Self care

Your New Self-Care Ally: The Healing Power of Your House Plants

by FeaturedUncategorized

Now that many of us are looking at another season or two indoors…

We’re shifting our focus to our live/work/school/all-of-life space. If you’re like many of us, you’ve moved beyond fix-it projects from your wish list and are now engaged in radical “nesting.”
The newfound realizations of what we’re up against right now in the world, are also giving way to a need for radical self-care.

This means a new approach to your diet, sleep, meditation, and moving your body. Everything you do is part of a care plan that is intentional and designed to support you for the long haul. This is the new marathon.

And because of the pandemic, this also means your home is now a multi-use space — and it is as integral to your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health as any other aspect in your routine.

Your greatest ally in supporting you in your space is your houseplant. It sounds too simple to be true; however, plants help you in more ways than you can imagine… of course if you are already a plant parent, you know this.

The practice of using plants for healing purposes is as old as medicine itself. Ancient cultures respected nature’s capability to improve health and mood, and did not hesitate to use herbal remedies to heal sicknesses from headaches to heartache. Despite modern culture losing that day-to-day connection to the outdoors, western medicine continues to rely on centuries-old knowledge of natural cures and the healing power of plants. In fact, many of the medications currently prescribed were originally made from plants. You might pop an aspirin from a jar, but early incarnations of the pain reliever made from willow bark were used in ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures, by Lewis and Clark during their famed expedition, and by thousands of people in between.

Though you likely get medicine in pill form, you are probably still utilizing plants to help heal your aches and pains, and that is only the tip of the aloe leaf, so to speak. There are many ways plants can support you in feeling and working better physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If you incorporate plant therapies into your arsenal of natural remedies, you can access Mother Earth’s amazing and nearly limitless medicine cabinet and all its healing magic.

The quickest and easiest way to accelerate any type of healing is to get a houseplant. Or better yet, several houseplants. Taking care of a living thing boosts our sense of self-worth and increases contentment, and as you watch your foliage grow and blossom—quite literally if you buy a flowering plant—you develop a deeper connection to nature which begins to heal your mind, body, and spirit almost instantly. As an added bonus, plants’ rich colors and textures will beautify any room, especially if potted in a pretty container.

Houseplants can have tremendous effects on your productivity, concentration, and mood, too. Not only does looking at something beautiful make you happier, studies have shown that people with houseplants feel more relaxed and have lower stress levels. Nature’s calming effect helps increase concentration, and workers in office spaces that contain plants and flowers demonstrate more focus and creativity, superior accuracy, and higher quality output, and so can you!

Plants also clean pollutants from the air, acting as natural, noise-free air filters, neutralize harmful EMFs, and generate oxygen in the process. Since our breath is so important to our quality of life—when we breathe better, we feel better—reducing the toxins in your home, and especially where you sleep, is vital to your health. A plant in your bedroom will enhance your slumber, especially if it is sweet-smelling lavender, a scent that aids relaxation and promotes deeper sleep. Peace lilies, ivy, and spider plants have all been shown to be especially effective in filtering the air, but really, any greenery will improve your space and your health.

Many healing properties in plants are easy to ingest in herbal teas. Maybe you already drink chamomile tea before bed as a relaxing nightcap, but this herbal remedy also aids digestion. Chamomile is an antimicrobial agent, too, meaning it can help eliminate bacteria and infections, and it eases inflammation and loosens tense muscles. Talk about a powerful plant! Ginseng can raise energy levels, naturally and without the side effects of caffeine, and ginkgo has been shown to improve circulation and brain function, and may even assist in maintaining optimal mental health as you age.

In my healing courses and workshops I often get asked for cures to the common cold. Echinacea is a great herb to take during cold and flu season because it’s an immune booster. It won’t cure your cold, but it will strengthen your body’s defenses so it can better fight off the illness. Taking elderberry syrup as a tonic can help shorten the length of your cold, as can fresh lemon and orange juice, all of which taste delicious. Try one of my favorite plant-based therapies for colds or sinus congestion caused by allergies: put three or four drops of eucalyptus oil in hot water and inhale until your nasal passages start to clear.

If you suffer from depression or anxiety, you might want to check out St. John’s Wort. It is a commonly used herbal alternative to prescription antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. Many people have found it quite effective in lifting their mood naturally. Of course, as a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I also highly recommend meditation and journaling to deal with feelings of sadness or fear. Daily meditation brings calm and peace to the mind and body, reduces stress, and helps you access Source, and journaling allows your truth to flow freely onto the page, getting it out of your body and mind, and releasing any pent-up negative energy in your personal energy field.

Plants do so much more than I can cover here, but the most overlooked healing plants are those you eat! Don’t forget that what you consume contributes to your well-being. Be sure to eat lots of dark leafy greens and a variety of fruits and veggies to keep your body in good shape so you can heal yourself from the inside out.

Whether you get a decorative houseplant or start drinking herbal tea, once you experience the potent healing energy of plants, you’ll be rummaging through Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet for your next cure.

Travel

Open Road, Open Heart: How Travel Transforms Us

by Energy HealingFeaturedUncategorized

Once people achieve the basic necessities of life—peace, freedom, and security—what do they begin to yearn for? You wouldn’t be wrong if you guessed travel! People are curious explorers who want to learn and discover and grow. The Open Road of myth and legend is actually a path to an open heart and an open mind, qualities that the human spirit is always seeking. At our best, we want to know our world and be connected in peace and understanding to all who share it with us. Travel is about people, who we are and what we want and need.

