Like Attracts Like? Like What?

Most of the limitations we have in life, we put on ourselves. What would our lives be like if we simply focused on a goal and consciously, continuously put into play the principle that like attracts like?

This morning, I was watching a documentary about young people who call themselves urban explorers. They climb around in abandoned buildings, tunnels, and what not, just for the sheer pleasure and excitement of doing it. What do they gain? Knowledge. Great photos. A sense of aliveness.

Last week at contra dancing, a man who is 80 years old celebrated his birthday. This was not a one time event for him. He never misses a dance and he never misses a beat. He does not limit himself.

Years ago, when I was an avid hiker, an older couple showed up for the hike. They were probably about 70. I asked them how they were able to still keep up with groups who were generally much younger seeing as how they were so much older than the rest of the group. Their response was that they always liked doing that, so they never quit, and it never occurred to them not to keep hiking. They refused to limit themselves.

During the course of many years of reading for people, I have heard people say all kinds of things.

What kind of limitation does a person put on themselves when they say that they know they are in a lousy relationship but they don't know if they can get a better one. But who could guarantee that result? No one, of course. A leap of faith is necessary to leave what is not working behind and see what other opportunities present themselves.

I once knew a man who said that he was dissatisfied with the religion he had belonged to for years. When I asked him why he didn't take up some other religion or spiritual path, he simply replied that he didn't feel like learning something new. These days we have all kinds of options, and many people make up their own eclectic spiritual practice. So we are not limited to official, organized formats.

If we want to create a new business, that may require working at it evenings and weekends when we are not on our current day job. Yes, that takes a lot of energy, focus and dedication. But will the end result be worth it? If you can be your own boss, set your own hours and be in charge of your own income, would it be worth it?

Please note, that I am excluding from the above examples those who have physical disabilities, those who do not desire a better relationship or their own business. Some people are happy where they are and have no desire for change. If that's what makes them happy, good.

Are we willing to focus on our desire to such a degree that we may clear all obstacles out of our way so that we can embrace our new selves, our new lives, our new possibilities?

I am probably not the only one who was totally befuddled when I was still in grammar school and adults would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Like other kids, I would just pull some answer out of the air. And then, of course, the answer would change frequently as I learned more and grew. Very few people choose what exactly they want to do at that young age and stick to it for a lifetime. Most of us change.

Our visions and our desires become shaped not only by what we learned in school, but by the people we lived with, the work we have done, the things we have seen and experienced.

And that is precisely why it can be totally appropriate to change what we do for a living, what we choose to do for fun, who we choose to be with, what new habits we adapt for the benefit of our health, what spiritual paths might suit us and any other change we might choose.

When we align ourselves with our deepest desires and then tap into the currents of energy in this world that are part of that flow, we open ourselves to more life.

It is risky yes. It is always risky to try something new. But the excitement and adventure that we call to ourselves can bring whole new worlds into being.

Of course, there are different kinds of risks. Trying a new kind of food is not the same kind of risk as ice climbing or rock climbing. Trying a new kind of dance or music is not quite the same as trying to create a new business. But all these kinds of risk taking are about getting as much juice out of life as we can for as long as we are alive.

What I am doing now is not what I have always done. There are new developments in the works, and now it is time to begin again.

Can you feel the excitement when you begin a new chapter in your life?

How soon can things begin to happen? Now.

A recent client had expressed dissatisfaction with her life in all aspects. She felt that her relationship, her work, and her living conditions were all preventing her from being the person she wanted to be and she was feeling very down about her situation. But in just a few months time, she has a new place to live, new romantic interests, and is changing her work and personal pursuits.

What happened? I worked with her for a while to help boost her energy and focus clearly on her goals. She took the steps to get where she wanted to go, and she is much happier now.

The principle of like attracts like is real. If you would like to put it into action, you can at any time. Isn't it exciting to begin a new chapter in your life?

Recent 2012 Testimonials

I always affirm that in a reading that I will bring through messages that will be useful for this person at this time. A reading I did for a client today affirms that, and I feel very good about my work, knowing that I have been of service.

