he reaches in with the luminosity of his voice and as the crescendo of his vocals reaches a fevered pitch, he pulls at the heartstrings until he awakens the soul suggestively whispering that it should open up and pay attention.
According to Keeney, most people’s worst fear is losing control of their circumstances, their emotions, and especially of their bodies. Yet in order to achieve the transcendent state necessary to experience deep healing, control must be surrendered. This led Keeney on a venture quest to examine cultural traditions from around the world where shaking has been used as a form of healing, from the Shakers and Quakers of New England to the shaking medicine of Japan, India, the Caribbean, the Kalahari, who are the world’s oldest culture having survived for over 60,000 years in peace.
The reward from this journey resulted in Keeney being recognized as an ecstatic spiritual teacher and healer by numerous cultures as he became a n/om-kxao (healer) with the Kalahari Bushmen and discovered that “shaking” can bring forth profound therapeutic benefits.
In 2011, I reconnected with Brad to discuss his explorations with the Kalahari Bushmen. In his book The Bushman Way of Tracking God, Keeney connects spiritual techniques including: activating the non-subtle universal life force, heightening emotional experience, vibratory interaction, direct downloading and absorption of sacred knowledge, extraordinary healing, activation of the ecstatic “pump,” spontaneous ways of rejuvenation, attending spiritual classrooms, exploring an uncommon range of mystical experiences, and experiencing bliss.
Keeney’s latest work regarding these techniques has led him to settle in New Orleans and this is where I spoke with him again in early 2012. I had been filming a documentary in New Orleans exploring the creative vibe and magical power released by the ancient muses, pulling in artists, musicians, writers and bohemians to come and be reborn in New Orleans. Keeney had answered the siren’s call and responded by creating an extra-sensory explosion for the mind, body and spirit called The Mojo Doctors.
He and his partner Hillary Stephenson offer “Mojo Sessions”, weekend long intensives held in the French Quarter of New Orleans where Kenney skillfully blends his spiritual exposure to wisdom teachings with techniques from his book, The Flying Drum: The Mojo Doctor’s Guide to Creating Magic in Your Life to transform small groups of people during each session. Centered around ecstatic teaching, therapeutic humor, sanctified music, creative healing, and what he describes as “mojo doctoring”, workshop attendees rave about the results as the Mojo Doctor connects them with their inner spirit while embracing the spirited rhythm and hum of New Orleans.
In the modern world where the mind has become disoriented and detached from the body’s connection to emotion, passion and spirit, Keeney makes a compelling and entertaining case for the tradition based healing methods to once again reunite mind, body and soul. Check out the Mojo Doctors for yourself if the spirit calls you.
About Kala Ambrose and Kala’s Bohemian Blog: Noted wisdom teacher, author, intuitive, inspirational speaker, and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Radio and TV Show (www.ExploreYourSpirit.com), Kala Ambrose’s teachings are described as discerning, empowering and inspiring. Whether she’s speaking with world-renowned experts on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, writing about empowering lifestyle choices, reporting on new discoveries in the scientific and spiritual arenas or teaching to groups around the country, fans around the world tune in daily for her inspirational musings and lively thought-provoking conversations.
Kala is the author of three books including the award-winning 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled (Reality Press 2007), Ghosthunting North Carolina (Clerisy Press 2011) and The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body (Llewellyn Worldwide 2011). A highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire, Kala writes for the Huffington Post and presents workshops nationally on the Mind/Body/Spirit connection including Auras and Energy Fields, Developing Business Intuition, and Wisdom Teachings at the Omega Institute, John Edward Presents Infinite Quest, the Learning Annex, LilyDale Assembly, and Daily Om.
Kala's pink rose lamp just in time for Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox, also known as the first day of Spring, arrives on the official date of March 20, 2012 at 1:14am EDT. From a spiritual perspective, the Spring Equinox marks a seasonal cycle of rebirth, where the seeds planted in the Fall, (a quiet period of self-introspection and reflection), blossom into creative and colorful displays. Celebrate the renewal of Spring and the Divine Feminine energy which is present everywhere in nature at this season. This is the time to emerge from Introspection and Self Observation, into Spring Renewal and Focus on Action, Creation and Celebration.
