What Do You Hear?

Can you hear the music in the sounds all around us every day? There are rhythms in the wind, the sounds of birds and animals. There are rhythms to the traffic whether we are driving in it, or letting it pass us by.

Of course, we will never hear that unless we turn the music players off for a while.

There are things people say that we will never hear, unless we listen closely. It is in the tone as much as the words. It is in the inflection, the rhythm.

What do you hear when you listen to the rhythm of the world?

How do you hear the world when you turn of the talk radio?

How do you hear the world when you turn off the news?

What does the world sound like when you are just in conversation with other people?

What do you hear when it is just the sound of your own breath, whether in a brisk walk, or sitting quietly?

What do you hear in the sound of people working?

What do you hear in the sound of people playing?

What do you hear when there is nothing to hear?

The Magic of Weekends

Since it is common for people to work Monday through Friday schedules, Friday is frequently our entry into the place where we choose. Friday, named for the Norse goddess Freya initiates a time of magic.

That is why it is so frequently an evening for play. Freya was definitely a sexy, magical goddess. Various tales say it she was the one who taught Odin the art of divination. She could also mediate between the different worlds. In the old stories, she had power in the realm of her origin, with her people, the Vanir, and also with her adapted people, the Aesir.

So it is that we launch adventures on her day each week. We plan to do something fun, or perhaps we dedicate some time to learning or practicing those things which we have chosen, various hobbies or avocations.

Yes, weekends are magical, whether we use them to get much needed rest or do other things we do not have time for on the weekdays. This is our time to deepen our progress on our path. If we work a second job, perhaps it is one that we love. If we take the time to spend with friends, that is magical too. Think how fitting it is that tomorrow is dedicated to Saturn, the bringer of change, and the next day is the day of the Sun, a day to bask in radiance.

So make good use of your magical time, your weekend. No matter what you do, make it magical.

Dialogues with Spirit Guides

People often wonder how difficult it is to communicate with your spirit guides. In my experience, all it requires is a little bit of quiet time.

Whoever you think your spirit guides are, what they need is a little bit of your undivided attention. If you sit quietly or perhaps even walk quietly, and ask them to speak with you, they will. They need us as much as we need them, and they like to be acknowledged. After, they want to see us succeed. They are looking out for us.

At different times in our life, one spirit guide may be more prominent, while at later in life, perhaps another becomes more prominent.

When we need guidance, we need to ask directly, then listen. Sometimes they will answer right away, sometimes they take a while. The more we cultivate this habit, the more responsive they are.

Spirit guides can take many forms, but their essence is that they are here to help us, and they are looking out for our best interests. Spend a little quiet time engaging with them every day, and you will probably be surprised at how responsive they are, and how much easier it is to do this than you thought it would be.

Chupacabras

The wonderful thing about the chupacabras, the highly unusual mythical dog found in Texas this week, is that it opens our eyes to all the interesting and unusual creatures that also inhabit our world.

Here is a legend come to life. Will bigfoot be next?

Things that we wrote off as impossible suddenly come to life. What other varieties of life will we discover?

Discoveries like this wake up the mind.

Helpful Spirits

We often see what we expect to see. People who expect to see angels as people with wings will have that vision. People who expect to see demons who look like giant lizards will have those visions.

There are other ways to see spirit guides, and these are worth considering. This is why ancient people could divine messages from the flight of birds, from meditating with trees, from fumes coming from fissures in the earth.

Is it not a blessing to find shade on a hot summer day? Is this a gift when you are hot and tired?

When you are walking and suddenly flowers are there along your path, and these flowers prompt feelings of gratitude and joy, are these not messages that lift your spirits?

When you ingest plants for healing, whether as tea, tincture, salve, bath salts, incense, or as seasoning in foods, are these not messengers from the earth, healing spirits come to us in solid form?

When you have a rapport with animals and you can communicate with them gently, is this not a spiritual bridge between different life forms?

Why wouldn't helpful spirits manifest as plants, animals or stones as well as people with wings?

Sweating It Out

I have in the past been in sweats myself, and no one got hurt, no one died. I have led sweats myself, and no one got hurt and no one died. I have also been to firewalks. I have walked on fire and saw many others do it without getting hurt or dying.

I used to lead drumming circles and there were always people who came because they liked the energy and the feel of the circles, but had no training or experience with percussion instruments and drums. And yet, eventually, they all participated.