"Your reading was so encouraging! I feel much better now. I was afraid and did not see my possibilities. These insights have helped me see that I do have options and I can pursue my dreams." ---Natalia

Testimonial: "Hi Dan- thanks for your time and care with the reading. I feel calmer than I have been and that it helped affirm some inner stirrings." --- Paul

"Hey Dan!!! Your reading for me a couple years ago ended up right on. I left my husband and I've moved back home with my folks in Philly." --- Krystal

"Wanted to thank you again for my last reading! So clear and guiding." --- Ian

"Thank you for doing my reading. It definitely clarified things, and I feel more confident moving forward." --- Carolyn

These testimonials I just posted are typical of the feedback I get on my readings. If you are looking for fresh insights into your situation and your prospects for the future, why not have me do a reading for you?

Why Isn't Mardi Gras on the Same Date Every Year?

The date of Mardi Gras moves every year for the same reason that Easter moves every year. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Why Tuesday? Because it leads into Ash Wednesday.

You see, every year the church sets the date for Easter according to this ancient formula. Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox. Hmmm......Are you wondering how they came up with that formula?

Once again, when the church was busy trying to invest ancient pagan celebrations with a new meaning so that they could once again try and convince more people to convert by pretending that what they had been doing for millennia was really not what they thought, you begin to realize the sophisticated psychology of the cultural shift.

Spring Equinox was traditionally a time for people to celebrate the return of the greenery, the melted snow swelling the streams, the softening of the soil, the planting of crops, the return of abundance and fertility after the sterile, freezing temperatures of winter. It was also a cause for celebration and a randy spirit inspiring people who may have begun to get cabin fever. Hence, the symbols of eggs and rabbits. What are rabbits known for? Ah, yes, bounding around humping. And eggs, birth and rebirth. Even the name Easter has nothing to do with traditions of a someone born in Bethlehem. Easter comes from the name of an ancient Germanic fertility goddess, Estara, also spelled Ostara.

In church tradition, Lent is a period of six weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday when people fast, pray repent for their sins, and so since churchgoers were in for 40 days of such grim proceedings, they had a big blowout prior to the grim period. Hence the costumes, revelry, parties, parades and bop till you drop attitude that precedes Lent. Guess if you believe in sins, then you might as well enjoy some big time sins before you start feeling guilty and beating yourself up and apologizing for it.

Sort of in the same spirit expressed in the song "Stormy Monday." Party all night Saturday then Sunday go to church and ask forgivenness for having fun Saturday night. Yep, I'll never do that again. At least not until tonight. Or next weekend. Yes, we realists recognize true nature.

So anyway, the fact that Easter does not have the same date every year, neither does Fat Tuesday. Hey, the date changes, but the party goes on!

A Brief History of Valentines

Before they called it Valentine's Day, it was an old Roman holiday called Lupercalia.

It was a lusty holiday that celebrated Rome's origins and the coming of spring.

Those original festivals featured lots of bawdy, lusty playful priests of Faunus who would run through the streets in furry loincloths, playfully striking with little leather strips. Women would bare their bodies so that they could feel the stimulation of these little leather strips. It was considered good luck and fertility magic to be touched in this way.

Was this was the origin of mild B&D play? Lupercalia certainly popularized at least an aspect of it. What other popular erotic enchantments had their origins in these ancient bawdy festivals? Obviously, the festival was popular and hugely celebrated for centuries, and among some parts of the population, it still is.

Lupercalia gets its name from Lupa, the she wolf who suckled the twins, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. They were regarded as aspects of the origin of the wild god, Faunus, the Roman god who was the equivalent of Pan.

As the church became more powerful, they tried to get people to abandon the old Pagan festivals, but the challenge was how to get them to quit doing these things when so many people were having so much fun? Even though church leaders declared participation in Lupercalia to be a sin and forbid people to participate, the people largely ignored the church's orders and rules and continued to party on.

So in the 5th century, the church tried a different strategy. They simply renamed the party that people were already going to, and abracadabra! Lupercalia becomes Valentine's Day.

So the church declared that in honor of an early church martyr, St. Valentine, the holiday would be a celebration of romantic love, affection and dedication. Little is actually known about this person.

