PhilipHarris's Blog

For those of you into the more esoteric side of life.

The Wheel of Fortune, the Wheel of Ezekiel and the wheel from Nostradamus all address the same basic issue.  The wheel shows that thoughts precede physical manifestation.  The wheel speaks to cycles, rotations, karma, what goes around comes around and the fact that the thoughts of today, produce the reality of tomorrow.  The wheel is also the symbol complete manifestation.

The original Wheel of Fortune has four symbols in each corner: man, an eagle, a bull and a lion.  The center of the wheel, according to Eliphas Levi, “represents the First Unity whence all motion originates.” It is the point of all potential.  The eight spokes of the wheel, the number eight, represents man which radiates from the center, indicating the source of what we are.  The four symbols in the corners represent the name of God. And the implication that man emanates and is an extension of the God power.  In Hermetic lore, the serpent actually represents light and its form is reminiscent of DNA and vibration.  The Tarot image original has these symbols supported by clouds, indicating the spiritual support of all that there is.  As a whole, the wheel speaks of the many cycles; seasons, night and day, life and death and what follows comes from what precedes, a time to sow and a time to reap.

The Wheel of Nostradamus is different.  I have said in previous articles that Nostradamus was initiated into the Tarot Mysteries.  He would have known the proper symbolism for the Wheel of Fortune.  Where does he differ and why?  The first point to be made is that the Nostradamus wheel is not supported by the clouds, spirit, as is the case in the Tarot.  The images in the background are of cities, earth and man made structures.  Here he shows that man still has a sense of superiority and is focused on the material plane and all of its issues and concerns.  Within the wheel, Nostradamus portrays a time setting.  It has nothing to do with the 9/11 and the destruction of the Twin Towers.  It speaks of a time in which there are modern cities, spacecraft and jets.  The message is for our current era.  These images are within the confines of the wheel indicating that this time period is still trapped in the cycles of life and death and therefore subject to what those concepts imply.  The message also deals with the fact that what lies within the wheel, is subject to the forces and events that surround the wheel.

In place of the eagle in the top right, he has a rooster.  The rooster, or BLEEP, has a long history, symbolically speaking.  In most cultures, the rooster was a solar symbol indicating the triumph of light over darkness, illumination.  To the Celts the rooster was a symbol of the underworld.  During the middle ages the rooster became a Christian symbol for the readiness of the return of Christ and the last judgment of humanity and the hopeful overcoming of evil.  What is interesting is that the rooster replaces the eagle.  The eagle is the symbol of the soaring spirit, our higher nature, higher truths, and a movement beyond the yoke of the material to a closer connection with the Creator.  What Nostradamus implies is that at this point in our history, we are not yet at the point of soaring as the eagle, but rather we are still caught up in the good versus evil, Christ will come and save us mind set.

In Christianity the peacock is both a symbol of immortality and human vanity.  Nostradamus has one foot of the peacock on the hour glass.  We are being told that the time of human vanity and the time of waiting for some kind of salvation will come to and end in this era.  This does not mean there will be a “second coming” as promised by religious institutions.  It means that the idea of such a belief is coming to an end.  It is only human vanity to think that some god has singled man out for special treatment.

“Quetzalcoatl, called Kukulcan and Gugumatz among the Mayans, was not merely an historical figure to the Ancient Mexicans but he was a figure that united spirit and matter. The quetzal bird represented the spiritual urge to take flight and transcend the bounds of corporeal existence and the serpent represented being grounded in physical reality to the rhythms and cycles of nature.” (NEXUS 2006).  Nostradamus knew the meaning of the plumed serpent.  He also knew that the serpent symbolized wisdom and higher vibrations.  He further knew that the story of Quetzalcoatl fortold the destruction of the Mayan civilization and an eventual return of truth and light. The man with the plumed headgear is Quetzalcoatl. Note the cross on the pant leg.  Was it not the Christian zeal that destroyed the Central American civilization?  So here we have two references to a return of something.  Of importance is that the feathered man holds the serpent.  Is he putting the serpent on the wheel, or taking it off?  In the true Tarot the serpent is descending on the left side of the wheel; widom descending into matter.  In the Nostradamus image, the serpent is ascending.  The serpent’s head is looking west; symbol of the end of day, sunset, the end of what has gone before.

