grief
The Origins And Journey Of The Soul
Where do souls come from? Souls are created in a place I know as the Guf, or the ‘Tree of Souls.’ In Jewish mysticism this Tree of Life is located in the Garden of Eden. When this tree blossoms, it produces new souls.
This ‘Treasury of Souls’ is said to be located in the Seventh Heaven. I have seen this place in a dream vision. I could go up to the gold and emerald gates, but could not enter. It is my understanding that all souls are created here by God.
Souls in the Guf are in different stages of evolution. There are young souls and old souls – a diversity of spirit energies waiting to incarnate, reincarnate and ascend.
I can usually distinguish the young, new souls from the wiser and more experienced, because they tend to be a bit ‘wild’ and unrestrained. Young souls are typically eager to experience as many things as possible, and sometimes rush in ‘where angels fear to tread.’ If they are exceptionally gifted, they also need to be guided properly. Many old souls reincarnate to the earth plane to help ground and guide these younger souls.
The old souls also return to provide the physical world with the many things needed for us to thrive, such as advancements in the arts, sciences and technology. Sadly, some greedy, spiritually unconscious humans abuse these gifts to the world for their personal gain. This causes much unnecessary suffering in the world.
When we decide in this life that we would like to have a child, it means our soul wants chooses to take on another soul contract. However, such a soul agreement, like any other contract, is always a two-way process. There cannot be a pregnancy unless the soul of the unborn child also chooses you as parent. In the Guf, souls can decide if they want to join a contract, or not.
Signs, Messages And Synchronicities From Spirit
There has always been skepticism when it comes to psychic phenomena, mediumship and spiritual experiences. However, one instance where I have often seen this kind of skepticism dissolve is at wakes, funerals, or when people gather for the celebration of someone’s life after a passing.
I have attended several such gatherings with skeptical relatives, friends and strangers, listening to the stories of their loved ones and the signs and messages they have received from the dearly departed. I have also noticed that once someone in the group had the courage to tell their story, others feel more comfortable to start sharing theirs.
I have heard many, many stories over the years of angels feathers, symbolic numbers, butterflies, visitation dreams, mysterious phone calls, electrical disturbances, smells, sounds, and apparitions. And when people talk about the signs, messages and synchronicities, I have observed a softening in their voice, face and body. Our body language changes when we discuss these experiences.
Death and bereavement tends to change people’s outlook, even if it is only temporary with the more cynical among us. A loved one’s passing connects us all and affects us all. And like our ancestors before us, we will all go through that door someday. People experience an opening of the heart and mind at these times and are more willing to share their personal experiences.
Most of us have our own unique stories of spirit communication and paranormal visitations. I believe it is vital that these stories be shared, so others may feel more comfortable in sorting through the signs, messages and synchronicities they have received. Instead, those who grieve are often made to feel these things are superstitious or unnatural, and encouraged to disregard their experiences.
Paw Prints All Over My Heart
The agony of losing a dog is immeasurable. I lost my beloved Oliver, a King Charles Cavalier, several months ago and I’m still crying every day. But I have found some consolation in his afterlife signs and visits from the other side.
He was 11 years old and in perfect health, or so I thought. He’d had a full checkup three months prior and he had the test results of a very young dog! I also used to take him on long walks every day, his head held high, his tail wagging happily, a prancing skip in his step.
He was such a loving, happy dog. He stopped for every human, always begging for their attention and a pat on the head. Everyone knew him and loved him in the neighborhood.
He followed me around everywhere, lay under the table as I worked, always got up to join me for Yoga, and I left a spot for him behind my pillow every night at bedtime. I took him everywhere with me.
My 90-year-old mom lives across the street and that was his second home. He loved it there. One day, I was out running errands and he got loose. He then came knocking on my mom’s door looking for me there. She was always happy to see him and invited him in.
One day he simply stopped eating. He refused his favorite dog treats, would not even sniff peanut butter. Then he stopped drinking water. We immediately took him to the vet for tests. Not long after, the kind doctor phoned. My heart sank. “His organs are already shutting down, there’s nothing we can do for him,” he said.
We rushed back to the vet, praying he would hang on long enough so we could say our goodbyes. He did hang on for us. My husband, daughter and I were all together when we first picked him up as a puppy and now we were together to see him off. They didn’t even need to sedate him; he was already leaving his body and was calm as can be.
Just before they gave him the final injection, he suddenly turned his head and focused. I thought his loving gaze was on all of us, but my daughter insists he was only looking at me. There was no question he loved us all, but I did have an incredibly special connection with Oliver.
Everyone Is An Artist
Art is a powerful form of self-expression. It allows us to communicate complex emotions and spiritual concepts through various mediums such as the visual and fine arts, music, dance, acting, creative writing, and so on.
When we are being creative we connect with the subconscious part of ourselves. This can be a powerfully healing experience to help us process and integrate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences on a deep level.
When we are children, we don’t have any preconceived ideas about art. If you observe young children, you’ll see this very clearly. They don’t worry about how ‘good’ an artist they are. Most kids just see art as a form of play. They love to draw, or paint, or color, and are typically pretty thrilled with their creations.
So, what happens along the way that we become so self-conscious about our artistic endeavors? It seems to me that at some point most people have had ‘the artist’ within subtly discouraged or silenced. Whatever the case may be,suffice it to say that life takes over at some point and being creative artistically takes a back seat.
