Voice of Choices Magazine by K Lowden

Voice of Choices

Celebrating Life... With Spirit!

The Great Invocation From the point of Light within the Universal Mind Let Light stream forth into the minds of men. May Light descend on Earth. From the point of Love within the Heart Divine Let Love stream forth into the hearts of men. May God/dess return to Earth. From the center where the Will of God/ess is known Let purpose guide the little wills of men. The purpose which the Masters know and serve. From the center which we call the race of men Let the Plan of Love and Light work out and may it seal the door where evil dwells. Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

Monthly VOICE OF CHOICES Magazine

Publisher: Kathy Lowden info@voiceofchoices.org 1-877-236-4080 206-715-2824 Copy Editor - Jim Bacon Maui Distribution - Russ Reina

www.voiceofchoices.org Whether you define ‘spirit’ as enthusiasm or spirituality, Voice of Choices supports you in exploring the many options for creating and enjoying your life! We feature articles on alternative healing, personal development, spirituality and a wide range of topics focused on spirited living. Giving voice to the myriad of choices available in every moment, information is not intended for diagnosis, treatment, or prescription regarding disease, illness or injury. We recommend you see a licensed health practitioner if you have concerns about your health. Voice of Choices is not responsible for any situations arising from participation in or application of anything written or advertised in this publication. We welcome your contribution of articles and artwork, to be published on approval as space permits. Articles do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Subscriptions to are available for $22.00 per year / 12 issues (U.S. - inquire for International rates) We accept MC/Visa. money orders and personal checks. Thank you for all your good work. Blessings in all your choices. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Features

January 2008 Happy New Y ear! Year!

4 New Year 2008 - The Blessings of a Blank Slate Julie Hutslar 7 The Power of Winter Guy Finley 8 The Rewards of Letting Go Kasara D’Elene 11 Imbolc - Celebration of Opposites Kate Bowditch, MA 13 Grace Norma Gentile

Monthly T reasures Treasures 6 Blessings From the Publisher 11 January Astrological Influences 14 Circles, Cycles and a New Year

Kathy Lowden Carol Barbeau Walks With Thunder

Cover Art Heart of Healing - by Rita Loyd Healing is possible when we can gently and compassionately go inward and honestly examine, explore, question and understand who we are. Rita Loyd “I first began to paint Nurturing art when I became ill with stomach problems and chronic fatigue syndrome in 1996. As my life slowly narrowed around me from lack of physical strength and chronic panic attacks, my ego had no other choice than to step aside, and allow the voice of my spirit to emerge and comfort me through my artwork”. See Rita’s ‘Compassion’ - back cover and ‘Celebration’ on ’ page 5. Visit her website: www.NurturingArt.com where you will find more of her artwork, affirmations, greeting cards, her DVD ‘In Search of Self Love” and her Book “Expression of Self Love”. Contact Rita rita@nurturingart.com or call 256 880-3935

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The Lord’s Prayer - Translated from Aramaic O Cosmic Birther of all radiance and light! Soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your presence can abide. Fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission. Let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire. Endow us with the wisdom to produce and to share what each being needs to grow and flourish. Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes. Let us not be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment for you are the ground and the fruitful vision, the birth, power and fulfillment as all is gathered and made whole once again.

Happy New Year!

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Voice of Choices January 2008

Tabula Rasa 2008 The Blessings of a Blank Slate Julie Hutslar Christmas comes in furiously and leaves us feeling tired and confused. December felt like a whirlwind, and now January feels bleak and directionless in contrast. What happened to last year and do we ever even stop to ask that question? We are plugged into time. That means, just like the geese flying south for the winter or whales migrating north for the summer, we gear many of our habits and processes to the passing of time. This can be a detriment or it can be used to assist and empower us, depending upon if we are conscious of this fact or not. Most of the time we feel pressured, there isn’t enough of it when we need to get things done. Other times, there is too much if we are waiting for something wonderful to happen. But in either case, we feel that we are not in control of the 60 seconds that appear to inhabit a minute. But Einstein figured out time was relative, and we’ve figured out we co-create our reality, so what part of that gives time power over us? What if we consciously chose to dismantle time and use its parts, but not play by its rules anymore? What I mean is, if we recognize we have historically given a certain power over to time (as in, what being 44 years old means to you) then why not use that power to our own benefit? Take a block of time, let’s say a year, and empty it out. Dump it upside down. Time only exists in our minds, so empty your mind of all the contents of 2007. Sift through them. Collect all the memories that made it eventful, joyful, conscious, learned, or peaceful. Don’t take anything along that isn’t yours. If you are now a grandmother, don’t accept the mass mind’s idea of how old and how sedate a grandmother should be. If your mind says you feel 33, then don’t let time hold you to your chronological age of 56, act your mind, not your age! Unstick your mind from the passing of time, otherwise, you are going to be old when it is time to be old, and who really wants to do that? If you believe that each passing year brings wrinkles, pain, discomfort and less mobility, then aren’t you setting that intention ahead of time? Who you essentially are is not a body growing older with time. You are a divine and radiant being of godliness. What effect does time have on you then? None. So why not be more conscious of how you’re responding to time versus how you are creating with time? Are you spending your time with your mind worrying over things that haven’t happened yet (time you theoretically haven’t gotten to) or feeling guilty about things in the past (time that has already gone)? Or are you unwrapping each present moment for the joys and miracles each one holds? As the year opens a brand new calendar for you, complete with blank pages and infinite potential, choose what you want to write on those dates before they arrive. Set yourself intentions. Give yourself the power that comes from new beginnings and as you closed a year with the gratitude of Christmastime, let the freshness of a tabula rasa lead the way into a year of miracles instead of problems to solve. Use your mind to redirect your creation energy into the now, no longer the past or the future, but the blank slate that holds any form of possibility. Julie Hutslar is the author of “Relationships: Gifts of the Spirit” and is a spiritual counselor specializing in Core Belief Restructuring. She works out of Pinnacle Health Center in Sandpoint and you can reach her at (208)255-2925. Visit her website at www.jrhutslar.com

