One of what I would consider to be the best of modern day psychics is John Edward. I love to watch him as he works. There are many people that will say that he is doing “cold readings” – throwing out suggestions until he sees a body reaction from his client, and then building on that. My feeling is that he is real, and his work is a blessing to the people that he reads for.

At the bottom of the header on his site (www.johnedward.net), we see the words “Communicate – Appreciate – Validate”. I think this says it all! I am impressed that he also recommends other psychic readers and mediums on his site.

Edward’s new site, http://infinitequest.com, is a membership site, with the availability of one month free. There are several different and interesting sections – Afterlife, Astrology, Numerology, Energy, Tarot, Psychic, Health & Belief, Reincarnation and IQ Channel. Each section contains a wealth of information, including videos.

Some of the information included is how to build an energy ball, how to protect yourself from diseases (such as the Swine Flu), the Law of Attraction, exercises on grounding, Tarot card spreads, the power of intuition, spirit guides, dreams, seasonal changes, the meaning of reincarnation, and much more.

Edward has shared the wisdom that has come to him through many books, CD’s, and DVD’s. “Crossing Over” would be my favorite choice in books, followed closely by “One Last Time”. His CD’s include “Developing Your Own Psychic Powers” and “Relax and Heal Yourself”. There are also astrological charts available on the http://infinitequest.com site, and Infinite Quest tee shirts.

I appreciate the approach that Edward takes to his work, and to his life. He is a... Read More

Psychokinesis, also known as telekinesis, is quite an interesting little corner of the world of psychic ability. Psychokinesis has to do with moving objects using only the power of the mind. This can be done with objects that are in the same room, or objects that are at a distance.

This ability became very popular in the late 1800’s, with the advent of the Spiritualism movement. This ability was often demonstrated during séances, when objects would move, or even fly through the air on their own, often as a demonstration that a specific entity had been contacted. Another aspect of psychokinesis during a séance was the table itself moving or tilting. As you can see, some of this would have been very questionable!

One of the better known names that worked to expose fraudulent psychics was the magician Houdini. He wrote a book about this entitled “Miracle Mongers and Their Methods”. Another investigator was J. B. Rhine, a researcher at Duke University. His aim was to se whether people could affect the outcome of random events through the use of their mind.

Using the tossing of dice, Rhine was able to show that random tossesof the dice could be affected by the mind. However, his results were mixed, and they were not able to be duplicated. We also have to mention Uri Geller here – the gentleman from the 1970’s that was very adept at bending spoons with his mind.

Psychokinesis can also include levitation, miraculous healings, apports and other things that are generally thought to be the province of holy people and adepts of magic from all cultures.

While this is an area that is all too open to “fakery”, my thought is that we need to keep an open mind, and see how this might apply to our own lives.

Ghost Whisperer - Season 4, Episode 23 – Book of Changes – air date 9/18/09. In this episode Melinda deals with her mother’s efforts to take over the planning of her wedding (can we say fifty foot ice sculptures!), while at the same time trying to help Eli with the loss of his love interest (Zoe), and figure out why someone is interested in purchasing the entire university book collection that Zoe is so interested in keeping there.

The tension builds when a Watcher comes to talk to Melinda, telling her that her baby is protected, but that the veil of protection can tear at any time. He also tells her that her baby will have her abilities … and more!

Eli sees Zoe having dinner with a handsome man – who turns out to represent the buyers of the book collection from the university. Eli asks Zoe out to dinner, as a friend, and she accepts – but never shows up. He goes to her house, where she will not open the door, and asks him to leave. He is concerned for her, and goes in the back door. He finds Zoe dead, and chases a young man out of the house, capturing him.

The young man tells Melinda that he was “not supposed to take anything from the house, he was supposed to leave something – but he doesn’t know what. Melinda and Eli break into Zoe’s house, looking for a book that has been stolen from the university collection. They encounter someone who has brken in ahead of them – the handsome man that Zoe was having dinner with. He admits that he was looking for the book too.

