Masking and UNmasking

Isn't it interesting how the masking and unmasking we do at costume parties mirrors what is going on in the world around us? The green leaves that sprouted in spring and came to fullness in summer now turn colors and fall to the ground, leaving only the skeletons of the trees contrasted against the sky. 

During the year people see us in different ways. One mask might be our professional status, the face which others see as we present ourselves as skilled individuals. Another face is our personal self where we engage in our relationships, hobbies, activities and other pursuits. Then we have our spiritual persona where we follow our spiritual path or our religious rituals. 

Yet, at the heart of it all, there is simply the person who embodies all of this. Where others may see only one of these aspects of us, few see all of them. 

Standing in our sacred space, reflecting on our place in the world, we choose which aspect of our persona we choose to present next. Consciously choosing what is next we may emphasize a different aspect of our professional practice, relationships, avocations and spiritual practices. 

So the metaphor of masks at parties reveals truth. The characters we choose to inhabit for an evening at a party is a playful way of trying on some other character or characteristics that we wish to experience. 

The masks we wear may be revealing the truth of the direction we desire. Yes, I know that one thought may be that this is only an evening's entertainment.

Now look again, for there is a root of truth that appeals to us when we choose to read the same kinds of books, the same kinds of movies and are fascinated by the same kinds of stories over and over again. There are common threads that appeal to our sense of who we are and what kind of world we want what kind of life we want, how we would like to see ourselves as a person. 

Masking is a way of looking at the world through different eyes for a while and letting others see us differently for a while. As we all have experienced, this can be very enlivening and enlightening. And that is why we look forward to doing it. 

Knowing this about ourselves is revealing of inner truths as we enjoy our revelry. Knowing this about Halloween is like appreciating the difference between soul cakes and trick or treat.

You see in the old days, at Halloween, visitors would come to visit and sing songs, say prayers or tell stories about those who had died this year and the hosts would offer them soul cakes and drinks in appreciation. The Celts called this day Samhain and it marked the beginning of winter. They would also set a place at the table for the person who had died, and this was called the dumb supper.

Ironically, in a far a way country which we now call Mexico, on that very same day of the year, the Celebration was called La Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. And on this day too, the dead were honored with their favorite food and people told stories to remember them and wish them well on their journey into the next world, and like the Celts, they also bake special breads just for this holiday.

In both cases, the honoring of the dead was also a celebration of life. The Day of the Dead prominently features skeletons dancing, affirming that life goes on on another level. 

So the sweetness of life and the recognition of the various levels of self that we consider on this holiday offers a great insight into what life means to us, how we see ourselves and the impact we have on others. Masks and treats of this holiday are other aspects of self hidden in plain sight. And the pleasure is that all of this can be enjoyed with a great deal of fun, illumination and imagination. It is delicious, isn't it? 

Gaining Control by losing control. How does this make sense?

We have all heard of that expression "one day at a time." I am getting an exercise in that right now as I continue to live where I live without a lease and without knowing what will happen until someone buys the property and announces their intentions. So each day I get up and give thanks for the opportunity to live here and for having another day of life. Whether I get to stay or have to move will be a decision that is out of my hands at this time. I appreciate each day for what it is and I do what I need to do every day.

It takes a lot of courage to trust that things will work out without knowing the answers to all our questions. It also takes a lot of courage to be open to possible developments that we had not anticipated. Actually, doing some research now is revealing some patterns that I had only been vaguely aware of before. At this moment I am keeping those discoveries to myself until I see how they all add up and how they may influence future choices. Suffice it to say that I am making discoveries because these factors are causing me to research and reconsider what I know and what I prefer.

Face it, it can be unnerving when we have a plan and it unfolds in a different manner than we expected because it took a different turn.

We all like it when things go according to our plans. But sometimes, it just happens that someone else makes a decision or takes an action that sets in motion a chain of events and next thing you know, your schedule has changed and your plans have changed.

Be patient. The changes work out just fine. Just like that old saying about when one door closes and another opens.

Sometimes we gain control when we lose control. Here is a simple example of a fun way to experience this. I used to lead drumming circles and still use the drums with people who want a different kind of meditation experience. By just listening and following what we hear, we feel the music and our minds are just following that track. Malidoma Some, an African drummer and shaman whom I had the pleasure of encountering says that "a person who has trouble with drumming has trouble with listening."

