Synchronicities

Not too long ago, I was having a small talk with my friend Cheryle. We were in her garden and at one point our discussion turned to her mother-in-law who passed away not long ago. Apparently, her mother-in-law loved observing and identifying butterflies, and she was also an amateur painter. At one point, my friend was telling me about a beautiful butterfly book her mother-in-law had made from her own hand-painted images of butterflies, and just at that moment a large beautiful butterfly flew down and landed on the jam pot and rested there for several minutes.

We couldn't help noticing the synchronicity of the butterfly's appearance right when we were having a discussion about this exotic insect. It was almost as if her grandmother was sending us a sweet little message through the butterfly. Of course, I was thrilled to experience this magical moment. I have frequent experiences with synchronicity. For example, I might have a dream about someone I haven't seen in ages, and suddenly I'll get a call from them, or I'll read something and a word will stand out in my mind, and I end up seeing it everywhere I go.

Synchronicity is more than just coincidence. It is a way that events, actions, and thoughts come together to communicate with us in a meaningful way. Synchronicities can be very reassuring to us, by validating a feeling we have about something or someone, or confirming the validity of a new idea or plan. Synchronicity is a bit like having a psychic check-in that lets us know we are on the right track, or someone we love and miss is never far away.

The term, synchronicity, was coined by the famous psychiatrist Carl Jung, who first noticed a connection between incidents that were more than just coincidences when he was working with a patient. Apparently, his first understanding of synchronicity came about when a patient was sharing thoughts about dreams, which centered around Egyptian scarab beetles. While relating her dreams, a scarab flew right through the window and landed on Jung. The thing that made the appearance of the insect most unusual was that it was not native to the part of the world where the analysis session was taking place. This led Jung to conclude that the part of the psyche, called the collective unconscious, had produced the scarab beetle at the exact moment the patient was describing her dream.

Jung's conclusion was that our unconscious minds have an affect on the physical world around us, just as the physical world affects our conscious and unconscious minds. As an astrologer, I frequently see synchronicity at work in the lives of my clients as they look for and recognize synchronicities that confirm their understanding of the readings I give them.

Synchronicity has often given me guidance and comfort and I hope that you will experience synchronicities in your life as well to help guide you on your path. If you are on the lookout for it, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Happy New Year!

It is the beginning of the year, and most of us are feeling uneasy about the economy. We may have had to cut back on some of the things we like to do, such as visiting restaurants regularly or hitting the cinema a couple of times a week. We might be experiencing some heavy-duty budgeting in order to make ends meet. However, while the economic downturn over the last year has created hard times for many of us, there are actually some positives that have come out of it.

First and foremost, having to give up our expensive daily latte and other frivolous purchases can instill within us a greater appreciation for other more substantial things like family, friends and good health. When we are pushed out of our comfort zone, interesting and even amazing things can happen.

Job losses, for example, even though they are very upsetting at the time, often push us into looking in new directions for our income. This can result in searching for new goals and more satisfying employment. After all, most people don't easily let go of old jobs and old habits, even though they may want to, until they are forced to make a change.

A sad fact that we cannot deny is that the unprecedented wealth of the last few decades has also been accompanied by unprecedented levels of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Plus, when the economy is flourishing, people tend to work harder and stress more, which has a negative effect on health. When we are forced to live on less, and sometimes even on one income, we tend to focus on the things that are more meaningful to us, to spend more time with our families and to focus on what we can do to take care of our bodies.

Unless financial stress is extremely severe, children also benefit from harder times. You may not be able to give them everything they want or take them everywhere they want to go, but you are likely to be in a position to give them something far more important – your time and attention.

During these tough times it is important to keep in mind that being faced with living on less and spending more time at home is balanced by increased opportunities to develop ourselves as well as spend precious time with those who are close to us.

Finally, How else would you know happy from sad? Sooner or later, youre gonna have to finally look back. And you'll look back and see, what happened in between. And you'll appreciate each and every single day. The pop of the cork, and the clink of the glasses, We toast to the future, and we drink to the past. It might not be easy, But nevertheless These are the best days of our lives. HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

It's almost Autumn...

