Beauty of the Green Eyed Monster

I am dysfunctional, I always have been, I grew up in a dysfunctional family and a dysfunctional society...so why  is there a compulsion within me at times to prove to others that I'm functional? It seems we all, at times, delight in being able to skite about a so called 'functional' situation or a choice that we made;  eg; 'I exercise at least five times a week'  'My child was top of the class, again' or something like 'My partner is so amazing'  Even those of us who think we are enlightened at times succumb to the need for approval from society at large. This form of communication is a breeding ground for us to focus on lack in our lives through comparison.

Recently, I found myself having pangs of  envy and resentment. Part of me was on the outside looking in and I saw it, clear as day and it made me laugh. OMG Liz, you are definitely feeling envy...my curious mind wanted to analyze this.  I was resentful of the successful author who seemed so supported after I have spent a small fortune self publishing with so far, little return.  I was resentful of the parents who have seemingly perfect children while my kids eat Pizza staring at a computer screen.  I was resentful of the couple who had payed off their mortgage by the time they were 30 where as my husband and I will be 70 something by the time we pay ours off......STOP....I said to myself...what is going on here, what is it that your soul is trying to tell you?

I meditated and slowly the answers came...I began to untangle the emotions and feelings behind the reaction to each situation. 

 I have felt largely unsupported being a self published, first time author, yet I have the power to choose to shift that attitude....my new affirmation is; 'I am constantly supported in my work as a writer.'  I need to believe that in a deep way rather than play the victim because resentment  and envy has 'victim' written all over it.

My kids are who they are ... they aren't perfect human beings and neither am I...I don't need to measure their success by comparing them to other children or societies standards.  The 'perfect' children have their stuff too, I am sure.

I am lucky to have a mortgage! You  can not take a house with you when you die whether you own it or not

I felt grateful I was able to recognize my resentment as it was a pointer to where I needed to shift some attitudes.  Owning our more difficult emotions can be huge hint to where we need to shift and realign so that we can more fully enjoy our lives.

Where or when do you feel resentment or envy and what story can it tell you that will help you to live with more love and light in your life?  After all, love is all that matters in the end and  'it's not fair' attitudes will rob us of time that  is never repeated.  So today I remind myself to live my life outside the cage by using the power of choice.  

What is in our hearts?

Once I sat in a spiritual group where the leader of the group was a sound therapist.  I wasn't very open at the time, I was highly suspicious of this woman who spontaneously would break out into guttural type sounds that made me want to laugh and run all at once.  To top it off she said that Jesus was her spirit guide and to be honest I decided then and there she was a kook and I would just sit and suffer the next hour or so.

Closed down and switched off, what happened next surprised me.  She began to come to each individual in the group and sing over our heads while waving her hands around the crown of each of our heads.  She explained that whatever is in our hearts, truly in our hearts...is reflected in the crown chakra.  Then she gave us each a message.

I observed as she passed messages to the others and watched their faces light up in recognition.
When she came to me and sang her eerie song over my head, my fists clenched. I felt exposed and naked.  She said; 'Nature is in your heart, you can't live without it and I see you living in the country and in this house you will find much inner peace'  
Uncannily, at that time, my husband and I were trying to close a long, drawn out deal on a house in the country.  This woman was absolutely correct, we got the house and I still live there now.  The time I have been here I have felt a strong sense of peace.

Sitting here now I wonder how I can work out what's in my heart based on her method...so I sit quietly where no one is around....I place my hands on the top of my head, take a few breaths and I pray; 'Dear Spirit' what is in my heart right now?  After a while of sitting and waiting, I see a visual in my mind of myself meditating and praying. Then, I see myself writing.  I hear the words 'write about your passion, write about what moves you'  I feel relieved because lately, being so engaged in commitments and responsibilities, I have been doubting my direction with writing. 

 If you're game, give it a go, you may learn what is in your heart.

Many times I have wished I could remember the name of this woman so I could thank her. She has no idea that she taught me so much. My arrogance that day almost robbed me of a precious moment of wisdom and insight.

Moral of the story? Just because someone may be acting like a fool, it doesn't mean they are one, look for the gift in each other.