In each case, I always gave people permission to quit if they did not feel like they could keep up with everyone else. It was always my experience that they would get some value out of it even if they had to withdraw and sit out for the balance of the event.

If they were in a sweat and they said they needed to get out, they were let out so they could get fresh air, water and something to eat. They would sit with the firekeepers. When people were at a firewalk and didn't feel ready to do it, they were encouraged to simply sit on the side and watch other people. There is a lesson for people in that way too.

Drumming circles posed no possibility of physical danger as did a sweat or firewalk, but it was my experience, and I led drumming circles for years, that if you let a person join in when they are ready to join in, or leave when they want to leave that they will get value from the experience, and in most cases, when they felt ready, their energy would blend into the circle beautifully.

I no longer facilitate such events simply because I am focused on other things now.

Tarot readings, tarot teaching and dealing in tarot decks is my public activity right now and that is very rewarding. The daily challenge I set for myself writing on this blog is another.

I do a lot of one-on-one coaching and consultations which I offer in a private setting, and you can read more about those on my website. Some people do great in big workshops and others flourish in the one-on-one environment.

The key to all of these personal development challenges is to know what it is you really want to do and to give yourself permission to quit if you feel that it is time to quit. Focus your attention on what it is you really feel most important to do.

Nobody needs to walk on fire, spend hours in a sweat, climb mountains, go on vision quests, fast in the wilderness, jump out of airplanes, deep sea dive, drink ayahuasca or eat mushrooms. These are all just tactics we use to break through limitations.

We have all kinds of challenges in life and our first task is to decide which ones we need to meet.

For some people letting go of their concerns about not having the most beautiful voice, or not knowing the finer points of music will allow them to listen to others, join in, let their energy flow, experience joy and visionary states. It was said by another drum master that a person who does not know how to drum is one who does not know how to listen.

When I used to teach creative writing, one of the comments I heard often from new students is that they did not know if they could write. But after I told them that they had permission to write whatever they wanted and not to censor themselves, suddenly those very same people were writing good stories. They just had to let themselves go.

For some people, decluttering their own home and office so that they only have what they really want and really use would be a far more cathartic and valuable experience than walking on fire or sitting in a sweat.

There are those who hold onto every souvenir, every scrap of paper, old magazines, old newspapers, clothing that they have not worn in years, equipment from sports they no longer play and will never play again, broken appliances, and other things they have never gotten around to fixing. A person in this situation is really needing some coaching and support in the art of letting go.

For some people, learning to let themselves experience the ecstasy of orgasm on a regular basis would be far more beneficial than walking on fire or sitting through a sweat.

Each of us has different challenges to sweat out. Which one is most important to tackle first? Choose. Now if you want help doing it, ask.

Taking Action

Just as we might gain new insight into where we are really heading by looking at what we are really reading, watching, and listening to, and we can see what is happening with our bodies by looking at what we are eating.

So too, our actions will shape our outcomes this next year.

Just as we review what influences are growing in our life, what actions are we taking? Do we put on our profiles that we enjoy hiking even though we have not done so in quite a while? So maybe our first action is to revise that statement to say enjoy walking, and then get up every day and do it.

Even on the days when we might feel lazy, notice that feeling, then get up and get going anyway. Even if we start modestly and just walk for a half hour, it contributes to our health. Then after a while of half hour walks, a one hour walk does not seem like too much. And then maybe one day, we will feel like hiking again, going up and down mountain or woodland trails for hours. But for now, simply adjusting the truth of our statements to the truth of our actions is enough.

When I was recovering from a heart attack 10 years ago, I had to begin my recovery by walking 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening the first day. Then 6 minutes in the morning and 6 minutes in the evening the second day. Then 7 minutes in the morning and 7 minutes in the evening the third day. And so on until after one month, I could get up to 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. Every little bit of action contributes to the big picture, to the goal, to better health.

If one of our goals is to change jobs or change careers, we can take action by doing at least one thing to make that dream real. If we make one contact, research one opportunity, make on appointment or one inquiry, every day we step closer to our goal.

Each success is made up of taking one step after another, always looking for ways to achieve our goals, make our dreams come true. So making the transition may seem to be a large task, but every day that we add to our knowledge and make another contact and meet with another person or send off a sample or take some other action, that sharpens our focus and brings the result within reach.

