Be Sage

Yesterday I posted on facebook that I was headed off to see my daughter and her family for the Christmas holidays. One of my friends posted to my status, "be sage." Of course she realized her mistake and corrected it right away to say, "be safe." but not before I saw the post.

Sage, as many of you know, it a Native American cure for dispelling negative energies and clearing spaces. When I saw the post, it rang true for me. What if, wherever we went, we connected with the energy of sage and just by our presence, we were the sage that dispelled any negative energies?

It has been my belief for quite some time that it is not necessary to chase away evil. If I am just the presence of light, the darkness just doesn't come around, unless it is ready to be transformed. When you go into a dark room, you don't have to tell the darkness to leave, you only have to turn on the light.

As you go about your Christmas gatherings, do not be concerned with "catching" any negative "vibes" or mistakenly bringing home something attached to you that is less than helpful. You don't even have to carry your sage around with you, chasing away negative vibes or cleansing your space or the space of others. I am not saying that this ritual is no longer helpful or necessary. I am one who loves to sage my home and cleanse the energies. All I am saying is that as you go about your day, consider the possibility that maybe you are the sage. You are the light that dispels the darkness. You are the sage that cleanses the atmosphere.  Just for today, "be sage."

December 21st

So I have contemplated getting on the December 21st bandwagon and posting my thoughts for this very hyped up day. Many people are making jokes that the end of the world did not happen. Many are saying that there is a huge planetary alignment that is causing a huge upsurge in our collective vibration. There have been calls to a world wide time of meditation, which I sort of participated in. (It was at 6:12 this morning, I was somewhat awake so, in the comfort of my bedpillows, I tuned into the higher energies and welcomed them to our planet.)

I guess my thought is that whatever you invite into your life shows up. If we all are inviting in a higher vibration and interaction from the Higher Beings then this is what we will experience. If we believe that the world is going to be a better place then our world will collectively get better. If we constantly look for the good in people around us and not the bad, then we will draw out the good that we desire to see in our fellow earth travelers. If we send thoughts of love and light even to those with whom we do not share common ideas or values, then we energetically bring out the best in those people.

It is time for us to look beyond our little boxes that we live in and the little ideas that we cherish and embrace the bigger picture. Working at the Post Office I notice especially at Christmastime that so many are opposed to even using a stamp that does not reflect their own belief system. What is so wrong with embracing Kwanza or Hanakuh on a stamp and saying... hey, I respect and honor everyone's right to their own belief system, so long as that belief system is not propagating injure or harm to others?

Just for today, look beyond what you think and believe and ask yourself, what else is possible? If we all look beyond ourselves and think about possibilities, then we all collectively benefit. Send love and light to all our fellow earth travelers. Welcome help from the higher realms. Do something kind. In this way we will catapult the earth into a higher vibration, whether this day or any other day.

Blessed be.

Soup

I have been taking a little break from my blogs, due to a bit of overload lately. As you know if you keep up with my blogs, I work a full time job and do weddings and healings on my days off and sometimes after working a full day at the Post Office. I have also stepped up my learning processes with my guides, who have been honing my skills in the tarot and channelling and my shamanic healing work. Recently also my guides have been leading me into venturing into past life regressions. A lot of the processes are similar to what I have already been doing, and I have found that sometimes in the middle of what I think is going to be a past life regression, I am led to retrieve a part of a client's soul that is stuck in another lifetime. Once during a healing, I was shown one of the cards of the tarot to indicate to me exactly what area to focus on. It seems my healing work has become a soup of sorts, with all the ingredients of the soup coming to the forefront as necessary. Sometimes I need to focus on chopping up the carrots, for example, while the meat and the onions are left to simmer in the pot.

I know from doing house clearings that often pieces of souls remain stuck in a dwelling in which something happened in the home which caused them a great deal of emotional trauma. I have learned that our souls don't just remain in times or places just because we were there. Only if we have had unresolved emotional events do our souls become stuck. This can happen in this life or another lifetime. If we find ourselves with sicknesses we can't explain, a feeling of being lost or out of sorts, pains in our bodies that are undiagnosed, issues that seem to keep reoccurring over and over with different people or different scenarios, then unresolved issues from the past may be a clue to our healing.

With all the talk lately of the energies of this month being so strong and that we are in a time of a sort of upgrade of our energy bodies, I wanted to encourage you to settle into the new energies and don't worry if you don't feel anything right away. You might feel the opposite of what you think you are supposed to feel. You may feel like you want to take a break from your spiritual practice instead of forging ahead into unknown territory. This is sort of a reboot. It is okay. Your life may take a tumultuous turn for the worse for awhile. Sometimes when your vibrations change significantly it takes a while for the life and the people who are in your life to adjust to your new energies. And sometimes they may not adjust, which may cause some painful changes. This is also okay. Everyone is on their own path, and you are not responsible to drag your loved ones kicking and screaming into  the new vibration.

With the example of the soup, I encourage you to look at your life as if you were preparing a soup. Sometime we spend too much time on one ingredient and neglect the others. It is a juggling sometimes of all the parts of our lives and understanding that each ingredient in the soup of our lives need different times to cook and become a part of the finished product. While one ingredient is cooking, we may be focusing on something else. And then some of the ingredients get thrown in right before the soup is finished. Don't be hard on yourself if you are not in sync with those around you. With the changes in the vibrations, this is to be expected. We are all ingredients in the Cosmic Soup. We are all cooking at our own pace. Some of us are being chopped into little pieces so that we will be the proper size and portion to fit into the Soup.

Don't worry. The world is not coming to an end. Some may be experiencing an end to the world that they have known, only so that a new one can be revealed. And it is all good. Allow yourself time to simmer so that your own Divine Soup can be revealed.

The Gift

I have heard many times over that celebrating the Christmas holiday has become too commercialized, with stores displaying Christmas decorations well ahead of Thanksgiving, sometimes before the Halloween decorations have been removed. In past years I have been in agreement with this philosophy, wishing out loud that we could just skip right over the whole month of December. Looking back I am not sure what fed my disdain for Christmas. Perhaps it was feeling obligated to buy gifts for people I didn't really even like, or feeling the superficiality of the whole gift buying obligation. I recognized that many times people feel the financial strain of having to buy presents when they were having a hard time making their rent, or paying their electric bills, but for some reason there is this mentality that it is expected. I remember many years ago when I had no money for presents, I would give presents of things that I made myself, and I still find this a wonderful alternative for people with limited income. But this year something within me shifted. I found myself looking forward to the holiday season. In contemplation, I have come to the conclusion that this is what changed.

When we look at an obligation as an obligation, as a sacrifice that we are making that is taking away from us in some form, then that obligation becomes to us a burden. We feel we are losing something. This applies to gift giving but it also applies to anything that we do. If we feel that in the giving of a gift that we are sacrificing our hard earned income in order to give something to someone else, then that gift is a burden to us and to the other person it will be a burden as well, because even if it is a fine gift, that person will always feel the energy of our sacrifice.

If we look at Christmas as a time when businesses are all rallying to rid us of our hard earned money, then rid us they will.

If we think that the real meaning of Christmas is being lost, that there is no real Christmas Spirit left, that Santa Claus has replaced Jesus, then this is what will be true for us.

What I am suggesting is that the real meaning of  Christmas cannot be lost if it is not lost within each of us as individuals. Gift giving is not a burden unless we make it one. Businesses are not trying to rid us of our money. Most of them are trying to make a living, just like we all are.

Why not change our perspective? Look at a gift we are giving to another as an extension of the love that we have within us. Look at it as a blessing we are happy to give, not a burden or an obligation that is somehow taking away something from us. Look at the different aspects of the holiday from a perspective of something that we want to do, not something that we have to do.

I have news for you. Jesus wasn't born in December anyway. I am happy to celebrate his birthday, but what if the gifts we give each other were one way of giving a birthday gift to Jesus? He is not here in physical form to accept a gift for his birthday, so the gifts we give each other are our way of giving him a gift. And for my non- religious readers, what if the gifts you give represent some aspect of the giving of the love you have within your heart? Fill your gifts with the energy of the love in your heart. Give with the attitude that you are just sharing of the abundance that is within you, not that you are sacrificing your hard earned income and that you really don't like so and so anyway, why do you have to give them a gift?

There was a movie out a few years ago of a girl who was a chef, and every emotion she felt would go into the food she prepared in such a way that the people in the restaurant would respond in direct response to the emotions she was feeling as she prepared the food. So if she was mad, then all her customers would be mad. If she was upset, those eating at the restaurant would all start crying. What if this was an exaggerated illustration of a profound truth? What if the emotions we feel really do go into everything we do and into the food we prepare and the gifts we give one another?

