This session addressed the question of why Bartholomew was choosing to withdraw his teachings during a time of apparent earthly turmoil. Bartholomew explained this decision through the metaphor of electromagnetic energy cycles, describing how a "sliver" of vast energy had temporarily broken off from its source to communicate more directly with earthbound consciousness. The withdrawal was necessary because the energy was being "pulled back to source" to strengthen the overall magnetic field that was calling humanity home to enlightenment. Rather than abandoning students in their time of need, this represented the most loving action possible - increasing the power of the ultimate attraction point.

The teaching emphasized the need to understand two fundamentally different models of spiritual evolution: being pushed from behind versus being pulled from ahead. Bartholomew advocated the latter, explaining that enlightenment represents a powerful vortex in humanity's future actively drawing consciousness toward itself. This required having as much spiritual power as possible positioned "in front" as a magnetic attraction rather than behind as a driving force. The withdrawal of various spiritual teachers and energies served to strengthen this forward-pulling dynamic during a time of accelerated change and compressed spiritual evolution.

A central theme involved learning to work skillfully with cycles rather than fearing or resisting them. Bartholomew explained that people were experiencing multiple lifetimes' worth of change within single incarnations, with traditional patterns of "one marriage, one job, one religion, one house" becoming obsolete. The key to navigating this acceleration was to understand that all cycles naturally end by unraveling their patterns, releasing what was eternal (beauty, wonder, creativity, love) while allowing limitations and resentments to dissolve. Those who cling to ending cycles experience the pain of being dragged through their dissolution, while those who learn to let go can reach for the beginning strands of new cycles.

The practical instruction focused on developing acute present-moment awareness to recognize the natural rhythms and patterns within apparent chaos. Rather than looking to the past with nostalgia or regret, or to the future with fantasy or anxiety, students were encouraged to become intimately familiar with their own daily cycles - physical, mental, and emotional rhythms that would reveal the underlying order within their personal experience. This requires taking responsibility for one's happiness in the moment rather than attributing it to past conditioning or future circumstances.

The session also introduced a three-step practice for connecting with the vast cycles of consciousness that surround and interpenetrate ordinary human experience. First, developing awareness of breathing as the simplest tool for quieting mental activity and anchoring attention in the present. Second, learning to listen - not for specific voices or messages, but maintaining a quality of receptive awareness while engaged in normal activities. Third, recognizing that the ability to listen actually increases rather than decreases with age, as the accumulated energy of a lifetime built the capacity for subtler perception.

Bartholomew used the metaphor of a hawk riding air currents over a mesa to describe the optimal stance for navigating life's cycles. Like the bird that remains alert and responsive while trusting the invisible forces that sustain its flight, humans could learn to feel for the "currents" of spiritual energy that are always available to guide and support their choices. This requires neither intense effort nor passive withdrawal, but rather a quality of relaxed attention that can perceive the patterns within apparent chaos.

The teaching concluded with reassurance that no one is ever left without resources for perceiving these guiding forces - if hearing is impaired, then sight is available; if both are limited, then feeling can detect the presence of supportive energies. The fundamental message emphasized that consciousness is not a closed system but is intimately connected to vast cycles of awareness that extend throughout the universe. The practice of listening with trust will naturally reveal these connections, allowing students to experience themselves as part of an "immense magnificence" where separation is impossible and guidance is perpetually available for those willing to receive it.