What am I hear to do? What are my gifts? Do I have special talents?
Of course, we all do. The beautiful part of human life is that we are all born with a special gift. From astrologers to believers in God, it is said that no two people are born alike. From an astrological point of view, no two people are born with the same birth chart. Because of this, we are all individually created and given certain gifts to serve our soul's purpose. I am going to write a separate blog about HOW to find your soul’s purpose. But, the purpose of this post is to understand how we can recognize and embrace our gifts and talents. With society progressing the way it is, many of us desire to be someone or something else other than accepting what we are currently good at. When we detach from our ego and listen to the callings from our higher self, we can evolve into powerful beings that can touch lives and change the world. Here are five ways you can embrace your talents and gifts. Come out of the Closet What closet are you hiding in? Some of us have gifts, talents and interests that are not accepted. Luckily, times have changed and we can pursue our talents much easier than even a decade ago. Ever since I was a teenager, I loved astrology, electronic music and the metaphysical world. I hid in many closets as people type-casted me as “weird” or a druggie for liking certain types of music. Society, parents and peers pressure us to conform to humanity like everyone else. Because of this, we shelter our gifts and store them into a closet. An east Indian friend of mine desired to be an artist and he was excellent at art. However, his parents demanded that he go to school for software engineering because that is where the money is at. So you can see the confliction this person had between his gifts, desires and societal pressures. Do The Work & Stop Procrastinating Wouldn’t it be amazing to quit your job and focus on your passions? Sure, we all dream of it, but reality is that we live in an economically abundant society that is expensive. It’s unrealistic for most people to think about quitting their job to make jewelry or paint. Social media consumes so much of our time that we forget how much time we spent wasting the day away instead of doing our work. We have time somewhere, even if its once per month. Some of us need to do internal work before pursuing our gifts. Whether it’s a lack of confidence or self-esteem, sometimes we need to work on our inner-world before sharing our gifts. Detach from the Ego The online world can be quit disgusting sometimes. Most comments are ego-driven and posts are vanity-related. You need to develop a sound mind and detach from your ego in order to know that you can’t please everyone. Bad comments, reviews and thumbs down does not discredit your work, gifts and talents. We can’t please everyone, but know internally that your gifts and soul’s purpose is on the right path. Stay true to YOU and your inner world. Live from the Heart A lot of people live from their head and not necessarily their heart. When sharing our gifts, be true to you and your heart. The energy we think moves into our hearts and the work is poured out through our hands. Remember no other person has your same life path or birth chart. Stay in check with your heart to let it guide your talents. Embrace the Emotions If you get excited about what you produce, than know you are on the right path. Sometimes we are so excited about something that when we release it to the world it doesn’t produce the results that we hoped for. Timing can be important as the mysteries of life sometimes give lots of recognition to something we barely worked on where something’s we work hard on gets barely any thumbs up. Process your emotions as you go through your journey, but remember many things in life are a test. Keep persevering and do not give up even when you are at a low point. Sometimes we need to experience things to develop and strengthen our chakras. How do you embrace your talents and special gifts? I'd love to hear it! Let's Connect!
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I have to admit something. I am a European at heart. I grew up with Ukrainian and Polish immigrant elders, persecuted from World War Two, and once I lived in Germany, I became attached to my European roots.
On many levels, I knew my soul spent lifetimes in Europe. Sometimes I joke it’s why I ‘ve felt so out of place in America. Europe changed me in ways that I cannot describe. I became more logical and spiritual at the same time. How does that work? To see the persecution and destruction of people and places makes one realistic about human nature and mankind. We’ve evolved as a specie, but have a long way to go.
Upon returning to Seattle, I spent the weekend rediscovering Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district. To me, Pioneer Square is a European-oasis dotted between the Amazonian jungle of mile-high skyscrapers and the cannabis-infused district of SODO.
Intuition guided me to the popular Arcade. Ironically, I never explored the basement and the nagging voice in my head said, “Go downstairs!” I stumbled upon The Hidden Alchemist, a quaint window-front style shop “hiding” in a narrow strip of space between a brick wall and a faux storefront. Dried herbs and roses dangled from the windowsill as the homemade incense basked in bath of aromatic oils. Copper pots hung out on the exposed brick wall as change jingled inside a prayer giving shell.
My soul reminisced with memories of Latvia, Estonia and Poland where many people still believe in ancient herbal remedies.
Shop owner, Sunny, is like a reflection of myself. Spiritual yet logical, I knew there was a reason why I was so attracted to this place. After much conversation, she admits that she has a very balanced approach to life that integrates logic. Sunny is a Master Clinical Herbalist, which means she has trained to create compounds from scratch. As a compound herbalist, she creates mixtures that use specific herbal combinations to aide certain functions.
Sunny’s in-depth knowledge and wisdom proves (to me) that she is meant to heal the world through herbs. She’s created tinctures for over 20 years and operated a business for seven years.
