Goddess Blessings on this Equinox!

Happy Equinox!

Goddesses are both happy, joyful, bountiful...  AND can be angry and spiteful.  This is a time to honour them in all their humanity.  It's also a reminder to embrace our own Light AND Shadow.

“…but Jaz, what’s an Equinox?”  

The Equinox marks the time of the year when the amount of daylight is equal to the amount of darkness.  If my Latin is right (and I make no claims at being a savant, here)…  equi = equal, and nox = night.  Daytime is the same duration as night time.  On September 22nd in the Northern hemisphere, it marks the official beginning of Autumn, while down-under, it’s the official start of Spring.  And that’s the scientific explanation.

“…so, Jaz, don’t you typically write about spiritual feel-good themes?  What does the Equinox have to do with this?”

The way I celebrate my spirituality is informed not only by my intuition, but also by the cycle of Nature and by history.  These are the three most important aspects of my inner life, and what I LOVE sharing with you.  I turn to these elements when I try to understand what the heck is going on in the world around me, and within me.

And at this time, “what the heck” is a very mild way of putting things.  Haven’t you noticed your computer going haywire for the weirdest thing?  Have you not felt a rise in your anxiety, stress, anger or state of confusion?  Do you not feel that “something’s gotta change” - but you don’t know what, or when, or how?  All this jittery energy is right on cue with the Equinox, believe it or not. The Equinox marks a change in season, a change of mood, a change in self-care, and time for introspection.

The Cycle of Nature
At this time of year, the squirrels in my backyard are literally going nuts (yes, I went there!).  The birds, insects, all forms of critters are busy building their food cache and putting on weight either for the upcoming hibernation, or their migration to warmer climate.  As for the farmers, they are deep in harvesting time.  And so many homemakers and kitchen witches are busy drying herbs and canning preserves for the year ahead.  The natural world is abuzz with activity.  With this in mind, reflect on your life:

• Look at how you’re dealing with work, family, projects.  Do you feel there’s too much on your plate?  What can you save for later?  
• Take a good look at your daily activities: are you just being busy for the sake of keeping busy - or are you being productive?
• In your energy, health, and wealth: what are you keeping in reserve?
• This is also a time of balance. Daylight and nighttime are equal. Take time to center yourself and mirror the balance of the equinox in your life. Remind yourself to play as hard as you work and love your Light as much as you embrace your Shadow.

History
Traditionally, our ancestors have marked this time of year with a harvest festival and a time to reflect on the past season’s abundance.  They celebrated the second harvest and the start of winter preparations. They made plans to care for the tribe during the winter months, and decided on how the harvest would be shared.  Several tribes made preparations to change from their summer hunting grounds to their winter grounds, often following their source of food.  With this in mind, reflect on your life:

• When you feel the jitters and you want to move, change scenery, go somewhere warm for the winter - you are vibing with the migratory animals.  If you’re not moving for the winter, see if you can do a day trip or a weekend getaway.  Maybe you’d like to redecorate one room in your home, or take out the Fall decorations to change the scenery and feel of your environment.
• Give thanks for your many blessings and reflect on how you can improve yourself and your community.   
• Celebrate your business and personal successes.  Make an inventory of the seed-ideas you want to keep, those that need time or research before growing, and those that you want to release.  Clutter clear your office.

Spirituality, Intuition, and the Goddess
In Greek mythology Autumn is associated with the return of the goddess Persephone to the underworld.  Just the thought of loosing her beautiful daughter, even for only a few months, caused Persephone’s mother Demeter to act out in grief, anger and sadness: she created winter and her sorrow caused snow to cover the land and it was impossible to grow food.  Demeter went as far as making a pact with the Lord of Darkness and the underworld, Hades, to ensure that her daughter would be able to emerge to the surface for a few months every year - but how she grieved the absence of her daughter!

