inner wisdom
Inner Journey To The Mystical Isle Of Avalon
Sometimes when the pressures and demands of modern life become too much, I retreat to one of my favorite places in the universe: the mythical island of Avalon.
This legendary island of Celtic mythology is steeped in legends of healing, psychic learning, sacred crafting, and the life and times of King Arthur. Its name translates as “Isle of Apples,” emphasizing its association with fertility, abundance, and otherworldly beauty.
In folklore, Avalon, or Insula Avallonis, was a sanctuary of deep spiritual and psychic knowledge and was known as a training ground for pagan priestesses dedicated to the Great Mother Goddess. These women dedicated their lives to spirituality, honing their skills in clairvoyance, herbalism, weaving, and deep devotion to the Divine Feminine.
But Avalon was not only a sanctuary for women. Men were also an integral part of its story. Merlin the magician is inextricably linked to the history of the island, having trained the young Arthur there for his kingship.
Avalon is also entwined with many other tales woven through the lives of King Arthur, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Merlin, Nimue (the Lady of the Lake), and others. Legend also has it that King Arthur was brought to Avalon by his half-sister, Morgan le Fay, to heal after being badly wounded in battle.
The question of whether Avalon really existed straddles the line between myth and reality. Some historians and researchers speculate that Avalon may be based on a real place. Glastonbury, England, is often associated with Avalon because of its mystical aura and ties to Arthurian legend.
How Will Saturn Return Impact Your Life?
Saturn return is typically a momentous, but intense time in everyone’s life. This significant astrological event occurs when the planet Saturn returns to the same position it occupied at the time of your birth, typically around the ages of 29, 58, and for some, 88.
It is the completion of a planetary cycle that marks a time of profound personal and spiritual growth, reinvention, and transformation. It’s a time when we may face challenges that force us to confront our deepest fears, limitations, and long-term plans, often pushing us toward greater self-awareness, personal growth, and spiritual maturity.
Known as the “taskmaster” of the zodiac, Saturn represents structure, discipline, responsibility, and life lessons. During a Saturn return, we are faced with the need to take stock of our lives, reevaluate our goals, and solidify our sense of purpose and direction.
Vettius Valens, a renowned astrologer of the ancient Greco-Roman era (c. 120 – c. 175 AD) whose work has greatly influenced modern interpretations of Saturn’s cycles, wrote in his Anthologies, “Saturn delays and restricts, but through patience and perseverance the soul achieves its growth and understanding.”
Any karmic lesson that you have not yet learned, any necessary life challenge that you have not faced, anything that you have avoided, denied or neglected is likely to surface at this time, demanding reconciliation, reevaluation or reckoning, whether you like it or not.
That is why I often tell my clients during a reading, “Learn this lesson and learn it now, while there is still time.” Avoidance, denial, procrastination, and self-deception will not save you from Saturn’s return bringing it right back to your door. In fact, it will only make it much worse and more difficult to resolve.
Our Saturn returns typically occur in three distinct phases during our lifetime, with approximate age ranges based on Saturn’s orbital cycle of about 29.5 years. Each Saturn return serves as a powerful milestone, helping you to develop a more authentic, grounded, and resilient sense of self as you move through the various phases of life.
The Spiritual Wisdom Of Butterflies
My grandmother was a poet. When I was a child, she wrote a beautiful poem about me. It was about a fairy girl who spent all her time outside chasing butterflies. The poem had a poignant message:
In time, the pendulum swings,
and you can’t hear the butterfly’s wings.
It was her way of reminding me to hold on to my youthful passion, to nurture the light within, and to resist life’s inevitable disappointments.
This wisdom has stayed with me long after her passing, and in the years since, butterflies have become more than a reminder of her — they’ve become her messengers.
Butterflies often appear in my life when I’m feeling overwhelmed, under attack, or grieving a loss. They flutter around me, landing gently on my skin and hovering close as if to whisper a reminder: “Don’t let anyone steal your light.”
These delicate creatures have become symbols of resilience, hope, and the enduring connection between my grandmother’s spirit and my own.
Butterflies hold deep spiritual significance across cultures and belief systems. They are seen as symbols of transformation, freedom, and the soul’s journey.
Their life cycle — from caterpillar to cocoon to winged beauty — mirrors our own processes of growth, healing, and self-discovery. They teach us that even in our most confined and vulnerable states, there is the potential for magnificent change.
Cultivating A Thriving Garden Of The Mind
Your mind is like a fertile garden, constantly nurturing and cultivating the seeds of thought you plant each day. Every waking moment your ideas, beliefs, and perceptions take hold and gradually grow into the mental landscape that ultimately shapes your reality.
