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<![CDATA[ADRIANHANKS.COM - Adrian\'s Blog Page]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 02:10:59 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[How does one meet the Arch-Angel Michael in India?]]>Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:51:47 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/how-does-one-meet-the-arch-angel-michael-in-india

Finding The Arch-Angel Michael on the Ganges in India

I’d like to share something that is not such a common topic and one that often gets a lot of scepticism, ignorant, or uneducated reactions, and it can trigger people’s fears. The topic I wish to share is Spiritual Hierarchical Beings. This topic sprung itself on me (again) whilst I was sitting on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India a couple of weeks ago (6th February 2025).

I have been on my own Spiritual path with Anthroposophy (from the initiatives of Rudolf Steiner) for over 30 years and the Spiritual Hierarchies have always interested me. In my teachings I have certain understandings based on the meditations, research, and spiritual investigations from Rudolf Steiner, and other philosophers that have come before and after him. I have also developed some of my own with my own spiritual investigations.

Most people, no matter what faith they follow or have, will have heard of ‘Angels’. They are common in songs, prayers, stories, and religious sermons. This is what I would call the ‘first level’ of spiritual hierarchies. The Angels are the closest to human beings. We then have a whole range of other spiritual beings. Each spiritual or religious pathway has their own lists, structures, and names for these beings.

I’m not going to go into detail on these here in this article as I want to focus my writing on one particular spiritual being, one that I have a deep and personal connection with. This being is ‘The Arch-Angel Michael’. There are many different views, writings, and beliefs about ‘Michael’, mine are from my own spiritual path of Anthroposophy and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. I have tried to validate all of this through my own study, meditation, and spiritual investigation.

A brief outline of The Arch-Angel Michael
Michael is one of the main Arch-Angels. For centuries, the tradition of the "mystical chronology" of the world's seven archangelic regents has been part of Western esoteric teaching. The Michael Age in which we stand today, which replaced the previous Gabriel Age (1510 - 1879 A.D.), began, according to Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research, in November 1879 after the Fall of the Spirits of Darkness caused by the Archangel Michael. Michael thereby conquered the power by which men, if they follow him, can transform the materialistic intellectual power into spiritual intellectual power. The paths, the "Michael paths", which lead to a contemporary spiritual knowledge, can be followed through anthroposophical spiritual science.

This is my path; this is what I am committed to following. I have been doing so for 33 years. (In this current incarnation!).

The power of Michael. … Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. …

So, back to the river Ganges in Varanasi ... I was contemplating Michael and having a few thoughts about how Michael, in the west, is portrayed from a Euro-centric perspective. This is done through art particulrly where he is depicted as such.

This got me thinking and posing the question to myself, How do I connect and experience Michael in India?
Of course my own ‘intellectual’ and perhaps ‘emotional’ connection is Euro-centric. This is true even though my 30 plus years of working in ‘The Michaelic Spiritual School’ have been in the Southern hemisphere in Australia. Beyond the corporeal, earth-bound workings there is the realm of the spiritual world where there is ‘no’ Euro or other intellectual reality.

In the spiritual space Michael is experienced in his spiritual identity - in his spiritual beingness. I have had the blessings of being able to access this for myself on several occasions over the past decade (after 20 + years of dedicated study!) and I truly get to feel the might and power of this incredible Arch-Angel.

Unfortunately, and sadly, Michael, along with other spiritual beings get ‘misused’ and treated with much distain within the ‘Pseudo-Spiritual community. People treat them as playthings - with little or no understanding of what and who Michael is. In many cases it’s become quite comical. I watch and listen to many so called ‘mediums, psychics, etc talking all sorts of nonsense. I simply have nothing to do with these people anymore - many either live in a place of delusion or falsity or have been led down the path of spiritual egotism - the realm of Lucifer in Anthroposophy.

So I sat .. and waited for some divine inspiration on the banks of the Ganges … It did not take long to arrive, but it arrived in the most incredible way.

He, my new Michael, appeared as an eight-year-old, standing on a row boat beside where I was sitting with my feet dangling in the Ganges, the holiest river in India, perhaps in the world. He smiled - teeth perfect white. He had an earring in each ear. He was in a pair of shorts and his Indian brown skin shone like dark copper. And then suddenly, from somewhere in the boat he produced his sword!

He smiled, leapt off the boat, and came towards me. Something beautiful, mystical, spiritual was happening. He stepped into the water beside me, and I splashed a little water on him … He laughed. We laughed. He then started to splash me with ‘His Indian Holy Water - Ganges Water!’

It was like a Baptism. I felt moved. I could feel the presence of this being, who was so much more than a boy on the Ganges. My partner Virginia said three words - Boy - Sentient Being - Entrepreneur, that seemed to sum it up.

Our interaction went for about 20 minutes. There were few words (I don’t speak Hindi and he was very limited in his English - yet, on another deeper level we seemed to understand each other - ‘see each other’. I put a 50 Rupee note into his hand - I wanted to gift him something material that he could use - and in India it’s Rupees!

He ran towards a man, who then came over to us. It was his father. He spoke some English and I shared what an amazing boy he had. The father also pointed across to a lady sitting about 20 metres away who was selling ceremonial flowers and candles (they are sold in a container, or on a leaf, and are set free on the Ganges). I realised she was the person we had purchased our ceremonial flowers from just before meeting ‘Michael’ …

The boy’s name was actually Sanjeet - He who is always victorious and invincible. A fitting name indeed for this boy.

So, what did I experience?
For me, it was a meeting in the realm of Michael with one of his younger warriors (Sanjeet), meeting an older warrior (me). It was a reminder and insight into how, when we open our consciousness and ask spiritual questions (like I did with the question - How do I connect and experience Michael in India?), spiritual doors open and there are things to see and experience. We get shown!

