Three of Pentacles

Today your hard work may be recognized.  You may be working with others on a project or lending your expertise to those who could benefit from your skills. Don't be afraid to collaborate with those with whom you may feel you have nothing in common. All will benefit from the collaboration.

Seven of Clubs

When I picked this card this morning I had just picked up the deck and this one was on the bottom of the deck. I noticed it, and then shuffled the deck and drew. Here it is again. As it appears, this card represents  a conflict. Sometimes it represents an inner conflict since there are no other people in the picture. You may feel backed into a corner or that you have run out of options. If this is the case, know this. You are never out of options. This too shall pass. Sometimes it helps if you spend a little time just sitting quietly and sending love to yourself and to any other people involved in the conflict. Ask yourself: what else is possible?

If today's message speaks to you, know you can always rise above conflict, even if the conflict is within your own soul. I send you love and light to a peaceful resolution.

Page of Pentacles

Today is a day to learn something new. Maybe it is a good day to reexamine what things are most important to you. Decide where to invest in yourself and your future.  Maybe sign up for a class and learn something new. The theme for today is value. What is valuable to you and how are you going to run with that information?

Ska Kanga--- White Bird

A few years ago when I first started sharing my intimate experiences with shamanism, I was contacted by a Lakota medicine man via email. He wanted to know what credentials I  had to call myself a shaman. Shamanism and Native American medicine are a holy belief system, and many call themselves shamans who have no connection with the real craft.

I admitted to him that I had studied with some different traditions, but did not call myself a shaman and did not feel I had the right to do so. Callling someone a shaman should come from the community that the shaman serves. I do practice shamanism, and Spirit has given me some gifts and information directly that did not come from any teaching I have received. I teach a version of shamanism which I like to call an ingredient in the Cosmic Soup that I have either learned or been given directly by Spirit.

We emailed back and forth a couple times, and I related an experience that I had early on in my spiritual quest when I first began to study different belief systems. I was in a group meditation, and the facilitator had put on some Native American music. Imediately I had a vision of being in a Native American community. I was dead, and I was sitting atop a tall structure seemingly made out of wood. I was looking down on my beloved community, crying with them because I did so much love them. I realized that I was having a previous life memory.

After a few moments of experiencing the grief of leaving my beloved community, in my vision I turned into a large white bird and flew away.

At this point, after sharing my story, my new Native American friend gave me a Lakota name: Ska Kanga, which means White Bird. Apparently it is significant in his culture and from then on we were email friends.

Recently I purchased two handmade drums from him. He hand crafted them while sitting in ceremony and they are very special to me. I have since used them in my practice with clients with some amazing results.



I guess my message is this. I tell this to my students in every class I teach.

Credentials are worthless. I can teach you Reiki and give you a certificate that says you have passed whatever level you have taken from me. I can teach you everything I know and give you a paper that says that you studied with me. But your credentials are the difference you make in people's lives. Are you benefiting those who come to you for help?

If I cease making a difference in my client's lives then I will take down my website and my Facebook page and I will sit on the beach or be content with my "other" job at the Post Office.

Ska Kanga is my Lakota name. I am honored to have been gifted this name by my Lokota friend/medicine man. But my connection with Spirit is the credentials I most covet. I want to make a difference in the lives of those to whom I am given the opportunity to serve.

If you desire to connect with Spirit through me, you can contact me HERE.

Blessings to you as you navigate your path through this life and find your contribution to the planet.

Queen of Wands

Today is a wonderful day to own your power. Count your blessings and know that you are completely in charge of how the rest of your life turns out. You are not a victim of circumstances! Although we cannot always control the things that happen to us, we are totally in control of how we deal with those things. Choose to always react with love and watch your life transform!

Theme for the Year: Effortless

Every year in January I connect with Spirit and ask my Higher Power for a theme for the year. I ask that my theme be one word, and one that I can easily remember and refer back to. Last year my theme was: shine. I can say that my word completely reflected my experience throughout the year. I had more opportunities to use my gifts than ever before. I received a lot of new clients and students. It truly was a year to remember.

This year Spirit gave me the word effortless. My intention that my earth experience be effortless in every way. Spirit gave me my word about a month ago. Immediately I put the word into action. Whenever I would get frustrated or things seemed difficult, I would remind myself of my word and circumstances seemed to shift so that things became easier.

I am not questioning Spirit on why They gave me my word a month early. Maybe I needed to hear it. December tends to be a difficult month and this year it was EFFORTLESS.
I suggest you take a little time and receive your theme for the year. You will be amazed at how accurate your word will reflect your experience.
If you like, I would love to hear the word Spirit gives you!

The Hierophant

Today is a day to think about others and about your part in the Higher Plan. Whatever your belief system think about how you fit into the Big Scheme of Life and what you can do to make the world a better place. Whether it is picking up trash on the road or donating to a worthy charity, remember that one small act done in love makes the world a little brighter.

Two of Pentacles

Do you feel like you are juggling more than one important aspect of your life? Are you having trouble deciding between more than one option? Sometimes our busy lives make us feel like we have to decide between that which makes our heart sing and that which is practical!  Just for today, know that you can find Joy no matter what you are juggling. Follow your heart.

Card of the day- knight of swords

For the past couple of weeks I have been posting a "card of the day" on my Facebook page. This has been really popular and I thought I would try to post it here on my blog today.

I am not sure if this will be an every day posting. However for now I am getting a lot of positive feedback so I am going to keep it up, at least for awhile.

Today's card is the knight of swords.

