The Mirror Effect

We've probably all heard the expression, "We all mirror one another."  I have been met with more resistance when suggesting to another that they examine what traits in themselves they're unhappy with that are being mirrored back to them by this person giving them trouble.  Most of us do not want to even consider our own flaws, let alone sit with them and live with them.  Without doing this though, you will never be able to transform them and you will continue to attract more people into your life who mirror this same issue back to you, sometimes in more strong and obvious ways.  We all have soft spots, that's why we're here on earth, to strengthen them.  So keeping in mind that nobody is perfect, lets examine the mirror effect more closely.

I find that many people I suggest the mirror effect to, take it quite literally.  Here are a few examples:

1.  Someone constantly complains about how inconsiderate a family member is, but then says, "No, I don't do this or this or this...." not seeing that it's true they do not do these specific things, but they are equally inconsiderate in other ways that hurt those around them.

2.  Someone has a problem with an angry alcoholic they live with.  When suggested the mirror effect they retort, "I'm nothing like them.  I'm not angry and I don't drink."  This may be true, but you do have an addictive personality and you latch yourself onto unhealthy relationships.  You never show anger, but instead bottle it up to explode later (which it does) and your spirit is unhappy because you're not singing your song, speaking your truth in your colors because you live secretly afraid of being the focal point of this angry alcoholic's rage. 

Which brings me to my next point in the mirror effect.  Many times, what bothers us in others isn't necessarily the same flaw we have, but an opposite problem that our spirit longs to express.  When I was in high school, there was a boy in my class who was genuinely irritated with me.  This aggravation was to an extent that it caused no doubt in my mind that he would talk about, or at least think about how much I irritated him when we weren't even around each other.  I recall having numerous conversations with him about why I have to be so weird, dress the way I do and why I couldn't just conform and fit in with everybody else.  Now the thing is, I always was a little different, but it was by no means over the top.  For the most part I dressed and behaved like everyone else and was part of our school's general society.  It didn't occur to me until recently though, that this boy's spirit had such a desire to express itself in its own unique way, which his ego was resisting, that he became irritated whenever he saw another expressing him or herself in their own unique way.  I wasn't mirroring something in him which he hated in himself, I was mirroring a strong spirit desire that he was not yet ready to explore.

There is also a difference between the mirror effect and disliking someone because their behavior hurts others.  We are not meant to like everybody on this earth and we don't need to force ourselves to.  We don't have all the answers in this life and there may be a very good reason why we feel prickly about another person.  If you don't like Hitler, or Osama bin Laden, or Joseph Kony, it's okay.  Don't think you dislike them because they're mirroring you.  They did or still do bad things to humanity.  They do however, mirror humanity on a grander scale.  Just because we personally are not in charge of human mass-murder, doesn't mean we are not the cause of crushing someone else's spirit.  It also shows us how we are all connected, all one.  A decision I make today will affect the person closest to that decision, which affects the next and the next until I'm affecting people I will never meet and generations below me.  The same goes for goodness in the world.  Jesus, Buddha, HH the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa show us on a grand scale, the ability we have to love one another, show compassion and make good changes in the world.

When you deal with yourself gently and are willing to be real and honest with yourself, you can then see that other human beings and the mirror effect is quite a magnificent gift to us.  Yes, it's normally difficult to look in the mirror.  It stings.  We feel bad about ourselves when we discover we have a personality trait we consider to be unfavorable.  Consider yourself in good company though because we ALL have them and if you feel bad enough to not want to look at your own flaws, it just means you have a conscience.  This is a good thing.  However, the quicker you take stock of your weaknesses and strengthen them, the quicker you can grow and move on.  Maybe then, your irritant will either stop irritating you or exit stage left from your life.  Take a moment to think about the person you admire most in the world.  This person has flaws and personality traits that they consider to be unfavorable.  Here is a step-by-step of how I gently handle looking at myself in the mirror.

1.  Write down what seriously irritates me about a certain person in my life
2.  Ask myself if I literally do these things
3.  If not, which is usually the case, I ask myself how I respond to these irritating qualities
4.  Make a list of qualities about me that I would like to improve, or personal qualities that irritate others and have been brought to my attention
5.  See if there's a link between those qualities and possible ways that I exhibit forms of these irritating behaviors in my own life
6.  Ask my best friends if they see similarities in the irritating behaviors of these others that I exhibit in myself
7.  Pray for these weaknesses to become strengths.  Thank the other person in spirit for showing me how I can improve myself and actively work on improving these behaviors

It's always sticky work when we need to look at our own humanity, but the end result is like watching a bud flower in the sun.  The end result is beautiful and satisfying.

Taking Time To Sip Life



Recently, I dropped a glass and watched as it smashed all over my livingroom floor.  As I swept up the mess I began ruminating on possible messages this incident could be giving me.  I believe everything happens for a reason.  Everything.  The first thing that came to my head was, "My cup overfloweth."  I remained confused for a few days about this.  Normally when I think of this saying, I'm imagining my cup overflowing with love and goodness, which is a good thing right?  It occured to me today that your cup can overflow with anything.  Perhaps I've always seen the cup as half-full because my own cup has always seemed full to me - even if it was full of shit. 

My life has been in super over-drive lately.  Dealing with personal medical issues, family issues, relationship issues, children's medical issues, new ventures, education, financial difficulties, unemployment, running a household, spiritual development, trying to establish my community...it's a lot for one person to handle alone.  We might say I've got a lot on my plate, or on my shoulders, but we don't usually refer to cups.  I suppose the angels were improvising with what was available at that time.  I was holding a cup, not a plate.  They knew I'd get the message. 

So, my question to you is, what does your cup look like?  Is your life too full of responsibility?  Or partying?  Or drama?  Or despair?  What color do you see in your cup?  A little color therapy can assist you with that.  I see a kool-aid red in my cup which refers to root chakra issues and my sense of stability in this world, which is exactly what I'm going through at this time. 

It's a process of sipping from our cup to empty out that which no longer serves us.  When your cup has been full for so long, one has a difficult time adding new things to it because you cannot add to something that is already full.  Choose one thing that you would like to empty from your cup and give that priority.  It could be an unsatisfying job, desired weight loss, an emotional issue, addiction, any number of things.  Work on your time management skills so that you're accomplishing your normal obligations, but giving yourself some daily time to empty this issue from your cup.  I'm big on list making and schedules.  There have been times in my life where I was so overwhelmed with my overflowing cup that I needed to schedule in showers and sleep.  I think the most important thing to emptying your cup is by giving yourself some down-time.  Whatever it is you enjoy doing whether it's playing a sport, reading, meditating, taking a hike through the forest, or swimming in the ocean or lake, down-time is essential to recharging.  It's like putting your cup in the fridge to chill or reheating your tea.  If you've got to drink up, you may as well enjoy doing it. 

