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Geralin Thomas is a professional organizer and the founder of Metropolitan Organizing located in Cary, North Carolina, offering practical organizational solutions for both the home and office. She is a Past President of the NC chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers as well as a chronic disorganization and ADHD specialist. In addition, Geralin can be seen on the A&E television show, Hoarders, (Monday evenings 10 Eastern) working as a professional organizer helping people with compulsive hoarding. Recently, I sat down with Geralin to chat with her about her work.

Kala: Hi Geralin, thanks for taking the time to chat. You’re a professional organizer and “disorganization specialist”. What interested you in this line of work and describe to our readers what a professional organizer does for their clients?

Geralin: I’ve been organizing as long as I can remember. Even as a young girl I appreciated having quality over quantity. I was emphatic about keeping only one Barbie and wanted nothing to do with any of her friends. Instead of dating Ken, my Barbie stayed in on Saturday nights organizing her dream home & evening gown collection, which was color-coded in ROY G. BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Indigo, Violet).

In elementary school, when we started diagramming sentences using the Reed-Kellogg system, I was in organizing geek heaven. I knew then and there that if organizing words could bring me such joy, organizing tangible stuff would be nirvana. Once I had children of my own, the organizational skills had to grow exponentially. My two boys, born only 14 months apart, provided all sorts of organizational challenges – not just their stuff, but their time, their activities, and how everything fit into our family’s lives and our space. As every parent knows, children bring a new world of social networking, and the moms and dads I met all had their organizing challenges, too. I had fun helping solve some of their organizing puzzles, to the point where I realized this was a business opportunity; parents asked for my advice and hands-on solutions and were willing to pay for it.

Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper and their systems for life. Professional organizers often develop or introduce customized or off-the-shelf organizing systems so the client can find needed items in a minimal amount of time. The organizer’s primary skill is in helping the client decide what should be done with their items, educating the client on organizational techniques, developing strategies and installing systems so the client can maintain the organized space for the long-term.

Kala: You appear on the A&E television show, HOARDERS, which offers an inside look into people who are unable to part with their personal belongings, to the extent that their homes become completely cluttered. The episodes showcase some extreme scenarios where the hoarding is so intense that people are unable to live and function in the home and health hazards are a serious problem. How common is hoarding in the U.S. and what causes a person to become a hoarder?

Clip from the A&E Show Hoarders with Geralin:

Geralin: There are an estimated 3 million people in the U.S. who are affected by compulsive hoarding. Compulsive hoarding is a disease, not something people decide to do, or do because they are lazy and could stop if only they worked harder at it. It may be due to distinct brain abnormalities, is often hereditary, and may be part of another mental health disorder such as Depression or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Kala: A common theme in the hoarding episodes on the show, is that the person is unable to fully complete the clean up process, even with a crew of people standing by to help. It also appears that though follow up counselling is offered, it often is not accepted by the hoarders. Some of the episodes are so extreme that the hoarders lose their children, have their pets removed and face eviction from their homes, yet they still are unable to stop their behaviour. Can you take us into the mindset of a hoarder to explain the behaviour and can a person with this level of hoarding, change their behaviour and no longer hoard?

Geralin: A lot of hoarders are perfectionists and have rigid beliefs about saving and discarding possessions. Decision making is often excruciating and time-consuming. It’s often less stressful to retain items and defer decisions until a later time thus perpetuating the hoarding problem. In my experience, hoarding is treatable but not curable. I tell clients it’s very much like dieting—if you stop paying attention to what you are consuming/buying you will most likely find yourself outgrowing your wardrobe/home. Hoarding is a mental disorder and it’s important to monitor what is being acquired and discarded. It’s complicated because many hoarding clients live with depression or another co-existing condition.

Kala: If someone in your family or a friend is a hoarder, what can one do to help them? What are the best things one can do and what are the most harmful?

Geralin: As is the case with many other mental health and psychological problems, addressing the issue with someone who may be a hoarder can be the most difficult step.

When doing so, it’s best to:
• respect the choices of the individual or family
• use encouraging language focusing on individual strengths
• match the individual’s language in how he or she refers to their items, things or collections
• initially focus on safety and well-being

I recommend that you do NOT:
• try to argue about an object, throwing away specific items, or organization
• use language that is negative, judgmental, patronizing or demeaning
• touch a person’s belongings without their permission
• assess a condition or provide any type of counselling or mentoring

Kala: Why are hoarders unable to differentiate between objects that hold real material, personal or emotional value versus objects that should be thrown away? Many episodes show hoarders unable to part with items such as empty old shampoo bottles, years old junk mail, and garbage.