• To celebrate Demeter: acknowledge what gives you grief and anger at this time.  Write it out.  Yell it, cry it, dance it.  Keeping it in will only make matters worse, not only for yourself, but for the other people in your life who still depend on you.  Let it out, get the help you need…  and know deep down that “this too shall pass”…  Call upon Demeter’s energy to give you courage and strength to face your darkest fears.
• To celebrate Persephone: she was taken to the underworld against her conscious will.  Others decided her fate, and she had very little to say.  Acknowledge those things in your life where you feel lost, confused, and not in control.  Call upon the energy of Persephone to help you get out of the victim or martyr mode.  Ask her to keep your imagination and your curiosity open - so if Destiny brings you to a dark place…  what can you discover there that could be brought back up to the Light at a later time?  If you’re not in control of the situation, you can still be in control of yourself, your emotions, your reactions, and your fears.  What can you learn from your darkness?  Persephone can help light your way.

Can you see how tapping into the cycles of Nature, History and Spirituality can give sense to your every day life?  Does it help you understand the subtle energies that are currently influencing your mood, sleep patterns, choices and behaviours?  Do you need help navigating your darkness?  Would you like to learn to leverage your grief or deal with your jitters?  Let's talk.

I am wishing you an enlightened, joyful, and spirited Equinox.  May the Goddesses shower their gifts of wisdom upon you.

Are your values fed by fears?

Here's a nugget of wisdom I gained while teaching last evening.  I explained what is an ethical dilemma, and how at its core, such a dilemma happens when two or more values that we hold near and dear to our heart are in conflict.  This can be an external conflict, e.g. my core values are different than yours, and we are in disagreement about what to do.  It can also be an internal conflict, e.g. my core values are changing and I'm not sure where I stand anymore.  We put this in context with a typical Lightworker scenario: using your magic, mojo, vibes, etc. to manifest a really great parking lot on a busy shopping day.  Easy breezy for some people... but for many Lightworkers, this is a difficult, uncomfortable, internal-sweats-and-palpitations moment.  Why?

We examined the values that might be at odds.  We agreed that compassion and caring for others, and standing firm in our personal power are likely conflicting.  And when we dug a little deeper...  we noticed that the value we hold dear, that of compassion and caring -- e.g. what if an elderly person, or a pregnant woman, really needed that spot and I just took it from her?  -- is not only conflicting with the teaching and value of standing in your power; but standing in our power and manifesting through intention and magic is also conflicting with deep FEARS.  And there's a big fear here... that when we ask for a parking spot, or money, or ease in our day... we are not working for the Highest Good (an other BIG value for Lightworkers).  The internal conflict of being confident in our energy work & trust that Spirit knows best and will manifest according to divine will...  and the fear instilled in us (in many lifetimes?) about the "bad" or "evil" or "egoic" practices of energy work - and that we have to work for the entire community/world, and never request anything for ourself.

Ooooh...  That's my lightbulb moment from last night.

Can you see any of these values and conflicts at play in your life, and in your decision-making patterns?

Part of our "ohm-work" is to reexamine our values, and to ask ourselves - is this really true?  Am I really holding on to this value out of Love, and in Alignment with my Highest Self?  Or am I holding on to this value because I have been taught this is the right thing / good girl /zen thing to do?  Am I holding on to it because I am afraid of not being good enough, powerful enough, deserving enough of requesting what my heart and Higher Self truly desire for me to experience in this lifetime?  Am I afraid to ruffle feathers?

When you truly understand your values, you get insights into why you do the things you do.  And then, when you realize your values have shifted, or need to shift, because you are awakening to a new paradigm...  then it's easier to choose new decisions and actions based on values that are aligned with who you are, now.

Does this make sense?

I know I'll be working on old patterns of behaviour and actions now that I have identified what I do because I've secretly been holding on to fear...  And that's because being fearless and courageous are values I hold dear.

How about you?  Are you ready to review your values?  Are you ready to change your behaviours?  Need help to see clearly through the forest? Reach out - I can help!

Own Your Power!

I have a pet peeve.  It's driving me nuts, and I want to do something about it.

My pet peeve is victimization.  When I see people suffering from acute victimitis (yes, I even made a word for it!) my stomach squeezes tight, and if I had the super power to create special effects, you would see the super wind-fan blowing my hair around me, lightening zapping in the background, and the temperature would go up as I reach for my magic sword and speak with a deep echo...  (yes, yes, almost like Lady Galadriel when offered the One Ring...)

