New Leaf Mentoring … new thought. new health. new life.

Posts tagged ‘Andrea Thiel Connell’

A Jewel for the 2011 Heart


While browsing the internet this morning I stumbled on an amazing blog by Aryz Eden Sky.

It is on her site that I found this poster. I don’t know it’s origin. But I wish I could find a full size version for my wall. The mantra on it simply sums it up! The welfare of the planet is in our hands, NOW!

It’s all we have to do folks. For ourselves, for each other, for our planet…All the good we can!

Maintain an attitude of awareness that all that you do has bearing on everything else, and that eventually all that you think, and all that you are will join with other like minds and bring about the changes we desire. What is truly in your heart will be made manifest.

The earth and all her species, our environment, human consciousness, world economies and governments, health, you, me and our children are all going through the same changes. We are currently all more dead than alive. Everything sits in a precarious, vulnerable state, waiting for something to lead us forward. But we’re it! We are what we are waiting for. Within each of us glows the only answer that is needed. It’s time for  us to serve each other with goodness, kindness,  and compassion.

You only have to go to your own heart for the inspiration that will guide you. Our most precious jewel, that warm glowing transmitter/receiver sitting in the centre of your own chest is attuned to the green jewel that is earth. As you love yourselves and one another, and endeavor to demand respect for yourselves so will the earth be respected. All outer change will start within you. As Gandhi said ” Be the change you want to see” and never before has this been as needed as now. The evolution of human consciousness demands it.

In 2011, live as though you are the keeper of the most sacred jewel ever discovered, for in truth you are. Your heart has the unparalleled power to generate vast amounts of life-giving energy. Be brave enough, kind enough and generous enough to share the energy in any and every way possible. Hold nothing back and watch the bounty flow throughout all of creation!

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Metaphysics

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Joyfully Counting Forgotten Blessings


I’ve been reviewing the past year as I believe most people have been doing. It’s what we tend to do at the beginning of each new year. I’ve been counting my blessings as well as taking stock of all the pros and cons of my life as it stands today. Then my thinking made a radical shift.

I was thinking of the changes I would like to make in my life, which had begun to sound eerily much the same as last year when I spontaneously remembered an event that had happened in my life this year which had had a profound affect on me. I realized in that moment that there were many such events that had come dangerously close to being put on the back burner; out of sight and out of mind. I quickly flipped to a fresh clean page in my journal and began listing all the new things, events and relationships I have experienced this past year. I was amazed to witness right there in black and white written in my own hand, how much new had actually happened! This was exciting! Turns out that 2010 wasn’t at all the same as any other year after all.

I attended meetings, gatherings and symposiums that were important to my personal and business development, I have met a ton of brilliant kind-hearted people who stimulate my heart and my brain, I have rekindled a very lovely dear friendship after too much time had passed, I’ve re-connected in a meaningful way to each of my siblings, I have developed new adult relationships with all 5 of our kids, I have written countless articles and have been published by some of the best e-zines out there on the web, I have had the extreme pleasure of caring for 20 cats this year – (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!) I opened a Facebook account, I started this blog, I did my website – MYSELF!, and it goes on and on…

These were all things that I hadn’t planned, that I didn’t list in my intentional goals for 2010, but they were far and away the most important. No my kitchen isn’t renovated yet, and I don’t have new living room furniture, my book isn’t published – but I’m getting closer, and I haven’t found homes for all my cats but in light of all that has happened, well, it’s all good!

I am excited now about the many unknown, unplanned for things that I will encounter this year. I did remember too, making a promise to myself to seize new opportunities and to embrace fresh starts  – to say YES to more, and because it worked  I will promise this to myself again this year!

Before I stumbled on my almost forgotten blessing I was sitting in my left brain, being very serious, planning strategy for the year to come. Although my brain was fully engage my heart wasn’t. My heart jumped to attention when I began remembering the spontaneous accomplishments of the last year.   Rest assured of the bounty that sits within our grasp when we give ourselves enough slack to reach out and grab it! The new opportunities, of which you are not yet aware, may well offer you the missing links to your dreams come true. It would be a shame to miss them because you were busy focused on a plan!

Before you focus on creating a new plan review the old year, list the new opportunities you enjoyed, the new people you met, the new books and authors you discovered, the accomplishments you forgot about – did they come by good planning or by good fortune? We tend to forget about the things we didn’t organize through our ego mind.

