Venturing Outside Our Comfort Zone

I recently took a 2600 mile road trip from my home in New Hampshire to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and then on to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. I’ve wanted to photograph the wild ponies along the NC coast for several years. Also, friends raved about the city of Charleston, which was only another five hour drive beyond. To many, this trip might not seem significant; however, recently, I realized I hadn’t ventured off on my own for the past five years.

When I was working at my last job, a long term temporary assignment, I’d think to myself, When I’m done working here I’m taking a road trip! Well that position ended in September of 2011, and here it is, 2013 and I hadn’t ventured any further than the next state by myself.

What was holding me back, I wondered? I usually love an adventure. 

I realized I was questioning my ability to drive that far, navigate and deal with the traffic in the big cities. I kept coming up with tons of “what if” scenarios wondering how would I handle unexpected problems. It surprised me, because five years ago, I drove to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula alone and never once questioned my abilities. What’s changed? Is this common as we age? I suspect that is part of it, but I also realized that my two best friends, whom I travel with, both like to be in the driver’s seat.

I don’t usually give much resistance to this arrangement, and truth be told, I kind of like it. You can bet I love being in the passenger seat when we’re driving through one of Colorado’s mountain passes during a winter snow storm. And driving up the Pacific coast for the first time being the passenger had its perks. I could gaze at the magnificent coastal scenery while someone else was watching the road.

With my new insights, I decided it was time to face my fears. So with some planning and a borrowed GPS, I set out on my trip. I still had my doubts along for the ride, but I wasn’t going to let them stop me. Heck, it wouldn’t be an adventure if there wasn’t some uncertainty. I did avoid NYC by taking a route through Vermont, and then south through Pennsylvania, where I spent the first night. The following morning, I set out with apprehension, knowing I would be going around Washington, DC. But soon I was sailing through the DC area, thanks to my GPS and the fact that I had missed rush hour traffic. I sat back and wondered why I’d been so apprehensive. Do we make problems bigger the more we think about them? I believe I do overthink things at times. Back to a more relaxed drive, I put on some Jimmy Buffet tunes, and before I knew it, I was singing along with a huge smile on my face with the renewed self confidence that I’d hoped I would find.

And for stepping outside my comfort zone, I was rewarded by some wonderful photographic opportunities, one of the wild ponies on Shackleford Banks, NC and the other is a photograph of Angel Oak Tree outside of Charleston, SC. It’s estimated to be over 400 years old.

I’ve learned now that being the passenger in life, too often, can erode our confidence in our abilities. And the more we give in to our doubts, the more our self-confidence is diminished and the smaller our comfort zone becomes. My quest this year is to keep expanding my comfort zone!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Seaward is a landscape, nature and travel photographer and owner of Summit to Sea Images. She has been photographing the beauty of the natural landscape since 1995. Her photographs have been used by Coed Sportswear, Portsmouth Hospital, Ristorante Massimo, Outside Magazine and by R. Ann Rousseau for the cover of her novel "Portsmouth A Love Story".

You can view her gallery at: www.SummitToSeaImages.com

Contact Sharon at: Sharon@SummitToSeaImages.com

Other Blog Posts by Sharon Seaward: Serendipity, Next Step, Transitions

Forces At Work: Astrology And Career (35 Years In The Making)

Last spring, working on Isabel Hickey’s (posthumous) autobiography, Never Mind with memoirs by her grandson Jay, and myself, from our time in the 1960’s and 70’s, was a joyful experience. I was thrilled to publish it, and responses to it have exceeded my expectations, especially the new friends that I have made as a result of shared interests in metaphysics.

After a brief pause, I knew my next project would be the 500+ pages of data I’d gathered circa 1990 in response to a career survey that I designed and conducted. It had been on a shelf since 1992 and its time had come, so for the last 10 months, I’ve pondered career theories, astrological indicators, and my contributors’ stories, shaping a long-term study, now published: Forces At Work: Astrology and Career.

If you know your natal chart placements, you can look things up about yourself in the book to help you focus your career search on fields suiting your talents and goals. Questions my participants answered revealed if they saw themselves as person oriented, non-person oriented, preferring high levels of creativity, mental stimulation, and levels of social contact, control, influence, freedom, security, etc. It shows the people who most influenced their career decisions, and follows the full arcs of their careers.

In the Foreword, Labor Market Economist Ed Kaznocha writes: “Forces at Work takes a unique, in depth look at individual careers through a longitudinal study over 30 years of 35 participants from the early years of their work life to near the end or retirement. What is interesting is how these participants move through their lives, how family and unanticipated events affected their work life. Case after case shows how we balance our lives, as did Amanda, the Flight Attendant who reassessed her job after 9-11, and left that industry for a new career as an Esthetician using her talents. Or the married Realtors, Grant and Pearl who formed a successful partnership to meet their family’s needs.