Once you've had a chance to start emptying your cup, you'll have a sense of having regained some control over your life.  It's important not to try and refill our cup with new things once we've emptied some of it out.  Many of us are afraid of what it will feel like to not have that drama, that issue, that feeling, that responsibility, so when we start emptying our cup we fill it back up with new things so we don't have to deal with what's at the bottom of that cup - our deepest issues.  Naturally, liquids separate and the heavier substances settle at the bottom.  It can be some hard stuff to swallow, but the feeling of freedom you experience after dealing with all that thick, heavy sediment is beyond what many of us can imagine.  Your other option is to break, like my glass, all over the place.  It's much more difficult to pick up a million pieces than it is to sit down and fill yourself with the knowledge and wisdom of what currently fills your cup and leave it empty so it can be filled with all the happy and wonderful things we're so deserving of.

Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea with me?

Protecting Your Energy Body

Most of us have experienced at least one of the following in our lives:

1.) For some reason, every time you're around a certain person (could be a friend, family member, co-worker, etc.) you feel your energy drain right out of you.  You could be in the greatest of spirits and full of energy before you crossed paths, but now you feel tired, sad, depressed, dull, fatigued, or lethargic.  Maybe you feel like you just want to crawl back into bed and forget about the rest of your day.

2.)  Whenever you get off the phone with a loved one, or say your good-bye's after a visit, you feel "off" and you're not sure why.  Perhaps you notice that you have less patience with others, feel angry for no apparent reason, are worrying excessively about nothing in particular, or sense that you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.

3.)  There is a certain person in your life, or in your past who seems to randomly pop into your head uninvited.  It usually happens suddenly and a bit forcefully, as if that person is vying for your attention right then.  For some reason, whenever this happens, you get an icky and unsettling feeling.  This is probably a person you do not want to be thinking about.  Perhaps this person has hurt you in some way and then suddenly being in your head leads you to focus on them, maybe hashing things out, telling them off, or imagining how karma will rebound on them. 

4.)  For you healers out there.  Whether you're a Lightworker, Bodyworker, Counselor, PT, MD, or any other calling in which you assist others to heal; You notice that after seeing a particular client/patient, your day always seems to lose its luster.  Or maybe you notice that after your third or fourth appointment of the day, you start to feel burnt out.  Perhaps you have even gotten to the point where you wake up in the morning happy that you help people, but dreading actually having to work with them because you know by the end of your day, you have nothing left for yourself.

All of these are examples of having our energy depleted.  The energy body consists of meridians and chakras, which run throughout our physical body, as well as an auric field which surrounds our body.  Science is now discovering the intricacies of the human body and the visible and magnetic presence of our energy system.

Everything in our universe is an energy exchange - from money, to love, to power, to even our own essence.  Sometimes we willingly give our power away to others, sometimes we leave ourselves open and others take our power without our consent.

In my circle of friends, this issue seems to be the topic of recent discussion.  I've also noticed that the many e-mail newsletters I subscribe to have highlighted this issue.  This indicates to me, a shift in human consciousness and a desire for people to have the tools necessary to protect themselves against energies that are not for their highest good, as well as raise their vibration to positively affect those around them. 

For this article, I have compiled a list of different protection methods for you to put in your "Protection Toolbox."  Most of these methods I learned from others and if I happen to remember where I got this information, I will indicate it.  Please feel free to choose the methods that resonate with you, tweak them to make them personal (I'm famous for condensing everything into a 5 second method because I want instant results and have a poor memory).  Whatever you don't like, leave behind.  Maybe someday you'll rediscover that method and it will be the proper time to use it, or maybe you'll never need it.

PRESENCE TECHNIQUES

I have included the following techniques as an aid to be used with other protection methods.  Your attitude towards others has a lot to do with how their energy affects you.  Be your own judge, but in my experience, using these methods alone is not very effective.

Staying Present – Keeping in the moment instead of thinking about what you need to do in the next hour, or worrying about how you’re going to pay a certain bill, allows you more power over your energy system and what gets into it.
Intention – Simply believe that you can't take on other's issues, or that anything that's not yours flow away from you and anything attached to you that’s not conducive to your highest good be removed and transmuted. 
Mindfulness – Mindfulness is the Buddhist practice of awareness.  Mindfulness in regards to protection, is being aware that whatever shows up during your interaction with another is their issue.  Many times, others will project their issues and their personality weaknesses onto us as if it were truly us with these behaviors and issues.  Understanding that it’s actually the other person, you can use other protection techniques to redirect the energy.
Nonjudgmentalism – Another Buddhist practice of noticing things and letting it pass through without giving it any more thought.
Forgiveness – Sometimes forgiveness is more difficult to give if a person has hurt us in some way.  Harboring unforgiveness towards another only hurts us, however.  It gives our power away to that person and allows them to continue hurting us by living in our energy body.  Forgiveness never means we accept or condone their behavior, it equals freedom for us.  Once we are free, we can learn and grow from the pain we were once caused.  Even if the negative person you are dealing with is a stranger standing behind you in the grocery store check-out line, you can forgive her in your heart for the bitterness she’s expressing to you.  This creates an attitude of contemplation and compassion and naturally protects your energy field because you’re not buying in to their drama.
Awareness – Learn to observe others from an objective point of view.  Gauge their attitude, their words, body language, facial expressions, energy (if you know how to do this), and the feeling they give you.  If you sense someone negativity, you can then protect yourself.  Another powerful method of awareness is to learn which of your chakras is weak, so you have a better idea of where you are most likely to be vulnerable and where your negativity settles. Click here to take a 3 minute chakra health quiz.  
Respond – Instead of reacting to others and their negativity, take a breath and respond to the person or situation in love.  Love raises the vibration and will diffuse the situation.  Even if it fails to diffuse it to your liking, you are at least protected from being drawn into the negativity.

VISUALIZATION PROTECTION TECHNIQUES

Whether you’re meditating for spiritual enlightenment, using hypnosis to quit smoking, visualizing a relaxing scene while sitting in the Dentist’s chair, using Pac-Man mental images to eat your cancer cells, or day dreaming about your dream house – you’re using the visual power of the mind to effect change in your world.  Quantum Physics explains this phenomenon in the movie, What The Bleep Do We Know.  It discusses how your thoughts create neural impulses, which activate the neurological system, which activates the endocrine system to release the proper hormones, which in turn results in our emotions, which then cause us to act or react.  The energy body is real and scientific evidence is now discovering this.  If our thoughts affect our physical body, they also affects our energetic body.  So even if you’re a skeptic on whether or not the following techniques work, know that if you don’t believe in it, it will have far less of an effect, but it will still affect your energy system.

