Welcome to the Medicine Bowl Cafe

THE GOLD IN THE SHADOW......

2012-01-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

OK - I’ve given in and come back to Facebook. So many people have commented on my absence. Bless you all. I’ve had phone calls to ask “Are you alright Jan?” and emails of the same nature. I’m so sorry to have worried you all and my intention wasn’t to get you all to miss me, I promise. But here is what happened..........

I had been unwell for some time and undergone lots of scans, unpleasant examinations and the like which had proved inconclusive (at least up until last week). I was in some discomfort, not able to exercise, not able to sit for long periods of time, which has been difficult considering it’s tax calculation time and so I was sinking into the depths of despair. Well, not quite..........I never sink that low thankfully because when I feel this happening, I get my self-help books out and practice some Jin Shin or do some EFT tapping. Hence feeling unwell is a great learning opportunity - I treat it like a college course and then an A-HA invariably happens and I realise what’s being going on with me.

Illness or pain are both great teachers. We are taught in CranioSacral Therapy that pain is a cry from the Soul.

As I dragged myself through this miserable “college course”, I found I was withdrawing into myself and spending increasingly more time on Facebook watching everyone else getting on with their lives and enjoying wonderful Christmas celebrations.......or so it seemed to me. I didn’t feel I could contribute anything to the world of Facebook that would be cheerful and uplifting to read yet still, every time I passed my laptop I just had to open it and see what everyone was doing. Watching what everyone was doing without contributing myself was acutely uncomfortable. I had become a STALKER! A curtain-twitcher. I hated that feeling and I hated everyone who I was ‘Friends” with. Especially the ones who were posting how great they were and how wonderful it was to be making such a difference in the world. I, on the other hand, felt like Poo.

Now I should explain that this was my perception of what I was reading on Facebook and not necessarily what people were actually posting because I was obviously dealing with some deep inner stuff that surfaced during my Therapeutic Imagery & Dialogue course at the beginning of December. I had become that part of my psyche who appeared to me during meditation as a little, ugly, wrinkled and miserly old lady who I refused to even look at. She terrified me, but during my sessions I got to know her very well. She was grieving the loss of her creativity, both in having children and the loss of her gifts of creative words and speech. 2nd chakra issues.

2nd chakra issues = pelvic problems = a big fat ‘AHA So that’s what’s going on with me!‘

With the support of my colleagues, all advanced practitioners in CranioSacral Therapy, I was able to integrate this old woman, this part of myself, into my conscious awareness and allow her to become magnificent and fertile again.

Or so I thought.

Until she resurfaced again through Facebook and became a Stalker. Through me.

New Year came and went and I had to own up. “My name’s Jan and I’m a Facebook-aholic”. I realised that there are aspects of Facebook that should carry a government health-warning. “Caution, spending too much time on here may cause a sub-personality to pop up and take over your life.” There was only one thing to do and that was to avoid it completely. It was surprisingly easy really. I did feel tempted to go on and explain that I’d come off, so to speak! But I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one look. Truly - how sad is that? I consoled myself by adding up all the 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there that I had been spending stalking and let me tell you it’s shocking. Try it. Instead, those precious minutes have now been filled with creative inspiration. I am writing again, planning some more meditations and the ‘little old lady’ part of me is glowing with health and magnificence.

Physically, last week’s tests were positive. All organs sound and healthy but the problems and pain in my pelvis are due to the sheer amount of adhesions caused by open gall bladder surgery 11 years ago which are pulling on and shortening my pelvic ligaments. I looked up the word ‘adhesion’ and found this definition:- the adhesion of parts united by growth. Strange that. I feel like these adhesions (and Facebook) have led me to discover a part of myself which I didn’t know was there - that grumpy, sour, withered old woman who just needed to be acknowledged. I hope we too can now be united by growth.

I think I can return to Facebook now and be gracious to all my FB friends. I am choosing to look once a day only though in case my little old lady surfaces and starts stalking you again.

I would be really interested to hear if anyone else finds that Facebook brings up their sub-personalities - their shadow parts. Be honest, for there is Gold to be had in that there shadow. Maybe we should throw a big fancy dress party and each of us could come as our shadow-side. I’d love to hear who you would come as?

If anyone is interested in a journey of self-discovery using CST and Therapeutic Imagery and Dialogue, please let me know via email or - wait for it - FACEBOOK!

Namaste folks.

P.S. In case you think I've completely lost the plot, I would like to add how refreshing it was to hear a GP on my course announce "Sometimes I REALLY hate my patients". I'm not the only one with a grumpy old lady inside!

Our Autumn DreamBoard Day

2011-10-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day we all had on Saturday!

I really felt the need to make a new DreamBoard and it's so much fun to do in a group situation so I invited some previous DreamBoard Workshop participants to join me. It was very gratifying to hear how so many of them had manifested the things they placed on their previous DreamBoards.........and they were ready to focus on new goals!!

We had a great time, the sun streamed through the windows and we were actually able to have lunch outside. With craft shops opening up in many areas, it was really interesting to see how much more creative and elaborate the DreamBoards are becoming.

This was a very informal day, as everyone had previously done the DreamBoard Workshop with me, so there were none of the usual exercises and EFT tapping but lots of music and singing going on! We had a REALLY lovely day. Take a look at some of their DreamBoards.......not all were finished, including mine, which is a work in progress.

The actual DreamBoard Workshops will begin again in January and will include the full format of self-discovery exercises, Emotional Freedom Techniques and of course the much-loved DreamBoard Meditation at the end of the day. If you are interested in signing up for a workshop, please email me with your details and I'll let you know as soon as I can confirm the dates. Likewise, if you'd like me to send you more information about the full workshop, please email me with your contact details or postal address.

A Joyful Morning with Meadowlark

2011-10-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

I was laying in bed this morning have a chat with my little granddaughter when she said, "Nanny, I'll find the little girl called Meadowlark for you. She went across to my iPod, pressed a few buttons (she's 2 years and 8 months old) and managed to get the right one.

She covered me over with the duvet and told me to close my eyes and take a deep breath in and then let go. She told me to squeeze my body tightly and then let it go soft like a wobbly jelly then she went through all the actions of Meadowlark running through the meadow singing and waving her arms through the long grass - this was all before the actual track had begun. She climbed up on to the bed and lay with me telling me the story as it unfolded and making the appropriate Prairie Dog squeaks. We had to listen to the whole track before I was allowed to get up. It was an absolute joy to discover that she had taken so much of her bedtime story in.

I frequently get feedback for my CDs from parents but to hear it from the mouth of a 2 year old was SO fulfilling. She practically knew it word for word and hearing it again in it's entirety this morning has reminded me what an absolutely delightful story it is.

When I am inspired to write, it comes so quickly that I sometimes cannot get the words written down quickly enough. Once I am happy with the result of the project, I rarely re-visit it - I just 'put it out into the Universe'. The result of this kind of inspiration is that I don't always remember writing it myself - it's as if it is just being given to me. Perhaps this is why I am not very good at promoting myself - because I don't feel it's 'mine'!

This morning my little grand-daughter virtually forced me to lie down and listen to Meadowlark's story and I loved it all over again. Now everything this morning has been about Meadowlark, she is drawing her, making her out of playdough, singing about her and has brought her alive again for me. I have remembered too, that I dedicated this series to her. She has made sure today that I have not forgotten Sweet Meadowlark and Little White Feather, even announcing "Come on, Nanny, we have an appointment with Meadowlark".

Out of the mouths of babes, as they say. It's time Meadowlark and Little White Feather had some more adventures.............

The Sweet Meadowlark and Little White Feather CDs are available to order from Diviniti Publishing Ltd. (See link below.) And as I discovered again this morning, it isn't just the children who adore them.

Links:

Diviniti Publishing Ltd - publishers of The Great Spirit Series for Little Souls and the Sacred Light Series of Angel Meditation CDs.

For Children's Craft Projects and more information about The Great Spirit Series for Little Souls

Waves......Three Minutes of Bliss

2011-09-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Whenever you're slogging through the day at work and need some respite, click on this link, join me on the beach and let your breath carry you over the waves..........

http://youtu.be/vIjFPpDnKNA

Self-Help at your Fingertips - The Central Harmoniser

2011-09-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

Whenever I feel unwell and nothing I try seems to work, it is always to High Touch® Jin Shin Acupressure that I turn. It is simple, I can do it anywhere and it always helps me to feel better. I remember years ago, after open gall bladder surgery, I was in hospital feeling very low and very scared. Then I remembered that I had taken my little High Touch ® Jin Shin Self-Help book into the hospital with me. I sat by my bedside for hours, holding various fingers and acupressure points all over my body - much to the amusement of the nurses and doctors, but I desperately needed to do something for myself. From that point on, I felt stronger, less vulnerable, my spirits lifted and I began to heal. Following my recovery, I started to teach some of these simple techniques in one-day introductory workshops. High Touch ® Jin Shin is a wonderful self-help tool which I can't recommend highly enough and I notice myself doing it without even thinking about it.

