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 Season 2 Episode 4 of The Spirit Level Podcast and what a week we’ve got in store, especially Astrologically. It’s the New Moon in Aries on Wednesday the 20th.
This marks the New Astrological Year – HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS, and so this Full Moon, The Hunter Moon, is very, very important. Any manifestation and intention work done on this Full Moon will set the tone for the whole of the next 12 months. Whilst we are recording on Monday the 18th of Oct, you can still get in on the action even when this episode goes out on Sunday the 24th, that’s how powerful this Moon is. I am going big and hooking up with our beloved friend Maria Atherley at the Love Shaq again for a Full Moon circle ceremony and lots of energy work, I cannot wait!
Finally, Mercury goes direct from the 18th thank the heavens because this retrograde has been truly trying, messages have got lost in the ether, many wires have been crossed, servers have given up the ghost, the internet has been haywire and some very heavy shadow work has been gone through and old negative patterns of behaviour shed, which can be painful and exhausting.
But the Hunter Moon brings us hope, renewal and the promise of adventures to come. It really is a case of go big or go home this month. This next 12 months are going to see some seismic energy shifts both personally, professionally and societally so gird your loins and gather your energy, it may just be a bumpy ride but that’s the excitement isn’t it, isn’t that the adventure of life itself?
Don’t forget we are not humans having a spiritual experience, we are spirit having a human experience, with all the drama that entails. So, with this in mind, buckle up, hold tight, scream if you wanna go faster and let's get on with the show…!!
Coming up in this week’s episode -:
ANGEL AURA QUARTZ is the featured crystal in CRYSTAL CORNER.
There will be some more of your listener questions.
In MR M’s MENAGERIE, THE LAST SUPPER painting is being discussed.
In HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS, the much-maligned WALNUT is on the menu.
And in TIME FOR TAROT, THE 4’s are our featured cards.
03:21 Mel - CRYSTAL CORNER
Today I'm going to introduce you to ANGEL AURA QUARTZ and also known as ANANDALITE. This crystal is a very, very high vibrational crystal and it's actually linked to Ascension, Chakra alignment and Kundalini energy and generally overall general health.
It's a natural iridescent master healing crystal, having all the benefits of clear quartz, but with a much higher energetic vibration, and it links us to the infinite possibilities of the consciousness and ourselves as multi-dimensional beings. The crystal has a rainbow quality to it, which makes it feel very otherworldly and spiritual.
A strong purifier, ANGEL AURA QUARTZ has a measurable Bioscalar waves of energy which activate the body's natural healing mechanisms, and it also gently breaks down and removes any patterns of thinking or behavior which might actually be affecting the physical. So, it's brilliant for releasing emotional trauma and blockages.
ANGEL AURA QUARTZ has the capability of strengthening the central nervous system, the immune system and also improving circulation, and it can assist with any kind of inflammation type conditions.
But it's very, very pretty, and each flash of color has its own power and effect, so it's very useful to have at your disposal, especially if you're a healer yourself, or you're in the healing sphere of work.
The flashes of blue amplify the aura and they bring peace and harmony. The flashes of brown connect with the spiritual high vibrational beings and heal the Earth. The gold heals the physical circuitry in systems, the green accesses the consciousness and the red motivates.
So, it's what I call a work horse of a crystal, it truly is. It's one of my favorites, I hope it will become one of yours too.
05:49 LISTENER QUESTIONS
Mel – And now it’s time for listeners questions, over to you Mr M.
Mr M - Thank you, Mel, and hello again everyone. This week, something slightly different Mel. It needs a bit of explaining. It’s from our friend here in Sheffield, Rich.
Rich recently lost his mum. Ivy his mum, was an amazing woman with a wicked sense of humour and she is very much missed by her friends and family. Rich got in contact with us and I’m going to read out what he sent.
Hi Mel, I need your help to explain a very strange event. I turned on my mum’s mobile phone this evening, to get a number for a family member. The phone had not been switched on since my mum passed away. Whilst getting the number I happened to click on the photos. To my surprise the first picture that came up was of my back leaving mum's bedside in A & E at the hospital, but the photo was taken as if looking through mums' eyes. To my knowledge she never took the phone out of her bag in hospital, and she certainly didn't have it when I left her. I have looked at the phone again and the picture has gone, it's not in any file and is not in the deleted or trash folder. What has happened?