We put our discretionary income where our hearts are. According to the U.S. Travel Association, travel and tourism generated over $1.7 trillion in economic output in 2016 and supported 7.6 million jobs. A heartening feature of the travel industry is that it is highly dependent on human labor—robots will not be taking jobs in the travel industry any time soon. When you think of it, travel is people-centric. We travel to see new landscapes, it’s true, but we also want to meet the people who occupy those places. What do they eat? How do they dress? How do they live and what is important to them? What can we learn from them that will expand our hearts and minds?

You Don’t Have to Travel Far

There’s no need to travel around the planet to enjoy the benefits, although you are very blessed if you can manage it. The world is large, but you don’t have to go far to find a place where people live a different life from yours. As the late and much-beloved traveling chef, Anthony Bourdain said, “If I am an advocate for anything, it’s to move as far as you can, as much as you can, across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.” Visiting a small farm town in the Midwest can take you a world away from the bustling mega-city where you normally spend your days. Extra blessed are those who can cross the oceans and the continents and meet people who speak a different language and raise goats instead of social media presence. They shall be rewarded with tolerance, understanding, and a new perspective on life.

As another TV travel hero, Rick Steves, says, “Thoughtful travel helped me become a better citizen of the planet.” Steves specializes in European travel but has visited nations from El Salvador to Iran to discover what the people think and feel as well as what they eat and drink. He says these connections with people “open you up to things” as they show you new ways of looking at the world. It’s hard to think in terms of “them” and “us” when we discover the shared concerns of people everywhere. Mark Twain famously said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”

Any reduction in those human weaknesses would be a blessing indeed. And travel provides joy, adventure, and education while accomplishing this spiritual expansion.

Forget Fear and Embrace the Unknown

“Fear is for people who don’t get out very much,” says Rick Steves. Tourist industry experts report that more and more people are letting go of the “sanitized” excursions of yesteryear that offer to keep life just like home as you travel. Isn’t the core idea of travel to leave the everyday behind and experience the new? To recreate and reflect and come home with fresh energy and vision? More travelers are letting go of fear and letting the new enhance their chances of self-discovery. Travel organizers have responded with more trips designed to help people “transform” with adventure, exploration, education, volunteering, even spiritual training. Why do people love travel and seek it out to the tune of trillions of dollars each year? Because, when we look closely at ourselves, we see that to learn and grow makes us happy.

Will you be taking the Open Road this summer? Will you find ways to discover, learn, and grow? Whether you are flying to China to walk on the Great Wall or driving to Omaha to visit Aunt Charlotte, you can make your summer travel transformational. Wherever you go, you will see places, meet people, and hear stories. Of course, you’ll take photos. Try also to keep a gentle journal of your travels so that back home you can make a small memory book with favorite words and pictures to help you remember and reflect. Most of all, have fun! Learning opportunities that cost only loving awareness are everywhere for all who keep an open mind and an open heart.

Adventures in Astral Travel

Adventures in Astral Travel

by Astral ProjectionFeaturedUncategorized

What is the furthest out destination you can imagine for a travel adventure?

  • Seeing the Stone Heads on Easter Island?
  • Climbing to the top of Mt. Everest?
  • Winning the lottery and buying a ticket on a SpaceX shuttle to outer space?

Now, what if I told you that you would be able to do all of that—and more!—without ever leaving your bedroom. It’s 100% within your reach when you travel via astral projection.

Astral travel

Astral travel is an out-of-body experience (OBE) that can take you to the places you want to go, regardless of where and when these places exist.

Not only can you go to different places around the globe (a very affordable way to satisfy your wanderlust) to see sacred sites, experience the energy of natural vortexes, or simply see your neighborhood from another perspective, but astral projection can be used to travel to different levels of the astral plane. You can meet up with your spiritual guides for instruction or guidance, connect with loved ones who have passed away, and even visit your beloved pet who crossed the rainbow bridge.

astral projection safety
Just like you wouldn't get on a bike without wearing a helmet, there are safety measures you need to take when preparing to astral project.

Astral projection and safety

A lot of people have safety concerns and fears around astral travel, as they should; just like learning to ride a bike or drive a car, astral projection is an activity that requires knowledge and training to do safely.

Most-likely, you’ve spent the majority of your time here on Earth experiencing the world from inside your body. While you might not realize it, every time you go out into the world and engage with surrounding people and energy, you are learning how to discern safety from danger. For example, a child might not know that touching boiling water can burn them…until they test the waters (pun intended) for themselves. However, after they have that experience with hot water, the child has learned that they need to be careful around this particular dangerous object. The same theory holds true when we interact with more complex energies, such as living creatures and human beings, giving you have a lifetime of knowledge to reference in order to safely navigate your in-body experiences.

Unless you are a well-seasoned astral traveler, you won’t have direct experiences to learn from regarding ways to stay safe when projecting. While learning from experience is one way to acquire knowledge, the other is learning facts directly from astral projection experts. For example, there are demon-like entities with evil intent, aliens with a nasty agenda, and others that want to do harm to either your physical or astral body during an out-of-body experience. You’ll need to learn how to protect yourself before going out of your body; if you start your journey from a space of love and high spiritual energy—and if you can keep your fear in check—you will be safer from encounters with the dark side.

If you are interested in learning more about staying safe while you open a doorway to a different dimension, enroll in my Astral Wisdom course today. I’ll teach you a variety of advanced techniques that you can use to astral project, the many purposes of astral projection, and how to protect yourself and stay safe as you travel to the astral realms.

Astral projection and time travel

Another question that regularly comes up when discussing astral projection has to do with time travel. Astral projection allows you to move through time, for example seeing yourself in past lives or visiting scenes from history, but you are only there as an observer; you can’t change something that happened in the past.

So, you can’t go back and kill Hitler before the Holocaust or thwart the birth of the uncle who molested you in this life. But by observing, you may learn some vital information that will help you be at peace with certain aspects of yourself or with your history in this life.

