Three Sisters' Spirit

ask yourself...

2011-01-13T22:16:00.000-06:00

Self Discovery Ritual - 11 Questions

Directions: Take one hour for Self Discovery. Light a candle and put something next to it that you love. Sit quietly with a warm shawl about your shoulders. Soften your body - starting with your feet and going up to your crown, paying attention to each part of you, including your organs, with a special focus of becoming present to your heart. Say a prayer that you will be able to listen into the spaciousness of your own soul. Be quiet and still and let yourself enter dream space.

Then one by one, read the questions and answer them just in your mind or out loud, see what comes up.

When do I feel happiest being me?
What do I love to create?
What do I feel I was born to do?
When I am the most at peace?
What do I long for?
What is between me and being happy?
If my heart could send me a message what would she say to me?
If my body wrote me a letter what would it say?
If my spirit were a song, what would it sound like?
If my mind were free, what thoughts would I think?
If my soul could speak to me, what would she say?

When you are complete with that, you can also write out the answers. At the end, see what you feel like. Feel into your emotional self. How do you feel? What did you discover about incredible you?

Source: Shiloh McCloud Cosmic Cowgirl

take the vow

2011-01-10T07:39:00.000-06:00

The Vow for 2011
by Debbie Ford

My life is worth a billion blessings to all those I meet on my journey.

I am the heaven and all that exists in the sky above.

I am the vastness of my greatest thought and the infinite power that sources and sustains the entire universe.

On this day, I will remember who I am, what I am here for and why I chose the experiences that have come into my path this past year.

Today, I promise to leave the smallness of my darkest thoughts and melt with open arms into the never-ending, all-powerful love of my highest self.

Today, I surrender into the open arms of 2011, allowing each day of the upcoming year to surprise, comfort and nourish my soul's deepest desires.

I vow to return to the spark of the divine and use my power to light up the world.

This year, I will give to others what I want back for myself.

If I want love, I will find ways to love each and every person I come across.

If I want peace, I will think peaceful thoughts, say peaceful words and pray for peace for all those who are living in chaos, including myself.

If I want success, I will work diligently to help those around me succeed. I will stay focused, do my absolute best and seek excellence in everything I do.

If I want respect, I will begin by respecting life and all that comes with it. I will respect those around me and those who work hard to make this planet a better place. I will respect the earth, my body, my past and the gifts that I hold and I will surrender judgment for reverence.

In 2011, I trust that what I give to the world will be given back to me.

do thoughts become things?

2011-01-03T07:09:00.000-06:00

THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS from Nic Askew on Vimeo.

Even the vague possibility that your thoughts have any bearing on the experience of your own life should have you sitting up straight in the most uncomfortable of chairs.

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And there is more than the aforementioned vague possibility that thoughts do become things.That seems obvious. Of course, the workings of this mysterious inexplicable phenomenon is
subtle. And a subtlety worthy of a lifetime’s full attention.
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This is important - MIGHT YOUR LIFE BE PROOF THAT THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS?

Underlying Commitments

2010-12-02T08:16:00.000-06:00

Our recommended reading this week.....

In order to become the magnets for love, money and opportunities that we want to be, we have to de-magnetize ourselves first. It is what is in our unconscious mind that has the power -- all the stuff that you wish wasn't there, that you want to get rid of, that you're still pissed off about or ashamed of, all the beliefs you're still limited by. Our unconscious is holding 80% of our power to magnetize our life experiences to us. So if our conscious mind has only 20% of the power, this is the time to get to work on uncovering, owning and embracing our unconscious by truly understanding and transforming what's no longer wanted or needed.

One fruitful place to start this exploration is to look at what I call underlying commitments. These are commitments that exist at an unconscious level that, if not made conscious, will override any other desires we have. Our underlying commitments drive our thoughts, our beliefs and -- most importantly -- our choices. They are the unseen forces that shape our realities. They are responsible for the discrepancy between what we say we want and what we're actually experiencing.

These underlying commitments are formed by unconscious decisions we've made in the past. In the dark recesses of your unconscious, for example, you may have decided that you can't trust anyone and that it's easier to be alone. So even though you want love and intimacy in your life, you always choose the wrong mate because your first commitment is to being by yourself. You become a magnet, but instead of attracting what you think you desire, you are a magnet for failure, for missed opportunities, for being less of a success than you strive for. You continually make choices that are in direct conflict with what you say you want and you find yourself baffled by the choices you are making. Sound familiar?

Underlying commitments keep us stuck in the same place year after year. When we carry the wounds, hurts or outdated beliefs that created these underlying commitments in the first place, we will unfortunately keep attracting the same circumstances over and over again so that we can be right about these early decisions lurking in our unconscious. Our underlying commitments become self-fulfilling prophecies. And our unconscious becomes the driver of our lives.

Transformational Action Step

We must expose our underlying commitments before we have the power to shift them. By exposing these unconscious commitments, we gain the freedom to stand in the truth. Then we can begin the process of transformation.

1. Write down a goal or desire that you've been unable to attain.

2. Make a list of the actions you have taken or not taken in the past year that are in direct opposition to this goal.

3. Now take your list and imagine that these choices that have taken you away from your desired goal and not brought you any closer to it are an expression of a deeper commitment, your first commitment.

4. Close your eyes and ask yourself "What commitment are these choices in direct alignment with?" There you will discover your underlying commitment.

When you reveal the underlying commitments that prevent you from achieving your goals, you are beginning to turn your life around. You can now replace your old commitments with new, powerful commitments that are in alignment with your highest vision for the future.

5. Write down a new commitment you can make this week that will move you toward the future you desire.

(Source: Debbie Ford)

the gift of gratitude

2010-11-25T07:34:00.000-06:00

The beautiful gifts of gratitude begin at home
so today, invite a healing to happen
in your own body,
in your own consciousness,
in your own loving heart
that feels blessed to be alive.

Notice all the riches you've been given:
the feet that allow you to stand,
the legs that allow you to walk,
the stomach that allows you to eat,
the lungs that allow you to breathe,
the throat that allows you to speak,
the mouth that allow you to taste,
the nose that allows you to smell,
the eyes that allow you to see,
and your beating heart
that allows you to love.

Honor them all.

Become present to the treasures of your life:
the opportunities that you have been given,
the ones that have effortlessly opened up for you this year.
Reflect on your family, your kids, your partner, your friends.
Look through appreciative eyes,
the eyes of what's right,
the eyes of the divine.

Give thanks in a way that you never have before.

Allow fear, doubt, struggle and pain
to melt away in the presence of this all-loving appreciation.
Thank God that you have a consciousness
that is able to shift and transform in just a moment.

Thank God that you are courageous enough
to take a moment to bless yourself,
to bless the universe,
to bless all those who love and guide you,
and then to bless all of the world,

Send your tears of love and gratitude
to those who are in pain,
to those who are alone,
to those who are confused.

Allow the heavenly vibration of gratitude
to puncture their fearful illusions
and open up their hearts to what is truly divine.

Today, take this vow of deep self-love and gratitude,
knowing that when you are in the presence of this kind of love,
you - as well as all of those around you - will flourish.

Take five slow deep breaths, breathing in
love, appreciation, gratitude and joy.
Know that you are never alone and you will never be alone.

We are all here surrounding you with love.

(Debbie Ford)

the fear voice

2010-11-15T11:53:00.000-06:00

Over the years, I’ve watched many creative women not share their voices, not embrace their passions, not ask for what they deserve, not take the risks involved in creating their “hit the home run ball out of the park” life because of the fear voice.

We’ve all heard it at one time or another – the voice that whispers in our ear and tells us we aren’t smart enough, or creative enough – or that we’ll fail, or worst of all, that we don’t deserve the something we know we want.

Having been intimate with the “fear voice” myself, I came up with some ways to help myself (and hopefully you) fight back……

1.) Create a character that illustrates how the voice of fear feels in you. And when you hear the voice of fear, greet it: “Oh, hello Cruella, it’s you again. What’s up?” Creating a character helps you separate the creative part of yourself from the part of you that’s afraid. Fears come from an instinctual part of the brain that seeks to avoid risk at any cost. That’s why it’s important to separate it from the place of creativity, dreams and inner wisdom.)

2.) After hearing the voice of fear say something like: “you’re going to fall flat on your face” or “no one will like your ideas”, ask your rational self: “Can I be absolutely sure that this thought is true?” (Because in most cases, what the voice of fear is saying isn’t true. The voice of fear is irrational and overprotective.

3.) Stay focused and continue to think it through to the end. Fear holds us hostage, making threats that if you do “X”, a disastrous outcome will occur. So take it one step ahead of the fear. Using your creativity, imagine how you’d handle fear’s projected outcome, and evaluate just how bad it would really be.

Keep shrugging your shoulders and ask “so what?” again and again. For example, the voice of fear tells you that your request for a raise will be turned down. This is when you ask yourself, “So if I was turned down, so what? Then what?”

You’ll probably hear yourself thinking something like, “Well, I’d be disappointed, and I’d think about whether that means I need to change jobs.” You’ve just taken a great deal of power away from your fear.

Or, if that outcome still feels super scary, and your next answer to “so what?” is “I’d feel horribly embarrassed around my boss every time I saw her!” Then ask the question again: “So I’d feel embarrassed and awkward, then what?” Keep following the fear through to the end. You’ll find your resiliency and sense of perspective as you keep asking, “So what?”

Having done the preliminary footwork, it’s time to take affirmative action!

(4.) Compliment the fear. That’s right – stroke it’s ego before you prepare to kick its butt to the curb. “Wow, Cruella – THAT was good! In fact one of your best – you put a lot of work into that one! You almost had me believing you there with that one.”

(5.) Prove your competency and capability to be the bigger voice and take charge person. “Thanks for bringing that to my attention Cruella, but you don’t need to worry. I’ve thought about it and think I’ve got it handled. What you’re so concerned about probably won’t happen, but if it does, I’m strong enough to deal with it. Trust me.”

(6.) Trust yourself. Trust your heart, your inner wisdom, your intuition. You cannot be in a state of fear and trust at the same time. They can’t co-exist – one will always blot out the other. So decide which you will feed and nurture. Your trusting self or your fearful self?

And if all else fails, just accept that fear is nothing more than a cautionary voice in your life right now. Let it be there, but don’t let it be in control. Let it be there, listen to it even, but don’t take direction from it or stop moving forward because of it.

As I read somewhere, “Courage is nothing more than fear that has said its prayers.”

desires, wants and needs....

2010-10-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. - Harold Whitman

Many years ago, I attended a workshop on “connecting with your hearts desire.” The facilitator instructed us (when faced with a choice of what to do) to sit down with a piece of paper and write out all our options.

“Make a two column list with all the pros and cons for each potential choice” she said, “and when you are done with your list, tear up the paper and do what your heart calls you to do!”

In other words, the most important question we needed to be asking ourselves was "What is my heart calling me to do?"

This little interchange got me thinking about the whole issue of needs. And wanting. And how do we think and feel and respond to our longings and spontaneous wishes.

How many of us play devil’s advocate with ourselves, second guessing the inner voice that whispers in our ear. How many of us don’t have confidence in our desires, and will (sadly) push them back underground where they can't threaten us with their hungry insistence?

But why? Why is it so hard to just joyfully accept our desires? To feel excited and not so skeptical when they appear?

“BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT!!”

One of the big stumbling blocks around embracing our desires is feeling blank or blocked when confronted with the question "What do I want?" You might get so far as knowing that you want something, but you convince yourself that you really have no ideas regarding what that something might be.

This is a lie. You always, always, always know what it is that you want.

It's just that sometimes the thing that you are yearning for is really scary because getting it means you will be changing the status quo in your life in a big way. So you unconsciously block the true awareness of what your heart is yearning for.

When you are feeling totally baffled around your desires and are caught up in believing the fiction that you really and truly just don't have a clue, try asking yourself this question:

"What is it that I am too afraid to want right now?" and see what shows up. And then ask yourself “Why am I so afraid?”

Having needs is not a bad thing or something to be ashamed of, but it often makes people very uncomfortable because it goes against the grain of a lot of internalized messages that advocate NOT expressing our needs or desires.

We talk ourselves out of what we want by telling ourselves that our needs are petty or unimportant. We convince ourselves that we can do without it because under no circumstances do we want anyone to know that we are dissatisfied, or that we want more. We don't want to be seen as selfish or demanding.

Most of the time what we are really doing is protecting ourselves. If we keep our desires invisible we won't risk being disappointed or heartbroken if we try for something that we're not sure we can actually have.

OK. OK. I'LL ASK. BUT ONLY IF I KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE ANSWER IS YES

Of course, there is no guarantee that you will get something just because you want it. But you for SURE won't even come close to it if you never even try.

The real secret around the whole issue of longing is that getting what we want isn't really the most important thing. The empowerment is in the longing itself. We are already feeding our deepest sense of aliveness by simply allowing ourselves to FEEL the wanting. To HAVE the wanting. To make space for it to even exist.

Our longing and our wanting gets us in the door - it propels us forward - it gets us engaged with our lives. When we follow our desires we are saying a big old YES to the journey, not necessarily to the destination.

We get ourselves in trouble when we hold back our desires because we are afraid we will be disappointed. We want some kind of guarantee that if we want something we will get it exactly the way we see it all worked out in our minds.

And we miss out on getting things that we could have never even possibly dreamed up.

BUT WHAT I WANT IS REALLY WEIRD!!

Another way that we shut down our desire capability is by thinking that everything we want has to make some kind of sense. Or be socially redeemable. It has to be acceptable in one way or another. And to fit in with who we think we are or are supposed to be.

There is a level of desire that is by its very nature just goofy and wacky and fun. If we are really paying attention to what makes us happy, there are things that we want that can be kind of quirky and offbeat. It's related to the childlike part of who we are that is coming out to play.

The part of us that can love and trust the whimsical & magical self is more than willing to accomodate the other part of ourselves because it knows that doing so is feeding something deeply important and essential.

Which is the point to all of our longings ... whether they be serious or silly they are always leading us in one direction. They are always taking us closer and closer to our core authentic self, to our inner point of greatest aliveness and to our felt sense of being at home in our own skin.

Which is the only thing that we ever really want when you get right down to it.

HOLIDAY GIFTS & RECIPES: Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils

2010-10-26T08:44:00.000-05:00

Who knew that the ginger in those gingerbread cookies had the potential to soothe upset stomachs, stimulate sluggish elimination, strengthen our hearts, and relieve head congestion!

This Saturday 12:30-1:30pm (Oct 30), stop by Three Sisters’ Spirit after the Farmer’s Market. Kim Tedford will be here sharing a FREE presentation on the therapeutic aid essential oils can provide, along with ideas on how to incorporate healing in your gift-giving this year.

Sample Kim’s favorite, gingersnaps made with ginger essential oil. The therapeutic qualities of nutmeg, peppermint, frankincense, and myrrh will also be shared!

Then, check out our essential oil kits in the store; Relaxation, Creativity, and Fertile Myrtle. Or call Kim for a private essential oil consultation, 414.476.9335.

Finding Stillness

2010-09-13T17:24:00.000-05:00

Find Stillness to Cure the Illness
by Leo Babauta

“Silence is a source of great strength.” ~Lao Tzu

It’s a busy day, and you’re inundated by non-stop emails, text messages, phone calls, instant message requests, notifications, interruptions of all kinds.

The noise of the world is a dull roar that pervades every second of your life. It’s a rush of activity, a drain on your energy, a pull on your attention, until you no longer have the energy to pay attention or take action.

It’s an illness, this noise, this rush. It can literally make us sick. We become stressed, depressed, fat, burnt out, slain by the slings and arrows of technology.

The cure is simple: it’s stillness.

Pause

Take a minute out of your busy day to do this little exercise: pause in the middle of all you have to do, all that’s going on around you. Close your eyes, and sit still. Breathe in, and breathe out, and pay attention to your breath as it comes in and goes out. Just sit still, for about a minute.

This stillness might seem like inaction, which we’re taught is a bad thing. It’s lazy, it’s passive, it’s against our Puritan work ethic. And yet, this simple inaction can change our world.

