I just got off the phone with a really nice gal from the Birmingham, Alabama area and am still shaking my head. Yet another new client called me, wanting to know my prices because she had been approached by a different "spiritual adviser" who quoted her some pretty out of this world rates.
Ms. Birmingham wanted to make sure she understood what I charged because a "psychic adviser" (who shall remain forever nameless) she and her sister had gone to see in their area told her in December that the two of them had old baggage hanging on from their childhood and immediately needed a $3000 spiritual cleansing! When the gal I spoke with on the phone balked at the price, the "adviser" asked if wasn't there some way she could take out a loan for the money? The "adviser" claimed that it was critical she receive the cleansing.
I suspect the only critical thing in this situation was the "adviser's" need for fast cash!
$3000! Holy smokes! $3000 for what, past family issues and baggage? Honestly I don't know anyone who doesn't have at least SOME baggage or hurt or frustration or "stuff" leftover from their growing up. If you honestly believe you need to pay $3000 for such a cleansing...I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn you can buy as well...and I'll give you a really good deal on it too! Sheesh!
I explained to my caller that I would much rather teach her the simple techniques and ways that she can work within her own background, culture, faith and spiritual belief system to cleanse herself. She was surprised this was even possible. Of course it is! There are lots and lots of things that one can do to move forward beyond where we got stuck as kids, or even where our families got stuck emotionally, or physically or spiritually.
Time to spell out again how to spot a scam artist! All of the following examples are absolutely true, real stories my clients here in Iowa and around the country have relayed to me over the years.
Here's the top ten list of things to watch for in a metaphysical scammer:
1) If the individual is not advertising with their full, real name (first and last!) If they sport a title to make themselves appear more important, like Madam Mucky-Muck or Sister Soandso, Reverend Star Sun Moon, or even Mrs. Common Last Name.
2) If they can't quote you definite prices, keep changing or raising their rates, or have really high prices for their readings or anything else you might purchase from their business. Often the first reading is cheap...$10-20, and it keeps going up from there once the scam artist realizes the fears you have and how they can play it up to get more money from you.
3) If they make promises that no human can possibly make such as, "I promise I'll get your ex to come back to you!" One lovely little college gal who I know had her basketball star boyfriend dump her, and she paid the scammer more than $3000 over a six month period of time because she was promised that he would be coming back to her.
4) If they play on your fears..."You have negativity around you and for $ (anywhere from $100 to $10,000) I'll remove it." By the way, negativity can be substituted for dark energy, a spell, something evil that's attached to you, a curse that's been put on you, or just plain ole stuff in your aura. It can also be played up as, "Unless you do this thing that I tell you, you will lose your.... (farm, house, job, spouse, sig. other, etc.)" I talked to a farmer in the mid 90s who had a scam artist require him to pay $4000 for 4 medium sized quartz crystals, which he was to plant in the four corners of his property so he wouldn't lose his family's farm. Guess what...he lost the farm anyway.
5) If they fish for information and then feed it back to you..."Ah, you like blonds? I see a blond in your future!" This sort of line was reported at one of the local psychic fairs to the organizers as questionable tactics of psychic reader who was new to the fair. After checking the tarot readers out a bit more and hearing what she was really telling her clients, she was asked to leave the fair and not come back.
6) If they try to sell you blessed or anointed trinkets at astronomical prices.... "Yes, I know you can buy this small red bag with a piece of quartz in it for two dollars at the rock store, but this one has been anointed and blessed! That will be $800 please!" One nice local gal was really trying to find a boyfriend, and showed me just such a bag with a small tumbled piece of rose quartz, a fingerling clear quartz crystal, a teeny tiny bottle of essential oil all in a 4" drawstring red bag. Total, everything including the bag cost less than $5. She paid $800!
7) If they will ONLY take cash or a money order. Real businesses and real business people these days take debit cards or credit cards...and if they don't, it's probably because they can't (i.e., their own business credit sucks.) Remember, if you pay by cash or money order, you can't prove the transaction and have no way to get your money back. I talked to a gal just last week who had sent a $1500 money order and it was the third time she'd worked with the "adviser" who suddenly stopped taking her calls.