Do you ever find yourself holding the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other?
Do you ever sit with your fingers on your forehead, deep in thought? This is ancient knowledge......a form of self-healing that we instinctively know on some deep level but have long-forgotten.

The following technique is known in High Touch® Jin Shin as The Central Harmonizer. You can do this lying down or even in the bath and it will leave you feeling calm and balanced. I plan to re-introduce these one-day workshops over the coming months, so please send me your contact details if you'd like to be advised of the schedule.

The Central Harmoniser
(Copyright Betsy Ruth Dayton.M.Ed.)

Step 1: Right hand on top of head (crown)

(It should remain there until Step 8)

Left middle finger on third eye, between eye brows, a
little above.

Step 2: Left middle finger on tip of nose.

Step 3: Left middle finger in "v" of throat

Step 4: Left fingers on sternum, at the centre between the breasts
(heart))

Step 5: Left middle finger at base of sternum (solar plexus)

Step 6: Left middle finger on umbilicus

Step 7: Left middle finger on centre of pubic bone

Step 8: Right hand (palm side or back of hand) on coccyx

(Left hand remains on pubic bone)

Hold each position for a minimum of 2-3 minutes or until you feel a pulsation in both sets of fingers. Ideally for 3-5 minutes.

FUNCTIONS

Step 1: Harmonises blood pressure; nervous conditions; revitalises ;

brain; dissipates senility; supports pineal and pituitary glands;
hold for insomnia or when you have no ambition.

Step 2: Supports pituitary gland; influences rejuvenation
and reproduction of cells and life (both partners hold
when having difficulty conceiving.)

Step 3: Supports thyroid and parathyroid glands; aids reproduction;

larynx; speech; strengthens artistic expression; creativity. Hold

when having irritable feelings.

Step 4: Strengthens circulatory system; revitalises lungs (breathing) and

pelvic girdle (hip energy); supports the thymus gland which is
the master gland of the immune system - hold as a prevention
against illness.

Step 5: Strengthens builders of the blood, harmonises red blood cells and
white blood cells; controls secretions of digestive enzymes

and hormones; strengthens lymphatic system; nervous
system and muscle tone of arms and legs; harmonises spleen;
adrenals; kidneys; liver; gall bladder and pancreas.

Step 6: Breathing control; strengthens small and large intestine;

physical digestion and assimilation; revitalises adrenal glands.

Step 7: Influences growth; mental competence and lymph system;

harmonises reproductive glands; strengthens spine.

Step 8: Balances reproductive organs, ureters, abdominal area;

aids circulation of legs and feet (use for leg cramps, sciatica,

injuries to leg, ankle or foot, or cold feet).

I find the easiest place to do this is in bed, first thing in the morning. It is definitely worth setting the alarm to wake you 20-25 minutes earlier than usual to prepare you for the day ahead. I also support my right arm with a pillow to avoid any strain on the muscles.

Notice how your breathing changes as you work your way through the steps.

You can apply this technique at any time of the day, whenever your energy is flagging. It will give a "tune-up" to your whole being and energise the life source.

The Central Harmonizer is sourced from "An Introduction to High Touch® Jin Shin for Self-Help" by Betsy Ruth Dayton M.Ed. This booklet and additional materials are available from the High Touch ® Network. See links below.

For training in the oriental art of High Touch ® Jin Shin (The High Touch Network)

My own excellent High Touch ® Jin Shin Instructor (Heidi Ritz)

Don't Worry.......Be Happy..........

2011-09-24T23:58:00.000-07:00

We come into the world with an exhalation,

to clear and empty us so that we can receive.

We never 'take' a breath.

We 'receive' a breath.

from 'The Touch of Healing' by Alice Burmeister.

Remember this thought, next time you are feeling anxious or stressed. Your breath is your ultimate tool.

Just allow yourself to be as you are, go into your breath, then accept the gift that is being given to you with each inhalation. If you encircle your left thumb with your right hand whilst you do this, you will be balancing your spleen and stomach, the organs which are associated with worry. Change hands and hold the other thumb in the same way and you will find yourself becoming calm and relaxed.

A Cute and Thought-provoking little story.

2011-09-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

This little story was given to me ages ago by a friend. It is a German story translated by Reflexologist Hanne Maquardt. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it with you.

Do You Believe in Life After Birth

There were twins in the belly of their mother

One twin asked the other

"Do you believe in life after birth?"

"Yes - here inside we grow and get prepared for what happens later."

"What a nonsense!" replied the twin.

"I am not quite sure, but I know it will be far brighter than inside here."

"What a nonsense. I can't imagine it!"

"Yes, and we shall eat with our mouth and we will even walk around."

"Eat with our mouth? Why do you think we have an umbilical cord? And as for

walking, it's too short to walk far. What a stupid idea! I have never heard of anybody

who came back from 'after birth'."

"I am sure it functions somehow. And I know we might even see our mother."

"Mother?? Never heard of such a thing as a mother. Where is she?"

"Well, she is all around us. Through her we are nourished."

"I don't believe you!"

"Well, if you are very quiet, you might hear her sing or feel how she caresses our little world."

Crazy Horse - We Hear What You Say by John Trudell

2011-09-24T02:38:00.000-07:00

LOST BIRD OF WOUNDED KNEE - AN UPDATED REVIEW

2011-09-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on the re-opening of the Medicine Bowl Cafe, I have decided to condense most of my ramblings and scribbles into this one blogsite - at least the ones I think may be of interest and/or help to some of you. The following review was written a few years back and circulated in my client newsletter but I think it's worthy of posting here not only from the point of view of Lost Bird's story but also to honour the courage and spirituality of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota nations.

A few years back, I stood on a hilltop with the sacred cottonwood trees far below me alongside Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. It was a sunny day and there was a tranquil warm breeze on my face. I was standing alone before a grave marked "Lost Bird" with tears streaming down my face. Our Guide, Serle Chapman had told us, with care and respect, the story of the Wounded Knee Massacre before we arrived there but he couldn't have prepared us for the emotions we would feel at the top of that hill, overlooking the river where so many men, women and children were slaughtered.

All the emotions I felt on that day returned to me when I started to read "Lost Bird of Wounded Knee" by Renee Sansom Flood. Renee has a foot in each camp, so to speak, as she is a white woman married to a Dakota man and has an Indian child. She has spent years researching Lost Bird's story and her book is the haunting account of the young Indian girl's short tragic life.

Lost Bird was found as an infant, after a four-day blizzard, under the frozen body of her dead mother at Wounded Knee. She was kidnapped by a man who was to become the future Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Leonard Colby, who then adopted her as a "living curio" and exploited her in order to attract prominent tribes as clients of his law practice. Renee Sansom Flood traces the short life of Lost Bird, who was only 29 when she died and tracks down her sad, sunken grave to a place in California. Her description of the scene at Lost Bird's exhumation in California and subsequent re-burial at Wounded Knee is heart-wrenching yet tender, as Chief Arvol Looking Horse and The Wounded Knee Survivor's Association painstakingly bring Lost Bird back to her homeland, to be buried with her relatives.
It was all the more poignant for me because I had the honour of being invited with my companions to meet Chief Arvol Looking Horse, so as the scene unfolds around the graveside, I can 'see' clearly Arvol's huge frame, tenderly taking care of the things that needed to be done in the Lakota way to bring Lost Bird home.