The next different symbol is the phoenix.  The phoenix is the symbol or rebith and transformation.  It goes through the cycles that are representative of this Tarot key.  Fortunately, the phoenix is rising.  Again, the allusion to change and transformation in our time.  Note also that it rises from the ball and looks with disdain at the crown.

The bottom figure is a prince or king or leader who wears the royal purple.  The prince has lost his crown.  He is attempting to clean the blue ball, the earth.  This represents the current efforts of ineffective leaders to sweep the planet of its ills.  The lost crown indicates that the efforts are to no avail.  Does this sound familiar? From one end of the globe to the other; from one major issue to another, world leaders have been unable and unwilling to address major societal, environmental and political concerns.

Some of the meanings of the Lion are obvious: strength, cunning, pride, voracity, power, primal instinct and rulership.  The Lion is also the symbol of Christ consciousness, the sun, and also greed.  The  Lion has a crook around an image of the Pope.  An image that reveals the inner nature of the Church’s thirst for power with a head and crown but a body of a dog, ready to scavenge off the fears of the unsuspecting.  The Christ symbol, the light of Leo, the sun, is attempting to control the symbol of religious authority.  So who is the man that is pulling on the tail of the Lion?  The clue is on his back.  There we see an “X,” the original cross that precedes that of  Christianity, a cross of suffering and pain.  To either side of the cross are two pillars.  For those familiar with the esoteric and masonary, you will understand that it is the intitated who are trying to return the lion to its proper place on the image.  In Roman numerals, the “X” equals the number 10, which is the Tarot number for the Wheel of Fortune.  But it is something more.  The “X” is symbolic of 2012 when the earth and our solar system “crosses” the galactic plane, the end, or beginning, of a new cycle for the planet and all that dwells thereon.  It is said that “all that is hidden will be revealed.”  The current surge in spiritual thought, orchestrated by mystical organizations, is leading the way to a great tranformation.  The New Age, Now Age, The Secret, Waking God, and other events and books represent an explosion of re-kindled ideas of the true and divine inner nature of man.  Notice that the figure is not attempting to stop the Lion in its efforts to subdue dogma.  It merely seeks to return the Lion to its proper place in the circle and cycle of time.  Notice that the color of the serpent and the pants of the mystic are green, the colors of love and healing.

And now we come to the arm extending from the top right.  Many say that it is the hand of God.  This is not correct.  The arm extends from the position in the Tarot reserved for man.  This is not the physical man, but rather the spiritual man, the higher self, super consciousness.  The arm emerges from a cloud, a symbol of spirit.  The cuff is of royal color and holds a crook that extends to the center of the wheel.  The connection of the arm to the center reveals man’s connection to the divine.  But what is the arm attempting to do?  Higher human consciousness is attempting to break, alter, or change the current cycle.  A cycle filled with ruinous dogma, fear, greed and confusion. 

What is Nostradamus telling us?  He speaks to our current time in history.  He tells us that the world is in chaos.  Our leaders are ineffectual, religion has lost its purpose and that a great transformation is nearing.  He indicates that the transfomation is not the result of a mythical “second coming,” but rather must stem from the higher thoughts of man; a man that reconnects mentally with the center of all that is in order to break our cycle of destruction and ignorance.  The time is getting getteing close.  And, as the Hopi have said, “it is we who we have been waitng for.”

While there are many successful users of the Law of Attraction there are still many who have yet to find the secret to the “Secret.”  The publishing world is ripe with books on how to effectively use the Law of Attraction, including my book, “Jesus Taught It, Too: The Early Roots of the Law of Attraction” but still, many have yet to master its use.  One major roadblock to would be masters of their own reality is what I call, “The Just In Case Syndrome.”

In addition to the notion that “like attracts,” the Law of Attraction contains within it basic corollaries such as form follows thought, where consciousness goes reality flows, what you think about the most you attract, fear attracts more fear, reality is thought made manifest and your world is a mirror of your predominant conscious and unconscious  thoughts.  Basically, what you hold in thought becomes your world.

Here is the problem: while many want to try to use the Law of Attraction, they suffer from the “just in case syndrome.”  Here are some examples.  You want or need a new car and you go through the steps of forming your intention, visualizing your new vehicle and even begin to show gratitude for what you expect to come.  So far, so good.  But, “but just in case” you fail, you decide to put a lot of repair money into your existing car.  Another scenario: you want to free yourself of some illness or dis-ease and do all of the visioning for a whole and healthy body.  But, “just in case,” you take any and every medication to try to cure you ailment.  Or how about finding that perfect job?  You begin to see yourself in your perfect occupation but, “just in case,” do all that you can to ensure that you do not lose your existing job.

