New Year’s Eve 2021

For those of you that have asked questions about how to set your intentions for the new year, I would like to share a beautiful ritual that one of my friends sent to me several years ago. 

I do not use this at New Years, however, this ritual is certainly right for that purpose.   I do use it to set intentions for any time.  It is powerful to use this ritual with the New Moon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the initial technique - Setting Your Intentions for 2021 or any other time:

You start by asking yourself 4 questions...

1. What do I want this year in my personal life
2. What do I want this year for my financial life
3. What do I want this year for my business life
4. What do I want this year for my spiritual life

Then you write your answers. I feel into my body to identify in my heart what I am being drawn to create from the year. The MOST IMPORTANT part is to write it as if it has already happened.

As an example / template, here is an excerpt in part of what Maureen Collins (an artist) wrote for the category of business:

I am so grateful that this year became such an amazing journey of openness and discovery in my business, as it moved into the corporate world and lecture stage larger than ever before. I was able to deliver my shared vision via “What If? The Movie” through divine energy to hundreds of thousands of souls that were not only open to the information but contributed to the content collectively... AND they further delivered it to many more through word of mouth. This wisdom known to us all was a huge success with so many experiencing heart felt shifts and changes through the material offered by many like-minded souls. It became a place of safety and conversation for all who viewed it, and grew to include new audiences of those opening to the materials being offered by me and other contributors. The opportunity for the community to converse with one another about their own positive belief and pattern changes was a blessing and a joy to my heart, showing me the possibilities for all communities of the world. I loved watching and hearing the shifts and changes clients and friends and family were experiencing as they also awakened to how amazing and powerful they truly are, and reveled in the moments they shared with others in the community ...which triggered more openings and shifts and more sharing and so on. What fun... and so effortless and flowing... I felt like a kid again with all the discoveries...

You get the idea... write it as if it has already happened AND makes sure you include how you "felt" when it happened. Do this for each of the categories (there may be some overlap but the categories are designed to allow for specifics in those four areas of your life). This is a POWERFUL exercise that almost acts as plan for the year but flows through and creates a vibrational resonance with what you are desiring. You can do this over the next couple of days... I promise you it will really make a lovely impact. Then print it out post a couple of copies in places you will regularly see them to remind you what you are creating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ritual:  Burn and Release from Maureen Collins…

On a sheet of paper, I write out all of the things from the current year that I've outgrown, no longer want in my life,  no longer work for me, and anything else I feel I want to shed and leave behind.  On a separate piece of paper, I write all of the things I can think of and feel that I want to grow and expand in the new year.  I then burn each paper in separate dishes or shells, making sure all pieces are turned to ashes.  Then, when cooled, I put them into separate envelopes or containers (film canister, Ziploc baggie, etc.) and mark "to shed" and "to grow" on the container.   Around 5 minutes before midnight, I start visualizing all the things on the "to shed" list, and see them slip away, see them blown away and washed away, out of my energy field, out of my life and  out of my reality.  I go out side and pour the "to shed" ashes into my hand and let the wind scatter the ashes away and release them and all they re present, as the old year fades away.

After midnight, after blessing the new year, with the second container  "to grow",  I visualize all of these goals, desires, etc. coming to fruition, to this level of reality.  I bring that envelope down to the garden, and with a stick dig a small hole, then plant these ashes in the earth, near a tree or in a special place, (for those in apartments, I encourage them to use their favorite houseplant).  The ashes are a reminder of the life cycle, the power of nature and the honoring of Mother Earth, that these seeds of hopes and dreams are nurtured into reality, in the coming year.   This is a ritual that I've shared with many people, and even had a group in Ireland do it one New Years!  You may want to try this and tweak it and do it a way that suits you.

Happy New Year and many blessings! 

Note… the information in this post was used in 2011 and again in 2018 on this blog.  This information is timeless!

The Space Between Christmas and New Year’s Day

 

                                                           Picture from Mamamia.com.au

The big day, Christmas Day, is over.  The guests have gone.  Leftover food is bagged and frozen.  The beds are stripped and in the laundry.  Tired and energy flagging, everyone wonders what day it is and whether there is something they should be doing but forgot.  Some folks are taking advantage of Boxing Day sales and going out to Nature to rebalance and reenergize.  