...Your life experience is the result of YOUR past choices.  

If you don't like, learn to make different choices.

Yes, life throws us curve balls.  No, it's not always fair.  At times, it even sucks.  Big time.  And you just want to curl up in a ball and yell to the world, "Why is this happening to me??".....

Ah -  and that is the question, my dear.

And the answer to that question is not found in others.  Blaming and pointing fingers is not helpful.  Shaming yourself and allowing that self-talk to tell you how insignificant, how stupid, how much of a looser you are is not helpful either.

I know those thoughts.  They've been in my head my WHOLE LIFE.  I think I was 7 years young the first time I wished my brain was taken out of my skull for those thoughts to just stop talking and making me feel so bad.  I was crying myself to sleep almost every night, and I don't think anyone ever noticed my distress.  Even at 7, I was able to keep it in during the day - although I tended to retreat in my imaginary world where things were quite different.  As a teen and young adult, the pattern was deeply ingrained.  I suffered through anxiety and panic attacks.  My first burn-out was at age 18.

I blamed my parents, for their lack of emotional care.  I blamed society, for its twisted values.  I blamed myself, for... well so much.

My saving grace, I suppose, is my strong desire to create something better for myself, and for others.  I still hear those thoughts, I still experience those negative feelings - and I CHOOSE to perceive them differently.  I choose to learn from them.  I choose to go to the root cause of the issues and clear them once and for all (and that's why I love Akashic Record Readings!).  I choose to get help and find actions that will bring me OUT of that darkness.  I choose not to languish in a puddle of self-pity.

I took me years to develop this inner strength.  Why I chose to leave my cushy government job (where I was crying every day) and start my own business?  It's not luck.  I accept the consequences of my choices, including the very very tight budget I am currently experiencing.  I chose to create a life with more joy, more freedom, more creativity, and more ME.  It's a choice.

I am sharing this story with you today because I have heard so many of my clients say, in the past weeks, how scared, how lost, how sad, how unhappy they are with their life situation at this time.  Some feel the victim of life circumstances.  Others feel they're the victim of some spooky dark forces or even angels with life-changing advice. Some people come to me and unload their story and feel better for it... and yet don't want to take any steps to own their story and change their beliefs or decision-making patterns.  They go back to their life and do the same thing all over again. Those are not my ideal clients.

The choice to create a better life is a choice available to everyone.  That includes YOU.  I can show you how.

If there is a super power I can share with you, it's the power to regain your strength, your free will, your freedom of choice.  No matter what life throws at you, you will know that you have a choice as to how you respond to the situation, and what you can make out of it.  That's who I am as a coach: I hold the space for you to express your pain AND to grow into your own super powers.  If you don't want to change and want to stay in acute victimitis...  I'm sorry I can't help you.

But if you're ready to move and groove; if you're at that point where enough is enough; if you're ready to take responsibility for creating the life of your choice... then I'm your gal.  Thankfully, I don't really change into Lady Galadriel when we meet (teehee) but I can summon up some pretty cool energy vibes and guides to help you through your own transformation from puddle on the floor to full-on goddess.

Please don't stay in acute victimitis...  Let's talk.

I'm wrapping you up in White Light and sending you blessings of JOY.

Unifying Shades of Grey

In a world of black and white, it's often the shades of grey that unify all of creation...

Two weekends ago, I participated in my first ever shamanic retreat at Northern Edge Algonquin Park.  It was a wonderful experience, and it really felt like a "coming home" for my soul.

From the moment we arrived, we were asked to walk in Nature, and reconnect with our inner guidance.  My steps led me to the dock.  I sat there several minutes, soaked from the fine mist, breathing in the moist air.  As far as I could see, there was the colour grey.  The sky, the air, the mountains, the water...  everything grey.  This grey, however, did not feel oppressive or depressing; it felt like a unifying colour.  It felt like everything in Nature melting into one another, such that each element's individuality was part and parcel of the next...

