The Magic of Our Stories

1. Part Our words become actions.

During the holiday season, there are many parties and social events where we have opportunities to indulge in special seasonal foods and beverages, dance, sing and tell stories. What stories will you be telling at these gatherings this year?

When we meet people we have not seen in a while, and they ask us how it is going, what will you choose to get into?

The stories that we tell others are important. The stories we tell ourselves are even more important. because these are the stories we usually end up repeating to others. As we refashion and reimagine the events of our lives into a narrative, we can create, hope, joy, optimism, feelings of courage, well being, abundance and adventure, and these, in turn, create vibrations that help attract more of all this into our lives.

We have the power to create lasting impressions and images of the way other people see us.

"Once upon a time" is one of the most famous magical phrases ever uttered and is one of the most powerful spellcasting techniques ever created. As soon as we hear those four words, we pay attention and are transported into another world. And all of our lives contain at least a few opportunities to see our evolution as something that is not only once upon a time, but also once upon a future.

Storytelling is an art form as old as humans, as old as spoken language. It was one of the first forms of magic, one of the first forms of entertainment, and it has served us well from the time the first cavemen and cavewomen gathered around the fire until this very day.

Don't we all enjoy a good story? The astute listener will glean useful insights from a good story, and the teller will cast a magic spell over those who hear and will make a lasting impression on them.  Pay special attention to the stories you hear and tell this holiday season.

Part 2. Our written words become worlds.

Years ago, when I was teaching Creative Writing, I remember students signing up for my workshop because in their own words, they had "really routine jobs and home lives, and they wanted to see if they could do something creative." Commonly, one of their pleasures was that they enjoyed reading, so their choice was to try and express creativity through writing. They wanted to know first hand that they were capable of being creative and that their stories could captivate people's imaginations and hold their attention.

On the first night of class, I informed them that there were absolutely no restrictions on subject matter. Their only requirement was to write something every week, with no requirement or expectation as to what that might be, and they could get immediate feedback on their writing by their classmates listening and responding to the reading of their stories.

There were people who entered my workshop wondering if they really had any creative ability who went home knowing that they did. They enjoyed themselves and the listeners enjoyed themselves. The first step they had to take was to not censor themselves and just say what they had to say. That simple step opened people up and changed their lives.

The first person you please when you write something is yourself. The readers are next. If you can drop the conditioning that holds you back from saying something because it might offend someone else, you open your expression to not having limits, and what you can create evolves into something beautiful. There are times when it is cathartic to just write something.

Whether you call it inspired, channeled, a crazy dream, funny story, or real life incident that you want to recall and replay, writing about it can be a healing act. Even if it does not get published, you still feel good from saying it, from writing it. Write it first, and worry about what will become of it later. Once you give yourself permission to write whatever you want, it is amazing what might come out. I know. I have experienced it, and the results were wonderful, life affirming and powerful. If you have an urge or an instinct that this is something you want to try, I will help you express yourself.

Humans are storytellers by nature. From mythology to biography and everything in between, it's in our nature to tell stories. From gossip to jokes to opinions on current events and the future of the world, it's all part of our conversations, because it is part of how we share ourselves and our experiences to get our bearings and enhance this journey. It is all storytelling, and if we simply give ourselves permission, we can become storytellers, even if our only audience, at first, is ourselves.

As we make up new stories, we can make up new stories for ourselves to live by. We all have the opportunity to rewrite our own stories, from today to the end. What does your story read like? How would you like it to read? There is magic and power in the writing and the rewriting.

Increasing Energy and Personal Power

One of the most challenging, yet energetically beneficial things a person can do for themselves is to really go through your living quarters and cut off power drains and strengthen power bases.

How common is it that when someone is moving and they are boxing things up or opening boxes for a move and you hear them say "I don't even remember having this. I wonder where it came from." Or this one. "I haven't used this in years. Don't think I will use it any more." If you find yourself saying these things, these things are energetically clogging your living space. Some people will then say good bye to the thing and either give it away or throw it away, while others will move it into their new place. Which is the more energy efficient thing to do?

If we start with a basic premise that your home should be a place that refreshes, protects and nurtures you, and in the case of people who work from home, has what you need to work efficiently. So ideally, we surround ourselves with things that are useful to us and things that are beautiful for our inspiration and peace.

So when we have many things in the place that are not either useful or beautiful, then it is clutter that impedes the optimum flow of energy. Even if it is hidden in a closet, then that closet is not available for other uses. Things that we just put somewhere because we can't make up our minds what to do with it simply block the flow of energy and take up space that would give us more power and flexibility. When things are less cluttered it is easy to find what we want and need.

Another way that this affects us is in relationships. If our space still displays mementos and photos of our old relationship, it can block a new relationship from coming in. A new person may not know who is in those other pictures or know where the mementos came from, but they can sense the energy of another person in the room and conclude that this person is still attached to someone else.

When we give away things we no longer want or need, we let someone else appreciate them find a good use for them. When we look around and rearrange things for the best traffic pattern, we increase the energy flow.

Take a look around and see how this can work for you.

House Blessings

The spirit of a place is important in helping us feel nurtured, protected and supported.

House blessings are also energy clearings, in other words, clearing energy blockages that may be present in a place, whether it is a residence or a business.