Something involving conflict or a difficult conversation may come and go quickly in your experience today. You may have a short term relationship or contact with someone with whom there are words that cut you or make you feel uneasy or wounded.

Remember that this too shall pass. Pick yourself up and move on. This is not going to permanently scar you. You are strong.

I send love and joy to you if you find yourself the recipient of this message. Be strong. Love yourself and let this go.

Message from an Out of Practice Blogger

Since 2009 I have been sharing messages from the Spirit world via my blog. Sometimes the messages came directly from my Guides, Angels, Higher Beings of Love and Light, or Whoever was talking to me. Sometimes the messages were just my own thoughts inspired by Spirit.

Lately life has gotten in the way of my blogging.

This does not mean I have not been tuning into Spirit or that Spirit has not been talking to me.

Last year I took a part time position at my long time career as a clerk at the Post Office. This was to facilitate my "other" work. I began to supplement my income with weddings, readings, classes, and events. It was going very well. Except for one thing.

I was exhausted.

I was getting up at 5 am Monday through Friday, going to work for six hours at the Post Office, then in the afternoon I saw clients, marketed myself, prepared for classes I was teaching and wrote wedding ceremonies for the weddings I performed mostly on the weekends. On the weekends I taught classes, did events and weddings.

At the beginning of this year I took a position at the Post Office which would allow me to sleep a little longer in the morning. It was a full time position, so I had the intention of postponing all my "other" stuff until I retired. I finished up the series of classes I had already started, performed the weddings I had already booked, and discontinued most of my marketing and advertising. Guess what.

Spirit did not need me to advertise my services apparently.

When I told Spirit I was done "putting myself out there" and that I would only take clients that "They" sent me, the doors seem to swing wide open.

People found me.

As a result, this year I have had to schedule time to spend with family, grandkids, and myself.

My blog has suffered. I barely have time to check my emails in the morning before heading out to work. I glance at them at lunch and in the evening. I check my social media. I have shared lots of inspirational quotes and blogs written by others because I have been too busy to write any blogs myself or create any posters containing my own quotes.

I love the work I do for Spirit. I love reading for people, connecting with clients Spirit Guides and loved ones on the other side. I love finding lost pieces of clients souls through the Shamanic practice of soul retrieval. I love joining couples in marriage. I love teaching classes on psychic development and shamanic practices.

If I am not posting on social media and writing blogs with messages from the Spirit world, don't assume I have quit or am no longer connecting to Spirit.

Here is the message in this long and maybe too detailed description of my life this year.

Sometimes our plans are not Spirit's plans.

Sometimes we feel that our career and our spiritual work should be one and the same. I have met so many people who want to earn a living doing their spiritual work and YES I love this idea. However, a lot of people who I meet at the Post Office I would never meet in a session in my living room or on the phone or via Skype. They could not pay for a reading, or a Reiki session. Maybe all they need is for someone to help them find a missing piece of mail. Maybe all they need is for me to send them love and light while talking to them during a routine call to the Post Office. I always start the day by asking for love and light to go through the phone lines to anyone who I talk to and for love and light to go ahead of me to anyone I interact with while performing my duties at the Post Office.

When I told Spirit, and I tell Spirit this all the time, that I want to be of service, I do not qualify that statement with, I want to be of service giving readings, teaching classes or doing soul retrievals. I say, I want to be of service.

When I surrendered to Spirit the how and the when and all the other details, life has opened up so many doors for me.

I am very grateful to Spirit for the opportunity to spread love and light to those who would never come into contact with love and light under any other circumstance.

At some point maybe I will shed my Post Office career for a full time position doing readings and soul retrievals. This has not yet occurred.

So when I get up in the morning now for my before work run, I am sending love and light to the inhabitants of the houses I pass, to the critters who are out and about in the early morning hours, and to every person I will interact with during the day. I am sending love and light to the hurricanes that are forming out in the Pacific, to the people who will find themselves on the news, to the political candidates, and to you, the reader of my blog.

May you find love and joy today and have an experience that allows you to feel the presence of Spirit.

May you find the answer to a question you have asked of the Spirit world.

May you love every cell in  your body and release anything that is not love.

May you find the freedom in standing in your own power and embracing the power that is YOU.

And may you find love outside of  yourself by first finding love within yourself.

Yes I am planning some classes in the fall. I am always available for phone consultations and also in person. You can contact me HERE.

Love and Light and JOY to you, right now in this moment and in all the moments to come.

Shine!

Have you felt like you have struggled to fulfill your purpose in life?

Maybe you are not even sure what that purpose is, or perhaps what you thought was your purpose has not materialized the way you envisioned.

You have perhaps felt like giving up. It seems much easier to just quit, to go back to whatever you were doing before you "heard the call."

The message I have heard from Spirit for this year is...

Don't quit!

This is your year to shine! 

It is time to let go of the struggle. It is time to get off the highway of.. this is hard, and instead, allow yourself to get in the flow of allowing those blessings and opportunities to manifest.

When we feel like it is hard to make something happen, that it is a lot of work, that progress is slow and difficult, then it will be!

Yes, last year it seemed like to me that I worked hard, that everything I tried to manifest came amidst a great deal of work and struggle.

This year, I decided to take a different approach.

I decided that I was just going to allow Spirit to do the work. 

Spirit told me that this year my "theme" for the year was SHINE.

That means, all I have to do is shine my light. I don't have to struggle to make sure that my light gets seen, or noticed. Yes, I have to market, but I don't have to spend hours in front of the computer learning about marketing, struggling to get my messages out there.

