There is satisfying sort of pleasure that comes from finding what you are seeking. For example, suppose there is a book you want to read and you know that you can go to one of the chain bookstores and buy it new or order it online. But it can be fun to look through a few used bookstores and find a copy for a fraction of the price. You can be happy because you are going to read what you desire to read, and you can also feel good about getting a great price as well. When your hunt is successful, there is reason to celebrate.
Apply this lesson to other areas of your life. What happens when you are looking to make a business connection, and after much hunting for that, you succeed? The satisfaction that comes from a focused effort is more rewarding than a simple stroke of luck, because you cannot schedule a stroke of luck, but you can focus on a goal and achieve it.
How does this apply to how you find the kind of relationship you want? Do you focus on creating the kinds of relationships you want? In any of these quests, sometimes we have to redefine our goals in order to succeed.
For example, maybe we will find our success in business on a different path than we first imagined. Maybe we need to change what we expect of a relationship. And after we have found and read that book we wanted, then we decide what we want next. Different author? Different subject? Different work? Different relationship?
The process of finding the answer is part of the joy of the quest.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Out of Your Head
A question people sometimes ask is how to get unstuck when they stay in their head too long. What do I mean by that?
Have you ever gotten stuck with your mind going in circles, kind of wearing out the same old groove over and over again? Have you been stuck in a funk because you are still getting over some major life change and you just can't seem to snap out of it? Do you ever have times when you need fresh ideas?
Here are two suggestions that cn help you get out of your head and into your body quickly. Dancing and laughter. Just get up and dance to some music that moves you. Put on a favorite recording and go for it. Move your body every which way and just limber up and sweat. After the first five minutes, you will be feeling better and your mind will no longer be stuck.
Playing a musical instrument can be good too, but dancing really gets you to release and shift gears faster.
My second suggestion that will lift your vibration and boost your energy is to put on some comedy. Watch some recordings of stand up comedians doing their thing. The good ones will have you laughing so hard that your mind will start kicking into gear on its own thinking of funny things, and help you find those fresh perspectives. One laugh leads to another once you get rolling. After your funny bone lets your body relax again, you will be amazed at how you are able to see things through fresh eyes and laugh instead of being upset at ironies and craziness.
Next time you need a mood swing that goes up instead of down, try these fasts acting medicines for melancholy. When you need to get a fresh start, get out of your head!
Have you ever gotten stuck with your mind going in circles, kind of wearing out the same old groove over and over again? Have you been stuck in a funk because you are still getting over some major life change and you just can't seem to snap out of it? Do you ever have times when you need fresh ideas?
Here are two suggestions that cn help you get out of your head and into your body quickly. Dancing and laughter. Just get up and dance to some music that moves you. Put on a favorite recording and go for it. Move your body every which way and just limber up and sweat. After the first five minutes, you will be feeling better and your mind will no longer be stuck.
Playing a musical instrument can be good too, but dancing really gets you to release and shift gears faster.
My second suggestion that will lift your vibration and boost your energy is to put on some comedy. Watch some recordings of stand up comedians doing their thing. The good ones will have you laughing so hard that your mind will start kicking into gear on its own thinking of funny things, and help you find those fresh perspectives. One laugh leads to another once you get rolling. After your funny bone lets your body relax again, you will be amazed at how you are able to see things through fresh eyes and laugh instead of being upset at ironies and craziness.
Next time you need a mood swing that goes up instead of down, try these fasts acting medicines for melancholy. When you need to get a fresh start, get out of your head!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Giving Gifts
All this talk about Black Friday and getting up to shop at 5 am is totally lost on me. I have never gotten up that early to go shopping in my life, nor do I relish the thought of fighting huge crowds just to get an item on sale.
Over the years, the shopaholic extravaganza has pushed back further and further until now you see some stores featuring Christmas trees and decorations and so on right after Labor Day.
I have always been a fan of savoring each holiday in its turn. All of our major holidays have traditions associated with them and there are special pleasures that go with each one. For example, we enjoy fireworks on July 4, Labor Day usually celebrates the last of the outdoor summer festivals and backyard BBQ, costume parties, trick or treating, and honoring the dead on Halloween, Thanksgiving is the big dinner with family and friends, and at Christmas we usually savor more festive gatherings of family and friends amid abundant decorations of evergreens, trees, lights, seasonal food, drinks, music and so on.
I feel that if we give people we know and care about things that they really want and need throughout the year, this is how we really show that we care about them. Then on Christmas, the Christmas stocking idea is quaint enough, and presents pleasures to members of our household, and continues the folkloric traditions in that way.
Although segments of the retail industry structures itself to encourage people to develop shopaholic habits every fall, I have long felt that holidays are best appreciated if we return to the roots of the festivities and savor each one in its season. Black Friday to me has always seemed like artificially contrived chaos.
With all of the changes our economy and our careers are going through, perhaps it is time to reconsider this madness. We will always buy and sell things, because that is the nature of human interaction - giving and receiving are part of every day life. We buy and sell things all year round. But it has not always been a holiday tradition to begin Christmas shopping just after Labor Day or stampede to malls on the day after Thanksgiving.
After all, what do we mean by giving a gift? Is it about providing someone something they want or need? Is it about investing personal energy into creating that which we give? Is it about showing someone that you love and care about them? Or is it simply about buying whatever is on sale?
Changing this rather recent pattern of behavior might add to the quality of life for all of us. At least, that is my opinion of it. Since attention was on this subject in all the media, I felt like offering my thoughts on it. I don't know how many of you feel the same, but certainly it is worth consideration.
Over the years, the shopaholic extravaganza has pushed back further and further until now you see some stores featuring Christmas trees and decorations and so on right after Labor Day.
I have always been a fan of savoring each holiday in its turn. All of our major holidays have traditions associated with them and there are special pleasures that go with each one. For example, we enjoy fireworks on July 4, Labor Day usually celebrates the last of the outdoor summer festivals and backyard BBQ, costume parties, trick or treating, and honoring the dead on Halloween, Thanksgiving is the big dinner with family and friends, and at Christmas we usually savor more festive gatherings of family and friends amid abundant decorations of evergreens, trees, lights, seasonal food, drinks, music and so on.
I feel that if we give people we know and care about things that they really want and need throughout the year, this is how we really show that we care about them. Then on Christmas, the Christmas stocking idea is quaint enough, and presents pleasures to members of our household, and continues the folkloric traditions in that way.
Although segments of the retail industry structures itself to encourage people to develop shopaholic habits every fall, I have long felt that holidays are best appreciated if we return to the roots of the festivities and savor each one in its season. Black Friday to me has always seemed like artificially contrived chaos.
With all of the changes our economy and our careers are going through, perhaps it is time to reconsider this madness. We will always buy and sell things, because that is the nature of human interaction - giving and receiving are part of every day life. We buy and sell things all year round. But it has not always been a holiday tradition to begin Christmas shopping just after Labor Day or stampede to malls on the day after Thanksgiving.
After all, what do we mean by giving a gift? Is it about providing someone something they want or need? Is it about investing personal energy into creating that which we give? Is it about showing someone that you love and care about them? Or is it simply about buying whatever is on sale?
Changing this rather recent pattern of behavior might add to the quality of life for all of us. At least, that is my opinion of it. Since attention was on this subject in all the media, I felt like offering my thoughts on it. I don't know how many of you feel the same, but certainly it is worth consideration.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving will always be one of my favorite holidays because at its core, it is so simple, yet profound. The essence of the day is to enjoy the company of family and friends over a great meal. There is no other expectation attached to it.
In a time where there are all kinds of demands on us, and people expect us to multitask as a normal way of life, to have a day this simple is wonderful.
Here is another extension of the idea. Are there people who have made a positive contribution to your life who you will not be seeing tomorrow?
Have you thought of sending them a note or calling them and telling them so. This could include teachers, mentors, neighbors, co-workers or others who have made a difference to you?
These days we are more likely to send an email note, but in the past, I have sent blank, all occasion cards that I could write in. Another time, I had a bunch of picture post cards that I bought while on various trips. They are big enough for a short sweet note, and I am also prone to buy humorous ones so they got a joke on the other side.
So if you don't get a chance to do this tonight or tomorrow, do it sometime in the near future, while still in the spirit of giving thanks.
Try it. See if you don't feel better for acknowledging people. And, of course, the people receiving the notes will feel good too.
Give thanks. Life will suddenly feel better. And you know there is a thought out there that when you transmit gratitude, the universe gives you more to be grateful for. Would you like that?
In a time where there are all kinds of demands on us, and people expect us to multitask as a normal way of life, to have a day this simple is wonderful.
Here is another extension of the idea. Are there people who have made a positive contribution to your life who you will not be seeing tomorrow?
Have you thought of sending them a note or calling them and telling them so. This could include teachers, mentors, neighbors, co-workers or others who have made a difference to you?
These days we are more likely to send an email note, but in the past, I have sent blank, all occasion cards that I could write in. Another time, I had a bunch of picture post cards that I bought while on various trips. They are big enough for a short sweet note, and I am also prone to buy humorous ones so they got a joke on the other side.
So if you don't get a chance to do this tonight or tomorrow, do it sometime in the near future, while still in the spirit of giving thanks.
Try it. See if you don't feel better for acknowledging people. And, of course, the people receiving the notes will feel good too.
Give thanks. Life will suddenly feel better. And you know there is a thought out there that when you transmit gratitude, the universe gives you more to be grateful for. Would you like that?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Talking Tarot
You often hear tarot readers refer to how their cards talk to them. If you look and listen closely, cards are like a group of reliable old friends you have gathered around your table to discuss the subject at hand.
Picture this. When you are walking through a museum or art gallery, some of the pictures you see don't move you at all. Others you can feel right at home with. With a picture you like, you can easily imagine yourself going inside the picture and looking around, moving around. You can imagine yourself as part of the scene.