The synchronicity, the coincidences, the out of the blue opportunities and the random wrong turns are where the real magic of life happens so rather than creating an iron clad plan of attack for 2011 try following your heart and see what the meandering garden path has to offer.

Wishing you all a happy, wondrous New Year filled with joy, health and peace. And by the way, if you are reading this, YOU are one of my many blessings – Thank You!

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Healing

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Praise Be! Conquer Those Blues With the Spirit of Gratitude!


Praise Be! I’m giving thanks today. For Everything!

I try to live with a spirit of gratitude every day, but today I’m going to try to be particularly mindful of giving thanks at every opportunity. I woke this morning with a heaviness in my heart, the early morning was gloomy and dark, and my senses felt stuffy and dull. I was just feeling off kilter in general, the kind of day where you feel like you have a cold coming on. Well to hell with that…something had to be done!

I’m a preemptive kind of person, and I’ve learned to listen to the little quiet whispers of warning, so rather than cancel all my plans for the day and stay safely ensconced in my home drinking herbal tea, I will face the day with light filled praise and a smiley face. If nothing else my sunny countenance will annoy the crap out of anything that wants to bring me down today!

I have learned that the easiest way to shift any negative situation is to give it praise and be grateful. The vibration of gratitude immediately discharges the negative charge and neutralizes the situation.

Living By Design not By Accident!

To give praise and gratitude are powerful affirmations of blessings received. Immediately the gap between wishing for something and having something is closed. Immediately we free ourselves from being distant from the qualities of life we desire. When we focus on the distance we get more distance.If it is important to you to create and live your life by design rather than by accident praise the moment. If you want to live in co-operation with the opportunity that is present in every moment you have to be open to it and you open that door by being grateful for it.  See it done – see it now.
Praise and gratitude are acknowledgments of positive life force flowing through your life. By expressing gratitude we recognize that there is an intelligent principle in the universe that exists omnipotently and of which we are innately part and parcel. As we give praise we simultaneously receive it and our own consciousness is uplifted. Once we understand that blessings are already received our psyche strives toward and resonates with that specific outcome because it knows no other way. Everything that exists is part of everything we are. We are not separate from anything. It is only our focus and our ideas of separation that determine how far away from something we are, and what other obstacles stand in the way. What ever we give the power to to limit us and prohibit our success will have it as long as it takes us to take it back.

The Nature of Praise…
i)    What you praise increases: Everything you give your attention to multiplies whether it is negative or positive. Bad becomes worse, good becomes great. If you expect to be lucky and blessed – you will be. If you expect the worst – you will have it. Be careful in what you wish for and affirm as the truth of your life. If you think one day your ship will come in then you will wait perpetually for ‘one day’. Decide that today’s the day. Praise this day as the day your ship came in!
ii)    Praise liberates and releases stagnant life force energy. By activating energy and freeing it up as available energy to your overall system of organs, muscles, and cells, the body gets to experience a surge of vitality and increased energy. A hopeful feeling washes flows through the system and so begins a process of restoration and regeneration and renewed health.
iii)    Thanks – giving neutralizes stress and un-does dis-ease. By realizing blessings received we instantly release ourselves from disease generating attitudes of worry, guilt, fear, criticism, condemnation, deprivation, hate and ingratitude. You can not be grateful and resentful at the same time. Choose your point of focus before you get sick.

In times of trouble:

Praise your difficulties.

Any experience that gives you new learning or a chance to see something differently is worth praising. The attitude of gratitude changes the dynamic charge of the experience from negative to positive. You instantly diffuse the negative charge, disabling its ability to mushroom into other areas of your life. Even if you are unable to see anything good from your current perspective there exists a possibility in every situation. Give praise, look for the lesson/teaching/value of the situation. If you can’t find it, just expect there to be a ‘blessing in disguise’ somewhere. Let go and let God! These are the lessons of blind faith. Don’t give up now! These are the toughest times. Remember that it is easy to have faith when everything is going great, but faith really doesn’t matter unless you need it.

“I praise the life I have! I AM grateful for the strength I have!

I glory in the life I have! Praise Be!

There is always something to praise. Look for it if you don’t see it! There is a solution to every problem. There is an answer to every question. Sometimes our greatest teachings lie in the vulnerability of not knowing, then when we finally surrender enough the answer is revealed and made clear, giving us another opportunity to be grateful.