When you turn on a light, you don't have to plead with the light to shine. You don't have to cast out the darkness. You just have to flip the switch and trust that the light will shine.

This year, allow yourself to shine.

12/12/2014

Are you ready to invite some change into your life?

December to me has always represented a month of new beginnings. It is the month when, for centuries, people have celebrated the birth of a baby. Not just any baby, mind you, but a savior of mankind. Whether or not you subscribe to that belief is really of no consequence. Symbolically this time of  year represents the hope of the human race that something or someone higher than themselves has come down to our human, earthly lives, taken interest on us, and given us the chance at a new beginning.

In my years of receiving messages from the Spirit world, I have learned that Spirit talks to us in symbols. It is easier for the Angels or Higher Beings to send us a message through an image than to send us a message in words. The year I started a new life for myself years ago, I suddenly became obsessed with Anne Gedde, the famous photographer of babies. I bought an Anne Gedde calendar and hung it in my kitchen. I dreamed of babies frequently, or of being pregnant, despite the fact that this was not something I had intended to create in the natural world by any means. The symbol of a baby is a universal symbol of new beginnings. A friend of mine who is getting ready to retire recently told me that she has dreamed of being pregnant or of other women who are pregnant several times recently. This is an easy way for Spirit to tell her that she is about to embark upon a new beginning.

You can take advantage of the energies of December if you want to embark upon a new beginning in your life!

All it takes is a little focus and an intention. What is an intention? It is kind of like a prayer, but it is not necessary that you seek the help of a Higher Power with an intention, although if you want to, you certainly can. With an intention, you are really just connecting with your own Higher Self and your Soul. You are saying to yourself and the Universe that you intend to create something new!

An intention might go something like this:

"I intend to create my perfect career."

Most really good intentions are not too wordy. Seven words or less is best.

Be really willing to allow this intention to come in whatever form is best for your soul at this time. It is easier for Spirit to bring something to you that is for your highest good if you are not too specific in how it manifests.

According to numerology, this particular year, December (12) 2014 is a 10 month or a 1 month, the number of new beginnings. This number can be obtained by adding all the numbers together: 1+2+2+0+1+4 =10. And then again 1+0=1.  If you add today's date: 12 to that equation, you get 13. In the tarot 13 is the death card. Death is not a bad thing, but a card of a final ending of a chapter and the beginning of a new chapter.

As you can see, Spirit is sending us a message universally that this month can be a month of great change and new beginnings! Now if you had a rich aunt who suddenly died and left you a million dollars, but no one told you that the money was yours, you would not benefit from the gift, would you? But the  million dollars is out there, just waiting for you to realize that you are entitled to it. At some point, you  might have to make yourself known to the person who is in charge of settling the aunt's accounts.

The energies of December for new beginnings is like the rich aunt. All you have to do is align yourself with the energies and claim those new beginnings for yourself!

Now let's take the energies one step further.

It seems like every day for a month or more I have just happened to look at the clock every day at exactly 12:12. This has been an indicator to me that a transmission of Higher Energy was headed my way. I have looked forward to today, December 12th, (12-12) since I began to notice the time on the clock, knowing that the Higher Beings were sending me a sign that today was to be a special day of transmission of light, love and higher energy frequencies from the Upper Realms.

So my intention for today is that I will receive a transmission of love and light from the Higher Realms. What if I never take any time to connect with Spirit today? What will happen to my intention?

I think nothing. It is like that million dollars is out there, waiting for me, and I am not accessing my account.

Just for today, take a moment and connect with Source. Ask for your transmission of love and light to manifest in whatever form is best for you at this time in your journey through life. Don't be specific as to how it manifests. Just believe and know that you have received a transmission of love and light.

Notice any subtle changes you may feel. You may notice nothing but other people may notice a change in you. Or maybe something in the physical world will manifest as a gift to you.

Remember to say thank you!

I would love to hear your stories of how and when you received your transmission of love and light today.

Message from the Moon

Last evening I was so blessed to view the beautiful, almost still full moon (it still appears to be full, but the actual full moon was on the 7th this month).  I was driving home from a wedding rehearsal, a two hour drive. When I first saw the moon, it was just beginning to rise over the horizon. It's light seemed almost orange and glowed brightly through the autumn trees far off to my right.

(no, this is not what I saw, but close. I was driving and didn't have my good camera with me. This photo I found here.)

It used to be my custom to sit with the moon at every phase, and the moon would impart to me wisdom and messages from the Spirit world. Lately life has gotten busy, with weddings, readings, events, grandchildren, and, oh, yes, I still work at the Post Office.

But I was blessed with a two hour drive home last evening, and even though it is not recommended to connect with Spirit while you are driving, I am pretty good at it. I will admit that sometimes I miss my turns, but my GPS brings me back to reality when I am busy receiving messages.

I sent a beam of love to the moon, and thanked it for accompanying me on my ride home. I began to contemplate the moon and ask her if there were any messages from the Spirit world for me.

The first word I heard was, "don't be afraid to shine."

Sometimes we humans, especially those of us in the service to Spirit, feel a bit uncomfortable with shining. The moon encouraged me that she was not afraid to shine. She reminded me that her glow was not something that emanated from within herself, but was only a reflection of the light of the sun. She reminded me that any glow that might emanate from me was the same. It was only as I reflected the light of the true source of light, Spirit, that my glow would be genuine and I would appear to shine.

I want to encourage you to shine! 

