mentor
Reflections
Sitting on the porch. Rocking. Yes, rocking in my willow rocking chair, surrounded by the smell of petrichor – that delightful odor the earth gifts us with when fresh rain is coming down after a long, dry spell. The aroma of the freshly hung chile ristras greets me in the Santa Fe, New Mexico tradition at this time of year, when the growing season is done and the picking of the season’s ripe offerings has begun. Richness abounds with the aromas of the petrichor and the strung pods of red chile blending in the softness of the evening breeze.
The automatic flood light and the blue laser lights have come on, as they do every day at dusk, to illuminate the waterfall in the garden, although it’s still a bit early for them to shine their brightest. Not quite dark enough yet, but soon it will be. I just fed my precious four-legged fur daughter her dinner. Now that my day is done and another week has gone by, I am contemplating whether or not I have done well this week.
Yes, I believe so! I have learned so much and have grasped many new concepts. I also renewed my awareness of some familiar concepts that were in need of repetition, so I could complete some hard earned lessons. And I found resolution to some newer viewpoints on old issues. Whew! I feel I’ve been turned wrong side out in just one week, only to realize it is the other way around. I was wrong-side-out before. Now I’m right-side-in, or more so at least.
I look up from my musings to see the lights. It is dark now and they’re shining brightly against the dark night sky. The lasers look like blue fireflies as they pinpoint their magical presence. The synchronicity feels deeply significant. At the end of another week, after much breaking down of old thought patterns, I see the flood light and laser lights reflecting the realization that I am different now than last week, or at any time before.
Grandma’s Love Was The Best
I remember what Grandma was wearing when she passed away. I also recall exactly what she said and everything else that happened that day, right down to the violets I picked in the backyard to place in her hand. She was wearing an oversized Winnie the Pooh T-shirt that could have been a night dress, I’m not sure. She had her red robe on and black slippers lined with greyish fluff.
She was told she was being taken to the nursing home, but it was actually hospice she would be going to. She could no longer walk and had fallen, and no one was able to pick her up. Not even myself. I wish I could, but I just was not able to.
I sensed she wasn’t to going be with us very much, and I was very upset about it. But constantly having to give her blood transfusions and her being in so much pain, it was the right decision at the time. I have made peace with that now.
Settling her into the hospice, Grandma was adamant the bed be taken out, as it was unbearably uncomfortable. She kept saying, “I just want to go home and die. This is no way to live. I’m ready to go.” She also told me, if I ever needed her after she had gone, all I would have to do is call her name, and she would be there for me. Grandma kept her promise to me. To this day I still feel her around me all the time, especially when I think of her and call her name.
I think the worst thing I ever experienced in my entire life was walking into that hospice room after she had passed and seeing her shell of a body. She was no longer there, obviously, but she was still around. I felt she was somewhere in the room looking at us and saying her goodbyes.
Pain had made her very bitter towards the end of her life. She wasn’t herself anymore because she was on so many different strong medications and invasive treatments. I sensed that she longed to be with her departed husband and her dear mother who passed when she was just a young girl. Her mom was also a psychic and apparently really good with things like Numerology and dreaming lucky numbers. I loved hearing all those stories.
Can Anyone Read The Tarot?
During this past week alone, several people from different walks of life have asked me this very question. Yes, anyone can learn, but as some of my Tarot students have shown, it’s the passion you have for Tarot that makes the difference, and that can turn someone into a reader with a difference.
Tarot readings can be used for one’s personal growth only, or for doing readings for self and others. Often individuals learn the Tarot of their own volition, paying particular attention to its imagery and symbolism, as they develop their skill with practice, practice, and more practice.
Once they feel they can trust their higher self and their spirit guides, and feel they are being directed to the symbols and imagery in Tarot, which will kick start the required information to be revealed, they will be confident to do Tarot readings.
A good teacher or mentor will always encourage a student to be guided by the way the Tarot talks to them, and not just by learning ‘parrot fashion’ the many meanings each card may have.
It is the language of symbols which helps us more easily tune into the unconscious mind, especially when there is not always time available to spend many hours doing psychic development, and going within and meditating before a reading.
Many Tarot readers work with various spreads, or layouts, to help them answer specific questions and to define events, timing, important influences and important people in the questioner’s life. Tarot helps us find clarity as to the direction in which we are headed and even helps identify blocks which may lie ahead.
I have in my collection at least fifteen Tarot decks, but one or two would suffice for most people. I just love the way talented people have been able to bring Tarot to life in their own Tarot deck design, using their own imagery, shapes and color.
The True Value Of Psychic Insight
There is so much more value to accessing psychic insight than simply seeking to see what the future holds. The true value of life, in fact, is not in the future. It is occurring now, in the moment. This is where eternity is truly touched.
The Bhagavad-Gita (Song of God) is a spiritual manual for humanity, spoken over 5,000 years ago, between the infallible Lord Shri Krishna and His dear devotee Arjuna. It offers timeless wisdom to appreciate the value of the present, the now.
