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In addition to some rules of thumb for looking for a prospective new home, this article answers the questions: what’s coming up in the state of the economy; whether it is better now to buy or rent; whether or not to remortgage now; and whether or not to sell now. The Chinese astrological I Ching method known as the King Wen method gives these answers: The economy is improving slowly and gradually. Avoid making unnecessary major changes. Use your potentials and take advantage of the good opportunities that are beginning to appear now.

Whether it is better to buy or rent now: There are advantages and disadvantages to either option. Be very careful if buying. What looks like a bargain could turn out to be a waste of money in the long run. On the other hand, making a sound investment now will save you money in the long run. If you think of renting, consider how you are using your money. In general the picture of buying and renting is pretty much equal.

Whether to remortgage: It’s not the best idea now; money is moving slowly. Short-sightedness is foolhardiness. The advice is to take only appropriate actions based on right motives.

Whether to sell now: The answer is yes but only if to buy a new place now or else to put your money into your business.

These answers are general and depend on the area of the country. For specific, personal answers these or other questions, you may want to consult with me. My contact information is at the end of this article.

The following are some Feng Shui tips for looking for a new home.

The most important thing when looking for a new home is to notice how your body feels when approaching, walking around, entering and leaving a place. If you don’t feel good, the place is not for you. There is a Chinese tradition that says: if possible, bring a little boy with you when looking. If he runs around and wants to pee, it tells you the house has good Yang energy. Notice the wild life and the energy of the neighborhood around the house. If it is happy and peaceful, it is good; money will come in. If it is tired, or if the surroundings look delapidated, the ground energy is waning and it is not good; money will run out. Be very alert to any feelings of danger you might get; a house with what is called secret arrows can bring sudden misfortune. If the house is built on top of an old burial ground, don’t move there. Check out the history of the house if you can. If the prior owners were fortunate it’s a good sign. If not, it’s a bad sign. If the house has a history of untimely deaths, illnesses, divorces, violence and such, be cautious. Unless you know how to clear such energies, or employ the right person to do that, don’t buy.

If a house is crowded, or overwhelmed by trees or is in a land depression that feels stagnant the situation is not good and will contribute to making your life become stagnant. A house high on a windy hill is too active and will dissipate your fortunes. Water courses running away from the front door of the house will pull your money away. Water courses are best for your money luck if they flow from the right to the left around the house as seen from standing in the front door. A pond seen directly to the south of the front door is unlucky.

Best avoid buying a house at the end of a cul de sac, or a T Junction, or a house in front of which there is a road coming directly toward the front door is very bad. A semi-circular driveway that comes around toward the front door is also best avoided; it represents a knife cutting against you. It is best for a house to be set back from the street, and to have steps leading up to the front door. When entering a house, notice whether you feel that it is easy to move about and there are not any broken lines in the interior alignments of walls.

For more information or questions about a Chinese astrological reading and/or Feng Shui consultation, contact Raphael Simons www.psychicarts.net

T. Raphael Simons was a guest on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Listen to his interview here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows1.shtml#SIMONSFENGSHUI1

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

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In most every culture, shamans embarking on a vision quest and other spiritual healers honor the tradition of their ancestors and teachers by carrying and using something known as a medicine bag. Medicine bags are various-sized pouches containing sacred objects, especially crystals, bones, feathers, and stones, but they can carry any small object of significance to the shaman.

Amulet bags have been made in African nations, for the indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, and in Europe and Asia, too. It is rare to find a practitioner of any nature religion, such as Wicca, without his or her personal medicine bag.

When used with an attitude of honor and respect, the bag and its contents are able to bring the shaman in touch with powers of his or her innermost being. Very often, a shaman will carry one or more crystals or other objects that accompanied him or her on the vision quest and will use the stored energy to enhance healing and other ceremonies and sacred rites.

Medicine bags are usually hand stitched and constructed from leather, with beaded adornment. They are small bags, usually hung like necklaces from a cord around the neck, but they can be worn on a belt or carried in a pocket or purse. The exterior designs often act as protective influence, but the bag itself usually contains additional protection inside in the form of sacred objects, crystals, feathers, shells, or herbs that have meaning for the shaman, thereby helping him or her to focus intention.

Medicine bags are meant to give guidance, good luck, good health, abundance, and even love to their wearers. They act as a means of personal energetic protection and can be held to help invoke healing and protection. For instance, a shaman consulting with a person in need of balancing may have a medicine bag embroidered or painted with balancing symbols and containing some obsidian stones used for protection. A lay individual who might carry a medicine bag could include a person going to a stressful job interview or other important business meeting. He or she would wear or carry a small medicine bag containing malachite for success and prosperity.

The crystals placed in your bag should represent a part of yourself or your life that you wish to develop or empower. For example, if you want to be more loving, you could place a small piece of rose quartz in your medicine bag.

Various cultures felt that if one wore the medicine bag close to the body, the sacred power of the bag was stronger and one’s personal power was enhanced. In this book, medicine bags are designed for protection from seen and unseen things and are worn to enhance the wearer’s positive attitude and keep negative energy away from the wearer’s physical and spiritual self.

A person may have several medicine bags, each carried for different reasons.  One bag may be for dealing with stress, one for happiness, one for specific healing purposes. The bag itself should be as attractive as possible. It can be decorated with a symbol of your personal deities, signs of protection or health, or a design of your own creation.

The creation of your personal medicine bag is a pure example of “spiritual crafting,” as it is a process in which you can nurture your art and soul, find inner peace, and enhance your well-being. To benefit from the spiritual crafting lessons that are in Healing Crystals, all you need are a few simple supplies and a desire to connect to a mystical state of grace. (c) Amy Zerner & Monte Farber, from “Healing Crystals: A Shaman’s Guide to Making Medicine Bags & Using Energy Stones (Enchanted World)

Our new book,

“Healing Crystals-A Shaman’s Guide to Making Medicine Bags & Using Energy Stones”

is out! It’s a is a One Spirit Book Club Alternate Main Selection:

http://www.onespirit.com/ecom/pages/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1045832347

More About Monte Farber and Amy Zerner:

Internationally known self-help author Monte Farber’s inspiring guidance and empathic insights impact everyone he encounters. Amy Zerner’s exquisite, one-of-a-kind spiritual couture creations and collaged fabric paintings exude her profound intuition and deep connection with archetypal stories and healing energies. For more than thirty years they’ve combined their deep love for each other with the work of inner exploration and self-discovery to build The Enchanted World of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber: popular books, card decks, and oracles that have helped millions answer questions, find deeper meaning, and follow their own spiritual paths.