Anytime we try to shine on our own, without the light of Spirit shining upon us, our efforts will be dim in comparison to the light that comes from within us when Spirit shines through our pores from our time spent in the presence of the Divine.

I am not suggesting to you the way in which you connect with your understanding of the Divine.  It is only through your own personal relationship with that Divine Presence that gives you joy and gives your life spark and meaning that will eventually shine through you to light the world. I am not a proponent of suggesting that there is only one way to connect with that Divine Presence. I have spent the past fifteen to twenty years studying and learning to connect with that Divine Presence in many different ways and with many different faces that reflect that Divine Presence.  I am suggesting that you just simply spend time with the Divine. Your way. Your understanding. 

During those two hours last evening I spent driving, the moon imparted much wisdom to me.  I realized that my own human efforts were pale in the shadow of the light of Spirit. I realized that my job was to spend time in the presence of the Divine. In doing that I would shine without really much effort on my part. Sometimes we get so busy trying to shine we forget that the shining comes from within us. As we are really only a reflection of the light of Spirit, spending time with the Light is the real way to shine.

Just for today, take some time out to connect with Spirit however you enjoy doing that.  You can do that while you are doing laundry, washing dishes, or showering. All you have to do is connect with your heart, and send love to yourself and your understanding of the Divine. Simple. Yet profound.

As you do this, expect miracles!

Shine!

It Is Time To Break OUT of Your Shell!

Did you ever feel like this chick?

It's getting uncomfortable in here. It's dark. You feel like you are all alone. In reality, you don't really know that you are in the dark because you have never seen the light. Then one day you have a compulsion to start pecking at the wall that has been surrounding you for all of your known life.

You begin to peck, peck, peck, a little at first. Soon it becomes a compulsion. Furiously, you begin to peck some more. At first it seems that the task is daunting, and you don't even really understand why you have this obsession with breaking out of this shell. This shell has kept you safe. It has kept you warm. It has been your security all of your life. But it's dark in here! You know, deep down in your soul, that there is something really great on the other side of this shell! So you peck.

"Why doesn't someone come help me? I am stuck inside this insidious shell and no one will help me to get out!"

So you continue to peck. For an eternity, it seems.

One day, you see a small hole begin to form where you have been pecking. An then a crack! You frantically begin to peck a little harder  now, with more passion and intent! You are making progress!

And then, OH MY GODDESS!! (ha that got you thinking, huh?) (not trying to step on any toes, just getting you to think outside of your shell a little)

There is light on the other side of this darkness! What is it? It is SO very BRIGHT!

(this photo came from this awesome site: http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubating-eggs/getting-started-egg-incubating )

This photo shows how you might look while you have been furiously pecking at your shell! A little harried, a little worn out.

Have you been pecking at a shell that has seemed to surround you? It may not have been there forever, as is the case for this newly emancipated chick. It may be a shell you constructed yourself to keep yourself safe, or it may be one that has been there since birth, and you just now discovered you have been trapped inside. Up until now it has kept you safe and warm. But one day you just woke up and found that you had outgrown it. It had become cumbersome and stifling.

Are you beginning to break out of a shell? This shell might represent many things. It might represent some deep set belief that you have embraced since you don't remember when. One that you possibly inherited from your parents. One that they may still embrace. It could be a religious belief, like mine was. (you can read about it HERE.) Or it may be many other things. It could be a job or career that you once loved but now abhor. It could be a marriage or relationship. It could be a location. It could be, as I believe was the case in the client who I originally got this message for, a societal tendency. My client has been pecking away at a common misconception by society at large for a long time, and I told her that I saw a crack in the shell and that new beginnings were just around the corner.

Here is the clincher. If a person or some outside force comes along and breaks the shell for the little baby chick and lets them out, guess what. The baby chick dies! It needs that activity of pecking away at the shell to make them strong and able to face whatever lies on the outside of that shell!

My message for you today is to keep on pecking away at that shell! A crack has formed and there is light on the other side! You may not see any light at this moment. You may see just a tiny little sliver of light where you have been pecking. Or you may see a crack in the shell! Keep up the good work! There is light and life on the other side!

As I mentioned, I originally got this message for a client who I was privileged to read for at the recent Paramericon in Manassas Virginia. If you are in need of a message from Spirit, please do not hesitate to contact me HERE. I offer many different options for receiving your own personal message from Spirit. I believe that October is set to be a month of new beginnings for many of us! We are collectively breaking out of the shells that have incubated us for not only days, months, and years, but centuries. It is time for us to collectively break out of those shells and begin to experience life in a new way!

Keep pecking away!

It's Okay to Break the Rules Sometimes.. Lessons Learned from Officiating Weddings

This blog breaks a little from my normal tradition of writing blogs based upon messages that I receive from time to time from the Spirit world. If you have visited my website or followed me on Social Network sites, you know that I also don the hat of wedding officiant, in addition to my gift of delivering messages from Spirit and teaching spiritual classes.

I like to think that for every hat that I wear, whether it be Post Office clerk, wedding officiant, or messenger for Spirit, that I always allow Spirit to be there in charge, lighting my way and guiding my words and actions, but sometimes I will admit that for weddings in particular, I am always very attentive to making sure I am doing every little thing right, and saying the script word for word. When I teach classes, I normally don't even look at my notes, but not so for weddings.

Recently, however, Spirit urged me to lighten up a bit. I always try to make sure every little detail is covered and that the ceremony goes off like clockwork, but, if you have ever attended a wedding, this sometimes does not happen.

