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A well-meaning friend recently sent me a “Happy Father’s Day” meme. At first, I was a little surprised, since I don't have any children, and my dad passed away many moons ago. Then I thought about it again, and responded, “Much appreciated! I am very proud of the man I raised myself to become.” Yes, indeed. Growing up psychic and sane was certainly no mean feat, since my childhood resembled a combination of the movies 'Matilda' and 'The Sixth Sense,' with a sprinkling of 'The Jerry Springer Show', all set against the backdrop of 'The Handmaid’s Tale.' For many years, I thought I was just really stupid, or weird, even crazy. Many of my earliest memories are of vivid extra-sensory experiences and sometimes traumatic paranormal events. Growing up psychic is certainly not for sissies. I woke up many nights with what I perceived to be 'shadow people' standing next to my bed. I still don't like to talk about those days. ​I am a psychic medium by birth, but only discovered this fact much later in my life. ​There were many signs and synchronicities over the years, of which some were quite exceptional, but due to my stubborn rejection of my psychic heritage, I only managed to connect all the dots many years later. I inherited my psychic ability from my paternal grandmother. Throughout my childhood my dad used to tell us amazing stories of his mother, and how she used to talk to dead people and foretell the future by looking into people's teacups. Family legend has it that as a young woman she was an 'Irish beauty' with pale skin and piercing violet eyes. She was admired, but also feared by some in the small town where she lived in the 1940s and 5o's. Some of the locals would actually cross the road to avoid her. Apparently, word had gotten around that whenever she talked kindly to strangers, someone in that particular family was going to get sick... or kick the bucket... or both! Poor grandma, I'm sure she meant well. However, whenever they needed their fortunes told, or had problems with paranormal activity in their homes, they always knew where to find her. According to my dad, she was a badass 'ghostbuster' in her day! As a matter of fact I had a terribly traumatic childhood. But afterward I sort of reraised myself ~ Michael Gruber I suspected at a very young age that there must be something terribly wrong with me. I was clearly very different from other children, and it was confirmed soon after my 5th birthday, when the headmistress at kindergarten peppered my tongue with cayenne, in front of the whole school, for telling “tall tales” about a mysterious “angel man” watching over us from the corner of the playground, as well as the sad little "ghost girl" who used to play with us on the merry-go-round. Apparently, I was upsetting the other kids, and some of their parents. At first I thought everyone saw, heard and sensed the same things I did, but on that momentous day in daycare, it became very clear that this was not the case. ​The name-calling and bullying escalated by the time I went to school. I was a gifted, unusual child growing up in a very religious and politically conservative society. Nevertheless, I was intuitively drawn to the mystical and the paranormal from a very early age. My mom was not impressed, for example, when she discovered one day that her missing glass bowl had been turned upside down and used as a ‘crystal ball’ to do readings for some of the kids in the neighborhood. Not to mention the fact that those kids were a little freaked out too! What can I say... we had no computer games in those days. ​Growing up in Apartheid South Africa, my childhood environment was shaped by a government policy known at the time as Christelike Nasionale Opvoeding (Christian National Education). This restrictive policy was geared towards social engineering and allowed very little religious or ideological freedom. The Calvinistic and highly chauvinistic values of the regime were drilled into us, and we were programmed not to question authority, and to comply with the prescribed cultural and social expectations of our community. In this stifling environment I was obviously soon misunderstood, ostracized and bullied, to the extent that I began to view my highly sensitive nature and psychic heritage as a shameful secret... as some kind of personal ‘disability.’ I see dead people.. . ​To be sensitive, emotional and spiritually aware are still taboos in this world, especially for young men. Combine that with being an empathic ‘new age weirdo’ who talks to dead people... and you have the perfect breeding ground for shame, self-hatred and public humiliation. The fact that my parents were emotionally absent, and not at all nurturing or supportive, did not make things any easier. ​I soon realized I had to wear a mask and pretend to be what I am not, for fear of rejection and ridicule. I fervently began to resist my extra-sensory experiences. My fascination with all things metaphysical soon became my ‘dirty little secret.’ At least I no longer blurted out the secrets of unsuspecting adults at social gatherings, which often caused many red faces and awkward silences around coffee tables and barbeque fires. I'm sure many folks were quite relieved that I opted to keep my mouth shut. ​I was fortunate to grow up with a lot of books in my childhood home, and I became the proud owner of a public library card as soon as I could read. Just like Roald Dahl's character, Matilda, books really were my saving grace. Books nurtured, guided and comforted me as a child. Books were my substitute parents and teachers, when the adults in my life failed me. In my late teens, I was fortunate to discovered the classic book, An Experiment with Time by J.W. Dunne, and this helped me a great deal over the years to understand and interpret my dreams, which is a skill I now effectively use in my work. The most important thing I learned from Dunne’s book was that I was not the only guy in the world who sees the future in his dreams . Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone ~ Roald Dahl Oddly, books also brought me a fleeting 15 minutes of popularity among my peers. I was around 13 years old at the time and I used to secretly read books about divination, the paranormal, and mediumship, in the school library. It was the safest, most peaceful place for me to hide from the bullies during school breaks. ​One day three older girls noticed the palmistry book I was reading, and the leader of the pack came over and asked me what it was about. Not used to this kind of attention, especially from older kids, I proceeded to spill the beans, before I even considered how she might respond. Instead of being shocked or amused, she asked me if I could “tell fortunes." Without any hesitation, I said yes. She immediately beckoned her friends over, and insisted I read their palms. I actually knew very little about palmistry, but I was born with the ability to ‘see’ and ‘feel’ things when I touch someone, or hold an object that belongs to them. So, one by one I took their eagerly upturned hands and gave the first psychic readings of my career. I will never forget the expression on their faces as I talked about their problems at home, their schoolwork issues, and all the drama of their teenage romances and the boys they secretly had crushes on. Word spread of the geeky kid in the library who tells fortunes, and soon there was a mob of youngsters waiting for me at the library every day. The library became my ‘psychic parlor’ and a refuge for all the teenage angst of the senior girls. But my newfound fame was short-lived, because the crowding and noise got so out of hand that the school’s librarian had no other choice but to put an end to it. She also sent me to the headmaster’s office, where I received a beating with one of the canes from his extensive collection - for being a disruptive influence, and for doing “the devil’s work.” The following week, at Monday morning assembly, he read from scripture and sternly warned the student body against the evils of witchcraft and satanism. I was just thankful he never called my parents. Grandma 'Dolly' is said to have been a badass ghostbuster in her day. For a long time, after my stint as the ‘teenage library psychic,’ I refused to publicly acknowledge the existence of psychic or paranormal phenomena. I had by now gone thoroughly undercover, and deep into the psychic closet. Yet, I still was frowned upon by teachers, and rejected and tortured by many of my peers, for daring to be different from the norm. I was a weird kid. Period. On my 16th birthday my father gave me a yellowed, sealed envelope from my grandmother, which she handed to him a few months before her passing. It contained a short letter to his eldest child, explaining my psychic heritage. The letter also contained a St. Christopher pendant, which she said I should wear for my protection. I did not take any of this very seriously at the time, and disregarded all of it as the 'woo-woo' ramblings of an old lady. Sorry grandma, I will apologize to you in person someday, when I finally get back to the Other Side. For many years, I had a problem with intense anxiety and I frequently experienced acute panic attacks. The problem was so severe when I was about 4 or 5 years old, that I had to be rushed to the emergency ward on more than one occasion, and once had to be hospitalized, because I would literally stop breathing. My dad told me years later that on that particular day I was so uncontrollably hysterical, it took the physical strength of two nurses, my dad and the doctor to pin me down for an injection. ​The first time I personally became fully aware of having these panic attacks, and that they were linked to something beyond this world, was when I was about 7 years old and in the second grade. I was sitting on the living room floor one afternoon, paging through a book, when suddenly an intense sense of dread engulfed me. At the same time an ominous 'shadow' descended upon our home, as if the sky had suddenly turned overcast outside. The living room became gloomy as if it was suddenly twighlight. Someone... or something... was in that room with me. Then, I remember feeling somehow very angry...when the pages of the book in front of me began to vigorously page all by itself... from cover to cover... rapidly... like someone flicking through a deck of cards! I was beyond myself with terror! I ran for dear life, jumping over furniture and just about diving through the front door to get out of that house! Outside the sun was shining brightly and it was still a beautiful, peaceful summer's day. I refused to go back into the house for the rest of the afternoon, patiently waiting on the front lawn, until my parents came home from work. ​As a child I felt myself to be alone, and I am still, because I know things and must hint at things which others apparently know nothing of, and for the most part do not want to know ~ C.G. Jung Soon after, I woke up one night from some kind