Consider that for a moment. When we become more aware and pay attention to the signs we pick up from all around us, we find new paths. We learn melodies that we did not know. Fresh thoughts come to us. And we learn to work with others more beautifully, more harmoniously. We play together, listening to each other, we find a groove and that frees our mind to travel. And we would never have discovered those paths had we not opened our ears to listen.

So you are not drumming, you say? All drumming comes back to the first drum, our heartbeat, our breath. As we are more observant and aware of our surroundings, we perceive in ways that were once not visible to us. Hidden in plain sight is also revealed by listening to things that we have not been tuning into before.

It's also interesting how sometimes pieces of information come to us that help us make decisions that we were not even searching for. Guess all you can say is that the guiding influences in our life must have intended for us to have those, whether we call those guiding influences God, Goddess, spirit guides, ancestors, angels or something else. So here we are. Once again making a decision that veers off our original course. Is that bad? No. Making changes often leads to finding a better way to do things.

If we allow things to come to us, they will. Sometimes not being certain will get us where we want to be, except that the process of discovery reveals that we are in a place that we did not know we wanted to be but it is working out well although it was unexpected.

And we can gain control by losing control.



* A note about the photos. The image on top is the 4 of Wands from Ciro Marchetti's Tarot of Dreams which is one of the decks I read with all the time. The bottom photo is Layne Redmond, one of my teachers in the world of drumming.

Lighting the Way

 

 

One of the beautiful aspects of this time of year are all the lights that decorate both public places and our residences. The lights work a sort of magic with us, inspiring us to simply enjoy moments of visual beauty and also trigger moments of reflection.

Reflection then lights our way forward, just as lanterns along a path do. Thoughts prompted by the winter evenings and lights find us making ourselves cozy at home in the evenings, and as we relax with a warm beverage, a fire or candles, we may suddenly find our minds recalling a person we have not seen in a long time, or things that we did long ago.

At these moments, remember what the best aspects of that person are (or were) and how that helped you on your path. When recalling something we have done that we are proud of, and things that brought us great joy, notice how our hearts fill with love and the warmth we feel is directly related to those memories.

Now as we contemplate what we are about now and what we are going to do and wanting more of in our life, keep that same warm feeling of joy, pride, satisfaction and peace permeating those thoughts about what we really want now. This is the fire in the belly that fuels our engine and propels us forward.

So in this way, the outer lights lead to our inner light and propels us forward. Bear in mind that when we light the way for ourselves, we also light the way for others. When they see us enthusiastic and enjoying life, they may get inspired to pursue their dreams too, in addition to picking up attitudes from us, like our habit of being grateful and happy every day.

The magnificent holidays that come at this time of year are invested with many fond memories and good thoughts and so we literally and figuratively bring light and joy into our lives during the deepest, darkest, coldest time of winter.

We bring the light inside to remind ourselves that this darkness is seasonal, and that as it passes, we shed burdens and redirect energy as we reconnect with people and create new events. As we dance, sing, tell stories and jokes and the atmosphere is filled with lightened spirits and humor, we light up wherever we are.

In our fires, we can burn off those things we are done with, whether they are things, attitudes, or ideas. And then we can light our way with fresh energy, warmth and light, letting go of what no longer serves us while welcoming in that which will expand our sphere of influence for the better.

There are not just little bits of light reflecting off decorations, windows, ice and snow but off of us as well. When we light up, we invite more people to share in our energy and we see more smiles all around us as we light the way for ourselves and others.

Is Your Heart As Light as a Feather?

In the Egyptian mythology, the goddess Maat weighs a person's heart, which they equated with the soul, at the time of their death, and if their heart is light as a feather, that person gets to move on to the next level of consciousness, the next level of existence.

Is your heart as light as a feather? Do you do the things that make your heart sing? Or do you plod through life not believing that you could be more or do more? Have you ever said things like "I hate my job, but at least it's a paycheck?" Have you ever said "My marriage really sucks, it has been that way for years but I don't want to leave until I get a better offer?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to dance, but I don't think I am coordinated enough?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to see that place, but no one wants to go with me?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to learn more about that, but I never seem to have the time?"

Your heart will never be as light as a feather until you ask different questions and get different answers.

All of us can make our hearts light as feathers if we choose from love instead of fear. We can make our hearts lighter if we are kind to other people. We can make our hearts lighter if we do things that bring more joy into our life.

