Hey SuperSTAR! While I love to focus on the positive in my weekly inspirations, I’m also a great ally of the FULL SPECTRUM of life. While celebrating the beauty and abundance of my life and love of my family and community, I have also been faced with heart-breaking loss this season. Since it is up, so strongly for me, and, I know, it is up for many of my community at this time of year, I thought I’d share, more deeply, some tips and tools for moving through grief with beauty, love, peace and softness in our hearts. To me, the important steps to recognize and allow to support the healing process, after a big loss are: 1. Recognize numbness and haze as shock and be gentle and fallow. Allow more rest; less doing. The ONLY THING TO FOCUS ON IS BREATHING. Literally, make sure you are breathing as fully as possible and then releasing that breath. 2. Let your feelings flow through with each breath. You may feel numb, overcome with grief, angry, scared. Let the breath be an engine that helps you to move through whatever wave comes in. Movement can also help: Exercise, yoga, dance, walking in nature . . . 3. Allow the grief to move with those feelings you are releasing. Sometimes when we have a loss, we cling to the very last experience we had of that part of us, which is usually the painful part. We think that if we let go, we’ll lose all connection with that someone/something we cherish, but that’s not true. Letting go of the pain allows not only the old beauty and joy that once was to emerge, but new perspectives on the preciousness of those fond moments can deepen what you have in your past. It’s scary to think of emptying out when we already have lose, but if we don’t make space, we get stuck in the loss phase of the cycle. If we allow the FULL cycle to continue through (The Living Wisdom of the Creator*Preserver*Destroyer), we will be released from the pain and be left with grateful memories of what was, and a prayer for what will be. 4. Turn any remaining Grief or hard feelings into the beauty of Praise. This is one of the main teachings of my teacher, Martin Prechtel, and it has nourished me and brought more magic, purpose and meaning to my life than any other pearl of wisdom I’ve ever learned, and I’ve been gifted with MANY astounding and inspiring teachers and countless pearls of wisdom I cherish and practice daily. I do this by recognizing that any grief I have over something I’ve lost is direct evidence of having had it in the first place, and by following the pain to it’s core, I find a deep gratitude for having it in the first place. I let go of feeling sorry for my loss, and instead, feeling grateful I ever got to have it at all. It is a choice we can each make and it is life and soul changing. 5. Let that beauty of grief and praise become the Sacrament you offer to feed the Holy, which is another one of the main teachings of Martin Prechtel. I’ve learned, over the past 5 months, to play a musical instrument I made in Martin’s school, and because my voice is so shy, I have strengthened my courage to share my singing voice by singing with Gertie (that’s the dotar I made; ancestor to the guitar). I sing chants and sacred songs from different traditions, and make up a few here and there. When I am joyful, singing makes me feel even more ecstatic. When I am feeling loss in my heart, singing helps to clean out the wounds gently and leaves my heart open, empty and ready to receive the frequency I am sending out through my voice. It is ecstatic for me, and I can feel that the Holy receives it with delight. This is the heart of Spiritual Composting. Turning anything that feels painful into something that, even though challenging, is filled with beauty, grace, and opportunities to be stronger, wiser, and more torn open for a greater capacity to let the FULL SPECTRUM of life in and receive it all as a gift. HOW TO BE THERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE: It can feel really stressful and awkward to try to know how to be there for a loved one who is facing a heavy loss. The good news is, YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW! The best way to be there for someone else is to: 1. Make sure you take care of yourself first by following all of the ideas above. Come from a centered and steady place or you can’t help anyone. 2. Let go of any assumptions that you need to know what to do. 3. ASK how you can be of support to your loved one and then be honest about whether you can meet any requests that follow. Don’t KNOW. Just ask and be available. Be open to just listen and understand. Advice, even if it is good, if not asked for, can be overwhelming, confusing, and unhelpful despite our intentions. That is my gift to you this holiday season. My most treasured wisdom from my very tender heart, to yours. Until next week, HAPPY NEW YEAR and may the SOURCE be with you! Read More

Are you someone who hears the word “Priestess” and feels a contraction? Or does it feel like a calling you long to answer, but aren’t sure how?

Today I’m going to share what qualities and characteristics make a Priestess a Priestess, and the first basic steps to becoming one.

While there are all sorts of ways the word “Priestess” can be interpreted from “woo-woo” to Voo-Doo, my invitation is to let yourself step up as a completely unique embodiment of this archetype and DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE AS THE PRIESTESS. Allow yourself to practice it (it may be awkward at first, but it’s well worth the challenge), and give yourself permission to no longer hide behind a mask of mediocrity. You are here in this body, in this lifetime, for an important reason. Whether your role is as a mother, a teacher, a service worker or an entrepreneur, the way in which you show up will determine whether you are making a positive impact in the world, or merely rolling through the motions.

Here are some key words that inspire and guide me as I step into this role:

Divine Wisdom
Devotion to the Divine as the Beloved
Power through Presence
Grace & Beauty
Channel of the Divine
Sacred Mirror
Ceremony Keeper
What I feel, when I am embodying this archetype is a sense of infinite depth that can hold all things with graciousness. The Priestess responds with wisdom that is beyond the ego and personal preferences and biases. She can equally attend to practical matters that support grace and ease, create beauty to feed the Holy, and in her empty presence, engender stillness in others that allows the Divine to flow through them.

The shadow can be misinterpreted as aloofness, too little discipline, attending to the surface but not emanating from empty presence, too much discipline, detachment, and sometimes too subjective (unable to hold the Divine frequencies clearly).

When I can drop into the frequency of this Avatar and listen to Source, the answers that come NEVER lead me astray. The Priestess helps me to show up with courage and clarity when the ordinary me might not know how to respond to the Unknown.

If your heart is aching to become a true priestess, and respond to challenge with unflinching beauty and grace. If you long to discover what your life could be like if you had the keys to unlock the door to wisdom, strength and intuitive guidance, then you are invited to join me in my upcoming Living Wisdom School. Here we will learn how to shed the mundane, let the magic in, and become The Priestess, as well as other powerful and transformational archetypes of the Divine Feminine. We will learn the Divine Mysteries and secrets for becoming a living goddess without shame, guilt or limitations.

If you’re ready to wake up every day filled with joy because your life is filled with purpose and meaning, SIGN UP NOW. Space is limited and there’s no one who deserves to shine more than you!
NEXT WEEK I WILL BE OFF THE GRID AND WITH MY FAMILY TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON, so there will be no newsletter.

May this season be filled with light, and may you also find beauty, peace and grace in the stillness of the dark.

All blessings to you and your loved ones, and until I see you again, may the Source be with you!

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Are you like me and thousands other women who have suffered from either intense pain, heavy bleeding, or both during your moon cycle?

I’m going to share with you the basic practice I discovered over ten years ago that took me from excruciating pain to hardly even thinking about my moon cycle.

Click here for the DL on our not-always-welcome monthly visitor.

Basically, the thing that saved me was to do the opposite of what seems natural.

I turned my attention around. I did an about-face and instead of running away from or trying to ignore or minimize the pain, I headed right into the center of it. AND IT WORKED!

I noticed I had to bring an open and empty mind. I had to let go of all of my mental ideas, stories and assessments, even of the idea of pain. I let my mind be open and curious, and with that focus, I found that the pain that had, at times, taken me out of my body and into a psychedelic journey, soon turned into something I almost didn’t even notice.

It took just two brief connections with my cramps and they disappeared. But, it wasn’t just going into the pain with my open mind, I had to listen.