of bad dream. Crying inconsolably, I ran to my parents' bedroom, where my mother lay sleeping alone. My dad was not yet home. Mom could make no sense out of what I was trying to say. She thought I was simply afraid of the heavy thunderstorm outside. Apparently, I was sobbing and repeatedly crying, "Daddy has the moon on his face...!" Later that night the phone call came. My father had been in a head-on collision and had not been wearing his seat-belt. He went through the windshield, head first. The shattered glass cut into his face, leaving a large, deep wound shaped like a half moon across his forehead. He carried that scar for the rest of his life. By the way, that 'self-paging' book was certainly not the first or last time that psychokinetic or telekinetic phenomena happened around me. Psychokinetic occurrences are an almost normal, although very infrequent part of my everyday life since I can remember. For example, it is not unusual for me to somehow crash computers and cash registers everywhere I go, when I am out and about on a particularly emotionally distressed day! A few people in my life have also learned not to stand under any exposed overhead light-bulbs, whenever I'm around, as they do tend to unexpectedly explode from time to time. Same thing happens with street lights. One of the funnier instances occurred inside a grocery store in 2009, on a quiet weekday morning. I was walking down the cereal aisle, minding my business, when a piece of PVC water pipe mysteriously became dislodged and dropped from the ceiling, missing my head by inches. Fortunately, I only had a scratch on my face and my shirt was covered in a muddy slush. Interestingly, most of these everyday 'disturbances' subsided and even disappeared once I began working full-time as a psychic professional. One of the most traumatizing and memorable anxiety attacks happened during the school holidays in the early part of 1983. I was 16 years old at the time and waiting for a bus in Church Street in Pretoria, South Africa, when I was suddenly overcome by the most horrible sense of dread. The anxiety was so overwhelming that I could hardly breathe. I had no idea what might have caused this suffocating feeling, but I just new that I was in extreme danger... and I immediately had to get out of that area! At first I walked, but eventually ran like an insane person for about 2 km (1.3 miles). Then, just as suddenly as it came, the feeling was gone. I came to an exhausted halt, drenched in perspiration, yet utterly calm and relieved. This inexplicable incident was soon forgotten, but in recent years I accidentally discovered its true meaning, after sharing some of my childhood experiences with a fellow psychic. I had never made the connection before, but after doing some further research, I soon realized that a few months after my panic episode, on the afternoon of May 20th, 1983 , at least 16 people were killed and about 130 injured in a car bomb explosion in Pretoria. The explosion happened outside the Nedbank Square building on Church Street, at the height of the city's rush hour…just a few steps away from where I had been standing on that day when that dreadful panic attack hit me! So much for psychic overload and being an energy sponge. To this day I wonder if I could have made a difference at the time, had I been more empowered with a better understanding of why I was experiencing these bizarre things. In my early 20’s, I was referred to a therapist by my doctor, in the hope of overcoming my anxiety. It was a miraculous synchronicity that I went to see this particular therapist, because he just happened to be a mainstream psychologist who was also interested in alternative spirituality, energy work and holistic healing. For obvious reasons, he never admitted any of this to me at the time, I only figured it out many years later. Instead of just doing the usual psychotherapy, we also did past life regression and energy healing. At the time I did not understand what he was trying to accomplish; I thought he was teaching me some kind of self-hypnosis. And I thought his therapeutic skills sucked, because he spent most of his time sitting back in his armchair with his eyes closed. After many sessions, during which nothing much happened, I had a major breakthrough one day. I remember suddenly feeling an intense ‘explosion’ in the are of my solar plexus, as if a floodgate had burst wide open. I was pinned to the couch by a powerful stream of energy rushing through what felt like a churning ‘cavity’ in my stomach. It was like a tornado drilling right through my spine, and into the floor below me. It was the most astonishing thing I had ever felt. After the initial shock, an incredible sense of relief and freedom washed over me. The therapist asked me what I was feeling, but I was unable to speak. I was completely paralyzed, as if in a trance. Silent tears were running down my face, and I felt profoundly calm, blissful and at peace. Living a spiritual life may not be easy. It demands total authenticity. It brings you to dance to a unique song that only you can hear fully, and sometimes you dance alone because no others can hear the music ~ Debra Moffitt Years later, I figured out that what I had experienced was an unblocking of my solar plexus chakra , which is the energy center for mental understanding of our emotional life. Interestingly, the spiritual lesson of this chakra is to achieve self-love, and acceptance of our place in the stream of life. The solar plexus chakra is often linked to issues relating to self-image or self-esteem, oversensitivity to criticism, fear of rejection, and fears of our secrets being found out. The information stored in this energy center also relates to personal power, our sense of belonging and the consciousness of self within the Universe . It is the basis for a positive, healthy self-image and connection to one's personal spiritual path and life calling. ​Based on my childhood experiences, I clearly was a prime candidate for developing a problem in this area! Not that any of this mattered much to me at the time. All I cared about was the fact that I never again experienced a single panic attack since that day. On my final visit to the unorthodox ‘shrink,’ he unexpectedly gave me as parting gift a paperback copy of the book Mind To Mind: The Secrets Of Your Mind Energy Revealed , by the late Betty Shine. She was a renowned psychic medium and healer in the United Kingdom, and her book helped me find my way back to who I really was. It opened up a whole new world for me, very far removed from the books on palmistry I used to read in the school library. The 1990 paperback that launched my career. I soon started doing some of Betty’s meditation exercises. My favorites were Journey to the Centre of the Universe and The Auric Egg . Betty’s exercises became the foundation for my personal psychic re-attunement and my ultimate spiritual awakening. Little did I know at the time that these exercises would eventually become spontaneous experiences that came and went for the next decade. There was a long period when I had recurring dreams and out-of-body experiences of returning to that spiritual ‘university’ on the edge of the Universe, for more and more ‘lessons.’ Betty's book and grandma's pendant were also not the only unusual, synchronistic gifts I received along the way. While I was a senior at university, for example, I became acquainted with a new student, named Rudy. Our friendship was brief, but to this day his synchronous appearance in my life intrigues me. How exactly it happened remains a mystery to me, but one day he just unexpectedly showed up at my door with an unusual gift in a brown paper bag. It was a brand new deck of Rider Waite ® Tarot cards. It was not my birthday, or any other special occasion, so I asked him the reason for this unusual gift. His answers still haunts me to this day. “It is best to receive your first deck as a gift, instead of buying it yourself,” he said. Then he left. A few days later I heard that he had dropped out of school and I never saw him again. Sadly, that deck of cards ended up being burned in a bonfire later that year, which a friend and I felt compelled to make in the backyard when we became reborn Christians for a period of time. In 1996, I experienced three consecutive blackouts, or fainting spells, a few weeks apart. I simply fell unconscious for no apparent reason. Twice I badly injured myself, and still have the scars on my left ear and the right side of my forehead. On all three occasions I had profound out-of-body experiences (ODEs). I remember feeling like I was floating and seeing my own body lying on the floor. Then it felt like I was moving very rapidly through a dark tunnel… to a place of safety. It felt like all the sacred knowledge and deepest truths of the Universe were surging through my very being. I also felt intense emotions of well-being, and joy, and peace. It was unbelievable, and so pleasant, that I did not want to return, but I kept hearing a far-off voice telling me that I had to go back, because my work was not done. I felt annoyed that anyone would expect me to go back, but I was being sucked violently back into my body and waking up feeling disoriented, and really miserable. The weird blackouts happened within a period of one month, and I have never experienced anything like it again. After the third incident, I was tested extensively in a medical lab for every possible cause, but nothing was found. They did blood tests, had me running on a treadmill, and even took an MRI scan. Nothing. My doctor was puzzled. Nobody could explain what may have caused me to just fall unconscious, without anything being wrong with my physical health. In fact, I was extremely fit at the time, since I worked part-time as an aerobics and yoga instructor. I was also enrolled for a personal fitness trainer certification course in those days, and it was a source of great amusement for the other students, when I showed up for lectures with a black eye and swollen forehead. Nobody believed my story that I had just fainted for no reason, and they teased me endlessly about “getting wasted and beat up in a pub brawl!” When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind ~ Patrick Rothfuss I had sensed that something significant happened during those blackouts, but I never would have thought that those fainting spells had in fact been near-death experiences (NDEs). The descriptions I read of other people’s NDEs were generally different from what I had experienced, so I did not know what to make of it. Amazingly the answer came to me courtesy of a skeptic! According to research conducted by Dr Kevin Nelson , a leading advocate for brain-based theories for NDEs, the leading cause of near-death experience is fainting . Although Dr. Nelson does not believe that there is anything spiritual about NDEs, he certainly helped me find some answers about my own spiritual and psychic awakening. ​ ​After these experiences, my psychic awareness rapidly