No statistical report could give these participants the insight they needed to do what they enjoy for work. Economic and statistical reports indicate what is happening in the Labor Market, aiding the understanding of future occupations and industries to guide us to an initial career choice. Only by reflecting on our skills and desires can we achieve true satisfaction with our choice of careers. Aptitude tests and counseling help us to gain insight, yet do not touch on our inner, hard-to-express wants and needs. As Amy describes: “Forces at Work combines self-perception, motivation, astrology and career theory in the interplay of visible and invisible realms.” Her research and this book achieve what no economic or statistical study can do.”

In addition, charts of famous ‘provocateurs,’ whose natal Eris (recently discovered Dwarf Planet) are presented (Arnold Schoenberg, Joan Baez, Sigmund Freud, Jon Stewart, Steve Jobs, Al Gore, and Princess Diana) and many of Dr. Oskar Adler’s insights. Adler wrote (from Chapter 7): "For the Astrologer, who may dedicate himself to counseling for salvation, it is important to win insight into the evolution laws of his client, based on the horoscope ... and have a general knowledge about humanity, psychology and sociology. The Astrologer must not want only to be an Astrologer; he must already have started to work on his own horoscope." Dr. Oskar Adler: Testament of Astrology -- Sequence 7.

Here are some brief excerpts of early review …

“ … a comprehensive astrological guide for anyone wishing to understand the uncanny connections between their astrological chart and their work path. Every HR department should have a copy for reference!" -- Shelley L. Ackerman, Astrologer, Author, Columnist, TheAesthete.com, KarmicRelief.com

“ … This work will appeal to the intermediate to advanced astrologer who wants to refine career counseling methodology." -- Stephanie Jean Clement, Ph.D., Astrologer, Author, President, American Federation of Astrologers

"… Amy's description of Eris as 'provocateur' is interesting, insightful and well supported within her analyses." -- Maria Kay Simms, Astrologer, Artist, Author ~Starcrafts Publishing

"… This book will give seasoned counselors new and useful insights. Augmented by handy tips, definitions and checklists, it will also set beginners on the road to perfecting this all-important part of their practice."--Patricia White, Astrologer, Vice-President, Astrolabe

"… Amy reveals the power of Astrology as a healing and guiding force and innovative and profound tool for Career Counselors." -- Patricia Huxley-Cohen, MSW, LICSW, Psychotherapist / Counselor; pioneered work programs adopted by the Dept of Labor.

As I labored on this project, (a labor of love), my friend R. Anne Rousseau predicted this will be my legacy to the astrological community, a fine wish. The next muse has begun calling!

Blessings,

Amy Shapiro

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For 40+ years, Astrologer Amy Shapiro has nurtured soul growth with skills and services drawn on her training with Astrologer Isabel Hickey, William Swygaard, Jo Onvlee, John Chung Li and Dr. Oskar Adler. Amy was the first Clerk for NCGR and an early President of NCGR- Boston. She co-discovered a technique with Astrologer Ron Davison called The Relationship Chart or as she calls it The Conception Chart of the Relationship due to its esoteric implications.

Her TV and radio show, "Good Heavens!" won her wide acclaim with the public and her Good Heaven’s column appeared monthly in Dell Horoscope Magazine. She founded the Cape Ann School of Astrology and has been a consultant, editor and writer for Para Research, Astral Research, Cosmic Communications and Dell Horoscope. After earning her MA in Education and Psychology, she earned an M.Ed. in Counseling, and trained in stress management, T’ai Chi, meditation, visualization; reincarnation, hypnotherapy and nutrition. She has been as a Head Start Advisor, taught at Wheelock and Endicott Colleges, and trained at Harvard’s Mind-Body Institute and New England Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

She has dedicated 20+ years to The Testament of Astrology, a 7-volume course by Austrian Astrologer Dr. Oskar Adler, and has now published a comprehensive Curriculum Guide for the entire 7 volume series. She has also written and published Dr. Adler's biography called Dr. Oskar Adler: A Complete Man. Her other books include One Sex to the Other – Reincarnation and the Dual-Gender Soul, The Dis-Appointment Book –A Human Therapy Guide to Conquering DisappointmentsShe coauthored the book Questioning the Oracle—The IChing and The Gift of the Tortoise-New Insights into the I-Ching.

With her husband, Ed Kaznocha, Amy raised two sons in Gloucester, MA, where they enjoy gardening and landscaping. 

