SOUL SHIFTS

Barbara de Angelis has been devoted to the spiritual path since she was a teenager and in this inspiring book she distils the wisdom of a lifetime of practice in a clear and highly readable fashion. She quotes Tesla as saying: 'if you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.' Vibration is a fundamental theme of the book and represents the being element in our lives. Indeed, the author states that the book is not only information, but also a transmission, a vibrational bridge or gateway that we can pass over or through. The soul shifts in the title work from the inside out and help transform the way we relate to ourselves, to others and to the world.

The book is in four parts: gateways to authentic awakening, the technology of transformation, soul shifts for practical spirituality, and living your soul shifts. Throughout the book, Barbara illustrates her points with pertinent stories. For instance, she visited a European monastery, and when talking with a friend found out that she had missed a candlelit room with a huge statue of the Blessed Virgin. It turned out that it was right at the bottom of a dark stairway that she had not seen. Her friend remarked: "I guess you just didn't go deep enough" - a parable for life and the spiritual path. In order to embark consciously on the spiritual journey, we need an awakening or remembering of our deeper identity. Sometimes life provides a cosmic alarm clock when we experience a sense of divine discomfort and are ready to open up and let go of our limitations. Barbara is always pushing at the boundaries, encouraging readers not simply to seek, but also to see. One of the key soul shifts is the following: 'Today I'm going to see what there is to see, to feel what there is to feel, and to know what there is to know.' This is a commitment to live and experience life to the full; it is more a matter of being than of doing or practice, although our actions are infused with our being.

This is where vibration comes in, since we are all by definition vibrational beings emanating certain energies. I remember meeting Brother Boris in Sofia over 20 years ago. At the time, he was over 90 and I experienced a palpable feeling of love emanating from him. This was the fruit of intense spiritual work over a long period. In this connection, Barbara quotes the Maharishi as saying that when the fruit comes on the branch, the tree bows. Real transformation is a transformation of our consciousness and being that then informs the quality of all our thoughts and feelings. We are each a broadcasting station with certain dominant frequencies that put us in resonance with some people and not others. Our very being affects everything and everyone around us. Past events are also vibrational in terms of our experience of them in the present. And our relationships are also primarily vibrational - we can inherit some patterns from our parents.

If we are truly committed, we realise that everything counts in life and the way in which we spend our (life) time. This implies being as conscious as possible all the time, even in the smallest actions: today and every day counts, every choice matters since it is through these choices that we build ourselves. Barbara suggests that taking a stand for awakening involves choosing expansion over contraction, but then the rhythm of life involves both: the sap goes up through the tree in the spring and descends back into the roots in the autumn. At one level she is right encouraging readers to choose love over fear, openness over shutting ourselves off, although there is a time for retreat and a time to go out. Again, we can assess people and situations in terms of their vibrational impact. Another important theme is the spiritual practice of choice, through which we continually define and redefine ourselves. It is the natural corollary of awareness and we can always ask ourselves in any given situation if there is a more enlightened choice that we might make. As Antonio Machado remarks, 'There is no path. Paths are made by walking.'

Throughout the book, readers are encouraged to reach for their highest potential, vibration and expression. In this sense our soul accomplishments are more significant than ones. Barbara relates the time round the passing of her mother and the soul accomplishments of her mother's life in terms of the living example of love that she represented. Life is both about giving and receiving, so we need to practise grace and gratitude in both directions: it is an art to be a receiver as well as a good giver. Barbara reminds us that we can also be grateful for things that are absent and that the ultimate gratitude is beyond conditions. Her conclusion is that we are here to make a vibrational difference through our presence and by being a blessing rather than a burden, lifting people up rather than weighing them down. She offers a prayer in this respect and reminds us that our ultimate legacy is one of love and light, a legacy that we need not wait to give, but can give every day. She has given us a profound guide for transformative wisdom that highlights the essentials and gives readers ample guidance in applying their personal soul shifts.