Thanksgiving is always a special time of year for me. I love the autumn, the leaves, the pumpkins, the apples, the coolness of the days, all of it. Every year at Thanksgiving I make a list of all the people I know and I find a thing in them  – no matter how difficult – to be grateful for. I especially do this with my family. I don’t necessarily reveal the pieces but I have found that just holding that knowledge in my heart helps bridge any differences or conflicts we may have. And I AM intensely grateful for ALL my family, near and far, close or distant, blood or water! Have a blessed Thanksgiving celebration where ever you are!

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Metaphysics

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Who’s Driving as You’re Cruisin’ Through Life?


I think I got my driver’s license the same minute I turned 16. I had already been driving everything anyone would let me get behind the wheel of  but even so getting my license to drive on the road legally was and still is a cherished, thrilling privilege. It represents a powerful freedom for me and one I protect. To be able to drive means I have the power to choose where and go when the spirit moves me. As I’ve watched each of my kids get their drivers licenses I saw the same independence and autonomy instantly begin to flourish in them. Within moments of getting their permits each of them were transformed with an evident awareness of their newly expanded power and personal authority. Learning to manage that power and authority of course came next but that’s where we all face our challenges. While personal examination, growth and development are relatively new concepts in our culture, drivers have used cars for decades to access and play out their personal dramas and perspectives albeit unconsciously at times but accurately nonetheless.

From over 30 years of having them, repairing them, and driving them, I have come to regard cars and all that they entail as very effective workable metaphors for our lives. Consider your car to be the vehicle of your expression and the way you operate your car to be the way you navigate through and manage your life . The idea is that your car, as an extension of you, shows the world what you either think of yourself or what you want the the world to believe you think of yourself as you travel through life. As the vehicle of your expression it reflects to you and shows others your sense of self power.  Many people use their car to create an illusion of the personality they want to be understood as. By understanding what our car, maintenance issues and personal driving habits are we can come to understand a lot of how we function in the world and why. Often times just by using this metaphor we are able to understand things that we wouldn’t otherwise realize.

Get behind the Wheel

To work with this metaphor you actually have to see yourself as the one in control of the car. Ultimately the one at the wheel steers the car. The driver is the one in power. If it isn’t you then you are willing to sit and wait patiently until ‘they’  – whom  ever they are – decide what’s best for them and their charges. You can grumble and complain and sit there with your arms fold stubbornly across your chest oozing your displeasure – but unless you learn to take the wheel in your own hands you are left staring out the passenger window! Whole separate issue!

The power to change your life rests on the acceptance of one simple fact: you must assume full responsibility for the life you lead. If you don’t accept responsibility for the life you have, and instead choose to believe that someone or something else determines your fate, then you will never feel you have the right to change it and thus you become destined to keep repeating the same drama. The power to change the course will remain with the one you assign the power to make the decisions. Believe this, if you don’t make your choices for yourself someone else will. If you don’t stand up for what you want you will have to go along. And if you don’t speak up someone will speak for you. If you don’t choose to get behind the wheel you will have to sit somewhere else and if you’re not driving, you’re hitching a ride.

It’s OK to just go along to get along as they say, as long as it’s what you want to be doing. And of course, there are times when we simply don’t want to be driving and are perfectly content being the passenger. There are times in fact, when it is essential to surrender to the plans of others and to learn how to be peacefully acquiescent and quiet in the passenger seat. Sometimes we need to learn how to be an effective co-pilot. Just don’t go along and then constantly complain that it’s against your will. Make your peace with the decision before you live it. Can you sit quietly as a passenger, or are you a back seat driver always coaching from the side lines? Harassing the driver but never taking control yourself.

How Do You Handle Your Vehicle?

Good driving skills demand that we become good defensive drivers, on the look out at all times with a proactive approach. We must learn to  look ahead,  be prepared to take evasive action and hopefully be able to avoid possible problems. All to often however, people drive full force into a traffic jam, head on into oncoming traffic and fall asleep at the wheel. They drive too fast for the conditions, they ignore the challenges of their fellow drivers, and they recklessly bully and endanger others. So ask yourself: are you stuck? Are you on an imminent collision course with another driver? Are you driving a bumper car, steering like crazy, being jostled about and going nowhere? Do you run into road blocks, detours, or other obstacles that prohibit you from reaching your destination? Are you disrespectful of others rights and opinions? Are you being a bully? Are you asleep at the wheel with your eyes wide open? Is someone else always at fault?

Car Maintenance

Every vehicle needs consistent and regular maintenance. Our cars need oil, water, fuel, air, etc., just like us.