Stillness calms us. It gives us a small oasis of quiet that allows us to hear our thoughts, that allows us to catch our breath, that gives us room to breathe at all. It is the antibody to the stress and rush we feel daily.

“Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat.” ~Lao Tzu

The Strength of Stillness

Stillness has a calming effect on the world around us as well. By becoming still, we cause others to pause, to pay attention. Our quiet also quiets others. We set the mood for those who work and otherwise interact with us.

When we rush and set a frenetic pace, it stresses others and inspires them to rush frenetically too. Stillness has the opposite effect. It slows the world down, allows us to focus, gives us time for contemplation, for what matters most.

It takes strength to be still when others rush. It takes courage to be different, to go against the stream. But while others might think us weird at first, that’s OK. Sometimes it’s the weird ones that make the most difference. And soon, as our stillness inspires others to find stillness of their own, we won’t be the weird ones — we’ll be the ones with wisdom.

It takes strength to find stillness when the world around us is a chaos of activity, but it’s a strength that’s in us, and we need only to find it. Paradoxically, it’s stillness that will allow us to find that strength. Be still, look within, and it’ll be there.

Finding Stillness

It’s pretty simple, really, and you don’t need me to tell you to do this: to find stillness, you just need to take the time to sit still, every day that you can.

Find a time in the morning, when the world is still fairly quiet, to sit still. Don’t do anything, don’t plan your day, don’t check email, don’t eat. Just sit, and learn to be comfortable being still.

In practice, we’ll gradually find that comfort, and we’ll become good at it. If mornings are no good, find time during your lunch break, or after work, or just before you go to bed.

Find a place to be still. It can be a chair in your house, or a front porch, or the roof. It can be a park bench, or the beach, or a path in the woods. Let this be a ritual that you come to look forward to.

From this small place of stillness, calm will carry to the rest of your day, radiating like a soothing force. You’ll be calmer throughout the day, and learn to find little pockets of stillness everywhere: when you first start your workday, when you are ready to sit down and create, when you’re about to eat, when you are ready to exercise, during a meeting, even.

Practice, regularly. Practice, and learn. Practice stillness, and the stillness becomes a canvas upon which you can paint the masterpiece of your life.

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

© Copyright Leo Babauta. All rights reserved.

Leo Babauta is the owner of Zen Habits, one of the top 100 blogs in the world, featuring three powerful articles a week on: simplicity, health & fitness, motivation and inspiration, frugality, family life, happiness, goals, getting great things done, and living in the moment.

Woman

2010-08-31T08:27:00.000-05:00

Embracing Womanhood

When one woman honors who she is, all women collectively move closer to becoming what they are capable of being.
There are many ways and myriad reasons for women to honor and embrace all that they are. And when any individual woman chooses to do so, all women collectively move closer to becoming what they are truly capable of being. By honoring her experience and being willing to share it with others—both male and female—she teaches as she learns. When she can trust herself and her inner voice, she teaches those around her to trust her as well. Clasping hands with family members and friends, coworkers and strangers in a shared walk through the journey of life, she allows all to see the self-respect she possesses and accepts their respect, too, that is offered through look, word, and deed.

When a woman can look back into her past, doing so without regret and instead seeing only lessons that brought her to her current strength and wisdom, she embraces the fullness of her experience. She helps those around her to build upon the past as she does. And when she chooses to create her desires, she places her power in the present and moves forward with life into the future.

Seeing her own divinity, a woman learns to recognize the divinity in all women. She then can see her body as a temple, appreciating its feminine form and function, regardless of what age or stage of life she finds herself. She can enjoy all that it brings to her experience and appreciate other women and their experiences as well. Rather than seeing other women as competition, she can look around her to see the cycle of life reflected in the beauty of her sisters, reminding her of her own radiance should she ever forget. She can then celebrate all the many aspects that make her a being worthy of praise, dancing to express the physical, speaking proudly to express her intellect, sharing her emotions, and leading the way with her spiritual guidance. Embracing her womanhood, she reveals the facets that allow her to shine with the beauty and strength of a diamond to illuminate her world.

(Source: DailyOm)

heART and Soul Video

2010-08-30T07:58:00.002-05:00

Martina made this video of our first heART & soul class. To say how awesome and incredible it was in words doesn't do it justice - the video does a much better job of capturing the essence and spirit of our gathering. Watch and (we hope) enjoy!!

simple and difficult

2010-08-28T21:08:00.000-05:00

A fabulous new book!!

"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and difficult as that." (Michael Leunig)

What if we simply walked into the world in a more loving way? What if we learned the difference between loneliness and solitude? What if we approacbed each situation with one four word question in our minds and hearts; "what would love do?"

mercury retrograde

2010-08-20T12:08:00.000-05:00

Mercury, the planet of communication, turns retrograde in Virgo from August 20 to September 12.

Three or four times a year, Mercury appears to move backwards in the sky for approximately three weeks. This is an optical illusion since no planet actually moves backwards or even slows down in their orbits around the Sun. However, it appears to move backwards from our perspective on planet Earth, since the planet may be orbiting at a different speed than the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Mercury retrograde periods introduce a certain level of confusion for us earthlings. As the planet of communication, Mercury rules speech, our listening abilities, negotiations, buying, selling, travel formal contracts and documents amongst other things -- all of which are affected when Mercury seems to slow down. Mercury rules how we perceive and interpret information and how we in turn act and react to that information as we interact with others.

The Leo Sun also opposes Neptune on August 20, which can have a lackluster, low energy, and marginally disappointing influence leading to muddled thinking and lack of motivation as we start this retrograde period. However, Neptune can be healing and very spiritual, and this can be an excellent time to chill out. August 20 can also have the thrill and flavor of romance about it and definitely a time to make your feelings known since we have a delightfully passionate and enthusiastic meeting of Venus and Mars in an exactly aligned conjunction in Libra.

Mercury retrograde periods affect each one of us differently depending on the placement of this planet in our individual birth charts. The effect on Gemini and Virgo signs, ruled by Mercury, will be stronger, but for other signs it is a time of trivial irritations. Being forced to slow down and develop patience can, however, be a blessing in disguise. It gives us all time to stop, go inward and reflect. Mercury retrograde periods can be times of heightened awareness and creativity, and an excellent time for out of the box thinking, which can sometimes lead to startling revelations.

Use the energies of this Mercury Retrograde period wisely and productively. Take an inward look at your strengths and potential and keep focused on the dreams and goals most important to you.

Although Mercury retrograde is not the time to start any NEW projects, it is a great time to tie up loose ends and complete projects that are unfinished.

(Source: http://www.astrology.com/)

Embracing Grief

2010-08-19T20:35:00.000-05:00

Grief is Important

Giving ourselves permission to be with sadness actually creates space for us to begin the healing process.

Change is something that happens each and every moment in our lives. Since nothing is constant, it may sometimes seem as if we are losing something whenever things do change. Understanding that this is part of our daily existence and that there will not only be gains but also losses in our lives can help us more readily accept and deal with whatever happens.

Whenever we lose something or somebody we love, it is important for us to take time out for ourselves and truly feel the weight of what we are experiencing. Although it may seem that doing so will push us into a deeper state of sadness, truly giving ourselves permission to be with whatever arises actually creates space for us to begin the healing process. This is because the act of grieving is a natural process, allowing us to sort through the range of emotions that are present in our everyday existence. Even though it may sometimes seem easier to involve ourselves in activities that take our minds off of our sadness, this will only make the route to healing more difficult. Unless we listen to where we are in the moment, the emotions we experience will only grow in intensity, and our feelings will manifest themselves in more powerful and less comfortable ways. Once we consciously acknowledge that these emotions are present, however, we are more able to soothe the sorrow of t! he moment. In so doing, we become more open to our natural ability to heal ourselves.

Grieving doesn’t have to be a process that keeps us rooted in our thoughts of fear and sadness. For the moment we might feel despondent, but by expressing and coping with our true feelings, we face the sadness head-on. When we allow ourselves to accept and deal with our loss fully, we will then be able to continue our life’s journey with a much more positive and accepting outlook. This will make it easier for us to see that our grief is ephemeral and, just like our moments of happiness, it will also come to pass.

(Source: DailyOm)

Mindfulness Moment Monday

2010-08-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

The importance of ritual and how to bring ritual into everyday life...........

All the great religions teach that food is a blessing from the Divine and should be treated with immense respect and gratitude. No Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist family would dream of scoffing down a meal without saying a blessing and giving thanks. In China food is considered to be a physical link between humans and the Gods: beautifully prepared meals are given as a sacred offering on the family altars. In the Ayurvedic tradition of India, food is a spiritual science with precise prescriptions of how to prepare and eat food for physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Start by considering the following:

How do you eat? At table with family or friends? While working? On the run?
What do you eat? Do you prepare your own food or do you buy ready-prepared processed food?
Do you ever really taste your food?
Are you mindful when you eat?

The simplest of rituals can turn even the humble sandwich into a feast for the spirit. The principles of making mealtime sacred are very straightforward - and can easily be adapted to fit your circumstances and preferences.

Preparing "soul" food need not involve new recipes or expensive ingredients. Follow these simple principles to transform the food you eat.

Say a prayer or blessing before you start. Hold your hands over your ingredients and thank them for giving their life for you. Visualize the journey of your ingredients - how they grew, who tended them, how they came to be on your table. Ask them to help nourish you and your family with love.

Prepare your food with love and attention. Concentrate on the task at hand - look on it as sacred meditation. Try not to distract yourself by watching television or listening to the radio as you cook. Take time to notice the textures, scents and feel of the food you cooking. Avoid gadgets and processors where possible - hand-chopping brings you closer into contact with the food.

Think of your cooking as sacred alchemy. Remember you are using all the elements in your cookery - the earth of your raw ingredients; water to cook in; as you stir or beat you are adding in air; and there’s the fire of your stove.

Pour your hopes and wishes for the people who will eat your food as you cook. Focus your intention as you chop, stir, mix, blend. Cookery is a kind of spell-making. If you add herbs and spices with their magical properties, you can increase the power.

Lay your table with care - even the simplest meals can be made special by adding a small vase of flowers (a posy of wild flowers, buds or leaves are cheap but lovely); perhaps add a candle. More ideas for table-decoration in the pages which follow.

Serve your meal so it looks inviting and appetizing. Choose colors which complement each other.

Say grace or a blessing before eating.

Eat your food mindfully. Smell the different fragrances before you start to eat. Notice how you choose your food - be aware of putting it on your fork and in your mouth. Don’t just swallow - really taste the food, feel its texture. Make each mouthful mindful.

Allow time in your meal for conversation and a sense of community. Don’t race up afterwards - sit and talk.

Clean up with mindfulness and gratitude too. Try adding a few drops of mandarin oil to your washing up liquid to cheer up your senses.

Source: Jane Alexander;
SACRED RITUALS AT HOME: An easy to follow, highly illustrated book packed with everyday rituals which offer the chance to stop and take stock; to be in the moment; to make us feel more positive, more energised, more relaxed or more confident. This book gives clear instructions on how to create your own rituals: honouring the body; motivating the psyche; boosting relationships; soothing the soul and honouring the seasons. It also gives ideas for a host of rituals – for personal private use or to include family and friends.

Weekly Horoscope - What's in the stars for you?

2010-08-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

Weekly Horoscope: Sunday, August 15, 2010

All Signs

The planet Mercury rules all forms of communications and transportation. To be more precise, it a rules all things that go "forward." (Ideas, packages, mail, and items with a destination.) When Mercury goes retrograde, we suffer from increased inefficiency, errors and delays. But it's not so simple as "today Mercury goes retrograde," or "today the retrograde is over." That is too simplistic. For example, this month, Mercury started to slow down by Aug. 8, even though it does not go retrograde until Aug. 20. And when the retrograde is over, on Sept. 12, Mercury doesn't catch up to where it was initially, until September 27. Very tricky! And kinda confusing. It's wise to use that outside window to guide a major purchase of computers, cars, and trucks. (This is my inside track on Mercury's outside track.)

Aries (March 21-April 19)
Every Mercury retrograde is different. And there are generally three Mercury retrogrades each year. This particular Mercury retrograde hits you where you work! It makes your job, and your day to day tasks, frustrating because of errors, delays, lost paperwork, confused communications, computer difficulties, canceled appointments, and just a nightmare of glitches that makes your life tough! Some of these might even impact your health. Possibly, old health issues will resurface. ("My rash is back!") Difficulties with partners and close friends could aggravate your frustration. Fortunately, parties, vacations, romance, sports, and fun stuff are blessed! You win some -- you lose some. (You'll be fine.)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
This particular Mercury retrograde might resurrect old issues with children -- perhaps the care of children, the maintenance of children, the education of children -- something. Life is really stirring the pot here! Another aspect of your life that might be jiggled is old romance! Old flames and ex-lovers are popping up out of the woodwork. This could be exciting or horrific -- depending on how these relationships ended. Some people stay friends with old flames, and some people don't. (You know who you are.) The upside is you have a chance now to finish creative projects or discover solutions to artistic problems or anything related to sports. Work with what you've got!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Because Mercury is the planet that rules Gemini, you suffer from Mercury retrogrades more than most. No question. This particular Mercury retrograde time will bring family and relatives to your doorstep. Family reunions are likely. People crashing on your couch and eating everything in your fridge are also likely. This is certainly a chance to discuss old family business or to bring closure to some issues. It's an excellent time to finish projects at home -- renovating, redecorating or even building. Real estate deals that were initiated more than a week ago, can go forward to completion quite easily now. (Meanwhile, you might want to hide some of your booze.)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
This is a vicious Mercury retrograde for your sign. Why? Because for the sign of Cancer (this means you) this Mercury retrograde occurs where Mercury lives. In other words, it's at "home" going crazy! This really affects your day to day efforts to do things and talk to people. Therefore, pay your phone bill. Recharge your cell phone. Take care of car repairs. You will encounter transportation delays, missed buses, car breakdowns, confused communications, misunderstandings, lost items, along with cheques that are late in the mail plus increased confusion with siblings, relatives and neighbours. This sounds pretty maddening, doesn't it? Hang in there.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
You're the last of the big-time spenders! If you've got the coin, you're lavish. In part, this is because you're very generous, and in part, it's because you're theatrical, dramatic, and you love a good time. Regrettably, this month, you feel financially squeezed. (Ouch.) What happened to all the money? Your credit card debt is rising so fast, it's almost a mystery. (Until you scan the purchases.) Basically, your cash flow has slowed to a dribble. However, this is a good time to take stock and figure out what your assets are, and what you owe. In other words, get a clear picture of your finances. It only feels like it's better "not knowing." In truth, information is power.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Good luck, my dear friend. This particular Mercury retrograde is retrograde in your sign! All kinds of people, information, and events from the past are swirling around you now. Ex-partners might be on the scene. But on a day-to-day basis, so many details in your life seem to be piling up, you feel like you're losing control. You forget things, misplace things, or lose things. You might be blowing appointments, or held up with delays, or just feel generally overwhelmed by life. Don't worry! We all have of these times when we are up to our armpits in alligators. Remind yourself that this will pass. (Especially if you drink a lot of water.) A month from now - all this is a memory.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
This particular Mercury retrograde is not so bad for your sign. In fact, it will allow you to do a lot of research very quickly and very effectively. You'll find it easy to reach into the past, or come up with solutions and answers to old problems. However, nobody gets off completely with any Mercury retrograde. No doubt, you will feel vaguely unsettled or dissatisfied or mildly worried about something. You might know what it is; you might not. Quite likely, old issues that you repress or shut out or don't want to think about are clamouring for attention in your mind. It's such a drag having to take a look at something you don't want to see -- isn't it? Maybe you could try using two mirrors?

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Old friends are definitely impacting your world again because of this particular Mercury retrograde. You might run into friendly old faces or unfriendly old faces! (Horrors.) Possibly, you will meet people you once knew through clubs, groups, and organizations. Actually, it's good to have history with people. These encounters might be thought provoking and beneficial. It does appear that something is going to cause you to reassess your goals and dreams for the future. Or you might think about your future in an entirely new way, especially when you see how the years are rushing by. (Time flies when you're unconscious.)

