Guest Author, Author at In Pure Spirit

Ways to Connect With Your Community and Help Others in Need

September 22, 2022 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

There are so many ways you can give back, pay forward, and otherwise contribute to the overall well-being of your local and global community.

Even if you aren’t set up to be a major philanthropist and don’t have tons of time on your hands for volunteering, you can still contribute to the overall betterment of those you share the earth with.

people in an grassy field helping to pick up littler

In Pure Spirit presents some different options for helping others, depending on where you are in your life right now.

Help Others Financially
Whether giving directly to individuals or supporting charitable organizations, financial donations remain an important way to help others.

Donate to a reputable charity (do some reading to figure out which charitable organizations have the best ratings for making the most of their funds and being the most ethical and transparent).
Find a good sponsorship program and use it to support a child, making sure they have access to food, water, clothing, health care, and education.
Contribute financial support to a local group or nonprofit that provides services to the less advantaged in your community. Better yet, you can set up your own nonprofit to a cause that’s near and dear to your heart.

Volunteer Locally or Globally
Volunteer work can be a great way to get involved on a more personal level, connect with like-minded persons, and find out more about the needs of your community at home and around the world.

Look for a good soup kitchen in your area where you can help out by sourcing, cooking, or serving meals, or by helping with cleaning or administrative tasks.
Reach out to your church to help connect you with volunteer opportunities both in your community and church.
You can also get involved with educational or cultural trusts, to help keep arts and literacy available and affordable for all.

Help People on an Individual Level
Often you can make a difference by going out of your way to help people you know of who are in need or in a rough spot.

Keep an eye out for GoFundMe or JustGiving campaigns and other fundraisers to support individuals and families needing financial help to get them through difficulties, such as illness, job loss, or bereavement.
Find out whether there are any local programs for helping veterans. Veterans may be in need of food or transportation assistance, or simply a friendly face and someone to talk to.
Offer to help the elderly clean up their living space and declutter. These efforts may seem small, but they can reduce stress and increase mood, which are both important for older adults who may feel isolated. Your time there will also help them feel connected to others.
If there are immigrants in your community, see if you can help them settle in, find work, and make connections. One way immigrants can earn a living is to work as translators, so find out how much translators make, and see if you can help set them up as freelancers.

Get Involved Politically
As a public official, you can put your energy into supporting, promoting, and spearheading initiatives for community betterment.

If you’re up for it, consider a run for office – but make sure you give some serious thought to what this entails, and discuss it with family and loved ones first.
Even if you’re not ready to run for office, find a political cause and get involved. Perhaps you’re interested in climate change or LGBTQ rights. Find organizations in your area pushing for national change in your passion areas and volunteer.

Whether it’s helping one person or a whole community, it’s always worth your while to plug in and make a difference. And hopefully, you will inspire others to contribute their gifts and talents to help people around you.

In Pure Spirit

Are you looking for interesting reading that will inspire you to believe and think differently? Then check out In Pure Spirit. We offer a variety of readings to inspire your curiosity.

About the Author

Betty Vaughan understands that achieving work-life balance has never been harder. She has experienced first-hand how remote work blurs the line separating one’s work from the rest of their life. That’s why she created Nine To Thrive. Through the site, she hopes to help anyone struggling with a work-life imbalance find and sustain that needed balance so that they can live a life where they can fully thrive.

Photo Credit: Anna Shvets via Pexels

Photography Tips & Tricks for Capturing the BEST British Wildlife Images

April 25, 2022 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

Interested in wildlife photography? Whether you’re a beginner or pro, our helpful guide from experts at Lafayette Photography will ensure you snap award-worthy pictures of these native creatures and critters.

British Birds

There’s nothing more iconic than images of a Robin Redbreast set against a wintry background. These common birds are easy to find, but why not discover rare British birds for an even more striking photograph.

From dainty Willow Tits to majestic White-Tailed Eagles, you can stalk these super rare subjects to ensure jaw-dropping dramatic shots with every click.

Scotland is home to some of the most magnificent winged wildlife in the world. So head to the highlands armed with weather-resistant lenses that allow maximum zoom and Panasonic settings to include breathtaking backgrounds. Make sure your camera is blur proof by using a tripod and shooting in burst mode. Choose secluded areas like glens and natural parks and try to blend in by wearing muted colours.

As a last resort, why not befriend a fellow birder who can lead the way to an excellent experience with remarkable birdlife and secure that winning shot.

