"We can change the world when we change ourselves.

And the energy of our consciousness, like the energy of all light, continues into eternity.

When there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.

When there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the home.

When there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.

When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world."

 (Chinese Proverb)

Much has been happening on our planet in the last ten years, and especially in the last two.  Time is speeding up (this can be seen in how closely "cause" and "effect" follow each other in our daily lives), consciousness is expanding, our vibratory rate is increasing (consciousness means Light, and Light has a higher vibration than darkness) . . . . These energies can be very disconcerting because of the changes they effect in your life, especially if you are not aware of why such changes are happening, what's behind them.  See Aluna Joy's article, Did We Just Enter the Twilight Zone? (July 2003).

Most especially see the messages channeled by Juelle Wilkins, author of "The Walk-In", from The Council. These messages are lovingly conveyed and I have no doubt will resonate within you as you journey along your path:

Divine Discontent (May/June 2003)

Ye Are Jellyfish! - Making It Up As You Go Along With Faith (Post-Harmonic Concordance) (Dec. 2003)

The Completion of an Ascension Sequence (February 2004)

Sacred Relationships: Stress or Stretch (April 2004)

Follow the Path of Love - It Helps With Disorientation! (June 2004)

Be at Peace, Right Where You Are (August 2004)

Manifesting With the New Energy (October 2004)

Shifting from the Inside Out: People Not Politics - Focus on the Heart (January 2005)

Bits and Pieces: Covering A Few Topics, Especially the Ability to "Let Go!" (April 2005)

Spiritual Activists (June 2005)

Change is Upon You! (August 2005)

Stay Out From Under the Gray Cloud of Discouragement! Stay in the Joy of the Light (November 2005)

I Am Not Insane! I Am Shifting Realities! (May 2006)

I Can't Make Up My Mind! From Paralysis, Fear and Worry to Surrender (August 2006)

THE BIG WAVE! Planetary Update (November 2006)

A Day in the Life of a Creative Visionary (February 2007)

Where is the Time Going?! (May 2007)

A Saint Spoke Through a Young Girl One Day (Fascinating!!) (October 2007)

The Happy Factor (April 2008)

Talk about eye-openers!  These may help you make sense of what has been happening in your life, especially in the last few years.

To reach Juelle for a private counseling session with The Council, please see my Other Service Providers page.

"Life is a theater - Invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go...or at lest "minimize" your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships & friendships. Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention. Which ones...lean. Which ones encourage...and which ones...DIScourage? Which ones are on a path of UPhill and which ones are going DOWNhill? When you leave certain people in your life, do you feel BETTER?...or feel WORSE? Which ones always have a "drama" or don't really understand, know or appreciate you? The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life. We try to change people around us...but if NOT...then change the people you are around!" [Author Unknown]
 

Surround yourself with people who love you and support your evolution.  Keep the cheering section, drop the naysayers and worry-warts who can't or won't support your dreams.

The following information is offered for those who are interested in the "bigger picture". See information at the bottom of this page about animals and the aspects of spirituality, reincarnation and past lives in relation to them.

TO ORDER WILD EARTH ANIMAL ESSENCES TO ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR LIFE CHALLENGES, PLEASE SEE THE ANIMAL ESSENCES PAGE.

Spirituality

Dedication of the Merit.  [Written by, and compliments of, my communicator friend, Kathleen "Keek" Mensing, Missoula, Montana] This Dedication of the Merit hangs in my office.  This prayer can be said as a means of grounding ourselves during and after a really hard experience.  It is a Buddhist practice.  Reciting it allows me to let go of the responsibility of having to make a hard situation easier or neat-and-tidy.  It asks the Universe to use the experience for good purposes for all involved. 

"By the merit of this

May all sentient beings

Discover their goodness,

Be free from suffering,

Experience great joy

And abide in peace, free from passion, aggression and ignorance."

Tonglen Practice for Meditators. [Written by, and compliments of, Kathleen "Keek" Mensing] This is a Buddhist practice of Lovingkindness  Tonglen practice from the Buddhist tradition is a way of helping to lessen the pain others experience.  It also helps the meditator practice feeling difficult emotions with an open heart without being consumed by them.  It aids the meditator in being able to be present with other people's pain (physical, energetic, and emotional) without being overwhelmed by it.  Tonglen can leave the meditator with a feeling of great compassion for all beings.  It may get one in touch with the profound sadness of the world.

