Goodbye to the Old, Hello to the New!

Yes, I am going to add my thoughts to the thousands of others out there encouraging you to let go of 2013 and all the things that did not serve you as you welcome in this New Year.

However, I also think it is a good time to be thankful for all of those memorable events of the past year. Whether you look back at 2013 as a wonderful year or a challenging one, I am sure it is safe to say that you, like me, had a mix of both!

At the beginning of the year, Spirit told me that this was to be my year to embrace my power. This did not mean that I was going to lord it over others or flex my spiritual superhero muscles or even save the world. I learned over the course of the year that this meant that this was the year to start having faith in myself, and confidence in my purpose and calling.

I experienced a wonderful few days at my first "event" in New York where I gave mini ten minute readings back to back all day.

I expanded my monthly classes to include a second location in the neighboring town of Leesburg.

I welcomed new healers into the world in my first Reiki I class after becoming a Reiki Master.

I had the privilege of joining a record number of couples into wedded bliss!

When a part time position became available at the Post Office, I bravely bid on and was awarded the position to give me more time to do my weddings and spiritual work. This was a huge step for me, to surrender a portion of my income that is set and always there to jump into the unknown of at least partial self employment!

I began writing my second book, which I have been avoiding for at least two years now, due to fear of how it would be received by people who have known me in my past and even in my present. There are things in this book I have never told anyone!

I was so privileged to attend a week long mediumship training class with amazing mediums John Holland and Janet Nohovac. I learned so much in this intensive week that really honed in my gift and boosted my confidence in this area of my giftings.

I am so thankful for each of these experiences and hope to carry them into the next year as I invite Spirit to be an even more present force in my day to day walk of service. My only request of Spirit is that I be allowed to be of service to others while also making sure that I don't overextend myself to the point of not enjoying my life.

If you are in a place of desiring to be of service to Spirit or in any way compelled to make your part of the world a better place, you may notice that you sometimes put yourself last on the list. For me there is always a blog to write, a class to prepare for, a chapter in my book to tweak, a soul to help. This is good. But sometimes I look back and realize that I am not having any fun! Oh yes, serving Spirit is fun in itself. But sometimes I need to put on my joy hat and just go out for a run or take a hike outdoors or maybe even go shopping!

If you are even reading my blogs then I bet you are someone who has a desire to be of service to Spirit in some way, or you are curious at least about your spiritual side.

Let me encourage you to have balance in your quest for enlightenment. We are here to make the world a better place, but sometimes we take ourselves too seriously! Serving Spirit should mean  doing those things that make your heart sing and your inner self dance a jig! If it doesn't give you joy, then maybe it is time to rethink something! Take a break!

One of my intentions for the coming year is to laugh more. To spend more time in nature. To soak in life here in this planet. To love more.

Sometimes the best resolutions are ones that are easy to keep. Sure I would like to give up some of those things that are not good for me, but for now, I just want to do what makes me happy. I encourage you to do the same.

Yes, I still want to be of service. Some of my most incredible joy comes when I give a message from Spirit to someone that delights them, heals them, or in some way makes them feel better than before.
When I attune someone to Reiki it is such an incredible surge of joy that it is indescribable.

So yes, seek Spirit. Explore your spiritual side. But if your spiritual practice is not giving you joy, then maybe you should try something else. Take lots of breaks. Laugh a lot. Go out with your friends and family and treasure the experiences that make you laugh.

This is my sincerest wish that you may find 2014 the year when you discovered a new depth of joy that you never knew was possible. When you healed from your past hurts. When you forgave those who in some way challenged or offended you. When you learned to accept others who do not see life or God or the world in the same way that you do. When you stopped being afraid.

Remember that you can't be full of love and full of fear at the same time. You can't be full of joy and depressed at the same time. Go for the joy. Go for the love. Let go of everything else.

And so it is.

Battle Scars

So the month of September was my month of quiet. I was not trying to post messages from Spirit on my blog.  I spent more time alone. I tried to meditate more frequently than usual. Some days I was more successful than others in my quest for spiritual contemplation.