Together they’ve made their love for each other a work of art and their art the work of their lives, with over two million books in print in fourteen languages. Their other best-selling titles include The Chakra Meditation Kit, The Tarot Discovery Kit, Karma Cards, The Enchanted Spellboard, Secrets of the Fortune Bell, Little Reminders: Love & Relationships, Little Reminders: The Law of Attraction, Goddess, Guide Me!, The Animal Powers Meditation Kit, Astrology Gems, True Love Tarot, The Instant Tarot Reader, The Psychic Circle, Wish Upon A Star, The Pathfinder Psychic Talking Board, The Truth Fairy, Spirit of the Ancestors Altar Kit, Vibe-Away!, The Mystic Messenger, The Breathe Easy Deck, The Healing Deck, and The Ghostwriter Automatic Writing Kit.  More info at: www.TheEnchantedWorld.com

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Not that these aren’t challenging times, but all the fear mongering and consequent pubic anxiety isn’t helping anyone. How can Feng Shui help in all this, you might wonder. It is my experience that when life becomes stagnant and money is not coming in as it should, changing the environmental condition does help to get the energy flowing again. In other words, move the furniture around; put it into a new configuration. The end of summer and beginning of autumn is a good time to make such changes. Sometimes even a small change makes a world of difference.

It really helps to clean out the place. Clutter spells stagnation and anxiety. To clear your space, start by throwing out everything that you don’t need. Clear up all the clutter. Get organized. Look over all the old papers and decide what goes where and what goes into the garbage.

To make a spiritual cleansing of the house, according to Chinese tradition, first open all the windows and do a thorough house cleaning; washing and vacuuming. When that’s done, take a broom and lightly sweep all the floors and walls from the back of the house to the front door, then sweep all the stale energy out the door. And, if you want to do it right, slam the door behind it all once you’ve got it outside.

There is a secret method for getting bad spirits out of the house that you can include. For this you need to get a small round mirror. Traditionally, one uses a round bronze mirror that can be held in the hand, but a small, round cosmetic mirror will do if you can’t find a bronze mirror; bronze mirrors are hard to come by and are expensive. Take the mirror in your left hand; hold it flat with all five fingers around it so the reflecting side faces out. In your right hand, hold a lit red candle so that  the candle flame is reflected on the face of the mirror. With this, go around to all the walls of the house; walk close to the wall surfaces, reflecting the candle flame in the mirror onto the walls as you go from the back of the house all the way around to the front door. This causes hungry ghost energies to flee the house and can cause your hair to stand up on end if you are sensitive to such entities.

To freshen up the house and bring in good luck, bring in fresh oranges and fresh, live flowers and arrange them on a table. Then light two red candles on the table where you have arranged the oranges and flowers, burn sandalwood incense, and make a prayer for the blessings of Heaven for peace and prosperity to come into your home.

When arranging your furniture, make sure the configuration you put everything into lets you move easily through the house; nothing should get in the way of movement. The house has to feel open. Clutter or obstruction anywhere means stagnation in one or another department of your life. A Feng Shui reading of your house will tell you exactly what the cluttered areas of your home correspond to in your life according to the elements of your Chinese astrological chart and the elements of the different compass points inside your home. A complete cleansing of the house, including decluttering it and sorting out and realigning all the stuff will help you to get your energy moving in the right direction, and that’s what you want. While doing this, concentrate of rearranging how you feel about your prospects in life. A feeling of being stuck in life with no idea what to do is no better than living in a cluttered mess. Clear your mental environment of mental clutter while you clear your home environment; both your mental and living environments reflect one another. When you can see your intention for an unobstructed way in life reflected in an open, clean environment you will be taking a very positive step in the right direction. While organizing your house, organize your personal goals and prioritize the steps that will bring you to realize your goals; everything corresponds.

Anxiety or despair, for whatever reason, needs time to come around and be transformed. In the context of the Chinese elements these emotions are related mostly to Earth and Metal. In their most positive life supportive expressions, Earth and Metal signify nourishment and cleanliness. If you are in emotional trouble for fear of not having enough, take care of nourishment and setting healthy boundaries; pay attention to what you eat, and keep negative people and situations at a safe distance. In terms of your space, pay attention to your kitchen, and throw out all the junk.

Money points or areas in the house to consider include the first place you see inside the house upon opening the front door, also the far left-hand area, or corner, of your entire house or apartment, and the southeast area, or corner, of your house or apartment. There are also other areas designated as money points that are determined by the age of the house as well as by the elements of your Chinese astrological chart; to locate these areas, however, you need the help of an expert, one who knows the Chinese astrological and compass methods. Besides the fixed money points, there are money points that circulate around the house on a yearly, even monthly basis due to the rotation of the heavens. In China and Japan people who use fengshui readjust their homes and places of business on a regular basis to catch the luck.

What to do mainly in money points is to make sure the energy or chi, breathes unobstructedly. Clutter or unsightly stuff in the money points militates against a healthy relationship with money. Money points, besides being uncluttered, should be well lit. If you wish, put symbols of prosperity in the money points. Symbols of prosperity, besides the appropriate Chinese calligraphies, include such things as bouquets of flowers, flowering plants, miniature orange trees, jade plants, the lucky Buddha, a conch shell, images of two gold fish swiming around one another, images of elephants, deer, horses, dogs and so on. Certain images such as dragons or money turtles need to be positioned in special ways according to the element they represent in order to work for you the way you want them to. For example, a dragon or money turtle made of plastic, crystal or glass corresponds to the element Water and has to be positioned to face north; made of wood, it has to face east or southeast; made of stone, it has to face northeast or southwest; made of metal it has to face west or northwest. The famous money toad has to be positioned to face the direction of the front door. The money toad also has to be placed high up, never low down. This is because the money toad is a form of the Moon Fairy Chang-O, and Chang-O lives in the sky, not on the earth. There are Chinese magical formulas for using money toads to increase money luck that require knowledge of the lunar tides and astrological number theories to work. The same holds true for using fish tanks for attracting money luck.

To make decent money, you need to keep your mind clear and focused while persevering. This is where the element Metal comes in. Metal cuts out everything undesirable and concentrates. To keep your mind clear, or clearer than it has been these past months, make sure to throw out everything you don’t want and can’t use anymore. Keep your house in a simple, balanced condition. And to cheer up, use the element Fire. Fire is beauty. Keep things of beauty to inspire you.