The “just in case syndrome” applies to many such situations.  Reducing weight, finding that perfect relationship, building a business, achieving a life goal, reaching a state of enlightenment, moving, finding a new home and all of those things one may desire are subject to this syndrome.  Your thought process goes something like this; I desire “X” but “just in case” I am not successful, I will plan for “Y.”  Now “Y” is often your current situation or something near to it.  It exists because it has been your predominant thought(s) in your life.  It is what you see in your life’s mirror that you do not like and want to change.  The problem is that what you are really doing is trying to alter the image already in the mirror rather than changing what you are projecting on to the mirror.

Your personal mirror, despite all of its failings, is a comfort zone.  You have become used to the image and even if it is ugly, it is familiar and has some odd sense of safety.  It is what you have known to be true for your life and even though you want to change it, you provide for its continuance, “just in case.”  Does this type of thinking send a clear message to the Universe about what you really desire?  Are you not really telling the Universe, “I want this, but…?”  Is this a powerful intention and a clear image of what you are aiming to manifest?  This is not to say that you should delete all medications or not keep your car in functioning order.  However, you have to closely examine your intentions and thought patterns and determine if they are more in the direction of what you want, or more in the direction of “just in case.”

Think about this syndrome on a national and international basis.   We desire peace, but ‘just in case’ we also want the latest and most sophisticated weapons technology.  We want better education and health care, but “just in case,” here is my compromise plan.  The economy may be doing okay, but “just in case” here is our economic stimulus package.  We want people to get a long and share ideas but “just in case,” lets build this wall or fence.  It should be clear that intentions are mixed at best and contradictory at worst.  When you say one thing and act in an opposite manner, the Universe sees your actions as your predominant thought and the world is as it is accordingly.

Some may say that the “just in case” syndrome is another term for lack of faith or belief.  But of those words, to me, are suspect and by definition, imply uncertainty.  There is “knowing” and there is belief, but “just in case” it might get confusing, that will be a topic for another day.

I do not pretend to be a scientist but I am conversant with many of its principles.  The purpose of this article is to contrast some of the basic laws in physics with that of the Law of Attraction and to at least to generally illustrate that the two fields of study are not contradictory.  In fact, in a Universe that is founded on energy, the laws of energy and spiritual laws that manipulate energy must be linked.   Law of Attraction deals with the manipulation of energy to create reality.  It therefore must be compatible with the principles of physics, to the degree that science understands the ever-changing knowledge we possess of those principles.

Opposites attract.  This law actually confirms the basic principles of the Law of Attraction.  Negative energy, in spiritual terms, is merely the absence of a positive charge; it is a place for the positive to flow into.  Think of the negative charge as a need or a want.  You look at your life and say “I have a need for more prosperity.”  This is the negative charge.  In response, the positive energy of abundance and prosperity abhors a vacuum and rushes in to fill the void.  Opposites attract and the Law of Attraction works. 

But science says that like repels like.  In a way that is true with respect to magnetic polarity but only to point.  There is a force in the Universe called gravity.  In this instance, matter attracts matter.  It is not opposite matter that attracts but rather all matter seeks to attract other matter.  If not, there would be no stars, no planets and no manifest Universe.  Like does repel like if the space is full.  Fill a cup with water and then try to poor more in.  It does not happen.  Fill a hay barn with hay and try to throw more bales of hay in.  It does not happen.  Like only repels like if there is no need for more of the same thing.  In the Law of Attraction, love attracts love, thoughts of prosperity attract more prosperity, and thoughts of health attract health.  It is hard to say if there is ever enough love so the cup never gets full.

If you lack prosperity and focus on that lack, you will not attract prosperity.  All that you are really doing is making the cup, the hole, and the lack bigger.  Like attracts like so thoughts of lack, attracts more like.  However, when your focus changes to abundance, now opposites attract and the positive energy of abundance rushes in as positive energy to fill the hole you once created.  So, you can either keep thinking negative thoughts and make the hole larger and attract a bigger hole, or use the laws of physics to your advantage and fill the hole with positive energy.  Either way, the Law of Attraction does not violate the laws of physics; on the contrary, they help to prove those laws.