As Mother Nature works her magic, there are tremendous boosts of natural energy presented to us during the Spring and Fall Equinox and the Summer and Winter Solstices. The energy lasts for three days: the day before, equinox or solstice day, and the day after. When we understand this transformational energy, which bursts forth in Spring, we can use this energy as a motivator in order to create great change in our lives.
There is an old teaching I share with my students which says: “We can not fully understand what we have not experienced”. In order to transform, we must first consider what we have learned through our past experience. This allows us to turn this information into wisdom and enhance who we are and who we wish to become.
Through our life experiences, we develop the wisdom to answer such questions and learn and grow from each experience in our lives. By doing this, we honor the people and experiences who have impacted us in our life. In honoring these things, we make them sacred and of great personal value. It is with this knowledge, that we can change our future. This occurs by first focusing our attention on what we truly desire to manifest. Then we must then actively create the right atmosphere and attitude to bring the desire to fruition.
Then during the Spring Equinox, we can create a new beginning. We are given the opportunity, just as we see in nature, to bloom and begin again. This is one example of the greatest gifts we were given here on earth, which is the abundant, creative and transforming energy found in nature.
Ancient schools once taught how to observe the powerful events occurring in nature to connect with the energy here on earth. We still have this ability to connect with nature in order to assist with our growth and development and cultivate balance and growth. I’m happy to present here a series of transforming activities which are best done during the Equinox.
The Equinox ritual consists of two parts, the outward celebration and the inner rebirth.
Step One:
It’s time for Spring Cleaning. Clean your house and remove clutter. As you clean each room and the items in it, do so with reverence and appreciation for the abundance in your life. Cover your home in loving energy as you clean, picturing you and your loved ones in each room, feeling happy, content, joyful and relaxed. Then smudge each room with white sage to purify and cleanse each room.
Next, add color to your home! Decorate with the soft pastel colors of Spring. Be creative and let your mind explore all the ways you can add color to your home! It’s a great time to paint, add new pillows, lighting, curtains, rugs and new towels.
Step Two:
Reflect upon the thoughts and goals you had during the Fall Equinox and for the New Year. Consider the lessons and experiences of the past six months and decide what is hindering progress with your goals.
Ask yourself — What important seeds of truth need to be revealed this spring, in order for me to truly know myself so that I may blossom into my power-filled being?
It’s time to awaken from your period of hibernation, inactivity and self-introspection and put these thoughts and plans into action!
To awaken to your higher self and activate your growth cycle, welcome the renewed energy of Spring while taking a shower. As the water flows over your body, imagine all negative thoughts leaving your mind, being washed away from you. As you dry off, say out loud, “All That Happens, Happens for Good – Divine Spring Energy is working through me now”!
Step Three:
Equinox Day is the day to Celebrate Rebirth, Renewal and Abundance. It is a time to toast to plans of action and growth, as you are becoming “a garden in bloom”!
Celebrate with rituals including creating and sharing Spring Equinox gift baskets with loved ones and friends. The day culminates with dinner to celebrate renewal, rebirth and the magic of the seasons and life and all the wonder it brings, along with sharing dreams being brought into fruition this year. This is a powerful day to put plans into action.
In ancient times, Spring Equinox was celebrated with an outward and inward celebration:
Outwardly – people celebrated with egg hunts, (a symbol of the earth and rebirth), by giving and decorating with bunnies, (a universal symbol of fertility for both body – act of creation with birth and mind – turning thoughts into fruition) and by giving baskets, (a symbol of abundance). A special dinner with family and friends is also common to celebrate the return of Spring and renewal.
Inwardly – people took action on the seeds (goals) that they planted during the Fall Equinox. Spring presented the time and divine opportunity to step forward and create oneself anew with the tools of Gratitude, Abundance and Creativity.
Here are some suggestions to activate your creative side and bring new perspective and balance into your life.
Plant flowers in the garden,
Take on a new creative project (preferably something new you have not done before)
Decorate your home in bright new colors
Have Gratitude for the ABUNDANCE of OPPORTUNITY in your life
Accept new challenges in order to grow and step closer to your goals
Embrace the future by spending time with people in your life who will encourage your dreams and aspirations.
