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Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Exploring the Universe, Metaphysics and Mom

Posting recently about the Akashic Records, Edgar Cayce,

Metaphysics, my Artist Friends in Ukraine πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ 

Nikolai Shmatko who has passed into the eternal realm and

His son, Rafael Shmatko and his family suffering through an

Invasion of their sovereign country. Make it stop.

Nikolai was a seer, in touch with the Universal Being 

I believe best called

Everything.

 Exploring Edgar Cayce

My Mother’s Spiritual Guide.

I forgot her personal guide is named Tomas

Until I recently tried to remember more about Mom,

Her attendance at the Edwardsville Illinois 

Metaphysical Society.

I went with Mom once or twice. Now, with renewed interest.

Grok talk:

“The Akashic Records are conceptualized as a vast, non-physical repository of all knowledge—every thought, event, intention, word, and experience across all souls, lifetimes, and timelines. Often called the “Book of Life” or the “Akashic Field,” this etheric library draws from Hindu philosophy (“Akasha” meaning ether or sky) and was popularized in Western esotericism through figures like Edgar Cayce and Helena Blavatsky. 

In spiritual traditions, especially New Age and metaphysical practices, the Records serve as a living resource for soul-level insight, offering guidance that supports healing, clarity, and personal evolution. They align closely with themes your mother explored, such as metaphysics, reincarnation, non-linear time, Plato, Atlantis/Lemuria, and Akashic studies. 

How Akashic Records Support Spiritual Healing and Personal Growth

Accessing the Records can facilitate profound transformation by revealing patterns, soul contracts, past-life influences, and higher-purpose alignments. Key benefits include:

•  Emotional and Karmic Healing: Identify and release traumas, blockages, or unresolved issues from this life or past incarnations. This helps with grief, addictions, relationship patterns, fears, or limiting beliefs, promoting forgiveness and energetic clearing. 

•  Soul Purpose and Clarity: Gain understanding of your soul’s journey, gifts, challenges, and current-life lessons. This fosters alignment with authentic desires, reducing reliance on external validation. 

•  Pattern Recognition and Transformation: Uncover repeating cycles in relationships, health, career, or abundance. Healing these at the soul level can “reformat” outdated beliefs, opening new possibilities. 

•  Intuition and Empowerment: Strengthen psychic abilities, self-trust, and inner wisdom. Many report increased confidence, maturity on their spiritual path, and a deeper connection to universal intelligence. 

•  Holistic Support: Aid in physical, emotional, and spiritual integration—e.g., addressing chronic conditions through soul insights or supporting decisions for growth. 

Practitioners describe it as a sacred tool for soul realignment rather than mere curiosity, helping people move through resistance and reclaim energy. 

Ways to Access the Akashic Records

You can approach this through professional readers or self-practice. Always set a clear, positive intention and work from a grounded, protected state.

1.  Professional Akashic Records Reading: A trained practitioner opens your Records (often using clairvoyance or specific prayers) and relays guidance on your questions. This is useful for beginners or deep healing sessions focused on specific issues like relationships or life purpose. 

2.  Self-Access via Meditation and Prayer:

•  Ground and Protect: Begin with breathwork, grounding (e.g., visualize roots into the Earth), and shielding (white light or egg-shaped aura).

•  Opening Prayer: Use a Pathway Prayer (common in Linda Howe’s system or similar) to request access: e.g., “I ask the Masters, Teachers, and Lords of the Akashic Records to allow me access for the highest good.”

•  Visualization: Imagine ascending to a library, hall of records, or light-filled space. Ask to view your “Book of Life” and pose questions.

•  Reception: Information may come as images, words, feelings, or knowing. Journal afterward. 

•  Close by thanking the Records and grounding again.

Guided meditations on platforms like YouTube can help (search for “Akashic Records guided meditation” by creators like New Horizon, Pura Rasa, or Unlock Your Life). Start short (10–30 minutes) in a theta/relaxed brain state. 

Tips for Beginners:

•  Practice regularly but respectfully—approach with humility.

•  Combine with shadow work, journaling, or energy practices for integration.