I was inspired to write this short poem.  Take a deep breath...  and allow for the energy of the words to seep through you, just like the mist.  Open your heart and your mind to areas in your life where you could just melt into the moment and release your individuality to become one with something that is bigger, and greater than the individual consciousness.  You won't loose yourself; the trees and the mountains and the sky only appeared grey; they didn't loose their individual vibrancy.  They only melted into one another for a moment, for a day.  Being ONE.  Feel the oneness...  Enjoy.

Unifying Shades of Grey

Sky melting into mountain

Mountain melting into trees

Trees melting into Earth

Earth melting into water

Water misting, moving shifting...

Everything appearing grey

...with its own shade

...its own texture

But ALL ONE.

I'm wrapping you up in White Light and sending you blessings of JOY.

New Moon Manifestation Ritual

It's the New Moon!  Here is a simple ritual that will help you focus on raising your vibrational level to match the rate of what you want to manifest.  You need to commit to working with the moon until at least the Full Moon at the end of the month - looking at the night sky, seeing the crescent become fuller... and noticing in your life how you can become fuller with positive vibes that will attract your wishes.



What you need: a dark cardboard to signify the night sky; a white paper to cut out the moon.  Stars, sparkles, coloured pencils...  to decorate your moon with the energy of your wishes, and to decorate your "sky".



Why it works: the exercise keeps you focused on the positive feelings and energies you want to create.



And?  The moon influences the water on Earth with a push/pull action, causing the tides to ebb and flow.  Our bodies are made of mostly water; the moon has a push/pull power over us too!  Also, water is linked to the realm of emotions and the divine feminine.  It guides creation and intuition.  You know the Law of Attraction - like attracts like.  Focus your energy on being at the vibration of that which you want to manifest... and relax as it comes to you as easily as the moon glides and shines in the night sky.

Knowing who you are at soul-level can bring you on a path of more joy, serenity, and abundance!

Last year was my first year as "real entrepreneur".  Although I had been offering Reiki and Oracle Card readings for a few years out of my home, it was my first year doing it "for real" -- meaning that I intended for my spiritual gifts to also become my main source of income.  I could not stay in the corporate job with the correctional department anymore; I was too unhappy and unfulfilled.  So I chose to quit.  It's been difficult and very challenging for my finances and the maintenance of any sense of balance in my marriage.  But I can honestly say that, a year later and despite all the challenges, I am the happiest I have ever been all my life.

Some people say that "I'm lucky", or that "I'm special" for having the chance to do what I love now.  Let me assure you that it has nothing to do with luck or any special gift.  Rather, in my greatest moment of despair and dissatisfaction with the life I had created thus far, I chose to do something different.  I chose to follow my heart.  It did not make sense, it was not truly planned, and it was scary.  In fact, it still IS scary at times, and I often doubt myself and my decision to leave the safety of a corporate job for the ebb-and-flow of spiritual entrepreneurship.  I'm sharing this because I want you to know that if I can develop the courage to make new choices for my life - so can you.  If I can create a happier version of my life - so can you.

One of the things I did last year to reassure myself that I was taking the right steps in developing my business is that I hired business coaches and took business classes.   By the end of the year, I was wiser...  and just as disenchanted with the corporate aspect of having a business than I had been in corporate world.  Why would I seek to recreate that which I didn't enjoy?  Why were the same patterns reoccurring?

This year, I chose instead to invest in MYSELF.  The training I am taking bring me great joy and I can feel my energy and vibration levels going up, expanding, reaching new wisdom from where I can serve you better.  My struggle last year had to do with knowing with my head - I wanted to know the processes, the structures, the steps, the applications...  And now I truly follow my heart and intuition.  Instead of planning my week from a strategic perspective, I sit in meditation, connect with my heart centre, and dowse (I use a pendulum).  I choose activities that are aligned to who I truly am, instead of following someone else's path.  And - wouldn't you know it?  - what seemed stuck in my life and in my business is now flowing with more grace and ease.  You see, I learned a lot about myself, my patterns, my past choices, the big WHYs...  and I'm still learning to make new choices that bring me more joy and happiness.  I just had to learn more about what I wanted and why I wanted it... and like most people, I learn from making what may seem like mistakes... those life creations that aren't so joyful, because these are what we call "contrasts" - showing me what I don't like, so that I learn to choose things that I DO like instead.  And the more I'm in the flow, the easier it gets to make the choices that are right for me.  Life can still be bumpy... but I'm not stuck in a rut for very long anymore.

