00:00 Mel – INTRO
Hello everyone, join me a small medium at large as we explore the world of Spirit, energy, tarot, mediumship, psychic abilities, Angels, oracles, paranormal activity and basically anything downright spooky. If any, some, or all of those things interest you, then you've come to the right place my friends, I'm Melanie Mahmood and welcome to the Spirit Level podcast.
00:30 Mel – WELCOME
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the Spirit Level Podcast. A bit different this week folks because we are coming from Barnsley this week and not our usual Sunny / soggy Sheffield. This is due to helping out with family caring responsibilities and spending some time with our beloved Niece, Zahra.
So, we apologise if the sound quality is a bit different this week, this is due to being away from the soundproofing and pop shield at home so forgive us please - it’s only temporary. We will resume normal service next week.
A bit of special news, we hit the 5000 downloads mark on Thursday. Thank you so very much. We work very hard to bring you our little show and it truly makes us proud and happy that you enjoy what we do!
Also, this week we have had the Worm Full Moon in Virgo, catch up on the last episode to hear all about this special Spring Moon, so lots of emotions around relationships and boundaries. Are you on the same page as your significant others? Would it be prudent to have a chat about it and check so that any insecurities are quickly dealt with?? I think so and any previous hurts, let them go, they aren’t going to serve you at all.
So short and sweet this week folks as we’ve a lot to get on with and in this week’s episode we have -:
AMETRINE is the featured crystal in CRYSTAL CORNER. We weigh up the sign of LIBRA in COSMIC CRUISE. There will be some more of your Listener questions. In MR M’s MENAGERIE, THE TURIN SHROUD is being discussed. In HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS, we look at the festival of OSTARA. In the 4th episode of MARIA’S MAGICAL SUPER 6, Maria discusses SOUND THERAPY, and in STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, we have a number of points to help with INSOMNIA, AN MIAN, HEART 7 & KIDNEY 1.
So, if you’re ready, here we go.
02:41 Mel - CRYSTAL CORNER
This week we have another amalgam / mixture crystal and this time it is AMETRINE, which is a mixture of AMETHYST and CITRINE, which are close cousins in any case. Physically it looks exactly like an Amethyst and Citrine have melted together.
AMETRINE has the qualities we would associate with both Amethyst and Citrine, but a few other special ones thrown in for good measure, as the saying goes the sum is always greater than the parts and this is certainly the case with AMETRINE.
An extremely active stone energy wise, AMETRINE is a stimulant and action stone and supports all areas of creativity and getting things in order, organisation, and any kind of sorting stuff out. That can be both physically and emotionally. AMETRINE can help in any kind of transformative work and brings deep insight into any emotional patterns or behaviours that need to be addressed in order to move forward for the greater good. It can then help with cleansing and removing those obstacles and clearing the aura and physical planes of this negativity.
Strongly protective it can prevent psychic attack as well as being physically protective for all systems, Immune, Endocrine, nervous and even DNA level issues.
It really is a great “All Rounder” and concentrates the mind and focus so good for meditation or any situation that needs thinking through.
I love both Amethyst and Citrine and so this stone is really a belter as it is like having a supercharged version of both. I hope you love it too.
04:42 Mel - COSMIC CRUISE
Welcome to COSMIC CRUISE, and this week we are weighing up LIBRA. LIBRA, the scales is an air sign ruled by Venus the planet of love and falls between 23rd September and 23rd October.
Librans are kind and fair and absolutely hate disharmony and arguments and crave peace and justice for all. They have oodles of charm and loads of friends from the four corners of the globe. The downside to all this balance is procrastination and lack of motivation, not through laziness I hasten to add but from paralysis from trying to please everyone and their Mothers!
They also have no concept of time they are always late because something else took their attention and they stopped to smell the beautiful roses. But because of their beautiful souls we generally tend to forgive them!
They love all beautiful things and can usually see the beauty in every person or situation they meet. The soul lesson for Librans is to not get caught in indecision and people pleasing but to express your endless and limitless joy for humanity and making the world a better place for all.
Careers for Librans are Human Rights Lawyers and activists, HR, Public Relations, Stylist and Art dealers and politics.