Voice of Choices January 2008

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The Heart of Healing Blessings from The Publisher

Kathy Lowden . Aloha and Blessings in this Grand New Year. While each and every day offers us opportunity to create what we desire, it is at the beginning of a New Year when we may find our focus on improved intentions. This month’s articles feature several excellent practical tools you may choose to use as you venture into the conscious creation of your New Year. Each holds a key to assist you in unlocking your full potential, moving into all you desire to be with renewed joy. There is a point where we may look at what we have created and wonder how or why the details have become so much different than we desired. As it is so eloquently described in ‘Ka Hana Pono’ a book of wisdom and divination cards you can find out more about at http:// KaHanaPono.Tripod.com “In the word there is life - in the word there is death. We create our own realities. We are so powerful, every word we say, every thought we think is life giving or death dealing. In Pono, we own our power- the power to choose. Connie Rios, Auntie Kaikilani Oyama, Auntie Mahealani Kuamo’oHeenry and Auntie Luana Smith share Hawaiian wisdom in this set of tools I’ve found to unparalleled in it’s relevance to my life.

I am not sure how to shift into the frequency and experience I prefer. I know that ‘as Creator’ the tools are within me. Voice of Choices began as a newsletter for a Reiki Circle held at my home ---- in the middle of a medicine wheel. And as I tell that ‘story’ I now find myself living on sacred ground with a medicine wheel in my front yard. An underlying reason for the newsletter was to share an important truth often unvocalized by those who label themselves ‘healers’. We are all healers. And our personal healing is an’inside job’. There are many who can assist us. Special souls who can facilitate, guide, console, inspire and share in the healing journey. And it is still only ‘me’ or ‘you’ who can choose to shift into a frequency of health, prosperity and joy. I do not know what the future holds. Tarot cards and divination tools offer clarity of the ‘now’ - details we can use to create the future ..... and in each moment a simple choice can redirect our energy into a new expression of the now moment after this one. I’ve heard it said that our horoscope chart, with so much more information than just a sun sign - holds the energies which give us our greatest experiences. Actually it was described as ‘lessons’ - and the word ‘lesson’ somehow carries a frequency or vibration of challenge. My personal skills and talents are in communication. I desire to assist others by acting as a ‘messenger’. I am becoming clearer in disassociating myself with the outcome of delivering the messages.

This morning, unsure what to share with you as we all begin the journey of a new year, I asked again for guidance. The cards I’d like to share with you are simple. Their concepts have been written about,exalted in song, made into movies and dvds and not just in the last few years- since the ‘Great I AM’ created this vast reality with the utterance of ‘words’. Card #26- Ka mea nana i hana - ‘Creator’. The Creator is YOU. Yes that’s right YOU. The card’s name means creator. The words themselves mean ‘creation of the thing looked to’. Encoded in the Hawaiian language is the value system of the ancients. Their understanding, their take on us as ‘uhane nui’ - creatures of spirit greatness - is that we are powerful creators. We can create anything- and we create (through our thoughts and emotions) whatever we ‘look to’.

I want to heal the world - and yet the world must want to heal and it is innappropriate to offer what is not asked for. You are reading this - so ‘you asked for it’ - and have your free will to use information however you choose. Please remember - it is your focus - your thoughts - your attachment to the rewards within your chosen creation that moves you forward into 2008.

