Coincidences and Connections

Earlier in my life, I noticed coincidences but did not know what to make of them. Maybe you have too.

One definition of coincidences is when two seemingly unrelated things happen at the same time.

Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity as when an internal psychological state like a dream, thought or feeling aligns with an external physical event that cannot be explained by cause and effect, yet feels deeply significant to the person experiencing it.

The photo above contains three items that fit that description.

The first item is my father's and my uncle's (his only brother) dog tags from World War 2. Dog tags are military ID necklaces that you get when you join.

The second item is a book that was my grandmother's (my father's mother).

The third item is a coffee cup showing a map of Poland at it's peak, when it was the largest country in Europe.

Here is what is so interesting about them.

My sister has been cleaning out mom's house, and she found the dog tags and asked me if I wanted them. So I said yes right away. One psychic way of getting information is called psychometry. That is when you hold an object in your hand and pick up impressions from it. Most often that is done with a piece of jewelry or another thing that a person wore or carried a lot. The method also works on other things. I have done this for others with a variety of objects, such as a sword, a doll, a piece of pottery and other things that are not jewelry. So that is what I had in mind.

When she sent the tags, she also sent the book that was grandma's. That totally surprised me because she has been gone 50 years or so, and I never thought I would see anything from her again because her house was cleaned out way back then. Poland was the country where that part of my family immigrated to the US from, and so recently I have been reading books about Polish and Slavic history, and here is a book about that. You can tell it is an old book because it cost $1.45 when it was new. Been a great many years since books have been priced like that.

Part of my curiosity was tweaked because Poland and Ukraine have been in the news for the last several years, and I have bought tarot decks from artists in Poland and Ukraine. Plus the fact that there are things we pick up when we do spirit guide meditations, and of course, often spirit guides are ancestors. Another aspect is that my mother's side of the family was much bigger and so I have more information about them than I do my father's side. There were only a few of them and all of them have been gone a long time, so I am curious about roots.

By the way, I will bring the Ukranian deck out for readings when I receive it. Presently, shipping to the US is delayed due to tariffs that need to be worked out. Yes, tariffs on a tarot deck I am buying from a Ukranian artist. Poland and Ukraine have a common ancestry and that is why Poland has taken in 2 to 2.5 million refugees from the war with Russia. And yes, Russian people are also Slavic.

The third item is a coffee cup that caught my eye in a thrift store. I shop at thrift stores regularly and I have never seen a coffee cup that said Poland on it before. Since I drink a lot of coffee and tea, I always enjoy coffee mugs with witty sayings or inspirational quotes on them. So the day after I receive the dog tags and book, here is a Poland coffee cup. Once again 3, the number of manifestation.

Coincidence? No. At this time in my life, it is a sign for me that that part of my ancestry has something to say to me.

Have you experienced similar events in your life?

Another way of understanding synchronicity is that spirit is sending us signs that connect things for us. There are reasons why these seemingly elliptical instances help us see bigger pictures about our life. And yes, sometimes it may take us a while to get clear messages.

Sometimes that is what I do for others, and these ancestors may show up during past life sessions, psychometry, or other kinds of readings.

Notice what comes your way when you are focusing on a topic. Notice what seemingly unrelated discoveries pop up when you are in a conscious and subconscious flow. These things happen when there is something on your mind.

I have seen it with clients who are focused on making a transition and something unexpected pops up to assist or confirm, something they did not plan and was unexpected.

Has this been happening to you? What have you experienced? Does this resonate with you?

 

Where is the Lion's Gate?

Yes, I now that the Lion's Gate is when, from July 28 - August 12, with a peak on August 8, when Sirius aligns with the Sun, which is in Leo, which is why it is called the Lion's Gate. This gate also provides us with a where. More on that in a second.

The planet Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, which symbolizes wisdom, growth, rebirth and a cosmic opening into a higher consciousness.

According to Malidoma Some, a shaman, healer, and author, the Dagara tribe of Africa believe that they came from Sirius. Interesting how these things pop up, isn't it? Where do we come from? Where are we going?

We are living in a time of folklore and myth being woven together with science fiction.

You have to wonder if the science fiction authors were envisioning this future or were their works laying out plans that others could follow?

What kind of future do we want?

The number 8 symbolizes infinity, abundance, personal power, heartfelt desires, authenticity and leadership. Making excellent progress on bringing your dreams to life. Or bringing life to you dreams.

What areas of your life do you want to illuminate, so that you can bring your dreams to life? The Lion's Gate is a perfect time to light that fire!

So, you see this portal is not only a when, but a where. Where are you in your plans? Where are you in your life?

