Nerdistan

The sound by which all things are created isn’t just any sound, it is the Word of God, this word pervades through everything that exists. The power of the spoken word in the form of prayers, hymns and chants, is a belief that is common to all major religions and these sounds resonate in churches, mosques and temples throughout the world. In Hinduism, Mantras are a combination of sacred words, composed mainly in Sanskrit. According to the ancient Hindu scriptures, the ‘Vedas’ and ‘Upanishads’, the chanting of Mantras can achieve enlightenment and oneness with God.

The visual equivalent of a Mantra is a Yantra, it is in fact the graphical representation of a Mantra. The literal meaning of Yantra is ‘Device’, but it is unlike any manmade device, as its working is in complete harmony with nature. It is believed that a Yantra possesses infinite power, that its results are miraculous and that it can not only remove problems, but also realize wishes.

Yantras are made up from Vedic symbols, comprising of straight lines, squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. These symbols are so precise in design, that even the angles employed are determined to the last degree. Some Yantras may also comprise of numbers and letters of the ‘Dev Nagari’ script. These symbols represent the five basic elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, Air, Water and Ether. Each element is associated with certain properties. For example Earth denotes among other things stability, patience, material happiness and success. While Wind represents dishonour, sorrow and ignorance. These symbols are arranged so as to enhance one property and enervate the other.

The materials out of which Yantras can be created are very varied. These include ‘Asht Dhatu’ or an eight metal alloy, gold, silver, copper, crystals or even plant leaves. Some
materials are more suited to the properties of certain Yantras. However, any Power Yantra has an intrinsic energy which is always radiated, irrespective of size or material and these factors are not critical to its power.

The energising of a Yantra is the most important aspect of its creation. Without performing the complex, ancient energising ceremonies, set out in the Vedas, a Yantra remains dormant. Once it has been energized an ordinary Yantra is transformed into a Power Yantra and in this state it is considered to be the dwelling of the Gods and Deities it represents. In fact Yantra also means’ Abode’. Genuine Power Yantras, such as those that can be found at powerfortunes.com, are fountains of positive energy, that shower on those who worship them.

The energising ceremonies, or ‘Havans’ are preformed only on specific dates, during certain months of the Hindu calendar. Once this date has been selected, the exact time at which the Havan is to be preformed is calculated. At that precise time, in the presence of a ‘Sacred Fire’, the appropriate Mantras are recited and offerings made. This is done so as to invoke the Gods and Deities to invest their power and presence on the Yantra, igniting it with positive energy. According to the learned Guru (teacher) Maharishi Kishore Yogi Raj of Dehra Dun, India, who creates and energises Yantras for powerfortunes.com (check http://www.powerfortunes.com/aboutyantras.html), “It is essential that pure, unselfish thoughts are maintained during the energizing of theYantras.

Without this, the Yantras will not bear the desired results.”
There are numerous types of Yantras, each having its own unique design and purpose. Some may have multiple effects, such as the Sri Yantra. This Yantra is known to not only provide wealth and prosperity, but to also enhance mental concentration and harmony. Other Yantras may have a more specific purpose such as neutralizing the effects negative thoughts, evil wishes or adverse astrological conditions. Each Yantra has a corresponding Mantra. Repetition of this Mantra in the presence of a Power Yantra can have quite remarkable effects, especially in relation to the realization of ambitions and desires.

According to Dr. R.K. Shrimali, author of ‘Shri Yantra Rahesya’ or ‘ The Mysteries of the Shri Yantra’, Yantras also serve a functional purpose during prayers. That is, of providing a fixed point on which spiritual energy can be focused. It has been observed that when sound waves of certain frequencies are directed at a Yantra, the reflected waves mirror the patterns inscribed on the Yantra surface. This principle of wave polarization is believed to also extend to other energy forms, such as light, heat and magnetic fields.

