Catharine Allan @River-Rain Spirit Guides

Energy Vampires

2012-03-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

"Most of these energy vampires are well-meaning, normal people. They are an unhappy lot, and do their damage by a telepathic draining of their victim's energy resources. Mere separation of two people results in immediate positive changes in the victim. Fear is the common denominator in these individuals, and you must learn to protect yourself from their negative influences."

Dr. Bruce Goldberg

We have all felt the effects of an energy vampire at some point in our lives. Many are well meaning and have no bad intentions as they drain the life force out of you slowly - with chronic depression, complaining, bitching, road rage, stone walling coldness, dismissing you or pretending they didn't hear things, or even physical health issues left unaddressed. When you are highly sensitive you can feel their imbalances and their needs not being met and respond by trying to help them, cope with them or patiently (painfully) tolerate them.

In these cases I think it's best to show compassion first. We all go through arduous times and can come in with storm clouds around us. We all can have difficulties in our aura, things about to come , that can be sensed energetically. We all carry events past present and future in our energy field, and it can be sensed. If people don't remember a trauma, it's in their energy field, for example. So we have to allow people to have space and compassion to work out their issues even though it is uncomfortable to be around them. In this stage they will usually be unaware of it and feel badly.

When they start to project this inner turmoil outwardly they are on their way to becoming vampires if they aren't accountable for it. These are the folks that still may be unaware that their moods and behavior trigger or offend us, but do it anyway. They are the blamers and the victims all the time. They also drain us enormously, but still don't make the cut for the most damaging of vampires - the predatory vampire.

The other kinds of energy vampires are predatory and intentionally using their negativity

to manipulate your will. Their attempts and distorted thinking take an enormous toll on you especially if you are exposed too often or for too long. It's hard to define, but there are

many folks who unconsciously know they can have influence on you, even if it isn't calculated, they just know it works. This can be invasive behavior, staring, envy and jealousy, cutting you off, bringing the conversation back to themselves and ignoring your needs. These are abuse tactics.

The predatory type is usually very charming and uses these subtle but painful techniques to get test you and see how far they can push your limits. With this kind of vampire ( or worse where they

truly target you and manipulate you) there are some tell tale signs:

Do you feel unusually tired around certain people ?

Do you get more headaches, rashes, nausea around anyone ?

Do you find yourself avoiding someone or not wanting to attend important functions ?

Do you find yourself having intrusive thoughts concerning a person who's behavior

confuses or bothers you ?

Energy vampires are real. The predatory kind have mastered their will in such a way that they know what works to sway people in their direction, and punish those who see through it or resist. In the worst case scenario they are consciously using this perception and understanding of human psychology to manipulate you.

There are things you can do to protect yourself from it, and in some cases you will need to remove yourself from their presence, or even take legal action to protect your rights, your home life or work life. In romance and friendship we rarely see the vampirism unless there is a separation. The immense relief, and burst of energy upon distance from someone is a big clue that the person is a vampire on some level.

Do you have energy vampires in your life?

What have you done about it ?

Email me and tell me your story!

Love is a Verb

2012-01-30T19:20:00.001-08:00

Love is a Verb

I started only believing people's action when I was still in high school.

Words really don't carry much weight if they aren't backed up with actions.

People can throw around love you's and miss you's all they want, but what does love look like in action ?

Love as a verb is many actions - as small as this little boys' head bowing to the cat's level so he can connect and receive a cat hug, to grand and thoughtful gestures such as helping a loved one fulfill a dream or standing by them when they are sick and not resenting it. Love is patient , love is kind....have we forgotten how to do this now with all of our techno toys?

To me love is a good listener

love is letting someone save face

love is preserving someone's self image

( even when you know she's a bit off in her thinking today)

love is paying for dinner when someone's budget is tight

it's carrying the groceries or the laundry for someone

it's letting him watch his game or show without comment

it's being honest, not brutal

love is also consistency with people, being reliable, good for your word

love is respect which means no hiding, lying, forcing, vying,

manipulating or buying

what actions tell you that you are loved?