A few days later (Tuesday 11th February), my partner, Virginia and I hired a boatman and his boat to row us out on the Ganges so we could perform a ceremony. It was, for me, a continuation of the meeting with Michael. At 7 am we were submersing ourselves into the Ganges …

You can watch this on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ySaOygiJ9w

Blessings, Adrian.

Finding The Arch-Angel Michael on the Ganges in India

I’d like to share something that is not such a common topic and one that often gets a lot of scepticism, ignorant, or uneducated reactions, and it can trigger people’s fears. The topic I wish to share is Spiritual Hierarchical Beings. This topic sprung itself on me (again) whilst I was sitting on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India earlier a couple of weeks ago. (6th February 2025).

I have been on my own Spiritual path with Anthroposophy (from the initiatives of Rudolf Steiner) for over 30 years and the Spiritual Hierarchies have always interested me. In my teachings I have certain understandings based on the meditations, research, and spiritual investigations from Rudolf Steiner, and other philosophers that have come before and after him. I have also developed some of my own with my own spiritual investigations.

Most people, no matter what faith they follow or have, will have heard of ‘Angels’. They are common in songs, prayers, stories, and religious sermons. This is what I would call the ‘first level’ of spiritual hierarchies. The Angels are the closest to human beings. We then have a whole range of other spiritual beings. Each spiritual or religious pathway has their own lists, structures, and names for these beings.

I’m not going to go into detail on these here in this article as I want to focus my writing on one particular spiritual being, one that I have a deep and personal connection with. This being is ‘The Arch-Angel Michael’. There are many different views, writings, and beliefs about ‘Michael’, mine are from my own spiritual path of Anthroposophy and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. I have tried to validate all of this through my own study, meditation, and spiritual investigation.

A brief outline of The Arch-Angel Michael
Michael is one of the main Arch-Angels. For centuries, the tradition of the "mystical chronology" of the world's seven archangelic regents has been part of Western esoteric teaching. The Michael Age in which we stand today, which replaced the previous Gabriel Age (1510 - 1879 A.D.), began, according to Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research, in November 1879 after the Fall of the Spirits of Darkness caused by the Archangel Michael. Michael thereby conquered the power by which men, if they follow him, can transform the materialistic intellectual power into spiritual intellectual power. The paths, the "Michael paths", which lead to a contemporary spiritual knowledge, can be followed through anthroposophical spiritual science.

This is my path; this is what I am committed to following. I have been doing so for 33 years. (In this current incarnation!).

The power of Michael. … Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. …

So, back to the river Ganges in Varanasi, India earlier this week ... I was contemplating Michael and having a few thoughts about how Michael, in the west, is portrayed from a Euro-centric perspective. This is done through art particulrly where he is depicted as such.

This got me thinking and posing the question to myself, How do I connect and experience Michael in India?

Of course my own ‘intellectual’ and perhaps ‘emotional’ connection is Euro-centric. This is true even though my 30 plus years of working in ‘The Michaelic Spiritual School’ have been in the Southern hemisphere in Australia. Beyond the corporeal, earth-bound workings there is the realm of the spiritual world where there is ‘no’ Euro or other intellectual reality.

In the spiritual space Michael is experienced in his spiritual identity - in his spiritual beingness. I have had the blessings of being able to access this for myself on several occasions over the past decade (after 20 + years of dedicated study!) and I truly get to feel the might and power of this incredible Arch-Angel.

Unfortunately, and sadly, Michael, along with other spiritual beings get ‘misused’ and treated with much distain within the ‘Pseudo-Spiritual community. People treat them as playthings - with little or no understanding of what and who Michael is. In many cases it’s become quite comical. I watch and listen to many so called ‘mediums, psychics, etc talking all sorts of nonsense. I simply have nothing to do with these people anymore - many either live in a place of delusion or falsity or have been led down the path of spiritual egotism - the realm of Lucifer in Anthroposophy.

So I sat .. and waited for some divine inspiration on the banks of the Ganges … It did not take long to arrive, but it arrived in the most incredible way.

He, my new Michael, appeared as an eight-year-old, standing on a row boat beside where I was sitting with my feet dangling in the Ganges, the holiest river in India, perhaps in the world. He smiled - teeth perfect white. He had an earring in each ear. He was in a pair of shorts and his Indian brown skin shone like dark copper. And then suddenly, from somewhere in the boat he produced his sword!

He smiled, leapt off the boat, and came towards me. Something beautiful, mystical, spiritual was happening. He stepped into the water beside me, and I splashed a little water on him … He laughed. We laughed. He then started to splash me with ‘His Indian Holy Water - Ganges Water!’

It was like a Baptism. I felt moved. I could feel the presence of this being, who was so much more than a boy on the Ganges. My partner Virginia said three words - Boy - Sentient Being - Entrepreneur, that seemed to sum it up.

Our interaction went for about 20 minutes. There were few words (I don’t speak Hindi and he was very limited in his English - yet, on another deeper level we seemed to understand each other - ‘see each other’. I put a 50 Rupee note into his hand - I wanted to gift him something material that he could use - and in India it’s Rupees!

He ran towards a man, who then came over to us. It was his father. He spoke some English and I shared what an amazing boy he had. The father also pointed across to a lady sitting about 20 metres away who was selling ceremonial flowers and candles (they are sold in a container, or on a leaf, and are set free on the Ganges). I realised she was the person we had purchased our ceremonial flowers from just before meeting ‘Michael’ …

The boy’s name was actually Sanjeet - He who is always victorious and invincible. A fitting name indeed for this boy.