Geralin: Hoarders may have deficits in memory and decision making abilities. Some develop and maintain strong emotional attachments to items they hoard or have exaggerated beliefs about their possessions. For example, “The minute I let go of this, I’ll need it ” or “There are so many ways to use these; I could use each of them for something different.”

Kala: Geralin, hoarding is an extreme form of clutter and a serious problem, which is why the documentary series has been so interesting to many viewers. Moving beyond this extreme, the US is a nation with an economy based on consumerism and purchasing products. Do you think that hoarding is a recent epidemic, perhaps a side effect of the materialism and consuming nature of modern life or has the tendency to hoard always been this excessive?

Geralin: Hoarding is actually quite different from compulsive shopping, which is another serious problem, one that is often trivialized because of society’s acceptance of materialism and consumption.

Kala: If polled, most Americans would share some type of clutter problem in their own homes that they wish they knew how to manage better. What tips can you give our readers on how to keep clutter under control and be more organized?

Geralin: My best advice to clients is to ask, “Where will this go in my home, and do I have a place for it right now?” It is best to only buy (or acquire) those things you actually need, rather than what you might desire in the midst of a possibly fleeting moment.

Kala: Thank you for your time Geralin. It was a pleasure to speak with you and appreciate learning more about your work.

Geralin: It is my pleasure, Kala. Thank you for your interest in organizing, hoarding and Hoarders.

For more info:
About the A&E Show Hoarders – Each 60-minute episode of HOARDERS™ is a fascinating look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis. Whether they’re facing eviction, the loss of their children, jail time, or divorce, they are all desperately in need of help. In a fly-on-the-wall style, we’ll capture the drama as experts work to put each on the road to recovery. But cleaning is just the first step, like taking drugs away from an addict. The healing won’t be easy. For some, throwing away even the tiniest thing — a sponge, a button, an empty box — is so painful that they will not be able to allow the cleaning to be completed, no matter the consequences. For others, professional help and an organizer’s guidance give them the strength to recover. At the end of each episode we’ll find out who has been able to keep their hoarding behavior at bay and who, despite help, is still lost inside this painful disease. More info at: http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/

About Geralin Thomas – Professional Organizer Geralin Thomas offers real solutions for real people,  emphasizing simplicity and excellence in her approach to organizing challenges both large and small.  Past President of the NC chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers as well as a chronic disorganization and ADHD specialist, Geralin founded Metropolitan Organizing^® in 2002 to help transform the lives of her clients.  Geralin has been published in an array of national magazines and is often featured on well-recognized television and media outlets, including The Fine Living Network and South Africa’s The Home Channel.

Geralin is based in Cary, North Carolina and works with clients around the world. She truly enjoys sharing her organizing tips, techniques, and problem-solving skills with others – and has helped professional athletes, politicians, artists, small business owners, and many others. Geralin holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. When she is not busy managing Metropolitan Organizing^®, she is busy managing her husband, two sons, and dog.

Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all.  Don’t miss a thing!
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National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

Join Kala in July 2010 as she teaches at the prestigious
Omega Institute for a weekend workshop entitled:
Energy Anatomy: Exploring and Healing Your Auras and Chakras.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala’s Guided Meditations CD’s include a sacred site trilogy including Spirit of Hawaii, Egyptian Mystery Temple and Tibetan Mountain Journey. Kala lectures on Wisdom Teachings, Developing Business Intuition, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom (also known as the Divine Feminine).

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I made both a Chinese astrological chart and a western astrological chart of the Presidential inauguration on January 20th. The Chinese chart report is first. As the events these past several months are reflected in what the charts say, we can reasonably say, therefore, that what was predicted in the charts, will indeed happen.

President Obama was sworn in on January 20th, at 12:06 PM in Washington DC. Chinese astrological calculations show a picture of a long period of reform coming, and in spite of the challenges and oppositions that are bound to come up the new Administration will succeed in large measure. The energy at the time in which the new Administration began was contracting, not expanding. This means that the situation of the Nation, as seen in January, 2009, in general gets worse before it gets better; it takes time to turn around. (It is now August, 21st. The recession is just beginning slowly to turn around. It is most probable that the economy will pick up little by little through the later part of this year and through 2010.) Creative planning is being called for in the current Administration. Creative planning is the vital element for the success of the Administration. The time, as shown in the Chinese chart, calls for an independent leader, one who carefully weighs all sides and who acts forcefully in face of serious opposition.