When we are living with joy and love, we are radiant and others can see that inner light glow through us. When we are living with light in our hearts, we enjoy all aspects of life: our work, our relationships, our play, our life in this world.

Changing our thinking is the first step on the way to lightening our heart. Positive thinking can light the light. Would you like to make your heart as light as a feather? How do you think it would feel to live that way?

Mentoring Your Manifestations

I have been thinking about how we can continue our relationship in the most flexible and useful way.

What I mean is this. One of the main types of service I offer at metaphysical fairs is tarot card readings.

However, for steady growth and development, you probably could use other of my services, beyond tarot readings.

As a mentor, there could be a number of things I can help you with. For example, perhaps you would like to spend some time looking into your past lives to see what you can learn in this way.

Then again, maybe you would like to spend time doing some energy work, learning about your chakras, learning ways to clear, strengthen and heal your energy fields.

Another beneficial thing would be to spend some time doing meditation with light percussion or visualization.

Maybe you would like to do some dream work.

Mentoring can also include sessions where you simply want to explore possible paths and life choices that are presenting themselves. A combination of discussion, accessing my clairvoyant abilities and insights based on experience. During major life changes in career, relationships, spiritual development and more, this flexible mentoring approach can be most helpful.
 
I am offering a special bundles of sessions at a significant discount as a way of expressing my gratitude to you and to be able to offer you a variety of ways to help.

There is a maximum amount of freedom here. You are buying some of my time and energy, but how you use it is totally flexible.

Package of 3 half hour sessions for $129 (my normal rate for these would be $150)

Package of 3 one hour sessions for only $199 (my normal rate for these would be $300)

Package of 3  90 minute sessions for $299 (my normal rate for these  would be $450)

If you would like to engage in a mentoring program that encompasses a larger view and a longer term of development, consider this:

A series of 24 one hour sessions, consisting of 
2 hour life assessment session to clarify your life purpose
2 sessions on your vision for your directions, your goals
2 sessions to explore pathways to achieve your dreams
2 sessions focusing on your spiritual gifts
5 sessions on personal energy development
5 sessions of developing intuitive skills
4 sessions on self healing practices specific to you

This is a total of 21 sessions, and 2+1 = 3, the number of manifestation, the power of change in your life. The initial session would be 2 hours, and all the other sessions 1.5 hours each, or 32 hours of my time, for a total of $1899. This same amount of time, purchased one session at a time, would normally be priced at $3200.

If you would prefer to make all of your sessions one hour each (after the initial 2 hour session) for a total of 22 hours, the tuition would be $1299, compared to the normal price of $2200.
 
Because of the huge discount I am offering to mentoring clients, I am requesting payment for these bundles of sessions in advance.

Are you ready to manifest your dreams?

If you have any questions, please ask.

Transforming One Moment at a Time

Removal of self doubt is one of the greatest ways we can advance our own cause. How many times have we come up with an idea only to let it drop because we don't think that we can do it? Or we share our idea with someone who discourages us.

Those are obvious interferences. But often our failure is subtle. For example, when we tell ourselves that one day, we will do what it takes to get in better shape, or one day, we will have our own business. Or one day, we will have a relationship that works well. One day we will dance. One day we will sing. One day we will walk with someone who shares our dreams. One day we will make love like there is no tomorrow. Today is that one day, if we choose it to be so, and then follow through with action.

All it takes to shift the energy on these desires is to keep reminding ourselves that there are things we can do to make a difference now. That we are becoming what we have been thinking about, now.

As we remind ourselves that we are transforming now, becoming our future now, then the changes begin to take place immediately. Perhaps we do not get everything the way we want today, but we can feel our progress towards it today. Keep remembering to thank our spirit guides and the universe for all the good we have received so far, and be open to whatever they can do for us going forward.

And with each bit of progress, our dream becomes reality. Bit by bit, moment by moment, we make it real.

Celebrating the M Days

May is the month of M days. After kicking off the month with high spirited Mayday Maypole dances, the month then brings us Mother's Day and we wrap it up with Memorial Day.

With each of the M days, we return to the heart of matters. Each of the three M days is about heart. We begin the month with exuberant energy pouring off us, dancing for what we really want. It makes a difference. When we work up a sweat going for what we want, we are following our heart's desires. Is it even possible to work up a sweat for matters that we do not really care about? So we work up the energy to bring our dreams into reality.