Melinda is visited several times by the ghost of a faceless young girl, carrying a leather bound book. Melinda is also having dreams – in one of which she has her baby, only when the nurse goes to show her the “babies”, they turn out to be cats!

In the end, we know that there are the Watcher’s and another nameless group... Read More

In a previous blog I talked about the importance of dreams, and how to remember them (as well as how to ask for them). Because symbols are so important in dreams, I thought that it might be a good idea to share a few basic definitions. These are only starting points – each individual needs to interpret their dreams from their own perspective and life experience.

Abandonment: If a general feeling of abandonment appears in your dreams, this could indicate that the dreamer needs to leave behind feelings and/or ways of thinking that originated in the past. It also indicates that the dreamer has a literal fear of either abandonment or perhaps betrayal.

Abduction: When this theme enters into dreamtime, the dreamer feels that they are being controlled in waking time by people or circumstances around them.

Above: Moving in an upwards direction, or seeing something above you, indicates that the dreamer needs to set their goals higher.

Abuse: If the dreamer is the one doing the abusing, this indicatea that their past actions are coming back to haunt them. If the dreamer is the one being abused, this is an indication that they feel they are being taken advantage of in some way in their waking life.

Building: Buildings in a dream represent the dreamers self, or physical body. How high the dreamer is in the building represents their level of spiritual awareness. If the building is in a negative state, then the dreamer is approaching a relationship or issue in their life in the wrong manner. The collapse of a building can indicate that the dreamer lost sight of their goals. Climbing a building can indicate that the dreamer is letting their ambitions carry them away.

Ladder: If the dreamer is climbing a ladder, this is an indication that they have achieved some form of... Read More

Dreamtime is a very special time. The dreams that come to us serve many purposes – they help us to bring resolution to daytime issues, they act as a “heads up” to issues that are upcoming, and they bring us messages from Spirit. We can actually work with our dreams, both to understand them and to put them in perspective in our daily lives.

The first thing that we want to do is be able to remember our dreams. We can help ourselves here if we keep pen and paper near our bedside. When we wake up from a dream – even if it is in the middle of the night – it is best to take a moment or two to write down everything that we can remember. Any words, actions, sights, smells, attitudes, colors, symbols – anything that we remember should be written down.

For those of you that think you do not dream, or only remember parts of your dreams, try telling yourself as you go to sleep that you will remember your dreams. The more you can remember of your dreams, the more comfortable you will feel remembering them. Interpretation of our dreams depends upon what we remember – the colors in the dream, the figures or buildings, symbols, actions, emotions – all of this will help you to interpret what is going on and where it fits into your life.

You can also ask for dreams on specific subjects. Formulate a question that is short, concise, and addresses the topic that you need information on. Hold this question in your mind as you go to sleep. If you are getting dreams that you understand parts of, but do not understand other parts of, then ask for clarification before you go to sleep on whatever you did not understand.

Remember – you are the dreamer, your Higher Self is the dream maker. You are in charge of your own dreamtime – make it work for you!

Is it possible to develop psychic ability? Yes, it certainly is! Psychic ability is based on the development of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and sense) – senses tat we all have. What we need to determine as individuals is which of our senses we are naturally gifted with – which can be most easily developed.

The first step in developing our natural psychic ability is accepting that this ability exists. It is understanding that in tapping into this ability we are tapping into a universal consciousness. It is our subconscious mind connecting with our conscious mind. We can help ourselves by assimilating as much information as we can about psychic ability through books, magazines, Internet articles and sites, and attending seminars on the subject.

To get some understanding of which areas we are strongest in, it is a good idea to take some form of ESP or Psychic test/quiz. We offer a comprehensive quiz here - http://www.psychicpower.com/quizzes/TakeQuiz.aspx?id=4 .

