Here is the link to the recording of our First Gathering for the 2018/2019 Program Year. We kicked off the theme for the year with:

“The Wise Use of Energy to Benefit your Evolution” with Marilyn Aperian, Richard Bredeson, Melissa Feick, Debbie Ulrich.

Here’s the link:

YouTube Video Recording

Unmasking Your Soul: 3 Key Principles to
Understanding Your Purpose and Reason for Being

ACT celebrated the Holidays with great company, great food and wonderful music.

Here are a few highlights!

Paul Sivert, the founder and owner of the Shamanic Healing Institute, spoke at the ACT October 8 gathering.  Paul is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (L.C.P.C.) and a highly trained shamanic practitioner healing professional.

The mission of the Shamanic Healing Institute is to heal and teach people through individual and group spiritual healing sessions, workshops, retreats, practitioner education programs and products.

Paul’s vision is to preserve the cross-cultural healing traditions and teachings and integrate them into energy healing practices.

Paul led us through one of the most common practices of the tradition, a Healing Journey. He began by creating a sacred safe space with a ceremony that invoked and welcomed our helping spirits from the South, West, North and East, from Below and from Above and by referencing the sun, air, water, fire elements.

Paul then led a guided meditation to ensure that everyone became aware of their personal spirit guide.

Paul explained that the focus for this journey would be to visit at least 3 of the 9 Temples of the Heart and would be induced by rhythmic drumming. He distributed descriptions of each of the Temples:

• Temple of Joy – Soul
• Temple of Grief/Sadness – New Beginnings
• Temple of Humbleness – Softness
• Temple of Hope – Gratitude
• Temple of Anger – Transformation
• Temple of Ego/Fear – Compassion
• Temple of Harmony – Blessings
• Temple of Sweetness – Nectar
• Temple of Wisdom – Sacred Knowledge.

Paul suggested that we might want to take action in the temples to: 1) Let something go.  2) Ask a question. 3) Receive a gift.  4) Receive a message.

And so the drumming began.

When the final drum signal brought us back from our journey we shared our experiences. It became obvious that no two journeys were alike and yet there were common elements in all of them.

Divided into smaller groups we shared specifics about which temples we explored, our visions and any actions taken. The room was filled with increased energy and animated  conversations.

It was a remarkable afternoon and we all took away a better understanding of the potential and possibilities of integrating Shamanic techniques into our lives.

Thank you, Paul!

ACT welcomed our beloved Gloria Hesseloff, renowned professional astrologer and stargazing mystic, in February 2017 as our keynote presenter.   She shared her insights as we began what she described to be “…a year of sacred preparations. This is our opportunity to put supportive structure in place, both in our lives and in our outer world.”

A wealth of Akashic knowledge, Gloria enlightened us about the general energetic tendencies and influences associated with the planets: “Yes, Venus is all about Love Sweet Love”, she agreed, “but Mars is often the harbinger of passion and motivation, not necessarily war and anger. Neptune guides us to a relationship with the divine and kinship with higher energies.  This etheric enhancement to our spirituality drifting through our dreams and imagination plays into our transcendent creativity, while Jupiter’s sheer size bespeaks her very nature; offering expansive hope, opportunity, faith, and rationality.  By observing natural cycles and their impact, we are challenged (and empowered) to become our highest selves, to embrace a higher way of moving through our world.  More than human beings, we learn to see ourselves as ‘Human Becomings’”.

“The birthing of the ‘Age of Aquarius’ will bring with it a recognition of our ‘Oneness’, and we’re called to spread the word, to share the good news.  As the cosmic cycles evolve we keep upgrading how we use our power.  We have outgrown the small stories of our lives”, Gloria continued, “and now we ask; …How can we raise our vibration?, …Cultivate a warmhearted neutrality?, …Honor the diversity? …Embrace the gift of choice and use it wisely?”

Courage and passion are aspects of divine feminine power, encouraging us to stay conscious about how we get triggered by our circumstances; …Do we respond from sadness, anger & fear?, …Or do we create from gratitude, empowerment & possibility? There’s been a recent movement of consciousness to re-establish Pluto as a planet, and isn’t this poetic justice since Pluto’s cosmic momentum accentuates ‘transformation’?!?  Our mission as ACT is to nurture positive transformation, and Gloria emboldened the promise of our collectively and joyously ACTivating a heroic community.  We invite you to join us in March at Unity By The Bay as we find ways to voice the enchantment, and “Keep Looking Up”.

One by one we settled into our seats, awestruck by the light streaming in through the dozens of windows at Unity by The Bay.  We watched the rustling leaves clinging to their branches before the first Autumn chill, and realized they would soon be surrendering to the inevitable seasons of life.  We cleared our busy minds as visiting musician Megon McDonough enchanted us; “Thank you for this day, God, and my place in it…”

We then collectively fastened our virtual seatbelts for what was soon to be an adventure and inner exploration with our tour-guide, professional life coach Andria Corso.  She began gently enough; “We each have divine flow within us, how can we re-connect with this inner wisdom?  …Why do we struggle?!?”  We looked at various ways which we tend to live in response to fear, and considered how many of those fears are ‘false’, or stories we had made up.  We recognized how often the story in our head is much worse than an actual threat (except to our ego…), and asked ourselves “How would I feel if my fear came true?  …What choice would I then make?”  Andria then challenged us to ponder how often we approach life from our heart, our head, or a balance of both.  She encouraged us to notice a sense of in-authentic participation and stop it whenever possible; instead, she suggested we “…Align with your unique expression of life and allow that intuitive voice to lead your decisions.  Listen to the whispers and to the resistance.”   We examined how our holding onto outdated belief structures is as silly as a tree holding on to last season’s leaves, and how our intent to control is often an indicator of our ego’s voice.  “As a witness,” Andria assured us, “you must trust that the dots will eventually connect to create a beautiful mosaic.  Every day is a choice!”