Cord cutting – Anytime you have an altercation of any size, or develop negative feelings towards another person, a thick, black cord is created keeping the two of you connected.  These cords are not healthy because it leaves you open for them to suck your energy away and you can unknowingly pull their negative energy into your field.  To cut cords, imagine that person and see the cord.  It could be located in any area of your body, but is most commonly in one of the main 7 chakras.  It could be thick or thin.  Gently pull the cord from you, then the other person.  Lift the cord up to the ethers and ask the angels to transmute it, then fill you and the other person with white light and bless that person away.
Direct negative energy to the ground – Whenever you sense negative energy coming your way, before it hits your energy field, re-direct it into the ground.
Archangel Michael Vacuuming – Call upon AA Michael and imagine him with a large vacuum hose.  He enters the hose in through the top of your crown chakra to your toes and begins vacuuming all the negativity.  He continues to move up your body sucking up all traces of negativity until he’s completed with your crown.  Next, he flips a switch and out of the hose comes a beautiful, sparkling green healing foam which he fills your body with.  Thank him when he’s completed his work.
The Cleansing Wave – Imagine a fresh, cleansing wave of energy sweeping up and over you, washing away any negativity.
White Light Visualization – White light is associated with the heavenly/other/angelic realm.  Imagine a bright, crystalline white light flowing down from the ethers and entering your crown chakra.  This light flows down through your body, out your feet and up around your body.
Bubble Protection – This method I learned from reading Doreen Virtue's books on Angel Therapy.  Her books are full of different ways to protect yourself and connect with the angelic realm.  In this method, you visualize a layer of bubbles around your body.  First, you will perform the white light visualization explained above.  On top of the white bubble, you will place a pink bubble for angelic love, a green bubble for healing, a steel bubble which is impenetrable to all energies that are negative and not for your highest good, and a mirrored bubble to shine back a person’s own energy onto them and keep negativity away from you.
Golden Light – Visually picture yourself encircled in a magnificent, golden light.  The color gold is linked with divinity, personal power and good health.
Daily Meditation – There are so many types and practices of meditation, I could write a separate article on it.  However, meditation is easy, fun and essential to physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic health.  Click here to learn about the many types of meditation.
Rose Visualization - Visualize you and the person you are interacting with as two roses.  After departing, picture any energy that may have been exchanged between the two of you returning to the appropriate rose.
Yin/Yang Visualization - Visualize a moon on your left side and a sun on your right side. This balances our Yin/Yang energies.
Belly Fireball - See a ball of fire in your abdomen.  This activates your inner light and energy, increasing your personal power.
Pyramid Visualization - Imagine a purple pyramid around you and place mirrors on the outside of it. This raises your energetic vibration and allows any energy lower than yours to be mirrored back with love.
Purple Mesh Barrier – See a large, purple mesh barrier between you and the negative person you are interacting with.  Any negative energy flowing your way will get caught in the mesh.  When you are no longer with that person, imagine a bright white light heavenly light shining through the mesh barrier, dissolving any negativity.
North Star Connection - Connect to the North star and visualize surrounding yourself in the glowing white star light.
Native American Animal Medicine – Natives have used the power of animals for many different purposes, whether it be for healing, wisdom, or protection.  Armadillo represents boundaries.  Whenever you feel the need for protection, imagine and call upon armadillo and he will be there.

CHAKRA WORK
Chakras are spinning energy vortices that run throughout our body, with the 7 major chakras placed along the spine.  They vibrate at different frequencies, different colors and oversee different organ systems.  Working with chakras can give you greater power over energetic protection and greater understanding over your physical issues.  To learn more, click here.
Shrink your chakras – Our chakras naturally open to psychically receive energy from the world.  When healing, venturing out in public, or being around negative people, it’s important to shrink your chakras to limit the amount of energy received by others.  Imagine your chakras shrinking down to the size of tiny dots.  Click here to see a video on what chakras are.  
Chakra Cleanse & Balance – Do a quick scan of your chakras, noticing the size, clarity and location of each.  Shrink down those that are too large, open those that are too small so that all chakras are of equal size.  Any chakras that appear dull or dirty, flush with white energy until they appear vibrant again.  Click here to view a Deep Chakra Aura Cleansing, Spiritual Balancing & Healing Meditation.      
Chakra Cleanse With EFT – EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique.  It’s a method of tapping on different meridian points while focusing on an issue.  To learn more about EFT, please find EFT listed under the Physical Protection Techniques section.  To follow the video on EFT chakra cleansing, click here.  

VERBAL PROTECTION TECHNIQUES 

It is said that words are more powerful than thoughts because what you think eventually comes out of your mouth.  Therefore what you speak has already taken hold in your mind. 

Mantras – This comes from the Sanskrit word Mantram, which combines the root manas (mind) with tram (protection).  So the literal meaning is mind-protection.  OM is probably the most well known.  It is the sound of all creation and manifestation.  Some popular mantras chanted in Kundalini Yoga are ONG NAMO, GURU DEV NAMO (I call upon Divine Wisdom) and SAT NAM (Truth is my identity and I call upon the eternal Truth that resides in all of us).  Tibetan Buddhists believe that chanting OM MANI PADME HUM invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.
Invocation –An invocation is similar to a prayer in that you verbally connect with a Higher Power, but unlike a prayer, which is talking to that Higher Power; an invocation is speaking an effect into your life.  Here is one protecting example.  "I invoke the Light of God within. I am a clear and perfect channel. Light is my Guide"
Call Upon Archangel Raphael – He supervises all healing and is the Patron of all healers.  Call upon his presence in any situation where you are facilitating in a healing, or if you’re around a person in need of healing.  Remember, we all need healing in some way and many negative people are just in need of a loving and healing energy.  Let Archangel Raphael work with them.    
Consulting Your Higher Self - If you sense any negativity, ask your Higher Self if it's your own or belongs to someone else.  If it's not yours, ask that the energy be returned to its owner with full consciousness attached for their own self-discovery.
Prayers - "Spirit Most High, I love you and open myself to receive your love, light, guidance and protection.  Ascended Masters, I love you and open myself to receive your love, light, guidance and protection.  (Your name), I love you and open myself to receive your love.  And so it is."
Love Affirmations – Lower vibrations must yield to higher vibrations, so if your thoughts are on the frequency of love, people will automatically respond to that.  Some examples are, “ It is easy for me to express Love and in return, it is easily expressed back to me.” and, “I follow God's example of True Love.”