The Lion says "Have the heart to go for it! If you succeed, you have the life of your dreams. And even if you fail, at least your have the satisfaction of knowing you tried."

How many times have you seen someone really working hard to achieve something or solve a problem, and others are inspired to help them? It's that heart energy that makes the connection. It is human nature for us to help each other.

Good energy draws good energy. This is a time to speak up for what you want, and draw more of that energy to you. Your focus is intense, your results are more precise.

This year, the Perseid Meteor Showers run from July 17 - August 24, and peaks on August 12 - 13.

Lots of lights to see. Do the lights bring us new energy? New ideas? New inspiration?

What is on the other side of the gate for each of us? Are you ready to put your best foot forward on the path to your goal? Call up your Lion energy and go for it!

The image above is the Strength card from the Cosmic Tarot by Norbert Losche.

 

Who cheers for Who?

One unexpected source of pleasure and good energy this summer has been watching the humorous and lighthearted exchanges between all the various groups of World Cup fans. Videos of the playful spirits of everyone, players and fans, have brought humor and good energy to public places in a big way.

Soccer was not a sport we played when I was growing up, but my kids did. I can appreciate watching a good match, and I am always amazed at that whole thing about bonking a ball with your head and all the ways of kicking a ball while not using the hands.

Since I played baseball and basketball most when I was growing up, those are still the sports I watch most. And these days, the way I see the game highlights on You Tube. Once in a while, I go to a game at the stadium.

Of course, in any sport there are questionable calls, and in soccer, the rules seem more fuzzy to me than the other sports. When two players are chasing a ball while running, and they collide, it is not always clear to me when one player commits a foul.

In sports, we have favorite teams we cheer for, but in championships it is always fascinating to see the incredible amount of energy an underdog can generate when they get father than anyone expected.

The thing to notice here is how much the energy of the fans can inspire players to greater performances because the waves of energy from one group to another changes the whole atmosphere. Who among us has not been amused by some of these events? Don't some of their antics tickle your imagination? Have you noticed a lightening of the mood in general as people banter about the World Cup? To me, it has been a bright spot in this summer.

I don't usually watch a lot of soccer, but now I have a new appreciation of it and may check on it more frequently.

As we notice the interplay of energy between groups of people, think about the ways we use that energy in our lives.

How do we feel when we cheer for other people? How we feel when other people cheer for us?

Who is cheering for who? Who are the cheerleaders in our lives? What do we really want to see happen? Cheering can give us an energy boost toward achieving our goals.

Who are you cheering for? Who is cheering for you?

 

Our Heartbeat is our Drum

When we hear a drumbeat, we are not experiencing something new new. We are responding to the beat we have heard from the beginning of our life.

The entire time we were in the womb, we heard the heartbeat. And heartbeat is what drummers always start off with in drumming circles, the drum beat that mimics the heartbeat. The drum became humankind's first instrument.

That is why when doing drumming meditations, for journeying, heartbeat is a place to start. Heartbeats are used in healing sessions.

Breath was our first drummer. With every breath, breath plays our drum again. The drumbeat accompanies us from our first to last moments in this life. We know these things, but do we listen?

Hearing is our last sense to go when we go. That is why our sense most closely connected to spirit is hearing.

That is why the heartbeat can lead us on valuable inner journeys, using nothing but a heartbeat. Every healing has a rhythm.

When we measure a person's chakras to see how they are flowing, we know which ones need more attention. Similarly, there are different rhythms and tones that can help heal different people.

So certain tones and rhythms bring your energies into sync with a sense of timing that brings you backing into harmony. You know how sometimes you just get the feeling like this is the perfect time to make that call, see this person, or stop in this place, and everything works? You get what you need and it flows with your schedule, and the rhythm of your life is in sync, and agreement with others flows easily.

Rhythm. Flow. Now the aura is the other fluid, visible measure of how we are doing. Some will see the aura around a person. That is what aura cameras can show you. Some people feel the space around a person which either keeps them further away or welcomes them in. The rhythm of your life colors your aura. Different rhythms have different vibrations, creating different colors. When life is in sync, it becomes visible and tangible to others. Our perceptions sharpen and we pick up more signals.

Sometimes we sense that aura in other ways when we say that a person is glowing, or that they have fire in the belly. That is the light drawing attention to you, drawing energy to you. People are drawn to people who they sense are open. That is your gut instinct guiding you. Your gut instinct is one of the ways your spirit guides give you signs.

Rhythms. Feel the rhythms? You know when something is right for you because it flows with your rhythms. You feel in sync.

One time, Babatunde Olatunji, the great Nigerian djembe master, was teaching a group of new students to drum, and they just weren't getting the hang of it. So he told them to keep on drumming the way they were and told some of the drummers to leave their drums to get up and try and dance to what their classmates were playing. That's what it took for them to learn their lesson that day.