In the Chinese system, everything is cyclical; everything moves in waves. This down cycle will be followed by an up cycle. The tides will turn. Get ready for improved luck. Money is flow, or affluence. If the flow of energy of your home and life is good, your chances of luck are good. If the flow is stale and stagnant, your chances of luck are poor. Breathe right, open the channels to life, let in the light and get more luck. Chaos, or clutter often denotes depression. If you or someone in your home is depressed or chaotic, go about decluttering very carefully and sensitively unless you want to get a bad reaction; decluttering often exposes emotional pain that wants to be left alone and needs time to come through its own process by itself in its own time. In other words, be patient with yourself and with the others living with you when fixing up the place.

How well can you move through your home? Do you need all the stuff you cling to? Can you take chances with your money to improve your condition? Fear comes of feeling stuck. The more freely you can move the more unstuck you feel. Open your space and move and you will begin to feel less stuck. And that will start to turn your luck around for the better.For more information about Raphael’s work in Feng Shui see www.psychicarts.net or www.trs-fengshui.com

T. Raphael Simons will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Friday, August 28th at 8pm Eastern.

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

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Every time I make a work of art, I am ready for a new adventure.  I have developed my own artform:  mixed media fabric collage tapestries. I feature my tapestries in our the many books & tools I have created with my husband, author Monte Farber, as  well as on my Spiritual Couture one-of-a-kind jackets.

Collage is a very therapeutic technique because it is a creative and spontaneous process; it allows me to be open to my soul language, to imagine the way I would like things to be.  When we develop our abilities to visualize, we can achieve many goals, we can create our own reality.

As I make the many decisions of placement, and balance by intuitively adding and eliminating elements, my decision-making muscles are strengthened on a daily basis.  By trusting and connecting to my “dream world” of metaphors & symbols, I draw up answers and revelations from the well of the unconscious.  That is why I love to make art all the time, because it is such a spiritual journey.  And its fun, too!  We all have an Artist within us yearning to express the feelings, language, and teachings that touch our soul and mirror back images that can heal us at every stage of growth.  If not expressed, the Inner Artist shuts down, and our spiritual natures shut down as well.

True creativity is arrived at by following a disciplined psychological and spiritual path.  Being creative entails the liberation of your “dream” and the ultimate realization of its delights.  To walk the creative path, though, one must be tenacious and heroic.

Art, writing, and other creative outlets are a way of talking to our Higher Selves.  By actualizing your creativity, you become spiritual.  If everyone is creative, then we live in paradise.  I believe we all have special gifts to share.

More About Monte Farber and Amy Zerner:

Internationally known self-help author Monte Farber’s inspiring guidance and empathic insights impact everyone he encounters. Amy Zerner’s exquisite, one-of-a-kind spiritual couture creations and collaged fabric paintings exude her profound intuition and deep connection with archetypal stories and healing energies. For more than thirty years they’ve combined their deep love for each other with the work of inner exploration and self-discovery to build The Enchanted World of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber: popular books, card decks, and oracles that have helped millions answer questions, find deeper meaning, and follow their own spiritual paths.

Together they’ve made their love for each other a work of art and their art the work of their lives, with over two million books in print in fourteen languages. Their other best-selling titles include The Chakra Meditation Kit, The Tarot Discovery Kit, Karma Cards, The Enchanted Spellboard, Secrets of the Fortune Bell, Little Reminders: Love & Relationships, Little Reminders: The Law of Attraction, Goddess, Guide Me!, The Animal Powers Meditation Kit, Astrology Gems, True Love Tarot, The Instant Tarot Reader, The Psychic Circle, Wish Upon A Star, The Pathfinder Psychic Talking Board, The Truth Fairy, Spirit of the Ancestors Altar Kit, Vibe-Away!, The Mystic Messenger, The Breathe Easy Deck, The Healing Deck, and The Ghostwriter Automatic Writing Kit.  More info at: www.TheEnchantedWorld.com

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Chinese Autumn began this year on August 7th at 18:07 Beijing time, or 05:07 AM ET. The Chinese seasons always start at the middle of the Western calendar seasons, that is why Chinese Autumn may seem to come so early for a westerner. In the context of western astrology, the Chinese seasons begin at 15 degrees the fixed signs, Autumn beginning at 15 degrees Leo, Winter beginning at 15 degrees Scorpio, Spring beginning at 15 degrees Aquarius, and Summer beginning at 15 degrees Taurus. In the Chinese system, Autumn is the season of the element Metal.

The signs for the Autumn chart are as follows:

• the year sign is Earth Ox
  

• the month is Water Monkey

• the day is Wood Monkey

• the hour is Fire Rabbit

The predominant elements in the chart are Earth, Metal, and Water, and is predominantly Yang. This means that the energy of the Autumn this year is actively concentrative. The natural course this Fall will be for all matters to settle, and for nonessentials to be eliminated. The chart, having so much Metal and Water, is cold. Fire is very weak. Therefore the season calls for Wood. Wood is the vital element for this Fall. That means that it is essential to make decisions. Matters must now be settled, decisions must be made and nonessentials must be thrown out of you are to stay in tune with the Tao of the time.

Reduced to an I Ching hexagram, the signs gives us Hexagram 44: Coming to Meet, line 1. Curb evil at its inception. Where you find evil entering your life, check and correct it immediately. If you let it run unchecked it will cause misfortune.

This Autumn season favors people with a solitary character and those who work in independent professions. This, according to the traditional Chinese description, includes teachers, psychics, mediums, astrologers, metaphysicians, scholars, doctors, researchers, people who work behind the scenes, writers, designers and librarians.

Despite its severe indications, the chart has two Tien Yi, or Sky Medicine Stars. Tien Yi is the luckiest of all the stars; it resolves most predicaments. The chart also has Tian de Gui Ren, or Heavenly Virtue Star which helps to stabilize life and clear away obstacles. This is especially good for women getting married. The chart also favors studies, and has good indications for traveling and for friendly and beneficial interactions between people in business. The chart, having strong Metal, but relying on Wood says that Western powers are strong, but all depends on cultivating the creative possibilities in the East. In other words, what happens in Asia is key to unlocking the power of the West at this time. Without the needed help of Asia the world will stagnate.

• The Autumn season, for those born under the sign Pig or Rat, means this is a time for you to increase your knowledge and to develope your resources. It is favorable for Pig to work creatively and to be decisive this Fall. For Rat it is important, not only to generate your resources, but to accept the help of friendly people and to avoid conflicts; don’t try to force your way against odds. Both Pig and Rat, needing insights, will benefit by seeing the astrologer or psychic this Fall.