Other Blog Posts by Amy: Loss, Love and Poetry in Times of Chaos, Master of the Wheel, Energy Shifts in 2013 as Pluto dips into the Taurus Decanate of Capricorn, Birthing Pains & Rewards: Saturn Sextiles Pluto on 12/27/12 , December 2012 Astrological Forecast, Inside Out and Outside In , Robin Rousseau's Novel Romance ~ Portsmouth: A Love Story, October 2012 Astrological Forecast, Mars in Scorpio - What Legacy Compels You to Act?, A Gardener’s Dream: No Soil? No Problem! , The Mercury Wave: Retro Direct, Astrological Forecast for August 2012, This Pivotal Year ~ Uranus goes Retrograde on July 13th, 2012 A Pivotal Year, 2012 - A Pivotal Year - Coping with Changes, Whose Astrologer Are You?

Change Your Emotions - Change Your Life

In the beginning of my work, I matter-of-factly presumed that emotions were in the head or brain. Now I would say they are really in the body and are part of the body. - Dr. Candace Pert, Molecules of Emotion 

Every time we have a thought, an emotion links to that thought. If our bodies contain our emotions, then how do emotions affect our bodies and our health?

Science shows every emotion creates a chemical reaction in our brains, whether positive or “negative.” Emotions stimulate our hypothalamus, a gland at the top end of our brain stem. Chemical signals, neuropeptides, then release into our blood stream which in turn affect our endocrine system, organs and cells.

Did you know negative emotions lock into our cells? When this occurs cells no longer ingest proper nutrition and toxicity increases in our bodies compromising our health.

Research by the Institute of Heart Math found a link between the emotions and our heart. We have a brain in the heart. Heart Math found a magnetic field emitting from the heart 500-5000 times faster than our brains. Thus, this explains why emotions have such a powerful affect. In addition our brain entrains with our heart – follows our heart rather than the other way around. So even if you mentally edit your thoughts your emotions continue to affect our body.

Negative emotions affect our heart as well as the rest of our body. Positive emotions, however, increase harmony in our hearts.

Bruce Lipton, Biologist, The Biology of Belief believes by changing our beliefs our DNA changes. Furthermore, he says our emotions control our health rather than our DNA. Eastern yogis have also shown that what we think and feel affects our bodies.

How do we change our emotions to change our life/health/DNA?

In reference to the above question, the Institute of Heart Math did an experiment where some human placenta DNA placed in a container could be measured for changes in the DNA. Twenty-eight researchers received one vial of DNA. Each researcher had been trained how to generate and feel feelings, strongly.

Heart Math discovered that DNA CHANGED ITS SHAPE according to the feelings of the researchers.



1. When the researchers felt anger, fear, frustration, or stress the DNA responded by TIGHTENING UP. It became shorter and SWITCHED OFF many of our DNA codes!

2. When the researchers felt gratitude, love and appreciation the DNA responded by RELAXING and the strands unwound. The length of the DNA became longer.

In the above experiment, the “shut down” of the DNA reversed and switched back on with gratitude, joy and love.

Now we can see why we and our body feels shut down by negative emotions.

Conclusion:

So by developing Inner Body Awareness - taking our awareness inside our body – we can understand the messages of our emotions, feelings, and sensations. We can then choose to change our life/change our health by changing our emotions. See previous blog article on Inner Body Awareness. Inner Body Awareness

The positive magnetic field of our heart extends beyond our bodies to our environment. When our subconscious and conscious intents align, then together with a strong heartfelt feeling focused as being already accomplished, you can change your life.

Note: Remember a Law of the Universe – we attract what we focus on. Energy follows thought and emotions.

Gregg Braden, Scientist, The Feeling is the Prayer

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR   

Michael David Lawrience is the author of Emotional Health: The Secret from Drama, Trauma, and Pain  His book provides ways for improving emotional health, easing pain and stress, healing physical and emotional abuse, and spiritual awakening.

Michael as a Residential and Self-Esteem Coach and Mentor has over 13 years experience teaching teens self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-reliance. See eBook Self Esteem- A Teen's Guide for Girls 

Michael offers Bowen Therapy in person in Sedona, Arizona for easing physical and emotional pain. See http://emotionalhealthtips.com/bowen-therapy

Other Blog Posts By Michael D. Lawrience: 