8) If they tell you to keep things a secret....."Don't tell anyone what I've said to you...then it (the blessing, the cleansing, the spell, the prayer, the working, etc.) won't work." This concept of secrecy I've heard several times...I suspect they only want to keep things hush hush from the IRS!
9) If they insist you keep coming back, that you need more work done on you. "You come back next week, these things take time." One poor local man was promised by the adviser that she could bring back his ex wife. He dutifully went to see her every week for 2 years paying anywhere from $20 to $200 per week (that ranges from $1040 to $10,400 per year!) He finally wised up the day he walked into her door and she shivered strongly and stated, "I'm cold! The spirit's are saying this means you need to buy me a new refrigerator!" That's what it took to make him finally wise up!
10) If they make excuses for their inaccuracy as a psychic. "Things have changed, and you need a new reading." Okay....here's where I say...If I'm wrong I'm wrong, I'll never be 100% accurate. I never, EVER make excuses or tell folks they need another reading. If I blew it, I'll admit it. In 20 years of doing this, I've often told folks, "Let me know sometime in a month or so how you're doing!" That's a far cry from, "You must come see me more! You must pay me more!"
Sigh...bottom line, don't get taken by those who just want to pray on you emotionally, physically and spiritually!
Call if you need clarification on any of these things. If you have your own story of how you got scammed, I'd love to hear it!
Remember, if in doubt, call the better business bureau in your area. For FREE you can see if your "adviser" has ever been reported as a phoney or a fraud!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
When Klingons Attack
I'm sure many folks will read the title above and think that I'm going to write today about character's out of the series, Star Trek. So sorry, but I'm going to disappoint you if that's your expectation.
No, what I really wanted to chat with you about today is the concept of getting rid of little bits of memory, other people's energy, and big or little stuff that clings on to you and builds up over time. I call these little "hanger-on-ers" Klingons.
How do you know if you have Klingons? (Wow, I make that sound like it's some sort of social disease, yikes) Well, honestly it's difficult to spot them on your own. The best description I can give you is if you find that some place, some thing, some one caused a negative shift in you and it just won't go away. I know that's pretty vague so perhaps some examples are in order here.
Let's say you have a fairly decent amount of empathic skill...that you easily pick up on the energy and emotions of people, places or things. Let's also say that I introduce you to Bob Smith. Right away you notice that Bob is on the unusual side...he doesn't look you in the eye easily but when he does he stares hard. He can't sit still and is figeting constantly. You ask him one simple question and it set's him off. He gets up and paces in circles trying to figure out, while talking out loud to himself, how to respond to your query of, "How are you?" After being in the room with Bob for less than 10 minutes, you begin to feel drained, like it's suddenly been a very long day and you've had to emotionally put up with a whole lot!
You excuse yourself from Bob and head to your car, but still can't shake the drained feeling. Even after you drive across town and finally get home, make yourself a cup of tea, and put your feet up...you just haven't bounced back. You've unknowingly picked up a Klingon. Most of us have been there, recognize the scenario, and now have a name for it.
What have you actually picked up? What happened with Bob? Wow, great question. With his actions, Bob didn't appear to actually TRY to toss anything negative your way. It's not like he attempted to purposefully send any negative influence your way....he just had his own issues. However, there is another strong possibility.
You entrained to Bob's energy.
What's entrained? Well...we human beings attempt to adapt to our environments. If, say I put you in a rock concert near the speakers and the beat of the music is going at 140 beats per minute...guess what your heart attempts to do. That's right, it picks up speed and tries to mimic that same 140 beats. If I put you in an environment where the music is 60 beats per minute your heart slows down. It entrains to or attempts to match it's environment.
The same sort of thing happens when I take you from in doors to outdoors. Inside, most of us are surrounded by 60 hertz (the frequency of our electric appliances and wall sockets.) Outdoors...well Mom Nature's natural frequency is about 3.7 hertz. Do most of us slow down and calm down better out of doors than in...yep! That's because we naturally entrain to the slower 3.7 hertz.
So, back to our example...in Bob's presence, you entrained to his "buzziness." You picked up on Bob's agitated frequency, naturally entrained to it without realizing you did it, and carried that frequency home with you. It clung on to you...thus....a Klingon.
What do you do about Klingons? That's tomorrow's blog. Stay tuned.