• For those born under the sign Ox this is a time for saving up money and for turning your attention to your work. You may be very fortunate if you do.

• For those born under the sign Tiger or Rabbit this is a time to assert yourself against odds while yielding to conditions you can’t control. For a woman Tiger or Rabbit, this may be a season of love. For Tiger this Fall is favorable for traveling, moving or going forward with new work. It may also be a more favorable period for you financially. For Rabbit this Fall favors creative activity.

• If you were born under the sign Dragon this Fall favors you in business and encourages you to build up your money. It is best if conditions in your personal life be peaceful now.

• If you were born under the sign Snake or Horse this Fall is the time to pay attention and make money. For Horse this is also a lucky time for romance. And for Snake this is a good time for studies and any academic activity, also for using your intelligence to solve any problem you might have.

• If you were born under the sign Sheep this is a time for creative work and for building up your money. It also favors receiving help from friendly people; lucky doors may open for you.

• If you were born under the sign Monkey or Rooster, the Fall favors building up yourself, circulating among your peers, while acting independently and welcoming competition in business. Monkey may be especially lucky in resolving problems and will find others willing to offer help when needed. Friendly people are coming your way. For Rooster this is an especially lucky season for romance.

• If you were born under the sign Dog this is a season to work hard and build up money. The elements of the season will give you strength.

For a more personal reading or a more complete picture of what’s coming up in your life, you may wish to have a complete Chinese astrological chart reading. If so, contact Raphael Simons at www.psychicarts.net .

T. Raphael Simons will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Friday, August 28th at 8pm Eastern.

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

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“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” – Adelle Davis

Eating is an act that no human being can truly escape. We eat throughout the day, many times per day, taking in thousands of pounds of food on every year. One way to view eating is simply an act that provides the body with energy. Another aspect is what we eat and how we eat are anchored more deeply into providing insight as to what in our lives needs healing. Even though I am a nutritionist that has been trained to look at food as calories, what I have discovered is that foods and eating are vehicles to our personal growth.  When someone tells me about their eating, I immediately see the connection to the rest of their lives.

This concept may seem far-fetched, but let me give you some examples:

•    Jean eats convenient foods and can’t find time to prepare meals. A common theme in her life is that she is always on the run. She never has time for anything she really wants to do, including something for herself.  She started to heal after taking a look at what she was running from – and asking the question: where does my focus need to be, and what do I need to make time for?
•    Jim binges on sweet foods. He also talks about how his life feels lackluster and that he never quite “gets around” to having some joy and fun? Looking from the outside in, maybe his life doesn’t seem so “sweet” so he needs to get it from other places. He also feels that he can never make sweetness last in his life – something always stands in the way – ultimately leading him to binge.

Since we eat so often, it becomes only logical that our food choices and eating practices start to intermingle with our lives. Therefore, to get some insight on your life, you can begin by looking at how and what you eat. There are seven main areas of our lives that may require healing, and we can jumpstart the process by altering our foods and eating:

(1) Survival: Do you have some “fear” around eating – whether not wanting to eat because you don’t know what to eat, or distrusting your bodies’ messages about eating ? Do you have difficulty with family traditions around eating and struggle with being able to eat in the presence of a community? By letting go of protecting ourselves with food or of any fear of eating, we open up our ability to trust and feel safe. Eating with others in community is healing for this part of us. Foods for grounding and protection: Protein, minerals, root vegetables, edible and medicinal mushrooms, red-colored foods (apples, pomegranates, etc.)

(2) Emotions: It has been estimated that most people overeat for emotional reasons. Have you found that it is more comfortable to stuff your emotions with food rather than expressing them? Emotions are the juice of creativity so when we let our emotions flow, our creativity moves through us. By taking time to create meals, we allow for more movement within, which can ultimately spark our emotional strings. Making meals and sharing with another person can also help to restore flow. Foods for flow and feelings: Fats and oils (especially omega-3s), fish (e.g., wild-caught salmon), tropical fruits, seeds, nuts, orange-colored foods (oranges, tangerines, carrots, etc.)

(3) Energy: Where do we put our energy? Do we give it away to foods that have power over us? Do we deplete our physical bodies by ingesting anti-nutrition (foods that take away and don’t “give” anything) like soft drinks and artificial sweeteners? We can reclaim our power and energy by eating more frequently through the day, and eating foods that sustain our energy like low glycemic carbohydrates. Foods for power and transformation: Carbohydrates (complex), fiber, whole grains, legumes, yellow-colored foods (yellow sweet peppers, yellow lentils, corn, etc.)

(4) Love: Rather than allowing love to flow from our hearts in an unconditional way, do we substitute by feeding others food? Do we use food as the only way of showing love? Are we able to give and receive love in a healthy way? We can embrace love in our lives by sharing our food with others, being grateful for foods, donating to food banks, and infusing love into our food and water. Foods for love and compassion: Vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and leafy greens), sprouts, raw foods, foods rich in chlorophyll, any green-colored foods .

(5) Communication: Do you convey mixed messages about foods – saying yes when you mean no? Do you become a victim to your environment when it comes to eating, unable to stand up for what you need? Do you find yourself gulping your food down or talking while eating? We can uphold truth in our lives by honoring our bodies’ choices at a deep level. By eating mindfully, we communicate to our bodies that we give it the utmost attention. Foods for communication and truth: Seaplants, soups, sauces, juices, fruits.

(6) Insight: How do you listen to your intuition? If you have a strong sense that you need to eat foods or exercise, do you act or do you let something else stand in the way? Do you keep your mind and moods on overdrive with foods like caffeine and alcohol? We can heed our internal insight by taking time to listen deeply within.  Respecting your mind by taking care not to push its limit with external substances is one way to enable your intuition to be heard. Foods for intuition and insight: Spices, tea, purple-red foods (purple potatoes, blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes, etc.)

(7) Unity: Do you feel interconnected with all of life? Or do you feel that you are longing for deeper meaning and connection with others and nature? Do you feel severed from something greater than yourself? One way to repair your connection with life is by seeing eating as a divine act that connects you with the lineage of field, farmer, grocer, and cook. Using foods as a symbol of connection can help us to connect to that which is sacred and deep. Foods for unification and interconnection: Sunlight, air, love.

Deanna Minich will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show on Friday, August 21 2009.