Butterflies

photo credit Chemihv Flickr — (Photo credit Chemihv Flickr)

British butterflies were born to be photographed. Thanks to their aesthetics and elegant flutter, these special species are a real treat for wildlife photographers everywhere.

The best time to capture butterflies is early morning or late afternoon. This is when you’ll find them perched upon a plant absorbing warmth from the sun. When approaching the butterfly, be as gentle and lightfooted as possible because they’re super sensitive to vibrations and will depart before getting your picture.

Butterflies aren’t super fast. In fact, their dainty, ethereal movements can be shot on your everyday iPhone. But if you want a more professional feel, choose a digital camera with a fast shutter speed and lie on the ground to capture them mid-flight.

If you’re one of the lucky people to have a butterfly alight upon your body, then put your camera away and just enjoy the magical moment.

Squirrels

Red squirrels are rare, so snapping one in their natural habitat is a real feat. These fluffy-tailed animals are super fast, so it’s essential to remain stealthy and give them a wide birth for natural-looking pictures.

To find British Red Squirrels, head to woodland in Autumn time. A practical tip to attract them is to take some squirrel snacks along, like pine nuts and sunflowers seeds and sprinkle them around as you scour the scene for the perfect picture. Next, use a camera with a fast shutter speed lens which will enable you to keep your distance without startling your subject.

Timing is everything when it comes to capturing images of squirrels. And waiting is the name of the game when trying to take excellent shots of nature. So, wear comfy shoes and wait for your furry friends to strike a pose.

Foxes

Focusing on foxes can produce images of all kinds. Whether dark and macabre or lighthearted and humorous, these cunning Canidae make the best photography subjects.

photo credit Naturetti — (Photo credit Naturetti)

Foxes are super easy to find too! Most urban areas in the UK have a wondering fox or two, making wildlife photography a breeze. The tricky part is they only surface after dark, so make sure you stay safe when searching for your foxy pictures.

Even though you’ll need to edit night images, it’s critical to use lenses with a dynamic range when shooting without light. Otherwise, you won’t have clear, crisp pictures of your Mr Fox. Equally important is the need for reduced noise, so a camera that allows for sensory control will help you get those exciting shots without scaring your subject away.

British Badgers

photo credit Robert Canis — (Photo credit Robert Canis)

Trying to shoot pictures of wild badgers can get a little complicated. Of course, this is excellent news for the more adventurous photographer, but if you’re a beginner, here are some simple tricks to get you started.

Badgers come out after dusk, so head to woodland areas before that time. Getting there early gives you a chance to look out for badger droppings, so you know where to set up, bait and wait.

If you didn’t already know, badgers are fierce, have an epic sense of smell, and move quickly in the opposite direction if you’re wearing strong scents. Remote photography would be best for these unique animals if you have the specialised equipment.

To create the clearest, most charming photographs of badgers, always use a wide lens to paint a storybook picture people can invest in.

In Pure Spirit

What tips do you have for wildlife photography?

This article was written by Faye Lord on behalf of Lafayette Photography, UK and Ireland’s leading photography company since 1880; services include portraiture, corporate photography, graduate ceremonies and historical photography. In Pure Spirit was not paid to host it and received no other compensation.

5 ways you can use hypnosis to expand your consciousness

January 20, 2015 by Guest Author 4 Comments

You are hypnotized every day! I know, it sounds unbelievable. But it isn’t. We just think so because we are not aware of what hypnosis actually is. Most of us think it’s a guy on stage making a fool of people.

But what hypnosis is, is a tool that we can use to communicate directly with our subconscious mind, without our conscious, critical mind interfering.

Our subconscious mind is the one that does all the “thinking” and the one that makes decisions for us. Think of the subconscious like this: When you are walking, you don’t think of every single step you are going to make. You just walk. The thinking process behind walking, or breathing for that matter, is in our subconscious, and we are usually not aware of it.

On the other hand, our conscious mind tends to filter out information from entering our subconscious mind, as the subconscious has no way of knowing where the information or a thought came from – from us or from the outside. Our consciousness does it like this – do you remember the colors of the last ten cars that passed you by? Likely not. The conscious mind has filtered out that information, as if it didn’t, you’d just get overwhelmed.

Most of us have some beliefs that are holding us back, and as we are used to them, our conscious mind often rejects a thought that would counter those beliefs. That is where hypnosis comes in – it can be useful to bypass the conscious mind, and to speak directly to the subconscious, thus allowing us to make suggestions to ourselves (or let a hypnotist do it) that, when repeated enough, would become our “default” thoughts.