Mel - Wow, hi Rich and much love to you and Jen. Ivy was an amazing lady. An absolute firebrand and a firecracker and I miss her greatly. We used to have such a good laugh together, so when I got this message the other night it choked me up a little bit because I miss her so much. So, whenever you are Ivy, kisses, love you to bits.
Wow, what an amazing event. Basically guys, I'll explain to you that I asked Richard if this was actually the last time that he saw his mum with us on the Earth plane and he confirmed that it was, so basically what I think has happened is that last image that Ivy has of her beloved son, Rich, was imprinted on her phone and she was able somehow through technology and through the wonders of spirit because they can do things that we can't even imagine has managed to get that message to her son that she's, she's arrived safe and well on the other side and she remembers that poignant moment of the last time that they spent together at the hospital.
So, it's a nice lovely little message from her. When Richard got back in touch with me today, he told me that he'd looked again through the phone and couldn't find it, and that the image itself had merged into another image and just disappeared.
And my answer to that Rich was that the message had been received and understood. It was no longer required, and so what a shame we haven't got that photograph as a bit of evidence, but what an amazing and life and love affirming message Ivy has sent to you. So, God bless.
Mr M - Yeah, thank you Mel and a big thank you to Rich for getting in touch with us and allowing us to feature what happened to him in this section of the show.
Now, 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, whether it be 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 group's 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 Speak pipe 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.
10:09 MR M’s MENAGERIE
Welcome to MR M’s MENAGRIE.
Hello everyone and thank you for joining me this week. Our topic in this episode is one of the most famous paintings in the world, THE LAST SUPPER, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci between 1495 and 1498. From its completion to the present day, it remains on the wall of the refectory in the Dominican monastery of Santa Marie delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. Like most of Leonardo’s paintings, there is a surreal element to the scene depicted, and whilst the subject matter is clearly identified, it hasn’t stopped scholars, art enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists all believing that there are a number of hidden messages and clues to Leonardo’s own beliefs contained within the scene.
First things first though, THE LAST SUPPER is not a painting in the traditional sense. It is a fresco, a type of mural painting where freshly laid wet lime plaster is used as a bonding agent for dry powder pigment. Once the plaster sets, the painting in theory should become an integral part of the wall. As a painter, Da Vinci favoured oil painting as his preferred medium, which enables the artist to work slowly and make any subsequent changes to the composition quite easily. Using his preferred method on the wall, Da Vinci first coated the wall with Gasso, an animal skin glue, mixed with chalk and white pigment. This was quite a risky technique as the oil-based paint had a tendency to flake and not bond with the wall. This technique did indeed lead to flaking, and with the oil-based paint reacting over the years to the smoke and moisture generated in the refectory, this great piece of art is beyond repair.
So, as to the painting itself. I’m sure you are all familiar with what is depicted, but for those listeners that may not be aware of the painting, here’s a brief description. The painting shows Jesus sat at a table in company with his 12 disciples. The table has a number of drinking vessels containing red wine on it, as well as pieces of bread. The momentous occasion is THE LAST SUPPER as recorded in the gospels, when Jesus announces to his disciples that one amongst them would betray him. DA VINCI has attempted to interpret and capture the various facial expressions of the disciples when hearing this news. Jesus is seated and has his disciples sat either side of him, 6 on each side. Looking at the painting, the disciples seated to the far left are Bartholomew, James The Lesser & Andrew, who appear to be grouped together. Next is another group, comprising 3 figures, Judas, Peter & John. To the right as you look, at the far right are another group of 3 disciples, Matthew, Jude & Simon, and finally again grouped in three next to Jesus are Thomas, James The Greater and Philip.