PHYSICAL PROTECTION TECHNIQUES

Salt Bath – Salts have very cleansing and detoxifying properties.  For a tub soak, add 1-2 cups of Epsom Salts and 10drops of essential Lavender Oil.  You could also use a salt spray by adding one part water (add more if salts don’t dissolve) to a spray bottle.  This is a great option for summer.
Smudging – Sage is Native American and can be used to cleanse your personal energy, a group of people, or your house.  Click here to learn more about its uses.  You can find sage bundles at most New Age, Metaphysical, Occult and Health Food stores.  You can also click here to purchase sage products online.  If you don’t like, or are sensitive to smoke, then perfume oils or a mist might be a better option.  Click here to view these items.
Detoxify – Detoxifying your body of toxins, chemicals and free radicals is a great way to physically protect yourself because it strengthens your body and therefore, your energetic body.  Click here to read more about detox and cleansing programs and suggestions.   
IONIC FOOT BATHS are another option to detoxify your body.  By immersing your feet (which are rich in pores and reflex points for your entire body) in a special foot bath that offers emission of polarized frequency and electrolysis, toxins in your body are eliminated.  Click here to learn more about foot detoxification.  There are numerous spas and natural health practitioners that offer this service.  One particular company that offers Ionic Foot Baths maintains a list of practitioners.  Click here to see if there are any in your area.  
Posture Awareness – Have you ever noticed how good you feel after your choice of physical activity?  That’s because you’ve dislodged stuck energy and directed it out of your body.  If you’re not moving enough, energy gets stuck in joints.  By simply paying attention to your posture, you can allow energy to flow more freely, releasing negativity.  If you’ve been sitting a while, move and stretch all your joints, then reposition yourself with a straight back, shoulders back and your head over your shoulders.  If you’re standing while interacting with others, notice your stance.  Adjust your hips directly over your knees and imagine a pole going down your spine to keep you erect.
Breathwork – Most of us do not know how to breathe properly.  Take a moment to notice where your breath goes once it enters your body.  Chances are, your shallow breath enters your lungs, causing your shoulders to rise.  The proper way to breathe is deep into your belly, causing it to distend.  Yes, who cares if it pushes your stomach out a little for 2 seconds if it’s beneficial to your body?  If your stomach is flat enough to notice that it’s pushed out when you’re breathing in, you’re definitely not overweight and nobody’s going to think you are.  Breathing can be a powerful tool for many things.  Click here to learn more about the transformational power of breath. 
Flower Essences – Flower essences are liquid oral remedies of water and brandy (as a preservative) that embody the distinct imprint, or energetic pattern of whichever flower species it contains.  It’s a form of vibrational medicine which incorporates the use of chi (life-force) energies within living organisms such as plants, gemstones and crystals, water, sunlight, and even the foods we eat.  Each flower has a unique personality and healing property and those properties benefit us when we consume them.  Follow this link to learn about and/or purchase the Healing Orchid Essence, which is in the Defender Series of flower essences.  This site also contains information and purchasing options on all the most popular flower and gem essences. 
Tingshas – These instruments are Tibetan hand symbols that awaken your spirit and summon peacefulness with their vibration.  Simply chime them together and invite the peace and stillness into your heart.  You can also walk through your house or office chiming them to cleanse the energy of the room.
Leaving the window open – If you’ve ever opened the window for an ill child, or in the middle of winter to let fresh air in, you already intuitively know that fresh air flowing through your home clears away stagnant energy.  Even if it’s freezing outside, opening the window a crack, even if just for a few minutes, helps to allow negative energy out and fresh energy in.
Pyramid Healing – A pyramid ushers in pranic (life-force) energy and stores it within its womb.   They are known for their healing and preserving properties.  When a Princess was recently excavated from a pyramid tomb, scientists discovered her skin cells were so well preserved, they could be brought back to life.  As a protective method, you could either envision a large pyramid surrounding your body, or you could purchase a small tabletop semi-precious stone pyramid.  Click here to view a fantastic E-bay store selling many of these items.     
Wear protective jewelry – Anything containing the following stones create a protective barrier between you and other energies.  Hematite, Apache tear, Obsidian, Mica, Smokey quartz, or Black tourmaline.  You can also carry Boji Stones, crystals made from hardened volcanic lava, or Herkimer diamonds.
Hand-shaking – No I don’t mean shaking somebody’s hand, although if you shake a lot of hands throughout the day, you may want to do this from time to time.  Whatever we touch leaves its essence on our hands.  This could be from other people, shopping carts, or a public phone.  By shaking your hands out as if trying to fling an excess of water off of them, shakes negative energy out.
Energy Combing – Simply use your fingers like a rake and comb from the crown down to the feet all around your body. 
Kenyoku/Dry Bathing - This is a Japanese Reiki Technique for purification. In Japan, before one enters a temple or sacred place, there is customarily a place near the entrance with running water which is used for ritual cleansing to purify oneself before entering.  Kenyoku means “dry bathing” and is a technique for ritual purification using energy rather than water.  Click here to view a video on how to perform Kenyoku.  
Salt Lamps – Himalayan salt lamps work by increasing the negative ion count in the air around you, which purifies the air you breathe and can help you feel tranquil and relaxed.  Click here to see or purchase the different types of salt lamps and candle holders available.
Flowers – Keeping flowers around always seems to brighten the atmosphere.  Whether you keep a bouquet in your house or office, plant them in your landscape, or carry around a dried piece of the plant; flowers have the ability to create a sense of peace.  Eucalyptus, Feverfew, Heather, Juniper & Plumeria all have protective qualities.  Hyssop wards away evil.  Lily keeps unwanted visitors away.  Mint protects you from illness.  Yarrow means health & healing.
Burn Incense – Many spiritual traditions already recognize the cleansing properties of incense.  My favorite cleansing/protecting brand is  Nag Champa which can be purchased in most Health Food, New Age/Metaphysical, Herb, Tibetan Specialty shops and convenience stores that sell incense.
Sound Therapy
Sound is a part of all creation and existence.  Even atoms vibrate at a certain frequency.  It is said “Om” is the sound of all creation and manifestation.  Each chakra vibrates at a different frequency and listening to music that vibrates at that particular frequency clears and balances that chakra.  Even in our own personal musical taste, we tend to favor music that spends most of its composition at a particular frequency.  I tend to prefer “F Chord” music, which resonates with the heart chakra.  The concept of sound therapy, is that by listening to certain frequencies, you are able to receive healing, whether it be for depression, addiction or any other issue from which you need healing and peace.  Below are a few different methods of Sound Therapy for clearing and protection.
TUNING FORKS – Click here to view the “Crystal Tuner” tuning fork, which is used to clear the aura.
TIBETAN SINGING BOWL/CRYSTAL BOWLS – These bowls use sound to bring harmony to the body and mind.  Click here to view a crystal bowl choir.  One website to purchase your own singing bowls is Singing Rainbow.  
HEALING MUSIC – Healing music blends different sound frequencies to instill peace and harmony to the listener.  Alpha Music resonates at the alpha brain wave-length.  The website offers Mp3 downloads.  Steven Halpern is a well-known Sound Therapy musician.  Click here to listen to a chakra balancing song composed by Steve.
Essential Oils – These volatile oils differ from perfume oils in that essential oils are the oils that come from the plant itself.  Different oils are used to assist different physical and emotional concerns. When choosing an essential oil for protection, be sure you are purchasing a true essential oil and not a perfume oil.  It will say it on the bottle.  Hyssop oil protects and clears unwanted energies.  Vetiver oil also protects.  Laurel Leaf oil is an incredibly powerful protector from and releaser of negative energies and physical toxins.  Lavender, Clary Sage, Patchouli, Cedar & Pine help to balance energy out, so they are also good options if you’re feeling anxious or off-kilter.  One way to protect with this method is to carry a bottle with you (as they’re rather small) and breathe in the aroma whenever you feel the need to protect and center. Another option is to add a few drops to a water spray-bottle and mist yourself or your surroundings when you need energetic refreshing.  You could also place a drop on your throat and heart chakras to amplify and support your intention to protect yourself.  Or you could place a drop anywhere you feel you are retaining energy.  Be wary of placing essential oils directly on your skin as they are quite potent and can cause a reaction.  With the exception of Lavender, I always use a carrier (massage) oil and place a few drops of the essential oil in.   
Color Therapy - Color therapy is a technique of restoring balance by applying color to the body.  It was a popular method of cure as far back as ancient times.  Some 2,500 years ago, Pythagoras applied color light therapeutically and “color halls” were used for healing in ancient Egypt, China and India.  Some popular colors for protection and grounding are: White which reflects energy thereby protecting you from receiving negative energy.  Yellow is a centering color, a happy color and associated with the will chakra.  Browns and tans are associated with earth which is grounding.  There are a few colors which are debatable and you would have to use your own judgment regarding them.  Black is known as a protective color, but some say it absorbs energy when you wear it so you should avoid this color when trying to remain in a positive state.  Green is a healing and balancing color, but it is also the color of the heart chakra which could cause this chakra to open and receive unwanted energy. 
Water Essence - Agua de Kananga (Cananga odorata) is made from the essential oil of this plant, also known as Ylang-Ylang.  It is used for protection and spiritual cleansing.  This item can be difficult to find.  A website that sells a 4oz bottle of Kananga Water Cologne for $5 is Lucky Mojo Curio Co.   
Sweep – Sweeping the floors in your house is a great way to clear out the negative energy that has settled onto your floors.  Have you ever noticed how nice your home feels when it’s just been cleaned?  It’s because you have removed all the negative energy.

