A new episode of The Mystical Underground is live! “TMU Time Machine: Heather Bristol: Hearts And Paws Never Fade Away”:
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Certified psychic medium, animal communicator, and spiritual coach Heather Bristol to discuss our spiritual connection to our pets.
Vonnegut self-portrait
This one is a repost of Rob’s experience from 2019.
Synchronicities can happen anywhere, anytime, even when waiting out a major storm. As Hurricane Matthew approached, we kept the Weather Channel on, listened and occasionally watched the latest updates. Our house was shuttered and Trish and I were settled in with two dogs and three cats. Stuck inside, I took the opportunity to organize some of our books that were piled here and there, and see if I could find shelf space or set some aside for recycling.
I noticed two books separate from the others, one atop the other. One was The Dreaming Universe, by Fred Alan Wolf. The other was Kurt Vonnegut’s Man Without a Country. I considered putting Wolf’s book in a bag for Goodwill, but noticed there were several paper tabs marking various pages. So, curious, I open the book to one of them, glanced down the page and my gaze stopped on the phrase… ’Vonnegut’s experience.’
That seemed like an interesting coincidence since Vonnegut’s autobiographical book had been resting atop Wolf’s dream tome. So I backtracked a few paragraphs to find what Vonnegut’s experience was about.
The story comes from a book on dreams in which Alan Vaughan, one of the co-authors, wrote that he had watched an interview on TV with Vonnegut and a few nights later dreamed of Vonnegut. He wondered if the dream meant anything to Vonnegut, so the next morning, March 13, 1970, he wrote him.
“You appeared in a dream I had this morning. We were in a house full of children. You were planning to leave soon on a trip. Then you mentioned that you were moving to an island name Jerome. As far as I know, there is no such place, so perhaps the name Jerome or initial ‘J’ has some related meaning.”
Vonnegut wrote back a couple of weeks later. “Not bad. On the night of your dream, I had dinner with Jerome B. (an author of children’s books), and we talked about a trip I made three days later to an island named England.”
Here’s what Wolf had to say about the exchange about the dream. “Clearly there was a connection between Vaughan’s dream and Vonnegut’s experience, all happening the same night, although it is probable that the discussion between Vonnegut and his friend Jerome took place before the dream. But the connection cannot be considered to be causal or local since there was no signal between the two events. One would have to consider this a spontaneous telepathic dream containing the fact of the conversation mixed in a capricious manner, typical of such dreams.”
You could call it telepathic, yes, but also synchronicity.
I was going to end the post there, but as I wrote Wolf’s name in the title, I suddenly realized there was yet another synchronicity here. Just before I took on the book organizing task, I’d been working on a chapter on shamanism for a work in progress on spirit contact. Specifically, I was writing about the meaning of power animals that can appear in shamanic journeys. I looked back to where I’d stopped and yes, I’d left off with Wolf. For the record, some of the attributes of Wolf Medicine are communication, working in harmony, and sharing knowledge in a structured way.
Oddly enough, in 2009 we wrote another post here about synchronicity involving Alan Vaughan and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Interestingly, Even though it’s a completely different story, it also involved Vaughan writing a letter to Vonnegut and in that instance Vonnegut had written back about being surrounded by children. He and his wife had adopted six children all at once after their parents had both died – the late mother was Vonnegut’s sister.
Most of the AI sites I’ve found charge monthly or annually to use them. I found one – simplified.com that can be used for free.
So I entered the words: trickster synchronicity and here’s what it returned:
In Jungian psychology, the trickster archetype is a primordial image that is often expressed in myth, fairy tales, and folklore. It is also found in contemporary popular culture.
The trickster is often depicted as a cunning, mischievous character who886 plays tricks or performs pranks. The trickster is also known as the ‘divine clown’, ‘sacred jester’, or ‘holy fool’. In many cultures, the trickster is considered to be a positive, necessary force. It is believed that the trickster helps us to see the world in a new, more light-hearted way. In this article, we will explore the mysterious power of trickster synchronicities. We will also look at how the trickster archetype can be used to bring about positive change in our lives.
The trickster is an archetype that is found in folklore and mythology across cultures. This archetype is often represented by a character who is cunning and deceptive, and who uses this to their advantage. While the trickster archetype can be used for good, it can also be used for evil.