Overall, the dynamics of the Chinese chart show a trend toward repolarization of wealth. This means the poor will ultimately benefit even though the getting there will be fraught with difficulties. The Government will be seeking out new and alternative solutions, but their efforts will exceed expected returns; they won’t be able to come through with all they promise because the opposition is growing in intensity throughout the term of the Administration. Financial resources being unstable, it will take considerable time to turn the situation around. The Chinese chart does show, however, increasing resourcefulness and storing up of money after the first year. The picture is complicated and difficult. The country is being divided by opposing forces. The opposition to the President doesn’t care that the President is popular and is doing all it can to undermine the President. It will continue this way and grow in virulence.

The second and third years of the Obama Administration promise to be very dynamic. Opposition to the President will become loud through the second year. And the fourth year shows a hidden danger coming up. The Chinese chart does not say from whom or to whom, but it does say that opposition will come up very strongly toward the end of the Presidential term. All through his Presidency, Obama will have challenges. It is an exciting time. And while the President does have enemies he appears to have protection as well.

President Obama’s hopes of unifying everyone, reaching across the aisle, will not work. Divisive factions are growing and will come to challenge him loudly especially toward mid-term. And while mid-term may bring up some radical choices, the President will receive assistance from key people right from the start and throughout the four years of his first term. It is probable that he will be reelected. He has the genius, or luck of turning adverse conditions to his advantage. President Obama glows with vitality and vigorously carries things through. His gift of attracting others, however, is double edged; it works both for and against him. He has a danger of becoming entangled in the snares of his political enemies. President Obama’s alliances will therefore not always be trustworthy. Notwithstanding, he is a clever politician.

The Western astrological chart for the inauguration had Mercury retrograde and combust showing Justice Roberts having a senior moment flubbing his administering of the Oath of Office. Some people had the opinion that the inauguration was made invalid because of this flub, however, according to the 22nd amendment of the Consititution, the inauguration was, indeed, valid. Notwithstanding, there was a second oath of office given to President Obama on January 21st at 7:35 PM at the White House. A brief analysis of it follows this report, but it doesn’t hold water beyond warning the President of the serious intentions of his opposition; there are no accidents; that chart does say something. The country is deeply divided and there are a lot of fearful, angry people that can stir up a lot of trouble.

At the time of the Presidential Inauguration the Moon was at 29 degrees Scorpio in the 7th house. This means the Nation will have something to weep about during the the current Administration. This position of the Moon tells of an ominous turning point in the affairs of the Government tied to trouble in foreign relations and turmoil at home. We need to be on the lookout for violent characters.

To allay the fears of some people: while the chart does point to notable deaths of Senators and other outstanding figures, it does not point to the death of the President; the President is protected and has great popularity. The highest branches of the Government will be able to flourish and exercise power under him. But while the President has the ability to build up something of lasting value he will be vexed; he won’t find himself in the best of circumstances all the time and he has enormous problems to deal with.

The Inauguration chart showed the President turning his attention to the real estate crisis, something he already has done. The chart also showed the following concerns of concern: trouble to children involving poverty and crime, illness coming from afar (swine flu), rising mortality rate, increase in crimes against women, crooks in the financial markets, international criminals, in other words, vice and immorality rooted in the past.

The Inauguration chart also showed that there would be much activity in Government circles involving banking and labor, also disgrace to public officials and people in high places of business; in other words, we will see plenty of scandals involving finances, banking and labor. We’ve already seen some.  The Administration’s aims will likely be vexed by shifting circumstances and factional struggling, causing changes of mind related to complex financial issues. The Administration’s financial and social plans will therefore be thwarted, compromised, or delayed to the discomfort of the public while the public is being intimidated by nefarious media characters. Some hoped for, and important social and economic reforms will get bogged down and delayed, in other words. The people started out with high hopes and need to be more realistic lest they be disappointed.

In two years from the time of the Inauguration radical developments will likely come up in the Congress. There will be dramatic developments and a likely upset in the country at that time. The opposition will get very loud. And in four years there will be a noteworthy loss that will bring weeping to the Nation. There is something tragic shown in this chart that will affect the Nation. Other charts over the years will reveal what this means. No matter, the President is protected, and will likely be reelected for a second term.  We can expect religious disputes to come up. The Administration favors taking bold new scientific, technological and medical directions that will attract dissention from religious fundamentalists. The new Administration will encourage innovation and invention, nonetheless. Technology is highly favored and will the an area for positive international cooperation.