So, what did I experience?
For me, it was a meeting in the realm of Michael with one of his younger warriors (Sanjeet), meeting an older warrior (me). It was a reminder and insight into how, when we open our consciousness and ask spiritual questions (like I did with the question - How do I connect and experience Michael in India?), spiritual doors open and there are things to see and experience. We get shown!

A few days afterwards, my partner, Virginia and I hired a boatman and his boat to row us out on the Ganges so we could perform a Ceremony/Puja. It was, for me, a continuation of the meeting with Michael.

At 7 am we were submersing ourselves into the Ganges …

You can watch this on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ySaOygiJ9w

Blessings, Adrian

]]><![CDATA[I was asked an interesting question last week ...]]>Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:52:27 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/i-was-asked-an-interesting-question-last-week

I was wondering what my next Blog topic would be, and last week it arrived via a question I was asked. It was quite an unusual question, and I thought it would be a good challenge for me to answer it. The question was, How does the word failure figure in your vocabulary? Do you exclude it as a damaging word?

It’s actually quite a deep question, and I pondered on it all day (whilst painting a room at home) and it is interesting what thoughts and imaginings arose for me. I will share some of them with you here …

Failure is generally defined as a lack of success or the inability to meet an expectation, or not getting the desired outcome. It is normally seen as the opposite of success. Success, is the accomplishment of reaching a goal, purpose, or intended outcome. Success and failure are different for each of us based on our individual biographies, beliefs, mindset, attitudes, and/or values, and perhaps our Karma?

There are different ways to express failure. The lack of success focus, as stated above, which is based more on the ‘I am a failure’ feeling or belief because I did not achieve or become something in life, and the ‘I failed’ to do something statement, like not being able to stand on one leg for more than 10 seconds, which would probably not get me into an emotional state of feeling like a failure. In this article I am focused on the bigger picture, the bigger life failures.

My thoughts on failure came mainly from two perspectives. Firstly, from my own life experiences with failure and success, and secondly, from a psychotherapeutic perspective on how I work with my clients who bring this as a ‘presenting issue’ into the therapy space.

So how does the word failure figure in my vocabulary from my own biographical/life perspective?

I had to dig deep for this to come up with some clarity. In the end, what came to me was this (and I’m sure there is lots more to say if I contemplate this further). For me, measuring my success and failure is a form of self-judgement and measuring someone else’s, would be a form of judgement on them. I am measuring a perception of how I think or believe something should be. If I think and /or believe that I should have done something or other or achieved something and couldn’t, then I can easily judge that as a failure. Likewise, if I don’t complete something I could also judge that as a failure.

I have had two marriages, both have ended. Is that a failure? I am now 60 years old, and I don’t (yet) have my millionaire status, which I desire, is that also a failure? For me, NO, it is not a failure. It is part of my journey, part of my life process. I learn from each experience I have and then, I can make new, more informed decisions based on them.

And I am being very open here, one thought that came to mind for me whilst I was contemplating the question was, have I failed as a father? This is, by far, the number one thing that I could easily judge myself on. I won’t go into too much detail, but suffice to say, it has been quite a painful journey … I did, for quite a while, blame myself, saw myself as a failure, and had lots of guilt about the situation. Now, as I sit here writing this, and after lots of inner work and therapy work, I do not carry those anymore. I do not feel like a failure. The past is the past, I was not, am not, the only player. There were/are lots of moving parts and lots of cogs that link to the next cog. Words get said. Experiences happen. Stories get told - and sometimes changed (for secondary gains sometimes – I say more on this later in this article).

My point here being that being ‘stuck’ in the ‘failure mindset’ is a choice. I’d agree that it is not always easy to get out of it but choosing to ‘do the work’ to be free of this, often deliberating feeling, is a choice. With the right therapy and support, it is possible to be free of these feelings of failure (along with guilt, shame, etc). I know this to be true from both my own experience, and from working with many clients for over the past 20 years.

Does this mean that I am successful if I am not feeling any sense of failure? Yes. It means I have succeeded in not carrying the sense of failure – that is a success for me.

It then begs the question, why would we wish to continue to have this sense of failure in our lives? Why continue to carry it when there are possible solutions?

I thought about this too. Two things came to mind. Firstly, something we call ‘secondary gain’ in the field of psychotherapy. This is when something is gained by holding onto a belief, behaviour, or emotion. We gain something, generally from others around us that we have learned to enjoy. Getting rid of the pain (in this case the feeling of failure), is not a choice for the Soul if we hold onto the enjoyment of the secondary gain (which is what the Soul craves, because it has yet to experience the other choice – which is Freedom from the feeling of failure.

There are many secondary gains, but a couple of things are quite common. These are: attention from others, addiction to our (old) story, and/or a perceived sense of peace or relief, from not having to do or achieve something – often based on Fear, or Self-Doubt.

We all, in some form or another live our lives with secondary gains – we all have mind-games and soul-games going on. Whether we choose to attend to them or not is the question. Telling the same old story (of how we failed) over and over often cements our old stories deep into our lives and it can be a challenge to change them. I often share that when we ‘Name It’ we can then start to ‘Tame it’. But the desire to do so is the starting point. The desire must be there.

The second thing in my mind was ‘human and social conditioning’. In our western world, which is full of conditioning through advertising, peer pressure, media, literature, etc. we are dealing with failure continually, every day. Failing to look good, is one of the greatest weapons the cosmetic and fashion industry have against us. We are bombarded every day with ‘you are a failure’ – ‘you are not good enough’. It starts in school with our pass or fail exam process. Divorce and separation are often deemed as a relationship failure. The list goes on …

It is easy to get caught up in this. The billions spent on education, advertising, promotion, and propaganda, is incredible. It is not an easy thing to get freedom from. It takes greater awareness, much commitment, and a desire for change to begin and continue this pursuit of freedom … If you want it?!