I had a friend help me heal something and teach me about love through food. Whenever we went out I wanted dessert ( I mean come on :) and at first I would have my own , all mine...because I grew up in an " eat it before dad gets it" kind of home. So my friend used to offer to share dessert. this may not sound big, but for me it was big. So we did. And over time I saw that no matter how small that piece of cake was, she would split it in half and consider me. I learned to share cake :) Now I can eat less and be satisfied because I can trust ... for me this was an act of love I will be grateful for :)

what's your story?

Email me!

river.rain.catharine@gmail.com

Good-bye Rabbit, Hello Dragon 2012

2012-01-23T23:50:00.000-08:00

Get ready folks! The year of the Dragon begins the 23rd of January, ushering in a time of stronger energy for action and passion.

Last year, 2011 was the year of the Metal Rabbit. If you are like many people I spoke to you found this year to be very hectic and busier than usual. A lot of work with not so much gain, or not lucky gain...despite the rabbit being about luck in some cultures. it was also a 4 vibration last year. The Chinese consider the number 4 to be the number of death. In other systems a four is a number of structure and foundations...and it can be lonely. Metal is associated with the intellect, so this past year you may have laid certain mental frameworks and foundations to your life. If not you may have felt the communications and factoids over loading your senses. It was certainly a social and networking kind of year. It may also have been quite tiring.

This year we shift to the Water Dragon. Shifting element is a big deal let alone switching animal. Water represents emotion, and the dragon is a passionate animal . This year we can expect more people going deeper, asking for more out of life. I see this year as a time when things shift quite dramatically but by your own choices. I see people wanting quality over quantity and integrity over meaningless social connections which will play out in our social media behavior and what kind of private lives we want to have. I can also sense more extremes - decisions made by you, or being the recipient of someone else's big choices - will make everyone have to find where they stand and adapt.

This also includes political decisions and events. There will be bolder decisions and events in this arena and we will have to take our own stance on the matter. Life is always a mixed bag of goodies, so some we'll like and some we won't. The difference I feel with this year is the aspect of taking a strong stance vs rhetoric and waffling .

2012 is also a number 5 vibration. A five year is good for getting us into action and self expression. Sometimes there will be necessary conflicts as we redefine ourselves. Sometimes fives can be scattered as well , having too many things going on at once, but it does shake us out of the four year. It is a great year to get out of a rut!

Wishing you all an exciting transformational year ahead!

http://www.icontact-archive.com/W_uIa0D3NNN_KRqUlrB8dWm_cay5S1p-?w=4#fblike

2012-01-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.icontact-archive.com/W_uIa0D3NNN_KRqUlrB8dWm_cay5S1p-?w=4#fblike

Adaptation and Stress

2012-01-02T00:49:00.001-08:00

Most sensitive people feel everything about our lives is speeding up more and more.

Those who are healers or are on their healing path have likely noticed that it has been much harder to concentrate and meditate than usual for the past couple of years.

Our world is always in a state of change, but it does feel like it is happening faster and that we are coming to some sort of tipping point. The bathtub is full of water and it's about to spill - sort of sensation. Some will associate it with the Mayan calendar and end of the world prophesies, but I think it's got more to do with technology, increased

electro- magnetic waves coursing through our bodies, genetically altered foods, hormone issues related to stress, beauty products, plastics and food supply, over-population, weather shifts that disconnect us from the seasonal rhythms we have known , raised consciousness in general of our world and a sense of growing helplessness to do anything about it. With the huge economic shifts we are seeing that I see continuing to degrade in order for something new to emerge, and with the uprisings and intolerance of dictatorships and tyranny...we are indeed in for major changes here on Mother Earth.

The only way we can have a sense of peace and accomplish something of meaning is if we adapt to the changing vibrations around us. The rules have changed, the way we approached life even a decade ago doesn't seem to apply anymore. There is so much pull to let go of so much - and it is scary and liberating at the same time.

I believe our ability to adapt is the key to our health and successful transformation to a new world over the next few years.