Jesus is seen pointing to a piece of bread, and at the same time the only other apostle doing so is Judas, lending further weight to the fact that Judas did betray Jesus, as reported in the gospels that the one present who broke bread with Jesus, would betray him. This scene, with the bread and the wine that is being drunk, forms part of The Eucharist, the bread depicting the body of Jesus and the wine depicting the blood of Jesus. So, all very symbolic so far.
But a closer inspection of the painting, does reveal some interesting things and for this, it may be worth you looking at a picture of THE LAST SUPPER by the artist Giampietrino made in 1520. He worked with DA VINCI, and his copy of the painting is currently displayed at The Royal Academy of Arts in London.
Let's start with Judas. As mentioned, Judas is the only one of the disciples reaching for bread at the same time as Jesus. He is also the only disciple to be painted with a dark complexion, giving rise to the connotation that evil is dark. He is also clutching in his left hand, a bag, the presumption being that it contained the 30 pieces of silver Judas acquired for betraying Jesus. Also, just by Judas’s left hand, is an upturned cellar of salt, again a symbolic depiction of the near east saying, “betraying the salt”, which means in effect betraying your master. It could also be argued that spilling salt is a sign of bad luck, and indeed spilling salt in some ancient traditions and cultures meant that the person doing so would be cast into eternal damnation. Perhaps fitting for what Judas did indeed do.
Turning to Peter, we see his face is angry and in his right hand you can clearly see him holding a knife. DA VINCI in portraying this is indicating Peter's predisposition to violence, which came to fruition a short time later when upon Jesus being arrested. Peter used a knife to cut off the ear of a Roman soldier.
Perhaps the most interesting of figures in the painting, is the one seated immediately to the left of Jesus as you look. Biblical scholars and many academics state that as this is a painting of the 12 disciples, this figure is that of John. However, a close inspection of this figure tends to suggest someone entirely different. The figure has a very feminine face with delicate features. Around the neck is a necklace, not an item you see on any other of the disciples. Could this be in fact Mary Magdalene? As I mentioned in the episode on The Knights Templar, there is some suggestion that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus, and as such, why wouldn’t she be depicted sitting next to her husband. However, this would not and does not hold with the accepted church doctrine that Jesus was unmarried. DA VINCI was known for his heretical views on the church and fell foul of church doctrine on a number of occasions. He was a passionate believer in astronomy and the esoteric, a member of the Freemasons, so his personal views, either written, spoken or depicted would have brought him into conflict with the church. What better way for DA VINCI to stick 2 fingers up to the church than by depicting Mary Magdalene sitting at the right hand of Jesus, thereby completely shattering the church doctrine in respect of Jesus being an unmarried man. In addition, the figure supposedly of John mirrors that of Jesus, suggesting a couple, in my opinion DA VINCI is clearly portraying Jesus sat with his wife, but has done so brilliantly, hiding this fact in plain sight.
There are other symbolic gestures with regards to the disciples, their demeanor, facial expressions and positioning, and here are some other theories regarding their positions and what is depicted in the scene.
DA VINCI had an intense interest in astronomy and astrology, and there are many academics who put forward the theory that if you draw lines connecting each disciples face and hand positions, they form the symbols of the zodiac, starting with Aries on the left as you look at the painting, and ending with Pisces on the far right, and in addition the groupings of the disciples is significant, with 4 distinct groups forming the season of the year, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, reading in the same direction as the zodiac signs, with Jesus in the centre depicting the sun.
The proportions of the painting, and the figures depicted are all interconnected, following a mathematical formula. The proportions of the table, walls, figures, food and drinking vessels are all laid out specifically.
An Italian musician Giovanni Maria Pala has also claimed that he has deciphered a hidden musical score depicted in the painting. In his explanation Pala states that he marked the pieces of bread on the table and the disciples' hands as musical notes. Pala claims that on doing so and reading the score from right to left as DA VINCI wrote, he produced this piece of music, and if technology allows, here is what it sounds like. Pretty solemn I’m sure you would agree, but it just goes to show that THE LAST SUPPER has and will continue to inspire people to suggest and theorise about what DA VINCI was actually trying to say. There is another theory that if you unite all the musical notes by lines, a type of script appears in ancient cuneiform. The script has been deciphered and translated and turns out to be a sentence written in ancient Hebrew, the sentence being “BO NEZER USBI”, which translates to ‘With him consecration & glory’.
