The Glowing Hive, Issue 3

The Glowing Hive Health and Healing from Waterloo Region’s Holistic Community:

“Sedona of the North”

Issue 3: July 2012

JULY SPECIAL: Sign up with a friend for $120+hst each

(Introduction from Issue January 2012)

CONTENTS

Opening: Seasonal Ponderings: Honouring Self

Health and Happiness: That Gentle Touch: Nourishing the Fluid You Food for the Soul: A Return to Real Food and Love Healthy Living: The Flow of the Seasons: Summer Of the Earth: Auralite and Nettle The Body’s Breath: The Fire Within the Sacral Chakra

Abundance and Flow: Creating a Legacy: The secrets of Living a remarkable life: The Folk of the Forest Dream Weaving: Playtime!

Peace and Serenity: Sorting out the Psyche: Meeting the Other Befriending the Subconscious: Healing Your Self Through Self-Hypnosis Superb Sexuality: embracing sensuality and pleasure: A Sexy Greeting to You Fabulous Fifty…and Beyond: Living on the Edge

Enlightenment and Inspiration: Those Awesome Archetypes: A Tarot exploration: The High Priestess Energetic Whispers: Speaking of Reiki…

Miracles: Synchronicity Between the Worlds: A New Vision

Quirks and Creativity: Within these Pages Book Review: A Smattering of Summer Goodies Angels’ Chorus: The Mirror Dance of the Bees: Various Contributions

Illumination and Bliss : Upcoming Events at The Hive: Courses and Workshops for July, August & September Introducing…: Niki Klein, Martyn Pentecost & Norah Nasturas Friends of The Glowing Hive

Special thanks to Amanda Clark for allowing use of her beautiful art for the cover.

To see more of Amanda’s work visit: www.earthangelsart.com To purchase prints, visit her Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/earthangelsarts

CONTRIBUTORS Renate Donnovan has been active in the personal development field for over 20 years. She is an educator, Executive and personal coach, NLP practitioner and Clinical Hypnotherapist. She specializes in success and achievement hypnosis. Her practice is located in Kitchener, Ontario.

Renate contributes the “Befriending the Subconscious” article.

Nicole Ferrill is an art educator and business owner. She received her degree in Secondary Art Education from St. Xavier University in Chicago, IL. With a concentration in digital art and silk screen printmaking, Nicole teaches independent art studio classes as well as digital solutions for small business owners. Her company, Kelsey B Presents, co-produces the SPARKS Symposium and hosts a monthly podcast on its website with local and international musicians.

Nicole contributes “The Body’s Breath” article.

Calvin Howard is a visual design artist currently residing in Waterloo Ontario. His images are created through a unique "metamorphosis" using classic photography, Photoshop technology, artistic vision and perhaps..... just a touch of magic. Each individual work of art beckons us to enter a world unlike our literal reality: A world where hope, dreams, and imagination blend to reflect flexibility, growth, and transformation. As he explores his own evolving awakenings, we the viewers of Calvin’s art find ourselves moving also inward, deeper into our own soul journeys. It is Calvin's sincere intention that all of his art shall inspire: joy, attention, consciousness, and change.

Calvin contributes art to the “Dance of the Bees” section.

Erin Kiers is the owner of Hybrid, Kitchener Waterloo's first Environmentally Friendly Salon and Spa, located on Weber St in Waterloo. Erin has enjoyed the transformation of a customarily chemical laden industry to one that is more conscientious and is proud of her involvement in that evolution. After experiencing her own personal acceleration to awareness, she focuses her efforts on the transformation of the human consciousness and has contributed to the Hive and Grove on-line magazine in the hopes of inspiring more people in the evolution of our collective spirit.

Erin contributes the “Angels’ Chorus” article.

Robynne (Tennant) Kingswood is a CCMH graduate and practices out of Kitchener, Ontario. She has continued along the path of learning throughout her career and incorporates Reflexology, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, Acupuncture, and Hot Stone Therapy in her treatments. Robynne is a faculty member for CCMH in Professional Development, Law and Ethics and Business, and also lectures provincially for the CMTO on Professionalism.

Robynne contributes the “That Gentle Touch” article.

Cecilie Lacey has a Master of Arts degree from The University of British Columbia. She has been in private practice with specializations in abuse trauma; addictions; grief and loss; and Employee Assistance programs for over thirty years. She currently has a private practice in Kitchener, with a particular focus on the approach to creating a life of choice she developed, “Brief Vision Therapy”.

Cecilie is the Practitioner’s Treatment Room Coordinator at The Hive and Grove. She holds a monthly study group in A Course in Miracles and offers a course in “Synchronicity”.

Cecilie is a world traveller and has lived abroad in both Mexico and China. She has a gift for “finding the miracle” in all situations and contributes the “Miracles” article.

Tiffany Lazic is a holistic psychotherapist, spiritual counselor and owner of The Hive and Grove Centre for Holistic Wellness and Gifts for the Soul Shop. She is thrilled to continue her association with Toronto’s Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training by teaching the Discovering the Total Self Program at The Hive and Grove in Kitchener.

Tiffany is a Celtic Reiki Realm Master and serves as the Global Community Director for Celtic Reiki. She has a passion for facilitating personal growth and healing and for building community. She is a cofounder of the SPARKS Symposium.

Tiffany is the creator of "The Glowing Hive” and contributes through “Seasonal Ponderings”, “Of the Earth”, “Sorting Out the Psyche”, “Those Awesome Archetypes” and “Between these Pages Book Review” articles.

Martyn Pentecost is a pioneer of more than fifteen forms of therapeutic practice and personal development systems and the originator of Celtic Reiki. His vast experience in ancient energy arts, progressive science theories and modern perspectives on psychology is combined with a distinctive humour and deep compassion for all forms of life. He is the author of many books including his newest “The Key to Business and Personal Success”. He lives in London, England, writing, teaching and developing the mPowr Realm Experience, an immersive "living storybook" that is changing the way people achieve personal excellence.

Martyn contributes the “Creating a Legacy: The Secrets of Living a Remarkable Life” and “Energetic Whispers” articles.

Combining her love of good food and fun Dana helps others to navigate the health food world and achieve optimal health and vitality. With her motivating and compassionate coaching style and healthy meals delivered right to her clients door, it is hard not to be inspired to look and feel your best.

Dana contributes the “Food for the Soul” article.

Nicknamed Spiritual X Factor, Mistress of Mysticism and Spirited Diva by her amazing global clientele, Alessandra Sagredo has been working with knowledge seekers for over a decade. In partnership with her Beloved Armand Sagredo, she offers a titillating range of workshops, private mentoring and live events on topics from: Sizzling Sexuality, Spiritual Hedonism, Tangible Magic, Deep Trance for Mind Reprogramming to Mystic Living. The sublime balance of Feminine/Masculine energy between Alessandra & Armand is a tangible experience for participants and one that creates a uniquely healing and empowering place for change. Client cheers include testimonials from well known Spiritual Life Changes Artists such as Spiritual Activist Sera Beak (author of The Red Book) and Christine Hassler (New York Times Bestseller).

Alessandra contributes the “Superb Sexuality: Embracing Sensuality and Pleasure” article.

Born and raised in Romania, Mihaela Stamate graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Engineering. After moving to Canada in 2001, she became increasingly connected to the world of holistic and alternative medicine to the point where in 2009 she felt that it was time for a career change. Within 2 years she graduated with honours from the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy, became an Usui Reiki Master, a Celtic Reiki Master and opened her own practice in Cambridge as a Registered Massage Therapist. Although not a professional photographer, she welcomed another life changing experience when she was offered the opportunity of capturing the earth’s beauty for The Glowing Hive. She feels honoured to be involved in this project, and she looks forward to expanding her skills as a photographer.

Lisa D. Theodore, DTCM, Min., is an active practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative therapies and Spiritual healer and teacher. She has spent the greater part of her life on a conscious (and sometimes, a not so conscious) journey toward Self. Throughout this journey, Lisa has discovered many wonderful healing modalities, uncovering the Divine connection and feeling the Spirit moving through all things. She continues to create, write, and teach on Spiritual principles, healing and conscious awareness. Her passion is to be of service to others through many creative outlets, helping them to find the means to express themselves to their fullest, most joyful and loving potential.

Food as nourishment and healing play an important role in Lisa’s life and practice. Watch for her monthly Healthy Living Series at The Hive and Grove where she explores, from many perspectives, the art and science of healthy living. Lisa maintains a private practice in Kitchener, Ontario.

Lisa contributes the “Healthy Living: The Flow of the Seasons” and “Between the Worlds” articles.

Cheryl Weber-Good is a freelance hand lettering artist who paints heartwarming, colourful messages, quotes and verses. She produces large hand painted banners and signs for institutions as well as fine art and calligraphic treasures for personal gifts and home décor. She is passionate about communication across the millennium connecting humanity through quotations, then capturing and elevating the power of those texts on various artists’ mediums. Much of her inspiration comes from hiking the fields and forests where she lives at her farm, close to New Hamburg, Ontario.

Cheryl contributes Inspiration banner artwork in the Dance of the Bees section.

Julie Wise is a motivational coach who helps people navigate change in their lives and reach their personal and professional dreams. Julie is the author of Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease. She in an intuitive, trained in Advanced Energy Awareness and Healing, a Celtic Reiki Realm Master and a practitioner of Karmic Regression Therapy. In her workshops and one-to-one sessions, she combines her gifts to help people find the answers they seek to create the life they desire.

Julie contributes the “Dream Weaving” and “Fabulous Fifty…and Beyond” articles.

Seasonal Ponderings Message from Tiffany Lazic HONOURING SELF

There is a phrase that has been bouncing around in my head. It is not my phrase, but one I came across. It seems to have taken hold, not letting me go, and spiraling out along many paths of thought and implication. The phrase is: radical acceptance.

It is not the “acceptance” piece that has caught my attention. It is the “radical”. What does that mean? What does that look like? Radical indicates being unbalanced, extreme, drastic. Usually, in movement towards health and happiness, we tend to eschew anything that smacks of being too far from the centered middle ground. This phrase seems to be a call to step far out onto the branch, creaky though it may turn out to be.

In honouring the self, we need to be able to know and accept ourselves for who we truly are.

Acceptance does not mean we stop in our tracks. It does not mean we end our movement towards wholeness. It does not mean that we believe every aspect of self to be just fine. Acceptance means we can see ourselves truly - without the need for reasons, excuses or justifications. We see our strengths and our flaws as being a part of who we are in this moment. Acceptance, without the blame and the shame, actually allows us to see clearly what it is that we may choose to shift in ourselves. Acceptance is not: “Well, I guess that’s the way it is then”. Acceptance is: “Now that I see that, I am going to do something about it”.

We are all both Shadow and Light. We have those things about ourselves that we believe to be special and nifty. More challenging to accept are those darker aspects which we don’t want others to see in us, but which have the unnerving tendency to direct our choices more significantly than our strengths. A great exercise to do is to divide a piece of paper in half and make note of those elements you identify in yourself – on both sides of the page, the Shadow and the Light. There is an acceptance that comes in identifying and owning these qualities. Radical acceptance speaks to being unwavering, resolute and unflinching in the owning.