What if everything we did, we did with the attitude that we were choosing to do this thing, that it was something we wanted to do, not something we felt obligated to do? I think our world would change. If love went into all our activities, that we had the attitude that when we went to work that we were giving a gift to our employer, that we enjoyed working and even looked at our difficult bosses with the attitude that we were giving them a gift of love and blessing, and not obligation, not sacrifice, how would our days change?

Just for today, any time you think that you are sacrificing of yourself of that you are giving something up, change your perspective. Decide to think instead that you are choosing to do an activity that you would otherwise think of as an obligation or a sacrifice. Choose to give a gift to someone who you don't really care for. Instead of thinking about what you want, think about what you can give. Instead of thinking about what you need, think about what you have. Give to someone something that you would like for yourself. If you would like to be understood, give understanding. If you would like respect, give respect. Most of all, if you need love, then give love.

Put love into every gift you give this year. Remember that every thought you think in some way is transmitted energetically to those around you. Even that crazy driver who just cut you off. Even that ex that did this or did that. That boss who annoys you or that check out clerk who is rude to you. None of them can take from you unless you allow it. Choose to be a blessing.  Go the extra mile. Send out the energy of love into every activity.

Give everyone the respect to celebrate the holidays the way that they decide to do so. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to deal with the holidays. The only thing you are responsible for is how you choose to live your life. Do so with abandon!!

The Gift Within the Challenge

Last night my husband and I were watching a documentary about savants. Savants are people with tremendous disabilities that impair normal everyday functioning, but in turn they have some extraordinary capabilities in some field. One was a concert pianist who is about the age of ten or twelve I think, but is severely autistic and cannot communicate normally or perform any everyday activities. Another was a grown man in his fifties with another form of autism who did not realize that he was autistic, but had a tremendous knack in the field of electronics. He had quit school at the age of sixteen, due to his tremendous dysfunction in the area of socialization, but taught himself electronics and went on to make amazing advances in the electronics industry. It was only in recent years where he was diagnosed with Asburgers Syndrome and with the help of brain stimulation, has made advances in the area of socialization. In his interview he said that with every disability there comes a great gift, that it is just up to us to discover the gift. I thought about that and realized that it is also true with any challenge.

Last month I did a class on magical manifesting, and in the class we did rituals to bring about some change in our lives. So this month I asked my class how their manifesting was going. In the ritual, it is recommended that we spend time with our intention every day, to incorporate the energy of the new thing into our own energy field. At least one person had commented that it seemed that things had gotten worse. It seemed, she said, that she was getting the opposite of that thing she was desiring to manifest. I noted that I had detected a similar tendency. The temptation is to throw away the ritual, saying that it didn't work, and go on with living in our comfort zone.

At this point Spirit decided to cut in, and let us know that it is not unusual when attempting to change something in our lives, that we first manifest the opposite of what we are desiring. Anything worth having is worth the challenge that presents itself before that thing comes to pass. I remember recently in the lecture by John Tenney, that he was sharing that when he had been asked to be a third party at a Catholic exorcism, the priest had told him that just when he thought he was going to die, that is when the breakthrough would come. This seemed curious to me, but it bears some resemblance to this message from Spirit. Just when we feel like quitting, take heart. Do not quit. The breakthrough is right around the corner.

In studying numerology this point was taken, that when a person incarnates to learn a particular life lesson, that very often they will manifest the opposite of that quality until they learn to embrace it. Every number in our birth date represents some life lesson that we came here to learn, and until we realize it and start focusing on it, we often unknowingly manifest the opposite of that quality. It is the same with someone who engages in physical exercise. No gains in the area of your chosen sport are realized if no effort is made. You don't become a cross country runner by taking walks around the block. You don't build muscles by lifting one pound weights. Gains are not made if there is no resistance.

Let me expound a little on that thought. Is there something you are desiring to manifest in your life and it seems like you are getting the opposite of what you are desiring? Are you ready to give up? Let me say first of all that Spirit is not a giant Santa Clause in the sky dropping down our desires like candy canes to expectant children. There are steps we have to take to realize our dreams. If your desire is to pay off your mortgage, don't just sit around and wait for some big check to arrive in the mail. Start by paying an extra $10 a month on your bill. If you want to lose weight, push back from the table. Make a plan. Don't think that you can just meditate all day and one day you will just wake up and be living in a different house with a different spouse in a different state. It doesn't happen that way. The gifts we receive from Spirit come wrapped up in the challenges we face every day. Find the gift.

There was a time in my life when I lived for over a month on hot dogs because I couldn't afford healthy food. I lived in a house where all our furniture had been repossessed and we sat on lawn chairs and slept on the floor. I kept waiting for God to come and rescue me but he never showed up. One day I realized that if my life was going to change then I was the one who had to change it. It was no one else's fault, including God's, that I was living this way. I made a plan and changed my life. It did not come overnight. Contained within that challenging period of my life was the gift of empowerment. I had to learn to give up the feeling of victimization and take my power back. No I didn't wake up one morning and have a different life. But the day that I said, if I do not do something then I am going to die, then that is the day I made a change. Sometimes we have to get to that point. And getting there is a gift.

Today is the day to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and decide to move forward. Your breakthrough is right around the corner. Yes, there is Unseen Help out there just waiting to assist you. But contained within the gift of deliverance from your present circumstance is the gift contained within the circumstance itself. Find that gift. It is the key to your emancipation!!

Adventures in Healing

Yesterday I was privileged to be a practice patient for a good friend of mine who is in school getting certified to do energy healing. She is already a wonderful reiki master teacher but this just adds to her qualifications. So she needed a practice patient and I volunteered.

I will first say that I went with no expectations. In my mind I had no issues to confront, other than my tendency to over extend myself. I have been a bit burned out, but I keep pushing myself on and on. There is always something to learn, something to teach, someone that needs healing or comfort or advice, or someone to join in marriage, not to mention my full time job. To my surprise this issue did not even come up, until the end when Spirit said to me that I need to rest. Yes I know.

To my surprise when she did  my energy assessment my issues had to do with my throat chakra. What? I give messages from Spirit. I teach spiritual classes. I would have thought that my throat chakra would be wide open. Well, Joy, when are you not speaking up for yourself? Are you telling the people you love what you need?

What a revelation. That someone like me who continually is listening to Spirit and giving messages may have trouble speaking up and voicing my own needs. So I thought that maybe if I have trouble with this that there are most likely more people out there who may benefit from my discovery.

Those of us with spiritual aspirations may have a tendency to put aside our own needs with the noble intention of helping someone else with their needs. But at some point our own needs have to be addressed! If someone is continually expecting us to solve their problems, to heal them emotionally, to hear from Spirit for them, or even to fulfill some empty place inside themselves, there comes a point when a healer has to say, okay, now it is time to learn to listen to Spirit for yourself. Spirit wishes to communicate with us directly.

It seems a trend in the medical world that it is okay to keep people addicted to medical treatment. This assures that the doctors will have repeat customers. Keep them drugged up and coming back. Don't address the real needs that will cause them to not need to come back to the doctor anymore. Not so with my kind of work.I want the people who come to me to experience healing after the first visit. I do have repeat clients because there are many layers to healing. But at some point it is time to take personal responsibility for our healing process. No, after one session you will not be cured of stage four cancer. Or maybe you will. But hopefully you will be in a place where you can face whatever it is you are facing with more of a sense of self empowerment.

One of my specialties is reuniting people with their Power Animals. Power Animals are Spirit helpers who come to us in animal spirit form. Usually the Power Animal that comes to us is one whose qualities we may be missing in our lives. For example, I recovered a Mother Bear with two cubs for my daughter. At the time she only had one child, but this Bear came to me with two cubs. Obviously Spirit knew that she would have two children and that she needed some extra- ordinary help with the task of raising children. Mother bears are known to be very good mothers, and extremely protective of their cubs. When we are united with a Power Animal, it is our own job to connect with the power of our spirit animal and access the help it is there to offer.

My purpose for sharing my experience is to ignite within each of you the idea that yes, help is out there. Issues that are buried are known to Spirit and at the right time will come to be faced. Are there issues within you that are  not being addressed? Are you not voicing your needs to those with whom you share your life? It is time for us to face those things that need to be faced and to move forward in the business of experiencing our lives to the fullest extent. Even to those of us who think we have our lives completely figured out, there are things still to work on, issues to face, mountains to climb. Life is an adventure!! Let us be willing to open ourselves up to some real work, and get on with the business of living.

Evening with John Tenney

Saturday night I was privileged to meet and spend some time with John Tenney, a paranormal researcher and lecturer. He has appeared on such shows as Paranormal State, and spent the last twenty years or so researching anything thought to be out of the norm. Over 45,000 people have attended his lectures over the past two decades. He was a researcher for the long running television series Unsolved Mysteries and has extensive knowledge concerning conspiracy theories, cryptozoology, and UFO phenomenon.