Dealing with our Inner Angst

 

Oh my god, oh my god, perhaps I have Cancer, what if I fail, perhaps they don't like me, what will people think,  perhaps my loved one will die and what will happen to me...what if I collapse on my own and no one knows, what if I get mugged or murdered.....these are the ramblings my mind has gone on about quite often, particularly when I am feel fatigued, flat or burnt out.  Fear is part of life and it seems and anxiety is at an all time high.  It can be debilitating. 

Many years ago, after an awful car accident and a marriage breakdown that happened around the same time, I suffered huge anxiety attacks that always happened in the car. My psychologist said at the time that in my head I had strung two unpleasant experiences together and decided that driving a car was dangerous.  It took me ten years until I could confidently drive a car anywhere.  I tried all the usual recommendations but nothing seemed to work.

Emergency Essence healed my anxiety

Around the ninth year I started taking 'Emergency Essence' from the Australian Bush Flower range two or three times a day.  It is similar to 'Rescue Remedy' in the Bach Flower Essences range.  This particular combination is for shock, panic, distress and fear.  The positive outcome of taking the essence is to give one the ability to cope. As it says on the website;  http://ausflowers.com.au/

'Excellent for any emotional upset. It has a calming effect during a crisis. If a person needs specialised medical help, this Essence will provide comfort until treatment is available. Administer this remedy every hour or more frequently if necessary, until the person feels better.'
(The flower essences in this mix are; Angelsword, Crowea, Dog Rose of the Wild Forces, Fringed Violet, Grey Spider Flower, Sundew and Waratah.)

Generally this essence is for an 'Emergency' but I felt guided to take it like an anti depressant and I did so daily and after around six months I started to feel like I could drive a bit further without having an anxiety attack. To my relief I was able to drive anywhere without incident from that time on and I have remained free of attacks ever since.  I still get anxious like many of us at times and I always carry emergency essence on me and it always takes the edge off and calms me down.  Even earlier this year after an adverse reaction to a tick bite, the emergency essence on the way to the hospital calmed me considerably. I highly recommend it, it is inexpensive and available in most health food shops and also online for around $10.

I believe when we feel anxiety we become ungrounded and our Spirit is knocked out of our body and that is why we often feel light headed when anxious. Our base chakra located at the base of our spine goes out of alignment when suffering anxiety and the flower essences work on our energy bodies as well as our conscious bodies. Conscious deep breathing can be helpful during an anxiety attack because it also brings us back into our bodies. Focusing on something around us also helps as it brings us into the now.  Focus on a picture on the wall or a tree nearby, breathe it in and bring yourself back to the present.

Fear and anxiety robs us of  quality of life, prevents us discovering more about ourselves and limits our experiences in the short time we are here. 

With the fast tracked pace of modern life it's important we develop stress management that works for us.  Know ourselves.  Perhaps for you physical exercise is your remedy or a walk in the park or a chat to a friend.  For me its my bush flowers, meditation and praying to Archangel Michael, the best trouble shooting angel to call on. Positive affirmations, extra rest and a good diet makes a huge difference to me also. 

I  have learned that I can't watch violent movies either, it feeds my fear.

 What ever works for you, find out what it is so that you can enjoy your life more fully, at the end of the day and the end of our lives we want to know we made the most of our precious time here.

Full Moon In Aries; Lunar Eclipse 18th/19th October

There is a big full moon building this week, perhaps you have been feeling it already. So let's take a closer look at what it is about...Key words; intensity, unexpected, beginnings and endings, global conflict.

Any full moon accentuates and exaggerates existing conditions and goes to the feeling and heart of matters...throw in a lunar eclipse and it makes the exaggeration aspect triple in strength as it shines an extra light on hidden aspects of a situation.
Aries is confrontational,  strong, dynamic, courageous, risk taking and action oriented. It rules wars, battles and physical action.  Aries can cope with  conflict and almost needs conflict to grow and expand.  So if you combine Aries with a super duper exaggerated full moon, you may begin to understand why this full moon is bound to be intense.

Because it is opposite to the current Sun in Libra (full moons are always in the opposite sign of the current sun position) we have the Aries/Libra polarity playing out this weekend which of course is often about relationships.  Hidden or unaddressed issues will come to the surface, not only in love relationships but any relationships can be the target, so if you are single don't think you are safe from this probability.  Aries energy is not particularly sensitive so don't expect subtlety, be ready for open confrontations.