No, what I really wanted to chat with you about today is the concept of getting rid of little bits of memory, other people's energy, and big or little stuff that clings on to you and builds up over time. I call these little "hanger-on-ers" Klingons.
How do you know if you have Klingons? (Wow, I make that sound like it's some sort of social disease, yikes) Well, honestly it's difficult to spot them on your own. The best description I can give you is if you find that some place, some thing, some one caused a negative shift in you and it just won't go away. I know that's pretty vague so perhaps some examples are in order here.
Let's say you have a fairly decent amount of empathic skill...that you easily pick up on the energy and emotions of people, places or things. Let's also say that I introduce you to Bob Smith. Right away you notice that Bob is on the unusual side...he doesn't look you in the eye easily but when he does he stares hard. He can't sit still and is figeting constantly. You ask him one simple question and it set's him off. He gets up and paces in circles trying to figure out, while talking out loud to himself, how to respond to your query of, "How are you?" After being in the room with Bob for less than 10 minutes, you begin to feel drained, like it's suddenly been a very long day and you've had to emotionally put up with a whole lot!
You excuse yourself from Bob and head to your car, but still can't shake the drained feeling. Even after you drive across town and finally get home, make yourself a cup of tea, and put your feet up...you just haven't bounced back. You've unknowingly picked up a Klingon. Most of us have been there, recognize the scenario, and now have a name for it.
What have you actually picked up? What happened with Bob? Wow, great question. With his actions, Bob didn't appear to actually TRY to toss anything negative your way. It's not like he attempted to purposefully send any negative influence your way....he just had his own issues. However, there is another strong possibility.
You entrained to Bob's energy.
What's entrained? Well...we human beings attempt to adapt to our environments. If, say I put you in a rock concert near the speakers and the beat of the music is going at 140 beats per minute...guess what your heart attempts to do. That's right, it picks up speed and tries to mimic that same 140 beats. If I put you in an environment where the music is 60 beats per minute your heart slows down. It entrains to or attempts to match it's environment.
The same sort of thing happens when I take you from in doors to outdoors. Inside, most of us are surrounded by 60 hertz (the frequency of our electric appliances and wall sockets.) Outdoors...well Mom Nature's natural frequency is about 3.7 hertz. Do most of us slow down and calm down better out of doors than in...yep! That's because we naturally entrain to the slower 3.7 hertz.
So, back to our example...in Bob's presence, you entrained to his "buzziness." You picked up on Bob's agitated frequency, naturally entrained to it without realizing you did it, and carried that frequency home with you. It clung on to you...thus....a Klingon.
What do you do about Klingons? That's tomorrow's blog. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
How Do I Find Dates of Upcoming Events?
When I first began my business, I found a lot of other psychics had a big problem with telling when a future event would happen. They might be able to predict the year, maybe even a season, but not get even close to a specific date. That just didn't seem good enough for me.
So, I created my own method of finding dates of future events psychically. Many of you who have come to see me in person have watched me use this method over and over.
First, I start with a question. Perhaps the question from my client is, "I have my house on the market, when will it sell?" With this, I will often write down the specific address of the house, and my client's question on the sketch pad in front of me. Then, below that I'll write the year. Just below that, I'll begin writing the first letter of each month in order, keeping the question in my head the whole time. I'm gently looking for a change in feel regarding the question and watching my pen and writing for any changes.
So, my sketch pad might look like this:
Shane Smith has his house at 409 Adams St.,
Cambridge, Iowa on the market.
When will it sell?
2010 <-Year
J F M A M J J A <-Months
When I get to, in this case, writing A for the month of August and something won't let me write S for September, I know I've gotten close to finding my target date. Just in case I overshot my month...I'll go back several months from the one that I got stopped at and move forward again, this time week by week.
2010 <-Year
J1F1M1A1M1J1J1A <-Months
.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
.3.3.3.3.3.3.3 <-Weeks
.4.4.4.4.4.4
In my example above as I slowly wrote down the numbers for the weeks of each month, again I held the question in my head and was looking for any kind of feeling of change. Something in this case stopped me as I wrote the 3 for the third week of July of 2010. I just couldn't write the 4 for the 4th week. Again, this tells me I'm getting closer and now I can go back to the first of July and actually go day by day.
