Why are you here? Of all of the galaxies in the universe, why did you choose this one? From all of the planets in our galaxy, you chose to come here, to this time, to this place and I welcome you. Maybe we have met many times before, incarnation after incarnation and again we have come face to face. The recognition that you have of me is the same as I have of you, a knowingness that somehow we have met before. Destiny has decreed that again we meet and again we will spend time together, maybe a short while, maybe longer, for truly kismet has her own agenda. During this lifetime, you have already entered my heart many times. not as a grandiose angelic being, surrounded in brilliant light, but as an old beggar woman and sometimes has a poorly child. You have arrived has a paper seller on a street corner, as a taxi driver and as a nurse in a hospital. I truly value this recognition that I have of you and my heart is always open, ready to receive you yet again. I welcome you dear friend and wonder what issues we are going to resolve this time around. What I know for certain is that when you leave, I will be a better person for our meeting. Each time you leave, I am left with a gift and because of that gift, I know a little more about myself and surely, that is good for me. I see you as a butterfly that arrives on delicate wings of love, settling for a while upon my hand. I know that if I try to hold on to you, closing my fingers around you, I will crush your freedoms spirit and you will die. Therefore dear friend, stay as long as you wish and leave me whenever your work is done. Fly away and touch others with your indomitable spirit, leaving them better people for your coming. More than once you have departed from me and I have wept. I stood at your grave as the snow fell upon your uncovered face and my tears were not those of sadness that you left, but sadness that I was left without your nearness. On that occasion, I did not even know your name, and yet my remembrance is that of the fondness love for you. You once departed from me when you were less than three years old and yet, although you were so young, your teaching was deeply profound. I wished very much that I could have said a fond farewell to you, but during the night, you returned whence you came. I was angry that I could not have five minutes more with you, but your teaching was simple and yet wonderfully profound. How many of us would wish for five minutes more to say our goodbyes? You taught me much that night dearest beloved and I thank you for your wisdom. Your guises are many and varied, and I am sure that sometimes I fail to notice you, and if this is so, then it is my loss. It is said that a true friend is one who is the wind beneath our wings when we have forgotten how to fly. In truth, you have been that wind beneath my wings many times and I am eternally grateful to you. I am writing this article whilst out in the Ukraine and, from my balcony on the fifth floor in the city of Chernigov, I watch the people passing by, some hurrying to catch a trolley-bus, whilst others stand and gossip with friends. Are you one of them dear friend? Are you the man sitting on a small blanket on the far corner, begging for a few kopeks from kindly passers by? Or, perhaps you are the driver of the trolley-bus, picking up those hurrying to reach home? It matters not. I know you are not very far away, ready to reach out to me when I need you. I have tried to visualize what you are really like, but this task is beyond my human comprehension. I have called out to you many times, asking, nay, praying, to see your form, but you show me nothing. When I have these moments of inner longing to see you, I remember my own personal philosophy, “Surrender. Trust. Gratitude.” These three simple, and yet so powerful words, allow me to create my day and, should you appear in one form or another, my heart will be open to welcome you. Your teachings are always sublime, and yet you offer them in a myriad of ways. Sometimes it is a few words, sometimes a small action, and sometimes it is what you do not do, rather than that which you do. I try to be an observant pupil, ready and willing to accept the gift you always bring and, because of your love and guidance, my life is enhanced immeasurably. So welcome my dear astral friend and thank you. I am mostly richly blessed.

God Bless you all.

Brother Anthony