Monday, July 21, 2008

A Talk With An Old Friend

I had a nice talk with a dear friend of mine today. We go 'way back to our younger days of going to discos and clubs and making candlelit dinners for ourselves just because we deserved it! We dyed each other's hair, made homemade face creams, did facials while listening to music and gossiping. Her apartment was my haven during a time is of severe grief in which I suffered a severe nervous breakdown. The truth is I owe her my life for she was my "mother hen".

She hasn't changed much through the years either. She is as youthful as ever and no, I will NOT say her age other than she is a Michelle Pfeiffer look alike. My daughter and her son are both grown and, true to the type of mothers we were (for better or worse), they each as the saying goes march to their own drums. In my daughter's case, she makes her own drums!

Life gave each of us hardships that we wondered how we endured, we each lost beloveds and today, as in my younger days, I listened to her wisdom. We were talking about the whys of life. Why does one person suffer recurring bouts of cancer while another cannot survive one. Why do some people's lives seem only peppered with sorrow while others meet sorrow on their journey over and over again.

She said, "We will go crazy if we analyze why this and why that. Sometimes we have to accept that this is how life is." (She is a hospice Christian Chaplain and sees death and dying everyday) Recently she helped an elderly friend get into a nursing home near her home so she can look over her. She, like I, wonder (or perhaps fear) what our old age will be like. "I look at Betty (our friend) and realize that time is too short to waste on worrying. This is the time for laughter and to not let anything bother you. We each have to find a way to just accept and not waste our lives in worry and fear and death will come for all of us anyway. I want to just live my life to the fullest.

I, like so many other people, sometimes languish in the shadow of past memories. Beyond nostalgia, it is a place of loss and missed opportunities. Recently I went through a period of mourning my losses over the years and those who have read my writings know they have been many. The hardest part of moving forward from personal loss is the guilt of moving forward. It is as if moving forward is somehow a betrayal, somehow we feel deep down inside that it is wrong to stop grieving. But we never stop grieving. It just takes on a different persona in the guise of "adjusting". There is nothing wrong with moments of sadness for what was or what wasn't. The problem becomes how can we move forward joyfully?

I began to work myself through this period by getting up very early every morning and having my coffee and barn chores done early. I began exercising more and redecorated the living room with my husband. These are all steps to moving forward when stuck in a mental space we want to get out of.

Talking to old friends who knew you way back when one week you were a blond, the next a red head helps too. Remembering the fun reignites the feeling and the brain cannot tell a real experience from a remembered or imagined one so recalling laughter uplifts in the present which is another step in moving forward.

We had our conversation much earlier in the day and when I hung up I had no idea our heart to heart would become my blog today. Writers are funny that way. It can be a picture or a song or a cow that brings forth some tidbit of writing but today it was reconnecting with a dear friend.

We spoke of getting together with the gaggle of gals we used to hang out with in a hotel room with booze, pajamas and food and just laughing about the old days. Oh, and we won't cook our meal. We've earned the right to be served!

Friday, February 1, 2008

By The Finger Nails

by Cate Cavanagh

So many people I speak to are going extremely difficult times. This is not happenstance. This is all cosmic. A cleansing of the old is usually very painful and manifests in hardship, illness and desperation.

Many are so overwhelmed the mental capacity to cope has been impaired. Often when it seems we cannot take one more thing something happens. In short, many of us have not had a break from worry or sadness in a very long time. At times like these we are challenged to trust the Universe. More than this every day gets more and painful to endure. Our nerves become frazzled, our despair looms over us and we wait for the third shoe to drop. Whereas we talk about working at eliminating negative thoughts the cosmic truth is sometimes we must experience upsetting things so new, positive energies can come in. Many people say "When God closes the door, He opens a window" but waiting for that window to open can be horribly stressful at times.

Difficult times may come in cycles for you. Try to think about when your challenges began and try to figure out how long the onslaught lasts. Does it last days? Weeks? Months? In my case challenges have happened in five month cycles and have lasted for three months. Do the math. I have known challenging times a lot. So, how do you handle your harsh experiences? Are you emotionally white knuckling your days? Are you handling your life "One day at a time?" I have often had to handle days one second at a time, holding on by my finger tips. The main thing is to get through your upset as graciously as possible.