2010 <-Year
J1F1M1A1M1J1J1A <-Months
.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
.3.3.3.3.3.3.3 <-Weeks
.4.4.4.4.4.4
12345678910 <-Days
11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22
23........
Even though I was stopped at the third week of July of 2010, I still wanted to make sure I hadn't overshot my mark again, so I went back and began writing the days from the first of July. When I reached July 23, 2010....my pen literally trailed off and something wouldn't let me write the 24th. I usually repeat this day by day part again to make sure I get the same reaction a second or even third time. As I did this confirmation, I received the same answer, that Shane's house would sell on or about July 23, 2010. Over the years I've found that this can get me within about 48 hours of an event, so I often tell folks to look 2 days before to two days after whatever date I give them. Thus, I told Shane to look for the house to have an offer put on it that will be accepted between July 21 and 25, 2010.
So, I created my own method of finding dates of future events psychically. Many of you who have come to see me in person have watched me use this method over and over.
First, I start with a question. Perhaps the question from my client is, "I have my house on the market, when will it sell?" With this, I will often write down the specific address of the house, and my client's question on the sketch pad in front of me. Then, below that I'll write the year. Just below that, I'll begin writing the first letter of each month in order, keeping the question in my head the whole time. I'm gently looking for a change in feel regarding the question and watching my pen and writing for any changes.
So, my sketch pad might look like this:
Shane Smith has his house at 409 Adams St.,
Cambridge, Iowa on the market.
When will it sell?
2010 <-Year
J F M A M J J A <-Months
When I get to, in this case, writing A for the month of August and something won't let me write S for September, I know I've gotten close to finding my target date. Just in case I overshot my month...I'll go back several months from the one that I got stopped at and move forward again, this time week by week.
2010 <-Year
J1F1M1A1M1J1J1A <-Months
.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
.3.3.3.3.3.3.3 <-Weeks
.4.4.4.4.4.4
In my example above as I slowly wrote down the numbers for the weeks of each month, again I held the question in my head and was looking for any kind of feeling of change. Something in this case stopped me as I wrote the 3 for the third week of July of 2010. I just couldn't write the 4 for the 4th week. Again, this tells me I'm getting closer and now I can go back to the first of July and actually go day by day.
2010 <-Year
J1F1M1A1M1J1J1A <-Months
.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
.3.3.3.3.3.3.3 <-Weeks
.4.4.4.4.4.4
12345678910 <-Days
11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22
23........
Even though I was stopped at the third week of July of 2010, I still wanted to make sure I hadn't overshot my mark again, so I went back and began writing the days from the first of July. When I reached July 23, 2010....my pen literally trailed off and something wouldn't let me write the 24th. I usually repeat this day by day part again to make sure I get the same reaction a second or even third time. As I did this confirmation, I received the same answer, that Shane's house would sell on or about July 23, 2010. Over the years I've found that this can get me within about 48 hours of an event, so I often tell folks to look 2 days before to two days after whatever date I give them. Thus, I told Shane to look for the house to have an offer put on it that will be accepted between July 21 and 25, 2010.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Mercury retrogrades for 2010
On December 26th, we entered into another Mercury retrograde time period until January 15th of this year. Remember to double check all communication, and don't sign legal paperwork or have surgery unless it's absolutely necessary! Here are the other retrograde times for the remainder of 2010.
Mercury turns retrograde April 18 and goes direct again on
May 11 at 2 Taurus
Mercury turns retrograde August 20 at 19 Virgo and
turns direct September 12 at 5 Virgo
Mercury turns retrograde December 10 at 5 Capricorn
and turns direct December 30 at 19 Sagittarius
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Do I need to send a photo?
When people call to make an appointment with me, I give them a list of what they will need to do before we talk. I let them know I need to be able to write down the full name, birth date, and city and state location of anyone they wish to ask about. I also request that they take the time to sit down and make up a list of questions before they call and put those in order from what ever is most important to whatever is least important to them at the time.
Many people ask, "Do I need to send you a photo of the person I'm asking about?"
My honest answer is that if it's easy to do so, yes please, DO send the photo. The more recent the better and the less people in the photo the better.
But, you might ask, "You're clairvoyant, why do you need a photo? Can't you see the person anyway?"