Arvol is the 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Pipe of the Lakota, Dakota & Nakota Great Sioux Nation. To be invited to visit him in his home was a huge privilege and only possible because of the great respect held by the Lakota people for our tour guide, Award-winning writer, photographer and historian Serle Chapman. Arvol was given the heavy responsibility of the C'anupa (the Sacred Pipe) at the age of 12 and has spent his life working towards World Peace. His home is a humble caravan set amidst green meadows heavy with the smell of sweet meadow grass and wild sage, silent except for the sweet song of the meadowlarks and the neighing of the horses as they play freely together. All his visitors are received here in this over-crowded caravan which has an 'extension' to provide extra room. We were warmly welcomed by Arvol who offered us coffee before we sat down to listen to his words.
He spoke with us about how people misuse their energy instead of putting it to good use. He spoke about the sacredness of their ceremonies and implored us to pray for all humanity and practice forgiveness and "letting go". He spoke about the importance of loving others even though they do wrong. I don't have the vocabulary to describe how deeply that visit to his small, cramped caravan affected us all. I knew that as Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, Arvol carries the heavy responsibility of travelling the world promoting peace, so it seemed unreal that we were sitting here on the floor of his caravan, drinking coffee with him, hoping to remember every word he quietly spoke.

As our visit was coming to an end, a group of students arrived for their appointment with him. Instead of ushering us out, we were invited to shake hands with one another and sit together, wherever we could find a small space, on chairs and on the floor so he could proudly show us a video about the Legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman.

So as I read Renee Sansom Flood's account of Lost Birds' return to her homeland, I can picture clearly in my mind's eye Arvol's huge frame and feel his gentle words in my heart..............

We need a great healing

And we need a Great Forgiving

But healing can't begin without forgiveness.

We must forgive each other,

Forgive our loved ones,

Forgive our friends

Forgive our enemies

Forgive ourselves

We need to pray even for a person who has done us wrong!

In our Tiospaye, our family

when two people fight

they are made brothers or sisters.

Forgiveness itself is a powerful medicine.

We need forgiveness to create Peace!

He-c'e-tu-yelo!

(So Be It)

A while after I wrote this review, I was talking to someone who tours America frequently. I asked if he had been to South Dakota and he told me how disgusted he was with 'the state of the place' at Wounded Knee. The memorial wasn't how he thought it should look. He mentioned the graffiti he saw everywhere and the stalls on the surrounding roads selling hand-made wares. I could feel the anger rising up inside me "Was that ALL he could see?" Then I was reminded of Arvol's words on Forgiveness. He couldn't possibly know the poverty that these proud people live in. He hadn't heard the whispered stories of their lost generation, couldn't possibly know the raw heartache that still exists among the people who, yes, are trying to make a living and save enough for the gas bottles which will keep their families warm in their trailers during the vicious South Dakota winters. One woman told me how 17 people lived in her trailer, too many to sleep inside, so some had to sleep in their cars. Yes, there is a huge alcohol and drug problem and the sense of hopelessness felt by the younger generation is evident. Unemployment and illness, in particular diabetes is a huge problem. Serle Chapman is doing an exemplary job in raising people's awareness of their plight, so that they see more than just graffiti, more than the beaten up cars on the reservation. So they can take a peek into the hearts of these proud people. I was hoping Barack Obama would make a difference to the indigenous nations, I hope it's a work in progress but if it is, it isn't happening quickly enough.

Finally, my purpose is not promote Go Native America here, but I truly believe that their integrity is second to none so if you want to see into the hearts, minds and daily lives of these wonderful people, there are no better guides than Serle Chapman and Wilmer (Stampede) Mesteth. You will take home with you so much more than a few necklaces and dreamcatchers.

If you decide to visit Wounded Knee independently on your travels, please be respectful and gentle to the sellers who may approach you to buy their wares and remember their struggle to keep warm in the bitter cold South Dakota winters. I expect you're thinking "Why doesn't the US Government help them?"

I know the answer to that one.

Lost Bird of Wounded Knee - Spirit of the Dakota is published by Da Capo Press,

ISBN: 0-306-80822-6

Links:

www.writingsources.com (Website of Renee Sansom Flood)

www.wolakota.org (Website of the WoLakota Foundation)

www.gonativeamerica.com (Highly respected and Premier hosts of Native American tours)

DON'T DIE WITH YOUR MUSIC STILL IN YOU

2011-09-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

This is an updated version of a blog I wrote last year - one which I have decided to update and repost because I am hearing from people just how much coming to a DreamBoard Workshop helped them to focus on "the music inside them" and achieve more than they had could possibly have imagined. You could too.......

I am among the millions of fans of Dr Wayne Dyer. He never fails to uplift me with his wisdom and warmth. When I received a copy of his film "The Shift" which I ordered from Hay House, I watched the whole film 4 TIMES on that first day. I have never done that with any other film and I have watched it even more since.

His message of "Don't Die With Your Music Still In You" hit home hard to me as I was rushed by ambulance into hospital at the beginning of last year. The pain was excruciating - I instinctively knew that it was serious and that I was bleeding internally. The morphine didn't seem to be working - only the gas and air gave me relief and allowed me to slip away into darkness. I could hear the voices of my husband and son, as if they were miles away and I heard myself chanting "Om Namah Shivaya" over and over until I felt something being placed into my hand. I heard my son telling me it was his Angel Stone - the one he carries everywhere with him. The darkness was inviting, I just wanted to drop deeper into it then I heard him say "You are the strongest person I know Mum, stay with us" and I realised that I wasn't ready to leave this beautiful planet - or my family - just yet. I was approaching 60 years of age yet there were still so many things I wanted to do - so much MORE music left in me. I prayed to God to let me stay - the kidneys in Chinese Medicine are linked to FEAR (False Evidence which Appears Real) and I realised that my whole life has been plagued with fear - fear of loss, fear of not being good enough - fear of success - fear of rejection - the list is endless. As I surfaced from the darkness into the pain again, I promised God that I would release my fears and finish what I came to this planet to do. There is Music Still In Me, my years working as a Therapist taught me so much about the freedom of forgiveness, how the archaic wounds of our past can colour not only our own future but also the future of our children. If we don't do the work on ourselves, which is an essential part of achieving inner peace, it means our children will probably have to do it in their lifetime. Working on ourselves is, quite possibly, the greatest gift we can offer to our children.The hospital discovered that I had severe internal bleeding from an Angiomyolipoma, a benign tumour on the kidney which had spontaneously ruptured. It is, apparently, very rare. I said flippantly "Well, I guess that means I can't go to India then" and the consultants told me that if the tumour hadn't ruptured when it did, it would have certainly ruptured on take-off with possibly lethal consequences. I know that the Angels were looking after me - they weren't going to let me die with My Music Still In Me.

I wrote this post early in 2010 on another blog but am sharing it again in the Medicine Bowl Cafe because we ALL have Music Still In Us. Music that can make a difference in the world, if only we can let go of our fears and perceptions of what we can and cannot do. We all have something we are really good at, something we love doing and we don't serve humanity by pretending we are not good enough to do it. I still have Music In Me and although illness over the last year or so made it difficult to connect with, I know I am getting closer to it now. If it wasn't for the illness, I would never have heard the message the Universe was trying so hard for me to hear. I have always believed that sometimes the healing is in having the illness and now that has been my experience. So I'd like to ask you:-

What Music is Still Inside You?

Is there something you love doing? Something you get lost in, which makes time seem to fly by?

Could doing what you love make a difference to someone's life?

Could doing what you love bring you financial abundance if only you let go of the fear that someone else is better than you?

I'd love to hear what Music is Still Inside You. If you're not sure what that is I have something in the pipeline that may help you. Watch this space!

Namaste

2011-09-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

Hi folks

Taking a break from stringing our wonderful organic, home-grown runner beans to welcome you back to the Medicine Bowl cafe. They smell divine, I wish we had smelly-net - or perhaps not!

I'll be condensing my other blogs into this one from now on because I am now up to 3 and failing miserably at keeping them up to date. How DO these expert daily bloggers find the time! I promise to try and fill the Cafe with interesting stuff to inspire you, or to make you smile, or to make you cry. Please drop by regularly and join in with your comments if you wish to.

From my Spanish retreat, I hope to be adding some of the rambles I have written over the years in my client's Medicine Bowl newsletter plus some daft poems that I've written which surprisingly, people seem to like.

Back to the beans now. Don't forget to drop by from time to time.

The Numerology of Jade Goody

2009-03-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Since the sad news of Jade Goody’s death on Mothering Sunday, there has been much discussion about why she became so popular. What was it about her that touched so many people?
For a while now, I have had an interest in Numerology – only an interest – I cannot claim to be an expert on the subject but I was intrigued to find out what Jade’s numerology was.
Numerology is the science of numbers which has been around for 2,500 years since Pythagorus created the Pythagorean Number System. He believed that the vibration or “tone” of the universe at the exact time of birth has an influence over a person’s character and destiny in life. I developed an interest in Numerology after reading Glynis McCants excellent book “Glynis Has Your Number” and I’ve used it time and time again to help me understand people’s characters, including my own!
Jade was born on 5/6/1981. Based on the information I have and on my own limited experience, this is my interpretation of why Jade was loved so much.