Take, for example, a recent outdoor wedding where a neighborhood cat decided to come up and begin to sharpen its claws on the trellis while the couple were saying their vows.

The cat offered some laughter of which I was glad, because I was stressing about another detail of which I did not know how to remedy. The bride and groom were standing on tiles placed on the ground so that everyone would know where to stand and also so that the bride and bridesmaids in their high heel shoes would be more comfortable than having their heels stuck in the ground. It seemed to me that someone placed the tiles for the bride and groom too far apart, and both of them seemed afraid to step off of their tiles, and I did not want to interrupt the ceremony to ask them to get a little closer. Looking back, I wished I had spoken up. After the ceremony I went home and beat myself up over and over again about how I wished I had noticed the tiles sooner and moved them closer together. Or I wished I had encouraged the bride and groom to move off of their tiles and get a little closer.

Sometimes I get messages from Spirit while doing the most mundane tasks, and it seems that even preparing for a wedding is no exception. One afternoon I was dressing for a wedding and I had in my mind decided what I was going to wear, right down to which pair of shoes I would don. At the last minute, after putting on the shoes I had already chosen, I decided that they were not comfortable that day and decided on another pair. I heard Spirit say to me in my heart that sometimes it is okay to change our minds, even if we have already put the wheels in motion for certain decisions. This was a personal message for me, and the message from Spirit had nothing to do with which shoes I had chosen to wear. This was a message of surrender, that my plans can change, and even if I feel I have been led by Spirit to go down a certain path, that I have to be willing to surrender my plans and allow things to change, even if I have already put certain things in motion.

It seems that Spirit knows when I am going to need the messages that come to me. The next day, a wedding did not go at all as planned and I was forced to ad lib a bit of the ceremony! What!! AD LIB?  Me, a Capricorn, a stickler for staying within the lines, doing everything completely according to plan? AD LIB? Because I had decided to lighten up and go with the flow, I did not flip out or beat myself up over and over afterward as I did the day before about the tiles that were too far apart.

I am thinking to myself that most people are better at going with the flow than others and may be laughing at the silly things I stress out about.

I have a really good one. One day last fall I had booked two weddings on the same day. I had not allowed any time to eat, so I was driving to the first wedding eating some peanut butter to take the edge off. Unbeknownst to me, I had dropped a dollop of peanut butter right smack in the middle of my dress, and I didn't notice it until after the wedding was over. Now, if you didn't know that peanut butter was peanut butter, can you think of something else it might resemble?  I was horrified. I am sure all in the wedding party had a good laugh at my expense.

 I used to use my Kindle to read the wedding ceremonies. I liked it because I did not have to flip pages. Once my Kindle froze up right smack in the middle of the ceremony. Needless to say I no longer use  my Kindle for wedding ceremonies. And I no longer eat peanut butter on the way to a wedding.

Whether you are planning your wedding or just a vacation to Disney World, it is really helpful to allow for things not going as planned. If you have given your life over to serve Spirit, the same is true. Sometimes classes are not attended. Sometimes people cancel at the last minute. Sometimes people don't like you!! What???

I guess, with it being the day before the dark moon, this blog can have this for a theme: SURRENDER. The dark moon is all about releasing what is no longer working. Or releasing whatever. For me, it is releasing the need to have everything go perfectly ever single time.

Make your plans. Do your work. Be prepared. But, in the end, surrender all  that to Spirit. Sometimes the things you have planned will go like clock work. And then sometimes they won't. If there are tiles placed on the ground, so to speak, and you are expected to stand on them, and in your heart you know that they are too far apart, don't be afraid to step off the tile.

Not the End of the Story

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the Unicorn Writers Conference in Portland, Connecticut with my good friend Hali.

 I recently finished writing my second book, (or at least I thought I was done writing it) and was looking for my step in the process. The conference was held at San Clements Castle, a magnificent estate, filled with all kinds of picturesque views and fun statues.

At one point in the day, I decided to take a break from the back to back workshops and go outside (it was relatively pleasant that day) to take a breather and connect with the energy of the castle. The message that I received was a great message and I thought that others might benefit from the words of wisdom from my guides.

Let me preface the message with a little background of my life of late.

I get up at 5am Monday through Friday and go to work at the Post Office. After work, I see clients, I write weddings, sometimes (not as much lately with the increase of clients and classes) I post a blog. As you know I have been working on my second book. I have been teaching several classes at two different locations. Oh yes. And I join couples in marriage. The weekend before this past one I went to the beach to participate in a full moon ceremony.

This past weekend it was a weekend writers conference.

So I sat down on one of the concrete walls to breathe and look around at the beauty of the castle. The air was brisk, but invigorating. The sun warmed my face as I took a deep breath and felt the energy of the castle.

"You know,Joy,"  my Guide began, "this castle was not created to be an event location. Even though it is functioning very well in its current capacity, this was not the original intention of the first owners of this land."

Well, yes, I imagine this is true.

"Sometimes, our original intentions do not turn out to be the end result."

This reminds me of one of the philosophies I learned in  my study of shamanism. Don't be attached to having your plans turn out only one way. If you think that the things you are manifesting can only be realized in one way, then you will find yourself stuck.

 Be willing to surrender your plans to Spirit and allow your vision to be manifested in the best possible way for the good of all concerned.