How do you manage your time between the two days?  The toll that Christmas takes from all of us means that we need to have lots of water and lots of green food - veggies and salads to bring our body back to balance. 

Blessings.

Merry Christmas - December 25 2021!

 

Our Christmas Tree 

Each year we put up a Christmas tree because we enjoy the process and the affirmation of the coming days of visiting and sharing food with friends and family.  

We are grateful for all of the wonderful things that have happened this year even though there have been limitations from the covid restrictions. 

We wish you and your family a Christmas that is filled with warmth, love, peace, and happiness!

Many blessings!

Christmas Tale - The Story of How Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Came to Be

This story appeared on my blog on December 24, 2009.  Many folks loved this story so I thought it was worth repeating this year.  

The Story Behind the Story of Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph…from www.guy-sports.com

A man named Bob May, depressed and broken hearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.  His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing.

Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. 

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.

Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. 

From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little  girl.

But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped  them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced  to live in a two-room apartment in he Chicago slums. Evelyn died  just days before Christmas in 1938. Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined a make one - a storybook!

Bob had created a character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. 

Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. 

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print,_ Rudolph the  Red-Nosed Reindeer_ and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.

By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an  updated version of the book. In an unprecedented gesture of  kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from  the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story  doesn't end there either.  

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to  Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists  as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing  cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released  in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling mo re records than  any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May  
learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

Many Blessings!

Karma Files - The Law of The Garbage Truck

 Garbage Truck runs over car! ---Photo from www.car-accidents.com

The following post comes from Angels and Ancestors from December 12, 2008.

  

One of my favorite sayings is "How others treat you is their karma; how you react is yours!"  by Dr. Wayne Dyer.  I have been noticing that during my Christmas shopping, some people are just plain mean to those around them - other customers, clerks, and even their own families.  I wonder what it is in them that causes so much anger.  And, like a bad apple, the anger they spew out, seems to spread if others let it.

Here is a great story that my friend Roxanne sent me about how one can deal with toxic behaviour that is directed at us.  

Enjoy!

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy and I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.  The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets so 'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.' 

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it.  
~Author Unknown

Have a wonderful day!

Many blessings!

Christmas Thoughts - Calm Spirit

 

                   Picture comes from a post on Angels and Ancestors from December 21 2017

This post is a reprint of the post from December 21, 2017.  Enjoy!

As we come closer to the day of Christmas, I find myself asking for calm spirit.  I feel the energies from outside me, pushing at me, causing me to feel unsettled.

I ask for calm spirit.  I wish to glide through the days with everything that I do being easily accomplished.  I wish for all that I meet to smile at me and wish me well.

I ask for calm spirit.  I ask for inspiration from the sky and the stars.  I ask for my identity to be Calm Spirit Woman so that I am at one with the flow of what happens next.

I ask for calm spirit.  I am oneness with everyone out there, with every person around me.  I see them in me.  I move to calmness. I am refreshed.

Many blessings.

Kindness to All

 

                       Image comes from Getty Images, originally in an article from Inc.com

I was shopping on Friday at my favourite grocery store.  It was nice… not crowded and people seemed genuinely cheerful.  I was surprised when a store voice over announcement said, “Remember to be kind to one another.  It makes shopping easier.”  That is so true!  After the announcement, I was so impressed whenever I met another shopper in the aisles that they said things like hello, excuse me, or shared a smile. It seemed like everyone heard the announcement and that everyone proceeded to work on it.  Even the checkout folks who are quite cheerful on a normal day, seemed to be extra polite and chatty.  

The whole incident made me think about kindness.  To be kind to all, I think, is a real challenge because some people simply are not nice and some people have done horrible things.  To be kind to animals, I think, is much easier than being kind to people because an animal does not have the same back stabbing abilities that humans exhibit after you have been nice/kind to them.  Animals are grateful for help and kindness where people will sometimes complain to others about the kindness that they received.  