Jade had a Soul Number of 7. She would have found fulfilment in nature’s beauty. She needed a strong spiritual base that she could really believe in and this aspect of her vibration really emerged during her final days when her marriage and the christening of both her sons and herself became so important to her - she wanted her boys to be able to connect with her through Jesus. People may have been surprised about this as this is not a side of Jade they would have necessarily have seen. Our Soul vibration is what we feel inside but others don’t see.

Jade also had a Personality No of 7 which meant that her faith was doubly important to her. She would have been a keen observer of life but privacy would also have been very important to her. Her friends would have confided in her.

Jade had a Power Name Number of 5 which makes for a very high-energy person – a celebrator of life. There would never have been a dull moment with Jade around. She would have loved to travel and loved to make things beautiful both in her surroundings and for other people. She would have been an excellent party-giver and this showed in her wedding arrangements and even to the finer details of her funeral, which she has asked should be a “Celebration of her life”.

Jade’s Birth Day Number was also 5 Having these two 5s would have made her very high-energy indeed. Some of the TV clips of her life really showed this. Also these two 5s in her vibration would mean that she could become bored very easily. At times, her double 5 vibration may have been exhausting for those around her.

Jade’s Life Path was 3. Our Life Path is our most important number because it is the sum total of our birth date and it is the vibration at which we came into the world. It is the number we must act upon in order to be truly happy. Jade’s 3 vibration would make her a born communicator, a born performer. She would love any sort of creativity, communication and connection with people. The downside of the 3 vibration is that if we are not able to express that creativity, we will create some kind of drama – anything to avoid being bored! The 3 Life Path has to guard themselves against extreme highs and lows. Jade would have wanted the world around her to be beautiful and she would have wanted to make it beautiful for others too. An important thing to remember with the 3 vibration is that if there are emotional scars from the original family which have not been dealt with, or if as a child you did not get the praise which you so desperately needed, this could cause you to live on the negative side of your vibration. Perhaps an example of this was Jade’s publicised confrontation on Big Brother – 3 vibrations must learn to bite their tongues if they are living on the negative side of their vibration. They tend to learn from adversity and there were certainly some tough lessons for Jade following Big Brother. The best medicine for a 3 vibration though is laughter and Jade enjoyed a lot of that, judging from the TV clips of her life.

Finally, Jade had an Attitude Number of 2. She would have been easygoing, loving and romantic. She would also have been intrigued with anything psychic or metaphysical and in touch with her intuition. She was fascinated by other people, seldom bored and very compassionate towards others.
Jade died on the 22/3/2009 which in Numerology is a 7 day. 7 is a spiritual number, she had put her house in order and aligned herself and her boys with her faith in God. She raised awareness of cervical cancer and the importance of its early detection and has probably saved countless lives. She did what she came here to do and left with dignity, surrounded by love. Her boys will grow up to be proud of her….

Incidentally the Chinese associate “Jade” with the 5 cardinal virtues of charity, modesty, courage, justice and wisdom. They also believe Jade has healing powers.

Fascinating isn’t it.

The above information has been sourced from “Glynis Has Your Number” written by Glynis McCants and published by Hyperion Books. ISBN 1-4013-0142-8.

Snow causes loss of over £1 billion!

2009-02-03T02:39:00.000-08:00

Am I the only person who doesn't care about the loss of £1 billion yesterday? All the news bulletins were focused on road and rail chaos (yes, admittedly it is important to know), and how businesses would suffer as a result of Mother Nature covering us in the most beautiful blanket of snow we've seen for years. At the end of each bulletin though, it showed the photographs which we were all sending in.....families having fun tobogganing by whatever means possible, trays, bin liners, actual toboggans if you were lucky enough to have one and, like my youngest son, even ski-ing. One clip showed a gentlemen who announced with glee "I've wanted to do this for YEARS" as he sped off on his skis down his urban street. I bet it took years off him! We walked through the woods with our neighbours and their children, with the grown-ups shaking the trees over the heads of the children causing them to collapse screaming and giggling under masses of snow. It was magical.

We have lived in our street for 22 years without meeting as many people as we met yesterday. Our son compared it to the 19th century when the streets were full of people - not vehicles. I didn't meet anyone who appeared to be worrying about the loss of £1 billion - did you?

There was a TV clip of a gentleman who was berating the government for not clearing the roads. He described us as "being like a third-world country". What a shame. This weather happens so rarely in our part of the world (the south of England), how can we justify spending millions on snow-clearing equipment which only comes out of the hangar once every 20 years. Boris Johnson tickled me pink (yet again) when he said in an interview that "It's the right kind of snow, just the wrong quantity of it". I am still laughing about it. Thank goodness that we've now got Boris and Barack instead of Ken and George! One says exactly what he thinks, regardless of whether its pc or not and the other means what he says - in no uncertain terms.

Anyway, the reason for this blog is because I wanted to say that Mother Nature is the BIG boss and we would do well to remember that and SURRENDER to the joy that she brought to us all yesterday. If everything comes to a standstill for too long, yes, we need to get it clear so we can deal with the health and safety of the frail and make sure everyone has enough food. But ONE DAY - come on - let's just all enjoy it. I've always said that we are our children's memory makers - when our children look back to February 2009 will they remember the fun in the snow or the fact that businesses had a bad day? No need to ask. Us Brits are ALWAYS great in a crisis - that wartime spirit is just under the surface waiting to come out so we can get creative. I have heard that people are much happier now than they have been in a long time, despite the credit crunch. We are discovering the fulfilment of cooking from scratch again, of "make do and mend" and trying to find ways to save energy.

A few years back, whilst caught in a bomb scare on the island of Ibiza, thousands of us were stuck on a concrete road in the July heat for 5 hours while the police carried out a controlled explosion in the airport. The Red Cross did us proud - arriving eventually with millions of bottles of mineral water. We saw angry people, frightened people, kind people who gave their hats to the disabled in wheelchairs and we saw that good old British spirit in the face of adversity. I did ask this man's permission to take this photo, because to me, he represented the essence of our countrymen - he surrendered to the situation and did the only thing he could do to avoid sunburn - HE PUT A CARDBOARD BOX ON HIS HEAD!!

Enjoy the snow, won't you...............

Back from the Brink.......

2008-10-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

I had the strangest dream two nights ago...... I was standing watching a burial alongside lots of other people (some of whom were the stars of Coronation Street - don't ask where that came from!). I don't recall in the dream whose burial it actually was, but there was a lot of grief surrounding it - so many people hurting........ I woke feeling disturbed and uneasy and as the day went on, I realised that it had been my burial, well at least symbolic of my burial. Since then, so much has become clear to me and I hope that by sharing my thoughts here, I can make sense of what has been happening to me this year and hopefully provide my friends with some sort of explanation, not to mention the wonderful, wonderful people who have been waiting so patiently for my next CD.

Since August last year, my family and I sadly watched as one of our closest friends battled cancer. Our friend Nick had always been debonair, charming, full of fun and his jokes were terrible! We always said that in his role of 007, Roger Moore must have got his corny lines and jokes from our friend Nick - it was, of course, the other way round. Watching him deteriorate over the months was so sad, yet through all his pain, he was still immensely quick-witted and kept us entertained with his corny one-liners. We had many happy summer and winter holidays with Nick. In his James Bond style, he was dressed in red from head to toe on the ski slopes, including a red headband! This is a photo of him in Italy in 2006 - he skied with us until he was 75 years old. In early May, just before we were due to leave for our holiday in America, we visited Nick in hospital and both Graham and I knew we were seeing him for the last time. Just before we left, Nick quietly said "Jan, this place you are going to is meant to be very powerful isn't it?" "Yes, Nick, I think so." I replied. "While you are there, will you................" He was finding it difficult to say the words so I just said "Yes, Nick, we will.............". We gave him a final kiss and told him how much we loved him and he told us he loved us too. As we left Nick's room, heartbroken, we both knew that Nick was trying to ask us to pray for him. Although we didn't find out until several days later when we managed to get through to his wife from America, Nick died just as Graham and I were leaving for the airport to fly to America. We like to think that he chose that moment so his spirit could come with us on one last holiday.