I saw the pain as a red flag and so I responded with concern. I asked what was going on, and the message I got was that I had put so much hate into the nuisance, embarrassment and other negative labels and projections I’d learned about having a monthly cycle that my body just couldn’t take it anymore. It was crying out for my attention, and when I offered it up and apologized and chose to send love, compassion and acceptance, the pain melted away. Within one month, I turned unbelievable pain that even Vicodin couldn’t challenge into something that almost felt good. I started to greet my moon cycle with deep appreciation. There’s nothing like immense pain and suffering to make the absence of pain feel like deep bliss.

I’ve continued to honor that healing and relationship with my womb and my moon cycle, and it has offered immense gifts, which I will continue to share if you stay tuned.

That’s all for this week.

Remember to take it easy on yourself this season. The weather, the social obligations, financial activity and family can all turn into stresses if we don’t remember to be kind and focus on they joy.

Until next week, may the Source be with you.
xo & <3

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We are full steam into the holidays now! Whether you’re ready or not; whether you want to or not, we are immersed. Here are some tips for making this season truly JOY-FILLED and TRIUMPHANT.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCOOP

Focus on what it is important: family? connection? giving? love? celebrating something sacred?

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. [I’ll add in here: People will forget what you made for dinner. People will forget what you gave them for the holidays. People will forget whether your house was decorated perfectly.] But people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou
Let the perfect ham, the ornately decorated tree and table settings and (expensive) gifts ALL TAKE A VERY FAR BACK SEAT to making the holiday full of joy. That means making sure that where you are coming from is joyful. And that means taking care of yourself and letting go of pride over the external things and attending to whether you are coming from a place of love and kindness. If you can’t come from love, take a break and ask for help if you need it.

And, forward this on to anyone you’d like to make sure is in cahoots with you to do it differently this year. Making a mutual agreement to spend less time stressing out over how things “should be” and letting the priority be connection and celebration is a great way to start things off.

Some great ideas for simplifying this holiday:
Have everyone donate the money they’d spend on family gifts to a general fund that goes into paying for a big family activity (or a few) over the holidays. Or, if you have plenty already, consider making the fund a donation to a family that needs it.

Draw names so that there’s only one person to buy for in your family, and put all your time and effort into one spectacular gift rather than a bunch of smaller ones that may have less effort behind them. Take time giving and opening the gifts together.

Consider gift certificates that are for time with you. I’ve done certificates for sewing projects, Fairy tea parties, day spa visits and other fun activities so that I get to build relationships with my friends and family. Then the holiday is spread throughout the year. When my parents were young, my mom gave out certificates for a certain amount of time each day that was set aside for each of her children. Knowing I had uninterrupted time together helped me to feel more supported and important.

Do you have ideas for simplifying and rocking the holidays? Leave your comments below!

ONE LAST NOTE: My Living Wisdom School is starting to fill up. If you want to spend 2014 learning how to drop the Ugly Duckling mask and start showing up as the Beautiful Swan you truly are, learning the secrets of the Goddess with a group of SuperSTAR sisters, then don’t wait. Claim your space now before we fill up! Check out the details here, and send me your application today.

Until next week, may the Source be with you!
xo & <3

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Hey SuperSTAR!
Happy Thanksgiving! Today’s quick inspiration is offered to help you with small or mammoth shadows that are full of shame. But before we drop into that, I want to say how grateful I am for YOU. Thanks so much for taking this magic carpet ride with me! I love your feedback and just knowing that there’s something I have to share that is landing in receptive ears.

If you’re an adult human being, there’s probably at least one thing in your life you feel shame about. Whether it’s something you did when you were a kid, bad habits you try to keep hidden, parts of yourself that could use some growth, or a full on ancestral karmic boulder you carry around, it can create a constant background of distortion that keeps you from really letting your awesome SuperSTAR shine.

There’s one key I’ve found for helping to turn parts of myself from feeling shame to being claimed and the scoop is here for you now.

Click here to get the full 411 while you’re waiting for that turkey to cook.

Yup, as odd as it may seem, offering compassion and gratitude towards that shame (not necessarily the actions that caused it or the experiences involved) is one of the best ways to let it straighten itself up, find some dignity and self-respect and start showing up as one of your SuperSTAR teammates. That background noise diminishes and you find yourself fueled with more energy, more clarity and more conscious support of the positive things you are walking towards.

Grief can often come up when we let the shame out into the light. Grief over wounds caused to us, wounds we’ve caused. Let that grief out. Write about it, exercise it out, shout it out (into a pillow is great), make some art, or do a Pippy Longstocking move after Thanksgiving and break all of your dishes instead of washing them.

Once the grief is out, the shame, now being owned and no longer hidden in the dark, will find a natural path towards health. From this place, if it is possible to bring healing to the situation that brought on the shame, those ideas will emerge. If nothing can be done at this point, then the wisdom from the experience will now be an asset that will offer insight and the ability to do something better in the future.

Sometimes we can find that the very thing we were ashamed of is actually something to be proud of (like when I was little, being tall, uber smart and physically mature were all really painful, but now they are things I am proud to claim as a part of who I am and what formed me as I developed).

When the shame is over something big, like the devastation of land and culture of indigenous peoples by many of our European forefathers, letting it out and owning it can inspire and empower us to behave in ways that take steps in the right direction toward preventing such things from happening again.

If you’re ready to let go of shame and start to claim all of you, let me know how it goes! Shoot me a message! I’d love to hear about it..

And if all of this sounds like a great idea, but feels like too much to take on by yourself, I have a couple of new openings in my calendar for one-on-one work. As a special gift of gratitude for our connection, I’ll give you $300 off my 9 session package if you sign up by the end of November! Just send me a message with the words “Shame to Claim” and we’ll get you started on your shame-free life. CLICK HERE FOR MY CONTACT FORM to CLAIM this special opportunity.

I’d also like to invite all you emerging goddesses to consider joining me for the next round of the Living Wisdom School: Journey with the 13 Goddesses. It’ll give you all the tools you need to trade in the mundane for magic and start living the life of a True Priestess, treated like a Goddess, and shining like a SuperSTAR. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO and application form.

Until next week, may gratitude fill your life and may the Source be with you!
xo & <3

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Can you believe how fast the holidays are speeding up on us? Despite the celebratory facade, time with family can bring up some . . . schtuff. And I thought now would be a great time to share some insights and tips to help us all rock the holidays and come out the other side filled with love, dignity and holding on to our authentic selves. Are you ready?

Check out this week’s inspiration HERE.

Okay, so let’s review:
First is to REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE NOW. It’s easy to regress back into old roles when we’re with family (and to project old roles onto our loved ones). The scapegoat, the golden child, the flake, the tattle-tale . . . Allow yourself to be who you are now so your family has the opportunity to love the present you.

Second, RESOURCE YOURSELF. If there is past abuse, make sure you have some allies around you (or available by phone), and check in with yourself to see if your time with your family is genuinely helpful or harmful. Putting on a front and allowing yourself to be re-traumatized (or even just enduring a painful event) isn’t doing anyone any good.

Third, come armed with questions that allow the conversations amongst your family to CREATE HEART-FELT CONNECTIONS, like:
“What advice would you give your young self?”
“Who do you most admire and why?”
“If you could meet any person throughout time, who would it be, and what would you ask or say to them?”

Fourth, COME WITH AN OPEN MIND. Allow yourself to pretend you are an explorer, learning about this culture anew. Let your mind be free of old stories and projections, and give your family the chance to shine. Going in with the assumption that LOVE WINS will make that most likely to happen.