Astral planes and physical planes

You also can’t affect things on the physical plane while you are astral—no knocking over a glass of water or moving a penny up the wall to let someone know you are there. Patrick Swayze managed it in the movie Ghost, but it would require a lot of practice and intention (although it was great in the movie). You can, however, float through walls or fly, which is much harder when you’re in your physical body.

Some of the things you can do while in the astral state are: help lost souls find their way to the light; visit with angels and other high-energy beings; have encounters with deceased relatives; go back in time; visit other planets and fantastic astral realms; fly around Earth and sightsee; and just have a great time.

Finding your astral travel guide

But before you get your ticket to ride, you should know who your guides are, know how to keep yourself in a high vibratory state to minimize fear or negativity and remember to ask your guides and angels to protect you. Your spiritual guides are always happy to help. If you feel like they never respond to you, you’re probably not hearing them or receiving the signs and synchronicities that signal the intuitive insights and flashes they are sending you. They will always try to help you down the right path, the one that is best for you.

The best way to guarantee that your experiences in the astral planes are positive is by building a solid meditation and prayer practice, which will ground you in love, compassion, and the higher qualities of spiritual life.

You already astral travel—every night when you drift off to sleep and fall into a dream—so in many ways you already know how to do it. But learning to astral project deliberately—to leave your physical body consciously and intend to travel to certain destinations—requires finding the technique that works best for you and then practicing until perfect.

If you’re wondering if you are ready to travel to the astral realms, head over to my Facebook Page and take my Astral Projection quiz.

It’s quick (and fun!) and will provide you with a good baseline on which to start building your astral travel knowledge.

Am I ready to astral project
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Senilicide

by Domestic AbuseFeaturedRelationshipsUncategorized

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Here’s a new word for you: senilicide. Never heard of it? Neither had I, until I started doing some research on elder abuse because of a situation my mother is in at the moment. Senilicide is the killing off of old people. Well, they are the most dispensible in times when there isn’t enough food for everyone. But there are other ways of killing off old folks besides putting them out to sea on that proverbial ice floe. Abandonment in a hospital, for example, rather than letting them die comfortably in their own home. Which is what is happening right now for my mother.

It’s something we all have to think about. Parents get old. They cared for you when you were young, no matter how imperfectly. Heaven knows, my mother was no angel. But don’t they deserve our care and respect at the end of their lives? Most of us will find ourselves in the position of needing to be cared for as the end approaches. How will we be treated?

This has been an upsetting situation for me (as well as for my mother), at a time when I couldn’t do anything about it. I’ve expressed my dilemma in a blog for Psychology Today, called “Facing Senilicide.” You can read it at https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mining-the-headlines/201602/facing-senilicide and then come over to my Facebook page and comment there. Be the change you want to see in social consciousness – it may be you someday that is saved.

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An Open Letter to Bill Cosby’s Legal Team

by Uncategorized

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Are Bill Cosby’s lawyers working to defend their client’s name… or drag potential rape victims through the mud publicly?

 

More and more, it seems to be the latter. Despite the fact that there are now some 20 women accusing Mr. Cosby of sexual assault – and the list seems to be growing on a day-to-day basis – his lawyers continue to insist the claims are “old” and “ridiculous.” They ignore what could be an important truth and heap scrutiny and pressure on those who may have been victimized by their client.

 

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As a fellow attorney and a recovered sexual assault survivor, I’ve written an open letter to Mr. Cosby’s legal team. In it, I explain why it sometimes takes the truth so long to get out, the myriad struggles these women could be going through, and why blaming the victim isn’t just a poor strategy, but also ethically bankrupt.

 

Follow this link to Psychology Today to see what kind of advice I have for Bill and his lawyers, the media, and society at large.

 

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Is Bill Cosby a Serial Rapist?

by Uncategorized

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That’s the question being asked on TV news and leading websites across the country. Only a handful of people know the truth, but Bill Cosby’s accusers are now more than a dozen strong, and the stories they tell are strikingly similar to one another.

 

Maybe the real question isn’t whether or not he’s guilty, but what it means to young women everywhere if he’s been able to suppress these crimes for decades on end. He’s certainly not the first celebrity to be accused of sexual assault, and other Hollywood heavyweights have experienced little or no damage to their careers as a result of similar allegations. That sends a louder message than any headline ever could.

 

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The allegations against Cosby are being treated as entertainment – it’s “good TV” it to see a high-profile comedian with a clean cut image linked with a sex scandal – but there are more important issues to consider. In this post, I discuss how Bill Cosby appears to be hiding behind his fame and money to prevent an important truth from coming to light.

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Top 5 Steps to Becoming the Real You

by Uncategorized

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Do you remember the first time you consciously told a lie, even though you knew it was wrong? Most likely it was to a parent, teacher, or other authority figure, and it was probably triggered by fear. How did you feel after the lie was told? Guilty, shameful, scared? Did it fester inside you until you admitted the truth, or did you stay with the lie?

Lying is a Defense Mechanism

As a child, you probably lied to protect yourself; you lied to a parent to get out of trouble or to a teacher to avoid public ridicule. As an adult, you may have lied to your partner, usually about either sex or money. But lying to others is only half the equation; that defense mechanism also includes lying to yourself. You may tell yourself that you’re fine, even when you feel crushed. No, that rejection didn’t hurt. I didn’t really care about that promotion or that relationship anyway.

You may tell yourself that your feelings are “unacceptable,” or that you “owe” it to a loved one to behave a certain way or follow a certain path. You may even convince yourself that someone else’s dream is really your own. But all of these lies create little pockets of darkness inside; they’re like cancer cells that fester and multiply until the truth comes out. That’s what happened to me: the sexual abuse that I couldn’t acknowledge even to myself became a diagnosis of cancer in my twenties.