I am sure there is a third, and perhaps more reasons too …

So, my day has been quite full of success and failure in my mind. It’s been an interesting exercise for me and given me some real clarity on how the word failure figures in my vocabulary. In terms of it being a damaging word, yes, from the perspective of it keeping us stuck in an old addiction, story, or non-serving situation, I do think it is damaging. The human potential is incredible, and we have many ways in which we stop ourselves from reaching many potentials – holding onto the sense of being a failure can be one of them. As I have expressed, I personally, would rather do the therapy work and move on from it and see each experience as a leaning process.

From a Karmic perspective. I feel that if I do not wish to revisit this issue again in my next incarnation, I’d best deal with it and clear it up in this one ... Whatever it takes!

I’m sure many more thoughts will emerge over the next few days and weeks, but for now, that’s it ... I trust it has also given you some food for thought. Please feel free to add some comments about failure and success.

Blessings,

Adrian

]]><![CDATA[Gifting Oneself ...]]>Sat, 28 Dec 2024 17:18:55 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/gifting-oneself

With Christmas now wrapping up (excuse the pun!), I'd like to say a few words about 'Gifting Oneself'.

For most people, Christmas is about giving and receiving, and is one of the many things that makes Christmas a special time. Some people like to give more than receive, and vice-versa. I wonder which one you are? Perhaps it's a good balance of both for you? I know, for myself, I love to both give and receive.

Then comes the question of giving to oneself - Gifting oneself as one perhaps would gift someone else.

I find that when I offer something like a Personal and/or Spiritual development program, people are either good at saying 'YES' and treating themselves, or they struggle with the idea and find excuses as to why they cannot do one. I find it is generally an excuse, as most people, if they are asked, actually like Personal and/or Spiritual development work.

Putting oneself first and gifting oneself with something that involves, Time, Energy, and Money (T.E.M.) can be a challenge. But the issue that arises when it is not done, is that it can stiffle or stop you from receiving any Personal and/or Spiritual development growth and results. This is why I encourage people to do the work and put themselves first once in a while.

Giving oneself a gift, like this, is a way of saying "I love myself', 'I honour myself', or 'I believe in myself', which is often a difficult thing to say for many people. Self-Esteem and Self-Worth is what I am highlighting here. It's often the thing that blocks people's pathway to doing 'work on themselves'.

I know, from more than 30 years of my own Personal and Spiritual development work, and from supporting others to do it, that it's well worth doing. Seeing other people grow and develop is such a joy. I really love this part of my work. It's a great reward.

One of the key things I talk about to people when discussing Personal and/or Spiritual development, is how important it is. I think it is a fundamental part of being human. It's one of the four main components that make up the basics for living a more holistic life. These are, the Physical. Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual aspects.

A lot of empasis is generally put on our physical and mental health and condition, with the emotional and spiritual aspects generally getting much less attention. In the mainstream medical world the emotional and spiritual aspects are rarely spoken of.

I my work, I incoporate all four aspects, as I like to work from a deeper, more holistic perspective. My analogy is, 'it's like having four good, well inflated tyres on a car, where we get the smoothest and most balanced ride. When one is a bit flat or has less tread, it causes all the others to be out of balance too' ...

So, with Christmas coming to an end, and with the New Year just around the corner, if you are into Personal and Spiritual development, this is a very good time to consider gifting yourself something like a program that will give you results.

Click here and visit NewYou
Watch the video - read the info.

All the best for the New Year and for 2025, and I look forward to chatting to you soon if you are interested in gifting yourself this program ....

Adrian

]]><![CDATA[Should I have a Mentor, Coach, Teacher?]]>Mon, 16 Dec 2024 21:35:31 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/should-i-have-a-mentor-coach-teacher

The answer to the question, Should I have a Mentor, Coach, Teacher?, in my opinion, should be a resounding YES!

Study after study shows that people who engage with a mentor, coach, or teacher get better results. Why is this?

There are several reasons that come to mind:

1. Accountability. Having someone to be accountable to with our visions, goals, and plans.

2. Experience. When engaging with someone who has experience in a particular field, EG, Health and Wellbeing, we can learn from them. We can learn what works and what does not work so well. That can save us lots of time, energy, and money, as well as saving us a lot of heartbreak and pain sometimes.

3. Encouragement. A good mentor, coach, or teacher should be able to encourage us to push through our challenges and get us over the line with our results.

4. Inspiration. For me, this is a key aspect of any good mentor, coach, or teacher. If they inspire me by what they have done, or are doing, that gets me excited. That inspires me to do the same ...

5. Investment. This is something that many people do not value. Investing our Time, Energy, and Money to improve ourselves is a great thing to do. And when we invest in a good mentor, coach, or teacher, the return of that investment shpould pay us good dividends.

When I engage with my clients I expect them to get a good ROI (Return Of Investment) with me. I want my clients to walk away feeling better. Having clients make statements after working with me like, 'Finding the deeper sense of Purpose in my business is one of the greatest things I’ve ever done in my business life'. (Jim Roddy, Business Broker, Qld, Australia), gives me a lovely sense of achievement. I know that there is a great ROI for my client when they make statements like this.

6. Brainstorming and Master-Minding. A good mentor, coach, or teacher can offer us the opportunity to do some Brainstorming and/or Master-Minding which is a great way to expand the mind and bring about new ideas ... I personally love receiving and giving this in my personal, business, and spiritual work as a student/client and as a coach, mentor, and teacher.