What fun!! John Tenney met all of my expectations, and more. Not one of those guys that hangs out in his room until the lecture, he loves to meet people and talk, sharing his thoughts and observations. After the lecture, John sat around in the restaurant/bar area for hours just tossing around ideas to those who had questions.

I love his answer when asked does he believe in ghosts. Despite the fact that he has had experiences that would make even the biggest skeptic a believer, John Tenney maintains that he doesn't believe in anything. Believing in something causes any other possibility to be out of the question. When you believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are right about something, then you cease to question. You cease to seek for answers. You cease to look for other possibilities. Question everything, he suggests.

There is always someone out there who has an idea or a philosophy that they are trying to get you to latch onto. There is always someone who is changing facts so that they can manipulate your feelings or beliefs. The truth is, nothing is black and white. For centuries we have believed philosophies just because we did not know that there was any other way to think. The most important thing we can do is educate ourselves, ask questions. Don't believe something just because I say it is so or someone who has some clout says it is so or every generation for the past thousand years says it is so.

Is an orb a camera flare or is it a spirit? Are there UFO's? Are ouija boards evil? These are some of the subjects John touched on in his lecture. If you would like to hear his take on these or some of the other subjects regarding paranormal activities, you can purchase his books or check out his website, or even find him at different events around the country.

Check out John Tenney via his website, realmoftheweird.com or http://weirdlectures.com/

Halloween Spells

A good friend of mine a long time ago once told me that in her belief system, any spell cast on Halloween was guaranteed to come to pass. The energies, she told me, were greater that day than any other. I hadn't thought about that for years but this morning it came to my mind. Of course I don't propose that we all go out and start casting spells, unless of course they follow the cardinal rule "DO NO HARM."  But let us think about this for a moment.

Yesterday I was supposed to officiate at a wedding in Virginia Beach, but decided to err on the side of caution and request it be postponed, due to the hurricane. So I ended up with a day to myself, since my original plans had been cancelled. I was walking into the grocery store, not really thinking about anything in particular, when my guides told me that I really had to watch my words, because words that came out of my mouth were very powerful and had the capability of changing worlds.

This kind of coincides with this morning's thought about casting spells on Halloween. Now casting spells kind of has an evil connotation, with all the media and movies that have glamorized the practice and the tendency for religion to demonize the practice, but really, it is no different than saying a prayer. A long time ago my guides told me that every thought I thought was a prayer. Every intention or every affirmation I repeated is a kind of spell that I am casting for something that I expect to manifest in my life. Anything that any of us do with intention has power to bring about change in our lives.

So what if my friend has a valid point? What if any spell we cast on Halloween has extra power? Why not use this to our advantage? Let us all spend a moment today to send out prayers, intentions, thoughts of love and light, or whatever you want to call your prayers, out to those in harm's way? To all those affected by the storm, let us send out our intentions that the ability to reclaim their losses will be intensified, that their hearts will be comforted in their losses. Let us send out the intention to the political candidates that the best man for the job will win, that whatever is best for our country and for all those that live here and call it our home will manifest, that whatever the outcome that we may all learn to love and accept one another no matter our differences of opinion, that all may have equal opportunities to live life according to their heart, and that we not blame the government or anyone outside of ourselves for our situations. Let us set aside our judgements and our thoughts of what is right and wrong, and simply love one another.

Some may call it casting a spell and some may call it saying a prayer. Some may light candles to intensify their prayers and some may do other rituals, but as long as no living thing is harmed in the process, what difference does it make what the ritual is or to whom the prayer is addressed? I believe our Source and the Creator of all that is has bigger things to think about than how He/She is addressed and what rituals are performed to request assistance.The bottom line is that it is our intention with which we perform our rituals or pray our prayers that has the real power.

May our intentions be of the highest order, that all may be blessed and that no one be harmed as we all celebrate Halloween in our own way. Do not judge others in their beliefs, whether they be similar to yours or different, as long as no harm is caused or intended. Blessed be!!

Surrender

This morning I was blessed to have brunch with a very dear friend of mine. Though our belief systems are not exactly the same, we each have a love and acceptance for the other. I am always anticipating what will be our topic of conversation, as Spirit often has a message somehow wrapped up in our time together. Today was no exception. Despite my agenda for today, I had to rush home and try to write down the message for today.

We started out by talking about her recent decision to claim back all the things she felt had been stolen from her life and the lives of her loved ones. She talked about years stolen due to her fears. She talked about an autographed picture of Marilyn Monroe. I related how unknowingly we steal parts of the souls of our loved ones or even enemies through intense emotions and how it was possible that pieces of her soul were possibly in the energy field of those she had dreams about or thought about frequently. We both talked about the things we wanted to accomplish in this lifetime, but sometimes felt that our time was stolen due to everyday obligations.

Here are a few things that Spirit wanted us to know, regarding pieces of our lives that we felt had been stolen from us. The main thing that Spirit let us know is that there is no entity (like the devil or his cohorts) out there specifically targeting us to steal from us. We, by our acknowledging that we felt stolen from, were creating the idea in our mind that we had lost something that needed to be returned. The idea is, that when we felt the loss of something, that we would engage our Divine creative ability to manifest that which we felt we had lost. Instead of focusing on what had been stolen, why not instead create in our intentions that which we would instead like to manifest? If we have lost a picture of Marilyn Monroe, for example, then, instead of focusing on getting it back from someone who stole it, why not create a vision of that picture in our minds and focus on having it or something better, hanging on our wall? I have for awhile believed in the mantra, "what you focus on grows." Instead of focusing on the thief, or on that which is stolen, instead focus on creating the possession of that which we have lost. If we have lost a home, or a job, or any number of things, we can recreate what we have lost in our lives by our intention.

By the same token, however, there is the seemingly contradictory message from Spirit, that at times, we need to come to a place of surrender of that which we wish to manifest. If we find ourselves in the position of having meditated, visualized, and intended for something to manifest, and, after a period of time, have still not seen the thing for which we are focused come to pass, there is a point in which it is necessary to surrender to the Divine Higher Wisdom in our lives that for which we have been intending. At this point in our conversation I almost felt that I was channeling Jesus, who told us that when he incarnated on the earth, He knew that his Divine purpose was to teach mankind about love and forgiveness. He said that he was accomplishing that to a degree, but it wasn't until He gave up His right to what was His, that the true manifestation of that purpose came to pass. He gave up his life of ministry, allowed himself to lose it all, and then the manifestation of that purpose was reborn. There comes a time in our lives, especially those to whom is given a calling to be of service, that what burns in our hearts has to be relinquished, so that it can die a death to what we think it has to be or how it has to be accomplished, so that Spirit or the Divine Plan can unfold.

Most of the time we will agree that the major turning points in our lives came while we were busy doing something else. It is only in retrospect that we recognize those times in our lives when we crossed major thresholds that led us in a particular direction. So I say, yes, decide to create something positive in your life. State your intentions. Meditate. Make specific steps that lead you toward your goal. But, at the same time, be aware of the fact that it is only through surrender of all our plans and the ability to change directions if Spirit leads us, that our true calling and purpose can ultimately come into our lives.

So, just for the record, my intention is to be a force of healing to all those with whom I come into contact. I would like to spread love and light to every person I meet. If Spirit allows me to do this through delivering spiritual messages or shamanic healing, then so be it. However, if there is a different plan, I am open to that too.

Use my example of my intention to create your own message to the Universe. Create your intention, but be open to a change in plans. Know that we are the creators of our lives. But surrender to the idea that there might be a bigger force at work, making the wheels turn or stop. And it is all okay.

The Silence

I have noticed that frequently after a time of intense and frequent contact with Spirit that often what follows is a time of intense silence. This is what has been occurring with me this month. In September, as you know, I posted a message every day derived from the cards of the tarot. I really enjoyed the interaction with Spirit and the time of really connecting with the cards. This month however, I have noticed that most of the month there has been a great deal of silence. My daily meditation time has been met with interruptions or difficulty concentrating. I wanted to share this for those of you that have had this occurring as well.

Not that there have been no interactions with Spirit. The other day while meditating I could hear in the "fake" tree that I have beside me in my healing room a sound like the rustling of leaves. I was meditating so I ignored the sound at first. The second time I acknowledged the sound and let it go. There was no movement of air, like a fan or a heat vent that could have caused the sound. I imagined that possibly it was Spirit making contact. After a few minutes of hearing the rustling of the leaves, I gave in and opened my eyes. There on the tree was a praying mantis! I acknowledged his presence and thanked him for joining in my meditation time. My husband and I proceeded to catch him and put him outside. Later when I looked up the praying mantis in my animal messages book, I learned that the praying mantis represents stillness and going within. I thought it appropriate that he had showed up while I was meditating. I imagine he was telling me that more stillness was necessary. Sometimes we have to be still and silent for a period of time before the next stage of the game can proceed. This is apparently where I find myself.

