The Secret Power of Rhythm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Our Annual Forest Fires

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

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

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

The Stockholm Octavo

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

What sort of event inspires the laying of the Octavo?

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

What sort of event inspires the laying of the Octavo?

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Psychic Readngs with No Tools

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hang Ups and the Hanged Man

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

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

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

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

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

What Is a Psychic Reading?

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Navigating in Difficult Times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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