Mother's Day is an opportunity for us to express gratitude to our mother. The purpose is simple yet profound. You don't really have to buy anything to express your feelings. It is simply taking the time to do so. As we examine our own story on this planet in this lifetime, lessons can be derived from the story of our mother and father. Reflecting on this story and the related stories can be useful in sharpening our vision of our own future. When Mother's Day is an opportunity to tell stories, there is an opportunity for enlightenment.

As we wrap up the month with Memorial Day, we give honor and pay our respects to those who have died in war. Begun as a day of healing after the Civil War, it was later expanded to include those who died in all wars in which Americans were involved. Then it also expanded generally to remembering our dead. It was a natural progression. I suppose many people who were going to the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of military veterans also figured it would be a good time to stop at other family members graves.

Memorial Day is a potent holiday because of course, we cannot conjure up the memories of wars without also bringing up feelings about why we ever got involved in those wars. I have hope that in the future we will be much more reluctant to go to war and much more skeptical of those who urge us to do so. Of course, I, like John Lennon, imagine different futures for us all.

In fact, those of us who are seers have accepted the challenge of seeing things differently, of being able to interpret the stories differently, of being able to see what others are missing. It is what we agreed to do with our abilities.

We do not always want to see what we see, and sometimes we do not like what we see, but as seers, we take a look and then report back to the one who is asking us questions.

It is our nature to like questions. I started out by picking up a deck and asking myself what can a deck of cards do? I started doing energy healing on others because I asked if people really could do that. I started to learn about past lives after I asked the questions about whether it was real and whether it mattered. I found the answers to the questions were extremely gratifying.

And here we are, celebrating the magnificent M days in the month of May.

So do a little dance to energize your dreams. You can start right where you are. Right there, in the privacy of your home, move around to call to your spirit guides and send your intentions off into the universe. Funny how the whole world seems a little brighter when your clear intentions are empowered by energetic movement. Signal to everyone that you are ready to get moving.

And if you enjoy dancing with other people, there are always places to go and do that too. Take time to reflect, then get up and move, stirring up the energy that will advance you in the direction of your dreams.

Feeling Your Vision

When you are visualizing what you want in life, do you also feel it?

It is one thing to visualize your success, your future, your desires, but is it only a picture in your mind? That is only the first step.

Desire is a powerfully important ingredient. When you think of your vision for your future, do you feel it intensely? Like a gut level feeling? Or do you just see a picture?

Try this experiment yourself. How much more power and energy is there behind your vision if you can actually feel it? Can you sense that time and place where it is real?

Isn't it true that we know something is real when we can feel it?

If we only think we can see it, it could be a hallucination. If we can actually feel ourselves experiencing that vision, living in that vision, then we know it is real.

Test this technique on yourself to see if you can verify what I am saying.

Picture yourself having what you want in life. Now see if you can feel it.

Your vision can be about whatever it is that you want. Prosperity, business success, career change, a new relationship, vibrant good health, new friends, a satisfying spiritual path, absolutely anything you want to include.

So picture it. Now feel it.

What happens? What's the difference?

Leaving Marks

We never know who we will dance with when we are open and enjoying the dance. Our partner could be someone we set our sights on and went for, and she can also be someone who we just happened to meet who suddenly clicks with us.

When the music is playing so beautifully and we are moving together with the music, it is effortless and we blend with the sound until our bodies move through space as dreamers who get from here to there without seeming to exert and muscles, simply flowing with joy together. Music, people, all one.

The music is always part of the background except that we are not always conscious of it. We get so used to white noise that we don't hear the dance of life that is going on all around us.

After the dance, we leave the public space and we come home. There were times when we left marks on each other's bodies, times when we were so hot for each other that we did not notice anything except the feelings that were penetrating our souls, consuming our entire consciousness as we consumed each other.

At times like these we were holding each other so tightly that we didn't even know how hard we were touching. We just wanted all the touching we could get. Our nails and our teeth were reaching to touch the part beyond the physical. If we left marks or drew blood, it was not because we were seeking pain, it was because we were seeking pleasure and we were holding tight so that there was nothing between us.

It is always about closeness and it is always about the heart. Long after the skin has healed and the marks disappear, the only marks left are the ones on our hearts.