In the words of Sir Thomas Browne, “There is surely a piece of divinity in us, something that was before the elements, and owes no homage to unto the sun.” It is this ‘Inner Divinity’ that fuels a Power Yantra. As when this is focused on a Power Yantra, it is amplified and returned back to us, thereby causing the profound effects that are observed. For more information and details of availability of Power Yantras, log on to http://www.powerfortunes.com

Vineet, is a copywriter and astrological consultant for Lucky Charms, Talismans.

The ancient Chinese Astrology is not only fascinating but also quite accurate. It’s Zodiac is based on 12 signs, a cycle of 12 years and are named after 12 symbolic animals : Rat (or Mouse), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog).

Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is based on your Chinese Lunar Year of Birth. The Chinese New Year is movable and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year.

If your Date of Birth falls into any of these below listed Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Rat (or Mouse), you are symbolically identified as a “Rat (or Mouse)” :

From 31 Jan 1900 to 18 Feb 1901

From 18 Feb 1912 to 05 Feb 1913

From 05 Feb 1924 to 24 Jan 1925

From 24 Jan 1936 to 10 Feb 1937

From 10 Feb 1948 to 28 Jan 1949

From 28 Jan 1960 to 14 Feb 1961

From 15 Feb 1972 to 02 Feb 1973

From 02 Feb 1984 to 19 Feb 1985

From 19 Feb 1996 to 06 Feb 1997

In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2006 is the 4703rd year and is also the third year of the New Fengshui Land Luck Period 8. The new Chinese Lunar Year is from 29.01.2006 to 17.02.2007. Here are the Annual Forecasts and suggested Fengshui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming “New Year 2006 : Bing Xu, the Year of the Yang Red Fire Dog” :

CAREER :

A satisfying year in many ways. The unemployed will get employed; the employed will get promoted or will migrate to a better job. The catch is that you should lower your over-expectations, without compromising on your ambitions and work really hard. The more efforts you put in, the more rewards you will reap. Fine tune your qualities and dedicate all your capabilites at work. Accept your responsibilities with a positive attitude. You will execute them with ease and comfort though with a lot of hard work. You can even claim the favour of your superiors, if you are careful with your communications. Prepare well to thwart frustrations and deal with difficulties.

Think out different contingency plans for different scenarios. Avoid confrontations. Arguments at office will invariably lead to career damage. Arguments with friends and relatives could lead to depression and loss of mental peace. A pencil shaped Lapis Lazouli Crystal Pendant will help you out in this. Those of you who are related to police, law, judiciary, key decision making, administration, fire service, correctional institutions, medicine, food and beverages will do much better than others.

For those of you in business, it is not that bright : the year will be busy, tough and demanding. There will be quite a few ups and downs. Be organised and enforce discipline. Think out thrice before embarking on new/big projects. Avoid taking major and crucial decisions this year. Hurdles will crop up at unexpected places and times. On no account take shortcuts. Display the image of Green Tara and the combined statue of Dragon & Phoenix, for overcoming obstacles. Back-stabbing could occur from all levels. Place the image or icon of Kuan Kung in the North West for protection and timely guidance.There could be theft problems for some. Place an Eagle statue or a pair of Kirins facing the entrance.

MONEY :

Moneyflow will be quite good, but may not be consistent, so plan your budget. Your earlier investments will payoff now. Many of your friends will return the favour you did to them earlier. Savings will help you build an account that will be needed later. Some of you will payoff the overdue loans comfortably. There could be some unexpected expenses too, but you can get through without much of a problem. Nobody can spoil your finances this year - except you ! Avoid over-indulgence and over-generosity. Keep off risky investments. Do not invest in unethical projects. To help you save money, you can carry a set of PaKua Horoscope coins or keep a set of Dragon & Phoenix Coins at home.