Curious, I wondered if her interest in herbs was random or came from what I term a soul’s calling. Sunny expressed that always had interest with herbs. She started her first garden at the age of six and grew chamomile along with other herbs. As she aged, she gifted herbal presents for holidays and special occasions. Her passion and knowledge comes alive in the shop where visitors can watch live tinctures drip into a basin or consult Sunny in the ever-so-therapeutic meeting room. Sunny hand makes every product in her shop. Teas, muscle rubs, tinctures, lotions, beverages, energy shots – you name she’s got it! She makes her products in small batches, ensuring every product is fresh with an appropriate shelf life. She uses organic, chemical-free and handcrafted herbal tinctures and natural skin care products.
Everything she touches is with care, including her handmade business cards. The alchemist, the ultimate creator, is the being of light that can heal the world and the people.
Sunny is also author of a lavender cookbook, “The Culinary Lavender Cookbook of Delicious Desserts and Luscious Drinks," which autographed copies are sold in store. Besides the shelf setup and the antique-looking birdcage perched outside of the door, the most attractive part of the shop are her affordable prices. Fifty cents for a tea bag? Three dollars for a wellness shot? A couple bucks for a package of homemade incense? Where am I? I felt as if I transported to Romania, a place where unadulterated mainstream consumerism exists. As a homeopathy consumer, I find more value and authenticity in her products compared to similar items sold on the mainstream market.
Sunny also trains apprentices on how to become compound herbalists. It’s a long and arduous process, but like traditional yoga, it’s the old-school method where the guru teaches the pupil. Isn’t that so refreshing (and so European) that something like this still exists in a world dominated that is pumping out health coaches every three days with online certificates?
Sadly, Pioneer Square, like the rest of Seattle, is changing. The Hidden Alchemist lost their lease and Sunny will relocate to Fremont in August. Right now, she has an indiegogo campaign to save her small business. All guests are welcomed into the shop and handed a small sample of freshly made tea. My favorite tea is the Just Breathe and Peach tea. I pretty much recommend everything but I love love love the incense (green tea, wisteria, honeysuckle, lilac and lavender are my favorite). Rummaging through her shelves is similar to a scratch and sniff booklet. Every smells so fresh that your mouth waters, disguised as your brain thinks its edible food. I recommend sniffing (and trying) the lilac bath salt and goat milk soap. The lotion works wonders on dry skin. Each lotion is made with coconut oil as a natural moisturizer and my favorite is the Honeysuckle. Discover more about Sunny & The Hidden Alchemist at http://www.thehiddenalchemist.com Do you enjoy goods from an apothecary? If so, what is your favorite item? Love it? Let's Connect!
Several years ago, I was so happy to live in the Age of Aquarius. Now, I’m not really so sure. To be honest, the negative aspects of Aquarius are stronger than the positive. The purpose of this article is to depict what is going on globally from a big picture perspective and not preach any one political standpoint.
As an Aquarian sun sign, I can’t help but think and think and think about the world and the progression in humanity. First, let me note that I am a middle of the road type of person. Politically, people would label me as a moderate democrat. Several months ago, I wrote a mini astrological series that discussed the energies of the Age of Aquarius. I mentioned that the three greatest (negative) energetic influences in this age are extremism, rebellion and radicalism. And well, haven’t we seen a bit of all of this? Plus, more! Here’s the thing to know. I mentioned in the blog that explains that the Aquarius symbol, waves, is a metaphor to mental waves. No matter what astrological sign you are, you will feel the effects of this “Mental Age” energy. Those who are susceptible to stress, emotional chaos and mental instability will feel more of it. Without knowledge, a sound mind or a spiritual understanding of the world, suicidal thoughts are possible. Suicide is almost an epidemic. Whether one has lost love or wealth, we are so much in our heads (very Aquarian) that we are forgetting about the greater picture of life. Has anyone else questioned the universal reasons on why suicides and mental health have drastically increased? Besides poor diet and being doped up on meds, I believe that this age has a great influence on mental health and wellbeing. In terms of wealth, we are living in the most abundant era, but yet many of us are sad, depressed, lonely and lost. Although materialism never wins in the battle of happiness, we are lost in “fixation” with this fixed and inflexible sign. As for terrorism ideology, it’s no secret that these acts are on the rise everywhere in the world. Ideologies are on the rise, but sadly it’s not just the far right or “bad guys” who are contributing these actions. Aquarius is all about peace, love and hippie-like ideas aka brotherhood. But, the dark side of Aquarius is anger and rage. Aquarius is community, but also individuality. It seems bi-polar, similar to its brother-sign, Gemini, but that is part of air – it sways and flows with the wind in either or all directions. I believe that this energy influences extremism on an individual level. In the US political debate, we can see the far-left, Sanders versus the far-right Trump. Ironically, both preach politics without funding but are on opposite ends of the spectrum. To me, it's no surprise these "rebellious against tradition" candidates are running this