Gratitude As a Survival Skill

Job searches can be very frustrating. Here you are perfectly willing and able to work, but nobody is calling us to come to work. What is even more frustrating is that today, often companies tell us to email your resume and cover letter and they never acknowledge us, interview you or let us know if the job is already filled. At least if we had a chance to interview for something we are qualified to do, we could feel that we had a chance or we might get some inkling that we didn't get it because they are looking for something else in the candidate, and if we knew what that was, we could learn it. It is frustrating if we see something listed that we know we can do, but the employer never even talks to us about it. A person can start to fill with self doubts.

The other thing that happens is when there are no jobs paying anything like what we used to make and you find ourselves competing for a minimum wage job that requires no special skills and we still don't get hired. Or we decide to try for other kinds of work and we are competing for jobs that pay far less than what we were making, and totally unrelated to our education and experience.

Yes, those are frustrating and discouraging experiences. I have been there too.

In the face of all this, incorporating a gratitude ritual into our lives can really help turn positive energy your way. Other people are drawn to people who smile.

To counter all this frustration, take a few moments to be thankful for the good things we have received today. Say it out loud to yourself. Make list and write it down. Reinforce the notion that things will get better and somewhere we will find an opening and an opportunity. Express gratitude for any good development at all.

This keeps the mind open. That is what is important. Focusing on where we got shut out or screwed over blinds us.

If we keep running into walls instead of openings, negative feelings will be the dominant landscape of our thoughts. So rather than dwell on them, look to other places where there are openings and kindness rather than walls.

Yes, sometimes that means accepting the fact that we have to change our career path even if we don't want to. Accepting that fact allows more time to explore other options. Sometimes when we are busy being grateful, we find useful thoughts. For example, perhaps a hobby or other activity we enjoy can be turned into a source of income. Even if it is only a source of some money rather than all we need, that is helpful.

Look for the things that went well. That could be the support of friends and family. This could be a bit of helpful advice from a book or article we read. We could express gratitude for new leads we have found, and the people who are kind to us even if they didn't hire us.

Gratitude for having a place to live, heat that keeps us warm and food to eat. Gratitude for good health and the ability to get up and go for a walk.

Gratitude for spirit guides who are looking out for us and are helping us, even if they seem to be taking a long time. I find the thought of ancestors as spirit guides particularly helpful because those who came before us figured out what they had to do to survive, and they would like to see us survive too. Since we are their offspring, I tend to think that good breaks and anything helpful that comes along could be something that they are moving my way.

Remembering to incorporate this simple ritual of gratitude in our life will open up channels to receive and help to attract more good attention our way, even if it is little by little.

Gratitude is a kind of survival skill.

Stellar Connections

I wonder what prompted the first people to look at the stars and see constellations. There are millions of lights in the sky and they have always been stimulating to our imaginations. Is that because we have some ancient memory out there? Or is it because the sheer immensity and beauty that extends wider than our field of vision and suggests the limitless possibilities of the universe?

So then what was it that showed people the constellations? Were they simply looking for their gods and goddesses in the sky? What made those ancient seers relate those alignments to people and their personalities?

Now that we have had how many generations of people working with this model of thinking, and we see how the planets relate to our personalities and the constellations represent archetypes in people. Today it is common conversation for peoples to talk about the personalities of Leo, Scorpio, Pisces, Virgo, Aries, Aquarius and all the rest.

What was the thought process that led early people to look up at the sky and make these connections? Where else might we find connections?

Light, Shadows and Love Without Measure

When you see a face that looks familiar, what do you do? Do familiar faces make you feel like you are getting a "do-over" or a reminder of a past experience that provided a powerful lesson? So if this face belongs to someone else, it stirs feelings in you, but different feelings in them.

It is the play of shadow and light that illuminates our visions. When we see what is on the screen that plays in our mind, how many of these shadows form the movies that we watch?

It is all shadow and light, you know. Movies, they are all shadow and light. Memories. They are all shadow and light. Look at how we look when we think we see something and we are awakened to the possibilities.

Have you noticed that look that sometimes lights up another person's eyes when they think they have recognized you? You know that puzzled look like they are trying to remember where they saw you before?

Then after you speak and you know that you don't know this person, they still have this look in their eyes like they still are remembering who they are remembering even though you are not the one they were thinking of.