began to increase and intensify, although I still did not take it very seriously and kept it secret from friends and family. After all, I had majored in Psychology in the early 90s and knew very well where people ended up who claimed they ‘saw things’ or ‘heard voices’. I had no intention of becoming just another psychiatric statistic. But after several further traumatic life events, and strange disruptions in my professional and personal life, I eventually could no longer avoid the inevitable. I increasingly felt a sense of urgency to fulfill my true life purpose, whatever that may be. I also continued to have vivid dreams and other psychic and paranormal experiences, which I ignored to the best of my ability. Eventually, I could no longer keep up the pretense. The breakthrough came at a point in time when my life seemed to have spiraled completely out of control. I had reached the stage where I simply felt I had nothing more to lose, and I had finally also lost the will to continue the charade. It all came to a dramatic climax, when I found myself late one night searching Google for the most effective, and least messy methods of suicide... until I experienced an unforgettable metaphysical encounter, which ultimately led to a profound spiritual awakening. It may seem somewhat shocking for me to say this, but today I believe that this was the best thing that could have happen to me at that time. While I thought I was giving up on my crazy life, and throwing in the towel, what really happened was that I finally surrendered my resistance to my true self. At first, I smelled a strangely pleasant odor that I suddenly remembered very vividly from my childhood. This distinctive scent always preceded the ‘floating bubbles of light’ which I used to often see as a child. I had completely forgotten about those experiences, yet here they were again... the flickering light specks that look like ‘bundles of fireflies.' The smell they came with was like electricity, or ozone. It was not unpleasant, simply unusual. For a long time I had no way of describing it, until I bought a small air purifier a few years ago. I soon discovered that the faint smell of ozone, which is generated in small quantities by the negative ions from the purifier, was rather similar in scent. In an expanding universe, time is on the side of the outcast. Those who once inhabited the suburbs of human contempt find that without changing their address they eventually live in the metropolis. ~ Quentin Crisp Then a strangely familiar voice spoke to me telepathically . I remember it telling me to be grateful to be alive; that I live in an abundant Universe, that my life was meant to be happy and joyful, and that I had a unique purpose and a special mission to fulfill in this lifetime. I suddenly remembered where I heard that voice before! It was the voice of my ‘imaginary’ playmate ... that very same ‘angel man’ who watched over me on the playground! He was the one who spoke for the ‘others’, the one who was always there when ‘they’ came to visit. When I started working professionally a few years later, he introduced himself to me as “Jordan.” And as time passed, I discovered that his name was actually “Yarden" from the original Hebrew יַרְדֵן, meaning “the descender,” or “to flow down,” or “descending from above.” It was also revealed to me that the word Yarden consists of the Hebrew letters Yud Resh Dalet Nun, read from right to left. My jaw dropped when I uncovered the meaning of every syllable and I soon realized that "Jordan" was much more than just an individual spirit guide, or my personal guardian angel. Yarden was not a person or a singular being, he was a group of entities, a universal energy, an infinite intelligence. Yud is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means "hand." The Zohar states that the Yud represents the head of all creatures, and in the Sephrotic tree the Yud symbolizes wisdom - the stage of concealment which precedes its development into a state of expansion in understanding . Yud is the smallest letter in the alphabet, yet is frequently associated with the large concept of emanation , the highest level in the Four World paradigm of Kabbalah. Resh is the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means "beginning" or "head". Resh literally means "there is a beginning ." Dalet is the 4th letter of the alphabet and means "door" or "doorway." Nun is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means "shine, sprout, spread," According to the ancient Kabbalistic text, The Bahir, the bent Nun represents the spinal cord through which the body is fed by the brain​. Go figure. To this day I find it quite mind-boggling when I think of that incredible moment. Behind my desk, in front of the flickering screensaver on my laptop computer, intending to plan my own demise... I experienced instead a deeply significant spiritual breakthrough. I was confronted with an overwhelming and sudden awakening to my spiritual origins. I was reconnected with my inner divinity and higher self in a very powerful way. ​I still did not know what I was going to do going forward, but I finally felt free in that moment to fully acknowledge who I really was, for the first time in my life. For weeks afterwards I was like a hung-over, dazed Rip van Winkle, who had finally woken up after spending many years in a restless, feverish sleep. I was now perceiving with astonishment a sparkling, new, mystical world through the eyes of a newborn. ​​ After that fateful night, my life took a remarkable turn for the better. 'Crossing Over with John Edward' was the final puzzle piece. My daily, humdrum existence changed, in radical ways I could have never imagined. In time everything in my environment began to shape and rearrange itself around me. I experienced one synchronistic event after the other. It was as if the right people and the most perfect opportunities just flowed towards me and crossed my path in a miraculous chain of events. I received daily signs and intuitive confirmations, and at night my dreams were filled with ideas and visions of what needed to be done the next day. The confusing riddle that was my ‘dirty little psychic secret’ finally began to fall into place, and gradually my life began to transform. ​In my youth it was near impossible to find any reliable information on alternative spirituality, metaphysics, psychic phenomena and the paranormal. In those days we did not have films and television shows like The Secret , Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal or What The Bleep Do We Know? There were also no Long Island or Hollywood mediums, or any cable TV for that matter. Bear in mind that I basically grew up without television, since it was only introduced to South Africa when I was in my early teens, but I did spend a lot of time in the movies. The closest thing I had to a psychic role-model in those days was the actress Sissy Spacek in the classic Stephen King film Carrie , as well as the stereotypical gypsy fortune-tellers and their crystal balls in my dad’s old comic books. The metaphysical books I could find in the school library were on subjects like the evils of witchcraft, or how Harry Houdini became a debunker of mediumship. No wonder it took me decades to figure out what all the ‘strange things’ were that I was seeing, hearing and feeling ! Fortunately, with the dawning of the new millennium, came the TV show Crossing Over with John Edward, which brought me the final missing puzzle piece. Seeing someone whom I could actually identify with, doing this kind of work out there in public, like it was the most natural thing in the world, gave me the courage to finally come out of the psychic closet myself. Today, my quest continues to liberate others from dogma, ignorance, prejudice and fear, and inspire people to live their life by design and fulfill their true destiny. My early life experiences compel me to search for more answers, and it continues to inspire me to teach and write. The confusion and frustration I had to endure as a child, often due to ignorance, fear and intolerance, made me vow to research, learn and share as much as I could about alternative spirituality, psychic phenomena, parapsychology, the paranormal, and metaphysics. If I can spare just one sensitive child unnecessary trauma , inspire just one adult to come out of the 'psychic closet’, or save just one Indigo soul’s life from ending in tragedy , then the bewilderment I had suffered as a child would all be worth it. ​© 2017 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

The current state of the world is no doubt the 'winter of discontent' for our generation. 'Pandemic fatigue’ or ‘covid burnout’ has been taking its toll on even the most resilient, spiritually grounded, and level-headed among us. Nobody has been immune to the ravages of the past year's challenges. But how we ultimately emerge from this time of extreme contrast will be a make-or-break free will choice. How we spiritually manage the remainder of these difficult days will determine the next chapter of our life and serve as a springboard for the rest of our journey in this lifetime. We recently reached the one-year mark in an ongoing global crisis and it has certainly not been rainbows, butterflies, or unicorns. In fact, it has been an annus horribilis in every possible sense. The Covid-19 pandemic is without a doubt one of the most challenging experiences of spiritual contrast many of us will have to face in our current lifetime. Those of us who are spiritually aware and committed to an awakened, conscious lifestyle have been aware of the spiritual significance of these dark and difficult times. We have been valiantly embracing the many opportunities for personal empowerment and soul growth this time of deep contrast has been presenting to us. Some with more success than others. There is, however, one valuable spiritual prospect that many seekers and believers are currently blissfully unaware of, or not taking full advantage of. Many do not seem to understand that we have a powerful window of opportunity currently open to us that can set in motion the future fulfillment of our most cherished life goals, and the manifestation of our most ambitious hopes, dreams and desires. Contrast is the spiritual spice of life. It's a foolish mistake to assume that when the going gets tough, the magic must stop. Now is the ideal time to manifest miracles . Our future is not tomorrow. The future is what we are creating today. Right now. It's a foolish mistake to assume that when the going gets tough, the magic must stop. The darker and more difficult the times, the more vital it becomes to hold on to your dreams and launch new rockets of desire. Now is in fact the ideal time to manifest miracles! The most fertile time for manifesting abundance , prosperity, joy and fulfillment is not during the happy, carefree days of our life, when we are cruising along on autopilot and everything is peaceful and prosperous. Quite the contrary. Our innate