“I was never very good at it anyway,” or “I just did it for fun,” are common remarks I’ve heard from people. But what’s wrong with not being very good at something? Especially if it’s fun? Moreover, the benefits of spending time being creative are vast! Art Therapy is growing in popularity and more studies are being done around this modality.
One particular study focused on people with chronic illness or cancer. The researchers looked at the impact visual art activities such as painting, drawing, and pottery had on patients and found that art helped to distract them from thoughts of illness.
Art therapy improved their well-being by decreasing negative emotions and improving positive ones. Depression levels were also reduced, and medical outcomes improved overall. There were also reductions in stress, anxiety, and distress. Further there were improvements in the patients’s spontaneity, expression of their grief, positive identity and social interactions.
Venus In The Underworld A Time Of Transformation
The ancient Sumerians associated the 18-month cycle of planet Venus to the story of the goddess Inanna’s descent into the underworld. It is a story of transformation, healing and rebirth. It is a process of letting go of the old, dying to who we were and being reborn.
Two months ago, on February 13th, the planet Venus disappeared from view behind the Sun as part of her orbit cycle. During this conjunction with the Sun she becomes invisible to us. When Venus disappears behind the Sun, she is said to be in the Underworld and at this point in the story, Inanna is killed by her sister who is Queen of the Underworld.
This is one of the most transformational parts of her journey and it is valuable to understand what is going on, so we can use the cycle and consciously work within it.
By paying attention to what may have been disrupted in your life in the last few months, you may see a pattern of recurring issues or triggers, where you are being encouraged to release the past fully, so you are ready to be transformed into a new and better version of yourself.
This often requires a process of surrender and letting go of the need to control, or constantly having to know what the outcome will be. It also can involve the need to grieve what is dying or being lost, or what is gone, even if it is a negative part of yourself that has been with you for too long.
This process is an important part of our soul’s evolution in life. It can bring us more fully home to who we truly are and a greater expression of our purpose. Astrologically speaking, Venus represents love, pleasure, beauty and harmony. In our natal chart it reflects what we love and value.
In the Shamanic Astrology interpretation, Venus, which is a personal planet, also represents our individual feminine nature for both women and men. It can be helpful to look at your own astrology chart to understand your Venus qualities and see what your feminine essence is.
Talk To Your Pets Using Telepathy
So many beloved pets cross over the ‘rainbow bridge’ leaving their owners with unbearable grief. I’ve found myself consoling several clients over the years, as well as focusing on connecting them with their furry ‘children’ on the other side.Doing these pet psychic readings often remind me of my own pain when my two Rottweilers, sisters Sophie and Jasmin, passed within months of each other.
Unless one has loved and lost a pet yourself, it is hard to understand the awful sense of loss one experiences. It also takes a considerable amount of time to come to terms with the fact that they are no longer in the physical. The grief is at times unbearable, despite the inner knowing that they have gone ‘home’ to spirit, on the other side of the veil.
In hindsight, several days before their death, both Sophie and Jasmin were constantly staring at me, as if they were looking right through me. I recall saying to each of them, “You’re not leaving me yet, surely?” They were eight and a half and nine years old respectively, and both in relatively good health.
But, ‘the look’ was the same my boxer dog, Major, had given me 40 years ago. Only hours after he gave me that intense look, Major’s already deceased mother, Trudy, appeared outside the kitchen window and communicated to me, “I’ve come to take him.” The memory of that communication from Trudy – a particularly sensitive dog – is as vivid as if it happened yesterday.
Animals communicate by sending images, thoughts and feelings using telepathy. We can all master telepathic communication and often do it without even realizing. A course in animal communication made me realize that I’d been using this psychic technique all along.
I started helping people to communicate with their lost pets many years ago. It began when a lady was referred to me by a friend, who had been to me for a psychic reading. She asked if I could help locate her Siamese cat. I had never done this kind of work before, but being an animal lover I was willing to try. I managed to find the cat for her, but she only phoned to confirm this a year later!
A Missed Call From Heaven
Did you know a deceased loved one can contact you from the other side using a telephone? I know this from firsthand experience. This happened to me twice, 35 years apart.
In 1976, after coming home from church one day, I received a phone call from my grandfather, who had passed away earlier that day. When I answered the phone I had no clue that my grandfather had died. It was a silent phone call from the afterlife to say his goodbyes.
Recently, 35 years later, I have had a repeat experience of this exact same experience. This time it was on my cell phone. I was on the Interstate 70 highway, driving back from Indiana to Ohio. It was an exhausting and stressful journey. On the way, I noticed that my phone showed that I had missed a call. It was kind of weird, because the phone never rang. I did not give it a second thought and rather concentrated on my driving.
When I finally did get to Ohio, I was relieved that the long drive was finally over – until my gas light came on. I really didn’t want to stop at that point in time, but I had no choice. So, I figured I might as well get something to drink.
When I walked in the store to get my drink, I smelled a familiar odor of cigar smoke that I have not smelled since the 70’s. It was the distinctive smell of the cigars that my grandfather used to smoke. And it was very, very strong. It was so intense that I had to stop what I was doing. To be honest, it gave me a cold chill down my back – to such an extent that I even turned around to see who was there. But there was no one else around.
When I got back to my car, I noticed that the battery on my cell phone was blinking. I knew for a fact, when I left the car, that my battery was almost fully charged. I picked up the phone and it showed that I had two missed calls from a person called Perry Anderson. My grandfather’s name was Perry Anderson, but his contact details are not stored on my phone…because he died decades ago in 1976!