It is all shadow and light.

How much of the world we inhabit is shadows and light? Who is remembering what? It is all shadow and light.

Do you ever feel like you are walking through a forest and cannot find your way out? Do the trees look like the ones you passed coming in, yet the more you look, the more you cannot tell? Is there an in and an out?

What frequency is normal? What does it mean that we recognize but do not recognize? Is it that we are finally getting the lessons?

There are names that go with every face. There are faces we associate with all the phases of our life. There are times when we get an opportunity to do it over, and do it right this time.

There are faces of light and shadow, there are sorrows of great depth, and loves without measure. In our waking moments, our aliveness brings us to a new state of awareness, constantly. They speak to us of second chances.

The wheel turns, but not without giving us another look. Karma, coincidence, sorrow, joy, light and shadow. It is your movie. It is my movie. It is our movie.

Yes, there have been sorrows of great depth, and these shadows are the reminders that we are still alive and that there is also love without measure, and with these we can fashion new pictures, new images, new movies. It is all shadow and light. And love without measure is the only balm that lets us start over with a clean slate.

There are no ghosts in our shadow land that do not respond to love. Yes, it takes some of us longer than others to recognize the true faces of the shadows.

Keeping in Touch

Lately I have been looking for ways to keep in touch with my previous clients and people I have read for at many of the public events, festivals and fairs I have worked over the last four years.

I am about to begin using an email service since my list is so large that it is impractical to do this out of my regular email account.

There are so many choices. I cannot even remember them all. I cannot even remember all the directory listings I have signed up for.

So the email manager will allow me to send out messages to my entire mailing list on a regular basis. I know that every time I do a mail out, I get results, so I will go that way next. This blog will continue.

Those of you who do not wish to get a more frequent email can just opt out. So don't be surprised when you see the new emails. It will be a monthly newsletter.

We just have to keep on trying new things to see what works.

What Do You Feel?

What do you feel as you go through your day? What do you feel as you go through your night?

Do you let your feelings guide your actions? Do you heed them or disregard them?

When you have a decision to make, do you follow your feelings, or ignore them?

There are things we know through our senses. We know what oranges, lavender and smoke smell like, what wool, cotton and skin feel like. We know what the moon, pine trees and mountains look like. We know how tomatoes, chocolate and bacon taste.

These are examples of things we know. We know them through our senses and our feelings. That is different than the knowledge we have because we saw or heard an announcement or a report.

It's not the same kind of knowing that we get from feeling, is it?

What we know from feeling is more personal. What we acquire from other sources is less personal, less familiar, less important.

Ever heard the saying that all news is local? Here's an example. Are you more concerned that a store that you used to like to shop at in your neighborhood went out of business, or the fact that there is a war going on thousands of miles away? Are you feeling more concerned that you need to do something about the fact that your clothes are fitting tighter now than they did last year, or the fact that some country you will never visit has corrupt elections?

When you have to make a decision about who to love or what kind of job you will do for money, are you guided by personal knowledge or abstract knowledge?

Personal is powerful. Feelings have their root in survival instincts.

What do you feel? So what do we do now? Of course, if something feels good we want more of it. If something does not feel good we want less of it.

Feelings lead us to the people we enjoy being with. Feelings lead us to the work we find satisfying to do.

What Do You See?

Notice how the scenery always changes, even if you are not going anywhere. How can that be?

When our state of mind changes, our perception changes. When our feelings change, our moods change, and so we see things in a different light.

Just like you can drive down the same road to work every day and then one day see something new, not something newly built, something that was there all the time and you just didn't see it until now. How could that happen? How aware are we of the world around us every day?

So look around you. Do you see a world of helpful people? Or not? Do you see a world of friendly people? Or not? Do you see a world full of interesting people? Or not?

What influences what you see? Did you ever see it differently than you do now?

If you would like to change what you see, what would you need to do?

Dancing, Healing, Spirits

Some psychics smoke cigarettes to ground when they are taking a break. Some eat sweets. Me? I like a shot of scotch. And I dance. Let me note right here that I don't drink while I work. Not even when I am working parties or events where they are serving liquor. I have my scotch after work, when I get home. I am always sober when I am reading. I know there are people out there who might think that psychics should just do things like eat vegetarian and do yoga in between doing their psychic work, but that's not really how it works. Put a plate of BBQ ribs or meatballs in the break room at a psychic fair and watch them disappear.