The most important thing we can do is minimize the stress in our lives. Getting to the bottom of what your sources of stress are can be tricky at times. We have to know ourselves for that. We have to accept our own needs and our limitations. For this year, which will certainly be laden with messages of fear from 2012 prophecy, I really encourage you to pull back and evaluate what things give you the most stress and start making the adjustments to remove them from your life as much as possible. Staying calmer, resting, maintaining your health in a time of such great shifting will help you float on the wave and see some amazing turn arounds. Resist and resent the changes and you will feel very frustrated and risk sinking. Be brave and get your priorities clear. Be honest with yourself and set the course for a brilliant transformation year!

2012 Numerology

2011-12-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

Each year with the change in our Gregorian calendar, the numerology changes vibrations, so let's look at what it means for 2012 !

2011 or 2+0+1+1 = 4 Last year was a number four. The number of structure, foundations, hard work, loneliness and even death according to the Chinese. Did you build a good foundation last year? Did you re-structure your life? did you feel it was all work work work and no luck ?
....
well this year the number 5 will help that energy express itself and get unstuck!

2012 0r 2+0+1+2 = 5 A five year brings activity and expression, and sometimes conflict. it will bust out from the previous year's loneliness and get things happening. It can be a scattered effort or it can be a follow up up the previous year's hard work. That's up to your intentions and clarity. A five year is also said to bring money...

Let's hope they are right !

Happy New Year !

Spiritual Environmentalism

2011-11-30T21:06:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Environmentalism

Environments are not just containers,

but are processes that

change the content totally.

Marshall McLuhan

One thing I have learned the hard way is that we are all a product of our environment. Humans adapt to virtually anything they are given. This is a strong skill of course because we can then survive in adversity, but we do not have to place ourselves in such harsh conditions sometimes. Often we do have a choice in the matter.

If you are living in clutter...you become cluttered. Your mind isn't being supported to feel the efficiency or calm possible in a more harmonious or even symmetrical environment. IF the floors are shaking when trucks roll by, or are slanted ..you will adapt and it will become normal, but you will also pay a price.

It is the same with the energies which surround us in terms of places , people, sounds and smells. These are tangibles that we can identify as being healthy for us or not. Some places - meaning the actual building or grounds they rest upon - are full of toxic energy for reasons of poor water drainage, dryness, bad foundations. Sometimes it is from spirits or places where the chi - life force energy - has left. These physical locations will make anyone feel off kilter or sick over time.

Other times there are people who's mindset is so toxic that they become a poison to the environment . We all know some! People who are chronically envying others, people who are apathetic dragging us down, people who are so suspicious that no one and nothing is OK, road ragers, gossip queens - are all a poison to us.

These are fairly obvious right? So how often are you evaluating them? Are you adapting to anything right now that you can change? Sometimes we can't break away completely, but we can use certain strategies or techniques to hold our own space more effectively and not absorb things quite so much.

Here's how I look at it... every mindset or condition has a vibration. We can feel it when we have a warm dry floor to stand on. It's a feeling that brings support and strength. We can feel it when we are around someone who is scattered, and we are either mildly annoyed, tolerating it, or thrown off balance ourselves. We can feel the vibration when people live in harmony and respect - meaning a partner who listens without judging, interrupting or finishing your sentences; a boss who says good job - either verbally or with their eyes; a home with good ventilation and sun; happy children and animals in the area; neighbors who are aware of living in harmony with each other.

We can also feel the vibration when we are exposed to unhealthy circumstances - circumstances that make us sick if we stay too long and adapt to them. For example, hanging around someone who really doesn't get you for too long can undermine your sense of self...you're lost in translation to each other, thereby diminished, and a superficial tension overthrows the chance for intimacy.

Passive aggressive behavior can be one of the worst toxic effects - because it becomes very hard to address the underlying issue without risking a big fight.

If we allow our boundaries to be invaded too often and are not taken seriously when we say them - over time you will lose your self respect and in the worst case scenario you will adapt to abuse and call it normal - miserable , but normal.

