courage
My Mother’s Prayers Still Carry Me
I still cry when I hear that beautiful song Mamma by Claudio Villa.
Growing up on a small island in Central Italy, I remember my mother’s daily prayers and all her sacrifices. Those examples have always followed me. They are still my daily support and strength.
I cried today in church as well, while singing the Ave Maria. My lovely mother Margherita passed in the early 90s and although she is not with me physically, she is here in my heart, supporting and guiding me from above. She has been my spiritual guide since my first girl was born and I named her Margherita too.
I always loved my mother’s name, which in Italian is the name of a flower known as “Daisy” in English.
It was during that very difficult pregnancy that my mom came to me for the first time. She spoke to me and I knew her when she walked into my room. I smelled her perfume. She loved the Vele Al Vento fragrance and I that way I knew she was there for me.
Being almost 40 years of age, going into a first pregnancy was scary. I had many medical problems. It was a difficult time and I needed her so much, and she was there for me and always reassured me I was having a beautiful baby girl.
Yes, I did not need the ultrasound to confirm this, she had already told me! When I held my bundle of joy, my first words were: “Grazie Mamma per la mia piccola Margherita,” meaning “Thank you Mom for this lovely flower.”
Letting Go Of Toxic Love
I have been reading for many years for a lady who is one of my dearest clients. I just love her to pieces. But I did not love the situation she was in with the man in her life, and neither did she. But it took her a long time to come to terms with him.
She was raising their child, while she worked and paid all the bills. Meanwhile, he did as he pleased and did very little to contribute to their home or their relationship. Neither did he make any effort to support her and their child. He has substance abuse problems. When he drinks he uses foul language and doesn’t exercise good judgment. Most of all he isn’t a good role model for their child.
He basically just drank and smoked, while he lay around all day. “And on top of that he eats me out of house and home!” she used to say.
“So he eats all your food, doesn’t work, gets to live for free, while contributing virtually nothing?” I asked her many times. I think she eventually had an “aha!” moment when I asked her this again the other day, because recently she told me that she had asked him to move out, and it felt like a breath of fresh air!
She didn’t feel like anything was holding her back now. She is going to start a new chapter in her life and she feels a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
She was originally afraid of making this change, because they had been together for so long – over 15 years. But she said then she finally realized, “He changed, and he was taking advantage of me, and I allowed it because I thought he loved me, but he is not longer that same person I met.”
A Different Approach To Calling On Archangel Michael
Many believers call upon Archangel Michael for spiritual guidance and protection. He is a wonderful protector, emanating a safe and soothing energy and presence.
Several years ago, he revealed to me a technique to better work with him.
I have since taught it to several of my clients in need of emotional support and inner strength, and it has worked wonders! They have reported feeling lighter, stronger and clearer around issues that had felt blocked and stagnant for years.
The technique is essentially a simple shift in perspective and in our asking.
When we are not seeing clearly what we truly need in our lives, it can help to simply ask the angels to help us see the issue differently, as well as how to ask for what we want in a more effective way.
Typically, when asking for clear guidance or protection, we would simply call upon Archangel Michael to ask him for whatever we need or desire.
However, Michael revealed to me that we should rather ask to have those personal qualities activated within us that will empower us to manifest the things we need and desire for ourselves.
This approach leads to a personal transformation that increase our self-awareness and self-reliance, and hastens our spiritual growth.
Navigating Grief Without Losing Yourself
In my work as a psychic reader, I have worked with many people navigating grief. Over the years, I have witnessed how people process loss and transition differently.
I have often had to guide clients toward grounding, self-trust, and setting compassionate boundaries. And, as life would have it, I recently had to draw on that wisdom and apply it to my own family.
My father was recently admitted to hospice care at his local nursing home after spending a week in the hospital. His prognosis was poor.
As our family transitioned to this new phase of care, I stayed in touch with loved ones and made decisions centered on his comfort and dignity.