This year, I felt the veil part about a month before Samhain, and I have been asked to do work I do not ordinarily get called on to do. The events I have been working have been very busy for me, and I have felt the energy open up new channels. It has been a profoundly heavy time this year.

Tonight, and a few nights recently, I have done something I have not done in a long time. I went to bars that feature blues or rock, and I drank and danced.

You may not think that is noteworthy, but here's why. Years ago, I used to dance every week. You could count on seeing me at contra dancing every Friday evening. Then I tried some other forms. One of my inspirations was a guy in Atlanta who told me that he took off a lot of weight and kept it off by dancing. He danced several nights a week. One night was contra, one night was Cajun, one night was Irish, one night was waltzing, one night was swing. He asked one question. "What's more fun? Going to a gym, lifting weights and walking on a treadmill, or dancing with women?"

I didn't have to think long. And I danced more. And I always felt good when I danced.

When I moved to Colorado, I started doing the Dances for Universal Peace as well as the contra dances.

Then I met a woman who did not care for the dances I took her to when we started dating, so I quit dancing to spend more time with her. She didn't take me up on my offer to go dancing in bars either. As a result, years went by without me dancing again. I missed it. But you do crazy things sometimes when you are in love.

So that relationship is over, and recently I felt the urge to start dancing again. I actually was kind of hesitant wondering to myself whether I would like it as much as I used to after a long layoff. A couple of people encouraged me, and I am so glad they did.

Even though putting my foot back in the dancing water began with having a drink and asking women to dance in a bar, my energy really perked up just from doing that. Next week I will start contra dancing again. Then we will see what comes next.

This I know. Dancing is the antidote to a lot of things that bring our spirits down. It must be the endorphins or whatever that kick into gear when we get up and dance.

Or maybe it is just the heart that enjoys the aerobic exercise. The heart also enjoys the touch and the eye contact with a dance partner. Dancing is very healing.

Closure

Sometimes there are chapters of our lives that cry out for the proper ending. We feel incomplete or out of sorts unless we can put things in perspective through some word or action that lets us feel that we have completed our work in that part of our life, or said what we really wanted to say in order to let go and move on.

For lack of this aspect of completion, a person could walk around feeling ill at ease in their own skin. Until they reconcile their feelings with what happened, they often may be out of sorts in their dealings with others who had nothing to do with the reason for their upset.

Of course, it is best if you can reach this closure with people in real life who were involved in the events or situation. That is often optimal.

However, sometimes, the person with whom you would like closure is dead, or lives far away, or for other reasons you choose not to contact them.

In that case, closure can be done ritually, through special ceremonies. In one case, I assisted a woman who needed to put to rest her grieving over a miscarriage that had happened a number of years earlier. After the ritual, she found peace with that issue for the first time in years.

In another case, a person needed to release a grievance over an injustice from years before. In another case, a person simply wanted a meaningful ritual to say farewell to a parent who died when they were not there.

I was also present one evening when a person performed a ritual act to signal closure to his old career.

When we do such things, we can experience a feeling of peace that we have acknowledged that a significant part of our life has ended and we say farewell to that as we prepare to begin our next chapter and set out on our next adventure.

Is there an area of your life that you feel needs closure? Have you ever thought about addressing that in a ritual context?

It is a powerful and life affirming act. It can also help us draw wisdom and compassion from those life lessons.

This is a powerful form of alchemy and an act of magic that we perform to transform sadness into a creative force, and bring peace from chaos, to bring understanding and compassion from confusion and hurt.

If you have a feeling that such an act of closure is needed, then the time is now. There is even love among the ruins of what once was, and that is always left to the gleaners who know how to find value and nourishment in the parts that have been left behind.

And it is always the survivors who are the beneficiaries, although the ghosts will often take the ritual as their cue, and take their leave, finally breaking their earthly bonds and moving on. Ghosts are not just spirits of the dead who have not crossed over. Relationships and careers have ghosts too, and sometimes these cast long shadows, until our fires cast enough heat and light to burn them away.

Ferocious

Our natural appetite for love is ferocious. A panoramic vision, a desire boldly stated. Larger than the small lives that some of us settle for. Those who would not describe it that way have simply tamped it down. Who does not feel the yearning, the desire? Who does not know that they contain this fire within them? It can get tamped down if we allow ourselves to think that we do not deserve to be able to feed this fire, or if we think it is not possible.

