family
The Powerful Bond Of A First Love Connection
I think we can really feel the intensity of true love the most when we are young and experience falling in love for the first time. The feeling is so strong and all encompassing.
When love takes over everything in the world just feels so much better. The grass is greener and everything is perfect and good, in a way that words simply cannot express. If you fall madly in love with someone, and you are really lucky and get to have and hold that love, it is even more profound and deep-seated.
I was fortunate to experience this once. It happened while I was working as a bagger at a local grocery store. I stood up, after stocking the paper bags, and suddenly locked eyes with a wonderful soul. He obviously felt the same way, because he returned with his phone number that he had written on a small piece of paper for me.
We had a wonderful romantic relationship for nearly four years. He ended up finishing medical school several states South from where we initially met. Despite my fear of flying, I did fly down to see him once. I also took my Tarot cards and did a few readings for him. The ‘Death’ card kept popping up, but I kept reassuring him that it usually means ‘transition’, and not to worry, no one is going to die.
He came home for a family visit a few months later. I was sitting at his parents’ pool in the back yard, where he grew up. I suddenly sensed something terrible. I had this overwhelming and ominous premonition that someone in his family was going to die. Being so connected to him, I felt that it wouldn’t be him, but his brother. I felt very strongly about this. Seeing him playing his guitar, so alive and happy, I could not begin to imagine losing him.
Power And Protection From Your Ancestors
I come from a long line of female herbalists of European origins on my mother’s side of the family. They were seers, healers, and prophets who combined their psychic gifts with ancient healing practices. Today, they still come to me during meditation, to offer wisdom.
The family’s mainly Germanic connection is one I’ve researched for many years, but more recently I discovered that my ancestors crossed into Scandinavian and Norse territories too, which suggests a bloodline of fierce women who were warriors of their time.
It’s really not surprising to me, as even my own mother today, who is 84 years old, can still kick anyone’s butt who crosses her path in an unkind way! I always knew she was strong when I was little, and I always admired her power and independence.
I was born in the year 1966, which in Chinese Astrology equates to the year of the Fire Horse. Fire Horse people are only born once every six decades. It is a rare sign and, according to legend, many girl babies born in certain parts of Asia in that year were killed at birth, because they were believed to be dangerous, uncontrollable or resistant to rules or dogma.
My Fire Horse nature shows up in me from time to time, but only when I’m really pushed beyond reason by someone who is taking advantage of, or harming me, or my children.
Life will sometimes push us to step into our core strength and fight for what is right. There are many people on the spiritual path who feel stepping into your true power or fighting for what is right is ‘unspiritual’ or egotistic.
The Empath’s Guide To Toxic Friendships
Our friends are a beautiful and enriching part of our lives. In some cases, they even become our chosen family through the bonds of mutual caring and shared life experiences.
Healthy friendships are built on a foundation of balance. They’re marked by mutual support, trust, loyalty, acceptance, and honesty, all with a touch of compassion. But for the empath or highly sensitive person, friendships can sometimes be a bit of a rollercoaster.
We might feel like we’re always giving and giving, and sometimes we might even feel drained. It can be hard to know when to draw the line with someone who might be taking advantage of our energy.
Friendships can be so many different things, and it’s important to remember that not all of them are the same. They range from casual acquaintances to deep, intimate bonds we form with those we call our “besties.”
It’s so important to have a close friend you can trust with your most private fears, dreams, and vulnerabilities. But, sadly, this isn’t always the reality. If you’re the kind of person who is sensitive to the feelings of others, you know how hard it can be when you’re betrayed or disappointed by someone close to you. It can feel like the saying “keep your enemies close” is true in these situations.
Some of us are more outgoing and have a large social circle, while others are more introverted and have a small social circle. Empaths can fall into either category. Regardless of which category an empath falls into, it is wise for us to exercise discernment.
A Fabulous Life Beyond Limiting Beliefs
Many people go through life without ever questioning, let alone challenging, the limiting beliefs they were taught since childhood. They blindly follow whatever their family, community, or culture prescribe, often without realizing it.
Some of these limiting beliefs have been passed down through generations, remaining unchanged for thousands of years. If we never stop to examine these inherited mindsets, we remain trapped in limited thinking – always confined within the box.
I often find people are stuck in the emotional patterns and thought habits of their parents or grandparents.
For example, those whose families lived through the Great Depression, or who endured scarcity of food, heat, or other basic necessities, may feel compelled to save everything.