HEALTH :

Pay attention to your personal hygiene. Bleeding due to cuts could occur - donate blood. Take extreme care when you handle sharp objects like knife. Some of you may have to undergo surgery. Get your teeth cleaned up. Avoid adventurous and risky sports like mountain climbing, scuba diving, parachuting, etc. Stay away from water bodies. Take cautions when you travel and drive. Enjoy your food but make sure of it’s quantum and quality - otherwise you could end up with a lot of stomach problems. If you already have problems related to heart, head or limbs, it could worsen. Hard work and stress from family members could be a matter of concern. Take rest whenever you can. Check your ceilings for defects : water seeps or stains, cracks or peels. If you find any, fix them immediately. Hang a original, real Chinese Wou-Lou in the bedroom (on the headboard side) to drain away the sick energy. To avoid accidents, you may either hang a golden metal Wou-Lou near your main entrance or inside your car. If you are a pregnant rat, take the utmost care.

LOVE :

Good love luck. A nice year to marry and settle down. Marital bliss prevails. Just don’t let your possessiveness get too far, as that could cripple the present equation. Keep in touch with your partner and attend to his/her needs without fail. Pay personal attention to other members of your family too (especially to your elderly parents/grand parents) to avoid domestic troubles. In case of any conflict, stop arguing and resolve the issue immediately. Place an icon of Three Generations Turtles or Three Generations Dragon Head Turtles in the East.

Beneficial Crystal : Chalcedony, for 2006

Good Relationship with : Rat, Dragon & Monkey, for 2006

Conflict with : Horse, Rabbit & Goat, for 2006

Yin/Yang : Yang

A NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES : The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the coming new years, the only thing is that some of them may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.

This is copyrighted work. Permission is granted to republish (both in electronic media as well as print media) the article in it’s entirety only, including the full bio of the author and his links. All links should be “clickable” hyperlinks. An acknowledgement mail from Republishers will be appreciated.

The Author of this article Sri Janarrdhana Guptha is an Energy Consultant, Vaastu & Fengshui Researcher, Crystal Master and a Clairvoyant Karma Reader. His speciality is in permanent, life-time Remedial Solutions, especially Crystal Energy Fields. His wife Srimathi Kalpana Guptha is also a Psychic Reader. The Energy Couple can be reached through crystalvaastu@yahoo.com
or either of their websites:
http://www.newage-kabbalah-numerology.com or
http://www.crystal-vaastu.com/home.htm.

Janarrdhana Guptha has authored the book titled “Guide to Fengshui Good Luck Symbols”. He writes regularly in leading English & Tamil Magazines from India. More of his articles can be read at his blog : http://www.spaces.msn.com/members/crystal-vaastu/.

Yes you got it. You read it correctly. We’re not out of our minds. We really are saying that “anything that’s worth doing is worth doing poorly”. When we found this quote by Joachim DePosada on the web site: The Gary Halbert Letter, it struck such a huge cord. It made such immediate sense to us. The more we looked the more we realised that our lives were built around this quote. What about yours?

Just take your mind back to when you started to learn to drive. That very first time, you pressed your foot down on the throttle. The engine screamed. You lifted your left foot off the clutch with such panache, and you hurled forward with such velocity, you would have beaten any kangaroo.

Can you drive now? Then we rest our case:

Anything that’s worth doing, is worth doing poorly.

Do you remember the first time you played tennis? Did you really get the serve right first time? Or did you carefully throw the ball in the air throw the racket and miss!!! What about now? Was it worth doing it poorly the first time around?

What happened the first time you strode up with your bucket of balls on the driving range? You put the ball down and swung perfectly and hit it for what 500 yards?????? Or, did you:

1. miss it completely,

2. follow through and fall over

3. take out a good portion of the matting or grass with the shot

4. hit it with such force it managed a few yards and stopped.

What is all this about?

Reminding yourself that;

Whenever you do something you haven’t done before.

Whenever, you make effort to break an old habit.

Whenever you are going to do something that is worth doing.

The odds are you are going to make a hash of it. Don’t give in. You are normal. Don’t listen to that critical voice inside your head that says, “It’s no good. I can’t do it. I will never, ever try again”.

Listen instead to the powerful, self confirming voice that says,
“It’s OK. Remember. Anything that’s worth doing, is worth doing poorly”
And laugh and keep going.