To show kindness to all without reservation and with compassion shows a greatness that is not often seen today.  The act of kindness without expectations shows the value of the Buddhist mantra, “Loving Kindness” which many of us work on in our daily lives.  Sometimes it is really difficult to be kind to a street person or to someone who was nasty to us yesterday.  It may be hard to say or to be kind when you feel repulsed by someone.  

The Angels say that kindness without conditions is a great way to increase one’s abundance and to expand one’s soul.  It makes me wonder if the Angels slipped an extra line into the daily store announcements so everyone would be kind to others.

Blessings.

Spirit Animal - Bobcat Visits

 

Where we live, Bobcat comes out at all times of the day and night.  She loves to use the fences in our neighbour hood as her highway to get around barriers like dogs and people.  Our neighbour was having a morning coffee in the summer when Bobcat ran along the fence behind him.  Bobcat is one of the animals that has adapted to an urban environment and has learned to mix its need to be free and yet have contact with its human friendlies.  This is a very good example of balance in action.

Bobcat has raised several litres of kittens in “the hood”.  She is very careful about boundaries and does not go after pets because this will rile up the neighbours.  She is skillful at hunting rabbits, squirrels, mice, and loves gophers and voles.  She has a favourite place to take her hunt to eat peacefully.  In the early summer morning, she will come and sun on one of the south facing driveways.  

When Bobcat appears, she is signalling some information.  

• Carefully choose the environment that you wish to be in
• Treat others respectfully and they will treat you respectfully
• Blend in when you need to
• Teach your family to be respectful

Blessings.

\\

Dealing With Guilt

 

Psychologists - Freud in particular - talk about two types of guilt - persecutory and reparative. The meanings of these labels is a complex explanation.  The Google Dictionary meaning of guilt refers to two types of guilt: 1) the guilt from having committed an offence or crime, or a perceived offence, and 2) guilt used as a manipulation to make someone do something.  For example, when a parent says it you do not do this thing for me, then you do not love me!

Guilt is an emotion that we get saddled with early on in our lives.  Someone tells us that we have done something wrong or bad and we feel guilty.  The problem is that everyone heaps guilt on us but no one says - here is how you relieve the guilt.

One of the best ways to release guilt is to forgive yourself, and promise yourself that you will not repeat the situation.  You can do this before you ask someone else for forgiveness.  If the person is not noted for being forgiving, then skip them because they will simply heap more guilt on you.  

An exercise that I do to release guilt is to write out what I am feeling guilty about and why.  I add the person's or group's name if I owe them an apology.  I say a short prayer of self forgiveness and ask that the person or group forgive me.  I throw my paper into the fire in the fireplace and ask the Universe to wash me in forgiveness for that action.  I give thanks.  I let the issue/action go.

This may not work for everyone as it works for me.  I teach this process to students and the students tell me that it seems to clear a weight from them.  

Blessings.

Setting Boundaries - People In Your Life

The following post is copied from the post on August 21, 2015 called, Angels Speak - People in Your Life.  The advice is timely for the end of 2021 and into 2022.  

***************************************************************************************************************

Life will bring you people that you need to learn lessons with and sometimes, from them.  These are the people that have a short time span in your life.  Many of us, however, keep these people around for quite a long time.  We let guilt, or blame, or laziness, keep us from moving on.  And, we need to move on.  

Our Ancestors, The People, were not in the Nature of letting people stay in the tribe if they did not belong in the life.  We need to change out those that don’t fit, bring negativity, or try to hold us back.  We need to move.

Sometimes, it is family that is the problem.  They are more difficult to let go of.  You can, however, set boundaries and use the boundaries to distance from them.  Sometimes, you have to move.  

Who is in your life that should be gone?

Blessings.

You Are Worth Taking Self-Care Time!

 

Picture from a past blog

I often hear from clients that they do not have time for self care after they meet their obligations of work, kids, spouse, home/yard maintenance, and parent errands and time.  Lack of self care causes a build up of tiredness, energies being zapped, and resentment.  All of these things add up to stress and eventually, illness.

Self care can be meditation, massages, working out, or enjoying shopping time alone or a sporting event.  Anything that brings you joy and peace is self care.  And, it can be different for each of us.  The more that one ignores self care, the angrier the person is apt to become. 