I could go on listing a number of other theories and speculations about what other secrets THE LAST SUPPER holds, but time is against us. What I will say is that DA VINCI was one of the most important figures in our history. He led a double life, and had to, on the one hand being subservient to the church, but on the other, being of an enquiring mind, he appreciated and accepted other religions, teachings and practices that went against the established church order. He was a mathematician, philosopher, artist, sculptor, academic, mystic and teacher, and I’m sure that amongst his writings and paintings of which THE LAST SUPPER is but one, there are a wealth of secrets that DA VINCI has hidden in plain sight, waiting for us to discover.
So that brings me to the end of this episode. I hope you have enjoyed hearing about THE LAST SUPPER painting. Please have a look online, there is a wealth of information about the painting and the theories about it, some quite thought provoking, others not so.
In the next episode of MR M’s MENAGERIE, I shall be taking a look at the fabled city of ATLANTIS, so until next time, thank you for joining me, and it's now back to Mel for the rest of the show.
20:38 Mel - HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS
Welcome to this week's HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS and this week folks we have WALNUTS on our magical menu. Now, WALNUTS have been used for centuries across many cultures in magical works.
And because they looked like little brains, it was always thought eating them would make you smart, but magically they worked to provide mental clarity and help with decision making. They're a very masculine energy.
They can help with action and planning, and they're also useful for fertility works. Sleep with one under the bed to increase facility.
The shells can also be used to hold wishes, so write a wish on a small piece of paper and pop it inside a WALNUT shell. Bury it or burn it, to release the intent into the universe and get them out there.
Short but sweet. But that's WALNUT folks.
21:54 Mel - TIME FOR TAROT
Welcome to this weeks' TIME FOR TAROT, and this week we're looking at the 4’s and as ever we will start with the FOUR OF WANDS, and the FOUR OF WANDS is a lovely card. It's all about celebration. It's about harmony, marriage, home, community. It can indicate that they are a hard-working couple. If you are talking about a romantic kind of spread, they're content with their situation, and it can also mean not taking any chances, so that's in work or business. Or it can also mean that somebody wants to be self-employed.
In reverse, it means the exact opposite, and it means a breakdown in communication usually and a transition of some kind, but it's the home card. This is the home security card that I feel.
THE FOUR OF CUPS is about mediation, apathy and not seeing what is being offered to you. This person could be being offered love, but they've been hurt before, so they don't, they're wary of it. They're unsure of what is being offered.
In reverse, it means boredom. It means missed opportunities and being a bit aloof.
So, onto the FOUR OF SWORDS. This is the recuperation, the relaxation, and it's a recovery from physical or emotional issues. It's the rest card basically, so if this turns up, it usually means somebody needs a break. It's an obstacle card as well. There's still more to overcome, that still needs to be addressed. But there's also a feeling of a lack of energy, which is why the rest is required.
In reverse, it means complete burnout. So, a lack of progress and restlessness. But it just means absolute burnout.
Onto THE FOUR OF PENTACLES. This is all about security, possession. Whether that's emotionally or materially, it can mean somebody being tight fisted so they're either being tightfisted with their emotions. They're not giving enough, or it can mean literally they're being tight fisted with their money. So, it's money spread too thinly as well, so it's that kind of lack feeling.
In reverse, it means greed, materialism and self-protection. So that's the 4’s folks, and next week we'll be looking at the 3’s.
24:28 Mel – CLOSING
Well, that’s it for this week folks.
Coming up in next week's show -:
BLACK KYANITE is the featured crystal in CRYSTAL CORNER.
There will be some more of your listener questions.
In MR M’s MENAGERIE, THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS is being discussed.
In HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS, we move onto rituals and practices.
And in TIME FOR TAROT, THE 3’s are our featured cards.
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 and don't forget you can also send us a voicemail by clicking on the Speak Pipe link in the episode notes or via the podcast page on the website. It’s free of charge and no download required.
So, until next time folks look after each other and love and light to you all.