The chart also shows that projects that were put aside or underfunded in the past Administration will come up in the future to engage the new Administration in working to build hospitals, schools, and such public works as roads, bridges and levies. There is also a call to improve interstate and international commerce and shipping. There are plans on the table for a new trans-continental rail system.  This year, when Saturn enters Libra after the end of October, the power of the President will be considerably strengthened and the economy should show some encouraging signs of improvement.

The chart also shows elements in the media grasping for power and stirring up a hornet’s nest that contribute to conditions of danger that must be watched; there is danger of terrorism. Again, the Inauguration chart says that it is most unlikely the President will be harmed in spite of the dangers, but it is possible that someone close to the President will be in danger. It is also very possible that in four years an act of violence will come to affect the Nation. But that has to be confirmed by other charts along the course of time to be predicted with any certainty. The Inauguration chart, however, does point to turbulence and danger of violence developing through the four years of the Administration. Wisdom tells us to be watchful. The violent talk on the media is something to be watched. Dissention and turmoil will develope over the Administration’s economic and social policies. Rebels and rabble-rousers will rise up to stir up riots, strikes, and destruction of property. These violent forces must be taken very seriously. As of this date, August 21st, you can see it already happening. It will not stop so easily. It is very serious.

The chart of the second oath of office, given on January 21st at 7:35 PM at the White House casts a shadow over the Presidency altogether. The second chart is extremely negative and shows that there are dark forces militating against the Government, and the Presidency itself; these forces must not be ignored. This chart lends serious weight to the negative indications of the first Inauguration chart, and shows the enormity of the problems that confront the Obama Administration.

Listen to T. Raphael Simons interview on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show

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 Feng Shui there is a way to drive out and protect your home from bad spirits. The method I am about to describe requires that you get a double blade dagger. In Tibet they use purbas, or triple blade daggers. It also requires that you take the compass reading of your front door. The way to do the compass reading is to stand in your doorway and face out. Then read on the compass the direction you are facing. You will either be facing North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, or Northwest.

Once you have done the compass reading, you need to draw the floorplan of your house. Then draw a tic-tac-toe grid over the floorplan dividing it up into equal areas. Then you need to mark off the compass direction of each of the areas. Your house will have a North area, a Northeast area, an East area, a Southeast area, a South area, a Southwest area, a West area, and a Northwest area. In addition, because of the tic-tac-toe map, your house will have a center area. This operation doesn’t deal with the center area of your house.

The tic-tac-toe map in Chinese is called the Lo Shu map. There are eight Lo Shu maps, one for each of the eight possible door facings as determined by making a compass reading. In other words, there is a Lo Shu map for a house whose front door faces North, a Lo Shu map for a house whose front door faces Northeast, a Lo Shu Map for a house whose front door faces East, and so on. In each of the Lo Shu maps there are eight auguries, one for each of the eight compass directions. Of these eight auguries there is one called Six Demons. It is Six Demons that we wish to cure so that your home becomes calm and settled, and less prone to mishaps.

If your front door looks out to the *North*, the area called Six Demons is the Northwest corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *Northeast*, the area called Six Demons is the East corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *East*, the area called Six Demons is the Northeast corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *Southeast*, the area called Six Demons is the West corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *South*, the area called Six Demons is the Southwest corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *Southwest*, the area called Six Demons is the South corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *West*, the area called Six Demons is the Southeast corner of the house.
If your front door looks out to the *Northwest*, the area called Six Demons is the North corner of the house.

If your house has land around it, go outside and bury the dagger about a foot underground at the appropriate corner of your house. The dagger should be aligned so that it points in the direction away from the corner. For example, if you bury the dagger at the North corner of the house, the dagger will point exactly to the North. The dagger must always point away from the house, not toward it.

If you live in an apartment, you can drive the dagger into the appropriate corner of the apartment, along the floor. You also can get a nail and drive it into the corner at the floor for the same affect.

This little known method does settle the energy in the house. I’ve used it many times, and it works.

