soul

Love, Faith, and Lessons of the Soul

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Happy Month of Love!

If you live in parts of the country where the weather is cold, you will welcome all the warmth of love coming your way in February! For, we know it’s all about Love, Love, Love, as recited so poetically by Lin-Manuel Miranda who was the winner of eleven Tony Awards for “Hamilton” (I still can’t get a ticket), and of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize. He also has two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Picture and Best Song for “How Far I’ll Go.” To be honest, for me it couldn’t be better said. He is a very “in-tune” man who has expressed the message of “Love, Love, Love,” over and over again, throughout all his work.

For most of my adult life, I have repeatedly heard from loved ones in spirit, as well as from those still here in the physical, how much Love means. The deep intense feeling we experience when we suffer the loss of someone close to us, and how their passing impacts our lives, has to do with the fact that we loved that person.

I realize that we all have to sometimes work hard to keep the faith through Love, and make it replace fear. Not always easy, but necessary for one’s soul growth.

Many of you have written to me about the current state of affairs on a spiritual basis. Firstly, I’m with Lin-Manuel, Love, Love, Love. It couldn’t be more important in these moments of tension and fear to keep Love as a focus. Again, I know how difficult that may be, but I am and will always be a firm believer that Love will always win out in the long run. We may not always see the results we desire, but please believe me, Love is what God, spirit, and soul learning is all about.

Most of you know by know now that I honor and have the greatest respect for Mother Earth. She who feeds us, shelters us, and offers escape via trails to follow; oceans, rivers, and lakes in which to swim; mountains to climb, etc., etc. In sum, it is Mother Earth who allows us to exist. She has a whole world to take care of, and she does it, tirelessly tending for us. Mother Earth is the ultimate nurturer and the example for women to follow as caretakers.

Men too! I have as well in my work experienced many wonderful men who take care of their loved ones – children, wives, mothers, sisters, etc. That is what nurturers do – lend a helping hand, especially during those overwhelming moments.

For Mother Earth, taking care of the land and the waters that support us, is a full-time job. I have for a long time known that trees communicate with each other and like us, have families and communities. Indeed, a well-known scientist studied trees in Nature for a twenty-five year period and learned that the trees actually communicate with each other underground. For example, if a certain type of tree needs a particular nutrient or more sun, the other trees will adjust to make it happen.

So, in response to those emails about fear of what may be coming, whatever it is, let me remind you of my book Everything Happens for a Reason. Love, free will, and lessons of the soul are paramount.

Through our love as nurturers, remember, Mother Earth needs us to do everything we can to help share her burden. Recycling is just but one small example. Each of us needs to do our part to make the world inhabitable for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. who will inherit the Earth when we transition to the Other Side.

With regard to free will, remember, God helps those who help themselves. We have the free will to do the little things that are the big things that make a difference. This can be as simple and taking cloth bags to the market and not using plastic bags. In some cities, plastic bags come with a price (a hotly debated issue in NYC right now), which is a disincentive to using them. When I worked in Denmark, there were NO bags in the stores, period! The oceans will be very happy if less plastic ends up there.

Lessons of the soul. We don’t die, we continue. More precisely, although nobody here gets out alive, every soul does. And the love in our souls continues after we leave the body.

Still, our bodies are important in our souls’ purpose and for learning. And Earth – a tough but wonderful school – is the stage upon which are bodies perform.

Take care of Mother Earth, and she will better take care of you, now and perhaps in a future lifetime.

As we start the New Year. I look forward to connecting in Love on the journey in which we really are all connected. I’m doing many new events this year in places I haven’t done for awhile, to name a few: Somerset, New Jersey, Baltimore, Rochester, Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland, while returning to many others I love. Visit my calendar for a complete schedule.

Happy Valentines Day, my friends!

Welcome to 2017 (A “1” Year Numerologically)!

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Happy New Year! Welcome to 2017!

In numerology, 2017 is a “1” year, and representative of the beginning of a new 9-year cycle. 2016, of course, was a “9” year, and the end of the previous cycle.

The way we calculate this is to break down each year to a single digit, by adding all the numbers of the year together. For example: for 2017, 2 + 0 + 1 + 7 = 10 and 1 + 0 = 1. For 2016, 2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 9.

Take note that this calculation is for the universal year. For your own personal year, add your birth date (day and month) to number 1. For example, if you were born on February 13, i.e., 2/13, you would add 2 + 1 + 3 = 6 + 1 (for 2017) and get “7” as your personal year. My focus in this article will be on the universal cycle.

The start of a new 9-year cycle triggers creativity, learning and growth. It’s truly a time to “plant seeds,” and seek what your heart desires in all areas of your life – career, relationships, money, spirituality, etc. Whatever moves you. 2017, being a “1” year, sets the foundation for the next 9-years.

In numerology, the intentions and foundations you establish during 2017 (preferably early in 2017), can mold the field of potentiality, and set the tone and flow of energy within your life over the forthcoming 9-year cycle.