And, please add your comments and ideas for how to make the holidays more joy-filled and less stressful for us all!

Until next week, may the Source be with you!

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Hey SuperSTAR!
I have had a lot of people ask me for book recommendations and for insights on how I got started on my Divine Feminine/Goddess path. And it just came up again, so I thought i would step back in time with you today and share with you some of the first steps I took toward awakening the goddess within.

Check out this week’s inspiration for the scoop! AND Check out below for a link to a FREE downloadable ebook version of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success!

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra took a while to really understand and to integrate, but by reviewing my summary of just one of the laws each day, and committing to practicing it as best as I could for that day, it didn’t take long before I was living them all, all the time, and didn’t need to review them anymore.

Here they are listed below (but I STRONGLY recommend reading the whole book so you know what they really mean. Then, summarize them in your own words and assign one law for each day. Review it in the morning and let it be your guide for how you respond to everything that comes your way that day. THERE IS A LINK I FOUND TO A FREE EBook of The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success HERE):

http://www.box.net/shared/85drf7nj3n

1. The Law of Pure Potentiality
2. The Law of Giving
3. The Law of Cause and Effect
4. The Law of Least Effort
5. The Law of Intention and Desire
6. The Law of Detachment
7. The Law of Purpose in Life

It was sooooo long ago that I read and integrated these laws (almost 20 years! YIKES!), but I can still remember the somewhat ponderous looks I got at work (I did child abuse investigations back then). I didn’t just change my world, it rippled out to the attorneys, teachers, therapists, judges and families I interacted with.

“What the flip did she just say?”

Don’t think you are like a drop in the ocean. You are a rock dropped into still waters and your effects can ripple out endlessly from this ONE SIMPLE PRACTICE even if it doesn’t make a huge splash in the moment.

Give it a try today and tell me how it was!

Oh, and please join in with me for a moment of prayer for our relations in the Philippines. Send them light, love, care and compassion as they heal and recover from the devastation that hit them. Click here to learn how to help out.

Oh, and I am starting a new radio show series on the Conscious Evolution of the Divine Feminine Archetypes starting this month! November 22nd, 2-3PST on Human Spirit Radio. Catch me live every 4th Friday 2-3PST, or look me up in the archives.

Until next week, may the Source be with you!
xo & <3

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Have you been feeling the warpy, bumpy, confusing and trying twists and turns that the change of the season and the shifts of the planets are bringing in? Me too! I have not only been aware of my own crunchy spots, but have felt incredibly sensitive to those around me. Seems like most of us are going through another wave of intensity. What can be done?

I was just reminded of something I realized a while ago that helped me through a really rough patch and now seems like the perfect time to share it with you.

As we approach the season of dressing up in gory costumes and watching scary movies, it seems like the perfect timing to share with you what I learned about feeding my soul.

CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATION HERE.

I’m not saying you should put a total ban on everything that isn’t puppies, kitties, unicorns and rainbows. Not at all.

As someone who embraces the shadow and celebrates the full spectrum of the human experience, I think it is important to be aware of and in touch with all aspects of life and death, light and dark.

What I am inviting you to do is to be aware of what you choose to feed yourself with: enriching, inspiring, and nurturing stories, images, and music? When you do choose to indulge in something that is violent or outside the lines of what normally brings joy into your life, what is it doing for you? How do you feel afterward? Is it helpful to balance this experience with something inspiring and gentle on your senses?

My teacher, Martin Prechtel, encouraged our class, the Shoots & Tendrils, to read International Folk Tales and Fairy Tales before bedtime, and even if I can only get in a page or two before falling asleep, I have noticed that my sleep feels more deep; my dreams feel more inspiring and helpful, and I wake up with a more positive attitude. I try never to go right to sleep after being exposed to anything violent or upsetting.

The same goes for eating. I ask those I share meals with to keep the conversations, during the consumption of food, to topics that are nourishing and positive. I’m happy to dive into something deep and troublesome after a meal, but I agree with many traditions that we internalize what is happening around us when we eat.

This one simple idea: making sure to feed my soul plenty of healthy and helpful images, stories and music, has helped me through emotionally challenging times.

I invite you to give it a try, especially if you’re a scary movie fan like me. See if you notice a change, and let me know what your experience is like in the comments section here.

Until next week, may the magic be with you!
xo & <3

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Has this past week felt like it’s riddled with warps and wobbles in the space/time/emotional body continuum? ME TOO! We had a minor earthquake here in the Bay Area and I think that it was the earth’s reflection of the energetic and emotional upheavals we are going through as the seasons and planets shift.

There have been several times that I have felt like someone dosed my green drink! And my clients, friends, and family have all expressed that, as we start our passage into darker days of fall, the shadow is emerging on the inside as well. The good news is, the shadow is here with a gift! Mostly it’s an opportunity to get really intimate with that shadow and see what it needs to be lifted from pain into wholeness through love. Speak kindly to it and see what happens. Speaking of . . . speaking, that brings me to today’s topic: Sacred Sounds of Manifestation Magic.

A little while ago, I shared one of the secrets of manifestation: GRATITUDE (check it out here if you missed it or want a refresher).

And today, amidst the wobbles and twiggly danglers, I thought it would be good to share another potent secret for manifesting our reality. WORDS. Yes, words. Sounds oversimplified, but it is one of the biggest keys to creating what we want.

Check out this week’s inspiration here for the magical download from Spider Woman.

The natural cycle of manifestation (this is fully supported by science, but we won’t and don’t need to go into the science of it here) starts with the fecund potential of the Void and from there, it becomes consciousness, empty presence, then self-awareness, an idea/thought, then a prayer/intention, which is vibrated out onto that web of reality through our breath and then our spoken words, which can then be written and turned into physical reality. The process continues from there (and, again, I invite you to check out my recent video on Gratitude for the rest of the manifestation loop sequence).

The ancient words spoken by our ancestors were considered to be sacred sounds (Egyptian, Hebrew, Hindu and Mayan origins, at the very least, hold similar beliefs that all reality was spoken into existence through these sacred sounds, which were the beginning of human language). And I have found it to be continually validated. What I speak is more likely to become a reality once it is birthed from vision (the intangible) into vibration as sound. And when it is shared as a sacred prayer, put into chant, it is even more powerful and swift.

I could write a whole book about sacred sounds and speaking as a weaving of reality into material form. But what is most important for you to take away is that what we speak, we send out as a prayer, whether we intend it or not. And so, it is important to be aware of the words we use and the stories we tell.

Even more potent than spoken words are those which are sung. And even more potent are those that are sung as food for the Holy.

I’ve been singing at my altar as a gift to the Divine, and have experienced immense, potent, and often instant healing, bliss, insights, and other gifts. i almost feel like I don’t need to pray for help. I simply open my heart and let it express itself in song that has no agenda other than giving back to the Source that gives me so much. I can feel my prayers coming out as music. I let my mouth make sounds that are not a language my mind knows, but my heart and the Holy know it well and it feels ecstatic.

I dare you to give it a try. You can do it alone so you don’t feel self-conscious, but find a place in nature or another sacred space, and let your heart soar through song. Even if it seems a little silly, do it anyway. Over time, you may be amazed at what starts to shift. Let those sacred sounds emerge without censorship and definitely without any sort of mental process.

My prayer has been to be a magnification of love, light and beauty in the world through all that I do, and I see my singing to the Holy practice as a way of opening up that channel. Since I’ve started doing this, I keep hearing “you have such a beautiful voice!” I don’t know that my voice has gotten better, but now it is infused with something beyond myself. It is liberated beyond any sense of performance. It’s simply an offering to my best ally ever.

