Hearty Resilience

 

Hearty Resilience

Last night and tonight, out in the yard, there was both a full moon in view and an owl. The moon will still be full tomorrow. The owl is living in a tree just behind us, and it was beautiful to watch with binoculars, but can't get a good photo with the phone camera, so the owl illustration is from The Spirit Animal Oracle by Collette Baron-Reid. Spirit often uses nature to send us messages. The owl is about the wisdom we gain from seeing clearly. The owl sees clearly even in the darkest night. Great analogy. At the times of our darkest moments, our challenges coming to grips with our darker aspects that this becomes perfectly timely. This applies to all of our challenges. Example. 24 years ago, I had a heart attack, brought on by my own lack of attention to what I was eating and drinking, and a lack of regular exercise. Being a wordsmith, I am amused by the fact that today doctors and nurses don't use that word any more. They say I had an event. And event, eh? Sounds like I had a ticket to the circus. Well it sure was a bizarre circus. Fortunately, I got a curtain call after that performance, meaning I got another chance to go again. Spirit sent me a message through one of the nurses while I was still in ICU before they could transfer me to a hospital that did heart surgery, that it was not my time to go yet. Yes, the doctors, nurses and technicians did a great job on my surgery. More importantly, I changed my habits, and as a result, have had no more events of that kind. Those who do not change their habits after such events have more events of that kind until they finish out. As exciting as that was, I have been paying attention to what I consume and exercise every day. I also have some quiet time to get grounded every day and meditate before I start seeing anyone or making any calls. As a result, I am in better shape now than I was 24 years ago. We don't have to get worse as we get older. We can get better and maintain it for a long while before we are worn out. Why would these thoughts pop up now? Because it was about this time of year when these things happened. It was also at this time of year that my father had his event, only they didn't call it an event back then, nor did they have the surgeries or medicines that they did by the time I had my event. Being conscious of making positive changes in my life is part of my daily processes. Whenever I make a mistake, I correct myself so that I do not make the same mistakes again. I always do my best for each person who calls on me, and since there is an endless variety of who is calling and what they need, there are always new twists in the business of helpng people. Perhaps you have heard the old definition of stupidity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. See clearly. What needs to change? Since I mentioned the moon, in some traditions, this is called the Hare Moon, a reference to fertility and abundance. Last month was the Seed Moon, where we had given thought to what we want to have grow in our life this season. Since planting season is late out here, compared to back east, some of us may be later starting as well. Better late than never! What an appropriate reminder from nature, from spirit, this evening, about shining light in the dark places, and making changes so that this season is even more abundant than the last. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!

Feeling Foolish?

 

Feeling Foolish?

April Fool's Day originated in times when people loved to play jokes on each other as sort of a fun way to welcome in spring, because as we have experienced, often weather fools us as we move from winter into spring. Practical jokes and mischief are played to provoke laughter and humor. It was originally a holiday dedicated to the Roman goddess Cybele, whose blessing they invoked for a fertile planting season, and Hilaria was a holiday for being cheerful and merry, from which we get the word hilarious. Games, masquerades, mocking and jokes were the spirit of the time.  Hilarity and humor are attitudes that help us keep our sanity and balance our energies in stressful times. And who among us could not use a little more lightness in our lives? Research in recent years has proven that laughter can help boost the immune system, as do music and love. That is why I frequently use humor when I am talking with you. Humor is a great way to illustrate an idea and make a memorable point. Another aspect being foolish is that often when we are trying something new or different, people might say that we are being foolish. However, it is good for us to remember that this is simply their opinion at this time. How many of you have had someone wonder if you are just being foolish because you quit your previous employment to start your own business? Or they wonder how such a silly idea could become a real business? The photo above is from one of my favorite tarot artists, Ciro Marchetti. What he did in his deck Tarot of Dreams is to make the Fool the beginning and ending cards in the majors for this deck. By bringing the Fool back into the center of the World card, he is showing us how what some might consider foolish behavior can lead to great success. Sort of another take on the old saying that great journeys begin with a single step. Some people think that the Fool is the lowest card in the deck because he is numbered 0. And some people think that he is the highest card in the deck and position it in the end position among the major cards because they feel that the Fool is the only character who knows that he does not know everything. On his life journey, he learns all the major lessons: love, justice, overcoming obstacles, kindness, mentors, teachers, birth, death, honesty, family, friends, prosperity, health. And as long as we live, as long as we are on this Fool's Journey, our whole life, we always have more lessons to learn. People used to say that a person who would leave home and venture out in the world was foolish because they might encounter dangers and unknown challenges and difficulties. Throughout history, it was common for people to spend their entire lives within 20 miles of the place where they were born. Of course, the person on the Fool's journey is one who enjoys meeting new people, seeing new places and trying new things. For this reason, many people call the major arcana cards from the tarot the story of the Fool's Journey through life because these cards contain all our important life lessons. So take the opportunity to reflect on your journey through life this April Fool's Day. What are the things you have done that you thought were foolish? And what were the things you have done that other people thought were foolish? How did these things turn out? Which ones were stupid mistakes, and which ones proved to be strokes of genius? That foolish feeling may be leading into your next big adventure. That foolish feeling may lead to setting off on a new path, expanding your life experience and your future prospects. Are you feeling foolish today? Happy April Fool's Day! I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!