Once we have some idea of which psychic areas we are strongest in, we need to practice using them. Remember – all we are doing is focusing on one or more senses that we already use every day of our lives. Begin by taking a few minutes each day to sit down, calm your mind (taking deep breaths, and focusing on your breathing will help with this), and allow your thoughts to wander. You may want to build a vision in your mind of a green meadow, with a flowing brook running through it and the sun shining.

Allow any thoughts that come to you to flow. You may see visual pictures, you may hear thoughts in your mind, you may have a “sixth sense” about something. When you are done, journal any information that you have received. On a periodic basis, go over your journal and see how this information has played out in your life.

Combine this with paying attention to... Read More

With All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) coming up, I thought that it might be interesting to get a few different takes on haunting (thinking along the lines of the infamous “Headless Horseman” here). The first thing that I came upon was the Discovery Channel series “A Haunting” – a series based on true experiences with paranormal activity, told by the people that experienced them.

Tragedy, murder and suicide have left such strong –and deep – psychic impressions that innocent people are affected decades later. This is an interesting show in that it not only relates the tale of the haunting, but researches the history and origin of the energy involved. For me, this is important. We need to respect the energy of a haunted area, but we also need to understand it, and understand that it does not have to take over our lives.

I have never watched this show myself, but according to the Discovery Channel site (http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/haunting/episode-guide/episode-guide-tab-04.html) it has been running for four seasons.

Episodes include nightmares that suddenly mirror reality (Dark Wrath), a family secret that threatens to break up a fairytale marriage (The Calling), a negative presence residing at an abandoned farm (Spirits of the Dead), a divorce sending the wife deeper into her occult studies (Spellbound), and a jazz guitarist who moves his family, only to experience unexplained occurrences in his house, and have his son become gravely ill(Casa De Los Muertos).

There are several video clips on the site that show the excellent quality of the shows, as well as the interesting subject matter. In the clip for “Cursed”, we see two women delivering food to a shut in. When the gentleman shakes the hand of one of the women delivering the food, he tells her that he sees a spirit in her house, and to be careful. He... Read More

Ghost Whisperer – Season 4, Episode 22 – Endless Love – air date 8/11/09. In this episode, Melinda is concerned with dealing with a dysfunctional family, a teen in crisis, and a possible vampire. Oh … yes, Melinda and Delia are also planning Melinda’s wedding!

Towards the beginning of this episode there is a marvelous scene where Melinda calls Eli, and ends up hanging up on him mid conversation when the young teenage girl in crisis shows up at the door of her shop. Eli calls Melinda back, and ends up hanging up on her when a friend from his past shows up. Very “Three Stooges”!

Melinda first note an issue when a young girl in Ned’s study group has a red eyed ghost appear at her side. When the young girl returns home, the house is empty – both her mother and her father are still out. She goes to her room, starts to study, and falls asleep. Her bedroom window opens, and a breeze comes through the curtains. (This is a second story window, BTW!).

The girl gets up (very much in a stupor), walks downstairs and out the door. When the girl’s mother gets home, she panics when she cannot locate her daughter. She calls Delia, who tells her that the girl left for home two hours ago! Delia, Melinda and Ned pick the mother up, and cruise the streets. They find the girl wandering the streets, still in a stupor, covered with red clay. She does not remember how she got there, and is adamant that she was just “sleepwalking”.

The next day at school Ned sees the girl at her locker. When she opens her locker, plumeria petals fall out, along with a swarm of moths. The girl goes into a classroom, and sits down next to a boy who is already there. She thinks he left the plumeria petals and the moths – and she is happy about this! The boy denies it, gets up in a huff and moves to the other side of the room. Once there, his... Read More

I thought that it might be interesting to do a three card reading for 09/09/09. The positions are defined as follows:

1. What we know about 09/09/09.
2. What we need to know about 09/09/09.
3. How the energies of 09/09/09 will affect the future.