It is crucial for our spiritual health - which manifests in the body as ease or dis-ease - that we are aware of and have as much say in our environments as possible.

Know that you WILL adapt to what you consent to.

I wanted to bring this up during the holidays because so many of us will be in circumstances that we will be adapting to. Whether it's around family, work or social settings for the sake of being together - that pressure to be happy, get along, sweep the rest of the year under the rug ...it can get to us.

For those who will be enjoying the positive end of the bargain visiting places you feel warm and loved more than your day to day life, you can also ponder what you can do to give this to yourself more often in your own environment daily.

I recognize there's a lot we don't' have control over,

so it's not about that. It's about being aware as you go into the holidays of what you will be affected by and how, so you gain a greater sense of control over yourself and your own choices.

If you know that being in over crowded stores with Christmas carols sends you into a tizzy and you will charge more to your credit card...you have control over that. Make a gift, order on line, buy from a local vendor instead, or a craft fair.

If you have no way around seeing a certain relative, you have a major choice to make about going or not going to that function. You can make a choice before hand as to how you'll act around said person . Take care of yourself in the situation as best you can, with awareness that said person triggers a special side of you ( wink). But for the life of you please don't go in blind, and trying to please so much that you come back lost and exhausted.

It really is not necessary.

To help with the spiritual vibration this season

you can say this simple prayer any time you need to

Arch Angel Micheal, surround me in your healing light ans release my weaknesses

and burdens. Help me to see the dark energies , intended or not intended,

seen or unseen, and protect me from their influence.

Give gratitude for all you DO have, rest :)

Wishing all of you a positive holiday season!

if you would like to receive my newsletters FREE every month please go to river-rain.com and sign up

Happy Halloween !

2011-10-31T10:58:00.001-07:00

Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat or Souling ?

and

The language of these traditions is heavily influenced by the naming of days in the Christian calendar. The central date of the rituals that herald the beginning of winter is the 1st of November, called All Saints Day or All Hallows Day. The following day is All Souls Day and the 31st of October is All Hallows Eve - shortened to Hallowe'en (i.e. the evening before All Hallows Day).

The practice of souling - going from door to door on or about All Souls Day to solicit gifts of food in return for prayers for the dead - evolved from a pagan ritual that was practiced all over Europe, possibly as early as the 10th century. As a Christian tradition it goes back to at least the 14th century, when it is mentioned by Chaucer. It is still commonplace in many Catholic countries, notably Ireland, where soul-cakes are left out for the departed.

The term Trick or Treat was an evolution ( or devolution) where kids went door to door performing pranks with ghost masks on and when opening the door to one they were given the choice of trick ( soaping the windows ) or treat ( candy and fruit as a bribe not to pull the prank). Quite the difference of practice given the sacredness of this day.

Whatever you call this holiday I hope you will ponder the concept of "souling" for a moment when you don your costumes and accept the sweets of the evening. As you enjoy them think of someone special who has passed and give your joy to them as a blessing :)

is signic

Did You Know?

Hallowe'en is derived from a pagan holiday called Samhain,

and the pagan holidays observed the moon as their timing.

The true date of Hallowe'en every year then, is when the moon is new

in the sign of Scorpio. This year it falls on October 26th.

On this day the sun and the moon will fall in the sign

of Scorpio, meaning the most deep and mysterious shadow aspects of life

come to the surface...in this case, the spirits of the departed.

This day is considered to be the time when

the veils between the earth and the universe are thinnest so we can

communicate with the dead, honor their souls and speak to them.

Catharine Allan Clairvoyant Medium
Phone: 514-943-7246
Email: river.rain.catharine@gmail.com

METAPHYSICAL MUSINGS

2011-10-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

Do Your Work, Then Step Back

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

Tao Te Ching

We are all constantly seeking to balance the many priorities we choose or that are chosen for us by circumstance. No one gets away with not having to find this balance and it is a life's work ... and a work of art. The scales of Justice represent the sign of Libra we are in right now, so what better time of year to discuss balance. She carries the scales to weigh everything and the sword to analyze, decide, inaugurate or cut. Every day we must do the same with our myriad of desires, responsibilities and needs for self expression. Rest often gets lost in the picture.