Inner Body Awareness: What is it? Sedona Vortexes: What is a Vortex?, How to Alleviate Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Pain–Part 2?, How to Alleviate Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Pain–Part 1, Top Dysfunctional Family Roles Affecting Self-Esteem–Part 2, Top Dysfunctional Family Roles Affecting Self-Esteem, Men Stopping Violence: Active Listening/Validation - Part 2, Men Stopping Violence: Communicate With Daughters and Women, Alchemy of Sedona: Sacred Vortex Sites , 3 Tips to Overcome Negative Thinking , What is Solar Light Body Activation?, Top 7 Tips to Shift into Spiritual Awakening, 2012 Scenario: Manifesto for the Noosphere Book Review, Solar Revolution Book Review, End of the world: December 21, 2012?, Emotional Healing Tips: Angel Healing for Your Inner Child Part II, Emotional Healing Tips: Angel Healing for Your Inner Child, How to Heal the Pain of Low Self-Esteem, Revealed: Why Men and Women Handle Stress Differently, Top 5 Stress Relief Tips for Women, Top 5 Stress Relief Tips for Men, Energy Medicine: How to Reduce Fatigue and Stress?, Does Your Inner Child Feel Abandoned?, Your Pain Body: Friend or Foe?, 21 Qualities to Cultivate for Spiritual Awakening Part 4, 21 Qualities to Cultivate for Spiritual Awakening Part 3, 21 Qualities to Cultivate for Spiritual Awakening Part 2, 21 Ways to Cultivate Spiritual Awakening Part 1, 7 Tips: How Does Emotional Abuse Damage Children’s Self-Esteem? Part 2, 7 Tips: How Does Emotional Abuse Damage Children's Self Esteem Part 1, Energy Healing: What Everyone Should Know About Emotions, Emotional and Physical Pain: The Only Way Out is Through, Emotional Health and Solar Flares: The Miracle of Our Feelings, Do Solar Flares and Earth Magnetics Affect Our Emotions?, 5 Tips to Overcome Self-Sabotage, Self-Sabotage - Why Do Our Intentions Fall Short of Our Desired Results?, What Self Sabotaging Behaviors Create Stress? What is the Difference Between a Subpersonality and a Multiple Personality?, Discover Your Subpersonalities: How Do We Heal Them? Part 3 Continued, 8 Steps to Discover Your Subpersonalities: How Do We Heal Them? Part 3, A Meditation for Discovering Your Subpersonalities, How Do We Discover the Subpersonalities That Run Our Lives? 12 Steps to Recovery from Codependency Traits - Part 3, 12 Steps to Recovery from Codependency Traits -Part 2, 12 Steps to Recovery from Codependency Traits - Part 1, Angel Light Healing, How Many People Does It Take for Planetary Awakening? What is the Phenomenon of Spiritual Awakening Sweeping Around the Planet? How Does Sedona, Arizona Assist with Emotional and Spiritual Healing? Top 10 Tips Indicating Signs of Spiritual Awakening, What Are the Benefits of Living Your Life Purpose?,How Do You Find Your Life Purpose? Self Love: Twin Souls Twin Flame Relationships, Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment: What Does it Mean?, Spiritual Planetary Awakening and Enlightenment: How Many People Does it Take?

The Pond and The Prophecy

I’m going through the final stages of publication of my next book...’Theoclea (The Delphic Oracle) and Pythagoras in Eleusis and Atlantis’. I’ve decided to place two poems at the end of the book, in a poetry section. The poems are related to each other and were written a year apart from each other, yet the connection between them is clear. I’ve mentioned ‘Knowing’ and ‘Seeing’ in my other blogposts. The first poem, ‘Summer Light, the Tree, and The Pond...is suggestive of a ‘Knowing’ of something, and comes from my book ‘Theoclea (The Delphic Oracle) and Pythagoras in Egypt’. The second poem, ‘A Time of a Prophecy Fulfilled’ is being published here for the first time.

                                                                

Summer Light, The Tree,

And The Pond

I sat on a bench at the

edge of a cliff,

overlooking a pond 

that had been created 

by the overflowing of the Nile.

In the distance, I saw fishermen 

at the edge of the pond—

their nets revealed a meager catch

for the day. 

Slowly they went home.

Then, I saw something that I had never seen before.

To the left of me, was a great tree 

that grew on the edge of the cliff. 

Suddenly, I saw bands of light 

flowing inward towards the trunk!

They started at the right, from the very edge 

of the smallest branches, and flowed inward.

They reached the trunk and then flowed outward 

toward the very smallest branches to the left. 

Each band could not have been more 

than six inches in length.

There was a continuous movement 

of these bands and then they vanished.

What was causing this?

I noticed that a young boy had 

thrown stones into the pond.

I watched him pass by, and then disappear out of sight.

I threw two stones into the pond, 

and watched the waves that were created

when the stones hit the water.

Then, I witnessed

a solemn procession of Priests and Priestesses.