Some decks speak to us right away and some do not. It may have everything to do with how appealing we find the artwork, as to whether they speak to us or not. That is why there are so many designs available to us today. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of artists have created new versions of the classic decks and others gave birth to some decks that are totally new. In so doing, they are expanding their own abilities and finding satisfaction in their creativity, while at the same time providing us more choices for our personal use.
The expressive characters speak to us telepathically. Those of us who read develop a dialogue with our cards, and the art of the reader is intuitively selecting the appropriate interpretation of each card for each reading. Every picture tells a story, and when the cards are selected and shown, the way they come together tells a new story each time.
They tell you things like: Today, I represent this person's father. Or in this reading I represent this person's boss. Or in this reading, I represent the boyfriend. In this reading, I am a mentor. In this reading I am a good friend. In this reading, I am a teacher. In this reading, I am an old lover, who has come back into the picture. This time, I represent a stranger bringing new opportunities. In another layout, this card can represent an important person still to be met. The picture also tells when the person has something else to say, such as "I am angry, I am compassionate, I am easygoing, I am an expert, I am playful, I am soft spoken. And so on."
The characters on the cards can be familiar friends, advisors, and characters from our home territory. They can be new friends and lovers we have encountered on our journey through this life. They can be new people we will meet. They are traveling companions and partners. They are adversaries. They are people who will figure into our lives. We feel a comfort with them. We may feel familiar because when we see this image today, it immediately reminds us of a specific person.
Yes, every picture tells a story, and by constantly shuffling and reordering the pictures in a deck, the little pictures become parts of a bigger picture that tells a different story for each person, for each reading.
Getting familiar with a deck of cards and studying them until they speak to you is the art of the reader. Anyone can buy a deck and book and read what it says, but what the author and artist have to say are only part of what the images can mean, can do, can say, in a given situation.
It really takes a person working with a deck for a long time before the reader trusts their instincts and trusts the deck to bring up pertinent information. It is a constant process that is part of the dialogue. When you do not follow your instincts, you will be corrected immediately. For example, you feel an urge to say something, but for whatever reason, you censor yourself and hold back. within moments, the person you are reading for will say something to verify that instinct, prompting the reader to stay on track and trust the information the cards are telling them.
When you discover a deck that you can relate to immediately, do you jump in right away and pay attention to the dialogue, or do you put it off? Do you get a buzz that information is being passed to you quickly? Or do you let your skeptical self take over? Do you set aside what you are getting and take the position that you can really be sure of these messages until after you read the book? Or that you cannot have a different opinion from the person who drew the deck or wrote the book? well guess what? You can, and what you get can be every bit as valid.
When an artist paints a picture they have their own ideas about it. When you see it, you may very well get different ideas. The way you enter the picture may be different than the way they entered it. They are both ways in.
As the cards get turned face up on the table, do your thoughts connect immediately? Do you start getting feedback as soon as one or more of the images come into view? Or does it take a while until the story forms into words? Do you pick up a couple of viable options from the sequence?
The art of the reader is this ability to pick up messages intended for the person requesting a reading and relay them in a way that the person can understand. The spirit guides the reader works with, and the deck the reader works with becomes very fluid in this dialogue after a while. Different people take different amounts of time to tune in. Once the connection is made, you will always recognize it.
I always remind a person asking for a reading that their free will choices are always the final word. I just see the progress of events and the energy at play and then present it to them after talking with the tarot. The cards love to show themselves to people, and they are always willing to speak. How much or how well do we listen?
Picture this. When you are walking through a museum or art gallery, some of the pictures you see don't move you at all. Others you can feel right at home with. With a picture you like, you can easily imagine yourself going inside the picture and looking around, moving around. You can imagine yourself as part of the scene.
Some decks speak to us right away and some do not. It may have everything to do with how appealing we find the artwork, as to whether they speak to us or not. That is why there are so many designs available to us today. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of artists have created new versions of the classic decks and others gave birth to some decks that are totally new. In so doing, they are expanding their own abilities and finding satisfaction in their creativity, while at the same time providing us more choices for our personal use.
The expressive characters speak to us telepathically. Those of us who read develop a dialogue with our cards, and the art of the reader is intuitively selecting the appropriate interpretation of each card for each reading. Every picture tells a story, and when the cards are selected and shown, the way they come together tells a new story each time.
They tell you things like: Today, I represent this person's father. Or in this reading I represent this person's boss. Or in this reading, I represent the boyfriend. In this reading, I am a mentor. In this reading I am a good friend. In this reading, I am a teacher. In this reading, I am an old lover, who has come back into the picture. This time, I represent a stranger bringing new opportunities. In another layout, this card can represent an important person still to be met. The picture also tells when the person has something else to say, such as "I am angry, I am compassionate, I am easygoing, I am an expert, I am playful, I am soft spoken. And so on."
The characters on the cards can be familiar friends, advisors, and characters from our home territory. They can be new friends and lovers we have encountered on our journey through this life. They can be new people we will meet. They are traveling companions and partners. They are adversaries. They are people who will figure into our lives. We feel a comfort with them. We may feel familiar because when we see this image today, it immediately reminds us of a specific person.
Yes, every picture tells a story, and by constantly shuffling and reordering the pictures in a deck, the little pictures become parts of a bigger picture that tells a different story for each person, for each reading.
Getting familiar with a deck of cards and studying them until they speak to you is the art of the reader. Anyone can buy a deck and book and read what it says, but what the author and artist have to say are only part of what the images can mean, can do, can say, in a given situation.
It really takes a person working with a deck for a long time before the reader trusts their instincts and trusts the deck to bring up pertinent information. It is a constant process that is part of the dialogue. When you do not follow your instincts, you will be corrected immediately. For example, you feel an urge to say something, but for whatever reason, you censor yourself and hold back. within moments, the person you are reading for will say something to verify that instinct, prompting the reader to stay on track and trust the information the cards are telling them.
When you discover a deck that you can relate to immediately, do you jump in right away and pay attention to the dialogue, or do you put it off? Do you get a buzz that information is being passed to you quickly? Or do you let your skeptical self take over? Do you set aside what you are getting and take the position that you can really be sure of these messages until after you read the book? Or that you cannot have a different opinion from the person who drew the deck or wrote the book? well guess what? You can, and what you get can be every bit as valid.
When an artist paints a picture they have their own ideas about it. When you see it, you may very well get different ideas. The way you enter the picture may be different than the way they entered it. They are both ways in.
As the cards get turned face up on the table, do your thoughts connect immediately? Do you start getting feedback as soon as one or more of the images come into view? Or does it take a while until the story forms into words? Do you pick up a couple of viable options from the sequence?
The art of the reader is this ability to pick up messages intended for the person requesting a reading and relay them in a way that the person can understand. The spirit guides the reader works with, and the deck the reader works with becomes very fluid in this dialogue after a while. Different people take different amounts of time to tune in. Once the connection is made, you will always recognize it.
I always remind a person asking for a reading that their free will choices are always the final word. I just see the progress of events and the energy at play and then present it to them after talking with the tarot. The cards love to show themselves to people, and they are always willing to speak. How much or how well do we listen?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Cue Cards
Most people think of tarot as a method of looking into the future and finding answers to questions about situations. This is the most common use of tarot.
Here are a few other uses to consider. I use them as a way to transmit reiki, so that when a person is getting an insight into the question, they are also receiving some reiki energy with that answer to help heal and empower them in their choices.
If you are writing something and you need a fresh insight or idea, pull a card or a few cards to jump start your writing. It can be a great source of inspiration, because it is bound to stir things up.
For life coaching or relationship coaching, the cards can play a role in guiding the conversations and the insights. They can be used to facilitate dialogue. For example, to draw a few cards to identify strengths or weaknesses that need to be addressed. They can prompt examinations of relationships and motivations from different angles.
As a thought for the day, a great aid to meditation and reflection. Let your mind discover all kinds of meanings of each of the cards, just the first or most obvious interpretations. Stretch your mind.
These are just a few of the other ways of using the cards that most people do not think about.
In the best sense, they can prompt us, and give us cues as to our next best move.
Here are a few other uses to consider. I use them as a way to transmit reiki, so that when a person is getting an insight into the question, they are also receiving some reiki energy with that answer to help heal and empower them in their choices.
If you are writing something and you need a fresh insight or idea, pull a card or a few cards to jump start your writing. It can be a great source of inspiration, because it is bound to stir things up.
For life coaching or relationship coaching, the cards can play a role in guiding the conversations and the insights. They can be used to facilitate dialogue. For example, to draw a few cards to identify strengths or weaknesses that need to be addressed. They can prompt examinations of relationships and motivations from different angles.
As a thought for the day, a great aid to meditation and reflection. Let your mind discover all kinds of meanings of each of the cards, just the first or most obvious interpretations. Stretch your mind.
These are just a few of the other ways of using the cards that most people do not think about.
In the best sense, they can prompt us, and give us cues as to our next best move.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Moving at the Speed of Life
Right now I am thinking of all the things I can possibly do to speed up my transition into a full time tarot reader.
I have redone my poster, brochure, business cards and I am working on redoing my web page to focus the primary attention on tarot, and leaving everything else, such as the past lives, reiki, house blessings, handfastings, dream interpretation, sound healing, life coaching, writing coaching and everything else to a place of less attention on the website. This focus seems to be working well. I am now able to see how all of these things can grow out of the focus of tarot, and how tarot can also be applied in all these other ways, from moving energy to coaching to everything else I know how to do. New vistas are now open. New perspectives. New capabilities.
This blog will continue to be open in terms of the range of subject matter, just as the readings I do for people cover a wide range of questions about the whole spectrum of life, rather than just articles about cards themselves.
At the same time, I have been giving lots of attention to bookings for the coming year and planning ahead as much as possible. My plans include both travel to selected places to work and building up my phone reading business.
