I found this photo a few years ago to represent a state of illusion where it is hard to determine what is real. The planet Neptune can have this effect if you’ve studied astrology. I had to go back and find this photo again recently. And now I’m realizing it represents a feeling that is very prevalent in many corners of life.

Whether it be politics, where what is being reported is only the tip of the iceberg, where rumors and secret deals are taking place, where money or personal reward is really the goal, and where a government ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’ has become a rather whisper of reality….what are we really to believe? Whether it be religion, where belief in higher principles often inspires and uplifts us but where dogma and judgment clouds our connection with reality and with one another….what are we to believe? Whether it be gluten-free or the original ancient wheat or natural ingredients which are not natural, then what are we to believe? Can we not just eat with joy and be grateful for the fresh food before us?

I’m beginning to suspect that the key to all of this, the secret to dividing the real from the unreal, lies in our hearts and with the use of our intuitive gifts. It is almost as if we need to consciously lift the veil and see beyond the headlines, read between the words, study the feelings we get and go much deeper within to discern the truth. What once was determined and predictable seems to be rapidly slipping away. Technology has become our constant companion and depended upon so heavily. But I still keep my little black book of addresses and phone numbers. There’s a world of reality before our eyes but it can’t match up with the smell of rain or the sprouting of a daffodil.

Peoples faces are before us on the computer screen and stories are told about their lives. But there is still an incomprehensible space between our hearts and theirs when they pass from this earthly plane and begin traveling ‘on the other side.’ May our ability to divide the real from the unreal become a mastered skill by listening deeply to ourselves and those we trust, and may our vision not be clouded but clear of all but our inner wisdom and the love of our hearts.