Autumn is when people prepare the garden for the quiet sleep of winter and the rebirth of spring. Late autumn has always been one of the favorite times of the year. It's lovely seeing trees ablaze with color, followed by the thick carpet of fallen leaves on the ground. Also, it's lovely to feel the cold and crisp air, along with the earthy smell that is so prevalent right now.

When I was younger, I remember watching movies of kids who were tired and complained of boredom around this time of year, their mum and dad would send them out to rake the back garden. Strangely enough, I loved this chore but almost never managed to finish the job. About the time I would manage to get a pile of leaves together, one of my dogs would show up and we would end up jumping into the leaves and flinging armfuls of them at each other until the garden was once again cluttered.

I have to confess that I haven't jumped into piles of leaves for a long time, but my enjoyment of late autumn has never dissipated. I look for as many opportunities to get out into the autumn environment as I can because it makes me feel alive and renewed.

I hope you are enjoying the nice autumn days, spending time outside when you can. If you have the time, go away for a day to the countryside or a local park for a nice long walk or hike. Even if you can't devote a lot of time, take advantage of the changing season by taking a brisk walk in your neighborhood or at a local park.

Even though the weather may be getting cooler and the days shorter, that doesn't mean you can't partake in the beauty of the season, just don't forget your coat and scarf. Have a nice weekend!

Take care of yourself

This week, I want to focus on the importance of taking care of ourselves. As our days become busier and more hectic, it can be difficult for us to take a needed and deserved break. I am sure that even an aware person like me, has experienced moments when you would have liked to have more time to yourself.

The truth is that even for those of us who are aware and clear on the importance of self-care, it is easy to get caught up in daily routines, events, special projects, and the like, to the point that you forget to take time out for yourself. As a result, you may find yourself feeling tired and out of sorts. However, I have a few suggestions for giving yourself time, slowing down your mind, enjoying your surroundings, and replenishing your energy.

My first suggestion is to walk where you need to go. If you walk to work or to the corner store instead of driving there, you get a chance to slow down your mind, enjoy the surroundings, and get some great exercise to boot! If you can afford it, consider joining a gym and making the commitment to go several times a week. Getting exercise is an excellent way to bring your mind and body back into alignment and boost your energy levels.

Another way to create self-time is to join a group or club that meets on a regular basis. It could be a gardening club, a choir, a photography class or scrap-booking group, or even a meditation or yoga group. The idea behind these suggestions is to have time that is separate from your work and daily activities.

Finally, I have other suggestions for making extra time. Leave work on time or arrive at appointments early, equipped with a favorite book so that you take advantage of the wait time for pleasure reading. Keep a book or magazine handy in your bag or briefcase for when you are unexpectedly stuck waiting for someone or something.

I'm sure, that you can come up with many more ways to take care of yourself than I shared here if you put your mind to it. I hope that you will find my suggestions useful and that you will take some time for yourself this week to have fun, relax, and rejuvenate. You deserve it!

Had any good meal lately?

When was the last time you enjoyed a nice leisurely meal? Do you know that one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight and a trim figure is to slow down and savor the food you eat? As strange as this idea may seem, it works. Just look at the French! Their regular diet includes multiple course meals with creamy sauces, real butter, desserts, and wine.

On the flip side, consider American eating habits, which more often than not include skipping meals, having fast food on the run, or overindulging at an all-you-can-eat buffet. One might think that staying on the go helps to burn calories, but what it actually does is to create stress, and stress is a big deterrent to maintaining a healthy weight.

Never fear, all is not lost, because any habit that is learned can be unlearned. All you have to do is to slow down at mealtimes, begin to enjoy your food, take better care of yourself, and you can keep a trim, healthy figure without too much fuss or drastic shift.