 

Live Your Authentic Self

When you suppress your true feelings or follow a path that isn’t really yours, you aren’t living your authentic self. Your soul made a plan for this life before you incarnated, and that plan is your true life purpose. Acting in line with your life purpose is one way to live in the light, another step on the path toward expanded consciousness.

As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I often see students doing their best to live in the light, but they keep hitting roadblocks. These students may practice meditation, they connect with nature, they participate in energy healing, but they may be still not getting the results they desire. When I look at their energy field, I can see that they are living a lie.

Perhaps they are gay but keeping it a secret; perhaps they want a divorce but are too afraid to upset the family; or their career was the dream of a parent and not what they wanted for themselves. As soon as they can admit the truth to themselves, the real healing can begin.

 

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Unmask the True You

One of the greatest gifts of energy healing is its ability to reveal the true you. Just like those students, you, too, can admit the truth and take a big step toward living authentically.

Here are five ways to live your most authentic life:

  1. Find your authentic self.

In order to live as your true self, you first have to find out who that is. There is an entire spiritual practice based on a seemingly simply question: Who am I? Are you really any of your labels—daughter, partner, mother, sibling, teacher? Are you your job? Who are you if you are not any of your societal roles? As the practice takes you deeper and deeper into meditating upon who you are not, eventually you come to realize that who you are is a soul, a spiritual being connected to Source. Indeed, you are Spirit. This is the deepest level of understanding your authentic self.

Even knowing you are Spirit, you still need to live in the world as authentically as possible. Ask yourself: what makes you feel joy? What are your passions? Your strengths? Your weaknesses? What qualities would you like to cultivate in yourself? What do you want? What makes you feel free? What would you fight for? What values are important to you? This last one is particularly important, as your actions should be in line with the principles you want to live by. When you know what you want and what you care about in this world, then it’s much easier to be authentic.

  1. Express your truth.

The first step is admitting your truth to yourself, and the next step is expressing it. Even if you can’t yet speak your true feelings or beliefs aloud, write them in your journal. Eventually you may be able to say what you think and feel to the important people in your life. A heavy weight lifts when you admit your truth. Imagine how great it feels to have your loved ones love the real you! A friend of mine recently admitted, first to himself and then to his family and friends, that living as a male was a lie and his most authentic self was really female. It took a lot of soul searching and bravery, but decades of unhappiness lifted as he started his transition, and now “he” is happy and proud to a “she.”

 

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  1. Confront your fear.

Often the truth that you keep hidden is directly related to fear. Maybe you worry your loved ones will reject you or cut you from their life if they know the truth. You might fear isolation, loneliness, anger, or even attack, but if you keep repressing your feelings, they can become lodged in your chakras and create mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual problems much worse than the possible repercussions of expressing the truth. Many students come to my healing courses and workshops looking for relief from pain, but what they also find is relief from the constant struggle of dealing with fear.

  1. Discover what you truly believe.

Energy medicine will help you dig down and discover what you really believe, rather than what you were taught to believe. As a child, you soaked up every tidbit from your parents, teachers, and the culture at large. You learned things like “boys don’t cry” or “girls must be seen but not heard,” or more personal messages, like “you must follow in the family business.” A large part of becoming your true self is figuring out what it is you truly believe, and what beliefs are not true for you and should be discarded.

  1. Trust your gut.

The messages you get from your gut come from your higher self, which knows your soul purpose in this life. When you need to make a decision, listen to your gut. Your body doesn’t lie, and following its direction will steer you toward the course you are meant to travel.

People who live as their true selves are happier, healthier, and don’t carry the heavy burden of living through lies. Energy medicine will facilitate your ability to hear your intuition, express and release old emotions and traumas, and connect you to your higher self—all of which move you toward becoming your true, authentic self.

 

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Pets or Partners?

by PetsUncategorized

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Do we choose the animals in our lives, or is it the other way around?

 

A friend of mine once had a cat show up outside her door on the same day she found out she had breast cancer. She hadn’t been looking for a cat, but he moved right into the house as her companion and became her new best friend.

 

You hear the same thing all the time from dog and cat owners who will tell you they weren’t looking for a pet, but were simply “adopted by” an animal and couldn’t let them go.

 

I was actually looking for a horse when I first met Influence, my Dutch Warmblood. For more than a year, I had been riding stable horses, but wanted a horse of my own to love. As I tried to narrow the list, I sent my Vedic astrologer three horse names from every weekend search. Unfortunately, he rejected them all, telling me to be patient, my horse was out there.

 

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Just when it seemed like I would never have a horse of my own, I met Influence at a horse show. He was huge – 1,600 pounds – and black with a white blaze on his forehead and four matching white socks. As I watched him being unloaded from the trailer, I could tell instantly how calm he was, even while many of his counterparts jumped out and were difficult to control. To my surprise, the owner told me this show was his first time away from the farm, and that he’d never been saddled.

 

As Influence and I looked at each other across the stall railing, I could only describe myself as smitten. He must’ve felt the same, because I heard him ask me very clearly in my mind to take him home. Even my astrologer agreed, telling me “this is the one you’ve been waiting for,” but warned me not to bring him home right away since he was at risk for an injury in the next few weeks.

 

Like a lot of us, I ask for advice I don’t necessarily follow, so it’s probably no surprise that I brought Influence back to our ranch, in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe, right away.

 

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Sure enough, three days after I brought him home, I peered out the window and saw him looking frightened. Influence was holding up his front leg and blood was spurting out – the sure sign of a serious injury. My vet warned me that he’d probably never be “sound” again, but I took him to a clinic anyway.

 

That turned out to be a good thing, because not only did it save my horse, but he went on to recover fully. In fact, just a year later I took him to a breeding show and he won the top award for the finest conformation in North America. “Don’t let that go to your head,” I cautioned him. “Pretty is as pretty does!”