Tai Chi & Qigong – Chi and Qi are two different spellings for the same concept – life force energy.  They are both slow movement forms of exercise.
TAI CHI is an ancient Chinese form of exercise and defense. It employs flowing, deliberate movements with carefully prescribed stances and positions. As an exercise, it is designed to provide relaxation by harmonizing the yin/yang principle. As a form of defense, it resembles Kung-Fu and is properly considered a Martial Art.
QIGONG OR CHI KUNG is still fairly new to the western world.  It is also an ancient Chinese form of exercise which was historically kept secret and only practiced by the wealthy elite and martial artists. It incorporates slow Yoga or Tai Chi like movements with breathing techniques. It is a form of moving meditation and helps one to understand the connection to nature, humanity and the universe.  It heals by vitalizing the tissues and creates a peaceful mind, healthy body and calm spirit.  Click here to learn more or find a local practitioner.
EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique involves tapping with your fingers on specific meridian points on the upper body.  It can be used for anything from a headache, to PTSD to protection.  Click here to watch a video on how to do EFT tapping.  

GROUNDING TECHNIQUES

Being grounded means that you are solidly anchored and connected in the present -
secure, calm and alert.  When you are not grounded you may feel anxious, unfocused, unable to concentrate and more susceptible to influences by the energy and emotions in your surroundings.  The following are commonly used methods for grounding your energy.

Carry stones – Carry one in your pocket throughout the day, or keep one in your purse and pull it out when needed.  You could also wear jewelry containing one of the grounding stones.  Another method is to place a stone on the pubic bone, or between your legs if you’re sitting.  Some grounding stones are agate, obsidian, hematite, dark tourmaline, onyx, tiger’s eye, jasper, garnet, ruby and bloodstone. 
Hold a piece of the earth – Clay, granite, petrified wood, iron ores, flowers, etc.
Hug a tree – Oak trees are the most grounding because of their strong energy, hence the term “the mighty oak.”
Eat – Really you could eat anything because it all comes from the earth, but I prefer the most natural, organic food with the least amount of ingredients.  Some suggestions are nuts, root vegetables, granola bars, cakes or crackers.
Gardening – Whether it’s digging deep into the earth or planting a container garden, using your hands to connect with the earth is deeply grounding.
Walk on the earth in barefeet
Stamp your feet or dance wildly
Tree meditation – Imagine you are a tree.  See and feel your roots extending deep into the earth.  Pull up through your roots, the solid, grounding energy of the earth until it reaches the tips of your leaves.
Silver cord visualization - Send a silver cord from, (in female energy, the reproductive chakra...with male energy, the base chakra) deep down into the earth, watching it until it stops.   Then release all negativity into the cord and when you’re done, breathe Mother Earth's energy up into yourself through the tube.
Rolling up your “Hara” – This is the Traditional Chinese Medical term for “center of your being” and is located about 2 inches below the bellybutton.  It acts as an umbilical cord, receiving information from the world around you and sometimes it can pull in negative energy.  Roll it up and place it back inside your body.  To find out more about the Hara and how it works, click here.  
Donna Eden's “zip up” – Based on the meridian that runs from the pubic bone to the bottom of the lip.  Simply zip up the front of your aura to protect your chakras.  This can be done whenever you feel exposed, or as a grounding technique after a healing session.  Click here to view a video on this technique.  
Breathwork – Deep breathing, breathing in positive energy, breathing out negativity.  Breathing in calm, breathing out anxiety.

HEALING TECHNIQUES

The following list is a small taste of the different healing modalities one could become trained to use for themselves or others.  It is by no means a complete list.

Reiki – A Japanese laying on of hands technique, Reiki uses life force energy on the chakras to heal.  To share Reiki with yourself and others, you must be “attuned” by a Reiki Master/Teacher. 
RYSE – Realizing Your Sublime Energies is an energy system that clears and alignes your energy.  Developed by Nancy Risley in 1987, RYSE is currently taught at her school, Spa Tech Institute located throughout Massachusetts and Maine.  
Psych-K – This is characterized as a kind of spiritual process with psychological benefits.  It maintains the belief that the ultimate source of our mental, emotional, and physical difficulties can often be sourced to our belief in the illusion of separation from our divinity.  “Psych-K is a set of principles and processes designed to change subconscious beliefs that limit the expression of your full potential as a divine being having a human experience.” ~ Robert M. Williams, Originator of PSYCH-K®  An affirmation from this method is, "I attract and allow only positive influences and energies.” 
Pranic Healing – This is a system of energy medicine developed by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui that utilizes prana (life force energy) to balance, harmonize and transform the body's energy.  Click here to visit the website.   
Auric Surgery – This is an energetic method that removes specific blockages in your auric body in order to allow energy to flow freely.  Click here to read an online manual on how to perform Soul Surgery.  Heartmath - EmWave technology improves wellness and facilitates personal growth by learning to control your physiology with breathing techniques, controlling your heart rhythms and focusing on positive emotions.  Click here to visit the website.  
Theta Healing – Theta brain waves are the deepest brain waves we experience.  It’s the state of mind we experience during dreamtime, or deep hypnosis.  This healing modality teaches you to tap into this space in order to connect to the energy of all that is, the Creator.  Click here to visit the official website. 
Matrix Reimprinting - This is a brand new Meridian Tapping Therapy that evolved from EFT.  It is effective for the treatment of emotional or physical issues and can be used to manifest your goals and dreams.  The Matrix Reimprinting website is full of information on this new technique, the book, how to become a practitioner and offers free webinars.