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
This is a pretty tricky time for your sign. Many of you want to travel now and explore any kind of opportunity that broadens your horizons. You're hungry for adventure because you want more out of life! Nevertheless, this particular Mercury retrograde, which is certainly hovering around you for the next month, is taking place at the very top of your chart. In one way, this means all the little glitches and foolish inefficiency that you experience will probably be rather public! (Major groan.) This could be anything from a flat tire in rush-hour to misplaced important papers during a public speech. Or maybe the microphone won't work? Try to stay on top of things so you don't end up with egg on your face. (If you do -- ketchup helps.)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Travel delays, plus delays in publishing, the media, and anything related to higher education, the law, or medicine will definitely dog your steps. It's so frustrating! You are a perfectionist. And now these delays make you look ridiculous and inept. (Is there no justice?) Be comforted by the knowledge that every sign is feeling frustrated by delays for some reason or other. It's the nature of the beast. (Mercury retrograde.) Instead, use this time to do research, or finish anything related to higher education, medicine, the media, publishing, and the law. Despite these snafus, you will finish things quite quickly.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Many of you will be dealing with old issues related to taxes, debt, insurance matters, or anything to do with inheritances and jointly held property. Another issue that could be on the table is the challenge of dealing with other people's values, especially when you completely don't agree with them! ("What can they be thinking?") You have a modern, egalitarian view of the world. Sometimes you're amazed and even horrified to see how stuck in the mud other people are. (Whaat?) I suggest you use this time to your advantage to clear up loose details with shared property, inheritances, taxes, and debt. Instead of being stalled in the water, rev that Mercury engine, and go places!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
The last time Mercury was retrograde directly opposite your sign was in September 2009. This is always an indication that you have to face old issues with partners, especially ex-partners. It could mean you are similarly dealing with old issues with close friends as well. Whatever the case, all this stuff is back on your plate again. Oy! The downside of Mercury is feeling frustrated with delays. But the upside of Mercury (and incredibly, there is an upside) is that you can quite easily expedite things or finish things or bring them to a conclusion now. Wouldn't it be nice to get rid of this once and for all? Some of you, however, are not dealing with old issues. You're just running into ex-partners -- and all that that implies. (Yikes!)

Copyright © 2003-2010 Georgia Nicols. All Rights Reserved.

Tonight's Reiki Share

2010-08-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

Whew!! I feel like a brand new gal! Thanks to Donna, Annette, and Karen who attended Reiki Share tonight.

I so enjoyed sharing the meditation experience with you, and our discussion about the prayerfulness of Reiki. It is so important for us to gather this way, as practitioners (those who practice) of Reiki, to talk about the realities of walking the Reiki path – the struggles and the joys.

Namaste, sisters. It was truly an honor to meet with you this evening!

Yours,

Carolyn

Dr. Mom’s Essential Oils Class: A Holistic Self-Care Option

2010-08-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

Everyday we’re hearing about some toxin that is effortlessly invading our home and bodies. Sometimes it is from our food supply. Other times, we are attacking a symptom with OTC synthetic treatments rather than addressing underlying causes to our health decline.

A holistic self-care plan includes nutrition, movement, rest, a beneficial environment, supportive relationships, community work, and spirituality. Tomorrow evening, we will be sampling nine essential oils to support our self care in a holistic way.

• Nutrition: Learn how to naturally clean your fruits. Supplement your food and water with beneficial and flavorful oils. Lavender tea cake will be served. Recipes will be shared.
• Movement: Need a pick-me-up to get you to your exercise class? There are many oils to uplift, circulate, stimulate, and motivate!
• Rest: Nothing like an aromatic bath to soothe your skin. Trouble sleeping? Kids challenged by quiet time? Need to reduce your stress levels? We have great ideas for all of this!!
• Environment: Does the air in your home need purification? Ready to get rid of that problematic mold? Does your home, office, laundry, or bathroom need refreshing?
• Relationships: Looking for romance? Ready to invite touch? Want to add more “mommy magic” to your medicine cabinet? Need some emotional support just for you? We have oils for that, too.
• Community: Share your anti-stress potions with friends and family. Educate others on non-toxic ways to address pathogens and invigorate health.
• Spirituality: Support your practice with meditation, ceremonial oils, and open heart.

Come play with us tomorrow (Thursday) evening. Doors open at 6:15pm. Sample nine essential oils. Go home with your personalized kit of 3-5 oils along with tons of ideas on how to use the oils. Let’s get going with more holistic self-care options!

Dr. Mom's Essential Oils Class
Led by Kim Tedford and Leann Larsson.
Thursday 6:30pm, AUG 5. Doors open at 6:15pm.
Three Sisters' Spirit, 308 W. Broadway, Downtown Waukesha, WI.
Call 262.446.6752 to register.
We want to have enough oils on-hand to fulfill your kit.
Call Kim, 414.476.9335, with questions about class.

Fee: $25.

Return and Reclaim

2010-07-31T08:35:00.000-05:00

Returning to Creative Dreams

Our creativity is an important part of being a well-rounded human being. For many of us, this has been shut down.

As children, many of us entertained fantasies or even goals of being an actor, singer, dancer, artist, or musician. In some cases, we received enough encouragement to develop our abilities in those creative arenas, but somewhere along the way we stopped. This stopping may have been due to circumstances beyond our control or to our own unconscious acts of self-sabotage. Being creative can be scary in a world that seems to value logic over imagination and practicality over dreaming. We can forgive ourselves for shutting down or turning our attention away from our inner artist, but perhaps we can also take steps to reclaim our dreams.

In certain times and places, developing a creative ability was considered an important part of being a well-rounded human being. It was not necessary to be a professional or a masterly genius, because the act of creativity was valued in and of itself. It gifts are manifold—from the sheer pleasure of allowing our imaginations free reign to sharing and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Children share drawings and songs freely, without self-consciousness, and there is no reason why we cannot do the same thing. You may already be remembering some lost form of expression, such as making jewelry or writing songs. Your soul may be responding with an energetic lift as it feels its way back to a time when it was allowed to express itself freely. Your brain, on the other hand, may be throwing up obstacles, like the idea that you are too old or do not have the time.

The truth is, you are not too old, and if you have time to pick up a pen, you have time to make a doodle or write a haiku. Recognize that the obstacles you find before you have arisen from a place of fear and that they will wane in power every time you do something creative. Each creative act takes you deeper into a realm of beauty and magic, a realm that you have every right to return to and reclaim.

(Source: DailyOm)

Want to embrace your creative self? Check out the HeART and Soul art group we're offering!

this is the time - we are the ones

2010-07-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

Maintaining the Flow

2010-07-27T23:25:00.000-05:00

Maintain the flow of your energy -- creative, spiritual, physical, mental, emotional -- by attending some of the classes and groups we offer, or ask us about our wellness services!

A Clear Current

A strong and fluid energy field is the key that unlocks the doors of self-healing and peace of mind.

The essence of all being is energy. Our physical and ethereal selves depend on the unrestricted flow of life energy that is the source of wholeness and wellness. Though the channels through which this energy flows are open systems and influenced by factors outside of our control, we ultimately choose what impact these will have in our lives. It is up to us to identify and clear blockages in the energy field to ensure that flow is maintained. A healthy, grounded individual absorbs some portion of the energy emitted by other people and the environment, but this does not interrupt the continuous stream of balanced energy sustaining them. The same individual copes constructively with stress and upset, and they are not subject to the stagnation that frequently goes hand in hand with negativity. When we keep the energy in and around our bodies flowing harmoniously, we are naturally healthy, vibrant, and peaceful.

Life energy flows through us like a swift stream when there is nothing to obstruct it, but various forces such as trauma, downbeat vibrations, and disappointments act like stones that impede the current. If we allow these to pile up, our life energy is thrown off its course or blocked entirely, causing illness, restlessness, and a lack of vigor. If, however, we take the time to clear these forces away, we rob them of the power to impact our lives. When we cultivate simple yet affirmative habits such as taking regular cleansing baths, practicing meditation and breathing exercises, smudging, and self-shielding, we protect ourselves from outside influences that might otherwise impede our energy flow. Likewise, we lessen the impact of inner influences when we clear our auras of unwanted attachments and divest ourselves of blocked emotions.

A strong and fluid energy field is the key that unlocks the doors of self-healing and peace of mind. Your awareness of the flow of energy sustaining you empowers you to take charge of your own well-being by taking steps to unblock, correct, and enhance that flow. Fear will likely be the culprit when you cannot identify the source of stagnation—you may simply be afraid to let go of what is obstructing the flow. Letting go can be challenging, but the exuberance you will feel when the flow is restored will be a welcome and blessed reward.

(Source: DailyOm)

2010-07-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Congratulations!

2010-07-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to our newest Reiki I graduate, Connie T. I am so pleased to have been able to have been a part of your journey, and so grateful that despite the truly inclement weather, we were able to complete your training!

Welcome to the Reiki path.

Namaste,
Carolyn

Secrets of Achievement & Change

2010-07-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

Do you have something you want to change or achieve in your life? Maybe you'd like to...
=> start a business
=> strengthen a relationship
=> have more money
=> feel comfortable in your own skin
=> organize your house
=> or something else

No matter what you'd like to change or achieve, the secrets to success are the same...

#1: Get clear. As specifically as possible, decide what you want. The more clear you are on what you want in your life, the more likely you are to achieve it.

#2: Get perspective. Most people don't tell anyone what they want or about their struggle. Because they don't share, they don’t have an outside perspective.

#3: Get support. Very few people (if any) achieve anything great alone. Sports stars have teammates and coaches. Be willing to ask someone to support you.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TUESDAYS: Life Coaching Sessions
with Kim Tedford, M.A., 30-minutes/$30
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Do you have something SPECIAL, something important for you to change? If you want to speed up your success rate, then I'd like to help you do it with a 1-on-1 personal coaching session where we'll work together to...

=> Create a crystal clear vision for ‘ultimate success’ so you know exactly what you want, where you're headed, and what you need to do to make it happen.

=> Uncover hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your ability to make changes that last or that are slowing down your progress

=> Leave your session renewed, re-energized, and inspired to finally achieve the change you seek - once and for all

If you’d like to take advantage of this results-oriented 30-minute coaching session, email me your answers to these questions…

1. What do you most want to change today?
2. Have you tried to change this before?
3. What have you attempted in the past that didn't work?
4. Why do you think it didn't work?
5. On a 0-10 scale, how important is it for you to achieve change today?
6. What other areas of your life do you want to change (if any)?
7. Full Name
8. Email Address
9. Phone #

Check off the areas you’d most like to work on…
__ Career
__ Health
__ Intimate Relationship
__ Finances
__ Home
__ Family & Friends
__ Personal Growth
__ Physical Environment
__ Other

Since I’m only at Three Sisters’ Spirit on Tuesdays, I can’t guarantee a coaching session for everyone. I’ll take as many people as I can and then start a waiting list. You can expect to be contacted to schedule your session within the next 2 business days. If you don’t hear from me, it means I’ve received more requests than I can handle right now and if something opens up I’ll get in touch with you at a later time.

Again, to take advantage of this offer, simply click reply and send your answers to the questions listed above.

Warmest Regards,

Kim Tedford
http://www.integralembrace.com/

PS: The sooner you send your answers, the more likely you are to get a session. Click reply now.

"heART & soul"

2010-07-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

As women, we are all naturally & intuitively creative, and we all have a creative gift that is authentically ours, wanting to be expressed.

That’s where “heART and soul” comes in!

Coming in August of 2010!!

Facilitators:
Dani Sutliff, MS, RMT
Rev. Martina Schmidt
Carolyn Gaar, BA, RMT

A heart-opening, soul enriching creative experience where we will:

• Play with juicy collage images, textures and technique to discover and express our “heART & soul” in a journal (book) form.
• Embrace our intuition and soul’s voice to express and record ourselves out onto our pages.
• Explore ways of using words, text, quotes, and poetry in our creative journals to express what our heart needs to say.
• Discover ways to incorporate artful expression and creativity into everyday life.
• Deeply, richly and soulfully connect with other women in an inspiring, creative, nurturing environment.

What if I’m not creative or have never done art journaling before?

First off, let us assure you that if you are woman, you are creative! Inherently, intrinsically, intuitively creative! You don’t need experience of any kind to attend this group – everyone (and we mean everyone) is welcome to come play and explore with us! The only thing you need is a blank book, (your choice) an open heart and the willingness to explore your vast, limitless, and for some, untapped creative potential.

“heART & soul” isn’t about artistic perfection or pretty pages, or even creating great works of art, (although that often naturally happens) either. “heArt and soul” is about learning and exploring who you are, and from that discovery, creating pages of texture, color, image and text that say, “This is who I am and how I saw and lived in the world.” Our journals will be a living, breathing, expression of as many facets of our lives that we choose to not just create but also record.

What can I expect from this group?

• self discovery and exploration
• opening up to new possibilities
• accessing intuition
• expressing and processing feelings
• setting goals
• increasing self love
• healing and transformation
• being more present in our lives

“heART and soul” is an on-going group that will meet monthly, and each month’s page will have a focused theme. As facilitators, we’ll offer interactive, “hands on” instruction, share our own personal pages and projects for ideas and inspiration, and (most important to us) offer gobs of time to play, experiment and get messy as you dive in and create your own unique and juicy pages!

What do I need to bring?

Participants will be given a basic supply list of what to bring - all other supplies & materials for each month’s initial page will be provided.

from our heARTs to yours….

Our commitment is to provide you with equal parts of support, nurturing and challenge so you may begin the journey back to your inherent creative self. We believe that creative expression is a powerful tool in walking the path of spiritual growth and self empowerment.

We bring you “heART and soul” from our own practice and belief in the importance of creative expression. In other words, we “walk our talk”. In the busyness of this all too often harried and hectic world and the stresses and demands of our everyday lives, we have each made a commitment to enriching ourselves mind, body and spirit by making and taking time for our intrinsic and intuitive need for creativity. This (and more) is what we now offer to share with you – from our “heART and soul” to yours.

Making the time to connect with your creative pool renews your soul, heals your spirit, keeps your inner spark alive and allows you greater intimacy with the full depths of your being. You will discover a deeper sense of meaning and purpose for yourself and your life; reconnect to your childlike joy and imagination; find a voice for what has been silent, and find a community of women to journey with you every step of the way!

Time for Wellness

2010-07-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

A Self-Healing Day

Set aside a day for focus on yourself. Start the day by setting the intention that you are dedicating this time to healing yourself.

Human beings carry within themselves the seed of healing. Our choices affect us more than we realize, and it is because of this that we tend to place responsibility for our wellness in the hands of others. As beneficial as regular visits to a healer can be, we have the power to heal ourselves at will. When we dedicate a day to the pursuit of wellness, we can relax and renew ourselves in a nourishing and comfortable environment. A sincere desire to open ourselves to the highest realities of our physical and spiritual selves is the key to self-healing so that healing energy can flow into us unimpeded.

A self-healing day should address the vital needs of the self as a whole while directing healing energy where it is needed most. Solitude is an important part of the process as is the ability to take refuge in a space that is both beautiful and peaceful. Start your healing day by setting the intention that you are dedicating this time to healing yourself. Flowers, candlelight, incense, and music can guide our focus toward a more tranquil state. For a more intense session, try listening to music through headphones since tuning out can help you tune in. It is up to us to decide what we need to do to cultivate wellness in our lives. For some, it may be time spent in reflection. Others will turn to calming activities that help them remember their purpose, such as journal writing, being in nature, or studying. Our healing may even take a more direct form as we use color, sound, or crystals to balance and ground ourselves.

Ultimately, your wholesome intentions transform what might otherwise be a simple day of rest into a day of healing. Grant yourself permission to relax and savor the stillness. If you attune yourself to the calm around you, worldly distractions will be minimized and the unadulterated flow of your consciousness will reestablish itself in the forefront of your mind. The needs of the body, the heart, and the soul will then be revealed to you, empowering you to tap into the essential healing energy of the universe. The mechanism you use to channel this energy will be dependent on your shifting requirements, so each day of healing you enjoy will be unique. All will replenish you, however, allowing you to recreate yourself in a perfect image of health.