But, here’s the thing…at the top of the page, write: “I AM…”. It is a well-known spiritual principle that duality is the first differentiation of wholeness. We, in our contrasting qualities are a reflection of that and the healing journey is one that moves us towards wholeness, through recognizing and shifting the contrasts. It is moving towards the “I am”. End of sentence. Full stop.

Radical acceptance, for me, is sitting in the energy of wholeness, completely honouring the Self.

Of, even for a brief moment, moving beyond my strengths and weaknesses, my Light and Shadow, my triumphs and my challenges. Radical acceptance is experiencing fully that…”I am”.

Health and Happiness

That Gentle Touch: Article by Robynne (Tennant) Kingswood NOURISHING THE FLUID YOU The exercise: The stand-up, walk, and pee, also known as drinking more water.

Have you heard about the greatest new thing? It’s called hydration. How and when? Well, during the day, at work….anytime. All the time in fact.

But doesn’t that make you need to pee a lot? You may ask. Right you are!

Up out of that computer chair. Flee the cubical! Get your blood moving. Pump that lymph and settling fluid out of your ankles and get going! Roll your shoulders back, straighten up from that slouch. The 5 minutes it takes to go and come back is a perfect 5 minute break you should try on for size numerous times throughout the day.

The stand up, walk and pee: good for men and women alike.

Hydration: part of a healthy lifestyle.

Go on and try it today.

All kidding aside, this simple activity hits upon numerous issues most of us battle on a daily basis.

Stiffness from sitting in one position for too long  Slouching from becoming over tired in that one position (or not realizing that we’ve actually incrementally moved 8 inches closer to the monitor over the last hour)  Muscle cramps – especially in the neck and lower back. Let’s not forget the soreness from over use in the wrist and forearms, and for some of us, the pain caused from asphyxiation in our posteriors and legs  Dehydration  Losing touch with our bodies signals for regulatory assistance such as thirst. A common phenomenon involves confusion between thirst and hunger, leading to weight gain an toxicity. 

Validating the physical needs also plays into critical psychiatric piece around self esteem, validating needs of the self and self care practices. A hydrated body detoxes better, leaving clearer skin with a healthier glow. The body’s ability to process and remove excess also woks better in a hydrated system.

Look good, feel great.

Do your part, nourish the self; literally. Drink more water. Seeds you never knew were holding dormant will spring forth, and your inner beauty will become physically evident outwardly too. Oh, the reflective properties of water never cease to amaze.

Food for the Soul Article by Dana Rourke A RETURN TO REAL FOOD AND LOVE

Have you ever wondered why, even though you know what you should and shouldn’t eat, you still find yourself eating all the things on the “shouldn’t list”? Or how about peering into your refrigerator numerous times a day saying, “I just want something”. Or my favourite: only breaking off a piece of a chocolate bar or putting chips into a bowl from the bag only to go back 2 more times and do the same thing until it’s gone!

For years I struggled with disordered eating thinking that if I could just learn more about all the healthy things to eat I would make better choices. You could see how this would make sense. How understanding why we should eat healthy foods and understanding the effects of eating the bad ones should lead to better choices because after all, knowledge is power right? Absolutely! But this knowledge of knowing just how good these foods were for me led to an even stronger aversion to them.

This left me feeling very frustrated asking the question “why”? Why can’t I just eat natural foods instead of processed? After about 7 years into my journey to health I realized that our choices and actions, conscious or unconscious, are all an expression of who we are inside and eating is not exempt from this.

It too is a choice, an action, an expression of who we are and if we want to change these choices we must first examine ourselves and the thoughts and feelings we experience which underlie our actions and expressions.

Let’s think about this for a second. If the choices you make (in this case, the foods you eat) can be used as a mirror to see what is going on inside you then it’s not necessarily the action (eating) that needs to be addressed but more importantly what is propelling us to make the choices we are. A mindful eating exercise that can bring great awareness to the core of your food choices is to go through your day starting with breakfast and track everything that you eat while also tracking how you felt physically and emotionally before you ate it, while you were eating it and after you have finished eating it. You can try this for a week with everything you eat then review your notes and observe any patterns.

After doing this exercise, I began to understand that because of events in my past I no longer believed that I was worthy of my own thoughts, feelings and love. I realized that I reached for food anytime I felt emotion, good or bad. I ate to numb out. Anytime I felt emotions my mind would go “you don’t deserve to have these, what have you done to get to feel anything. Feeling is human and you are not human”. Food became my punishment, for not feeling worthy of the space I took up.

So, after years of falling on and off the wagon of good health and happy thoughts, trying to “fix” my sick body I finally realized that to truly become healthier (and happier) I needed to address the “why” of eating: the numbing, rather than the “what” of eating. This is a tough tiger to tango with and so for another year I still neglected myself but instead became more compassionate and empathetic to everyone and everything around me. Out of this grew a love and respect for animals and the planet which led to eating less meat, purchasing more organic and local produce to decrease my carbon footprint and eating less in general out of a deep appreciation and respect for my food and those that grew it.

I began to love my food and see it as a perfect, beautiful and sacred part of nature. The very fact that, you can plant a seed in fertile ground and with water, sunlight and love it will grow into something that we can eat… not only becoming the energy to survive but becoming our bodies… is magical! It is true that you are what you eat and when you eat vibrant, healthy and rich food, this is what you become. The nature of the food you eat grows inside of you and once this realization is reached the choice for unhealthy food just doesn’t make sense anymore.

One final thought that came to mind on my journey. All aspects of the world we see are made from the dust of the earth, just organized in a different way, expressing its existence in different forms.

This thought prompted the most powerful realization I have ever had. I realized that if I am what I eat and what I eat is made from the earth whose dust is the core of nature and all of life…then I too am nature and as a result by default, am perfect, beautiful and sacred. As are you. You are perfect just as you are. You are a beautiful expression of nature. You owe it to yourself and each other to show kindness and compassion because partnered with the right nutrients -water, sun and love - like a delicate baby leek, roots deep, plant reaching to the sky, YOU have the ability to achieve greatness.

Comfort Tea (when you need some sweet comfort) ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ginger powder 1 heaping tbsp organic cane sugar 3 parts hot water 1 part Vanilla Almond Milk

Healthy Living: The Flow of the Seasons Article by Lisa Theodore SUMMER

Food. All consuming. We are either thinking about it, preparing it, eating it or worrying about it. Do I have enough, too much; is it the “right” kind of food; are there chemicals on it; will I digest it alright; am I allergic to it? What if someone at the party is allergic? Will the food taste good.....

Every day we spend hours consciously, or mostly, unconsciously, thinking about food and food related issues. The media has turned its eye on reporting the minutia of food - how each individual component is the next “superfood” or how a specific element of the food will be THE one to help you lose weight. Doctors, nurses, nutritionists, food scientists, lay people - everyone has a perception of the value of these individual facets that make up food. How do we make sense of all of this input? How can we be more in tune with our own particular ‘food’ needs?

Being in the flow of the seasons is a good place to start. ‘Seasons’ refers to the outside environment and our inner environment. Our inner landscape is often greatly influenced by the external environment (anyone out there have springtime allergies?) and largely affected by our internal state of Being. What we are thinking and feeling when we buy our food, prepare it, and consume it has an enormous impact on how our body responds to the nutritional input. Remember, everything works synergistically - take one component out and the balance shifts.

Let’s look at the summertime environment. For many of us the summer is a welcome reprieve from grey skies and cold damp bones. For others, it is the beginning of a hot, sticky, bloaty nightmare.

And, for others still, it may land somewhere in between.

Summertime begins the height of the “yang” season - the energy from the sun being most dominant at this time of year. This energy is full of vitality, movement, and warmth. It is a period of lightness, growth, expansion and creativity. Summer feels luxurious and luminous. Waking early, as the sun rises, stretching our bodies toward the sun, we take in the same nourishment that helps the gardens to flourish. Allow the bounty of the outside world to enter your thoughts and Being - Allow it to enliven you!

Creating beautiful meals in the Summer is easy and fun. Being in the flow of the season can be reflected through your food choices along with your methods of cooking. Some basic summertime suggestions include cooking lightly, adding a little spicy or pungent flavours, sauteeing quickly with high heat or steaming/simmering foods rapidly.

When preparing meals select a variety of bright, vibrant summer fruits and vegetables. Get creative, try new tastes. Explore! When selecting beverages avoid icy cold drinks. Our bodies have an internal temperature guide - when we overheat, we generally perspire to cool down. As we sweat, we may deplete our systems of needed oils and minerals which then may cause us to feel tired and weak.

Taking warm showers and drinking warm or hot liquids induce sweating which cools the body. Excessive coldness causes contraction, trapping heat inside the body, holding in perspiration and reducing our digestive capacity. Hence, icy cold drinks don’t actually cool us down.

It makes sense for us to eat more cooling, fresh foods in the heat of the summer. Local, pesticide free salads, sprouts (especially mung bean and alfalfa), cucumbers, fruits and herbal teas such as chrysanthemum, chamomile and mint are particularly refreshing. Fruits which cool down the summer heat include apples, lemons, limes and watermelon. Juicing the whole watermelon - rind included - is an excellent way to bring down the trapped summer-heat in the body.

To bring balance to all of the cooling foods you are encouraged to add a small amount of dispersing, hot flavoured spices. Yes, they increase warmth in the body. However, what dispersing hot foods actually do is to help push the heat which is trapped in the body to the surface to be released or sweated out. Your body is then able to mirror more closely the summer climate and will be less affected by it.

Remember to have fun with your food, add a splash of red or green hot peppers to your fresh salad or grated fresh ginger to your mint tea. ‘Tis the season to expand our creativity and be nourished by the infinite possibilities that Nature has to offer!

Of the Earth Article by Tiffany Lazic Auralite: Auralite is a fairly new stone that has arrived on the scene to exquisite and excited fanfare. Found locally, in Northern Ontario, Robert Simmons (author of “The Book of Stones” and “Stones of the New Consciousness”) says Auralite is “one stone to rule them all”. We know of Quantum Quattro which is made up of four elements or minerals and Sacred Seven which is made up of seven.

Bringing these different minerals together in one stone creates a complex of energies that make them quite powerful to work with. Auralite is made up of 23!

The 23 minerals found in Auralite are: Titanite, Cacoxenite, Lepidocrosite, Ajoite, Hematite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Goethite, Pyrolusite, Limonite, Sphalerite, Covellite, Chalcopyrite, Gialite, Epidote, Bornite, Rutile, Ironm Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Silver and Gold.

Auralite was named for the Aurora Borealis which connects the earth and sky in the “Dance of the Spirits”. It teaches that “All is One” and encourages us to see past differences to recognize the oneness that join us all in the wonder of the dance. Interestingly, it is said that Auralite connects to its ‘keeper’ like a twin spirit, reading the ‘keeper’s’ energy, highlighting that which needs healing or clearing. Auralite, with its incredible complex of minerals, gives support and helps light the way, teaching how to integrate aspects of self within and in life.

Nettle The Nettle is a wonderful healing herb that needs to be approached with respect and caution! Most commonly known as “The Stinging Nettle”, many of the species have little hairs on the stems and leaves that smart and burn. (I know from my mishap of smelling what I thought was a wildflower only to find it was a Nettle!)

Using Nettle medicinally, it is best harvested just before it comes to flower and dried in bunches. The whole herb can be used. Nettle has mainly gained a reputation for being beneficial to those who suffer from asthma, but is also an effective astringent, a hair growth stimulant and a wonderful tonic for overall good health. It is also said that placing the leaves on affected areas of the body can cure chronic rheumatism.