Rewards can be an interesting set of circumstances we might think we would not consciously choose. Being sick may create love, The caution is contained in the words attention and assistance one might not othwhatever we look to, focus on, is what erwise receive from others. It also creates we create. That doesn’t just mean ‘what lessons/opportunities for growth for all inwe want’ or ‘what’s in our best interest’ volved. Accepting that someone may conCelebration Rita Loyd or for our highest good - it means whatsciously or unconsciously desire these ‘reever we look to. The thing we look to is wards’ without having a driving ‘need’ to the thing we get. ‘heal’ that which we deem ‘broken/afflicted/ So you will not hear of the blessings presented in what has been a per- sick’ is honoring that person’s soul path. At the same time we can choose sonal journey for me through the last 6 months. I have alwaysput a the level at which we want to be involved with those whose ‘frequency’ is positive spin on my stories with the intention of sharing a nugget of incompatable with our own. inspiration..... and the storytelling has created a ‘frequency’ that is not I trust you will walk with intention and focus, joy and wisdom into each working for me. day of this new year. My blessing for you is that you enjoy the rewards of I have discovered, that the rewards received from this story telling have your focus, finding your way to all that you desire - in this and every not created my desires. As a strong, independant and intelligent human moment. being I have been blessed with lessons requiring me to accept the gifts f Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Mahalo being humble, relying on the generosity of others and relinquishing the Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden control of the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ with new found gratitude.

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Voice of Choices January 2008

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The Power of Winter Guy Finley Great lakes, ponds, and streams freeze over; the earth grows hard and unreceptive. Tree sap stops flowing; even the air becomes dense, slow to move, and heat stealing. Yet, not everything is as it appears to be!

“Here is one of the great spiritual mysteries of all time. Freedom is either found within one’s suffering or not at all; the only thing one escapes when running from pain is the possibility of discovering its purpose and how to transcend it.” Excerpted from 365 Ways to Let Go: Meditations to

We affirm the light of Truth not by professing its powers on sunny days, but in choosing to walk by its light, no matter how faint, even in the midst of our darkest hour when all that we see before us is defeat.

The pervasive stillness and deep silence of winter are powers every bit as great as are the explosive forces of spring and summer, only different. After all, what is a glacier but a vast frozen river crawling its way through time? Both are forms of water whose unstoppable might can carve their way through solid rock! So, how can we channel this power of winter, and use it to let go of whatever stands between us and the higher life we desire?

Change Your Life One Day at a Time by Guy Finley, White Cloud Press, Ashland, OR, 2007 Guy Finley, best-selling author of more than 35 books and audio albums on self-realization, is the founder and director of Life of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center for self-study. Visit www.guyfinley.org, and sign up to receive a free helpful newsletter emailed once a week.

Winter is the time of the year when the forces of nature assume their most passive form. But we are discovering here that passive does not mean powerless! The better we understand this unique power of being “passive”– and how it serves as the secret consort of all things active – the more we grow in the faith we need to be wisely passive toward whatever fears remain in us about letting go of our false self. This is why, during the dark days of winter, we should take time each day - - as often as possible - - to quietly return to the living Light that dwells in the center of ourselves. By gathering our attention in this way, and bringing the whole of ourselves into the heart of this interior stillness, we not only collect our own forces, as nature herself is doing, but much more: in this deliberate act of gathering ourselves – and for the conscious sense of quiet contentment we find within it – we are also being released from the false idea that the source of our strength and security can be found somewhere outside us. Once we start to see, to know in our innermost heart, that Life itself is already complete, we can let go of whatever – or whoever – would have us believe otherwise. Old attachments and their long-standing aches are now seen for being what they have always been: appendages of days gone by, worthless to the Higher Self we have agreed to become, and by whose stillness we realize this need for a wholly new valuation of our own soul.

Five Meditations for Winter “If we will only work to remember that we live in a world within which there are an infinite number of stories unfolding – all at the same time – then we will never forget that it is our choice as to which of these stories becomes our life.” “It is the source to which we turn, and from which we derive our strength, that is the real test of our character; for in any moment of trial no one can be any stronger – better or brighter – than what he or she loves.” “We affirm the light of Truth not by professing its powers on sunny days, but in choosing to walk by its light, no matter how faint, even in the midst of our darkest hour when all that we see before us is defeat.” “Whoever fails to try what his heart would have him do because his mind tells him “This you cannot do” fails to hear the everpresent Voice of Reality forever shouting to those who would dare: “No sincere effort ever goes without being rewarded.”