Another interaction with Spirit occurred when a hawk flew directly in front of my car as I pulled in the driveway last weekend. I live in a neighborhood, not too far out of town, so this is not a common occurrence. I knew that hawk was sending me a message. Hawks represent having prophetic sight and seeing things that most will miss. It is a fact that if you hold a dime on one side of a football field and there is a hawk on the opposite end, that the hawk can see the details on the dime. Maybe Spirit is telling me that it is time to access hawk energy and see more clearly.  I am looking forward to connecting with these new earth energies and accessing their knowledge.

So if it is few days or even a few weeks between messages on my blog, know that I am still around. I am getting in touch with Spirit. Maybe they are just giving me a rest. Maybe my system needs to be rebooted. When you reboot a computer, you have to turn it off to get the benefits of whatever system you have installed or upgraded. If you find yourself in a period of silence from the Higher Realms, take heart. Maybe you are just being upgraded and Spirit found it necessary to reboot your system, making it necessary for a stage of turning off your internal computer for a period of time. Take the time to rest and reboot, knowing that soon you will be back, better than ever.

Piggyback Messages

Piggyback messages is a term I have invented for messages from Spirit that are aimed at one person but another person receives and benefits from them. Spirit often does this. It is okay.

Sometimes I write a blog and I get several people who message me to tell me that they were sure this particular message was meant for them. I am happy that Spirit likes to help more than one person at a time.

Sometimes I have been in a room where a medium or an intuitive is giving messages to individuals and although I have not been the recipient of a message, I went away with a message anyway, because I felt Spirit was directing a message to me, even though the intuitive was talking to someone else.

I have also been the recipient of a message that was directed at me, but I felt that the message was really for someone else. I once received a message that I would be moving and that a very tumultuous year was ahead for me. At the time I had no intention of moving, and for several months I was a bit stressed, wondering when the ball was going to drop, so to speak. It ended up I had several messages from intuitives and from my tarot cards about a stressful change in my life. At the end of that year I looked back and realized that all of the messages were in fact directed at my daughter, who ended up being the one who moved and had a stressful year. How do I explain this? At that time my daughter's energy and mine were very closely enmeshed, and I think the intuitives were picking up on her energy because of the piece of her soul I was carrying around with me. I was worried about her in her stressful situation and through this worry had unknowingly taken a piece of her soul and was carrying it around with me. When I was able to separate her soul from mine and give her back her soul part, it freed up my energy from feeling responsible to fix her life, and allowed her the freedom to experience her own challenges and work through them herself. When I saw the same intuitive a year later, she asked me what had happened. She told me my energy was completely different than it had been a year before. That is why it is so important to give back pieces of other people's souls and walk around in our own energy field. This is an extreme example of a piggyback message, but worth mentioning.

I have had people complain to me that when they get messages from intuitives, they often get messages for loved ones and that the messages are not primarily about them. This is because it is so easy to become entwined in the energy of our loved ones. Our guides will use whatever methods that are available to get messages to us. If one of our loved ones is not in the atmosphere to receive a message from Spirit, their guides will often jump into our session because there is something important they need to tell them. Don't worry. When there is an important message from Spirit for you, your Guides will try again and again until you get the message.

If you find yourself hearing the same thing over and over then take the hint that it might be a message from Spirit for you. If you have dreams that occur over and over, it is definitely a message from Spirit for you. Don't feel bad if someone else is getting a message and you think it is for you. Spirit obviously thought that the message was important enough to have you be in the listening area so that you could get the message. Our guides will go to extreme lengths to get us to listen.

In the next couple of days, pay attention to messages that occur over and over. It could be a song on the radio. It could be something you read or something you hear someone else talking about. If we pay attention, messages are all around us. Piggyback messages are just one way Spirit has to communicate with us. Let us let go of the idea that our communications with Spirit can only come one way. It only stands to reason that there may be more than one person going through a particular circumstance at one time. Piggyback messages save our guides time when they can get a message out to more than one person at a time.

When you are ready to hear a message, then it will come to you. One way or another. Open your heart and listen.

Soul Thievery

Today I want to talk a little bit about how we unknowingly and most of the time unconsciously steal a portion of a soul that belongs to someone else.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I have never been the same since I lost my heart to .........." or " ........so and so stole my heart." or some similar saying? I know that what these people are saying is meant to be a metaphor, but in the nonphysical realm, it is true. It is easy to have portions of the souls of our loved ones. Either they willingly give us a piece of their soul, or we subconsciously steal it. We may have the deep feeling that we cannot survive without a certain someone in our life. Subconsciously we are stealing a portion of their soul. There is an invisible bond that occurs that ties us to that individual, whether or not both souls are in agreement. Also if you hold a grudge against someone, technically you have stolen a piece of their soul. You have a part of them trapped in your heart, even though you dislike them. Any very strong emotion directed at another person has the potential of grabbing a piece of their soul and taking it into your energy field. This is not healthy for either individual. Many times we can even unknowingly have pieces of the souls of famous people. One reason why celebrities often have such emotional problems is because they do not understand how to protect themselves from soul loss. Earlier in the year when I was writing a message a day on my blog, at one time about half way through I started to feel drained and lethargic. My guides showed me that I was harboring pieces of the souls of many of my readers. It was necessary for me to cut the invisible cords that tied me to many people I did not even know.

Last night I dreamed that a person who I know had a relative held prisoner in her basement. She had her tied up in a cage and was contemplating killing her. I was trying to convince her that this was not a good plan and would change her life forever. At one point in the dream she had moved her to her couch, although still tied up and unable to leave. I woke from the dream and immediately knew that she, through her grudge in real life, had stolen a piece of this woman's soul.

This is why it is so important to watch our words and our thoughts. Even our thoughts toward someone can have an effect on that person. Remember that everything is energy. Subconsciously we feel the thoughts and words of others, even if on a conscious level we have no knowledge of it.

Is there someone who, even though perhaps you haven't had any contact with this person for some time, you often find yourself thinking or dreaming about? The thoughts and words can be either loving or not so loving. Any strong thoughts or emotions can trigger soul theft. It is very important to have all the pieces of our souls in our own energy field so that we can be whole.

How is this remedied? I like to wake every morning and call back any pieces of my soul that have been separated from me. If there has been severe trauma or emotions, sometimes it takes the work of a shamanic practitioner to get these pieces back. The shamanic practitioner, like myself, will travel into the non physical world and retrieve the parts of our souls that have been lost or stolen. Sometimes pieces of our souls have been gone so long that when they come back, the world suddenly seems brighter. Immediately we feel like we have been on a long trip, and suddenly have come back to a new world, brighter and more intense than before. 

If you think you may have a piece of someone else's soul, it is also important to give that piece back. You can meditate and imagine that person in front of you. Imagine yourself holding a ball of light and then give it back to the person to whom it belongs. Sometimes you can imagine the piece of that person's soul going into an object and then give that object to the person. You will feel free and light when you give pieces of other souls back to their owners. Someone else's energy is never good in your energy field.

Let go of any grudges, any unresolved issues, any unrequited love. Give the souls of others back to themselves. In the same token, ask Spirit to help you get back any pieces of yourself that have been stolen by others or that you have given away or lost. Let us get on with the business of enjoying life, and move forward in our quest for living life in its fullest.

Some Thoughts about Soul Growth

Once a month at my home here in Winchester Virginia, I have a class on various subjects of interest for those of us pursuing a spiritual path. Most of these classes contain wisdom given to my by my guides, as well as insights and techniques that I have learned over the years in my spiritual pursuits. This month's class we did a meditation to rid our souls of energy that was no longer helpful to us on our paths. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. The meditation was given to me directly from my guides, and during the meditation my guides would give me little tidbits of information about energy that we hold onto, many times unconsciously. Evidently it was a very important session, because it seemed that a lot of my normal monthly participants ran into difficultly attending. My intention was that those who were meant to experience this important session would be there, and we still had a good turnout. I wanted to share a little of the information given to me by my guides.

One of the things my guides told me was that when we are about to cross a major spiritual threshold, and shed our energy field of blocks that we have been carrying around for many years, maybe even many lifetimes, we may experience some interference from our subconscious. This is because even if we are suffering, we have become accustomed to the suffering. Our limited thinking and our limited viewpoints and the imprints our beliefs have attached to have become a part of our identity. For this reason it is sometimes difficult to shed energies that we have long ago outgrown. When an opportunity arrives to shed our limited thinking and embrace new energies, many times we will find obstacles popping up to divert our attention or take us away from a much needed healing or transformation. This is a familiar message to me. I have many times been told that our souls heal gradually. It is very rare to jump right from the pit of hell to the heights of ecstasy. If we could rate our souls growth from one to ten, we very rarely jump from a one, the bottom of the scale, to a ten, the top of the scale. It is a process. But every time we take a step, we grow.