In my thoughts about the castle, I thought about the original owners of the castle and what visions they must have seen for it when they first decided to build it. I wonder if they realized those visions in their lifetime. Over the years, I wonder how many different things the castle might have been used for. I really didn't do my homework and so didn't know much about the history of the castle: how old it was, who were the original owners, how many times it had changed hands, what different events may have occurred here. But I felt that the Spirit of the castle was content with its present duties as an event location. Many weddings occur here. I am sure there are a multitude of various events that the walls of the castle are privy to. My feeling was that the castle was happy with its present state of affairs. (yes, you skeptics, a castle can be happy.)

Since I began writing my second book, a memoir of my spiritual path and how I got from my "previous" life as a born again Christian to my current life as an intuitive, medium, shamanic practitioner, and sometime animal communicator, the message that life does not turn out exactly the way we plan really hits home. No this was not my original intention. My thoughts or expectations of my weekend at the conference did not pan out exactly as I had envisioned.  But I  have to say that Spirit always knows best. Our best laid out plans cannot hold a candle to all the wonderful things that Spirit and perhaps even our own Highest Self envisions for us.

The other "sub" message that Spirit told me was that it was okay to take breaks. I have a tendency to "make hay while the sun is shining." In other words, work work work as long as the opportunity is there. However, at this moment, as I had ditched a workshop to sit out in the sun in this very captivating courtyard, I knew that we all need times when we just breathe.

 We all need to get away from the hustle and bustle of our lives and sit and look at a water fountain, whether any water is coming out of it or not, or perhaps just sit and gaze at a candle, watch a sunset, or sit with the moon. Spirit said to me as I recited aforementioned saying,

"What, do you think the sun is going to stop shining?"

That's very true! If we have the attitude, "make hay while the sun is shining," then subconsciously we are afraid the sun is going to stop shining. The opportunities are going to mysteriously stop coming our way, Spirit is going to go on vacation and leave us hanging, so we better have some sort of back up plan.

Just for today, think about your goals or your visions of your life. Is your life turning out exactly the way you planned or have there been some detours? Has there been some rerouting? I like another saying that goes something like this,

 "life is what happens while we are busy making other plans."

As we head into the new moon on Sunday, let us think about surrendering all of our best laid out plans to Spirit and to our Highest Self. Let us lay aside any expectations that our life or our plans have to turn out in any specific way. Let us be open to surprises. Let us be open to detours. Let us be open to the notion that the there may just be a surprise ending to our story.

Remember this.

Everything always turns out okay in the end. And if isn't okay, it isn't the end.

Sitting With the Moon

Recently I embarked upon a new adventure. Every phase of the moon, new, full, and quarter, I have been connecting with her energy to get a feel for her energy and the differences in each stage of the cycle. Moon energy is very feminine, and centuries ago women were so in touch with the feminine aspect of her energy that even their cycles occurred in sync with the cycles of the moon. I have been feeling very drawn to the Sacred Feminine, to the extent of having connected in meditation with some of the ancient Goddesses, so this was just another step in the process.

 I will have to admit that this was not my idea. I had recently connected with my shamanic mentor, and she suggested this ritual to increase my awareness of the feminine aspect of spirituality, and to get me ready to conduct moon ceremonies.

 Each time I have connected with the moon, intense and powerful messages have come forth. I have wanted to post them on my blog, but my hesitation has been that by the time I sat down and wrote the messages and posted them, the particular phase of the moon I had connected to was over.

 Right now we are approaching a full moon. It will be full on the 14th, and we just passed the waxing quarter moon on the 6th. Each day we can see a little more of the moon as it seems to grow in size until it is full. When the moon is full we are accustomed to thinking about or doing ritual to manifest things into our lives. The moon being full represents the fullness of the light of the moon giving her energy toward our intentions. Many do rituals to manifest desires or goals.

 As I sat with the moon on the sixth, my desire was not to necessarily manifest anything. I just wanted to feel her energy, and to connect with her. I contemplated the fact that just because we could only see a portion of her, that didn't mean that the rest of the moon had gone somewhere. The moon was only showing us a portion of herself, but the rest of her, the side we couldn't see, was still there, out of view. Each day, I felt her convey to me, more and more of her was coming into view, but the fact remains that it was really there all the time.

The message that I received from Spirit in relation to this phase of the moon was that every day more and more of us are coming out into the light. The dark places inside of us are still there, but it is time to recognize that the dark side of ourselves is still a part of us, and we need to embrace all of the parts of ourselves, not just the "light" side, the side we show to the world. The moon does not reject those parts of her that are hidden from the light. She completely embraces all of the "phases" of herself. Sometimes there are parts of her that are hidden from view, but she is not ashamed of those things, those parts that she chooses not to show us. She is whole, even though it may appear to us that she is fragmented.

There comes a time when those dark things have to be brought into the light to be healed. The time for hiding parts of ourselves that do not "fit" into the image we show the world is over. We must embrace all the sides of our soul and all the "phases" of our lives.

For centuries those with healing abilities or "knowing" abilities were shunned, and even persecuted, or killed. In our "cells" we remember the pain of being rejected for our longings to help heal the world, and our fellow earth travelers. It is time to bring to the light the ways in which we judge one another, and our desires to bring healing to those who come to us. It is time to shine our lights and say that we want to help bring healing to individuals and to the planet.

The main message I got this week as I sat with the moon was that we are all one. There is no dark side and light side. Just as the dark side of the moon is the same moon as the light side, it is just not visible to us here on the earth, so it is with each of us. We each have dark sides and light sides. None of us are always on all the time. Everything has a season, and we as humans have seasons and phases as well. As we embrace those parts of our soul that have been kept in the "dark", we find that our soul heals.