desire as spiritual beings to expand, achieve, prosper, and fulfill our true destiny is seldom fueled by times of comfort, ease, and abundance. It is actually during the darkest, most challenging times of deep soul contrast, spiritual adversity and intense trauma and suffering that we realize what truly matters and learn to appreciate even the smallest blessings in our lives. It is only when we have experienced the chill of a brutal, grim winter, that we can begin to fully cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Contrast is the spiritual spice of life. The past year has been exactly such a stark wake-up call. Many of us have found a new awareness of our true priorities, hopes and dreams. Sadly, not everyone will maximize their chances of successfully manifesting these newfound dreams and goals. In fact, some will stumble out of the Covid arena bruised and battered with little to show for surviving the battle, despite the current opportunities presented to them. Other will simply return to the comfort zone of their pre-pandemic life. And tragically, some will be worse off than they were before this existential storm. Some will stumble out of the Covid arena bruised and battered with little to show for surviving the battle. For the spiritually savvy person this is make-or-break time . And contrary to all the doom prophets and naysayers, there is much to look forward to. The spiritually wise and metaphysically empowered will however come out of these times ready to embrace a meaningful new life of joy, fulfillment, abundance, prosperity, combined with a heightened level of empathy, social responsibility and spiritual wisdom. How you consciously manage the remainder of this challenging time will determine the next chapter of your life. It will lay the foundation for what you will manifest in the medium-to-long-term future, while setting the scene for what to expect from the rest of your journey in this lifetime. Now is certainly not the time to be complacent or despondent. For the spiritually savvy person this is make-or-break time. It’s very much now , or never. And contrary to all the doom prophets and naysayers, there is so much to look forward to for those of us who will be ready to embrace the many blessings and opportunities I foresee in our future. Many revolutionary innovations and unexpected new possibilities will come forth from these difficult times, like lotus flowers blooming brightly in the morning light from the messy, murky waters of a dark night. Now is absolutely the time to 'get all dressed up while there is still nowhere to go.' Now is the time to rise up and embrace the life lessons and spiritual growth opportunities all of this contrast has delivered to us and use it to recalibrate our consciousness, realign our energy and reinvent our lives for the better. Contrast is a gift of divine inspiration . Now is the time to redesign your destiny and set your intentions for manifesting a new and improved future reality. And this is how you can start achieving this today: Adjust Your Attitude The first step in beating back ‘pandemic burnout’ and setting in motion the manifestation of your bright new future is to choose how you are going to think and feel about the current circumstances. I foresee that we are still much less out of the woods than many currently may want to believe. In many places we are still set to hit rock-bottom and in others the aftermath of the pandemic will in time reveal even more losses, trauma and collateral damage. The effects and influences of this novel coronavirus will reverberate for many years to come. There is only one sensible path when we are confronted with such an agonizing, frustrating co-created circumstance, over which we have little control as individuals. Instead of hopelessly trying to change the situation, it makes much more sense to adapt our attitude and change ourselves. It is spiritually foolish to constantly row upstream and fight the currents of life, or passively wait for the tides to change. To get to our destination, we must calibrate our inner compass, adjust our sails to the winds, and look up at the guidance of the stars. This does not mean we surrender or give up. Quite the contrary. It means we harness the contrasting energy of the times and make the absolute most of the circumstances exactly as they are right now. Everything happens for a reason and spiritually mature, empowered people accept personal responsibility for their daily reality experience. The renowned Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl referred to this as “the last of the human freedoms: to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Frankl discovered this universal truth during his time as a teenage prisoner in various Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War. Everything was taken from him: his freedom, his family and friends, his clothes and possessions, his name, and even the hair they shaved off his head - except for the one remaining freedom we all possess: the ability to choose how he was going to think and feel in that dreadful situation. The positive, hopeful, determined attitude he chose in the end ensured his survival and he went on to become a celebrated neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher and author who fulfilled his true destiny and lived out his life until the age of 92. The only true human freedom we have is the ability to choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances. You absolutely do have a choice at this moment in time. We always have a choice. Make the better choice today. It will be wise to assess your attitude and mindset going forward. A pessimistic, cynical outlook, toxic anger and frustration, or a victim mentality, will not invite new blessings and miracles into your life. Trust me on that. It will only serve to rub salt in the wounds and add further insult to injury. Choosing a hopeful, enthusiastic, courageous, even excited outlook will instead empower you to manifest a better, brighter future. You absolutely do have a choice at this moment in time. We always have a choice. Make the better choice today. Change Your Thoughts To take back your power in any given situation, focus on the things you can control. The thoughts you choose to think is usually the best place to start. Your fears, worries and false beliefs do not keep you safe. They keep you small. When you are trapped in negative, pessimistic thought patterns, your mind is no longer free to set new intentions, nor visualize a brighter future. For that is how we create: with our consciousness; with everything that goes on in our mind. Manifesting is a dual process governed by two universal spiritual laws, namely the Law of Creation and the Law of Attraction. You can read more about this in my book Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny . The bottom-line is that manifesting is a two-sided process of both creation and attraction . We must create (plan, design, envision, imagine) what we want, and then attract those creations into our reality experience. We do this by resonating with, or becoming a match to the energy frequency of whatever we wish to manifest. Like attracts like. Birds of a feather flock together. Until we match the energy, our wishes cannot become manifest. How bright or bleak is your current vision for the future ? If you don’t like what you currently find in the corridors of your mind, now would be a vital time to sort that out as soon as possible. Therefore, the next hurdle to overcome in these tough, crazy times is to be wise about what we are choosing to create. We create with our consciousness. Thoughts become things. What we think about, what we focus on and pay attention to, what we choose to believe, all adds up to what will ultimately become our manifested reality. We are the creators of our own reality experience, therefore we must be mindful about what we choose to think and believe, for this will determine our destiny and the outcomes of our future reality experience. Consider what you have been consciously, and subconsciously creating in your mind lately. Take stock of your thought patterns and mental processes. How bright or bleak is your current vision and outlook for the future? Do you even have a proper vision for your future? If you don’t like what you currently find in the corridors of your mind, now would be a vital time to sort that out as soon as possible. Shift Your Focus If you do find yourself engaging in a lot of negative thought patterns at the moment, it is very likely that your pessimism, fear and doubt may be caused by your current choice of mental focus. Consider for a moment what you have been feeding your mind lately. What have you been paying most attention to in the world around you. Here’s the deal: a better, brighter future cannot emerge from the ashes of a contrasting experience if we continue to dwell on the past, or obsess over the unpleasant details of the current manifested reality. There is no future in the past, and what is evident today, will no longer be true tomorrow. Empowered manifestors are masters of their own mind . They are not slaves to self-limiting beliefs, nor servants to small-minded views of the world. Empowered manifestors are masters of their own mind. They are not slaves to self-limiting beliefs, nor servants to small-minded views of the world. Now is the time to carefully consider what you are choosing to focus on, think about, pay attention to and believe. Yes, things are difficult and chaotic right now, but get over it. Instead of focusing on what is , or how bad things may appear to be right now, what you should be doing more of is focusing on what you wish to see, experience and manifest in the future. Use the remainder of this difficult time to focus more on what you do want for your future. Set your intention to manifest solutions, instead of obsessing over problems that you cannot change or control. Visualize the cure, stop feeding the calamity. Focusing on everything that is wrong or missing in your life today will not serve to invite tomorrow’s joy, fulfillment, success, abundance, or prosperity. Instead of investing your divine creative energy by focusing on the negative aspects and every grim detail of the current reality, you will be wise to direct your focus towards what you envision, wish for and desire for the future. Clarify Your Goals Times of contrast are not intended to be an everlasting pity-party of fear, despair, victim mindsets, lack consciousness and a scarcity mentality. Yes, initially when disaster and tragedy strikes, contrast is meant to turn our world upside down, because the ensuing wave of chaos, misery and anguish is what will ultimately push us forward to a newfound awareness of life’s joys and blessings we otherwise usually take for granted. But once we have been rudely awakened and radically confronted by such an experience of contrast, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get ourselves back on track with renewed