My guides were able to bring into awareness many things that we carry over from lifetime to lifetime, that cause us grief, and we were able to shed those energies. No worries, our souls will not present us with a healing modality that we are unable to acclimate our selves to. And we may or may not feel different right away. It takes a while before our bodies become accustomed to our new energies. But change is inevitable. Remember that whatever we are experiencing in our lives, that we can use it as an opportunity to grow.

The other sign to us that our energies are changing is the interesting experience of having things break or stop working temporarily. This is a sign that our energy has changed and our household items have to re-acclimate to our new energy field. Take heart, this experience is usually temporary. Some have experienced light bulbs bursting or electronic devices acting strange or having to be rebooted. Give yourself and your possessions time to adjust. This will pass.

Every day, take time to connect with the energy of your soul. Tell your soul that you are open to change and growth. You are open to new experiences and new insights into things you have always believed. The most important thing to remember is that what you know is all you know. But everything is subject to change. There is nothing set in stone. We all are living our lives with limited thinking and limited beliefs that have made us who we are. As we love our souls and are open to growth, our lives will change. The change may not be what you have expected. But if you are in touch with your soul and what is best for your path through this life and the purpose that you came here to fulfill, then the change will be for the best for everyone concerned. Rest assured that it is all good. If you feel right now like all you have believed and all of the identity with which you have associated yourself is changing, celebrate!! You are finally becoming your authentic self. And it is good.

The Devil

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Ha Ha. So this is my story. I am thinking that today is going to be my last daily message from the tarot. I have found that not many people read on the weekends and I have a lot on my plate anyway. I will go back to my once or twice a week blogs after today. So I was hoping for a really good card for my last message for the month of messages. And I drew the devil. Not the card I was hoping for to say the least. I wanted to end the month off with something positive. So I will admit I put the card back and shuffled the cards and guess what. Got it again. I guess my guides want me to talk about this card.

In doing research about this card I find that the devil card is associated with Capricorn, I guess because in the picture the devil is half goat. Capricorn is associated with the mountain goat. If you have ever seen a mountain goat or at least seen pictures of them they are the animals who are relentless in their ability to climb difficult rocks to get to the top of the mountain.  Part of the implication of the card of the devil is that there is someone who will do anything to get to the top. Capricorns are thought of as being natural leaders and very focused on getting ahead. As an after note, I am a  Capricorn. I really don't see myself this way, but we often don't see our own faults I guess, if you would consider natural drive a fault. However, my understanding of this card is that the card of the devil is twofold. It is a warning against overindulgence, but it is also a suggestion that it may take some relentless focus and abandon to reach or achieve a goal.

In the card, there is a naked man and woman with chains around their necks, hooked together and tied to the perch the devil himself is sitting upon. The woman seems to be holding a basket of apples, the fruit thought to be the downfall of mankind in the garden of Eden. Here is my thought. In the garden, supposedly the devil tempts the woman to eat of the fruit so that she can obtain the knowledge of good and evil, thought to be a bad thing by God. However, think about it. Knowledge is in my opinion our greatest asset. Without knowledge we are nothing but puppets, doing the will of whoever holds the keys. The person holding the keys is the one with the knowledge. The apparent sin in the garden was that Adam and Eve thought that they knew better than God, that they, if they ate of the fruit, could become wise. My question is, why would God want to have people who followed or served Him because they didn't know any better? Wouldn't it be much better to have those who followed Him because they had thought about it, weighed the options, and decided it was the best plan of action? In other words, in my opinion, if the story is true, which is a whole other blog, then God possibly used the devil to persuade Adam and Eve to think for themselves because God actually did want his people to have knowledge.

I for one believe that God, or our Higher Power, or whatever you want to call our Source, wants us to seek knowledge. He/She wants us to think for ourselves. And then after we have weighed our options, to choose love. In order to choose, we have to have first hand knowledge or experience with its opposite. Yes, I believe that this card of the devil warns us against becoming enslaved to anything. However, if, when we are in the throes of slavery, we can look up and see the light at the end of the tunnel, if we can muster the strength within ourselves to climb up out of the pit of darkness and relentlessly climb those rocks to get to the top of the mountain, then the devil has served his purpose. He has thrown us into the pit of darkness so that we will look up and see the light and know that the light is something worth pursuing. That old saying comes to mind.."whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Just for today, think about what things in your life have caused you to pursue your way to the top, out of the pit of despair. We can actually thank the "devil", which is symbolic of anything that pulls us away from the light, because in our darkness, we realized that we longed for the light. Today I want you to consider that there is no black and white, only shades of grey. Our ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, God and the devil, all need to be reconsidered. Sometimes our greatest obstacles are our greatest teachers. The devil has no power over us, except that which we give to him.

What is your greatest fear? What is your greatest "vice?" Thank those things for what you have learned, the knowledge you have obtained. Overcoming obstacles is what makes us who we are. We are only defeated if we give up. Stand up and climb out of the chains that have you bound. You have not realized. You have the keys.

Justice

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Today's card is the card of justice. This card is the card of balancing the scales. Today might be the day when you see your hard work rewarded or on the other hand, your secrets may come back to haunt you. The most important thing to remember when Spirit is balancing the scales is that our sense of justice and the Higher Powers sense of justice may be two different things.

You may feel that you have been working hard at something and the card of justice is drawn to bring you the rewards of a job well done. Instead, you may injure yourself and be off from work for a few days, because Spirit feels you have been working too hard and may need to rest. In my case I am an exercise enthusiast. Monday morning although the temps were cool, I went out for my run. I ended up with a sense that my lungs maybe did not fare well. Ignoring my body's indication that maybe a day of rest was in order, the next day I spent the day rearranging furniture with the full intention of continuing my normal workout routine. I pulled a muscle in the process. Maybe Spirit is trying to get me to slow down a bit. I tend to run at full speed ahead. Of course when I draw the cards, I always try to first personalize them before I try to share on my blog, so when I was thinking of what justice meant to me in my life, I could not think of any wrongs that needed to be righted. The muscle injury was the only message I got for me personally. A balancing of the scales. Slow down a bit.

Maybe your spiritual life is flourishing but your relationships need some work. Or maybe you are faring well in the material world, with a bright career but you rarely have time for family or friends. Today is the day to think about how to balance all the various parts of your self that are calling to you for attention. Have you been ignoring the call of Spirit to come away and spend some time in your spiritual practice but you are too busy, with work or family always in the way? Have you been too busy to incorporate physical activity or a healthy diet into your daily routine? Whatever it is that you have been ignoring, look for the balancing scales of justice to come calling.

If you are hoping the justice cards means that someone who has wronged you is about to receive their punishment of sorts, I wouldn't focus too much on the hopes that Spirit has taken up the cause. Spirit is much different than we are about dishing out punishments, especially when that is what we are hoping for. The best thing to do is hope for the best outcome for everyone concerned. Never hope for the downfall of someone who you feel deserves it. You are just asking for the scales of justice to turn instead on you. Remember that Spirit is much better than we are at dishing out justice, and that Spirit has much better scales than we do.

Remember to look within when you are looking at the justice card. Is there someone you have wronged that you need to make it right? Is there imbalance in any areas of your life? If you are inclined to look at others when the justice card appears, then it is time to change your focus. Just for today, focus on an area of your life you have been neglecting. It is time to balance the scales.

Many people have a tendency to assume that a message is for someone else, and fail to personalize the message for themselves. No one likes to think that a difficult message is for them. Not that the justice card is difficult, rather, it is easy to assume that the justice card means that justice will be done in our favor. Someone who has done us wrong will get their just desserts. Not necessarily. Justice is a fair and unbiased observer. The seeds you have sown will grow up eventually. Don't expect if you have been sowing green bean seeds that you will get a watermelon. If you have sown green beans you will eventually get green beans.Someone I once knew, as a teenager, used to steal car parts and sell them. As an adult, he often had cars that broke down, even new cars right off the showroom. Obviously he couldn't go back and make right to every person he stole from. But Spirit was sending him his justice card. Just something to think about.

Just for today, take time to think about what things in your life need some balance. What have you been neglecting? What kinds of seeds have you been sowing? Take notice of what comes to mind. It may be as simple as a pulled muscle to tell you to slow down a bit. Or it may be more substantial. Maybe today is the day to take inventory and do some self balancing, before Spirit does it for you. When the justice card appears, expect justice to be done, for the good of all.