What could be bigger than our desire for love? What differs from person to person is how we get it.

When we are trying to express ourselves as part of a couple, what really determines how well we are matched is how our ferocious appetite is fed, or not fed, by our partner.

Our ferocious appetite is sometimes tamped down when we are allowing other interests in life, such as our work, to divert attention from it. Work, when it is a labor of love, can feed our ferocious appetite. But in so many of our lives, we may be doing work that is simply trading time for a paycheck.

Our ferocious appetite is really about the love in our life. Everything else is second to that.

Why do I use the term ferocious? Because it is wild, large and primal. Because it is the force that motivates us, drives us to do whatever we do, drives whatever relationships we form and cultivate.

The ferociousness of our desire is what teaches us to be brave, strive for what we really want and wrap our arms around it. The ferociousness of our desire has everything to do with how great a vision we pursue and how we go about it.

Great loves produce great results. Look around you. Those who have ferocious appetites for love and pursue them make great impacts on the world. The people all around them can feel it.

Our ferocious appetite for love needs to be fed, and if it is not, we will be consumed by not feeding it.

Navigating Through the Scary Parts

When we have come to a turning point in our lives, and our plans must change, navigating by our feelings proves to be our most reliable guide. As we tune into a consciousness other than the everyday consciousness, we can see openings that we did not see before. Pathways appear and open. As part of this process, we find ourselves letting go of our previous plan.

Courage is what are calling on when we proceed even in the face of fear, going ahead even though we have doubts. That is why taking risks causes us to get goose bumps and opens our senses to a hyper-aware state. Every breath awakens us to a more intense state of awareness. Our eyes open wider, our hearing becomes more acute, our sense of the energies all around us becomes fine tuned. It is love that that gives us the strength to face fear and embrace change. Fear may give us a jolt and make change necessary, but it is love that allows us to proceed along our path to nourishment, healing and success. Our heart is the true center of our body and soul, and our feelings are the heart's messengers.

Knowing that does not mean that we do not feel fear. In fact we feel it deeply, because it is the other motivator in our lives that is as powerful as love. At times, those two power sources can run side by side, propelling us through the gates of our next peak experience, over the top of our next threshhold.

If we follow our feelings from the jolt, we will be able to find our way through the scary parts and manifest an even better future. Radical change is like that lightning bolt that illuminates, electrifies, and spurs us into action.

If we have lived a life where we are used to getting what we want, we can become scared when we are jolted into change. If we have lived a life where we are not used to getting what we want, it can be scary when we manifest what we do want. Either way, we are summoned to continue our journey.

Halloween costumes and haunted houses can be scary, but not nearly as scary as setting off on a new path and making radical changes in our life.

Whether we are putting on or taking off costumes and masks, moving forward on our path may require yet another change in identity. Which of these identities is temporary, and which is permanent?

The Journey of the Heart

Our heart is our center in so many ways. It is the midpoint of our energy systems. It is our source of courage and strength. It is the symbolic heart of our love life, our relationships. It is where our feelings are most powerful. Giving and receiving love keeps us alive and vibrant. When we feel pain or joy, it can be felt there most powerfully. How can a person live without being in touch with their heart center?

Do we have reservations about opening our heart? Past experiences can cause that. In our heart is the memory of our love life. In our heart lives the record of our feelings. We may have even forgotten specifics over time, we navigate by these traces of the maps of our lives. Over time, some of the images and pathways have faded, but being human, we pursue the paths to joy and make efforts to avoid the paths to sorrow, although these can never be completely separated. Love and loss are intertwined. Healing comes when we follow the strongest paths to love most of the time.

Love can move us along pathways that we did not know were there before. At times we are explorers discovering parts of our own map of our bodies and souls that we did not even know were there.

We may have been operating earlier in our lives on the theory that there are certain ways that love is always expressed. And sometimes, rather than lose our contact with love, however tenuous, we search every corridor of the heart, looking for ways to keep it alive.

Some bonds, once forged, are so durable that they are indestructible. Part of our life experience is this journey of the heart, feeling our way along these pathways, knowing what we know by having lived through every moment, and moving along, step by step, in the flow of life, whether or not we can see where we are going. It is about the journey.