strength, wisdom, clarity, determination, and ambition. From the contrast must arise a new vision for our future. This is the dualistic dynamic of this spiritual adventure we signed up for in this lifetime. Like it or not, this is how we roll as spiritual beings in human form. The unwanted aspects of the current reality is meant to give rise to new rockets of desire . Find those rockets now, so you can launch them and set the wheels of your future manifestations in motion as soon as possible. If you currently find your attention and focus morbidly turning to what is , instead of what can be, use those moments of negativity as an opportunity to consider what you truly want instead. For that is what contrast is meant to teach us. It is supposed to show us what we do want , not just what we don't want . From our agony, grief and suffering must emerge new desires, hopes and dreams for the future. This is the true purpose of spiritual contrast. Without contrast there is no growth, innovation, renewal or expansion. Even Mother Nature knows that a perpetual summer makes no sense. There must be a winter. The cold months of the year strengthen the roots of trees and enable plants to store energy for renewed growth. In fact, the harsher the winter, the more the plant kingdom thrives when the warm sunshine returns. The unwanted aspects of the current reality is meant to give rise to new rockets of desire. Find those rockets now, so you can launch them and set the wheels of your future manifestations in motion as soon as possible. Don’t be tempted to indulge in pessimism, negativity or self-pity during the rest of these dark, difficult times. Use the contrast as it was intended: to serve as fuel for discovering new goals and dreams. Begin to focus on what you want, instead of what you do not want . Focus on the possibilities. The limitations will take care of itself. Release Your Resistance Figuring out what we yearn for and truly desire is, however, the easier past of successfully working through a time of contrast. And this is where even more of us are currently floundering. Some may have already found crystal-clear clarity in recent months regarding their hopes and wishes for the future, but many of those post-pandemic dreams will fall through the cracks and go up in smoke because their owners lack energetic resonance and alignment with what they are hoping to attract and manifest. When we are indulging in negativity and hopelessness we are perpetuating an energy frequency that creates resistance to new blessings and opportunities from entering our life. It pushes the good stuff away and blocks our progress. We can only attract what our energy is resonating with today, not what we hope to be energetically compatible with tomorrow. There is also no point in sending out energy that is telling the Universe, God, Spirit, Source what we do not want , or how much we despise the mess the world has become this past year. Stating the obvious of what is with our energy signal will not transform those things we do not want. It will merely recreate it, or worse, invite even more of that negativity into our life. Resistant energy prevents new miracles from manifesting. This current existential drama is co-created and divinely ordained. It is beyond our individual choosing or control and it must unfortunately play itself out to its bitter end. While you wait out the storm, focus instead on aligning yourself with the next chapter of your life. The most self-empowering step you can therefore take in the remainder of these difficult time is to release the energetic resistance you may have been cultivating by pushing against the circumstances of the pandemic. Let go of the struggle, release the frustration, stop fighting the tide! It is what it is. This current existential drama is co-created and divinely ordained. It is beyond our individual choosing or control and it must unfortunately play itself out to its bitter end. We exist in a co-created reality in which we do not always choose all the outcomes and circumstances. Much of our shared reality is manifested in collaboration with the rest of humanity, and on top of that some of it is also chosen for us by divine intervention. There are times in our life when God, Spirit, Source, the Universe, decides what is best for us. But how we choose to think and feel about a given situation is always our free will choice . While you wait out the storm, focus on aligning yourself with the next chapter of your life and begin to prepare yourself for your amazing future. Many souls are spiritually and mentally lounging around these days, wasting precious time, or feeling miserable, hopeless, bitter, or sorry for themselves. There is absolutely no worse death curse than the humdrum daily existence of the living dead. Do not allow yourself to become a part of it. Instead, use this time to get ahead of the game! Love Your Neighbor The most powerful way you can beat back the ‘pandemic blues’ and ensure the successful manifestation of your dreams and wishes is to practice empathy, compassion, gratitude and unconditional love. These are the prime energy frequencies for attracting miracles and wonders! There is much suffering and despair in our world today. Many have lost their livelihoods. Many have lost their loved ones. Many are grieving or struggling with their mental health. Many are fighting for their very survival in emergency rooms. Many have also gone hungry, while some have been complaining about gaining weight during lockdown and “getting a tan from their refrigerator light." While in some places in the world local authorities are having to coax their citizens into get vaccinated by offering them financial rewards, entertainment and free donuts, there are places where people do not even have access to a hospital bed or oxygen, much less the luxury of choosing to get vaccinated, or not. These challenging times demand that we all check our privilege . The pandemic has exposed many inequalities, disparities, and social injustices in our world. We have a collective responsibility as co-creators to do something about it. These challenging times demand that we all check our privilege . The pandemic has exposed many inequalities, disparities, and social injustices in our world. It has also revealed the extreme ignorance and lack of education in our society regarding science and technology . We have a collective responsibility as co-creators to do something about it. For if we do not correct these wrongs, we will all suffer for it in the end and more global events of contrast will be coming our way. Instead of complaining about ‘pandemic fatigue,’ it may be more useful to find ways to be of service to others when there is currently so much opportunity to do so. Empathy, compassion and social responsibility is sorely lacking in our world today. To be blessed, we must bless others. To manifest miracles in our own lives, we must create miracles in the lives of others. The most powerful key to successful manifesting is to practice gratitude. The more sincerely grateful we are for every blessing in our life, no matter how big or small, the more our energy resonance will attract more new blessings to be grateful for. And the most powerful expression of gratitude is to be generous and big-hearted in sharing our blessings with others. Respect Your Grief For some of us it is currently more difficult to set new intentions for the future. There is a time and place for everything. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one this past year, be kind and gentle with yourself. You may not be ready right now to implement the guidelines offered in this article. Instead your starting points should be to make every effort to process your grief first. And you have every tight to do it in your own time and in your own, unique way. Grieving is highly individual and personal. It is perfectly normal and acceptable to express your true feelings, whatever they may be. Whether you feel sad, angry, depressed, lonely or afraid - all of your feelings are valid and should be respected and authentically expressed. Do not allow others to dictate to you how your bereavement should be dealt with, or how you are supposed to think and feel. Take your time and deal with your loss in your own way. Grieving is not subject to a random schedule or timeline. Allow yourself as much time and space as you need to work through your unique thoughts and emotions. Be patient and compassionate with yourself and others. Know that this too shall pass . In time, you will find your way through the contrast. It will not be easy or predictable, and some days will be worse than others, but eventually you will get to higher ground. Do not be too proud to seek help and support from others. Reach out if you need a shoulder to lean on, or a friend to talk to. There is always someone out there who cares, no matter how isolated you may feel at this time. Also, make a real effort to support yourself daily with self-care. You may not always be in the mood to take good care of yourself, but do whatever you can, when you can. Try to at least get some sleep, eat healthy, take breaks and relax, do some exercise, meditate, pray, journal, socialize, get out of the house. Self-care and spiritual practice will empower you on even the most difficult days. Know that this too shall pass. In time, you will find your way through the contrast. It will not be easy or predictable, and some days will be worse than others, but eventually you will get to higher ground. Your heart will become lighter and your soul will regain balance. Until then, whatever you do, do not try to suppress or ignore your true feelings. Denying how you really feel will not bring your to a place of acceptance and healing. Once you feel ready to proceed with everyday life, return to this blog post and apply the rest of the guidelines described here. Find Your Purpose This time of intense contrast has been inviting many of us to contemplate the true meaning and purpose of our life. If you went into this pandemic with a lack of purpose or life goals, chances are this is no longer the case. If so, then it is now time to begin taking more practical steps towards making your newfound purpose a reality. And if you have not yet figured out what your life purpose or calling is, now is the ideal time to explore it with more sincerity and determination. The first thing you can do to connect with your life purpose is to boost your daily spiritual practice. To connect with you life calling your inner guidance system needs a broadband connection to the ‘big computer in the sky.’ A dial-up connection is not going to cut it. If you are really stuck then contact me for a destiny coaching consultation. Visualize Your Future Now is the time to launch new ‘rockets of desire,’ not wallow in misery over what used to be, or should have been, or could have been. Pandemic fatigue is essentially just a symptom of clinging to the past and desperately wanting to return the ‘good old days’ that were not necessarily all that great, if you carefully think about it. Contrast enriches life. Was your life really all that picture perfect before the pandemic? If not, why obsess over it? Begin to imagine instead your brand-new post-pandemic life. The end is in sight. A new epoch, a time of great joy, celebration, abundance, and adventure, is looming on the horizon. Be wise and get ready . The restrictions and limitations currently placed of our daily lives is therefore not a prison sentence. It is a wonderful opportunity to amp up our spiritual and metaphysical practices. Now is the time to create, to visualize, to set powerful intentions for the future. The temporary ‘new normal’ is not a curse, it is a blessing in disguise. It offers us a unique period of grace to envision and prepare for the future, and calibrate and align our energy with the outcomes we intend to manifest in the years that lie ahead. Instead of getting sucked into downward daily spiral of fake news, social media drama, pandemic fatigue, frustration and self-pity, use this time wisely to apply as many manifesting techniques and spiritual practices as you can lay your hands on. Create a vision board, start a gratitude journal, write a set of morning affirmations, recite a daily prayer, make a shopping list of your wishes, goals and desires, do visualization exercises, perform a manifesting ritual, experiment with dreamwork, listen to subliminal recordings, stream some guided meditations, write a letter to yourself from your future self. Meditate. Pray. Chant. Journal. Visualize. Fantasize. Imagine. Daydream. Every day. The end is in sight. A new epoch, a time of great joy, celebration, abundance and amazing adventure is looming on the horizon. Be wise and get ready. ​​© 2021 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

All science is divinely inspired. It is a miraculous gift, a sacred mandate, an act of divine providence. It is channeled from beyond this world. Scientific discoveries and technological innovations are gracious blessings from Spirit, godsends from the Divine, manna from the Heavens. Why then are some of the so-called enlightened and spiritually conscious among us still choosing to wear their ‘tin foil hats?’ Science and spirituality, by their very nature, have traditionally always been at odds, and there is a fundamental ideological reason for it to be at cross-purposes. The point of departure for any scientific endeavor is always a position of doubt, questioning, skepticism, and even disbelief. In the eyes of science nothing is real or true, until proven otherwise, and this requires hardcore evidence. According to science, if you cannot observe something, or somehow measure it, it simply does not exist. Spirituality, on the other hand, operates from a position of faith, belief, conviction, hope, acceptance, and even certainty. To be spiritual is to believe in the unseen, the unknown, the ethereal. Science deals in the physical , while spirituality embraces the metaphysical . And by their very nature, this is how it must be. But it is therefore also highly unlikely that science and spirituality will ever be the best of friends. Throughout human history, hardcore classical scientists have considered all forms of spirituality and metaphysics as nothing more than ignorant superstition, while religious fundamentalists have branded scientific pursuit and innovative technologies as a godless sacrilege, condemning science for its arrogant interference with the natural order of things by ‘trying to play God.’ It does astonish me that so many 'spiritually aware' people in this day and age can still be so hostile towards modern science and technological invention, when in truth it is divinely inspired. In the 1600’s, for example, the astronomer Galileo Galilei spent the final years of his life under house arrest, after he was branded a heretic for claiming that the Earth revolves around the Sun. And strangely, there are still people today who believe the Earth to be flat, and that the Sun rotates around us, as if the past 400 years of scientific achievement never happened. Galileo must be turning in his grave. Despite the fundamental disparity and age-old animosity between science and spirituality, it does astonish me that so many spiritually aware people in this day and age can still be so hostile towards modern science and technological invention? The first irony is the fact that both the spiritualist and scientist share the same passion in life: they are both striving to gain a better understanding of our worldly existence and the many remarkable mysteries of the Universe. Yet, they refuse to see eye to eye. But the absurdity goes much deeper than that. It is even more astounding to me that so many ‘highly conscious’ and ‘spiritually awakened’ individuals can remain so bitterly antagonistic towards the many miracles and wonders of scientific discovery, when in truth all of science and technology is divinely inspired. Consider, for example, the fact that several of history’s most famous and influential scientists, including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, were all theists. In other words, they were not just seekers, but also believers. They all had a spiritual belief system that included believing in the existence of a Higher Power or a Creator God that intervenes in the miraculous workings of the Universe. A lesser known example is the number of scientists who have stated that the original inspiration for their significant discoveries came to them in a dream . René Descartes who created the field of analytical geometry; Dmitri Mendeleev who invented the Periodic Table; Niels Bohr who received the Nobel Peace Prize for conceiving the model of the atom; and Albert Einstein who conceived the Theory of Relativity, all claimed that the spark of inspiration for their ideas came to them courtesy of their dreams. ​Not From Me, But From Heaven, Comes All You see, scientists do not invent or discover amazing new things entirely of their own accord. The miracle of science is not a creation of man, it is merely channeled by humanity. All science is a sacred inspiration received from the Divine, the Original Source, God, the Universe, Great Spirit, the Creator, the Universal Life Force. Science is a miraculous gift from the heavens, a sacred mandate, an act of divine providence. Scientific imagination originates from beyond this limited time-space reality and the feeble human mind. True scientific ingenuity is not of this world. ​This universal truth was more widely understood by the ancients. Greek mythology, for example, features in its pantheon of deities the minor goddesses known as the Muses, whose job it was to guide, protect and inspire the visual arts, music, literature, and the sciences. Each of the nine muses, meaning ‘guiding spirit’ or ‘source of inspiration,’ was responsible for presiding over a particular art or science. Today we still ‘muse’ over something when we deeply think, ruminate on, dream, ponder, or contemplate important matters. Oh. if only more of us would do more musing more often, then our world might be a much more sensible, safe place... ​In 1759, after his final performance, the beloved Baroque composer George Frideric Handel , received an ecstatic ovation from his audience. Blind and very sickly at the time, he refused to take any of the credit for himself, and instead cried out, “Not from me, but from Heaven, comes all!” ​​Oddly, most spiritually aware people today have no problem accepting that creative art is inspired by the Divine. Just one glance at the breathtaking beauty and grace of the natural world is enough proof that its Creator must be the Ultimate Artist. I doubt any deeply spiritual person will ever dispute this. The Divine indeed does loves beautiful things! If scientific discovery and technological innovation are blessings from the Spirit Realm, godsends from the Divine, why then do so many in the spiritual community still insist on looking a ‘gift horse in the mouth?’ The Italians say, “Hell is crowded with ungrateful wretches .” Maybe the Italians have a point. Similarly, artists and creatives are often valued by the spiritual community as divine messengers and channelers, or even as the new shamans of contemporary society. Both the visual and performing arts have always had its central place in many spiritual practices, religious ceremonies and devotional rituals. What would most forms of spirituality and religion even be without the presence of music, dance, literature and the visual arts? ​Yet, when it comes to the many wondrous marvels of modern science, some believers fail to recognize or appreciate it being equally the result of divine intervention. If scientific discovery and technological innovation are blessings from the Spirit Realm, godsends from the Divine, manna from Heaven, why then do so many in the spiritual community still insist on looking a ‘gift horse in the mouth?’ The Italians say, “Hell is crowded with ungrateful wretches.” Well, maybe the Italians have a point. Surely, both physics and metaphysics reside on the same continuum of an expanding Universe, and surely, they must both be expressions of the same, original Divine Source of Intelligent Design that is responsible for the creation of our magnificent Universe? And just as scientists subscribe to different theories and research methodologies to explain natural phenomena, similarly spiritual seekers explore supernatural phenomena through diverse practices, belief systems and wisdom traditions. Are we then not all children of God? Boogeymen Tin Foil Hats To me it seems only logical that spiritually aware people, who are sincerely seeking enlightenment in their lifetime, would automatically and enthusiastically want to include the wonders of science and technology in their quest for the truth? The desire to gain a deeper understanding of the mysteries of the Universe, and of divinity and higher consciousness, surely must also consider the wonders and miracles to be found in the natural world. Why then are some of the so-called ‘enlightened’ among us still choosing to wear their boogeymen tin foil hats ? Of course, it is also true that science has on many occasions been abused for corrupt and destructive purposes. One of the most disgraceful examples of this is how the original curiosity of a small group of nuclear physicists, to better understand the ultimate nature of matter, was eventually perverted to create the deadliest weapon of war. Let us also not forget the inhumane cruelties and other abuses certain practitioners of science continue to inflict on vulnerable people, the animal kingdom and the natural world. Indeed, not all practical applications of science have always had the best interests of all God's creatures at heart, nor has every scientist in history had the most noble of intentions. Let it be known, that while pure science, and its many wonderful discoveries, is a manifestation of divine providence as a result of sacred inspiration, its prostitution