year. Although extreme liberalism complains that conservatism is dumb, stupid and uneducated, this also contributes to the hate of what is going on in the world because it categorizes the party/thought to be the “right” way to live. The far right and the far left have its own issues with extremism that “preach” how humanity should live based on an ideology. We need to release the “right and wrong” perspectives. I’ve studied astrology for over a decade, but I do not read birth charts. I use astrology on an individual and global level to understand the movement of humanity or how one thinks. The world is trying to move forward with some ideas, but sadly it’s failing. Part of it is failing is because not everyone is riding the same school bus. But, what many people do not realize is that extremism breeds extreme leaders. I fear that because the pendulum is swinging so far from the right to the left that this will breed dictator-like leaders for the Western civilizations. If the world continues with extremism ideologies ( and terrorism) it will result in extreme leaders so the pendulum rocks back to the middle, which is why the non-PC Trump gained popularity. How do we battle the negative energies of Aquarius? As an Aquarian, I used to do everything extreme. Burnout and mentally bruised, it took a long time to get balanced and I’m only 31! Now that I am living a balanced life, I’ve never been happier, but part of that influence came from a dear Libran friend whom I met in Germany. I learned through her logical (and I thought sometimes spiritual) perspective of the world to see how things truly operate. Difficult at first, I believe we all need to transmute and call in the Libran energy to balance extremism. My friend told me that growing up her father taught her to view situations from an outside perspective, and then keeping pulling yourself further and further away to see everything from above (and as an outsider). She also claimed that as a Libra, she had to see both sides of the story, just like a scale each perspective needed to be balanced with logic. Although impulsivity is ruled by Aries, we live in a society where impulse triggers anger with the flick of a light switch. It’s part of the human personality. Since a balanced approach is key to this New Age, it requires us to shed some skin, especially in excess. America (and Canada) is unlike any other country in the world. We are an extreme culture (work hard and no play) and have excess of everything – food, water, materialism, wealth, and opportunities. A moderate approach is necessary. What do I mean? I mean valuing our gifts from each party or perspective. Politics will never make everyone happy, but we must admit that there are pros and cons from each party. We have to be realistic with our perspectives. We should logically and spiritually analyze reality versus an ideology of how life should be lived. We all dream of a utopia, but that can't exist if everyone is not on the same page. Humans naturally retreat or retract when forced, nagged or coerced to do something or live a certain way based on an ideology. So how do we become more balanced as a society? With all my heart and soul, I believe the best way to help the world is by helping yourself. If you want the world to become more balanced, you need to balance yourself, emotions and mental state. This is not to say that people should stop sticking up for their beliefs, but we all must look inward to expose our personal extremism (if any exists). The most important thing to note is that humanity and life is greater than our understanding. Most of us will not understand what the point or purpose (besides leaning lessons) until we return to the spirit world. Remember, things cannot exist without its polar opposite. It’s part of the world and humans will continue to experience pain, suffering, death and heartache. It is a part of nature. If you’ve ever viewed a National Geographic show, and cried with the lion killed an innocent zebra, we must learn from nature. Nature is a powerful beast that is smarter and wiser than man. Humans are no exceptions to hardship. Good and evil, light and dark, left and right and up and down – everything has a polar opposite. Humanity is all about maturity. If we dream of no borders and holding hands with each other, all cultures must be on the same page to coexist and express equality between man and woman. Instead of dreading on the past and remembering “assholes” like Christopher Columbus, we need to focus on the present and the future to transmute the positive Aquarian energies. Looking back does us no good when festering on the guilt and shame of when the West experienced its Dark Age. Depending on how you view life, sadly humans had to experience some horrific tragedies in order to mature. We should never take for granted how easy and decadent our modern lives are with chic cafes, fancy cars and countless means of entertainment. Be appreciative of the now and what we have. One day it could be taken away as easily as it was given to us. Change yourself. Change the world. Channel in that Libran Energy and focus on the bigger picture. If not, the ugly and dark sides of Aquarius will continue to rise. In vedic astrology, we are in the Bronze Age, which represents chaos and war. So whatever is guiding humanity has a lot of pain, suffering and dark times ahead before we return to the Golden Age. What are your thoughts on this New Age energy? Are you enjoying it? Or do you have concerns? Let's Connect and Join the Community!
It took me a long time to figure out if angels and spirit guides exist. I know some of my logical friends still think I am “crazy” for believing in invisible beings, but throughout key moments in my life and various spiritual experiences I can’t help but confirm my spirit guides, guardians and/or angels were with me.