When white knuckling your life, try to keep in mind that a lull must happen. The Universe works this way. Try to discover what the lessons are for your life. This can help you not only understand what is happening but how to avoid a repetition of the problem. If you are having financial difficulty, for example, accept that perhaps poor judgement on your part created the problem. Get all your information together and go to a credit counseling agency that can manage your bills, your bill payments and actually leave you with more money in your pocket a month. Take action and the Universe will respond.

The difficult truth is we can make changes but may have to take drastic action especially when it comes to painful and toxic relationships and recurring upsets. On any real spiritual journey accountability for how we may have encouraged our problems is called for. Once we do this the Universe will open new pathways and bring positivity into our lives.



First it is a call to shed the old to make room for the new. We may need to shed old ideas, unrealistic goals and modify dreams. Modifying or redefining our dreams is the second message, for Lizard is the totem of dreams. Lizard medicine can take dreams and make them reality. We may need to look behind us to determine what "shadows" are holding us back and how we can use the realm of shadows to create a positive reality beginning with dreams. It also lets us know if we are not getting enough sleep or dreamtime. Dreamtime is the realm in which we problem solve and rest the mind as well as the body. The mind needs dreamtime to work through issues whether we remember them or not so dreamtime is also a shadow realm. The body needs dreamtime to rest as well so we can be better equipped to meet the following day.

Above all else, Lizard is a call to allow our imaginations to take hold. Imagination is the mother of dreams, daydreams, goals, hopes and wishes and if we do not wish or daydream we cannot hope that our dreams can come true.

Karmic Weave: Releasing Unwanted Ties

By
Theresa Chaze

All relationships are connections between individuals. Some are karmic, while others are current issues. However, these bonds are not always positive, nor are they solely between individuals but groups as well. Bigotry has been passed on from generation to generation for no other reason than it has always been that way. This ingrained behavior creates unwanted ties and karmic imbalance. It is only by stepping back to see the larger picture that healing and forgiveness can be achieve, thereby breaking the cycle.

Karmic relationships are not necessarily negative. Many souls will incarnate together in order to help each other grow and learn. These relationships are blessing of healing and support. However, those of karmic debt are the continuation of pass issues, where one or both failed to learn from the situation or behavior. These reoccurring relationships will be ongoing until one or both grow through and let go of the past. It is only by releasing your end of the karmic tie though forgiveness that your soul will be freed and be able to move on to the next challenge.

One only has watch the news or read the newspapers to find cases of stalking or racial bigotry. It is very easy to fall into the tit for tat mentality. However, in reality no one every gets even. Each side merely binds itself to that which they hate, creating an unending dance of pain, fear and resentment. Giving in to the anger and fear is easy. When it is all their fault, you absolve yourself of responsibility and create a victim role for yourself. However, no matter what the conflict, who started or who kept it going, there are always more than one side and more than one person responsible. That doesn’t mean that innocent people are not injured. But it always takes two to keep it going. Even when you are harmed through no fault of your own, how you react will determine the end result. By playing the victim, you only increase the likelihood that you will continue in that role. However, if you refuse to relinquish your power and self-determination, you will change the path of the relationship as well as the end result. If you don’t play the game, you can’t get caught up in the fall out. This doesn’t mean being a doormat. Simple stated it means if you don’t get emotionally involved or allow the behavior of another to affect yourself image, they cannot control your destiny. If you do not accept the challenge, there is nothing they can do.

Whether it is a positive or negative connection depends solely on those involved. Positive relationships, those that bring out the best of both, should be encouraged. However, those that are one sided or bring harm, need to be severed. One-sided relations are those that are not mutual; if the connecting bridge was built solely on one side, the relationship is not healthy and infringes on the other's free will. By forcing one's energy, attention or presence on another is an act of black magic and will have the appropriate consequences. Anytime you usurp another’s free will, you do more damage to yourself. Many think that loving another gives them free access to the other person. If the feeling is not shared, you cannot and will not be able to build a relationship. You cannot force another to love you. Attempting to do so will only create resentment and push them further away. The reverse is also true; hating another doesn’t bring positive blessings into your life. Like attracts alike; by sending out negative energy you will only attract those of who are on the same emotional and spiritual wavelength. It will only serve to reinforce your own believes and behaviors, thereby ingraining them more deeply into your soul and making change that much more difficult. When you live in this mind set from lifetime to lifetime, your karmic debt increases as do the negative karmic bonds that you will eventually have to answer for.