The positives are that any unspoken tensions can be released and relationships can move on to a deeper level or in some cases relationships disintegrate and cycles complete.

It is common with eclipses that we see major global events, sometimes earth changes, (although more common with solar eclipses) and perhaps uprisings, news on wars or major political upheavals.  

The full moon this weekend also makes a square aspect to the current placement of Jupiter in Cancer which suggests that family issues or members could well be the focus of conflict, confrontation or hopefully resolving issues that have been long standing.  

Now is a good time to focus on getting in a good head space, remembering the atmosphere will be intense and although we will be tempted to react without thinking under these influences, it would be wiser to resist and attempt to think before acting.

Although  the full moon will take place Saturday 19th at 10.30am in 25 degrees Aries Sydney time, we will really feel it Friday onwards through to Sunday.  

Regardless of the conflict of it all there is also an underlying excitement about a full moon lunar eclipse and it may give us the spark and the courage to take a plunge and do something exciting so do remember to enjoy it as well. 

Happy Full Moon, prepare, be brave and party!

POST SCRIPT

I forgot to mention that Aries is also enthusiastic and positive energy and these energies will also be accentuated and then this morning in my meditation, my Spirit Guides informed me that although there are many endings for us right now, there is also a portal opening like never before where we can access higher energy more easily, we are shifting our consciousness collectively up to the next, higher vibration again where our thoughts will manifest quicker and we can receive more than we could imagine if we are receptive. I believe that the lunar eclipse this weekend will herald the beginning of this new portal, time to celebrate!

Angel Shmangels

I never believed in Angels

I never believed in Angels, they had to seduce me, convince me and prove to me they existed.  Many of you may think because I am a medium and have been for many years that surely I must have always believed in Angels. Not true...I never saw them, heard them or felt them so why should I have believed in them.  Okay, dead people , yes I have heard, seen and felt them since I was a kid and the occasional strong experience of a spirit guide, yes.  But Angels? No.  So when in the mid to late 1990's there seemed to be a new face on the spiritual scene, Doreen Virtue ranting and raving about angels, I didn't take much notice to be honest.  

Today, I am a total convert, my house is littered with angel mementos, my garden too. I talk to them all the time, feel them, see them and hear them, I love them.  They have comforted me in hard times and helped me when I have felt much fear.  They entered my life in a strange but real way, in my book 'For the Love of Spirit; A Medium Memoir' I explain what happened. Here is the excerpt;

'For several months I kept hearing a voice in my head saying, ‘There is something wrong with your throat. Get it checked’. Being a busy mother, doing many readings and teaching, I chose to ignore the voice in my head. I felt fine, I had no symptoms.

        During a medium development class, a student picked up a message for me. She said, ‘I am getting a message you need to get your throat checked’. My heart fell into my stomach; I now knew this was important.

        So with my heart in my mouth I went to the local doctor. I asked for a throat scan. At first the doctor was reluctant to give me the referral, as I had no visible symptoms. Exasperated, I told him I ‘had a feeling’ something wasn’t right and eventually he signed the papers I needed for further exploration. Sure enough I had a one-centimetre cancerous growth on the left side of my thyroid gland, which required urgent surgery.

        When I visit that doctor’s surgery now, they often say, ‘Oh, you’re the lady who had a feeling’.

        At the age of forty-five, I was stunned. I thought I was in reasonable health and was unhappy I would lose half my thyroid, possibly all of it, and be on medication for the rest of my life. I began to pray as you do when you are unsure what is ahead and wondering whether you are going to be there for your children as they grow up. I know now the angels were listening to my prayers.

        As I was waiting for the surgery day to arrive, one Saturday morning Dean had taken the children out, and I sat in front of the television feeling quite despondent. A music video show was on, and I was staring at the television without really watching. A music clip called ‘Lips of an Angel’ by a band called Hinder came on. I had never heard of them before, but for some reason it caught my attention and I found myself suddenly alert. As I listened to the song, the room began to fill with a golden light, and I felt an incredible, loving presence. This energy felt different from people who had passed over or from Spirit Guides. This energy was light, ethereal, and joyful. It was also familiar, like connecting with a friend you hadn’t seen for a long time. It is hard for me to describe, but my inner medium knew, deep within, that angels had arrived and that I didn’t have to face this fearful experience on my own. My life from that day on began to change. I felt lighter, happier, and more optimistic than I had for some time.