So…What do you drive? What shape is it in? What service issues is it plagued with? Each issue uncannily reflects a condition that is evident in your own physical body. For example is your car overheating – how’s your personal rage, are you hydrated? Are you constantly running out of gas, or do you have a fuel leak – what about your own ‘fuel’ requirements, what are you eating? Does your food intake support your energy requirements? Are you putting up with broken wipers – why are you comfortable not seeing things clearly? Etc.

Review your crazy car stories; accidents, adventures, calamities, and near misses. What do the stories have in common? Are there any recurring themes or issues with your cars? How do you relate to your car, how do you relate to yourself? To others? What is your dream car like? This is an interesting relationship worth exploring as a metaphor for your own life.

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Metaphysics

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Becoming Butterflies of a Different Kind


I know that you’re probably already familiar with butterfly analogies. I realize that butterfly references flit and flutter rampantly throughout the new age movement of thought. And I get that you get that butterfly is symbolic of transformation and metamorphosis. But I’m going to go through it again all the same; in detail, slowly, because although people talk the talk there is hardly a more potent set of images available to us mere humans than through the magical  synergy of the butterfly story. The real magic however lies in what is not often talked about. We usually talk about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly; from humble beginnings to exquisite soaring potential. As humans we tend to like happy endings and butterfly wings are just plain happy making! But the real message of hope lies in the frenetic, arduous, and determined journey of the lowly Caterpillar.

4 Stages of Development:

1. The Egg (Conception): You are conceived, from fertilized egg you come into being. You enter into this life’s experience with a bevy of information that will all contribute to the path you must walk in this lifetime. From the moment of your conception you are immersed in this matrix of information that will metabolize into your own being, forming your own unique life’s expression. You grow, develop, and become the miniature form that will execute your life’s journey this time around. The concept of you is created out of karmic lessons, genetic opportunity, parental influence, environmental conditioning, and knowledge. When you are ready you will emerge through a  challenging experience of birth. Your first real experience of fighting for your life,  you break through the barrier that has kept you safely protected, to move toward an independent expression of your self. And this is where the real fun starts!

2. The Caterpillar: From the moment he breaks away from his egg, the caterpillar begins to hunt for and devour huge amounts of food. His physical rate of growth is fantastic. Four separate times he literally grows out of his skin. 4 times he must shed his old skin and live into his new potential.  4 times his skin splits, dries up and 4 times he must wriggle free of it, leaving it behind if he intends to survive; which is of course, all that motivates him.

Likewise there are four times in a human life that we change our skin, dramatically yet without realizing it from a daily perspective; infancy, adolescence, adulthood, seniority. But at each stage, before we can rightfully embody the next stage of life we must learn the value of letting go of the ideas, dependencies, perspectives and belief systems that have been relevant to life to date. Some of these experiences are emotionally devastating, earth shattering, heartbreaking. Although we think that we would be happy to leave these behind us, often these times of life are the ones we allow to define us and to influence how we move forward in life. Our ultimate success will be determined by how well we let go of our most challenging attachments, forgive and move forward toward the next stage. The caterpillar grows larger and expands with each stage right up until his ‘death’ time as the pupa. Human tendency, however is to slow down our growth once we move into middle age. Half way through our life span we tend to stop taking in new ideas, we indulge in routine, cultivate patterns of sameness, and reject thoughts of new possibility. We approach our death time with low energy, little creativity, and resignation to the inevitable.

As human beings we also have 4 aspects that must be simultaneously developed as we grow; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It seems an immutable fact that we are destined to grow, our choices in reference to each of these aspects will determine how well and gracefully we progress. Each aspect supports the others and encourages the others to stretch and reach for a higher opportunity at all times.

3. The Pupa (Transformation): When the caterpillar enters the pupa stage a profound cellular transformation occurs that will eventually allow the caterpillar to experience life from an entirely different, more lofty perspective than he had previously known. It is during this stage of human development that many of us choose to rest, believing that life has reached its climax and now there is nothing but a steady decline in vitality ahead. Transitioning from mature adult into senior is an enormously difficult shift in physicality, mentality, emotionality and spirituality for most people. Many people choose to spend this part of their development being ill, tired, listless, lifeless, uninspired and mournful. As fully mature adults we too begin to change chemically. The pharmaceutical companies must love this stage of development as they seem to provide more and more prescription drugs that cater to aging bodies and metabolisms to say nothing of hormonal deficiencies  and other chemical imbalances that happen with aging. It’s an all out effort to keep the population from believing what they see happening in the mirror. There is a time of retreat, isolation, and reconstitution that has to happen to allow the shift forward into a beautiful seniority. Mankind must learn to surrender to his maturity and allow the alchemical transformation to happen so that he too may emerge in a splendid possibility and symbol for hope.