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Voice of Choices January 2008

The Rewards of Letting Go Kasara D’Elene O ne of the most challenging

things in my job is telling people that they need to let go. This is such a difficult concept for people to grasp, and very challenging for me to explain in words. I have seen this so much lately. People come into my store and their child is sick. They talk about their child’s illness; they give the illness life. They research the illness and the more energy they put into what they think is “trying to work through,” “overcome the illness” or “eliminate the illness,” the more life they give it. Energetically they try to get me to move with them (if you will) to help talk more about the illness. As they do this I can feel them pulling on me energetically to get “buy-in” from me, almost as if they are trying to dump the responsibility of this illness on me. This isn’t surprising because it is very draining to carry this type of energy, and it isn’t surprising that they want someone else to help shoulder the burden. Having learned many protection techniques, I don’t allow this to happen to me anymore. If I did, I probably wouldn’t be healthy or even here physically anymore. The amazing thing is, they don’t have to carry it either. They can let go. I can guarantee you that the child wants to let go, but is continuing to hold that frequency because the parent does. Children are Our Mirrors As parents we dump so much stuff on our children. They are like little mirrors, constantly showing us what we should be looking at. I learn so much of this from my son. He has taught me so much about letting go and staying in the moment. Our society is so good at pulling us out of this “happy place.” It gives us time constraints, deadlines and activities that make us “feel important” and needed. As time moves on, there are moments it seems when things are

going well, but we continue to find things such as illness to hang on to. Almost as if, if we don’t have the illness, we won’t be valued or seen. If we don’t have the illness, our child won’t be special. If my child isn’t sick then I will have too much free time on my hands to look at my own personal issues or ancestral issues — and who wants to do that — yuk! All illness is energy. It is a frequency of energy that is moving either throughout the body or focused on a specific area. This wavelength of energy is similar to a wave in the ocean. The difference is that on the ocean, the ocean is in charge of the wave and we are either able to ride that wave or not. Illness is different in that we create the wave with what we eat, what we feel, what we think, the environment around us, and the ancestral work that hasn’t been addressed. Ancestral work is often referred to as baggage, or issues that keep getting passed down from mother to daughter, father to son, and so on. But the issues are never really getting addressed, looked at, fixed or let go of. This is apparent if you look at any family that passes disease from one generation to the next. Science says it is all in our DNA. But if that is the case, then why hasn’t science been able to actually fix anything with all this DNA information? They have a lot of information, but nothing has yet to become of it. Many people think it is because they are not paying attention to the emotional factors, or emotional energy or frequency on the cells.

Blaming Others Most of the time we use blame to take pressure off of us. We blame our parents, the bugs/organisms, the government, etc. This doesn’t work of course, it just creates drama, and pulls us further away from where we should be looking. Unfortunately we do the same things to ourselves that our parents did to us, and that their parents did to them and the cycle continues endlessly and needlessly. Our whole life we have been told what to think, and not to feel, like our feelings had no value. It has become such a convenient step for us to retreat into our heads instead of feeling our feelings and listening to our bodies and heart. The more we allow ourselves to feel, the more we know what is going on with ourselves. There are ways to change this emotional energy charge. Acknowledging it is the first step, and often the hardest step. People are so wounded and often they use illness to hide the fact that they have pain. With the illness, they get attention that they otherwise would not get. One of my friends is a fireman. He has told me many times he goes on calls to people’s houses to help them and it is obvious that they just need to be touched, they just need someone to acknowledge that they exist. They just need to be held and listened to. It is so sad that our society has come to such a disconnected place for people. If you feel you fall into this category, reach out to others, tell people how you really feel. So often it is hard for us to say the things that need to be said. Instead we say things to hurt ourselves and others, which only isolates us more and deepens the pain.

Recognizing Emotional Injuries There are all kinds of healing techniques, therapies and books that can help people let go of pain, but often people don’t even realize that they have any. A book I think is excellent at pointing out how we get emotionally injured is called “The Continuum Concept; In Search of Happiness Lost,” by Jean Liedloff. I encourage every parent, and anyone who wants to delve deeper

Voice of Choices January 2008

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into themselves to understand more of their core issues, to read this incredible book. From this book, I was able to see how almost everyone growing up in our modern society is deeply wounded because of basic needs that our society doesn’t acknowledge. Can you imagine growing up in a culture where no one ever physically punished a child? Where no one ever yelled at or belittled a child? Where a child’s cry was considered a cry for help and someone was always around to help? That’s how traditional cultures raised children. Being raised this way instills an amazing sense of self-worth, personal value and internal happiness that isn’t seen very often today. Allowing Change Once you have acknowledged that there is something you want to rid yourself of, then you need to allow it be gone. This isn’t about pointing the finger or putting blame on anyone, it is about allowing. It doesn’t mean someone else, or even yourself, is the cause, it is about changing that energy frequency you have been holding on to. Allow that musical tone (if you will) to change to another frequency, one that will benefit you. If you keep allowing the same tone to play, then nothing changes. But if you start to change it, then everything around you can change as well.