        In retrospect I understand now what was happening and why it was happening at that time. I was not growing on a spiritual level. I had become stagnant, even slightly arrogant in the sense that I thought I knew it all. I wasn’t learning anything new, and the pressure of surviving financially, caring for a family, and working with people, many of them in crisis, was taking its toll. Being the good Libran woman I am and avoiding conflict at all costs, I was keeping my dissatisfaction inside and not expressing it. That is what the throat chakra and the thyroid gland represents – expression.

        There is nothing like a health scare to shake things up and help you to be open to guidance. The angels must have seen that this was perfect timing for me to connect more closely with them. Now I see they had been there all along, but it was me who was not seeing.

        The surgery was a success. I only lost half my thyroid and didn’t need chemotherapy. Although I was initially put on medication, I healed myself through natural processes to a point I didn’t need the medication, and today, my half of a thyroid works perfectly. A special angel called Mary came to me during my hospital stay and saw me through the whole experience. When I woke from the operation, I  immediately rang Dean, who couldn’t believe how normal I sounded. The doctor seemed almost perplexed that I was talking so clearly, as this is not common so soon after a throat operation.

        A week after my discharge from hospital, I entered a competition in a magazine to win a reading with a famous angel expert. I was thrilled when I was contacted to be informed I had won. I needed a lift at that point. It was a short reading, and I was so excited I could hardly speak once the ‘angel lady’ was there on the telephone. She said I hadn’t been clearing myself thoroughly enough after doing my readings and this had contributed to my illness.

        She encouraged me to keep on with my medium work and said I was doing some wonderful things. She also said the angels were telling me to write and that I could help people through writing. (It was not long after this I starting writing my column for a local newspaper.)

        The angel lady chose an angel oracle card  for me, and the card was called ‘Apollo’, and the key statement was ‘Focus upon Your Strengths’. Apollo is the Greek sun god. She recommended I go into the sunlight after each reading, if possible, and ask for cleansing and to be very diligent. It made so much sense, as I have often heard over the years about other mediums with many health problems, and here I was having problems as well.

        That same day I went shopping, and when I returned there was a large van parked outside my house with the word ‘Apollo’ written on it. I guessed it was someone visiting the neighbours, but I knew in my heart it was a sign from the angels to me.

        After that, I read every book I could on angels, attended angel workshops, and began running my own angel workshops. Today I use angel therapy techniques in my one-on-one medium readings when I sense it can help someone and have seen some amazing healings take place.

        Angels have a higher vibration than Spirit Guides or people who have passed on. When angels are around, you feel a slight change in room temperature, a tingly feeling, or a rush of warmth and love. There is only one golden rule. You must ask for their help, invite them into your life. Angels can only intervene without your permission if it is not your time to pass over. We all have a guardian angel, maybe even more than one, who is with us from birth to death. Then there are the archangels who are in charge of certain areas. For example, Archangel Michael is for protection and Raphael is for healing, and there are many others.

        The comfort and the healing angels bring is amazing. Sometimes when we ask the angels for help, the answer we receive may not be as we expect it to be. The angels will respond in a way that is for our highest good. It may be better or different from the outcome we wanted. Also, the angels work in Divine time, not human time. Divine time may be quicker or slower than what we are used to.

        Often the angels will show us they are around. It is no coincidence that we see a white feather in an unexpected location after we have asked the angel for assistance. Alternatively, we might hear an angel song on the radio, or see an angel shape in a cloud, or the word ‘angel’ written in a magazine or as a shop or street sign. This is a sure sign that the angels have heard our request and are acknowledging their presence to us. Sometimes, in times of difficulty or illness, such signs and symbols can be of great comfort.

          Once, after leaving an angel workshop and feeling very happy and on a natural high,

 I decided to go for a walk. As I walked past a coffee shop a little girl about three years old

 was sitting with her mother at an outside table. The little girl pointed to me and said to her 

mother loudly, ‘Look, Mummy, angels’. Her mother gave me an embarrassed smile, and I just beamed right back. It was confirmation for me that the angels were with me.'

My message to you is to keep an open mind and to ask the angels if they are real to let you know in no uncertain terms that they are. I am willing to bet that you won't be disappointed if your request comes from the heart. 

http://www.amazon.com/For-Love-Spirit-Medium-Memoir/dp/1452510466

I was proud to publish my very first book this year.