4. The Butterfly(Seniority): The caterpillar instinctively follows his biological clock and surrenders himself willingly to the pupa stage of growth; man not so much. We fight it every step of the way. Every where we look we see seniors trying to recapture their youth. It is not however, the seniors that are trying to look and act young that capture our hearts, it’s the ones that joyfully and exuberantly embrace their age, their knowledge and their wisdom. The seniors that we adore and respect are the ones who have gracefully allowed themselves to embody the fullest culmination of their lives. When our elders joyously express their enthusiasm for life with flair and panache we see the human butterfly emerging. They have surrendered to their transition and have gratefully, with humility and profound wisdom accepted and embodied the journey of the butterfly. They have miraculously surrendered to the divine order of life to experience without fear or worry the fullest expression possible. The human butterfly has learned to leave the worries of growing, building and survival behind him and lives out the remainder of his life dancing with the breezes, enjoying the nectar of the beauty of life and living for the moments that remain. Butterfly nurtures the spirit of others around him, giving hope and inspiring the next generation to live their fullest life possible.

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Healing, Metaphysics

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Healing: Reconnecting to Your Sacred Geometry


The human being is a divine construction of geometrical shapes and patterns that resonate with all natural expressions of life. Each human-being holds within their DNA a signature coding and subsequent frequency that is in perfect alignment with his universe and potential. His hopes and dreams for his life will automatically manifest if he stays true to his original hologram. Life however, is full of contrived hopes and illusions that stymie our growth and potential expression, which if we believe in them will create fear, limitation and dysfunction.

In order to manifest the life of your dreams you have to become still, patient, and willing to heal whatever has come into your life that separates you from your potential. Only when you reconnect to the sacred geometry that presides over all life, to the order that governs your life, and to the order with which you have already co-creatively predetermined your place will you know yourself to be healthy and filled with a sense of well-being. That quiet, hidden divine order set the dream of your Self into your unconscious mind and it’s in the quiet hidden order of your sacred geometry that you will find the right path to follow to realize your dream. Your individual sacred geometry determines the building blocks of the stable, non-corruptible expression of your perfect dream.

This is a magical understanding, supported in esoteric wisdom. You may not want to hear it. That is to say that your left brain, goal setting side may not want to surrender to your inner inherent truth. We each have an inborn desire to be great and we have an outer fear that we aren’t good enough. We also though, have a deep knowing that we are profoundly powerful in our own right and yet feel that overwhelming fear of  vulnerability and weakness created by our environment, our karma and our life’s lessons. In a judgmental, critical, materialistic, media controlled world we too often see ourselves longing for everything we are told we should want if we want to be considered successful and powerful and yet at the same time we feel the niggling despair of not being able to achieve those prescribed goals.

Finding the Magic

Your dream lies in your truth. Your happiness lies in living your truth. Your truth is aligned in perfect wisdom with the Divine order of which you are an inseparable part. Your inborn desire to be great grows out of the perfection of your inherent construction; your sacred geometry. We intuitively understand the impenetrable strength that is divinely engineered into our most primitive unconscious being. A sense of personal weakness is created and experienced only when we witness ourselves as a product and reflection of the outside world. We lose our faith in our perfection when we start to identify with the crumbling impermanent world that has been built around us devoid of sacred heart and intelligence.

The magic happens when we allow our consciousness to reflect the magnificent ecological harmony of a forest, or the structure of a tiny sea shell, for in their reflection we know ourselves truly. In that moment we intuitively recognize the godliness locked within our own cellular being. Even looking upon ancient structures like the Parthenon, or magnificent cathedrals or the Sydney Opera House for example will fill us with a sense of awesome innate power because they too have been constructed using the same geometrical shapes, patterns and principles that we ourselves are built of. We naturally harmoniously resonate with all sacred constructions, and in the breath of a moment can be reawakened to our natural perfection.

Alchemy, Transformation & Perfect Manifestation

You are a magical, alchemical human being but you may not know it yet. You are as a butterfly wanting to become it’s full glorious self even when all you can feel is the sluggishness of the caterpillar. And just like the caterpillar, it will take an alchemical transformation to shift into a new way of being. Alchemy is based in understanding the laws that govern our universe and then stepping into the role of designer. By learning the necessary skills we can become the alchemist that seems to magically create the life of dreams and inspirations, from straw to gold.