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

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In many popular books on Feng Shui we find recommendations for hanging mirrors that, while they seem easy enough to understand, may work against you and bring you bad luck in the long run. On numerous occasions people have called me in to fix the problems brought on by Feng Shui consultants who, without any working knowledge of the compass methods, came to do their houses.

For instance, I once did a job for a woman whose husband had a fatal accident. A Feng Shui consultant, who came to this woman’s house some months prior to the accident, had advised her to hang mirrors in the “marriage and money corners” so as to enhance these areas of life. Reading the compass, I discovered, however, that these areas in her house were really about “accidents” and “ghosts,” not money and marriage. The mirrors, instead of enhancing anything positive, had encouraged a big disaster. It is known, by Taoist wizards, that destructive entities can be enter into a person’s house through badly placed mirrors. And healing spirits can enter a house where the mirrors are hung in good places. Mirrors are portals as well as reflectors. In other words, mirrors hung on wrong walls reflect good fortune away from the home and invite trouble. Mirrors may also be used in more secret ways. For example, it is an old practice of Taoist wizards to hang a mirror inside by the front door, some say to reflect the people coming and going in such a way that the wizard may find out their secret intentions. (My teacher of Chinese astrology and Feng Shui, an incredible Chinese psychic, had a mirror like that by his door). Others, especially those who do business off the street, will often hang a mirror by the doorway to reflect the people on the way out so that they always will want to come back.

While many wise Taoists avoid hanging mirrors in their homes and temples altogether,
the use of mirrors in Feng Shui goes back several millenia to when polished jade reflectors
were put on bed posts to repel undesirable spirits.

To find where you may best place mirrors in your home, first take a compass reading of its main door. A compass reading of a home is always done by standing in the doorway, facing out. The compass direction of your home is what you face when looking directly out the main door. There are eight basic compass directions. Once you find out the compass direction of your doorway note it, then sketch a floorplan of your home showing where the front door is, and draw a grid pattern resembling a tic-tac-toe over the floorplan. The tic-tac-toe pattern has eight squares, i.e., eight compass areas around a center square. Mark off the eight compass directions: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW.

According to the ancient Lo Shu compass method,
there are three areas in a space that are particularly good.
And it is in these that you may hang mirrors.

One of these three areas is especially good and can be used to bring healing energy through a mirror into your home.   It is called Sky Medicine.

• If your door faces North, the best compass areas of your home are in the East, Southeast, and South. Sky Medicine is in the East.
• If your door faces Northeast, the best areas in your home are in the Southwest, West, and Northwest. Sky medicine is in the Northwest.
• If your door faces East, the best compass areas in your home are in the Southeast, South and North. Sky medicine is in the North.
• If your door faces Southeast, the best areas in your home are in the South, North and East. Sky Medicine is in the South.
• If your door faces South, the best compass areas in your home are in the North, East and Southeast. Sky Medicine is in the Southeast.
• If your door faces Southwest, the best areas in your home are in the West, Northwest and Northeast. Sky Medicine is in the West.
• If your door faces West, the best areas in your home are in the Northwest, Northeast and Southeast. Sky Medicine is in the Southwest.
• If your door faces Northwest, the best areas in your home are in the Northeast, Southwest and West. Sky Medicine is in the Northeast.

If one of these good compass areas is the area of your bedroom, be careful not to hang or place a mirror that reflects your bed. Mirrors that reflect the bed disturb sleep and draw interferences into personal relationships. Do not place a mirror that directly faces the front door. If you have a mirror squarely facing the front door, people are being confronted with their reflection upon entering the house and are being told to go away.

If you have a bathroom door that is visible from the front door, a most undesirable situation, place a mirror on the bathroom door and keep the bathroom door shut. If you have a bathroom that has no windows, place mutually reflecting mirrors inside the bathroom. Mirrors that reflect one another activate Chi.

The device called the Bagua mirror is always hung outside the house, above the doorway, to ward off shars, or disturbing energies if these are detected.

