Song of Thanksgiving, 11x14 inches, collage and colored pencil on canvas, $308
the gratitude gateway
Teal, from heart to voice, Taurus, G Major, the jig
We have reached the first color that is not specifically associated with a chakra. Teal is a tertiary color, not quite blue and not quite green, so in a rainbow chakra system it would theoretically sit between the heart and the throat.
What this could mean is something like "giving voice to love," a color of the expression of what's on our heart. That spans the gamut from telling your crush you love them to telling a family member you're grateful for their presence.
I decided this means something more like gratitude for my purposes.
Gratitude is quite the buzzword, and there can be a lot of emotional baggage that comes along with it. When we're told that we "should feel grateful" that breeds resentment because there is so much in our lives that is far from perfect. Really, the word "should" has no place when talking about feelings.
True gratitude is not about forcing yourself to feel like everything is fine when it's not. Issues need to be addressed, but Gratitude, when we can tune into it and feel it naturally, is great for our health and quality of life.
In the introduction for my book, 30 Love Letters, there is a little exercise to stoke unconditional love for absolutely anyone, and this is rooted in gratitude.
Gratitude and love are also easily accessible gateways for communication beyond the veil if you're into that kind of thing. More on that later.
As we move down the chromatic scale, this imaginary teal chakra would be associated with the key of G Major.
Rudolf Steiner associates G Major with Taurus in his tone zodiac, and here is the poem Steiner wrote about Taurus in his work called Twelve Moods:
Brighten, oh glory of being,
Reach into the power of becoming,
And weave the thread of life
Through worlds imbued with being,
In mindful revelation,
Into radiant life-awareness.
Oh glory of being, appear!
I feel like of all the zodiac signs Taurus is probably the most associated with gratitude, simply because this sign is such a lover of all sensual pleasures.
What is this glory of being? I think it is probably this world of the five senses here on earth. The memory of sensual pleasure is possibly a big motivator to incarnate on earth again, but who knows?
At least the joys of the senses console us while we're here and make life worth putting up with. Maybe our sensuality is that "radiant life-awareness" mentioned above.
Music is certainly one of the most potent pleasures of the senses. So, what does Schubart have to say about G Major?
"Everything rustic, idyllic, and lyrical, every calm and satisfied passion, every tender gratitude for true friendship and faithful love, - in a word every gentle and peaceful emotion of the heart is correctly expressed by this key."
Geez, what Schubart says here pretty much describes Taurus to a T!
G Major is a very common key for folk music in particular, perhaps especially the Irish jig.
I grew up with a lot of Irish music in the house. My father is a self taught fiddler, and I used to play jigs and reels on the piano as a kid. I'm just sorry I only got to take violin lessons for one year, otherwise I might have played the jigs on that instrument as well.
This is music I associate with the comforts of home, music that makes me feel safe and grateful for my family. There are many days when my dad is playing Harvest Home on his fiddle upstairs while I sing Bach downstairs.
Now, let's talk about love and gratitude as a spiritual gateway. Read on if you want to learn more about how I connect to the spirit realm and to try it yourself.
One of the most common pieces of advice for communicating with beings beyond the veil is to "raise your vibration," but of course no one can really define what that means.
The best way to do this immediately is to focus on feeling love or gratitude. I can say that this does indeed make it easier!
Here's an exercise for you.
Start with a spirit in mind you wish to communicate with and a specific question. This spirit could be someone you knew in life, a spirit guide, a religious figure, an ancestor, your own soul, or even a historical figure.
Get comfy, but bear in mind that laying down might make you fall asleep. Sitting up is best. Practice good psychic hygiene, perform a quick ritual to keep potentially harmful spirits out.
Close your eyes and focus on the love you have for the spirit you wish to communicate with, and this love can take on any shape and any intensity, but keep it positive. Have faith that whatever form of love you feel will be enough.
Once you feel open and joyful you can start meditating. The initial goal of this meditation is simply to empty your mind. With your eyes closed keep your inner gaze focused on your third eye as you allow thoughts to float through your mind without attaching your focus to them.
This emptiness meditation might take ten minutes or so initially. Free yourself from expectations. I know I'm tranced out enough when I start seeing purple lights behind my eyes, but this may not happen for you. During these first ten minutes you may get a message from your chosen spirit contact, but you must allow it to flow freely.
It's equally likely that you won't get any messages, just keep at the emptiness meditation. Around this ten minute mark you can call the spirit up again, just feel the love and ask your question inside your head once more.
This is usually when the messages start coming for me. Remain open to these messages via a variety of senses. You might see visions, or hear things, know something, feel something, or even smell or taste things.
What I have noticed is that we all have a natural way in which we tend to receive such messages, but because it's natural for us we discount it. I normally see things, but I think of the messages that I hear as being more significant or "more real" simply because it's rarer for me to experience a message this way.
The case may be reversed for you. If you are the kind of person who normally hears things then you may wish your messages were more visual. This does not invalidate your natural sense for receiving this kind of communication.
Because we think of this as a form of supernatural communication we tend to think the messages should come in a supernatural way, but this isn't usually how it works. It's most likely you will receive these messages via your most natural talent for receiving messages generally.
Once you receive your message you can thank the spirit and open your eyes when you feel satisfied. It's also possible that nothing will happen. This is a skill to practice, but you might also get an answer in some totally different way later that day or in the week.
Note as well that when I say "see" or "hear" this is very unlikely to happen with your physical eyes and ears. You will remain aware that this is all going on inside your head, so don't worry that you're going crazy!
Like I said, this takes consistent practice, and you can also get out of practice. If you've been connecting to the spirit world via meditation but haven't done it in a while, it may take some time to get the skill back.
And anyone can do this! It doesn't require a special gift. Some people do have more natural talents than others, as with anything, but we can also learn new things and practice them.
Also, don't get hung up wondering if the messages are "real." If you're not looking for concrete and specific proof, then all that matters is if the information actively improves your life, increases a sense of connection, or blows your mind.
Insight really is the goal here after all, and no matter what may really be happening, this is a great method to find it.