After a period of mindfulness meditation, begin Tonglen Practice.  Begin by imagining a problem affecting one person.  On the in-breath breathe in his/her pain.  Breathe out sending to that person positive energy that is an antidote to that pain.  For instance, my friend was grieving heavily for the loss of her dog.    I breathed in her loneliness; I breathed out love to her. I breathed in her anger; I breathed out to her compassion.  I breathed in her anxiety; I breathed out to her peace.  I breathed in her emptiness; I breathed out to her a full heart.  I breathed in her defenses to the pain; I breathed out to her tenderness.  I breathed in her sadness and despair; I breathed out to her hope.

With each image, concentrate on sending out the positive to others and holding back with you the negative.  This is not to absorb the negative within yourself, but to learn to be a vessel for the negative that will limit its spread and help to lighten the load of others.  Work to maintain your boundaries so that you are able to sit with the negative without becoming overwhelmed by it.  Use whatever emotions and energies you sense are needed for each person.  Keep doing the exercise until you feel complete.   You may have to do one emotion many times before you feel you are done with it.  You may have to send different positive energies out in order to clear one negative  (i.e.  hope, calmness, and peace to counteract sadness.) You probably will feel a shift in energy that will let you know you are finished.

If you want to try it by yourself, start slowly and do not try to extend yourself to the whole world, just do a local area of coverage.  If you are experienced in this form of meditation, continue the exercise to include all the other people you know who are grieving a loved one.  Do the same thing—breathing in their pain, breathing out the antidote to the pain.  Again, you probably will feel a shift or you can time limit yourself.  Next, do the same for all people in your community who are grieving.  You probably will want to give yourself an amount of time to do this rather than waiting for a sense of completion.  Continue to encompass a larger and larger population.  Include all grieving people in the county, in the state, in the United States, in North America, in the Western Hemisphere, in the world, in the solar system….However far you want to take it. Once you have included as many as you want, finish by sitting quietly again, feeling how your own energy has shifted, and doing mindfulness meditation.

This can be a very powerful meditation.  It can release enormous emotions in the meditator.  If you begin to experience strong emotions, just sit through them, feel the experience, let them pass, and return to the practice.   It is okay to cry on the cushion.  This is about learning to hold the emotions close to your heart without being overwhelmed by them.  [Note: If you are teaching this to new meditators, you may have to help them debrief the experience if they are unable to complete the practice without becoming overwhelmed by the emotions.]

The Lost Mode of Prayer See Gregg Braden's site, www.greggbraden.net, for more information and precise instructions for the practice of feeling-based prayer, i.e., the opportunity to "feel" the appreciation and gratitude for the peace and healing that already exists. In doing so, we open the door of a very subtle, yet powerful principle that allows for the possibility of peace/healing to be present without imposing our will to make it so.

∞ ∞ ∞

"Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever."  Author Alan Cohen wrote a wonderful piece for Thanksgiving 2002 about shifting your perspective and living your life with gratitude.  In part:

"Can you imagine what your life would be like if you simply dropped your complaints? It's a radical proposal, since most of us have been trained to question, analyze, and criticize everything we see. But then we end up questioning, analyzing, and criticizing ourselves. Then we miss out on joy, the only true measure of success. The ecstatic mystic poet Hafiz proclaimed, 'All a sane man can ever think about is giving love.' " . . . "As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, many of us will be getting together with our families. Perhaps family issues may come to the fore and we might be tempted to fall into a pattern of rehashing old resentments and arguments. Wouldn't it be fabulous if, as we sat with our relatives, we held in mind, "Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever." Imagine what this Thanksgiving would be like if we decided that no matter how much Mom complained about Dad; how much Dad bugged us about getting a real job; or how unspiritual our ex is, we chose to be an unstoppable appreciation machine and found the good in our loved ones. Indeed this would be a triumphant Thanksgiving to remember!  Yes, I know, there is a voice inside you objecting, "But if I did not complain, people would walk all over me and selfish opportunists would genetically manipulate my food and terrorists would keep crashing airplanes into buildings and . . . and. . . .  Got it. I am simply suggesting that we practice the mantra for an entire Thanksgiving Day. And then maybe one day a week. Then we might start to feel so good and our lives will become so effective that we want to turn every day into Thanksgiving. . . . In my book Handle with Prayer I state that the highest form of prayer is gratitude. Instead of asking God for stuff, start thanking God for stuff, and you will find that God has already given you everything you could want or need, including the adventure of discovering more riches every day. Life is a big treasure hunt. Eventually we grow weary of seeking treasures outside ourselves, and we begin to look within. There we discover that the gold we sought, we already are. The beauty we overlooked because we were focusing on what was missing, still lives and awaits us like an anxious lover. As T.S. Eliot nobly noted, 'The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.'

“Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever." Have a great day of giving thanks. Alan Cohen

Honoring Your Spirit.  Joseph Eliezer is a gifted spiritual guide who has counseled thousands of people in his private practice over the past ten years. He has also shared his gift with others as a guest lecturer, a radio personality, and a columnist.  Joseph's goal is to promote spiritual wellness, and to that end has written empowering pieces about how to live a spiritual (versus religious) life.  One I especially appreciated is entitled "Honoring My Spirit".  Please visit his website at www.1111spiritroad.com for an uplifting experience! Joseph is available for private consultations, see his site for more details.

Talking With Your Angels. http://www.askanangel.org Ask an Angel - FREE resources for connecting with your Angels. This is a beautiful, inspiring website with Angel messages that are updated regularly and a FREE MONTHLY ANGEL NEWSLETTER. Practical, insightful information - the energy of the Angels really comes through. Also with information about Angel expert and author Christopher Dilts, individual Angel sessions, classes & meditations by phone, and workshops. Ask an Angel a question and have it answered on Christopher’s column on About.com!

Emotional Healing.  Here is an interesting, FREE online manual for those interested in pursuing their own emotional healing using the Emotional Freedom Technique: http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse.htm

For an excellent site which talks about the healing energy of working with animal spirits (Shamanism), see http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4076/indexlist.html.

Conversations With God/The Celestine Prophecy. 

www.cwg.org Website of Neale Donald Walsch, author of the "Conversations With God" series of books.  [see Books-Inspirational page to order]

http://www.celestinevision.com/main.html  Website of James Redfield, author of "The Celestine Prophecy" and "the Tenth Insight". [see Books-Inspirational page to order]

Reincarnation and Past Lives

Not everyone believes in past lives and reincarnation, and I respect that.  For those who do, and who resonate to the Christian religion/Christ Consciousness, Jesus rose on the third day, and information about reincarnation and psychic gifts can be found throughout the Bible. Confirmation of this phenomenon can be found in other religious and spiritual practices as well. Those beings with whom we resonate at a very deep level have been with us before, perhaps many times.  The soul bond forged over those repeated interactions is what makes certain of our animal and human companions very special to us. We recognize their souls.

I don’t believe in accidental meetings.  Those who cross our paths do so for a reason, whether to reestablish a former bond, teach or learn a lesson, convey a gift of some sort, shepherd us through a difficult period in our life, teach us how to have fun . . . .  If asked, I’m sure many people would say they picked a particular animal as a companion because “well, there was something about him/her that grabbed at me, but I don’t know why”.  Or that the animal persistently and openly chose them by following them around at an adoption setting, or a parking lot, or showed up on their doorstep one day, etc. There is a feeling of “unexplainable familiarity". That is soul recognition.

It is important to have compassion for others, especially for those who are working with tough lessons in their lives. However, this does not mean that they are to be pitied.  Simply put, the soul chooses its environment, family, life lessons and experiences before it reincarnates. Choices may be made in order to provide the life path necessary to repay a karmic debt to another or to oneself; to help the soul grow and mature; as a "reward" (cause and effect; action and reaction) for having done well at learning lessons in the previous life, or in response to having had an opposite experience in a previous life; there are any number of variations and situations and lessons.  For example, one born into poverty in a previous life may be born into one of wealth the next, to learn how to handle money responsibly; or it may be reversed, and they are born into poverty to learn humility.