Just for today, release the judgement which you have held against the dark, or hidden things. When you judge, you are focusing your energy on something, and actually giving it power. When we love those dark places, those hidden things, then the darkness loses its power. Love heals all.

Remember that I am always available to assist you as you begin to heal those dark places inside of you and bring them into the light. We as a human race seem to be racing full speed ahead, and the time of coming out into the light is approaching. It is so important to embrace all that Spirit brings to us for healing, so that we can move forward into what our souls have chosen for us to experience next!

This next week, as the full moon approaches, I suggest that you think about those things that you are trying to bring to the fullness of the light. Ask your soul or your Highest Self what is coming out into the light this week. Embrace whatever comes up for you! Even the tough things, the challenges, are there for your own good!! They are coming up because it is time!

If you would like to schedule a personal session, you can contact me HERE. Blessings to you as you navigate your journey through this life!!! What an adventure we are on! And it is all good!!

Message from NCIS

I have been getting messages from Spirit via movies and television for years.

When my daughter was a child, my most common means of receiving messages from Spirit was through the Disney movies that I took her to see. But that is another story.

So I will give a little bit of background so this message makes some sense.

Lately I have been really studying on marketing. My second book is about finished and I want to do a better job of marketing it and myself. I have signed up for every free marketing seminar and email list and have been reading ecourses on marketing.. everything I can get my hands on.

So much so that hubby love complained the other day that I was on the computer for five hours and I guess he was feeling a little left out. Other things have been taking a back burner to this obsession with reading everything I can get my hands on and doing worksheets and self analysis on everything imaginable.

So last night hubby love and I were able to catch the last few minutes of one of our favorite television shows, NCIS. The end of the show came and in the last scene the new girl on the show is hitting balls at one of those batting cages. She is missing all the balls that are thrown at her.

Mark Harmon's character walks up behind her and tells her she is trying too hard. Instead of going after the ball, she should try just relaxing and letting the ball come to her. Connect with the ball.  It is all about timing, I think he said.

Mind you, I am not a sports aficionado. Yes, I do realize that my last blog was a message from Spirit based on the game of baseball. I have not missed the synchronicity of the two back to back messages.

Well, Spirit, I had to reply. This suggestion goes against every marketing strategy I have been reading. I have to go for the gusto. I have to promote myself. I have to .... etc etc..

Now I am not saying that Spirit is telling me that everything that I am reading is horse shit.

Sometimes you just have to go against what all the experts say and do what Spirit says.

What does this have to do with me? you may be asking me..

Yes, we should go after what we want. If we want to lose ten pounds, we have to go to the gym, stop eating junk, drink more water, etc etc. However, if we see ourselves as fat, we will never lose the weight no matter what we do. Losing ten pounds is probably 90% what we think and 10% what we do.

It is the same with whatever you are trying to manifest into your life.

I remember when I first got attuned to Reiki. Reiki is a healing energy that is passed from a master to a student through an attunement. I thought I would feel different. I thought I would get "hot hands" like I was told I would get. I didn't. I was worried that it didn't "work": that I didn't get the attunement, because I didn't feel any different. Not so much different from when I was a child and I got "born again," and I was worried that it didn't "take" because I didn't feel anything.

So eventually I just started using the Reiki as if I got it, and after awhile, I felt the energy in my hands. My hands never did get "hot", but now I do get sensations when the Reiki turns on. However, that did not come right away. I had to use the Reiki first, and then the feelings came later.

My  point is that sometimes you just have to let the ball come to you.

Is there something you have been trying to manifest? Perhaps a better job, a relationship, maybe even a connection with one of your guides. You have been trying and trying, but to no avail. Nothing seems to be happening no matter what you do.

Let me encourage you right now to stop trying so hard!!

Let the ball come to you!!

I am hearing from Spirit that there are  many of you who are trying so hard to grow spiritually. You go to every class, go to sessions, go to healers, to every workshop you can find, and you are not seeing the results you would like. You want to wake up one morning and instantly be able to sense the thoughts and feelings of everyone around you and hear Angels talking to you or perhaps even see one standing at the foot of your bed when you wake up!!

Spirit is saying, cut yourself some slack!! One day when you are not "trying" to connect with Spirit, you will get the most amazing connection ever! Maybe at first you will not recognize it because that was too easy! Or maybe that amazing prompt from Spirit came in the form of a message through a television show!

Just for today, Relax!!  Go soak in a tub, or take a walk. Hug a child, go shopping. Stop thinking so much. Everything is going to be all right!!

Most of the time, guidance from Spirit comes when we least expect it. I have come to expect the unexpected when it comes to Divine Guidance. When I am trying too hard, the answers elude me. When I surrender, the guidance comes knocking on my door, or greeting me through the television set.

Remember, if you would like some help discovering your path or finding the healing to your soul that you have been seeking, feel free to contact me! We can chat a bit and discover what your soul has been longing to tell you!  

We can set up a skype call, a telephone chat, or an email session, or, if you live in the immediate vicinity of my home town, Winchester, Virginia, we can get together in person. I also do private sessions once a month in Leesburg Virginia. You can connect with me here.

Blessings to you as you relax and allow Spirit to toss that ball in your direction! 

Baseball Game

I mentioned in my previous blog that I had noticed an energy shift. It seems I have gotten my "mojo" back. I have more energy, I am exercising more, and I am getting more messages than usual.

After I posted this blog, I had the privilege of communicating with others who are also noticing a shift. Some are experiencing a more positive aspect of the shift, and some are noticing a more challenging aspect of this shift.