What are causes of energy blockages?

How stuck do you think the energy of a home would become if it were inhabited by a hoarder? There may be residual amounts of that energy still stuck even after the hoarder and their stuff is gone.

How chaotic or disturbed would the energy patterns be if the place were previously inhabited by a couple or their children who fought a lot?

What might happen if a displaced spirit were lost in the space where you are now? These could be previous inhabitants or spirits that got disoriented and couldn't find their way to the light that leads to the next realm of existence.

If lots of different construction workers were in and out of your house, some of them may have left residue of their unhappy energies behind.

What if your home were damaged by the floods, fires or other disasters? It may take more than carpentry, plumbing and wiring to put it back in good order.

Once the negative energies have been removed from a place, that opens the way for the inhabitants to build in fresh energy, harmonious relationships, construct creative environments and invite in beneficial spirits and guardians.

If you feel that this is something you could use, call me. I will be happy to do it.

Learning to Learn

"A man’s mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.”

 

—Oliver Wendell Holmes,

U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1897

 

 

We experience the value of this insight every time we embark on a course of study or personal exploration. Right now, for example, I am learning to speak Spanish, and this endeavor constantly challenges, because I can no longer simply use the words I am already familiar with, but I have to consider that there might be a better way to say things than a dictionary definition or a Google translator or some other app.

 

The process is the same when we explore or embrace any new ideas. When people started to learn about The Law of Attraction, they were challenged to see how it really works in their life, and how it connected in ways they never saw before.

 

When people started to reconsider what they thought about the afterlife after reading and hearing newer authors speak about their near death experiences or their ability to connect with the spirit world, their minds stretched to consider these new concepts.

 

Our minds begin by bringing our old concepts into view and then seeing if the new concepts can fit with the new by expanding the context and definitions or if we have a hard time accepting the new ideas because they contradict or conflict with our old ideas.

 

Learning is learning, whether we are learning a language, ghosts, spirits, tarot, astrology, a musical instrument, history, philosophy, cooking, sewing, spread sheets, money management, learning to trust our own intuition or develop our psychic abilities. Learning always stretches us.

 

Researchers say that using our mind by learning, solving problems, and engaging in even something as simple as crosswords or math puzzles can keep our minds from becoming senile, or at least keep us alert and conscious longer. Mental exercise is as important as physical exercise. Our minds and bodies were designed for movement, and the longer we keep our minds and bodies flexible through movement, the better.

 

I have been a life long learner. I have done different kinds of work just to see what it was like, studied different sorts subjects just to satisfy my curiosity, learned to use tarot, runes, pendulums, investigate past lives, paranormal activities, energy healing, learned to play musical instruments and many other things just to experience that feeling that comes with stretching the mind. I like the feeling.

 

There is excitement when we go beyond where we have been before. Curiosity is part of human nature that encourages us to explore, invent and experience. When we explore we begin to notice things that we have never noticed before. We see, hear, feel, taste and notice smells that we have never noticed before because our senses are more open. Learning to learn engages feelings as well as thoughts.

 

Learning to learn is about aliveness. What would you like to learn about? What inspires you? How will your curiosity help you to get more out of life? What are you curious about? Are you pursuing it now?

Life Colors

If we look at fall colors, what we are really seeing is another form of creative destruction in the natural cycles of life. The amount of rain we have had this year, the shifts in temperature, and the intensity of the light will influence the colors of the turning leaves.

Then when the leaves fall, they provide mulch and ground cover, turning into fertilizer for next year's growth. As they drop from the trees, the bone structure or skeleton of the tree is revealed. After we enjoy the fall colors, then we can look right through the bare branches to the horizon, and then next year they will be filled in with fresh green buds and leaves again.

Nature teaches us that change is constant.

There was a time in history when most people never ventured more than  miles from where they were born. Now we move a number of times in our lifetime, often great distances.

There was a time not so long ago when people would find one job, one career, and stay in that field until we were too old to work any more.

There was a time when people just went to whatever church or religion their parents chose. Now more and more people feel free to choose other religions or spiritual paths that they prefer.

Cycles in nature are not identical. They follow patterns but are not identical. We have had more rain this year than other years. Some years we get more snow. Some years we have more drought and more wildfires.

As we enjoy the fall colors and the delicious produce of the fall harvest, what are the other things that have changed? What have we outgrown? What are we grateful for? What is next for us?

Fall colors are life colors. How does change color our life?

The Upside of Destruction

The Tower tarot card is about destruction, often times a destruction that presents us with a new opportunity to rebuild. Right now, the damage that the floods have done will cause a lot of people to be employed rebuilding roads, bridges, homes and businesses. Yes, of course, those who have had their homes or businesses damaged and may have lost priceless personal possessions, but if we shift our attention to doing what we can do to make the necessary repairs and a fresh start, we can become invigorated with a new burst of energy.

In some cases, it is metaphorical. An example would be losing a position in business that causes us to have to reconstruct or rebuild our careers. We can no longer see ourselves the way we used to. We have to reinvent and take stock in a major way. That layoff or termination may prompt us to check into doing something that we would really rather be doing.

When we are forced to rebuild our stuff, we are also rebuilding our selves. When a career change is forced upon us, we may find that we want to really take a hard look at our careers rather than just find another position like the one we used to have. We may then be even happier with our lives after setting a new direction.