Famous Librans are: John Lennon, Serena Williams, Matt Damon, Jimmy Carter and Margaret Thatcher.
The Planetary Crystal for Libra is SAPPHIRE, the gorgeous stone of Royalty, loyalty and fidelity. It is the stone of enhancing hope, faith and personal enhancement. Highly protective too it is the perfect stone for Librans.
The Tarot card for Libra is THE SCALES OF JUSTICE of course! Asking you to weigh your needs with your desires. Needs and desires are very different things of course. Emotions need to be put aside sometimes and practical necessities examined to make the right choice.
Now onto your 3-month 3 card Tarot reading -:
Right there, my lovely Librans. We're going to be doing the three card three months tarot reading, so we're starting with the first card, which is for the rest of March and that is the FIVE OF CUPS.
So, this month there is a sense that there's a little bit of loss this month for some reason, so you might be morning an opportunity missed or a chance that's been let slip? But don't worry because you don't understand that the universe has an absolute plan for you and that you're not going to miss out on anything at all.
If it was meant for you, it will come round again and that's the sense that I'm getting with this card. You're missing out on the fact that things aren't as bad as they seem.
In the FIVE OF CUPS there are three cups that are spilt if you like in front of our protagonist, and there's two cups that still remain that the protagonist simply can't see at the moment, and that's the situation for March. Things are going to look a lot worse than they are, and they seriously aren't. You've still got 2 cups standing. There is still hope and there are still things to do.
Now we've got THE EMPRESS for the month of April. Now THE EMPRESS is all about creation, and it's great for projects, so if you've got some ideas or you may have some inspiration for some ideas, April is a time to start getting to work on those ideas, coz THE EMPRESS has got your back. She's all about putting forward and moving forward with new creations and new ideas. So that's really nice.
The final card that we have which is for May is the ACE OF CUPS. Now the ACE OF CUPS is the pinnacle of the suit. I love this card, it means your cup will flow over, so there's a lot of abundance, and it's not just emotional, it's things coming to fruition. Things going your way, just synchronicities that are working their way out, just especially for you. The universe has its eye on you, my lovely Librans, and it's just checking that everything is OK in your world. It's got your back and it's just going to smooth the way a little bit, so that's your three-card tarot reading. I hope you enjoyed that.
09:47 LISTENER QUESTIONS
Mel - Now it's time for your questions in listener questions. What do we have this week MR M?
MR M - Thank you, Mel, hello again everyone. Just the one question this week Mel, which comes from Jill in Lincoln, who asks -:
As a teen, I attended my local Spiritualist Church, but felt that due to my age, I didn’t really fit in. There were one or two comments by the regular attendees that made me feel unwelcome. Fast forward a number of years, and I am trying to reconnect Spiritually, but my experiences from a number of years ago, left a lasting impression on me and I am not keen to attend a Spiritualist Church. Are there any other organisations or routes I could look at to try and become more spiritually aware. I do like the idea of a group environment, but not the church.
Mel - Oh, Jill, I'm sorry to hear that and I have to admit I have experienced this myself. But not all churches are the same. They aren't run by the same people. So don't give up on it quite so quickly.
There are different kinds of congregations about. It's a kind of trying to find the right fit for you. But to answer your question, yes, there are other routes you can look for people who are doing online training there. There's lots of them about, uh, if you have a look on Facebook, there's loads of groups on there, I'm part of one of those myself where I met our lovely friend Sophia, so there's plenty of stuff online.
However, if you're wanting a group environment and now that COVID’s pretty much over with, we can get back to that. There are plenty of tutors that are out there that are working in doing classes, so just have a look around on the Internet is my advice. Just put mediumship development or spiritual development or something like that into the search engine. It will find somebody in your area that will be doing something.
I’ve trained both with the church, and with private tutors like our dear friend Chris. So, yeah, it’s what suits you and what you need to do at that time. But there will be somebody around who is in your area that's doing that. So have a look. See what you can find and good luck to you darling.
MR M - Thank you, Mel, and thank you to Jill for her question. If you would like to send Mel a question or have your question feature as a 3 card Tarot reading or want to get in touch with us for any other matter, including suggestions for show content, guests or just to get in touch, then here is how to do so.