Give it a shot and tell me how it goes! Here in the comments section is great!

And, if you’re intrigued by the Spider Medicine for Manifestation Magic, then you’re invited to my Spider Woman Magic Manifestation Mudra Transmission event I’m co-hosting with my dear friend, Kerani Marie Lomonaco. She will be weaving in her 4 WISE Keys to help you use this potent wisdom to discover your Divine Purpose as you unite Spirit & Business, Prosperity & Growth.

There are only 5 spots left.
Sign up NOW and save $66

I look forward to supporting you in learning these potent tools for making your dreams a reality!

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I just had an epiphany about vulnerability while working with a client the other day and I just HAD to share this potent insight with you!

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you feel complete trust? A time when you felt like you could be completely without defenses or masks? It is an all too rare experience for many of us, and as I worked with one of my clients, she described it as an ecstatic, blissed out experience where her authentic self feels loved and fully embraced. Sounds fantastic, right? So why don’t we all let ourselves be vulnerable all the time? Well, the obvious, right? When we’re vulnerable, we’re not only very sensitive to the good feelings, we’re also painfully sensitive to the triggers, projections and judgments that inevitably surface. It is SCARY!

Sometimes we don’t even know HOW to be vulnerable since we aren’t always aware of the dynamics that allow or prevent a state of vulnerability.

So, I just knew I had to share my vision with you, since it’s really helping me to see when I’m stepping outside my authentic self and behind a mask of protection.

CLICK HERE to get the download I received on how to recognize when we are masking our authentic self.

It was so amazing to realize that judgment/criticism/projection and self-defensiveness/justification/excuses work together to distract our focus from what’s really needing our attention: our vulnerability.

I had the opportunity to use it myself. In the long ago past, I was a type-A, perfectionistic, obsessive compulsive person who would spend MONTHS getting over mistakes that every human makes. I’d repeat it over and over in my mind and relive the anxiety and torture of self-criticism and be unable to let it go.

Just last week, I made a really big mistake. It had an impact on more than just me and I felt sick to my stomach. I could have made a bunch of excuses, and was even encouraged to do so by a friend, but I decided to just be completely honest about what had happened, without excuses, and simply ask what could be done to make things better. You know what? A solution was presented, I did what was asked and that was that. I was expecting to have to continually alleviate the onslaught of winces and pangs of pain over re-living the realization that I’d messed up, but instead, I have let it go and it’s done.

Our vulnerability is the place where our authenticity resides, and when we lock them up, we are robbing ourselves and the world of the immense and unique gifts we were given to share.

Judgment and Justification stand as guards, ready to start an endless wrestling match with each other to keep us distracted from pushing through into the jail cell where our vulnerability has been locked up. Locked up for safety and protection, but the real outcome is that it is a prison that ends up squashing our truth and keeps us from being a whole human.

Here are 5 steps for moving beyond the guards of Judgment and Justification and into your vulnerable, amazing, authentic self:

1) Notice when you are making excuses, defending yourself or justifying something you’ve done.
2) Take a deep breath and let go of the mental determination to figure out blame or culpability.
3) With your breath, bring your awareness to what part of your body has tensed up along with the defensiveness. Breathe right into that place. Put your hand there, too. Send a message that it’s okay.
4) Just send as much love and compassion to that place in your body as possible and breathe until you are able to release the contracted energy.
5) Listen to what this part of you needs, and if you go into any dialogue or stories that include any sort of justifications, come back to the breath. Keep doing this until you can tune into what it is that your vulnerability has to say (ie: I’m scared of looking foolish. I don’t want to be rejected for not doing something “right.” . . .).

Take care of your vulnerability, rather than getting lost in the unproductive maze that judgment and justification create as they try to protect your tenderness. Let it be tender. Let it hurt, and let your energy go into moving through the hurt, rather than trying to figure out how to fight in the battle between self-criticism and self-defensiveness.

The Divine Feminine archetypes connected with these dynamics are the Primal, Wild self and the Initiatress, who carries that sword of truth I was talking about last week. I teach the deep mysteries of the Divine Feminine archetypes in the Living Wisdom School. I’m now accepting applications for this rare journey with the Feminine face of the Holy.

So, please do share with me your stories of liberating your vulnerability from judgment & justification in the comments section here.

And, if you enjoy these weekly inspirations, why not share them?

Until next week,
xo & <3

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I want to get down and dirty and ask you to take a really honest look at your life. Where is it wobbling? Where is it out of alignment?

It can be really difficult to want to look at these things, mostly because we can be at a loss for how to “fix” them. But if we don’t pay attention to the parts of our lives that are not a true reflection of what we want to be, then over time, even the little disjointed pieces become foundational blocks that keep us from reaching our full potential. Better to do a little bit of housekeeping now than either do a complete do-over in a year or feel stuck in a life we’re not really in love with, right?

So, today I have some clear and simple steps for bringing the little loose ends and warpy bits into alignment so that you don’t look back at your relationship, your career or any other part of your life with regret. Sound good?

Click here for this week’s Heads UP on how to use the Sword of Truth to have a life you can fall in love with.

It’s a very simplified and quick bite for a HUGE topic, I know. But I think it’s easier to get bite sized pieces that we can integrate.

Here are the steps again, so you can refer to them and start using them to initiate positive change in your own life and in the world.

1) Feel into where the warps are. Spoken word versus your physical/energetic response.
2) Be aware of your own stories, judgments and projections that can turn an gift of truth into a barrage of critical attacks.
3) Let the unfolding of the truth be your goal instead of blame or even fixing a problem (mutual understanding is another way of looking at it).
4) Speak about what you are witnessing rather than any stories or causalities you think you may have figured out. EXAMPLE: “You said that everything is fine, but I have a tight knot in my belly and when I look at you, your body seems tense. I’m curious why the words aren’t matching up with the feelings I have.”
5) Recognize that when you stand in courage to speak your truth, you open the door for a new possibility to emerge, rather than slugging along in the “business as usual” grind. Though some people resist the changes that truth-speaking brings, any great mind will tell you that it is speaking one’s “inconvenient truth” that helps the world to evolve into something better than was possible before we opened our mouths.

OH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST KEYS: Make sure to keep a balance of using the sword with yourself and with others. Always being up in other people’s business when you’re not willing to take an honest look at yourself is really annoying. AND only choosing to be honest with yourself can lead to unspoken boundaries/broken boundaries and not feeling authentic, even though you’re a total SuperSTAR. The Sword of Truth is always a sacred mirror, reflecting for all sides of the matter, something important that is asking to be looked at.

So, don’t keep your gifts to yourself. And remember how to deliver them so that they can be received as gifts. Wrap them in love, and a desire for letting the truth grow something good and leave the judgment and criticism packaging in the recycle bin.

This week’s challenge: Take a look at what parts of your life (or what moments) don’t feel in alignment. Where do the words not match the emotional/energetic/physical response? Commit, this week, to speak what you are experiencing until the truth can emerge.

AND, SHARE YOURE EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW. If you have questions about this, that’s the place as well.

The Initiatress is the archetype who inspired this week’s inspiration. I just shared Her wisdom with my Women Inspiring Soulful Evolution community, and teach about Her deeper mysteries in the Living Wisdom School. Want to know more? Check out the Living Wisdom School AND the WISE program I offer.

Until next week,
May the magic be with you!
xo & <3

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Hey Superstar!

Pssst! What’s your niche?

