inner strength
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
Your Sacred Center Of Self-Love
We all thrive on being loved. This is natural, of course, if you look back at humanity in history on an evolutionary level. Ancient people came together in tribes, families, and groups, to cultivate a place of safety, security, nurturance, and love.
If you were different or stood out in any way, or even left the tribe, you were literally putting your own life at risk. This topic can be viewed from so many arenas, including psychological, spiritual, scientific, and psychic.
I often wonder how and when did we start defining ourselves by how others felt about us, and why did we believe that other’s thoughts about us were true? At what point in time did we allow others to define us? It’s as though we as humanity went into a deep trance.
We all know the phrase, “Love thyself first”. When did we forget this vital piece of information?
There are many ways we can come back in touch with this essential truth, but for the most part, our society does not support a lifestyle that would naturally lead us back to our sacred center of self-love.
How often do you take a moment to look in the mirror, or tell yourself, “I love you?” Most of us feel silly doing this, but it is very healing.
Have you ever met an older person who behaves in ways that are foolish or who just doesn’t give a hoot what anyone else thinks? My paternal grandfather used to throw dinner rolls across the table at me in fancy restaurants. While my parents and other family seated at the table would roll their eyes at my Grampy, I used to laugh hysterically!
The Empowered Empath’s Guide To Spiritual Self-Care
Empaths, sensitives and intuitives tend to be givers. Loyal, sometimes to a fault, and fiercely protective of those they care about… moving at lightning speed whenever called upon.
So, when I say to an empath that it may be time to put themselves first, the response is often mixed.
But, if putting yourself first seems too selfish or too difficult, try something simpler: at least put yourself on an equal footing with those you love and care for.
For many sensitive and highly intuitive people, self-care must be an acquired behavior… and it’s a big one. Empaths intend to be selfless, to help, heal and facilitate those they care about. Wonderful!
But remember, if this is your goal, then begin with yourself. The stronger, healthier and happier you are then the more effective, nurturing and supportive you can be to those around you.
Putting yourself first doesn’t mean that you are doing only what you want to do all the time, and it doesn’t mean that you are suddenly going to ignore those you care about.
What it does mean is making it a priority to take care of your own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. This can be a tall order and quite the task for some empaths. Don’t wait until you are in a meltdown… frustrated and snapping at everything and everyone around you, with little or no provocation.
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.
How To Anchor Yourself In Any Storm
Happiness, peace, calm, no drama. This is the way of life we all really strive for and long for. We even design our lives in such a way as to create the illusion of having attained this.
Yet, life happens. There are stresses. There are arguments, fights, heartaches. Yes, there is pain.
We sometimes find ourselves in situations not of our own making, and circumstances that anger us. Yet, at the end of each day, if we can go to bed knowing we were honest, and we did what we believed with all our heart was right, then we have inner peace and happiness.
Yes, we all do make mistakes. We do things out of anger or hurt, then later regret. But if we work hard to try to resolve the situation, we can be happy within ourselves.
No one can say words to us that bring us to unhappiness; no one can take actions that hurt us if we don’t let it destroy our faith within.
Becoming the rock in the middle of the storm is key. We must keep our mind clear, not let others tell us that we are no good, and avoid trying to become what others want us to be.
We have to be what the spirit within tells us to be. Then we will be happy. We will be anchored in the center of the storm.
In all our lives, there comes a time to make major decisions. Our first wisest choice is to ask the Creator, our Higher Power, through our prayers and meditations, what is best. The second is to get expert opinions.