Mel - Thank you to everyone who submitted a question. There are a number of ways you can get in touch with us.
You can get in touch with us via email and the address is thespiritlevel22@gmail.com
On Facebook, on the groups, search for The Spirit Level.
On Twitter search for thespiritlevel.co.uk.
We have a Twitter handle which is @ thespiritlevelU which is a capital U
On Instagram, search for me, Melanie Mahmood or thespiritlevel.co.uk
Or you can click on the SpeakPipe link in the episode notes and send us a voicemail free of charge.
In addition, there are a number of resources for you to download and access on our website totally free of charge at www.thespiritlevel.co.uk we look forward to hearing from you.
13:15 MR M - MR M’s MENAGERIE
Welcome to MR M’s MENAGERIE. This week, our topic under discussion is the ‘SINDONE DI TORINO’, which translated from the Italian is THE SHROUD OF TURIN, more popularly known as THE TURIN SHROUD. It is one of the most famous religious items anywhere in the world. It has courted controversy since its first appearance, and it remains an item that splits the world of science and the church.
For those who are not familiar with THE TURIN SHROUD, it is, in many respects a non-descript item, save for something that sets it apart.
THE TURIN SHROUD is rectangular in shape, composed of woven flax fibres, measuring approximately 14ft 5 inches by 3 ft 7 inches. There is a faint brown coloured image on the front and the back which appears to show the body of a naked man, with his hands across his groin. The top of the cloth has an image which is lighter in colour, and appears to show the face of a man, with a beard and moustache and shoulder length hair parted in the middle. Around the man’s head appears to be a crown of some sort, made with what appears to be some woven thorns. There are also a number of reddish-brown stains on the cloth.
The shroud is first mentioned in 1354, although details of its existence prior to that are sketchy to say the least. Geoffroi de Charny, a French knight who died at the battle of Poitiers a couple of years later, was in possession of the shroud, and it remained with his family for a number of years, surviving fire damage in 1532, until it was bequeathed to the church in 1578 where, ever since it has been held in the Cathedral at Turin, Italy, with the belief that the image of the man on the shroud is that of Jesus Christ, and that the shroud itself is the burial cloth that his body was wrapped in following his death by crucifixion. Now, if like many you take that as, and pardon the pun ‘Gospel’ then THE TURIN SHROUD must be recognised as the most important ancient artifact in the world. You would think that the Church, and specifically the Catholic Church would shout this from the rooftops, but as I mentioned in my introduction, the shroud splits opinion, and those splits have been evident since its first appearance.
In 1389 the Bishop of Troyes, France, sent a letter to the then Pope, Clement VII stating that the shroud was "artificially painted in an ingenious way" and that "it was also proved by the artist who had painted it that it was made by human work, not miraculously produced" In 1390, Clement VII consequently issued four papal bulls, public decrees, with which he allowed the showing of the shroud, but ordered the Bishop to publicly state “to put an end to all fraud, that the aforementioned representation is not the true Shroud of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but a painting or panel made to represent or imitate the Shroud ". This papal bull remained in place for just over a century, before, in 1506 Pope Julius II reversed this position, and declared that the shroud was indeed authentic, and he authorised the public veneration of it. Since that time, the Catholic Church has neither endorsed nor rejected its authenticity, and although no longer on public display, the TURIN SHROUD exhibition attracts hundreds of thousands of people annually, bringing additional income into the church coffers.
As you would imagine, there have been a number of tests performed on the shroud, which range from photographic analysis and interpretation, microfibre analysis, carbon dating, blood analysis, ultraviolet imaging, x-ray analysis, the list is endless.
I’m not going to go into all of the findings, because time doesn’t permit it, but from my research it appears that from carbon dating, the shroud dates from the Middle Ages, sometime between 1260 and 1390. Photographic imaging conducted shows the shroud in detail, and it clearly does depict the image of a man, with wounds identifiable, and features that are clear and sharp. Dust samples from the Shroud that contained pollen have been analysed, and 22 pollen species from plants that are unique to areas around Constantinople, modern day Istanbul and Edessa IN southern Turkey, and 7 pollen species from plants common only in Israel have been found. So, in some respects, science clearly tells us that this shroud cannot be from the time of Jesus, but in others it tells us that there is evidence that it was in existence in places where Jesus would have been present.