I love the verses from the Tao Te Ching because they show dualities with complete impartiality. There is no judgment in emptiness or fullness, ugliness or beauty, activity or rest. And yet we often judge ourselves about rest. We think it' s being lazy. We may see it as a waste of time to stop cleaning and lay down with the cat, or taking time to listen to music without multi-tasking and really hear the notes. But the cat needs our attention and we can feel so rejuvenated and bonded for a few moments... and that piece of music can bring out emotions and evoke memories long forgotten so we can heal, or savor past joys. We will start to hear our hearts speak through intuition.

Most of us are predominately geared towards being active or passive. Some of us have no problem at all "chilling out" as it were, and find it harder to initiate and keep motivated. a lot of us are work-a-holics and find it hard to do "nothing" feeling guilty for a moment of lost productivity. This month challenge yourself to live in the opposite frequency to your normal tendency. This will re balance the axis on those scales, change your paradigm and likely offer your insights into yourself.

This is an article I wrote for BelArome Holisitic Health Center's Newsletter.
I will be teaching workshops there this fall :)
For my complete list of Fall 2011 Workshops and series please visit my website at River-Rain.com

Sincerely
Catharine

Inspiring Workshops This Month

2011-09-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Workshops are a great way to explore and get to know yourself,
as well as meeting like minded people. I hope you join us !

Spirit Guides - Discover Yours

Westmount Wellness Center 1225 Greene

Everyone has spirits around them. Some are ancestors, some are animal, some are from other realms and other periods in time. This series we go into meditation each week to establish your guides and to facilitate communications.

Sept 24th to Oct 8th 7 to 10pm $150

Psychic Development Series Clairvoyance Training

There are many abilities that can be called psychic. The ability to see clearly is one of them. Come see how much you see, and develop this ability further. Knowing when to trust it is everything.

September 17 th 12 -2pm $40

Melange Magique 1928 St Catherine

Tarot Series Major Arcana Part 2

September 15th

Melange Magique 7 -9pm $40

Come learn the symbolic and archetypal language of the tarot.

You will be introduced to the entire 78 cards and learn how to spread the cards to give a reading. Bring your own deck :)

Stay Tuned for More From Catharine

More Courses Offered at BelArome Holistic Health Center

NHC - Natural Health Consultants Institute

The Lost Art of Meaningful Conversation

2011-09-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Looking down at a handheld device, rather than into the eyes of your

conversational mate, isn't merely rude; it also sabotages the exchange of

nonverbal cues that help sustain rich and meaningful attachments.

"We're all facial coders," says Dan Hill, founder and president of the market

research firm Sensory Logic. "Humans have more facial muscles than any

other species on the planet, and we're hardwired to read all 43 of them.

Half the brain is devoted to processing visuals. To not use that ability is to

simply throw away precious real estate."

Reading others' faces and emotions is a key component of empathy,

and some argue that the ability or willingness to empathize is on the decline.

In a study conducted this year at the University of Michigan,

researchers found a 40 percent drop in empathy (as measured by

questions about feeling concern for the less fortunate and putting

oneself in anothers' shoes) among college students from 1979 to 2009.

A sharp plunge began around the year 2000—just as the digital era

as we know it kicked into high gear.

Psychology Today

Aren't you craving better conversation? Do you miss the days we had time and no facebook or texting and just sat face to face in a park? I sure do. We are creating a generation of intimacy impaired kids in my opinion. "Relating" to a screen is not a relationship. It's a form of isolation in truth. We will never replace actual human contact or touch. The part that frustrates and scares me most is that the further removed from relating emotionally to one another we become, the more depressed, socially awkward and government/ advertiser controlled we also become. We must make sure we never lose the art of a meaningful conversation.