Well the answer is two fold. No, I can not always immediately see the person like you might in a photograph. I have done it, and often the dozens of images about things surrounding an individual does include a description or visual image of them...but many times I am looking at everything else about that person and not so concerned with their appearance.
But secondly, you know the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words?" Well, for a clairvoyant, a picture is often the trigger that brings dozens if not hundreds of additional images. The photo acts as a leaping off place for me to quickly and easily retrieve information. It's a springboard to many, many more details about that individual...so many details that often come simultaneously that I have to take a moment to sort them all out.
So, for those who ask, should I send a photo to you....yes please! It will help me access more information in a quick and efficient fashion for you!
Many people ask, "Do I need to send you a photo of the person I'm asking about?"
My honest answer is that if it's easy to do so, yes please, DO send the photo. The more recent the better and the less people in the photo the better.
But, you might ask, "You're clairvoyant, why do you need a photo? Can't you see the person anyway?"
Well the answer is two fold. No, I can not always immediately see the person like you might in a photograph. I have done it, and often the dozens of images about things surrounding an individual does include a description or visual image of them...but many times I am looking at everything else about that person and not so concerned with their appearance.
But secondly, you know the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words?" Well, for a clairvoyant, a picture is often the trigger that brings dozens if not hundreds of additional images. The photo acts as a leaping off place for me to quickly and easily retrieve information. It's a springboard to many, many more details about that individual...so many details that often come simultaneously that I have to take a moment to sort them all out.
So, for those who ask, should I send a photo to you....yes please! It will help me access more information in a quick and efficient fashion for you!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Just say NO to mandatory H1N1 vaccinations!
This information came to me in an email forwarded from my friend Carolyn Walker who is part of the Prevention and Healing Clinic in Urbandale, IA. I concur whole heartedly with her on the idea of NO MANDATORY VACCINATIONS! Please read, it's important! - Su
H1N1 Flu Vaccine Facts:
Make an informed choice for the health and safety of you and your family.
* As there is NOT adequate time to test these risky vaccines, Drug Companies successfully lobbied Congress to pass the PREP Act, granting them immunity from all legal and financial liabilities for vaccine related injuries and deaths.
* Drug Companies provide false and misleading information to the CDC and State Health Departments. This [mis]information is then used by the State Governors and Legislators to make policy decisions. In 1976, they declared, “The virus will kill 1 million Americans”. It didn’t! But hundreds were permanently injured and dozens died from the vaccine!
* Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated the H1N1 vaccines will contain mercury, a potent neurotoxin. The World Health Organization is now recommending that pregnant women and children receive multiple vaccinations, while manufacturers’ inserts recommend against mercury-containing vaccines for pregnant women.
* Squalene has been purchased for use as an adjuvant (additive) in some of these vaccines. Squalene is implicated in severe autoimmune disorders and Gulf War Syndrome.
* MedImmune’s Nasal Spray “mist” vaccine contains live virus that pose the serious risk of both infecting the recipient AND spreading the virus to others. Imagine the hazard this creates at the Shopping Mart on “Spray Day”!
* The Federal Government has appropriated more than $ 8.5 billion of YOUR money on this massive and dangerous experiment. Multiple studies published in highly reputable publications have documented that flu shots are ineffective in all age groups!
It is frightening to think that the State Governors will mandate us to submit to this unproven vaccine. Yet, this is a very real possibility. “A decision will be made soon as to whether or not every American should be vaccinated against this H1N1 Virus this fall. I included sufficient funds…to purchase that vaccine if public health experts deem it necessary to do so.” - Sen. Tom Harkin, Aug. 27, 2009. Ask Senator Harkin why the billions of dollars for the Drug Industry?
A letter has been delivered to Iowa Governor Chet Culver requesting formation of a Citizens’ Pandemic Flu Advisory and Advocacy Group for communication with the State Government. Further, the request has been made to Governor Culver that he NOT force these experimental and uninsurable vaccines upon Iowans. Please ask Governor Culver and your State Legislator to support the Advocacy Group.
Action Steps:
Forward this email to the Governor and your State and Federal Legislators. The “Iowa Citizens H1N1 Letter to Governor Culver” is at this site (http://iowansforinformedconsent.org/h1n1.html ), along with contact links to your Legislators.