We can use hypnosis to work on our problems, on our motivation to do something, or to expand our awareness. Here are a few ways hypnosis can be used for the latter:

You can literally make suggestions to yourself that will help you pay more attention to details around you. Watch the changes within in the following weeks.
You can help yourself change your mind about how lucky, how happy or how enthusiastic you are about your life. A neat trick in my book.
You can have an easier time of aligning your thoughts with your beliefs, and thus allowing yourself to be better and faster with manifesting things that you desire, if the law of attraction is your kink.
You can get yourself to study harder or work more productively, by carefully planting suggestions that will help you in the long run.
You can slowly change your mindset to mimic the mindset most successful people have. Finally, a tool that will help you to just let go of those negative thoughts that seem to linger on.

This is all cool, but I never told you – how is it that you get hypnotized every day? Simple. Hypnosis is simply an altered state of mind during which you are more aware than normal, but usually you are focused on only one thing.

So, whenever you find yourself taking a long walk during which you are not thinking of anything, you are experiencing a mild form of hypnosis. Whenever you find yourself with eyes glued to the TV while watching your favorite show, eagerly awaiting to see what happens next, you are experiencing a mild trance state (or a hypnotic state). During those times you are more susceptible to suggestions, and that is why TV commercials or banners on websites worked great, until they got over-saturated. They still work well, though, but not nearly as well as they had before.

No matter what you want to use hypnosis for, it can be of great benefit. We have prepared a way for you to experience hypnosis for free, from the comfort of your own home. Head on to NaturalHypnosis free downloads page and give any of the three free hypnosis mp3s a try. Wish you all the best!

In Pure Spirit

What are your thoughts on the art and science of hypnotism? Let us know in the comments below.

About the Author

Igor Tomić is a inbound marketing specialist who enjoys exploring various ways to expand his consciousness. Hypnosis has been one of the most helpful tools for him.

Five Reasons To Believe In Life After Death

January 31, 2014 by Guest Author 2 Comments

The concept of life after death is one that transcends all cultures and religions. Death is the great unknown. After all, until we actually die, how can we be certain that life really does go on? And if it does, where exactly will we end up? Many people embrace the idea that the human soul continues on its journey after the demise of the physical body, but if you are not convinced, here are a few reasons why there really could be life after death.

Near Death Experiences

There have been numerous reports over the centuries of people having a near death experience at some critical moment in their life. They describe a sensation of drifting down a long tunnel towards the light, to a place where their loved ones are waiting. Often the person has stopped breathing and their physical body is to all intents and purposes dead. But even though the physical body has stopped working, their consciousness is still alive and kicking. So whether (or not) you believe in the idea of ‘heaven’, experiences like this suggest that our ‘essence’ does leave the physical body at the point of death and travel somewhere else.

Because the Bible Says So

Most of us are familiar with the teachings of the Bible. Jesus was crucified on the cross and His dead body placed inside a cave. Three days later the tomb was discovered to be empty and Jesus’s body had disappeared. Many witnesses reported seeing a resurrected Messiah over the next forty days, which is a good indication that in Christianity at least, the concept of life after death really does hold water.

The Egyptians were Believers

The ancient Egyptians were strong believers in the idea of life after death. In fact they were such firm believers that when anyone died, their corpse was mummified and placed in a burial chamber along with all of their worldly possessions, including household slaves and anything else that might have come in useful in the afterlife. The only problem with this scenario is that if the person did indeed enter the next life, their cozy domestic arrangements might have been hampered by a lot of very angry slaves.

Past Life Regression Therapy

Past life regression therapy is a contentious practice. Proponents of the therapy place their patients in a deep hypnotic trance and using questions, try and take them back in time to a place before they were born. Critics regard the recovered memories as delusions and fantasies, but past life regression therapy has been around for thousands of years and it is even mentioned in ancient Indian literature. There is no concrete evidence that memories recovered during past life regression therapy sessions are real, but subjects who report such memories are convinced they are true, so who knows?

Paranormal Activity

Ghosts and paranormal goings on have been reported for centuries. It could be argued that a ghostly sighting is simply a residue of electrical activity left over from a traumatic event, but for those who believe in the afterlife, ghosts are simply more evidence in favor of life after death. The body of the person has died, but their soul remains tied to a place that has special significance to them and therefore it can’t move on.

If you are yet to be convinced about the concept of life after death, at least make sure you organize a good send off. After all, your funeral could be the last chance you get to be present at a great party.