In some cases, the trickster is a malevolent figure who brings chaos and destruction. In other cases, the trickster is a helpful figure who uses their cunning to help others. The trickster is an archetype that is often associated with synchronicity. A synchronicity is a coincidence that has meaning and purpose.
Often, the trickster is behind these synchronicities, causing them to happen for their own amusement or benefit. While the trickster is often seen as a negative figure, there is also a positive side to this archetype. The trickster can be a powerful force for good, helping us to see the world in a new and mysterious way.
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So the AI did a decent job!
Travel synchros are among the most interesting. They happen unexpectedly and usually take you by surprise.
On a recent trip to Frisco, Texas, Megan and I took Lyfts everywhere we went and learned how diverse this community is – Pakistanis, Indians, Mexicans, Muslims – so I had ample opportunities to practice my Spanish. On one ride, we had an Hispanic driver and when I spoke to him in Spanish, he was delighted. We talked about how difficult English is to learn. I asked where he was from and he turned out to be Venezuelan!
He was from Barquisimeto and had come here to make some money and learn English some could practice his profession in the U.S. – animal husbandry. He said things in Venezuela were terrible, thanks to the “loco” dictators Maduro. “People don’t have opportunities to improve their lives.” He said a number of people form Maracaibo had moved to the area to escape the oppression.
We lived in Maracaibo for 5 or 6 years, in an oil camp where the families of Exxon employees lived. .My sister was born there. I remember it was much hotter than Florida, central air conditioning didn’t exist, and that we had huge trees in our backyard. One afternoon, I spotted a monkey in the one of those trees and ran inside to tell my parents. My mom came outside to take look and I told her I was going to climb the tree to befriend it but figured I should have a banana to offer the monkey,
Just moments after my mother had come outside to take look, we learned that a rabid monkey had escaped from a circus that was in town. One kid in the neighborhood had already gotten bitten and had been rushed to the hospital. He subsequently spent 3 weeks in the hospital getting rabies shots in the stomach.
Eventually, authorities arrived at our house and shot the monkey.
So when the driver mentioned Maracaibo, that’s what I remembered.
A new episode of The Mystical Underground is live! “Andrew Macpherson: A Question Of Spirit”:
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Andrew Macpherson is a world renowned photographer working in Hollywood. His first book, Two Million Miles, was published in 2006 and it showcased his photographs working with the top fashion magazines such as Vogue and Bazaar as well as many of the icons of the entertainment industry. His work has regularly appeared on album and magazine covers and movie posters. It can also be seen on his Instagram feed, @andrewmacpherson_official and on his two websites below.
Born in London, England, he dedicated himself to photography the year his mother died, when he was thirteen. He surprised his father by telling him that she was going to die when his father came to tell him the news at school. His experience with Spirit came again when at eighteen he spontaneously channeled the spirit of his deceased godfather at the gathering after his funeral. After that there was along gap of quiet until he reached twenty-six, then a floodgate of experiences and dreams opened his eyes to the mystery that contains all that is known. Following that he kept encountering other people who’s lives had been changed or influenced by Spirit, and that, combined with his ongoing experiences, inspired him to write A Question of Spirit.
www.macfly.com
www.andrewmacpherson.com
Today February 4, 2023, our blog is 14. We started it on this date in 2009, on blogger. It was called synchrosecrets.com
So before we go any farther, here’s our definition of synchronicity: the coming together of inner and outer events that can’t be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to you.
In 2011. , a visitor got pissed about something we’d written, hacked the blog and took it over. He pretended to be Rob and wrote himself an apology. He also destroyed three of our computers.
We knew he was a computer guy in a town around Boston, knew his name, so we called the police department in his town to report him. Turned out that he’d already reported us to the department. If I remember correctly, he claimed that we’d hacked our own blog and blamed him. We also reported the hack to our local cops.A cop stopped by the house, we explained what had happened.
The cop told us there wasn’t much they could do about this. So we transferred the blog to Word Press. And that’s where we’ve been ever since.
At any rate, our first post is below. At the top of the post are some of the books that have grown out of this blog
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Most of us have experienced them – odd coincidences that seem like weird little hiccups in the cosmos.They usually grab our attention. But what, exactly, do they mean?
While we were writing our outline for a book on synchronicity, we stopped at our favorite cafe for a hit of morning Joe. As we sat outside, an elderly man approached us and handed us his card. It explained that he was deaf and was selling key chains. We bought one and on the back of the card found illustrations for sign language.