If you’re at all like me, this simple question has caused hours of pondering, soul-searching, thinking you’ve found it, then realizing you didn’t. It’s been a real hair-puller for me.

Just the other day, though, I had a HUGE “Ah-Ha!” moment that helped me to shed the light on this continually elusive answer. Not only did I find my answer, I found THE KEY to discover who your ideal client is and how to understand him/her better.

CLICK HERE to get the answer that could save you $1,000’s in business coaching and boring conferences, ebooks and teleclasses, and hours of stress.

I SO WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS 2 1/2 YEARS AGO!

As an entrepreneur, pretty much from day one on my solo journey into being in business, I have heard how important it is to be able to answer the question “What do you do?” with precision. A more refined way of looking at it is “Who do you help?”

It makes sense. If I can’t tell people what I do, how will they know if they want to work with me? They certainly couldn’t refer anyone to me if they are clueless about my offerings and services, even if they really really like me.

But I am the poster child for Sagittarians. I get about 100 great ideas every day, and since I have, my whole life, been in service, I HELP ANYONE & EVERYONE WHO NEEDS IT. I’ve done paid work with abused children and their families, people just out of psychiatric care, hospice patients, women fighting cancer, pre-operative patients, chronically ill, women devastated by loss of relationship, men struggling to free themselves of childhood wounding, women wanting greater spiritual connection, people ready to release old stuck rage . . . it feels like freakin’ lifetimes worth of demographics I have helped. And it’s because I listen to my heart and when someone is in need, I answer the call.

So, who do I help? I’ve been working on answering that for over 2 years!

That’s why I was so incredibly relieved the other day when I got this HUGE epiphany. And the basic answer is: I am helping myself.

Let me explain.

I know I was born with certain obstacles and have had certain challenges to walk through in this lifetime so I could help others on their path. I believe that facing our struggles helps us develop the strength and wisdom we need to manifest our life’s purpose.

In working with a business coach (I finally bit the bullet and hired an amazing woman to help me with the last 10% that’s been so elusive), and as I answered the questions she gave me, and started interviewing my clients and, more clearly, looked at the overlap for most of them, a pattern started to emerge, and what I realized was that I was looking at my life story.

I grew up “different.” I matured, physically, mentally and emotionally very quickly. I looked and seemed a lot older than I really was.

In 5th grade, I was reading to my class at story time and administering the spelling tests (not kidding at all; talk about socially isolating a kid, geeze!). It was hard to relate to kids even a couple of years older than me. Much of the time I felt like an outcast, yet I also could see that I had gifts that I thought should be valued.

My deepest desire wasn’t to get rid of the things that made me different (thank goodness, I was able to hold on to the value of them), but I longed to be appreciated, instead of made fun of, for my differences.

Fast forward a couple of decades . . .

Fortunately, I am now surrounded by all sorts of gifted and inspiring people, so it’s easy to forget how tough things once were, but I do carry with me that old story. So, as I started tuning into my ideal client, I realized that my ideal client is walking the path that I walked, and I can help that person because I have the blisters and bruises and muscles from being there myself.

Yes, I can help all sorts of people, and it brings me great joy to reach out to new people with new challenges and I will continue to show up as Spirit guides me, but I am so relieved to realize who it really is I am here to serve. The ones I can serve BEST. The ones who are walking the path I’m oh so familiar with.

So, here’s the one big tip for you to help you tune into your “niche”
What was/is your biggest obstacle that you’ve had to learn how to navigate to survive and thrive in this world? It probably started as a kid. What were you made fun of for? What made you feel different from the rest? What were the stories you told yourself? It is likely that as you really explore your greatest challenges, you are also uncovering your niche.

I can’t believe it took me so long, and it kind of had to come through the back door before I even realized it. Instead of being embarrassed that I struggled with this for so long, I thought it would be helpful to spread the word so that you don’t have to suffer from “Can’t figure out my niche-itis”

Did you like this week’s inspiration? Spread the word!

Got insights about this week’s topic? Share your journey to find your niche (I almost hate that word now, truthfully.) in the comments section below.

AND, if you like what you see and you haven’t already, SUBSCRIBE and you’ll get my weekly inspirations mailed directly to your in-box. You’ll also get special invitations you won’t find anywhere else.

Until next week,
May the niche be with you!

xo & <3

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I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to get really personal today.

This past week, I ended a really beautiful relationship.

I have been seeing a great guy for almost two years. We have lots of fun when we’re together, the chemistry is fantastic, and he’s the man who opens the door for his woman, shows up with wine and thoughtful gifts, and shows support in all that I do. Seems crazy, right, to let go of such a great catch!

Watch this week’s video to find out why I would let go of such a great guy, and how we were able to come to completion with grace, style and beauty.

The biggest key for me was letting go of any sort of agenda and simply choosing to be completely honest with him and to allow the truth to emerge between us. It took all the nervousness off and the terrible feeling of laying a heavy message on someone that might hurt him.

What resulted was a night of magical connection, honoring our relationship, each other, and the time we’ve had together. Instead of focusing on what was passing, we are planting the seeds of what new interaction might emerge for us.

There are many tools and practices I have cultivated over the years, and learning how to dance with the archetype of the Queen of Death, Midwife to the Underworld, has been essential to trusting, releasing, and surrendering to transitions so that deep peace and beauty can emerge.

The work I do with my clients empowers them to use the same tools I do so that stress and even deep loss don’t knock them off their grounded center.

If you have ever gone through a loss you didn’t know how to handle with grace, and would like to learn how to show up in the chaotic moments of your life with confidence and peace in your heart, give a shout. I have no greater joy than sharing my superpowers!

Oh, and check out the Living Wisdom School! We’re about to start up another 13 month journey with the Goddesses of Spiritual Composting. This is your playground for letting go of self-doubt and invisibility, and allowing your inner SuperSTAR to come out of her shell and fly!
SPACE IS LIMITED and spots are filling up.

Until next week, may you remember the Divine within you!
xo & <3

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Wow! I’m back after an amazing 2 weeks in New Mexico with one of the most amazing men I’ve ever had the honor to meet, Martin Prechtel.

Every 6 months, I get to go off the grid and drop deep into the magic that unfolds in his school, Bolad’s Kitchen.

And while I’ve continually felt that the mysteries and rich tapestries of indigenous origins that Martin weaves together with us is an absolutely lovely layer that expands and magnifies my work in the world, I was really amazed to see how much overlap there was in our last session together.

One of the biggest pieces that we focused on this past time was approach. What does that mean exactly?

Check out this week’s inspiration here to get the scoop.

From my perspective, everything comes down to relationship. How we relate to ourselves, our loved ones, the elements that keep us alive, and the Holy.

And I’ve found that as I refine how I relate to myself and the Holy, the effects tend to echo out and impacts all other relationships in my life.

In the beginning of all relationships and all interactions, there is the time in which we approach with a desire. What desire we hold in our hearts, and how we make that connection is the foundation for how that relationship and that interaction will unfold.

If someone comes to me with a sense of entitlement, I’m not very likely to open up my treasure trove of wisdom and kindness for them. If someone comes to me with flowery words to stroke my ego and a self-serving agenda, I’m likely to smile, grit my teeth, and say “no thank you.” If, however, someone comes to me with an open heart and a recognition that connection is a gift, not a right, and demonstrates in some way that they really see me and my offerings with respect and gratitude, then I am likely to flood them with all I’ve got to give.

I don’t think the Holy is any different. Constant requests for help, forgetting to say thank you, forgetting to say please, or forgetting altogether that to be in communion with Divine Source is the ultimate offering are great ways to get a not so generous response from the elements we are invoking to help us with our limited ways as human beings.