When we engage in self care then healing happens.  It is easier to have compassion for others.  As you honour yourself - and remember, you are not being selfish - then the easier it is to be grateful in each day!

Blessings.

Welcome to December 2021

Picture origin unknown

The beginning of December is a signal in Canada that the weather is about to change to become colder and  snowier. It is a reminder that Christmas is twenty-four days away, and that the new year is just around the corner.  It is a big time of change!  In the North, people tend to hibernate when it is cold.  They stay indoors and pursue crafts or binge watch Netflix or Prime.  Some fresh-air lovers do go cross country skiing, snowshoeing and winter trekking.  The ski hills are already greeting the skiers and snowboarders. Home owners are getting their Christmas lights and yard decorations set up.  It is “lights on” all through December.  

For some, December is a time of gratitude, of remembering the year and being thankful that the year is nearly done.  It is a time for winter planting in some areas and for starting to use the summer’s canning and freezing of fruit and vegetables.  December is the best reminder that all things must be in balance because the long summer days are now short winter days.  The sun and light through the summer are balanced by the darkness of the winter.  The harmony of the cycle of the seasons is so apparent in December.

Blessings

Forgiving a Family Member

The Oxford Dictionary defines family in several ways… one definition is “all the descendants of a common ancestor”.  That is a really big definition!  It is even bigger if you think that genealogy blood work shows that we are all descended from “the seven daughters of Eve”.  This is actually the name of a book written by Brian Sykes.  Check it out for Christmas season reading.

Back to the point - family is big.  When one of the family members does you wrong, it is very hard to forgive the family member.  So much that needs to be forgiven happens in families…

• Cruelty
• Guilting
• Punishment
• Belittling
• Beating/abuse
• Theft
• Abandonment
• Lack of food and clothing, and even shelter

You get the picture of some of the family actions that require forgiving.  Even worse, some of these activities cause individuals to stay stuck in a place where they relive the moments and feel the recurring pain.

There are many practices that one can use for forgiving family members.  What many do not understand is that forgiveness does not mean accepting the family member.  Forgiveness does not mean you have to be buds with the family member or that you have to like what they did or even like them.  Just as you choose your friends that you hang out with, you can choose which family members that you associate with.  Forgiveness means that you can move on in your life without them, that they no longer have a hold on your life.  

In the process of forgiveness, the Abundance and Healing take hold in your life.  You can now move forward.  You can follow your own path.

Blessings

Walking Meditation

 

Walking beside the Bow River looking onto Poplar Island where the beavers have chopped down a tree.

When I first learned to meditate, based on all the instructions from teachers and from books, I thought that one had to sit quietly, in a lotus position, and push all thoughts out of one’s head if you were going to meditate properly.  Over the years, I have learned that there are many ways to meditate, depending on what belief system you follow and where you are when you want to meditate.

I have learned to love the walking meditation which is an active meditation practiced in Buddhism and in Shamanism.  Walking meditation is not limited to these traditions.  Meditation while walking may seem like a contradiction of activity versus focus.  However, one must be extremely mindful while walking in meditation.  You concentrate on your steps, your breath, and on the world around you.  Mindfulness is part of the strength of the walking meditation.  The steps one takes bring clarity of what needs to be dealt with, or what emotion needs adjusting, and, gives space for a different point of view.  For many practitioners, the walking meditation is a prayer to Nature and to the Universe.

When something troubles me and I cannot seem to get a grip on it, I leave the house and do a walking meditation.  I focus on my steps and my breath and leave the troubled thoughts behind.  Sometimes, it takes a half hour before the soothing peace covers you as you walk.  It make take an hour or so for a simple solution to appear as you walk.  The physical activity helps you work off the tension and walking is just a good health strategy anyway.

Blessings.

Finding Peace in a Stressful Day

 

This picture is of Fish Creek in the summer in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Many folks carry a lot of stress around with them…from work, from family, from financial worries or health worries.  When stress is building up, even those things that are usually seen as “normal” add to the stress. 