If like did not attract like there would be no such things as atoms since their nuclei are composed of, among other things, positively charged protons.  The protons should have repelled each other, according to critics of the Law of Attraction.  If you look at nature you find salt deposits, iron deposits, copper deposits, etc.  It is clear that these elements and their atoms were attracted to each.  Otherwise, all of the atoms of these elements would just be widely scattered throughout the Universe.

We know like ideas attract.  If this was not true, there would be no such thing as groups such as political parties, social and charitable groups, or even societies.  The world of people would simply be chaotic with each person out for their own survival.  By the same token, opposite sexes attract but it is still among like species so they are not really opposite as much as they are two forces that seek to join for a common purpose.  They are two sides of the same coin.

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  This means that for every positive thought, there is an equal opposite and negative thought.  At first glance, this does not sound very good since it implies that the stronger your positive ideas, the stronger the negative idea.  In order to have a manifest Universe this law must exist.  If there were no down to accompany up, there would be no dimension.  However, with thought we are in the realm of potential.  You cannot create a positive thought without a corresponding negative thought.  This does not, however, mean that the negative thought must manifest.  By continuing to focus on manifesting the positive and ignoring the existence of the negative, the negative remains only in potential and not manifest.  If your thought began to focus on the negative, then the potential negative would be brought into manifestation.  The key is intention and focus and to make the positive actual and to keep the negative, potential.

“Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest and bodies in motion tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by a net force.”  We all know what it means to be in a rut.  Whether it is spirituality, politics or economics it is easy to be complacent and to stagnate.  This basic Newtonian law applies to the realm of spirituality.  As long as things are going “okay” we tend to just trudge along in a comfort zone.  Feeling that we have a slight spiritual edge over others, we settle for being, as Pink Floyd once said, “Comfortably numb.”  It is not until something happens, a net force, hits our life that we see that stagnation leads nowhere.  From personal disaster to things like job loss, divorce, epiphanies and even comments made by others, a force is required to move our life back into action and the road to higher evolution.  Conversely, we have all heard the phrase, “being on a roll.”  When we are on the spiritual fast track almost no net force can derail our progress.  We are in motion and will continue to be so as long as we stay focused and do not allow appearances or negative thoughts derail our progress.

F-ma.  Perhaps it is a stretch to use this law in talking about the Law of Attraction but, at least metaphorically, it works.  This law states that Force = mass x acceleration.  Can you measure the “force” of a thought?  I believe that one day we will but for now, I believe the law still offers an important spiritual lesson.  I write the formula this way: the Force of a thought equals the importance of the thought (mass) times the urgency (acceleration) with which we desire to manifest that thought.  This is why passing thoughts, ones that lack any real importance and urgency, have little force and often dissipate.  Conversely, a thought that holds your attention and which is filled with emotion and desire (mass) and which needs to be dealt with relatively soon (acceleration), has a lot of force and is likely to manifest quickly.  Keep in mind that this works for both positive and negative thoughts.

Do other permeations of this formula work?  Thoughts with a lot of force that “weigh heavy” on the mind tend to manifest quickly. F/m=a.  If the thought is powerful but is of little concern to you (less mass), the manifestation is slow (a).  Does F/a=m work?  Thoughts that have little sense of urgency (a) do yield a low thought force and one with little mass or of little concern.  These thoughts will have only a minor impact on your life.  Again, while you cannot put actual numbers into the formula, the concept for the Law of Attraction do seem to work.  Since form follows thought, those with a lot of thought create a clearer manifestation than those with less thought. While actual times cannot be used, notions of ‘soon,’ ‘later,’ and not at all come to mind.  While mass in grams or pounds cannot be used, terms such as ‘heavy,’ ‘important’ or even critical come into play when thinking of mass of a thought.

There are other laws in science that support spiritual ideas and the energy they manipulate.  If “resistance” is provided to a current, things heat up.  If resistance is faced by an idea, things can certainly heat up.  Heat a volume of air and it expands.  Heat up an idea with desire and emotion, and it expands.  There are many analogies and the details can be left to those more scientifically inclined.