I am a part of the cyber world like most of us. I partake in facebook, I text, email, and call less and less. Personally it's because it's become the fastest or most efficient way to reach people. It's very handy to plan, or if you're running late. It' s fun on bad days to send a text to a friend and no one will know your "conversation" so you can have a running thread or window into your friends' life in a new way. What I find tiresome is the LOL! OMG! and CU L8R's...let's not lose our ability to write and speak in full sentences. We seem to all be so overwhelmed, over excited, ADD or what have you and are speaking and relating in sound bites like infomercials of ourselves. When faced with a dinner, a walk, time with no distractions...do we still know how to converse?

I don't see it much.

Do you?

So many of us are DYING to talk and be heard. So many of us can't stop talking about our lives so quickly to relate in those minutes and seconds between things at work or even at home that we aren't even really listening let alone feeling anything while we share. There's no space! Instead we live in the voyeurism of Facebook. Don't get me wrong, I've heard and experienced some lovely reunions with people via Facebook, and it' sure cheaper than all the long distance $ it would take to chat to Australia or Seattle from Montreal. But I long for face time that is grounded, calm, empathetic...stimulating the brain in a creative way vs an adrenalised way.

I've had some real conversations this summer from starting an Artist's Way group. We met in a park and talk for three hours about art and creativity, themes that come up are organically explored. We are honest in our sharing, open in the flow vs controlling the flow...and magic is happening! Insight is coming, decisions are made easily, bonds are made that stay all week and beyond. We are sorely missing these kinds of dynamics in our modern society.

So I say have your twitters and I-Phones, but only as an enhancement to your intimate relationship, or as a business tool....not as a replacement. If your friendship only exists in cyberspace you are in trouble. How do you even know if you are compatible in basic human ways? Maybe you can't even walk down the sidewalk without wanting to kill each other? Maybe all that funny, witty or deep conversation only happens when the chat requires two people actually take turns talking? What happens if you can't handle emotions when with someone? We must never lose the art of conversation and intimacy. We can't let our society be eroded to the point of not feeling for others. Please, reflect this month on your usage of technology and the quality of your relationships, and change what's necessary. Push yourself to be outgoing with people in person. Let your feelings show to your friend vs crying behind a computer screen when no one can see you.

It's crucial to your emotional and psychological well being, and to the evolution or devolution of our society. Think about it .

The reality is that there’s very little conversationhappening on blogs. ( and I would add Facebook) What passes for conversation usually falls into one of two categories that look like conversation but aren’t really. These categories can be labeled as

1) Affirmation and Conciliation and

2) Pedantry and Venom.

In both cases, what that writing and talking is really about is inflating the ego.

Online MBA

Scorpio Moon

2011-09-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Moon in Scorpio
The moon travels through every sign once a month , staying for a couple of days. So every couple of days we can feel a shift in its influence - even if it is subtle. A Scorpio moon will mean deeper feeling and reactions, but internalised more than acted upon. It means people are in a more reflective...or even secretive mood. It is a good time under it's influence to meditate, remember, ask probing questions of yourself and others. Scorpio is good at getting to the bottom of things and understanding the mysterious origins of feelings, the unconscious mind , and collective mind at the same time...so pay attention to your gut instincts and dreams the next couple of days

Autumn Workshops 2011

2011-08-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

September Workshops

This fall I am teaching in a few places on Thursdays and Saturdays - Melange Magique, Westmount Wellness Center, and Belarome 6001 Monkland Avenue ( new )

Tarot Series
Thursday Sept 8 - Oct 6 7-9pm
Psychic Development Series
Saturday Sept 10 - Dec 10 12-2pm
Spirit Guides Workshop
Sept 24 - Oct 8 7-10pm
Intro to Psychic Development
Thursday Oct 13 7-9:30pm
Astrology 101
Saturday Oct 15 - Dec 17 3:30 - 5:30pm
Animal Totem Series
Thursday Oct 20 - Nov 10 7-9pm

Saturday Oct 22 7 - 9:30pm
Intro to Past Lives

Intro to Tarot
Thursday Nov 17 7 - 9:30pm
Intro to Astrology
Nov 19 7 - 10pm
Past Lives Exploration
Thursday Nov 24 - Dec 8 7 - 9pm