As you leave the previous 9-year cycle ending in 2016, it’s important to review what did or did not happen during that time frame. And ask yourself, why or why not?

Everything in life has a rhyme and a reason. So while reflecting back over this last cycle, see if you can discover the reasons why certain events occurred. Think about what you might have started in motion at the beginning of the cycle which began in 2008, a tumultuous year for many. Ask, “Where did my efforts lead, and where am I now?” Focus on what was or became important during the 9-year cycle now ending. If you are dissatisfied with where you are now, consider how you may be able to change things going forward.

I’m sure that many of you remember 2008, a year that sent so many of us spiraling into an economic tailspin. Reflect whether and how your life was impacted during that time. See if there are options available now to change things regarding relationships, career, finances, etc. 2017 is a time to dig deep, observe, reflect, and break through if necessary.

Looking back on 2008, I vividly remember so many questions being asked of me at my events regarding our country’s (and the world’s) state of affairs – mostly financial, since so many people lost their homes, their jobs, and their retirement savings. For all of you who went through that, and may still be suffering as a result, I am truly very sorry. It was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many people were hurt.

In 2008, when so many people asked me, “What the h*** is going on?” I felt compelled to share that it is always important to focus on what’s truly important to YOU! Despite the economic difficulties around the country and the globe, ask yourself: “How is my health? How are my kids, spouse, old friends, home, etc.? How can I make things better?” In times of crisis, it’s important to put all of that into perspective. And keep in mind, that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We’re here to grow spiritually. And crises such as occurred in 2008 can create enormous opportunities for spiritual growth as we stand up to the daunting challenges that may still be impacting us today.

In my experience, those who have hope and faith, and trust that everything will somehow be okay although not the same, have a better chance at navigating through a crisis. I believe that you can, to an extent, create your own reality, especially on a psychological level. How we react to things that occur on this physical plane is crucial. Keep in mind that it’s all part of the human experience which we signed up for, knowing the risks involved, and recognizing that at the end of the journey, our souls will rise above it all.

I’m sure many of you reading this newsletter felt pain during the last 9-year cycle. Kudos to all of you who kept the faith even with so many obstacles in your path. And for those who did not, come on home!

Remember that so much of your own life is in your own hands, and you can control how to react to earthly developments. Better to deal with the cards that are dealt. Turn those lemons into lemonade.

Many people, I know, were paralyzed by fear in 2008. But fear can and will pass. Face it, and stare it down, remembering that challenging times are a good time to teach your children the value of not being able to always get what you want. Often, it’s more important to learn how to reinvent yourself, even if your standard of living is severely impacted.

I was in Staples the other day and the checkout woman spontaneously started telling me that she couldn’t believe how fast time flew, and that last December she had promised herself that she was going to start saving money, but that she wasn’t able to do so then, or even in July or September. Stuff happens! Nevertheless, she expressed that her kids had cars, and that “We’re doing ok.”

She was speaking her thoughts out loud to me, a stranger, for some reason, probably sensing that I might be able to provide some guidance. She said that she believed that she should now start saving. I look at her and said, “You’ll be very happy if you save. You know the expression, ‘Save for a rainy day.’ That’s why we save! There will always be rainy days.”

If you didn’t learn that in 2008, learn it now. It’s nine years later. Ask yourself, have you been able to save? If not, why not? Are you now doing what you want? If not, why not? How can you make things better?

More importantly, has someone important gone from your life? If yes, this may be the time to reinvent yourself, and remember that our departed loved ones stick around and help us as much as they can.

For all those who have lost a loved one dear to them in 2016, please remember to put everything in the right perspective. The first year is the hardest – the first Thanksgiving without a loved one, the first Christmas, the first New Year, etc. Remember that grief is a process, and be positive about the fact that the grief will pass.

Remember while reflecting back on the previous nine years, whom we love, and who loves us. Who was there when we needed a hug, a laugh, or a smile, or words of comfort letting us know that it’s going to be all right. Something I’m very sure many of us have experienced in some way or another over the past nine years.

I recall the Suzy Orman line, “People first, money second,” or the simple quote from Ellen DeGeneres, “Be kind to one another.”

So, in sum, I would suggest, that if you take the time to review in 2017 the last 9-year cycle, you may be amazed, enlightened and/or even amused, at all that has passed, and the good that was there despite all the difficulties – difficulties that were overcome, or that can be overcome, if they still exist.

My dear friend Bill Attride, who is a fine astrologer, will be on my Blog Talk Radio show on January 9th to discuss 2017. If you have the time and are so inclined, give a listen, and maybe call in, to learn what’s likely to manifest in the nine years ahead.

As always, I look forward to seeing so many of you in 2017, a new “1” year. I’ll be traveling to some new places, and reconnecting with those in established venues as we meet once again. Check my website for details.

In closing, let me say that during these past nine years, I have been blessed to meet so many wonderful kind and giving folks along the way. It wasn’t always easy, especially in 2008, but I thank you all for joining me on this journey which continues as we begin a new 9-year cycle.