Conversation with Carol Parrish: Educator, Spiritual Leader, and Mystic

In April of this year, Rev. Carol Parrish was in Black Mountain, NC, to teach about the Evolution of Humanity. If you missed that opportunity, you have another one in October. Rev. Parrish will be speaking in Raleigh on Thurs., Oct. 4, at SFFI and teaching on Sat., Oct. 6, in an all-day workshop. Rev. Rebecca Nagy of New Directions Ministry in Charlotte was one of the lucky few who were present at Black Mountain. A student of Rev. Parrish and graduate of Sancta Sophia Seminary, where Rev. Parrish is the dean, Rev. Nagy has agreed to give us a synopsis of this information and has interviewed Rev. Parrish recently, that we might become more familiar with the message before her arrival.

Rev. Nagy: Having known Carol Parrish since 1987, I can honestly say she is one of the most prolific teachers of this time. What I most admire about Carol and the course she has set for Sancta Sophia as a contemporary mystery school is the grounded, practical, and integrated approach to the message of the Christ and the Ancient Wisdom Teachings. We are part of a larger group that includes parallel evolutions, very much a part of the next step that Gaia, Mother Earth, is about to take. Within this Big Picture, we are charged to be wise as we interact with the planet and each other. As humanity, the angelic kingdom, and the spacial brotherhood approach what may be the biggest leap humanity has taken in consciousness, the subjects of evolution and the evolutions are timely.

Nagy: "What would you like to share with the people of the Triangle about parallel kingdoms?"

Parrish: "It is important for people to realize the significance of this period of time. Humanity is rediscovering its relationship to other kingdoms. And when we talk about kingdoms, we include the evolutions that are our cousins-the angelic kingdom and the spacial beings who are revealing themselves. I regret that people think of spacial beings as scary. In the long run we will find, just as human beings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and temperaments, the beings who live in the subtle planes around the Earth have a variety of characteristics and levels of consciousness. Some are kind and wonderful, helping humanity evolve. Just as some human beings are sensitive to animals and some are into ecology, others take for granted life around them and are insensitive to those kingdoms. Similarly, some spacial beings have their own agenda, just as others are highly evolved and nurture humanity."

Nagy: "Would we consider angelic and spacial two different evolutionary groups?"

Parrish: "Yes."

Nagy: "In order for the angelic kingdom to evolve, part of its evolutionary process is service. What about the spacial kingdom?"

Parrish: "The angelic kingdom works with building forms and correcting, healing, energizing, and responding to the invoking of their assistance. The mental beings [spacials] have more to do with the construction of thoughtforms and beaming those thoughtforms out to less subtle beings and guiding those thoughtforms protectively. Certain ones watch over the destiny of nations, and others hold a particular energy, e.g., inspiration. Others emanate energy streams of wisdom, ideas, and inventions to be sensed by human minds."

Nagy: "Is the response more likely to come from other spacials who have taken human form, or can the response come from both the human evolution and spacials in human form?"

Parrish: "Both will respond. The biggest challenge is that spacials who have come into human form assist humanity, but humanity has to evolve itself. All the angelics and spacials who are incarnate can do is influence, then stand back, because the guidance of planetary life comes from the collective mind of humanity."

Nagy: "So many are saying they are of the spacial evolution, believing they are going to be the decision makers, but they really aren't."

Parrish: "No, the work of spacials is to deliver ideas and influence the vote."

Nagy: "As humanity advances into the Kingdom of Souls, what will happen to the animal kingdom?"

Parrish: "Not all of humanity is going into the Kingdom of Souls, only a small part. As humanity establishes this new kingdom, evolving swarms will progress from the animal kingdom into the human kingdom. There is always a movement upward from kingdom to kingdom, but the Kingdom of Souls is an outgrowth of a holy consciousness now evolving-the new experience. Collectives will continue to advance within the framework of the kingdoms."

[According to the Teachings, in order to become an Ascended Master (human), one's soul must have begun in the human kingdom. Each kingdom has its own evolutionary path. There may be cross-over (i.e., a spacial soul may take on a human body), but the group soul of that kingdom sets the course of a kingdom's evolution.]

Nagy: "Some channeled materials from one called Sananda [who claims to be the same soul who incarnated as the Master Jesus] says he is a space being. But we know Jesus as a highly evolved human. That is why he could hold the energy of the Christ for humanity. Would you comment on that?"

Parrish: "Wisdom teachings say Jesus was an initiate of the human kingdom who moved with dedication to the position of becoming the Great Initiate in order to serve the Christ as he did. It is fairly well accepted that Jesus had the previous incarnation as Krishna, moving from that to his life as Jesus and from there to a life as Apollonius. He could not have achieved what he did as a Great Initiate of humanity had he been a spacial being. He could have role-modeled, but he would not have proven the divinity of humanity had he not been of humanity."

[Apollonius of Tyana was a great philosopher who lived late in the first or second century A.D., and much historical evidence exists about him and his teachings.]

Nagy: "After Apollonius, is that when the soul known as Jesus became a Master?"

Parrish: "Yes. Nothing in the teachings by Apollonius contradicted anything Jesus taught. He worked outside the framework of religion and more in the field of philosophy. After that, because of his great contribution in the life of Jesus, he was recognized as the Master Jesus, the Chohan.

