Welcome to the next installment in Betty’s Journey. This month she not only dives into her experience doing her 27 day practice in Level 1 of the New Equations Advanced Training Organization, but she also shares a short story she wrote during her training called, “Gratitude — A Story From Long Ago.” I’m so excited to share her story with you — I hope you enjoy it’s universal wisdom, magic, and beauty, as much as I did!

—Jenna Tovey, Communications Manager

I had intended to write for this month’s newsletter about my connections with Egypt, but to my surprise, this was not what my soul wanted me to do. What my soul wanted was for me to be immersed in its wisdom while doing the New Equations 27 Day Practice—and save my ticket for the Egypt story for later.

Deeper! Deeper! Deeper! This is what I heard! Incredulous, I wondered how different could the 27 Day Practice be compared to the 36 Day Practice that I had already completed? Well, my soul told me otherwise.

A heatwave hit Germany! Could there be a better way to connect with the fire of my soul? The heat in the air mixed with the heat inside me. It was not easy for my body to handle, but my soul stayed cool and guided me through a most beautiful joyful process.

The 36 Day Practice had brought me lots of pictures, memories, and more understanding about the different Spiritual Portals and their inner wisdom. Through the process of opening the nine Spiritual Portals, I experienced a connection to all. The 27 Day Practice deepened this process by slowly turning it into embodied knowledge. I dived deep into the wisdom of MY soul: daily insights, hints and realizations. Most of all, I experienced who I am in MY soul strength. By taking away one layer after the other—like a Zwiebel (onion)—a new ME appeared. I was so connected to the Earth (I am a Soultype 8) that it was breathtaking, and deep deep gratitude dwelled in my heart. The intimacy with my soul and nature continued to grow each day. I was so glad that the 36 Day Practice had opened the Spiritual Portals in my body, so that my body could not only receive all that spiritual energy, but also contain all that BLISS. I literally felt myself fill with this energy that was not only streaming through me, but also found a place to stay in me, as a solid foundation.

After completing the 27 Day Practice, I needed time for integration. My soul had wisely guided me to stay home for most of the summer, so I had time to sit in my swinging chair, which I did day in and day out. My swinging chair turned into my “Einstein Swing” and I’d swing all day long, waiting for my “soul’s formula” to drop down while being in gratitude for becoming who I am. My life’s important events started to come together like pieces of a puzzle—my life made more and more sense.

I would like to share with you one of my puzzle pieces:

About 40 years ago, while living at the Findhorn community in Scotland, I was sitting on a bench near Findhorn Bay, pondering what to do next, when all of a sudden a gust of wind blew a huge piece of  paper right into me, covering almost my whole upper body. Annoyed, I started to pull it off when my eyes caught the words: Writing Down the Bones – Freeing the Writer Within. I truly had forgotten all about this experience of the paper blowing onto me and what the words said.

During the 27 Day Practice, while swinging in my Einstein Swing, the story below appeared in my consciousness. I am so happy now to share with you this story and the wisdom it contains.

Betty Kraus in her Einstein Swing

Gratitude — A Story From Long Ago

Gratitude — A Story From Long Ago

At that time, people lived happily in tribes, often on barren land, but they had everything they needed so that their communities could flourish. Once or twice a year, tribes came together to celebrate life, visit and exchange goods. Everybody who was able to go on this journey, which often took days, and sometimes even weeks, was excited to go, even though it was often a difficult trip to make. They happily took what they wanted to contribute to their friends. It always was a joyful caravan, and everyone looked forward to meeting and sharing.

Yanara, a shining young maiden beaming with light, met Yamon, a handsome young man who had joined the caravan the year before. She had decided to gift him with a beautiful basket. Over the past year she had carefully selected rushes and grasses which were just perfect to weave a basket. Her weave was filled with best wishes and intention for Yamon. For her, the basket gave him her loving presence as a vessel where he could place his manly wishes.

After journeying for some weeks, the tribe finally arrived at the place chosen for their gathering. Enthusiastic and full of joy, in the presence of her giving, Yanara searched for Yamon and spotted him among other young men. From a distance, she could see how much he had grown into a man, his masculine energy was strongly spreading out. Yanara had chosen to wear a very beautiful dress, made out of byssus, and she looked much like a shining goddess, so feminine, so giving. The basket swinging on her arm was waiting to be given to him. She had no thoughts of wanting something in return, a pureness from her heart was illuminating the air around her.

When she drew closer to the group of men she heard them laughing. Someone must have said something which had made the others laugh. Coming even closer she suddenly felt a kind of shiver on her skin. She did not pay too much attention to it while trying to keep her chosen one in sight. He was a bit taller than the other young men, which made it easy for her to not loose sight of him.