Whether it’s through a reoccurring number or chills sent through your body, angels and guides present themselves mainly through our senses. Since the majority of everyone cannot “see” things (or a blocked third eye) our guides must get in touch with us somehow. Whether it’s to remind you that you are on the right path or to signal you about a potential problem, here are some ways to note that your guides and guardians are with you based on my experiences with life. Reoccurring Number Patterns – Have you been seeing the same number over and over again? Has an important email been sent at an important time like 1:11pm or 2:34pm? Angels and guides communicate through numbers to grab our attention. I find numbers help confirm or bring awareness to a certain thought or action that occurred at the same time. I’ve found numbers come through from license plate numbers to my total at a grocery store. Chills – Chills are a universal sign that you’ve connected to your soul and that your guides are with you. I remember from going through past life regression hypnotherapy that I began researching this life I once had. When I asked the question, “Was I once a native American corn woman?” chills flooded through my body and I felt the urge to look at the clock which was 11:11am. To me, this confirmation signaled the truth to my past life.
Actions from Nature – Whether you are sitting alone in nature, or questioning something while driving, guides will present their actions through nature. Has an “odd” looking cloud appeared? Has a certain bird entered your presence? Signs from nature are signs from the heavens. After visiting a Native American site in Utah, I was thinking about my upcoming move to Europe. Doing well in my career, I wondered if this move would be good for me. I looked out the car window to notice a beautiful angel shape cloud soaring above, which reminded me that my guides would take care of me.
Rainbows – Although scientific when combing light, clouds and rain, rainbows in many ancient cultures are a sign from guides. I’ve been a bit of a rainbow chaser the last couple years and see rainbows in some of the most majestic places. Many believe rainbows are a valid sign for your thoughts, worries or actions. Ads to Answer Your Question – If you’ve questioned something, “How the hell do I sell a book?” and then some pertinent emails or advertisements come through, it is a message that your guides are trying to help. Most people think that the angels do the work. In reality, they give you hints or messages about something and it’s your free will (or awareness) to choose that route. Normally, they try to get your attention three times. Physical Touches – I had a friend once who had a powerful story. She began to cross the street and surprisingly a guy blew a red light. She felt hands on her shoulders pull her backwards, which brought her back on the sidewalk. She looked up, down and around her and not one person was in sight. Who else could it be besides a spirit guide. I still get chills to this day when I think of her story. Whiffs of Scents – Did you just randomly smell oranges? Some believe that random smells are signs that an angel is present. Many believe certain scents trigger certain beings. I’ve had this experience while performing Reiki on people. I’d either feel movement through the air and/or whiffs of a certain scent life orange, rose or garlic. Not sure what the garlic means, besides maybe someone was once a great cook. Music – Songs sometimes appear at the perfect time. Whether it’s a song that has an imprinted memory on your soul, or lyrics that you can relate to, songs are the perfect message. I remember my first visit to Europe we flew Iceland Air and the new Monsters of Men album was on there. I loved this particular song because it reminded me of Europe. Well, we wanted to move to Europe and at the time my husband put in his application that song popped on the radio. When he left for his interview in Germany, that song came on in the airport and in my car ride home. As you can guess, he got accepted for his fellowship and between the song, email communication times and gut feelings, I knew we were destined to move to Europe. Do you have any angel stories to share? What signs signal you? I love to hear, learn and grow through people’s experiences. Let's Connect! A couple years ago, a friend from London introduced me to this powerful phone psychic in Los Angeles. Curious, I knew I needed to consult her as at the time I was grieving my Uncle’s tragic suicide and wondered if I would move to Germany in 2015. Since I would send my friend distance Reiki, he purchased me a 30-minute session as a token of thanks.
At this time, I became interested in my past lives. Toward the end of our session, I asked her if she could pick up on any of my past lives. She took a moment to channel the energy and began to pick up the time period when people lived in castles and soldiers roamed the land. She couldn’t define what area specifically, but she knew it was Europe and during that medieval era. In this life, I was a female and a noble daughter of a family with higher status. I was wed to a man of similar status, and he was a soldier. My true soul mate and the man I really loved was of lower status. In my heart, I did not want to marry or be married to my husband. I had an affair with the man of a lower status. It went on for sometime and eventually I was caught. My punishment included taking away sight. My eyes were removed and the psychic ended, “So you spent part of your past life blind and you have vision issues in this life. Do you have eye problems? I feel like you have bad eye sight, do you?” Somewhat choked up I replied, “Yes. I’ve had to wear glasses since the second grade. I am almost legally blind. I can’t read anything more than 6-10 inches away from my face.” She continued, “Yes. I feel this is a physical manifestation from this life. So that means a part of that life was reincarnated into this one. Your goal in this life is to work on how you see things and improve your vision.“ Many logical people would claim it is a coincidence or “foo foo” the notion. But even as a younger child I questioned how I got such bad vision. My sister had perfect vision and my parent’s vision was really good, they needed “cheaters” but can still see and function without them. For me, I couldn’t do anything without glasses or contacts. What she said about this life’s lesson made sense as I began to understand the world (and human creation) differently from studying different spiritual notions and traveling. The more I traveled the world, the more I began to pick up pieces of myself knowing my "old soul" has spent time in certain regions once before. Looking back this life that popped up made sense. At the time, I, like many married people go through periods of highs and lows. This "inspired" me to critically think about my marriage instead of just fleeing or say, "I want to be single. Or there's more soul mate fish in the sea." These lives serve their purpose and (I feel) come into our present life at the right time. But like this life taught me, you have to be open "to see" the lesson. Have you ever had a past life revealed a present life manifestation? If so, please share as I find these stories fascinating and intriguing. Want to connect with the author? Sign up on our monthly newsletter and to connect via Facebook! Without the sun life cannot exist. The sun is what gives us life, energy, heat and existence through nature. Spiritual texts believe that there are two suns. The natural sun, and the spiritual sun, or the “Son of God.” Whatever theory or religious belief you may have, we cannot deny the power of this ball of light.