One exercise I encourage people to start doing is to stare at themselves in the mirror. Really look at yourself. Who are you? What is inside of you? Where are you wounded? You are a beautiful human being! Another exercise is to just sit and listen to your body. Let your body talk to you. It most likely has a lot to say if you haven’t been listening to it in the past. Look at yourself and listen to your body often, to help unlock hidden pain that you can release and let go of. Get curious about yourself, about the miracle you are. You will be amazed at how you can change things in your life and those around you. Letting go can be challenging but extremely rewarding. Yours in health, Kasara D’Elene, B.Sc., C.N.H.P., M.H., N.D. Licensed Traditional Naturopath - President of TruHealth, Inc. 18001-L BothellEverett Hwy, Suite L Bothell, WA 98012

You have the power to change it. Think of how your life changes when you a get a new job, a new relationship, or in each stage of your child’s life. The frequency of that new time period changes, and then so does everything else around you. Changing the Frequency This is not about changing your mind, but rather changing your energy or frequency that you are living in. For example; what type of music do you listen to? Do you listen to music that is sad, vengeful, or happy and inspiring. There is a song on the radio, sorry I don’t remember the name of it, but in the song the words talk about revenge, and how the women is going to ruin her boyfriend’s car so he will think before he cheats again. It is a “good” song, but I don’t care for the frequency of the words, how they make me feel vengeful towards others that have hurt me in the past. I don’t want to focus on that energy and so I turn the radio off when that song comes on. I don’t want to get stuck in the frequency of revenge. If I do, I may be looking at the world that way as I live my life, where people “owe me” or trying to defend or prove myself in situations. This is true when you see people around you as well. If someone yells at you for something, you may yell at someone else, passing that negative energy along. Some people don’t pass it along, instead they hang onto it, like a badge of honor, like the only way they will feel human is to carry around the negative pain that people have dumped on them. What is the frequency of the food you are eating? Is it uplifting or dead? What is the frequency of things around you? Do you always have to have the TV or radio on? What would your frequency feel like if it everything else was silent around you?

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Voice of Choices January 2008

15, finally moves direct in the sign of Gemini on Jan. 30 and now travels back over the path it traveled two times in 2007. Expect things to begin to settle down a bit and many of those blocks to finally remove themselves from your life if you are dedicated to a course of action now. Whether you already are feeling, watching or knowing it, 2008 is going to be a big year for us all. Aren’t we all already feeling the “shifts and changes and noting that life cannot remain as it has been”?

Happy Birthday Capricorn and Aquarius. Welcome to 2008, a No. 1 year of new beginnings for the planet: Colors for January are black and brown and all dark shades. Stones sacred to this time are the garnet and the energy of kyanite. January flowers are carnations and snowdrops. The ruling planet of January is Saturn, the energy of discipline, duty, organization and efficiency. Saturn moving backwards all this month in the sign of Virgo will lessen some of the stresses around you in order to give you a bit of breathing space and to get more information, which is what Virgo is best at. To me this seems like a time when not making those New Year’s resolutions might be a great idea. Instead, ponder, think and meditate on what you really need and how you are going to make it happen for yourself. You have some real changes in the sky that will help you with building your dream. The new moon on Jan. 8, at 3:37 a.m. here in Seattle, has the sun (the light), the moon (the emotions and our past) and Jupiter (expansion) all in Capricorn. Adding to the strong theme of Capricorn for the next few years, this new energy asks us to achieve more, and has the planets backing us up to help us be and do more than we ever thought possible. These next two weeks are powerful building times. To use Earth energy for this, use the stones that increase Capricorn energy: garnets, fluorite, emeralds, rose jasper, clear quartz, rose quartz, aquamarine, agate, sugilite and my favorite, Golden Citrine, which is wonderful with Sagittarius energy also. The full moon on Jan. 22 has the moon in Leo and the sun in Aquarius. It has a much softer energy to it as we are asked to shift our ways of thinking and let go for the next two weeks of old ideas and things that no longer work for us.. On Jan. 28 Mercury moves retrograde in the sign of Aquarius. This could be an interesting time for computers and mechanical devices that are ruled by Aquarius. So until Mercury moves direct on Feb. 18, it might not be the best time to install new programs or buy new electrical devices. As always, retrograde is redo, rethink, replan, replay, reprocess and reconnect. And when we do something new we often during this time get to redo it. Plan accordingly and think positively is my approach. Mars, the planet of action, which has been retrograde since Nov.