Similar things will probably happen as rebuilding is done. Those rebuilding the roads may decide to not just put it back the way it was but to look for additional ways to reinforce it now that they know about the structural weakness.

Those rebuilding their homes may take this opportunity to not just put it back the way it was but to make some changes they were thinking about.

Destruction can inspire creative renewal and that is why drawing the Tower card is not necessarily a bad thing. If destruction has touched your life, take another look at the opportunities it presents.

Rerouting

During the recent floods, people had to reroute to try and get anywhere since so many roads were closed. And some people just had no roads open to get where they wanted to go.

So in a situation like that, you either know of other roads you can use or you stay home and work on other activities for the day or days. Now, of course, people in the worst hit areas had to evacuate their homes which may be heavily damaged. They will also have to reroute, although their change in direction will have to do with whether they can return to their old home or get it repaired.

Rerouting is a natural part of life. Floods of this nature have not been part of every day life here, but in the larger flow of life, how often do we have to change our plans, revising our routes and goals?

How many of us have not only changed jobs but changed careers several times in our life? How many of us have had more than one marriage or long term relationship?

In some cases, the change may have been our choice, while in others, the change was made necessary by the actions of others.

Rerouting is now part of our every day coping strategy for success.

Having extra food in the house, extra water, candles and batteries are good for coping with weather emergencies. Most of those whose homes were flooded will eventually get them repaired and move back in. Businesses that were flooded for the most part will be repaired. Even those of us who live on the high ground had to reroute because we could not go to work or we had to skip social plans. We had to reroute. We have to bounce back from setbacks and emergencies. It is human nature. It is our survival instinct. When one path is blocked, choose another.

Those of us who have GPS in our phones or cars can simply request to be directed to another route, but when we are not driving in our cars, we depend on our intuition to be our GPS. The more you trust your own intuition, the better your navigation. We all have it, but many of us just need to learn to trust it more.

Other ways our lives may get flooded may have to do with big changes in our sources of income, or the flow or non-flow in our relationships. In those cases too, we cannot just insist on going the way we used to go, we must choose a different route in order to survive. Emotional floods are the same as rivers overflowing their banks, and we just need to tune into our guidance and navigate new routes.

We may have thought that our preferred route would always be open, but now we are forced to be more resourceful and explore other routes.

What We Harvest

What we harvest now has everything to do with what we did earlier in the year. Just as the harvest season is the culmination of the farmer's efforts all year, the success of our business right now is connected to how well we treated our customers last year and how good they think our products and services are, and if they refer others to us.

We can make our heavy loads feel lighter by our attitudes about them. Do we simply say "this is what needs to be done" and do it? Or do we whine and complain, and still have to do it? Which attitude leaves us feeling lighter, happier and as if we are taking it all in stride?

Whatever we are harvesting, even if it is less than we expected or less than we wanted, there are still good reasons to express gratitude to others for helping us get this far. As we have all experienced by now, sometimes a small gain can turn into a bigger one. There are great meals made out of simple ingredients because we have learned how to cook. Or the appreciative group of customers who refer other customers. Or the people who start out to be casual acquaintances who develop into close friends. Gratitude for even a small harvest can bring big results. Gratitude grows whatever we shower it on, like rain and sun on the fields.

We are in the middle of the harvest festivals and the time of the year when all kinds of produce are coming in fresh, culminating in the civic holiday of Thanksgiving when we truly stop for a moment and simply appreciate what we have harvested with our family and friends. In the midst of this season, both literally and figuratively, it is a perfect time to reflect and show gratitude. It is the joy of this season, shared.

The things we are harvesting now have everything to do with what we have done, and what we will harvest next has everything to do with what we are doing now.

A Familiar Life Lesson

As I write this, the politicians are debating whether to launch military strikes on Syria. I hope that they do not. It seems to have been my fate to live in a lifetime where we get involved in wars that we do not need to be involved in, and as a result I find myself objecting, voting and earlier in my life, demonstrating against wars.

On the one hand, I dream and hope for the day when most people will choose not to act like this. Then again, there is obviously a strain of violence that runs through humanity that leads groups of people to want to use violence to subdue other groups of people.

The solution I would like to see us engage in is to simply let the wars in other countries simply run their course. Eventually one side will overpower the other and run their country.

Our politicians keep making up bogus excuses to get us sucked into the same old game again. The reasons given for needing to intervene in Syria are the same as the reasons invented to justify invading Iraq. We don't need to be involved in any of it.

Truth is, we always make deals with the winners anyway. Vietnam today is a trading partner and tourist destination, so what was the point of that war anyway? We sent troops to the island of Grenada for what? And since we have invaded Iraq twice what exactly did we get out of wasting all those lives and spending all those trillions of dollars? We bought oil from Iraq when Hussein ran the country and we continue to buy oil from Iraq no matter who their ruler is. So why bother with the war? There are many countries on earth who have corrupt, mean people running their governments. That is part of human nature too. And that does not keep us from doing business in those countries.

These political decisions are not made on a humanitarian basis. How stupid is it that we will not allow open trade with Cuba, a little Caribbean island near us because they have a communist government, but we do trillions of dollars of business every year with the world's biggest communist country, China?