Examining all cash flow and planning accordingly is essential. Still another essential part of this process is manifesting enough business and enough bookings to render the day job unnecessary. Part of the successful transition then is planning, and another part simply requires trust that more opportunities will continue to open up.
Part of this process involves brainstorming with others, and part of it is simply meditating on this myself.
Interestingly, I have also noticed that these meditations about the progress of my business involves drumming, chanting, playing harmonica, walking and swimming as part of the process of welcoming in clearer thinking and focusing energy on the goal.
I have cleared my schedule of other activities and now focus more tightly on how to bring the transition into the nearer future. Every day is another step closer.
It is all a process of having a dream, then walking into the dream and taking my place in the picture. Step by step, I bring myself into the picture until everything is moving at the speed of life.
I have redone my poster, brochure, business cards and I am working on redoing my web page to focus the primary attention on tarot, and leaving everything else, such as the past lives, reiki, house blessings, handfastings, dream interpretation, sound healing, life coaching, writing coaching and everything else to a place of less attention on the website. This focus seems to be working well. I am now able to see how all of these things can grow out of the focus of tarot, and how tarot can also be applied in all these other ways, from moving energy to coaching to everything else I know how to do. New vistas are now open. New perspectives. New capabilities.
This blog will continue to be open in terms of the range of subject matter, just as the readings I do for people cover a wide range of questions about the whole spectrum of life, rather than just articles about cards themselves.
At the same time, I have been giving lots of attention to bookings for the coming year and planning ahead as much as possible. My plans include both travel to selected places to work and building up my phone reading business.
Examining all cash flow and planning accordingly is essential. Still another essential part of this process is manifesting enough business and enough bookings to render the day job unnecessary. Part of the successful transition then is planning, and another part simply requires trust that more opportunities will continue to open up.
Part of this process involves brainstorming with others, and part of it is simply meditating on this myself.
Interestingly, I have also noticed that these meditations about the progress of my business involves drumming, chanting, playing harmonica, walking and swimming as part of the process of welcoming in clearer thinking and focusing energy on the goal.
I have cleared my schedule of other activities and now focus more tightly on how to bring the transition into the nearer future. Every day is another step closer.
It is all a process of having a dream, then walking into the dream and taking my place in the picture. Step by step, I bring myself into the picture until everything is moving at the speed of life.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Late Night Listening
Late at night when I am chilling out before I go to sleep, there are two radio shows that I enjoy listening to, and you might too.
For music, there is Echoes, hosted by John Diliberto. Great music, a combination or new age, world, fusion type stuff, with really creative musicians. Because of where I live, I can pick up the broadcast on the KUNC radio station from Greeley, at 91.5 FM, Mon-Th 10pm-1am, Fri 12mid-1am, Sun 9pm-12mid. In other cities, you can pick it up too. You can also get it on your computer. website: http://www.echoes.org/
John has been doing this show for 20 years. He has a soothing voice and a gentle manner and you can tell he does this because he really loves the music. I feel like this is some beautiful music. You can tune in and see what you think.
The other show that is sometimes amazing, sometimes amusing, is Coast to Coast AM with George Noory which specializes in paranormal topics like ghosts, UFOs, ETs, near death experiences, time travel, ancient civilizations, crop circles, remote viewing, psychic predictions, metaphysics, science fiction and other topics. It is broadcast from 11 pm - 5 am on KHOW, 630 AM. website: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
Depending on what day you listen, it's a mixed bag. You might think some of this stuff is crazy, but then again, our government just exploded a bomb on the moon to see if there is water under the dust. And I don't think that we got an answer to the question.
One night recently, I was listening to a speaker talk about his opinion that there are humanoids living on Mars and about his experiences with time travel. I have no idea whether this is true or not, and actually I don't care. I just think that it is interesting. Nothing like a good storyteller. There are a lot of crazy things we cannot explain. And of course, if you have ever enjoyed reading a science fiction book like Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, the subject of life on other planets is plausible. There are things we just don't know, and there are some crazy things that are true. And yes, there are some things I would question as to whether they are true or imaginary, or just made up by paranoid minds.
That movie Contact with Jodie Foster comes to mind where she sees her father after he dies, and he comes back to her in the way she remembers him, not as he really is now, because that is the only way she can see him. Her mind was not ready to see him in some other form.
Then again, you have Kurt Vonnegut's character in Slaughterhouse Five going on late night radio talk shows after he came home from WWII, talking about how he visited other planets. His kids in the novel asked him to "quit doing that. You are embarrassing us, Dad." But his character responded. "How do you know I haven't been there?"
So if you are up late and looking for something intriguing to listen to, chill out with these two shows. Both shows have the ability to entertain and stretch your mind.
For music, there is Echoes, hosted by John Diliberto. Great music, a combination or new age, world, fusion type stuff, with really creative musicians. Because of where I live, I can pick up the broadcast on the KUNC radio station from Greeley, at 91.5 FM, Mon-Th 10pm-1am, Fri 12mid-1am, Sun 9pm-12mid. In other cities, you can pick it up too. You can also get it on your computer. website: http://www.echoes.org/
John has been doing this show for 20 years. He has a soothing voice and a gentle manner and you can tell he does this because he really loves the music. I feel like this is some beautiful music. You can tune in and see what you think.
The other show that is sometimes amazing, sometimes amusing, is Coast to Coast AM with George Noory which specializes in paranormal topics like ghosts, UFOs, ETs, near death experiences, time travel, ancient civilizations, crop circles, remote viewing, psychic predictions, metaphysics, science fiction and other topics. It is broadcast from 11 pm - 5 am on KHOW, 630 AM. website: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
Depending on what day you listen, it's a mixed bag. You might think some of this stuff is crazy, but then again, our government just exploded a bomb on the moon to see if there is water under the dust. And I don't think that we got an answer to the question.
One night recently, I was listening to a speaker talk about his opinion that there are humanoids living on Mars and about his experiences with time travel. I have no idea whether this is true or not, and actually I don't care. I just think that it is interesting. Nothing like a good storyteller. There are a lot of crazy things we cannot explain. And of course, if you have ever enjoyed reading a science fiction book like Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, the subject of life on other planets is plausible. There are things we just don't know, and there are some crazy things that are true. And yes, there are some things I would question as to whether they are true or imaginary, or just made up by paranoid minds.
That movie Contact with Jodie Foster comes to mind where she sees her father after he dies, and he comes back to her in the way she remembers him, not as he really is now, because that is the only way she can see him. Her mind was not ready to see him in some other form.
Then again, you have Kurt Vonnegut's character in Slaughterhouse Five going on late night radio talk shows after he came home from WWII, talking about how he visited other planets. His kids in the novel asked him to "quit doing that. You are embarrassing us, Dad." But his character responded. "How do you know I haven't been there?"
So if you are up late and looking for something intriguing to listen to, chill out with these two shows. Both shows have the ability to entertain and stretch your mind.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
We See What We Want to See
We see what we want to see.
Have you ever had the experience of suddenly noticing something for the first time, even though you drive the same route to work every day? If that building was not built overnight or that tree and garden did not get planted over night, then what accounts for the sudden appearance of this thing in your consciousness? How did it avoid your field of vision all this time? Why did you not see it before?
Have you had the experience of looking at a person and seeing more to them than you usually see?
How much of what we are trying to do is about seeing the person inside instead of the person outside?
When we see a person, do we see the blonde hair, blue eyes, red hair green eyes, brown hair, brown eyes, short, tall, thin, full bodied, or other descriptions of their outer shell?
Or do we see a spirit gathering the momentum to come out and express itself? What happens when we feed that spirit being encouragement? Affection? Compassion? Kindness? Creative suggestions? Erotic energy? Enthusiasm?
Does the spirit inside start to express itself by expanding to include every inch of its being, its body, and then reaching beyond that to touch all those in its presence?
Does the person begin to smile and continue to smile as we feed it these vital nutrients? When we see who is really there, what happens next? When we set the spirit to dancing, the body follows. See if you can feed the spirit until it breaks free of its restraints and fully inhabits its body, and reaches new heights of experience in its every day life. Try it on yourself. Try it on others. See what a difference you can make by encouraging the spirit in a person to live up to its potential. All of us benefit when this happens.
There is an electricity in the air when you encounter a truly alive person. We see what we want to see in others. There is a contact high when we encourage them and they feel free to act and express rather than to hold back. Do we want to see more aliveness all around us? When we recognize it in others, they become more conscious of it in themselves. What do we want to see? How do we bring it about?
Have you ever had the experience of suddenly noticing something for the first time, even though you drive the same route to work every day? If that building was not built overnight or that tree and garden did not get planted over night, then what accounts for the sudden appearance of this thing in your consciousness? How did it avoid your field of vision all this time? Why did you not see it before?
Have you had the experience of looking at a person and seeing more to them than you usually see?
How much of what we are trying to do is about seeing the person inside instead of the person outside?
When we see a person, do we see the blonde hair, blue eyes, red hair green eyes, brown hair, brown eyes, short, tall, thin, full bodied, or other descriptions of their outer shell?
Or do we see a spirit gathering the momentum to come out and express itself? What happens when we feed that spirit being encouragement? Affection? Compassion? Kindness? Creative suggestions? Erotic energy? Enthusiasm?
Does the spirit inside start to express itself by expanding to include every inch of its being, its body, and then reaching beyond that to touch all those in its presence?
Does the person begin to smile and continue to smile as we feed it these vital nutrients? When we see who is really there, what happens next? When we set the spirit to dancing, the body follows. See if you can feed the spirit until it breaks free of its restraints and fully inhabits its body, and reaches new heights of experience in its every day life. Try it on yourself. Try it on others. See what a difference you can make by encouraging the spirit in a person to live up to its potential. All of us benefit when this happens.