(Source: DailyOm)

Tonight's Reiki Share

2010-07-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is. (Gary Zukav)

Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls. (Melody Beattie)

Thank you to Annette, Donna, Alida, Cathy, and Joyce for another wonderful Reiki Share this evening! Facilitating this group each month is one of my greatest pleasures. I so enjoy the opportunity to discuss with all of you all the things that come up as we walk the Reiki path.

Reiki share is our opportunity to come together and to offer one another healing and to sit in a circle of support to discuss our experiences, our questions, and our hopes. Thank you to all who’ve come, and to all who will come.

In gratitude,

Namaste,

Carolyn

Underneath the Noise

2010-07-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

Hearing the Whisper

The whisper that reassures us everything is okay delivers its message with quiet confidence. Once we hear it, we know it speaks the truth.

You may have noticed that if you want to speak to someone in a noisy, crowded room, the best thing to do is lean close and whisper. Yelling in an attempt to be louder than the room’s noise generally only hurts your throat and adds to the chaos. Similarly, that still, small voice within each of us does not try to compete with the mental chatter on the surface of our minds, nor does it attempt to overpower the volume of the raucous world outside. If we want to hear it, no matter what is going on around us or even inside us, we can always tune in to that soft voice underneath the surrounding noise.

It is generally true that the more insistent voices in our heads delivering messages that make us feel panicky or afraid are of questionable authority. They may be voices we internalized from childhood or from the culture, and as such they possess only half-truths. Their urgency stems from their disconnectedness from the center of our being, and their urgency is what catches our attention. This The other voice that whispers reassurances that everything is fundamentally okay simply delivers its message with quiet confidence. , and oOnce we hear it, we know it speaks the truth. Generally, once we have heard what it has to say, a powerful sense of calm settles over our entire being, and the other voices and sounds, once so dominant, fade into the background, suddenly seeming small and far away.

We may find that our own communications in the world begin to be influenced by the quiet certainty of this voice. We may be less inclined to indulge in idle chatter as we become more interested in maintaining our connection to the whisper of truth that broadcasts its message like the sound of the wind shaking the leaves of a tree. As we align ourselves more with this quiet confidence, we become an extension of the whisper, penetrating the noise of the world and creating more peace, trust, and confidence.

(Source: DailyOm)

The Vow of Emotional Independence

2010-07-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

When you have emotional independence, you want for nothing because you have everything. Just take a deep breath and think about this. Imagine feeling so full and so completely at peace inside yourself that you have the freedom to love and be loved, to give freely and to receive abundantly, to expand rather than contract, to move forward rather than stay stuck, to live in joy rather than suffer in misery. Emotional independence allows you to be in control rather than to be controlled by the unhealed emotions of your past and will support you in being nourished and filled with faith rather than diminished and weakened by fear.

Today is the day that we can stand together and take The Vow of Emotional Independence. So close your eyes and have the intention that you can be free, that you can be loved, that you can be abundant, that you can be healed, that you can be inspired, that you can be passionate, and that you can help change the world. And then open your eyes and please join me in taking the vow:

The Vow of Emotional Independence

I, ______ ________, am committed to living free of the strangulating grip of fear, shame, doubt, worry, anger, and sadness.

I promise to give my power to the force greater than myself rather than some food, substance, bad habit, or disempowering craving.

I will stand for my highest expression rather than allowing others' judgments to define who I am.

I will always make sure to please and take care of myself instead of succumbing to any people-pleasing habits.

I will listen to the voice of my soul rather than listening to the voice of my critical internal judge.

I will find joy in each and every day of my existence rather than get caught up in the insanity of my world.

I will take care of my planet and let my voice be heard instead of waiting for someone else to do it for me.

I will choose powerfully each and every moment to make choices that leave me feeling inspired by myself and will graciously let go of my self-defeating behaviors.

I take this vow NOW as a positive stand for my soul's highest expression and for every man, woman, and child on this planet today.

As I set myself free, I am freeing myself and others from the violence of my darkest thoughts, my negative projections, and my limiting self-image.

And now I ask all the powers that be to support me in living this vow each and every moment of each and every day.

As I surrender my will for the higher will, I know that I will be guided from my darkest thought to my greatest dream, from my head to my heart.

Today, I commit to living in full accordance with this vow.

And so it is.

Live as if this is your birthright and your destiny - because it is.

Take a deep breath. Read this vow to yourself and allow it to nourish you. See yourself filled with all the light of the world. And if your heart desires to share it, send it on to others.

With love and blessings,
Debbie Ford

Nourishing and Cleansing

2010-06-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

Performing Daily Ceremony

We can engage in daily practices that include ritual and ceremony, reminding ourselves throughout the day of the sacredness of this life.

When we perform or participate in rituals and ceremonies, we enter into a state of mind that is different from mundane consciousness. Ranging in significance from bedtime stories to weddings, ceremonies and rituals are acknowledgments that an event or period of time has special meaning. As a result, they can have the effect of drawing us into the moment, inviting us to pay closer attention and tune into the subtle energies that are always present but that often go unrecognized. In addition, as we perform the same actions we have performed before and will perform again, we immerse ourselves in a river of continuity that extends back into the past and forward into the future.

Many of us have distanced ourselves from rituals that may have seemed too constricting or too attached to an organized religion we have chosen not to follow. However, we can reclaim the practices of ceremony and ritual to good effect, imbuing them with our new consciousness, and we do not have to wait for a big event to do it. We can engage in daily practices that include ritual and ceremony, reminding ourselves throughout the day of the sacredness of this life. In fact, if we look closely, we will see that our days are already made up of rituals, from the time we wake up to the time we retire. So we do not need to change anything except our perspective to imbue our day with an air of ceremony.

Most of our daily rituals revolve around nourishing and cleansing, both of which have always been sacred acts. With this in mind, we may pause before each meal, close our eyes, and say a silent thank you to the universe that provides. If we want to get more elaborate, we can light candles or bless our food. Similarly, as we wash ourselves in the morning and evening, we can choose to see the grace in this act of cleansing and purification as we release what has past and prepare ourselves for the new. We can be as simple or as complex as we like, so long as our attitude is one of reverence for this sacred moment in this sacred life.

(Source: DailyOm)

Congratulations!

2010-06-24T22:08:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to our newest Reiki Level II Practitioner graduates, Alida, Mary, and Karen! It was a joy to have you as students and to be a part of your Reiki path. We’re excited to hear about the way that things continue to unfold for you!

Namaste!

Dani & Carolyn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is Reiki Level II?

Okuden – The Inner Teachings
Reiki Level II – Second Degree Reiki Practitioner

Reiki Level II is considered the “Practitioner’s Level” and offers students advanced Reiki healing techniques. In Level II students are given complete tools for working with Reiki energy both in person and through “absentee” techniques. Level II Reiki produces a grounding or solidifying of the healing energy. At this level, students are given the first three Reiki symbols which allow the Reiki energy to perform powerful functions, such as specific mental, emotional, and spiritual healing, as well as long distance healing.

The Dwelling Pulse

2010-06-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

Energy Of A Home

Our homes and your belongings within them all contain energy. Tend to the energy of your home as you would tend to anything you love.

Our homes are filled with energy that we create and allow to flourish. In many cases, our relationship with the pulse of our homes is passive rather than active because we do not pay particular heed to the energy that has been established. It is only when we regard these spaces as unique entities that we begin to understand why it is necessary to take charge of the energy that fills our homes. Stagnant, inharmonious energy can find its way into our dwellings through many avenues. Previous occupants, builders, visitors, and the individuals who maintain a home leave a strong energy imprint behind. Objects and symbols can also have an effect on the energy of a residence. When we are aware of all that can influence the energy of our spaces, we are empowered to create harmonious homes that do more than meet our need for shelter.

Exercising care with regard to who and what we invite into our homes is one of the easiest ways we can ensure that the energy within remains loving and supportive. It is not always possible to keep potentially harmful people and possessions from entering our homes, but we can take precautions. Individuals can be kept from private spaces like bedrooms and meditation areas, while property can be purified through cleansing or smudging. During periods of remodeling or construction, Reiki symbols and other positive imagery can be printed on surfaces that will later be covered by walls or flooring. Though hidden, these will continue to attract good energy and cleanse the existent energy. Blessings can also be drawn in plain sight, where they remind us of how potently our home's energy can affect our own.

A home can appear beautiful, comfortable, and stable while still serving as a dwelling place for negative or otherwise offensive energy. If you care for your home conscientiously and with great care, you will instinctively look beyond the surface qualities of your home when assessing how it feels. Since you actively guard your home against the intrusion of unwelcome energy, you will have the time and vigor necessary to cope with it constructively when should it appear in your midst. The spirit of your spaces will respond to your thoughtful ministrations, nurturing and supporting you for as long as you choose to reside within her walls.

(Source: DailyOm)

what do you like?

2010-06-17T07:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our wonderful friend MerryME for this video!! It's now one of our favorites!!

lost generation

2010-06-15T07:34:00.000-05:00

Be Here Now

2010-06-15T00:54:00.000-05:00

Caretake this moment.

Immerse yourself in its particulars.

Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed.

Quit the evasions.

Stop giving yourself needless trouble.

It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now.

You are not some disinterested bystander.

Exert yourself.

Respect your partnership with providence.

Ask yourself often, How may I perform this particular deed

such that it would be consistent with and acceptable to the divine will?

Heed the answer and get to work.

When your doors are shut and your room is dark you are not alone.

The will of nature is within you as your natural genius is within.

Listen to its importunings.

Follow its directives.

As concerns the art of living, the material is your own life.

No great thing is created suddenly.

There must be time.

Give your best and always be kind.

Epictetus

A Magical Potion

2010-06-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

Morning Dew

The world awakens each day from its nightly slumber, transformed by a sparkling layer of morning dew on the grass.

The world awakens each day from its nightly slumber, transformed by a sparkling layer of morning dew on the grass, on flower petals and leaves, on cars and car windows. These glistening droplets last only a little while, an integral part of what imbues the early morning with its aura of magic. If we sleep too late, we miss the magnificent display of sunlight playing upon an infinite amount of tiny crystal balls. To step onto the dew-covered grass is to anoint our feet with a form of water that comes only once a day for a short time, a rarefied gift of the night air that will soon evaporate in the full light of the sun. If we inhale slowly and consciously enough, it is almost as if we are drinking in this magical elixir formed in the boundary between darkness and light.

In one myth, morning dew is believed to be tears from heaven, and in another, the droplets are poured from the vessel of the goddess of dawn. When we see the earth draped with these shimmering drops, it is easy to imagine fairies bathing in the water, or a sky god weeping from a longing to be closer to his beloved earth goddess. Seeing the sparkling beauty of the earth emerging from darkness, we may understand this longing in terms of our own gratitude; how blessed we are to be here.

Perhaps heaven really does long to be here on earth, and perhaps that is why we are here—as conduits between the divine and the earthbound. As we drink the morning dew in with our eyes, our skin, our breath, it is easy to imagine that it really is a magical potion, a gift from heaven, a reminder of our true purpose, and a daily opportunity to be transformed.

(Source: DailyOm)

Cultivating Understanding, Compassion, Empathy

2010-06-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

Exploring an Alternate Universe

What Makes People Tick?

All people have their own way of being in the world, what works for you may not work for everybody.

All people have their own way of being in the world. It is easiest to comprehend this basic yet profound fact when we consider that every human being on the planet occupies a distinct role in the universe. We grow up in different environments, affected by a unique range of influences. The preferences, values, and beliefs we embrace are frequently related intimately to our origins. And the need to individualize our experiences is instinctive, as doing so enables us to cope when we must face challenges on our own. Consequently, each of us has developed a perspective that is uniquely ours. Interacting peacefully and constructively with people from all walks of life is a matter of first understanding where they are coming from. Then we can adjust our expectations so that we avoid making undue assumptions about what they are about.

In the face of emerging interpersonal conflict, it is easy to assume that others are being difficult, unreasonable, or stubborn. We are apt to grow frustrated when someone in our environment does not share our opinions or feel compelled to support us in our endeavors. It is likely that the individual or individuals before us may simply possess differing notions with regard to what is and what is not important in this life. We can ease the tension that exists between us by reaffirming our belief in the fundamental right of all beings to determine their own destinies. To foster a harmonious relationship, we need to do our best to relate to the unique universes they inhabit. And as we discover what makes them tick, our ability to find a mode of interaction that is pleasing to both of us is enhanced.

When there are barriers keeping you from connecting with someone else, think of questions you can ask them to gain a more thorough understanding of their point of view. You may discover that in addition to the differences in perspective dividing you, they are subject to insecurities and other personal issues that influence their way of seeing the world. It is likely that you will never fully grasp the myriad complexities embodied by humanity, but you can go a long way toward encouraging mutually satisfying relations by reaching out to others in the spirit of sympathetic comprehension.

(Source: DailyOm)

10 Ways to Stay Spiritually Connected

2010-06-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

By Marianne Williamson

O, The Oprah Magazine
April 13, 2010

Whether you practice a traditional religion or relate to a more universal spirituality, these steps will help you tap into a sense of unlimited peace:

1. Recognize your Creator. Think on this: There is a supreme power in the universe that is bigger and more powerful than your small mortal self. This step makes you humble.

2. Seek opportunities to put more love into the world. Strive to be a vessel of love, to fill the world with more compassion and kindness. This step makes you loving and lovable.

3. Set aside time each day to spend in spiritual reflection and contemplation. Dwell in the presence of the divine: Your path may be to pray, meditate, read spiritual material, take a long walk through nature—or all of the above—but an optimum practice includes both morning and evening sessions of at least 20 minutes each. This step makes you strong.

4. Become more accepting. With every interaction, surrender any tendency to judge another person. Pray for a more accepting heart. This step makes you gracious.

5. Forgive anyone you have not forgiven. Whenever you withhold forgiveness, you keep yourself bound to your own feelings of guilt. This step makes you kind.

6. Recognize your mistakes. Admit where you yourself have been wrong, and be willing to be corrected. This step makes you responsible.

7. Try to see the good in others. When you’re tempted to judge someone, make an effort to see their goodness. Your willingness to look for the best in people will subconsciously bring it forth. This step makes you positive.

8. Take stock of your thoughts and behavior. Each night ask yourself, when were you negative when you could have been positive? When did you withhold love when you might have given it? When did you play a neurotic game instead of behaving in a powerful way? Use this process to self-correct. This step makes you grow.

9. Bless the world. Pray not just that your own life will be blessed but that blessings be poured on everyone. This step makes you beautiful.

10. Use each interaction to be the best, most powerful version of yourself. Try to rise to the occasion. Be the most wonderful expression of you that you’re capable of. This step makes you a conduit of God’s love.

(source: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Spiritual-Development-and-Healing-Practices-from-Marianne-Williamson)

Reiki Share Tonight!

2010-06-02T10:19:00.001-05:00

It’s no secret that I love Reiki Share, and that it is one of my most enjoyable priorities! I thought that I would share some thoughts on the importance of self-care from Pamela Miles’ book, Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide:

"Reiki clears the mind, restores the body, and refreshes the spirit. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can try it yourself. It doesn’t take long to notice. After all, the mind is not a self-cleaning oven that automatically burns the spillover from our life’s experiences to ash. The residue of negative experiences and unresolved emotions lingers, often affecting us in ways we don’t recognize. We never leave the house without combing our hair or brushing our teeth. Reiki gives us a way to brush the debris from our mind and spirit as well….

One of the most valuable benefits that comes from daily practice is dissolving the roots of negative behaviors and emotions. This takes time. Since I started practicing Reiki, I have found myself in situations in which I had been afraid in the past. Although I no longer felt fearful, I could still feel the skeleton of the habit of fear vibrating inside me on the brink of manifesting. But I also felt confident that the transformation would continue as long as I continued my daily practice.