More about Deanna Minich….

Deanna Minich, PhD, CN, www.foodandspirit.com is a nutritionist who sees more to food than calories and macronutrients. She blends cutting-edge nutrition information, quantum physics, and the ancient chakra system to guide others to use foods and eating as tools for spiritual growth and nourishment for the soul. With her latest book, Chakra Foods for Optimum Health, she opens your heart, unravels your intuition, and guides you on a journey to inner and outer bliss with every bite you take!

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What if the true nature of reality was a lot like an onion, made up of layers upon layers of different levels of reality that, when peeled back, exposed a creative, self-regenerating, web-like core? An infrastructure that contains the whole of all that is, was and ever will be. A source from which everything is interconnected within a grid-like framework.

As modern theoretical physicists search for a unified “Theory of Everything” that will condense the four fundamental forces of nature into one mathematically sound truth, those who dare to explore the paranormal have also begun to search for a cohesive theory which may assist in explaining the vast unknown. How do such things UFOs, ghosts, poltergeists, cryptids, mysterious energy vortices, remote viewing, psi abilities, clairvoyance, mind over matter, teleportation, and many other unexplained phenomenon happen? Where do they come from? What is the mechanism that triggers their manifestation within our simple, three-dimensional reality?

With new discoveries in the cutting edge sciences of quantum theory, brain research, and consciousness studies, that “paranormal theory of everything” may be much closer than we think. And, more exciting, that same theory may also be the veritable Holy Grail sought by physicists and scientists in their attempts to understand how the universe works… not to mention, how we as human beings work.  Behind all the excitement is what the authors of this article call “The R Word.”

Resonance.

Vibration. Frequency. “Jiggle.” Resonance is, according to answers.com  “a matter of one object or force getting in tune with another object. One literal example of this involves shattering a wine glass by hitting a musical note that is on the same frequency as the natural frequency of the glass. Though people seldom witness it directly, the entire world is in a state of motion, and where solid objects are concerned, this motion is manifested as vibration. When the vibrations produced by one object come into alignment with those of another, this is called resonance. Resonance helps to explain all manner of familiar events, from the feedback produced by an electric guitar to the cooking of food in a microwave oven.”

Increasingly, more and more scientists, as well as paranormal researchers, are looking to resonance as a comprehensive model that may bridge the gaps between science and the supernatural, the normal and the paranormal, and perhaps go one step further to explain every facet of reality in between. This theory may indeed center on the vibratory nature of matter as it relates to both the natural and “unnatural” worlds, as well as on harmonics and sound.

Resonance and sound are such important concepts that they have even been linked to nearly every manner of mysterious phenomena reported the world over, including ghosts, UFOs, and energy vortices. Even such hallowed sites as sacred temples, edifices and monuments such as the Pyramid at Giza are not immune! In fact, some believe that the Great Pyramid may have been designed to act as a giant resonating structure attuned to the vibrational frequency of the Earth itself.

But if resonance is the basis for the Theory of Everything, or at least the best theory we have to explain much of what we consider to be “anomalous” or “paranormal,” then how does it work?  As scientists are discovering, the brain appears to act more as a receiver for information, with consciousness choosing what information will be perceived and shaped into reality. What the “mind” resonates with often becomes our reality. This is the foundation for the popular interest in the Law of Attraction as “the secret” to achieving one’s dreams and goals. Yet the brain may also work in tandem with consciousness to perceive a specific frequency, that found in the infrasonic range, to “see” a ghost or sense a presence in the room, evidenced by the research of Vic Tandy, Michael Persinger and others who used sound and frequency as a means to facilitate paranormal “spookiness.”

Research conducted over the last decade has shown irrefutable evidence that the nature of consciousness is associated with the degree of consciousness present and the number of neurons in the brain actively assembled in a synchronized state. This state generally lasts only for a few milliseconds, and then the neurons re-assemble, allowing for a continuously variable state of consciousness. Is it then possible that paranormal phenomena is observed when the brain is experiencing a specific momentary assembly of large numbers of neurons at just the right time to create an altered state of perception?

According to Giulio Tonon, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, in a November 2004 article in the BMC Neuroscience Journal “Consciousness poses two main problems. The first issue is understanding the conditions that determine to what extent a system has conscious experience. For instance, why is our consciousness generated by certain parts of our brain, such as the thalamocortical system, and not by other parts, such as the cerebellum? And why are we conscious during wakefulness and much less so during dreamless sleep? The second problem involves the understanding of the exact conditions that determine what kind of consciousness a system has. For example, why do specific parts of the brain contribute specific qualities to our conscious experience, such as vision and audition?”

Perhaps, as physicist Amit Gotswami suggests, consciousness is the ground of all being. “When we act in the world we really are acting with causal power. This view does not deny that matter also has causal potency — it does not deny that there is causal power from elementary particles upward, so there is upward causation — but in addition it insists that there is also downward causation. It shows up in our creativity and acts of free will, or when we make moral decisions. In those occasions we are actually witnessing downward causation by consciousness.” The link becomes the vibratory synchronization of consciousness with action, to create, as the Secret tells us, that which we wish to physically manifest. Yet our consciousness needs something to tap into to create these resonant frequencies, and that is where the Grid comes into play.

The concept of the Zero Point Field as a sort of grand, ground universal state of energy has swept the scientific community, but we authors propose that this grand, ground state acts more like a grid, with layers upon layers of levels of reality that can be accessed only when resonance is applied. And the vehicle with which we can move about the Grid is our consciousness. This suggests, as well, that other “beings” or life forms are moving about the Grid, too, and could explain the entire gamut of paranormal phenomena, from aliens to apparitions, as well as psi abilities like remote viewing, ESP and precognition. Within the Grid, there is no linear time, and anyone able to tap into this field of information theoretically should be able to access the past and future.

Reality is all encompassing, and yet, remains veiled – seemingly always out of grasp of our full comprehension. One thing remains constant, however: the connection between resonance and “everything.” If we ourselves are resonance in human form, it behooves us to find what we feel in tune with, and avoid what causes us a sense of disharmony and disorder. Perhaps, the entire Universe operates this way…always seeking out that which it is aligned with to create new matter, new energy, new life.

Does that resonate?

Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show in early 2010 . Check back for the official show date coming soon.