Tests, and the results of them are of course, open to interpretation and of the myriad of tests carried out, there remains a split between those who believe the shroud to be genuine and those who purport it to be nothing more than an elaborate hoax.
It is notable that the Catholic Church sit firmly on the fence in respect of the shroud. As I’m sure you are all aware, there has long been a conflict between Church and science. If the Catholic Church come out categorically and state that the shroud is indeed genuine, and science is able to refute that, then the Church loses a great deal of its power. It is the age-old argument in respect of divine creation or scientific creation.
There have been numerous attempts to recreate the image of the shroud using modern day techniques, some more successful than others, but none have achieved the result that are depicted on the shroud, leading supporters of the authenticity of the shroud to state that the image is of divine instigation. As much as we live in a technologically advanced era, science, as yet, has not found a way to replicate the shroud.
There is an alternative narrative that has been championed by many who believe in the shroud’s authenticity. I mentioned earlier that the history of the Shroud is sketchy, and it is if you look at Geoffroi de Charnay and how he came into possession of it, and due to the fact that prior to its arrival in France, there is no continuous history attributed to it, which has led to people levelling the accusation that it is nothing more than the work of a medieval artist, as was first mentioned by the Bishop of Troyes, but there is an alternative narrative.
The discovery of a key document in 1993, The Hungarian Pray Manuscript dated from 1192, confirms that the Shroud was in Constantinople and was stolen by Crusaders during the 4th Crusade. This bridges the gap between 1204 and 1356 when the Shroud’s whereabouts was in question.
There are many who believe that our good old friends The Knights Templar, were in possession of the shroud, and there is Templar anecdotal evidence that they venerated a mysterious image, although the exact details of who or what that image were, have never been 100% determined.
This finding is huge in the context of the shroud, as it in some way validates a historical trail to at least to the year 544 when an “Image Not Made By Hands” was discovered in Edessa (southern Turkey) and became the genesis for all Byzantine and Orthodox icon images of Jesus Christ that followed.
Many scholars believe the Shroud and the Edessa Image are one and the same. Two coins were minted in 692 under the reign of Emperor Justinian II. They were the first coins ever minted with an image of Christ and appear to be based on the Shroud image as indicated by 180 matching points of congruence between the Shroud image and the coin image.
In 944 the cloth was taken from Edessa to Constantinople. A sermon delivered by Gregory the archdeacon of the Hagia Sophia clearly describes a full body image on the linen.
Following the 4th Crusade when troops from Venice and France looted and burned the city, a letter of protest was written to Pope Innocent III. The letter documents this horrific event and what was stolen including, “Most sacred of all, the linen in which our Lord Jesus Christ was wrapped after his death and before his resurrection”.
There are other threads that details different timelines in respect of how the shroud came to be in existence. The fact remains that we do not really know. I’d like to finish by quoting the historian John Walsh, who when asked about the shroud, had this to say “It is either the most awesome and instructive relic of Christ in existence or it is one of the most ingenious, most unbelievably clever products of the human mind and hand on record. It is either one or the other, there is no middle ground.” I think that sums up THE TURIN SHROUD perfectly.
Well that brings me to the end of this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. Please get in touch and let me know your thoughts on THE TURIN SHROUD or any of the other topics discussed in these episodes. Next time, I will be taking a look at APOLLO 11 & THE MOON LANDINGS. So, until then, thank you for listening, and it’s now back to Mel, for the rest of the show.
23:08 Mel - HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS
Happy New Year folks! What are you on about Mel??? Its March you nutter!! I know my darlings, but this is the Vernal Equinox, the Spring has sprung, and it is the very beginning of the Astrological Year. So this is really the New Year and not the New Year we associate with the Gregorian Calendar, which incidentally was only put in place in 1582 by Pope Gregory the 13th.