But that will require some adjustments to your daily schedule. For your first meal of the day, go for something healthy, even if it is just some fruit and/or nuts as you head off to work. Studies show that starting your day with a healthy mix of protein and carbohydrate boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat throughout the day. And if you have a mid-morning or afternoon snack, keep it light and nibble it a bit at a time if possible. Stretching it out will make it feel like more in the end.

At mealtimes, strive to eat a full, balanced meal that includes foods you like. As your digestive system was designed to break down natural foods, choose foods that aren't loaded with preservatives and chemicals. So that means staying away from prepared fast foods as much as possible. Also, eating more slowly and chewing your food well will help you enjoy the different tastes on your plate and make you more aware when your body is full.

Finally, don't forget to add some exercise to your daily routine. It doesn't have to be something strenuous or lengthy. Studies show that short bursts of activity throughout the day help to maintain an optimum weight. Some suggestions include taking a short walk after lunch, parking further out in the grocery store parking lot, walking to the corner store as opposed to driving, and opting to take the stairs as opposed to the elevator whenever you can. Those extra steps here and there add up, to a trim healthy body and a healthier lifestyle.

Friendships...

I want to share some interesting information I recently read on friendship. But first I'd like you to take a moment to think about your closest friends. Are you the type of person who has one best friend or one who prefers a few close friends? Well, if you answered yes to either of these questions, consider yourself fortunate, because dependable friendships bring some amazing benefits.

It is probably no surprise to you that close friendships are good for us. However, the list of actual medical advantages is quite remarkable. Research shows that our good friendships can help us to reduce our blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels, as well as to lower our stress levels. In other words, solid, dependable friendships help us to live a longer, healthier life.

The nice thing about our friendships is that they are ties we choose to develop, sustain and nurture. When we are young, we seek comfort in our companionship, by befriending dogs, cats, dolls and stuffed animals. As we grow into adolescence and later into adulthood, good friends can become more than just companions. A good friend is there through the good and bad times.

A good friend is someone who loves you in spite of yourself. They laugh with you, cry with you, listen to you when you need an ear, tell you the truth when you don't want to hear it and even keep your secrets. And now, you can add the positive health benefits of friendship to that list!

While this information probably won't make you change how you feel about your friends, it may make you appreciate them even more. And may I remind you, that the benefits of our friendships work both ways.

Have a nice weekend!

Desperate?

Have you ever wanted something desperately, but felt you could never get it? I think that many people probably experience this. We all have dreams and aspirations, but not all of us believe we can realize them. I believe that most dreams are attainable, provided that we are able to set realistic goals and take active steps to make them come true.

I want to share a story about one of my friend's that illustrates this. A young woman I'll call Helen came to me for some advice to find out why she wasn't achieving the thing she most wanted in life, to become a voice-over actress. She was frustrated and angry because her dream wasn't materializing, so I asked her what she was doing to realize this goal. She said she visualized every day but admitted that she had done little else, mostly because she really didn't know what to do.

Visualizing can be very effective, but Helen needed to exert physical and mental energy toward realizing her desired goal. I decided to introduce her to the law of attraction and the idea that every action that is focused on a goal actually helps to bring about that goal. After doing that, we came up with a plan to help her achieve her goal.

Helen's first step was to find out everything she could from the library and Internet about being a voice-over actress. Next, she had to research what kind of training she would need, where and how to get it, and how much it would cost. And finally, she had to figure out how much time she would need to complete a program, think of ways she could support herself during her training, locate ways to fund for her education, and then apply to institutions that specialize in voice-over programs.

As you might have guessed, the next time I heard from Helen, she was on cloud nine. She had been accepted to an acting school that specialized in voice-over and she had even found a job that was flexible with her new school schedule.

Helen says that she will be working in a studio within a year's time, earning a pretty good salary and doing what she'd always dreamed of. And this is all because she was finally able to put energy behind her dream by finding out how to realize it and then set about doing just that.

If there is something you have always wished you could do, I hope that Helen's story will inspire you to go after your own dream.