More About Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman…
Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman are the authors of “The Resonance Key: Exploring the Links Between Vibration, Consciousness and the Zero Point Grid,” and “11:11 – The Time Prompt Phenomenon: The Meaning Behind Mysterious Signs, Sequences and Synchronicities.” More info at: http://mariedjones.com

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Allowing that the given date and time of his birth is correct, President Obama was born in the year of Metal Ox, month of Wood Sheep, day of Earth Snake and hour of Wood Dog. The predominant elements of  President Obama’s chart are Fire and Earth. This gives him a big heart and the ability to take in huge amounts of information.

President Obama is an intuitive type. He has the ability to see the entire picture in a flash and to act on the spur of the moment. He also has a tendency to worry a lot and to want to take care of everybody. To him the entire nation is family and he aims to do right by it, at least according to his vision of what right means. President Obama has learned to be tough through emotionally challenging times in his life. He has power to earn respect and to break through all barriers. His chart has a configuration that shows up in the charts of many historical heroes. He’s a heroic type, in other words. He is authoritative, aspiring, vigorous, alert, firm, persevering, highly competitive, combative, decisive and bold. He is not afraid of hardships. And he loves challenges. He upholds justice and has high tolerance for external pressures.

Under extreme pressure, however, he can become intolerant in his dealings with others, especially those under him. He intends to have his way. He tends to be rigorous and he places great emphasis on discipline. Those working under him will find it difficult to keep up with him. Obama glows with vitality. He is bent on carrying things through to the end. He has the distinctive ability to envision the future and will work tirelessly to make what he wants to see come true. He is in tune with the mass of people of the land and stands for the underdog. Because he lives in an atmosphere of challenge, and he is sure to meet up with serious challenges from powerful opponents, his career will become unstable from time to time. In the event of extreme conditions, however, he can escape unscathed. He has great luck.

The astrological indications for President Obama in 2009, the year of Earth Ox, point to challenging times. President Obama’s, energy and abilities of foresight are being tested. 2009 is characterized by ups and downs for President Obama. He is turning a corner. He has plenty to worry about. People around him who’s help he wants are not all in agreement with one another or with him. Political divisiveness seriously challenges him. This kind of opposition, however, is nothing new to President Obama; his birth chart shows that he functions easily and most naturally in a challenging environment. DC is his playground, and all the trouble he will have will make him stronger. Trouble with opponents will build up through the year.

In 2010, the year of Metal Tiger, troubles previously kept quiet will very likely surface to intensify his challenges and bring him to experience times of out and out clashes; this will be a precarious time for people working under President Obama. Between 2010 and 2011, President Obama will enter a new 10-year cycle, according to his Chinese astrological chart. The new cycle shows that there will be some times of surprising events and developments in his life. While his vitality and creativity will increase there will be fights, or major challenges, especially in the years and months of Tiger, Snake and Monkey. If President Obama is re-elected, the years of Snake (2013) and Monkey (2016) will come in his second term. When challenged, President Obama will likely overwhelm his opposition. The beginning of his new cycle will come at the cusp of President Obama’s mid-term in 2010-2011, when he will be seriously confronted by trenchant opponenets. The year of Metal Rabbit, 2011, shows President Obama all the more forceful in driving his agendas forward. If he is thwarted in getting his way, 2011 will be fraught with frustrations for him. Probably it will be a combination of the two.

President Obama acts as a catalyst in this country. It is most likely that we will see the economic conditions changing for the better and becoming healthier through the coming months and years even though President Obama’s detractors would have us believe differently. What he is doing is stimulating alternative growth and development in many areas. It is most highly probable that President Obama will be re-elected for a second term.

T. Raphael Simons will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show this Fall. Check back for the official show date coming soon.

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

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When someone says “Goddess Energy” or “Divine Feminine” what do you think of?  I think for many people words like intuition, wisdom, and balance come to mind. Being a geologist, when I think of the Goddess, I think of one of my favorite crystals- Moonstone.  Moonstone is the quintessential stone to represent the Goddess Energy and, like the Goddess herself, can be very powerful.

So is moonstone from the moon? One might think so since the Goddess is also associated with the moon but the name in fact came from its milky and moon-like appearance.  Scientifically I can tell you that moonstone gets its beautiful sheen from the fact that it reflects light internally.  And as a spiritual person, I recognize that this is not a coincidence as it’s much like one working to connect with the Goddess- the need to reflect on things inside ourselves.

Mystically this stone is vibrating with the feminine wisdom and Goddess energy. It helps to create a reflective and calming energy and, because it is connected to the Divine Feminine energy, can assist in strengthening intuitive and psychic perception.  Obviously it is a very feminine crystal and helps women contact the goddess within.  Don’t feel left out gentlemen – this stone can help you connect with your feminine side too- something that is often forgotten.

There are many different ways you can incorporate the moonstone crystal into your daily life.  My favorite way is to use the Goddess soap and lotion that I created for my metaphysical line of bath products, Celestial Farms.  As with all of the products created in the Celestial Farms line, we add charged and blessed crystals to the Goddess soap and lotion- in this case we add moonstone. By adding the moonstone to the bath products you are able to connect even further with the Goddess energy and carry it with you all day. And a bonus is that when you’ve used the soap or lotion up you have a small moonstone crystal to carry with you.

If you prefer to buy a moonstone crystal I recommend, as with any crystal or gemstone, that you cleanse and charge it before using it or carrying it with you.  There are many methods to clearing and cleansing a crystal and not all are safe for all crystals. So please keep in mind what I suggest here for moonstone may not be applicable to other crystals.  As we talk about different crystals in the future I’ll talk specifically about what methods are best in each case.

For moonstone I recommend first cleansing the stone with water.  I first place the stone under running water to remove any physical debris that may be present, such as dirt or dust.  The best place to do this would be in a stream with running water or in the ocean surf- this would allow the crystal to not only be cleansed but also be charged with the energy from the water in a more natural setting. But if that is not an option for you simply placing it under running water in your sink will work too. I do this for several minutes to be sure the crystal is well cleansed.

Now that you have cleaned your crystal physically we want to remove any energetic debris that may be attached as well. Crystals can absorb the energy around them, positive or negative, so we want to remove that before we open ourselves up to the stone. My preferred method is smudging. Simply light a bundle of white sage and let the smoke swirl around your stone.  I’ll also have a small dish of salt next to me to absorb any of the negative energy coming off the stone.

The next step is to charge your moonstone.  There are a number of methods to do this but I think the most powerful is to use the moon, preferably when it’s full. I would suggest doing this for several nights so start one night before the full moon and let the crystal absorb the energy through one night after the full moon. You simply place your stone outside under the moonlight and let the moon do its work.  If it feels appropriate to you, you might say a few words to the moon and the Goddess, asking them to bless the stone and charge it with their energies.  Do what feels right to you and what feels most natural. After the third night your stone is ready for you to use in your daily practice as you see fit.