Let these other countries settle their own civil wars and when the next leader is in place (and we have no way of knowing whether that person will be better or worse) then we will resume doing business with them. That's what we really do anyway.

Politicians who tell us that we somehow found plenty of money to run wars but our country can't afford to spend so much money on Social Security, Medicare and other programs that help people, are liars. It is precisely these wars that waste so much of our national budget.

We need to be resetting our priorities. We need to have politicians representing us who are more evolved. We need politicians who are willing to make the top priority doing what we can to improve our country and let the other countries hash their own problems out.

I vote for abstaining from participating in all wars and focusing our energy and resources on fixing what needs to be fixed in our own country.

Clarity of Intent

Someone asked me if the Law of Attraction works all the time. It does. What we have and what we do in our life right now is connected to our thoughts and actions leading up to this time. If the conditions of your life are unhappy and undesirable, have you taken actions to change them? Have you reset your intentions to create a better future?

What our life will look like from this day forward has everything to do with our thoughts and actions from this day forward. Clarity of intent has to be in place for the Law of Attraction to work.

Think about that for a moment. Once you have a clear picture in your mind of what you want, you can set the energies of the universe in motion to bring that to you. Like does attract like.

You can test in small ways every day to demonstrate that your thoughts will work in this way. Start with something small. Say for example you need to get a particular item for something you are working on. Not only do you find exactly that item, but you find it promptly.

Or say you want to talk to a certain person, and within a day you hear from that person.

Now after you have run some small tests apply the same method to larger goals. Of course, larger goals may take longer to achieve, but you can also use these principles to do things like expand your business or find a new person to go out with.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says that luck is the place where hard work meets opportunity. After all, we do have to take some actions on our own behalf to signal to the world that we are actively pursuing our dreams and visions.

I once asked the rune master Edred Thorsson why magic is considered controversial by some people. His answer was that magic is where we dare to exert our will in the world. Traditionally, in prayer people make requests and hope that it works out. Setting a clear intention and going for it requires that a person really put their life energy in play in a very vigorous way.

Having a clear intention set is the most important requirement in order to get the Law of Attraction working for you.

Our thoughts are powerful and they manifest into action. If you are not getting what you want out of life, it is time to stop and reexamine how you are stating your intention.

Keep this in mind. When you state your vision of what you want, there is a simple test to know if you have really stated it in the best way. How do you feel when you state your intention? Do you get that feeling in your gut that affirms it? Can you imagine your self feeling how it would feel to have your vision come true? Can you see it, feel it, taste it, smell it, hear it?

Your vision is not only in your head, it is in your body and your spirit. When you set an intention, do you feel it with your whole being?

Riding on Nightmares

Nightmares often arise from the conscious changes in a person's life which may be traumatic, or upsetting. When we lay down to sleep for the night, negative, fearful dreams that may cause us distress enough to wake up and not get a sound night's sleep can be used as a powerful vehicle to turn those fears around.

One way to do this is to write the nightmare down, then change the course of the story to be an outcome you find desirable. Use these as a guided meditation for three days and you can see the nightmare turn into a journey of power, passion and strength.

By giving yourself another way to view the progress of events, you can reprogram your mind to visualize a positive outcome. It is natural that nightmares come when we are making a difficult transition in life.

Nightmares can present us a gift if we look at our greatests fear, face it and see ourselves facing this fear and achieving a positive outcome. Often times we do not know our real strength and the extent of our resources and abilities until we are challenged.

Remember, courage comes from the heart. Anyone can do well when everything is easy and things are just coasting along. It takes a person with a lot of heart to rise to meet challenges and overcome adversity. It takes keen powers of observation to note where there is an opportunity to turn a difficulty to our advantage and then act on it.

Learn to ride the nightmares. Change the story of the nightmare so that it plays out in a way that is powerful for you. There is power in nightmares. Use it to your advantage.

Where Is My Magic?

How we see our life every day is a choice. How we feel about it is our choice. I like asking myself a question to remind myself of this every day. Where is my magic?

My magic is within my realm of influence. I am happy to be here, doing what I am doing. There are new friends and useful things to be learned in every experience, even the unprofitable experiments I try.

My magic is extended into the realm of making good things happen every day. Large or small, when I smile and expect good things to happen they do. I can complain that the car needs to be fixed or I can get it fixed so that I can keep using it. I can smile at the fact that it has been a good year for business and that it continues to get better.

I smile when I think of all the referrals that have come my way. I am happy to be of service.

Part of the magic of my life is that I have had a number of careers within this one lifetime and this has provided me with a variety of experiences.

How many times in my life have I done something after asking myself questions. Does this work? How does this work? I wonder if I can do this. So I try. I learn. It works.

Waking up every morning with a cup of dark roast coffee and my dream journal is the beginning of my magic for this day. Beginning my day this way is magic. It is simple. It is magic. I am waking up with the taste of the coffee while I make notes about my dreams and what they may mean. My day is already full of possibilities.

Where is my magic? My magic begins when I decide that this will be a good day. My magic begins when I decide that my interactions with other people will be good today. My magic begins when I know that some good opportunity will open up for me today. Often, I do not know what that is, but I know that a whole day cannot go by without my encountering an opportunity for joy.