Trust in the knowledge that there is an order in our Universe that is mathematically precise. All growth happens through the expansion of patterns.  The patterns are created by a sacred geometry that manifests throughout all natural expressions of form. We are part of those same expressions. The helix and swirling logarithmic spirals map out the basic structures that govern our physical universe. Simple geometric shapes and immutable patterns shape our physical reality. You, yourself are a mass of DNA helix on a cellular level, and swirling energy spirals that all operate with logical precision in resonance with universal patterns.

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Healing, Metaphysics

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Falling Down the Virtual – Spiritual Rabbit Hole


I explore my reality and hence possibility by contemplating the thoughts of others, reading, conversing, listening, meditating and personally experiencing new things. I am very aware that we choose how we want to be in the world. We each determine for ourselves how we want to negotiate our time, resources and energy, how we interact, how we make ourselves heard, known and understood. So I ask why, I listen, I watch, I stir pots, and I observe myself in these interactions. In this way I find out what makes me tick and where I want to focus my energy; most importantly with regards to my spiritual path.

The internet provides us with a lot of articles and opportunities to reach the world. People are searching to connect, to understand new things, to make others understand their positions, and there are an awful lot of people out there who spend an enormous amount of time on social networking sites! Wow…it’s staggering. I wonder why. I’m just kidding…I already know why. I’m there too after all. We want to meet people, talk about things that matter to us, find like-minded people, communicate, find our place in the world. Ultimately as we glean little bits about others we come to know ourselves better. I’m not out there to meet friends, I already have those – I’m out there to meet new minds. I want to know what people are thinking about, specifically with regards to spiritual growth, change and development. Navigating the internet and all the information on it is like embarking on a trip to Wonderland – Alice’s Wonderland that is!

Curiouser and Curiouser!

So with regards to this matter of spiritual growth and development I have discovered that there are a lot of people who seem to know the way! Very exciting! Many people have opinions which they are very eager to share, some people pass along other people’s opinions, some people just want to talk and aren’t interested in listening at all to what others are really saying.

You can slip down a rabbit hole pretty quickly if you don’t know what your spiritual intention is. There seem to be an awful lot of white rabbits out there wanting to lead us down one garden path or another – all equally reasonable, all spiritually ‘guided’ and most seem in a hurry to get somewhere. Presumably they are offering a happier, more peaceful, more enlightened place; a wonderland perhaps! But as we are aware, Wonderland is chock full of illusion and drama that tends to occupy our senses in a very nonsensical kind of way.

The airwaves offer us a plethora of spiritual rabbit holes. So many ways…so many things to consider…so little time! We’ve all learned that things aren’t always what they seem.  As our knowledge base increases so does our perception and our ability to see illusion. There is only one path – at a time – for every perspective. You can, of course keep changing perspectives and keep jumping paths but you will eventually get tired and frustrated. Or you can start where you are and heed the greatest words ever…Know thyself. What do you need, want, desire and know? This is a key purpose of your life; to know where you stand and to stand in your shoes satisfied that you are in the right place and the right time.

Navigating the Spiritual Wonderland

Remember why you embarked on the spiritual journey. Are you finding what you’ve been looking for? Give yourself a reality check. Are you happy? Is your life satisfying to you? Do you have and are you maintaining self-respect? Is the quality of your life improving? Is your spiritual path supporting your values and ability to choose?

As long as you are a walking, breathing, thinking, ekeing-out-a-living human being, you have a responsibility to be human. Does your spiritual rabbit hole make you a better human being? Are you more or less content to be a contributing member of society? If you can’t answer yes to these you might consider finding a new rabbit hole.

Ask yourself who’s attending the tea party? Are they sane? Are they followers? Are they committed to the highest good or simply adversarial?

Eventually Alice arrived home knowing herself in an expanded way, more content in her own skin, inner demons conquered, heart re-discovered. Does your rabbit hole lead you back home a better person?

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Metaphysics

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Embracing the Wise Ones


This past weekend I held a Reiki Camp at my home. It was a beautiful heart full experience. When you’ve done something good for your soul – you know it! And here I sit 3 days after the event still deep in knowing that something really good happened. My soul was fed. My heart was filled. My mind was made quiet and at peace. My body was rested. OM SHANTI OM!