There are, of course, numerous other methods for protecting and centering your energy body that are not listed here.  I tried to make this list as comprehensive as possible, but there are new healing modalities developed regularly throughout the world and even with as much research as I do, it’s hard to keep up with all the new information.  If you know of any other methods, please feel free to comment below!

May Moon Magic 5/17/11

May Moon Names

Algonquin/Colonial - Flower Moon
English/Medieval - Hare Moon
Neo-Pagan - Grass Moon
Buddhist - Vesak Moon
Other Names - Planting Moon; Milk Moon

May Moon Correspondence

Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow
Gemstones: Ruby, Garnet, Amber, Apache tear
Trees: Hawthorn, Rowan
Gods: Kali, Priapus, Cernunnos, Flora
Herbs: Cinnamon, members of the mint family
Element: Fire

Full moon's have always been times of mystery, magic, secrecy and uncanny powers.  People in the criminal justice and healthcare fields can dread the time of a full moon as it can be viewed as "bringing out the crazies."  This is true, as the energy of a full moon magnifies what's already going on within us.  If we are riddled with unrest and psychic illness, those emotions will take over and magnify within us.  Alternately, if our psyche is full of peace and health, that will also magnify during a full moon. 

This month's full moon will peak tonight, Tuesday May 17, 2011 at 6:09pm EST.  The moon is currently in the sign of Scorpio, which rules the mind's subconscious, is a powerful time for psychic abilities, power of expression and extremes of behavior. 

During this week, drama and emotional outbursts can manifest if you're not careful to keep your "fire" in check.  This is also a time of regeneration and rebirth and with that, comes releasing fears, or anything that no longer serves you.  Change is in the stars and our thoughts create our reality, so keep them positive and welcome any transitions with an open heart and know it will all work out for the good of all.

I'd like to touch upon this week's card reading by Doreen Virtue.  I've included the link below if you'd like to watch the reading for yourself.  The angels are really right on the dot with their guidance and it's in harmony with what is going on planetarily. 

Change in Direction - Divinely guided willingness to open your heart.  Protection now and in the future.  Questioning why things are the way they are in your life.

Entrepreneur - Self-employment suits disposition and intentions.  Follow intuition/divine guidance.  Many will be quitting their jobs to follow their passions.

Daydream - You can more easily hear & receive the angel's messages if you daydream regularly.  Notice feelings, visions and ideas.  This is the seat of creativity.  Daydreaming is done with your imagination, which I discussed in my last article.  I am hearing the spirit realm really desires for us to use our imagination and daydream regularly to open our lines of communication with our spirit guide/angelic team.

Doreen Virtue Daily Guidance with the Angels

I'd also like to mention that garnet is one of the gemstone correspondences for this month's moon and is associated with the Archangel Nathaniel.  This Archangel, whom I mentioned in my last article as a personal guardian of mine, has been assisting humanity more often these days - most likely because of the large influx of Indigo's currently incarnated on the planet.  Nathaniel means "Gift of God" and he's the Archangel of life purpose.  His element is fire, which happens to be this month's moon element.  He continually watches for spiritual fires of aspiration rising from us and helps to burn away old thoughts and misconceptions that cause us to believe that we are separate from our Source. He enjoys shifting your life quickly and profoundly to better connect you to your true self and your true purpose.

“Hold on tight to your dreams and goals. If you have asked for my help, you are on the way to seeing them manifest. If you have not asked me yet, do so now and we will create them together for your highest good. But remember, if you do ask me for help, think big. My team and I like a challenge. It gives us a chance to prove to you miracles do come true and it is the most fun all of us can have in making change happen.”– as channeled by Lisa Beachy

Work with Archangel Nathaniel and keep a piece of garnet with you to magnify the lower chakras and help achieve your life's desires and pursue your life path.  Garnet has historically been used to help one with passion, success and self-esteem - all needed to pursue your life path.

The color correspondences associated with this month's full moon is red, orange and yellow.  These colors vibrate at the frequency of the 1st/root chakra, 2nd/sacral chakra, and 3rd/will or solarplex chakra.  These colors are completely in line with everything I've discussed so far (I just get so excited when I discover synchronicities in signs from above).  The root chakra works with stability, job success and finances.  The sacral chakra works with your passion.  The will chakra is self-explanatory - it deals with your confidence and self-esteem.  It's important now to strengthen these chakras and get the kundalini/energy moving throughout them.  Follow this link to take a short quiz to discover if these chakras are already strong in you, or if they need some attention.  At the end of this article, I've included links of videos that help balance that particular chakra.

Activities for this month's full-moon

FIRE DIVINATION
This information was mostly gathered from here

     Fire Gazing - Sit before a roaring fire.  Ask your question.  Gaze into the flames while your fire burns down.  Within the flames or the embers below, images of the future may appear.  You only need to do this for about five minutes, but there's no need to limit yourself.

     Burnings - Write a question on a small piece of paper.  Place it face down on a flat, heat-proof surface.  Light one corner of the paper.  If the entire paper burns, the answer is yes.  If only part of the paper is destroyed, the answer is no. 
You can also write something you would like to release on a piece of paper and burn the paper to release it into the universe.  Bury the remainder of the paper.

     Candles - Light a tapered candle (traditionally white or silver, but this month you can also use red, orange or yellow).  Sit or stand before it and search for signs from the flame itself and its wick.  If the flame seems dim, it may be best to hold off on plans for the time-being.  An extremely bright flame is a sign of good fortune, but if it quickly grows smaller, the luck will be temporary.  If the flame waves about, a great change in circumstances is foretold.  A spark visible in the wick indicates the imminent arrival of good news.  If the flame turns in a circle or seems to form a spiral, danger is forcast.  A flame around the flame indicates an approaching storm
Another method of reading candles involves watching the manner in which the wax drips down the candle sides.  Ask a yes or no question.  If the wax drips only on the left side, the answer is no.  If on the right, yes.  If equally on both sides, no response is possible.  If no wax drips, ask again later. 
You can also focus on a timeline question.  When you feel you have been given the answer, squash the flame.  Count how many drips are going down the candle.  This is your answer in either days, weeks, months, or years.  You'll have to use your intuition to determine which one it is.

     Smoke - This method is known as "smoke reading." Light a candle. Pass a plain white card through the flames three times while asking a question. (do this quickly to avoid setting the card on fire.) Interpret the resulting carbon deposits left on the underside of the card with symbolic thought.
Build a fire outside in a safe place while asking a yes/no question. Watch the smoke. If it rises straight and lightly into the air, a positive answer has been received. If, however, it hangs heavily around the fire, the reverse is true.