Nettle has a long history and has been written about as far back as Roman times.

Healthy Blood Herbal Tea 2 nettle leaves 1 plantain leaf

3 mint leaves 1 cup of water

Boil the plants for 3 minutes. Infuse. Drink hot before breakfast and lunch to enrich blood, drain kidneys, treat allergies and prostate problems.

The Body’s Breath Article by Nicole Ferrill THE FIRE WITHIN THE SACRAL CHAKRA

The Sacral Chakra is a spinning vortex of energy in the area of the lower abdomen/reproductive organs. The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Swadhisthana. Swadhisthana chakra is the seat of our emotional wellbeing as well as creativity, partnerships and the ability to let go. The fire of Swadhisthana can derail us in times of change, supporting an emotional overreaction or miscommunication.

Focusing on the health of this chakra can not only help us through times of emotional upheaval but also bring balance to our perceptions within relationships. Perhaps even promoting us to develop creative, new skills that allow us to manage our emotional reactions and root us in a healthy mindset. Our responses to life can become calm and present in the moment with a balanced Swadhisthana chakra.

Swadhisthana chakra is also associated with physical dysfunctions such as low back pain, sciatica, reproductive issues, libido and urinary problems. As this chakra governs the sexual organs, stomach, upper intestines, liver, gallbladder, kidney, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen and middle spine, much of our abdominal area and lower trunk are susceptible to its imbalances. To maintain a healthy and balanced Swadhisthana chakra you may want to use meditation, food and movement.

Meditation is one method of keeping the chakras balanced and cleared. During your balancing meditation you may want to focus on the mantra of the chakra you are trying to clear. The mantra of Swadhisthana is Vam. The most common meditation for chakra clearing is to visualize the color of the chakra within the chakra center which for this chakra is orange. Visualize an orange glowing orb within the center of the Swadhisthana chakra – pulling the life force energy from the earth up into this area feeding the chakra and seeing the orange orb pulsing. Silently repeating the mantra Vam to yourself during this practice is an additional way to focus the intention of clearing the Swadhisthana chakra. Be aware in this meditation that balancing this chakra will bring you closer to emotional balance and promote your ability to be in the present moment within your relationships.

Nourishing the body with healthy foods can also promote balanced chakras. Although these foods are healthy, they may bring about imbalance if overindulged. As with all things, moderation is key.

Some foods that promote Swadhisthana health when eaten in the proper volume are: Fruits: melons, mangos, strawberries, passion fruit, oranges, coconut Nuts: almonds, walnuts Spices: cinnamon, sweet paprika, sesame and caraway seeds and vanilla

There are many yoga asanas that you can do to promote the health of your Swadhisthana chakra. These postures promote stimulation in the chakra center. In conjunction with pranayama (breath) and yin yoga (holding postures for a period of 3 to 5 minutes), you can improve the vitality and mobility of this area of the body. Always feel encouraged to fold in the chakra meditation into your yoga practice. When in the posture, you may concentrate on the color and mantra of the chakra you are working on in your asana. Two postures you may consider when working with this chakra are: Goddess Pose

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 Come into a wide standing position with the legs and feet turned out to a 45 degree angle, arms at shoulder height straight out from the body.  As you exhale, bend the knees and allow the pelvis to descend directly downward without arching the low back, so that the entire torso moves down together.  Bend knees to a position over the ankles where you can still see the toes when you look down over the knees.  Bend the elbows at a 90 degree angle and point the forearms and hands up to the ceiling.  Imagine a weight hanging from your tailbone.

Lengthen up through the crown chakra, chin parallel to the earth and the eyes gazing softly forward.

Cat/Cow Pose  On your hands and knees in table position, make sure your hands are shoulder width apart and that your knees are hip width apart.  On the inhale, allow your spine to fall into a backbend posture, your belly falling under you and your head tipping up to the degree that you can see the wall in front of you.  On the exhale, pull the spine into an arch, not moving the arms or legs but isolating the trunk and just moving the spine. Think of a cat arched with its hair standing straight up on its back.  Pull your head down and tuck your chin into your chest.  Pull your bellybutton into the base of your spine.

Feeding the fire of the Swadhisthana chakra with meditation, healthy food and a stimulating asana practice can support the relationship between body, mind and spirit. A balanced Swadhisthana means a calm, introspective emotional center and a nourished, mobile body.

Abundance and Flow

Creating a Legacy: The Secrets of Living a Remarkable Life Article by Martyn Pentecost THE FOLK OF THE FOREST

In the deep forest, they tread their wellworn path. They watch as the Earth changes and they feel a deep sense of loss. These are the beings that very few humans well ever come to meet just once in their lifetime, let alone form a relationship with. For these are the forgotten folk of the forest.

So sacred are these wise and capricious ones, that we cannot even write down their names.

To do so would literally negate them from our awareness‌ for when we limit them to a single word, we hinder their ability to exist in our consciousness and they fade away from us. And so they remain, just on the subtle edge of our senses; watching, waiting and holding the most sacred wisdom of the Earth within, until a time when we remember who we truly are.

The sensory overload and scientific logic of modern society create a consistent pressure upon us. This pressure results in us filtering out almost everything of our natural world on a physical level, let alone the etheric. Our perception becomes a very hostile place to exist for our forest kin and so their reality and ours fragment away from each other, leaving a profound disconnection.

For me personally, this is one of the most magical areas of Celtic Reiki Mastery that I have encountered over the past fifteen years. As we remember our Earth-self through the rich landscape of Celtic Reiki, we begin to remember those forgotten folk, who yearn for us to remember them. As we reacquaint ourselves with the Lost Language of the trees, we instill within us, the knowledge of communication, not only with the trees of the forest, but also with those forgotten beings.

The first time one becomes aware of these forest custodians, it can be overwhelming. Delight, awe, trepidation, dizziness, and joy all in a single moment of that initial contact. Then the communication begins and we are changed forever. You see, one of the amazing things about these encounters is that, not only do they alter our perception and abilities, they also create change in our being. These changes mean that when we encounter any other forest folk - anywhere in the world - they will know of everything that has gone before. And so, they accept us as friends; as kin.

This added dimension to an afternoon’s walk in the woodland can enrich our lives in such aweinspiring ways. Our newfound brethren equip us with a deep understanding of the trees, their guardians, and the Earth beyond. We walk as Seers, empowered to help where others feel helpless. We discover wisdom where others are skeptical and we experience a dance of light and music, where most would merely see shadow and stagnancy.

I recently embarked on a trip back to the places where Celtic Reiki was developed over many years; meeting again with the trees and creatures who helped the origination and development process.

One particular tree was the Lord of Thorns, a regal holly tree on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. After a hard winter, she was looking tired and lonely, but as I reconnected to her, I felt her love and enchantment to my very core.

To know that she was remembered by one of our kind was simply wonderful for her and she instantly wanted to know all my news. I spoke to her for some time about my books and how she had a whole chapter in Stories from the Sacred Grove and of the Realms, Mystics and Lores of Celtic Reiki; aspects that she helped me to discover.

We spoke of how Celtic Reiki has touched people all over the world, of my new students, and the Global Community that now operates from Kitchener in Canada. She was utterly thrilled by each new experience as I recounted all these new and wonderful events from the past four years, since I saw her last. Gradually, her sorrow lifted and she was vibrant again.

It was in this sparkling, wondrous perspective of the Tinne (Holly) Essence that I was reminded of how the Lord had guided me to understand, recognise, and appreciate our forest friends, from those around us in the natural world each day, to those enigmatic beings that shy away from regular human contact. Connecting to them in this way created a shift of perception and became aware of their presence.

I sensed their experience of me and for the first time, introduced them to the Seer Mystic - the newest Mystic to be discovered in the Realms of Celtic Reiki! As they began to communicate I stepped back and offered them their privacy, knowing that what was developing behind the scenes was something wonderful and just around the corner for all those who are ready to listen, to see, and to walk this well-trodden path of the forest...

Dream Weaving Article by Julie Wise PLAYTIME!

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Ah, summer! Long languid days that start with bird songs in the wee hours of the morning and end with crickets chirping and fireflies glowing. It’s a time for heading to the beach and splashing like a kid in the water, catching up with friends over the barbeque, and sipping something cool and refreshing under a shady tree.

In the heat and humidity, we slow down and experience more. There are festivals and markets to visit, fresh fruits and vegetables to savour and family gatherings to enjoy. Life feels full and rich in every sense.

I’ve noticed that people tend to play more in the summer months. Maybe it’s because we want to make the most of the long daylight hours or because it just feels good to soak up some warm sunshine and blue skies. I see friends puttering in their gardens, heading to the golf course or taking evening walks and chatting with neighbours.

Why is it that we can give ourselves permission to putter, but not to play? Play seems to be a skill we set aside as we move from childhood to adulthood. Yet it’s essential to having a full life at any age. It’s also an important part of pursuing your dreams and goals.

If you watch a young child playing, you’ll see that she requires no handbook, no tools, no equipment. She has everything she needs – her imagination and whatever is available in that moment.

She can play for hours just with a box, turning it into a car (and making vroom-vroom noises that little children have perfected), a train, a wagon, a horse, a house, a treasure chest and so much more. She doesn’t need the box to change. She uses her own creativity to transform it into what she wants.

Creativity is the first step of dreaming and a key factor in manifesting what you want in life.

Children know how to use this skill instinctively. So do you and I, although it may be a little dusty from lack of use.

Perhaps it’s time to redefine play for yourself. Play is not about “wasting time” or being childish and irresponsible. It is about restoring that child-like wonder of your imagination and viewing the world through that lens. It’s about seeing the possibilities, not the limitations. And about giving yourself permission to have … fun.

Fun. You do remember what that is, don’t you? It’s the belly laugh that catches you off guard, the smile that sneaks across your face when you’re having a great time, the joy that bubbles up inside you at the thought of being mischievous (I double dare you!), and the pleasure of trying something bold and adventurous (yes, you can!).

So this summer, just for the fun of it, see what mischief you can get into. Remember some of the things you used to enjoy as a child and try them out. As you do, you’ll discover that you feel more excited about life. Your creativity and ideas will blossom and, from there, dreams once dormant will reemerge. If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. ~ Katharine Hepburn

Peace and Serenity

Sorting out the Psyche Article by Tiffany Lazic MEETING THE OTHER

Here’s an interesting phenomenon that I have seen occur time and time again. Someone comes into your office, looking for self-insight, recognizing that old patterns no longer work, and committed to stepping into their true self.

You work with this person and engage in a wonderful and fruitful exploration that results in this person gaining clarity, self-direction and inner connection. Then this person enters a relationship… So very often this person ends up back in your office, looking a little bewildered, saying “What the heck happened?”

My Dad and I would sometimes look at each other, twinkles in the eyes and quote Jean-Paul Sartre: “Hell is other people”. I really don’t believe that to be true. I find other people to be much of what makes life worth living. But still, there are some days….

What is it about the “Other” that jams our circuits. That makes us lose sight of what connects us to ourselves. That can bring out our deepest inner Shadows in sharp relief. That can so often cause a wail to rise from our cores: “Is it ME?” In pondering this question, I have come to a place of feeling that there are 3 types of dynamics that can take place between us and the Other: 3 Attitudes of Relationship that completely inform how the energy between us will flow. You see these 3 Attitudes in all aspects of relating from the personal to the global and their effects are profound on all levels.