Graham chose a special place at the base of the sacred mountain of Bear Butte to offer prayers of gratitude for Nick's life. It was very emotional but as we looked out over that vast, sunny landscape, with the power of the wind spirit all around us, we knew that Nick was with us. Before we left Bear Butte, Graham chose a tree where we could leave a prayer tie blowing in the wind for him. It really is the most beautiful, sacred spot - I know Nick would have approved. We got back in time for Nick's funeral and our family wore RED!

Bear Butte

Yesterday we attended a service for Nick at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea where his name has been placed on brass plaque on a bench. Appropriately enough, the bench is placed right outside the Chelsea Pensioner's bar - Nick would have approved of that too.

The reason I am going to such lengths sharing all of this is because I have suddenly realised how much I have been struggling and why I have non-consciously shut myself away for the last year. In my role as a therapist for the last 13-odd years, I have sadly neglected my own emotional (and physical) healing. As is often the case, it is not until we stop, that we finally realise how drained we are. Except that I still didn't realise it. I just kept trying to work, trying to write, trying to keep on top of my jobs and failing miserably. During this process, I now realise I have (non-consciously) withdrawn from the world "outside". I haven't been in touch with my friends, often I didn't want to answer the phone. I was so afraid that someone would ask me to do something that would require me to give something of myself and I was just so emotionally exhausted, I couldn't face it! I managed to present a couple of workshops but nowhere near the number I would have liked to do. Aside from losing Nick, other challenges have presented themselves this year but my ego wouldn't allow me to own up to feeling that I couldn't cope - after all, my role has always been to help others to feel better - I have never been very good at asking for help for myself, even as a child. I have always tried to pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going, no matter how much I was suffering inside. (I am being reminded now of a swan......calm and serene on the surface but paddling like crazy underneath - that's me!)

My dream the other night has changed all that. I don't want to be "buried" under all the times I haven't asked for help. Buried under all the guilt I feel for shutting myself away, all the guilt I feel for not producing the work I had hoped to. It is time for me to clamber out of the hole, put my hands up and say "OK, I messed up" and I have decided to do this publicly because I am sure many of you will relate to similar feelings.

Yesterday, I surrendered all my feelings to Archangel Gabriel and asked for help. Since then, I have been flooded with creativity. I was awoken at 6.00 a.m. this morning by the Angels, who were giving me so much information, I had to get up quickly to write everything down. In surrendering and asking for help, I finally feel able to begin again with a new creativity.

I hope my friends will forgive me for "disappearing" on them - I promise I will answer the phone when you call. I promise to admit when I am floundering and I promise to ask for your help. I also promise to say "No" (nicely) if I am asked to do something that I really don't have the energy for.

Thank you Archangel Gabriel for helping me to admit to my fragility and share it with the world. In doing so, you have returned to me the freedom of creative words and speech.

With love and blessings

Hats off to Go Native America!

2008-05-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

Having spent the last few weeks organising and re-organising our independent trip to the mid-West next week, I feel I must take my hat off to Sarah Chapman of Go Native America. Sarah organises, with precision, multiple and varied trips each year during which their tour participants travel thousands of miles across the country visiting sacred sites and learning the history of the Native American people from award-winning writer, photographer and historian Serle Chapman. The first time I took a tour with Go Native America, (www.gonativeamerica.com) we travelled 3,500 miles in two weeks through the scenery of North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. It was another four years before I could return for another ten days to South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Montana. The scenery is awesome and Serle's narration of Native American history is exciting, respectful, tender and at times heart-breaking. I had no idea, however, how time-consuming it is to organise such a tour, even on a small scale.

I will be returning next week to the mid-West with my husband and dearest friends - the trip is a birthday present for my husband's 60th and I have just discovered he is telling people that this trip is an "hors d'oeuvre" - a taste of things to come once he has retired! I have booked us into a different hotel each night and we will be travelling through the Badlands and up into the Big Horn mountains, where I am told that the snow is half-way up the lodge windows!! Packing is a nightmare but layers are the answer - lots of them!

On Wednesday next week we travel to the Land of the Morning Star People to meet the little girl who I have sponsored on the Northern Cheyenne reservation through the Cheyenne Children's Services at Lame Deer who assist children from infant to age 18. We are all really excited about our visit and already we have a queue of children here who would like to be her penfriend. "Many children on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation face the daily reality of poverty. Unlike previous generations, today's poverty is not just economic; complications by broken families, alcohol, drug abuse and limited opportunities contribute to the vicious cycle of child poverty." (Florence Running Wolf - Founder/Director CCS) The unemployment rate for the area is 80% and the best chance of finding a job is off the reservation in Billings, Montana - over 100 miles away. The child I have sponsored has four siblings and family income is the equivalent of £6,000 per year! The rugged terrain in the area severely limits its agricultural use and the most productive land was given to non-Indians by the US Government long ago.

Due to the work of the CCS, the Cheyenne children now have a library in the largest district - something they have never had before and they are slowly developing a stock of books. With future donations, they hope it will be possible to train and employ a full-time librarian. If you would like more information about the CCS or are interested in sponsoring a child and/or making a one-off donation, please log on to http://www.cheyennechildrenservices.com/ . As Florence would say "HaHo" Thank you!

Having organised this independent one-week trip down to the finest detail, if you are interested in travelling to the area, I have one thing to say........."Go Native America" - it's much easier and much less of a worry!

The photo above was taken in October in Tongue River Canyon - click on it for a full-size version - did you ever see such a beautiful blue sky?

NEW DIVINITI WEBSITE FOR THE U.S.

2008-03-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to have learned this week that Diviniti Publishing now have a website especially for their many United States customers. From this week, people in the US will be able to purchase the whole Diviniti range in dollars rather than having to order in pound sterling on the UK site. A much better option for our US friends given the recent poor exchange rate!

If you have any friends in the States who are interested in connecting with Angels, the Sacred Light Series of 4 CDs is being sold as a package at a special discount. Check out the website at

www.hypnosis-usa.com.

FAMILY HOMEOPATHY & WELLNESS CLINIC

2008-03-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Those of you with families may like to know that one of my dearest friends, Kimberley Gridley, has now started a new Family Homeopathy & Wellness Clinic based in Knockholt, Kent. Kimberley has been a licensed Homeopath for many years, graduating from the London College of Practical Homeopathy in 1998. She is an international speaker and trainer with a vast knowledge of homeopathy and nutrition.

Kimberley's clinic will offer safe, effective treatments for children's immune support, food intolerances, eczema, asthma etc and also all women's complaints from monthly cycles to weight loss.

To speak to Kimberley or to book an appointment please call her on 01959 535060. She is offering a £5.00 reduction for NCT Members.

IF I WERE PRIME MINISTER

2008-01-11T01:41:00.000-08:00

GMTV have been asking people for suggestions for a new Public Holiday. Viewers have been asked to vote for one of the following: a) A British Forces Day b) A Beatles Day c) A Shakespeare Day and d) a Diana Day.

I say, what about a PEACE DAY. I think the UN nominated September 21st as International Peace Day but how many of us are aware of that?

I did think about a PEACE PILGRIM day in honour of the amazing woman who walked 25,000 miles between 1953 and 1981 in a personal pilgrimage for peace. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food". She died aged 73 in 1981. However, this is a UK Public Holiday they are polling for, so people might not consider this appropriate.

So, if I was Prime Minister this would be my suggestion: June 21st would be a great day for PEACE DAY. It is summer solstice, therefore the longest day of the year and would be a great day for families and friends to be together. Everything would close! No banks, shops, shopping malls would be allowed to open, and people would be encouraged to stay home and keep traffic to a minimum. In the lead up to Peace Day, school children will be encouraged to participate in creative projects - ALL children should be encouraged to make a PEACE DREAMBOARD showing their vision of a Peaceful World. Peace DreamBoard exhibitions could be set up in various prominent locations for everyone to see and we could even have a prize for the best Peace Dreamboard in each County. Just think of the effect of millions of Dreams of Peace on the Laws of Attraction. In fact why limit the PEACE DREAMBOARD to children? Everyone, regardless of race, religion or age could be encouraged to make one. We could have Children's Peace Concerts, Celebrations of Light etc. It's our responsibility to show our children how the Laws of Attraction work and how they can make a difference to their world if they focus on Peace.

What a dreamer I am....................but then a PEACE DAY makes much more sense to me than a Beatles Day - even though, as a 13 year old I dreamed of marrying Paul McCartney. Maybe if I'd made a DreamBoard.....................!

DreamBoards DO work - honestly!!!