Positive thinking is part of this process, but it requires action to be really effective. When we are taking action steps, we are also visualizing ourselves in the picture of our success. Being realistic about what we will do and then approaching it one step at a time will make dreams come true.

What do you want? What steps will you take to get there?

Comfort, Humility, Quiet Moments

Comfort, comfrey, comfort. As I read over all the wonderful feedback and testimonials from people who have used the comfrey/reiki salve I made, there is a very satisfying feeling of having done something well and worthwhile. Observing all the ways it has done good for people, the word comfort comes to mind. Comfrey, comfort.

Herbs have a way of comforting while they impart their magic and healing. Feel the warmth radiate through your body as you sip a cup of hot tea on a cold night. Inhale the fragrance when you open the door and return home and the lingering scent of incense greets you. Feel the sensuous joy of a bath with Epsom salts and herbs as they saturate your body and you drift in the water, melting away pain and stress. Taste how good food is by simply adding a few herbs while it is cooking. With the addition of a few pinches of well chosen herbs, vegetables and meat go from being simply fuel to exotic palate pleasers. Plants have always been good companions to us, and all we have to do is learn how to use them. Of course, they also add to the visual beauty of our surroundings when we have a few houseplants in places where we see them as we sit and rest or entertain.

Comfort from the plants imparts a spirit to our place, to our life, adding quality in a quiet way.

There is another quiet sense that comes to me when I go to the recreation center. It is a sense of humility. I am exercising for my health. There are some people who work out just to look good. They put in many hours sculpting six pack abs and big biceps.

For myself, I simply walk and swim and perhaps from time to time do a little on an elliptical or weight resistance machine. I find that I have more energy and uplifted spirits after exercising.

I notice something else. There are other people who are making an effort because they are also fighting for their health. I smile and make eye contact with others who are making an effort to work with their body. Some people have a longer way to go than others in order to reach their goals, but everyone who is out here doing something is to be commended.

It is also an exercise in humility when you have to work your way back into fitness and good health. We have to use an act of will to come back from our habits that let us become too heavy or recover from surgery or reenergize and reshape ourselves. And sometimes it takes a while to notice the improvements.

In this way, it feels good to be quiet and keep moving, doing what it takes to achieve our goals. Working in this quiet state brings me a feeling of humility and a different consciousness, and these quiet moments are full of life.

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.

Celebrating Our Lives

Every day, we are presented with possibilities. What we do with them is our choice. There is always time to start something new, from now until the day we die. New friends, new hobbies, new jobs, new interests. Everything is possible.

Years ago, when I was an avid hiker I remember meeting an older couple on a hiking trip. I thought of them as older because I was in my 30s and they were in their 60s or 70s. I asked them how they kept on going at their age. They said "We always enjoyed this, so it never occured to us not to do it."

I have also met people at dances who told me that they didn't begin dancing until after they later in life when they decided that they needed more fun to relieve the tension from work.

This weekend, reading at the Sex Show, I see both very young people who are busy trying out different things to mature people who are navigating their way through adventures in sexual experiences and aspects of relationships that are new to them.

Tomorrow, I will work at a metaphysical event, Mega Aura Palooza, where speakers will include an animal communicator, a ghost communicator and other psychics.

Not so long ago, people speaking about any of these subjects would have been considered far out and wacky. It was not that long ago that even buying a deck of tarot cards meant hunting for a store that sold them. Today, even the chain stores have a decent selection of them.

A public show where couples could go and view demonstrations of S&M techniques or tantric techniques to enhance and enliven their sexual lives would have been taboo.

When I was growing up and well into my adult life, I never heard of such a thing as a psychic fair or a holistic health fair. But today, I routinely participate in such events, which draw from hundreds to thousands of people, depending on how big the event and how well organized and promoted it is.

From hiking and dancing to tantra and sex toys to pyschics and people who can communicate with other dimensions, to whatever else a person might be interesting, the world is more open and unlimited than it used to be.

People are starting all kinds of businesses, from teaching people about how to get more out of their lives to making their own perfumes to helping others to create more productive websites to pet sitters to personal trainers, and all kinds of other things.

We are only limited by our imaginations. Celebrate life by imagining what you would like yours to be like, and then do what it takes to bring your vision to life.