They could not see me sitting on the bench near the tree.

I smelled their incense,

and heard their chanting.

I sensed that

It was possible that they were an illusion, 

and that they could not see me, 

the tree, or the bench.

None of them looked in my direction

They were looking at another tree,

another bench, in another time.

My attention was brought back to 

the waves in the pond

The motion of the waves moving away

from the two central points,

the interference caused by the waves,

all of this was being

reflected by the tree in its’ entirety. 

A seemingly chance coming together 

of events of this particular day

at this place and time

had created a magical tree!

I have long felt that light and sound are created by waves

that appear to us as something else.

On that particular day, at that particular moment, 

something had been created.

I looked at the bands of light, and noticed

that they were all not the same size!

There was a minute difference in size and luminosity.

They were self-similar, and yet different. 

I decided to climb 

down the cliff to the pond.

When I reached the pond, 

I sat on a rock. 

I looked toward my left 

and saw the dappled sunlight.

The sunlight reflected

a multitude of self-similar 

repeated patterns of leaves, 

creating sparkling lights that 

were hovering over the water.

Under the water, there seemed to be

A procession of green lights moving, 

moving toward me,

yet never reaching me,

an army moving in, and then vanishing.

I was in Egypt for eleven years.

Every year on that day at that same time,

I returned to the same spot.

For eleven years I witnessed the 

same illusions.

I smelled the same incense, I heard the same chanting.

It was only on that day, at that time,

that I saw it all…for I returned 

to the spot at various other times during 

those years.

Finally, in my eleventh year,

it was all once again the same, 

the fisherman with their meager catch, 

the solemn procession that could not see me, 

the bands of light moving across the tree.

The sparkling lights on the water

I didn’t realize something—

that would be my last year in Egypt, 

and I would never see any of it again.

I knew that for the rest of my life, 

I would ponder those events, 

especially on that day, 

at that time,

every year.

A Time of a Prophecy Fulfilled!

Some time ago, I wrote a poem about summer light,

a tree, and a pond.

In the poem, I sat and reflected upon

events and a vision that I saw from a bench that 

overlooked a pond

that was formed by the inundation

of the Nile.

I was a student of the Mysteries of Egypt—

The Prophecies were of

special interest to me.

There was a stone stairway that led down to the pond.

As part of the vision in the poem, I looked behind me

and saw a ghostly procession of Priests and Priestesses

walking and chanting.

They didn’t even see me,

sitting on the bench.

It was as if they were in another time

where there was the bench, the tree

and the pond, 

but in their time, the bench was empty,

there was no one sitting on it.

***

Recently, I attended the 

Mysteries of Egypt once again.

The culmination was to be a ritual—

I didn’t realize until I looked at the program

that the ritual was to take place near the bench,

the tree, and the pond.

It all started at midnight

on the full moon.

We gathered, and had already learned a chant—

I stood there, waiting for the ritual to begin,

and then had a realization—

a revelation—

I was to be a part of a 

procession of Priests and Priestesses!

I looked over at the bench and the tree.

I knew that Nature had demolished the stone steps

that led down to the pond!

I was in the same place, but in another time, 

and I was to be a part 

of the ghostly procession!

I stood back and leaned against another tree.

Oh my God—was this a dream?

Perhaps I was asleep...

we were all to be part of a procession of souls... 

following the Sun God Ra...

through the underworld.

I closed my eyes, 

Blessed Goddesses, how could this be?

I was stunned, and then the moment of truth,

the moment of a profound awakening

came to me like a sudden inundation of the Nile!

Suddenly, I opened my eyes—

I knew that there would be others—

and that there had been others

who sat on the bench

in a number of possible times—

in an infinite number of possibilities

of the past and the future...

and the time that I was in...

Praise be to the Gods and the Goddesses—

for this gift...

a revelation that

the time that I found myself in...

praise be...

...was a time of...

***

A Time of a Prophecy Fulfilled!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PanOrpheus is the author of the ‘Theoclea (The Delphic Oracle)’ books,  the new series of Phoebe books- ‘Phoebe (The Delphic Oracle) takes Nikola Tesla to Peru...and other stories by PanOrpheus’- and the full length Phoebe novel ‘Phoebe (The Delphic Oracle) and the Medallion of Gaia’. He is the administrator of the 2000+ member facebook group ‘Delphic Oracle Mystical Magical Fact and Fiction’. PanOrpheus is a Board Member of the Philadelphia Tesla club and the Tesla Science Foundation...and was a presenter at The Tesla Conference Jan. 5-7 at the New Yorker Hotel. Nikola Tesla and the Spirit of Nikola Tesla appear in some of his novels and short stories. He maintains an active Author’s page on Goodreads. He has spoken at other conferences on the many themes of ‘The Mysteries’. The new Phoebe-Tesla book is available from Amazon. Just search Phoebe, or Theoclea- and ‘Delphic Oracle’ at Amazon- the paperback and kindle versions of the books will appear for sale. His newest novel Theoclea (The Delphic Oracle) and Pythagoras in Eleusis and Atlantis is set for publication by the summer of 2013. His website is www.delphic-oracle-books.com