Joy begets magic and magic begets joy. This is where I find my magic. . I ask myself these questions. Who am I? What am I doing? And in answer to my questions, I refocus my energy on the task at hand, smile and feel the joy radiate through me as I confirm that I am happy to be here, doing what I am doing, being alive in this moment.

Keys to Imagination

Recently I watched a movie that was quite faithful to the book as I remember it when reading it. This is unusual. Have you noticed that from your own experience?

The intersection of movies we have watched and books we have read is quite disappointing. Times when I have seen a movie based on a book that I particularly liked, I most often regretted seeing the movie. Why is this?

One explanation is simple. Writers use a careful construction of words to create images in the mind. It is that interaction between the words that the writer has chosen and the engagement of the reader's imagination that lets a person create images in their mind that enables them to see, hear, smell, taste and feel the story. In other words, it is a way of knowing.

What happens in the making of a movie? Actors love to improvise and add their own touches to characters. Directors look for ways to make things visually appealing. The selection of a composer makes a difference in a movie as well. And, of course, there is the script writer, whose job is more attuned to dialogue than description. So by simply doing what they do best, they may take a different approach to making a movie than the author did writing the book.

When I used to teach writer's workshops an exercise that we commonly used in getting their creative juices flowing and getting them started writing,was to get them to close their eyes and we would do a visualization exercise. Then I would ask them to start telling their visions out loud. After hearing them tell their stories, I had them start to write them down while they were still fresh in their minds.

Often, self help books advise  the reader to visualize the results they want as the first step toward setting the vibrations in motion to achieve their goals.

Visualizing is just another word for something we have all been familiar with since childhood. We called it imagination. No doubt teachers still talk to children about using their imagination.

They really are just two different words for the same thing. The power to make pictures in our mind is something that we do so commonly and frequently that we do not even think of it as a special thing.

Think about it. Artists, inventors, writers, musicians, chefs, builders, designers, architects, engineers, marketing experts, all kinds of people in all kinds of work must use their imagination first before they begin to make something out of the physical materials.

Imagination is a prime tool for helping us to know things, to picture ourselves in the shoes of another person, or to sense what our life will be like when it changes. Imagination is creativity, passion, enlightenment, vision and inspiration.

Our imaginations are powerful tools. If it helps you to go back to using this familiar term from childhood, by all means use it.

The Magic of Our Voice

Toning is one of the simplest things you can do to clear the energy fields around you and within you. Simply breathing deeply and then on the exhale making the sound of the five vowels, A, E, I, O, U refreshes our energies and removes blockages. Toning in a space can help clear the space.

One way of thinking of the vowel sounds is that they are the seed sounds in all mantras, chants or songs. It is the vowels that open up the channels of breath and energy. The vowels are the seeds of power in our vocal expressions.

When you feel your energy getting frazzled and frayed, tone the five vowels and notice how you feel afterwards. Tone in the morning when you wake up and see what a difference it makes in helping you get started.

There is a beauty and power in this simple tool, and best of all, this tool, your voice is something you always have with you. Are you aware of how you use your voice?

The Secret Power of Rhythm, Part 2

How do we experience the secret power of rhythm in our lives? Look at how we do our work. When someone has found a rhythm that masters the work, we become highly efficient. We get in the groove and achieve at a high level. Finding the rhythm is most important. Once we have it we become one with the task to be done, and we feel our strength, our certainty and the spirit of doing what needs to be done.

When athletes do this, they refer to it as getting into the zone. Achieving a smooth operating rhythm sharpens the focus, and the continuation of that rhythm enables the performer to repeatedly move in that efficient flow that leads to outstanding performance.

In relationships we are at our peak of connection when our rhythms are matched. When we are in sync with another person there is an ebb and flow to our actions. There is clear, nonverbal communication underlying whatever we say. We know instinctively what needs to be done and we are satisfied in our feelings and creatively enmeshed. Our joined rhythms can take us to places that our minds and words alone could not.

When things are going well for us, when we are efficient and happy with what we have done, we are in rhythm with our surroundings. When we pay attention to our gut instinct and use it for guidance, we are in rhythm with our life force.

When we are doing any activity, whether it is walking, swimming or anything else, when we feel our rhythm we are making smooth progress with that activity.

Being aware of what rhythm we are acting in we become aware of ourselves in relation to others and that helps us find the most effective ways to connect and communicate with others. If another person is acting very chaotic, we might be able to draw them into a more harmonious and productive interaction by coming from a very lyrical state where we embody joy and imagination, we can smooth down the rough edges and facilitate a smooth flow between us.

And that is not to state or imply that there is anything wrong with a chaotic rhythm in our lives at times. What is a party if not joyful chaos? Different people connecting in different ways, some eating, some drinking, some dancing, some laughing, and definitely not all in unison. We are also inviting people into chaos when we invite them to brainstorm with us. All ideas, no matter how silly or off the mark, are put on the table to consider so that we have a huge number of choices to sort out to serve our purposes, and it may be a combination of a silly, irreverent idea combined with a serious idea that finally does the trick.

When we are being in the rhythm of flowing together we might be singing or dancing with someone and we feel warmly connected. So there is no right or wrong rhythm just a greater awareness of how we are and what we are doing and all of this increases our joy about who we are because we are using one more tool in a very conscious way to facilitate our connections to others.