---

Facebook Addiction and Etiquette

'How dare they share my post without liking it!' I mumbled to my self one sleepy morning at 6am. For goodness sake, tell someone who cares I thought as I scrolled down to a post about someone's child who had wet the bed.  'The world is full of arseholes', says another post.  What rubbish I think but I cannot stop scrolling, the clock is ticking, I have a million things to do...I must share something...and it has to be good..I don't want to share just anything...and the clock keeps ticking....eek, my son will miss the school bus if I don't tear myself away....just one more share...quick.....I rush around like a mad woman attending to my chores with added gusto just so I can get back to see how many likes on my post...a quick glance will do, a longer one would be better, hopeless...hopelessly addicted to you Facebook.

Facebook has me hook, line and sinker and it seems I am not alone as the latest stats show 1.26 BILLION users are on Facebook...is each one these billionths like me? Forgetting to do the dishes, get the kids to school and find themselves skipping the gym? Occasionally there are rumours that Facebook is becoming less popular but I don't believe it, it's here to stay it seems.  Those of us who are addicted have already integrated it into our lives somehow and aren't about to give it up.  In the past I gave up cigarettes and more recently coffee but I am not about to give up Facebook...Facebook is like one giant friend, with friends in your face. When my internet crashed for a few days I found myself finding excuses to go out where there was free WiFi, the withdrawals were terrible.

Okay, so I accept I am a Facebook addict and for now I am fine with that. So many of us feel isolated and alone even when we have people around us and I believe that is the success of Facebook and social media...it connects us on a level like never before.  But what about face book etiquette, manners? Maybe it's my Virgo moon sign but I would love to see some rules of Facebook conduct such as;

1. Do not share a post without liking it first, it's like buying a cake at the shop and telling everyone you baked it.
2. If you decide to have a break from Face Book, have one...don't make such dramatic exits only to post or like something ten minutes later. Makes you look flaky.
3. Don't argue with your lover for the world to see or for that matter have sex with them on Facebook, some things are best kept private
4. Facebook is a great tool for spreading social awareness and issues that are so important but keep it balance.  Politics, religion and social injustices should be posted sensitively and should not bombard your news feed. It gives people a reason to unlike your page. In fact sometimes it seems more effective to send those posts/petitions via message to friends.
5. If you have a specific message and passion about something, start a page just for that and then people can choose whether they want to be part of it.
6. Lighten up, Facebook is like being at one big ongoing party and you don't go to a party to share all your woe. 

I would love any of you to comment here any of your ideas for Facebook etiquette.  EEK, I have to go and check my Facebook stats before I have to work, see you there on fb.

Ch Ch Changes...and face the strain..Ch Ch Changes....

Butterflies always symbolize change to me, as do snakes.

When I studied psychology, the first unit we studied described how one can control the major percentage of variables in one’s environment.  We can control the temperature of a room, we can choose to save money and we can choose to eat the right foods and so on.  Quite true to some extent but what about the variables we can’t control?  What about if someone dies or you are retrenched from your job?

 Change is one of the only things we can be guaranteed in life.  From the moment we are conceived we begin to change and grow.  I firmly believe that it is the major turning points of change in our life that are the most significant in terms of inner, soul growth.   As painful and devastating major changes can be, we are often never quite the same again.   It is where we truly gain valuable wisdom and in the long term are able to enlighten and support others as well.

Significantly, there is often a’ bigger picture’ to major change that we fail to see in the early event. For example, a woman gets breast cancer, then recovers and goes on in life to support many other women going through the same thing.   A person is retrenched from their job after thirty years of faithful service and is mortified.   However, within twelve months they are in a much better job and happier than they have been for years, perhaps developing skills that were long dormant.  I guess the saying; ‘it will work out for the best’ is often true.

When someone dies that is close to us it can be one of the most significant catalyst for transformation in our lives.  A natural response is to go within on a deep level looking for answers.  The grief can be unbearable and painful yet beyond the grief, deep within, our soul cries out for help. This is what brings us closer to our authentic, true self where real healing of our hearts can begin.   Death in our lives also helps us to prioritize and teaches us to live our life more fully as it brings to light our own mortality.