Queen of Swords

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Today's card is the Queen of Swords. In this card we see a profile of a queen sitting on her throne and holding a sword. The background is a sky of blue and some puffy white clouds. There are butterflies adorning her throne and also her crown. The setting seems to be pleasant, although the facial expression on the queen is a bit hard.

When the Queen of Swords appears in your life, it is time to use your intellect and words to make your mark on the world. This is not the time for the feel good, nurturing side of yourself to be in control. Those with a Queen of Swords personality do not mince words. They are not known to be overly mushy gushy, feel good types of people. Instead, they make their mark on the world through their use of words and intellect. The Queen of Swords would be the person you go to when you want to hear the truth, when you want to know the answer to a question, when you need some sound advice. I am reminded of my mother when I think about the essence of this card. She was not overly nurturing, but she always had an answer. I remember about her that she was the one who would get herself in trouble sometimes for not mincing words, for speaking her truth. I tend to have that same sort of personality, although I hope that I have softened with age.

Is there someone in your life who always speaks their truth, no matter what the result? Sometimes these types of people can be abrasive, however, remember that they tend to be very wise and have given a lot of time and thought to all the things they have learned in this lifetime. They have given themselves over to an idea, a belief system, a cause, sometimes to the extent that their sense of compassion for those with different ideas suffers. I find that I tend to notice these types of people a lot, those who are locked into an idea or a belief to the exclusion of any other possibility. When two people with a queen of swords personality lock horns, the result is often not pretty. This makes me know that there is still something within myself that is the same way. When we find ourselves dealing with people over and over with a particular personality trait that rubs us the wrong way, it is a pretty good indication that there is a portion of that tendency within ourselves that we have not yet acknowledged.

Just for today, embrace that part of yourself that is wise, knowledgeable, and in control. In the same token, however, realize that there is the other side of the coin that is nurturing, compassionate and accepting of others. You may run into this type of personality today, if it is not you that embraces the essence of the Queen of Swords. There may be an instance to which you need to use your intellect, and not your emotions, to overcome a situation. Remember that Spirit is there to offer the wisdom you need to deal with whatever problems or situations in which you find yourself. We all have tools, given to us by Spirit, to deal with whatever life hands us. Remember that our souls are wise, loving, compassionate, and able to deal with whatever life brings us. We just need to be in touch with that part of ourselves that is connected to Spirit. If you find yourself wavering, just stop and reconnect. It is that simple. All the answers we need are right there.

New Things

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Yes, I know I have written about the ace of wands card already. This morning I drew this card first and I indicated to Spirit that I needed a card that I had not already drawn. Spirit makes no mistakes, however. I put this card back and attempted to write about the next card that I drew. It was a struggle to say the least. Obviously Spirit has something to say to day about the Ace of Wands.

If you read my previous message relating to this card, you know that this is the card of new ideas. Something within you has sparked and a new idea has conceived within you. This is the card of conception. Nothing has materialized yet. The final outcome of this idea is still undecided. The end result could be very different from the initial conception.

The message for today is that if you desire change in your life then do something new. I love the exercise gurus out there who say, " you cannot continue to do the same things and expect different results." This tidbit of wisdom applies to all areas of our lives. We cannot continue to do the same things in the same ways and expect something different to manifest. I learned this years ago. I was locked into a belief system and I erroneously thought that if I prayed and prayed, eventually God would intervene and fix all my problems. After a number of years of struggle I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and be my own savior. The strength I was looking for outside of myself I found within my own soul. Yes, I still connect with Angels and Guides, but I don't look for them to do anything for me without any action on my part.

Inside of ourselves we all contain a spark of the Divine. That light in our own soul is connected to the light that is inherent in all things. All we need to do is access that Divine Wisdom. All the answers we need are there. The Ace of Wands embraces that spark.

Just for today, so something that is out of the ordinary. Get out of your comfort zone. Drive a different way to work. Eat a food you are not accustomed to eating. Change the furniture around in your house. Remember that nothing is created or destroyed, it just changes form. When you change something in your world, anything, the energy around you changes.

 Do you want more money? Put a dollar bill in your pocket and pull it out periodically during the day and just feel its energy. Imagine yourself with lots of dollar bills in your pocket. Imagine the feeling of it. Then sometime, before the end of the day, give that dollar bill away. Yes, give it away. Nothing is created by holding on. It is created by letting go. If you cannot decide who to give it to, then go into a store and drop it on the floor. Say to Spirit.." thank you for giving me the gift of money. I have so much that I am giving this to You to give to someone who needs it. It is not up to me who that person is. I now release it to the Universe for whoever needs it......"

Just for today, do something symbolic of the change you desire to see in your life. If you want a new job, drive a different way to work. If you want a new relationship, place a picture in your bedroom of a happy couple. If you want to see things in a new way, wash the windows in your home or your car. I think you get my drift. Spirit will tell you what to do that is symbolic of the change you wish to see.

Today is the day to spark a new era in your life. Ready, set, go!!

Hmmm The Death Card

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No one likes to get the death card. After a weekend off from connecting with the tarot and a wonderful excursion yesterday to a gathering of like minded individuals in Sperryville, Virginia, enjoying the mountains, the beautiful fresh air, my good friend Hali (in junior high her name was Halimah, my best friend in 7th through the 9th grade), and of course a great Spirit message from gifted intuitive Christin McCormack, I was sure my energy was replenished and for sure I would get a wonderful card for the beginning of this last week of messages from the tarot.

I connected with Spirit, cut the cards, and drew the death card. Now I had said from the beginning to my guides that I really wanted some of the cards that were traditionally thought of as "bad" cards so that I could show my readers that really, there is no such thing as a bad message. So maybe my tarot guide was calling me on that.

It is interesting to me that the death card is card number thirteen, also thought of by many to be a bad omen. Many hotels don't have a thirteenth floor. Friday the thirteenth is supposed to be a bad luck day. The three and the one of the number thirteen add up to four, which in old time feng shui was the number equated with death, which is interesting. It was considered bad energy to group objects in fours.

It is also interesting that a couple of days ago I had a dream in which my husband and I were in a head on car collision, the impact of which woke me up, so it was not determined whether we survived the crash. But let me assure you all that the death card and the number thirteen is not bad luck. Having a dream about death is not bad luck either. Why? Because there is no such thing as bad luck.

We are all sparks of the Divine Energy which some call God. The light within our soul is the light that in the Bible, in the beginning, God said, Let there be light and there was light. We all contain a portion of that light, no matter who we are. Even the rocks and the trees contain a spark of that light, that energy which is God. The truth is, there is no such thing as death. Even science says that energy cannot die, it just changes form. There is nothing in a number that makes it bad luck and there is nothing in the death card that should spark fear in us.

To me, the death card represents change. We all can say that we are going through changes. This year in numerology is the year of great changes. Many times in order for change to happen in our lives something has to die. A seed has to die in order for a flower to be born. Even when we die, our bodies decompose but our spirit is reborn into another reality. My husband, who is a paranormal investigator, has come to the conclusion many times over that the evidence he collects when investigating goings on in houses reported to be haunted is many times inconclusive as to whether there is an actual presence in the house or if the activity is the result of trapped emotions, the current occupant's mental state, normal settling of the house, or a combination of many other factors. The bottom line is that death is not the end. It is actually a beginning.

Today, put aside your prejudices about what is good and what is bad. Think about what things you would like to birth in your life and consider what needs to be eliminated so that you can bring forth those things into your life. It is impossible to add more liquid to an already full cup. What do you need to pour out of your cup in order to fill it up with the new stuff? Do you need to clean out your closets, both literally and symbolically? What things need to be put to rest?

In the tarot, the death card represents the final end of a chapter. Not the end of the book. Just a chapter. A new chapter is about to burst forth on the scene. This chapter may be ending, but new things are on the horizon. My shaman teacher says that when you are on the death stone, (in shamanism the divinity tool is a circle of stones) that you need to give everything a good death. Allow whatever is over to be over, in order to start anew. Be willing to put down what is no longer productive in your life. The opposite of that is holding on too tightly to things that are no longer life affirming or in your best interests. When you hold on too tightly to anything, whether it be money, a relationship, a hobby, or a multitude of other things, then that thing will run away from you. Open your grip. Let go. Death is not the end.

Weekend

Just a note to let you know that I am not going to be posting a message a day from the tarot for Saturday and Sunday. On Monday I will start my last week of messages based on the cards of the tarot. Have a great weekend!!

Knight of Swords

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Today's card is the knight of swords. In it we see a knight, riding full speed ahead on his horse, holding his sword in front of him, the wind blowing against him, the sky ominous, the trees bending in the fierce wind. This card represents someone in our life, or ourselves, riding against the wind. It could represent conflict of some sort, words that cut and seem to come out of nowhere, but the energy of this card is sudden, and often unexpected.