There are times when we are in a staccato state of movement, like when we have made a list of things to do and we are working our way down that list, getting those things done and checking them off. I think of it as imposed order. Certainly in being efficient sometimes we need that as an organizing principle.

The rhythm of stillness is what we experience when we take time to rest, to center ourselves, to let our mind quiet and peace to permeate our senses. And we all need some of that each day as well.

Rhythm is an ever present factor in our life, part of who we are and everything we do. Being aware of how it works and using it to our advantage is one of the secrets to getting more out of life.

The Secret Power of Rhythm

Ancient calendars consisted of 13 months, or moon cycles, in a year with a very even rhythm to them. A four week cycle when the moon goes from dark waxing to full to waning to dark again. Some people speculate that church changed the calendars to the Gregorian calendar in 1582 which gave us the uneven count that we have today with some months having 30 or 31 days and one having 28 except for leap year to interrupt the natural rhythms of our lives. When people are off balance, they are easier to control.

What other events in history used rhythm as a control device? When slaves were brought to this country from Africa, the slave masters took away their drums, because they knew that if the people could play their tribal music together, they would be more unified and strong. But those rhythms survived in the handclapping and foot stomping which they carried over into the church music, and that is why black church music sounds different than white church music.

When Indians were placed on reservations, they were forbidden to do their dances and songs and even speak their own language. One of the famous unintended consequences of this was the grassroots popularity of the ghost dance which led to the infamous uprisings of the late 1800s. Again, these rhythms gave groups of people strength and unity.

There are certain varieties of fundamentalist religious sects that forbid dancing. Why? It might raise the energy of people in a way that will make them harder to control.

How else can we see rhythm at work in our lives? Sympathetic vibrations, as I discussed in an earlier piece, shows the power of the Law of Attraction. Rhythms we send out have everything to do with what we get back.

What about rhythms of the spoken word? Listen to any of the people who are considered great public speakers, whether they are comedians, actors, singers, politicians, ministers, or teachers. Powerful speeches or entertainments have everything to do with timing and rhythm.

Cadence is everything in training people to work as a unit in the military. Think of all those chants that they all use when marching and drilling.

What about cheering your team on at a sporting event? Rhythm plays a huge part in working up energy in that context too.

Poetry readings. Listen to how much the rhythm of the words affect the delivery and impact of any poetry, whether it is classical or contemporary.

Think of how your life feels in or out of balance, based on how smoothly you get your work done, which has everything to do with having the proper timing to the beginning, middle and ending of a job or task. Think of how smooth things flow when you are cooking, and this ingredient is done in time to blend with that ingredient. Rhythm.

Why do you think that certain businesses choose certain types of music to play. Notice the difference between a place that does most of its business as a bar, and a place that is a more elegant restaurant. Think of the kind of music you hear in a bookstore, and the kind of music you hear in a coffee shop, the kind of music you hear in a grocery store or an oil change place. Why? Different rhythms create different moods, different appetites. Think about the different kinds of music you might choose for working out, cleaning house, making love or reading.

Think of the important influence rhythm plays in all aspects of life. Feel how this component we take for granted is invisible, but its effect is felt everywhere. And it makes all the difference in how effective we are at whatever we are doing.

Rhythm is one of the underlying building blocks of communication, which is so pervasive that we do not always recognize it because it is so embedded in our being. One of the best books on this topic is Gabrielle Roth's Maps to Ecstasy. To offer you one kernel of wisdom from her writing, consider this. When you notice the rhythm that a person is in, whether it is staccato or lyrical for example, can provide you with an important clue in having a breakthrough in communication with that person.

Think about the part that rhythm plays in nonverbal bonding with other people. This is one of the roots of the way that we develop closer feelings with a person just by walking with them in a park or dancing with them in a club or dance hall.

We all have rhythms and rituals in our lives although we might not be in the habit of thinking about them that way. For example, when I was younger, I could just jump out of bed in the morning, have a cup of coffee, get in the shower, then get in the car and go to work.

That rhythm does not work for me any more. Now I always set my alarm to allow two hours before I have to go somewhere or do something. That two hours is important for me to get my day off to a good start. I always begin by having coffee, writing notes to myself or jotting down dreams, reading something, perhaps pulling a card and meditating on that, and only after I have done those things do I fix something to eat and get cleaned up to go. Creating that rhythm to start my day is essential for me.

Each of us has our own rhythms, and they are just as ever present in our lives as our generation of thoughts and feelings. We each have our own rhythms and rituals, but we most certainly do have them.

Notice the terminology we use. When we are in the flow, or in the zone, what does that mean? When we are feeling creative, inspired, motivated, what does that mean?

It means we have found a smooth rhythm to operate in, and this enhances our productivity.

When we are doing work that we love, engaging in a hobby, activity or sport that we love, we are finding a rhythm that enhances what we do. And when we are acting in harmony with our passions, when we are engaged creatively, we are more closely connected to our spirit.

The secret power of rhythm is that it has everything to do with how we are and how we are, and the people who are aware of this factor can be more successful in every aspect of life.

Can you see how this works in your life? Can you feel it? Can you hear it? Can you smell it? Can you taste it?