In Pure Spirit

Richard Earnshaw, the author of this article, is part of the team at, All State Cremation & Funeral Care, leading providers of cremation and burial services, based in CT. He is extremely good at graphic designing and is also an amateur photographer.

Creative Commons: Elroy Serrao, Ralph Repo, Mike Johnson, Ravindu Ranaweera, Marco and Beckie.

All About ESP (Extra Sensory Perception)

January 24, 2014 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

Most people will experience déjà vu at least once in their lives. It can be a positively unsettling experience. Though it’s still something of a scientific mystery as to why exactly it happens, the suspected origins are in and of themselves fascinating! More often than not, you’ve never been there, or in quite the same situation – but in the back of your mind, everything sounds, looks, and feels familiar. In fact, part of the weirdness of the situation is that the feeling seems to sweep into the front of your mind. You might even be able to make a prediction as to what’s about to happen.

If you’ve made such a prediction, or just felt a very strong sense of déjà vu, then chances are, you’ve got enough sense of Extra Sensory Perception to make it worth exploring. ESP shouldn’t remain mysterious and otherworldly but on the contrary, it should be a fun, interesting and enriching part of your own experience. Learning about your own abilities and potentials is always exciting, but as you’re learning, keep the following important points in mind.

1) ESP is really any perception or sense that is beyond what is normally perceived through the senses. That sounds like the definition of what psychics normally do, but there are some key differences.

2) Just like people who lose one sense, and make up for it by developing a keener sense in one that remains, ESP can be developed, enhanced, strengthened and put to good use.

3) A tremendous amount of the work the brain does is taking place deep below the level of consciousness, where you know nearly nothing about it and what’s it’s doing. Just imagine if you knew just a little more about what’s going on in there.

4) That same brain – as the epicenter of all the senses – is taking in all kinds of signals, processing them and then giving you back just what you think you want to see/hear/smell, etc. It’s not a perfect filter. You can’t, for example, totally filter out foul smells. Well, the truth is, your brain thinks you better know about them first – then later it will help you to filter them out.

5) Once the conscious mind is calm, all kinds of things can be unfiltered, synchronized and highlighted. But it does take calm. Quite often, it will take some practised calm, meaning, you may need to learn some advanced relaxation techniques.

6) ESP is normally the term used to refer to a variety of phenomena practiced by many psychics. These can include:

Clairvoyance – or distance seeing, the ability to see events or objects happening in another physical or spatial location.
Precognition – seeing and predicting events to occur the future.
Psychometry – learning by touching a physical object usually about another person or place.
Telepathy – intuiting or listening to the thoughts of another person.
Retrocognition – seeing events or situations that happened in the past.
Mediumship – a rare ability to channel the voices or messages from the dead.

7) ESP very often begins with something like intuition. A very light ESP occurrence might even be described as simply “pure intuition” or a feeling. It might be a sense that something is just not right or that you need to pay attention but without a logical explanation. People without training and experience in psychic techniques or awareness will probably leave it at that. But an experienced professional psychic will harness the opportunity to see and hear and learn, even with very limited initial input.

8) Developing your ESP and your psychic abilities allows anyone to make better and sounder decisions – in almost any situation. It doesn’t necessarily promise that you can predict lottery numbers or stocks to buy (or sell) but it does lead to greater peace of mind and awareness of the people and situations around you. It will almost certainly make you a better listener.

9) One of the biggest reasons for skepticism about ESP is that simply too many people have used it (or faked it) to make money. A healthy sense of skepticism is never a bad thing, but don’t let it stop you from learning something new, or from developing your own abilities to the fullest. Good psychics will still need to be paid, but that’s not to say that the field is not crowded with imposters. It is. Before you pay anything be sure you know with whom you’re dealing and what’s the nature of the service. You don’t have to trust just anyone, but you also shouldn’t hesitate to ask as many probing questions as you like, upfront.

Remember; keep learning, keep exploring and keep growing. There’s never been a better time to learn something new, and your inner eye will show you.

In Pure Spirit

Guest author: This article was written by James T. James lives in Mexico and, like many 10 year olds, thinks he can predict the future and make objects move with his mind.

Picture credit: Wikimedia.

Finding Happiness: Volunteer and Grow

December 23, 2013 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

Anita managed to become more aware of life and all that surrounds it thanks to volunteering. Today, she is happily married and enjoys raising her two daughters.

Let me share something that happens to be one of the fastest roads to personal growth and to a higher level of self awareness for me.