 

Together, Influence and I were a green horse with a green rider… absolutely the worst combination there is, according to the experts. When I look back now, it occurs to me that I never actually became Influence’s master. Instead, we were like classmates together. We were best friends.

 

I took Influence everywhere with me: to the doctor, the dentist, the supermarket. Whenever I would return to my truck, he would be there, patiently waiting for me. He became the child I never had. After a peacock suddenly flew out of the trees one day as we rode by and he reared, unceremoniously dumping me on the ground, I wanted him to be “spook proof” so I could fulfill the old adage of always keeping the horse between me and the ground. To that end, I got him nearly every animal on the planet and we raised them together: our dearly beloved pig, a billy goat who chased us around the ring while we rode, Bessie, the black and white milk cow that I bottle raised from infancy, chickens, ducks, a dozen llamas, and a pond of fish. Despite his size, Influence was very gentle and loving with the other creatures.

 

All of our vacations for the next 25 years centered around where Influence wanted to go: one summer we trained with Jane Fonda at her ranch in Montana, another at a Healing Touch workshop on the Pacific Coast, and countless trips centered on horse shows around the country where we got to play dress-up together.

 

His stall had a sliding door that faced into my office so even when I was working, we were together. If he got sick, I slept in a hammock in his stall. What can I say? These are the things you do for a good friend.

 

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Influence taught me how to talk to the animals. I had only been riding him about a week when, one day, we found ourselves out in the desert for a short walk. I can still remember him saying to me – quite clearly – “It’s too hot out here and my feet hurt.” As if to reinforce the point, he gave me a cute look that said, That’s right, you heard me.

 

He’s also spoken up on other occasions. For instance, he used to complain how it wasn’t fair that the dog got to come inside and he didn’t, saying, “I’d be perfectly happy sitting on the couch and eating popcorn, too.”

 

The first time he ever saw me ride another horse, he got so upset, he turned his big behind to me, and refused to speak to me for the rest of the day. Animals have feelings too!

 

Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned from my horse, though, was when I figured out he was staying with me because he wanted to, not because he was fenced in. One day, as I was walking another horse around and feeding him carrots, Influence jumped his fence and cantered over to us with no effort at all, flouncing his tail and prancing in circles around us. He made it clear that he was angry when I fed treats to another horse and not him. Apparently you can be a good Influence and still have a bit of jealousy now and then.

 

At the same time, he made the instant point that he could leave anytime he wanted to. That actually made me feel better about our friendship than anything else.

 

Over the years, I have learned so much from Influence. He showed me how to move as one with him in performing the difficult movements of dressage, and then on a deeper level, took me down a path of studying the energetics of animals and learning to communicate with them telepathically. Best of all, he taught me about the unconditional love that can exist in the natural world when we’re open to receiving it.

 

I’m so thankful to Influence for choosing me.

 

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Real-Life Spells—Have You Been Cursed?

by Uncategorized

 

Halloween is one of the few times of the year when it becomes acceptable to embrace and celebrate the dark side, but what happens when the darkness crosses the boundary of fun and games and begins to actually harm you?

 

You may not have to worry about the trick-or-treating witch on your doorstep casting a spell on you, but “spell casting” is in fact real, and Halloween is a good time to learn how to recognize the signs of someone sending you negative energy and what you can do to protect yourself.

 

What is real-life spell-casting?

 

Spell casting, which is referred to in energy medicine as psychic attack, is negative energy that comes in from someone or somewhere else and gets lodged in your energy field or body. That negative energy can come from a variety of sources and arrives in varying degrees of intensity. In the movies, curses and spells are intentional affairs—they take planning and ritual and magic, but in real life, “spells” are usually unconscious and more subtle. Any time another person forms an intention, perhaps consciously, perhaps not, to harm you in some way, the “spell” is cast. A person may be sending you negative energy and not even realize they are doing it, like someone in a bad mood who is rude to you in line at Starbucks or on the freeway.

 

Who casts these spells?

 

Someone you briefly interact with who transfers their negativity to you is a small “spell,” a mild and temporary attachment of negativity that will likely dissipate in a few hours or with a clearing salt bath or dip in the ocean (which, by the way, are helpful clearing techniques for many psychic attacks). It’s also an example of a non-specific attack—that person would spew their negative energy at anyone in range.

 

Energy attacks can also be directed at you purposefully, often over the course of many years, and you can guess that these would be stronger and harder to shrug off. The stereotypical “evil” mother-in-law who nitpicks and makes snide comments at her son’s wife, or the overbearing older sister who say things like, “When are you going to get a real job?” while flaunting her expensive jewelry are examples of individuals shooting negative energy into your field. These types of continual attack, especially when coming from a loved one, can really wear you down and start to close your chakras and crimp your energy flow, making you feel even worse.

 

Basically, a physic attack can come from anyone at any time. These attacks can be minor like a harsh email or phone call, or a friend who wants to gossip about your friends, or major, like in the cases of stalking, bullying, or abuse. Since the “spells” can be subtle and come from seemingly insignificant exchanges, how do you know if you’ve been “cursed” with someone else’s negative energy?

 

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How do you know if you’ve been cursed?

 

The symptoms are unique in each situation, but there are some signs to watch for. Sudden and unexplainable physical pain, especially in the back or head, that won’t go away; depression or other intense emotions like irritation or paranoia that don’t seem to have a cause; a fuzziness in the head or confusion or lack or focus; or just a general feeling of being totally “off.” These can all be symptoms of negative energy clouding your field. If you’ve truly been “slimed” with negativity, you will feel it, trust me. And trust your intuition. If it’s telling you that the migraine you’ve had for three days is the result of your partner’s belittling, it probably is.