This next information may be hard to understand or accept, and may even be offensive to some (definitely not my intention). Imagine the angelic beings and strong souls who were involved in the 9-11 tragedy. For a group of souls to choose and agree to pass over for what was, ultimately, the greater good of all shows immense compassion and growth and love on those souls' part.  Looking at the "bigger picture", out of that tragedy has sprung an incredible outpouring of worldwide compassion and support from so people and governments; a renewed resolve to "do better" in whatever area we are struggling with, whether personal or as a nation and world; greatly increased involvement in volunteer work of all sorts by people previously too busy to think about it; more kindness toward our neighbors, family, friends, and strangers; a reorganization of priorities in personal lives and a "cleaning of closets" in the corporate environment; a renewed focus on peace for mankind; and so much more.  This tragedy is just one situation . . . we learn daily about discord and violence between humans.  It is our individual choice whether we focus our energy on fear about those events, or hold compassion and Light and Lovingkindness toward all involved.  And we can ask that the Highest and Best Good be done for all involved, regardless of the role they play.

Do animals retain memories of past lives?  Animals have past lives, as do humans.  I don’t believe they are any more aware of them in a conscious way than we are.  But I do believe they are influenced by them in this current lifetime, as we are.  I have accessed past lives of animals which helped the person understand current life issues.  I accessed one of Max’s (one of my Weimaraner companions) that helped me understand the basis for his health issues.

Regarding souls of humans and non-humans who have been here or elsewhere (this is a very large Universe!) over many lives, being an old soul doesn’t mean they don’t still have lessons to learn with every reincarnation.  Before it incarnates, the soul chooses the environment, parents, situations, etc. which it wants to experience, and the lessons it wants to learn. The soul does this for each lifetime in its progression up the ladder of enlightenment.  Eventually the soul reaches a stage of enlightenment where it no longer reincarnates in the physical world; instead, learning continues at another level (fifth dimension and higher).  Several good books which address this subject can be found on my Resources-Media-Books and Tapes page.

From what I have heard, some animals seem very aware of their past lives while others don't, why is that?  Is it that their soul is more evolved? I have found when working with animals that the degree to which their person is open to past lives, metaphysical and spiritual matters, etc. dictates to some extent the level and types of that kind of information coming through from the animal.  This is not a hard-and-fast rule, of course.  It also seems to be influenced by the animal’s persona (not their Higher Self, but their physical ego/personality). I’m an empath (I pick up the emotions, habits, mannerisms, and personalities of others), so oftentimes I have an intuitive feel for the personality of the person, and I sense what they’re able to handle.  Sometimes I think the person might doubt the information that came through. It may not be what they were looking for or expecting, or they’re not ready or open to that type of information.  I have to trust that the information came through for a reason, and I relay it as is, with the understanding that it is being offered by the animal for a reason. If I am working with a specific physical issue, such as an animal’s hip pain or heart condition, then the session tends to stay in a current, grounded mode, rather than opening up to a more metaphysical perspective.  The tone of the session is also determined by the questions the person wants me to ask.  

Remembering past lives is the same for them as for us – they can be accessed through regression for many people, or in some cases spontaneous remembrances, knowings or visions (I have had all of these).  In a regression you’re working with the Higher Self/soul or subconsciousness directly and bypassing the ego/personality of this lifetime.  That’s why sometimes the information coming through in a session doesn’t match the animal’s personality as the caretaker knows it. The Higher Self/soul is more without personality, it is pure consciousness/divine energy and wisdom, a part of the One Source and connected to all, although distinct and unique in itself. Most sessions are a blend of the Higher Self and the ego/personality working together to convey information to me for their person.

When they remember their past lives, is it because they are holding on to them for some reason, good or bad? Animals, like us, don't walk around thinking about past lives -- being in the present moment is their biggest focus. Remembering doesn’t mean it’s for a good/bad reason – it simply is.  I remember past lives – I don’t dwell on them, but I do understand how some of them have had an impact on my current life.  Learning about them has helped me make sense of some things that I could not otherwise explain/resolve/understand.  If I were to work strictly with the animal’s personality vs. Higher Self, then I think it would be difficult to access information that comes from another lifetime or existence. 