At the same time, I made a conscious effort to protect my emotional energy and maintain healthy boundaries so that I could stay grounded.
In these circumstances I’ve been grappling with a kind of grief that isn’t often acknowledged: the grief of realizing someone you love is no longer the person they once were.
Even when they are physically present, the relationship shifts. There can be a quiet heartbreak in adjusting to the present while remembering the past.
There is also grief in watching a family reorganize itself. During times of transition, long-standing dynamics often change. Some family connections deepen and some relationships no longer operate as they once did. This can also feel like a loss in terms of shared understanding and how things “used to be.” Sudden changes in family circumstances tend to reveal where everyone actually stands.
The Scorching Year Of The Yang Fire Horse
Today is the first day of the 2026 Chinese Lunar New Year, and with it the Fire Horse year begins, setting a faster and more intense pace for the months ahead.
The Year of the Fire Horse brings a powerful mix of independence, urgency, and honesty. The Horse is known for its need for freedom, movement, and self direction. When combined with the Fire element, those qualities become stronger and harder to ignore.
This year will push us to stop waiting, or hesitating, or pretending that situations are fine when they are not.
Unlike the cautious Metal Horse or the steady Earth Horse, the Fire Horse is not about careful delay. It favors action. It rewards people who are willing to make decisions and take responsibility for the direction of their lives.
This makes 2026 a year that supports bold changes, clear boundaries, and personal independence.
In many cultures, the Horse symbolizes travel, progress, and the drive to move forward. It is associated with vitality and the desire to explore new territory, both physically and emotionally.
This year invites you to look honestly at where you feel restricted and where you have outgrown your current circumstances. It encourages you to take steps toward a life that feels more honest and more self-directed.
Small Gestures Of Kindness In A Time Of Cruelty
Many people are feeling anxious or uncertain in recent years with everything that has been happening in the world.
Some are fearful and others stressed or unsure how to act appropriately in these restless times. Some even act out in destructive or dramatic ways, taking their frustration out on others.
It is common knowledge that the digital age and social media has spawned a generation of computer warriors and online bullies who express their insecurities and fears, in often extremely mean and cruel ways, from the comfort of their living rooms and basements.
This savage lack of empathy and decorum has seemingly now spilt over into our streets and neighborhoods too.
It is easier for many to be critical and judgmental, to complain and argue, instead of facing facts, dealing with the truth and seeking lasting solutions.
Often not knowing the entire story, many people choose to see only see one side of things, while telling others off for disagreeing with their limited point of view. The computer has unfortunately given some people a platform to spread strife and hatred, instead of love, hope and kindness.
I pray that more people will strive to seek the truth and learn to look for the good and kind in others. Showing tolerance, patience and kindness is always the better, more open approach. And always remember that if someone attacks you directly, then it often means they are somehow struggling or hurting. It usually serves no real purpose to attack them back. Continue reading
What Horses Teach Us About Freedom And Personal Power
Nature is a great place to go when we need to think clearly, feel peaceful, and get back to a healthy balance. It is even better if this includes the opportunity to watch animals in their natural environment.
Animals also carry their own special spiritual wisdom that can add value to our lives if we pay attention.
When I watch horses move freely, it reminds me to honor my own path, trust my instincts, and move forward with grace.
In mythology, it is revered in many forms: as the ethereal Unicorn, the winged Pegasus born from Medusa’s blood, and Sleipnir, Odin’s magical eight-legged steed from Norse mythology.
Horses hold a deeply symbolic place in many cultures, often representing freedom, strength, spirit, and connection between realms. As we move into the Chinese Year of the Horse, these energies feels particularly relevant.
In many Indigenous traditions, especially among the Plains Nations of North America, the horse is seen not as an animal to be used as a tool, but as a “relative” and a sacred member of the Horse Nation.
Referred to by names such as the Lakota Šúŋkawakȟáŋ, meaning “Holy Dog” or “Mysterious Dog”, the horse is seen as a spiritual gift from the Great Spirit or the Thunder Beings.