I still drew a tarot card every day. Most of the time they were fairly good cards. I can't say that the entire month was spent receiving amazing inspiration and Angelic guidance. Most of the time the Voice that speaks to me was silent as well. I took this as a message that this was my month to reboot.

We all need that time when we reboot our internal computer. Just turn everything off and allow ourselves time to just enjoy our everyday lives. Get outside. Rescue a squirrel. Clean the pond. 

I still enjoyed teaching some classes and seeing a few clients. When the connection needed to be on, it did not let me down.

In the past week or so, however, I drew this card. More than once.

The first time I drew this card I took it as a message that it might be a difficult day. I might have to work hard to make any headway.

The second day I drew this card was only a few days later. Hmmmm.

I took this as a message that I didn't get the message the first time. (ha ha.. yes sometimes this happens.)

So I asked the card.. "what are you trying to tell me?"

I heard, " describe what you see.."

I saw the man. The wands (representing ideas, inspiration, etc.) were firmly planted behind him. He is holding one in his hand. He is looking off to the side. He is a bit wounded in the head but seems to be mostly okay. There is a bit of a scowl on his face.

"Joy, getting to where you are has not been easy. You have worked hard to learn the things you have learned, to accomplish the things you have accomplished. Along the way at times you have felt like you have been "wounded" by those who are not on the same page as you.. correct?"

"Yes, I guess you are right."

"It is time to let go of those battle scars. It is time to release and forgive any who have intentionally or unintentionally sent you energy that was less than loving or helpful."

I have been reading E-Squared, a book that gives you experiments on energy and teaches us that we are all connected, a concept which I already know and believe, but the particular chapter I had been reading had taught me that my thoughts, sent out toward another human being, are captured by their energy and known at a deep, if not unconscious level. I had always kind of wondered if the thoughts of others, directed at me at a critical or unloving level, could affect me, and this book theorizes that, yes, it does affect us. I had heard arguments both ways, some saying that negative energy directed toward us does not affect us if we are walking in love. Others say that, yes, it does affect us, just as if we love our plants and send them kind thoughts and words they grow better, a fact that can be documented by experimentation.  Or that the thoughts we send our bodies has a factor in our appearance. Or that the thoughts we send others is "heard" by their energy bodies.

We are all guilty of sending less than loving thoughts out toward others. How about that inefficient store clerk? How about that driver who cut you off in traffic? How about your spouse who points out your shortcomings but seems to be unaware of theirs? I think you get the direction I am heading.

My conversation with this tarot card seemed to be urging me to let go of my battle scars.

I thought I had done that long ago.

However, just to placate the "messenger" within the card, I decided to forgive and send loving thoughts to everyone who came to my mind who could, in my estimation, possibly have less than loving thoughts about me, or, for whom I could have less than loving thoughts about towards them.
I imagined myself giving each person who came to my mind the gift of a ball of light, symbolizing the light of love and acceptance. For if I say "forgiveness", I assume that there is something to forgive, or an offense that is in need of releasing the weight of. However, who am I to assume there has even been an offense? In "acceptance", I am saying in essence that there has been no offense, and I am completely accepting of that other person and any discrepancy in our words or thoughts. I thought it important to release any and every person who I have come into contact, either in person or by just the mere fact of having come into contact by some sort of communication (for example, by reading something that I have written or they have written). I also completely loved and accepted anyone from any previous lifetimes or even lives between lifetimes for whom there may have been any offense or assumed offense.

Is there someone or a group of someones for whom you have gained "battle scars?"

Are you holding onto those wounds, nursing them sometimes, or perhaps, wishing for some retribution?

Is there someone for whom you wish a less than loving "retribution"?

It is time to release those thoughts!! Believe it or not, your thoughts are like arrows in that person's energy field! It might be that they are small and relatively harmless, such as that "you idiot!" remark as  you slam on your brakes due to someone's driving skills. Have you ever had a sharp pain in your body that came and went relatively quickly? Who's to say that someone was not sending you a "thought dagger"?

I don't want to be the recipient of a "thought dagger" so I want to make sure I am not the perpetrator of one.

And then there are those "thought daggers" we send to ourselves.

But that is another blog for another day.



I love you all.

Thanks for reading.