If you could take a walk through your “mind garden,” what would you find? Would you see sturdy, thriving trees of faith, hope, and positivity, their roots deeply nourishing the soil of your thoughts? Perhaps vibrant, radiant flowers of joy, abundance and well-being brightening the landscape?
Or would you find brittle branches of lost dreams and dry, withered remnants of unfulfilled hopes? Perhaps the creeping weeds of negativity and doubt smothering your true potential, casting shadows over your hopes and ideals?
I actually do this visualization sometimes as part of my morning meditation practice. I imagine walking through my inner garden, tending to my thoughts and beliefs, nurturing them with faith and positivity, fertilizing those that are flourishing, and pulling out the weeds of doubt, fear, or negativity that had somehow taken root and are no longer serving my highest good.
I also ask for divine guidance, calling on God, my guides and loved ones in spirit to help me recognize innate talents and growth opportunities that I might have overlooked or neglected. Perhaps there are hidden seeds within me that still need to be planted or nurtured. With intention, I also visualize planting new seeds of goodness, self-empowerment, and spiritual expansion.
The Self-Affirming Power Of Saying No
Are you the kind of person who has a hard time saying “no,” even when your heart isn’t in it?
Maybe you’re afraid of disappointing others, afraid they’ll distance themselves, or afraid they’ll stop liking you if you say no. Maybe your introverted side just wants to be liked and accepted by everyone, so you agree to things – even if it drains you.
I’ve experienced this myself and seen it happen to many people who come to me and ask, “How can I say no without feeling guilty?” or “If I don’t say yes, will I lose my connection with this person?
Saying “yes” out of fear, guilt, or obligation may be the easy way out in many situations, but it usually comes at a high cost to your personal and spiritual well-being.
Let’s acknowledge something important: You are enough just the way you are, and you are worthy of peace, joy and happiness. If someone truly values you, they’ll respect your boundaries, even if it means saying “no” once in a while.
On the other hand, if people cut you off because you set boundaries, they may not have been the healthiest presence in your life to begin with. True friends and meaningful relationships will respect your choices and understand your reasons without demanding constant explanations.
Over time, I’ve seen the toll that over-commitment takes. People who constantly say “yes” often end up feeling drained, overwhelmed, or even resentful. Some develop physical and mental health problems because they feel trapped by the constant need to please others. In some cases, burnout and depression set in, all because saying no felt like an impossible task.
Always Choose Your Gut Over Your Heart And Mind
We all have a higher purpose in this lifetime, and yet many never awaken to it, much less achieve it, because their ego has become more prominent in their lives than their higher self.
How do you know if what you are doing is for your highest good? How do you make sure you are aligned with your soul purpose? How do you know if what you want out of life is based on your worldly desires instead of your spiritual mission in this lifetime?
Well, you listen to your inner guidance. You trust your intuition. You follow your gut.
When you were born, a deep-seated dream was placed within you. As children we are often more in touch with our true calling or purpose, but many of us lose that awareness as we grow older. Unfortunately, it has been buried by the expectations of society and the many distractions of the material world.
Often our parents, peers, teachers, and mentors play a significant role in this process of shutting down our spiritual awareness. Has anyone ever laughed at you when you told them what you wanted to do or be? Did someone say, “Go back and think about that because it will never happen”? Each of us has a different story as to why we do or don’t achieve our dreams in life.
Today is the day to decide, “I will achieve my dreams as long as they come from the spirit and are for my highest good.” It is time to look at your dreams for your life from a deeper perspective.
How to Recognize The Presence Of Angels
Angels are always around us, offering protection, guidance and support. Some of us can sense their presence and, in rare cases, even see them.
Although I’ve never seen an angel myself, I have had several profound experiences of their presence.
One day, while doing my usual phone reading, I felt the unmistakable presence of an angel. I knew intuitively that she was there on behalf of the person I was reading for.
The experience filled me with awe and emotion. I was moved to tears because it felt like such a sacred gift, both to the person receiving the message and to me. I shared the experience with my client and passed on the message the angel had brought.
Moments like these touch my heart deeply. The intensity of the emotions and the powerful energy I feel in my work as a psychic can be overwhelming. To be honest, it’s not uncommon for me to cry during a reading.
Being so attuned to the spiritual realm brings with it strong feelings of love and connection, and sometimes it’s hard to contain these emotions. People don’t always fully understand how emotional this work can be, but for those of us who do it, it’s just part of the job.
After the reading I noticed a change. Angels began to appear more often, their presence was stronger, and their messages were clearer. While I had always known they were helping me, to feel their presence so directly was a profound gift. I wanted my clients to understand how special these moments were, that these divine beings were sending them something truly extraordinary.