The Spring Equinox is a great time to jump start your goals, but this ritual can be done anytime in Spring for wonderful and positive results. It has never made real sense with our current Julian calendar, that one would create New Year resolutions in the dead of winter on January 1st. Your dreams were planted as seeds of thought in the Fall and now is time to tend to your garden and bring forth beautiful blooms of creativity. You haven’t failed at your New Year Resolutions, You’ve Only Just Begun!
Decide what actions you will take and once the Mercury Retrograde has ended, which at this time is April 4th, then take action on your new goals and dreams. May the journey into the transformative sacred garden of Spring grow in delight with each step!
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Mercury the Messenger is here this Spring!
Mercury retrogrades create the opportunity to relax and renew. It’s a great time to take a break and do something fun and get away. Just make sure to double check those reservations and have your car checked out before you hit the road and the rest should be smooth sailing.
*~Spring Equinox~*
“Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!”
~Thomas Blackburn
This March, a Mercury Retrograde is occuring during the time of the Spring Equinox, which begins on March 20, 2012 at 1:14am EDT.
This creates a unique and powerful energy to combine Spring Cleaning while reviewing what is working and not working in your life. It also is the most influential time of year for new beginnings and symbolicaly to be reborn with new ideas and a great time to set intentions for what you would like to see “spring forward” for you this year. Use this time to make plans and review and revise what you’d like to create this year. Then once the retrograde has lifted in April, it’s time to take action of these plans and connect with the natural abundant power of Spring to activate your hopes and dreams.
~*~ Mercury Retrograde ~*~*
Right now we’re in the midst of a Mercury Retrograde and while many people have been taught to fear the retrograde, I’ve always found it to be an empowering time.
Astrologists alert us to the dangers and mishaps that occur when Mercury goes retrograde including problems with electronics and communications in all forms. They warn us not to purchase computers, cars or washing machines during this period and to delay signing contracts or forming new partnerships.
Mishaps attributed to Mercury going retrograde include: bad haircuts, botched plastic surgeries, an increase in arguments with loved ones, friends, and co-workers due to misunderstanding what others are saying, computer hard drives and other electronics and machines breaking down or dying completely, travel delays and lost reservations. According to western astrologists, during a retrograde any type of communication is challenged and machines tend to break down more often than any other time of the year.
While good old Merc causes his share of trouble when he goes retro, he also brings a wealth of opportunities. If you understand how the retrograde works, you can use this information to your advantage.
Retrogrades bring opportunities to reconnect, revisit, revise, review, reveal, and renew. If there’s someone you’ve been trying to connect with and have been unable to do so, you may find that they appear in your life at this time. If you have an unresolved issue, it may come to an end during this period or the missing information needed to bring closure to this matter reappears.It’s a powerful time to review your life and reconsider some of the decisions you’ve made in the past and resolve to change your life in the future. Just wait until the retrograde is over to take action and make clear decisions and for heaven’s sake, (astrologically speaking) don’t sign any contracts. For now, it’s time to reflect upon your life in a creative, free-flowing, brain storming type of direction.
So the next time you hear about a mercury retrograde coming, there are usually three each year, mark your calendar so you avoid buying electronics during that period and double check your communications, including taking a deep breath and thinking twice before you blurt your feelings out loud and say something you might regret later.
Use this time wisely to relax, unwind and enjoy some quiet time to review the path you’re on and where you’re heading next.
As a wisdom teacher, Kala shares her lifetimes of experience and training with her students and in workshops around the country. She teaches others how to see auras and more importantly, how to interact with the layers of the auric fields to clear the energy in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fields of the aura in order to reach their highest and full potential.
Want to know more about your aura and energy bodies? Working with the auric field can potentially release blockages which otherwise may have led to disturbances in the physical body as well as in the mental and emotional fields. This inner transformation marks a historic evolution in our meta-physical bodies, as we are becoming powerful light energy beings who are able to connect with the forces of the earth and with the powers from the higher planes.
Join Kala Ambrose, a powerful priestess, wisdom teacher, intuitive, and oracle as she shares what she sees in the aura, how it is rapidly evolving and how you can connect with your aura and energy body to expand your awareness and capabilities on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.