So, whether your aim is to give up smoking… diet….. stop drinking……..change your job, learn a language, build a business, whatever it is, accept that you are going to do it poorly at first. Then gradually with practice you will get better and better.

It takes effort to improve yourself. It takes effort to become the best sales person in town. It takes effort to build a successful business. It takes effort to lose weight. It takes effort to follow your dream.

But. If you want to improve yourself! ……..If you want to learn a new skill…….. There is only one way to start………..Overcome your need to be right first time and keep practicing.

So whatever you want to do. Whatever you dream of being! Whatever you see yourself doing in five years time. It all starts with making a fool of yourself now. So you might as well get on with it. Go on, go for your dream!

Remember:
Anything that’s worth doing, is worth doing poorly.

Good luck

Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com

To improve your intuition, initiative and energy levels. Please go to:
http://www.desktop-meditation.com It’s free.

Another perfect sunset seen from Redondo Beach, California. Since arriving here in June I’ve had the pleasure of watching many sunsets while jogging or walking along the Redondo “Strand,” and have yet to tire of the endless beauty of each individual sunset. Each one is stunning, each one is different. While jogging along this evening, watching today’s contribution to my portfolio of California memories, the thought came to me that sunsets are a lot like the day to day activities that challenge our lives.

A Redondo Beach sunset has four major components:

The sun

The ocean

Clouds (or lack of clouds)

Weather

With this combination we have the ability to put together a different sunset every evening, never repeating the same sunset. Each sunset is very different, leaving a completely different emotion to the sunset participant. In Redondo Beach, the entire waterfront area appears to pause for about 10 minutes each day to watch the sun go down, indulging in explosions of color and emotion that accompany the event. Our business lives show some interesting parallels to sunsets. In my industry, telecommunications, we also have very few basic ingredients supporting business:

Cable and air (wireless)
Electricity
Computers
Software
Packet handlers (routers, switches, modems, etc)

When you think about it, each new company developing and deploying a new telecom-related product is using a combination of the above items - they are just connected and marketed in unique models needed to fulfill requirements a market or industry. Thus, whether you are an Internet Service Provider, a web hosting company, a Voice over Internet provider, or a traditional telephone company, at some point in your business case your product will include all the above components.

Thus it is not magic to understand the technical portions of a telecom business. All telecom and Internet-related companies use the above components - they are just put together and marketed in a different manner.

This also leads me to believe technology is not the discriminating factor in the success or failure of any business. That factor is more a product of understanding your market, developing a product with a well-prepared business plan, And then aggressively executing against your business plan. Technology can never stand alone, and very few successful businesses have ever been built solely around an emerging technology. The technology must be designed to solve a business challenge, or enable a new business model.

We have all gone through the exercise of taking an object, and determining what the purpose of that object may be. A sheet of paper may be a tool for recording written or printed information, it may be the raw material for a paper airplane or origami, just as it might be a tool for cleaning your teeth when you cannot find a pick or floss. The sheet of paper works well for all.

Computers and networks are similar. You ask what a computer is, and the response may be a word processor, or a communications terminal, or an emergency disk backup platform, or even a platform for playing games and entertainment. One computer may accomplish all the above, although the owner of each individual computer may give you a very different answer on how a computer should be used.

An Internet connection may be used primarily by one company for research and business intelligence, while another company may consider the Internet as a delivery system for disaster recovery backup and storage. Again, suitable for both, but very different in application.

Just as a sunset changes every day based on the presentation or conditions of its contributing components, the business must also consider technology as a tool to execute a successful business plan. It is important to first understand the business requirements, and then reach into the technology “tool bag” for the components needed to deliver.