These 6 points above are a few good reasons why it's a good idea to get, and work with, a good coach, mentor, and teacher. My good friend, and one time coach, Andrew The Fire Coach (that's what I named him) says 'Everyone needs a Good Coach, even a Good Coach'. Very wise words indeed.

As we head into 2025, it's worth considering this and then deciding on 'who' that coach, mentor, and teacher is going to be. It's a good question to ask ourselves. Who is the right person for me? Who will be able to give me a good ROI and get me results?

One way to begin the process is to ask ourselves, 'What is it I am trying to achieve? What results am I after?

Once this is defined, then it is easier to find the right coach, mentor, and teacher.

I hope this has been helpful and given you some inspiration to get yourself someone to work with in 2025.

If you would like to have a conversation with me to see if I am a fit for you, please get in touch and we can have a chat.

As the words say above in the image, 'What if it does work out exactly as you imagined it or greater. Entertain that thought'.

Good luck with it all,

Adrian

Check out the 'New You in 2025' mentoring program starting in January.
www.AdrianHanks.com/NewYou

]]><![CDATA[Who am I? and who can I perhaps become?]]>Fri, 29 Nov 2024 16:36:46 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/who-am-i-and-who-can-i-perhaps-becomeThe question, 'Who am I? has been asked for many thousands of years. Socrates, Aristotle, and many other people, have asked this question and given their understanding of it. For me, it is not an easy one to answer - not even from a spiritual perspective, but I have a few thoughts that I would like to share.

I do know that physically, emotionally, and mentally I am not the same person as I was even yesterday. Hopefully I have grown and developed, and learned some new things in the past 24 hours.

And I know that I have changed spiritually too, as my meditations and other spiritual practices are designed to help me to develop and grow, even though I do get days where I feel I have gone backwards!

Part of that work and growth is about 'taming' the demons, the shadow, and aspects of myself that are not on my resume! This is ongoing work for me.

Grasping and taming my inner demon (pictured below as a snake) is something that I feel is very important to do in terms of 'becoming' what I call my Future Potential Self. Sometimes it is about staring 'it' (that snake) right in the eyes and doing battle with 'it'.

I work in this way with many of my clients and students who are working to overcome aspects of themselves in their lives that are not serving them. My Addiction work is mostly about engaging with, and strengthening the core - The 'I' so that it can go into battle. The battle can look different for all of us depending on what it is we are dealing with and our 'story' around it.

Much of the time it is a battle of the WILL to overcome our stories, beliefs, habits, and/or addictions. It is about defining and becoming this Future Potential Self - This New You. Our Old-Self will do whatever is possible to hold on. We all love the 'secondary gains' we receive from old old stories and habits even though they may be outdated by many years ... The sub-conscious mind does not know this and keeps feeding on it ... If that secondary gain is attention - if that is the need - then 'our old-self will work hard to keep that story and behaviour going.

Generally this is done unconsciously - we are unaware of how we are acting or displaying our behaviour. Others around us can notice it and perhaps even think it's strange. It's often seen as 'out of place' or 'out of character'. And that is exactly what it is, as it's our old-self in action and not our current self.

Something that happened in our childhood may still get played out well into our adult life and keep us stuck in. that story and behaviour. I know I am still uncovering and dealing with some of my own! It might be my 15 year old (now, that's a story!) acting something out, replacing my 61 year old self. This sort of thing goes on every day for all of us - lots of it. and the more aware you become of it, the more you will see it in others and perhaps even yourself!

So, coming back to the original question of 'Who am I'?. I am a man in constant transition and growth who has a core part of my being called my 'I' or Spirit that is the aspect of myself that is 'The Choice-Maker', the one that can choose to be a better, more conscious person. However, this 'I' will have to do some battling with the lower aspects - the demons, the shadow, the inner child - and what in Anthroposophy (my spiritual path based on the work and initiatives of Rudolf Steiner) we call 'The Astral'.

A simplified explanation for now - This Astral body, or being, is centred around our Soul - and with our feelings, emotions, habits, and desires. If the 'Astral Desire' is big enough can shadow our 'I' and take control. This is where we will have to go into battle to restore the order of things so that we are in Spiritual control.

There is so much more I can say on this topic. I share much of this in my therapy work and with my workshops and programs. Check out my website for more details. I do have a 3-month program starting in January for 8 people called 'The New You' - It is perfect for those who want to develop and step into their Future Potential Self!.

All the best to you on your journey - and good luck with working on the question of 'Who am I?'.

Blessings, Adrian

]]><![CDATA[Getting (back) On Track]]>Mon, 11 Nov 2024 06:39:13 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/getting-back-on-track

Sometimes it can be a challenge to get back on track, especially if it feels like the wheels have completely fallen off! For some people, it may even seem that they have never been fully on track in their lives. Either way, there are things we can all do to help us to climb (back) onto those tracks ...

Much of this has to do with our 'Mindset' and how we deal with our challenges. It's also about putting into place some sort of structure or plan to help us to navigate through our challenges.

For me, when I feel I'm not on track and am feeling challenged by something, I bring myself back to some basic things that I have in my 'tool bag', or 'resource bag'. It's like having my own personal 'emotional first aid kit'

Even though I have had this bag for many years, I can easily forget or dismiss that it's there. Making the conscious effort to use my tools and resources can be a challenge in itself. Sometimes our old habits, stories, and wounds can keep us off track for weeks or even months at a time. This is why I believe it's essential to develop and use a range of tools and resources - so we can move out of that space faster!