ACT’s intent to support profound transformation within our community was made manifest that afternoon.  Like leaves in an October gust, the impact of Andria’s teachings will drift across our consciousness for quite some time.  We invite you to share these blogged stories with your friends, bring them with you to our next monthly educational and inspirational event, and have a great day.

There was a time, not so long ago, when our clan or tribe would come together in common unity (community) to connect and sing and dance. Perhaps around a campfire, a temple, or other sacred setting we would gather to listen, …to listen to the bards and storytellers as they reminded us of what was truly important. This past weekend ACT sponsored one such event at Unity by the Bay, featuring Dale Allen Hoffman and Bob Sima in an Exploration of Mysticism.

Beyond being uplifted and entertained, we were reminded of deep spiritual teachings; “…to come prayerfully before Spirit empty, willing to be filled…”, “…to find eternity in the space between now……and now…”, “…to ask ourselves mindfully, ‘am I breathing, or am I being breathed?’…”. We explored the ancient modality of ‘toning’ and broadened our awareness and sensitivity to the vibrations in our lives. This included several delightful songs by Bob Sima which reaffirmed, “…we are the one…” and “…something’s gotta burn, gotta burn inside—if you’re gonna shine, shine, shine…”.

Through a celebration of breath, we came to a realization of the sacred cycles through which we live our lives, the cycles of the seasons we perceive, and the simplicity of our Oneness. As David Allen Hoffman explained, “To speak your prayers through your heart, in the words of the Lakota, is to ‘Let the wind (Spirit) blow through you’”. “Consciousness of breath”, he continued, “in many past teachings and languages, IS the key to present moment living.” It’s not so much about what we say or pray; it’s about the vibration or intent behind the words. By accepting the natural joy of being creative, many who participated left a little more light-hearted, with a little more spring (seasonal cycles…) in their step.

When you trust in yourself, and expect the universe (Spirit) to support your dream….it will!

Saturday’s incredible weather set the stage for a delightful and empowering “Visioning Seminar” by Dr. Christine Page, punctuated by an impromptu picnic on the south patio of Unity by the Bay’s sanctuary.  If you’ll pardon the pun, we had plenty to ‘chew on’…

Dr. Page had invited us to explore the distinction between ‘mystery’ and ‘illusion’, contending that mystery is heart-centered, while illusion is mental.  Through music, guided meditations, and symbolic exercises we grew to understand her teachings; Mystery as a transformative energy cannot be controlled by our minds, plans or fears, but rather: Mystery can be embraced as an aspect of sacred ancestral cycles.  “What appears to be empty is actually full of potential”, she posited, going on to explain how “…sometimes, we give ourselves experiences in the darkness in order to see our own Light”.

She encouraged us to embrace grief as a spiritual gift, and to dance through the ‘processes of letting go’ with grace and awareness. “Pain is inevitable, suffering is not…” promised Dr. Page as we examined the stories, excuses, questions, and proclamations of our lives.  We were gently challenged to ask ourselves; “How am I moving through my world?, What am I receptive to?, What is the most Loving (or wisest) choice I can make?”  We each took creative steps forward, drawing sacred spheres around our personal visions, hopes, and dreams for a joyous future.

With grateful hearts we blessed Christine Page MD on her homeward journey, as we each embraced the treasured gems of friendship and wisdom we received this weekend.

Jim Haller

What is going on with ACT now?

We have a full calendar of consciousness raising events planned over the next few weeks, but I want to answer this question on a broader and deeper level. Whereas our name and our vision are one in the same, we are participating in creating …”a community of transformation”. But what does that really mean? It means that we come together with the deliberate intent to explore and express our “oneness”. We stand up and speak up for the sake of creating an inclusive community here in our Annapolis area. We take this healing conversation to others; raising consciousness, spirituality, and awareness. We reach out together to encourage and support whenever and wherever possible. And, we are doing this now……if not now, when?!?

Our outer world is clearly in a time of transformation, but it is actually each of “us” who is being given the opportunity to transform. We’ve all heard the spiritual teachings: “That which you are looking for is your next step.”, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”, “The steps of getting there are the same as the qualities of being there”. Even Michael Jackson admonished us with “…If you want to make the world a better place, just take a look at yourself and make the change.”   So, if not now, when?!?

We are showing up… willing to celebrate the harmony and grace which is our spiritual birthright. Yes, our world, both locally (as exemplified with the recent political rhetoric) and globally (as expressed through the fear and pain of terrorism), is experiencing what might be seen as “birthing pains”; a new, transformative consciousness is striving to be born! We can each look at ways this higher vibration is trying to be born in our own lives. We, as participants in ACT are not alone! We are joining together, and we have the strength to share in this adventure of growth and development. We invite you to add your voice to our chorus. We invite you to join in, to show up…..to ACT NOW.

ACT has moved! We now meet at
Unity by the Bay in Annapolis.

The address:
4 Pointless Forest Trail, Annapolis MD 21409
Phone: 410-544-7990

Directions