(About the Author - John Savageau is a managing director at CRG-West, responsible for managing operations and architecture for several of the largest telecommunications interconnect facilities in the US, including One Wilshire in Los Angeles)

As a general rule, all people have some form of pride.
Everyone wants to be more important than what they really
are. This may work for a time for some people who demand
attention and respect, but in the long run it will end up
smacking them in the face. God says He will confound the
wise and He also tells us not to be wise in our own eyes.
This pride comes from not acknowledging God or His Word.
But we have been forewarned. God in all His infinite wisdom
knows that we all have evil and wicked devices in our
hearts. That is why He will eventually bring this human pride
to it’s knees. In God’s Word He says He will bring low the
ones who exalt themselves and will exalt those who are
humble. If you have ever thought you were all that and a bag
of chips, odds are God has already dealt with you about that.
After that, He will give you the choice of obedience or
disobedience. Once God gets your attention and makes you
see all your human weaknesses, you will soon realize the
One Who is far greater than yourself. This act of
humbling is what makes us see that we are all disposable.

This is the journey of all true Christians who have been
dragged into the wood shed by God Himself to deal with
them on their human condition. It’s here that we can get on
our knees and cry out for God’s help, or we can be stubborn
and keep getting our butts kicked. After all, it was this kind of
pride that kept the Israelites from reaching their destiny in
what would’ve been an 11 day journey and turned it into a
40
year wilderness journey. They just never wanted to remain
humble to the Lord. Their pride kept messing them up and
going around and around in the desert without ever
reaching the Promised Land. Was this God’s fault? No, He
gave them explicit instructions but they just didn’t heed His
call to remain humble. As a result, only 2 of the original
people ever made it, that was Joshua and Caleb. What are
your odds of making it to the “Promised Land”?

“A false balance and unrighteous dealings are extremely
offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight
is His delight. When swelling and pride come, then
emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble
(those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by
trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and
soundness. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but
the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous
shall destroy them.” Prov. 11:1-3 (Amplified)

It doesn’t get much plainer than this. Anyone who refuses to
humble themselves in the sight of the Lord will eventually be
destroyed by his own stubborn actions and prideful self.
God regards this as offensive and shamefully sinful. But the
man who humbles himself will gain godly Wisdom and
soundness. This is integrity of a righteous person and God
will guide this man or woman all the days of their life. Their
journey will not be in vain. Ask yourself this, do you have any
idea where you’re headed in this life’s journey? Is God
leading you or do you feel you’re on your own?

Jesus used parables to explain these lessons for us today.
A parable means an earthly story with a heavenly message.
All stories have a moral behind them. Morals are meant to
speak to our morales of life. We all have morales, but every
once in awhile, we need to check them and see if they are
lined up with God’s will for us.

In Luke 15, Jesus spoke about the parable of the
disobedient young son. We know it better as the Prodigal
Son. This gives the perfect example of how we all start out
our journey. Being a young man, he thought he deserved
what he had coming to him and was going to go out in the
world and “do his own thing”. No one was going to tell him
any differently. I know I’ve been there a few times myself.
We all feel like we’re entitled to the good things in life
without working for them because we deserve them.

Notice in Luke 15:11, the young son goes to his father and
says, “Give me”. Those two words are spoken so often even
today among children who haven’t yet been chastised by the
Lord. I use to kid that Mr. Roger’s was to blame for our
children’s behaviors. He always told them “you are
special”. Children are and should be special but not to the
point of being disobedient. No one is that special! We have
given in and spoiled our children with love and not enough
discipline that they get to a certain age can’t be told what to
do. Instead they expect things just to be given to them.
We are not doing them any favors by trying to be their
friends. We need to be responsible adults in teaching them
that the world is not fair and they will have to do something
in return. But, like the saying goes, “learn the hard way.” And
hard it is.

So in this parable, this younger son demands that his father
give him his portion because he had merely inherited it. He
never worked for it. But, he was a man now and wanted to
see the world on his own. Like any young irresponsible
person, he didn’t regard this money with careful thought. It
didn’t mean that much to him. So, he acted like the big man
on campus and impressed people he didn’t even know. He
loved the feeling it gave him. He was popular, everyone
regarded him as their friend, until all his money was gone.
As long as he didn’t want for anything he was very prideful.