What we know about 09/09/09: The Lovers

The energy of 09/09/09 was highly spiritual, and was about us knowing ourselves, and deepening the connection with Spirit. The energy of this “happening” is there to support us, not hurt us. If we choose to accept it, we will move to a higher vibrational level, and take on a new purpose for this lifetime (this is especially true for healers and spiritual teachers). This will be the last physical lifetime for many, many people.

What we need to know about 09/09/09: Eight of Swords

At first, we may feel as if we are hemmed in – as if we have no choices, as if there no actions that we can take to empower ourselves. There is a feeling of being bound by authority. If we allow ourselves to flow with this energy, rather than fight it, we will find t hat te energy exerted by authority will change, as well as our attitude towards the source of authority, and those who carry it out.

How the energies of 09/09/09 will affect the future: The Star

If we choose to accept the energy of 09/09/09, it will ultimately bring us hope. We will walk into our own truth, and find personal enlightenment.

Each of you should draw a card, from any oracle that you wish, with the thought that this card shows how the energy of 09/09/09 will find its way into your life. Look at the card, and note what symbols or colors stand out for you. These are the avenues that your personal wisdom will come through.

We are just about to go into a new season of TV shows. I love the end of summer anyway (fall and winter being my favorite seasons), but I am really excited about seeing what is going to happen on some of my favorite shows. Interesting that all of these shows are on CBS, which is not a channel that I usually watch! (Except for NUMBERS, but that is another story!)

I love the shots of the antique shop in Ghost Whisperer. I wish they would do more there. Jim is assimilated into Sam’s psyche, so all is going well there. I like the small town feel to this show, and the interaction between the major characters (Melinda, Delia, Eli and Ned). It would be interesting to see a storyline dealing with a mass casualty situation from the past, and walking a group of people to the light.

The final episode in The Medium last season had Allison in the hospital with a serious head injury. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as well as the sub-plot with her husband’s business. Perhaps they will enhance her gifts in some way because of the injury. I love this show – it presents the world of the paranormal in a very realistic fashion.

The Mentalist is another of my favorites. You have to admit – Patrick Jane is to die for! I love his three-piece suit, his gentle manner, dimples, and sneaky way of getting people to tell him what he wants to know! We should all take a lesson from Jane – paying attention to what is going on around us is a huge part of creating a truer reality. I am looking forward to the Red John storyline, and to Jane coming to some resolution over t he death of his wife.

The Mentalist – Season 1, Episode 18 – Russet Potatoes – air date 9/08/09. In this episode Jane and the CBI team work to find out who is hypnotizing people into doing their dirty work for them. Things to remember here – hypnotism is a tool that Jane himself uses. In fact, he makes a major point in that when someone is hypnotized, they will never do anything that they would not be morally or ethically capable of if they were not hypnotized.

In the first scene we see a very ordinary looking man in a suit, carrying/dragging a large, heavy object down a busy city street, mumbling to himself the same phrase, over and over. Where is he taking this bag? To the precinct! He informs Jane, when asked, that the bag contains potatoes! Jane takes one look at him, and decides that the man has been hypnotized. You see, what is in the bag is a young girl who has been shot in the head.

The body is identified, and her sister, just back from a business trip to San Francisco, comes in to find out what happened. It seems that both she and her sister work for a large NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) center. Hello – here is where the hypnotherapy connection is! Not only that, but the gentleman that was hypnotized to bring the body in is a client at the center.

Jane, Lisbon and the CBI team take the man who brought the body in to the NLP center, where a seminar is going on. They take the head of the company, who is leading the seminar, with them for questioning. His assistant then takes over the seminar.

Up above, Lisbon is standing with the gentleman that they arrested. He looks down at the assistant NLP trainer, and starts talking to him. The NLP trainer bolts off of the stage, with Lisbon racing after him. She tackles him on the stairs, and takes him down. During questioning, he at first says he does not know the girl who was... Read More

The Tarot Pips (numbered cards) show the action that is going on in our lives on a daily basis. Where the Major Arcana is of the Spiritual realm, the Minor Arcana are of the Physical realm. Each pip carries two types of energy – the energy of their number, and the energy of their suit.

