Self Help or Help Yourself?

At the prime (mid-life) of life, I have read plenty of self help books - haven't we all?  I'm pretty sure this is the largest genre of books on the market.  And the other day I thought to myself, as I was listening to one of the many "self-help" books I own... how many times do we need to help ourselves, and instead we pick up another book aimed at self-help, read it, listen to it, and do nothing to follow through with it?

For me, that had changed a long time ago - I gave up searching for the book that was going to hold me by the hand and give me step by step directions on how to live my life.  Instead, I listen to the books, read the books, and LIVE MY LIFE.  I trust that my heart knows what it's doing, and that my head will keep me from getting into too much trouble.  Sometimes I feel like a walking affirmation.  My approach to life is simple - I love who I love, I make no excuses for my choices, they are after all my choices.  And I live my life to please myself.  If I end up pleasing others in the process, all is well.
I have learned which battles I am willing to fight, and which ones are worth the struggle.  I have learned to tell myself no, and to discipline myself.  I have learned over the course of my life that the only person I can truly count on is ME.  I am the only one who is living this life... those who I love and share my life with are living their own lives and are not accountable for my actions any more than I am accountable for theirs.  I stopped being in relationships with people that I wanted to FIX and with people who wanted to FIX ME - I am not a Coldplay song - I march to the beat of my own heart's rhythm - as we all should.

Since this transformation has taken all of my life, I can't say that there is an easy fix to living the life that you desire to live, except to just live it - one day at a time.  Rise up to the challenges set before you - be honest with yourself, be honest with those that you include in your life.  Love yourself, and make sure that the love you give is unconditional - meaning; it's OK to make mistakes, it's OK to not be perfect - no one really expects you to, so why do you expect this of yourself?  Life is what we make of it, and we attract like minded people into ours.

I am blessed with many diverse friends in my life - in fact - I was recently asked, "Who DON'T you know?"... a very good question.  I am open to the world - I joyful greet new people, smile and talk to them... this is how I know if I want to nurture those relationships into something more, or if I just want to have the experience of meeting that someone.  I acknowledge that every day is a gift worth receiving, and I embrace that gift fully.

Do I have bad days?  Of course!  No one can be sunshine and light every moment of every day - but those dark moods remind me to take stock of the things I am grateful for.  And then I realize that I am helping myself!

Help Yourself!  Nurture yourself, Love yourself, Be Patient with yourself, remember that if you aren't doing it for yourself, no one can do it for you.

Namaste

Finding Acceptance

Life is never easy all the time, and it's the ups and downs of life that make it worth living.  We learn from both ends of the spectrum, though we hope to fall in the middle most often - or at least, I hope to fall in the middle most often.  Feeling safe and settled, content with myself and my life are all I hope for.

But in my darker days of being a young single mother, being overweight, looking for the right love, and trying to pay my bills, etc. etc.. you know what I'm talking about... I struggled; like we all do.  And I am a person who loves music.  I love all different types of music... gospel, country, rock, alternative, rap, hip-hop, metal, folk, opera, big band, new age, etc.  There isn't a genre that I can't find at least one song in that makes me smile.  So I create a soundtrack of my life - there's almost always a song running through my head... and before I get too off the topic; those dark days, I found a song that became my theme song for many years, and my mantra still.

I am blessed to personally know the amazing woman who wrote and performs the song.  In a way that makes it even more special.

In the immortal words of Ms. Jenna Greene; "you need to find acceptance in yourself".  And a truer statement has rarely been made.  When I was in my stage of "becoming" who I am - in the pagan community, in my business, and in my heart - The song "Acceptance" really struck a cord with me.  It still brings me close to tears when I think about how we often see ourselves; not through the eyes of those who love us, rather, through the eyes of those who judge us.

I am very pleased to share this with you - because I see myself more often than not through the eyes of those who love me, and I very rarely feel judged....