 

Chronic symptoms or health issues may be caused by psychic attacks from earlier in your life as well. Perhaps you’ve had consistent back pain for years or depression that always returns no matter what you try. In that case, you might ask yourself if negative energy you absorbed from someone else during a trauma or betrayal could be lingering. Working with an energy healer or spiritual teacher and attending healing courses can help you identify where you may have been “cursed” with someone else’s negativity so you can release it and finally heal.

 

What can you do to avoid getting attacked?

 

The best medicine is prevention. Just like energy medicine can heal your field before any physical symptoms manifest, the best thing you can do to avoid being “cursed” by someone else is to keep your energy field healthy. Negative energy from others can find the chinks in your armor, the holes in your energy field, and sneak in under the radar. If you are diligent in your energy healing practices and keep up a daily meditation routine, journal regularly, connect with nature, and chop wood and carry water in service of others, your chakras will be clear and your defenses will be tougher. Your force field of protection will be so strong, negative energy won’t be able to pierce your light-filled field.

 

It’s also smart to avoid people who emanate negativity when possible, and in order to do that, you need to learn how to discern what type of energy someone is putting out. This is one of the things you learn in my energy healing courses: how to recognize and handle dark forces and incoming psychic attacks.

 

So this week, as you enjoy the décor of the season, the fake spider webs covering shrubs in yards, windows full of hanging ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns sitting on stoops, try to be aware of the energy around you, as well as the energy you are putting out. Remember that light attracts light and dark attracts dark. To keep the curses at bay, be full of positivity.

 

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Domestic Violence Affects Us All

by Uncategorized

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Whether it comes in the form of spouse battering, beating or molesting a child, intimate partner rape, or emotional control over another, domestic violence ruins lives. I know, as I experienced both emotional and sexual abuse as a child. I know how it leads to various addictions to cover up the pain. I know how hard it is to face the shame and embarrassment, to want to keep this secret covered up.

 

Domestic violence does not respect any boundaries. You can be white, privileged, and rich enough to buy really good concealer, but that black eye is the same one sported by those of every race, religion, and socio-economic status. It doesn’t matter how famous you are, how gifted as an artist or athlete or star, you can still be either the victim or the perpetrator of domestic violence.

 

And nothing is worse than keeping it a secret. As anyone who has read my book Truth Heals knows, it’s that buried pain that can wreak havoc with our lives—certainly with our relationships, our health, and our happiness.

 

Go to Psychology Today to read my blog on this topic at https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mining-the-headlines/201410/the-secret-shame-domestic-violence.

 

 

 

 

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Piercing the Veil: How to Connect to the Spirit Realm

by Astrological EventsUncategorized

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Have you made successful contact with spirits from beyond? Now is the time to try! You do not need to be a medium in order to connect with spirits beyond the physical plane, but there are certain times of the year when it becomes easier. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I can feel the spiritually significant shift in seasons occurring this month, which means it’s the ideal time for you to bridge the gap between the physical realm and the spirit realm for guidance, support, love, and reassurance about the immortal nature of your soul. Blurred Lines Between Worlds

Autumn is a time of transition, a time when the leaves change color from red to orange to yellow, when the clear skies of summer become filled with rolling clouds, and the days begin to get darker earlier. The winds of change are in the air, and these visible forms of transformation on display from Mother Nature are a good reminder that there are other blurred lines occurring right now as well: between the living and the dead, between your body and your soul, between HHHeaven and Earth.

Spirit Invitations

The end of October has been a spiritually significant time for centuries. Ancient people held rituals and harvest festivals at this time to mark the end of summer and begin the preparations for the colder months to come. What we now call Halloween has its roots in Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival called Samhain, which means “summer’s end.” These cultures recognized that this date was the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, which makes it a period of indistinct boundaries between physical and spiritual, and a powerful time for communion with spirits. As part of their celebrations, the Celts would honor the dead and invite them into their homes, make offerings of freshly tilled food, and communicate with loved ones who had passed to the other side.

 

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Transition Traditions

More recent and contemporary traditions still celebrate the thinning of the veil between worlds in similar fashion. The Mexican holiday Day of the Dead includes gatherings of friends and family to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed on. People build altars and bring these along with the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks to the grave sites. Similar rituals take place around this time in many other countries as well. It seems the whole world is aware that the transition between seasons is also a time to pay tribute to the transition between life and death and connect with the spirit realm.

So how can you take advantage of this in-between time to increase your connection with the other side?

  1. Honor the deceased.

Just as Day of the Dead or Samhain traditions included inviting the spirits of loved ones to visit by putting out favorite foods and drinks, you can set a place at the table for a loved one during this month as an invitation. You might bring valued possessions of the deceased to their gravesite, or set up an altar or light a candle in their name, or have a party to tell stories about their life and celebrate the time they spent on Earth. Honoring the dead can happen many ways—choose the method that feels right to you.

Once you have made room for a spirit in your environment, be aware for signs of their presence. A photograph of them may levitate or fall off a wall, or an object the loved one gave you that you lost might suddenly reappear. You may hear their voice or even see an apparition. During this month of easy cross-overs between worlds, you can expect a noticeable response from the spirit realm, so stay alert.

 

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  1. Pay attention to your dreams.

Spirits without bodies often prefer to make contact with you through your dreams. Sometimes a spirit will visit you to give you a warning of an impending event, or advise you about your health, or provide other helpful information or guidance. When you attend healing courses and have an active practice of energy healing and meditation, you become more open to the other side than many people are, so a spirit may visit you and ask you to pass on a message to someone else who is less receptive.