Esoterically, the number Ten is associated with endings and new beginnings, and with completion. Here we see the full strength of each suit – for better or for worse!

The number Ten is connected with the Wheel of Fortune, the Sun, and the Ten’s in each of the suits. The Wheel of Fortune is all about karma, change, and life as it unfolds. The energy that we put out coming back to us. The Sun is associated with warmth, growth, and freedom.

The Ten of Wands carries the quality of completion into the realm of passion and creativity. The Seeker feels burdened – with his responsibilities, as well as those of others. There is a need to delegate, in order to bring the Seeker back into balance. It can be a time of retreat, as well as a “cross-roads” moment.

The Ten of Cups carries the quality of completion into the realm of emotions. The energy here is one of family, of joy and companionship shared! There is stability, harmony and a sense of contentment here.

The Ten of Swords carries the quality of completion into the mental realm. The energy here is one of sudden misfortune, about which the Seeker can do nothing. Ther is a loss of confidence, as well as a loss of trust.

The Ten of Pentacles carries the quality of completion into the material/physical... Read More

“The 7 Connections to Happiness and Harmony” (Shirley Desai, Shared Step Press, 2009) brings together the process of decision making with our seven basic chakra’s (the energy centers that run along our spinal column and control the energy coming into and leaving our body). When we add the chakra system as a way of dealing with the choices and decisions that we are faced with on a daily basis, we are bringing spirituality into our daily lives in a significant manner.

In her introduction Desai notes that she is applying the ancient system of the chakras to the processes of thinking and decision making. In her overview, Desai notes that each chakra correlates with a region of the body or a nerve center, and that, in turn, to levels of consciousness and spiritual constructs.

The chakra’s are identified as:

1. Chakra One (Root Chakra) – safety and fear
2. Chakra Two (Sacral Chakra) – excitement and pleasure
3. Chakra Three (Solar Plexis Chakra) - ego and values
4. Chakra Four (Heart Chakra) – heart and t ruth
5. Chakra Five (Throat Chakra) – creativity and self-expression
6. Chakra Six (Third Eye/Brow Chakra) – analysis and intuition
7. Chakra Seven (Crown Chakra) – vision and higher purpose

Separate chapters are devoted to each of the chakra’s. Each chapter discusses the purpose of the specific chakra, how it works in our life, questions to be answered about the readers experience of that chakra, secrets to maintaining “Mountaintop Thinking” (clear sighted thinking), and ends with a summary of how to work with the issues of that chakra.

This is a book to be worked with, and not simply read. It is a valuable resource for those that wish to make better decisions, in less time, with less stress.

The Ghost Whisperer - Season 4, Episode 20 – Stage Fright – airdate 9/04/09. In this episode, a ghost causes problems for a film crew filming in the Grandview town square (and in Melinda’s antique store!). It turns out that the ghost was killed on stage during a performance that involved two of the people doing the filming and a local woman.

The ghost is actually very funny, opinionated, and mischievous. He was killed when someone loaded a prop pistol with actual bullets. The players on stage at the time were exonerated, and no one was ever charged. It turns out that everyone has their own secrets.

Each person has their own “interaction” with the ghost. For the local lady, it is waking up to a television that is replaying different versions of the play – all on its own! For Melinda, it is choking up the letters to the word “Lies”. Oh, and one more interaction – a boom coming down when she is performing a bit part as an EMT!

The female producer (who wrote and produced the play that the ghost was killed in) is quite manipulative. She told one of the actors that when the play went to stage another actor was going to be given the lead. Why would she do this? So that the actor would flub his lines, generally act up, the play would not make it to the stage, and she would be able to accept a job in Hollywood.

The female producer brought the leading man with her, and secretly married him. He came and left the show seemingly at will – because that was how she felt hat she could hold on to him. She had no idea that he had secretly been in communication (for several years) with the local lady.