The sun represents many things, but here are three uncommon spiritual notions regarding the sun, its existence and flow with humans that I have found during my spiritual studies. The Sun and The Human Metabolism During my alternative health studies, I learned that humans and the sun are directly related. It makes sense when we talk about the circadian rhythm or “sleep-wake cycle.” This is when the body produces a hormonal release depending on whether light or darkness surrounds us. This helps us wake up and go to sleep. Ancient and Ayurvedic studies believe that the human metabolism is directly linked to the movement of the sun. Thus, many Ayurvedic philosophies state that the biggest meal of the day should be at lunch. Why is this? Because the sun is burning its brightest and is hottest at mid-day. The metabolism, like the sun, is heat that is emitted from the body. So, those “late night” meals that make you feel sluggish in fact are related to nature – since the sun is down, the metabolism is slower. Too Much of Anything is Never Good Can we have light without darkness? Probably not. That’s part of life's reality. Light and dark, good and evil, one cannot exist without its polar opposite. But if light is so good, why don’t we want more of it? One ancient Chinese mythology proves that too much of anything is not ideal. The story is of Yi and the Ten Suns. Yi, a famous soldier, was a skillful archer. At this time, ten suns lived in the Fu Sang tree beyond the eastern edge of the world. During this time, each of the ten suns would take its own turn to light the earth. The suns grew rebellious and one day all ten suns rose into the sky simultaneously. The extra light and energy pleased the people on the earth – until their crops shriveled and rivers dried up. The Lord of Heaven sent Yi, the skilled archer, to resolve the problem. He shot nine of the suns out of the sky. This legend brings light that we can’t have one without the other. The Whirling Rainbow Sometimes it’s difficult to comprehend the challenges of life. Pain, suffering, and violence – no one wants to live in a world like that. Unfortunately, the reality is that the planet and its people are still evolving. If you’ve ever looked at the sun and saw a circular rainbow, or colors around the ball of light that is known as the Whirling Rainbow. What is it? And what does it mean? Native Americans speak of this philosophy as a time of change and is a sign from God. I am not sure if the sign means a personal or universal change, but expect something. Another Native concept signifies the Whirling Rainbow means peace. On a larger level it means equality and unity. You can Google more about the Whirling Rainbow philosophy, but legend has it that one day everyone will be equal – man and nature. Race, color, ethnicity and gender will be put aside. Everyone will be united and equal like the Creator intended. Though humanity is not there, the sun and planets need to find a way to communicate change on a personal and universal level. On an individual level, what are you thinking about or worrying about at that time in your life when you see the Whirling Rainbow? If you read about spiritual concepts, one theory is the belief that everything is created from vibration. Whether it’s a wood desk or a human being, everything is created based on its vibrational frequency. I first understood this concept clearly when I watched the free YouTube video, “Inner World Outer World." I recommend watching this video to gain enlightenment about the connections between nature, spirituality and religion. All four parts are important to watch.