The Enemy: I was struck the other day, listening to a news report on the radio that was describing another round of attempts to settle the troubles in the Middle East. The comment was made to the effect that peace talks broke down over the involvement of a certain country’s enemy. It occurred to me that, as long as we observe the “Other” as Enemy, there is absolutely zero possibility for resolution. The Enemy is the antithesis, the one that stands in direct opposition to one’s own position, more often than not with an intensely negative charge. It stirs up feelings of defense and fear, eliminating any chance for synthesis and positive, supportive relationship. In listening to the news report, I marvelled that we still use the language of “Enemy” (with the undercurrent thought that as long as we do, peace is impossible).

But the Attitude of Enemy is not exclusive to the world stage. It engages on the personal level as well. Road rage is the Attitude of the Enemy. As is yelling at the customer service representative who is unable to give a refund on a damaged item past warranty. Or the teacher who gave a child a failing grade. Or the partner who has a different perspective on joint decisions.

When we are in the Attitude of the Enemy, we are unable to see any connection between our own self and the other person in the dynamic or situation. They become an obstacle and challenge. They stand between me and what I want to attain, devoid of ‘personhood’. What I say or do and the effects of that upon the Other no longer matters. The end is all that matters, not the means to the end.

This weekend, as I am steeped in this subject (and I refer to Cecilie’s article on synchronicity) a couple of illuminations touch me. The first was walking downtown Kitchener with my husband to get a lovely fruit smoothie. As we came abreast of a certain restaurant, we heard a shout and a man came flying out the front door to the sidewalk, having been shoved and yelled at by whom I would assume was the restaurant owner. The shoved man seemed somewhat lost and returned to the door to the restaurant, but the way was barred and he was not allowed re-entry. I recognized that I had just seen an example of this Attitude of the Enemy. I can’t imagine what this man had done to deserve such treatment – and I have no doubt that he had done something. But it absolutely requires an inability to see the Other as a human being deserving of respect and dignity in order to treat anyone in this way, regardless of the catalyst. It requires seeing no connection or bond with the Other.

The Co-Human: Most of us live in harmony by maintaining the Attitude of the Co-Human. In this Attitude, we see a connection and bond with the Other in the recognition of a shared human experience. The Co-Human is one who walks a similar path, encountering many of the same experiences and emotions. One does not see the Co-Human as thinking or feeling exactly the same, but there is a commonality of experience that can, at the least, bridge any gaps. I may be from the West and you may be from the East, but we both went through being raised in our families (whatever they looked like), gaining an education (whether formal or not), trying to determine our place in the world (whether by choice or default). We both experience the same emotions, even though we may express them differently. We both move through the same life markers, even though they may be honoured and celebrated in vastly, vastly different ways.

There is an inherent respect in the Attitude of the Co-Human. One may not understand the Other’s language or perspectives. And this is not to say that there won’t be moments of anger, frustration or confusion. But there is never a point at which one loses sight that this Other is, as Iyanla Vanzant says, “a Child of God”, as are we all. That, within each of us, there is this spark of connection with the Divine that links us all together as we do the best we can to make sense of this path we walk upon this Earth.

This weekend (in and amongst strolls for fruit smoothies), my husband and I watched the film “The Kingdom of Heaven”, a film which, for me, absolutely highlights the difference between the Attitude of the Enemy and the Attitude of the Co-Human. Centered around the 12th century Crusades, at

its heart it is a film about the difference between fighting an enemy and protecting the people. As is said in the documentary about the making of the film (which, yes, geeks that we are, we watched as well), it is “a film that celebrates dialogue over war”. We may not agree with the Other, and the differences between us can be great indeed, but, where there is respect for Other, there is the possibility of dialogue. Dialogue is one of the 6 Principles of Celtic Reiki, defined by originator Martyn Pentecost as what occurs “when a group of individuals come together with the common desire of achieving some greater goal - an ideal that exists beyond themselves, with the understanding that this ideal can only be achieved by a ‘group mind’ or ‘transpersonally’.” In a nutshell, this occurs when neither of us is attached to being “right” and seeing the Other as “wrong” (which is what happens with the Attitude of the Enemy). It is about using the projected lasers of differing perspectives to illuminate a truth that is greater than either of the individual perspectives.

The Divine One: It is the ability to rise above differences and see that there is a larger Truth at work that allows for the Attitude of The Divine One. This is a beautiful, altruistic Attitude that literally sees no difference whatsoever between the self and the Other. It moves beyond the Attitude of the CoHuman to create a synthesis of any potential differences. This may be illustrated in the well-known parable of the blind men describing their experiences of a large animal by touch. One says “It is long and skinny with a tuft of hair that tickles my nose”. The other says “It is long and wide with a powerful grip that is hurting my fingers”. Another says “Are you mad? It is wide and flat and flaps around a lot”. And yet another says “I don’t know what you’re all talking about. It is short and stumpy and doesn’t move at all”. The synthesis of this discussion leads to the revelation of the elephant. They are all describing the truth, but it is a partial truth based on their own limited experiences. And the highest spiritual truth we know is that, if I were permitted to extend a metaphor, it is never the tail, trunk, ears or legs that define the experience. It is the whole elephant.

From the Attitude of The Divine One, when we gaze upon the Other, we truly see a reflection of ourselves. We are one and the same, made of the same stuff, engaged in the same awe-inspiring Cosmic Dance. From this perspective, differences fade away. They are inconsequential stuff. Does it matter if you like vanilla ice cream and I like chocolate? No. We love ice cream. We are One in the experience.

Does it matter that I thrill to the language of Goddess and you thrill to the language of the Great Creator? No. We love the Divine. We are One in the experience.

If the expression of Enemy is war and the expression of Co-Human is dialogue, I believe the expression of The Divine One, is Tantra. In its most pure definition Tantra is a particular discipline of Eastern spiritual tradition which presents that the whole of reality is the self-expression of the Divine.

The implication of this is that there is no differentiation between transcendent and immanent, between the spiritual realm and the mundane world. Though, in the West Tantra tends to be linked with sexuality, the true expression of Tantra is that of union through the understanding that nothing exists which is not Divine. One of my favourite science fiction books presents a beautiful illustration of this – and gives us a word to describe it. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein is the story of Martianborn human, Michael Valentine Smith who returns to Earth with his Martian principles and tried to

understand what it means to be human. He introduces us to the word “grok”: to understand something so completely that you become one with it. This is a completely Tantric concept.

We live in a world filled with people. Our days are involved in interaction after interaction. It is always up to us how to respond to the Other. Each of the 3 Attitudes outlined above will result in a very different experience of the Other. If we see the Other as Enemy, we will be defensive and fearful. If we see the Other as Co-Human, we will be open and interested, possibly learning something new about ourselves or the world. But if we see the Other as The Divine One, we allow the possibility of experiencing the phenomenon of the Divine in every moment, shifting the observation of Sartre to the transcendent possibility that “Heaven is other people”.

Highly recommended reading:

Conscious Loving: The Journey to Co-Commitment

By Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks

Through their own marriage and twenty years as counsellors, the Hendricks have developed precise strategies to help you create a vital partnership and enhance the energy, creativity, and happiness of each individual. You will learn how to: let go of power struggles; balance needs for closeness and separateness; increase intimacy by telling the " truth"; communicate in a positive way that stops arguments; make agreements you can keep; and more. Conscious Loving will heal old hurts and deepen your capacity for enjoyment, security, and enduring love, whether in a couple or not.

Available at “Gifts for the Soul Shop”: $23.00

Befriending the Subconscious Article by Renate Donnovan HEALING YOUR SELF THROUGH SELF-HYPNOSIS

Hypnosis, when mentioned in conversation, creates a variety of reactions in people. Reactions often range from the humor of a stage hypnotist to fears created by movies and TV shows to excitement and interest. But what is hypnosis and how does it work?

Most importantly, how can you use the untapped potential of your own mind to have more health and happiest in your life?

The father of modern psychology, Sigmund Freud, suggested the mind was like an iceberg. Only a small portion of an iceberg (approximately 5-10%) is visible above the waterline. The remaining 90-95% is below the water. I love this analogy, because that is how the Titanic sank. It hit the 90% of the iceberg that was below the waterline.

Freud called the part of the mind that we are aware of, the part that is “above the water”, the conscious mind and the part below the water, the part we are unaware of, the subconscious mind.

While you are sitting at your computer, your conscious mind is reading this information on your screen.

Meanwhile, your heart is pumping blood, your lungs are breathing, your stomach is digesting and so on.

Your subconscious mind is running your body. We will come back to the parts of the mind in a moment.

But first, we need to take a small detour to define hypnosis.

The Hypnotic State is a natural state that humans cycle in and out of all day long. It is the 3 seconds before we fall asleep and the 3 seconds before we wake up. (This is why people who promote affirmations suggest you recite them as you are falling asleep and waking up—because you are going through the hypnotic state.)

The hypnotic state is a state of deep focused attention characterized by the brain waves oscillating between alpha, theta and delta waves. Alpha waves are the creativity state, theta brain waves indicate states of increased relaxation and openness, and delta waves are slow waves that indicate deep restfulness where cellular rejuvenation and repair happens. This relaxed and open state makes it easier to make changes. If you have ever caught yourself day-dreaming, driving to a destination without remembering the route you took to get there, or losing track of time, you were in the hypnotic state.

When we are in the hypnotic state, the conscious mind becomes an observer and we have direct communication with the subconscious mind. In this state of deep relaxation, we can make changes, overcome challenges and increase our health. So, Hypnosis, at its simplest level, is choosing to enter the hypnotic state at will to access the benefits and powers of the subconscious mind.

Despite what we like to believe about how ‘conscious’ we are as humans, truthfully, our subconscious mind, and everything encoded in it, is running the show. Just like the Titanic, we can “sink” from the beliefs, thoughts, and encoding that are hidden below the surface.

What complicates things even further is the fact that the brain cannot tell the difference between what is actually seen by our eyes and what we picture in our imagination. Have you ever had a negative experience that even thinking about makes you angry, upset or fearful? Even though the event was in the past, you have the same body reactions in the present that you had at the time the event occurred. When you picture the event in your mind, your brain thinks the event is happening now and your body begins to react as though you were still in the situation! Amazing, isn’t it!

That fear response to the past often paralyzes us and stops us from taking action in the present.

The great news is, we can use this same process of visualizing something in the mind to achieve a goal, overcome a fear and make a change. By combining increased receptivity of the subconscious mind through a relaxed brain wave (hypnotic) state with a new mental picture, we can create a new body reaction. Immediately after anchoring a new image of our goal, skill, ability, or way of being, in our subconscious, our minds begin working to create that image in the physical world.

Dr. Joseph Murphy, who has extensively studied the subconscious mind, said, "Belief is a thought in your mind that causes the power of your subconscious to be distributed into all phases of your life according to your thinking habits." Our beliefs, thoughts, and encoded messages become our actions. Our actions, in turn, become our lives. The beauty is that we can change our beliefs, thoughts and encoding through hypnotherapy.