I worked with a teacher for two years in the early 2000’s. One of his best lessons for me was to teach me to deal with stress by finding peace.  He would lead me through meditation to different places to see where I felt the most comfortable….a beach on the ocean, a lake where animals come to drink, a mountain ledge easily accessible, a cloud, beneath a tree, and we tried different trees, on a rock, up a tree, by a creek, in a forest glade, by a waterfall, in the middle of a meadow, and even on a monastery.  Each meditation relaxed me and gave me shades of peace.  The place where I felt the most peace was by running/moving water with a forest close by. 

For years, as I felt stress, I closed my eyes and went to that place where the water was running with the forest in the background.  As time passed, the vision of the place changed.  Sometimes it was an ocean with waves rolling up on the shore and the forest in the background. Sometimes it was a large lake that was mirror still with a forest growing almost to the water’s edge.  The vision slowed my thoughts, cooled anger and frustration, and relaxed my muscles, especially in my shoulders.  

In the beginning, it would take up to 25 minutes to get peace.  If it was a tough day, then it took longer.  Eventually I could find peace in two to three minutes, and what a difference it made to my work performance!  

The lessons that my teacher taught me about finding peace in a stressful day are:

• In meditation, people will tell you to go to your comfortable or safe space.  One does not know what that space is until all the options are explored.
• Finding one’s peaceful, safe place is a process and the safe place may change over time.
• There is not a magic time that it takes everyone to get to their peaceful place.
• Like many actions, getting to the peaceful place takes a lot of practice.
• Arriving at the peaceful, blissful state is worth the work.

Blessings.

Creating Sacred Space

 Over the years, I have been taught that sacred space is to be created in very specific ways.  If you look up "creating sacred space", you will find long articles on creating an alter with specifics on what needs to be on the altar.  As well, there may be some long chants for creating the space and keeping it secure.  

I do have an altar.  It holds the items that are important to me.  I am not saying that an altar is not needed.  What I am saying is that you can carry sacred space to any place that you wish to be... to meditate, to be part of an activity, even to work.  

When I need to create a safe, sacred space, then I call in the angels... in my case, the Archangels that I work with, asking them to create a safe, sacred space all around me and above and below me that will keep out all energies and entities that are not for my greatest and highest good.  

This process has worked well for me when I am walking in an area that is unfamiliar. I have used it at work to help keep out the negative energies that some people may carry into my office.  I love using this when I am out in nature, by a pond, meditating.  

I want to say again that there is a place for a formal alter and there is a place for formal ceremony to create sacred space.  This is usually required for gatherings of more than three people.  There are lovely ceremonies to use for gatherings and even for a solitary practice.  Explore them.  Use them.  Know that there are alternatives.

You can figure out what method works for you and practice it in different places.

Blessings.

Faith - Commonly Called “Believing”

When I work with clients, one of the biggest challenges to overcome is the person’s lack of faith or belief that their thoughts, in part, have caused the issue.  Secondly, is their lack of faith/belief in what is going to happen as they begin working on themselves.  And, thirdly, is their determination to hang on to the issue or challenge because they feel by letting go that part of their identity is gone.  These problems are so common!  It is as if the whole negative realm is working to keep the issues in place.

To be clear, believing in ourselves, in our intuition, and believing that everything works out for the best and highest good is the faith that those people that we perceive have “good luck” carry with them each day.  Where does Faith come from?  From inside us… it is part intuition, part belief in a higher being…God, Great Spirit, Mohammed, etc.  …. And the knowledge that that faith gives us the inspiration to make great choices which makes our lives easier.

We all know the phrase… when one door closes, another door opens.  That is what faith is about.  When a door closes, instead of moaning that a door has closed, change the moaning to the searching for the open door!  

When clients come to start healing themselves, they are actually choosing the open door and yet put up barricades to the process.  The good news is that by making the choice to start, the processes will begin to work.  And, slowly, the belief changes.

Blessings.

Winter Blues?

 

It seems that many shaman are writing about fall and winter sadness, or winter blues.  And, I am hearing from some clients that they feel empty and sad.  

Alberto Villoldo, an extraordinary teacher and shaman, has a great video about fighting the winter blues. You can access his video on YOUTUBE.  See the link below.

Find out what you can do during the winter months to keep your  mood up, your body healthy and your energy field clear. Watch Villolodo's YouTube video to find out more. Blessings.

Feeling Energy Depleted?