So, as you can see, this is the real old New Year so to speak and yet again the Church hijacked the old festivals to embed their own spin and Ostara became Easter. Ostara or Eostra in the Anglo Saxon is the Spring Goddess of Fertility, flowers and the Dawn and this is the time of her feast days to bring offerings and to celebrate the end of Winter, the rising of the sap and the sowing of the seeds of life for the new harvest to come.
This glorious feast is all about hope, growth, joy and life abundant. The symbols we associate with this time are eggs, universal symbol of life and March Hares which are magical creatures in their own right. Rarely seen in daylight, as they are usually nocturnal in March the magical Hare’s start to be seen during the day for the mating season and the phrases “Mad as a March Hare” and “Hopping Mad” come from this time where they are bounding about the fields.
Now is the time to start sowing your own magical seeds for the future and the crystals that can help you in these endeavours are AMETHYST, BLOODSTONE, GREEN MOSS AGATE, JASPER, MOONSTONE and ROSE and CLEAR QUARTZ. The colours associated with Spring Equinox are GOLD, PALE GREEN, think new shoots, YELLOW, PALE BLUE and PALE PINK.
Here’s a magical oil recipe for Ostara to supercharge your Spring intentions and to add a oomph to your magical workings this month.
30mls of base oil, don’t forget to check your allergies and sensitivities folks as always be careful with any allergies around the base oil if you are using nut-based ones and double check that none of the oils affect other medications. If you are pregnant be especially careful, please and check that the oils are not contraindicated for you we don’t want any negative reactions to the oils please.
6 DROPS OF CEDARWOOD, 4 DROPS OF GERANIUM, 4 DROPS OF PATCHOULI, 2 DROPS OF YLANG YLANG AND 1 DROP OF VETIVER, don’t forget 100 percent pure essential oils are best folks. Only the best will do for our magical workings, anoint alters, candles for use later on and any magical tools and don’t forget to do yourself too. Happy New Year!
26:22 Maria - MARIA’s MAGICAL SUPER 6
When Mel and Rash asked me to make a contribution to their amazing Podcast, it seemed like perfect timing to share my spiritual journey over the last 6 years. October 2016, was when it all began for me – 6 years ago! As 2022 is a ‘6’ year numerologically – represented in the Tarot by The Lovers – a card signifying collaborations and partnerships – it seemed fitting to look back over the knowledge and practices I have immersed myself in, to get to where I am now. I share this with you lovely listeners, in the hope that it may provide inspiration and some practical examples of how an ordinary wife and mum of 3 can change their life from the mundane to the magical.
So, the healing power of sound through music has ALWAYS been a constant in my life. This is the most continuous thread of healing and joy that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember! I play the flute, studied A level music and have always loved live gigs and festivals.
Kundalini Yoga introduced me to the power of deep healing through the chanting of mantra. Listening to the gong in meditation was a very profound experience, as part of my teacher training in 2017. Later that year I attended a Mind, Body and Spirit event in Leeds with a friend and I signed up for a sound healing taster workshop. The rest, as they say is history. I invited Craig from Soulshine Life to come and do some sound baths as part of a timetable of workshops at my then wellbeing space The Karma Hub. They turned out to be one of the most popular events on our schedule! In 2019 I was lucky enough to be one of his first cohort of students who took part in a 120-hour training programme, and I qualified with a Foundation Certificate in Sound Healing, in December 2019.
During the course we learned about all aspects of sound healing, from the science behind sound, to the various instruments, as well as how we use the voice to heal. I managed to acquire what is now a veritable orchestra of healing instruments including Gongs, crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, shamanic drums, rattles, chimes and solfeggio pipes. I later went on to study 1:1 with tuning forks…
It’s fair to say to the soundscapes I create are deeply healing. I incorporate them into ceremony with cacao and meditation, as well as offering group and 1:1 deep relaxation sound bath sessions as stand-alone healing experiences. Everything is personalised and tailored to meet the needs of the individual.
I could rattle on about how sound works and the science behind it, but as with everything the real proof is in the pudding, and in the eating of that pudding or cake! I would like to offer a sample experience for you now, so, you can feel and hear it for yourselves.
I hope that this story of my experiences has helped in some way to inspire you on your own healing journey. If you feel called, please reach out via the usual podcast contacts – I would love to hear from you! Thank you so much for listening. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank all of my teachers and students from the last 6 years, as you have all played an essential part in my own magical journey!