Life is challenging at times even for students who practice daily self-treatment. But if we have a steady practice, we feel secure that we have the wherewithal to sustain ourselves. When we practice self-treatment regularly, the difficulties don’t overwhelm our lives; they just feel like details. If we are not practicing, life’s difficulties more easily become burdensome; they take over our perspective, and we become ineffectual. Daily practice enables us to embody our highest values.”

In addition to daily practice, I know that coming together with a group of other Reiki practitioners has been instrumental in my continuing journey. I look forward to seeing all of you this evening!

Namaste,

Carolyn

The Body Code: Communicating with Wisdom

2010-05-29T18:18:00.005-05:00

There is a lot of contradictory science, folklore, and cultural bias as to how one can care for their body. One day, broccoli is good for you. The next day, it's a problem.

Our bodies are unique in that they reflect our personal thoughts, emotions, and spirit. So when we have a symptom, what supports my recovery may not work for you.

If you have a persistent physical or emotional symptom, there is a way to ask the body what it needs in order to regain health. At this month’s workshop, Kim Tedford and Renee Murphy will introduce you to The Body Code, a method to reveal underlying imbalances that interfere with your body’s natural ability to heal.

Many imbalances can be corrected immediately. It’s an amazing path! The body reveals what it needs in the moment. Sometimes there are suggestions for nutritional modifications. Other times, a particular cosmetic could be the offender. The Body Code is VERY comprehensive and looks at toxins, pathogens, structural misalignments, mental imbalances, and more.

In this workshop, you will learn a technique to understand what supports your body; from foods to music to color. You actually feel what is right for you! Interactive demonstrations will illustrate how a simple correction can relieve physical pain, increase strength, and enhance range of motion. Each demonstration is designed to identify immediate results.

Additionally, each participant will receive a $20 COUPON for a Body Code evaluation to see which organs are happy and which might need attention. Whether you have a chronic bad back, anxiety attacks, migraines, allergies, phobias, or other signals that something is out of kilter, Body Code offers a way for you to discover the underlying imbalances and suggestions for correction.

Come see for yourself. This is a comprehensive holistic approach to well-being.

The Body Code: Communicating with Wisdom
June 1st, Tuesday 6:30-8pmDoors open 6:15pm.
Fee: $25
To reserve your seat, call Three Sisters’ Spirit, 262.446.6752.

If you are interested but can’t make the date, Kim accepts appointments in our healing room on Tuesdays. She welcomes a conversation to explore how Body Code might help you.

Living with Creative Intention: A monthly workshop to embrace and integrate personal brilliance. Gather on the first Tuesday of each month with Kim Tedford, M.A., life coach and energy worker.

Congratulations!

2010-05-28T09:31:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to our newest Reiki Level One graduates, Donna and Angelina! It was truly a blessing to be your teacher and guide. With every class, I learn just as much from the students as they do from me (one of the things I’ve always loved about teaching).

I am so grateful to have had this opportunity! I can’t wait to hear how things go for you in the coming months!

Hooray! Yippie! Congratulations!

Namaste,

Carolyn

living with creativity

2010-05-19T08:41:00.000-05:00

“Too many people live and die with their music still unplayed.” Katherine Hepburn

We are all naturally creative, and we all have a creative gift that is authentically ours, wanting and waiting to be expressed...

Sometimes this gift is written, sung, painted, spoken or danced. At other times it shows up through things like cooking, growing a business, raising a child, designing a home, building a guitar, or bringing an idea into the world. No matter what form it ultimately takes, our creativity is one of the most unique and precious aspects of who we are.

But, something gets in the way of our natural creative flow..

Often leaving us feeling blocked or stuck around our desire to manifest our creativity. We tell ourselves it's ok, it’s not that important. We let other things and people get in the way and don't feel justified in making creativity a priority in our lives.

In our busy modern society we have convinced ourselves there isn’t enough time for us to take the time to nurture our authentic selves. We’ve all felt ourselves worn down by the requirements and responsibilities of our lives; a never ending “to do” list, and years of putting the needs of others ahead of our own. Every time we think about taking time for our creativity, we torture ourselves with "should(s)" and “ought to(s)” and feeling guilty, we once again set ourselves aside.

We’ve all heard the importance of living a calmer, more enriched and balanced life…

It isn’t that we don’t want or recognize the importance of living a life of balance. We’ve all fantasized about or dreamt of fully embracing our creativity; setting up our easels and gathering our brushes, writing the first paragraph of the first chapter of our first book, take the photos that impassion us, or pick up the instrument that has sat silently in the corner over the years.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (Confuscious)

Most often it’s that we simply don’t know where to start. We’ve lost touch with our natural creative source, the core creative energy that allows us to feel nourished, grounded, fully alive and connected to ourselves and others.

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." (Hafiz)

That’s why we at Three Sister’s Spirit have committed ourselves to provide the support, encouragement and guidance you need to reconnect you to your own path of living life fully – mind, body and spirit.

Our basic philosophy is based on the belief that creative self expression is an important and often under utilized tool for those on the path of spiritual and psychological growth. And that creativity is an essential ingredient of success and satisfaction in any and every area of our lives.

Taking the time and making the space for your intuitive and creative self to come out will reconnect you with a greater sense of meaning and purpose, renew your soul, heal your spirit, keep your inner spark alive and allow you greater intimacy with the full depths of your being, ultimately helping you maintain greater flexibility in the face of life's many challenges.

It’s not about the finished 'product', it’s about the process…

Our approach isn’t about ‘fixing what’s broken” but rather reconnecting you to what is already within you. Our approach is on learning how to encourage and value your natural, spontaneous and creative self.

Our classes, workshops, gathering groups and individual wellness services are a place for you to feel seen, heard and validated as you engage in the process of spiritual and emotional self discovery and exploration.

We are here to help you take that first step - where would you like to start?

Weekly Horoscope - What's in the stars for you?

2010-05-16T08:55:00.000-05:00

Weekly Horoscope: Sunday, May 16, 2010

All Signs:

This week the Sun moves into Gemini giving everyone a boost of curious interest in practically everything. People will gobble up subjects and ideas like Chiclets. Whether due to weather patterns, or changes happening at school, suddenly, everyone is taking short trips, running around doing errands, and talking to everyone! Yada yada yada. We feel alive! However, there will be a tendency to overbook, and exhibit a cocky confidence that we can do it all. Not me. This weekend, I'm going to finish writing my book, paint the bathroom, clean the backyard, get my carpets steam cleaned, and have everyone over for Sunday brunch. And my first Pole dancing workout is on Saturday afternoon!

Aries (March 21-April 19)

The next six weeks are unusually busy. You have things to do, people to see, places to go! In particular, you feel compelled to enlighten others about something. You're excited about plans, or something that's happening in your life, or new ideas you want to share. Many of you will take short trips during this time. Others will be reading, writing and studying more. It's a particularly productive time for writers, editors, teachers, actors, and anyone who wants to express their creativity. Of course, there is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness. (You know who you are.) "Golf is not an illness!"

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

In the next four to six weeks, you'll be absorbed with one of your favourite things -- money! Suddenly, your focus on cash flow is heightened. The reason you're focusing on your cash flow is it is flowing more! This means either you are getting a boost in your earnings (fingers crossed), or you're spending a lot. (I suspect the latter.) Fortunately, you're no spend thrift, even though you love gorgeous things. But you do work very hard to make your home as beautiful as it can possibly be. (Right there, I see money flying out the window, don't you?) Relax. Enjoy yourself. Don't worry about avoiding temptation -- as you get older, it starts avoiding you!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Well, your time has arrived, dear Gemini. This week, the Sun enters your sign boosting your energy, giving you an opportunity to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year. Yay! In particular, it will inexplicably attract people and opportunities to you. (Milk this for all its worth because this doesn't happen all the time.) For example, the next month is the only time all year when the Sun will be in Gemini. This also marks the beginning of your personal year (birthday to birthday), so it certainly behooves you to develop a rough expectation of what you want this year to be all about. (It never hurts to have a plan, Stan.) What's it going to be?

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

For the next month, you are best served by playing it low key, lying in the weeds, working behind the scenes or working alone. That's because your birthday is a month away, and so you are waiting in the wings right now. Factoid. However, it also makes this an ideal time to strategize what you want your new year (birthday to birthday) to be all about. You have four weeks to think about this. Aside from the obvious deadlines of work, I generally just let life happen to me. But sometimes, I grab it by the tail, I nail it down, I give myself objectives with timetables, and I'm shocked at how much more I get done! (Can't hurt to try it.) After all, life is short -- and fat.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Your popularity rating is soaring! For whatever reason, you will be much more involved with people during the next six weeks. Some of you will join clubs, groups, and professional associations. Others might take classes. Many of you will just be hanging out with pals more than usual or "lunching." You'll enjoy touching base with others. This is a great time to make new friends as well. Remember to share your goals and dreams for the future with others because their feedback will help you. The more specific you are, the more specific their feedback can be. (Why not use everything coming your way?)

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

During the next month, the Sun will be at high noon in your chart acting like a spotlight on you. This is the only time all year this happens for Virgo. This means that you have this extra special "lighting" which makes people in power -- bosses, parents, teachers, VIPs (and the police) notice you more than usual. It's as if they "see" you in the light. ("Go to the light! Go to the light!") It's important to know that this lighting, if you will, makes you look very good in their eyes. This is why you'll be asked to take on increased responsibilities. If so, say yes. You won't have to tap dance or do anything spectacular to please them. They will just love you. (Bonus!)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Travel, opportunities with publishing and the media, anything to do with higher education, plus activities with medicine or the law are all areas that excite you during the next six weeks. Something will happen that allows you to expand your horizons and your experience of the world. (It could be rather mind blowing.) Not only will you learn more, you will schmooze more with people from different backgrounds and different cultures. This could mean job opportunities in these areas or a chance to promote yourself in some way. Hitch your wagon to a star! There's a lot going on in your life right now because you're about to enter a whole new world by next year.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Now your attention turns to intense matters about shared property, credit card debt, inheritances, insurance matters, and anything you hold jointly with someone else. You might also be focused on your partner's wealth and income, or your ex partner's. (Ya think?) Actually, this is an excellent time to clear up loose ends in these areas. Privately, the intensity of the next few weeks activates your desires at a sexual level as well. You're hot stuff! Whether your focus is on money or sex or both, you have a memorable month ahead. (Guess who's singing "I'm too sexy for my shoes"?)

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

This week, the Sun moves opposite your sign to stay for the next four weeks. This 'opposition' pattern causes you to focus on partnerships and close friendships more than usual. (You have a lot to think about.) Actually, traditionally, this is the best time all year for you to learn more about your style of relating to others. Those who are closest to you will reflect your style of relating right back to you, almost as if you were talking to a mirror. Since we all need relationships in our lives, why not learn as much about your style of relating as you can? For starters, did you know there are three kinds of people in the world -- those who can count, and those who can't?

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Roll up your sleeves because you're going to be busy! All Capricorns are suddenly seized by a desire to become as efficient, effective and productive in everything they do as much as possible. (Stay with this and work with it!) Since you're gung ho to get better organized, at least, give yourself the best tools and support material possible so you can do a great job. (You know what a perfectionist you are.) Get file folders, cleaning equipment, paint, shelving, or whatever you need. You might even get somebody to help you? By the same token, why not apply this zealous energy to improving your health? You are a long-lived sign. You might as well take care of yourself because you'll love yourself for this later. Muuuch later.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

It's party city for Aquarians! Take a vacation if you can. The next six weeks are all about romance, flirtations, love affairs, meeting new love, reigniting existing love, plus attending social events, the theatre, movies, and sporting events. Playful activities with children will also be fun. Do take note: you're very much in touch with your creative urges now, so not only are you hot and sexy in bed, you're wonderfully creative with the arts as well. Artists can be especially productive in the next month. Basically, you like who you are right now. You're happy inside your own skin, and this contentment makes you glow! Go out and flash your dazzle!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Now your attention turns to home, family, and domestic matters. In fact, conversations with relatives and parents, in particular, could be significant. Some of you might be involved in real estate deals. All of you will be involved with family matters and entertaining at home more than usual. But this can be extremely pleasant! You'll definitely enjoy more quiet time at home. You might snuggle up into a fetal position and watch movies, TV, or read a book. You need to psychologically and emotionally collect yourself in a pampered, relaxing way. Family can be a very rewarding experience in the next month. (Especially if somebody pays back the money you lent them.)

Source: Georgia Nichols

New Moon in Taurus

2010-05-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

Within the still silence of the Taurus New Moon, Earth awakens. Across hillsides and valleys, in deserts and forests, the Goddess blooms in twilight silken splendor.

As the Sun and Moon meet Thursday evening, we are reborn into higher love. Venus, evening star, goddess and midwife, presides over the western horizon after sunset. All the planets and stars shine as jewels in the womblike, moonless sky. The New Moon is exact at 9:04 PM Eastern on May 13.

Sensual, earthy and passionate, Taurus is ruled by Venus, goddess of love. At this lunation, relationships and finances come into focus. All New Moons are endings, and new beginnings. What's coming to completion in your life, especially in these areas? What are you creating in this new cycle?

With Mercury now direct and also transiting Taurus, it's time to revisit our values. So many changes are happening so quickly these days. What do you hold most dear in this transition to the next world age? What are you willing to fight for?

Perhaps more than any other sign, Taurus reminds us to care for the Earth, to live sustainably, to live in balance. Are you feeling called to commune in nature, under the stars, at the sea or in a forest? This is a perfect time to visit your favorite places of peace and power. Make your home and land sacred through prayer, ritual and intent. Listen to the voice of Mother Earth. She will guide you.

Mars in Leo ignites our passions. Chiron in Pisces promises spiritual healing. Jupiter, the Guru, approaches conjunction with Uranus, the Awakener, in late Pisces. This dynamic duo opposes Saturn in Virgo. Notice the flow of spiritual energy, insights and inspiration, and the dissolution of structures and patterns that no longer your evolution.

Celebrate your divinity with this New Moon. Honor the Earth. This is a night to dream, and dance the dance of love.

Source: http://www.starpriestess.blogspot.com/

It's the New Moon......

2010-05-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

MoonCircle Gathering - a new moon women's spirituality group.......
The New Moon in Taurus
Thurs. May 13
6:30 - 8:30 pm
(**Pre-registration is required)
to register or for more information, click here!

“MoonCircle Gathering” was created to bring spiritually minded women together; journeying into the ancient teachings of women's mysteries, deepening our devotional practice, and building spiritual community. Our gathering is non-denominational, and spiritual rather than religious. We respect and honor the unique spiritual traditions, religions and cultural backgrounds of all the women of the world, and ask that you do the same when attending our gathering.

At MoonCircle Gathering, we talk, create ritual, drum, meditate, share women's wisdom, pray, connect to the sacred feminine, and honor each other. Each moon has a theme and teaching, and our gathering includes creative expression through art, dance, ritual, and music. At MoonCircle Gathering we reclaim our divinity, our mysteries, our blood, our power, and each other.

Here is a Taurus New Moon Meditation to ground yourself in the energies:

Ground your body…clear your mind:

Become aware of your body. Notice how gravity holds and connects you to earth. It’s as though your body is an ancient stone temple—solid, strong, secure. Sanctify this temple. Imagine a priestess is pouring sacred water and scattering rose petals, all the way down, from your head to your toes. Any anxiety or negativity washes away. Notice the thoughts and feelings leaving the temple—your judgments, your distracted mind, your worried heart. Be sure to honor them and let them go.

Draw a circle of protection, call in blessings

Visualize a ring of fragrant flowers surrounding you, protecting you. Know that you are safe and relaxed. Breathe deeply. Feel the power of the Sun and Moon pouring into your circle. The energy of Taurus is gathering in your circle. It is patient and sensual. It is loyal and artistic. It is capable and strong.

Continue absorbing this energy as you read the Taurus affirmations:

The earth sustains me.
I am creative.
I am rich with abundance.
I slow down and savor each moment.
I delight in my senses.
I am productive.
I love pleasure.
I am secure.