What would you do differently if you knew how to tap into your own spiritual gifts, into your own path and journey?  What would be different in your life if your truly knew and accepted your strengths and your soul purpose?  What would be different if you knew how to express your own divine nature in every day life?  What would be different if you realized your power as creator of your life experience?

I have recently come across a great resource I wanted to let you know about.  Have you ever heard of the Akashic Records?  Think of them as a giant energetic database that holds information on just about everything - including the nature, purpose, history and origins of your Soul itself!  When I do readings for my clients, and when I do house clearings, I now include an Akashic Reading.  I find this methodology brings more specific and relevant information about the Soul than the more passive approach of Reiki.  I like to know, through the Reading, what are the key issues and blocks to divine self-expression, and then move into more clearing and healing work using Reiki and energy healing.  I found a good flow. :)

What I love the most about the Soul Realignment methodology is that it teaches each one of us how we're actually in charge of the life experience we are creating.  It sheds the light on our patterns.  We get to understand how our past choices have shaped our experience.  We go back to being in the driver's seat of our life.  We become empowered through responsibility - that is, taking responsibility for ourself and what we create!  It truly is exciting work - and it's having such a positive impact in my own life, and in my clients' lives too!

If you're wondering why you're experiencing certain negative situations, if your finances are running dry, if you find it difficult to manifest your dreams and goals... AND if you're ready to shift the energy and create new choices for yourself, then consider an Akashic Reading.

I am loving this modality so much that I will even share the teacher with you, just in case you'd like to learn this modality for yourself.  Andrea Hess put together a wonderful e-course; the Soul Realignment course is highly structured and well-organized, so it's very easy to follow.  I love listening to the lessons - her words often sound like a mirror to what I teach my students; I found it was great affirmation of my own teachings when I heard similar lessons from someone else!  Since I don't offer an e-course of my own yet, I am happy to share this resource with you to get you started on your journey.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I am!  If you'd like to check it out, click here - you will be redirected to Andrea's website where you'll find a free video series that you can sign up for to get started.  Yes - this is a referral program, but I wouldn't refer you to a training if I didn't personally love it or believe in it.

I'm wrapping you up in White Light and sending you blessings of JOY.

Reflections to balance your Solar Plexus Chakra

Whether you're the A-type control-freak or on the other end of the spectrum as too laid-back let-others-decide B-type, your Solar Plexus chakra is likely out of balance.  You'll find more peace, freedom and joy by finding the middle ground.



Your reflections this week:

• When you feel the victim of others' decisions, when you feel overwhelmed, when you feel spiralling down out of control into self-pity...  remember your power to CHOOSE.  In the moment, select one action you can do right now to feel better.  This action can be as simple as taking a 2-minute breathing break, or it may be to walk away from a situation that is making you feel at odds with yourself. Say to yourself, "I choose (name the action or feeling), because I am the creator of my life experience and I want to experience (name what you want to experience)."
• Learn to befriend your ego.  Know the difference between the voice of your spirit and the voice of your ego.  Ego will seek to make you feel "less than" or "more than"...  always in comparison to  others.  Spirit is calm, centered, peaceful, non-judgemental.  
• Remember that the perception of making mistakes, and the fear of making mistakes, is very disempowering.  When you have created a life experience you don't like, choose to undo, to forgive, and to create something different.  Meditate on what it is that you have learned from that "mistake".  

Let me know how you're shifting in the creation of your life experience.  Do you need help figuring things out?  Do you need help finding the lesson in a less-than-stellar experience?  Let's chat!  https://www.timetrade.com/book/DPZMP