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Astrologically, this is and was heralded by the conjunction (coming together) of Jupiter and Pluto: first on Dec. 10 and 11, 2006, in the sign of Sagittarius. Jupiter moved into the sign of Capricorn on Dec 18 and Pluto moves there Jan. 25 so we will have these two planets joining together again and dancing together to a very changed tune. Jupiter will remain in Capricorn one year. Jupiter’s job is to expand things, to make them more. Pluto, the planet of transformations, will shift backward (retrograde) when it enters Capricorn and will re-enter Sagittarius again this year. But by November it will be firmly back in Capricorn to stay for the next 14 years. Capricorn is the archetype of law and order, as it seeks to structure in very concrete ways the truths (or errors) we all finally figured out while these planets were in Sagittarius. Capricorn is associated with elder energy, which is responsible for holding it all together. Capricorn is Cardinal Earth, meaning that it initiates action. We all know what it feels like for Earth to shake don’t we. Capricorn brings form, responsibility and consequences through time and is ruled by Saturn, or Chronos (Father Time in ancient astrology). With Saturn now in the sign of Virgo we will have for the next 2½ years a grand trine of Earth energy helping us build or tear down what needs to be changed. Capricorn is not an Earth sign with any intention of sitting around and anchoring into anything that is not working properly. Capricorn is perfectly willing to kick fanny and get it “right,” so get ready to enjoy using this energy in your personal lives. Jupiter is a force that expands whatever it contacts and Pluto represents the evolutionary journey of the soul: transformation and death, regeneration and rebirth. When we put these planets into Capricorn together we have an expansion of power and changes, and endings for some of the most grounded, secure structures. The United States was created the last time Pluto was in Capricorn as we rebelled from Great Britain and created a new country. It is time to transform ourselves and our world at the very deepest levels and be open to the expansion this will bring to our souls and world. I see a green world coming and a much healthier shift for us all, and very great and positive changes. As in all new years we are open to shifts and changes, but this is the most significant change in more than 3,000 years on this planet. Get used to driving the energy of “I am more than I ever thought I could be,” and helping and sharing with others with the north node (where we need to move into) now in Aquarius for 18 months and the south node (past energies) in Leo. Remember your joy and let’s bring it back to your life. What did you once love to do? Begin it now and let’s make this year the best ever for you and the world. We give thanks to Voice of Choices and all the voices raised throughout the world working hard to bring light, joy and hope to you.. Let your voice join in even stronger this year and sing your song of life. I wish you all the wonders of the world and that you have the clarity of vision to look around and see all you already have in your wonderful life. E-mail Carol at carolastro@carolbarbeau.com. Sign up for free astrology updates at www.carolbarbeau.com.

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Imbolc:

Each participant lights their candle from the central one, declaring their goals and desire for the coming year (out loud), and seats the candle in the sand of the cauldron. If the candle is small, it can be left until it extinguishes itself during the ceremony (representing the year) or, if big, can be taken home and relit, and left to burn until it extinguishes at home. I prefer the former, being ceremonial in nature. If relit at home, place it in the fireplace or sink, for safety. Raise a Cone of Power through a “Ma” chant or other to focus and release energy to the candles, while circling the cauldron. A member versed in this skill can lead a guided meditation, for drawing forth and enhancing the energy and purpose of the promises made. Dance in a circle around the altar (if there is room) to enhance the Wheel’s turning to better times. Imbolc is the time for a Dedication Ceremony should there be such a person.

Celebration of Opposites Kate Bowditch, MA, LMHC February 2nd Imbolc is a difficult celebration; one of opposites and mysteries, sort of a shape-shifter, if you will. | It comes in the dead of winter. The Goddesses of this time, Kali and Lupa, winnow the weak from the strong, stripping the meat from their bones. The cauldron is hot, watched over by Cerridwen, to stir and blend all the possibilities before us. Brigit is the goddess of the forge, among other things, ready to sear our unuseful aspects and hammer our reluctant souls into better shape.

I give thanks to the many people who have researched and written about such ceremonies, from which I draw my information.

There is no hope of gaining more than what we put away for ourselves last fall. It is a time of testing. However, the Solstice has past, and the sun is coming back, more and more each day. The sprigs show it, the streams show it. Grass sometimes grows under the snow. Deep in the ground, bulbs have begun to sprout. Bears give birth in their caves. The sheep are lambing and their milk is available. The old translation of “Imbolc” is “Ewe’s Milk”, and the promise of new things is in the air. This is a wonderful time to visit any local “winter gardens” for their color and design. It is an exciting time. It is the season of hope. Of all the Goddesses, Brigit, goddess of the crossroads, of fire, the hearth, and of holy wells and springs, presides over Imbolc.

Kate Bowditch is an elder, Wiccan priestess and a licensed counselor in private practice in Everett, Wash. Her recent project, an Ocean Healing Ceremony, can be visited at www.oceanhealers.netfirms.com. Visit www.clearwatertherapy.com or write her at: kbowditch@juno.com.

The theme for the Celebration is: Light, Hope, Dedication, Renewal, Emergence. Whiteness is the theme for decorations and food: milk and milk products, white cloth, potted snowdrops or paperwhites, oat cakes/ cookies, Brigit’s crosses from wheat-stalks. In your ceremony, use lots of white candles. Each participant holds one unlit white candle in the ceremony. The center candle on the altar is white, for Spirit, and sits in a cauldron packed with sand. A red and a green candle are also set for lighting, representing the God and the Goddess.