That is why today, we still see these two moods intertwine. Valentine's Day has become a day to express our appreciation and love for our lovers. And it is also a day to engage in erotic playfulness, encompassing everything from greeting cards and gifts to entertainment and special romantic dinners.

Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" opens at the scene of Lupercalia, with Caesar and Mark Antony as participants.

During the Middle Ages, in the time of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, all kinds of stories about romance became popular, giving another boost to the popular holiday.

Because of the combination of religious and political power, they finally managed to drive some of the bawdy aspects of the holiday underground.

The modern greeting card industry dates back to the 19th century, and they promote the sending of Valentine cards (a billion a year, according to the US Greeting Card Association). Now we see promoting the sales of teddy bears and winter pajamas as Valentines gifts since the market is already saturated with heart shaped boxes of chocolates.

So if you are celebrating the real spirit of the holiday, it is to be found in lusty playfulness and embracing joy with the person you care most to be with.

Going with the Flow

Have you ever made plans for your life and then kept running into stumbling blocks that frustrated your plans? Many of us have.

One approach is to keep on revising the plan and trying different approaches until you break through. That kind of persistence will eventually pay off, but the price required will be to narrow your focus until there is only ever one goal in sight, to the exclusion of virtually everything else. Single mindedness of this type can exact a deep personal toll. However, it is a price that some people gladly pay.

Another approach is to be flexible and go with the flow of whatever seems to work. For example, one person who gets a great deal of satisfaction out of creating her art said that the act of creation is so important to her that if people don't want to buy her work, she would still do it as a hobby and make her money doing something else. For her, the act of creation is the important part.

For one person the goal is the most important part, and for the other, the process is most important.

Your greatest measure of self satisfaction is contained in knowing which kind of person you are. It's not like one way is the right way and the other way is the wrong way.

I have actually tried it both ways myself. Years ago, I self published a couple of poetry books. It cost considerable money to print them and it was a lot of work to think up different promotions, get them into stores on consignment and think of ways to sell them.

Later, I wrote a couple of nonfiction books and shopped them around to various publishers, figuring that this time around, I just wanted to do the writing part and let the publisher do the printing and distribution part. But first you have to get them to want to publish them, which I was unable to do. So I just put them away and have been considering other ways to continue expressing myself, and this blog became one viable option.

There are other avenues on the Internet these days. Artists can sell their own art on sites like Etsy or their own websites. Writers can sell their books as downloads off their websites or make arrangements for on demand printing. Musicians can offer downloads of their songs on their own websites or music websites.

Of course, sales may be sporadic unless you can get lots of people to visit your website.

There are possibilities. It is primarily a matter of deciding how you want to approach it, and which kind of approach you want to take. Go with the flow and see which way feels right for you. Either way, you can still enjoy the satisfaction of your creativity.

Remember, the first person to enjoy the fruits of your labor it you. How others regard it and what they are willing to pay for it is a separate question.

What Brings You Peace of Mind?

Questions like this can prompt us to make lists or try hard to remember, but it really is a simple question.

What are the things that you do that allows you to enter into a state where you experience peace of mind?

Just notice what you do. Often it is a simple thing, perhaps reading a book, sitting by a window watching the clouds change color at sunset, enjoying a cup of tea while listening to some soothing music.

Perhaps it is just going for a walk or singing a song or chant. How about swimming, feeling the water all around your body, and how even your thoughts seem cleansed while you are going through the simple repetitive motion.

If it has been a while since you did any of these things that bring you peace of mind, ask yourself, why? Why don't I do this more often?

Wicked Fairy Fun

After attending the White and Wicked Fairy balls this past weekend, there was absolutely no comparison. The White Fairies were pretty anemic, while the Wicked Fairies really came out to play.

Certainly the wicked fairies were more creatively inspired, with costumes or without. Without, you ask? The body painting was superb!

Wicked fairies certainly turned out in greater number than white fairies, and it is a certainty, that the wicked fairies certainly had more fun.

Wicked fairies are most colorful and tantalizing, and so they linger in our memories the same way as notable villains in crime stories, or the bad boy detectives that track them down.

So if you find yourself with an invitation to a wicked fairy ball, take it. And if you have to choose between white and wicked, choose wicked. You'll have a great time.