Life Design
A Time To Grow In God’s Grace
Growing up as a Roman Catholic, I experienced Lent as a strong discipline to better my life. “What are you giving up for Lent?” The answers from my non-believer friends were “homework” or “obey the parents” or “saving money for rainy days.” Lent is one of those practices demanded of Roman Catholics to which non-Catholic believers may say, “Another great reason to be Protestant!” It never really occurred to my friends that Lent was something interesting, or beneficial, to a better understand our connection with God.
One day, I sat thinking of the many reason and faces of this season, and upon doing some research I discovered that Lent is in fact also recognized by millions of Protestant Christians, in addition to Catholic and Orthodox believers. The Eastern Orthodox Lent is longer than the Catholic or Protestant Lent, and it begins before Ash Wednesday. Continue reading
Aries – Always Number One…Or Maybe Not?
The Sun moves into Aries upon the Spring Equinox, at the beginning of the astrological year, making March 21st to April 20th the approximate astrological dates for this first sign of the zodiac. Appropriate, considering the Ram’s motto might be “me first!”
Aries, the Ram, is not only the first sign of the zodiac, it is also number one in many other ways. People with a strong Aries influence in their chart are likely to be forthcoming, pioneering, and independent spirits. Just look at the sign’s glyph (symbol), which looks like a ram with its head lowered. It says it all.
Perhaps the most traditionally masculine sign in the zodiac, Aries is ruled by Mars (the god of war), its corresponding color is red, and it is a cardinal (leading) Fire sign. That’s some heady symbolism! No wonder that even the women born under Aries (think warrior types like Sarah Michelle “Buffy” Gellar, Lucy “Xena” Lawless, and pioneering feminist Gloria Steinem) are likely to have nerves of steel… or perhaps of diamond, another Arian symbol. Continue reading
Finding Healing In This Life, Or The Next
We often do not realize the myriad of ways in which each of us, in our own unique way, touch other souls on a daily basis. Often we do this with just a kind deed, word or physical touch.
Healing doesn’t have to be expressed in the laying on of hands. Just being in a person’s presence can, in itself, be a healing experience. Being a good listener, speaking or writing from your heart can be just the medicine another soul needs. Sending out healing in the form of good intention, or prayer and meditation has a strong healing vibration.
I just had a phone conversation with a close friend overseas, who reminded me of the aromatherapy and reflexology sessions she used to have with me. In those days our relationship was still of the customer-therapist variety. Gradually a friendship grew with both her and her family. I always set my intention to help customers to the best of my ability. In my aromatherapy and reflexology days, I used to ask for my guides’ input in choosing the best oils to assist with healing, or with a specific ailment. I believe that my guides’ input was as significant as mine, and perhaps, even more so. Continue reading
Grief As A Spiritual Life Lesson
Just under a decade ago, a decision I made to let my eight and a half year old Rottweiler Sophie go, was one of the hardest things I have ever been faced with. Sophie had suddenly become ill over the course of four days and nothing could have prepared me for the subsequent grief. Although time heals, I still recall the way it felt when she was gone – like my heart was being ripped from my chest.
Grief can be described as the universal response to loss, and a very natural, yet terribly painful internal process. When there is a significant change, or loss in one’s life, grief is both a physical and emotional response to that change. Grief brings its own stresses, and continued grief actually compromises our immune system, because all cells in our bodies are affected by intense emotions. Continue reading
The Divine Grace Of A Soulmate Connection
It is a myth that everyone is supposed to meet a ‘soulmate’ in this lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, soulmate connections do exist, but this phenomenon is quite rare. It is a singular spiritual anomaly that is certainly not predestined for most of us.
In a world where intimate relationships have become extremely challenging to navigate, the search for the ever-elusive soulmate has become a contemporary obsession. We have co-created a modern society where detachment, loneliness and disconnection reigns supreme, despite our easy access to social media and communication technology. Against this background, the manic hunt for the ‘love of our life’ has become one of our generation’s most profoundly tragic acts of free will.
In my view, the most disturbing aspect of this ‘wild goose chase’ is the fact that it is so often encouraged, or even set into motion, by well-meaning psychic readers and relationship coaches! Too many times, throughout my career, I have had to help pick up the pieces of a broken heart, or a destroyed life, after someone created false expectations for my client with the sweeping statement, “Yes dear, he definitely is your soulmate!” Continue reading
Forgiveness As A Spiritual Life Lesson
I remember telling my friend Audrey many years ago how well she was handling an upsetting situation. The matter related to a mutual friend who had borrowed a significant amount of money, and even though swift repayment was promised, the promise was not kept, nor acknowledged by the borrower.
Audrey seemed to take a really spiritual approach towards the situation and said to me, “I don’t lend money without first considering that I may well have to write it off in the end.” This was ironic, since he wasn’t exactly well-off herself.
“Why should I choose to be a victim, and to carry that huge load of resentment around on my shoulders, when I do have a choice to simply put it down? To carry that heavy knapsack of anger and resentment would only be draining to my health and peace of mind,” she explained. Continue reading
Guilt As A Spiritual Life Lesson
A recent traumatic incident with my cat had me really thinking about how each upsetting experience in life really helps me to identify all the more with my psychic reading clients. People often consult professional psychics when they are going through an intense emotion, just like the one I have personally experienced recently as one of my spiritual life lessons.
The unfortunate incident with my cat occurred just a couple of weeks ago. After nine years of sticking to a routine of treating first dogs, and then cats, with an anti-tick solution, I did the unthinkable, and treated my young cat Prince first. Without thinking, I applied to his skin a larger vial than usual, suitable for a medium weight dog. Within minutes Prince was angry and in discomfort, and then I realized what I’d done! Continue reading