Other Blog Posts by PanOrpheus: Tesla, Edison and Energy Independence, Why the Mysteries of Eleusis are Important to Us Today, Cosmic Events and Atlantis--The 'Seeing' and 'Knowing', 'Seeing and Knowing' Atlantis, The Mystery of Atlantis, Theoclea, the Myth of Persephone, and Eleusis, Visions of the Mysteries of Eleusis and Atlantis, Mysteries of the Sphinx and Pyramids, Looking Backward and Forward about Tesla, The Gunfight at the OK Corral...Tombstone, Arizona, Phoebe The Delphic Oracle takes Nikola Tesla to Peru...and Other Stories by Panorpheus, Delving into the Oracles of Delphi

Practicing Radical Ambiguity and Radical Persistence

My local community has four or five ponds, one of which is located in the downtown area. A pair of nesting swans has made this pond their home for a number of years now. Do they nest in a quieter area of the pond? No. They nest at the side of the pond closest to Main Street near the outflow of the pond and close to a sidewalk. Once they show up for the summer, many people come by, talk, laugh, and look at the swans. Traffic goes by creating its own din.

I was thinking about this recently. My first thought was that it is surprising that the pair would nest in a busier area of the pond rather than a quieter area. Yet, they seem to be calm and not bothered by the noise of cars, trucks and people. Then I began to think about what could be learned by this. 

The swans show up every year, no matter whether all the cygnets survive or none survive. They nest in the same spot, no matter whether there is a lot trash in the area or not. They generally ignore what goes on around them, including a pair of Mallards this year that frequent the area near their nest. A couple of years ago, one of the cygnets died and remained on the edge of the nesting area. It appeared that it did not bother the nesting pair, although it greatly bothered one of the visitors to the swans one day.

I go to a group in Northboro, Massachusetts called the Wellness Roundtable. I heard Michael Corthell who was leading the group at a recent meeting use the phrase practicing radical ambiguity. It made me think of a similar phrase—radical persistence. I know that anthropomorphizing animals is not helpful in relating to them as it can lead us astray deciding what animals think or feel, but it seems to me that, in a way, the nesting pair is practicing both radical ambiguity and radical persistence. They show up, they breed, they raise the cygnets who survive, and then they migrate for the winter. This happens, seemingly, without any assurance that either they or the cygnets will have enough to eat or survive. They appear to humans to do it with calm and grace, things that many of us strive to be able to do, act with poise and serenity. They seem to be self-assured and confident. They seem to know their purpose and live it.

Unfortunately, for many of us knowing our purpose is difficult. We often go to places of fear and worry rather than, in the phrase I heard recently, practicing radical ambiguity. It can also be easy to give up and stop trying to reach a goal rather than practicing radical persistence. Rather than trusting in ourselves and the process, we give up trying to attain our dreams; we give up pieces of ourselves. I suppose that one of the things to be learned is to know when to continue with radical ambiguity and radical persistence and when to understand that it is time to change course, so to speak. 

One of my own issues for quite a long time has been learning to trust through times of seeming insecurity, i.e., learning to live with ambiguity—without assurance of the outcome that I hope for, meanwhile persisting in the goals that I have set for myself. One of the things that my angels and guides have told me is: “Breathe deeply. Breathe slowly. You can breathe through anything.” It is a way to move through the fear to be able to practice radical ambiguity and, yes, radical persistence. It strikes me that breathing in this way is a means to be mindful, heartful.

I have been reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Fear: Essential Wisdom for Gettingthrough the Storm. On page 87 he says: 

There are several simple methods for taking care of our strong emotions. One is “belly breathing,” breathing in the abdomen. When we are caught in a strong emotion like fear or anger, our practice is to bring our attention down to the abdomen. To stay on the level of the intellect is not safe. Strong emotions are like a storm, and to stand in the middle of a storm is very dangerous. Yet that’s what most of us do when we get upset; we stay out in the storm of our feelings, and they overwhelm us. Instead, we have to ground ourselves by bringing our attention downward. We focus on our abdomen and practice mindful breathing, just giving all our attention to the rise and fall of the belly.