This is the language we all speak, whether we know it or not.

 

Our Annual Forest Fires

It seems not so long ago that big forest fires were more rare. Now, every summer we have a few. Right now we have 3. Is this the new normal? Are people going to start saying that you know it is summer because the forests are burning?

Is this global warming or just careless behavior? We have had forest fires from people throwing cigarette butts out car windows, people setting off firecrackers in the bone dry woods, people not tending to their outdoor BBQ fires.

I don't know the cause of it all, but I do know it feels strange to think of the onset of forest fires as the usual events of summer. Strange.

The Stockholm Octavo

The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann is a work of historical fiction, which is a kind of book I like to read for fun. The fact that a tarot reading features prominently in the plot is something that drew my attention.

The plot that the story revolves around is the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, which is something I knew nothing about prior to reading this book. So for those of you who enjoy a murder mystery or historical fiction, this is a fascinating read.

 

 

However, the main reason I am writing about this is because the reading that is part of the plot in this book is a unique method that involves an 8 card spread. Whether someone else thought it up or the author did, the Octavo is a brilliant spread that does indeed enlighten us.

During my 40 plus years of reading cards, I have made up spreads, and then subsequently found that some other tarot author has one of those in their book. As you know from having a reading with me, the spread that I have been using for the last few years is unique, and so is the Octavo.

In the book, the author describes it this way. “The sideways 8 is the symbol for infinity. It represents the eighth day after creation, when life begins anew. It is a part of the philosophy called Divine Geometry.”

“The card in the center represents you. The cards we lay represent eight people. Any events that befall the Seeker can be traced to a set of eight people. And the eight must be in place for the event to transpire.”

“The eight can easily be seen in retrospect, but by laying the Octavo, you can identify the eight before the event occurs. The Seeker can then manipulate the event in the direction he/she chooses. You need only push the eight. Think of it as destiny partnering with free will.”

What sort of event inspires the laying of the Octavo?

“An event of great significance, a turning point. Most have one or two in their lives, but some people have as many as four.”

The eight positions around the Seeker are named the Companion, Prisoner, Teacher, Courier, Trickster, Magpie, Prize and Key. The Seeker chooses the card that represents them. The reader chooses the others.

The laying of the Octavo is done on eight consecutive days, adding one card per day until the spread is complete.

I am now offering Octavo spreads. I realize that only some people can come back in person every day for eight days, so I can offer this by phone or Skype as well. You can be among the first to experience the Octavo and see what a part it plays in your life.

 

The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann is a work of historical fiction, which is a kind of book I like to read for fun. The fact that a tarot reading features prominently in the plot is something that drew my attention.

 

The plot that the story revolves around is the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, which is something I knew nothing about prior to reading this book. So for those of you who enjoy a murder mystery or historical fiction, this is a fascinating read.

 

However, the main reason I am including this book in this month’s newsletter is because the reading that is part of the plot in this book is a unique method that involves an 8 card spread.

 

During my 40 plus years of reading cards, I have made up spreads, and then subsequently found that some other tarot author has one of those in their book. As you know from having a reading with me, the spread that I have been using for the last few years is unique, and so is the Octavo.

 

In the book, the author describes it this way. “The sideways 8 is the symbol for infinity. It represents the eighth day after creation, when life begins anew. It is a part of the philosophy called Divine Geometry.”

 

“The card in the center represents you. The cards we lay represent eight people. Any events that befall the Seeker can be traced to a set of eight people. And the eight must be in place for the event to transpire.”

 

“The eight can easily be seen in retrospect, but by laying the Octavo, you can identify the eight before the event occurs. The Seeker can then manipulate the event in the direction he/she chooses. You need only push the eight. Think of it as destiny partnering with free will.”

 

What sort of event inspires the laying of the Octavo?

 

“An event of great significance, a turning point. Most have one or two in their lives, but some people have as many as four.”

 

The eight positions around the Seeker are named the Companion, Prisoner, Teacher, Courier, Trickster, Magpie, Prize and Key. The Seeker chooses the card that represents them. The reader chooses the others.

The laying of the Octavo is done on eight consecutive days, adding one card per day until the spread is complete.

 

I am now offering Octavo spreads. I realize that only some people can come back in person every day for eight days, so I can offer this by phone or Skype as well. You can be among the first to experience the Octavo and see what a part it plays in your life.

 

Contact me to get your Octavo. I am the first and only reader in Colorado to offer it.

 

 

 

Psychic Readngs with No Tools

People who have developed their psychic abilities sometimes work with no tools at all. In truth, when we develop our psychic abilities we are developing our abilities to tune and be the receiver of messages. When we tap into the place where psychic energies travel, we are matching frequencies and tuning into subtle messages that may not be visible or audible except to those who have learned to see, hear or touch in this way.

Some readers can see auras and images, some hear voices, others know by feel.

That is why when a reader is reading cards they may give a person a message and they look and wonder what card tells that, but perhaps the message just came through and it is not on a card, so the card reading is a combination of psychic impressions that are relayed plus the interpretations of the cards.

Tools then become helpers for the seer, not the whole in themselves. Tools help train us to see. Working with no tools is simply one of the variations in method.

