memories
Becoming A Medium
After my first encounter with spirit in 1987, at a mediumship evening at a spiritualist church, I started attending Sunday services regularly. This was not because I had suddenly become overtly religious. It was just to get more spirit messages during that particular part of each service! I was totally mesmerized by the whole concept of communication with the spirit world and enjoyed hearing the messages given to others almost as much as those that were given to me.
One evening, I received a phone call from my friend Betty, whom I had met at the church. She ran both the weekly meditation and healing evenings. She explained that there was a registration sheet for upcoming mediumship classes and that my name was on it. I informed her that there must be some mistake, because I hadn’t put my name on any list whatsoever. She laughed and said that she had put my name on the list, because after getting to know me during her evening programs, she had a feeling that I would enjoy the classes. Continue reading
My First Encounter With Spirit
In the summer of 1987, nearly a year after my parents died just a few days apart, I attended a mediumship evening at one of the spiritualist churches in Toronto. I had never been to a spiritualist church before, however, I had met a friend for lunch earlier in the day and she told me about the upcoming event that evening. Neither of us had ever heard of such a thing before. Unfortunately, my friend was unable to attend because she was on her way out of town, but I decided to give it a try on my own.
The church was located in a shopping plaza, on the second level, above a store. As I went up the very steep steps into parts unknown above, I was not only curious, but also quite skeptical. The room was already packed when I got there, so I sat right near the door, just in case these people started performing any weird rituals, or so other strange stuff. I figured that I could be down the stairs and out the door in a flash, if need be! Continue reading
Spiritual Growth In Being Wrongly Blamed
We all tend to be terribly upset when blamed for something we haven’t done, or said. I have also found myself in situations of being blamed unfairly. This made me wonder… if everything happens for a reason, as many spiritual teachings suggest, then what is the lesson here?
My conclusion is that, perhaps, we can help ourselves by acknowledging the lesson in the unpleasant situation, as well as forgiving those who knew no better, in order to let them off the hook. Seeing things in this perspective can shift us to a place where we feel we’ve learned from the experience, and that we don’t need to attract the same pattern again. Continue reading
Finding Serenity
What is spiritual serenity, and how does one get to such an enlightened place? I’ve put forth this question many times throughout my life, and I’ve also had it asked of me. People hear what I do for a living and they immediately assume I walk around chanting Buddhist chants, or waving sage throughout my sacred space 24 hours a day. If only!
I don’t have the answers any more than the next person does. There are some things I have learned and seen, as I am sure I have yet more to learn and see. It is an endless cycle of not knowing and then knowing, the same cycle we all go through. The same lessons. It is only in how we apply them that we become different. We grow differently and start to use parts of ourselves that perhaps someone else, who is growing ‘at their own pace’ may not be using yet. And that is okay. Continue reading
Do It Anyway
Recently, I posted on social media about my daughter’s graduation, when she was awarded a degree in Psychology with high honors from a well-known university. I was really proud of her, and wanted to share it with the world.
Many friends and family commented on the post, with congratulatory excitement and kind remarks. But later that day, I noticed there was also a hurtful comment on that same post from my mother.
In the post I had misspelled the words summa cum laude and my mother’s comment read, “Ask your daughter how to spell summa cum laude.” That was it. It seemed short and cold. My heart sank. Not only from the public embarrassment of her comment, but more so from the insinuation that I lack intelligence. Continue reading
Happiness Comes From Your Own Actions
People are too often stuck in a dark place in their lives, thinking that only a relationship, or financial gain, or a new job or house, is going to bring them happiness. The Dalai Lama says, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” Take a moment to reflect on this statement. It is the simple truth, yet so many of us have a difficult time relating to the simplicity of it.
We have been brought up in a world where it is often believed that happiness is only achieved through external or material sources. But you and I are each responsible for our own happiness. This is a difficult statement for many to comprehend. How can that be? I have nothing. I am alone. I do not have a job. I do not have money in my bank account. I do not have a soulmate to love me.
The answer is very simple. No one else is responsible for your life, or your happiness. You are the sole creator of your reality. Do you choose to be happy, or miserable? Continue reading
Spiritual Hindsight Is Twenty-Twenty
As a teenager, I knew I had psychic abilities. I just wasn’t able to label it.
I think having intuitive abilities, such as knowing things before they happen, seeing auras, and sensing negative and positive energy, is something we all can do. I just had a real knack for tapping into that part of my mind, because I spent a lot of time by myself in the outdoors, or in my bedroom, and steered clear of drama and human chaos. Also, I hardly ever was exposed to electromagnetic poisoning by way of modern technology.
I was not raised Catholic, but while on a walk one day, I found behind a church a lineup of saint statues. At the end of the row was Mother Mary. I remember very clearly sitting in front of her sculpture and seeing an angel next to her. I prayed, as I was taught to do from a very young age, to be shown what I will be doing in my future. I wished to see who I will be, or at least get a glimpse of what lay ahead for me. Continue reading