According to recent findings in neuroscience, every thought we have causes not only a biological change in the brain, but a change in how the brain operates. This is true whether we have positive or negative thoughts. If we think a specific thought often enough, these small changes will combine to create an actual neural pathway in the brain. Neural pathways are the foundations for habits and behaviours: Simply having the same repetitive thoughts will cause us to behave in corresponding ways!

In fact, researchers have shown that negative thoughts actually cause our brains to “dysfunction.” The more we get stuck in negative thinking, the more difficult it becomes to stop the process. Ongoing negative thinking actually causes some parts of the brain, such as the hippocampus (which plays a role in memory and the regulation of emotions), to shrink and slows the formation of new neural pathways. This effectively keeps us trapped in our own negativity. The research went on to indicate that those who are more optimistic and positive actually have more brain activity in certain areas of the frontal lobe than those who think negatively.

So, how do we use our subconscious minds to improve our lives? Neuroscience has now shown that when we enter a relaxed state, visualize an event, and “talk” to ourselves about the positive meaning of the event, our brain will restructure itself—in essence, the unconscious turns that talk into a belief and the belief into reality. Hypnosis, whether self-hypnosis or hypnosis done with a hypnotherapist, is a process of entering a relaxed state, visualizing an event, and talking to ourselves about the positive meaning of the event. By “talking to our unconscious minds in a deeply relaxed state we can actually change the structures of our brain and create the life we want.

Process for self-hypnosis This is best done when you are falling asleep or waking up: 1. Begin with a simply breathing exercise to relax the body and mind. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth several times. Then allow your breathing to return to normal 2. Start at the tip of your toes and contract and relax the muscles in your feet. Then move up the body gently contracting and relaxing your muscles up to the top of your head. Include your thoughts when you get to your head.

3. Image a beautiful and safe set of 10 stairs. At the bottom is a beautiful and safe place. Maybe it’s a garden or somewhere in nature. Each time you move down a step, allow it to take you deeper into relaxation and peace.

4. When you reach the “safe” place. Spend some time enjoying the place before you begin your visualization.

5. Visualize what you want to create. Whether it is better health, a goal or skill, more abundance, or increased happiness and peace. When you visualize it is important to ONLY include what you do want and frame it in the positive. (The mind only hears positive—leave any negative out!)

Use as many senses as possible to create your visualization. Feel the event—make it as real as possible.

6. Either allow yourself to drift off to sleep with these positive thoughts or after 5-10 minutes, walk back up the stairs to the present. With each step up the stairs, come back to regular wakefulness.

Superb Sexuality: Embracing Sensuality and Pleasure Article by Alessandra Sagredo A SEXY GREETING TO YOU

It’s a beautiful morning…. the sun is shining, my body is glowing and my Inner Divine She is smiling in every dimension. It’s amazing what crazy, wild, kinky sex can do for you…

(Is that a blush? I just said sex… yes, that’s right “Sex” let me try one more time “SEX! OH YES…. SEX!” lol…)

Why is it that this luscious aspect of human nature (and I should add, a Spiritual experience) can make the most confident individual blush and even some turn away attempting to distract themselves with the closest thing at hand?

Whatever your particular fetish is, or formula for ecstasy (men + woman, woman + woman, woman + woman + man, man + man, or any other chosen combination…) sex is a wondrous experience that both frees you into a naturally body rippling, sensation spinning and cosmic connecting high while also encouraging you to savor and relish this human experience and form.

It’s a gift, and it’s one we can claim with pride, power and passion.

On my personal journey to spiritual full awakening and ecstatic self-love, I have met myself in various formats along the way, I have realized my inner deep desires, fetishes, kinks, naughty thoughts (that are naughty no more… it’s all how you look at it) and have finally (somewhat gracefully) swan dived into the darkest recesses of my mind where I had hidden what I thought were the “unacceptable” pieces of my sexual nature.

What I discovered was that these little pieces I had put in the shadows and labeled as “bad girl stuff”, were actually delectably divine. By pulling them out into the light and looking closer I learned so much more about who I am, where my “negative” self-perspective conditionings came from (and how to release them), and finally freed myself to be able to embrace my entire being.

For how can you love you, if you are ignoring aspects of the self.

I am now a proud “bad girl” and an oh so happy “good girl”. I am a “saint and sinner” and you know what? I’m damn proud of it I love my body, the bliss it brings, the journeys it takes me on and the way my Essence glows through it illuminating it from the inside out when it’s allowed to experience fully.

Now, how about you? Are you free in your sexual self… do you know your deepest desires? Can you play with them, at least in a fantasy land of your making?

If not, try this: Give yourself permission to be a fiery frisky form for a few moments.

Let go of any thoughts of “good-bad”, “right-wrong” that your family, friends, past, religions etc. may have placed on you.

Take 3 breathes and relax with your hands resting on your body, connect with it, honor it. Love it.

Ask your inner self and body, what excites you. Don’t edit. Don’t judge. Just listen. Your Spirit may be speaking.

Write it down. (Yes, you can hide it somewhere no one will read it… or erase it after.) The key is to see what comes out.

Keep practicing this a few times a week. Let yourself be free in the playground of sexual fantasy and kinky bliss. Learn about you.

Eventually, this will create a tangible change in the relationship with yourself, your body and your lover(s). Undeniably as you become more confident and aware of your sexual authentic Divine `I` your inner life and outer experiences will open up in all areas.

(Side note – A special thank you to my God who matches my Goddess… Armand who is my bliss bringing, head spinning, toe curling and cosmic connecting Sexual Sorcerer and Lover… “thank you for never judging the Lustful, Lascivious and Libertine “I” of my Divine”.)

Fabulous Fifty…and Beyond Article by Julie Wise LIVING ON THE EDGE

Take time every day to do something silly. ~ Philips Walker Maybe it’s because I’m now in the second half of my life. Perhaps it’s because I spent so many years being “good”, doing the “right” thing, and trying to achieve perfection at everything I did. Or it might be because I’ve finally learned a thing or two about life.

Whatever the reason, I’ve decided not to take life so seriously anymore. I’m holding it lightly, like a balloon or a feather, in the palm of my hands. Not clenching my fist around it, but open-handed so that it’s free to dance and soar in the breeze.

There are lots of serious events in the world. Lots of reason to be discouraged and feel challenged. I’m fully aware of that. I’m also aware of the delight, the reasons to smile and chuckle, and the opportunities for a good belly laugh. And that’s where I want to focus my time and energy in the coming years.

What about you?

It’s always a choice, isn’t it? The grey skies, grime and gloom may be all around us, but we can choose to notice the brilliant red of a rose, the melodious song of a cardinal and the contagious laugh of a baby.

I’m also deliberately looking for ways to be silly. It really pushes my buttons and takes me out of my comfort zone because I was raised to abide by the rules and act like a lady (whatever that means!)

Lately I’ve caught myself skipping along a sidewalk, humming in the grocery store, singing in the car (with the windows open). I’ve been tempted (but haven’t succumbed yet) to spinning round and round until I fall down, sitting on a swing, going higher and higher and then jumping off. Or maybe sliding down a children’s slide in the park. Hey, what about the monkey bars?

I’m discovering that event thinking about these things brings a glint and a hint of mischief to my eye. Acting on my impulses feels downright delicious (and wicked!).

I figure that no one’s really looking at me anyway (I’m just another older woman in the crowd) and no one really cares, so why not have a little fun with my life?

Life is short. Eat dessert (preferably something chocolate) first!

Enlightenment and Inspiration

Those Awesome Archetypes: A Tarot Exploration Article by Tiffany Lazic THE HIGH PRIESTESS Moving from the lush outdoors to what seems to be the inside of an elaborate temple, The Fool encounters a regal looking woman who sits between 2 ornate columns: The High Priestess.

Her energy is the complete opposite of The Magician. She seems contained and expectant as she sits. In the deck designed by Pamela Colman Smith, she holds a scroll half hidden under a fold in her robe and has a crescent moon at her feet. The High Priestess is the guardian of hidden knowledge – whatever form it takes.

Traditionally, the High Priestess is approached as being connected with listening to one’s intuition. That her realm is that of inner knowing and the voice of guidance that one hears within when one is able to quiet the chatter of the Mind. But she is truly so much more than that.

She is the Divine face of the feminine. The entrance to the Mysteries, especially those of life and death, of transitions and passages. Where she sits gives the key to this. Behind her hangs a veil on which are pictured palms and pomegranates. It is through the High Priestess that we gain the insight and information we need in order to pass through the veil to reveal the Mystery that lies beyond. And though she shows us the face of the Divine Feminine, it is the balance of energies which she is teaching us. The palm points us to masculine energies (active and directive). The pomegranate points us to feminine energies (receptive and inclusive). In her hand she holds a scroll on which is written the word “Tora” from what we can see. The Hebrew word for “The Law”, this directs us to keep in mind the Universal Laws that operate around us all. Not transient human law, but that which has existed through all time and beyond the limits of a human life. This is not information to be glibly handed over. We can see it there in her hands, but must make the effort to ask to be shown in order for it to be slipped out from under the folds in her robe. The unchanging Universal Laws are balanced with the crescent moon and flowing water at the High Priestess’ feet, representing knowledge that shifts and changes. This is information that is informed by the Subconscious, by our personal experiences and by our emotional responses. Both the constant and the transitory are significant for informing our choices. This balance is also reflected in the pillars between which the High Priestess sits: the dark and the light. We need both and both, indeed are Mysteries: death and birth. The High Priestess knows how to guide us through. She provides the equilibrium between polarities.

In many ways, the High Priestess represents all Moon Goddesses. All those who preside over transitions into and out of life as we know it. It was believed in ancient times that the Moon controlled all birth. It waxes and wanes (as do our lives) and it is intimately connected with the ebb and flow of water which is the source of all life. It is only more recently that the Moon has been associated with the Subconscious, but an argument can be made to say that in order to be truly alive and live a full and fulfilling life, one must be aware of the currents that flow beneath the surface. More than a guide to our intuition and inner knowing, The High Priestess is the doorway to Life itself.

One of my favorite High Priestess cards is the one from the Marseilles deck (one of the earliest known decks). The seated woman is named “La Papesse” (“The Papess”). There is some controversy surrounded who this woman represents, but it speaks to the myth/secret of the legendary Pope Joan (Pope John): the only woman to have held the highest position in the Roman Catholic Church. Said to have occurred around the 11th century, Pope Joan supposedly disguised herself as a man and rose through the ranks of the Church to ultimately be named Pope: a position she held for 2 years. It is said that her time as Pope ended (amidst much controversy and consternation) when she gave birth on the steps of St Peter’s.

Whether fact or fiction, the story of Pope Joan and her continued resonance through time point to the key aspect of The High Priestess. It is the Divine Feminine that is the Prima Materia (lierally, “The First Mother: Mater) Science may tell us all the ins and outs of biology, but the impulse behind the first sparks of creative life and the connection between the realms of spirit and that of the earthly realm are still a Mystery. It is this realm that is the domain of the High Priestess.

Encountering The High Priestess, we are encouraged to ask: What do I need to release in order to lift the veil? How do I ask for guidance and wisdom? Am I open to my intuition? How am I honouring the Mystery of my own life? How do I hold opposites in balance?

Highly recommended reading:

The Book of Secrets

By Deepak Chopra

"Finding the hidden dimensions in yourself is the only way to fulfill your deepest hunger," bestselling author Chopra shares 15 spiritual secrets for enlightenment.