 

This picture was in an email... source unknown.

Are you feeling like my family and friends are feeling?  Tired, empty, and no energy?  It seems to be going around in circles of acquaintances.

What is causing this lack of energy?  Part of the source is the energy dive we all took from the covid-19 crisis in our areas.  Part of the source is worrying about elderly family and friends, and losing people you love.  Part of the source is that the time demands from work, that is, from inconsiderate bosses who refuse to fill vacant spots on the team and take the workload and dump it on the remaining team members.  Part of the source is loss of movement... not being able to go freely anywhere you want when you want.  It is a lot of stuff to deal with!

How do you get your battery recharged?  The simple answer is stop working and take a vacation.  If you do not work, then you need to find a safe place for you to go to recharge.  A walk in a park or along a river.  An overnight in a hotel with breakfast served bedside.  Maybe it is a spa day.  Or, maybe you need to go for a short run.  The message is that you need to change up what you are doing so that you forget about everything that is weighing you down.  One of my friends started going to the Humane Society and walking one or two dogs around lunch time.  She said it did her a world of good.  

Whatever you decide to do, remember, there is nothing broken in you.  It is happening to everyone.

Blessings.

In Remembrance

 

Today, in Canada, is Remembrance Day.  It is a time of quiet remembering of our family and friends, and for many of us, of our Ancestors, who have fought in different wars to help keep Canada a democracy.  

Blessings 

Positive Thinking For the Highest Good

It seems that the media is filled with all kinds of negative views of the world and that people in their daily work or daily interaction with neighbours, mimic the negativity.  When surrounded by all this “downer” vibration, it is difficult to look at things positively.

Years ago, a teacher/mentor that I had gave me some guidance on staying positive.  Being positive has served me well.  Her wisdom included why you should be positive.  It helps you:

• Stay healthier
• Gather more friends like you
• Increases your self confidence
• Have coping skills to deal with set backs
• Allows you to achieve your dreams

If you have been negative, it can be a real challenge to get to positive thinking. So how can you make the change?

• You are what you think… Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right when he said that you are what you think all day long.
• Consciously focus your thoughts and actions, including your words, to be positive.  “I am, I can, I will”

Best of luck making changes.

Blessings.

Choosing The Best and Highest Good For Me

 The poster above popped up in my email a couple of days ago.  It reminds me that we are mortal and that we need to make the best choices for ourselves each day.  

I learned years ago that most people want to “pal” with you because they have an agenda that they think you will be able to help them achieve.  In other words, most people are selfish and they will be looking out for themselves, not for you.  I think that the most common mistake that we make is that we forget to choose what is in our best and highest interest because we get sucked into doing what others want.  I hear stories from clients about doing college/university and a career that was chosen by their parents or a spouse.  They have gone through life not doing what they would like to do. 

It is never to late to make choices that feel right for you!  A lady that I met told me that as a little girl, she wanted to play the organ.  Her mother refused to let her have lessons and would not buy an organ.  As she grew older and married and had children, she still wanted to play the organ.  Her husband thought it was a waste of time.  He never bought an organ or let her take lessons.  At age 53, her mother died and left her some money.  She went out and bought an organ and took lessons regardless of her husbands wishes.  She now plays the organ at her church.  She is happy and feels fulfilled.  Her friends supported her and cheered her on as she struggled to read music and she loves them for their support.  

Today… look at what you want to change in your life.  Live by choosing to do what is the greatest and highest good for you!

Blessings.

Spirit Guides - Karma Thoughts

 There is a lot of discussion about karma in the spiritual circles these days.  Therefore, I thought I would share a post that I did quite a while ago about karma.  

Rolling the memories of your life, back and forth on the big screen of your life, you will see moments when it seemed luck was on your side, and that nothing can go wrong.  Then, you see times where you were unkind and life smacks you with something grim that you have to deal with.

The Spirit Guides talk to us about Karma, the idea that what we put out to the world comes back to us, sometimes as much as ten fold or ten times.  To explain this, think about something very loving and kind that you did for not just one person, but for a group of people.  Not only did you feel a sense of rightness after the action, you also saw "rewards" from doing that particular action.  Send out – get back. 