There is no way I could or would attempt to teach the methods of approach that Martin so graciously unfolds for us, but I can share with you what it has looked like in my life.

I’ve mentioned this before, recently, but emptying out first, before barging in on any sort of connection with someone is key. To approach anyone we honor, it’s a good idea to empty out of our own desires, needs, stories and projections so we can be present and listen.

Tuning in, listening, allowing resonance to happen is next. Starting to simply be aware of who this “other” is we want to engage with.

Then we want to ask “do I have your permission to take part in your experience?” WIth the Holy, I’ve never gotten a “no,” but I do feel the difference between plopping down on my meditation cushion at my altar with a busy mind and an agenda, instead of consciously entering into that space with the recognition that the Divine is there, more potent than any king or queen, and my internal and external noise and static impact the way in which I connect in. I’ve found that the Divine has infinite patience and compassion, but my experience is enhanced when I take a moment of conscious attunement to respectfully approach the deeper realms of awareness.

I’ve had the same experience with sacred instruments, like my didjeridoo. if I just pick it up and try to start to play, it is awkward and feels clumsy, but if I pick him up as I would a delicate and precious sentient being, take a moment to say “hello,” and just be with him, then start to breathe into him, and then slowly allow my attuned breath and energetic flow to move through, the sounds are elegant, beautiful and beyond my personal abilities because i have honored the magnificence of this magical being, rather than treating him like an object that is at my beck and call.

As one final note, I’ll add a quote from a dear brother, Jeff Wright, who is the backbone of Medicine Path Native American Church. He says “How do we keep something sacred? We treat it in a good way.” And for me, the way of approach is the first, and key step to starting a relationship that immediately invokes the Holy and invites a deeper experience than is possible when we forget to ask permission.

Well, I hope that landed well with you. I continue to forget, then remember, then forget again, and then remember again on deeper and deeper levels. It takes practice, but it’s oh so worth it!

Give it a shot and tell me what your experience is. Do you notice a difference between interactions as usual and taking a moment to follow the steps I’ve offered above? Leave your comments in the comments section below.

Until next week, may the Goddess be with you.
xo & <3

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When I look at some of the biggest pearls of wisdom that I’ve learned in my relationship with the Divine Feminine, my baby steps into the shamanic realms, and learning indigenous traditions and teachings from different cultures, there’s one particular nugget that not only intersects all of these, it stands out as, probably, the number one practice that HEALS ALL SUFFERING, and UNLOCKS MANIFESTATION MAGIC. Want to know what it is?

Check out this quickie for this week’s Heads UP for Thriving Outside the Box.

Giving Thanks is at the heart of love. It is the key element of Spiritual Composting, which turns all suffering into limitless joy. It is at the core of all healing.

As a key to unlocking manifestation magic, it tells the mind and body, especially those old stuck parts, that whatever it is we were longing for, well, it’s already here, and letting the whole mind*body*spirit resonate with that new reality is the fastest way of calling in what we want. (I’ll get more into that in future messages, and have touched on it already. It’s a BIG topic to dive into).

Gratitude is, if there really is such a thing, the cure-all. It is a simple and easy way of practicing loving kindness. It’s hard to turn a hard heart to a show of gratitude.

Imagine being able to be grateful for someone’s mistreatment of you. The wounding would dissolve into love, and the “mistreator” has no option but to be stunned and melted by the graciousness (at worst, it creates such an unpleasant discord because there’s no place for the intended harm to land, that the “mistreator” will excuse him/herself from the situation).

Gratitude is one of my greatest weapons, along with love. Actually, I think Gratitude is the weapon and love is the ammunition. Regardless of the metaphor, the two together are unstoppable, truly.

Just give it a try.

Here’s a simple practice to turn everything around:

First thing in the morning, take 5 minutes to simply list all the things you are grateful for. You can say them out loud, or write them down and carry them with you as a reminder.

Here’s another practice:

1) Put reminders ALL OVER THE PLACE (in your calendar, alerts on your phone, stick-it notes . . .) “What are you grateful for now?”
2) Simply allow that mantra to reside in your mind and heart: “What am I grateful for now?”
3) Don’t react or respond to anything in a challenging situation until you’ve found at least 1 thing (not something unrelated, but something directly involved with the challenge) to be grateful for.

One last pearl about gratitude: The more time you give yourself to feel grateful, the more, you will notice, there is to be grateful for.

I believe that all the Elements and Guides who are here to help us need to be acknowledged and fed in some way, and gratitude is one of the foods that pretty much all of them like. And the more I feed them, the more they want to help me out. I’m not kidding. I can almost not get an offering of thanks out there before it is reciprocated in multiple ways.

So, that’s it for today’s transmission. I hope it serves you well.

Do YOU have a Gratitude Practice? If so, what is it? If not, try one of these and tell me what happens in the comments section below! I love to hear from you <3

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We’re getting to the end of the hot and sultry days of Summer.
And as I’ve been in the playful and very activated energy of it all, I had an invitation from Spirit come to me. It was to take a moment to be silent and to be receptive.

Summertime (especially here in the Bay Area) is full of big plans, events, parties and expression. It’s a time for fireworks and celebration, and it can be easy to forget to practice one of the most important (and frequently least honored) elements of truly getting what we want. What is that element? Check out my latest video for the answer, and some ways to put it into practice.

This beautiful poem just came in to my life today, and speaks beautifully to what I just shared:

Praying

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak

~Mary Oliver

So, I’m keeping it simple.
Enjoy, and please comment below on how still & silent receptivity serve your journey.

If you want more in-depth insights, invitations and offers from me, sign up for my weekly inspirations and they’ll get delivered along with the vlogs to your in-box.

Until next week,
May the Magic be with you!

xo & <3

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Happy 13! Yes, it’s been 13 weeks (that’s a whole season’s worth!) since I started my journey with you, offering inspirations for a life outside the box, filled with magic, topped with limitless joy.

To celebrate, I wanted to present you with a little riddle. What do Oscar the Grouch, The Goddess, and the Number 13 have in common?

Check out my latest video to see what the heck I’m talking about:

13 is the element that comes from the Void. It is all possibility that emerges from the darkness of the Great Unknown. It is the Great Mystery inasmuch as we can possibly grasp such a thing while still in human form, perceiving through human mental constructs.

We often fear and judge it. Yes, even me. Yes, even you. We think it is trash. We think it is “other.” What it is really? Something unknown with the potential to expand the universe towards even greater life.

It is out of our control. It is beyond our comprehension. It is scary, and it keeps life happening. It breaks the mold, rocks the boat, never even got inside the box, and laughs at convention. It’s dirty and sweaty, scraped up and invites us to step way outside our comfort zones (and if we’re lucky enough, She kicks us off our beaten path to see the tiny miracle emerging beyond our sight).

I suspect you might be drawn to this frequency or you wouldn’t be reading my newsletters. While they are focused on bringing in the light, they fully embrace the full spectrum of the human experience, and 13 is my special H’Om girl.

Since Oscar is so in love with trash, and in ancient times, the Goddess Temples housed the “trash” (since she is the transforming element that returns life to the lifeless), he’s a secret cheerleader for the Goddess. GO OSCAR!

Goddess of Trash Challenge:
She invites you to do a couple of things.

#1 – Open your mind and heart to something or someone who currently brings up contraction inside. Find an opportunity to praise, rather than judge.

#2 – Make yourself available for this potent frequency to operate in your life. That means creating space in your schedule, your heart and your mind, and ASKING for The Goddess to move through you. It won’t be comfortable, but it will offer something new, unexpected and very lifey.