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Voice of Choices January 2008

Circles- Cycles- and a New Year Blessing Walks With Thunder After my November article, ‘Saying Good Bye to Fear and Control’, a Hawaii reader called to remind me that a person’s day of birth is an equally powerful day (mine is Sunday) and it comes around every week! And it got me to thinking about New Year’s… At the time of New Year’s, many of us desire to make changes in our lives. For lots of folks, the New Year means new chances for a clean slate and new goals for a new cycle. North American Natives have been aware of the cycle of life for 30,000 years. We honor it in many ways- our Drums, Teepees, Sweat Lodges, Art Designs, Dream Catchers, the Medicine Wheel… and so much more of our culture is based on a circle (or cycle). Some people say we never discovered the wheel, but I actually think we knew about it and chose not to use it as a mode of transportation- instead applying it spiritually to our world. So much for me to do this New Year- lose weight, begin swimming,

finish my book, travel, promote my DVD, make some more DVD’s, give myself a New Year’s blessing… Don’t you folks do that? Two years ago I gave myself a blessing, “I no longer want to be Puget Sound’s best kept secret.” Last year it was, “I want to be known world-wide in a good way.” Being a good asker has its perks. If you’re reading these, then you know I am not a “ best kept secret” any more and these days’ folks truly contact me from all over the world, from Australia to Africa, and the Netherlands to the UK, and Iraq. I guess that’s the “worldwide in a good way” thing showing up. Now you have to remember- I don’t define myself by rules or limits, so I do my New Year’s blessing on my own personal new year- my birthday. I like to use my birthday, January 26th, because a birthday marks my very own New Year- the end of a cycle and the beginning of another. You can use any day you like that feels like a powerful beginning to you to do a New Year’s blessing. It can be the start/end of a relationship, a loved one passing on, the birth of a new family member, the start of a new job, or a shift/ change in your life path…. Doing the New Year’s blessing is easy. We already talked about the first step- you need a “New Year.” Next, be clear for yourself and be specific in your request. Once you have one in mind, write it down and think about it for a few days to be sure it’s what you want and the manner in which it would be a welcome change. I always ask for the blessing to come in a “good and gentle, but fast and effective middle world way” and I put a time specification on it as well. And finally, I also like to have a bit of quiet time before I ask for a blessing- to feel calm and have in my mind exactly what I want to say. When it’s time to do the actual blessing, go outside to a place that feels good to you- your own back yard, a park, a special spot in the forest, by a river, etc. Call the spirits of all the directions- either one at a time or say “I call the Grandfather and Grandmother spirits of all the directions and ask them to bless my life with ….” After I do this, I personally thank the spirits for assisting me and on special occasions like this I often offer tobacco to the seven directions in the ancient way. If you choose to do so, just throw a pinch of tobacco in what you think of as each of the four geographic directions, then above, below, and within before specifying your blessing request(s). Some times that tobacco fades out of existence so watch for that! But if it doesn’t fade out, that doesn’t mean your blessing goes unacknowledged or unassisted- just expect (and watch for) signs that you were heard in the upcoming timeframe you asked the blessing be completed. Sure you can bless yourself, who better to do that job? If you don’t yet bless yourself, I suggest that be your New Year’s gift to yourself! You’re the one who has been with you all your life… Why not use the power of self to bless you in only the way you can? Yes I know sounds arrogant and self-serving, and I am ok with that (lol)… Truly! We are the ones who desire the positive change and when we receive we give to others, so let’s power that change in our lives and be the best we can be instead of giving that power to someone else. The few minutes you take to do this blessing could powerfully change your life. My New Year’s gift to you? On my birthday I will ask that all who do this blessing in January (or on their chosen personal power day next year) be blessed to receive what they ask for in a good and gentle way this year. May you all have the blessings you didn’t ask for but need this year. Walks With Thunder 253-350-5755 www.walkswiththunder.com

Voice of Choices January 2008

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Grace Norma Gentile I have been thinking about Grace. I wrote to a friend over the American Thanksgiving weekend, and referred to it as Dias de Gracias. Then I realized that there is this obvious connection between the time of reflection we have during the shorter days of winter, and the movement of Grace in our lives. What is Grace? Here is my list so far: Grace is an act that appears out of stillness. Grace is a kindness provided, but not expected. Grace happens when the heart asks, rather than the mind Grace is more gentle than a feather, more potent than the most powerful elixir, and simpler than a child’s coloring book. Grace is our ability to bless each other. Did you know the word ‘grace’ in English comes from the Latin words ‘thank you’ and gratitude’? Think of the Italian, ‘grazie’, or Spanish word ‘gracias’. Both reflect a sense of thanksgiving and gratitude. Both are connected to the English word, ‘’grace’. I love how languages tell us about the origins of ideas and cultural concepts. In English the words ‘grace’ and gratitude’ retain enough similarity that you can understand how they are related. But ‘thank you’ appears to be derived more from our Germanic roots (danke), and so can easily be overlooked as being related to the word ‘grace’. Grace is our ability to bless each other. In giving a blessing to another, the very act implies your gratitude for that person. You are in a state of Grace because of your feelings of gratitude for someone. As you bless them, you are ‘thanks-giving’ to them. Grace is also our ability to feel gratitude towards others.