The ghost – well, he is happy when his friends are honest with themselves, and he walks into the light. BTW – it was him that loaded the prop gun. He thought the play needed a bit more “pizzaz” (and... Read More

“Wisdom of the Hidden Realms” is a delightful 44-card oracle deck and companion book set from author Colette Baron-Reed, with artwork by Jena DellaGrottaglia  (Hay House, 2009). The introduction starts out “Imagine … From the oldest cultures on earth, ancient myths and legends tell of powerful, magical beings that have existed as our trusted allies, protectors and advisors. It is said that they’ve lived alongside humanity since time began, yet in another dimension separated only by a thin, etheric veil. Angels, Faeries, Nature Spirits, and others walked between the worlds and beside us openly for a time. They served with us as co-creators of the bridge between the realms of the Spirit and those on earth.”

The promise made by these beings was that if their likenesses and names were summoned, they would be there to guide and assist us. That is the premise of this deck. The Guidebook explains how to use the cards (their purpose), and how to do a reading. Single-card and three-card reading templates are presented, along with examples.

The cards are presented with black and white scans, keywords, and how the energy of the card can function as both an ally and a challenger. From the book: “ Gaia’s Garden – fruition, abundance, reaping what you sow.” As an ally, this card is confirming that you have everything that you need to make your dreams come true. As a challenger, Gaia encourages the Seeker to remember to give back to the world. She also encourages them to “not be lazy”, to nurture the abundance that is coming to them, to continue to work for it. In other words – to be respectful, and to not expect things to come to you without effort.

Other cards in this deck include The High Lady of Love and Compassion, The Hungry Ghosts, The Spiral Dancer, The Sacred Union, and The Alter Priestess. Each card represents some aspect of life, some energy that we can call on to help us, or perhaps some energy that we need... Read More

I just had the greatest book enter my life – “Workplace Spells – Everyday Magick on the Job” (Marla Brooks, Schiffer Books, 2009). Some people hear the word “spells”, and they think black candles and negative energy. Who wants that in the workplace! Other people will realize that spell work can be done by anyone, that it is positive in nature, and helps us to be a bit proactive about maintaining control in our lives, and doing so in a win/win manner.

In “Workplace Spells”, Brooks presents 51 ready to go spells that will help us get ahead in the workplace, instructions for creating your own workplace spells (this is super – we can fine tune spell work to our individual needs!), and a basic understanding of the things that can be used in spell work (herbs, amulets, divination, gemstones, and incense).

In her introduction Brooks talks about the basics of witchcraft, amongst which is the tenet “An Ye Harm None” (meaning that no work done by a Wiccan practitioner should be harmful to anyone). Backing this up is another tenet, the Law of Three, stating that whatever energy we send out into the world – positive or negative - comes back to us times three! Good incentive to stay on the path of the positive!

In the beginning of the book Brooks discusses how to create and cast your own spell, how to perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual, an introduction to ritual tools, and how to raise energy.

I loved the variety of spells included in this book, addressing very real situations – anxiety, attracting customers, banishing obstacles, productivity, communication, computers, confidence, difficult phone calls, difficult tasks, getting to work on time, gossip, parking, safe travel, sleep, and finding the job of your dreams.

Each spell is presented with the tools that you will need (i.e. candles, anointing oil), incantations to be used, and how to perform the ceremony. (Note – this work is done... Read More

The Tarot Pips (numbered cards) show the action that is going on in our lives on a daily basis. Where the Major Arcana is of the Spiritual realm, the Minor Arcana are of the Physical realm. Each pip carries two types of energy – the energy of their number, and the energy of their suit.

Esoterically, the number nine is associated change, growth, humanitarian thought, and completion.

The number nine is connected with the Hermit, the Moon and the nine’s in each of the suits. The Hermit is associated with introspection and self-examination. The Moon is associated with emotions, intuition, creativity and psychic ability.