On this episode of Explore Your Spirit, Kala speaks with Lisette Larkins about her book, Difficult People: A Gateway to Enlightenment.
For most of us, difficult people are the bane of our existence. They annoy us, they throw us off balance, they test our patience, and—to one degree or another—they provoke reactions that are decidedly unhealthy.But it is also true that difficult people (DPs) mirror our own dysfunctional mental states and provide us with wonderful opportunities to understand ourselves, heal ourselves, and learn to live in the moment.
Lisette Larkins realized the positive aspect of dealing with difficult people when she was providing care for a late-stage Alzheimer’s patient. Through daily interactions with a DP, Larkins began a personal journey of exploration that ultimately led to spiritual awakening.
On this episode of Explore Your Spirit with Kala, Kala speaks with Lisette Larkins about her book, Difficult People: A Gateway to Enlightenment. For most of us, difficult people are the bane of our existence. They annoy us, they throw us off balance, they test our patience, and—to one degree or another—they provoke reactions that are decidedly unhealthy. But it is also true that difficult people (DPs) mirror our own dysfunctional mental states and provide us with wonderful opportunities to understand ourselves, heal ourselves, and learn to live in the moment. Lisette Larkins realized the positive aspect of dealing with difficult people when she was providing care for a late-stage Alzheimer’s patient. Through daily interactions with a DP, Larkins began a personal journey of exploration that ultimately led to spiritual awakening. In Difficult People: A Gateway to Enlightenment, Larkins shares her journey and guides readers in reaching a “chronic state of well-being.”
More about Lisette Larkins: Lisette Larkins has worked as a sales director in publishing and a spiritual guide. In 2007, she took a job as the caregiver of a late-stage Alzheimer’s patient, an experience that pushed her into a permanent state of “presence” and revealed the possibility of living in a “chronic state of well-being.” Larkins, who has had extraordinary paranormal experiences since childhood, is the author of three books.
During my experiences of reading auras over the years, I’ve found that they are almost as unique as fingerprints. While some characteristics are similar in form including some shades of color, each individual creates a distinctive pattern, which appears in their auric field. This field is created in by three energetic impulses which are: the individual’s thoughts and emotions, manifestations of energy flowing into the body, and the creation of thought forms, which have been around the person for a significant amount of time. The overall result is incredulously beautiful. I am continually astounded by the beauty and energy of the patterns I see in people and what they create in their aura from their thoughts and emotions.
When viewing the aura, it leaves little doubt that each person is unique with a distinct purpose to be here and that everything we do matters and has purpose. The auric body works as a container to hold our energy. As human beings, we are creators, with a vast abundance of energy within our reach. With each individual thought, word, action and deed we take, we release an energetic impulse, which has its own distinct imprint. These energetic creations are stored in the auric body, while also flowing outward, which can be felt by others.
Basically, each thought and action we take creates a ripple of energy that flows from the auric body and interacts with others in our field. This creates a unique pattern of cause and effect, of which no two are the same. If you have ever wondered if what you do and who you are makes a difference in this world, rest assured that you do and that in most cases you are unaware of how much of an effect you have on others on a daily basis. The aura contains all of this information and stores it for you, so that you can create what you give the most attention to outward onto the physical plane, as well as sending the message to the higher planes of existence. Each action, thought, emotion and deed that you experience and create on this physical plane is recorded and stored in your energy body. When you pass over from this lifetime, you will have the opportunity to review all of this information when you are on the other side.
Good Aural Hygiene
Reading the aura of one’s own body, as well as others can be very helpful in many ways. The aura can indicate the health of the body as well as the condition of the mind and soul. In its most healthy state, the aura should surround the body with a distinctive shape, while allowing a level of flexibility. This can be compared to a filter. When a filter is clean, it maintains its natural shape and is porous, allowing air or water to move freely in and out of the filter as it functions and does its job. When too much debris becomes attached to the filter, it clogs. The result is that water or air is not able to pass through easily. Auras in the same sense can become clogged with negative energy. The auric body runs much like the physical body in that they both require maintenance and care to run at their maximum efficiency. They will both do their best to operate as best as they can regardless of how much we do to help them, but just like providing lots of water, healthy food, rest and exercise can help the physical body, you can also help the aura to replenish its field.