2007-11-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited - I did say Mato Tipila has been calling to me and I have now responded! My husband, who never takes longer than 5 days holiday, has a "big" birthday next year and I have booked to take him to South Dakota and Wyoming. I have a slightly guilty feeling about this, because I know he wanted to go to Las Vegas, but I think Wyoming will be much better for his spiritual (and physical) health! I was trying to keep it a secret but I am so excited I had to tell him and, thankfully he is thrilled - even though he has to take a whole week off. Also, to my great surprise, he arrived home tonight and has decided we are going to fly to Las Vegas later in the year. To my even greater surprise, we are flying Business Class - this is the man that insists on flying EasyJet and Ryanair normally. Not wanting to give him a chance to change his mind - I booked it immediately and he is still in shock. If you are sceptical about DreamBoards, don't be. I suddenly remembered my very first DreamBoard has a photo of Las Vegas on it, with a request for my husband to take more than three days holiday at a time. The Laws of Attraction are just fabulous. Honestly.

The next DreamBoard Workshop is on Saturday, January 12th - join me - the world is your oyster.

Be kind to Magpies

2007-11-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here in my office - as I have been since I arrived back from America or so it seems. This is such a busy time for everyone, including me and like a lot of women, I am wearing umpteen different hats at a time scheduling next Spring's workshops, preparing for the Cambridge Mind Body Spirit Exhibition on the 1st/2nd December, and working with my wonderful new website designer to re-build my website. My only daytime company are the magpies who play and entertain me just outside my office window as I work. So many people moan about magpies, including my husband but I don't mind them at all, especially since I know the story.......

It is said in the sacred stories of the Lakota that all the animals and birds of the universe gathered at the Black Hills to run a race that would decide who would thrive and who would struggle. The two-legged animals raced with the birds on one side and the four-legged were on the other. If the two-legged and the birds won the race, they would eat the four-legged but if the four-legged won the race, they would eat the two-legged and the birds. During the race, a magpie perched on the ear of a buffalo and stayed there and just when it looked like the buffalo was in the lead and about to win, the magpie suddenly flew off his ear and won the race on behalf of the two-legged and the birds. The magpie was officially declared the winner and was presented with a rainbow - which is why the magpie's tail is today so colourful.

So next time you look out of your window and see magpies, think of this story and be kind to them - please.

The photograph above is one I took at Mato Tipila (Bears Lodge) in Wyoming and it is SO calling me back. If you click on the photo, you can see it full size - it really is surreal.

Home Again

2007-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Home again and I think I'm over my jetlag, I am still trying to remember everything about the last few days of my trip. The days were long and we were out late in the evening, listening to stories under the stars. This photograph was taken on our last day in Tongue River Canyon, Crazy Horse's place of retreat. It took our breath away as we entered on foot - the colours were just as you see them here. I have been assigned by my new friends to do the "Winter Count" which was the Native American way to record tribal events (in pictographs) during the year. Apologies, my friends, for the delay in completing this record - it will be done once I have cleared my backlog of work.

I had the most wonderful time in America and my thanks go to Serle, Sarah, Tashiya, Gail, Nerry, Maggie, Al, Debra, Paul and Devan for their companionship during the trip. We shared much laughter, many poignant moments and even more tears, in particular at Wounded Knee and we have all pledged to do all we can to help raise awareness of the Native American people who care more about their responsibility to each other, our planet and to our future generations than their rights for themselves. There are lessons to be learned from these warm and wonderful people and I hope to write about them in more detail soon.

Tongue River Canyon

From left, Jan, Neree, Gail, Devan, Paul, Debra

and Al. (Maggie was hiding behind Devan)

The Badlands

2007-10-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday 13th October

Hello all, we've been out of touch with everyone for a few days with no phones and no internet. Even the American cell phones don't work in the beautiful wilderness of the Badlands. We got up especially early yesterday at 5.50 a.m. to walk up to a ridge and watch the sun rise. It was spectacular - silent except for the song of the meadlowlarks and SO peaceful. I saw my first rattle snake but didn't hang around to take a photo. After leaving the peace of the Badlands we made a really emotional journey to Wounded Knee. I can't describe the emotions we all felt there, but we each left an offering on the mass grave and on the grave of Zintkala Nuni (Lost Bird). I have been there before and knew what to expect but it doesn't make it any easier. The native people here live desperate lives, ignored by the US government, but their strength of spirit and connection to each other and to the Planet is something most of us have disconnected from and is to be envied. We spent an evening on Pine Ridge with Wilmer (Stampede) Mesteth, the highly respected Lakota Spiritual Leader and Historian. He told us all about the problems they are experiencing today and I hope when I come home, I can remember everything he told us. It is hard to take it all in. He told us the true story of the Ghost Dance and drummed and sang the Ghost Dance songs for us - it was a huge privilege. He also played his flute and sang a Love Song to Paul and Debra, the married couple in our group, who were celebrating their wedding anniversary that day.

Last night we returned to stay in Rapid City but we are leaving shortly to go to the sacred sites of Bear Butte and Deer Medicine Rock, where Sitting Bull carved his vision in the rock. We will also be going to Spearfish Canyon (scene of the Dances with Wolves winter camp) and then to Pryor Mountains to see the wild stallions.

Feeling really emotional writing this - I miss my family and wish I could share all of this with them but I will be home soon with lots of video and photographs.

The Journey Begins

2007-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday 6th October.

Hi all - The group met up this morning and everyone is really lovely. Today we entered the Black Hills in the traditional Lakota way - through Buffalo Gap. Many moons ago, this was the way the huge buffalo herds entered the Black Hills on their migratory journey. It is a very important, spiritual place and Serle Chapman wanted us to enter in the same way.

We travelled through Custer State National Park in search of wild buffalo and we were not disappointed. We watched them running and playing free and were so close we could hear the bull growling. The bull is about 9ft long and 6ft high but they run so gracefully, it's almost like a ballet dance. There were many buffalo calves. We saw Elk, Deer, Wild Turkeys and Prairie Dogs. The landscape here seems to pulse with a heartbeat - it speaks to those who take the time to listen and as Serle relates the Lakota stories to us, the wind suddenly builds up as if re-inforcing what he is telling us, then it disappears suddenly. We visited Wind Cave, the place where the Lakota Nation entered the Earth - their place of Genesis. In the evening, we were privileged to attend a Pow Wow in Rapid, which was fantastic. The drumming and dancing resonates through your whole body.

Sunday 7th

Today we visited Prairie Edge, Scores Rock, The Needles and the Nest of the ThunderBeings. Then in amongst the trees on the banks of Sylvan Lake, Serle spoke to us about Star Knowledge. Today we are off to Bears Lodge or Devils Tower as it is called by non-natives. This is the rock which featured in Close Encounters all those years ago.

Love to all.

Rapid City, South Dakota

2007-10-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well howdy, folks. Long long trip yesterday. I got up at 5.15 a.m. on Friday morning and arrived at my hotel in Rapid at 4.15 a.m. British time. It was quite nerve racking for this old girl, with all the form filling, fingerprinting, immigration etc and then the last flight was on a little plane with propellors. When I arrived at the airport, I phoned the Best Western courtesy bus, which turned out to be the wrong one and took me to the Best Western at the complete other side of town and when I say town, I don't mean the size of Orpington. The kindly driver took me all the way back again to the right Best Western and I collapsed into bed at 9.30 p.m. Dakota time.

I have now been awake since 4.00 a.m. this morning and have bags under my eyes the size of Matalan suitcases but I was heartened when I read the welcome note on the desk in my room. It was this:-

To our guests:

In ancient times, there was a prayer for The Stranger within our gates.

Because this hotel is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money making organisation, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.

May this room and hotel be your second home. May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house.

May the business that brought you our way, prosper.

May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy.

When you leave, may your journey be safe.

We are all travellers. From birth till death, we travel between the eternities.

May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best.

Some people may think that was really naff - but it made me feel much better about being out here on my own. I know I'm going to be fine!

I'm meeting the other tour members in 45 minutes - wish me luck and love to all.

WARNING!

2007-10-04T02:25:00.000-07:00

I have just found a link on the top left hand side of the Medicine Bowl Cafe site which says "Next Blog".

Please don't click on it. It will randomly take you to other people's blogs which are nothing to do me with me and quite frankly are atrocious and full of bad language. You will be fine all the time you just click on to the Medicine Bowl Cafe but I will look into finding another blog site provider on my return. You have been warned - don't let curiosity get the better of you.