There is an electricity in the air when you encounter a truly alive person. We see what we want to see in others. There is a contact high when we encourage them and they feel free to act and express rather than to hold back. Do we want to see more aliveness all around us? When we recognize it in others, they become more conscious of it in themselves. What do we want to see? How do we bring it about?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wild Spirit
Today, I was reading another story about a tribe in Africa that is being displaced. I have seen shows on the Travel Channel on occasion, where camera crews go out to some far off place in the Amazon jungle or a Pacific Island or other remote place where there are still some tribes living in forests that are far from any cities or developments.
What will the world be like when there are no more wild ones? Will it ever really be possible for the forces of civilization to bring everyone in from the outdoors? We have already seen what can happen to a country when deforestation becomes rampant. We think of countries like Brazil in this regard, where thousands of acres of rainforest have been cleared. There are also reports that the rainforest has reclaimed land that was bulldozed and roads that were seldom used became overgrown again.
Scotland today is also a country with few trees for the same reason. A long time ago, their trees were cut down for buildings, furniture, ships and firewood and not replanted. How different it would be if it were thickly forested as it was in the past. And if you have ever visited places in the US where areas have been clearcut and not replanted, it has a sad and devastated look to it, and you can see how it forever changes all life in the area.
When we look at the life these people lead where their subsistence depends on hunting, honey gathering, fishing and picking edible plants and daily life consists of things like getting up in the morning and talking about their dreams or creating ceremonies to celebrate coming of age of their young ones, or funerals for their elders and the selection of a new leader, we cannot help but note how, for better or for worse, that contrasts with our own lives.
Even now that people can book vacations to just about everywhere, from the Amazon to the Antarctic, it is interesting to note that there are still some pockets in mountain valleys or rainforests that are still like they were in prehistoric times.
These last undeveloped places also harbor life forms that may play important parts in our world, even if we do not know exactly what that is. It is not just about a certain type of fish or bird becoming extinct, we have also discovered plants that grow in these places that can be made into medicines for cancer and other diseases.
In some way, maybe we need to know that there are still places on our planet where humans still live according to primal instincts, simpler lives that are plugged into knowing what plants and animals they share the world with, instead of being plugged into cable TV, computers and cell phones. Ironically, we would not know about these tribes without our modern communications.
What will this world be like when the last of our wild places are gone?
Or is that even possible? I remember also seeing stories and photos of homeless people homesteading in underground tunnels in big cities, or in tent cities under highway overpasses. In the midst of our biggest modern cities, there are campgrounds and squatters living in abandoned buildings and forgotten public places. No matter
whether they got there by choice or by circumstance, these wild urban places are home ot tribes of people living by their wits and survival instincts.
Dating back to the 60s, their were and still are rural areas where hippies set up communes, or their more sophisticated descendants, which are now called "intentional communities."
It seems as though we always want to have some wild places and some wild people, even if most of us will simply look at them as tourist attractions, like the wonderful national parks, which most visitors only drive through, rather than walk through.
This primal need we have is why events like Burning Man and other pagan festivals appeal to so many people, even though it is only a temporary event. For a week every year, these post modern settlers can create a temporary village completely apart from the rest of the world, and they make their own rules.
Will all the people living in the wild lose their places? Will they all move into cities, leaving the forests, mountains and jungles strictly as wildlife preserves and national parks? I don't think so. There will always be some who crave the wild, and will venture back into it. What will happen is that those older ways of living may be altered forever, tribal peoples will be scattered and relocated. But part of us never forgets.
The world needs the wild spirit.
What will the world be like when there are no more wild ones? Will it ever really be possible for the forces of civilization to bring everyone in from the outdoors? We have already seen what can happen to a country when deforestation becomes rampant. We think of countries like Brazil in this regard, where thousands of acres of rainforest have been cleared. There are also reports that the rainforest has reclaimed land that was bulldozed and roads that were seldom used became overgrown again.
Scotland today is also a country with few trees for the same reason. A long time ago, their trees were cut down for buildings, furniture, ships and firewood and not replanted. How different it would be if it were thickly forested as it was in the past. And if you have ever visited places in the US where areas have been clearcut and not replanted, it has a sad and devastated look to it, and you can see how it forever changes all life in the area.
When we look at the life these people lead where their subsistence depends on hunting, honey gathering, fishing and picking edible plants and daily life consists of things like getting up in the morning and talking about their dreams or creating ceremonies to celebrate coming of age of their young ones, or funerals for their elders and the selection of a new leader, we cannot help but note how, for better or for worse, that contrasts with our own lives.
Even now that people can book vacations to just about everywhere, from the Amazon to the Antarctic, it is interesting to note that there are still some pockets in mountain valleys or rainforests that are still like they were in prehistoric times.
These last undeveloped places also harbor life forms that may play important parts in our world, even if we do not know exactly what that is. It is not just about a certain type of fish or bird becoming extinct, we have also discovered plants that grow in these places that can be made into medicines for cancer and other diseases.
In some way, maybe we need to know that there are still places on our planet where humans still live according to primal instincts, simpler lives that are plugged into knowing what plants and animals they share the world with, instead of being plugged into cable TV, computers and cell phones. Ironically, we would not know about these tribes without our modern communications.
What will this world be like when the last of our wild places are gone?
Or is that even possible? I remember also seeing stories and photos of homeless people homesteading in underground tunnels in big cities, or in tent cities under highway overpasses. In the midst of our biggest modern cities, there are campgrounds and squatters living in abandoned buildings and forgotten public places. No matter
whether they got there by choice or by circumstance, these wild urban places are home ot tribes of people living by their wits and survival instincts.
Dating back to the 60s, their were and still are rural areas where hippies set up communes, or their more sophisticated descendants, which are now called "intentional communities."
It seems as though we always want to have some wild places and some wild people, even if most of us will simply look at them as tourist attractions, like the wonderful national parks, which most visitors only drive through, rather than walk through.
This primal need we have is why events like Burning Man and other pagan festivals appeal to so many people, even though it is only a temporary event. For a week every year, these post modern settlers can create a temporary village completely apart from the rest of the world, and they make their own rules.
Will all the people living in the wild lose their places? Will they all move into cities, leaving the forests, mountains and jungles strictly as wildlife preserves and national parks? I don't think so. There will always be some who crave the wild, and will venture back into it. What will happen is that those older ways of living may be altered forever, tribal peoples will be scattered and relocated. But part of us never forgets.
The world needs the wild spirit.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
White Noise
We hear what we tune into. When we have music on for white noise, it is simply so that we can focus attention there, rather than to machine noise or other people's conversations.
White noise helps provide privacy and focuses our attention. And it can provide a warmer feeling to a place. Consider how simple a process shopping is. We go to the store, choose what we want, then pay for it. How would the experience change if the store only contained the sounds of people working and people shopping?
Notice how even in a restaurant, coffee house or bar, we do not hear other people's conversations. Of course, if the music is too loud, we cannot even hear our own. How would the experience be different without that white noise?
Now when we come home, do we still treat music as white noise? Sometimes I like silence. Other times I will pay more attention to the music I choose to put on the sound system. I follow the sounds of the instruments and voices and I can hear nuances that I do not hear in white noise.
White noise provides us with a certain amount of insulation, privacy and comfort. But it is so prevalent in our atmosphere that we have to remember to shift back into more conscious levels of listening.
If you have ever practiced just sitting quietly in nature, you can hear birds, insects, wind rustling through leaves, water running down a stream. When it is quiet in the building where you live, do you find yourself startled because you are unfamiliar with the sound of water in the pipes, wind in the chimney, the hum of electricity, or the house settling?
When you resist the temptation to turn the stereo, radio or TV on as soon as you come home, how does it feel? When you get up in the morning, before you go to work, how would it feel to reenter the world of consciousness without any stereo, radio or TV? Try it and see what happens in a world without white noise.
White noise helps provide privacy and focuses our attention. And it can provide a warmer feeling to a place. Consider how simple a process shopping is. We go to the store, choose what we want, then pay for it. How would the experience change if the store only contained the sounds of people working and people shopping?
Notice how even in a restaurant, coffee house or bar, we do not hear other people's conversations. Of course, if the music is too loud, we cannot even hear our own. How would the experience be different without that white noise?
Now when we come home, do we still treat music as white noise? Sometimes I like silence. Other times I will pay more attention to the music I choose to put on the sound system. I follow the sounds of the instruments and voices and I can hear nuances that I do not hear in white noise.
White noise provides us with a certain amount of insulation, privacy and comfort. But it is so prevalent in our atmosphere that we have to remember to shift back into more conscious levels of listening.
If you have ever practiced just sitting quietly in nature, you can hear birds, insects, wind rustling through leaves, water running down a stream. When it is quiet in the building where you live, do you find yourself startled because you are unfamiliar with the sound of water in the pipes, wind in the chimney, the hum of electricity, or the house settling?
When you resist the temptation to turn the stereo, radio or TV on as soon as you come home, how does it feel? When you get up in the morning, before you go to work, how would it feel to reenter the world of consciousness without any stereo, radio or TV? Try it and see what happens in a world without white noise.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Magic of Words
When we read, we enter into a meditative state, in which a private communication transpires between the written words put together by the author and the images, and stories that we create in our mind as a result.
How many times have we been disappointed when a book that we enjoyed reading is made into a movie? Why? Because as we read, we pictured the person described by the author, and that may look nothing like the actor selected to play that part.
Another thing that can happen is that a subtle sequence of events that leads to some important plot twist in the book might be left out of the movie altogether in favor of some scene that lends itself to easier graphic depiction.
Then, of course, when actors, directors, script writers and cinematographers are busy doing what they do, they may invent things that were not in the book, or even shift the emphasis from what the author intended.
When we find a quiet spot in our schedule and in our living space, spending a little time with a book and savoring the printed word is like a mini-retreat, engaged in slowly watching a movie that plays in our mind.