Wind most often represents change, and sudden change at that. Knights often also represent something that happens speedily, and swords represent words, conflict, or issues with our mind. The swords have the potential of cutting to the chase.

Many times we are living our lives, and then, out of the blue, someone invades our world. There are words that cut and cause us or those we love to bleed and suffer. If often comes out of the blue, unexpected. After it is over we or those we have had conflict with are often left with guilt, as in the previous blog. We often go to bed, lose sleep, toss and turn, riddled with the words that have invaded our world.

It is so important to weigh our words. We can never take them back. We may apologize, feel remorse, try to make amends, but words are out there, in the atmosphere, biting us where it hurts, so to speak. In recent days we have seen in the media how words that have come out of the mouths of political candidates have come back to haunt them. Of course they meant what they were saying at the time. It was only afterward when the uproar over those words bit them, did they backpedal and try to soften the blow. We can also see how words can change everything. The whole course of an event can be changed by words spoken carelessly or without thought or consideration of everyone involved.

I usually try to capsulize an idea into something to embrace "just for today", that way the task does not seem so daunting, however, my sincere plea for today's message is that we weigh our words. Take the feelings of others into consideration. Sincerely feel how other people are going to take the words that come out of your mouth. You never know how your words will change the course of the path of your life. I have noticed that putting my words out there in the eyes of all has changed how people react to my blogs. Some have some sort of prejudice against the tarot in general, thinking it is somehow evil or sinful. This is also something to consider. Watch your prejudices. Watch your judgements. If something is out there that you have had a prejudice against, reevaluate. Is is causing harm or good? Just because it has always been thought of as evil, doesn't mean it is. It is time to eradicate our prejudices.  The cardinal rule of wicca is "harm none." And yet there is a stigma that some still attach to this belief system. It is time to revisit our prejudices and the words and thoughts that have separated us as a human race and instead find the things that we can agree on. Love and forgiveness seems to be at the heart of every true religion. We need to stop thinking that our way is the only way. As long as love and peace and joy is the result of someone's belief system or way of life, then who are we to judge?

 Let us put down our swords. Let us stop going into battle against an unknown enemy. In the card of the knight of swords the enemy is not shown. Even the forces of nature are trying to prevent this knight from going into battle. The winds are against him. And yet his resolve is set.

Think about those with whom you have spoken out words of aggression or conflict, and especially those of a particular faith or ethnicity or persuasion that you do not agree with or are unfamiliar with but with whom you have issues. Are they really as bad as you think? Think of the mantra "harm none." Is this your goal? Just for today, take this as your intention. "I will do no harm. I will say only words of love and acceptance. I will judge not."

Nine of Swords

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Most of the cards I have drawn in this month of messages from the tarot have been really good cards. I am a very positive person, so I have enjoyed writing the blogs, with messages from Spirit that make me feel good. I am sure that if I feel good writing the messages, then my readers will enjoy reading them. So when I drew this card, I had to really think about what  Spirit might want to say today.

This card, the nine of swords, depicts a person sitting up in bed with her(?) head down and cupped in her hands. The wall behind her bed is a dark blue, and on the wall it appears that there are nine swords hanging above her head. She is covered by a patchwork quilt. To me the bed appears hard and uncomfortable.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I contemplate this card is that this person is not sleeping due to some sort of conflict hanging over her head. The end of the swords, the point, is not shown, which means the end result of the conflict is not yet known. The symbolism of attempting to sleep on a hard bed, to me, symbolizes that the person depicted has made a hard bed for herself to lay on. In other words, the reason for her insomnia is probably self inflicted.

Most of us can admit that at some point in our lives we have made for ourselves a hard bed to lay on. We have done things we are ashamed of. We feel guilt. We feel responsible for something or someone who is causing us grief and anxiety. We may lay awake at night, tossing and turning, going over in our heads the possible implications of our thoughts, words, or actions.

This card does not offer a way out or an end result. The tips of the swords are not shown. The number nine is the number of finality, of completion, of endings, but this card does not depict a final result. We may have conflict hanging over our heads, but the final result is not yet determined.

What would Spirit say to us in regards to this card? I am hearing that no matter what you have done or what you have gone through, the end result is not set in stone. You have made a hard bed for yourself. You have yourself hung those swords above your own head. Your own guilt has kept you awake at night. But that is not the end of the story.

There are a couple of possibilities. Either you have done something for which you feel guilty or you are carrying a heavy load for which you are feeling anguish. You are staying awake at night, going over in your head the possible implications. You are worried about the possible outcomes. It is time to get up out of that hard bed you have made for yourself and take down those swords which are hanging over your head. It is time to come clean. Only you can remedy this.

If you are losing sleep over a bad decision, an indiscretion, something you have done that you are ashamed of, then now is the time to come clean. If you don't, eventually the truth will come out anyway. Spirit is giving you the chance to come clean on your own before the truth comes out some other way. It is much better to admit guilt than to backpedal and have to explain away your actions.

This is a warning card. The message is that if you have a secret, something that you are ashamed of, now is the time to come clean.

Obviously this card is not for everyone. But there is someone who needs to hear this message. Today is the day to come clean.

Ten of Pentacles

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Today's card is the card of success, wealth, security, and permanence. Whereas yesterday's card indicated that there was change in the air, today's card is all about security, feeling secure in one's environment, and having enough to share with others.

In this card the figures in the card are in the middle of town square. There is an older man, dressed in a regal robe, symbolizing prosperity with all its pomp and circumstance, petting a dog, and close by there is a family with a small child, the small child also petting one of the dogs, and looking towards the older gentleman. There are pentacles, symbolic in the tarot of wealth, seemingly floating in the air throughout this card. One of the images of this card is that of a money tree. In this card is the feeling of money growing on trees. There is enough for all, with the hint that it is time to share the wealth.

This card also has the feel of generosity. You have been blessed with much and it is time to pass on what you have received.

I want you to look past the face value of this card. Think about how you are truly blessed. If you are not blessed with a fat bank account, you can think of many ways in which you are blessed. There are so many who are poor in material wealth but rich in family ties, rich in health, rich in wisdom, rich in love. We all have something we are really good at. You may be an excellent cook, or maybe you are really good with children. We all have come into this lifetime with something that is our golden egg, so to speak. It is that thing that you have that no one else has exactly like you do. It is that I want you to think of for a moment. Maybe that thing that you do really well has not exactly made you rich. I want to present to you the idea that riches come in all forms. Maybe you do not live in an affluent neighborhood, but you have friends who are there for you at the drop of a hat. You have love. You can think of at least one thing you have that is really really good.

Sometimes we spend too much time thinking about what we don't have and forget to realize that we all have something that makes us prosperous. The ten of pentacles does not have to be just about money, although it can be. It is time to think about what you have in abundance and then think about how you can pass the wealth on to those who could use more of what you have. If you have nothing else, you have your smile. Everyone can smile at someone today and pass along the feeling of good will.

Just for today, embrace the ten of pentacles. Think about what you have that makes you wealthy. Think about how you can share what you have with someone who has not so much of that quality. If nothing else, we all have an abundance of the potential to love. Love from your heart. What does abundance mean to you? Imagine those coins floating around in the air and having so much in abundance that it would not affect your life in the least if you passed some on to others. Leave a legacy. What will your legacy be?

Wheel of Fortune

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This morning I focused on the cards and then drew a card for today's message. The first card I got was the King of Pentacles. I thanked Spirit for the card. A good card, but I already wrote about this one, I told Spirit. Not that I can't get the same card twice. But please give me a different card, I asked. The second time I drew the Wheel of Fortune. This is a great card too.

I love this card because it represents change. In numerology we are in a year of change. The number ten which is the number equivalent of the wheel of fortune represents beginnings and inner gifts. In other words, new things are coming, change, and especially in the spiritual realm.

I thought since the first card I drew was the King of Pentacles, I would incorporate that card as well into the message for today. If you remember, the King of Pentacles represents success, being at the top of your game, great fortune. The wheel of fortune represents luck, change in fortune, destiny. They are similar cards but the wheel of fortune has within it the ability to also mean luck working against you. It all depends on where you find yourself on the wheel at the time you pull the card and whether you have been a person of character up until now. The wheel of fortune has within it the essence of karma, of reaping what you have sown.

Yesterday I talked about how we want our dreams to come to pass immediately. We want instant gratification. We want to sow our seeds and have them come up and produce a crop right away. Sometimes we have to let that baby grow within our bellies and allow the birth to happen at just the right time. The wheel of fortune says to us that it is about time for that baby to be born. Things are about to change.