In Part One, "Akasha" viewers discover how the vibrations from music and various frequencies produce patterns that look similar in nature. They also show how when one adds cornstarch to water, the different vibrational frequencies produce objects that look similar to life form. Simply, vibration is everywhere. Even the yogis talk of “Om” pronounced “AUM” being the primordial sound of the sun (if the frequencies are changed to a level that humans can hear). I had tickets to go to a techno concert that occurred the day after the Paris attacks in Hannover, Germany. I was down about the situation and went to the concert physically zoned into the music, but mentally worried about the future of humanity. I was dancing and observing the locals having fun completely engaged in the moment. After countless minutes of dancing next to the DJ booth, a guy set his drink on the DJ platform. The bass shook the glass and it fell on its side dumping into a puddle of beer. I stood in front of this pool of beer for a long time. During the upbeat part of the song when the bass hit its peak I looked at the puddle and noticed vibrational frequency patterns. I first noticed explosions that looked similar to fireworks. Bursts of star-like patterns exploded within the puddle. Since I taught aerobics, I can feel when the beat per minute of a song changes. The body moves differently and sometimes the bass or song feels “harder.” As the night progressed, so did the frequencies. The bass began to produce circle-shaped bursts that looked similar to the middle of a sunflower. It was the same pattern I saw in the YouTube film. I kept my eyes fixed on the puddle while my mind thought about the future of the world. My concerns were discerned on the future of humanity. After seeing and reading how people reacted to each other on social media I began to give up hope on humanity as people reacted with the same bouts of hate of extremism that happened that happened in Paris. As the music got more “magical” so did the patterns in the water. The patterns transformed into a box-like shape that looked similar to a square checkered-shape pretzel. It almost looked as if a life form was trying to create itself from the water. I pulled out my phone and tried to take video of the vibrations to prove my experience. Ironically, every time I tried to video it my phone failed and I had no methods to capture the moment. I felt that it was life telling me to enjoy the moment and listen to the message. What I heard loud and clear was the importance to keep ascending in this unpredictable world. A couple weeks later I traveled to Cologne, Germany to watch my favorite German DJ, Alle Farben. Alle Farben means “all colors” in English and when I first saw this DJ I had transcendental experiences from his music. His approach to music and balance in life is similar to my values and what I “preach.” When he began to perform, I felt chills throughout my body and a vibrational pattern that was deeper than just the loud speakers shaking my body. My mind and body united and as I looked at the projector screen that shook from the sound of the bass. But, there is something to Alle Farben’s music that affects me differently than most DJs. Visual art is a part of electronic dance music. It stimulates the brain and synergistically enhances the music. With my eyes closed, I realized my body entered a euphoric state (mind you I was completely sober throughout this experience. I do not drink or do drugs at these events). In my mind’s eye, I began to see shapes, figures and fractals, which is something I only experienced while in deep meditation. I saw colorful connections of what looked like a spinning top, the one seen in Leonardo Dicaprio’s movie, The Departed. I’m not sure why this happens to me, but when I saw Alle Farben in Hannover in May at the Kiste nightclub, his music sent me into a trance where I entered a healing state to send light and energy to people and the planet. I believe in some sense, the vibration of music sent my mind to another dimension. I am energetically sensitive and it feels weird sometimes expressing these experiences. All this vibration not only reminded me about the power of thought, but also the influence of music and creativity in our wellbeing. But the reminder isn’t just the “do good to get good karma.” Although everyone should live by that principle, many people do that out of fear of not wanting anything bad to happen. And when something bad happens they don’t know how to deal with it, which in turn creates more fear. It’s living and breathing by the essence of our choices and educating our minds. Ascension and raising vibrational patterns doesn’t happen automatically. It happens through experience, by getting outside the comfort zone and in touch with our inner world. Once we have the internal dialogue we can better figure out root causes to our problems. Like music, if we want to experience harmony we must choose to ascend our souls and ourselves. And to that, I thank the fun and innocent German techno parties on reminding me to keep ascending. And I also thank the free YouTube video as its my go-to movie every time I need reminded about life. To end I leave you with this, "To understand the Universe, understand energy, frequency and vibration." - Nikola Tesla Oh Saturn return. It’s the time where good mixes with the bad to teach people lessons about life. Trust me, I know because I’m in mine right now. Yay for being 30!
In astrology, Saturn has a negative reputation. But, Saturn has plenty of positive traits and is the taskmaster of the zodiac. Before I get too much into Saturn, I should probably explain – what is a Saturn return? When looking at your birth chart, the Saturn return is simply when Saturn returns to its original position based upon your birth. It takes approximately 29 years to zip around the zodiac and return to its birth position. So if you live a long life, you’ll experience three Saturn returns in your life. The first return occurs sometime between 29 to 31 years of age. The second is around 57-60 years of age and the final is around the age of 87. Humans have a tendency to “wake up and grow up.” This usually happens around the age of 30. Astrologically, Saturn plays a role in this awakening of humans. For many, Saturn return is the wake up call. It’s also special energy that should not be wasted. What I have seen along my journey is that Saturn return affects 20-year olds in two ways. The first is the 20-some year old who has done nothing with their life and eventually “wakes up” and realizes that he or she needs to do something. The other is the 20-year old who committed themselves to working hard or the corporate life and “wakes up one day” realizing, “I can’t do this anymore. I want to do something more meaningful.” It’s very common to see young 30 year olds leave their job to pursue their dreams. This is time But, Saturn return doesn’t just affect the career life. It also affects relationships, health, marriages – pretty much anything that has to do decisions. Saturn provides us obstacles so that we can learn, grow and mature from our decisions. Saturn builds character and can be that in between transition between something okay and something great. So there can be plenty of good times during a Saturn return, but also plenty of tough times. Saturn is the ruler of authority. And the returns teach us to be the author, or authoritative figure in our lives. Some days will completely blow – in fact it may feel like a roller coaster ride where one day is amazing and the next its raining cats and dogs. Saturn teaches discipline, hard work and self-control. For young 20-year olds who want a change, do not waste the energy of your Saturn return. Listen to your heart, gut and head to balance logic and idealism. Those who make a change during their Saturn return are using universal energy to better set the stage for their future. As mentioned before, if you want something to happen this is the time to do as once it’s gone, the energy can make transitions even harder. The hardest aspect is overcoming negativity and doubt. During this time, you need to live through awareness that you are being tested. One day you’ll look back at laugh at all your obstacles. And to that I salute you on your solar adventure with Saturn. For years I’ve been fascinated with past lives. But, like anything spiritual, the timing to pursue these practices comes when the time is right. Looking back a year ago, I had the most powerful psychic in the world tell me that I will move abroad and become a deeper spiritual person.