The Spirit Guides tell us that karma has a long reach through many life times.  So, if you were a taker in a previous life time, in this life time, the Universe might reverse that action, and you will need to be constantly giving, at expense to yourself. 

There are not hard, fast rules of karma.  Today, think of all the good things that you can do for people, and begin doing them.

Namaste.

To read other blog posts on Karma, see the following links.

Karma Yoga Thoughts... A Meditation

Karma Yoga Thoughts – Namasté

Buddha Speaks -  The Circle Of Life  -  Samsara

Spirit Animal - Horse On Community (a thought on Karma)

From Judy - Karma Takes Too Long

Karma Files - Karma Needs To Be Cleared Quickly - Archangel Michael's comments included

Trouble Sleeping? Use These Chants

 

Most people think that chanting is part of meditating and that it needs to be done in an upright, lotus position as shown in the picture above.  That is simply not true.  

Yes, chants are used in meditation.  Fact, chants are meditation and can be done anywhere.  That is why, when I am having trouble sleeping, and say one, two or all of the chants below until I fall deeply into sleep.

My favorite chant is "The Loving Kindness" chant.  The version that I learned goes like this...

May I be filled with loving kindness.  May I be well.

May I be peaceful and at ease.  May I be happy.

May you  be filled with loving kindness.  May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.  May you be happy.

May we  be filled with loving kindness.  May we be well.

May we be peaceful and at ease.  May we be happy.

 

The chant that I learned back in the nineties is the OM chant.  "Om Mani Padme Hum".  I can say this chant for about twenty minutes before I am asleep.  You can look up the meaning of this chant.  However, the Dalai Lama says that this chant will...

“transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech and mind of a Buddha.”

The third chant or mantra that I use is the...Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hung chant.  Again, you can look up the meaning.  This is a very sacred healing chant that I learned in 2003 and that I use to help heal aches and pains that keep me from sleeping.

Please try these mantras when you can not sleep and please post what happened when you used them.

Blessings.

 

Spiritual Terms That You Should Understand

When I work with students (apprentices) or clients, I find that they often do not understand some of the common spiritual terms.  I am sharing what some of these terms are and how they are used.

Universal Law -  Laws that are created with the birth of the Universe... this one or others, that guide the beings in the Universe to have the ability to reach their highest evolvement for their soul.  These laws help reach higher consciousness.  The First Law is - Do No Harm.

Higher Self - This is the highest vibrational aspect of your soul that is the liaison or intermediary between you and The Universe (God, Creator, whatever your belief system is for your prayers).  One finds their higher self through meditation and looking within one's self.  Higher Self provides unfiltered truth which most people are not prepared to listen to.

Vibration - Everything is made of energy.  We know that energy is made up of moving atoms, and that the movement of the different atoms happens at different frequencies or speeds which create a vibration.  When we "feel" energy, we "feel" the vibration because it is different than the vibration within the atoms of our body.

Blessings.

 

Sharing - Activating Hope Summit

 Hi everyone,

I received this email from Greg Braden and thought it was worth sharing.

“Hope is what enables us to keep going in the face of adversity.” —Jane Goodall

In the face of crisis and upheaval, division and isolation, it can be easy to overlook the power of optimism. Now more than ever, hope is desperately needed.

After almost 60 years of groundbreaking environmental conservation work, Jane Goodall is turning her attention to today’s urgent need of species conservation—namely, local people and the environment. After all, we only have one planet. So we need to act together, today.

Led by a broad roster of revolutionary minds—including Jane herself—the Activating Hope Summit sets out to infuse hope in these trying times, giving participants the vision and tools to fight for our global future together. The Activating Hope Summit brings you... Beacons of Hope Teachings & Conversations. Embrace one-hour messages of hope from a collection of diverse voices, including wellness leaders, beloved musicians, prominent activists, and more. Daily Workshops led by some of today’s top mindfulness leaders and luminaries, these daily 45-minute workshops explore how hope can be infused into all facets of everyday life—from grief to movement. Dozens of short videos from socially conscious, high-profile individuals aimed at providing bite-sized moments of hope and inspiration. >>Click Here to Register for the Activating Hope Summit!

Blessings.