You can usually recognize a true visitation dream by a few tell-tale signs. The dream might feel much more “real” and vivid than other dreams; the spirit may reach out or hug you, and you still feel the contact when you wake; a deceased friend or family member will appear as a much younger version of themself; you may experience extremely intense emotions of forgiveness, anger, relief, and love; and lastly, there is likely to be a gut sense that it was that person “for real” and not just a memory or projection. As you’ve learned through energy healing, go ahead trust your third chakra, trust your intuition—it’s most likely telling you the truth.

  1.  Remember you are not solely a physical being.

When you make a true connection with a spirit from the other side, it will reinforce what you learn in energy medicine: you are not just your body. You are a soul housed in a body for this lifetime on Earth, but when your body dies, your soul does not; it simply transitions back into the spirit realm, back where it came from.

 

Spiritual-Tree

 

Once you have interacted with souls who no longer have bodies, you will have no doubts that spirits live on, or that you will continue to live after you leave your body. When the veil is permeable, it’s easier to recognize that the illusion is the physical world; the reality is that you were born in the spirit realm and you will return there. This life is a stepping stone in a long soul journey. This expanded perception of mortality gives you the strength to confront the fear of death, which just may be the greatest gift of piercing the veil and connecting with spirits in the beyond.

The upcoming winter solstice is the next time of year when the veil between worlds will be at its most permeable, so if you are interested in learning more about how to connect to the other side, I hope you’ll consider joining me in person or by live stream in December for my Piercing the Veil event, where my special guest, James Van Praagh, internationally renowned medium and spiritual teacher, and I will bridge the gap between this world and the next. Hope to see you there!

 

 

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Elder Abuse: Could it be Happening in Your Family?

by Uncategorized

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A lot of our biggest life lessons tend to revolve around family, and especially our parents who shape and form us in so many important ways.

 

When you’re young and rebellious, it never occurs to you that you might find yourself on the other side of the argument someday, as a parent dealing with your own difficult child. And you certainly don’t consider that your own parents will eventually become elderly, forcing you to take on more of a parental caregiver role to them.

 

Even if we don’t for see these changes coming, though, they still happen. We all age. And as we do, the lessons related to our family keep on coming.

 

One of those lessons really came home to me recently when family members decided to take matters into their own hands about my elderly mother driving.

 

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Situations like these call for skillful communication. More than that, though, they require a sense of respect and dignity. To take that from the people we love, and have given us so much, is a terrible thing to do. It’s also an incredibly easy trap to fall into when you’re just trying to look out for an elderly parent’s best interests.

 

To read the rest of my elder story on Huffington Post, follow this link… I’d love to see your comments, hear your stories, and get your feedback there!

 

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3 Ways to Take Advantage of the Lunar Eclipse

by Astrological EventsUncategorized

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An exciting celestial event is happening this Wednesday—a total lunar eclipse, also sometimes called a “blood moon.” An eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun’s light from reaching the moon and covering the moon in Earth’s shadow. Partial lunar eclipses are relatively common, but a total lunar eclipse can only occur when the moon is full and is perfectly aligned with the sun and Earth, which doesn’t happen very often. You can imagine the energy radiating from such a cosmic arrangement!

One of the basic tenets of energy healing is that you are connected to the universal field, which is connected to everything in the entire universe, including the sun, the moon, and beyond. So when a planetary line-up like a total lunar eclipse occurs, you should sit up and take notice, because that energy affects you directly.

The Moon of Change

Ancient people were terrified of total lunar eclipses because, while the moon is technically in darkness, it rarely goes black. Instead, it usually turns a blood red color or a deep orange or even copper-colored, which is sunlight skimming off the earth’s atmosphere, the light of all the sunrises and sunsets ringing the earth. Before we had sufficient technology, people thought the red “blood” moon was a sign from the gods or an omen of war or disease. These kinds of fears were likely intensified by the power of the eclipse, since emotions are closely connected to the moon.

The Moon Influences More than Tides

Emotions tend to run high during all full moons, but this eclipse will likely cause feelings that have been simmering to boil over, and emotional eruptions wouldn’t be surprising from even the most mild-mannered folks. Lunar eclipses are also associated with change and decisions. They often signal an ending or a new beginning, especially within relationships of all types.

 

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But don’t worry! These shifts and new starts, the emotional turmoil, it all leads to a place of discovery, truth, and awareness. The trick is to learn how to take advantage of the lunar eclipse’s transformational energy, and use it to heal yourself and your relationships. Of course, any energy medicine techniques you perform during this time will be amplified by the moon’s energy, as will your meditation, so be sure to do plenty of both for the best results. Here are three more ways to benefit from the lunar eclipse:

  1. Embrace change.

Change is always a little scary, but it’s also the only way you can grow. Lunar eclipses are periods of “course corrections,” times in your life where you can change the direction you are traveling in order to live a more truthful, authentic life. Keeping up your daily meditation and attending energy healing courses can help you handle any adjustments, and once the new, better routines are in place you will be glad you embraced the shift. Just remember that the changes that arise from this celestial energy are necessary, and though they may be difficult, they are going to make you stronger and happier in the long term.

  1. Let go of the old and bring in the new.

Now is the time to let go of anything that’s no longer working: habits or patterns of behavior, jobs, people, foods, anything that is no longer serving the authentic you. Sometimes habits begin as helpful crutches meant to carry you through a rough patch, but when they become problematic, you have to muster the strength to quit. Lunar eclipses especially force you to look at your relationships. Do any seem to hold you back or bring you down? Be prepared for a shift in the way you relate to someone or several someones, or the world, or even yourself during this time. This lunar eclipse will give you the extra courage you need to move on from anything that’s old and unneeded.

This moon’s energy also encourages following your dreams. When you let go of the old, it’s time to make room for the new. Be true to yourself, believe in yourself, and take an emotional risk. Take the dance or art class you’ve been considering. Contemplate moving or changing careers or becoming an energy healer! Really dig deep during this eclipse and see what you can give up and what you will gain as a result.