Our heartbeat is our drum. What is your heart telling you? The beat wants you to move. When we do, we flow into the rhythm easily and our heart sings.

We hear it in our own words. What would you really like to do? We sense that something is really calling to us and yet we allow reasons not to follow our heart turn our thoughts in other directions, and we lose the beat. We are not dancing any more.

Did you ever picture your moving through life, engaging in daily routines, as your dance?

Know this. When you are listening to another drummer, it is your hearing that helps you find your way into the sound, and merge with it, not watching other drummers' hands. You immediately feel when the beats fit together well.

Malidoma Some, a great drummer and spiritual teacher, said that "Anyone who has trouble with drumming has trouble with listening."

So in celebration of the Summer Solstice, this coming Sunday, light a candle and think about all the people who bring light into your life.

A great time to thank your spirit guides for all the enlightenment you have received through them.

Especially when we are going through difficulties and challenging times, we welcome in any new ideas, guidance, or advice that spirit will bring us to help us find solutions. What new information comes to light that encourages us to go forward? Outside on the Solstice, as you enjoy the rays, thank your spirit guides for bringing you the information you need to make wise decisions and give you encouragement.

This is the rhythm of the longest day of the year. A time when many of our herbs are ready for their first harvest. The setting of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

Harmonizing our energies with nature, our higher self and our spirit guides. Basking in the light and letting our light shine. Celebrate the light in your life and whatever and whoever brings light into your life. Let your drumbeat resonate on this longest day!

 

Lessons from the garden

Gardening offers gentle prompts in the most subtle ways. Life lessons and messages from spirit are everywhere when we keep our eyes and ears open.

For example, when we were planting the garden, a hawk perched up in the tree and watched us for a couple hours. Hawks remind us to stay focused on our goals. Use that long range vision to look ahead.

The gnome is enjoying the columbine that I thought had died during the winter, but it came back. He is getting a kick out of that. Before we tear something out and start over, we should always be certain that we are done with it before clearing it out. Plants with good roots will keep on coming back even after the freezing and droughts. Same thing with some of our business plans, and personal plans. We should take a good look so that we see everything clearly before we take action.

Garden snakes always startle us when they suddenly cross our path, but now we are used to seeing them and we know they are helping to keep mice and insects out of the garden. We don't try and harm them. As soon as they see us, they crawl back into hiding. Sometimes things that are unexpected can be very helpful. We might even like those unexpected developments.

Look at all the different physical arrangements we make so that plants will have the light, shade or water they need. Sometimes just moving a plant a few feet will inspire growth.

Then there are companion plants. Plants grow best when they are near plants they get along with. If they are not, they will suffer and fail. The same is true for people. When we are with great companions, we flourish. When we are not, we struggle and fail.

Yesterday while we were working in the garden, we watched a pair of woodpeckers nesting in the maple tree. There are a pair of towhees in the pine. The woodpeckers are all about persistence, continuous effort combined with intuition. They break through barriers to get to hidden opportunities.

Towhees are ground feeders and so they remind us to stay grounded, having respect for the natural world. They hop backwards to kick up leaves and see what is underneath. They can navigate dense, tangled underbrush. They look a lot like a Robin with white speckles on its wings and the bright burst of red/orange color on its breast grabs our attention and prompts attention to awakening passion and vigor.

When I saw the bees drinking out of the bird bath, the bees using the bee house I mounted on the pine, and see them visiting each of the flowers, I see a good omen for this year's garden. Lots of bees, lots of growth, fresh leaves and first flowers. We are efficient with our use of water, since we are aware that we have a drought. Drought doesn't mean you can't garden. It means you need to garden more carefully.

When we notice a change in a plant's behavior or color, we look at what we need to do. Change companion plants? Shade it more? More sun? Add fertilizer? Water more? Water less? Does it need protection from bugs, birds or squirrels?

Do we look at all the factors affecting our growth, health and happiness?

Working with the plants is a pleasure while making daily mental notes about what is working and what needs to be done brings a lot of joy even before they produce vegetables, fruits and herbs. A way to meditate right in your backyard.

 

Why do we garden?

Remember back during COVID, how there was a tremendous surge of people getting into gardening, cooking and baking? Yes, when we had to stay home, that prompted people to take up new hobbies. Many took on home repair or remodeling projects.

From the earliest times, we had to learn which plants were good to eat, which ones helped with healing, and then nurture these things where we lived. Not just farmers growing huge crops, but home gardeners. Once we settled down from our nomadic life, we wanted to have these foods and medicines available all the time. Flowers are needed for their beauty. Plants, trees, flowers, shrubs all contribute to a sense of home.