#3 – Leave me a comment about your experience in the comments section.

A BRIEF DISCLOSURE:
I share this and all other insights through the lens of being a priestess ordained into 13 different archetypes of the Divine Feminine, and as an initiate into a Mayan tradition of shamanism. I have a unique perspective to share. This is my own picture, inspired by my work with Martin Prechtel in Bolad’s Kitchen, my work with the 13 Moon Mystery School, my education and life experiences, and as a channel for the Divine living a life on the edge of magic, beyond the mundane. I want to honor my teachers and their influence in my work and also acknowledge that I am in no way able to teach you what they would; nor can I promote my opinions as endorsed by these teachers. I take full responsibility for what I say. For more information about the big influences in my life, click on the links provided.

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE IT FURTHER?

JOIN ME for my in-person circle!
I am accepting applications for the Living Wisdom School NOW, which starts up October 12th 2013. Space is VERY LIMITED and there is a screening process to make sure our group is cohesive.

Can’t make it to the live circles?
TAKE PART in my Journeys of WISE teleclass!
We meet for 75 minutes weekly and calls are recorded and provided as our gift to you for your listening convenience.

It’s been so great to celebrate our 13 weeks together! Here’s to the next 13!

xo & <3

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Hey SupterSTAR!
Tell me if you’ve had this experience before:
You push through some old pattern. Years of old conditioning have come to the surface and you’ve taken the risk and done the hard work to move through into a new reality for yourself and just when you’re about to celebrate, you start to feel anxious. You get triggered. And it feels like everything just might all apart. It seems like often, after a great break-through, there’s a whiplash effect that can bring it all down.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone!

Check out my latest video (6 min) that give the 2 signs of success that most of us mistake for sure signs of failure.

Well, I hope that is helpful!

And tell me about what YOU experience after a breakthrough, and if it was challenging, what got you through the aftermath of vulnerability that comes from a big break-through? Leave your comments below.

And if you liked this week’s inspiration, don’t keep it all to yourself! Spread the love! Tell your friends and post it on your favorite social media sites.

Thanks & until next week, may you Re-Member the Divine within YOU!
xo & <3

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I have sat down several times, wondering how to share this week’s inspiration with you. Usually I have a clear idea that is just chomping at the bit to be liberated into the written word, but today (which makes perfect sense if you read on), the experience I want to share is so intense, I’m not sure how it will unfold. The message is waiting to be revealed and requiring that I simply sit down, without any sort of agenda, and allow Spirit to guide my fingers.

What I am about to share is immensely sacred and intimate and my prayer is that it holds the inspiration and guidance for you that it has offered in my life.

A year ago, during a rare, but nonetheless challenging time, I fell into a day full of self-doubt. I was having a crisis of faith, QUESTIONING EVERYTHING that I’ve built my life on. Finally, after feeling stuck and overwhelmed for hours, I got my butt out of the house to go for a walk. No more than 5 minutes down the very busy trail by my house, I came across a fox skull (totally random and so out of the blue). I put tobacco down and prayed with it, asking if this was something for me (I’m really learning that it’s good NOT to take anything that is not truly mine, as all things hold medicine and the wrong medicine is, well, just wrong). The overwhelming message I got was that the skull was there as a reminder from Spirit that, no matter what happens to my faith, I am always seen and held.

Fast forward to just a few weeks ago. Fox has continued to appear, more and more frequently. Showing up to visit the new sweat lodge that the Native American Church has built at our home, and remind me that, despite my sometimes lack of ability to see the big picture, the big picture does not fail to see me.

Last week, I was on that trail again, and a fox jumped out of the tree in front of me and took off around the bend. I was in total doubt, telling mysel I had made it up. It must have been a raccoon. No fox would be so obvious in the middle of the day. And just as I was convincing myself I had not actually seen him, I rounded the bend, and there he was, standing and looking at me over his shoulder. It was obvious he was there, waiting for me to really see him. I gasped as we made eye contact. I looked at him and really took it in. I said “Wow, thank you, beauty!” and then he disappeared as quick as lightning.

The next night, I went to my weekly Chanupa prayer circle and one of my prayers was to really deepen with and understand Fox Medicine. A few short days later, I went out on the same trail. Before I left, I stopped in at the Crone Altar (the latest archetype we danced with in the Living Wisdom School). The Crone had melted open the raw chocolate I’d offered her, and she told me to bring sweetgrass for my walk. I found a golf ball with the number 13 hand-written on it (a very magical symbol of death, transformation and change). I perked up my senses and thought “This is a nature oracle! Pay attention to what else you find that is unusual. It will be guidance for the road ahead.”

Within minutes, I rounded the bend and there he was again, but this time, the fox was dead. I instantly started to cry. The first flash that hit me was a recognition of him being my kin. My brother. The next flash was deep grief for the death of this beautiful being. The next sense that hit me was immense gratitude as it was unmistakable that he had come to offer up the medicine that I had just prayed for.

Spirit had guided me to bring a braid of sweetgrass with me that day, and so I knelt down by his beautiful body, prayed with the offering, and asked what I was to do with this experience. As I placed the sweetgrass and my hand on his heart, I got the message that I was to take him home and let Spirit guide me as to how to care for him in a good way.

I did a tobacco blessing on him, lit sage and the sweetgrass, and then brought his perfect, lifeless body home with me, in my arms, like a baby. All I could feel was a swirling of different emotions: sensing this being as my brother, grief and gratitude.

I reached out to the medicine man who guides our Medicine Path Native American Church ceremonies that are such a huge part of my life, and other members of our community for some support in how to really honor this almost unbelievable medicine gift.

What landed for me was that I was to take his skin. Something I’ve never done and felt not just a little intimidated to do. But with prayer, and the support and presence of a dear sister, Ayden, I became intensely intimate with this beautiful creature. With many prayers, offerings, and empty presence, I did my best to honor my brother and to fully receive his sacrifice in a way that could serve my path and beyond.

Since I first laid eyes on him, I have felt shifted. There has been so much that has opened up for me in my heart, my vision, my mind and my body. Some of it is still floating around on the etheric plane, but some of it is landing, and because this offering is so powerful, I want to share it with you since I feel that we are all, in some way, on the same journey together, and there is wisdom that can serve us all here.

LESSONS FROM FOX:
1) You are always seen by the Divine, even if you can’t see Him/Her.
2) The deep recognition that happens at the heart-knowing level, holds within it the wisdom of death. Everything and everyone we “recognize” or take in as a part of our journey will some day not be there. Embrace them anyway. Let the breaking open of the heart be an allowance for what is – the gift and the inevitable loss. Don’t miss out on potent medicine, gifts and lessons in an attempt to avoid the pain of loss.
3) Grief is inherent in every deep connection, and when we can be present with the FULL experience, it creates beauty, feeds the Holy, and gives us medicine unavailable from the mundane world that tends to filter out the parts of the human experience that are messy.
4) Being fully available to receive what the Divine has to offer us (and honor it) is more fulfilling and enriching than any social status or efforts at “progress” could yield.

I feel, unquestionably and fully seen by my Creator. There is no amount of money, or material/social acquisition that could compare. These experiences are not found on-line, and seldom at the mall or other landscapes of human cleverness. They exist in the in-between spaces we forget about. The moments that our busy schedules tend to push out.

For me, these potent communications, hit-on-the-head-with-a-frying-pan sort of answers to prayers, are the most valuable experience I could have. They let me know I am remembered and snarl at self-doubt, keeping it at bay.