More About Niki Fountain….

Serene Bath & Body was the vision of its owner and founder, Niki Fountain. As a young woman, Ms. Fountain, like many girls her age, found herself with a poor body image and did not treat her body with the love and respect it deserved. Through the years she was able to overcome this and realized that everyone, especially young women, needed to learn to care for and respect their bodies. This eventually inspired Celestial Farms. The inspiration was one of creating products that would help young girls and women learn to love their bodies and treat them well by using high quality products that nourish the body, the mind, the spirit and the soul.  Ms. Fountain earned her Masters Degree in Hydrogeology and has a professional background in developing and perfecting soaps. She spent two years in a university laboratory as a hydrogeologist developing soap formulations to be used to “clean-up” chemicals that had been spilled into groundwater. She has been applying this experience and knowledge ever since while working in the environmental industry, cleaning up sites that have been contaminated with chemicals. She has since taken this knowledge and experience and applied it to developing and perfecting formulations of soaps for people. Additionally, being a geologist, she is intimately familiar with crystals and gemstones and both their physical and metaphysical properties. She uses this knowledge while creating new formulations that include various combinations of soaps/lotions with the appropriate crystals to obtain an array of desired outcomes (relaxation, invigoration, etc) More info at: www.theserenestore.com

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You would think it verged on the impossible that any male cat, even a thoughtful one like our little shaman, Zane, could teach anyone anything about chivalry and true love and, until tonight, I would have agreed with you. Tonight was one of those rare times when my three favorite things – Amy, Zane, and my psychic gift – came together and produced this most special teaching.

I wish I could say with complete certainty that I can psychically hear Zane’s thoughts but my ability to understand what he’s trying to communicate seems to be largely the result of my simply paying attention to him and expecting him to try to express himself. I think all young cats living with humans try. No cat, however loving and smart, suffers fools gladly and their lack of patience is legendary. They soon stop trying if their attempts to interact are met by the ignor-ance of humans who are not trying to decipher their cat’s signals.

Amy and I have tried to treat Zane as a thinking being since the first moment we set eyes on him as a kitten back in May of 2001. We’ve now learned that he should have still been with his mother – eight weeks is now considered too early to separate them – and perhaps that is why he didn’t want to be picked up or held. And so we didn’t.

Zane has never been a lap cat. Living with him is like living with a noble, gentle, wise and wild animal who deigns come in his cat door to sleep and eat and come get me to go out and walk with him. It’s one of my favorite things in the world, both the walk and the fact that he’ll come get me and rub against my boots to show me he wants to go walking.

So I suit up no matter what the weather – he loves the rain and cold and tolerates the snow – in my glow-in-the-dark hat and jacket. I also wear a headlamp whose LED’s glow either white or red. Unless I need to see something clearly I prefer to use the red light because it enables me to see Zane’s eyes and that of the many other creatures walking around our country neighborhood at night – other cats, dogs, and the occasional raccoon, possum, deer, or fox. My night vision is quite good thanks to our nightly excursions and the red light doesn’t interfere with it. And the stars are so bright here at the eastern end of Long Island, one of the few places on the east coast dark enough for a person to be able to see the Milky Way – so gorgeous!

Not so gorgeous is the fact that practically everyone we meet tells Amy and me that we are the only happily married couple they have ever known, especially since we’ve been together since 1975 and were married in 1978. We are so obviously in love with each other, including the more than occasional public display of affection (PDA), that those who meet us for the first time assume that we are in the first blush of our romance or newlyweds on their second or third marriage who’ve finally gotten in right.

We have a few theories about how we got it right the first time. We put just about everything we know about dating, mating, and relating into our book “Love, Light, and Laughter: Relationship Secrets of the Enchanted Couple,” published by RedWheel/Weiser/Conari Press. One of the few things I forgot to include was what Zane taught me tonight on our walk.

Although I’m a sensitive New Age guy, I was born in Brooklyn, NY, in the 1950’s. It was not a good time to be a sensitive guy. Like almost every male who grew up there and then, I was set upon by groups of surly teenagers from before I was even ten years old. I survived mainly by using my brains, my sense of humor, my father being a NYPD cop, and by my being big for my age. If that failed – especially the cop for a father part – I knew I was dealing with someone so stupid and dangerous that I had to defend myself as best I could and try not to hurt anyone too much – my father would have not liked that! I also defended a few unlucky people who had violence done to them but did not have my skills, size and attitude and he didn’t like that, either.

Those days are decades behind me but for Zane, like our brave soldiers in harm’s way and totally on adrenaline-fueled guard right this second, it’s his moment-to-moment  experience to be on guard against the many critters, people, and cars that might do him harm. Lucky for us, he is very wary of human animals so the chance of some serial-killer-in-training of a young person hurting him or worse is very small. I detest cruelty to animals and have often intervened to prevent it, restraining myself from expressing myself physically. I know myself well enough to know that I would not restrain myself if someone harmed Zane and so I’m doubly grateful that he stays away from humans as much as possible.

Zane is quite gentle and respectful of us and allows us to cuddle and kiss him – he smells so good! Though he, like every healthy cat, is a perfect delivery system for claws and teeth, he never bites or scratches us or even anyone at the vet, where he’s known as a sweet and healthy boy.

But Zane is not so sanguine when it comes to other animals. I’ve seen him run straight at a raccoon to scare him off. The local bluejays – mean birds, no lie – give Zane room because he’s taken them off the bird feeder or in mid flight when they’ve attacked him! I’ve seen him go rocketing out of his cat door right at an offending dog who’d wandered through our back yard, sending the dog to the ground exposing his neck in the universal animal sign of surrender. Animals are smarter and nicer than humans that way. They have so much to teach us, if we’d just take the time to watch, listen and learn, so much that Amy and I were inspired to create our “Animal Powers Meditation Kit,” complete with a CD of very cool meditations inspired by various animals and set to original music by maestro Luigi G. Colorullo – it’s our “Peter & the Wolf.” You can find it on our shelves in the Spirituality section of almost every Barnes & Noble store in the USA. Or you can buy it online in several places, including from our Enchanted World website. Here’s the URL

http://www.theenchantedworld.com/productshowcase/productshowcase.php?Subpage_ID=29005&Section_ID=10&Subsection_ID=9&Bucket=Enchantments&Product_Detail=1&Product_ID=4301&Ecards=

I so enjoy the peace and love that we wrap ourselves in every day here in our Enchanted World, especially because my life was not always so tranquil. I recall getting attacked when I was in the sixth grade by someone old enough to be in high school, getting him down and making him promise to stop if I let him up (and breathe), only to have him really go to town on me once I had foolishly taken him at his word. That’s a lesson you don’t forget.