Do you think animals operate simultaneously on different levels, like our subconscious, conscious and superconscious states, and in different dimensions? Watch how cats will stare around them, look up at the wall, the ceiling, then suddenly their eyes and head will zip to the left, dart back up . . . dogs and other animals do this too.  I have no doubt they see into dimensions we do not because we are taught at a young age to shut that down.  It is possible to see auras around living things (people, plants, trees, even rocks) – so I can definitely believe animals see things we don’t with our physical eyes.  Therefore I believe they can function in other realms and levels, as well as perform healing work on other levels – much as we use Reiki and other energy work here. 

How do you know that past lives are "real"?  Having an understanding and acceptance that there is a bigger picture than what we see in our 3-D reality is key. Having a closed mind will keep you from asking the questions of "what if . . . " and "why is it that . . . ". I found past lives explained things for me that my current life could not. I found origins of issues and problems and "flashbacks" in past life memories.  If reincarnation doesn't fit for you, that's okay. But if you're curious about the possibility, check it out.  You'll find more questions and answers on the Spirituality; Reincarnation; Past Lives page.  I've listed a few books about past lives and soulmates on my Resources-Media-Books and Tapes page.  I've had enough personal experiences with investigating this area that it absolutely resonates as true for me.  I am cautious about approaching clients with that perspective unless I sense that they are open to it. It's hard sometimes to help them understand what death is really about without being able to explain the everlasting life concept, but I respect that everyone has their own belief system. 

If you’re interested in past lives and how they may be impacting your current lives (especially if you're experiencing health issues), check out Sylvia Browne’s Past Lives, Future Healing: A Psychic Reveals the Secrets to Good Health and Great Relationships. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Life on the Other Side. Fascinating stuff.

Life Challenges

"Strength isn't being able to stand up to anything, but being able to crawl on your belly a long, long way until you can stand up again."  [Mark Matousek, author of The Boy He Left Behind: A Man's Search for His Lost Father, quoting a friend.]

Eight Energy Drains and How to Fix Them. 

Other People's Expectations. Are you living someone else's dream for you? You're putting out energy but starving emotionally. The other person gets all the satisfaction. Declare Independence. You bought in; you can set yourself free. No confrontation needed, just "I don't have to expect that of myself." Worst-case scenario: Someone who's not you will be disappointed. You will feel wonderful.

Loss of Self. As kids, we had to play by the rules; our unique energy got caged. Personalize Your Life. Ask yourself, If it were up to me, what would I . . . hang on my wall? Wear to work? Do for fun? Find the pockets of freedom where you can be more yourself.

Deprivation. Duties and responsibilities fill your days. You gain weight trying to get emotional energy from food. Add Pleasure, Beauty, Fun. Satisfying experiences, large and small, are the real nourishment you crave. Plan a big treat to look forward to - and a little one every day.

Envy. We often don't feel envy directly -- but we might find someone else's good fortune depressing. Count Your Blessings. Comparison is a loser's game. Look at what you have, and actively feel grateful. (P.S. That person you envy -- you don't know how messy his or her life really is. Chances are you wouldn't want it if you had it.)

Worry. When you worry,  you think you're dealing with things, but you're just suffering. Worry never comes up with good ideas. It torments and exhausts us.  Get Going. Action is the cure for worry. Do one thing that brings you a step closer to coping. If it's the middle of the night, get up and write a to-do list.

Unfinished Business. Unmade decisions and postponed projects drain you. Do It or Dump It. Forget the perfect decision -- just trust yourself and make a choice. Put projects in an appointment book. If you can't find any good time, that's a signal you don't want to do it. So don't.

Overcommitment. You're always saying yes -- to your boss, mother, kids, friends; to requests, favors, meetings. Say Yes To Yourself. Tell someone else no every once in a while, just to feel your own power. You'll gain a whole new sense of your ability to take care of yourself.

Holding On To Loss. Fresh loss is an emergency. But old losses you can't let go of are dead weight. Cry All Your Tears. Indulge in big-time mourning. Take off from work, stay in bed, and do nothing but cry until you're dry . . . and bored. Then go out and embrace life.

[adapted from The Emotional Energy Factor by Mira Kirshenbaum, published by Delacorte Press]

TO ORDER WILD EARTH ANIMAL ESSENCES TO ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR LIFE CHALLENGES, PLEASE SEE THE ANIMAL ESSENCES PAGE.

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