Allow seed intentions to form…

Your intentions for this cycle are gathering. You may already know what you wish to accomplish. Or you may not. Trust that all will unfold perfectly in time. Know that this brief ritual has aligned you with spirit. Now ask your heart if it has a closing message for you. This may come in words or as a picture, perhaps as a body sensation or sound. Give yourself time to receive this message. Digest it. Write it down. Then, in gratitude to yourself and spirit, return to normal awareness.

(Meditation Source: Dana Gebhart)

Mindfulness Monday

2010-05-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Follow your inner heart and the world moves in and helps.

~ Joseph Campbell

The whispers of our heart can only be heard in the silence.

It is in those whispers that our long lost hopes and dreams can be found. And once we're able to shine light on those treasures, than it becomes possible to bring them into the world.

Create some breathing space this week to listen to the whispers of your own heart. Take some dream time each morning to sit quietly, listening only to your in breath and out breath. If you find your mind wandering, bring it lovingly back to your breath. Notice what surfaces in that silence . . . for in that silence is where you'll find your own truth.

(Source: Karen Ely)

MoonCircle

2010-05-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

When I started coming to Three Sisters’ Spirit, I was hungry. I was hungry for the kind of bread that you can’t buy at the store – I hungered for food for the spirit. I started coming to Dani’s MoonCircle groups. I sat at her knee and listened to the stories, of who we are and who we used to be. Of who we will become.

I sat in circles with other women, and we shared the stories of what it is to be woman. We celebrated womankind, and reached deeply into ourselves. And it filled me for the first time in a long time.

How might your life have been different if there had been a place for you, a place for you to go to be with your mother, with your sisters and the aunts, with your grandmothers, with the great- and great-great-grandmothers, a place of women to go, to be, to return to, as woman? How might your life be different? (Judith Duerk)

Are you hungry?

Dani will host the next MoonCircle group on Thursday, May 13th. Come, experience a new way to feed your soul.

Namaste,

Carolyn

stay connected!

2010-05-07T07:40:00.003-05:00

We're now on Facebook and Twitter!!

Let's follow, connect, link, mention, recommend and anything else we can do with each other!!

wanna play dress-up?

2010-05-07T06:47:00.000-05:00

We're talkin' some serious fun here!! Our very own Fairy Godmothers, Widdershins and Deosil will be here Saturday, May 8 from 1:30 - 3:30pm for "How to Dress Like a Queen." The fee is a promise to have lots of fun and laugh out loud!! And a plate of cookies or treats to share!!

Reiki Share FYI – Important Notice

2010-05-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to make sure that everyone has noted that Reiki Share will now be held on a new day of the month! From here on out, Reiki Share will be offered on the first Wednesday each month from 6-7:30pm (it was on the first Thursday).

I truly hope that many of you will be able to continue coming on the new day – your insights and experience have been wonderful the past months, and I love to see Reiki Share growing this way!

Having and building a community where Reiki healers of all levels are welcomed and have the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience and to learn and hone their skills can be such an important part of our growth as healers.

Whether you’re Reiki Level I and just starting out – and maybe haven’t even worked on anyone but yourself and your loved ones – or you’ve had an established practice and have worked on hundreds of bodies, Reiki Share has the potential to add to who you are as a healer, and who you’d like to become.

For some, this is the first time that they’ve been able to work on another person who they don’t know intimately, and the discovery inherent in that experience is wonderful to behold. For others who have a great deal of experience, Reiki Share can benefit you by allowing you a space to teach others what you know, and to share and learn from others in your field. I can attest to the fact that no matter how many times I’ve given or received Reiki, each session manages to be different and holds the possibility for discovery.

Our next Reiki Share will be held at Three Sisters’ Spirit on Wednesday, May 5th from 6-7:30pm. I hope to see you there!

Namaste,

Carolyn

Mindfulness Moment

2010-05-03T09:06:00.000-05:00

"I recall the time in my own life when Coca Cola and brownies were my solution, my moment of light and holiness. The mixture felt so fine. For a moment, I felt deeply loved, at peace and blissfully calm. The internal voice in my mind stopped screaming negative messages, taunting me to do more, get more and be more. But one day, when the Coca Cola and brownies solution stopped working no matter how many liters I inhaled or how many pans of brownies I stuffed into my body, I embarked on a quest to find out how I could feel happy, whole, loved and blessed.

That is why now I urge you too admit to what "empty solution" is no longer working in your own life and mark today as a new beginning, driven by an unwillingness to tolerate any form of fear that no longer serves you and instead go deeper into the great hunt for the light within that casts out the darkness that you often think of as YOU." (Debbie Ford)

It's Art Crawl Today!

2010-05-01T07:13:00.001-05:00

Saturday May 1st is Art Crawl and we have plenty of fun stuff for you to see, try, buy, and experience!

The Fairy Godmothers are here in person from 1:00 - 3:00 pm granting wishes, sprinkling fairy dust and spreading magic!! I am already pondering which wish I’d like granted….

From 4:30 - 9:00 pm:

Tarot Card Readings with Brett

Angel Card Readings with Rhoda

Chair Massage with Bonnie

Nail Art with Nancy

and Sally Sunshine will be here to pass around her bodaciously fantabulous cookies!!

Don't miss out - come join the fun!! Can’t wait to see you there!

classes & workshops

2010-04-23T08:37:00.001-05:00

Your Life GPS......a guide for achieving personal success and making this your best year yet! with Life Coach Rick Paddock, BA • Meet Rick – click here! • Drop-in's welcome! • Sat. April 24 • 11:00 – 12:30 am • Fee: $10 (if this is your first time attending the group, the session is free!)

Divorce S.O.S. Support Group - introductory session with Life Coach Rick Padock, BA. • Meet Rick – click here! • “The goal is not simply to survive divorce, but to enhance and empower your life in the wake of it.” • Wed. April 28 • 6:30 - 8:00 pm • This introductory session is free of charge.

Integrative Therapy Workshops on Tuesdays with Integrative Therapist and Life Coach, Kim Tedford, MA • Meet Kim - Click Here!! • May's Workshop: Making a Home Altar
Explore the meaning of some traditional elements to make your personal altar. Go home with a gift to add to your sacred space. • Tues. May 4 • 6:30 – 8:00 pm • Fee: $25

Reiki Share • a gathering of Reiki Practitioners who meet to build community, honor their work as healers, give and receive Reiki healing energy, share experiences and learn new techniques. • With Reiki Master Teacher Carolyn Gaar, BA, RMT • Meet Carolyn – click here! • Wed. May 5 • 6:00 – 7:30 pm • Fee: $10

How to Dress Like a Queen with Fairy Godmothers Widdershins & Deosil!! This workshop will show you, layer by layer, how women dressed in the mid to late 1500's and give you a crash course on Elizabethan fashion. You will learn how and why clothing wore women instead of women wearing the clothing. You will also have an opportunity to see, feel and try on corsets, gowns and accessories! • Sat. May 8 • 1:30 – 3:30 pm • Fee: Cookies to share!

Mars & Venus

2010-04-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

Men communicate to exchange facts and information, while women communicate to exchange experiences and feelings.

Consider the following scenario: A woman drags herself through the door after a long, stressful and exhausting day at work. “I am so fed up with that job. I don’t know if I can take it anymore.” she tells her husband. His response is generally succinct and predictable: “Quit,” he says.

That’s not the answer she’s looking for, at least not so fast. A woman really just wants her man to listen. And discuss. Commiserate even. And then listen some more. Like her girlfriends.

The problem here is that men aren’t girlfriends. They’re men. With short attention spans especially when women start talking “feelings” and emotions. To expect a man to listen and not “solve the problem” is rather like walking outside in the rain without a coat or umbrella and expecting to stay dry.

Because men are geared to approach a conversation as a way to show off their “problem solving” expertise, while women approach conversations as a way to bond with each other, “processing” the emotions surrounding the problem before actually delving into the problem.

When a woman is faced with a problem or issue, she’ll usually pick up the phone and share it with every one of her girlfriends, female relatives and other women in her social network. She doesn’t want to bottom line it, she wants to tell whole story. And every detail that goes along with it.

On the other hand, when a man has a problem to work out, chances are you won’t find him on the phone or at Poker Night confiding in his pals before upping the ante. Most probably you’ll find him puttering and tinkering in the basement or garage. In silence – and alone.

Men tend to go into themselves and internalize until they are done with the issue and ready to go on.

So what’s a girl to do? The answer is simple. Understand and accept the differences between men and women and their styles of communication. Don’t expect your man to be your girlfriend, because he can’t be. It’s not in his programming. He’s a man who, seeing you upset and hearing of a problem, wants to fix it for you. Bless his information and fact sharing heart!

Want to learn even more about the differences between how men and women process experiences? Come to Movie Night this Friday for Brene` Brown’s “The Hustle for Worthiness” Click here for more information!

Congratulations!

2010-04-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the newest Reiki Level One graduates – Mary H., Alida N., Karen V., and Darcie F. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to teach this group, and to have been a guide, however briefly, on their spiritual journey.

Happily, I learned just as much from them as they did from me. I’ll be eager to hear how their practice and experiences with Reiki grow and develop over time, and hope that our paths will cross again.

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. (Rumi)

Namaste,

Carolyn

NEW!! Divorce Support Group

2010-04-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

Press Release Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: April 10, 2010

THREE SISTERS’ SPIRIT PARTNERS WITH AUTHOR AND LIFE COACH RICK PADDOCK TO OFFER A DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP

Waukesha, WI, April 10, 2010 – Three Sisters’ Spirit, a retail store and wellness sanctuary committed to educating and empowering individuals in making healthy lifestyle choices is partnering with Life Coach and author Rick Paddock to offer a fresh approach to divorce recovery; using it as a springboard for personal growth, purpose and enrichment.

Join Rick Paddock for an introduction to his new divorce support program, Divorce S.O.S. (Starting Over Support) at Three Sisters’ Spirit on Wednesday, April 28 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. This introductory session is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is encouraged by calling (262) 446-6752.

Many see divorce as the ultimate failure, and it can be one of the most painful journeys an individual can travel. However, Paddock believes that with the right tools, guidance and support, divorce can be a positive life changing event.

Paddock has been there. Divorced, he struggled through the accompanying roller coaster of intense emotions and devastating loss. He also experienced first-hand the lessons he now teaches: that when traveled intentionally, the divorce journey can result in a sense of personal power, peace and growth. Divorce for Paddock did not represent a failure, but provided him with the opportunity to enrich his life and enhance his sense of self.

Using personal experiences and professional expertise in the coaching field, Paddock created his support group program, Divorce S.O.S. to encourage and empower individuals on their own journey of divorce. Offering participants an opportunity to grow & change in a safe, accepting and supportive environment, attendees will be coached on topics such as nurturing self care, grief and loss, getting “unstuck”, dealing with anger and sadness, and gaining some mastery over the emotional roller-coaster of divorce. “The goal is not simply to survive divorce,” says Paddock, “but to enhance and empower your life. “

Three Sisters’ Spirit workshops, classes, support groups, seminars, and individual coaching, counseling, and complementary therapies are dedicated to whole person wellness – mind, body and spirit. For a full listing of wellness services, visit www.sisterspirit3.com

Bleeeeck - Mercury Retrograde

2010-04-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Ever have a week when nobody understands you? Your cell phone erases itself, people argue over nonsense, traffic sucks, and your computer crashes as you're typing the last sentence of your Great American Novel?

Bleck! It’s mercury retrograde time again! Although Mercury doesn’t “officially” go retrograde until April 17, the backward energy started being felt on April 10th.

Three or four times a year, Mercury passes the earth in its orbit. From a space-geek's telescope, this creates the illusion that Mercury is spinning backward. Mercury rules communication, travel, and technology -- so all of these areas go haywire for about three weeks.

Are we having FUN yet? Just wait.

Now, most people know Mercury as the ruling planet of all things ‘technological.’ Phones, computers, cars, appliances, electronics, etc. Computers crash, emails disappear, cell phones start random dialing, washing machines bite the dust (and eat the laundry), and the car starts acting up or breaks down., or both.

(A special note: Back up your computer, calendar and cell phone address book. Expect delays if traveling, and pack a book to entertain yourself while you wait for the tardy bus or plane. Get in touch with old friends – and don’t be surprised if people from your past track you down. RANDOMLY and without reason or notice. Mercury also rules contracts, so think before you ink. Either wrap up important negotiations before the cycle starts, or wait to sign documents until Mercury goes direct.)

Mercury is also the ruler of all things joined together - closely associated with all realms of communication; thinking, writing, concentrating, expression, comprehension and speaking. Finding yourself tongue tied, searching for words, misunderstood or forgetting what you were saying in the middle of a sentence? Blame it on Mercury’s retrograde action!!

There are plenty of upsets and snafus that go with Mercury retrogrades – which is why many of us shudder, shake and stick out our tongues at the mere mention of one. How does one avoid a nervous breakdown during a Mercury Retrograde, you ask? For starters, focus on the prefix “re-“, which means to go backward. Don’t start anything new. Review all your contracts before you sign. Renew your commitments, rather than making new ones. Prepare to repeat yourself often.

And remember, (this is really important) the purpose of a retrograde is to slow us down and make us take notice - forcing room in our busy and hectic lives for retrospection, introspection and contemplation.

Now before you get all mopey and despondent, there IS a silver lining….. Mercury retrograde is a great opportunity to handle unfinished business. Most of us start a million things that we don’t complete, never realizing how much psychic clutter this creates. The retrograde is like a quarterly review, a chance to tie up those loose ends and create a clear vision for the future. Take advantage of it, and you’ll emerge fresh and ready when Mercury goes direct. As the cliché goes; what you resist persists. So the more you can embrace having zero control (and isn't control an illusion, anyhow?), the better you'll survive this cycle.

That and a few tips from the “I survived Mercury Retrograde” files.

WHILE MERCURY IS RETROGRADE:

Stay in bed and pull the covers over your head. This one only lasts until May 12. A little too extreme for you? OK – be out in the world, but take these “Retrograde Survival Tips” along with you:

(warning: this most probably falls under the redundant catagory, but some people like bullet pointed lists. If you aren't one of those people you can skip past this part.....)

• Mercury is a mental planet, and much of how we experience it (whether direct or in retrograde) involves our attitude.

• Remember all the “RE” WORDS such as Re-confirm, re-assess, re-evaluate, re-commit, re-view, re-new, re-start, re-vise, re-search, re-write and re-submit! (And any other “re” words you can think of!!)

• Slow down! Take a breath! Rushing often works against us, but particularly during a Mercury retrograde. Take the time to really think things through.

• Be careful with communications. Misunderstandings are almost guaranteed! Don't put ulterior motives where they don't exist!

• Don't make major purchases during a retrograde. This is not the time to buy a house, car or that big screen TV.

• Avoid making long term commitments. Just about anything can wait. If you do commit to something, be prepared for it to get shuffled around, be more challenging, work out differently, have delays, and generally work out differently than you planned.

• The way to make commitments is not words, but actions. The things you do during a Mercury retrograde establish a pattern, and you can use the time to get the pattern the way you need it. It may be challenging, but you will get some good opportunities to tune your routines and work out the bugs.

• Work on resolving the past. Take the emphasis off of new projects and plans and wrap up those things you may have started but not finished.

• Things that seem broken usually aren't, so don't try to fix them - it will usually make things worse! If something isn't working 'right' - leave it alone and 'do' nothing until the station-direct in three weeks.

And on the lighter side, here are 10 reasons to love a Mercury Retrograde from the astro-twins at “astrostyle”;

1. If your computer crashes, at least you don't have to work.
2. If the train doesn't show up, well, you can't really work either.
3. You have an instant excuse for being a raging bitch.
4. You can pretend that you "just didn't understand" annoying people.
5. You no longer have to drunk-dial an ex to hear his voice-- he'll probably call you first.
6. No need to invent elaborate stories when you run late; just blame Mercury.
7. You'll finally lose the contact information of all those toxic people you needed to ditch anyway.
8. When the Internet goes down, you'll actually go outside this spring.
9. If you're a control freak, you'll be forced to learn the art of surrender (okay, so maybe it's not so great -- but we'll blame Mercury retrograde for giving us this crappy idea).
10. Procrastination is no longer a bad habit, it's an "essential coping strategy."