In my own bag I have placed several things I find useful. They have certainly helped me on many occasions.

My main resource is Meditation. It's the one constant that I come back to. It's the thing that I find the most powerful for settling my mind and bringing me to a place of stillness and calm. In this space 'all is well' and I can then bring that feeling into my day. By meditating, I can turn off the negative thoughts, the fears, doubts, and mind-chatter.

I would highly recommend Meditation as a key resource. You can find a few Meditations on my Media page.

The other main resource I use, is what I call my 3 Power Exercises. These consist of my Power Name, my Power Words, and my Power Stance. I developed this process many years ago and use it almost daily and with almost all of my clients. It's a very powerful and empowering resource.

Apart from these two key things (Meditation and my 3 Power Exercises) other things I find useful to help me to get back on track, are, running, walking in nature, playing my didgeridoo, doing some art, journaling, talking with friends, reading a good book, doing some cathartic therapy work and/or spending time in my garden.

I don't reach for a drink, roll a joint, take some prescribed or unprescribed medication, or go into a deep dark hole ... It is not what I choose or recommend.

I do recommend though, being clear about what resources you have, or would like to have at your disposal, and then making sure you use them.

If you have therapy on your list, make sure you have someone that you can work with who you know will help you to get back on track. With my clients I use a range of processes and resources to support them, but always get them to create their own 'tool bag of resources and tools' so they have 24/7 access.

One never knows when life will throw a curly one at us and it's good to be prepared. I had a big curly one thrown at me earlier this year and I had to dig deep into my tool bag. I pulled out all the resources I could find and used them daily for many weeks to help me to get back on track. This included reaching out for some one-one therapy work.

I can now share that I'm feeling much more firmly on track and can feel my momentum and energy flowing more strongly and freely ...

Helping people to get (back) on track physically, emotionally, mentally, and / or spiritually is the bulk of my therapy and coaching work. Most people know when they are off track, the signs are usually quite clear if we are willing to recognise them or listen to people who are witnessing something going on.

Depression, anxiety, lethargy, soreness, aches and pains, bitterness, anger, hurt, resentful, and blame are all signs of being off track. If any of these are what we spend time being focused on, that is not healthy. These things are 'low vibration', 'low frequency' and that's when we need to make some positive changes. This is where we pull out the tools. It's a matter of doing whatever we can to change the situation from 'challenging' to 'better'.

One thing that I personally struggle with, is the concept or belief that 'all is as it should be', that 'I'm perfect the way I am'. If something is not feeling good for me, I want to change 'it' so that it does feel good. I want to feel good about myself, the people around me, and the things I am doing in my life. For me, being in a place of anxiety, depression, pain, or resentment is not being perfect, it is not being in a place that is as it should be. I find that it does not serve me or my health and wellbeing to be in that mindset.

If you are not clear on your process of getting back on track, spend some time doing so. Write it down. Add the resources that you will use to get you back on track. Ideally three or four things will be enough so you don't go into overwhelm. E.G. Meditation, Singing, Walking, and Journaling.

As I shared previously, it can be a challenge to use the tools when feeling stuck, so it is good to practice using them and building up a good habit so it becomes easier.

One of the key things I find useful is to identify and name what's going on for me. What is it that is keeping me off track? Can I identify 'it' ?

Once I do this I can then tame 'it' and bring myself back to a place of feeling more balanced and in my core, which is when I know I'm back on track in my life. Being in my 'core' is me being focused, without fear, doubt, self-hatred or self-destruction, anxiety, projections, reactions, or judgements and without being in a place of blame or resentment. Not carrying these things within me is a great place to be and it's the place I choose to be in whenever I am able.

However, this takes daily focus and work to achieve it, but it's work I am prepared to do as the results are well worth it. It has enabled be to be free of ill-health, dis-ease, medication, depression, and anxiety in my life, for which I am very grateful.

As I fondly share with people - 'Meditation is my Medication'. I'd rather sit quietly in meditation and turn off the noise with my mind, than open a bottle of pills. It's a choice I make and one that makes me feel good - It gives me a sense of connection to my inner 'Wise-Man', my inner 'Spiritual Warrior'.

Ultimately, everyone has to make their own choices in what they do for their health and wellbeing, but if I can support people to see and administer some of these choices and to make more conscious decisions about how they do things in their lives, then I feel I am being of good service.

If you'd like to explore this a little more, check out my regular online webinars, where I cover this, and other topics, See https://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-webinar-group, and / or contact me for some one-one work.

Blessings, Adrian

]]><![CDATA[RITUAL and CEREMONY]]>Tue, 05 Nov 2024 17:52:34 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/ritual-and-ceremony

I have recently created a small Labyrinth for doing ceremony and ritual. The picture above is what it looked like a few months ago - with the basic outline set out with some paving stones. It now has stones and rocks collected from across the local landscape as I collect one or two each time I go out into nature. This is all part of the way i wish to create this Labyrinth, with consciousness and with energies from different places and experiences.

Many of the rocks, including a big 30 kilo rock, came from the Moors. I lugged this big rock back to the car for several hundred metres on my shoulder after pulling it from a small bog! It now stands tall with pride as 'The Shiva Lingham' stone in the Labyrinth.

Out on the Moor I love to create ceremonies and rituals. The land there, as it is in many places across the world, is full of sacred sites, which, for me, help to make the ceremonies and rituals easier to perform, as I tune into the energies already present there.

Recently I was at The Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire with my partner Virginia, and we did a ceremony amongst the stones using the sound of the didgeridoo, voice, and movement. The energy there was rich. There was a real sense of magic in the air - we simply added to it. That is the beauty of sacred sites, one can build on what is already there.