Our favorite authors are also mentors to us, when we are reading them to learn something. When we study a subject through their eyes, we learn from their point of view, and if they have communicated with us effectively, we find ourselves taking their books off the shelves for advice.
This is obviously true of non-fiction books particularly how-to books, but works of fiction have their value in another perspective. For one, a novel can help us see the world through the eyes of another, which can help us to understand people and events that we know nothing of first hand. Fiction can also help us journey through time and imagine what the world was like for our ancestors, as well as helping us envision possible futures.
It is magical when you think about it, that one person can write something and those who read it can share the experience individually, yet different readers can find different understandings from reading the same book. The magic of the quiet moments of reading and writing parts the curtains between worlds.
How many times have we been disappointed when a book that we enjoyed reading is made into a movie? Why? Because as we read, we pictured the person described by the author, and that may look nothing like the actor selected to play that part.
Another thing that can happen is that a subtle sequence of events that leads to some important plot twist in the book might be left out of the movie altogether in favor of some scene that lends itself to easier graphic depiction.
Then, of course, when actors, directors, script writers and cinematographers are busy doing what they do, they may invent things that were not in the book, or even shift the emphasis from what the author intended.
When we find a quiet spot in our schedule and in our living space, spending a little time with a book and savoring the printed word is like a mini-retreat, engaged in slowly watching a movie that plays in our mind.
Our favorite authors are also mentors to us, when we are reading them to learn something. When we study a subject through their eyes, we learn from their point of view, and if they have communicated with us effectively, we find ourselves taking their books off the shelves for advice.
This is obviously true of non-fiction books particularly how-to books, but works of fiction have their value in another perspective. For one, a novel can help us see the world through the eyes of another, which can help us to understand people and events that we know nothing of first hand. Fiction can also help us journey through time and imagine what the world was like for our ancestors, as well as helping us envision possible futures.
It is magical when you think about it, that one person can write something and those who read it can share the experience individually, yet different readers can find different understandings from reading the same book. The magic of the quiet moments of reading and writing parts the curtains between worlds.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Music for Bold Behavior
This evening, one of the pieces the symphony played was "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland. To me, there is something very rousing, exciting and inspiring about this music. Every time I hear it, the sensation that engulfs me is one of uplifted energy.
One explanation for this effect is found in the title itself. The celebratory brass motif is intended to call to ther brave, creative spirit of each one of us. What he is saying to each of us is that we are all capable of greatness and bold achievements, that rising to the occasion, going above and beyond, are not just within the reach of special people, that majestic feats are not reserved only for certain ones, but rather, within the grasp of all of us. His sounds inspire me to reach. Another word that comes to mind is compelling.
If you cannot call this piece to mind, try this. It has been used frequently as a theme music in broadcasts of the Olympic Games.
We all have our own favorite pieces of music. What pieces of music do you find uplifting and inspiring? Would it work as well if you played it more frequently? Perhaps it would be good to play the music that uplifts us and calls to our spirit, and inspires us to pursue our goals with fierce determination on a regular basis. What do you think? Is this something you do?
One explanation for this effect is found in the title itself. The celebratory brass motif is intended to call to ther brave, creative spirit of each one of us. What he is saying to each of us is that we are all capable of greatness and bold achievements, that rising to the occasion, going above and beyond, are not just within the reach of special people, that majestic feats are not reserved only for certain ones, but rather, within the grasp of all of us. His sounds inspire me to reach. Another word that comes to mind is compelling.
If you cannot call this piece to mind, try this. It has been used frequently as a theme music in broadcasts of the Olympic Games.
We all have our own favorite pieces of music. What pieces of music do you find uplifting and inspiring? Would it work as well if you played it more frequently? Perhaps it would be good to play the music that uplifts us and calls to our spirit, and inspires us to pursue our goals with fierce determination on a regular basis. What do you think? Is this something you do?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bouncing Off Walls
When we build personal walls because we have been hurt by our involvement in a relationship that failed or have been disappointed in love, we can block ourselves from receiving love and affection from others.
All relationships are an experiment. No one can guarantee that they will always come out well. We must ask ourselves this question. If we build defensive walls and refuse to let other people in, we block ourselves off from receiving love and affection. Is is worth doing that just to make sure that we will never get our feelings hurt or be disappointed by love again?
In this way, building personal walls does us more harm than good. Blocking connections with other people in order to prevent another hurt also blocks us from many good experiences. The many connections that can be made can help outweigh any negatives.
Resilience is a factor that is found in people who survive difficulties. If you feel defeated, you will be. If you feel that there are solutions and that you will rebound, you will. Resilience refers to our ability to bounce back in every area of life. People who start a business that fails and go on to start a second one that succeeds are resilient people. People who are divorced or have a long term relationship end but get out, meet people and become involved with others again, are demonstrating resilience.
Instead of picturing a wall around your heart, around your self, try this. Imagine an egg shaped ball of energy surrounding you. Create it so that positive feelings and ideas can come through to you and that negative ones bounce off.
When you have connections to others, you have a support system. When you close yourself off, difficult people may not be able to get close, but then neither will new friends, new lovers, new acquaintances.
An energy shield like the eggshell is permeable, so that you can both defend against the negative and be open to receiving the positive.
Building personal walls may seem like a good defense, but it may end up hurting you more than helping you. Being able to feel helps us become more resilient, better able to respond, better able to not just survive, but prosper.
All relationships are an experiment. No one can guarantee that they will always come out well. We must ask ourselves this question. If we build defensive walls and refuse to let other people in, we block ourselves off from receiving love and affection. Is is worth doing that just to make sure that we will never get our feelings hurt or be disappointed by love again?
In this way, building personal walls does us more harm than good. Blocking connections with other people in order to prevent another hurt also blocks us from many good experiences. The many connections that can be made can help outweigh any negatives.
Resilience is a factor that is found in people who survive difficulties. If you feel defeated, you will be. If you feel that there are solutions and that you will rebound, you will. Resilience refers to our ability to bounce back in every area of life. People who start a business that fails and go on to start a second one that succeeds are resilient people. People who are divorced or have a long term relationship end but get out, meet people and become involved with others again, are demonstrating resilience.
Instead of picturing a wall around your heart, around your self, try this. Imagine an egg shaped ball of energy surrounding you. Create it so that positive feelings and ideas can come through to you and that negative ones bounce off.
When you have connections to others, you have a support system. When you close yourself off, difficult people may not be able to get close, but then neither will new friends, new lovers, new acquaintances.
An energy shield like the eggshell is permeable, so that you can both defend against the negative and be open to receiving the positive.
Building personal walls may seem like a good defense, but it may end up hurting you more than helping you. Being able to feel helps us become more resilient, better able to respond, better able to not just survive, but prosper.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Walls
I don't know if it struck anyone else as ironic when this week we saw Europeans celebrating the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, while at the same time some Americans are advocating building a new wall all along the Mexican Border.
Yes, we have a lot of illegal immigrants here. Would I like to see this situation handled better? Yes. But is the decreasing amount of good paying jobs in this country a result of Mexicans coming here to work? Or is it that so many corporations have found it more profitable to outsource jobs to India and China, where they can pay people a lot less?
Perspective: The people in India who answer our calls about our credit cards, bank accounts, cable service, computer problems and so on, and the Chinese people who now make our computers, TVs, phones, music players and so much else get paid a lot less than the Mexican gardeners, maids, construction laborers, busboys, waiters and cooks and others working here. Manufacturing of everything from clothing to shoes to furniture to appliances used to provide good paying jobs for a lot of Americans. A great many of the new jobs corporations have created in recent years are lower paying jobs.
Building a wall across our southern border will not bring back plenty of good paying jobs.
Walls can act as a defense mechanism. Of course, a wall will not keep out all immigrants, it will just slow them down as they figure out ways around it. This is still the country most people on earth want to come to, and that says a lot about us, and the quality of life we enjoy.
I am thinking that more good paying jobs will be created when corporations act differently. That will raise our standard of living more effectively than building a wall.
As the Berlin Wall anniversary reminds us, all walls eventually come down. If you need another reminder, visit any European country, and notice that most of the old castles with their defensive walls came apart a long time ago.
In the meantime, the more creative we are, the more we can find ways to improve our own standard of living. Nobody said it would be easy, but it is possible. Building walls is old thinking and we need new thinking.
Yes, we have a lot of illegal immigrants here. Would I like to see this situation handled better? Yes. But is the decreasing amount of good paying jobs in this country a result of Mexicans coming here to work? Or is it that so many corporations have found it more profitable to outsource jobs to India and China, where they can pay people a lot less?
Perspective: The people in India who answer our calls about our credit cards, bank accounts, cable service, computer problems and so on, and the Chinese people who now make our computers, TVs, phones, music players and so much else get paid a lot less than the Mexican gardeners, maids, construction laborers, busboys, waiters and cooks and others working here. Manufacturing of everything from clothing to shoes to furniture to appliances used to provide good paying jobs for a lot of Americans. A great many of the new jobs corporations have created in recent years are lower paying jobs.
Building a wall across our southern border will not bring back plenty of good paying jobs.
Walls can act as a defense mechanism. Of course, a wall will not keep out all immigrants, it will just slow them down as they figure out ways around it. This is still the country most people on earth want to come to, and that says a lot about us, and the quality of life we enjoy.
I am thinking that more good paying jobs will be created when corporations act differently. That will raise our standard of living more effectively than building a wall.
As the Berlin Wall anniversary reminds us, all walls eventually come down. If you need another reminder, visit any European country, and notice that most of the old castles with their defensive walls came apart a long time ago.
In the meantime, the more creative we are, the more we can find ways to improve our own standard of living. Nobody said it would be easy, but it is possible. Building walls is old thinking and we need new thinking.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Random Life
Our fascination with mysteries is all about the randomness of life. Why else would we ever try and make sense of our lives? It is about pattern recognition.