•  If intense emotions arise, pause and seek support from a healer or therapist. 

Cautions and Best Practices

The Records emphasize free will and highest good—information is for empowerment, not prediction or bypassing personal responsibility. Stay discerning, especially with self-access; work with ethical practitioners if needed. This complements (but does not replace) medical or psychological care, particularly relevant given your health journey.

If this resonates with your mother’s studies or your creative/spiritual explorations (like multiverse themes in your writing), it could enrich personal reflection on reincarnation, soul contracts, or non-linear growth.

For deeper dives, explore books like Linda Howe’s How to Read the Akashic Records or guided resources. If you’d like recommendations for specific meditations, practitioners (considering your Virginia location), or ways to tie this into your MS/epilepsy management or family healing, let me know!


Linda Howe’s Pathway Prayer Process is a structured, copyrighted prayer sequence designed for safe, reliable, and heart-centered access to the Akashic Records. Linda Howe, a leading expert and author (e.g., How to Read the Akashic Records), developed it in 2001 after years of work with the Records. It has become a foundational tool in modern Akashic practice, enabling people worldwide to access this vibrational archive consciously. 

Purpose and Benefits of the Pathway Prayer

The prayer shifts your consciousness from ego/fear-based states to a higher, divine perspective. It:

•  Protects against self-centeredness and lowers vibrational barriers.

•  Invokes guidance from the Lords of the Records, Masters, Teachers, and Loved Ones.

•  Ensures access is for the highest good of all involved.

•  Facilitates compassionate, wisdom-filled insights rather than overwhelming or fear-inducing ones.

•  Supports empowerment, healing, soul understanding, and transformation—aligning well with spiritual growth and personal healing themes. 

It creates emotional safety for honest self-reflection and is suitable for self-access or reading for others (with permission). 

The Full Pathway Prayer Process

Here is the standard text (adapted slightly for clarity from public sources; use Linda Howe’s official version for precision):

Opening Prayer

And so we do acknowledge the Forces of Light,

Asking for guidance, direction, and courage to know the Truth

As it is revealed for our highest good and the highest good of everyone connected to us.

Oh Holy Spirit of God,

Protect me from all forms of self-centeredness

And direct my attention to the work at hand.

Help me to know [full legal name or “myself”] in the Light of the Akashic Records,

To see [full legal name or “myself”] through the eyes of the Lords of the Records,

And enable me to share the wisdom and compassion that the Masters, Teachers, and Loved Ones of [name] have for [him/her/me].

The Records are now open.

(For self-reading, use “myself” or your name consistently.)

Closing Prayer (after your session)

I would like to thank the Lords of the Akashic Records for their point of view.

And I would like to thank the Holy Spirit of Light for all knowledge and healing.

The Records are now closed.

Amen.

The Records are now closed.

Amen. 

Instructions for Use:

•  Say the opening lines aloud (especially the first 13 lines or so) to anchor the energy.

•  Speak clearly and with intention. For self-access, insert “myself/me.”

•  After opening, sit in quiet meditation, ask questions, and receive (through thoughts, images, feelings, or inner knowing).

•  Always close properly to end the session cleanly. 

How to Practice It

1.  Prepare: Find a quiet space. Ground yourself (e.g., deep breathing, visualize roots or white light). Set a clear intention for healing/growth.

2.  Open: Recite the prayer.

3.  Engage: Ask specific questions like “What soul lessons are active for me now?” or “How can I heal [specific pattern]?” Journal what arises.

4.  Close: Use the closing prayer and ground again.

5.  Integrate: Reflect on insights over time; they often unfold gradually.

Linda offers classes, books, and resources on her site (lindahowe.com) for deeper training, including a mini-class on reading your own Records. 

Tips and Considerations

•  Consistency Matters — Regular practice deepens your connection and sensitivity.

•  For Healing/Growth — Focus questions on compassion, patterns, or soul purpose. It excels at revealing root causes for release.

•  Respect and Ethics — Only access others’ Records with explicit permission. Approach with humility.