Spiritual in Europe? I’ve associated Europe with the deeper pleasures of the material world. But, in all honesty looking back, she was exactly correct. During the spring, I felt this urge to do past life hypnotherapy. While living in Germany, I had to figure out the language barrier. What the hell do I do? I decided to look up therapists on the Spiritual Regression Therapy Association. I emailed every person in the UK, Germany and Netherlands. I put it out to the universe that I wanted to do this, and the first person to respond, Sheela, was the first to respond, and after sometime of contemplating my guides lead every sign to do it with her. At the end of July, I made my way to Munich, Germany to experience one of the most powerful journeys within. I believe in reincarnation, but I doubted my ability for my logical and rational mind to kick in. I discovered many lives during the session, but one of the most powerful and memorable was this story below. At this point, Sheela guided me to look at my feet. I told her I saw dessert-like terrain with shrubs. My feet were dressed in Native American sandals. I looked at my face and there I saw a young and beautiful Native American woman with long dark hair who wore traditional clothing. I remember seeing blue, red, black and white beads and held a coin-purse that was embroider with beads around the edges. But lots of blue beads. Sheela asked, “Are you alone? Where are you?” I was alone walking in the dry terrain followed by a hawk. I was fleeing something, I did not know what but I was scared. “What is the hawk?” she asked. “He’s my spirit guide,” I said. The hawk kept his eye on me and followed me everywhere I went. I did not really know where I was going, but I was alone and walking away from something. I hid behind some boulders and rocks. Sheela guided me to “jump” to the next scene. There I sat still behind this boulder and it was dark. The hawk was still nearby, keeping an eye on me. I couldn’t get myself to the next scene, so I “walked” myself to the next part. Since I was on a cliff I saw a path that I could meander where I noticed a saloon with three white men who I felt harassed me in such a way. As the story unfolded, Sheela guided me to the final approach of where and how my life ended. I saw myself lying next to a lake, unable to walk while watching the hawk in the sky. I had a womb in my Achilles heel, an arrow had hit, but I was not dead. Trusting my intuition, someone from my own tribe did this who was a man with a headdress riding a horse. For a moment, the hawk left to fly to the village. The hawk was supposed to send a message, but I could not depict what exactly that message. But the hawk’s purpose was to signal a warning sign to the tribe. The tribe was around a fire cooking food. Since I could not receive how I died, Sheela asked, “Who were you? What was the purpose of this life?” “Corn,” I replied. Sheela said, “Corn? Ok. What about corn?” “I don’t know. Agriculture. I am here to teach people how to grow crops.” We exited the scene and proceeded with our session. The first several days after hypnotherapy, I experienced signs, messages and callings from the universe – mostly synchronicities. I began searching the Internet about the lives I picked up on and had curiosity about my witch life. Long story short, I was kicked off my overnight train at 2:45am in Wurzburg, Germany that I found out had the largest witch trial in Germany killing over 600 people. Then I thought, “What the hell did I have to do with corn as a Native American?” I began searching information about Native American women. I looked for images hoping I can find something about corn. Cleverly, I then Yahooed, “native American corn woman.” My hopes were that the search would pull up something with Native American corn and women in those days.” “Randomly” the first link that pulled up said, “Corn Woman – Goddess of Nourishment.” Hmm, is there really such a thing as a corn woman? I had no clue. It looked interesting so I read. (Meanwhile getting chills). In this link, I read two versions, but one that closely fit the theme of my story. Before, the story I read the quote about a tortoise (an animal that guided me in my Australia travels) and then a quote saying, “In Germany, it is said that when the stalks blow, the Corn Mother is running through the fields.” Nearly in tears, I read about the Cherokee tale that believes the spirit of the corn woman is sent down from the heavens to bless the crops with growth. One time, the crops did not grow and the corn woman was missing. They could not find her so spirit guide, a raven, found her tied up in a cave and was the prisoner of the evil spirit hunger. The raven warned the tribe to free the corn woman. On another site, the corn woman is labeled, “Educational Spirit of Agriculture,” where although boiling up scabs and boils to teach the people how to live off corn instead of meat. The corn woman sacrificed her life to educate and feed the people. But her strength had people “eating out of her hands” after the medicine man cured her warts on her hand. Another tale included the corn woman being a beautiful young lady who married a man whose tribe is suffering from hunger. Although producing corn in a gross manner, she was caught and fled her tribe. She returned home, gave the secrets to her husband and detailed instructions on how to produce corn. In tears, I said, “Oh my god was I Native American corn woman?” Right as I said that my eyes glanced at the time that said 11:11am and chills fled my body. I had no idea that “such a thing” existed. I felt like I “made it up” but what seems ridiculous is really our intuition speaking. There are various versions of the corn woman, but all seem to be linked with the same premise. Isn’t it interesting that to this day humans still have NO idea how corn originated? Although I did not know the full story of my life, I had the strength to know that