In the midst of this heart-filled experience arrived a group of wise kind-hearted souls that some of us hadn’t previously met before. What we physically did was Reiki, talk, meditate, ate, slept, cried a little and laughed a lot. But what we truly DID was excavate, investigate, surrender, accept, heal, rest and ultimately embrace the wise one within each one of us. As the wise one within each of us stepped forward out of the shadows of fear, doubt and insecurity the circle became enriched with a deep sense of self honouring and love for self and others.

And let me tell you  – what a feeling! We all surfaced feeling more empowered, more centered in our own knowing and more connected to our particular stream and expression of life. Deep gratitude and humility began to flow into all the crevices and cracks cementing the energy of the group into a magical cohesive whole. It spread and it grew steadily over the course of the 4 days facilitating deep trust and surrender.

Once again I was affirmed in the superb quality of Reiki. We made it a point (OK…maybe I made it the point) to stick to plain and simple Reiki. Although many of us have other modalities and energy healing techniques that we bring to the table, we agreed to practice just Reiki for this event. Other times may call for different ways, but since all the participants were attuned to Reiki we stayed with it. Interestingly it was the participant with 1st degree that felt the need to add other things to the mix. I encouraged her to seize the opportunity to practice simple form. Sitting quietly, mindfully, breathing, holding space, being in alignment, practicing the precepts and the symbols presented a beautiful interface with nature.

In the Presence of Nature

It was easy – so easy to surrender. Nature met us in full life force. Nature sat as an identifiable entity within our circle, co-creating the healing and deep rest that was happening. A quiet order permeated the happenings allowing all the time that was needed to complete all exercises on schedule without sacrifice or rushing. Every moment counted and was fully attended to. Every touch fell in perfect placement, every word on open ears and hearts.

In the end we all went away with a new friend; our Wise One Within. We came to understand ourselves in a new dimension and also introduced that aspect of ourselves to others. I was honoured to meet each of your Wisdom Keepers. I am deeply grateful for the participation and courage of all the attendees this weekend for because of your committment we created a profoundly Sacred Space here in my garden.

As I sit here today, I can still feel the awakened sacred. Thank you all – and welcome to all who join us in the future!

Namaste!

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Reiki

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Reiki, Camping & Healing; A Natural Connection


From 2002 to 2012 I lived in a truly magical place. Our one acre lot sat nestled amongst 30 acres of rolling hills and forest, perennial gardens and open space. We had more than a dozen ancient spruce sentinels majestically standing on guard over our property, wildlife – from squirrels to deer- roamed freely in broad daylight, birds chirped, sang and warbled all day long and yet my home was on the edge of town within walking distance to all amenities. My husband even put in a golf green and tee deck for a 60 yard practice hole. It was perfect. A Slice of Eden. I wasn’t the only one who thought so either.

I had worked from my home for about 8 years when it dawned on me quite unexpectedly that it was possible to add a new dimension to my work with my students. My property suited me well. Clients and friends had always enjoyed the gardens and property waiting for appointments or for meditation circles but it was that one particular morning after my meditations that I considered the possibility of my home becoming a healing/educational retreat place. It was rustic, it was natural, it was peaceful and it was time to share it!

There was a feeling on those grounds of being held. Of being supported. Of being hugged by the trees. I thought at first I was the only one who felt it and then I started noticing the melting that happened in people’s faces and posture as they sat on the patios. Despite their issues, despite their pain, there is a space here where it can be let go – even if only temporarily. Healing ground! Sacred space!

Focusing on What’s Right and Sacred

My property, my work, my family, and my life are sacred to me. The quality of our lives is determined by understanding what we hold sacred and how whatever that is holds presence in our lives. In the end it’s all about how we stimulate and encourage the sacred to be ambient and radiant throughout our lives. In a sacred attitude we are generous, mindful, respectful, honest and compassionate. When you add Reiki or any other powerful healing intention to the mix you create a magical opportunity for transformation.

There is a tendency among energy workers/healers to hunt out and heal issues. But after all these years working with clients in all sorts of difficult health situations I know of another way that is infinitely less painful and more successful than focusing on the issues. In focusing on the health of the body, on the vitality in life, and on the inherent light that resides in all manifestations of life we empower our potential and right to health, and in turn dispel the darkness. When we embrace peace, joy, life force energy we displace and transmute stagnant energies of pain. When we surrender to the health in us and forgive ourselves for believing that we are defined by our pain and losses, we heal. When we enter deep rest we initiate deep healing. Like begets like.