In our own sacred space - where we have the Labyrinth, we are building up the layers of energy every time we do something. The fire pit gets used frequently with various rituals and the ashes get spread onto the garden.

Perhaps take some time out for yourself and create a ceremony or ritual and feel how it can have a positive effect on you. I find it's a great thing for me to do for my health and wellbeing. stepping into that magical realm helps to ease away any challenges that I may be dealing with in my life. That magic ritual space lightens me and I feel its power surging into my every fibre.

In 2025 Virginia and I are offering 4 ceremonies on the Moor for the solstices and equinoxes. We have been making some special plant based oils especially for this and will be giving them away to the participants who join us ...

Check out the events link - virginiacompton.com/courses-retreats/

Blessings, Adrian

]]><![CDATA[That One Book - That One Meditation - That One Spiritual Practice]]>Fri, 04 Oct 2024 11:46:52 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/that-one-book-that-one-meditation-that-one-spiritual-practice

That One Book - What is it?
That One Meditation -What is it?
That One Spiritual Practice - What is it?

If you are a journey of personal/spiritual development, I believe that each of the questions above are important. Why is that?

The answer is, reading and studying the same book over and over, doing the same meditation over and over, and staying put with one spiritual practice, all offer stability, continuity, focus, and commitment. Each time they are used, they add another layer to our experience and wisdom. After many months, and then many years, we get to experience deeper levels of understanding, awareness, and hopefully, consciousness.

For me, that one book is 'Knowledge of the Higher Worlds' by Rudolf Steiner. It is my number one go to book. I have been reading and studying it for more than 30 years. Each time I read a new chapter, I feel like I have read something anew, some new understanding and wisdom always seem to be there.

My go to meditation is one that I have been doing for 25 years. It is one that was suggested for me from one of my meditation teachers. Although I do several different meditations, this one is a staple and one I come back to time and time again.

My spiritual practice, my spiritual path, is clear to me. I follow the stream of the ancient Rosicrucian Order through the teachings and guidance of Anthroposophy (established by Rudolf Steiner).

Having these three things in my life help to keep me on my path and focused on my personal and spiritual development and growth. Doing this daily (as much as possible) is a commitment and something I take seriously in my life. As I often share with people, spirituality is not about being airy-fairy and sitting on a cloud gazing at our navels, it's bloody hard yakka!

It takes commitment and dedication to do the deeper spiritual work. having the practical things is important as it keeps it real and grounded. It is interesting for me when I discuss 'spiritual practice' with people who tell me they are 'spiritual' that they rarely seem to have a regular practice, with tangible, practical things that they do. To add further to this, many, or most of the people I speak with find it quite difficult to define their path or practice.

In most spiritual traditions or pathways there are certain things to follow, with books to read, meditation and other practices to follow, codes or beliefs to adhere to, and to then live in a certain way that reflects the codes and pathway. For me, one of the focuses is on 'The 7 Conditions of Spiritual Practice' - given by my Teacher, Rudolf Steiner. I find these 7 core principles are the bedrock of my practice.

You may find this surprising, but the first condition is 'To focus on, and look after our physical body and our physical health'. I see many people who claim to be spiritual totally neglecting this, which does not surprise me, but saddens me. It takes a lot of commitment to stay fit and healthy and having this commitment helps with the 'Will' required for the deeper spiritual work.

People who I work with in my 'Spiritual Wisdom Teaching' are asked to commit to work with me for several months so they get to be clear, focused, and established in their spiritual practice. It is all about helping them to get some clear results from all the hard work. Initiation is not completed over night or at some weekend ceremony, it takes many months, or even years to go from one level of initiation to the next. There are no short cuts!

A great time to start or to delve a bit deeper is always now. Now is always the time the make it happen, otherwise the day after tomorrow just becomes another tomorrow ...

Start with:
That One Book
That One Meditation
That One Spiritual Practice

Adrian

]]><![CDATA[Health and Wellbeing - Prevention and Maintenance]]>Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:32:31 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/health-and-wellbeing-prevention-and-maintenance

Me, Blackberry Picking!

As I often like to share, health and wellbeing is our greatest asset and investment. Sadly the majority of people do not seem to take this very seriously, and end up having to deal with illnesses and dis-eases that could, in most cases, be prevented.

By putting the practice of prevention and maintenance into place on a daily basis, we increae our chances of staying in good health by a consideable amount, physically, emotionally, mentally. and spiritually.

It also gives us a great sense of self-worth and self-love. Getting to the stage of having a greater sense of self-worth and self-love is one of the key factors in doing this prevention and maintenance work. I know from the work on myself and with the hundreds of clients I have worked with on this, the benefits are huge.

I take my health and wellbeing seriously. I have been very focused on it for many years, building up the commitment and daily routine over time. Right now I am more focused than ever as I start to live through my 60's. Having been committed through my 40's and 50's, I'm now feeling the benefits. I'm not in ill health - in fact, I'm in great shape!

Over the past 20 years I have only had a couple of boughts of light 'illnesses', and have only had to revert to Big Pharma-medicine three times - each time using Paracetamol to help with some nasty physical pain (Wisdom tooth, back pain, and rib pain from bending a rib!).

I rarely take supplements and vitamins, preferring to 'forage' in nature and collect my own herbs, flowers, and fruits. If not eating them, I like to put them in my water bottle and drink the goodness daily. By doing this I get to tune into nature and receive the things I need in the right seasons. Currently here in the UK I am feasting on Blackberries!

Sometimes things come along at the right time. At the beginning of the year I was introduced to LifeWave 'patches'. I initially said 'no' to trying them, because, as I have mentioned, I generally don't take or use any 'health products' that are manufactured.