I have a place in this world of plant-based educational eating. I began working on a vegan cookbook this year and doubted my abilities. I began piecing together this life. I always joked I was born a vegetarian/vegan as I hated meat ever since I was a kid. As a child, (to this day I still have no idea why) I CONSTANTLY grew warts on my hands. I always joked I was a witch as a kid. I worked as a vegan cook at a café in college that taught me many lessons about cooking. Internally, I have this deep love and warrior spirit to protect Mother Earth. Before moving to Germany, I spent time in Utah and was in awe with the Native American influence. After visiting the Parowan Gap petroglyphs, my dad drove us to the next destination. I questioned everything about Germany and an angel cloud appeared (see picture below) telling me that I was on the right path in life. Now in Germany, I live across the street from a Native American shop that I “found coincidental” upon arriving since I was just in Utah before my move abroad. On a deeper level, my soul remembered these abilities and imprinted the past into this current life. Because of this I found a deeper love and appreciation for the wisdom of ancient tribes. Have you depicted any of your past lives? MBSF would love to hear it! In celebration of Thanksgiving and the Corn Woman, check out my free vegan Pumpkin Corn Chowder recipe. Cats out of the bag, I love astrology. I remember the days of going to Barnes and Noble with my mom. I would sneak down the New Age aisle reading astrology books, hoping no one would see me reading something “crazy.”
During my collegiate years, I began to question the many secrets of life. I wondered why people are programmed differently, why I had struggled with certain qualities or why you feel a stronger connection with some people. During my travels in India, I consulted my first Vedic astrologer. I remember sitting in the chair with tears down my face on how a man dressed in white told me about my childhood, my stress and my fragile mind. That was the start to understanding how astrology influences one’s personality. If you are unfamiliar with astrology, every person has a birth chart, or a blue print, that is created upon your first breath into this world. It’s similar to snapping a picture of the sky with a camera to see the locations of the planets at the point of birth. At the time of your birth certain planets and constellations are positioned in the sky. Aspects (positive or negative) are created depending on the planetary alignment. The main three influences include the sun, moon and ascendant sign. The sun sign is the sign you are born into at birth. For example, if you are born on February 7th then you are an Aquarius. The sun sign is the outer personality, the ego and what drives you. The moon sign represents the mind and the emotions. It’s the inner-world and is how your mind is astrologically programmed. Someone with their moon sign in a water sign are usually deeper and more complex thinkers than someone who’s moon occupies an air sign. The ascendant or rising sign is the sign that was at the eastern horizon point (as the sun rises) at the time of your birth. Many people grow into their rising sign as they age, but it is your true self. The next influences are the planets in the houses. Each planet rules a specific trait or quality. You can look at each planet individually, but how they aspect each other and the degrees apart also influence one’s personality. For example, Venus rules love. If someone has their Venus in the sign of Aries that person is likely to be impulsive or fall in and out of love easily. Another way astrology affects the personality is to understand the four elements - earth, air, fire and water. Each zodiac sign is classified under one of these elements. When looking at your birth chart, a person who has a lot of planets in earth and water tend to be more "home-bodies," stable, practical and emotional creatures. Someone with more air and fire signs can be more impulsive, explorative, airy, active or have a hard time sitting still. How can this help me? The power of astrology lies in understanding that we are created with positive and negative features. It’s part of our soul’s existence to overcome or balance the negative to live in harmony. Astrology helps people to recognize patterns. For example, someone who wakes up happy everyday and doesn’t let life bother them most likely has a strong influence from a planet in Sagittarius. Even if you look at your birth chart and you do not agree with everything you read, it is likely that you experienced that personality trait awhile back but your soul learned and became more mature from the experience. We must not forget that free will, our parents and culture also affects our personality. But those deep rooted instincts or qualities are most likely influenced from the planets. Every human on the planet has faults. When we are honest without criticism we can overcome the difficulties of our personality. Astrology empowers your strengths and helps you overcome the weaknesses. The best method to understanding your inner world is to consult an astrologer or to get your birth chart and research how to read about your alignments. Astrology is multifaceted and goes deeper than the basics mentioned in this blog. I recommend using astrodeinst.com for a free western astrology birth chart. For vedic astrology, I recommend Sam Geppi and KRS Channel Youtube videos to learn more about the subject. If you have any questions, contact MBSF and I would be more than happy to suggest additional Vedic or western astrology resources. |
AuthorElizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is Author of her memoir, Finding Om and is a Fitness Trainer, Yogi, Reiki Master, Presenter and Lover of Life. To view her portfolio please visit www.elizabethkovar.com Categories
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