     Ashes - Collect ashes from dead fires or the fire place. Outside, in a place where the wind usually blows at some time, scatter the ashes in a rectagular shape on the ground. While asking your question regarding the future, use your finger to write the word yes in the ashes to the right and no to the left. Leave them undisturbed overnight.  In the morning, study the ashes. If both words are clearly legible, no answer is possible at this time. If one has been erased by animal tracks, the wind or by some other force, the remaining word reveals the answer to your question. If both words are gone, again, no answer has been given.

SAMPLE AFFIRMATION: My spiritual fire is transformed into my Higher Self. I AM everything I always desired to be.

SAMPLE PRAYER: Nathaniel, Angel of Fire, I turn to you to ignite my inner self and all the energies within me with a presence that transforms into my Higher Self. I know I can be better, do better and live better. The fire that dwells within me seeks to transform into something beautiful, radiant and wonderful. I ask for assistance in this prayer.

The above affirmation & prayer came from here

Questions to ask yourself this week:

-Am I suffering from fears that are holding me back?
-Is my current job fulfilling my spirit desires?
-Am I living my passion?
-Are there any issues I have been avoiding that need to be released?
-Am I hearing divine guidance or do I need to daydream more?
-Am I full of peace and harmony or do I need to take more time to balance myself?

A short video with classical music and written peace affirmations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjHVBPp-c4k

To participate in a FREE live online event with Charles Virtue: Manifesting with Archangel Nathaniel click here

These links below use sound therapy to strengthen and balance that particular chakra.

1st/Root Chakra Balance Video

2nd/Sacral Chakra Balance Video

3rd/Will Chakra Balance Video

Speaking with your Spirit Guides - Developing a Relationship With Those Chosen to Walk This Life With You

I was seven years old.  I had gone to sleep for the night, troubled about something.  I don't quite remember what, but my parents were in the middle of a custody battle for my brother and I, so I worried a lot as a small child.  In the dark of that particular night, I rose up to a clear blue sky.  There were large, white puffy clouds and a vibrant rainbow in the background.  There were one or two beings standing on each cloud, speaking  peacefully amongst themselves.  The cloud closest to me had the most beautiful, dynamic being I had encountered in my current life.  He was about 5'9", trim, wore a beautiful white outfit that looked to be of shimmery silk, and had clear blue eyes and short, bright blonde hair.  I wondered to myself if he was God, because I had never felt such strong, pure, infinite and unconditional love permeating through the air all around me.  He told me his name was Eric and he was my Spirit Guide.  He infused me telepathically with the comforting knowledge that he was with me every moment of my life and was always there to guide and inform me. I stayed for a while soaking up the love and joy, until the start of my day called me back to consciousness.

This encounter with my Spirit Guide has always remained with me and held close to my heart.  It reminds me of the type of kid I was and allows me a better understanding of why.  I followed my intuition and it turned out to be right.  I always "talked to myself" as a child, especially after I went to bed.  I would discuss my day and talk about issues that were bothering me, sometimes role-playing possible scenarios.  I usually started out whispering and this would eventually turn into speaking, followed by my father yelling from the livingroom for me to be quiet - that it was bedtime.  I always knew I was talking to somebody who cared to listen, but it wasn't until after my "dream" that I knew who it was.  I haven't stopped talking since!

I was a bit suprised when a highly clairvoyant friend of mine recently asked me how I connected with my Spirit Guide.  She knew she had a team of them, but had apparently never developed the relationship with hers that I had with mine.  This is why I write this.

In my studies, I have discovered different people have different views as to the number of Guides and Angels one has around them.  I can only speak for me as I have not, at this time, done any research into other's experiences.  I have one guide who has been with me every second of every day since I incarnated.  I have a group of other guides who may have been with me throughout my life, or just for a while.  I've met Red, a Wiccan Herbalist, a husband and wife Chemist team, and a Native American woman from the Blackfoot tribe.  I've met Penelope (who calls herself Penny), my red-headed Guardian Angel, Tigress, a beautiful African looking Angel whose feisty demeanor helps me through the trials I've set for myself, and Nathaniel, an Archangel who is my comforter and wraps love around me when I feel sad or lonely.  I have Reiki Guides, as I am a practitioner, and work regularly with some of the other Archangels, such as Michael, Gabriel and Azrael.  But I've met these beings the same way most everybody else meets theirs.  Through meditation.

I think most of us begin our intuitive journey doubting ourselves.  Afterall, there are multitudes who were told by their parents about our "imaginary friends".  Did it ever occur to you that these "make-believe" playmates were really our Guides, Angels, or loved ones who had already passed on?  Most of us have stories about small children who ask why there's an angel flying over Mommy's bed, or why there's a face floating by the window all the time, only to reveal a light orb in that same area when a picture is taken.  We are all born with psychic abilities, but for most of us, these abilities are not nurtured and so they fall dormant.

As we redevelop our intuition, we laugh at ourselves, brushing off things we see in our mind's eye, or messages we hear within our mind.  We say, "Oh that was just my imagination."  Imagination as defined in the dictionary is - Forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses; The power of reproducing images stored in the memory.  Since our intuition is considered a sixth sense, it's accurate that these concepts would not be predominantly present to our physical senses, although sensations do sometimes accompany spiritual guidance - such as goosebumps or the hair standing up on the back of your neck.  It is also speculated that we choose our guidance team as well as our lives before incarnating and we carry those memories with us to this life.  So reproducing information in our minds is, in fact a memory that we brought with us from the Spirit World.  Everything that manifests begins in the imagination.  Perhaps this is why Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."  Imagination is the part of our mind that connects us to the Higher Realms.

We each experience spiritual guidance in different ways.  Some of us hear voices inside our mind that do not belong to us.  Sometimes we experience it as our own voices, but we know it's not our own thoughts because it's not spoken in our own personal mannerism.  Others see mental images in their third eye, much like a daydream vision.  Still others will experience an innate "knowing" whose origins cannot be explained.  Sometimes a physical sensation is accompanied by this guidance, or if we are very kinesthetic people, it may actually be our guidance.  For example, maybe one day you're having a casual conversation with a stranger and your chest begins to feel slightly tight and your breathing becomes a tad labored.  You brush it off as a side-effect of your new exercise regime, but maybe this person's spouse recently died of a heart attack and you've just picked up on it.

My Spirit Guide usually speaks to me in his own voice inside my head, but spirit world messages rain down on me every day.  A thought that instantly pops into my head, a friend I think of who calls me 10 minutes later, a ringing in my right ear, looking at the clock to see it's 4:44 or some other repetitive number, the song playing on the radio when I turn my vehicle on, seeing or hearing a certain person's name numerous times throughout the day, and dreams I get at night are just some of the examples.  I take nothing for granted. 