So when we’re out walking I’m often aware that though Zane has been neutered, he has not lost his male cat’s sense of territorial pride. I could have used the word “macho” but I have an issue with it. In fact, that issue is at the heart of this teaching of Zane.

My understanding of what it is to be a man is quite simple. So simple, in fact, that it is written as one sentence on the side of every Los Angeles police car, “To protect and serve.” It is a man’s job to protect those he cares about and to serve them as he sees fit, sure, but also to serve them as they ask to be served.

I certainly serve Amy and Zane. I serve Zane his food where he sits. I know, that’s spoiling him, but he enjoys it and I enjoy seeing Zane and Amy enjoy anything and everything. Life is indeed brutal and short, as Zane reminded us today when he brought in a chipmunk as our Wedding Anniversary present – he usually only brings in live animals and birds to our great distress (for his captives). We got the chipmunk out the door before Zane hurt it. Sometimes they don’t make it. To serve and protect those we care about is a noble job and one that I love.

So does Zane. I was once arguing loudly with a man who had done the worst job imaginable tiling our kitchen floor. He was getting really weird – as weird as he looked – and just as the thought crossed my mind that I might have to defend myself against this nut job in burst Zane and put his little body, all 15 pounds of him, in between me and the crazy guy. He was scared, of course, just like me and every person who knows that push has, indeed, come to shove and it’s time to go Brooklyn. He couldn’t look the guy in the eye and he hid behind me but came right back. I was astonished. I was so consumed with love for Zane and surprised admiration for his courage in the face of real danger that I immediately diffused the situation and got the guy out of my house so I could pet Zane and tell Amy what a brave little man we were lucky enough to be sharing our lives with.

Zane also has a very special relationship with Amy. He curls up with her every night. He won’t go near me in the bed unless Amy is not there. He kneads her like a kitten kneads his mother. Seeing them together is one of the greatest joys in my life. I know that all is well and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. What is better than that?

So last night, when Zane came to get me for our walk, I had the psychic hit that Amy should come along with us. This has only happened a couple of times in all these years. She has always left it to me and Zane to have our special meditation time together, as she likes to work on her art or her fashions for Bergdorf Goodman at that time of the evening. It was such a beautiful night that Amy said yes to take a break, and off we went, the three of us.

Suddenly, I noticed something that was so different in Zane’s behavior that I was as shocked as I was when he came in to defend me. You see, although I say that Zane and I go walking every night, a good part of my time is spent standing around. Zane likes to sit on a couple of large decorative rocks that our neighbors have on their lawns, probably absorbing what heat they’ve stored during the day. But I do most of my standing around in the middle of the road with my red light on my head hoping the neighbors understand what I’m doing while Zane goes walking up their driveway and all around their property, especially if they have pets. It’s like I have the genetic propensity to be a constable on patrol (cop) like my father, walking my street with my partner, officer Zane, checking every house.

Only tonight Zane didn’t check any houses. In fact, his paws didn’t once leave the asphalt of the road. I had seen that he was happy that Amy was joining us. But what I realized after he very uncharacteristically walked past two of his favorite houses was that he was following Amy with a purpose. He did not take his eyes off her for one minute during the entirety of our walk! Our little warrior cat was guarding her as best he could and I am very glad that no animals decided to challenge us on our walk, for their sakes.

To protect and serve. Here was this little cat showing me and everyone who was willing to do the work of paying attention to him what being a man is all about. Too many men pervert the notion of being macho and, instead of using their defensive skills to protect and serve those they love, selfishly turn this noble energy into aggression against the very people they should be serving and protecting. It’s a true perversion of a most basic and noble human attribute. Or should I simply call it a basic attribute of all caring beings, like our Mr. Zane.

I know a little bit about martial arts, mainly from books and, from when I was in my twenties and my friend Jay Abramson, a karate black belt sparred with me/beat me up to stay in shape while he lived with me in Brooklyn before going into the Navy as a carrier pilot. I have even used my size and attitude to do security work during my time in the movie business, quoting the masters to keep the black belts from killing each other on the set of “The Last Dragon,” doing the security for the filming of the movie “A Chorus Line,” and even being Michael J. Fox’s bodyguard during the filming of “The Secret of My Success.”

Every martial artist aspires to be like a cat because they are the epitome of grace, speed, and accuracy when striking. And no animal comes close to them when it comes to balance and the economy of motion. If they knew about Zane, he’d be the cat that they’d all aspire to be like, as I do. So next time some jerk calls you a pussy, just smile and say “Thank you.”

Listen to the interview with Kala, Monte Farber and Amy Zerner on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show.

The show airs on August 7th, 2009.

More About Monte Farber and Amy Zerner:

Internationally known self-help author Monte Farber’s inspiring guidance and empathic insights impact everyone he encounters. Amy Zerner’s exquisite, one-of-a-kind spiritual couture creations and collaged fabric paintings exude her profound intuition and deep connection with archetypal stories and healing energies. For more than thirty years they’ve combined their deep love for each other with the work of inner exploration and self-discovery to build The Enchanted World of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber: popular books, card decks, and oracles that have helped millions answer questions, find deeper meaning, and follow their own spiritual paths.

Together they’ve made their love for each other a work of art and their art the work of their lives, with over two million books in print in fourteen languages. Their other best-selling titles include The Chakra Meditation Kit, The Tarot Discovery Kit, Karma Cards, The Enchanted Spellboard, Secrets of the Fortune Bell, Little Reminders: Love & Relationships, Little Reminders: The Law of Attraction, Goddess, Guide Me!, The Animal Powers Meditation Kit, Astrology Gems, True Love Tarot, The Instant Tarot Reader, The Psychic Circle, Wish Upon A Star, The Pathfinder Psychic Talking Board, The Truth Fairy, Spirit of the Ancestors Altar Kit, Vibe-Away!, The Mystic Messenger, The Breathe Easy Deck, The Healing Deck, and The Ghostwriter Automatic Writing Kit.  More info at: www.TheEnchantedWorld.com

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