I hope that you will give the song a little listen, and embrace the lyrics... find your theme song and carry on living the amazing life that you deserve!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxgfd3FlgSw

Tarot Boot Camp

I haven't blogged about my classes before, but today I thought it would be a good idea.  Maybe this will be a trend for me.

This past weekend I ran a 2 day workshop I called "Tarot Boot Camp".  It is the first time that I have run my tarot class this way, and the students I had seemed to gain a lot from this method. 

My Tarot Boot Camp is a 2-day, 12 hour intensive and interactive workshop which incorporates all of my basics workshops, and a little bit more.  One thing that I learned through the experience is that I could add another couple of hours to this method to be sure I have time to include everything that I would like to.  My typical basics class is 5 weeks long - 2 hours per class, but there is ample time for homework to be worked on during that time.  With the boot camp method, there are more exercises to replace the homework... and yes, even though it's held over a weekend - I still give homework!  (just a little bit, I promise)

When I first learned how to read the tarot, I tried the usual method - reading the pamphlet that comes with the cards - then I tried reading a book and memorizing the meanings of the cards... then I gave up.  It was too much like school, and too much like work - and for something I wanted to learn for pleasure, it just seemed to much of an effort to put out.  (I was also in high school at the time, and who wants more homework / work in high school?)

When I picked up the tarot again, I realized that I didn't have to memorize very much - I just had to let the cards do the work.  The way I finally learned the tarot, is the way I teach others to work with the cards.  It has worked very well for me, and I am always thrilled to see the responses in my students, it is like they are seeing the tarot for the very first time, and falling in love.

I will be offering this boot camp method again over the summer - and this time, I will extend the time.  If you have ever thought you wanted to learn to read the tarot, if you have ever struggled to try and read the cards, thinking you would never "get it", I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to study with me and embrace the tarot, and fall in love with it all over again.

Business or Pleasure...

For those who know me, you know that I have a full time corporate job, which I enjoy greatly, and I am also a full time psychic & witch, which I am very passionate about.  In fact, I never leave home without my witches hat on.  (figuratively - please don't look for me actually wearing a pointy hat - I have enough trouble just wearing a winter hat or a hood).  I am also a mom, which obviously is my first priority in life.  In addition to these things, I volunteer my time in community service, am a spiritual leader in my community, and do my best to have some time for my hobbies and social activity.  People often ask me how I manage it all...

Do I manage it all?

Well, yes, I do.  And I do it by asking myself what is the most important thing for me to be doing in this moment?  I am always busy - on the go - but I rarely feel that I am rushing around.  And sometimes I wonder what would happen to me if I just stopped being on the go... the answer is, I would be extremely bored, and would become depressed and complacent about every area in my life.  I am not built to sit still.  My mind is always moving even if my body is at rest.

But how do I prioritize things?  Well, I am very blesesd to say that everything in my life that is a business, is also my pleasure.  The lines between the two are very blurred.  In my corporate job, I work with a great team of people who I think of as friends, and we all work hard, travel together on business trips, and share each others joys and sorrows.  It is an ideal environment where I can be creative, and have structure all at the same time.  I have learned over my 20+ years in the industry how to set reasonable goals for myself.  This helps me in all of my endeavors.

So like every other responsible adult, I get my bills paid as expediently as I can (some months are better than others), and then I look to my dreams and aspirations to reaching the next goal.

The LoonWitch Business is amazing - it always has been - I truly love doing readings for people, and watching them when I tell them something I would have no business knowing if I weren't psychic... I love teaching people about the tarot, aura photography, runes, witchcraft, crystals and reiki... I love seeing their faces light up when they do a spell for the first time and it works for them - because often, only a little part of you believes that it will - that little 5 year old still inside saying "this is so cool, i hope it works"... and when it does, there is almost nothing better to see the expression on the face of the person who just realized that they ARE magic, and they ARE psychic... and there IS something out there, intangible, and amazing called intention, that only needs a little push in the right direction to make you feel empowered.