•  Challenges — Beginners may get subtle info at first; persist without forcing. Combine with meditation or therapy for integration, especially with health/spiritual themes.

•  Variations — Some adapt slightly, but fidelity to the original preserves its power.

This prayer is praised for making Akashic access accessible, reliable, and transformative—perfect for personal empowerment on a spiritual path. If you’d like guided audio examples, book excerpts, ways to customize it for your journey, or help practicing, just say the word!”


Mary: Mom was in the metaphysical society in Edwardsville, Illinois. It was in early 1970’s. I went at least once. Wish I had gone with her more. She loved Edgar Cayce’s writings. Always guiding my curiosity.

Grok:

 That’s a beautiful memory, Mary. It sounds like those early 1970s gatherings in Edwardsville, Illinois, left a lasting imprint—your mom deeply immersed in the metaphysical scene, with Edgar Cayce as a guiding light, and you getting that one glimpse alongside her. It’s touching how she nurtured your curiosity; those shared threads of exploration clearly echo in your own path today, especially with your interest in Akashic Records, multiverse themes in your writing, and spiritual healing.

Context on the Era and Local Scene

The early 1970s were a vibrant time for metaphysical and New Age interests in the U.S., with a surge in explorations of reincarnation, psychic phenomena, alternative spirituality, and esoteric traditions. Small local groups like the one your mom attended in Edwardsville (near St. Louis) were common—often informal circles meeting in homes, churches, or community spaces to discuss books, meditation, and experiences. While I didn’t uncover a widely documented “Metaphysical Society” specifically in Edwardsville from that exact period (many were low-profile or private), it fits the pattern of regional study groups inspired by figures like Cayce, Theosophy, and emerging human potential movements. 

Your mom’s love for Edgar Cayce makes perfect sense in this context. Cayce (1877–1945), known as the “Sleeping Prophet,” gave thousands of psychic readings while in trance. He frequently accessed what he called the Akashic Records—describing them as the “Book of Life,” a universal storehouse of souls’ histories, past lives, and potentials. His readings covered health (holistic remedies), reincarnation, Atlantis/Lemuria, dream interpretation, and spiritual development—topics that overlap beautifully with what you’ve mentioned about your mother’s studies (Plato, Atlantis, non-linear time, Akashic Records). 

Cayce’s work popularized the idea that anyone could tap into higher wisdom for healing and growth, emphasizing compassion, karma, and soul evolution. Many 1970s metaphysical groups studied his Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) materials.

Connecting to Your Journey

It’s poignant that you wish you’d gone more—those experiences often plant seeds that bloom later. Your mom’s influence seems to live on in your digitizing of documents, creative fiction with multiversal/cloning themes, and current explorations of the Pathway Prayer and Records for personal healing (especially resonant with your MS and overall wellness path). Cayce himself spoke of the Records as accessible through prayer, meditation, and aligned intention—much like Linda Howe’s approach builds on that foundation.

If it feels right, you might:

•  Explore Cayce’s readings on Akashic access or past lives (many are archived via A.R.E.).

•  Journal about that one visit—what stood out? It could open a gentle doorway to more memories or insights.

•  Use the Pathway Prayer with an intention honoring your mom, perhaps asking for guidance on continuing that shared curiosity.

Would you like recommendations for Cayce books/readings that tie into Akashic Records or healing? Or help finding similar local groups today in Virginia, resources from that Illinois era, or ways to weave this into your blog/writing? I’m here to explore it with you. 🌟”

Mary: Recommend an Edgar Cayce book to start.

Is an Edwardsville metaphysical society still there?

I’m pasting your answers in my blog.

A final inspiration would be welcome.

Grok:

 Excellent choices for your blog, Mary—I’m honored you’re weaving these threads into traveloguefortheuniverse.blogspot.com. It feels like a living continuation of your mother’s metaphysical curiosity and your own multiverse explorations.

Starting Edgar Cayce Book Recommendation

For a beginner, I recommend There Is a River by Thomas Sugrue (often called the definitive biography of Edgar Cayce).