She was almost there when she heard some words penetrating the air, something which sounded like: “. . . old . . . not anymore . . . I do it my way . . .”  They entered her ears and found the way to her consciousness. She felt a new, unpleasant vibration, but since it was something she had never experienced before, she could not imagine what it was, but she held her basket a bit tighter to her body.

Now she was so close to that group of young men that they became aware of her stunning beauty. She surely was a feast for their eyes.

Yanara shook off her discomfort and went straight to Yamon, lovingly stretching out her arms, offering him her gift, the vessel, the basket made with love and intent for a life in grace and gratitude.

Suddenly, there was a cool breath of air, an unexpected breeze out of nowhere, which brought up a strange atmosphere. Time stood still. Yamon, arrogantly standing in his masculinity, aware that all other young men were attentively watching him, looked at her with eyes full of rejection, not able to see behind her beauty or her loving gratitude for life—and with a loud laugh, his chest sticking out with arrogant pride, threw out the words: I, Yanon, refuse to receive your basket; I will not depend on any gift; I will live a free life, a life where I do not, and will not to have to thank anyone, because I, Yamon, can, and will, do all by myself!

Beautiful Yanara froze! Yanon did not want to receive her basket! In deep shock, she turned around, ran back to her tribe, her emotions overwhelming her. Speechless, she fell into a deep sleep. Fever was shaking her body, motionless she stayed in deep trance for days, until her people had to go back to their community. Arriving home, there was not much life left in her. All the radiant light woven into her name was almost gone. Painful questions pierced her, questions she could not find answers to. The matter was presented to the tribal elder. In the consciousness of the elder, the deep truth was revealed to him, and, as it did, deadly silence spread throughout the village. Carrying a huge burden, the Elder stood up, took his decorated announcement rod, rammed it 3 times into the ground while announcing: “From this moment the Feminine will be denied and a different consciousness will evade our land. Be prepared! The soul-consciousness will wither, and rules, laws and order, will prevail. Be prepared! Gratitude will no longer be the foundation of life, but struggle and pain will be its base. Be prepared!” The Elder’s words echoed throughout the entire universe . . .

From each corner of the village you heard deep sobbing, first from a mother over there, then another woman joined in to the cry of the soul, and then sobbing and crying could be heard in every corner of the village. Every woman and every man, old or young, even children, wept from the deepest depth of their soul.

The grief and torment remained for many weeks, months, years. Slowly Yanara recovered, but of her former shining light, only a glimmer remained. She withdrew her presence, yet her soul knew that there would be a time when her presence would return in full. Yanara’s heart remained open with the promise,  offering lovingly her basket to all who were open to receive the love and the grace of their soul.

. . .

21st century: Much time has passed since. The knowledge of the skill of basket weaving was passed on from generation to generation.

Two lovely souls, Menna, her name representing The Gift of God, and Marik, his name representing Guardian of the Pharaoh, met in a sunlit country and decided to share their lives. They lived happily, doing their good work, searching for the truth of life, looking everywhere to find the long hidden answers. Years went by in their dedicated work and life.

One summer morning, as every morning, they wanted to go for a stroll along the beach and opened the front door of their lovely home and nearly fell over something that had been placed on their porch. Someone had put a basket right in front of their door! Their cat had snuggled up inside the basket for a good night sleep. Menna lifted the basket carefully to not scare the cat and looked at this beautifully woven basket. With such incredible skill it was made! Menna hung the basket over her arm, and with that gesture the cat jumped out of it. Now Menna could see that something was placed inside this beautifully woven basket. Taking a closer look, she saw a small piece of paper, not bigger than a business card. The card had magic signs on it, and both felt a tremendous radiance emanating from these signs. Menna reached with her hand to pick up the magic card. Now she could read what was written on it: NEU (“new” in German)

With curiosity and great care, she handed the basket and the small card over to Marik, almost like a sacred gift, and strangely enough, Marik received it as such. And in a flash, energy from the skull to the sacrum rushed through both of their bodies, filling them on with blissful light and an extension of consciousness, and both knew in an instant: this is the beginning of something BIG.

Sometime later they discovered that on the back of the card was written: NEW EQUATIONS

My 27 day journey let me truly experience that my life is a gift. An incredible beautiful present which words can not describe. Deep gratitude is dwelling in my heart. I was led to some words of Mother, Mirra Alfassa: “Unless one is conscious of one’s soul, one does not have true knowledge.”

New Equations opened my path to return to the wisdom of my soul. 

I will “keep on rocking” as Siv, my dear 27 Day Journey guide likes to say to me. Of course, I continued on to do my New Equations 18 Day Practice, but this time humbly knowing that it would take me on a completely different journey—and yes! It did! 

 — Betty Kraus

Betty Kraus, Soultype 8, is a student in the NEATO Level 1 – New Equations Essence program. Betty lives in Freiburg/Black Forest, Germany. She is a Spiritual Grandmother and healer, and offers seminars and transformative journeys in Europe and South-India.