On the way home, following the cue from the deaf man,we talked about synchronicity as a language of signs. Then we passed the local high school, where the digital sign at the entrance was announcing a class in sign language. This sign about sign language added a deeper layer to the synchronicity.
Initially, its meaning seemed to be that we were on the right track with our concept – approaching synchronicity as a language of signs. The next day, a writer friend e-mailed a synchronicity she’d experienced while working on her current novel. She said she had invited readers of her blog to submit any synchronicities they would like to share for inclusion in the book. So we decided to start this blog, a kind of digital sign announcing that we would love to hear your stories!
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In 14 years, there are nearly 3,800 posts on every facet of synchronicity and anything mystical, more than 37,000 comments, 217 drafts. The material grew into five or six books on various facets of synchronicity.
In 2020, thanks to a synchro on Instagram with Jon Posey, we started our podcast The Mystical Underground. We subsequently changed the name of our blog. The podcast is now entering its 3rd year. By Jon’s count, which is undoubtedly correct, we’re at episode 135.
Through the podcasts I’m learning how synchronicity works its magic in other people’s lives. I’m realizing its importance in a world that often is so chaotic, divisive and violent that without meaningful coincidence, we would be without direction. We would lack foresight, creative ideas, motivation. Without synchronicity we would be swept up in, well, something, anything with even a hint at structure, foundation.
Through these 14 years, we’re grateful to everyone who has shared their synchros with us and hope those stories continue to come in. We don’t care how weird your experience is. Most synchronicities fit some sort of pattern. And the most important element in that pattern is that your experience resonates for you.
For years, New College of Florida in Sarasota, Florida was the honor college in the state university system. It was also a bastion of liberalism and inclusion. The day we toured the campus with our daughter, Megan, our guide was a delightful transexual guy who sold us on the college.
Megan started her freshman year there in 2007, surrounded by young men and women so intelligent, creative and visionary that now in 2023, they are already leaving their marks on the larger world. The ones Megan knew well voted twice for Obama, understood the danger that trump and the far right presented to the U.S. and to democracy. You won’t find a racist or homophobic among them.
Today, January 31, it became clear that Florida’s trump-clone governor intends to transform the college into a conservative and religious institution. He appointed 6 new board members last month and today, at a board meeting, ousted the college president. He said the school has been “too focused on racial and gender ideology and will be reformed by a new board he put in place.
According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, DeSantis said that he immediately wants $15 million for faculty recruitment and scholarships at New College, with $10 million of that being recurring funds every year. As DeSantis said, he wants to give Florida college students an anti-woke agenda.
Translated: only white christian heterosexuals will be welcome here now.
This entire drama is an extension of the governor’s banning of books, of certain topics that can be taught in public schools, of how parents rather than educators should determine what their kids learn.
Translation: no critical race theory, nothing about gender options, a history minus slavery, racism, and LGBTQ people. Diversity is bad, inclusion is bad, DeSantis considers them “indoctrination.”
When you listen to him talk, you hear his arrogance, his dangerous focus, his authoritrian persona. He claims that Florida is the freest state in the nation because he overturned the federal bans during the pandemic, apparently discouraged the collating of death and illness stats during the pandemic.
In October 2022, he created the voter-fraud squad which, in one publicized event, arrested 20 alleged fraudulent voters, most of them ex-felons who believed their voting rights had ben restored when the people of Florida voted in their favor. That vote happened on November 6, 2018 in Amendment 14- Voting Rights Restoration. This amendment “restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.”
The appeals and dismissals of these 20 continue.
Good Ole DeSantis claims he’ll ban abortion in Florida. Right now, it’s still legal up to to 15 weeks.
He claims that the 2020 election belonged to trump but was stolen for Biden.
He insists he has made Florida the “most free state in the country.”
The joke, of course, is that it’s free only if you follow his rules, his edicts, his bullshit, racism, and homophobia.
It’s suspected this idiot will run for prez in 2024, as the republican nominee. On one hand, it would be positive because it would indicate trump’s republican star has faded. Or maybe trump will be in prison (wishful thinking) given all his legal troubles.
On the other hand, DeSantis as prez would be more dangerous to democracy than trump. He’s younger, brighter, and as morally corrupt or more corrupt than trump.