35:25 Mel – STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
A prolonged lack of sleep can and does have a major effect upon the rest of the body not just physically but mentally and emotionally too. If you have ever worked nights – you will undoubtedly agree that it completely upsets your natural rhythms and makes you feel desperately unwell. That is exactly why sleep deprivation is used and classed as a method of torture.
There are lots of reasons you may be experiencing upset sleep patterns, internal and external, life has a habit of disrupting sleep, work, stress, new babies and menstrual cycles and especially menopausal symptoms often seriously affect our sleep.
We are not built to be nocturnal and anything which throws sleep out of balance has a seriously detrimental effect. Regular nightshift workers live an average of 12 years less that someone who does not or has never worked shifts which include nights.
So, good quality sleep is vital for overall health and here are some acupressure points that can assist with getting to sleep. However, as with anything if this is a prolonged issue, more than say 3 days, please seek professional advice from your GP or medical practitioner.
The first point is an extra point AN MIAN. I use this one quite successfully, It is located behind the ear on the edge of the natural dip, behind the ear lobe. It’s quite a sensitive point so don’t worry about missing it, if you take your middle finger and with the pad, just gently tap around this area and you’ll definitely hit the point. Also helps with Vertigo and anxiety in general this point so it’s useful.
HEART 7 – SHEN MEN is also useful, and a 2010 study found that using this point really did help with getting to sleep quicker and for longer. The Point SHEN MEN is located on the underside of the wrist, at the bottom of the hand. Bend the hand forward slightly and look for the crease of the wrist. On the side of the wrist crease, nearest the little finger, there is a groove between the outer tendon and the mid tendon, the point is in that groove. Apply pressure on this point for up to 30 seconds then release and repeat until you begin to feel the effects.
Good old SPLEEN 6 also helps with Insomnia but it's not the point I would naturally go to, unless it was menstrual / menopause related. Just a quick reminder of SPLEEN 6, one of the most useful points in the lexicon, to access the point find the very tip of the inside ankle bone, on the inside of the leg. Measure 4 finger widths from this tip, up the leg and apply deep pressure to the edge of the bone.
Finally, KIDNEY 1, also helps sooth you to sleep but you might need someone willing to help you with this one. KIDNEY 1 is located on the underside of the foot, right in the middle of the groove that appears when you curl your toes under. This point stabilises mood and drifts you off nicely, it’s a powerful point as its right where the channel changes polarity so it can have big effects.
Hope that helps you get some ZZZZ’s, sweet dreams!!!!
39:45 Mel – CLOSING
Well, that’s it for this episode folks. Coming up in next week’s show -:
ARAGONITE is the featured crystal in CRYSTAL CORNER. We see if there is a sting in the tale of SCORPIO in COSMIC CRUISE. There will be some more of your Listener questions. In MR M’s MENAGERIE, APOLLO 11 & THE MOON LANDING is being discussed. In HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS, the magical properties of THE TRIPLE MOON are highlighted. In the 4th episode of TAKE CARE OF YOU, Amanda advises how to practice self-care in tough times and in STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, we have a couple of points to aid with stomach complaints ST25 & REN12.
If you would like to help support the show, there is a link at the end of the episode notes where you can click on the BUY ME A COFFEE link or click on the heart icon on the podcast website. Your support is and always will be appreciated.
A big thank you to BUZZSPROUT for hosting us, and for the technical help and advice from the folks at AUDACITY & AUPHONIC.
A big thank you to my beloved husband and producer, Mr M for his help and support.
A massive thank you to you, our listeners, wherever you maybe for your continued support and your lovely messages. Please subscribe and review our podcast. Your feedback will help us improve the show.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or via your usual podcast provider.
Please visit the website www.thespiritlevel.co.uk where you can book a personal reading with me, wherever you are in the world, enrol on one of the courses, browse the online store, for the crystals that we talk about, crystal packs, power bracelets, aromatherapy and scented candles, or just to get in touch, we always love to hear from you.
So, until next time folks look after each other and love and light to you all.