The bottom line here is that the Law of Attraction is not in the least bit contradictory to the laws in physics.  When looked at in terms of practical application or spiritual application, it can be seen that these laws are even interchangeable.  At a minimum, there is no conflict.  The day may well come in the areas of quantum physics when many of these things can be measured and quantified or seen in a complimentary manner.  Since matter is energy and thoughts are energy, it is logical and rational to see that the basic laws or principles would have to apply to both the physical and spiritual realms of existence.  Ancient mystics knew of the principles of energy and thought and advances in quantum physics are bringing these ideas, one thought to be diametrically opposed, into congruence and unifying theory of existence.

“The Lost Book of Nostradamus” was recently aired on the History Channel.  They got it all wrong!  While sensationalism sells and controversy attracts listeners, the History Channel should have done more to balance the commentary on this newly discovered manuscript.  While their was a hint of mystical inference in some of the commentary, most so called ‘experts’ greatly missed the mark in the interpretation of the text and images in  The Prophecies by this well known seer.

In a multi-part series of articles it is my intent to show that the current popular interpretations of the symbols presented in the “Lost Book” are sadly lacking in efficacy.  In doing so, the current buzz around this book will have done Nostradamus and humanity a great disservice.   It is important to keep in mind that current interpretations are geared to a comparison of the text to Christian ideology, mytghs and scriptures.  By spending most of the analysis comparing Nostradamus, prophecies to the Bible in general, and revelations in particular, the effort becomes self-serving and self-fulfilling. 

Nostradamus was a mystic with ties to several secret societies, most notably, the Rose Cross.  In this context, new levels of observation come to light when viewing the images contained in the text.  As a matter of fact, if one examines The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucian’s, it will be clear that there is more than meets the eye with respect to the intent and meaning of the Nostradamus prophecies.  Further, while the commentators on the show made mention of tarot symbols, it is clear that their understanding is not at the esoteric levels.  In my co-authored novel, “Waking God,” the concept of a Tarot Code was introduced.  The book is a mystical treatise in the guise of a spiritual thriller and states that the tarot has hits roots in imagery that preceded the Assyrian Empire and has been carried forth into the modern era.  These symbols provide a pictorial history of human evolution as well as clues, or prophecies regarding our future.  These symbols are found in almost every civilization and yet are understood by only a few.

Contrary to information and suppositions made in the History Channel’s broadcast, the symbols of Nostradamus transcend those images often touted by biblical scholars as messages of doom and world’s end.  Perhaps the only real accurate statement on the show that was symbol related is that the prophecies give clues as to the Apocalypse.  But even here, it is important to remember that the term ‘apocalypse’ does not mean the end of the world.  The word means ‘revelation, to uncover, knowledge revealed’ and not Armageddon or the destruction of the physical world.  The term apocalypse has been hijacked by religious dogma to frighten unsuspecting followers into believing that all prophecies that deal with the word apocalypse support their notion that one day, deity will destroy its creation and only the faithful will survive.  The apocalypse of Nostradamus deals with the ‘end of lies, not the end of times.’

While more details will be presented in subsequent articles, it should be understood that the true and inner meaning behind the words of Nostradamus concerns humanity’s spiritual awakening.  The prophecies are a light post aimed at leading humanity into a new era of spirituality that is devoid of dogma and founded upon the notion of personal spiritual enlightenment.   The same can be said for the much misunderstood Book of Revelations.  The accuracy of his predictions serves to underscore the fact that he knew the benchmarks that would be achieved as humanity travels on its path of evolution.  He was showing people that tough choices must be made if we, in fact, ever hope to prevent our own self-destruction. He was alerting humanity to the ideas that our choices are leading to such things as environmental, social and political collapse if we do not change our way of thinking.  His warnings were meant to divert us from catastrophe rather than suggesting that such catastrophe is inevitable.  The goal a person telling you not to go down a certain road because the bridge has collapsed is not to foretell of your death; it is meant to prevent your death.

In future articles I will show that the serpents and dragons in the images of Nostradamus are representative of evil or the devil.  The female images are not about women trying to become Pope.  The Tower of destruction is not about the end of the world.  The images of apparent clashes between Muslims and Christians do not predict inevitable religious wars.  The symbols of Nostradamus and the Tarot are not about an anti-Christ.  Throughout religious history biblical texts, taken out of context, have been used to justify all manner of crime and injustice.  The prophecies of Nostradamus are another voice crying out in the wilderness of human history urging us to change our ways and enter a period of great enlightenment.  It is incumbent upon modern interpreters of these messages not to fall into the age old religious trap and of using these words of wisdom to frighten humanity into a set of self-fulfilling prophecies.