How often does it appear that it was mere chance that we met a person, and yet, later on, that person plays an important part in our life and helps us make it through some critical juncture.
Why the fascination with tarot, past lives, ghosts, ufos, new insights into ancient history and so much more?
It is because we really do have a deep inner knowing that life must consist of something more than the mundane things that consume our lives. That is why we hunger for explanations of why a ghost is in a house. Or what ancient people knew that we don't that led to the construction of Stonehenge, Newgrange, the Serpent Mounds or the pyramids.
We all know that there is a spirit connected to us, although it would seem that the journey it takes is better known to metaphysicians than scientists.
People often wonder how something so random as picking cards out of a deck could reveal anything meaningful about their life or anyone else's. The way I see it, randomness is the opposite of order, so when a person may be wrestling with issues like the meaning of life, what they are really asking is if there is any order to all of this energy we live feel and are part of.
There are patterns in our lives, but we do not always recognize them, especially from up close. Every night, while our bodies are resting, our spirits are traveling, like scouts we send out, and they bring us back information, but this information may be all jumbled up and the presentation looks like some chaotic, absurd, surrealistic movie. It is only when we make an effort to remember these over time that patterns are visible to us.
It is by going to the opposite that we make sense of chaos. Randomly choosing cards from a deck reorders the patterns of our thoughts, our way of seeing situations.
Our free will choices reflect what we see in this moment as what we need or want to do. When we flow a bit further downstream, a different choice becomes more appropriate.
It is by examining the seemingly random events of our life that we begin to sense the order within it. Those who work with these random influences develop a finely tuned appreciation for life.
We have seen the wheel turn, and people who have declared their interest in subjects like past lives, tarot readings, ghosts, ufos, magic, spirit communication, animal communication, astrology, palmistry, energy healing and so much more were ridiculed. Yet people keep wanting to know more about these things.
Why? Each time we examine one of these random frequencies breaking through into our consciousness, and we experience a moment of truth, we immediately get a feeling, a gut reaction that this makes sense, but we struggle with accepting it because our conscious mind cannot explain it all in a neat, orderly fashion. Yet, we feel the truth that resides within the randomness. And in that, we feel alive. Alive with possibilities when we consider that every random act is rich with meaning, magic and potential.
How often does it appear that it was mere chance that we met a person, and yet, later on, that person plays an important part in our life and helps us make it through some critical juncture.
Why the fascination with tarot, past lives, ghosts, ufos, new insights into ancient history and so much more?
It is because we really do have a deep inner knowing that life must consist of something more than the mundane things that consume our lives. That is why we hunger for explanations of why a ghost is in a house. Or what ancient people knew that we don't that led to the construction of Stonehenge, Newgrange, the Serpent Mounds or the pyramids.
We all know that there is a spirit connected to us, although it would seem that the journey it takes is better known to metaphysicians than scientists.
People often wonder how something so random as picking cards out of a deck could reveal anything meaningful about their life or anyone else's. The way I see it, randomness is the opposite of order, so when a person may be wrestling with issues like the meaning of life, what they are really asking is if there is any order to all of this energy we live feel and are part of.
There are patterns in our lives, but we do not always recognize them, especially from up close. Every night, while our bodies are resting, our spirits are traveling, like scouts we send out, and they bring us back information, but this information may be all jumbled up and the presentation looks like some chaotic, absurd, surrealistic movie. It is only when we make an effort to remember these over time that patterns are visible to us.
It is by going to the opposite that we make sense of chaos. Randomly choosing cards from a deck reorders the patterns of our thoughts, our way of seeing situations.
Our free will choices reflect what we see in this moment as what we need or want to do. When we flow a bit further downstream, a different choice becomes more appropriate.
It is by examining the seemingly random events of our life that we begin to sense the order within it. Those who work with these random influences develop a finely tuned appreciation for life.
We have seen the wheel turn, and people who have declared their interest in subjects like past lives, tarot readings, ghosts, ufos, magic, spirit communication, animal communication, astrology, palmistry, energy healing and so much more were ridiculed. Yet people keep wanting to know more about these things.
Why? Each time we examine one of these random frequencies breaking through into our consciousness, and we experience a moment of truth, we immediately get a feeling, a gut reaction that this makes sense, but we struggle with accepting it because our conscious mind cannot explain it all in a neat, orderly fashion. Yet, we feel the truth that resides within the randomness. And in that, we feel alive. Alive with possibilities when we consider that every random act is rich with meaning, magic and potential.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Business Coaching
Nothing focuses the mind like an impending hanging. -- Samuel Johnson
We have heard this quote with various twists over the years. It is powerful because it contains an elemental truth. When our energies are scattered, nothing gets done well, many things are left undone and good ideas get bogged down among lesser ideas.
However, when a bigger, more urgent issue emerges that needs to be addressed, suddenly we can become highly efficient. Here is a practical example of business coaching I did with a person who has started and is expanding a new business.
This friend had several unrelated ventures going, but one concept has emerged as the clear winner, the best opportunity. Yet, this friend was dawdling over clearing out the less successful ventures because one day, those businesses might work out and produce income.
However, it would take a lot of work to make any of those other ventures successful at the level of supporting a person, and in the meantime, the effort to make a second concept profitable would just drain energy from the first idea.
Once my friend cleared the detritus out the office relative to all the other undeveloped and under-developed ideas, all the facts and information about the best concept were easier to focus on, and already, ideas for how to improve that business are easier to spot, and the steps to implementing those ideas are clear.
A related issue this person is facing is raising capital to fund the new business. Lines of credit are already maxed out. Taking on partners or investors means surrenduring some control of the business. The business owner does not want to share the decision making, or the profits, with other people.
An obvious solution is to sell some assets that had been acquired over the years that have some resale value. There was some sentimental attachment to these collectibles and at first, a reluctance to part with them. But once the important question was posed, letting go was clearly the solution. How much do you want this to succeed?
After all the goal is clear. Is this business viable? Does it have realistic prospects to increase to the level of supporting a person? Is this business one that you would like to be in? Can you get up every day enthusiastic about doing the work?
Then turning the collectibles into cash is a solution to the capitalization problem that allows the person to retain control of their business. If that person would have let sentiment win out over progress then the growth of the business would have been stunted, and all the timetables set back, causing the owner to struggle to live on the cash flow. Choosing to underfund the new business in order to hang on to the collectibles could ultimately result in a decision down the road to need to sell them anyway, under less favorable conditions, should the business stall or just crawl along due to lack of cash.
Sometimes we have to face the hard question of whether we are willing to give up whatever we have and strip down to a simple life in order to fuel the growth of our best business idea. It is about having confidence in our own ability. It is about putting forth a great effort with nothing held back, focusing all our attention and energy on our heart's desire in order to create a successful new business. Every business owner must take risks in order to increase their chance of success.
If we do not, we run the risk of dissipating our energies and not having a success in any venture. Yes, these are tough decisions, but when faced with the question, "What do you want to do with the rest of your life?" the necessary action focuses the mind.
We have heard this quote with various twists over the years. It is powerful because it contains an elemental truth. When our energies are scattered, nothing gets done well, many things are left undone and good ideas get bogged down among lesser ideas.
However, when a bigger, more urgent issue emerges that needs to be addressed, suddenly we can become highly efficient. Here is a practical example of business coaching I did with a person who has started and is expanding a new business.
This friend had several unrelated ventures going, but one concept has emerged as the clear winner, the best opportunity. Yet, this friend was dawdling over clearing out the less successful ventures because one day, those businesses might work out and produce income.
However, it would take a lot of work to make any of those other ventures successful at the level of supporting a person, and in the meantime, the effort to make a second concept profitable would just drain energy from the first idea.
Once my friend cleared the detritus out the office relative to all the other undeveloped and under-developed ideas, all the facts and information about the best concept were easier to focus on, and already, ideas for how to improve that business are easier to spot, and the steps to implementing those ideas are clear.
A related issue this person is facing is raising capital to fund the new business. Lines of credit are already maxed out. Taking on partners or investors means surrenduring some control of the business. The business owner does not want to share the decision making, or the profits, with other people.
An obvious solution is to sell some assets that had been acquired over the years that have some resale value. There was some sentimental attachment to these collectibles and at first, a reluctance to part with them. But once the important question was posed, letting go was clearly the solution. How much do you want this to succeed?
After all the goal is clear. Is this business viable? Does it have realistic prospects to increase to the level of supporting a person? Is this business one that you would like to be in? Can you get up every day enthusiastic about doing the work?
Then turning the collectibles into cash is a solution to the capitalization problem that allows the person to retain control of their business. If that person would have let sentiment win out over progress then the growth of the business would have been stunted, and all the timetables set back, causing the owner to struggle to live on the cash flow. Choosing to underfund the new business in order to hang on to the collectibles could ultimately result in a decision down the road to need to sell them anyway, under less favorable conditions, should the business stall or just crawl along due to lack of cash.
Sometimes we have to face the hard question of whether we are willing to give up whatever we have and strip down to a simple life in order to fuel the growth of our best business idea. It is about having confidence in our own ability. It is about putting forth a great effort with nothing held back, focusing all our attention and energy on our heart's desire in order to create a successful new business. Every business owner must take risks in order to increase their chance of success.
If we do not, we run the risk of dissipating our energies and not having a success in any venture. Yes, these are tough decisions, but when faced with the question, "What do you want to do with the rest of your life?" the necessary action focuses the mind.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Soulmates Unlimited
One of the most popular misconceptions about the word soulmate is that there is only one right and perfect match for us in the world. But this is too limiting a notion.
This idea causes many people to go around feeling inadequate, feeling like they have failed. Doesn't it make sense that there is more than one person who is our soulmate? Of course. With all the people in the world, it is only reasonable to assume that there is more than one person who might make an excellent match for us.