Movie Night Returns!!

2010-04-10T17:44:00.016-05:00

"The Hustle for Worthiness"
Friday, April 23
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Fee: Bring a movie munchie to share!

In this inspiring presentation, Dr. Brené Brown explores the meaning of love and belonging, and how our feelings of "never good enough" prevent us from experiencing real connection.

"Our lives are a collection of stories - truths about who we are, what we believe, what we come from, how we struggle, and how we are strong. When we can let go of what people think, and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness - the feeling that we are enough just as we are, and that we are worthy of love and belonging.

Brené explores the way women and men differ in their search for worthiness, and shares valuable information on love and communication.

April Astrological Influences

2010-04-10T17:27:00.004-05:00

Pluto turned retrograde on April 2nd signaling in a time for new beginnings and dead ends. This retrograde (in Capricorn) signaled in a time of destruction and rebuilding along with rejuvenation and regeneration. This is a time for fresh starts and dead ends. The things that are most important to us and we hang on to the tightest may suddenly be taken away from us. In addition, we may be forced to reevaluate the things we cherish most.

A Pluto retrograde period makes us focus on, eliminate and release the old, outworn, outdated and obsolete in our lives. We will be urged to let go of old attitudes, communication and thinking patterns that no longer serve our purpose. We may feel the need to re-evaluate our needs for security and asked to eliminate rigid emotions that no longer serve us. This is an excellent time to undergo an internal form of house cleaning, and look into ourselves to determine exactly what we do and do not need.

Pluto retrograde imparts an intense power for investigation, so we should use this time to assess what reoccurring patterns in our lives make us feel out of control, where and why do we continually give our power away, and under what circumstances do we react so defensively that we elicit attacks from others. Pluto retrograde marks a time wherein we should seek to gain greater control over our lives.

Retrograde Saturn, the planet of duty, discipline and hard work, reversed into Virgo on April 7th to make sure that we learn the lessons of realism and discipline that Saturn has been trying to teach us for the last two years.

Saturn is the planet of self-discipline and duty and Virgo rules work and health, so now is the time to get serious about everything practical. Evaluate work processes and streamline for efficiency. Saturn is firm about putting down limits so at times it will feel like all work and no play. Learning to be good to yourself is also part of Saturn's lesson, so now is the time to learn not to overdo things. If you're realistic now, then by mid July when Saturn moves on into fair minded Libra, you will be healthier, better organized and ready for Saturn's direct influence.

We have the New Moon in Aries on the 14th. This New Moon in Aries is all about releasing and purging old worn-out and tired emotional trash, and learning to balance power.

Aries Strengths:

• Natural leadership; creative thinking; innovative approaches; courage; high energy; vigilance; taking initiative and/or action; strength; boldness.

Aries Shadow Issues:

• Self centeredness; arrogance; superiority; anger; impatience; over assertiveness; narcissism and self- absorption.

• Issues with controlling, blaming, intolerant of others’ views, unaware of others' needs and of the effects of their behavior on others, and insistent that others see them as they wish to be seen.

Questions to ask at this lunation:

• Where are the shadow issues of Aries showing up in my life?
• Where do I send my energy?
• What is my relationship to Power?
• Am I afraid of my own power?
• Am I afraid of my “inner knowing” and intuition?
• How do I give my power over to another?
• How do I steal power from another because I am afraid to lead?

Back to retrogrades, Mercury turns retrograde in Taurus on April 17 for the second time this year. Postpone significant purchases, don’t start new projects, and count to ten (or twenty) before you speak. This is dreamtime - allow your right brain to drift, dream, and lead your daily flow. Let your left brain relax and repair, renew, rethink, review.

And lastly there will be a Saturn in Virgo opposition Uranus in Pisces to contend with on April 26th . Oppositions are planets sitting exactly across from each other on the zodiac. Saturn and Uranus will pull us in two contradictory directions at once. For Saturn, the old ways are the best, however Uranus will demand that we go for innovations, experimentations, and encourage us to be somewhat rebellious and follow our own intuition instead of listening to others.

Reiki As a Way of Life

2010-04-07T20:44:00.000-05:00

The basic philosophy of Reiki is based on the holistic principle that a healthy mind, body and spirit support one another and all three must be healthy and in balance for a person to be "whole" and balanced.

Many think of Reiki as the "healing" practice or modality and leave it at that. But for others, Reiki becomes a spiritual path and way of life.

Although in the Western world Reiki is taught as primarily a way to heal oneself and others, Reiki is much more than a natural healing system. Reiki is also a way of life, a way of thinking and perceiving designed to help the individual along their path of spiritual development. Whatever the individual’s personal beliefs and/or religion, Reiki is designed to be a positive and inspirational supplement to other spiritual practices.

The following is an excerpt from the book, "Reiki, A Way of Life" by Patricia Rose Upczak

Reiki (ray-key) is an ancient healing art that helps one's body balance its own energy and heal itself. The purpose and goal of Reiki is to help people balance their lives physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Reiki has been a transformative, powerful healing tool for me and has enabled me to discover the endless mysteries in life. There is so much to learn and explore. As human beings we can get stuck in the struggles of everyday life. The mundane can wear us down, but as spiritual beings having a human experience we can look at life from a different perspective.

Studying Reiki helps us to find the inner peace needed to gain this perspective. Through Reiki we can learn to live a life of expectedness, as opposed to a life of apprehension or negativity. We are pulled towards our destines through circumstances and synchronicities. Our job is to pay attention and take action when the timing feels intuitively feels right to us. Reiki helps us do that. It is not a religious belief. People from all walks of life use Reiki as a part of everyday life. I was a teacher of learning disabled adolescents for 25 years and it helped me with my students on a daily basis. Reiki helps us become clear channels of energy and light. You don't have to be special to do Reiki well - just take a Reiki class and start healing yourself naturally, physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

One of the techniques I offer my Reiki students to visualize this force or energy is to imagine a divine ocean that is an enormous source of loving power. If we can imagine that we are tiny drops in this ocean and that each one of us is a spark within the whole. Every action we take has an impact on the rest of the Universe.

The main focus of Reiki helps us become aware of and heal the imbalances in ourselves and our lives. One of the greatest challenges for a Reiki pratitioner is to learn to view the world with compassion, clarity and without judgment. It is vital for our complete health to heal the multidimensional parts of ourselves. The path of Reiki can help all of us to do that. Reiki calls us to be authentic, whole human beings filled with integrity in all areas of our lives in order to balance our total health.

Rituals like meditation, Reiki and prayer empower us to experience the life we seek. This life does hold challenges and heartache, but it also has unbelievable beauty everywhere. It is important to start thinking of yourself as an energy being along with your physical body. It is my belief that a healers' path includes learning to develop peacefulness, unconditional love, gratitude, compassion and happiness through an act of intention. We are all multidimensional, multisensory beings connected to each other at many levels.

Reiki encourages and supports balance, respect and harmony at all levels. Our society and world could use that balance and healing now more than ever before. Reiki is a gentle yet powerful healing tool that we all can use as a way to heal ourselves and this seemingly chaotic world of ours together.

©Copyright 2000 Patricia Upczak. All Rights Reserved.

We're on Facebook!

2010-04-06T23:04:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Join us on facebook!

Event listings are posted on our page regularly, and I’ve uploaded a bunch of pictures from different Art Crawl Events featuring the Fairy Godmothers Widdershins and Deosil.

This will hopefully be another means to connect with you, and for you to connect with one another. Look forward to seeing you (virtually) on facebook, and (in reality) in the shop!

~~ Carolyn

Reiki Share Rocks :)

2010-04-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Donna, Donna R., Cathy, Annette, and Wendy for making our most recent Reiki Share wonderful!

It’s been great to work with all of the people who’ve come to Reiki Share over the course of the past several months. I love participating in the circle – sharing knowledge and healing.

Reiki Share is a great place to hone new skills, brush up on old ones, to ask questions, and to experience healing. We offer Reiki Share at the beginning of each month. Check out our calendar for our next meeting! Hope to see you there!

~~ Carolyn

Reiki Level One is Filling Fast!

2010-03-24T22:03:00.000-05:00

Our Reiki Level One class is almost full! At the moment of posting, only one opening for the April 7th & 8th Reiki One Course is available. It is vitally important to contact us and submit your deposit as soon as possible if you intend to enroll in the course in order to reserve your space. Depending upon demand, I may offer a second session of Reiki One, so if you’re interested, please let me know!

Contact me at the store at 262-446-6752, or via email at sisters@sisterspirit3.com to secure your space in the class. I look forward to seeing all of you there!

A Little Bit About Reiki - The secret art of inviting happiness
The miraculous medicine of all diseases.

The word “reiki” in Japanese translates roughly as “universal life force energy.” Reiki can only be passed from master to apprentice through a process known as initiation and/or attunement. The theory behind this spiritual practice upholds that only a skilled reiki practitioner can absorb this energy from the universe, and then channel it into a client in order to improve and/or enhance their health and well-being.

Reiki is not taught in the typical way other healing techniques are taught. The student is taught how to channel healing energy to self and others, but the Source connection, lineage and spiritual alignment is transferred to the student by an initiated Reiki Master Teacher during an attunement. Each initiation attunement incrementally aligns and connects the chakras to the Reiki Source Connection. The attunement process opens and connects the crown, heart, and palm chakras and creates a special link between the student, the teacher and his/her lineage, Reiki healing guides and Source energy. Once you have received a Reiki attunement, you will have Reiki Source connection for the remainder of your life. It does not 'wear off' and you can never lose it.

Although a spiritually based, Reiki is not religious, and there is no belief required in order to learn and use it. Anyone can learn Reiki and be attuned to Reiki healing source energy.

Much more than just a “healing” modality, Reiki is a tool on the path to discovering the deepest essence of who you are. You can use this energy as a springboard to deeper and deeper levels of consciousness and intuition. Reiki is also a spiritual way of life with a multi-faceted approach towards personal self development, fulfillment, life-balance, and well-being.

Reiki Level I - First Degree Reiki Practitioner

This first level is about "plugging into" the Reiki energy and experiencing it directly. Learning Reiki involves an energy activation process called an “attunement" which is performed by the Reiki Master with each student. Through this initiation, students are opened to the flow of Reiki energy which provides an energetic shift, allowing healing energies and enhanced intuitive insights to emerge. The initiation opens innate healing channels, enabling students to immediately tap into the flow of Reiki energy and perform healing sessions.

After being attuned to Reiki, students report having increased energy, self-awareness, peace, and compassion.

More information is available on our website, or feel free to call or visit the store with your questions! We love to talk about Reiki :)

Yours,
Carolyn

Hooray! Congratulations to Our Newest Reiki Two Grads!

2010-03-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Annette, Donna, and Cathy on their Level Two Reiki Certification! It was wonderful to work with all of you again, and to watch you take another step on the Reiki path! We look forward to hearing about your growing experience as Reiki Practitioners, and hope to see you at Reiki Share!

Reiki Level II – Second Degree Reiki Practitioner

Reiki Level II is considered the “Practitioner’s Level” and offers students advanced Reiki healing techniques. In Level II, students are given complete tools for working with Reiki energy both in person and through “absentee” techniques. Level II Reiki produces a grounding or solidifying of the healing energy. At this level, students are given the first three Reiki symbols which allow the Reiki energy to perform powerful functions, such as specific mental, emotional, and spiritual healing, as well as long distance healing.

If you are interested in obtaining Reiki Training, please refer to our website (www.sisterspirit3.com) for more information – or call or stop by the shop! We’re always happy to answer questions!

Hugs,

Dani and Carolyn

Feeling Lucky?

2010-03-10T07:54:00.000-06:00

Greetings!

We're a week away from the favorite day of millions of people around the world - St. Patrick's Day! For some, it's the corned beef & cabbage, shepherd's pie or Irish stew they look forward to. For others it's the traditions of wearing green, drinking green beer, or watching a St. Patrick's Day parade that make the day special. From my perspective, it's a day of celebration, filled with an expectation of "luck" and "fun!"

It seems we are always looking for a reason (some would say "excuse") to have fun, as well as an opportunity to "turn our luck around." And St. Patrick's Day gives us a shot at both in one day. Find a four-leaf-clover and we're sure to have an awesome year (or day at least, right?)!

There are also millions around the world that look forward to another day to change their luck and to have fun. Although there isn't as much fanfare for that day, and these people are often overlooked, or thought of as a bit strange, there are none-the-less millions that look forward to.... "Today."

Sometimes thought of as "too cheerful," "unrealistic" or even "ignorant to reality" there are in fact millions of people around the world that look forward to each day as the day to be grateful, to have fun, to create their own luck and to make a life worth living! They recognize that it doesn't take a day on the calendar or any superstitions to have a great day, or an awesome life. These people know that it just starts with a simple decision to take control of their habits and actions, and align them with the life they desire. And from there the opportunities to celebrate and have fun appear on their calendar often and with perfect timing.

Are you one of these people?

If you are... or... if you haven't been, but are ready to decide to be one of these people (and it really just starts with a simple, but committed, decision) I'd love to invite you to the upcoming Your Life GPS Workshop!

Beginning this Saturday, March 13th, we will spend 10 weeks having fun, celebrating, planning and taking action toward living our lives in an authentic, fun, even "lucky" way. Saturday's workshop is a FREE introduction to the format of our group, as well as some processes that will help you get crystal clear about:
· what you want in your life
· who you are
· how you're going to get what you want
· what to "do" to go where you want, get what you want, or be who you want to be.

Click here for more information or to reserve your seat! Because it is my intention that this be a small, intimate group, seating is limited, so don't wait. You deserve to live a life of "Fun" and "Luck" so reserve your space now. If you are feeling the pull to finally make the changes you desire, this group will support you, encourage you, and create the space for you to Be and Do all that you want!

In Love & Joy,
Rick

Energetic Breath

2010-03-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

Kim Tedford, our resident Integrative Therapist, offers energetic breath sessions to uproot habitual patterns that disturb your inherent bliss. You can read about her personal journey with breath sessions at http://wp.me/pNGYx-y. Kim is available on TUESDAYS at Three Sisters' Spirit to explore how energetic breath sessions can support meaningful change in your life. Contact Kim to schedule your FREE consultation, 414.476.9335, kim@integralembrace.com.

Tonight's Reiki Share

2010-03-04T22:21:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh. Another successful and satisfying Reiki Share tonight! Thanks to Annette, Cathy, Donna, and Nina for participating this evening.

Tonight really brought home for me what an important part Reiki Share can play for the beginner – tonight we had three folks newly attuned to Level One Reiki. Other than in class, this was their first experience working with someone other than themselves. Becoming accustomed to working with other people’s energy fields is an important part of the Reiki practitioner’s experience, and they had the opportunity to do this in a safe and accepting atmosphere.

I also realized just how important Reiki Share can be for the more experienced practitioner. It was positively wonderful to be there and watch the wonder of discovery and the delight on their faces as they felt things for the first time. I felt grateful to be able to answer any questions that I could, or to clear up uncertainties. I also had the opportunity to share my experiences, and ask questions of other practitioners.

Again, thanks to all who came – Reiki Share is one of my favorite parts of being a practitioner. I love this opportunity to sit in a circle with others who are in a position to uniquely understand just where you’re coming from, and to share our questions, our joy, and our experiences with Reiki.

Until the next time!
Carolyn

Thought for the Day:

2010-03-01T11:24:00.001-06:00

One of my greatest passions is to encourage compassion and empathy in myself and in everyone around me. This week, I plan to be mindful of opportunities to practice compassion and be an example of compassion for others – join me!

The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves "inside the skin" of the other. We "go inside" their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not enough to see their suffering. We must become one with the subject of our observation. When we are in contact with another's suffering, a feeling of compassion is born in us. Compassion means, literally, "to suffer with." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Namaste,
Carolyn

your life GPS

2010-02-24T07:40:00.001-06:00

Greetings!
Wow! How is this new year passing by so quickly? It's almost March and it seems like we were just celebrating the holidays and making our new years resolutions.