of Grace. We do not need to earn or work for Springtime, for the season will come to us. Likewise, we need not work in order to receive Grace. We are the children of Grace. In the dancing waves of Life between the atoms lies the promise of Grace. The shared unconsciousness, the field of awareness which binds all form to other form, contains the blueprint for Grace. Inside each of us lies this blueprint. We open ourselves to experiencing it through gratitude and thanks giving. Our hearts are the doorway. Silence of mind, the means to open the door. Stillness in time, our ability to know Grace. Peace, as we are embraced into her arms. May Peace, Grace, and Love be with you in this time of reflection -Norma (with a little help from Mary) Sound Shaman, singer and healer, Norma Gentile offers concerts, workshops and healings in many cities. Free newsletters, calendar of events, articles and music are at her website, www.healingchants.com

------------------------------------------------------------ASTROL OG Y ------------------------------------------------------------ASTROLOG OGY Soul Centered Astrology - Carol Barbeau

Hand Cast Astrology Charts Relationship - Solar Return - Monthly - Relocation - Children’s Charts Tarot - Runes - Color Therapy - Chakra Work - Numerology

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There are moments when I feel connected to all that is around me. It is as if the waves of energy lying between the atoms dance in my awareness. I am in a state of Gratitude. I see the spark of Life within people’s eyes, under their stern or hurried gaze. I know that the grey stems of flowers caught in the cold northern wind contain within them the greening life of springtime. The promise of that Springtime to me is an act

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Voice of Choices January 2008

YOUR CHOICE EVENTS LEARN THE BASICS OF CRYSTAL READINGS WITH Dena Marie. At East West Bookshop Jan 10, 7-8:30 pm - Free. Workshop Jan 12, 1-3 pm $35 includes workshop, and her book “Our Energy Matters”. www.denamarie.com for more information.

ONGOING OFFERINGS PSYCHIC & HOLISTIC HEALTH FAIRS Free admission 10-5pm. KENT: First Sat. monthly New Woman Books 213 W. Meeker St. MILL CREEK - BOTHELL 2nd Sat monthly at Grange Hall corner of 35th Ave. SE & Seattle Hill Rd. From 1-5 head east on 164th St. SW 2260 152nd Ave. NE. Redmond 98052 Call 425562-4777 for more information or directions.

CREATIVE EXPRESSION CIRCLES. Express yourself! Explore your experience of yourself and the world through spontaneous art, writing, drama, and meditation activities. Appreciate your journey and your many “voices” in a fun and supportive space. Info: www.mycreativetherapy.com inquire@ mycreativetherapy.com 206.229.6300. 2/8 FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE FRIENDS AND FELLOWSHIP 2008 INTENTIONAL LIVING AND INTUITIVE ARTS FAIRS, in Bellingham and Everett, visit friendsandfellowship. byregion.net Or call Frances at 206-679-0316 or 425-252-0439.

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I U A M

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EXTREMELY DETAILED ACCURATE CLAIRVOYANT psychic medium, over 20 years worlwide by phone. View testimonials and free medita-tional videos. Start the new year out knowing! www.TinaLee.com (530) 4036421.

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Gnostic Psychology & Meditation Ongoing transformative classes

The Seattle Gnostic Center 2427 NE 143rd St, North Seattle Information & registration at www.gnosticcenter.com 206-365-0826 All classes offered on donation basis

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WESTWOOD HEALING ARTS provides clairvoyant reading and healing, trance mediumship, soul retrieval, therapeutic massage, and Reiki. With compassion, tact, skill, caring and directness. Most services $60/hr. Amy Elkins, LMP 206-933-0407 SUPPORT YOUR NEW LIFE with the gifts of Intuitve Healer. Breathwork. Aromatherapy. Tarot readings. Core Shamanism. Spiritual Counseling. Esoteric Acupuncture. Queen Anne location. Call Augusto 206-229-7219.

ON WINGS OF LIGHT ~ Shamanic, Medicine Wheel, Earth based Spirituality. Drumming, Journey Circles, Vision Quests, Weekend Encampments, Soul Retrievals, Healing & Rituals. Please visit our Trading Post for your supplies and gifts. www.onwingsoflight.com email Tana Hamiter info@onwings oflight.com 360-856-1428 (78)) Classified and Calendar Advertising Listings are just $20 for 30 words - Ad your picture for $10. Pay for 3 months receive an extra month FREE! 1-877-236-4080 info@voiceofchoices.org

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