Forward this e-mail to all your local officials, county supervisors, city council, school board and superintendent, doctors, nurses, teachers – and all your friends and relatives. CALL them! Tell them: NO MANDATORY VACCINES!
H1N1 Flu Vaccine Facts:
Make an informed choice for the health and safety of you and your family.
* As there is NOT adequate time to test these risky vaccines, Drug Companies successfully lobbied Congress to pass the PREP Act, granting them immunity from all legal and financial liabilities for vaccine related injuries and deaths.
* Drug Companies provide false and misleading information to the CDC and State Health Departments. This [mis]information is then used by the State Governors and Legislators to make policy decisions. In 1976, they declared, “The virus will kill 1 million Americans”. It didn’t! But hundreds were permanently injured and dozens died from the vaccine!
* Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated the H1N1 vaccines will contain mercury, a potent neurotoxin. The World Health Organization is now recommending that pregnant women and children receive multiple vaccinations, while manufacturers’ inserts recommend against mercury-containing vaccines for pregnant women.
* Squalene has been purchased for use as an adjuvant (additive) in some of these vaccines. Squalene is implicated in severe autoimmune disorders and Gulf War Syndrome.
* MedImmune’s Nasal Spray “mist” vaccine contains live virus that pose the serious risk of both infecting the recipient AND spreading the virus to others. Imagine the hazard this creates at the Shopping Mart on “Spray Day”!
* The Federal Government has appropriated more than $ 8.5 billion of YOUR money on this massive and dangerous experiment. Multiple studies published in highly reputable publications have documented that flu shots are ineffective in all age groups!
It is frightening to think that the State Governors will mandate us to submit to this unproven vaccine. Yet, this is a very real possibility. “A decision will be made soon as to whether or not every American should be vaccinated against this H1N1 Virus this fall. I included sufficient funds…to purchase that vaccine if public health experts deem it necessary to do so.” - Sen. Tom Harkin, Aug. 27, 2009. Ask Senator Harkin why the billions of dollars for the Drug Industry?
A letter has been delivered to Iowa Governor Chet Culver requesting formation of a Citizens’ Pandemic Flu Advisory and Advocacy Group for communication with the State Government. Further, the request has been made to Governor Culver that he NOT force these experimental and uninsurable vaccines upon Iowans. Please ask Governor Culver and your State Legislator to support the Advocacy Group.
Action Steps:
Forward this email to the Governor and your State and Federal Legislators. The “Iowa Citizens H1N1 Letter to Governor Culver” is at this site (http://iowansforinformedconsent.org/h1n1.html ), along with contact links to your Legislators.
Forward this e-mail to all your local officials, county supervisors, city council, school board and superintendent, doctors, nurses, teachers – and all your friends and relatives. CALL them! Tell them: NO MANDATORY VACCINES!
Preparing for the Fall Equinox
09-22-2009 at 16:18 CDT
That's the exact date and time of this year's fall Equinox. So what's the big deal, why is it so important?
Several things both astrological and astronomical happen. First, the length of daylight and length of night time are exactly equal, 12 hours of each. Since the beginning of spring (the Spring Equinox) we've been enjoying days that are longer than nights. The length of hours of sunlight grows a bit each day until we reach the longest day of the year at the Summer Solstice in June. From then until the Fall Equinox, the days slowly, little by little, shorten. After September 22 this year, the days will continued to be shorter than the nights with our longest night occuring on the Winter Solstice in December.
The Fall Equinox is also known as the second harvest festival, harvest home or Mabon. There are three harvest fests, the first being the beginning of August which is also known as Lammas or the Green Corn Harvest Festival. Here in Iowa, I would prefer to call it the Sweet Corn Harvest Festival and this year's corn was especially sweet (I've already frozen many quart bags to enjoy this winter! For all your folks in other parts of the country, you have my sympathy in eating the regular old canned or frozen corn you buy at the store...there is NO comparison!)
The fall festival, because of days and nights being equal, is also a time to prepare to get things back into balance again, readying for the long winter.
How do I do that specifically? First, I make sure that the pantry and freezers are stocked for winter with all my favorite goodies from the wonders of summer here in Iowa...sweet corn, raspberries, good Iowa beef, and catfish I caught myself are among all the things that I make sure I have stored away.