The increasing bigotry and violence is more than just result of the uncertain economic and politic times; it is the coming due of many karmic bills and the balancing of the scales. Each of us are being challenge in the way, which will give us the greatest spiritual growth, and healing in the shortest amount of time. No longer do we have the luxury of putting off to tomorrow our challenges; finals have come early and there is no skipping school.

Yet even those who have done the spiritual work are finding that they are confronted with negative behaviors that are beyond their means to heal or release. It is not that they haven’t put in the effort, but that there are lingering karmic ties, which keep them from fully moving forward. It is only by severing these links that you will be able to move on. Giving in to the anger, fear or playing the victim, only makes the connection stronger and harder to break. However, if you emotional step back and objectively see the situation for what it is, you reclaim your power and ability to make positive changes. The question you must ask yourself is, “what do I want to achieve? By changing your focus from the challenge to the outcome, you refocus your energy to achieve the outcome you seek No matter what anyone else does, you are able to take back your power and retain control over you own destiny.

Karmic debt is a little different. It is past behavior. The results of which cannot be changed. However, this doesn’t mean that the connections are permanent or that you will be forced to be stuck if the other soul refuses to learn. There are ways to severe the ties and free yourself from others without having to directly confront them. The following ritual will help sever those ties; however, be warned that not only will it bring down the balancing on the other person but it will also calculate your karmic score as well. Yet if you have done the heart work of cleansing, healing and forgiving, there should be a positive balance. Even if there are still issues of your own to work through, the healing will be easier without the drag of someone who has locked their spiritual breaks. When the Titanic sank, it broke in two. If the break had been clean, the aft end would have slowly sank, giving the rescue ships more time to arrive. However, since it was still attached to the bow, it was dragged under just as quickly as the front of the ship. This analogy could be made of many spiritual attachments. The simple fact is that no matter how you feel about a person, you cannot save them from themselves. You cannot change their behavior, only the way you react to it.

Karmic Healing Weave

What you will need:
The will to heal and move forward from your heart
White yarn
Candles
Nine nails, preferably finishing nails or other with very small heads
A block of wood
A hammer

Draw a circle around the block of wood and find the center. In the center, drive the first nail in far enough for it to be secure. Just above put the second at the edge of the circle. Below it, drive the third also at the edge of the circle. Do the same on both the left and right of center. The next four nails are driven in between the first four at the rim of the circle. When you are finished there will be one in the center and eight around in a circle. Eight is the not only the number of energy but that of karma in action. This formation represents you and your karmic attachments.

Cut a length of yarn that will be long enough to create the weave. Loosely tie a knot around the center nail. It should be snug enough not to spin, but loose enough to fit over the head of the nail. Guide the yard to the top nail and tie a knot, keeping in mind that the weave will be removed at the end. Return the yarn to the center nail and tie another knot. Repeat the procedure on the bottom, both sides and moving clockwise connect the last four nails to the center one.

Loop the yard and form a knot around the top spoke close to the center nail and say, “I forgive you and release you to your karmic justice.” Continue knotting around the circle, making sure the knots are snug but not tight until you have used all the yard. Each time a knot is made, repeat, “I forgive you and release you to your karmic justice.” The last knot must be tight and secure. It is the period at the end of your karmic sentence. Cut off any yard that is hanging over.

Take the weave off the form and light the candle. Forcing on the flame and say:

“With this flame I do burn away all the negatively which connects me to others.
With a forgiving heart, I release them to their karmic justice.
With (or without, if you which every you choose) grace, I severe the ties that bind us and block you from sensing me, seeing me, finding me or harming me. In my reality, you no longer exist in any shape or form. I accept only the karmic debt that I owe and am willing to pay it in full. For what I am owed, I ask that it be paid in full to the Powers of Justice in whatever way they see fit. From my heart, I forgive, release and move on.”
For the next lunar month, once a day light a candle and say, “From my heart, I forgive, release and move on.”

More Wiccan and Pagan rituals are available in the “Out of the Shadows and Into the Light.” This ebook of Shadows is only available at www.theresachaze.com. The download is $5.00 through paypal.

Filled with magic, suspense and romance, the residents of Coyote Springs will entice and frighten you as they face challenges that come from within and without Awakening the Dragon--Book one of Dragon Clan Trilogy. www.theresachaze.com For publishing tips, resources and paying gigs go to http://theresachaze.blogspot.com/

Friday, January 11, 2008

How To Jumpstart Your Day

We all have days in which we feel stuck. Being in a negative rut is an uncomfortable place and we can get sucked in, feeling as if we cannot shake the personal demons that plague us. There are a few ways to combat this state of mind-they are simple to do and can jump start an otherwise bad day into a better one.