Bringing our attention downwards can, I think, help us move into that space of being at peace with ambiguity and away from the fear and anxiety that ambiguity can create in us. And, coming into that place of serenity can allow us to continue our practice of radical persistence in moving to a place of healing and living our purpose. Thich Nhat Hahn relates a story on page 71 about the Buddha:

When the Buddha was very old, just before he died, he said, “My dear friends, my dear disciples, don’t take refuge in anything outside of you. In every one of us there is a very safe island we can go to. Every time you go home to that island with mindful breathing, you create a space of relaxation, concentration, and insight. If you dwell on that island in yourself with your mindful breathing, you are safe. That is a place where you can take refuge whenever you feel fearful, uncertain, or confused.”

This is the place from which we can be like the swans—practicing radical ambiguity and radical persistence. May we all find that inner island of calm and grace, poise and serenity.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Samuelson, as an intuitive, channels your angels and guides who are delighted to connect with you, and who are uniquely suited to answer your questions and address your concerns. She can receive information as to who your angels and guides are, as well as receiving information for you about family, health, job and career, and life path among other issues and concerns. She provides this guidance through the use of spiritual writing, a practice that she has engaged in since 1993. In her life coaching practice, she welcomes all clients, but specializes in helping those who are undergoing a transition in their lives—whether it is a move, a job or career change, a loss of some type, or some other transition issue. She was certified as a life coach in 2007 by the University of New Hampshire. Kathryn also leads workshops based on the set of meditation cards and book called Opening the Heart: Meditations on How to Be. She created this set with her friend, Linda Lewis. For more information: www.kathrynsamuelson.com, klsamuelsonATyahoo.com, or 781-799-7332

Other Blog Posts by Kathryn Samuelson:  Turning from Rage and Fear, Adventures in Publishing, Social Media Fatique, Sustain Your Life Card Set: A Review, The Day that Changed the World, Metanoia or the Radical Transformation of Heart and Mind, The Language of Place, Coming Back from the Dead, December 21, 2012 - What I Believe, Something I Learned in France, Buddha, Christ, Merlin: Three Wise Men for Our Age Book Review, Jana Bibi's Excellent Fortunes: Book Review, Please Keep Me from Taking Myself too Seriously, No One is an Island, Being in Time, What Comes Before Happiness? Small Businesses as a Sign of Hope, When is Enough Enough?, Just Because We Can, Should We?, Choosing a Slower Path, My Journey with the Angels, Odds and Ends, Dissolving Limits, Brave Spending, Mindful Spending, Would You Have the Courage to Act?, Growth in the Winter, Book Review: Find Your Spirit Animals, As We Grow Through the Season, Simple Ways to Give, Turning Left Rather Than Right, Giving Thanks, Nurturing the Ego, Letting Things Go, Real Energy Book Review, Living with Doubt and Uncertainty, Bardo - The Things In Between, Musings On Mindfulness, You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps, The Choices We Make, Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers CD Review, Riding Out Irene: A Practice in Maintaining Balance,

Astrologer and Explore Beyond the Usual Blogger Amy Shapiro Releases New Book Forces at Work

Astrologer and Explore Beyond the Usual Blogger Amy Shapiro just released her new book Forces At Work - Astrology and Career which was 35 years in the making.

This book gives a psycho-dynamic perspective of why we choose our careers, showing 85 people via the lens of Astrology as a means to see factors in career satisfaction. In a long-term study from 1990 to 2013, Astro-Therapist Amy Shapiro shows how one's career path is mirrored in the natal chart with a survey of individuals with a range of careers. This book gives new perspectives on career development, with insights by Dr. Oskar Adler, a new look at the Gauquelin Sectors, Part of Fortune, Asteroids, Chiron, Ceres and Eris. A valuable tool for Astrologers and Career Counselors.

Reviewer comments from the back cover:

"Amy Shapiro's new book, Forces at Work: Astrology and Career is a thorough and comprehensive astrological guide for anyone wishing to understand the uncanny connections between their astrological chart and their work path. Every HR department should have a copy for reference!" -- Shelley L. Ackerman, Astrologer and Author, Karmic Relief

"Amy's Forces at Work fills a gap in the astrological literature of career by providing in-depth research that combines personality theory with astrology. Her study, based on a thorough career survey, incorporates insights from the work of Dr. Oskar Adler, along with comments from study participants to pinpoint astrological findings. This work will appeal to the intermediate to advanced astrologer who wants to refine career counseling methodology." -- Stephanie Jean Clement, Ph.D., Astrologer, Author, President, American Federation of Astrologers