“And when he had spent all he had, a mighty famine came
upon that country, and he began to fall behind and be in
want.” Luke 11:14 (Amplified)

Maybe he never even considered that it takes money
constantly coming in in order to live. This takes hard work to
make the money. People are alot like this today. Life should
be all fun and games, not hard work. Trying to impress
people might get you further in this world without working for
it. In reality this is not the case and this lesson is often
learned too late. This younger son found that out for himself.
He was down to nothing and left wanting for everything.

“So he went and forced (glued) himself upon one of the
citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed
hogs.” Luke 11:15 (Amplified)

When you are down to bare bones you have to start begging
and humbling yourself. People just aren’t going to welcome
you in with open arms. He was given a job, but a
menial job and he had no choice but to take it. Now all of a
sudden he wasn’t so important. He soon found out that this
wasn’t going to cut it. He had to do something extreme. His
back was against the wall. Do you know the feeling of being
this deperate? I certainly do.

“Then when he came to himself, he said, How many hired
servants of my father have enough food, and (even food) to
spare, but I am perishing (dying) here of hunger?” Luke
15:17 (Amplified)

He came to his senses and realized that he was not “all that
and a bag of chips”. He also realized that he had sinned
against God by his disobedience of thinking himself more
than what he really was. (Luke 15:18)

It was at this point he came to see his frailty. This is
the same point that we come tosee ourselves for who we
really are. Face it, we just aren’t worthy on our own. Time to
get over it! There is only one way to be worthy, His name is
Jesus.

“I am no longer worthy to be called your son; (just) make me
like one of your hired servants.” Luke 15:19 (Amplified)

This is where God gets our attention and we fall on our
knees and say, “Lord, just make me…”. We humble
ourselves and ask God to make us in the image of Christ.
We long to be His servant and obey Him. Christ said in John
15:5 that He was the vine and we are the branches and with
out Him, we can do nothing! That’s pretty simple. Does this
mean we are nothing in God’s sight? No, we are precious in
His sight when we learn to humble ourselves. Remember
He regards pride as sinful. God can’t look upon sin and
pride is the number one reason we are destroyed.

This parable has a happy ending just as it does with our
Heavenly Father. When the son admitted his sins, his father
was quick to forgive him and welcomed him into his home.
He saw it as a reason to celebrate and he prepared a
banquet for him.

God tells us the same thing today. When we get our knees
and humble ourselves and confess our sins to Him He will
then open up His arms and welcome us home. God is
quick to forgive our sins when we confess them. He says
He is going to celebrate our arrival with a big wedding feast.
He also said He will reward us with crowns of Life and Glory
if we just humble ourselves and make ourselves servants to
Him. He promises that He will give us an inheritance in His
kingdom one day. For those who remain in the world and
prideful, He says He will make them His footstool.
Remember that God promises to exalt those who are
humble. It’s not being made lowly as being impoverished.
It’s being made lowly to be lifted up and highly favored by
God.

Where do you want to end up in the end of your journey?
Being a humble servant to Jesus Christ will reserve your
place at the banquet table with Him and such a party we
have never seen the likes of here on this earth.

I don’t know about you but I’m doing everything I can to
secure my name in that Book of Life so I will be invited to
that gala. My human pride is nothing compared to being
humble and considered upright and righteous in the sight of
the Lord God Almighty.

If you have teenagers at home or know of any who are
saying, “give me” right now, please tell them this parable
and make them see how important it is that they go to God
and ask Him to “make me” instead.

On this road through life, it’s important to remember that
when we humble ourselves, we will find God’s blessings as
we obey Him.

Vivian Gordon writes inspirational and spiritual articles
in which to help strengthen the Believer’s walk in Christ.
They are often taken from today’s point of view and
used in conjunction with what God says about certain
situations and how we are to handle them. There is
always an answer for every problem. These articles are
not all about asking God “why?” but in finding the
answers.