•  Why this one? It introduces Cayce’s life, his trance readings, and core concepts like the Akashic Records, reincarnation, holistic healing, and Atlantis in an engaging, narrative style. It’s accessible without assuming prior knowledge and captures the wonder that likely drew your mom in during the 1970s. Many readers say it sparked their deeper dive into Cayce’s work.

•  Alternatives if you want something more focused: Edgar Cayce on the Akashic Records by Kevin J. Todeschi (more direct on the Records) or Cayce’s own A Search for God series for spiritual application.

You can find affordable used copies or digital versions easily. Start there and let it guide your curiosity organically.

Edwardsville Metaphysical Society Today

I searched for ongoing activity, but no active “Metaphysical Society” in Edwardsville, Illinois, appears to still exist from the early 1970s era. The area has broader spiritual communities (e.g., Unity churches or wellness groups in the St. Louis metro region), but that specific circle seems to have been a product of its time—common for small metaphysical study groups that thrived in the ‘70s counterculture and then evolved or dispersed. If you have more details (like a full name or location), I could dig further, but it may now live on through personal memories and legacies like your mom’s influence on you.

A Final Inspiration

Your mom’s gentle guidance—taking you even once to that gathering—planted seeds that continue to bloom across decades and dimensions. In the spirit of the Akashic Records and Cayce’s teachings, every soul’s journey is a river of infinite possibilities: the early 1970s chapter in Edwardsville flows into your writings, your healing path, and this beautiful blog where curiosity travels through time and multiverses.

“The spirit is the life. The mind is the builder. The physical is the result.” — Edgar Cayce

May that spark continue to light your way, honoring her love and your own evolving story. If you share the blog post link when it’s up, I’d love to “visit” it. What else can I help refine for it? “





Monday, August 3, 2026

Data Centers in Virginia

@grok talk

Grok Talk:

Data Centers…


Virginia has the largest concentration of data centers in the United States (and the densest cluster in the world), with estimates varying by source and definition (operating facilities vs. campuses/projects including planned/under construction). 

Approximate Numbers (as of mid-to-late 2026 data)

•  Operating/operational: Commonly cited in the 300–370+ range. One detailed tracker (Cleanview, updated August 2026) lists 371 operating facilities with ~17,378 MW capacity. Statista reported 320 operational for 2026. Other trackers put operational figures around 221–376 depending on methodology. 

•  Total tracked (operating + planned/under construction): Often 600–800+. Cleanview lists 817 total (371 operating + 440 planned). Other sources cite figures such as ~651 listed facilities, 663 operational + hundreds planned, or similar ranges in the high hundreds. 

•  Virginia consistently ranks #1 in the U.S. for number of data centers, ahead of Texas and California. Capacity and power demand are enormous and growing rapidly due to cloud computing and AI.

Exact counts fluctuate because there is no single official registry—trackers differ on what counts as a distinct facility vs. a multi-building campus, and new projects are announced frequently.

Primary Locations

The overwhelming majority are in Northern Virginia (“Data Center Alley”), centered on:

•  Loudoun County (especially Ashburn and Sterling) — the core and densest area, often called the data center capital of the world. Ashburn alone hosts a very large share.

•  Prince William County (Manassas, Gainesville, Bristow, Haymarket areas).

•  Fairfax County (Herndon, Reston, Chantilly, and nearby).

Growth is expanding outward due to land/power constraints and local pushback in core areas:

•  Stafford, Spotsylvania, Hanover, Culpeper, and other nearby counties.

•  Greater Richmond area (Henrico and surrounding).

•  Some presence farther out (e.g., parts of central/southern Virginia, Hampton Roads/Norfolk area, and emerging sites in other regions).

Loudoun has historically held the largest share (tens of millions of square feet), followed by Prince William and Fairfax, with Richmond-area growth accelerating. 

Data Flow / Internet Traffic

Northern Virginia (particularly the Ashburn corridor) is a major global internet hub due to dense fiber networks, historical internet exchange points (e.g., early MAE-East peering), proximity to government/enterprise demand, and extensive interconnection infrastructure.