The Nine of Wands carries the quality of change, growth, humanitarian thought, and completion moving into the realm of passion and creativity. Perseverance and courage are keywords for this number.

The Nine of Cups carries the quality of change, growth, humanitarian thought, and completion moving into the realm of emotions. The energy here is one of contentment, emotional security, and satisfaction. This is a card of wishes coming true!

The Nine of Swords carries the quality of change, growth, humanitarian thought, and completion moving into the mental realm. The energy here is of worry and anxiety, of being overwhelmed by thoughts.

The Nine of Pentacles carries the quality of change, growth, humanitarian thought, and completion moving into the material/physical world. Here we see success brought about through discipline, accomplishments recognized and things brought to fruition. Time for the Seeker to enjoy home... Read More

We have a very special day coming up in September – that would be September 9^th, 2009, or, in plain numbers, 09/09/09. How cool is that! It is actually very cool, as it is the last single digit date for the next 1000 years!

The energy of the number nine in general is a humanitarian energy, equality and justice, idealism, harmony, compassion and selflessness. As the last single digit number, it marks the end of a cycle, and the is a number of completion.

It is also felt that a jolt of universal spiritual energy will be coming to earth on this day. It is there to anchor the vibration of spiritual love into mother earth, and into the hearts of her inhabitants.

This energy will be activating a process where negative thoughts, negative energy, and lessons that we have not wanted to learn will be brought into our consciousness, so that they can be resolved and released. This is not going to be an easy time – especially since we are also in a Mercury retrograde during this time, and the focus for this retrograde is on relationships. We can allow this energy to overwhelm us, or we can allow ourselves to flow with it.

If we choose to work with this energy, we will emerge from the chaos better people. Literally, without the baggage of our past, we will be able to move up to a higher vibrational level, with a higher level of wisdom available to us.

If this time period seems to be bringing up things from the past – well, that is what it is meant to do. Look back at how you reacted in the past – the choices that you made, and how you implemented them. Your present is based on that past. By resolving that past, you open yourself to creating the future that you want to have.

This can be a confusing time. Our readers are here 24/7 to help you see your issues clearly, and define your options for dealing with them.

We hear the term “Mercury retrograde” and we all cringe. Anything and everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Travel plans can and will be affected. Communications of all kinds will be tipped upside down, machinery will be problematic – including cars, computers, fax machines … all the little things that we so depend on in our day to day life.

We have a Mercury retrograde coming up in September – from September 7^th through September 29^th, in the signs of Leo and Virgo. What does this mean for us? For one thing, be prepared to be accountable for your words and actions! Relationships will be of primary concern, and we will have a chance to go back and review actions from the past, and make whatever adjustments necessary to bring them back into balance.

We are going to be placed in situations that allow us to resolve issues of equality in our lives. We are also going to feel that our lives are simply spinning out of control. Issues of fairness will be front and center – if there is a situation that is not fair, know that there will be a problem.

The energy of this retrograde is very assertive and controlling. Don’t try and ignore a problem, or acknowledge it and hope it will go away. Focus and intent will be very important during this time. The days that you need to pay the most attention to are September 6^th through September 14^th, and September 24^th through September 29^th.

As with all Mercury retrogrades, this is not a time to begin something new, sign a contract, or make a major purchase unless you have gone over everything with a fine toothed comb. The blessing of a Mercury retrograde – we have the time (whether we want it or not!) to go over things in our life that are not set up on a stable foundation, view them from a fresh perspective, and make needed changes.

The Mentalist – Season 1, Episode 17 – Carnelian Inc. – air date 8/27/09. In this episode Jane and the CBI team are investigating a written threat they have received when the director of Carnelian Inc. falls out of the sky at Jane’s feet during a sky diving exercise. (A little background here – Jane has dragged the team out into the middle of the desert to see what the threat in the letter they received was all about. At the specified time – nothing has happened. Then they hear a noise –the plane – and then the body crashes down into the earth.)