Ancestral Energies

 

Ancestral Energies

One of the reasons to think about ancestral energies is to find out more about where we came from and what sorts of things we may have inherited. When people use the DNA swab to research their family history, they find out about possible hereditary health issues, info about the different parts of us that came from different cultures and ethnic groups. Of course, in life we may have inherited things from our ancestors such as furniture, jewelry or property. And these may contain mysteries as well. I remember a company party where they had hired me to do rune readings for their guests. One woman came to my table, looked at the runes and her jaw dropped. She asked me what they were. She said that jewelry and furniture that she had inherited had runes all over them, but no one in her family ever talked to her about what the signs meant. What do we lose when the stories are not told to the next generation? What effect does that have on what we know and who we are? How many of us have things like that in our family that no one ever talked about? What kind of questions have popped into our minds as we thought about our families and how things came to be as we know them? When we think about what we may have inherited, it is not only property and DNA. What about ideas, attitudes, behaviors and principles have we inherited? All of that is part of who we are. Certainly, we can change these things if we choose to, but first we bring them to present consciousness. Many of us have done such things in the course of choosing partners and careers that differed from our family's expectations of us. One of the tools for exploring such things are Past Life Regressions. It is a way to find out more about ourselves. Usually important things that surface in past life recalls include the talents, skills and abilities we have in our present life as well as fears or phobias. Recapping our session helps us see the patterns in these things that influence and shape our present life. In this way, we can clear some of those ancient influences that we wish to clear. Another way of working with ancestral energies is when we are communicating with our spirit guides. I find that often, ancestors turn up as spirit guides, the same way that people often identify someone who they knew and loved in this lifetime who has already crossed over is staying with them as a spirit guide. In the case energies in our self that we want to disconnect from, reiki healing can help do that. In the case of energies in our home that we want to clear, house blessings can do that. What are the things you want to know? What are the energies you want to align with? Remember, none of us would be here now if our ancestors had not been successful in doing what it takes to survive. Our early ancestors did not have any guide books to help them figure out what to do. It was a combination of gut instinct and what they learned from the world around them. Their focus on observing what was going on around them, such as the behavior of animals and plants, as well as other people, gave them clues about what was safe to eat or good for healing, which way to go and which people to bring closer and which people to avoid. In other words, paying attention to their gut instincts, which is intuition, and psychic input they picked up through their third eye, is how they aligned with their guidance. And it is these same factors that guide us today. Tuning into these sources of guidance caused our ancestors to be more psychic and intuitive than many give them credit for being. Think about navigating your way through this world the way they had to navigate to survive. DNA has excited and intrigued many people to find out more about themselves that way. What else can you perceive or would you like to learn about in addition to that? Our own stories illuminate our path in life. These are ways to turn on the lights and see more about where we are going. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Thank you, Krissi for suggesting this topic. Have a wonderful day!

Are you Masterminding?

 

Are you Masterminding?

What is Masterminding? Napoleon Hill, the author who first published this concept, defines it this way: The coordination of knowledge and effort between two or more people who work towards a definite purpose in a spirit of harmony. Maintaining harmonious relationships with all the members of your group is one bedrock principle. Another is that members help each other and encourage each other to accomplish their goals. Members of a group not only wish each other well, they do what they can to help each other. Mastermind groups include brainstorming and accountability. Members encourage each other to set clear goals and be successful in this quest. With such obvious positives, why would a person not want to be in one? Look at the magic of transforming fear into cooperation! Note that a group can be as few as two people, or if you prefer, a larger number. And since the first cardinal rule would be to select the people you want to work with so that you can keep harmonious relations with everyone in your group. A key element here would be to form your own group, rather than join someone else's, unless you know all the other people in the group and can maintain harmonious energy with all off them. This is a key component. The group energy supports each member, so when members do not get along, it breaks the flow of energy. Of course, in the big picture, there is competition, however when you assemble a circle of people who believe in cooperation, you are operating with a different mindset, and you feel supported and encouraged with more energy from your group. We can reduce the fear in our business relationships when we see the world as an abundant place, with enough here for all of us to have successful businesses. We can reduce the fear and stress of creating and building our business by having our own Mastermind group, which keeps our focus on positive energy. Hill first put Materminding out there in 1925, in his book The Law of Success and then went into it in more depth in Think and Grow Rich. So this concept is now 100 years old. Many people have used these techniques to create and build a successful business. Many years ago, one of my mentors suggested that I read this book and I found it to be fascinating and full of good ideas. You might be doing something like this without calling it Masterminding. Like attracts like and when we are launching a new enterprise or expanding on an existing one, the energy can be thought of as a battery that we can call on when we need a boost. Sometimes our family or friends might not be supportive of our new business, so we need to create another avenue or channel through which we can find more supportive energy. The book has aged well. It has been in print since 1937, and many modern teachers incorporate Hill's ideas into their work. This updated version contains more modern examples, all of which serves to confirm that many of these ideas and techniques are still valid even though many big changes have taken place in business. Even though this book was written before the Internet was even an idea, the ideas blend well with the new technologies, while at the same time encouraging us to develop meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with others. Masterminding is a powerful tool to help us achieve our goals and anyone can do it. Does this give you any new ideas? I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!

