Read FREE Chapter of The Guiding Star System
This book began as a scrapbook over 20 years ago, in the search for something – even though I had
In criminal law, two concepts must be present for a crime to be proven: actus reus (the guilty act) and mens rea (the guilty mind or intention). These terms, though rooted in law, also map beautifully onto our energetic and spiritual experience. The actus reus reflects our physical reality—our “out.” The mens rea represents the internal state—the “in.”
When we apply these principles to our own lives, it becomes clear that our internal world (mens rea) is what gives rise to the external (actus reus). It is the intention behind our actions that determines whether what we are creating stems from ego or soul. Just as in law, we must ask: What is the intention? Awareness of your own internal mens rea is one of the most powerful tools in energetic and spiritual alignment.
Interestingly, in law, the mens rea and actus reus don’t always have to occur simultaneously. One of the landmark cases demonstrating this is Thabo Meli v R [1954]. In it, the accused struck a man, believing him to be dead, and later disposed of his body, which caused his actual death. Although the fatal outcome was delayed, the court ruled that the intention (mens rea) was present during the chain of events (actus reus), and therefore the parties were still guilty.
This mirrors universal law. When we premeditate our desires—whether consciously or unconsciously—we set creation in motion. The manifestation may not occur immediately, but the intention has already seeded the outcome. The act and the intention, though they may be separated by time, are part of one ongoing energetic sequence.
Our lives are much the same: an unfolding actus reus with flickering awareness of our own mens rea. The challenge—and the mastery—is in maintaining conscious awareness of our intent as we move through our lives. That is how we shape our fate into destiny.
This book began as a scrapbook over 20 years ago, in the search for something – even though I had