This is the guy who flew a plane of illegal Texas immigrants – many of them Venezuelan – to Martha’s Vineyard.
This is the jerk who ran the ad of himself as Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. Take a look at it at the beginning of this post. It pretty much tells you everything you need to know about this dictator wannabe.
Wiley
Our friends know that Rob and I write about synchronicity and whenever they experience or hear about one, they pass it on to us. This one came initially from my friend Arlene, who heard about it from a friend, Joan, at the dog park. It’a stunner. So I got in touch with Joan. The synchronicity happened to her daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jason, who live in California.
On January 1, their eight-year-old dog, Wiley, died suddenly. As any animal lover knows, the death of a pet is devastating, but even more so when it’s unexpected and sudden. It’s the kind of despair that swallows you whole.
On Jan 17, Linda got an email from a rescue organization about a collie, Blue, who needed a home quickly. On the same day, she connected with an animal communicator in Colorado because she felt Wiley was trying to get in touch with her. “I picked her because her name is Two Bears Healing Arts and we always called Wiley “Wiley Bear” – my favorite animal as a kid. And she is from Colorado, which is where Wiley was from and where my dad was from.”
Also, on the same day ,Linda was having a hard time figuring out Wordle. “I put it aside for a few hours. When I returned to it, I tried the word “adapt” and that was wrong. Then I guessed the right word which was ADOPT.”
On January 20 – 1/20 – Blue was brought to her and Jason.
Blue
They took the woman and Blue out onto the patio to show them Linda’s wind chimes, given to her by her daughter’s friend to remember Wiley. According to Linda’s mom, Joan, the brick work was done almost 25 years ago. No one ever paid any attention to the markings on some of the bricks. But the woman who had brought Wiley over looked down and right under the wind chimes was a brick with a date on it. 1/20/05.
So, look at the odds on this slew of synchronicities!
A new episode of The Mystical Underground is live! “Join Trish for the February 2023 astrological forecast!”
Synchronicity is a kind of kind of alchemy that transforms us or a decision we’re making in an essential way. The alchemy occurs because of what the synchronicity says to you, its impact on you. This was certainly the case for Carl Jung during a visit in the 1950s with Henry Fierz, a chemistry professor with whom he had become friends over the years.
Friez had dropped by at five o’clock one afternoon to talk with Jung about a manuscript by a scientist who had recently died. Friez felt the manuscript should be published, but Jung, who had read it, thought otherwise. Their debate about the manuscript apparently became somewhat heated and at one point, Jung glanced at his watch, as if he were about to dismiss Friez. Then he seemed puzzled by the time and explained that his watch had just been returned from the repair shop, but it read five o’clock, the time that Friez had arrived.
Jung asked Friez the time; it was 5:35. As Richard Tarnas recounted the incident in Psyche and Cosmos, Jung apparently said, “So you have the right time, and I have the wrong time. Let us discuss the thing again.”
In the ensuing discussion, Friez convinced Jung the manuscript should be published. “Here, the synchronistic event is of interest not because of its intrinsic coincidental force,” Tarnas wrote, “but because of the meaning Jung drew from it, essentially using it as a basis for challenging and redirecting his own conscious attitude.”
Many of us might not draw a correlation between a stopped watch and a discussion. But synchronicity, by definition, is the coming together of similar inner and outer events in a way that is meaningful to the individual and can’t be explained by cause and effect. This means that the outer world – and all of nature and our surroundings – can carry meaning just as the inner world does. Jung, who was accustomed to perceiving and thinking symbolically, recognized the synchronicity and changed his thinking accordingly.
Tarnas noted that Jung recognized all events as “sources of potential and spiritual significance.” It didn’t matter to him whether they originated from human consciousness or from the “larger matrix of the world” because he saw nature and a person’s surrounding environment as a living template of “potential synchronistic meaning that could illuminate the human sphere. He attended to sudden or unusual movements or appearances of animals, flocks of birds, the wind, storms, the sudden louder lapping of the lake outside his the window of his consulting room…as possible symbolic relevance for the parallel unfolding of interior psychological realities.”
In other words, Jung used everything in his environment as potential signs and symbols. It seems that once you recognize coincidence as meaningful, once you’re in the flow of it, the inner self and the larger outer matrix chatter constantly to each other. We only have to listen.