It is possible that a person that we met, married and divorced was a soulmate, and we learned all the lessons we were meant to learn or able to learn from them. Then we might experience another opportunity to spend time with another soulmate to learn other lessons.
Soulmate can mean we have a significant connection with a person, but it does not necessarily mean that it will last forever.
One view of reincarnation is that we come back in groups, so that people we know in this lifetime, we have known in other lifetimes, except perhaps from a different perspective, a different relationship. Consider the fact that there are people among our family, friends, business associates or neighbors who we have shared past lives with and may be connected to again, in order to learn valuable lessons.
Do not allow yourself to feel defeated because you had a relationship that was great for a while, then failed. That may simply be a near miss on the way to a better relationship. A near miss is when spirit places another person in our path who might appear to be an excellent partner for us, but upon spending more time with that person, it turns out that we are not really that well matched, because some key component was missing. So we regroup, reflect and reconsider, and adjust our vision of who would be a great partner for us and include that missing factor into the equation, and hold the vision that we want that to be present in our next relationship.
Choose a more unlimited view of the term soulmates and it opens up more possibilities in our life. Plus, it is a more encouraging perspective that enables us to be resilient.
Remember that we always have free will, and we choose who we will have in our lives. Spirit will place certain people in our path, but ultimately we choose whether or not we want to form a closer bond with them or not. Isn't it uplifting to be able to choose?
This idea causes many people to go around feeling inadequate, feeling like they have failed. Doesn't it make sense that there is more than one person who is our soulmate? Of course. With all the people in the world, it is only reasonable to assume that there is more than one person who might make an excellent match for us.
It is possible that a person that we met, married and divorced was a soulmate, and we learned all the lessons we were meant to learn or able to learn from them. Then we might experience another opportunity to spend time with another soulmate to learn other lessons.
Soulmate can mean we have a significant connection with a person, but it does not necessarily mean that it will last forever.
One view of reincarnation is that we come back in groups, so that people we know in this lifetime, we have known in other lifetimes, except perhaps from a different perspective, a different relationship. Consider the fact that there are people among our family, friends, business associates or neighbors who we have shared past lives with and may be connected to again, in order to learn valuable lessons.
Do not allow yourself to feel defeated because you had a relationship that was great for a while, then failed. That may simply be a near miss on the way to a better relationship. A near miss is when spirit places another person in our path who might appear to be an excellent partner for us, but upon spending more time with that person, it turns out that we are not really that well matched, because some key component was missing. So we regroup, reflect and reconsider, and adjust our vision of who would be a great partner for us and include that missing factor into the equation, and hold the vision that we want that to be present in our next relationship.
Choose a more unlimited view of the term soulmates and it opens up more possibilities in our life. Plus, it is a more encouraging perspective that enables us to be resilient.
Remember that we always have free will, and we choose who we will have in our lives. Spirit will place certain people in our path, but ultimately we choose whether or not we want to form a closer bond with them or not. Isn't it uplifting to be able to choose?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
What Kind of World Do We Want?
Take that question on a cosmic scale or a personal one.
Nobody's last words ever were "I wish I would have spent more time at the office."
So what do you want to do with your life from now forward? What do you want the rest of your life to be like?
If you have been thinking about indulging your creative appetites, your sensuous side, your desire to travel to a particular place or do something different for a living, why not do it now? If you cannot do it right now, how about taking steps in that direction?
We have many options and opportunities, and in this lifetime, who knows how many years? No matter what part of the economic scale you are situated in, there is always a way to recreate your life in a way that really works for you.
Look in the mirror and ask your self this question. If I could do something different today that would add joy to my life, what would that be? If I could take one step in the direction of fulfilling a dream, what would that be?
Then go about taking that step. This can be the first day you start stepping into the picture of the life you want. Doesn't it feel good? Do you feel a surge of energy? When you look in the mirror now, do you see a smiling face?
Nobody's last words ever were "I wish I would have spent more time at the office."
So what do you want to do with your life from now forward? What do you want the rest of your life to be like?
If you have been thinking about indulging your creative appetites, your sensuous side, your desire to travel to a particular place or do something different for a living, why not do it now? If you cannot do it right now, how about taking steps in that direction?
We have many options and opportunities, and in this lifetime, who knows how many years? No matter what part of the economic scale you are situated in, there is always a way to recreate your life in a way that really works for you.
Look in the mirror and ask your self this question. If I could do something different today that would add joy to my life, what would that be? If I could take one step in the direction of fulfilling a dream, what would that be?
Then go about taking that step. This can be the first day you start stepping into the picture of the life you want. Doesn't it feel good? Do you feel a surge of energy? When you look in the mirror now, do you see a smiling face?
Friday, November 6, 2009
Magic in Every Day Life
If luck is the place where hard work and opportunity meet, then finding the magic in every day life is about being aware of all the different ways that the universe presents you with gifts.
You have your vision and your goals clearly in mind, and suddenly you see additional ways to achieve your goals. Instead of blockages, you see solutions. The universe has provided you with new opportunities to find answers.
There is another old saying, that everything we need is already provided. We just have to recognize it. There can be more than one tool to do a job. For example, if our goal is to draw attention, and customers to our business, there are numerous ways to do that. If we want to change eating habits and exercise more in order to become healthier, there are many ways to do that. When we find solutions to these quests that are pleasing to us, it can seem like magic.
Isaac Asimov once said "Any technology sufficiently removed from the present time will appear to be magic."
How true. The sales person or consultant of 40 years ago did not know how they could do business without pay phones, messages written on little pads, typewriters or carbon paper, and the business person of today cannot imagine how they could do their jobs without cell phones and laptops.
Magic appears to happen when we are wondering if we have made a wise career choice, when suddenly, unexpectedly, new clients contact us, new orders come in, new invitations are extended. And people compliment us on our work and express their appreciation for our efforts. When we have been through a dry spell and are on the verge of giving up, questioning ourselves, such developments can seem like magic. The universse is suddenly showering us with blessings and saying yes to our desires.
When we focus on our goals, not the process, magic can take the form of a different process. As fast as you can untie your tongue, the magic words, "thank you" can be spoken as we once again realize that everything we need is already provided.
Magic can take the form of simply saying yes to an opportunity. Magic can take the form of recognizing that something already available to us, already in our possession, can answer our need. That may be a thing in a closet. And it can be a creative throught in our mind.
Magic is our awareness of all the gifts the universe is presenting us.
You have your vision and your goals clearly in mind, and suddenly you see additional ways to achieve your goals. Instead of blockages, you see solutions. The universe has provided you with new opportunities to find answers.
There is another old saying, that everything we need is already provided. We just have to recognize it. There can be more than one tool to do a job. For example, if our goal is to draw attention, and customers to our business, there are numerous ways to do that. If we want to change eating habits and exercise more in order to become healthier, there are many ways to do that. When we find solutions to these quests that are pleasing to us, it can seem like magic.
Isaac Asimov once said "Any technology sufficiently removed from the present time will appear to be magic."
How true. The sales person or consultant of 40 years ago did not know how they could do business without pay phones, messages written on little pads, typewriters or carbon paper, and the business person of today cannot imagine how they could do their jobs without cell phones and laptops.
Magic appears to happen when we are wondering if we have made a wise career choice, when suddenly, unexpectedly, new clients contact us, new orders come in, new invitations are extended. And people compliment us on our work and express their appreciation for our efforts. When we have been through a dry spell and are on the verge of giving up, questioning ourselves, such developments can seem like magic. The universse is suddenly showering us with blessings and saying yes to our desires.
When we focus on our goals, not the process, magic can take the form of a different process. As fast as you can untie your tongue, the magic words, "thank you" can be spoken as we once again realize that everything we need is already provided.
Magic can take the form of simply saying yes to an opportunity. Magic can take the form of recognizing that something already available to us, already in our possession, can answer our need. That may be a thing in a closet. And it can be a creative throught in our mind.
Magic is our awareness of all the gifts the universe is presenting us.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Napoleon's Reader
Marie-Anne Lenormand, a famous French card reader, was said to have read for many famous people, including Napoleon and Josephine, Marat, Robespierre, St-Just,and Czar Alexander. When she died in 1843, her estate contained 120,00 francs, another indication of her success, and she is buried in Paris' Père Lachaise Cemetery, which is the final resting place of many famous French people.
She used a deck of her own design, consisting of 36 cards. Various versions of these are still available, usually from the Grimaud publishing company in France. And there are companies such as Piatnik in Austria which have produced fortune telling decks based on the Lenormand model. One popular modern model is the Titania Fortune Telling Deck, and I have another French deck called the Tarot of Isis, which is a 36 card deck, obviously modeled on the Lenormand.
In fact, it was one of these, rather than a traditional tarot deck that I started with. My first familiarity was with a tarot deck, but when I bought my deck of 36, I loved the way it spoke to me and I felt that it opened up my intuition rapidly. This is the way I worked for many years until one day I became faascinated with tarot, and switched back to a regular tarot deck again.
For those who may feel intimidated by the prospect of learning a 78 card tarot deck, a 36 card Lenormand type of deck is considerably easy to work with. Do not fool yourself. Just because it has less cards, that does not mean it is less effective.
Generally these card sets have an image and one key word. There are no suits in some versions, no numbers. no court cards or divisions into major and minor arcana. Some versions, reputedly designed by her followers, had verses printed on them. Some sday that she came up with the 36 card deck by modifying a deck used for a popular French card game of the time, which also used 36. This is one explanation for why in the decks that show playing card numbers and pips are missing some numbers. That point, however, is not significant in learning to interpret and develop your intuition. It simply answers the question of how the deck got to have that number of cards.
In some ways, the Lenormand is down to earth. These cards deal with the changes in every day life that people always want to ask about. They emphasize questions about money, business, love, relationships, feelings, and difficulties. They generally do not have cards like the Devil, Judgment, Magician, Pope, and so on.
