In celebration of the lunar eclipse – and an early Christmas gift for the family – we bought the virtual workshop in Phoenix that was held on the day of the lunar eclipse, December 10. It was the first Esther Hicks has done since the death of her husband, Jerry, about three weeks ago.
I was curious about how Jerry’s death might impact Esther’s ability to connect with the nonphysical group, Abraham, that she channels. On a personal level, I was trying to put myself in her shoes. Not only did she lose her spouse of decades, but the man who was her business and spiritual partner. This workshop was the most powerful I’ve seen, either virtually or physically.
In a nutshell, the Abraham/Hicks premise is that we create our own realities through our emotions, beliefs, and thoughts, which determine our “vibration,” a magnet through which we attract everything in our lives. This premise isn’t new.
Carl Jung, in his introduction to the I Ching, wrote, “like attracts like.” He was discussing why the I Ching, an oracle that uses coins and 64 hexagrams, was able to answer questions. But like attracts like also became the basis of his theory of synchronicity. Seth, a nonphysical energy channeled by author Jane Roberts, put it more bluntly: You get what you concentrate on…there is no other main rule.
My introduction to these concepts began with the I Ching when I was about 18, and then continued with the Seth material when I was in my twenties. The Seth books were the first channeled books I’d ever read that resonated on an intuitive level. Seth and Jane wrote twenty some odd books before her death in 1984. I read all of them. I even bought the books that contained “the deleted material” – information Seth provided to Jane and her husband, Robert Butts, about her physical ailments, their private lives, their marriage. Some of the deleted material is difficult to read, particularly the stuff that was channeled when she was bedridden for a year because of her rheumatoid arthritis.
But the messenger can never be confused with the message: that’s what I ultimately took away from the Seth books – and from the virtual Phoenix workshop we watched. And yet, the messenger’s presence is important.
In the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s, when Jane and Seth wrote most of their books, there was no Internet, social media, cell phones, iPad, iPhones, Facebook, blogs, Amazon, Twitter…you get the idea. Jane and her husband worked out of their home in Elmira, New York, holding regular Seth sessions for more than twenty years. To my knowledge, there is only one video in existence of Seth speaking through Jane. Today, of course, there are many websites about the Seth material, but these are not written by Jane Roberts or Seth.
For awhile, Jane held sessions in her home for outsiders and some of these outsiders, who were really young when they attended, are now carrying on her work – Rick Stack, for instance, and Sue Watkins.
Esther Hicks is a whole different ballgame. She and Jerry, when he was alive, embraced every social media venue to promote Abraham’s ideas and products. And there are many products – books, CDs, workshops, a cottage industry. And yet. There’s Esther herself. When Megan and I attended one of her workshops in person in 2009, I went with the intention of trying to determine if she was in a trance during the entire six hours of the workshop. By the end of the workshop, that point was rendered irrelevant because the message, the philosophy, the core of the material is so inherently positive and resonates for me.
During tonight’s workshop, the impact of Jerry’s transition was apparent. As Abraham said at one point, Jerry’s transition was the next logical step. His overwhelming desire to know and understand had triggered their journey and now his transition gave him the ability to view the larger picture, from a nonphysical perspective.
The best parts of these workshops are the questions that are posed when someone is selected to sit in the “hot seat.” This is like a one on one with Abraham, and never is there any apparent struggle on Esther’s part to answer the questions. She’s always composed, listening intently, and you sense that she’s tuned in to something other than herself, something greater than herself. Now and then, when the person in the hot seat talked about suffering and the great works of art that came from pain, Esther made these very strange sounds, a kind of high pitched shrieking, and then looked off to the side and murmured, “That was Jerry.”
Suffering, apparently, is not the preferred method for creating great works of art, music or literature. But it may be the point where the musician, artist or writer releases his or her resistance to success, beauty, whatever. Even though Tchaikovsky’s life was one of pain and suffering, when he composed music, he released himself from resistance and the universe flowed through him. Isn’t this process the epitome of creativity? Of synchronicity? Abraham is quick to say that suffering isn’t necessary to release resistance, that awareness is key.
During the last segment of the workshop, Rob, Megan and I kept relating our personal experiences to what Abraham was saying, a sure sign of psychic resonance. And in the end, there really isn’t any other criteria that matters more than what we ourselves feel and know when evaluating information.