I am so blessed to be walking this path, to be loved for who I am, and to love myself for who I am.  I am blessed that I am able to balance the needs of work and responsibilities with the passion for life that is always burning inside me.

I have heard the saying - if you don't love what you are doing, why are you doing it - and I have to say - I love everything that I do... and I love the people that I do it with.  As my five year plan continues to develop, I welcome the transition that this will bring - even though I know this will also bring stress and anxiety, it will bring new opportunities that today I can only imagine.

If you are wondering how you can achieve this joy about your life and work, contact me for spiritual counseling.  If you are truly ready to embrace your life, you can see the blessings you already have, and expand your horizons as far and wide as your imagination will allow.

Until the next post...

Namaste

A Mothers Love

This year, my son is turning 23.  The same age that I was when I gave birth to him, nearly 23 years ago.  For some reason, this scares me.  I look at him and see my baby.  My beautiful boy who struggled through my young adulthood with me.  My little man who helped me to learn to be the best parent that I could be.  His unconditional love made me feel that I could move mountains.  His unshakable belief in my strength, love, intelligence and protective arms taught me to believe in myself.

My son and I shared our young lives together.  We fought the world together, and stood together against any odds that we came up against.  We would go to the ends of the earth for each other.  And I can honestly say that I love him without condition or reserve.  Like all parents, I want him to do well in his life, to be as successful as he can, and to follow his passion, and find his life's calling - wherever that may take him.

It is not his birthday yet, but this year, I am reflective of my own pregnancy, now 23 years ago, with the only child I would ever give birth to.  23 years ago I was telling my parents the news, preparing for my first ultrasound, and wondering what my life was going to be like in the future.  As I look back at how far we have come in the short span of his life so far, I am amazed.

I am so proud of him for deciding to continue his education, and that he is doing well at this, even though it is sometimes a challenge.  I don't know if I tell him often enough how proud I am.

I am touched that he calls me when the weather is bad, to remind me to drive carefully, and to tell me that he loves me.

I am honored that he can be so frighteningly honest with me, it shows me that he KNOWS that I love him unconditionally. 

In the depths of the winter weather, he is the promise of spring, the joy of summer, and the wonder of amazing autumn. 

Love
MOM

Selling Yourself - Lessons in Self Confidence

What is the difference between self confidence and having a "big ego"?

When people ask me about my skills, I am not always comfortable blowing my own horn.  With a devil-may-care attitude I may say that I am the best, but I often have a hard time "selling myself". 

Friends and clients tell me that I don't charge enough for my services.  But I charge what I am comfortable charging - and that should always be my decision.  Does a high price point mean that I am more psychic than others?  Absolutely not - it just may mean that I have better marketing skills - or really good PR people.

I have been psychic my whole life.  And I feel that I have nothing to prove to anyone else.  I continue to grow and evolve my skills, and I continue to work with clients who are more often than not, pleased with the results of their time with me.

Recently, a friend of mine revamped my website.  She has done an amazing job!  It looks great!  And I am sure that this will be a good selling point in marketing myself.  I have re-worked my business card so they reflect my personality a little more, and have begun to "sell" myself more on the internet - using such agents as facebook, twitter, thumbtack, eventbrite, and linkedin to help promote me.  I have so many blessings of good friends, and good clients who want me to be as successful as I would dare to become.

This is the next leg in the journey for me to embrace my passion more fully than I have ever allowed myself.  I thank you all for your kind and encouraging words which help me to learn to be more confident in selling the LoonWitch.  I am inspired by your feedback as always!

One of the hardest lessons I have learned is how to take a compliment.  I am learning to just say Thank You when someone compliments me on my abilities instead of shying away from the compliment. 

Although many say that there can be no room for the ego in a successful spiritual path, I believe that when you are creating a career around your spiritual path, you need to have a healthy ego.  Being self employed means that you have to be confident, and that does take ego.  But learning to temper and keep yourself well balanced often proves to be a larger challenge as success comes closer.