With love
Jan

Elk Medicine Tour

2007-10-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks - I'm off to South Dakota on Friday for my second trip to Native America and I can't wait. I am travelling with Go Native America (http://www.gonativeamerica.com/) who have just been included in the National Geographic Traveller's Top 50 Tours of Your Lifetime. We begin our tour by visiting He Sapa Wakan "The Heart of Everything That Is", the Sacred Black Hills, which is the Holy Land of the Lakota people and we travel through Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, finishing our trip at Yellowstone in search of the buffalo, elk and wolf. I have seen Yellowstone in May but I am told it is beautiful in the Fall, so I hope to take lots of photographs and video. Serle Chapman, the tour leader, is a historian, writer and photographer who is held in high regard by the Native American community. He portrays their side of history and as a result, we are allowed access to their sacred sites and stories which would not normally be accessible to the public.

Last time I visited, our itinerary had to be changed suddenly because we were given the opportunity to visit Chief Arvol Looking Horse. Arvol is the 19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Pipe of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Great Sioux Nation - to be invited to visit him in his home was a huge privilege. Arvol was given the heavy responsibility of the C'anupa (the Sacred Pipe) at the age of 12 and has spent his life working towards World Peace. His home is a humble caravan set amidst wonderful meadows - silent except for the song of the meadowlarks and the neighing of the horses playing freely. All his visitors are received here in this over-crowded caravan which has an "extension" to provide extra room - we were welcomed in for coffee and to listen to his words.

He spoke with us about how people misuse their energy instead of putting it to good use. He spoke about how sacred their ceremonies are and asked if we would pray for all of humanity and practice forgiveness and "letting go". He spoke about the importance of loving others even if they do wrong. I have insufficient words to describe how deeply that visit to his small, cramped caravan affected all of us on the tour. I knew that Arvol travels the world in his quest to promote World Peace, so it seemed unreal that we were sitting in his caravan drinking coffee with him.

When I came home from that trip, I ordered a book called "Lost Bird of Wounded Knee" written by Renee Sansom Flood. "Lost Bird" was found as an infant, after a four-day blizzard, under the frozen body of her mother at Wounded Knee. She was kidnapped by a man who was to become the future Assistant Attorney General of the United States, who then adopted her as a "living curio" and exploited her in order to attract prominent tribes as clients of his law practice. Lost Bird died aged only 29 and her grave was traced by Renee Sansom Flood to a sad, sunken grave in California. Her description of the scene at Lost Bird's exhumation in California and subsequent re-burial at Wounded Knee is heartwrenching, yet tender as Chief Arvol Looking Horse and the Wounded Knee Survivor's Association painstakingly bring Lost Bird back to be buried with her relatives. As I read her account of how they returned Lost Bird to her homeland, I was able to clearly "see" Arvol's huge frame, tenderly taking care of the things that needed to be done in the Lakota way to bring Lost Bird home.

I can still picture Arvol in my mind's eye and feel his words in my heart from the special time we spent with him.

We need a great healing,

And we need a Great Forgiving.

But healing can't begin without forgiveness.

We must forgive each other,

Forgive our loved ones

Forgive our friends

Forgive our enemies

Forgive ourselves.

We need to pray even for a person who has done us wrong!

In our Tiospaye, our family,

when two people fight

they are made brothers or sisters.

Forgiveness itself is a powerful medicine

We need forgiveness to create Peace!

He-c'e-tu-yelo!

(So be it!)

For anyone who has an interest in Native America I would recommend you read "Lost Bird of Wounded Knee - Spirit of the Dakota". Written by Renee Sansom Flood and published by Da Capo Press (ISBN: 0-306-80822-6).

For more about Chief Arvol Looking Horse go to http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=a_lookinghorse or

http://word.world-citizenship.org/word/index.php/wp-archive/606

I hope to be able to update this blog with my adventures whilst I am away - internet access and spare time permitting (the schedule is exhausting - last time we covered 3,500 miles in 2 weeks) so please check back from time to time. Bye for now..........

Ibiza - My Crystal

2007-09-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Well, what a great day today is - Angels Heal My Body is now released and will be available to order from the Diviniti Publishing site any time now (http://www.hypnosisaudio.com/). If you prefer not to order online, you can telephone your order through to the office angels at Diviniti on 01732 220373 and I know your CD will wing its way to you without delay. This CD really is wonderful and the culmination of SO much hard work by everyone involved.

We had a lazy, sunny, warm four days in Ibiza last week - it was perfect. The island was quieter than in June which meant we could explore some of the beaches we had never seen, despite being regular visitors since our honeymoon in 1973. Oh, the joy of sitting at a little chiringuito (beach restaurant), eating fresh fish and fresh sun-ripened salads washed down with some chilled rosado and then pottering the few steps over the sand to our beach beds to read and have an afternoon snooze....... it was just what the doctor ordered. For those who haven't been to Ibiza - don't be put off by the bad press and television - it is a really beautiful little island and the Ibicencans are lovely people. In fact, I have just received an email from my friend Tracy who has just returned from her first visit there. To quote "there is something about that island that I can't seem to explain" and it made me smile because I know she is hooked by its magnetic energy and will be returning. It reminded me about a little piece I wrote years ago which I'd like to share with you on the day that Angels Heal My Body has finally arrived. It has no title.

The book that leapt out at me in Gatwick Airport was called “Crooked Angels” written by Carol Lee. The description on the jacket read “A woman, a child and an Osteopath are the detectives in this remarkable journey to the source of an illness”. I needed to look no further for a book to take on holiday. In my daily work I have learned much about the body’s ability to lock away physical and emotional trauma, only to manifest it years later as a physical illness. This book was written about a subject so close to my heart, it would be ideal to take to my hillside retreat on the island of Ibiza.

That was three days ago and it is now mid-morning……. I sit under an umbrella on the terrace looking out over an azure ocean. The breeze gently whispers through the surrounding palm trees as they bask in the sunlight. There are oleanders of pink and white, a vibrant red bougainvillaea and, in the distance, the joyful sounds of children splashing in a pool. Butterflies mingle around the flowering bushes and I sense their joy in being blessed with a second, more adventurous life as I remember something I read once in one of Richard Bach books:-

“What the caterpillar thinks is the end of the world, The Master knows is the butterfly.”

From a restricted existence as a caterpillar to becoming a beautiful, elusive, butterfly dancing through the air, I feel their joy in just “being”. Have we (humanity) lost this ability to just “be”? If so, is it possible to regain it? I try.

I do try and I ask my clients to try. For the hour that they spend with me, I ask them to just BE. Sometimes, I sense their difficulty as they lay with busy heads, desperately trying to quieten their minds – but a quiet mind must begin with the body. It may take several sessions for some to achieve this quietness – for others the deep involuntary sighs of letting-go come at the first session – so relieved are they at finding an hour’s sanctuary.

Sanctuary…….

It is here in Ibiza for me. Tucked away in the hills, far from the Ibiza the newspapers portray. I have come alone to feed my senses, to drink in the sights, sounds and smells of my island, to be alone with my childhood, to clear away any emotional pain which may still be living in my body. I have come to connect with my Guides and to nourish my Soul.

My guides has been prompting me to write for some time. I am told to put pen to paper and the words will come and as I write, I know this to be true. This will be a book with many aspects. My pain, my joys, my belief in and love of my work. My love for my family.

Ibiza is my crystal.

I can draw strength from her wherever I am. Sometimes, as I am working, my guidance takes me to Es Vedra. Es Vedra, the rock, rises majestically from the sea off the beach at Cala d’ Ort -she is mystically beautiful. I don't know why I refer to Es Vedra as "she" - I guess, for me, she has a feminine energy. Many will remember her from the film South Pacific – she was Bali Hai. I stand on her peak, holding my client high at cranium and sacrum to receive her healing energies. I see the clear blue sky and crystal clear water surrounding us and we bathe in the light. This takes only a matter of seconds and my client, lying peacefully on the couch, knows nothing of their journey, nor do I tell them. Once, the dolphins came into my awareness whilst I was working and at that precise moment my client announced that she could “see” dolphins. Did the image come from her non-conscious mind into mine or vice-versa – no matter. She found the dolphin presence very healing for her. Her body, wracked with pain in every joint, responds with tears, tears which go back through a lifetime. These tears, imprisoned within her body for so long, flow freely now, without inhibition as I gently support her.

Compassion.