As I complete, I have these questions for you:
Where are you hiding from the Holy (through busy-ness and lack of presence)? What parts of you are afraid to be vulnerable and seen by the Unknown? I want to hear from you! Let me know your answers to these questions, AND, have you had a magical connection with a guide from the animal or plant kingdoms? How did it show up, and how did it impact your life?

Please leave your comments here, and . . .

stay tuned for next week’s Head’s Up for inviting more of the Divine into your Life and Thriving Outside the Box!

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I just want to say that I have been feeling the deep sense of outrage that has rippled through our community as the result of a continually failing “justice” system. We have so many people in jail and prison and there’s so much inconsistency in how punishments are handed down, and, truthfully, it feels like an immensely antiquated system that is creating more harm. As the veils thin and more and more humans are choosing community, connection, love, sustainability, balance, and health instead of control, ownership, us vs. them, it seems obvious that the prison system is lagging far behind in the whole train of human conscious evolution.

And the truth is, many of us feel upset, but then we don’t really know what to do with it. How can we take real action to make our world a better place? It can be easier to just try to tune it out.

And that’s the same for when we have regret in our lives. Events we wish we could have done differently, but now are stuck in the place of being aware of the damage, but feeling hopeless and powerless to do anything about it. Is there a solution? Yes, in fact, there is.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I wanted to share a potent tool I’ve used many times for myself, and have shared it with pretty much every client and many of the groups I teach and speak to. It has brought about miraculous results in my life and the lives of many others, and I think it is really important to share this tool so that each one of us can do our part in making the planet a place of healing and loving relationships rather than disconnection, separation and contention.

The tool is a Huna Hawai’i’an practice called Ho’o Pono Pono. There are books and probably workshops you can take on this experience, and I am no expert at it, but I have used it many times and can truly say it has played an immense role in healing some circumstances that I felt were hopeless. (Not just my own experience, but for others as well.)

I invite you to check out this video where I share the 4 basic steps and go into the details of how I have integrated them into my practice for maximum potency.

Again, the 4 steps are:

1) Apologize
2) Ask for forgiveness
3) Say “I love you”
4) Say “Thank you” for the healing

There are SO MANY WAYS that this practice can be used and integrated into other practices so that it really serves you. I had one friend tell me she used it to get a call back on a job she really wanted, but felt the hiring manager’s assistant had blown her off. I have used it to heal crunchy relationships that have not been available for live and in-person healing. Again, I’ve always experienced potent and positive results and so I highly recommend it for ANYTHING that you are experiencing that feels outside of your control and painful.

I want to put out a personal prayer for our personal healing in old unresolved upsets and a complete transformation of how we deal with criminals. I believe that focusing on restoration, healing and going to the heart of why the crimes were committed in the first place is where true justice lies. It may not be easy or pretty, but I believe it holds the keys to a healthier planet. Fortunately there are amazing pioneers who are growing this concept in the world through Restorative Justice, which is a practice that focuses on bringing healing to victims and perpetrators of crimes rather than punishment, which frequently leaves the victims and their needs largely unconsidered, and offers no real help to those who broke the law so that they can make a better choice for themselves in the future. There are really potent parallels here between regret we hold inside ourselves and the injustices that exist out there, and I believe that when we start to shift from within, it ripples out and becomes a reflection in our external world as well. Don’t ever underestimate the necessity and potency of you doing what you can to heal your life. Every single person choosing to live with more love and peace in their hearts makes a huge difference in the world. That means that you hold in your hands the most powerful tool for a healing planet. Are you ready to use it?

Please let me know how you are using this practice in your life and how it is impacting your relationships in the comments section below.

Here is a resource for more information on Restorative Justice I highly recommend:

http://www.restorativejustice.org/

Sending a prayer for deep healing for ALL who have been harmed, and all who have caused harm. May there be liberation from the suffering and a coming together in loving kindness.

Until next week, all blessings.

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As I have started to feel my energy return and seeing the light at the end of the long tunnel of loss I have been walking through, I’ve taken the time to feel into the many responses I have received from clients, friends and my community.

I keep hearing so many stories about the intense heaviness of loss, and that some of us are able to really connect with the sweetness, the sacredness and the beauty that is available inside each passage, transition and loss. And some of us can get swallowed up in the grief and feel consumed by sadness and an inability to move on. And as I’ve listened to the stories and felt into what has helped me to feel so held and blessed during this potent and challenging time of grieving is one key that, I think could help us all to shift from living in the past with regrets and remorse, to celebrating our lives and moving out of the darkness and into the bright side of life.

I shared a little bit of what I discovered here in this week’s video and I invite you to check it out.

Being able to be fully present with what is happening, to listen, to really be fully available, to surrender to what’s going on, rather than trying to fight the loss, ignore it, push it away or otherwise tune out from the pain gives us the ability to show up for these powerful, life-altering experiences in a way that keeps us out of the dark shadows of regret. Regret seems to be a prison we put ourselves in that traps us in the past, and the only key to releasing ourselves is to be fully present (and to find forgiveness for how we’ve dealt with the difficult times in our lives).

The truth is, we don’t live in a culture that tells us how to deal with death, so truly, just getting through it with one’s sanity is something to be proud of.

But it is so important to recognize that when we see that a loss is imminent: in a relationship, a job, our physical capacity, or saying good-bye to a loved one . . . that being present with every phase allows us to respond in ways that can really serve a graceful flow that creates gentleness during this challenging time. This allows us, as we look back at the process, to say “I wouldn’t have done it any differently,” and I think that this is the absolute biggest gift we can give to ourselves. It allows us to move forward, heal, strengthen, grow and fully participate in what life is offering us on the next leg of our journey.

And if you’ve had a loss that you find yourself stuck in, full of regrets, there’s still an opportunity to heal and let those regrets become helpful guides and allies. It requires compassion and forgiveness, and it requires finally having all the feelings that were avoided. It can be something that is overwhelming, and so I invite you to get help with this process. From a friend, from a professional. There is absolutely no need to stay stuck in the past and to let regret eat away at your happiness and keep you from fully living the immense gift that life is waiting to offer you RIGHT NOW.

So please, don’t waste one minute more. There is no honor, reward or benefit in letting regret run your life. It’s time to let those feelings go, cut the anchor of the past and allow yourself to be fully engaged with what life has placed in front of you to experience in this moment . . . and this moment . . . and this one.

May you feel fully supported and nourished on your journey and please don’t ever hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you thrive and live a life free from regrets.

Please tell me what your experience is with regret. How have you kept yourself free from regrets, or how have regrets shown up in your life? Share below in the comments section.

And thanks for stopping by! I look forward to deepening with you.
Until next week, all blessings.

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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Today I want to be brief with the words and offer up for you a musical journey. A mixed tape, if you will, from the Goddess. It’s a journey through loss. May it see you through into the light at the end of the tunnel and to your personal freedom and take you on a journey through loss that might support your graceful transition from emptiness into what lies on the other side of this passage.

Severance
Ganesh Invocation
Chant of the Paladin
Namaste
Monk With Bell
Dissonance
Fortune Presents Gifts not According to the Book
Sarve Shaam
Morning Song
Meeting In The Aisle
Dawa The Cradlesong
Prabhujee
Refuge & Sevenfold Offering
Thank You For Hearing Me
Starálfur

How dow music impact your life? Do you use it to support you in troubled times? What is your favorite music when you’re sad? Angry? Ready to pop? PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW!

Once again, thanks for tuning in, and until next week, blessings on your journey!

xo & <3

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