This conversation is said to have taken place neat the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the current state of Haryana, India. In the capitol, known as Hastinapura (present day New Delhi), the blind king Dhritarashtra sat with his minister Sanjaya, inquiring about what was occurring between his sons (the Kurus) and their cousins (the Pandavas), as they gathered with their respective armies to fight for the throne.
Dhritarashtra’s nephews were the rightful heirs and righteous rulers, whose kingdom was usurped by the intrigues of their evil-minded relatives. Refusing to go in peace, the Kurus incited war. As it was set to begin, Dhritarashtra was anxious and restless to know what was transpiring between the two parties.
The king’s clairvoyant, Sanjaya, tuned in to what was happening, as if by transcendental television. By the grace of his spiritual teacher, Sanjaya had received this ability to see and hear from afar.
Sanjaya’s guru gave him these gifts of clairvoyance and clairaudience in order to render a great service, not only to the king, but to the world for centuries to come. For, what he relayed to Dhritarashtra included divine instructions imparted by Krishna to Arjuna (one of the Pandavas) when he was bewildered by the situation before him.
Although Arjuna was, in fact, a fully-realized soul beyond the influence of illusion. He merely played the part of an ordinary conditioned human, so that these immortal words would be spoken for the benefit of all those seeking to navigate their way through the troubles of life, and reach its ultimate purpose.
There Is Magic In Sending Yourself Flowers
I recently had a client who called in for a psychic reading, who told me that she had recently sent a bouquet of flowers to herself, and had it delivered to her at work.
At first I thought it odd, but then, after having some time to think about it, I realized what a brilliant idea it actually was. Such a simple, yet powerful act of self-love. How often do we do nice things for ourselves in this way?
We are often so consumed with other people’s attitude or behavior toward us, or seeking the love and approval of another, that we forget to love ourselves first. For once when we truly love ourselves, we can receive so much more of what we’re looking for from others, and we are also able to love others more, in a way that they too deserve.
My client who sent flowers to herself also told me that she found it oddly synchronistic that the very first bouquet she spotted, on the first floral website she visited, contained two flower varieties that were highly significant to her. These flowers represented happy moments she has shared with the man she loved, and also held for her a secret, intuitive message that she considered a sign.
It made me think of the basic principle of the Law of Attraction. The energy we put out, is what we ultimately get back. My client was not only sending love to herself with these flowers, she was also working a little bit of magical alchemy without even realizing it!
Lead By Example – A Message From My Guides
Many of you lead by example, without having to think about it. You obey traffic signals. You pick up garbage if you accidentally drop it. You hold doors open for others. You smile at strangers. You volunteer. You support local charities.
Entering the second month of this new decade, it might be a good time to re-think some old habits, and also lead from within.
For example, it may be a good idea to tone down those automatic, knee-jerk thoughts of annoyance, anger or retribution when someone pushes all-too-familiar buttons. Instead of allowing the cortisol and adrenaline to skyrocket within your body, think things through, before reacting negatively. Resist the urge to speak hurtful comments, even if your basic premise is sound. Find a constructive way to get your point across.
Sometimes it is tempting to jump on the bandwagon for likes and shares on social media platforms. However, if the topic is not kind, hold your tongue. Instead, be the person who can be counted on for level-headed discourse, without vitriol.
In general, be kind to others. Give people some leeway when it is evident that they are trying their best. Catch them doing something right, instead of watching for errors and omissions. Give recognition and praise where warranted. It can mean so much and does not cost anything.
Be kind to yourself too. Banish negative self-talk. Give yourself the right to be human and allow yourself to make mistakes, without chastising yourself for an unimportant oversight. If a serious error does occur, do your best to rectify the issue in a timely manner, with a ‘note-to-self’ that you have learned from the situation and will not repeat it.
Cast Fear Aside And Embrace Courage!
I once read about a woman in a very unhappy relationship. She sought counsel from a highly-revered spiritual leader. In a calming tone, the spiritual guru cautioned that in order to gain marital happiness, the woman would need to let go of the partner she lacked happiness with.
The woman confusingly gazed upon the sage, with her hands tightly tucked under her chair. Again, the holy man repeated that in order for the right man to walk through the door, she would need to let go of the wrong man.
Even more puzzled, the woman confided that she was afraid of being alone. Her teacher, taken aback, turned to the woman and announced that fear was a disease of the mind and the heart – if allowed, fear would keep her in a state of perpetual unhappiness.
How many times have you missed out on life’s many blessings, because you were afraid of moving to a new place, changing career lanes, or ending a relationship with someone who did not honor your greatest dreams? Each of us has experienced these moments of stalemate consciousness in our lives, and each of us has become crippled by fear at some point.
Let me remind you that while a lack of confidence might only slow down your dreams, fear will completely get in the way of the manifestation of your greatest desires and goals. Without personal growth and courage, the formula will not change, and your life will remain the same.