What if I need it someday? I paid so much for it, and it’s still perfectly good to keep. What if… what if…
A good example here where I live in the state of Maine is when an old Northeaster storm is supposed to come, bringing in double digit inches of snow.
Some folks then panic and rush to the nearest grocery store and stock up on two or three of the same items, because what if I can’t get out again for two weeks? Which, as a matter of fact, has never happen in my lifetime! Realistically you may only be marooned a day or two at the most in most parts of Maine.
Tell-Tale Signs You Are Being Gaslighted
You’re crazy, that never happened. Don’t be so sensitive. I’ve never had this problem with anyone else but you. It was never my idea, it was yours! Come on, you’re imagining things. Everyone else agrees, except you. You’re just making things up.
These are just some of the things you might hear when someone is gaslighting you. It usually happens whenever you confront them about their bad behavior, only to have your reality twisted in return…in ways that can really make your head spin!
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse that most often shows up in toxic romantic relationships, but it can also manifest in dynamics with friends, coworkers, employers, family members, and even neighbors and landlords.
At its core, gaslighting is the manipulation of your sense of reality, leaving you confused, anxious, and doubting yourself and your own perceptions. Sometimes it’s very obvious and unmistakable. Other times, it happens so subtly you may not even realize you’re being manipulated.
The term “gaslighting” comes from the 1938 stage play Gas Light, which was later made into the 1944 film of the same name.
In the story, a husband tricks his wealthy wife into thinking she’s going crazy by making small changes to their surroundings, like dimming the gas lights, and then denying that anything has changed. His goal is to make her doubt her own sanity, so he could have her committed to a mental institution and gain control of her inheritance.
The Endangered Spiritual Wisdom Of The Prairie Dog
In Native American wisdom tradition, when a prairie dog crosses our path, it brings a sacred message of retreat. During times of stress and overexertion, this wise little creature reminds us to pause and step back from the chaos of modern life to recharge.
Prairie dogs often appear when we find ourselves in situations we’d rather avoid, encouraging us to disengage and reset. It teaches us to choose our battles carefully and not expend energy where it isn’t needed.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or spiritually disconnected, the prairie dog may be offering you a compassionate wake-up call.
Like this gentle guardian of the grasslands, you are invited to retreat to your own sacred space of stillness and safety, where you can restore your strength and clarity.
In nature, when the prairie dog senses danger, it instinctively retreats into its burrow, which is equipped with multiple escape routes. It doesn’t flee in panic, but rather responds with grounded wisdom and preparation.
In this way, prairie dog medicine teaches us how vital it is to create our own safe haven in life. We all need a place of inner peace, ritual, and refuge.
Paradoxically, the prairie dog also symbolizes the importance of reconnecting. If we become too withdrawn from our loved ones or isolated from community and nature, this magical creature encourages us to reach outward toward laughter, kinship, and shared purpose. It reminds us that solitude and social connection are not opposites, but rather part of a sacred rhythm.
Echoes Of Love In Every Clasp And Chain
The jewelry we inherit is more valuable than it seems. A gold ring passed down from a grandmother, a locket that once rested against a mother’s pulse, or a watch that marked the minutes of a father’s days. Even after they’re gone, these objects keep on humming, full of loving memories.
It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced loss, but wearing that old ring or putting on that familiar chain feels like stepping into another time and place. And for a second, you see them.
Maybe the piece fits your ring finger or wrist a bit differently than it did theirs, but it still connects the past with the present. Their jewelry isn’t just a piece of metal or stone; it’s a fingerprint, a story, a fragment of a laugh, a favorite saying captured in something lasting you can hold.
Some days, their jewelry and other personal belongings are a source of comfort. Other days, it serves as a stark reminder of heartache and loss. Either way, it shows that love isn’t just some fleeting thing.
Love lasts in the smallest details: the things that touched their skin and caught their scent. The soft click of a clasp. The nice weight of it against your collarbone.
They say you can’t take anything with you, but maybe that’s not the point. Maybe the real magic is in what’s left behind: a ring, a pendant, or a string of pearls. Little things that are full of love keep us connected to the people who matter most, even when they’re now on the other side.
When I was a little girl, my grandma used to let me wear her fake diamond earrings. They were the only piece of her jewelry she ever let me touch. I always had to give them back when playtime was over. It felt special, like she was letting me borrow a little piece of her magic. After she passed away, my mom gave me Grandma’s earrings.