One thing you can do when you wake up is say, "Today is my day to shine," whether you feel you can or not. You see, words have power and when you speak aloud you are sending energies into the Universe. Under the Universe's stewardship, your day will begin to feel better. Get into the shower and as you rinse off the soap envision negativity being washed away, going down the drain and into the sea. Water has healing properties if you know how to use it.

Meditate, even if it is only for five minutes. During those five minutes you are taking back your focus and you can carry this with you all day. Before meditating, light a candle for yourself. Take a few minutes and pray for just yourself. You deserve it.

Go out with friends. Friends have your best interests at heart. Get together with them on a weekend morning and do something fun. Don't share your funk, though. The idea is to be revitalized. Talking sends vibes into the Universe that can come back to haunt you. Make up a mantra you can say like, "I am blessed. I am amazing." Are you amazing? You bet you are! Life throws some curve balls and if you are still standing, you are a champion and you ARE amazing!

Sometimes getting out of a funk takes some work. "Bad" days can linger for a while and you really don't want to spend day after day in a negative place. You can take charge of your day, every day, by denouncing a day that is troublesome and creating a better one using the tools above.

Monday, January 7, 2008

How To Make a Spiritual Potion

Potion. The word creates images of gnarled old hags around a big cauldron muttering rhymes. The fact is anyone can make a potion if you know how to do it. I usually work with two types of potions: one for house and the other in the form of a "bath" for a person. Sometimes using one is enough but at other times when a deeper cleansing is called for both types are used.

Since potions involve water it is important to realize that water is not just a factor in bathing but a spiritual cleanser and healing agent as well especially if the water is blessed. You can add some holy water if you choose but you have within yourself the power to bless water to make it more powerful. All you have to do is say a prayer you believe in over the water and declare the purpose of the water.

This being said I will begin with a house cleaning potion. The simplest one uses a Rose of Jericho which you can purchase at your local New Age shop. You place the rose in water and when it expands, use the water to sprinkle about your house and used the rest for mopping. The Rose of Jericho potion is used to aright financial problems. The second type of potion is for ridding your home of negative energies and general calm.

Use an old quart pot that you have cooked with. Since the pot was used to lovingly cook for those you love or for yourself it is imbued with power already. Choose a pot you will not have to use for cooking anymore so you have a "cauldron" of your own. Place water in the pot and say a prayer over the water to bless it. In the pot you want to place a dash of amonia, about a quarter cup of salt, rosemary sage and thyme. You can find these spices in a common box of poultry seasoning. Pour a little bit of cologne into the pot and heat on high. When the ingredients are boiling, lower the flame and allow the potion to simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes. When the potion has cooled, strain it and use the water for mopping your floors and for sprinkling around your home. This in addition to smoking your house by opening your windows and burning sage will change the ambiance of your home.

For yourself, fill the cauldron with water and bless it as described above. Add a quarter cup of salt, sage, garlic skins, onion skins and slices of apples. Do as described above. Take your bath or shower and then slowly pour this mixture all over your body from head to toe. Allow yourself to air dry and do not rinse this off until the next day when you bathe. You will feel much better. I usually advise doing both rituals three days in a row and then once a month thereafter. As for the gnarly, old hags do not buy into this stereotype. Witches are young as well as elderly and many of today's Witches are professionals. Some doctors and lawyers, among others now following Witchy paths and work with potions as well.

Take action and responsibility for your spiritual health by using potions when you feel edgy or sad and you will feel the difference.

Please visit my website: quantumspirituality.tripod.com

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

My Newest Book Is Out!

My book, HER GODMOTHER, is out and available! You may visit amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com for purchasing information.

About the book: The UK has Harry Potter. Shouldn't we have our own Witch? Allie is experiencing a family breakup. Her father is an alcoholic and her mother decides to leave him. Allie stays with her godmother Brigid, who lives in rural upstate New York, while her mother plans a new life and relocation for them both. Allie is having a wonderful time until one night, when awakened by a thunderstorm, she peeks out of her window to see her godmother dancing on the lawn in the rain. What Allie is about to discover is that Brigid is rather "colorful" or should we say...

Simply type in my name or title. Get ready to sit back and enjoy!