I started volunteering on causes I care about. These happen to be animal rights and helping children from bad neighborhoods understand the importance of education for their lives. This is something I wanted to do for a long time, and when I finally did, it paid off big time. I will share what lessons I’ve learned along the way, and share some of my musings. Read on…

Why Volunteer?

First off, I’d love to list the reasons many people list as what drives them to volunteer. I have to admit it, when asked I’ve named the same reasons as well:

I am altruistic and selfless
I love to help others
I want to make the world a better place

What I’ve learned by volunteering and listening to my true feelings is that volunteering is far from selfless. It is a selfish act, as you can’t help others without helping yourself (more on that below) and when you make the world a better place, you make it better for all, including yourself. This is far form altruistic and selfless.

What Can You Gain By Volunteering?

By volunteering, I’ve learned a lot of things and gained an insight I never had before. For starters, I realized that there are people far worse off than I am. It was a very humbling experience. Yes, you might mentally know that some people don’t live nearly as good as you do. But it never truly processed on an emotional level for me, until I’ve seen it and party experienced it.

I’ve met a lot of great people. People that cared for others and for the world around them. They were much different than people I used to associate with, who were mostly all about themselves. Hanging out with new friends has made an incredible impression on me and has changed the way I view the world by 180 degrees.

I’ve realized that we are all part of one living, breathing being. We all need to make a contribution. Every individual counts. Some people might be able to bring more change than others, but all of our voices count. If we amass enough people (and some speculate that only 10% is needed to create a critical mass), we can change the world.

Lessons Learned

I’ve learned that anything I do, no matter if I frame it as altruistic or not, helps me in the end. This realization has left me transformed as I gained an entirely different perspective on life after that. When others grow, I grow, when I grow, others grow too.

I highly suggest you make a conscious effort to make positive ripples in the world around you. If you don’t have the time to help people out, you can support organizations such as Red Cross or Mater Foundation and still have fun. Mater Foundation has a charitable lottery to fight cancer, for example.

I’ve learned that I can become more positive by realizing how lucky I am in life and by hanging out with people that can teach me a lot about life. Particularly, people who are doing what they preach and that aren’t just talking about things are the ones that have the most to offer.

I’ve also realized that I became pleased and proud of myself because I consistently took the time out of my day to help children and animals. It has made me much happier as I felt like I was making a difference.

And the thing is, when we are happy, when we are doing as much as we can to make a positive impact on the world, our self awareness and our consciousness grow as a result.

British first: Pagan wins Halloween case

December 20, 2013 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

For hundreds of years, Pagans have been persecuted by the law and people who didn’t understand their way of life and thus hated them for it. In 2013, British courts ruled in favor of a practicing Pagan against her employers with unfair dismissal, sexual and religious discrimination claims, receiving a total of £15,337.12. It is seen as the first ruling of this nature and a welcomed recognition for Pagans and their beliefs.

Karen Holland, aged 45, claimed that she was fired from the shop she was employed at in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, around Halloween after sharing her beliefs in Paganism. She went to the Feast of the Dead which is a traditional Pagan festival around Halloween. Once Gurnam Singh and Tarloch (brothers that owned the store) found out that she was a ‘witch’, they proceeded to ridicule her. They showed a clear disliking to the idea that she was a Pagan. Karen felt alienated by her bosses and shortly after Halloween, she was fired. Her bosses allegedly asked Karen if she rode around on a broom among other things, which they later denied saying. She said that she was made to feel that she had done something wrong just for following what she believed in.

Tarloch and Gurnam Singh claimed that she had been caught stealing a lottery ticket and magazine on camera, but later when asked to provide evidence, they said that they had deleted the footage. They denied ever ridiculing her about her beliefs, which they also couldn’t prove. Without the proper evidence for their case, the brothers could only deny what was being revealed in the tribunal.

The court ruled that Karen was to receive £6,145.44 for unfair dismissal and an additional £9,095.84 for charges of religious and sex discrimination. This ruling shows that all people, including Pagans, enjoy the same rights as everybody else.

The owners of the small shop say that the payout will put their business in jeopardy. They are challenging the court’s decision but without any evidence for their case, an overruling on the previous decision is unlikely.

It appears that Pagans across UK do not need to fear expressing their feelings about their religion as the law is firmly behind them and their rights as human beings.

In Pure Spirit

What do you make of the news? A step forward for religious equality or not?

Story: Daily Telegraph | Picture: Fixie Foo