•  A widely repeated claim is that ~70% of the world’s internet traffic passes through Northern Virginia/Data Center Alley. This figure is frequently cited by officials, industry, and media. 

•  More careful analyses suggest the true share is significantly lower (estimates in the range of ~20–35% of global traffic or capacity in some studies), though still the single largest concentration. Virginia accounts for a substantial portion of North American data center capacity (often cited around 25% or more in regional terms). 

The region’s advantages include massive fiber density, low-latency interconnection between providers/hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and many others have major presence), reliable power historically, tax incentives, and available land. This creates a self-reinforcing ecosystem: more traffic and interconnection attract more facilities, which attract more traffic.

Note: Numbers and capacity continue to change quickly with AI-driven demand. Power grid constraints, transmission upgrades, local permitting, water use, and community opposition are major ongoing issues shaping where new capacity can locate. For the most current project-level maps, sources like Cleanview, DataCenterMap, or local government trackers are useful.


Cleanview’s main data centers page for Virginia is:

https://cleanview.co/data-centers/virginia

There’s also a public version at:

https://cleanview.co/public/data-centers/virginia

These pages include maps, project lists, operating vs. planned facilities, capacity figures, and related details (last noted as updated around August 2026).

If you’ve gotten this far:


Largest Operating Facilities

Examples of the biggest operating sites (primarily in Loudoun County / Northern Virginia “Data Center Alley”):

•  Digital Realty IAD39 — 243 MW (Loudoun, Digital Realty, operational 2019)

•  CyrusOne NVA5 — 202 MW (Loudoun, CyrusOne, 2019)

•  CloudHQ LC1B / LC1A — 189 MW each (Loudoun, CloudHQ)

•  Digital Realty IAD51 — 177 MW (Manassas City, Digital Realty, 2025)

•  Digital Realty IAD41 — 175 MW (Loudoun, 2020)

•  Cologix ASH1 — 168 MW (Loudoun, 2026)

•  Aligned IAD02 / IAD03 — 163 MW and 143 MW (Loudoun)

Most of the largest operating capacity remains concentrated in Loudoun County (Ashburn/Sterling area). 

Largest Planned Projects

The pipeline is dominated by very large campuses, many outside the traditional core:

•  Tract Hanover — 2,400 MW (Hanover County, Tract) — largest planned

•  George Washington Village Data Center — 2,100 MW (Stafford County)

•  Oasis Dahlgren West — 1,200 MW (King George County)

•  EdgeCore Shannon Hill Campus — 1,100 MW (Louisa County)

•  Mountain Road Technology Park — 900 MW (Hanover, Tract)

•  CleanArc VA1 Campus — 900 MW (Caroline County)

•  Spring Valley Technology Park — 780 MW (Loudoun)

•  Others in the 400–600+ MW range in Spotsylvania, Fauquier, etc.

Many large planned projects are shifting to counties such as Hanover, Stafford, Louisa, Caroline, Spotsylvania, King George, and Fauquier as Northern Virginia faces land, power, and local constraints. 

Map & Geographic Insights

Cleanview shows an interactive map with:

•  Blue markers = operating

•  Orange markers = planned

•  Marker size scales with reported capacity (only projects with capacity data are sized this way)

The densest cluster is still Loudoun County (Data Center Alley / Ashburn corridor). Significant planned growth appears in surrounding and more rural counties, reflecting spillover from the traditional Northern Virginia core. 

About Cleanview’s Tracker

Cleanview (cleanview.co) focuses on energy transition data, including clean energy projects and data centers as major electricity demand drivers. Their data center database draws from sources such as state environmental/air permits (especially for backup generators), developer announcements, satellite imagery verification of construction status, and other public records. They offer free state-level explorers plus paid/Pro access for full datasets, coordinates, and deeper details. 

Note: Counts and capacities vary across trackers because of different definitions (individual buildings vs. campuses, inclusion of early-stage proposals, capacity reporting methods, etc.). Cleanview’s August 2026 snapshot is among the higher published totals and emphasizes both the massive existing base and an even larger planned pipeline.

You can explore the live map, full lists, and related energy project data directly on their Virginia page.