Now, as well as then, our sense of finding peace in nature as we plant seeds and watch them grow. From stem to leaf to flower to fruit, and see how the mood of the garden changes with the weather. And we observe how a little seed becomes a big plant. Watch how they respond to watering, sun and shade.

Our lives are like that too. We plant by the moon cycles, so we are feeling the energies of nature. We pay attention to companion plants. We find ways to get people to work together. Synergy gets better results.

Gardening is one activity that is universally practiced. It is the most popular hobby in the world. Why is that?

Because we enjoy working with life energies, finding joy and peace of mind from such a simple thing as planting and growing. We learn something every season. So we adjust as we see what works best.

From an edible perspective, growing food could help with a family food budget, but also the satisfaction of eating some vegetable or fruit they grew. And what better way to teach kids lessons about where their food comes from?

While we were planting, a hawk sat in the tree above, watching. We notice things like bird calls and songs. We keep binoculars near the garden so that we can get closer looks at them. The bird bath is clean and full. And the bee houses we put up have helped draw mason bees to pollinate our garden.

Take time to enjoy simple things and feel how peaceful and grounded you can get just sitting by the plants, enjoying their beauty, their fragrance, their touch, and notice how often you get prompts from spirit when you are doing this? Notice how new ideas pop into your head when you are simply being present with your plants. Aligning our energies with the energies of nature.

 

How do you feel?

All of the big changes we are going through right now are bringing us back to paying more attention to how we feel, now just how we think. After going through phases of life where we put thoughts first and feelings second, many of us discovered that we were losing our grip in significant ways.

Today, young people are entering into their careers choosing new paths because they are more conscious of the specter of AI wiping out some career fields.

When we choose careers that need a personal touch like massage, energy healing, yoga, tai chi, hair styling, aesthetics, nursing, medicine, physical rehab, science, engineering, and being a chef, for example, are jobs that AI will not be taking over. People who were not thinking of those careers in the past are changing their minds.

And the trades, like being an electrician, plumber, carpenter, welder, heating & air, tile setting, masonry, roofing, mechanics not only won't be replaced by AI. These are the skills that will build all those computer centers and energy centers.

It has always been best for any of us to do work we enjoy doing, rather than doing something we don't like simply to get a paycheck.

True, many of us have done jobs just to keep the cash flow happening while we were getting our own businesses off the ground and making solid progress. However, as soon as it was possible to leave the day job of side job behind so that we can devote our full attention to our real focus, we do that.

The plus side of AI and the Internet is that we can use it to develop other streams of income while we have our primary focus, and selling a product or service online can replace those side jobs. Example: Many people are selling on Etsy, Kickstarter, Ebay, Marketplace, Amazon, You Tube and Patreon at the same time as they are working on something else. There are probably a lot of other sites and methods that I do not know about, and that's why I didn't mention them.

We all have a gut instinct, which is our spirit guides helping to make our best choices by giving us a yes or no gut feeling. Our gut feeling can process our thoughts faster than the conscious mind. Recall decisions you have made and notice how often when you had a good feeling about a person or situation, it worked out well, and when you had a bad feeling, it did not work out well. Reviewing your own past choices will demonstrate to you how often your feelings led you in the right direction.

Notice how you might be offered an opportunity to make more money, but if you don't really want that job, and you take it out of fear, you will regret it.

Many people have found that being successful can have too high a cost, if that means that your personal relationships are failing because you are always working.

There is a satisfaction from a job well done, from being in a business you love, and the changes in the labor market plus new technology, and we savor that. When you get compliments on your work, it means a lot. It is part of your compensation when clients and peers thank you for doing such good work.

One of the other big distractions these days are all the social media swamping us constantly with bits of information that may or may not be true and may simply fill us with fear of we keep paying consuming that.

Let them is one of those slogans that many have picked up on. Don't worry about what other people think. Do what you need to do, make choices that are right for you. Worrying about what others think often stops some people from moving forward with their ideas. When we give up trying to control everything, we have more energy to focus on your own happiness and personal power. Yes, that is the name of a popular book by Mel Robbins, but certainly the concept has been around for eons. It is a popular idea now because more people are coming to realize how important it is.

Whenever we hear yourself saying "I better take this because I might not get a better offer," we are choosing from fear. Far better to be able to say "I would love to do that. I would love to be in that business. I would love to work with that person." now that is the feeling of being in the right place.

Be optimistic. It is human nature for people to help other people. So ask when you need help. Don't be shy. If you a reluctant, breaking out of that shyness can open up with a single question that will change your life. How do you feel about your options now?