If you're like me, some of those resolutions were so easy that they didn't take much effort to achieve. Others though, well those were a little tougher. For me, some were "retreads" from years before that I put on the list again, hoping this is the year I fulfill them. And others yet were new and exciting and thus, a bit easier to follow-through on.

Well, speaking of new and exciting, that leads me to some news I'd love to share with you. I have fulfilled some of my new year's resolutions (and haven't even started others!). And most of them involve you!

Yes, the goals I've reached so far this year involve serving people just like you. And I'm happy to announce them here (self-acknowledgement is a crucial & powerful coaching process that is too often overlooked):

· I have done a web site "makeover"!

· I have finished my book!

· I'll be hosting a workshop at Three Sisters' Spirit based on the book!

Check out all three here: www.RickPaddock.com

Once again, each of these creations were started and finished with you in mind. I'm here, literally, to encourage, inspire and assist you in living a life of love, joy and fulfillment - in a way that you define and feel authentic in living.

Watch for more information about my "Your Life GPS" free introductory session - the kick-off to my awesome 10 week program on Sat. March 13 at 11:00 am! (For more info - click here!)

So, until we connect again - I'm sending you Love and Joy,

Rick

press release - self illumination through art workshop

2010-02-22T18:05:00.002-06:00

Press Release Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: February 22, 2010

Contact Person: Dani Sutliff
Company Name: Three Sisters’ Spirit
Address: 308 W. Broadway, Waukesha, WI 53186
Telephone Number: (262) 446-6752
Email Address: dani@sisterspirit3.com
Website Address: http://www.sisterspirit3.com

THREE SISTERS’ SPIRIT PARTNERS WITH KATHIE GIORGIO, OWNER OF ALLWRITERS’ WORKPLACE & WORKSHOP TO OFFER NEW OPPORTUNITY

Waukesha, WI, February 22, 2010 – Three Sisters’ Spirit, a retail store and wellness sanctuary committed to educating and empowering individuals in making healthy lifestyle choices is partnering with Kathie Giorgio,MA, owner of Allwriters’ Workplace & Workshop in Downtown Waukesha to offer a workshop series.

Join Kathie Giorgio, published writer and experienced writing coach and workshop facilitator, at Three Sisters’ Spirit for a two-part workshop series: “Self-Illumination Through Art and Words.” The first session meets Sunday, March 7th from 11:00am to 2:00pm, and the second session meets Sunday, March 14th from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Space in the workshop is limited, so register early! The workshop cost is $100.00 in advance, and includes both sessions, as well as materials. At the door, the workshop fee is $125.00.

As Giorgio explains, “The best part about this workshop is that you don’t need to be a writer or an artist! You don’t need to be anything but human!” Designed to provide participants with an opportunity to experience themselves uniquely, this workshop encourages entrants to seek knowledge about who they are and who they’ve been, as well as who they might yet become.

For the first session, participants will be presented with a plain Styrofoam mannequin head and a lot of choices: beads, feathers, paints, buttons… you name it. Entrants will view the mannequin as a mirror and create what they see there … themselves. Then, in the last session, participants will write to the created reflection of themselves, in any style or format that they feel best expresses who they are. At the end of this workshop, participants will walk out the door with a better sense of who they are and what they can accomplish in their lives.

CREATING through FOCUSED ATTENTION

2010-02-22T18:04:00.001-06:00

On the First Tuesday of each month, we offer a workshop to refine your skill as a conscious creator. This coming Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to explore your body’s opinion of your 2010 aspirations. Whether you’re looking to shrink your waistline or expand your pocketbook, you can more easily bring your wish to fruition when you consult with your body.

In our March 2nd workshop, we will explore the work of Eugene Gendlin, a philosopher and psychotherapist, who developed a body awareness technique called “Focusing”. If you are facing a challenging decision or needing to maintain disciplined action around a goal, this workshop will teach you how to use “focusing” to engage a deeper knowing, spoken only through the language of your bodily sensations. By communicating with this embodied intelligence, you will move beyond the rationalization of your mind and into the formidable wisdom of your body. With ongoing body dialogue, you will soon find yourself engaging the world with more grace and ease, while naturally attracting the life you deeply desire.

Doors open Tuesday 6:15pm for you to meet a growing community of empowered creators. Workshop begins at 6:30pm where you’ll experience the awesome insight of your inner guidance. We’ll complete our exploration by 8pm and send you home with instructions to continue building rapport with your body’s wisdom. To join us, call Three Sisters’ Spirit to reserve your seat, 262.446.6752. Expression of appreciation is $25/person.

Kim Tedford, M.A., facilitates our First Tuesday series. Kim is a life coach and energy consultant living in Wauwatosa, WI. She is a thought explorer serving restless folks who are sick of struggling to survive and willing to cultivate their conscious creations. Kim earned her Master of Arts in Human Development by learning to follow her heart. She is certified in several subtle energetic healing techniques; all designed to engage the subconscious. Kim offers private sessions each Tuesday in Three Sisters’ Spirit Healing Room. You can explore more of Kim’s offerings at www.integralembrace.com.

"recession" buster

2010-02-21T10:07:00.002-06:00

Whatever kind of 'recession' is affecting your life right now, here is a simple ritual that can help you turn the negative energy into positive flow.

Here's what you'll need to get started:
new deck of playing cards
silver coin
white piece of paper
red pen
plate
white "tea lite" candles

First, take your piece of paper and with red ink write, "I open myself to receive positive flow."

Place it on your plate.

Next, remove a ten of diamonds from your new deck of playing cards and place it on top of your note on the plate.

Now add your silver coin, placing it on top of the card.

You can count on these symbols, when connected and combined, to spell success for any endeavor that you're currently engaged in and a positive flow of abundance for your life.

Hold a clear picture of whatever it is that you would like to manifest in the immediate future in your mind, but try not to be so specific and/or rigid that you would miss what the universe might deem as 'success' or 'abundance' in your life.

Leave the plate in any space where you will be able to see it at least once a day for the next consecutive twenty-seven days. Light your candle each morning or evening, letting it burn out.

After that time frame has expired, take the card and put it back into the deck and then put your note and the silver coin in your wallet.

It won't be long until you find out that you're about to hold the biggest winning hand of all!

Woo-Hoo! Congratulations!

2010-02-18T09:13:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Annette, Charlene, and Cathy on their Level One Reiki Certification! The class went really well, and it was a joy to meet and work with all of you! We look forward to hearing about your growing experience with Reiki, and hope to see you at Reiki Share and Reiki Level Two!

Reiki Level I - First Degree Reiki Practitioner

This first level is about "plugging into" the Reiki energy and experiencing it directly. Learning Reiki involves an energy activation process called an “attunement" which is performed by the Reiki Master with each student. Through this initiation, students are opened to the flow of Reiki energy which provides an energetic shift, allowing healing energies and enhanced intuitive insights to emerge. The initiation opens innate healing channels, enabling students to immediately tap into the flow of Reiki energy and perform healing sessions.

After being attuned to Reiki, students report having increased energy, self-awareness, peace, and compassion.

If you are interested in obtaining Reiki Training, please refer to our website (www.sisterspirit3.com) for more information – or call or stop by the shop! We’re always happy to answer questions!

Hugs,

Dani and Carolyn

The Fabled Fairy Godmothers at Three Sisters’ Spirit this Saturday!

2010-02-11T18:26:00.002-06:00

It was a fortunate day when I finally crossed paths with Deosil and Widdershins, the Fairy Godmothers! Come down to the store this Saturday, February 13th between 1pm and 4pm to join in the frivolity and frolicking. Every single time these lovely ladies join us in the shop, I leave at the end of the day with my sides aching from laughter and my face aching from smiling! (The best exercise I’ve ever gotten!)

Come and make a wish on one of their magical wish bracelets, or bring your children to have their faces painted! Who couldn’t use a bit of magic in their lives? I know that my life is richer just for knowing them!

Hope to see you there!

Carolyn

Jonna, the Happy Medium, at Three Sisters’ Spirit this Saturday!

2010-02-11T15:51:00.002-06:00

Hello everybody! I just wanted to let everyone know that Jonna is almost completely booked for Saturday, February 13th! Only a few appointments remain, so call for yours today.

Jonna’s insights during a reading are amazing. As she says, “I believe in signs from the other side. We need to open ourselves up to the message that is coming to us! So many times we call it circumstance or coincidence – is that true?? I don't believe so. I believe that once we open ourselves up to the knowledge that the other side gives to us, we can lead fuller richer and more productive lives, knowing that our loved ones watch over us and communicate with us."

Thanks to all the participants for another great Reiki Share!

2010-02-06T10:15:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!

Reiki Share went really well this Thursday, and I’m already looking forward to next month’s! I hope that all who participated continue to reap the benefits in the coming days the way that I have. I was lucky enough to be able to receive chair massage and Reiki from one of our lovely artists, Nancy Potter, the following day – it really helped to get in there and finish what we started on Thursday night. My shoulder muscles are like butter – bye, bye tension!

Spread the word everyone! Let’s build a strong Reiki Share group!

Hope to see you next time!

Carolyn

I'm Loving This Book -- Maybe You Will, Too!

2010-02-06T10:06:00.001-06:00

I’ve been reading a great book, and I wanted to share a bit of it here with you:

Loving-Kindness and Meditation

When we start to meditate or to work with any kind of spiritual discipline, we often think that somehow we’re going to improve, which is a subtle aggression against who we really are. It’s a bit like saying, “If I jog, I’ll be a much better person.” “If I had a nicer house, I’d be a better person.” “If I could meditate and calm down, I’d be a better person.” Or the scenario may be that we find fault with others. We might say, “If it weren’t for my husband, I’d have a perfect marriage.” “If it weren’t for the fact that my boss and I can’t get on, my job would be just great.” And, “If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be excellent.”
But loving-kindness – maitri – towards ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy, we can still be angry. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. The ground of practice is you or me or whoever we are right now, just as we are. That’s what we come to know with tremendous curiosity and interest.

Curiosity involves being gentle, precise, and open – actually being able to let go and open. Gentleness is a sense of goodheartedness toward ourselves. Precision is being able to see clearly, not being afraid to see what’s really there. Openness is being able to let go and to open. When you come to have this kind of honesty, gentleness, and good-heartedness, combined with clarity about yourself, there’s no obstacle to feeling loving-kindness for others as well. (Pema Chodron, Comfortable with Uncertainty)

Too often, we use spirituality or spiritual practice as just one more way to flog ourselves and remind ourselves how we are flawed. Reading this passage in the book, and really taking in some of the others, has helped me clarify the ways in which I self-criticize – which means I can try to break those habits!

Happy reading!

Carolyn

Planet Speak this Friday

2010-02-02T19:55:00.001-06:00

Happy February!

The main theme this month at our "Planet Speak" gathering surrounds Neptune, Mars and Jupiter. Also, Jupiter joining Uranus brings in all the connections that are needed from as far back as 2003 to assist us in moving forward. A major shift is coming....

Join me Friday February 5th, 2010 at 6:30pm to learn about all the aspects that will be carrying us through the month of February!

Registration is required - contact Dani @ 262-446-6752
Cost: $30 per person (limited seating)

As always, there will be a chance to have a mini consultation with me on one of the February astrological aspects, and a guided meditation to wrap up the evening!

See you Friday!!

Warmly,
Sheryl Forge, CCHt
Professional Astrologer
262-361-4395
Astrological Awareness
Bringing Awareness to Life!
www.astrologicalawareness.com

Reiki Share

2010-01-31T21:38:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite parts of becoming a Reiki Practitioner was the knowledge that I was entering into a community of healers – a circle of people linked energetically – a circle of people linked through their purpose and intent. Whether the benefit of your Reiki training has been to provide self-healing, healing for family and friends, or healing “for the masses,” it is vitally important to come together in groups to honor one another as healers.

One of the most important parts of my Reiki Practice has been participating in Reiki Share at Three Sisters’ Spirit. How can I advise clients, or counsel others, that Reiki is beneficial for their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing if I myself do not experience Reiki healing? It is easy to make excuses, or to allow the demands of our daily lives to pull and tug at us, drawing us further away from caring for ourselves – but, one of my most difficult and hard-won lessons has been this: I cannot care for others if I do not first care for myself.

Attending Reiki Share is one way that I make sure that I make time to take care of myself – to set aside time, specifically, to attend to my needs as a person, and my needs as a healer. An additional benefit of attending Reiki Share has been the opportunity to gather together with others in an environment where I know that I am among those in the position to uniquely understand my concerns as a healer, and where I know I will be treated with support and acceptance.

I prepare – eagerly – to set aside time for myself this week, and to honor myself – as a healer. This Thursday, I will be hosting Reiki Share at Three Sisters’ Spirit in Downtown Waukesha from 6-7:30pm. Take this opportunity to honor yourselves – as both healer, and as a person in need of healing like everyone else! Hope to see you there!

Namaste,

Carolyn

quick energy boost

2010-01-30T15:52:00.000-06:00

Here’s a great little acupressure ‘energy booster’ tip that will help bring some ‘spring’ into the winter blahs:

Press your thumbs and index fingers together and hold them in that same position, applying a shy and subtle pressure for at least 60 seconds. These particular fingertips have direct and express acupressure access to the part of the brain that can immediately induce an almost alpha-like state. Putting a bit of pressure on these finger tip points also induces increased awareness and intuition as well as sparking a renewed sense of creativity.

So, the next time you find you might have a touch of the winter blahs, just touch the tips of your fingers to find your own internal 'ahhh.' Hands down this is one of the quickest ways to feel creative, constructive and all around lots better. And it's all right there at your fingertips!

Source: astrology.com

feb 1 - 7

2010-01-28T09:10:00.001-06:00

It's a week full of great offerings!!

Our Integrative Therapies Practitioner, Kim Tedford, MA kicks off a brand new series of monthly workshops! These workshops will be offered on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. If you've never attended one of Kim's workshops or experienced an "Emotion Code" healing session, you've missed out on something really incredible. I encourage you to attend this workshop or schedule an individual "Emotion Code" healing session with Kim. She's running an introductory session special through February.

I've had several sessions with Kim and I have to tell you, it really works in releasing stuck energies - in my case a painful tenseness in my mid back. After the first session I noticed an almost immediate physical relief. Interested? There's more info on the website! Click here to find out more!

The first Thursday of the month is Reiki Share with Reiki Master Practitioner (and Master Teacher apprentice)Carolyn Gaar, BA. Reiki Share is a way for all levels of practitioners to get together and exchange Reiki healing with each other. This month's Reiki Share is Thursday, Feb 4, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. You can register on the website! Again, all Reiki Practitioners are welcome!

Professional Astrologer Sheryl Forge is here Friday January 5 for "Planet Speak" - a fun and interactive gathering all about the planetary and astrological "happenings" in the upcoming month. Get a "heads up" on the upcoming energies, challenges and positive aspects!! 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Pre-registration is required. A link to register is on the website.

Sunday brings us part one of a two part workshop with author and artist Kathie Giorgio, founder of All Writers Workplace & Studio! I am so excited for this workshop and was the first to register! I hope you'll join Kathie and I for "Self Illumination through Art & Words."The fun part is you don’t need to be a writer or an artist to attend. If you are a seeker, someone who wants to find out more about yourself, and find a way to express who you really are, then this is the path. Kathie will show us how to delve into both art and writing as a form of self-expression and self-knowledge.

For the first session, we'll get a plain Styrofoam mannequin head and a lot of choices from which to decorate it: beads, feathers, paints, buttons, you name it.

The purpose is to look at the mannequin as if it is a mirror and create a reflection of ourselves. Doesn't that sound yummy? In the second session, we'll write to our reflection - letter, poetry, memoir, even fiction if we feel like wearing a mask!

Kathie says when all is said and done, we'll walk out of this class with a better sense of who we are and what we can accomplish in our life - feeling settled, peaceful and firmly on our way. If I wasn't already signed up, I'd be shouting "sign me up!!" - How about you? When was the last time you did something for the first time? (wink)

That's it for the upcoming week....and only the start for February! We've really outdone ourselves in the offering department!!

Stay tuned.....

Peace Out,
Dani