I have reviewed this episode before, but I thought that I would do so again, now that I have seen more episodes of the Mentalist. Important things come out when you see an episode a number of times – one of which is the relations between the characters. Here we see the tension between Jane and Lisbon, Regisby’s stoic nature, Cho’s sense of doing what is right, and Jane’s ability to make light of just about anything. A recurring theme in this episode is Jane bringing a picnic lunch to crime scenes!

The relations between the guest characters – those that make up the Carnelian Inc. company – is also interesting. They have a high powered, arrogant company owner, an each of them have an agenda of their own. At one point Jane does short character sketches of each of them – much to their chagrin and his amusement!

There is a second death (during a paint fighting exercise), with the victim being the owner’s girlfriend. Then a bomb is found under his bed – but it doesn’t go off. Then the owner of the ranch they are all staying at is thought to be the perpetrator of the crimes – as the second death involved a bullet that he won at a rodeo years ago.

And … the company owner is making a big deal out of apologizing to the public for the arrogance of the company, and promising to turn... Read More

Through the recommendation of a friend on Twitter, I purchased David Richo’s “Unexpected Miracles – The Gift of Synchronicity and How to Open It”. (Crossroad Publishing Company, 1999) Richo combines insights from psychology, religion and poetry to show how synchronicity (meaningful coincidence) works in daily life.

Often we refer to this as luck, or even “dumb luck”. It is so much more! The little known secret here – if we can learn to recognize synchronicity and the part that it plays in our lives, we can learn to cultivate those special, miraculous moments. In doing so, we awaken ourselves spiritually, grow as individuals and begin to understand our purpose in life in a totally new manner.

In his prologue, Richo quotes psychologist Carl Jung: “Synchronicity takes the events in space and time as meaning more than mere chance.” Richo also notes that when we experience synchronicity in our lives, it is often (if not usually) in concert with some sort of fateful event. In other words – something is meant to happen, to move us forward, to bring us better understanding of ourselves and the events surrounding us. It brings us closer to our destiny.

Some of the ways that gift of synchronicity acts as a tool of discovery are:

1. How to interpret a series of similar happenings.
2. When to engage, and when to make a graceful exit.
3. How to get past the fears that stop you from being you.
4. How to open yourself to the assisting forces around you.
5. How to open your potential and be all you really are.

Richo talks about what synchronicity is, and where to look for it, as well as ways that we can encourage it. Written in a conversational tone, this gentle book acts as a wonderful tool of empowerment!

We all knew this was coming, but it was still a shock to hear that Senator Edward Kennedy had passed. I was growing into adulthood during the Kennedy era, so to me the Kennedy’s are a very iconic family. I thought that I would do a short reading on Senator Kennedy’s passing, and share it here

What part did Senator Kennedy’s work play in our lives? I drew the Eight of Wands for this question. Eights are all about movement, advancement, decision making, and the end result. This card captures the essence of Ted Kennedy. He put in the work that was necessary to get the results that he is so famous for. It is because of his attention to detail, his ability to people well, and his stance on what he thought was right that we have the rights that we have. He was the voice of the common man, the voice for those that could not speak. His importance in our lives is more important than we will ever know. His endorsement of our current president is just one small part of how Senator Kennedy affected our lives.

What do we need to know about his passing? I drew the Ten of Pentacles for this question. This is one of the cards in the deck that I consider “cards of family”. He certainly was a family man (even though he had his own issues), and he will leave a large hole in his own personal family structure. That same hole is left in the family of admirers that he leaves behind. This cards also speaks of riches – Senator Kennedy leaves behind a rich history of achievement oriented towards others. He lived a life of service – his good deeds will live on in those that he mentored and nurtured, as well as the legions that benefited from his legislation.

What is Senator Kennedy’s legacy? I drew the Four of Wands for this question. One of the things that the fours stand for is foundation. Senator Kennedy certainly left a solid foundation for this nation to build on. His work in crossing party lines to get... Read More