Some people advocate meditation as the only way to connect with the spirit realm, however, that doesn't hold true for me.  It may take some practice to feel comfortable holding conversations with your Spirit Guide, but you can start small.  I talk to Eric throughout my day, mostly asking him small questions like, "What's that word I'm trying to say that means....."  or "Will you remind me to pick up the kid's vitamins at the Pharmacy?"  I'm sure some people think I'm weird when they hear me in the grocery store asking out loud where the olives are.  Of course I don't always talk to my Spirit Guide audibly, but sometimes I just can't help it.  Regardless of whether I speak to him in my thoughts, in whispers, or out loud, the great thing is that he always answers!  I've learned throughout the years that if I'm not hearing him, I'm not listening.  You must take stock of your life if you're not receiving messages from your Spirit Guide.  First and foremost, you must think about whether or not you're asking for a message.  We all have free will and our Guide's aren't going to interject guidance if we haven't asked for it.  Pay attention to what issues you're dealing with at the present time.  Sometimes we've got major issues at hand and even though we may be asking for guidance, our own spirit already knows the answer is not the one we want and so our heart isn't in the asking because we really don't want to hear the answer.  It's also wise to be aware of how you most easily receive messages.  You may be expecting to audibly hear an answer when you perceive feelings most predominently.  For me, the way I learn basic things (visually and kinesthetically) are also my strongest perception skills.  You may begin receiving messages through only one avenue, but as you become more comfortable with your intuition and your abilities get stronger, you'll experience other forms of guidance.

I've included two meditations with this article.  One is connecting with your Spirit Guide and the other is connecting with your Angels.  Do them as often as you desire until you feel confident you've met them, know what they look like and maybe hear their voices.  Practice talking to them everyday and if it helps, get a journal and write down advice you feel you're getting, visions, feelings, emotions, and other means of receiving messages.  My greatest source of knowing I'm definitely receiving accurate spiritual guidance is my dearest, clairvoyant friend.  I bounce everything off of her and she validates me by affirming she's received the same message and even adding to what I've told her.  Remember, the more you use it the stronger it gets.

In Light and Love

P.S.  I apologize, I haven't yet figured out how to imbed a video in my articles so here are the links:
http://youtu.be/4-RyWGzoFGs
http://youtu.be/j-Pc8Z8xNAE

Mother Mantras-Celebrating the gifts given to us by those who brought us into this world

When I was a young child, my mother would dance in our kitchen as I attempted to follow her lead.  I could always count on her smiling face waiting for me at the bus stop everyday.  I would share with her my young thoughts and revelations and she would quietly listen and respond whenever I expected she would.  She made me feel heard and important.  I knew that in my mother's world, I mattered.  My mother always allowed me to be my true self and accepted me whether she understood me or not.  No matter what decision I made, she supported me with every morsel of her heart, even if she forsaw mine being torn to shreds. 


As I grew, I came to learn that not everybody understood what I had to say, liked what I had to say, or cared about what I had to say.  Not everybody accepted me for who Spirit made me and some tried to change me.  Life was uncertain and the only thing I could count on, was that nothing would remain the same.  Yet, there was Mum, loving and accepting me.  Even when we couldn't be together, I knew in my heart that she was with me.


Once I blossomed into womanhood, my zest for life swept me away.  I found myself enamored with this world and developed an insatiable desire to experience everything it had to offer.  Well, experience I did, but along with that came much heartache.  During this decade of "extreme living", many instances arose where my mother was able to share with me her greatest gift to me as a human being, along with her personal "Mother Mantra."


I tend to be quite earnest and serious.  I have always believed in a great calling for my life and this gave me a determination to not only fulfill this purpose, but to fulfill it above and beyond the call of duty.  Yes, I am an overachiever.  Because of this devotion to my life, I have historically tended to take everything far too seriously.  Not so with my mother.  Her and I have been through some very difficult times in our lives.  Some quite similar, others, not so much.  The most noticeable difference though, has been our reaction to what is set before us.  I get depressed.  Mum laughs.  Being a spirit who's very hard on herself to "get it right," I always tended to focus on what went wrong and how I could have done things differently.  My mother always had this innate ability to extract not only the lesson, but the humor in it.   I really came to admire this attribute in her and each year, I become a little more able to see the humor in life and its impermanence.


Regarding "Mother Mantras", mine was "Hunny, they loved you to the best of their ability.  Maybe their ability to love just wasn't as big as yours."  Of course, she had other favorite verbal nuggets of gold, but this is the one that I heard most often and was always most relevant and powerful in my life.  I heard it many times throughout the years as I despaired over my fragile and unfulfilling relationship with my father.  I heard it when I left my first husband, who was emotionally unavailable; And I heard it again when I left my second husband who was abusive and unfaithful.  I heard it about my ex-stepmother who became a condemning force in my life and caused me much strife.  What is most profound about this mantra though, is its truth.  We are each on our own unique journey that is just as special as we are, and we are each in a different place in our spiritual perfecting process.  Physical age has nothing to do with our capacity to love.  A psychopath, for example, lacks the ability to experience love at all.  So when one only pretends to love you but doesn't treat you in a manner that exhibits love, don't be sad.  They love you to the best of their ability.  It just so happens they have no ability to love.  Jesus' ability to love was so grand it began a worldwide movement where participants strive to live the same way he did.  The rest of humanity falls within these two polar opposites on the love scale.  Sometimes we come across someone who possesses a greater ability to love than us and we may admire this, sometimes we love someone more than they could ever hope to love. 


As a woman who now calls herself "Mother", my own precious sprites are quickly growing up and becoming more independent.  Possessing the ability to see outcomes and consequences regarding decisions my children make, I grow even more in awe of my own mother.  Her ability to remain neutral and quiet in the midst of possible devastation amazes me.  This is a quality I aspire to achieve within myself, as I find I'd like to make all of my children's decisions for them so as to help them avoid heartache and strife.  My mother always understood that I walk my own path and must make my own choices to learn and grow.  She understands that her children only come through her but are not hers to control.  She watched me stumble along my path more than any mother should have to.  Yet through it all, she maintained her humor, love, support, wisdom and guidance.   


Take some time this Mother's Day to reflect on your own mother.  Almost everyone has at least one good memory with this woman who grew your physical body inside her womb and birthed it into this world.  Even if your relationship was tumultuous from the beginning, her being the woman she is, made you the person you are today and that is a gift.  You chose her because of the soul lessons she could teach you, so rejoice in that!  There have been a lot of negative, unhealthy people in my life, but through it all, one thing remained constant - my mother's undying, unyielding love and acceptance for the spirit I am.  She always believed in me and remains my biggest support and Captain of my Cheerleading Squad.  I am eternally grateful for the relationship I have with you, the wisdom you've offered me, and the woman you are.  I love you Mum!



 Mom, you're a wonderful mother,
So gentle, yet so strong.
The many ways you show you care
Always make me feel I belong. 

You're patient when I'm foolish;
You give guidance when I ask;
It seems you can do most anything;
You're the master of every task. 

You're a dependable source of comfort;
You're my cushion when I fall.
You help in times of trouble;
You support me whenever I call. 

I love you more than you know;
You have my total respect.
If I had my choice of mothers,
You'd be the one I'd select! 

By Joanna Fuchs