However, I said I would try for a couple of days, as they are non-transdermal (nothing actualy goes into the body) and they are easy to use (simply apply a patch to the skin).

Wow - within minutes I felt an effect. I felt a 'Light-Energy' pulse through my body! This continued with the second patch thje following day - each patch is worn for 12 hours at a time. I then decided to commit to using them and have not looked back.

They are a very high-tech, patented, tried and tested product and the company has been around for 20 years! I like it so much that I'm now a Brand Partner with lifeWave and sharing the patches with others to support them to get great results like me.

I have been wearing the patches for 8 months now, and can honestly say they have taken my health and wellbeing to new levels. I feel stronger in my Core, have more mental clarity, my hair is growing back, I'm age reversing (one of the key factors with the patch called X39), and .... I have been getting continual Personal Bests with my running - I am down to below 24 minutes now for my 5 kilometre Park Run! I am also able to run 10, 15, and even 20 klometres in one go without getting tired like I used to.

Using the patches has not replaced my daily routine, it has enhanced it. I still meditate, exercise, eat well (organic vegetarian where possible), sleep well, and make sure I am good emotionally. mentally, and spiritually by doing my daily exercises with these things too. It is all about holistic health for me.

So, for me, the prevention of illness and dis-ease is in place and the daily maintenance is also there. By choosing this as part of my holistic lifestyle I know I am giving myself the best care I can - I am also telling myself that I have self-worth and that I love myself.

If you are wanting to get some supprt to get yourself into better shape and get the prevention and maintenance happening, please contact me for a conversation and we can discuss what would be best for you. We are alll individuals and it's important to find the right routine and process that works for each of us.

The other option is to join the majority of people and most likely have to deal with illnesses and dis-eases that could most likely have been prevented ... For me, it's a 'no-brainer', I know what I choose ...

Adrian

]]><![CDATA[Redefining oneself at 60]]>Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:42:02 GMThttp://www.adrianhanks.com/adrians-blog-page/redefining-oneself-at-60

In September 2023 I hit the grand old age of 60.
Here I am in the photo having just turned 61.

The previous few years, from the beginning of 2020 until my 60th birthday, was quite a whirlwind, what with the Covid nonsense, and a few family and relationship challenges.

It's not so easy now to remember it all, but the bits I do remember are deeply embedded in my memory. One particular set of memories are from the 'Hold the Line' and other Freedom rallies I attended, especially the one in Canberra in February 2022, where around 700,000 - 800,000 people came together to protest about the vaccine mandates. It was a great moment in Australian history that sadly got little attention or was falsified. Even in Wikipedia it is claimed that only 10,000 people marched ... Such is the controlled media.

This time, during that Covid nonsense (that's how I view it!) was a great time of learning for me. It helped me to define my beliefs, build my Core sense of being, and develop my courage. Standing, often with my 1.5 metre stave (with a large crystal in the top) at the rallies, and being questioned, pushed, challenged, and even 'sound-bombed' with an illegal sound frequency by the police, was not always easy to deal with. The continual 'attacks' on the 'Anti-Vaxxers' from ther MSM (Main Stream Media) was outrageous and contagious, as many family, friends, and colleagues bought into the paranoia and contagion.

On the relationship front it threw up it's challenges too .. Once again it was a case of making some changes, standing strong and 'holding the line' in many aspects of my being. I remember walking to the beach in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast (in Queensland, Australia) a few minutes from where I was living at the time in my apartment, to do some emotional relationship release work, and being the only person around. It was eerie. It was a starnge time. I refused to be caged up - refused to consent to the nonsense that I saw around me. I used my wits and some knowledge of the law (not the mandate nonsense) to stay free in that time and walk where I wanted to in the area.

Travel was a bit more challenging .. However, I travelled several times by plane wearing no 'mask' as I knew my rights. I also knew that they were nonsense, ineffective, and not goood for my health, so I refused to wear one. Again, against the grain of the MSM narrative.

In October 2022 my then partner went through a very tough time with some medical procedures. much of my time and energy for 6 months was focused on supporting her ... Thankfully, she is now in good health.

What a time that was - it was a powerful build up for me and my pending 60th birthday.

On September 6th, 2023 I set off for the UK with my then partner. It was both a celebration for my 60th and for her recovery. That trip set in motion a series of events that have brought me to where I am today ...

This past 12 months, and being 60, have taught me a lot. In this time my previous partner and I made decisions that have totally changed things for me (and her). Something similar happened when I turned 40. It was then that I first went to South Africa.

After returning to Australia after our 3 month trip away in 2023 to the UK and Europe, I now find myself living in Devon, in the UK after returning here in February 2024. In my heart I knew I had to do this. I knew I needed to be here. It was a strong calling. One I could not ignore. I have had similar callings before and always try my best to answer them ... It's now becoming evident of why that is - What that calling is all about. I call them Destiny Moments!

So now I am redefining who I am in the UK. I am in a new relationship with an increbile woman, in a new community, and in a new mind-set. It's all quite a big process to go through.

What is this? Who am I now becoming? What will be different?
These are great questions, and one's that I will be discovering as I sense and live into them. For now, I am breathing into each day with a sense of wonder, adventure, and excitement for what's unfolding ...

There is much I miss about being in Australia, but I know that right now, I am where I need to be for me ... This is the place for me to do the redefining and re-establishing of who i am and where I am going in life, and will emerge into the next version of who I am ... I feel it is part of my next level Initiation process of becoming the Spiritual Warrior, the Spiritual Teacher, that's emerging from within ..

I'll keep you updated ...

Adrian

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