"Amy Shapiro's comprehensive book on the use of astrology in career counseling is unique for its detailed case studies through which her depth of counseling experience shines. I was particularly intrigued by her inclusion of the new (since 2006) planets Eris and Ceres in her interpretations-not many astrologers are using Eris at all yet, and most still treat Ceres as an asteroid. Amy's description of Eris as 'provocateur' is interesting, insightful and well supported within her analyses." -- Maria Kay Simms, Astrologer, Artist, Author ~Starcrafts Publishing

"Besides relationships and health, choice of a career and life direction is commonly one of an astrological client's most pressing issues. Uniquely, Shapiro not only discusses the usual vocational indicators in the horoscope, she also adds unfamiliar but powerful concepts and interpretations from the legendary Dr. Oskar Adler. Plus, she backs up the theory with scores of charts accompanied by feedback in the subjects' own words. This book will give seasoned counselors new and useful insights. Augmented by handy tips, definitions and checklists, it will also set beginners on the road to perfecting this all-important part of their practice."--Patricia White, Vice-President, Astrolabe

"Amy Shapiro is a brilliant Astrologer whose writings illumine deep cosmic connections between one's personal passions and professional path. Amy reveals the power of Astrology as a healing and guiding force and innovative and profound tool for Career Counselors." -- Patricia Huxley-Cohen, MSW, LICSW, Psychotherapist / Counselor; pioneered programs adopted by the Dept of Labor.

"Forces at Work combines traditional career counseling techniques with classic astrology. Amy's unique ability to employ her technical skills in both disciplines is revealed in this in-depth study, which the serious practitioner will find insightful." -- Ed Kaznocha, Labor Market Economist

In his Foreword, Economist Ed Kaznocha explains how this book explores realms beyond the tools of standard career evaluation surveys.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Amy Shapiro has a gift for telling people's stories, as earlier demonstrated in her "One Sex to the Other: Reincarnation and the Dual-Gender Soul," her 2 co-authored books on the I Ching and the biographies of Oskar Adler and Isabel Hickey. As a researcher and therapist, she balances head and heart in a unique approach to the subject.

Meditating with Intent

My Guides are continually channeling information about our Higher Self, and the fact that our Higher Self is our best source for guidance and information. While it’s true that our Higher Self, our Guides, and also Angels communicate with us through synchronicity, repeating numbers, and even repeating song lyrics, there’s a better way to receive messages from Spirit. Spirit wants to converse with us, not have a one-sided conversation where they hope we understand the message being communicated.


In my new book, Spiritual Toolbox, my Guides talk a lot about direct communication with Spirit and they provide advice and meditations to help us achieve this kind of connection. One of the things they talk about and build upon is utilizing intent during meditation to receive messages from Spirit. Meditating with intent is a way to direct your meditation session, and here’s how to do it:

• As you sit down, state verbally or mentally your intent for the session: if you want to communicate with your Higher Self, Guides or an angel, say so clearly. Then breathe, clear your mind, and listen.

• If you receive a message for which you need clarification, ask for it.

As always, practice makes perfect, and so does trusting what comes through. A great way to develop trust in yourself is to keep a journal of the messages you receive while you’re meditating with intent.

Are you ready for direct communication with your Higher Self? You certainly deserve it! Sit quietly for five minutes right now—you’ll be glad you did.

 Namaste.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri Cortland, ND is the author of two metaphysical books, Windows of Opportunity and Raising Our Vibrations for the New Age, and is currently working on her third book, tentatively titled, Wake up! It’s time to put on our BIG Lightworker Pants! 

Sherri’s website: http://www.sherricortland.com

Sherri’s Examiner.com twice weekly column: http://www.examiner.com/metaphysical-in-orlando/sherri-cortland “Like” Sherri’s Facebook Author Page for daily postings, wisdom from her Guides, and contests: http://www.facebook.com/#!/SherriCortlandAuthor

Other Blog Posts by Sherri: Making Changes, Our Higher Selves: Delivering Messages through Our Physical Bodies, The Meaning of Namaste, Wendy Stokes Talks about Channeling, Spiritual Symbols: Yin and Yang, Peacocks and Spirituality, Sit A Bit - A Book Review, Portsmouth A Love Story Book Review, Haunted House Memories , Interesting Facts about Archangel Michael, What is a Ghost?, Tarot for the Modern World: Book Review, The History of God - Book Review, Create Positive Energy and Raise Your Vibration with Acts of Kindness, Walk-Ins: Lightworkers that Skip Childhood and Incarnate as Adults Part One, Walkins: Lightworkers that Skip Childhood and Incarnate as Adults Part Two, Walk-Ins: Lightworkers that Skip Childhood and Incarnate as Adults Part Three