and abuse for the evils of greed, power and political gain is a man-made travesty! These deplorable practices are certainly not of God. Like the arts, science is graciously and generously gifted to us, to make our world a better and safer place. May the karmic heavens therefore have mercy on those who choose to exploit it for any other purpose. Science is a heavenly gift to the people. It does not belong to the merchants, money lenders and Pharisees, who have turned the temple of science into a den of thieves. The Monstrous Evil Of Ingratitude ​ With all that in mind, let us consider the state of our world today, where we now find ourselves in the grip of a terrible global pandemic. As a generation, most of us have never before been exposed to this kind of adversity, and it certainly brought out the best and worst in many of us. In times of trauma and extreme crisis, the true nature of our values, priorities and beliefs do tend to be blatantly exposed. And many of us, including the so-called spiritually aware, have certainly revealed our true colors in recent months. ​Let it be known that while pure science, and its many wonderful discoveries, is a manifestation of divine providence and a result of sacred inspiration, its prostitution for the evils of greed, power and selfish political gain is a man-made travesty. One would think that in such a dire time of stress, fear and anxious uncertainty we would absolutely thank our lucky stars for how far we have progressed with our sciences and technologies! Our ancestors certainly did not have the same kind of luxury during the Black Death of the 1300’s, for example, or the Third Cholera Pandemic of the 1800’s, or even the so-called Spanish Flu of 1918. ​Yet, instead of going on our knees every day to express our gratitude and appreciation for living in such a privileged, easy time of progress, where our scientists are able to develop the necessary medical interventions and will be able to give our normal lives back to us, some among us have instead chosen to invest their precious time and energy in fear-mongering doom prophecies, or spreading of disinformation and conspiracy theories that ridicule medical science, while showing no compassion or consideration for the daily hell our healthcare providers, frontline workers and the frail elderly all over the world currently have to endure.​ The poet Edward-Pickering Rich once wrote that ingratitude is so monstrous and so dark a crime that "none but devils ever practice it.” Well, if you look at our society today, one must wonder if it is truly limited to the devils only? For grotesque ingratitude and privilege these days seem to be the spiritual disease of our time, and it is apparently practiced by many who claim to be spiritual proponents of compassionate, unconditional ‘love and light.’ Frogs And Spiders In The Oil And Cheese It took science centuries to discover and fully understand the invisible world of microbes, infectious disease and epidemiology. Until that breakthrough happened, humanity had to find other ways to explain what was causing all the horrid disease and death during previous plagues and pandemics . Their ignorant speculation of course included all manner of absurd superstition and bizarre beliefs in those dark days. For example, during the Plague of Cyprian, that afflicted the Roman Empire from about AD 249 to 262, it was widely believed that the disease could be contracted simply by looking into the face of someone who was infected. And during the Bubonic Plague, said to be the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history, some people chose to believe it was simply a punishment from God, while others were more ominously convinced it was a secret conspiracy by the Jews against the Christians. According to historian Samuel K. Cohn, a monastery chronicle written at the time of the plague, describes, for example, the “horrible means by which the Jews wished to extinguish all of Christendom, through their poisons of frogs and spiders mixed into oil and cheese.” ​Indeed, these wild beliefs were so rampant at that time that modern historians cannot say for sure if more people died in that period due to the actual plague, or a as result of the persecutions which caused many to be violently massacred. Roy Wentz writes on History.com that “pandemics have long bred prejudice and mistrust, and fueled longstanding biases, as traumatized communities have looked to blame others as unclean or malicious spreaders of disease.” One can accept in retrospect that the blatant and sometimes shocking ignorance and bigotry of our ancestors existed in a time long before the microscope was invented. But, exactly what is our excuse today? Do we not now live in a digital information age, where we are supposed to have easy access to reliable sources of information and global communication? Do we not also live in a time of great scientific understanding and technological achievement? Compared to our superstitious, misguided ancestors, we now live in a miraculous, blessed, privileged time! One can accept in retrospect that the blatant and sometimes shocking scientific ignorance of our ancestors existed in a time long before the microscope was invented. But exactly what is our excuse today? And yet, today, in the year 2020, some of us still see our way clear to primitively indulge in ridiculous conspiracy theories and bizarre ideological rhetoric, ranging from ‘bioengineered viruses masterminded by evil billionaires,’ to ‘genetic mutations induced by 5G cell phone technology.’ ​I mean, how on God’s good earth did the recent miracle of a new vaccine, for a potentially deadly disease, become a ‘black, transgendered, Marxist plot to control the world?’ The mind truly boggles. And the Angels must certainly weep. Could the actual problem be that some of us have become so arrogant and complacent, surrounded by all our plush, modern comforts and our opulent privileges, created in most part, by the way, with the gift of science and technology , that we now find it impossible to accept what those who live in less advantaged parts of our world have come to know as a daily fact of life: that the world we live in is still a primal, untamed place where new infectious diseases, without a known cure, can suddenly spread like wildfire? Have we really become so spoilt and entitled with the blessings of an easy, comfortable life (courtesy of modern science, medicine and technology) that we actually believe the natural evolution of disease has been eradicated by the brilliance of mankind, and that every newly mutated microbe must therefore have been concocted in a laboratory, or a boardroom? ​Diseases have come and gone for millennia. Our ancestors dealt with this reality, generation upon generation since the dawn of time. What then gives some of us the idea today that we have somehow become untouchable to such things, or too 'high and mighty' to succumb to the powers and unpredictable ways of Mother Nature? Have we forgotten that Gaia, the ancestral mother of all life, has always been a force not to be trifled with? Out Of The Darkness, Into The Light Each one of us arrives in this physical world with a soul mission and a life calling. We are all expected to offer our unique legacy and contribution in this lifetime, in return for the privilege of experiencing this thrilling physical adventure. We all have a calling of service to either the spirit realm, our fellow human beings, the animal and plant kingdoms, or the natural environment. And modern science and technology is one of the manifestations of that sacred calling. ​Our scientists and inventors are not the enemy. Many of them are Lightworkers with a sacred mandate from the Divine. Whether both spiritual extremists and skeptical researchers choose to believe it or not, scientists and spiritualists are all simply doing God’s work. And by exploring the workings of the Universe they bring us all a little closer to our true spiritual origins and the loving embrace of God. Divine calls us out of the darkness into the Light. And scientific advancement is a fundamental expression of that sacred calling . Let us for once show some appreciation, gratitude and respect. So, whether we choose to prioritize science or spirituality in our lives, or a combination of the two, I believe it is all the same expression of our innate spiritual mission. We are after all spiritual beings having a physical experience. We are all expressions of Divine Consciousness in human form. ​We were created in the image of God, not to rest on our laurels or be passively stagnant, or much worse regress and deteriorate to ancient levels of ignorance and stupidity. Instead we are meant to expand, evolve, advance, prosper and transcend. God expects it of us. ​Our souls are points of consciousness carrying with it the creative spiritual DNA of the original Creative Force. The Divine calls us out of the darkness, into the Light. And scientific advancement is a fundamental expression of that sacred call. Not only did the Covid-19 pandemic serve as a massive spiritual wake-up call for humanity, but in future it will prove to be the source of marvelous new innovations, great advances in human achievement, and many positive changes in our world. Revolutionary new scientific discoveries and technological innovations that will profoundly enhance the quality of our lives will emerge from this dark time of deep spiritual contrast, just like Isaac Newton discovered the Law of Gravity in quarantine during the Great Plague of London in 1665. I also predict a coming time of much celebration, a zesty new enthusiasm for life, and a renewed vigor and hope for the future. Some of the best years for our generation are still ahead of us, and there is much to look forward to. And we will have divinely inspired science and technology to thank for much of it! So, let us for once show some appreciation, gratitude and respect. In closing, let me just say this. If you are fortunate to live in a developed, first world country, where you will soon have the privilege of choice, and you still prefer not to be vaccinated for Covid-19, the rest of us absolutely respect your decision. However, please be so kind to send your unused vaccine to those of us who live in places where we do not enjoy the same kind of luxury. There are many vulnerable people here in my country, for example, who will welcome with much gratitude and appreciation every vaccine that can be spared. This time of contrast shall separate the wheat from the chaff. The wise will strive to manifest a brave new world, while the foolish and unkind will suffer for their lack of common sense. And when the storm finally subsides, many will wake up on the wrong side of history. Until then choose your beliefs wisely, for they will become your reality. ​ ​© 2020 Anthon St. Maarten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology . Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word , and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.