 

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  1. Reveal your truth.

This eclipse has a risk-taking aspect to it, an increase in courage, especially related to other people in your life. Is there someone close to you who you are hiding something from, or someone you feel like you can’t reveal a part of yourself to? Now is the time to act! Use the boost in bravery to stand up for yourself or your principles and admit your truth to the person who needs to hear it most. Use this lunar energy to say something you’ve been trying to but couldn’t find the strength.

Whatever you hold back can get caught in your energy field and chakras, slowing down the flow of energy to you and weakening your body and spirit. As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I always encourage my students to journal or otherwise express their deepest emotions and personal truths because it helps keep the chakras clear and healthy. But this week, I want you to try to take a step further and express your truths to someone else. Use the lunar eclipse to spear-head change. I bet you will feel a great weight lifted from your heart chakra.

All change can be difficult at first, but it is also a great opportunity for growth. Exercise isn’t always fun, but you feel so good afterwards, and you feel proud of yourself for powering through, for accomplishing a goal through the sweat and resistance, so it’s worth it. That’s what it feels like to make necessary adjustments in your behaviors and relationships, to shake things up, to correct the course of your life. This lunar eclipse is the perfect time to “just do it!”

 

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The Sixth Chakra: Gateway to the Angels

by Uncategorized

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The sixth chakra is associated with inspiration, intuition, memory, imagination, dreams, higher consciousness, and transcendence. But did you know that the sixth chakra is also a gateway to communing with the angels?

 

Higher Seeing

 

The sixth chakra, which is known as the “brow” chakra or “third eye” because it sits on your forehead in between your eyebrows, is the foundation of seeing and higher seeing. This energy center governs images and visuals, and the interpretation and storage of those visuals. This includes images you receive from your eyes—images that are from here on the physical plane and then become memories—as well as images that you have never actually seen with your physical eyes, like imagined scenarios or dreams, or even visions of higher planes or spirits. When your sixth chakra is open and expanded, you are more easily able to see and interact with those higher beings, including your angels.

 

Intuition, Angels, and Your Third Eye

 

Intuition is strongly linked to the third eye, which makes perfect sense because intuition is a type of non-visual seeing, a method of discerning truth without physical evidence. In energy healing, I often use my intuition to guide me, and when I am centered and in alignment with a fully functioning sixth chakra, my intuition never lets me down. Sometimes your intuition may even be coming from your angels! After all, they reside on the sixth level of the field and can easily communicate with you through your intuition. Angels will always guide you to make the choices most in line with your soul’s true purpose, and can whisper advice or support in your ear when you ask for help. With an open sixth chakra and an unobstructed energy field, you are more likely to receive angel messages and feel their divine love.

 

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The Costs of a Closed Sixth Chakra

 

Since the sixth chakra is all about seeing and understanding, when you choose not to see the truth of a situation, it can create blockages in your chakra, which is detrimental to your health. Conditions related to the eyes and nose like glaucoma, cataracts, or sinus infections can develop, as can headaches or migraines, and neurological problems or brain disorders can be related to a severely dysfunctional sixth chakra as well. A closed sixth chakra may also lead to an inability to trust your own intuition and inner guidance, you may not remember your dreams, and it will be harder to interact with beings of light like your angels.

 

Healing Your Third Eye

 

In order to clear blocks in your sixth chakra, and all your chakras, the best thing to do is to attend energy medicine workshops or healing courses. In between courses, keep up your progress by meditating for twenty minutes twice a day, staying grounded and in tune with Mother Nature by getting outside, and speaking or writing your truth. Expressing your true emotions is particularly important for the health of your sixth chakra. Admitting your deepest truths will go a long way in clearing any blocks in your third eye, which is all about seeing the truth. And don’t forget to ask your angels for help! All angels have the power to heal as well as guide and protect, so go ahead and request that they extend their healing touch to your third eye chakra. They are happy to heal your intuition! It’s kind of their specialty. Asking your angels for help in restoring your sixth chakra will also make it easier to ask your angels for help with anything else, so it’s a win-win!

 

Wisdom Beyond Your Five Senses

 

On the opposite spectrum from a closed or blocked sixth chakra, an open and expanded sixth chakra offers heightened awareness for greater seeing, possibly even clairvoyance, greater hearing, greater understanding of the world, and a deeper connection to your spirit guides, angels, and Source. When your third eye starts to open and grow, it’s almost like magic. You will begin to see and sense the synchronicity of the universe. Things that would have previously seemed like coincidences suddenly make sense and you realize that nothing is really random—it is all part of the grand design. An expanded sixth chakra allows you to transcend the restrictions of time and space and your personal identity, and gain access to the universal field where all knowledge is stored, and where divine love flows freely. When you awaken the power of your sixth chakra, you receive inspiration, perception, and wisdom beyond your five senses.

 

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Moving up in Consciousness

 

Essentially, when you fully open your sixth chakra, you attain ascension: a moving up and out of your body into higher realms, an increase in vibration, an expanded consciousness, a realignment with your higher self, and a direct connection to Source and your angels. Normally this type of jump in spiritual level requires a facilitator of some kind, an energy healer or spiritual teacher, to guide the higher vibrational energy into your body as in the case of an initiation, or to lead you in a guided meditation like the one I’ve done in this free video to expand and open your third eye.

 

Take care of your sixth chakra with energy medicine and regular doses of energy healing from your angels, and your intuition, inspiration, and ability to see beyond will vastly improve.

 

To learn more about journeying to higher planes and connecting with angels, please check out my three-part live online healing and ascension course, Angels of Energy Healing, where you will learn how to access the healing energy of angels, ascend to higher realms, and experience the life-changing power of divine love. Come join me today!