One function is mandatory and built in to our system, so that your etheric battery can recharge and replenish the aura. Can you guess what this mandatory function is that charges your etheric battery? It’s the process we call sleeping. When we sleep, the etheric battery charges overnight and begins to heal the multiple layers around the body working its way down to the physical body to assist with repairs and healing. One of the best things you can do for your body and your aura is to get a good amount of sleep each day. The western world has interfered with the natural rhythms of the mind, body and spirit, by imposing a new calendar and time clock into modern society. The aura and etheric body suffer according to this new time schedule.
In the past, people woke naturally with the movement of the sun and most cultures enjoyed a brief nap in the afternoon. Nap time allowed the physical body to shut down for an hour so that the mental and emotional bodies could absorb and digest the information gathered from the day and process the information while the etheric battery recharged the layers and body renewing its energy. The result was that people felt energetic and were more relaxed and tolerant, as they were following the natural process and healing techniques provided by the energy bodies.
The longer one goes without sleep, the more distressed the physical body and the surrounding energy bodies become, as they are unable to recharge. There are other means of recharging the aura, including meditation, which can be used to pull energy from the higher planes into the body to assist with healing at the physical, mental and emotional levels.
It is important to know how to recharge the aura and the energy bodies, as in our fast paced hectic life, sleep is often not enough to fully repair the bodies, due to mental and emotional stress, poor diet, and illness which put a strain on the body and energy fields.
Releasing Negative Energy from the Aura
A quick way to help release negative energy from our auric field is to take a shower and while the water flows down your body, take a deep breath in and when exhaling visualize all of the negative energy leaving your body. As it is released, visualize it floating away from your body with the water as it pours down the drain and flows away from you.
The use of color as was taught in the ancient temples is very helpful in working with the aura to bring in renewed energy including using certain colors of foods, clothing, lighting, crystals and solarized water.
LED color changing showerhead
While the old ways work remarkably well, I also love to try out new inventions as they are being presented in our new age of evolution. Recently I discovered this new LED showerhead that changes colors! The rainbow LED colors light up using the power of water pressure, cycling every 2 seconds from red, blue, green, yellow, white, orange and violet. The manufacturer describes the products as …rainbow lights and water combine to provide a calming and revitalizing effect on body and soul. I find this to be a fascinating design and am looking forward to trying it out to see the effect it has with the water.
If you decide to try it as well, I’d love to hear from you and whether you noticed any positive effects from the combination of water and light.
This special Infinite Chat is with Auracle and Intuitive Empath, Kala Ambrose @ 3pm ET. She’ll be providing aura readings, which include akashic and life path/destiny readings. She is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. Have a situation you need guidance on? Kala is here to answer all your questions!
Phone lines are only open during the show and you must be LOGGED IN as a MEMBER to see the number.
Kala Ambrose is an author, intuitive empath, inspirational speaker and voice of the highly acclaimed “The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. ” She is the award-winning author of 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled, Ghosthunting North Carolina, The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body, creator of a trilogy of Sacred Site Guided Meditation CDs and a columnist for the Huffington Post. As a business intuitive she brings a wealth of knowledge to corporations, businesses and individuals providing insightful solutions with a competitive edge to achieve their business and personal goals. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She is an intuitive, inspirational speaker and host of the highly acclaimed, Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show.
As an Auracle (Aura+Oracle), Kala offers Auracle Consultations are the combination of seeing the aura and psychic consultations by Kala Ambrose. Kala begins by viewing your energy bodies, going over the colors currently present in your aura. From there, she shares symbols, signs and energetic impressions in your aura that are imprinted there from your akashic records, karmic imprints and emotional and mental energy body fields. The process reveals the challenges you are facing today, the spiritual gifts presented to you in this lifetime and the importance of your spiritual journey as it continues from previous lifetimes to the present.
Your destiny is affected by three things: your past karma, what you decided before coming back to the earth plane to experience in this lifetime, and free will to choose how to evolve. As an Auracle, Kala is able to offer guidance for you in this lifetime including career paths, soul mate relationships and your spiritual destiny.