Blending science and spirituality, he shows how the mystery of life can be illustrated by the wisdom and workings of one's body, as "every secret here goes back to the existence of an invisible intelligence that operates beneath the visible surface of life."

Available at “Gifts for the Soul Shop”: $18.95

Energetic Whispers Article by Martyn Pentecost SPEAKING OF REIKI…

The idea that language is shaped by our environment and cultural factors has always fascinated me. This is mainly because language has such an impact on the way we think, how we behave, and the success we achieve in life. Language inspires us, causes pain and dis-ease, or can send us soaring to new heights of joy.

It is no coincidence that over the past decade I have been reshaping energy therapies to reflect the nature of language. This not only helps us to understand energy practices as ‘conversations’ where people are touched or moved by the message that is flowing between them, but also negates the concept of ‘taking on’ energy or being somehow ‘sapped’ of energy. We are all connected to an abundance of divine energy, which is infinite and eternal, so how can we ever apply the physical beliefs of ‘more’ or ‘less’ on force so plentiful?

When Mikao Usui originated Teate (later renamed Usui Reiki Ryoho), he focused intently on how the powerful and sentient, Universal force of Reiki could be used to attain spiritual enlightenment.

One theme in the overall process of enlightenment was healing (oneself and others). When Usui taught Chuijiro Hayashi his methodology, Dr Hayashi was fascinated by the medicinal applications of Reiki practice. Hence, his mastery became the healing of dis-ease through Reiki therapies.

Hawayo Takata, a student of Hayashi who brought Usui Reiki to the Western world, adapted the practice further; implementing an emphasis on the teaching of Usui Reiki in short, intensive workshops.

Here, Takata took many of Hayashi’s teachings, such as hand positions for different symptoms, and expanded the ‘mechanics’ of Usui Reiki into an art-form of symbolism, techniques, and attunements.

In these three Usui Reiki Masters, we see that Reiki (the force) is used to communicate their perspective - Enlightenment, healing, teaching. Each Master places greater importance to different aspects of the practice, from Usui’s ‘life-long’ practice, to Takata’s weekend workshop approach.

Hayashi’s medical background created a symptom/cure method to Usui’s holistic and intuitive Mastery.

The means each Master used to communicate their perspective through Reiki fascinated me and posed the question, what is my perspective of Reiki? If I could adapt the practice in some fashion, what would the message be? The answer was simple… to make Reiki Mastery unique to every Master, thus reflecting their own uniqueness. In my own, personal vision of Reiki Mastery there would be no right or wrong, no dogma or rigidity, only a personal truth that completely resonated with the individual Master.

This was going to take more than a reworking of Usui’s legacy - it would mean going back to the Shinto beginnings of the ‘Reiki’ philosophy and what ‘Reiki’ actually meant at the fundamental core of its being. As I was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the behaviour of a few Usui Reiki Masters, I set about originating vReiki… and initiated what I now call ‘The Reiki Revolution’.

Based upon aeons-old Shinto principles, there are several facets of Ki, from the Divine to the Physical; Shinki to Kekki. Reiki is one of these facets - the aspect of Ki that balances all others and implements the ‘divine blueprint’ created by Ishiki. You see, Shinki, the Divine, knows all that there is to know about everything… except one thing: what it is, not to be Shinki.

This ‘need to know’ what exists beyond Shinki creates ‘life purpose’, and life purpose is the basis for the physical Universe and all who live there. So, Shinki becomes Ishiki: the over-arcing plan of all that was, is, or could ever be. This plan involves the illusion of separateness and consciousness, where Shinki completely removes itself from its own divine wisdom and spends infinite lifetimes experiencing the journey home.

To implement this, there are several ‘physical’ facets of Ki, such as Jiki and Mitzuke. These possess their own individual nature and achieve their own purposes, but sometimes become imbalanced and create dis-ease - this is where Reiki steps in, as the bridge between the Divine and the physical world. Reiki balances, heals, reshapes, redefines, harmonizes, and helps us to remember our divine essence.

To understand this at a deeper level, it is often beneficial to appreciate how each facet of Ki can be communicated into physical world results. In vReiki, we work with the following philosophies…

Ishiki - The Ki of Consciousness - Higher spiritual mastery. ‘Astral Travel’, ‘Remote Viewing’, ‘Bi-Location’, Enlightenment, and so on.

Reiki - The Ki of the Soul - Holistic Healing and Wellbeing, Personal and Business Development, Meditation and Spiritual Development, Spiritual Communication with the world around us.

Tsuki - The Ki of the Moon - Intuition and Knowing; creates a deep resonance with the subconscious mind and the Earth-Self. Understanding Mysteries and Hidden Wisdom. Healing the Earth and ourselves as the Earth.

Jiki - The Ki of Magnetism - Psychic Abilities, Relationship Building and Healing, Knowledge of Patterns and Subtle Systems, Karmic/Miasmatic Knowledge, Transpersonal Knowledge and Creativity, ‘Channelled’ Wisdom and Counselling/Coaching Skills.

Denki - The Ki of Thunder - Non-Touch Massage, Meridian-Based Therapy, Strength, Power and Force, Development of Emotional Strength and Mental Focus.

Kuki - The Ki of Air - Sub-Aural Sound Therapy, Mind and Emotional State Entrainment, Environment Entrainment, Home & Business Entrainment.

Mitzuke - The Ki of Water - Vibrational Healing & Water Memory Techniques, Ancestral Knowledge, Environmental Healing and Wellbeing, Deep-Level (Earth-Centred) Transpersonal Abilities.

Shioke - The Ki of Salt - Combined with Kekki to create Foundation Level Re-patterning, Redefinition of the Physical Universe, etc. Combined with Kekki, Reiki and Ishiki to work with our ‘Plexible’ Friends!

Kekki - The Ki of Blood - See Above Together we can work with all these facets to communicate many wide-reaching messages and help others, not only to heal, but to achieve their life purpose, develop healthy relationships, build amazing businesses, achieve personal goals, be more creative, and a vast wealth of other areas in the experience of life. Each facet contributing to the whole and doing so in a perspective that is adaptable and completely unique to the Master working with that facet.

Thus, our language has become much more sophisticated and complex, which leaves us with a question - if you could communicate your message through Reiki (and the other facets of Ki), what would your message be?

Miracles Article by Cecilie Lacey SYNCHRONICITY

Perhaps synchronicity is a miracle in the making. My personal definition of synchronicity is that events happen in close proximity to each other that make us pay more attention to them than we otherwise would have. We have a thought, a desire, a goal or just an intuition about something.

Suddenly it seems that things related to this start showing up in numerous unconnected ways: a flyer in the mail, a topic on a TV show, an ad in a magazine, in large print on a billboard, a garage sale or someone talking about it. Life has unlimited ways of getting the message to us. If only we would pay attention, we might have more confidence in the direction we take.

To demonstrate the principle on a small scale, recently, the name of one of my most favourite books of all time, The Celestine Prophecy, was mentioned: the first insight dealing with synchronicity. I felt a jolt when the name came up, and, as manager of The Hive & Grove, I ordered the entire series for myself. I wanted to have some 'old friends' around again: I had read this book many times and used it extensively in my work. Then someone brought in the movie for the film club night, and I took it home to watch it first. I'd never seen it before and I was very moved by the visualizations of the principles of the book. It deepened my understanding significantly. Other books came to mind that I had not thought about for ages which were supportive of the ideas involved. One Saturday, as I walked to work, I passed a house having a garage sale. I didn't have time to stop, though. On my way home hours later, the sale was over but the people had left some boxes out front with free stuff to take. As I turned over the books, there was a hardcover copy of The Celestine Prophecy. It sealed the deal!!! I got the message that I was on my true path and needed to explore this further.

Was this coincidence or synchronicity?

Oprah liked to say that first life whispers at us; then it speaks louder and finally it 'screams' at us.

I think she was describing synchronicity.

Some people acknowledge coincidences and just as quickly dismiss them. You are thinking about a parking spot and someone pulls out in front of you. "Oh it was just a coincidence." Surely life has better things to do than finding a parking spot.

I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that life is constantly giving us clues and support in whatever we are involved in. Life wants us to succeed because our success affirms life itself! Even a parking spot is important because it's important to us in that moment. Life does not measure importance by the rotation of the planets in the solar system as opposed to a desire for a parking spot.

The miracle that is life is intimately involved in the minutia of every living aspect of it including seeds, rocks, a drop of water or a bug everywhere all the time.

It is our disconnection from life that is the problem. The most highly evolved species on the planet is the one at greatest disadvantage because of this. We don't know, have faith or trust life. The least of life forms have more faith than we but we belittle this by calling it 'instinct.'

Another word for synchronicity is serendipity. Life gives us clues about where we are going ...for better or worse. Paying attention to the clues is empowerment, aligning us with forces that are guiding us to our greater good. I have this image in my mind that speaks to me of the offer of vigilance and protection for all of us. As I was writing this article, I watched the program "Earth from Space." The hidden complexities of how our planet works: the finely tuned balance of air, water, fire and atmosphere that Earth uses to constantly keep balance in place was the visual illustration of that image I have. I was stunned by the role that plankton blooms have in sustaining all life as well as the ionosphere that automatically protects us from damaging radiation from the ongoing bombardment of the sun. We even get a beautiful colour show called The Aurora Borealis from it along with this protection. (Can you allow the synchronicity in the timing of this program?)

Humans are the destabilizing force operating against all this. We need to pay more attention.

If we open up to it, we discover that we are in good hands. We live in the miracle, whether we know it or not!

Between the worlds Article by Lisa Theodore A NEW VISION

The shadow flits past my sight ever so briefly. I shake it off as a passing movement of leaves from the walnut tree. A few minutes later my gaze turns to the edge of the garden, just under the hedges. It could be a squirrel, I pondered. Again and again shadows run through my vision. It’s a beautiful clear day; maybe I am just overtired. My eyes must be playing tricks on me. The whisper of the wind beckons me to listen more closely. I ask, to no one in particular, what could these shadows be?

What is the wind trying to tell me?

Patiently I wait for clarity. Ok, maybe not so patiently, but I am waiting in anticipation. I start to wonder when these sightings started to occur. What was I doing or thinking when I first noticed the Shadow. A few weeks before, in the quiet contemplation of my day I had set forth a question. It was more like a statement to the Universe. I wanted to see things differently. I wanted to understand the workings of the Universe in a new way. I really was willing to learn how to see from a new, expanded awareness. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what I meant, or to whom I was talking, exactly– but I did know that I was addressing the Spirit that runs through all things. I knew I wanted to understand.

In my limited perception at the time, I had decided that the answers would come to me quickly and obviously. Funny, I still couldn’t define what ‘obvious’ would look like. So, when the shadows appeared, I discounted them. I made excuses. They must be shadows from treetops, or squirrels playing in the bushes. They must have a logical explanation. So much for me wanting to see things differently.

My next contemplation took me to a place of wondering how I would know when I was seeing life differently…and how would that change the feeling of my life.

Suddenly I was seeing lights darting around me, flashes of bright white light as if a flashbulb went off right in front of my eyes. Shadows appeared daily, always leading me to explore my surroundings more intently. Aha, with more INTENTION! That was definitely part of ‘seeing things differently’. Once that thought was in place the world around me started to shift. Some days I would sense a physical presence beyond the shadow, other days the field of vision would shake and blur. “Pay

attention. Pay attention.” I kept hearing those words echoing in the back of my mind. “Pay attention to what is right in front you in this moment. Right now what are you looking at? What are you seeing? Do you know its true meaning – do you only see one dimension of what is in front of you?”