This is a photo of me a after one particularly decent fall catch I got in about a 3 hour period of time from Beaver Lake just north of Dexter, Iowa.
Secondly, I check to make sure my family has the clothing it needs to prepare for the oncoming cooling in Fall and deep cold of Winter. The heavier wool winter blankets get put back on the beds. Hats and scarves, winter coats and boots all come back out of storage. Mismatched gloves and mittens are accounted for and warm wool socks need to have their mates.
Above are some of the baby socks I've been knitting this week for my granddaughter Inara. She's going to be a year old in December.
Emotionally and spiritually, it's the time where I look back on the past nine and a half months to see if there's anything I wanted to accomplish this year that didn't get done. Now's the time to make sure that I wrap up this year in a good way. I go through my mental list of hopes and dreams for this year and see what still hasn't been finished, and look to see what's truly important to still fit in before winter hits.
I also sit back and evaluate my pace of life right about now. Am I rushing things, or lagging way behind. Am I in physical balance health wise and what needs to change or shift? Do I need to simplify more things to be able put my emphasis on myself, friends and family in a gentler way? Am I working too hard, or not as efficiently as I should? What am I doing to keep my own personal balance going each day or each week. How will that shift as fall begins the slow but steady trod toward the cold chill of winter.
So, now is the time of evaluation and seeking balance for me, planning and appreciating everything that I've been given, shown or taught this past year and determining how I want to draw 2009 to a wonderful and balanced close.
That's the exact date and time of this year's fall Equinox. So what's the big deal, why is it so important?
Several things both astrological and astronomical happen. First, the length of daylight and length of night time are exactly equal, 12 hours of each. Since the beginning of spring (the Spring Equinox) we've been enjoying days that are longer than nights. The length of hours of sunlight grows a bit each day until we reach the longest day of the year at the Summer Solstice in June. From then until the Fall Equinox, the days slowly, little by little, shorten. After September 22 this year, the days will continued to be shorter than the nights with our longest night occuring on the Winter Solstice in December.
The Fall Equinox is also known as the second harvest festival, harvest home or Mabon. There are three harvest fests, the first being the beginning of August which is also known as Lammas or the Green Corn Harvest Festival. Here in Iowa, I would prefer to call it the Sweet Corn Harvest Festival and this year's corn was especially sweet (I've already frozen many quart bags to enjoy this winter! For all your folks in other parts of the country, you have my sympathy in eating the regular old canned or frozen corn you buy at the store...there is NO comparison!)
The fall festival, because of days and nights being equal, is also a time to prepare to get things back into balance again, readying for the long winter.
How do I do that specifically? First, I make sure that the pantry and freezers are stocked for winter with all my favorite goodies from the wonders of summer here in Iowa...sweet corn, raspberries, good Iowa beef, and catfish I caught myself are among all the things that I make sure I have stored away.
This is a photo of me a after one particularly decent fall catch I got in about a 3 hour period of time from Beaver Lake just north of Dexter, Iowa.Secondly, I check to make sure my family has the clothing it needs to prepare for the oncoming cooling in Fall and deep cold of Winter. The heavier wool winter blankets get put back on the beds. Hats and scarves, winter coats and boots all come back out of storage. Mismatched gloves and mittens are accounted for and warm wool socks need to have their mates.
Above are some of the baby socks I've been knitting this week for my granddaughter Inara. She's going to be a year old in December.Emotionally and spiritually, it's the time where I look back on the past nine and a half months to see if there's anything I wanted to accomplish this year that didn't get done. Now's the time to make sure that I wrap up this year in a good way. I go through my mental list of hopes and dreams for this year and see what still hasn't been finished, and look to see what's truly important to still fit in before winter hits.
I also sit back and evaluate my pace of life right about now. Am I rushing things, or lagging way behind. Am I in physical balance health wise and what needs to change or shift? Do I need to simplify more things to be able put my emphasis on myself, friends and family in a gentler way? Am I working too hard, or not as efficiently as I should? What am I doing to keep my own personal balance going each day or each week. How will that shift as fall begins the slow but steady trod toward the cold chill of winter.
So, now is the time of evaluation and seeking balance for me, planning and appreciating everything that I've been given, shown or taught this past year and determining how I want to draw 2009 to a wonderful and balanced close.
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