Here is the thing about receiving messages from Spirit. There is no time outside of our realm of understanding. So when Spirit tells you that things are about to change, you may have in your mind that Spirit is telling you that within a few days or perhaps a week things will change. You have to understand that Spirit is notoriously bad at timing because there is no time where They are. Time only means something to us. From Their perspective change may be right around the corner but it may take some time to get to us.

So the essence of the message for today is that yes, things are about to change. If you have been a person of character and have been toiling along waiting for things to get better, then take heart, your ship is about to come in. The King of Pentacles agrees. Chances are, if you are not a person who is interested in Spirit and have been working on yourself spiritually, you are probably not reading this message. So don't even worry about the wheel going in the opposite direction. This card indicates that time is circular and that the wheels of change are turning.

Change is inevitable. Things that stay the same stagnate. We learn and grow through change. That is what life is all about. Sometimes the wheel has to turn in a downward direction in order to eventually come back up. Whichever way you find the wheel turning, take heart. The King of Pentacles who also appeared this morning says it will be beneficial. Just for today, remember that change is coming and it is all good. If the change turns out to be difficult change, it will make you stronger. If it turns out to be beneficial, all the better. Get ready. The wheel is turning.

The Empress

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Today's card from the tarot is the card of the Empress. Here we have a woman with a crown on her head, holding a scepter, royal colors on the cushions upon which she sits, in a lush, green setting in a meadow of some sort with evergreen trees in the background. The feel of the card is comfort. Some tarot cards depict her as being pregnant, symbolizing the birth of new things in our lives, but also with the idea of hearth and home, and a connection to the earth.

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to get out of town and reconnect with the Mother Earth. Even though I have a lush and beautiful backyard, with which I am able to connect on a regular basis, there is something to be said for going out of town and to a place that is unencumbered by humans, for the most part. We came upon a place on the trail where there were huge rocks, jutting out from the ground and reaching up into the sky several hundred feet. The greenery around the area was soft and green, and there were many trees that grew out of the ground in twins, signifying a place of great energy concentration. I made my way down into the area close to the rocks, and felt such a surge of natural energy. I could feel the everyday emotional debris just floating out of my body, as I reconnected with the Earth which is our Mother. This is the feeling I think this card wants to depict.

Sometimes we get too caught up in the business of living. There are jobs to do, clothes to wash, dinner to fix, bills to pay. There is always something to do. Sometimes it is important just to put all those things aside and just get out of town.

The other feeling associated with this card is that of being pregnant. There is a time for gestation, after the initial conception, be it of an idea, a career, a family, a relationship, or anything new we have conceived of but have not yet birthed. Many times we are impatient with the gestation period. We do not want to give our "baby" time to develop. We want what we want in an instant. We have created instant potatoes, instant rice, instant oatmeal, microwaves which cook our food in an instant. We cannot live without being instantly connected with others through our cell phones, computers, and televisions. We can know in an instant what is happening on the other side of the world. The thought of gestation is foreign to us. There is something to be said for the idea of gestation, of just putting aside our need for instant gratification and just allowing our "baby" to develop on its own, in its own perfect timing.

If you do not have access to a natural setting, be it a park, mountains, beach, or winding trail, I encourage you to find access to something that gives you the feeling of nature. Even if it is just connecting through a houseplant, just for today, get in touch with something that does not take human intervention to exist. When you are connecting to that natural setting, thing about what you are doing. Are you trying to birth something into your life? Are you impatient for it to be born? Connect with that object of your intention, and let it know that you are willing to wait until its perfect time. Intend that you are going to enjoy the journey from conception to birth. Some things are just worth waiting for. A premature baby is never as healthy as one who is born right on time.

So this is your assignment. Just for today, get in touch with Mother Nature, in some form. Thank Her for the gift of life, and reconnect with the earth upon which we live, and breathe. Think about your life, and what it is that you are trying to birth into your life, whether it be big or small. Allow yourself time to breathe and contemplate. Enjoy your life, and be grateful for all your blessings.

Two of Swords

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In this card we have what appears to me to be a woman, sitting on a bench with her back to a body of water containing large rocks, holding two swords crossed over her heart, and wearing a blindfold. There is a crescent moon above and behind her.

This card speaks to me of a person who does not want to see something. The blindfold appears to be self inflicted. The swords crossed over her heart are in fact in her own hands. The fate of this woman is in her own hands. She has closed her heart and closed her eyes. There is something she does not want to see or want to face. Swords represent the intellect, conflict and the mental realm. Water represents emotions, the moon represents intuition. Her back is to both her feelings and her intuitive sense. This card speaks of being at an impasse, not being able to move forward but not wanting to go back either.

In our lives we all have things we do not want to face, issues that are difficult. We may sense the infidelity of a lover or we may have doubts about our own feelings in our primary relationships. There may be something within that is holding us back from moving forward and fulfilling our destiny. We may be fearful of the unknown. Sometimes it is easier to remain in a place that is unfulfilling than to shed the relationships or environment that is holding us back. Our ship cannot come in because we are in a place where the water is filled with dangerous rocks.

The truth of the matter is that whatever we don't face now we will end up facing at some point in our future. Life is a series of lessons, and if we fail a test or just refuse to take the test, we will get the opportunity over and over until we do. There is no graduating to the next level until we pass the tests we are given.

The worst scenario is when we have closed our eyes and our hearts to our own needs and desires. Sometimes we may have the best of intentions. We may fear hurting the people in our lives. We may think that it is heroic if we put aside our own needs for the needs of others. Or maybe we cannot imagine how we will survive without that other person. It is not good for the other person if you are there only because you don't want to hurt their feelings. Each one of us has the right to be in a primary relationship with someone who is dedicated to that relationship. If one or the other is not committed, then both suffer.

Today is the day to open your eyes and see what you do not want to see. Take the swords down which you have in place to protect your heart. Turn that bench around and face that emotion or intuitive feeling which you have turned your back on. We are only living if we are feeling our raw emotions, if we are opening ourselves up to the spray of mist from the ocean of passion. What is your life worth if you spend your whole life living a lie? How have you robbed the significant people in your life of a life filled with true emotions, not pretense?

Remember this. If something is not good for you, it is also not good for those with whom you share your life. The significant people in your life deserve to spend their lives with people who really want to be there. In the same sense, you also deserve to spend your life with people who are true and honest with you.

Whether it is a relationship, a career, a home, or another scenario that you have closed your eyes and your hearts to, today is the day to take off that blindfold and put down the sword. Stop lying to yourself and face that which you have turned your back on. If you feel you are at an impasse, then spend some time meditating on what you really want to do with your life.Don't come to the end of your life with regrets. Live with wild abandon. It is time.

The World

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Here is a card we all would like to see when we are getting a reading, the card entitled the World. This card indicates that the world is at our command. We are fulfilled. We are happy. We are complete.

In the picture there is a woman, seemingly dancing in thin air, covered only by a loosely wrapped scarf of some kind. She is surrounded by a laurel or a wreath, with four figures looking from each corner of the card. She is holding a baton of some kind in each hand. It is a happy card, a card that sings of completion and wholeness.

Most of us will have to admit that we are all aspiring to this card. We all want our lives to be at peace. We want to meet our goals. We want to be perhaps in a relationship which has weathered the storms and now has settled happily into bliss. We want that perfect career, that happy home, that feeling of completeness and perhaps enlightenment. If this is your goal, then the world card might be the one you carry around with you today.

Most of us will admit that sometimes this seems like a lofty goal, perhaps unreachable. We cannot imagine our lives this way, because we have not seen ourselves in this light. If you can admit to yourself that you have a hard time imagining your life without any struggles, then it may take some time before you embrace this card.

It is said that the reason that a large percentage of those who win the lottery are out of money within a relatively short period of time is because they are not in resonance with large amounts of money. In other words, they could not feel or see themselves without struggle. I wrote a blog once about my first adventure in building a pond, in which I took some fish out of the icky green water in which they had been accustomed to living and placed them in a bowl of fresh clean water and they died within a half hour. In other words, we are victims of our environment.  Many of us are fish living in an icky green algae infested pond. We cannot just jump out into a bowl of clean water. In order to create a life for ourselves in which we are able to embody the essence of this card, we must first feel it, see it, taste it, and smell it deep within the recesses of our being.

Just for today, imagine that perfect life, in which you are at peace with all that touches you. You are in a happy, fulfilled relationship. You have that perfect job or have created that perfect income. Your children are happy and settled. Your home is at peace. Your bills are paid. Pay attention to the feelings that come up. Deep within yourself, is there a small voice that is whispering that it could never happen? It is time to displace that voice and replace it with the essence of fulfillment, happiness, contentment, accomplishment. Feel complete. Feel enlightened. Feel safe. Imagine yourself as that woman, dancing in mid air in the midst of a crown of accomplishment. Do this regularly. Then just see what happens.