——————————————————————————————————-

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

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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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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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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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Given the different proposed birth times, the one that looks most probable is around 10:53 am, falling squarely into the Chinese 6th time division. The date of Michael Jackson’s birth was August 29th, 1958. Born in the year of Earth Dog, month of Metal Monkey, day of Earth Tiger, and hour of Fire Snake, Jackson’s chart shows him to have been a hard worker and subject to harsh conditions. True to his chart, he was a musician with pronounced acting, correographic, and dancing talents. The distribution of elements in Jackson’s chart shows 5 Metals, 1 Water, 1 Wood, 4 Fires, and 6 Earths.  The weakest element in the chart is Wood, showing trouble in liver functioning and a tendency to confusion and anger. The chart has 13 Yang elements and 3 Yin elements. With an extreme over-balance of Yang, Jackson was prone to extreme tension. The greatest focus of elements in the chart is 6 Yang Earths. This shows that Jackson’s health was affected adversely by a tendency to severe anxiety, and an unquenchable need for love. The over-balanced Yang Earth adversely affected the spleen, stomach and pancreas function, with a tendency to diabetes, circulatory troubles, and a degenerative condition of the flesh and nose. The almost equally overbalanced Metal confirms the condition of Jackson’s nose and shows skin and intestinal problems. Jackson’s surgeries appear not to have been so much for beauty as they were for cosmetic reasons related to the complex health issues he suffered. Had he survived his heart attack, it is questionable that he would have been able to live much longer in his emotional condition.

The 13 Yang elements in the chart show Jackson as an initiator. He was good at starting projects and needed others to help finish them. Jackson appears to have been a creatively independent and competitive character while being friendly to a lot of people. He thrived in a friendly and competitive mileu.

Jackson’s 10-year luck cycles began at age four. His first luck cycle, running from age four to fourteen, shows Michael traveling and experiencing trouble in the family. Michael’s father abused him. Jackson’s chart shows his father not there to support and guide him, but as a brutal task master. This had a causal connection to Jackson’s tendency to squander money and to be frustrated in love. It appears that it was in his twenties that Jackson came into his own and his father went out of the picture; nonetheless, the harm done in the earlier years engendered the pattern of intense anxiety and neediness that were at the root of Jackson’s health problems. The cycle of age twenty-four to thirty-four shows Jackson riding high. His creativity was flourishing in those years. It is very probable that in those years Jackson had strong romantic interests as well. Possibilities of close relationships, including marriages, show in Jackson’s chart from age fourteen up to the most recent times. Jackson’s chart, nonetheless, shows lack of support from parents, distancing of siblings, and poor relations with children. You may see how all of this, coupled with his anxieties, contributed to his deteriorating health and early death. Had he lived on, and overcome his emotional condition, he would have found genuine love in the cycle of age sixty-four to seventy-four. Jackson’s chart , nonetheless, shows him to have been a loner; it was difficult for him to hold a relationship. The overbalanced element Metal in Jackson’s chart shows that he was prone to grief. Too much grief leads to heart ailments. The vital element in Jackson’s chart is Water. The vital in a person’s chart is that element that the person’s life depends on. Water, Jackson’s vital element, was relatively weak at the time of his birth. It became strong for him at age fourteen and was strongest between twenty-four and thirty-four. It was still strong between thirty-four and forty-four, but began to subside at forty-four. From his mid-forties to around fifty, Jackson’s health was in considerable danger. He had become very fragile. The astrological indications in 2007 show him in an emotionally upset period that weakened him so that he was unable to withstand  the oncoming tide of adverse conditions. 2010 would have been a very dangerous year for him had he survived.

Jackson’s year, month, day and hour of birth reduced to an I Ching hexagram gives us hexagram 7, lines 2 and 3. Hexagram 7 is The Army. It shows Jackson to have been a leader destined to prosper, but if he did not work to improve his internal state he was also destined to have a hard and short life. The astrological signs of the hexagram show Jackson flourishing earlier and becoming exhausted later on. He died in an emotional condition of want.

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

As an update to this blog post, we asked Raphael, why are so many people passing over right now.. read his reply here:

Why So Many People Are Passing Over Right Now

In response to the question why so many people are passing over right now, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, the flight from Rio to Paris and another flight over the ocean that crashed last night, and so on, I looked at the New Moon Chart and calculated the Part of Death (the Ascendent + the 8th house cusp – Moon). The Part of Death in the New Moon chart is in the 11th house opposite Uranus in the 5th house, and its solstice point is conjunct the New Moon in the 9th house. Translated to plain English, the chart shows surprising deaths in the entertainment field, disasters to vacationers, and fatal accidents in flights over the ocean. To confirm this, the New Moon in the house of traveling was opposite Pluto, universal significator of death. The Part of Death in the Summer Solstice chart is square the Sun, ruler of the 5th house in the 3rd house. This means that the Summer Solstice chart says we are getting news of deaths to people in the entertainment field, as well as vacationers and travelers.

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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