Free psychic readings and special discount offer psychic readings. Special deals on psychic mediumship readings. Special Discounts Currently no discounts available. Special discount offers are available only to VIP mailing list subscribers . Join the list to receive exclusive future offers. JOIN NOW Back by popular demand! NEW YEAR 2026 PSYCHIC FORECAST Once again this year, I am offering my subscribers access to a limited number of discounted New Year Psychic Forecast appointments. Many clients schedule this session annually to gain an informed perspective on the year ahead. A psychic forecast provides insight into current trajectories, emerging possibilities, and likely challenges, so you can approach the year ahead with clarity, foresight, and strategic direction. By understanding the patterns already forming for 2026, you can make more empowered decisions, prepare for shifts before they arise, and recognise meaningful opportunities as they unfold. Appointments are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the schedule is full, the offer ends for this year. Early booking is recommended. VIP MEMBERS REDEEM YOUR DISCOUNT NOW To claim your discount session go to the special booking page >> To access the booking page enter the PROMO CODE in the email. LIMITED BOOKINGS AVAILABLE Offer expires December 15, 2025 at 24:00 (GMT) or when time slots are sold out . BOOK HERE

Get a phone psychic reading from anywhere in the world in the privacy and comfort of your office or home using your landline or mobile phone. Anthon will contact you on the phone number you provide when you schedule your appointment. Anthon St. Maarten is a renowned international psychic medium. Phone Reading Anthon St. Maarten Psychic Medium Get a psychic reading on your landline or mobile phone. I will contact you on the phone number you provide when you schedule your appointment. Scheduling Information Please read the Disclaimer and Terms and Conditions before making use of this service. Consultations can only be scheduled with full payment. Payments are processed by the PayPal secure payment service and can be made with debit or credit card, or your PayPal account. I do not accept EFT, money orders, direct deposits, cash or any other payment methods. You do not need a PayPal account to pay. You can sign in as a PayPal guest and pay once-off with your debit or credit card. Should the need arise for me to cancel your session, you will either be offered the option to reschedule to another time that suits you, or your payment will be refunded in full. Should you need to cancel your appointment, you may reschedule to a later date and time, or you can cancel your appointment. Rescheduling and cancellation is subject to the following fees: STANDARD BOOKING Rescheduling up to 2 days before the scheduled time is free or charge. Rescheduling within 48 hrs before the scheduled time is subject to a 50% reschedule fee. Cancellation up to 2 days before the scheduled time is free of charge and fully refundable. Cancellation within 48 hrs before the scheduled time is subject to a 50% cancellation fee. MULTIPLE BOOKINGS (Discount Package) Rescheduling up to 2 days before the scheduled time is free or charge. Rescheduling within 48 hrs before the scheduled time is subject to a 50% reschedule fee. Cancellation up to 2 days before the scheduled time is subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Cancellation within 48 hrs before the scheduled time is subject to a 100% cancellation fee and non-refundable. EMERGENCY BOOKING Emergency consultations cannot be rescheduled and are subject to a 100% no-show fee. Emergency consultations cannot be cancelled and are subject to a 100% no-show fee. Instant Phone Reading (On-Demand Premium Rate) $6.99 per minute Limited availability Call me when I'm online Consultation Fees Sta ndard Booking (advance scheduling) $15 0.00 (30 min) $190.00 (45 min) $230.00 (60 min) $290.00 (90 min) Discount Packages $380.00 (2 x 60 min) $680.00 ( 4 x 60 min) $900.00 (6 x 60 min) Priority Reading (priority scheduling) $320 (30 min) $490 (60 min) BOOK A READING How To Book To book a reading go to the booking page and schedule an appointment . It is quick and easy! Once you have selected a date and time, you will automatically be redirected to PayPal for secure payment. You will receive an email confirmation of your appointment. Help & FAQ's For more information about readings, booking and payment, and other services visit Help & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ONLINE READING Get a reading using Google Meet on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. You will receive a unique invite link to your session. PRIORITY READING Don't want to wait? Schedule a priority session at the earliest available time for accelerated access. Subject to availability. READING PACKAGE Get a series of readings scheduled in advance with priority access at a special discount rate. Ideal for regular clients or coaching sessions. GIFT READING Purchase a reading as a special gift for a loved one, friend or relative. They schedule their own appointment at their own convenience. PSYCHIC READING Receive metaphysical information and spiritual insight into your past, present and future. Access divine guidance and prophetic wisdom for self-empowerment, personal growth and soul alignment. DESTINY COACHING Reach beyond the confines of standard life coaching and live your life by design. Identify your life purpose, change your destiny, achieve personal fulfillment and attract lasting success and happiness. MEDIUMSHIP READING Spirit communication and afterlife validation from loved ones who have crossed to the other side. Receive healing and uplifting messages from spirit to gain a better understanding of your destiny and spiritual path.

Biography and life story of international psychic medium and destiny coach Anthon St. Maarten. Learn more about Anthon’s psychic abilities and his gifts of mediumship and spirit channeling. Anthon is also a trending metaphysics teacher and podcaster, and alternative spirituality blogger and author. About Anthon St. Maarten Psychic Medium BIOGRAPHY Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium, spiritual advisor and destiny coach with a global clientele in more than thirty countries spanning five continents. He has been in full-time practice since 2004. PSYCHIC ABILITIES Anthon's psychic perception abilities enable him to mentally channel metaphysical information or 'energy data' that is otherwise invisible, unseen, ‘hidden,’ mystical, numinous, transcendental. PSYCHIC MEDIUMSHIP Anthon is both a psychic and a medium, as he is able to perceive nonphysical information from both the collective and universal consciousness, as well as the akashic record or spirit realm. ANTHON'S STORY Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium, which means he was born with psychic abilities, but he initially refused to accept his calling. It took a series of life-changing events to change his mind.