I read Seth Speaks many years ago and had the exact same experience. It resonated at a very deep level. I receive a daily note from Abraham through the Hicks and find it resonates with me in just the same way. I don’t really like to watch her workshops, however. It triggers all of my resistance and I find I focus on that instead of the message. I learn best through written words, I’ve found.
Fascinating! You know exactly why you don’t like to watch the videos.
I read The Urantia Book long ago, A Course in Miracles as well, and came to believe that there are so many levels of understanding available to the open spirit, unseen and unexplained. I know little about Seth, but just the feeling that you impart here in this post, I cannot help but be attracted as well.
Trish and Rob: you are people who touch me on so many levels. I enjoy our virtual connection through our blogs.
I remember the Urantia book! And have looked thru the course in miracles. And I’m with you, the levels are numerous and complex.
We enjoy the connection, too, DJan. You’re such an inspiration with your hikes and the gorgeous photos and and the rhythm that makes up your life.
This is an enlightening post. My friend of more than 25 years, Sherry, was a dedicated follower of Abraham-Hicks. Although Sherry had no death-wish, she has always expressed her eagerness to re-join her “group family” and that she has been “home-sick” for that family all her life. A tiny, petite woman, and deeply spiritual, Sherry had no ailments. A few weeks ago she was alone in her home, and was later found on her kitchen floor in a “sleeping position”, but there was a spilled cup of tea beside her on the floor and a bowl of soup on the counter. No autopsy was performed. The coroner decided she died from congestive heart failure. No evidene to support that, though. Our group of close friends have intuitively come to the consclusion that Sherry simply stepped out and left. The coroner did state she “was gone before her body hit the tile”. I have the firm conviction that Sherry was ready and willing and so wanting to go….she was a joyful person, not depressed, just “ready”, and she left. I will always have the conviction that each of us has the ability to do that if there is sufficient reason, will, and intent on the super-conscious levels. Sherry loved life, but still, was ready to go on the next adventure. Have a blast, Sherry, and you, too, Mr. Hicks!!!
After watching the virtual seminar, it seems that Jerry Hicks was ready to leave…for the next adventure!
I was very impressed by Ester’s notice about Jerry’s death and more so that she kept this workshop on her schedule. I’ve always felt they are a real deal and am impressed with their products, marketing and pricing. The Law of Attraction is free, like electricity, and what we pay for in our utility bills is the process to harness and the resistance encountered through the wiring systems and grids.
“The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne is a marketing gimmick with the most important clue in the forward of the book when she reveals the journey of years and dedication that introduced her to teacher after teacher. A lot of people were introduced to the LofA through this book and have continued on a journey for their own teachers, so I am not offended by it anymore. 😀
I was blown away by Esther’s email about his death and also impressed that she maintained her schedule. You’re undoubtedly right about the secret, terri.
I came to know about Jerry and Esther Hicks through “The Secret.” In 2006 or 2007, I watched the DVD and then I saw that there was an earlier DVD that featured the Hicks. That they were taken out of the documentary made me curious. I had found “The Secret” to be too shallow for my liking. It was all materialist gimme gimme gimme that turned me off. So, I thought the exclusion of the Hicks might have been a part of that (I thought the Hicks didn’t want to be associated with the shallowness of “The Secret”, until I learned the reasons Esther explained). When I watched the Hicks series of videos, I was stunned. I couldn’t find a flaw in anything she said, which made me want to see more and more. It resonated with me and Esther simply has a legitimate vibe with me (the lady who created “The Secret” did not have such an authentic vibe with me). I love Esther Hicks! I have thought a few times, if I were to attend an event and get into “the hot seat”, the question I’d ask would be: “Where can I find a lady my age who has Esther’s sense of humour, beauty, and spirituality?” I’m looking for a lady like her!
I attended two of the Hick’s Abraham work shops in the 1990’s when I was living in the Bay area. The Hick’s were “there” way before, “The Secret.” I enjoyed it when Ester told personal stories about their various events with “The law of attraction.”
the secret was sort of a ripoff.
Though I know very little about Abraham/Hicks for many years I have believed the premise that we make our own reality with our words, thoughts, actions. I would certainly like to attend such a workshop as I still have some reservations about chaneling – must make some enquiries. Interesting post.
For years, I avoided books that were channeled because the few I’d read just seemed silly. The Seth books were the first I’d read that actually were well written and felt genuine. The Hicks books are less dense, less philosophical, and the material is infinitely practical. t yesterday’s virtual workshop, people from 108 countries were “attending.” The $75 it costs is rather inexpensive when several people watch it.