I feel such compassion for this lady whose life is made so difficult by the physical pain in her body. Still, she carries on regardless, selflessly working for charity. The lightness follows the tears. This is common. Often people say “I feel so much lighter now” and so, too, do I.

I am in awe of the human body’s capabilities. In this case, the body had made a start towards wholeness. She may never recover fully and as a practitioner, I have to accept that sometimes the healing is in having the illness itself. When people start to question why their body is behaving in a certain way and looking closely at their lives – this is when changes are made. Changes in the way they eat, drink, the company the keep, the anger and frustrations they hold within their body. No matter how slowly these changes come about, a healing communication has begun between mind and body and then, inevitably, spirit. The three are no longer separate and we start to feel whole again.

A Robins Message

2007-09-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

As I am writing this, the fourth CD in the Sacred Light Series is being "put to bed" so to speak. It is the culmination of 3-4 months hard work by so many wonderful people, who I intend to acknowledge properly on my main website in the coming weeks. The CD is called Angels Heal My Body and it is my favourite so far. People who know me well, know how big a part of my life CranioSacral Therapy has been. It truly has been instrumental in changing my own life and the lives of some of my clients. This CD is so close to my heart as I have been able to incorporate some of what I have learned over the years thus enabling listeners to connect with the deepest part of their being - their inner wisdom - before they connect with the Angels. The music of Gabriel Currington is so emotive and healing that listeners are given a chance to listen to the score in its entirety, without dialogue, on the last track.

It seems appropriate to complete the CD today as this is the 19th anniversary of the day my father left us to continue on his own soul journey. Whenever I see a robin in my garden, I know he is around and this morning, Graham said "Look" and the robin was sitting right outside the kitchen window on the head of our beautiful, peaceful Buddha - it was as if my father was saying "Today's a special day, you know". And it is.

Angels Heal My Body is also special because it is dedicated to the memory of Wendy Harrold, the shining light who introduced me in 1997 to Aly and Glenn. I was hugely privileged to be able to guide Wendy through this healing meditation just a few days before she left with the Angels. I will never forget her beauty, serenity and peace as she held my hand and listened to the words and it reminded me that as a practitioner, wanting people to get well can be a judgement and we should try and let go of that - because sometimes the healing is in having the illness. One day I will write a whole chapter on why I believe that to be so.

I am taking a few days off now to visit the sacred island which nurtures my body, mind and soul and renews my creativity - Ibiza. And no, I won't be clubbing! I'll be sleeping, reading and listening to the waves lapping at the shore.................... Bye for now!

September 11th 2001

2007-09-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

On this day when the world remembers so many souls who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001, I would like to share some wisdom from Cheryl Richardson. Cheryl is a Life Coach and the author of many books. She hosts a radio show on the Hay House website.

http://www.hayhouseradio.com/

In her current newsletter, she shares what she calls her Annual Remembrance Ritual and has freely given her consent for people to print it, share it and discuss it with others. She invites us all to ask ourselves the following questions and record the answers in a journal:

· Am I pleased with how I'm spending my precious time on earth?

· Am I spending enough quality time with the people who matter most?

· Am I doing my best to listen to the voice of my soul so I make real, honest choices based on what I most want?

· If today were my last day on earth, would I feel good about what I'm leaving behind?

· Am I sharing (or working toward sharing) my God-given gifts and talents with others?

· Are there any petty disagreements or differences that I need to let go of once and for all?

· Is there someone I need to forgive?

Food for thought huh? And maybe a ritual we should practice more than just once a year.

To read Cheryl's full newsletter, go to her website at http://www.cherylrichardson.com/.

A project for this weekend

2007-09-07T01:31:00.001-07:00

Having had such a wonderful weekend in Dublin at the Rude Health Show, I have been quickly brought down to Earth by a particularly difficult week. Firstly, our flight was delayed for six hours, meaning we didn't get home until 3.00 a.m., five hours past my normal bedtime and as we had to get up at 2.30 a.m. to fly OUT to Dublin, I feel as if I have been to the other side of the planet. Can I be the only person who suffers jet lag following a trip to Ireland?

The week went downhill from there with various challenges which I won't bore you with and has culminated in the worst cold I have had in years. It is times like this that I tend to check out Astrologer Steve Judd's website (www.stevejudd.com). I awoke with his name on my mind, and when I logged on I read something there which really resonated with me: "To establish eye to eye contact and mutually smile, maintains our link with spirit"

I have often felt awkward when people have referred to me as a Healer, because I see myself more as a facilitator - I create and hold the space for people to heal themselves. Many times, I have talked about how healing a smile can be, to someone who is feeling unwell or is at a difficult time in their lives. The warmth of a smile is magnified 100-fold when it is accompanied by eye contact or a light non-intrusive touch. Sometimes my best work is done when I am shopping in the supermarket - like the time when a particularly stressed lady was at the check-out, packing her shopping and shouting at her family at the same time. She had a white feather attached to the back of her jumper and I just couldn't help myself. "Excuse me", I said, picking the feather off her jumper and putting it in her hand, "did you know you have an angel with you today?" She smiled and thanked me and carried on packing her shopping, only in a much calmer, happier way. The situation was diffused and who knows, that day in the supermarket may have been the start of an interest in the angelic realms and spirituality in general. A smile - a touch and in this case, a feather is all it took to brighten that lady's day.

So, I invite all visitors to the Medicine Bowl Cafe to use every opportunity to SMILE this weekend - yes - even at people you don't know. Look straight into their eyes and SMILE THE SMILE OF AN ANGEL. If they don't smile back or if they look at you as if you have stepped off another planet, expand your heart and send them a silent Angel Blessing of Love and Understanding. Imagine the warm, pink ray of Archangel Chamuel radiating out from your heart.

That's your homework for the weekend!

Please let me know if you have any experiences you would like to share as a result of our SMILE weekend. Have a good one!

With love and a BIG PINK SMILE

Rude Health at the RDS

2007-09-05T04:21:00.000-07:00

Just back from Dublin after spending two days at the Rude Health Show. We met some really wonderful and inspiring people, tasted some beautiful, healthy food and got really sore, swollen feet. (Note to self: wear sensible shoes next year!) I had a blissful Caviar Hot Stone Massage in our hotel the day before the Show which I can wholeheartedly recommend if you get the chance to have one. Somehow, though, I managed to put on 1 1/2 pounds in that two days and wonder where I went wrong - maybe the stones are still attached!

We heard an inspiring talk by Writer,Broadcaster and Audio Author Janey Lee Grace (www.imperfectlynatural.com) who shared loads of tips on how to clean your home/laundry/baby's bottom with old-fashioned chemical free products. For lots of free tips and give-aways log on to Janey's website and sign up for her FREE monthly newsletter - it's fab!

Jason Vale (the Juice Master) gave a hysterically funny talk called "Freedom from the Food Trap", which will make you see dieting, food and in particular television advertisements for food in a completely different light - not to be missed if he is speaking anywhere in your area.

The Medicine Bowl Cafe is OPEN!

2007-09-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi folks - welcome to the Medicine Bowl Cafe for "Grounded Angels".

When I ran my Holistic Therapy Centre, I published a newsletter called Medicine Bowl for my clients and associates. In Native America, the Medicine Bowl is where ideas are nurtured, the future is held and growth is accomplished. Hence the Medicine Bowl Cafe is a place where you can take a five-minute break to read some self-help tips, where you can hear about stories, journeys or people who have touched my heart. You may find an occasional gripe here and there - this is a meeting place for "Grounded Angels" - try as we might to live angelically, when faced with life's challenges, we don't always manage it and just because we eat meat, have the occasional glass of wine or find ourselves getting irritated with the people we love (or people we don't even know!) doesn't make us any less perfect in the eyes of God.

You may or may not know that I am the author of the Sacred Light Series of Angel Meditation CDs published by Diviniti Publishing Ltd, Maidstone, Kent. http://www.hypnosisaudio.com/ These CDs will really help you to raise your vibration and align with the frequency of Angels - if you use them regularly enough, you will begin to see things differently - from a calmer, more serene perspective. As Dr Wayne Dyer says: "When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change." So I am inviting all you wonderful Grounded Angels out there to let me know via email if you have any Angel experiences, or heart-warming stories you would like to share. The Medicine Bowl Cafe is open 24 hours a day, so pour yourself a cup of tea and drop by anytime. You never know you might pick up a few handy tips and wrinkles.........well, maybe not the wrinkles!

Tea break over for now - we'll chat tomorrow!