Recognition and Healing

 

Recognition and Healing

One of my clients was recently diagnosed with cancer. News like this, of course, brings up a range of thoughts and life reflections. For many, this might represent their final chapter. Others will survive and move forward with a changed attitude for the rest of their life. When people found out about her diagnosis, she said it felt like they were coming out of the woodwork, offering support, prayers, healing energy, messages from people she had not heard from in a long time. She wondered what she had done to deserve all this attention. You see, it is not like she is famous, and it is not that all those people are ones that she is close to on a regular basis. So what could be causing all these people to reach out? This shows how many people's lives she touched, how many appreciate what she did for them when they needed it. People who like her and wish her well. Sometimes we don't know how many lives we have touched, how many people we have helped. It lifts our spirits when this happens and we see that by just being happy being ourselves and being happy doing what we do, we affect others positively. And if this were a final review chapter, how would we respond? How do we feel about what we have done? What is it on our list or on that back burner that we really want to do before we run out of time? What would we change if this our final chapter? Would that change our goals? Would it change what we think is most important? Some of us will become more successful and well known than others, but one thing we can all do is to bring alignment into our life so that we can honestly say we are happy to be who we are and we love doing what we do. We all influence the people in our immediate sphere of influence. Whatever scale of success we achieve, along our path, for many of those we encounter, the little things will be big things. Giving gratitude and recognition to all the people in our life and that will be a source of healing for us when we need it. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!

Time for New Visions

 

Time for New Visions

January gets its name from the Roman god Janus, the keeper of gateways. The Romans used to start their year in the spring, under the sign of Aries, the god of war, and that is when the army began their new campaigns. Then during the reign of Julius Caesar, the calendar was changed to January. Janus is always pictured with two faces because he ruled over beginnings and endings. He was invoked at the beginning of rituals. So you could say that was when the idea of the January new year came into being. He was invoked at the beginning because he would then open the gateways for the other gods and goddesses to come through the doorway. He was the one who began all significant life change ceremonies; harvest and planting times, birth and death. "Well begun is half done." Have you ever heard that old saying? For all of us, new thoughts come to us, then new actions. Actions bring our thoughts to life and so in a symbolic way, we enter through this doorway to make change. Getting things in order to make a strong new beginning sets up the foundation for all other actions that will follow. Here's another old quote for you. "Whatever you dream about doing, begin it. For boldness has genius, magic and power in it." This is from the German poet Goethe. Coming on the heels of the longest night of the year, the days will not appear longer until the beginning of February, Groundhog Day, these dark nights are a perfect time to sharpen our focus and study what we want to learn. As the guardian of movement and change as the gatekeeper, symbolically as we move through this new gateway, we move toward our goals. And the more clearly we can state our goals, the more certain we are to achieve them. So all of you who have had me do your numerology for you know that our personal year energies work birthday to birthday. For everyone whose birthday is not on January 1 then, this is a national holiday, and we think about and talk about the year ahead. This is society's new year. And as you also know, I always do numerology for the new year, so here it is. Numerology for the New Year 2024 is an 8 year. An 8 year is a time for setting new visions. When we dream about how we want our future to take shape, the new goals, visions, new ideas we want to create and bring into being. This is also a time for us to share these ideas with those we care to share them and open the door for them to participate with us and help us achieve our goals. 8 energy comes as a result of having created and achieved earlier goals, rebounded from difficulties, made good connections with other people, and spent some time reflecting on what is important to us and aligning ourselves with heartfelt values, activities that are important to us and people who are important to us. In Chinese and Japanese cultures, 8 symbolizes prosperity. Associated with 8 are also balance and harmony. Think about how balance and harmony help us achieve even more. When we are acting out of love, other people will know that about us. And the way we open doors in our presentations, invite people to work with us and help us, opens the way for our energies to align and bring our goals to completion, turning our thoughts into actions, dreams into realities. Are our new visions aligned with our hearts? Are we aligned with the people in our lives? What new visions do you have? Are we inspired? Are you happy with who you are? Are you happy with what you do?Time for New visions? Happy New Year! I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! The suggestion to include Janus in the subject of this this newsletter came from a reader. Thank you Joy! If any of you has any idea you would like me to include in my newsletters, I will consider all suggestions. Have a wonderful day!