Immersed in nature we learned to experience the unlimited vibration of health. We experienced first hand the indomitable spirit of never-ending growth and potential. The vibration of nature is celebratory, exultant, and pervasive. There is a well-spring of health within us that is in perfect attunement with the vitality of nature. Nature is all about surrender and acceptance of what is, when we allow ourselves to be engulfed we learn to give over our ego and meet our true spirit. And so a weekend for Reiki practitioners was born; a weekend of being supported by nature to fully experience our own innate potential to be whole and to be healed in peace.

All things in life change and eventually we left our beloved home for new adventures and other places but the Reiki Camp continues to this day on the second weekend of September. Join us to experience healing with other like-minded individuals in the presence of Nature.

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Healing

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For the Love of Cats…I’m starting to purr! Help!


I have cats. Waayyy too many cats! Striped ones, solid coloured ones, bi-colours, and in more shades of gray than you can imagine. There are predictions being made around my loved ones that I will become that crazy cat lady with the wind chimes that does tarot cards in the old house on the edge of town. Hmmm…it’s hard to argue with that since that pretty much sums up my life already. I’m just not crazy…yet! I think…

But in the meantime what can you do? It is what it is! So yes, in the meantime I have too many cats. But seriously they’re lovely! Each one unique in personality and markings, each one with a lovely, generous nature.

My Favorite Teacher Was A Cat!

Cats, especially kittens in a litter, are endlessly amusing. Cats are remarkable teachers for us mere humans – ask any cat. They have no doubt in the superiority of their species. When we learn from the habits and behaviors of various animal and bird species we can refer to this practice as animal medicine. The commonly accepted teachings from cats are about independence and self-love. But, I can tell you from my experience of living in the midst of a colony of cats the teachings go way beyond self-love.

Cats are heartful, self less creatures and endlessly demonstrative in their love. They are far less independent than people like to think they are. People like the idea of having 1 cat but cats like the company of their own kind. As much as they like their independence, they love being within the snuggling distance of other cats. They are excessively affectionate animals with a strong social order within their colony. They have many rituals that center around looking after one another. They groom each other, they hug each other, they cry for each other, they wrestle ferociously and play tag together. The older ones teach the younger ones how to behave, how to hunt, how to stalk, how to have respect for the elders in the group. There are strict rules and penalties for stepping out of line, anything from boxing to swatting to nipping. But cats are guileless, they never hold a grudge. When they warn or punish each other it is done without creating fear. They set a clear boundary that the others respect without question but in the next second they are back to purring and loving each other unconditionally, so long as the lesson has been learned. Cats are tenacious and demanding in their needs. They are alert and on watch every second, highly sensitive to the energy around them and always tuned in to their environment and all that is happening within it. Their natural curiosity often leads them to the brink of disaster, but in the end they just grow and learn and carry on to live another one of their 9 lives. Yes I believe there is a lot we can learn from living with and observing cats.

Reiki Cats; Whose Treating Who?

All my cats have been ‘Reiki’ed since the day they were born. I actually think cats do Reiki naturally. There have been times when I am very aware of my cat being more attuned, more in harmony with universal energy than I am in a particular moment. They are always willing to give a treatment. They are instinctively hardwired to know where to place their paws (as well as the rest of their bodies) to facilitate healing. I often have cat assistants when I’m doing Reiki sessions. They are natural meditaters too, they can sit in posture for unlimited amounts of time, fully conscious, fully present, yet un-distractable from their meditative state. They create a space of calmness and peaceful acceptance for whatever is, and everyone who has the pleasure of having a cat for company is bound to be entrained into the same peaceful, unconditional energy very quickly. I think I’m actually starting to purr and find myself wanting to frolic in the garden! Oh no!

Sharing the Love

But all this said folks – we have a serious problem on our hands with an exploding cat population. The local humane societies are completely and totally overwhelmed and over run with cats and kittens. They need your support for their spay and neuter programs, for food, for litter. If you have it in your heart to adopt a cat please don’t hesitate, they are the worthiest of friends, faithful confidants, endlessly committed to your happiness and well-being. If you can please try to help these societies out. Any donations are welcome. The populations of stray and feral cats is escalating at an alarming rate. It may not seem to be your problem, but it is in fact a societal issue.

I love my cats, and they have all been loved well, but this doesn’t mean that I can’t give several of them up to good homes where they will continue to be loved as much as they want to be. And believe me the sooner the better! We honestly have too many!! (The picture at left only shows a few of them).

I am blessed in the love of my cats and I am purrfectly willing to share that blissful state with you! As soon as possible – that’s just the kind of reiki master, wind chime and cat lover I am!

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Reiki

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