There is another phenomenon that happens to those of us who do healing work. Because our energy channels are open when we are doing healing work, we may get other messages for a person while we are simply acting as healers. And at the same time, when we are doing readings for people, we can convey healing energy.

To do well in either capacity is dependent on our ability to open our hearts and be compassionate and to be willing to be a conduit of help for the other person. If we vow to be of service, first and foremost, good things always happen.

Hang Ups and the Hanged Man

An interesting way to look at the Hanged Man tarot card is to prompt questions about where in your life you feel hung up. Do certain situations or subjects always prompt certain responses from you?

Perhaps in looking at this from different angles and allowing yourself to think outside the square or think outside the box, which are phrases that usually come to mind when I see this card, what is presented is a challenge to change our thinking.

Sometimes simply changing our point of view is all it takes to transform our experience of a situation. Before we get comfortable with a new point of view, we just need to have a little time for reflection to embrace this different perspective and work it through in our mind until we can accept the change.

So when you find yourself wondering if your opinions, point of view or attitude about a certain thing is presenting an obstacle, take out the Hanged Man card and meditate on it. How is this current thinking hanging you up?

Hanging with the Hanged Man might suggest solutions that add ease to your life and more harmony with yourself and others.

What Is a Psychic Reading?

Whether a person uses cards, runes, pendulums, dowsing rods, casts stones, gazes into crystal balls or crystal points or just closes their eyes and speaks without using any tools at all, they are all forms of psychic readings.

Each of the tools is simply a way for the reader to focus their attention on what the seeker wants to know about. All of these tools (plus many others we have not named) are ways to help move consciousness out of the normal state and into the trance state. It is in the trance state that the reader goes beyond the everyday and out into that place where they are bringing through messages for the seeker.

 

What we do at the beginning of every session is to set an intention. So, for example, one person may want to get more insight into what their best career move is. Another may have questions about a relationship they are in. Someone else may want to contact the spirit of a loved one who has crossed over. Someone else may need help with a ghost in their house. Another person may want to know about their past lives. Someone else needs help understanding their dreams. There are as many reasons to want a psychic reading as there are people.

I know how to use all kinds of tools, but I have done more with cards over the years and I find that they open the way to other dimensions faster. There are some people who feel that way about runes, crystals or drumming.

The most important thing for a reader to do is to tune in. During the experiments that the CIA and the military were doing with psychics in the program known as remote viewing, the readers were simply given map coordinates and were asked to tell what they saw at those map coordinates.

Each method of psychic reading uses different training and different people respond more to one method than another.

Another method I have used is psychometry, where you can get impressions and messages by touching a thing that has another person's energy on it, such as a piece of jewelry, a pen, a pocket knife, a baseball cap, a stone or coin that they used to carry for good luck, or other things.

There are lots of ways to practice developing your psychic abilities and like all other things that we want to become good at, it requires practice.

Many times a person's first experience with psychic ability is accidental. In other words, something happened but they don't know what it is and they don't know how to repeat the experience. Professionals know how to focus in and access this state of consciousness at will.

Learning to learn is the first step. Psychic readings come in all kinds of forms. Tools or no tools, a psychic reading can help bring clarity, encouragement and peace of mind. And these visions can lead to the next stage of action. What you do with psychic insights has everything to do with what you want to have happen in your life. Are you ready to go for it?

Navigating in Difficult Times

People who have never sailed can easily picture that a sailboat is pushed forward by the wind catching in its sails. An amazing fact for those who have never sailed is that you can also sail into the wind, in the opposite direction it is blowing. This all has to do with tacking.

Today, our worlds are changing faster than they have in the past. Many of us have found ourselves suddenly facing changes in our careers and jobs due to unforeseen circumstances and decisions that were not of our making.

Many of us have also faced unexpected developments in our relationships or our health. In each of these instances, we have to change course in order to survive and regain our sense of balance.

Sailors on wind driven vessels, both large and small, refer to changing course as "tacking." This refers to changing the set of the sail so that the direction the boat is going changes.

The unexpected chambers that we find ourselves in can be navigated if we are willing to consider the unusual or outside the square options as well as the obvious directions. And this has become increasingly necessary as the doors that used to be open to us now close.

So if we take a lesson from sailing, we turn a setback into an opportunity. In order to do that, first must come the vision. One we have a goal and a desire, we take actions to get there.

Doors open into unexpected chambers when we think with our hearts and listen to our intuition. Moving in the direction of love rather than fear, we may find unexpected pleasures behind the doors we now open. We find solutions where we did not see them before.

It is like looking at the image on a tarot card and suddenly noticing a detail that we had overlooked before and realizing that it is providing us a much needed clue for what we need to do next.

Tacking into the wind is a great analogy for using different ways to achieve our goal. If the wind is no longer carrying you in the direction you wanted to go, you must shift the set of your sails because that is what you can control. You cannot change the direction of the wind. You can only recognize what has changed and then adjust your settings in order to maintain your balance. It is challenging, but of course it can be done.

Are the winds and waters of your life calm or troubled? Can you navigate to more tranquil environments? If you don't know how, there are people who can help you. It increasingly involves thinking outside the square, and the doors may look like tarot cards, or runes, crystals, invisible movements of energy or a person whose eyes can see things that you cannot see yet.

If you are willing to do open these doors, you will find yourself sailing toward your destination.