So if you are looking for easy to use, easy to learn deck which can help you develop your intuition, try one of these 36 card decks. you can learn to use them quite well without a book. They are simple but powerful, and many people are amazed at how accurately they work. These types of fortune telling cards are quite popular in Europe and with many others around the world partly due to the legend of Mlle Lenormand, but also due to the fact that she created a modern innovation that worked. It is both appealing and profound and has a strong niche, even though tarot is much larger, older, more storied and more numerous.
It is definitely worth a look. If you have found a regular tarot deck to be daunting, try a Lenormand and other 36 card deck, and you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
She used a deck of her own design, consisting of 36 cards. Various versions of these are still available, usually from the Grimaud publishing company in France. And there are companies such as Piatnik in Austria which have produced fortune telling decks based on the Lenormand model. One popular modern model is the Titania Fortune Telling Deck, and I have another French deck called the Tarot of Isis, which is a 36 card deck, obviously modeled on the Lenormand.
In fact, it was one of these, rather than a traditional tarot deck that I started with. My first familiarity was with a tarot deck, but when I bought my deck of 36, I loved the way it spoke to me and I felt that it opened up my intuition rapidly. This is the way I worked for many years until one day I became faascinated with tarot, and switched back to a regular tarot deck again.
For those who may feel intimidated by the prospect of learning a 78 card tarot deck, a 36 card Lenormand type of deck is considerably easy to work with. Do not fool yourself. Just because it has less cards, that does not mean it is less effective.
Generally these card sets have an image and one key word. There are no suits in some versions, no numbers. no court cards or divisions into major and minor arcana. Some versions, reputedly designed by her followers, had verses printed on them. Some sday that she came up with the 36 card deck by modifying a deck used for a popular French card game of the time, which also used 36. This is one explanation for why in the decks that show playing card numbers and pips are missing some numbers. That point, however, is not significant in learning to interpret and develop your intuition. It simply answers the question of how the deck got to have that number of cards.
In some ways, the Lenormand is down to earth. These cards deal with the changes in every day life that people always want to ask about. They emphasize questions about money, business, love, relationships, feelings, and difficulties. They generally do not have cards like the Devil, Judgment, Magician, Pope, and so on.
So if you are looking for easy to use, easy to learn deck which can help you develop your intuition, try one of these 36 card decks. you can learn to use them quite well without a book. They are simple but powerful, and many people are amazed at how accurately they work. These types of fortune telling cards are quite popular in Europe and with many others around the world partly due to the legend of Mlle Lenormand, but also due to the fact that she created a modern innovation that worked. It is both appealing and profound and has a strong niche, even though tarot is much larger, older, more storied and more numerous.
It is definitely worth a look. If you have found a regular tarot deck to be daunting, try a Lenormand and other 36 card deck, and you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Fluidity
Fluidity is essential to our well being. We notice it in our bodies when our joints and limbs do not bend and flex like they used to, and stiffness sets in. The term also applies to our inner organs. When our lungs are not as flexible as they were originally, disease sets in. One term for heart disease is hardening of the arteries. The heart muscle and the arteries that feed it no longer flex like they used to.
Those old sages from long ago recognized that. Both yoga and tai chi were created by old masters who realized that if you just sit around on your butt all day meditating, your body will stiffen up and physical health will deteriorate. So they came up with these exercises to stretch the body and the mind.
Our minds need to be able to flex as well. People too set in their ways, too stubborn, cannot adapt to new thoughts, embrace new ideas or go with the flow of intuition.
Our intuition is all about flow. For a couple of decades now, we have had to be fluid enough to learn new ways of doing things in order to change careers and make a living. And we have had to recognize that there is more than one way to achieve our goals in order to be successful.
When we loosen up and engage our bodies in fluid motion, it feels good. When we engage ourselves in fluid attitudes and ideas we can move with the energies of the universe, and find more paths to our goals.
I like to swim in it. Literally. In the pool, in the water. Engaging my intuition, moving through life changes in ways that open up possibilities.
Those old sages from long ago recognized that. Both yoga and tai chi were created by old masters who realized that if you just sit around on your butt all day meditating, your body will stiffen up and physical health will deteriorate. So they came up with these exercises to stretch the body and the mind.
Our minds need to be able to flex as well. People too set in their ways, too stubborn, cannot adapt to new thoughts, embrace new ideas or go with the flow of intuition.
Our intuition is all about flow. For a couple of decades now, we have had to be fluid enough to learn new ways of doing things in order to change careers and make a living. And we have had to recognize that there is more than one way to achieve our goals in order to be successful.
When we loosen up and engage our bodies in fluid motion, it feels good. When we engage ourselves in fluid attitudes and ideas we can move with the energies of the universe, and find more paths to our goals.
I like to swim in it. Literally. In the pool, in the water. Engaging my intuition, moving through life changes in ways that open up possibilities.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Snow Moon or Beaver Moon Tonight
The Full Moon in November is known by several names. One is the Snow Moon or Frost Moon, owing to the fact that this is usually the month where we get our first significant snow falls. Of course, some of us have already had snow, and that is already most melted in the lower elevations, although the mountain tops are completely dusted now and will begin building their winter accumulation.
Another name is the Beaver Moon because this is the time of year when these animals would be preparing for winter. It was also a time before the freeze when trappers would set traps to catch beavers for their fur.
At this full moon, give some thought to what would warm your heart. You are putting more blankets on the bed, some logs on the fire, lighting some candles. Perhaps cooking more warm meals.
Now who would you like to spend more time with? Who do you want to draw closer to and share your personal warmth with? As you gaze up at the beautiful full moon tonight, is there someone with you? Would you like there to be? If, so, who? Are you trying to attract someone to you? Or are you enjoying this moon yourself?
It is also a good time to be grateful for those you have in your life. Include close friends, relatives, lovers, business associates, everyone who you care about.
Another name is the Beaver Moon because this is the time of year when these animals would be preparing for winter. It was also a time before the freeze when trappers would set traps to catch beavers for their fur.
At this full moon, give some thought to what would warm your heart. You are putting more blankets on the bed, some logs on the fire, lighting some candles. Perhaps cooking more warm meals.
Now who would you like to spend more time with? Who do you want to draw closer to and share your personal warmth with? As you gaze up at the beautiful full moon tonight, is there someone with you? Would you like there to be? If, so, who? Are you trying to attract someone to you? Or are you enjoying this moon yourself?
It is also a good time to be grateful for those you have in your life. Include close friends, relatives, lovers, business associates, everyone who you care about.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Attaction Oil & Healing Salve, Handcrafted
Over the years, many people have asked me if they can get some of the oils that I wear. They ask where they can buy them, but I blend them myself and have done so for years. All are blends of essential oils combined with jojoba and other fine carrier oils. My oil is called Attraction, because it is created with the intention of attracting whatever it is you want into your life. It will add energy to your desires, dreams and intentions and help draw it to you.
The healing salve I make is also handcrafted. I grow the plants, harvest them, then blend the ingredients and make the salve. I have given a few people free samples over the years. They have all reported excellent results with it.
Now because of all the requests, it is finally time for me to bottle some of these and offer them for sale. Only limited quantities will be immediately available because I have only made one batch of salve from the plants I raised last year, and there will not be another batch until after the next growing season when I have more fresh herbs that I have grown.
My experience is that there is a difference in the properties of products that are
handcrafted with a lot of love. Some of my energy goes into every plant that I grow, and in the preparation, blending and bottling of the products.
The same even held true for healing herbal teas made from plants I grew. I had friends who found that the herbal teas prepared from plants I grew produced more healing results than the ones they bought elsewhere. I was not selling these. I was giving them away. So when I gave away all I had grown, they had no choice but to buy more until my next growing season. There is an energy exchange between people and plants.
Yes, I am a reiki master, and perhaps that is the energy that goes into everything I make. It can also be the personal energy of a person who is an attentive gardener who communicates with his plants and sees the connective energy in all things.
With the oil blends, the batches are not identical, but they are always good. This is due to the variance in availability of the oils I prefer to use at certain times prompts me to slightly alter the blend rather than wait for certain things to get back in stock. Variances are subtle and delicious. I regard the constant tweaking of the blends to be a pleasure, not a problem. Personal attention goes into every dram.
I also make spritzers for aromatic air and after shave. If you are interested in obtaining any of these, let me know.
The healing salve I make is also handcrafted. I grow the plants, harvest them, then blend the ingredients and make the salve. I have given a few people free samples over the years. They have all reported excellent results with it.
Now because of all the requests, it is finally time for me to bottle some of these and offer them for sale. Only limited quantities will be immediately available because I have only made one batch of salve from the plants I raised last year, and there will not be another batch until after the next growing season when I have more fresh herbs that I have grown.
My experience is that there is a difference in the properties of products that are
handcrafted with a lot of love. Some of my energy goes into every plant that I grow, and in the preparation, blending and bottling of the products.
The same even held true for healing herbal teas made from plants I grew. I had friends who found that the herbal teas prepared from plants I grew produced more healing results than the ones they bought elsewhere. I was not selling these. I was giving them away. So when I gave away all I had grown, they had no choice but to buy more until my next growing season. There is an energy exchange between people and plants.
Yes, I am a reiki master, and perhaps that is the energy that goes into everything I make. It can also be the personal energy of a person who is an attentive gardener who communicates with his plants and sees the connective energy in all things.
With the oil blends, the batches are not identical, but they are always good. This is due to the variance in availability of the oils I prefer to use at certain times prompts me to slightly alter the blend rather than wait for certain things to get back in stock. Variances are subtle and delicious. I regard the constant tweaking of the blends to be a pleasure, not a problem. Personal attention goes into every dram.
I also make spritzers for aromatic air and after shave. If you are interested in obtaining any of these, let me know.
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