The questions came fast and furious to me as I struggled to understand what I was supposed to be looking at. What did it mean to see things in more than one dimension? Perhaps I had been looking at life with a particular set of blinders and therefore I could only see one possibility, one part of the equation. I DID ask to see things differently. This certainly was different.

I realized as I was playing with this concept that EVERYTHING I saw was shifting. Everything I BELIEVED I saw was showing up in a new way. I didn’t always understand the why’s and what for’s, but I was noticing. I was paying more attention to the Now moment. I was becoming more aware of the multi-dimensional perspective that is always available. This brought a new sense of freedom to my world. I could look at a situation that once might have caused some chagrin, and I could choose to look at it from another perspective. That new perception then opened the door to greater opportunities to explore, to wonder and to discover.

It started with a simple thought, a simple desire. I wanted to see things differently. I didn’t know what to “do” with that thought, so I asked the Universe to provide me with the experience of seeing anew. Without hesitation the Universe provided. The Spirit that moves through all things appeared in all circumstances, in every direction of sight, drawing me closer in to the infinite possibilities that my desires sparked. My world started to open up in ways I never could have imagined. My heart sang a little louder as I looked out to the Shadows and recognized the Spirit that moves through all – moves through me too! What an exciting experience. Go ahead…Ask for a new way of viewing life and expect wondrous changes in You to happen Now.

Quirks and Creativity

Within these Pages Book Review A SMATTERING OF SUMMER GOODIES Review by Tiffany Lazic

These are decidedly “old classics”, but ones well worth revisiting – or visiting for the first time. Whether at the beach or at the cottage, each of these books will whisk you away to wondrous places, engage you in a thrilling story, make your heart ache and sing at the same time, and maybe offer some insightful bursts along the way.

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. This book illuminates 9 insights based in psychological and spiritual ideas to gain perception into why you are where you are in your life and to provide tools to move into the future with energy and optimism. Couched in the story of the discovery of a lost Peruvian manuscript dating from 600 BC and the desire of both Church and government to suppress the document, The Celestine Prophecy is both the story of one man’s spiritual awakening and a key to one’s own.

The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk. I already wrote in my ‘into’ last issue that this is the one book I would want everyone to read. Set in a post-war society in the not-so-far future, the story revolves around 2 cities with opposing ideologies: one that sees Nature as a commodity and one that honours the elements of earth, air, fire and water as sacred. This novel is a fearless look at what transpires when they come together and what it takes to remain true to beliefs in the face of threat and violence.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Many know the story of Joseph (and his amazing coat of many colours). Not so many know the story of his sister, Dinah and this book amends that. A wonderful insight into the culture and connection between women at a time when the old Goddesses were just about completely pushed aside. The title refers to the tent in which the women, by ancient law, had to reside while menstruating: a time which proved to be actually a relief in many ways, allowing the women to be true to their own stories.

The Return of Merlin by Deepak Chopra. Dr. Chopra is not as well-known for his fiction, but he has a few novels under his belt. This one is my favourites. Somewhat similar in flavour to The Celestine Prophecy, this novel hangs around a murder investigation in Somerset, U.K. during which 2 police constables become entangled in a weaving of past and present. The evil of Mordred that caused the fall of Camelot and has lain dormant for centuries has awakened and the future of humanity depends on the wisdom of the wizard.

Angels’ Chorus: Poem and Article by Erin Kiers THE MIRROR

Let this healing rain pour down upon me with unlimited supply, Washing away old ways of thinking, believing and behaving, Leaving in its wake an acceptance of my own Divinity As I am filled with the Divine and an awakening of my ability to receive and give abundance in infinite supply.

A honeymoon period resides at the other side of awakening. Everything is brighter, filled with more hope and holds promise of all of your dreams coming true. You feel lighter and seem to float on clouds throughout each day. No one person’s negative thought your mood penetrating your sanctity.

Until the subtle shadow of passed pain, or behaviour, or belief sneaks in. At first it is a slight needling thought. Then it becomes a gush and then chasm over which you suddenly dangle! What has happened to your wings, our cloud floating so peacefully over each event of discord? It is the Mirror.

The Mirror reflects unresolved negativity which has not yet been released. The darkness overlooked when first awakening in your haste, left unchecked, to momentarily retreat to regain strength and momentum. Once the perfect time is found, an argument with a partner or discord in a personal or professional relationship,that is it! The Ego’s chance to regain its host! It pounces and tries to regain footing in a once comfortable home!

This is when you are faced with choice. Go back to blissful ignorance of light? Recoiling at the sign of the responsibility to self and others? Or ….is it the opportunity to conquer yet another level of spiritual relief? To step foot on another level of sacred ground filled with promise, love and light?

Momentarily you hover over the gaping wound brought forth by this unchecked foe, the Ego. The choice is made, reflecting on the feelings before awakening, finding no reprieve from strain and stress, no deep peaceful rest for your soul, dreading each deadened step of monotony of the daily grind.

Reflecting then, on the warmth of the light after awakening! The feeling of every angel’s wings wrapped around you in an embrace of perfect unconditional love! A chance at fulfilling every dream!

You turn to face this seemingly indestructible entity. It glares at you reflecting deep resentment for having been previously ejected. Its heaving skin covered in your past scars of pain, its energy dripping with judgment, fear and anger. You step forward tentatively as your angels surround you and you feel a warm emotional wash of love and courage. Calmly you reach out to embrace this, instantly shrinking form, and embrace it firmly to your chest feeling a wave of acceptance flowing through you and into ‘it’. You instantly recognize the blessings in every moment of pain and discord, the learning opportunities and the realization that each of these past pains was essential to bringing you on your path to healing. Without this past pain and dis-ease, you would not have had this opportunity to

experience true forgiveness of self and others, the deep profound healing when releasing judgment of self and others and the unconditional love of self and others.

The Ego slips away to the nothingness from whence it came. The Mirror’s reflection begins to shine with your own image of perfection. Light surrounds your mind body and soul. Instant relief washes over you like a waterfall of complete awareness. You have done it! You have reached the next level of awareness. The euphoric heady celebration of spirit fills you up to capacity! This is your initiation! Bask in this light! Celebrate your awareness! Dance with your brothers and sisters in a happiness of incomparable measure! You are indestructible!

Dearest ones, we are your light, your beacon. No matter night or day from the highest mountain to the lowest crater we guide you. We caress you, we comfort you. We console your soul, we strengthen your will, we forge your sword when negative energies emerge. Let us be your armour at times of inner and outer conflict. Let us carry your weight of pain, let us bare your responsibilities so that you may dance in the light of the divine and shine brighter with the awareness of eternal love! ~The Angels~

D

Dance of the Bees Parzival Upon your shoulders Drops the call.

Grounding each step, Each stagger in surety Marking each pause, Each falter in purity There is a beat within your heart The ‘cour’ of one courageous Push on, push on There is a light within your soul Aglow the Forest Perilous Upon your shoulders Aches the fall.

Carving each stop, Each stumble in fealty Blessing each turn, Each totter in verity

“Celestial Blessings” by Cal Howard There is a peace within your path Though it unwinds circuitous Push on, push on There is a sight within your gaze Aglow the Chalice beauteous For whom indeed Does the Grail call But to us all.

And do we heed?

Within us each A Parzival.

~Tiffany Lazic

Art by Cheryl Weber-Good

Illumination and Bliss

~ Tiffany Lazic

Upcoming Events at The Hive

July July 3 July 7 July 13 - 14 July 19 July 21 July 28

Magickal Living: Tiffany Lazic The Oracle’s Ritual: Alessandra Sagredo The Healing Power of Sound: Ann-Marie Boudreau Tea Leaf Readings with Sarah Wilson (from Vancouver Island) Transcovery to Success: Dr. Khursheed Sethna Transformers: Healers for a New Paradigm: Tiffany Lazic August

Aug 12 - 13 Aug 15 - 16 Aug 17 Aug 18 - 19 Aug 20 Aug 25

Introduction to the Seer Mystic: Martyn Pentecost Karmic Regression Therapy: Martyn Pentecost Introduction to Viridian Method: Martyn Pentecost vReiki Training: Martyn Pentecost Introduction to Hypnosis: Renate Donnovan Introduction to Sexuality: Alessandra & Armand Sagredo September

Sept 4 Sept 6 Sept 8 Sept 9 Sept 9 Sept 10 Sept 11 Sept 12 Sept 15 Sept 29

Meditation & the Mystical Path of the Chakras (TAC) : Tiffany Lazic (8 classes) Being Human: The Path of Emotional Healing (TAC): Tiffany Lazic (8 classes) Munay Ki: Linda Ludwig & Fiona Rattray (6 classes) Palmistry: Melanie Ollenberg (3 classes) Getting to Know the Tarot: Deirdre Norman Beginner’s Astrology: Norah Nasturas (10 classes) The Spirit of Your Money Path: Niki Klein (6 classes) What is Ayurveda?: Norah Nasturas Introduction to Sexuality: Alessandra & Armand Sagredo Becoming Symbolically Fluent: Tiffany Lazic (2 classes)

The Hive and Grove Course Calendar: September 2012 – August 2013 is complete.

To find out all the wonderful offerings, go to “The Hive” (Courses) tab on The Hive and Grove website: www.hiveandgrove.ca

Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training’s Discovering the Total Self Program at The Hive and Grove Each course is 8 weeks, except where noted. Start date is indicated beside each course.

Meditation & the Mystical Path of the Chakras (Sept 4) Being Human: The Path of Emotional Healing (Sept 6) Maps of Consciousness: Spirituality & Higher Self (Nov 6) Cycles of Life: From Child to Adult (Nov 8) The Healing Power of Sound (3 full days: Nov 23 – 25) with Ann-Marie Boudreau Exploring the Spiritual Realms of the Non-Physical (Jan 8) Transformations: Meeting Your Inner Selves (Jan 10) Meditation & the Mystical path of the Chakras (Mar 1) The Multi-Dimensional Being: Spiritual Healing & Energy Transfer (Mar 18) Living Your Higher Self: The Sacred Human (Mar 20) Being Human: The Path of Emotional Healing (May 10) Gifts of Spirit: The Intuitive Arts (May 14) Cycles of Life: From Child to Adult (May 16) The Healing Power of Sound (3 full days: July 12 – 14) with Ann-Marie Boudreau

Facilitated by Tiffany Lazic, except where noted.

MOVING THE BODY…at The Hive and Grove Mondays (6:00 – 7:00)………………………Nia Tuesdays (5:30 – 6:30)………………………Yoga for Round Bodies Wednesdays (5:30 – 6:30)………………..Qi Gong and Movement Meditation Wednesdays (7:30 – 9:00)………………..Chakra/Goddess Meditation (By donation) Fridays (10:30 – 11:30)……………………..Qi Gong and Movement Meditation

Contact The Hive and Grove for individual class cost or “Rotation” pricing.

