power
The Miracle Power Of Music
Last night, my friends and I went out to see a performance by the blues artist, Shemeka Copeland. What a great show that lady put on! The music made the audience feel the love and joy, young and old alike, happily singing along and feeling the vibes.
Looking around me, I saw many people with smiling faces moving to the beat, doing the chair dance, clapping hands and happy feet. People of all walks of life came together as a community, any and all differences forgotten, because of a shared love of the music. The miracle of music!
All living things respond to sound. It’s the vibes that just touch us, because music is after all nothing more than vibration. Music has been known to inspire, soothe, calm and heal. I have heard, for example, of a group of harpists who play at hospitals for the benefit of patients.
When my daughter was young she said to me, “Momma, if the teachers only had music playing in class, all the kids would pay attention and understand what they were teaching.” On the flip side my parents always said, “Turn that music off!” How can you study, learn and remember what you are reading with that music on, they asked.
Reclaiming Your Power When A Relationship Ends
One of the main reasons it is so painful to release someone when a relationship ends, is because we have usually invested so much of our time and energy in our connection with that person. In essence, what we are truly missing when we mourn a relationship are parts of our self that we have given away. What we are mourning is the loss of our hopes and dreams, not merely the presence of the person who is no longer in our life.
If this is something you are currently struggling with, I recommend the following ritual designed to help you reclaim your power after a relationship break-up, so that you can restore your inner wholeness and resume your search for true and enduring love.
Supplies
- 3 votive candles: 1 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow
- 1 aqua marine or clear quartz crystal
- rain or sage incense wand
- small mirror
- 3 copper pennies
- 2 tbsp of fresh or dried mint in a small bowl
- 2 tbsp sea salt
The Powerful Gift Of Self-Compassion
Empaths do not only have the capability to discern another person’ suffering or pain. We also have the gift of compassion – the ability, as well as the desire, to mitigate someone else’s pain, or alleviate it all together. The two abilities go hand in hand. I have yet to meet an empath who doesn’t express deep compassion and a sincere desire to mitigate pain and suffering. It’s a wonderful gift that the world could use a lot more of right now.
According to Emma Seppälä, a writer for the Harvard Business Review, compassion is a much better business management tactic than toughness. Research shows that the more compassionate response will get you more powerful results as a business manager.
Compassion inspires loyalty according to a study by Jonathan Haidt of New York University. Haidt found that the more employees looked up to their leaders, and were moved by their compassion or kindness (a state he called elevation), the more loyal they became to them. It follows then that responding with anger or frustration has the opposite effect.
The Return Of The Divine Feminine
Sometimes when I do psychic readings, I sense a powerful female presence from Spirit, with wings spread wide, who appears to be lending strength and support to my clients. I recognize her as the Egyptian Goddess Isis, or by her Greek name, Auset.
When Goddess Isis comes into a reading, I know that serious business is at hand and that my client needs to be brave, strong, and to believe in themselves. This brings in the grander subject of the Divine Feminine and how that is showing up during my client’s reading.
The awakening of the feminine is alive and happening all around us, and more widely recognized now than ever before. The rise of the Divine Feminine is showing up in all sorts of arenas, including the corporate workplace. Women, as a whole, are speaking up and no longer have much tolerance for sexual discrimination, lower pay rates, or other outmoded ways of female disempowerment.
However, the interesting thing about the Divine Feminine is that it has a quality of power that is not based on forcefulness. It works more in alignment with the psychic realm and intuition. The Divine Feminine works in harmony with what is, and ways to empower everyone.
Talismans, Amulets And Charms
In preparation for a move, I am packing up smaller items and have become aware of the many talismans, amulets and charms (including the ones on my charm bracelet), which have either been given to me as gifts, or which I have collected myself over the years.
Occasionally, when intuition prompts me to do so, I include some of them in my set of ‘bones’ – tokens if you like which are thrown as a means of divination in my readings. They each have a specific meaning and evoke certain feelings, all helpful when adding detail a customer is looking for in a reading.
Amulets are similar to talismans in that they are made to protect, or to attract. Amulets are used more for general energetic work, whereas talismans are used for very specific purposes.
A charm brings luck to the owner. A particular gemstone may literally ‘speak’ to you to please carry it, and it will serve as your helper to attract luck, give you protection and help you energetically.
Talismans
Because talismans are intended to provide power, energy, and special benefits, they are often made at certain times believed to be spiritually or astrologically significant. They are frequently made from stone, metal, or parchment, as these substances can easily be inscribed with words or pictures to add additional power.
Dare To Find Your Way Again!
Why should there be a yellow brick road? The answer is simple: everyone should have a personal path to Oz.
In the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, after losing her way home, Dorothy was advised to follow the yellow brick road. Along the way, she was given a pair of beautiful ruby slippers. She was also cautioned not to remove these special shoes and not to lose sight of the yellow brick road.
There were times when Dorothy threw caution to the wind and walked away from the path. I recall watching scenes from the movie and holding tightly to the edge of my chair in anticipation of the perils faced by Dorothy. There was the Wicked Witch of the West and her army of dutiful, misguided monkeys. There were wind storms and spells in which day was cast into night. There was even a cranky old man who pretended to be the omnificent power of the Universe.
Much like Dorothy, each of us has faced difficult times in our lives when we have found ourselves without direction and far from home. Some of us have even forgotten where home was, while some never want to return. But within the metaphysical context, home is akin to the center within each of us that is the dwelling place of the soul, which links us to our life purpose and mission.
Spiritual Power And Spiritual Practice
We are spiritual beings having a physical experience. This is important to remember when considering the nature of spiritual things. The root word for spirit is ‘breath.’ This means that every person that is breathing is equally spiritual.
Too often people think that there is a hierarchical system within spirituality; that some people are ‘more spiritual’ than others. This is simply not true. There may be individuals that have a more intentional spiritual practice, with more understanding, knowledge, or wisdom. However, this does not make them ‘more spiritual.’
The nature and purpose of spiritual practice is also something that can be misunderstood. Whether it be prayer, meditation, invocations, or other sacraments, these practices are not just to get what we want. It can be a byproduct of authentic spiritual seeking and practice, but in nearly every tradition, true spiritual power is often summed up with three principles: Love, Joy, and Peace.
All spiritual practices are intended to lead us to tap into these three qualities. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Love, Joy, and Peace are the first of many “fruits of the spirit.” Authentic spiritual practice is meant to lead us to the experience of these three things.