So it seems none of us are immune to major change at some point in our life and the part we get to control is how we accept and deal with it. Do we embrace it or do we deny it isn’t happening and hope it will go away and revert back to how it was before when it felt ‘safe’?

Embracing change means acknowledging what is happening and facing our fears.   Once our fears are faced they don’t seem quite as bad.  It is at these points in our lives it is important to utilize out support systems such as family and friends.   If you are lacking in support, perhaps seek out professional assistance.  Also, try to maintain an objective perspective by remembering that there is always a bigger picture that we can’t see and have a bit of faith in the universe.   They say you will only be given the challenges that you are ready to deal with even if you feel incompetent.

Most of all, major change in our lives is a time to be very gentle on ourselves, nurture ourselves, seek out healing and avoid harsh environments and people who aren’t supportive.  We are often sensitized at these times as we process what’s happening.  Also, remember that you are supported by your angels, guides and loved ones in spirit that are only a thought and a prayer away.

What Happens When We Die?

Our true home is in the Spirit World

I held my horse’s head in my arms as the Vet administered the needle to put her down…Lou,  my old mare was such a loving, docile soul and my heart hurt to see her in so much pain…the Vet asked me did I want to go inside while he did it but I said no, I want her to know I am here for her….as the needle went in I stared into her beautiful big brown eyes and then, in one moment, the eyes became vacant…no one lived there anymore, Lou was gone. 

  It is the only time in my life, way back in 1982, that I ever saw a life leave a living body and it had a profound effect on me.  When life leaves a body, the body has no purpose, no energy.

What is it like in when we die?  I cannot claim to know all the details with unwavering certainty but I can share with you the insights I have received over my many years as a medium.

 From what I can gather the actually passing over is well organized with loved ones ready to greet you. When a relative of mine passed away, she sat up with arms outstretched moments before her death as though someone was collecting her. Once the transition has been made, it seems that there is some type of life review.  Your Spirit Guides and wiser souls are there to help you review the life you have just lived to make an assessment of how you did, based on a different perspective to the one we have here and  I assume it is one of complete objectivity.

The goal of the life review if to ascertain whether the soul has developed and learned the lessons that were chosen and mapped out before they were born. Apparently we all have come to expand our awareness as souls and develop higher qualities. For example, perhaps your soul came to learn compassion and independence. Therefore you may have chosen to be born into a family situation that would support those lessons and influence you accordingly.

Certain people will be destined to appear at important times as well as some destined events to also help you learn and develop. The rest of life and it’s challenges it seems that perhaps  we are on our own with our free will, making decisions and creating consequences. Apparently, there will be no one to judge you except yourself at the end., albeit your higher self or wiser self.

 One of the hardest things I have seen in my work is the regrets of those who have passed on when they realize the consequences of their actions while they were here. Many people have no idea of the ripple effect of their actions until they have passed over and then, of course,  it is too late.

Often these souls try very hard to make it up to their loved ones left behind.  This can be one of the best things about mediumship, an opportunity to heal for both parties involved. Unfinished business can sometimes be sorted,  leaving closure and a sense of peace for those in Spirit and those left behind.  You can imagine what it would be like to get to the other side, find you are absolutely fine, albeit without the physical body but have no phone to ring home. How frustrating that would be! This is why often in a medium reading you will get people you weren’t particularly close to or perhaps a family member you never even met. It is a great opportunity for them to communicate back here which is rare.

I always think the Spirit World will be something special

I assume decisions are made during the life review of what comes next but I am not sure to be honest what happens then. Whether we choose to come back and try again or perhaps we want to relax in the beauty of the spirit world.  Apparently the Spirit World is beautiful to such a degree that we can’t even imagine it. I have absolutely no doubt that life goes on, I have witnessed so many evidential experiences.  One of my first readings with a medium many years ago floored me. Not only did she reveal specific information about my father who had passed over, she mentioned my mother’s name and recent activities I had been involved in. It was a life changing experience that gave me so much comfort knowing that life goes on. I have no doubt that eventually we are reunited with those we love

.In the meantime it is important we make the most of our time left here on earth, I am sure that is what our loved ones in Spirit would want! I also feel it what our higher selves want. Each moment will never be returned while here, embrace all of it, the good and the bad because each drop of life will expand who we are. 

 Remember also that not a moment goes by where we are not loved by a higher power....all really is well !