Let me encourage you that however you are experiencing the shift is exactly what you need to experience at this time. We are all experiencing the shift in different ways. Some will not notice a thing.

In my case, one of the things I am noticing is a thinning of the veil between our physical reality and the "other" side.  My communication with various Deities is increasing. In the next few blogs, my intention is to relay some messages I have been receiving from Spirit since this time of the shift.

Relating to the shift, the message I received today was the analogy of a baseball game. There are some who are waiting in line to come up to bat. There are some who are out in the field. There is one person who is pitching the ball, one who is shortstop, one on first base, and so on. Then there are the fans who are sitting out in the stands.

Many of us find ourselves to be like the ones who are standing in line waiting to come up to bat. We are impatient for our "turn." We want our place in the spotlight. All eyes are on us. Some times we may come up to bat and may hit a home run. Sometimes we may strike out.

The message was that each of us has a place in the big scheme of things. Don't get discouraged when you strike out. Don't wish to be the pitcher if you are on third base. We all have our jobs to do. 

There was a particular message directed to the spectators.

Sometimes we may find ourselves in the stands watching the "players" interact with one another. The Guides said that we as spectators have an important job to do. As we watch world affairs, and the world "players" interacting with one another, we as spectators can affect the outcome just by our thoughts and intentions. It is an important aspect of our job as "lightworkers" to affect the world events with just our positive thoughts, prayers and intentions toward those who are on the field "playing" the game. Each person on the field has a particular job. The players may be our President, and the other world leaders. We as spectators should make it a habit to send love and light to all the players on the field, whether we like them or not.

In our journey through this lifetime, we may find ourselves in different positions in the game at different times. Just like in a real baseball game, there are innings, and the players switch from hitting the ball to playing out in the field, so it is with our lives. At times we may be the one up to bat. At times we may be the pitcher, or the person on third base. Sometimes we may be playing the outfield. Know that whatever your particular job is in the game, it is important. Your interaction with the other players is important. When it is your time at bat, your Guides and Angels are in the stands, cheering you on. They will never interfere with the way you are choosing to play your game, but they will always be there to encourage you and support you as you go through the game of your life.

If you find yourself in the outfield, don't wish to be the pitcher. Know that your place in the game of life is important and no less important than any of the other players. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses. Know that you are important. Even if you are the person holding the bat for the person getting ready to come up to bat, your job is important.

Don't take life too seriously. Have fun. It is all just a game. We are all in this together.

If you are interested in receiving a personal message from Spirit, I am available to relay these messages by phone, skype, email, or even in person if you live in my area. I use various methods to receive these messages. This particular message came forth today while I was teaching my tarot class during a meditation to connect with a card.

Anyone who has connected with me know that it is always a surprise to see what Spirit has in store. Sometimes I am giving a message from the Guides and Aunt Mary from the other side shows up. Sometimes I am connecting with Aunt Mary and your personal Guide shows up. Sometimes I am doing a shamanic healing and I will see a vision of a tarot card to give me a message about something this particular person needs. I always leave it up to the Highest Guides to direct my sessions.

If you are interested in having a personal session, you can contact me here. We will decide what is best for  you, and go from there. I look forward to connecting with you!

Inspiration from the Tarot/Eight of Wands

On Sunday I am teaching a class on the tarot, and I usually like to spend the week before the class posting some messages from the tarot on my blog.

This morning I connected with Spirit and asked for a card to post for a message for today, and this is the card I drew:

For someone just learning the cards, this might appear to be a difficult card to decipher. When I teach my classes, I tell my students that before they consult the dictionary of card meanings, that they look at the card first and ask the card what message it has for them. It may reflect the traditional meaning, and it may not. Spirit knows the message it wants to portray, and Spirit loves talking to us in symbols.

So the first thing I notice when I look at this card is that there are no people in it. This is relatively rare for the tarot. The next thing that really jumps out at me is the exceptionally blue sky. The landscape in the picture is small, and seemingly far away, and there are eight budding branches, or "wands" appearing to be just hanging in the air in front of the viewer of the card.

In the tarot, wands represent ideas, inspiration, and creativity. The fact that they are just hanging out in midair in front of the viewer before a beautiful blue sky would indicate to me that there are endless possibilities. Eight is the number of prosperity, success, abundance, and harvest, so the card seems to indicate that the possibilities are endless, there is success in the air, and it is up to the viewer to go after their dreams.

Is there something in your life that you have been dreaming of? Is there a goal you have been working hard to accomplish? Today's message is that now is the time to go for it! The path has been laid out before you! You are the creator of your life, it is time for you to create something beautiful. There is not a cloud in the sky. There are seemingly no obstacles for you to conquer at this time!

This is a wonderful card to post on your refrigerator or your mirror and remind yourself that your destiny lays before you and it is up to you to act!

Sometimes we forget that we are the masters of our own destiny. We tend to like to let ourselves off the hook and say something like, "oh, I could be successful if it wasn't for.........." or, " I don't have the money, the education, or the smarts to be successful." Or, "if (so and so) would not have done (this) to me, my life would be wonderful."

Stop giving your power away! You are the captain of your own ship! You are the creator of the wonderful work of art called your life! It is time to go for it!

Now I am not saying that tomorrow you go quit your job and start your own business, or maybe I am. You have to be practical. Make a plan. Follow the leading of your heart.

Just for today, embrace your own power.  You probably already know what this is about. It may be a job. It may be a new relationship. It may be a new direction for your life. Look for some changes up ahead, and they are to be good!