ONGOING MONTHLY EVENTS st

1 Wednesday…..………….Jewelry Fun ($15) st 1 Friday………………………..Little Sprouts Kids Club st 1 Saturday…………………..A Course in Miracles Study Group nd 2 Wednesday……………..Realm Master Share (mornings) nd 2 Wednesday……………..Usui Reiki Share nd 2 Friday……………………….Healing Film Discussion Forum nd 2 Sunday…………………….Healthyy food Forum nd 2 Sunday……………………..Proudly Authentic Sexuality rd 3 Wednesday………………Healthy Living Series ($15) rd 3 Friday………………………..Magickal Kids Club th 4 Wednesday………………Celtic Reiki Share

All events “by donation” except where noted.

Introducing…

Every issue meet some of our Hive and Grove facilitators. We often learn about training and credentials in bios. This section asks several questions that introduce you to the “inner inspirations” of the engaging and inspiring instructors you will see in our beautiful classroom.

Niki Klein: co-founder of Academy of Holistic Modalities and certified Money, Marketing and Soul Coach, Niki facilitates The Spirit of Your Money Path course and Usui Reiki Shares at The Hive and Grove.

Where do you most feel yourself?

In the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona where I am surrounded by the Ancients, Monika’s Farm B & B at the edge of Kitchener and at my friend Sue’s land on Georgian Bay between Owen Sound and Wiarton.

Who has been the greatest influence on your work?

I hold space for my students and clients, and by doing so, they are forever teaching me; we have a reciprocal relationship.

What is one book you wish everyone would read?

Picking one book is a real challenge. There are so many I want to recommend. Choices, choices – ok, I recommend Life’s Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard. What if you were handed a ticket that could magically start your life anew? A modern day parable by one of my mentors.

What is the quality you most cultivate in yourself?

Caring, Compassion and Empathy.

What is one story about yourself that makes you laugh or you remember with awe?

I am always in awe when I observe the shifts and changes within those whom I work with. I am reminded to stay humble.

What is your favorite message or saying?

“Stop saying ‘things are hard!’ You are suppressing your immune system! ‘Oh it is soooo hard.’ Stop being an Eeyore!”

“Use the word challenge. As humans we love challenges! This uplifts your immune system.”

Martyn Pentecost: as a traveler from afar, The Hive and Grove is always happy to welcome Martyn for his special, if ‘all-too-rare’ offerings. This August sees Martyn alighting in Kitchener to offer Introduction to Seership, Karmic Regression Therapy Training, Introduction to the Viridian Method and vReiki Training.

Where do you most feel yourself?

The saying “Like a kid in a sweet shop” is so apt for me, because I tend to experience life with a sense of childlike wonder. So, the places I love being most; those that cause me to feel ‘at home’ are those that appeal to the kid in me. These could be a wonderful woodland, swimming with beluga whales, theme parks, by the sea, a road trip, watching shooting stars, and of course a sweet shop!

Who has been the greatest influence on your work?

When I first started on my life path with volition, my main influence was the British author, Gill Edwards.

Gill departed the physical world last year which was very sad for those she left behind, but she gifted us an amazing legacy. Now I tend to be influenced most by my students and friends… their passion and wonder constantly inspires and guides me.

What is one book you wish everyone would read?

Watership Down by Richard Adams What is the quality you most cultivate in yourself?

Again, this would have to be that childlike wonder! For me, this means being fully engaged with, and present in, what is happening in the moment. Listening proactively, drinking in the colours of the world, and feeling a sense of deep compassion for the Earth in all our perspectives. I admit it can also involve being clagged in chocolate upon occasion!

What is one story about yourself that makes you laugh or you remember with awe?

There are so many experiences that fill me with awe when I remember them, mostly involving interactions with people, whales, or trees! When it comes to funny stories, I have to be careful not to get anybody into trouble! Ahem. On a recent visit to the East Coast of Canada I found myself teaching a friend’s teenage daughter how to say various profanities with a British accent and the intricacies of the British class system… not a good thing to teach any teenager, as they become ‘too posh’ for their parents requests very quickly! In return, she taught me how to swear like a Canadian, which involves braying like a donkey, apparently. I’m looking forward to trying this out on people at SPARKS 2012!

What is your favourite message or saying?

Be Enchanted! 

Norah Nasturas: facilitator of Beginners and Advanced Astrology, Feng Shui, Introduction to Ayurveda, Ayurveda for Weight Loss, Ayurveda for Women, Ayurvedic Home Remedies and Clutter Management.

Where do you most feel yourself?

Teaching. Yes, whatever the subject is:music, languages or Astrology , I love to see the spark in the eyes of my students when they "catch" the meaning of the idea.

Who has been the greatest influence on your work?

Many people, books, friends, teachers, but probably my father who showed me the way when I was little.

What is one book you wish everyone would read?

The Bible, Ecclesiastes: "we are only dust"…."is a time for everything" .... "is a place for everything".

And the Ten Commandments to make life easy for everybody.

What is the quality you most cultivate in yourself?

Tolerance: No judgement about personalities, ideas, or beliefs. I learned this when I start to study Astrology. I saw in the different Charts, how different we are one from another, that the "standard", the “median”, doesn’t exist. We are different. We act different. We are unique beings and each of us has only one and individual path.

What is one story about yourself that makes you laugh or you remember with awe?

I have too many. In general, all of them are related with my distracted personality. Especially when I was living in Europe and traveling around with the kids…We were traveling from Geneva to Costa Brava in Spain, but it was too long a trip. We needed to stop for gas and other things, but I missed the exit. We had the opportunity to see small villages and meet wonderful people. Another time was in Italy, looking for the "Gorla Maggiore" village where my grandmother was born. We toured around for almost 2 hours and, in the end, I called a taxi. I followed the taxi to the good village. Now when my kids say I need to take a taxi, I know what they are thinking.

What is your favourite message or saying?

“Happiness is inside you”: We tend to look for happiness outside ourselves - to find someone to love us, have a family, a bigger house, more money, a better job, etc etc, but The Secret is: happiness is inside us all. Nobody can love me if I don’t love myself. I will be never happy if I am not happy with myself.

The most difficult thing is to try to look at ourselves in the most objective way, accepting ourselves as we are. We need to start accepting our individuality and try our best. In the future times that are coming, we need to became more spiritual. We need to change our values: don’t wait to be loved. Give love! We need to accept we cannot change any situation outside of us, but that we can adapt to the situations, to the changes, to the people around us. If everybody were to understand and follow this way of life, Life will be far easier for everybody.

Friends of the Glowing Hive

Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease by Julie Wise

Julie Wise Consulting Create the Life You Want Now!

Healing Arts Learning Organization The Healing Arts Learning Organization is a motivated team of dedicated holistic health care professionals committed to providing quality education, business opportunities, personal growth and healing.

Diversified training programs to meet your individual needs

www.healingartslearning.org

Life's greatest gifts are often well disguised by unattractive wrapping! As a coach, my goal is to work with you to discover the hidden potential in your challenges. Together we will:

   

Discover and clarify what you want to achieve Explore your vision for the future Develop solutions and strategies Create and implement an action plan

519-570-1040 www.juliewiseconsulting.com www.fabfiftyfive.wordpress.com

SUMMER 2012: courses with Martyn Pentecost Train with the originator as Martyn joins us from the U.K. to offer these transformative courses.

Karmic Regression Therapy Training August 15 – 16 Course includes (amongst much more):  Discovering past life and karmic influences  Clearing contractive karma  Discovering our ‘soul group’ and ‘soul mates’  Reframing the 5 stages of the ‘birth traauma’ and ‘death trauma’ On this two-day workshop with the originator of Karmic Regression Therapy, Martyn Pentecost, you will learn all the techniques required to develop your ability of past-life, miasmatic and karmic work. This workshop will enable you to achieve professional KRT practitioner status as an addition to other therapies, or as a stand-alone.

Introduction to the Viridian Method August 16 The Viridian Method is a lifestyle and personal development practice that can be applied to your personal, social, and professional life. Both practical and highly creative, on this one day introductory workshop, you will have an opportunity to create your Viridian R/T (the basis for all VM Treatments & Consultations), a Viridian Matrix that you can use to treat your home and work environments, and a Viridian Portal, an essential element of personal or one-to-one treatments. A highlight of this session is the awe-inspiring Viridian Journey, a multi-sensory experience that literally takes you where you have never been before, with an all-embracing exploration of who you truly are and how you can lead a remarkable, happy life. Includes full course notes, a certificate of attendance, and you get to keep your crystal Viridian R/T.

vReiki Training (Degrees 1 & 2) August 18 – 19 The world’s most comprehensive exploration of Reiki therapy ever created is presented to you in the very special two-day event. Whether you are a seasoned Usui Reiki Master or a complete ‘Reiki Novice’ this event will take you back to the very foundations of Reiki philosophy and the other facets of Ki that Reiki works upon.

Course includes (amongst much more):  Overview of Reiki  The 9 Facets of Ki  Self Treatments  Treatment Styles and Professional Practices At the end of this event, you’ll be certificated to practice vReiki professionally and receive all four vReiki Practitioner Course Manuals.

Introduction to the Seer Mystic: August 13 - 14 There is a light just over the horizon; a wonder that exists a moment beyond our reach. She is near, constantly whispering to us of the joy that can transform our life. She tells us that the journey is not hers to make, but ours… and that journey is but a simple shift of consciousness. She is the Seer and in 2013 we shall become her…

“For many years, I have yearned to share the hidden aspects of Celtic Reiki; the regions that cannot be written down. These mysterious and elusive arts enable us to experience a whole new realm of being… a very old, forgotten realm, yet a realm that encompasses our modern lives and future visions. This very special event explores the secrets of Celtic Reiki I would never write down or record. It is a pre-cursor of what is to come, a taste of Seership and how this can alter us in ways we cannot yet imagine.” - Martyn Pentecost, originator of Celtic Reiki.

Over the two days of the event, you will be invited to embark on an adventure to the most sacred areas of the forest…

Courses will be held at The Hive and Grove. For more information, for pricing or to register, email hiveandgrove@gmail.com or phone 519-578-5683

Artisan Cheryl Weber-Good composes hand painted calligraphy masterpieces on many surfaces: wall hangings, wedding lettering art, church banners, personalized gifts and mural writing. www.writehand.ca www.foodnaturally.ca

At Food Naturally not only will we provide you with a plan to alleviate the above health concerns, but we do so in a way that is achievable and sustainable for you. Living a healthy, happy and balanced lifestyle is within your reach! * Nutritional coaching * Prepared meals and meal planning * Cleanses and detoxes Contact: Dana Rourke 519-590-6525

Traditions of Healing      

Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture, Acupressure Auricular Therapy Herbal Therapy Diet and Nutritional Counselling Spiritual and Life Coaching Lisa Theodore, D.TCM, MSOM, Min. traditionsofhealing@gmail.com

Kitchener/Waterloo’s first Environmentally Friendly Hair Salon and Spa 133 Weber St North, Waterloo * 519-886-8624 www.hybridhairanddetoxspa.ca

Embrace the Glow‌ Look forward to future issues of The Glowing Hive, distributed online on a quarterly basis, capturing the energy of the Seasons.

Fall: October 1, 2012 Winter: January 1, 2013 Spring: April 1, 2013 Summer: July 1, 2013 For comments, feedback and suggestions, please contact Tiffany Lazic at hiveandgrove@gmail.com To join The Hive and Grove online community, for discussions and postings on topics related to holistic health, emotional healing and expressions of Spirit, go to The Hive Social‌ http://thehiveandgrove.ning.com