Nagy: "What do you want people to know about your work?"

Parrish: "My principal work is in establishing a school, restoring the wisdom teachings to a place of dignity and preparing workers for the expansion of consciousness that has begun and will continue rapidly. The preparation of teachers-people who understand energy work with spiritual senses unfolded and purified-is of prime importance. The second aspect is to participate in an international network of spiritual workers so that indeed we can more closely realize that humanity is one family."

[The wisdom teachings, also referred to as the Ancient Wisdom, or Ageless Wisdom, are a body of work that includes the writings of Theosophical writers (H.P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant, and Charles W. Leadbeater), the writings of Alice Bailey, and all wisdom teachings throughout the ages, i.e., the Kabalah.]

Nagy: "Would you comment on the interfaith movement?"

Parrish: "Interfaith truly means that people stand in their own faith tradition, respecting and appreciating the contributions other world religions have made toward the evolution and enlightenment of humanity. If we really believe humanity is one family, interfaith work acknowledges the value of the spiritual path of our brothers and sisters, our cousins and distant relatives, who may have a different slant on God. For example, an interfaith Islamic esotericist would say Jesus was a great prophet, just as Mohammed was a great prophet. This individual has a perspective, not Christian, but one we can appreciate. It is not taking all scriptural and all spiritual ideas, putting them in a pot, and cooking them down to mush. It is more like a salad wherein each ingredient retains its own color, flavor, and spice. Interfaith does not hinder each from having its own culture and ideas.

"The true message of Jesus the Christ is the message of love. Jesus himself demonstrated overcoming the prejudices of one's culture. He associated with women, tax collectors, and others who the more pious Jewish people of the time avoided. Today, we are called upon to practice love, to be respectful and see the soul of each. When we think about the Christ within, which has been a lesser-developed message of Christianity, we make a shift from just a love of Jesus to living the spirit of the words recorded from Jesus' time. The true message is: Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be also in each of us. This means creating a consciousness within ourselves wherein judgment and intolerance are left behind. We truly try to see the spirit of God in one another."

While Rev. Parrish is in Raleigh, she will speak at Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship International on the evening of Thurs., Oct. 4, on the topic of "Walk-ins: Messengers for the Now." The Raleigh Chapter of SFFI holds lectures at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on 3313 Wade Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Lectures begin at 7:15 p.m. On Saturday, October 6, Rev. Parrish will facilitate a workshop on Evolutions: Human, Devic, ET at the Friends Meeting House in Raleigh. Additional information regarding the workshop is available from SFFI on their website, http://www.spiritual-frontiers.com/.

Rev. Parrish will be present at the Dancing Moon Bookstore, 614 West Johnson Street, Raleigh, from 1pm until 4pm on Thursday, October 4, to sign her newly revised and released autobiography. Her book, Messengers of Hope originally published in 1983, told the intimate story of Carol's near-death experience and subsequent search for the meaning behind the shift in consciousness she calls a "soul exchange." The newly published Messengers of Hope - The Walk-in Phenomenon presents over fifty photographs, a new chapter devoted to the evolution of humanity and hopeful messages and "how-tos" about the future.  

About Rev. Parrish

Rev. Carol Parrish, PhD, founder and dean of Sancta Sophia Seminary, is internationally recognized and sought as a speaker and teacher. She is the founder of the intentional community of Sparrow Hawk Village and of Light of Christ Community Church. A near-death experience at age 23 precipitated Carol's spiritual mission. Ordained in 1971, she left a promising business career to devote herself to teaching in the field of self-realization. So many of Carol's students have become ministers and teachers, she is known as a "master teacher of teachers."

Carol is the author of Messengers of Hope-The Walk-in Phenomenon, The New Age Handbook on Death and Dying, The Aquarian Rosary, The Book of Rituals--Personal and Planetary Transformation, The New Dictionary of Spiritual Thought, How to Use Sacred Space, and Adventure in Meditation, Vols 1-3. Each volume won the Athena Award for Mentoring Excellence in 1996, 1997, and 1998, respectively.

Her leadership has included a spectrum of activities from the President's Council on the Status of Women to the International Council of Community Churches. The World Network of Religious Futurists Association presented Carol the Earl Award in 1998 for outstanding service in advancing the contribution of world religions to the future of humanity. Her special interest is the convergence of science and spirituality. http://www.sanctasophia.org/

About the Authors:

Rev. Rebecca Nagy is the founder and director of NEW DIRECTIONS, located in Charlotte, NC. She has a wedding and counseling ministry and speaks at many New Thought churches and conferences throughout the country. She was chosen last year to be part of an outreach Pilot Program for Sancta Sophia School of Wisdom in the southeast. She may be contacted at 704-588-4623, or visit  www.gocarolinas.com/community/groups/newdirections/.

Abbie Emory is the chairperson of the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship International of the Triangle. At SFFI, our mission is to enhance the spiritual, mystical, and metaphysical awareness and consciousness of our community by sponsoring programs that facilitate personal growth and development and a holistic approach to health and living. For more information, visit http://www.spiritual-frontiers.com/.