Thursdays

September 8th to October 6th

at Melange Magique 7 -9pm
Tarot Series
Come learn the symbolic and archetypal language of the tarot. You will be introduced to the entire 78 cards and learn how to spread the cards to give a reading. Bring your own deck :)
week 1 Major Arcana part one
week 2 Major Arcana part two
week 3 Minor Arcana - Swords and Wands
week 4 Minor Arcana - Cups and Disks
week 5 Spreads and readings

$40 per class or $150 for the series ( deal available if registered officially before or on the start date )

October 13th Intro to Psychic Abilites

at Belarome 6001 Monkland Avenue 7-9pm

Come join me as I explain and explore the different types of abilities possible under this umbrella term of "psychic" abilities. We will talk about Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Clairsentience and test your own abilities with simple exercises! It's really fun

http://belarome.ca/

$50

October 20th to November 10th

at Melange Magique 7-9pm
Discover Your Animal Totems
Animal totems are medicines. the animals that cross our paths literally or in dreams have a deep meaning in our lives and can be used for healing and guidance. Come discover yours and how to connect to and benefit from them
week one Introduction to Totemic System
week two Guided Meditation / discoveries
week three Detailed study of groups' totem animal

week four Becoming Your Totem

$40 per class or $125 for the series ( deal available if registered officially before or on the start date )

November 17th Intro to Past Lives

at Belarome 6100 Monkland Avenue 7-9pm

This will be a discussion of past life theory and how they can help us heal very deep rooted issues in our lives. There will be a short guided meditation as well.

http://belarome.ca/

November 24th to December 8th

at Melange Magique 7-9pm
Past Lives Exploration
How do past lives really work? Do they exist? If so how can I identify mine and why they have an effect on my life? These are the questions we will explore in this workshop. We will also do guided meditations to help you remember your past lives ( not all! but perhaps one :)
week one Introduction to Past Lives Theory
week two guided meditation to remember a past life
week three how we use this information in daily life to heal

$40 per class or $100 for series ( deal available if registered officially before or on the start date )

Saturdays

September 10th to December 10th

at Melange Magique 12 -2pm
Psychic Development Series
This is a complete introduction and training in clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, spirit contact, psychometry and channeling. each week focuses on one of the abilities under the Psychic umbrella. We all have gifts...this series will show you what yours are and how to develop them further.
week 1 Introdution to Using Your Intuition
week 2 Clairvoyance
week 3 Clairaudience
week 4 Clairsentience
week 5 Psychometry
week 6 Predictive Dreams
week 7 Spirits - Earthbounds vs Angels and Guides
week 8 Smudging and Sheilding
week 9 Your Spirit Guides
week 10 Past Lives
week 11 Colours and Auras
week 12 Symbols and Symbolic Messages
week 13 Giving a Reading

13 weeks $40 per class or $375 for series

( deal available if registered officially before or on the start date )

September 24th to October 8th at

Westmount Wellness Center 1225 Greene 7-10pm

Spirit Guides - Discover Yours

$150

October 15th to December 17th

at Melange Magique 3:30 to 5:30pm
Astrology 101
This series explains all the signs, planets, houses, aspects, chart interpretation and allows you to learn by using our own charts in the group. There is a lot of interpretation work in the series so you leave with a good grasp of your own chart.
Full list of week by week on it's way shortly!n
$40 per workshop or $300 for the series ( deal available if registered officially before or on the start date )

October 22nd Intro to the Tarot

at Belarome 6100 Monkland 7-9pm

IN this workshop we will introduce you to why the tarot is so fascinating and powerful to understand current past and future events as well as tap into archetypal energies in ourselves and others.

$50

http://belarome.ca/

November 19th Intro to Astrology

at Belarome 7-10pm

Astrology is such a valuable tool for understanding your life path and your personality. We will discuss signs and planets and how a birth chart can help you introspect on your life and destiny.

$60

http://belarome.ca/

Craving more? Check out Catharine's Blog, River-Rain Spirit Guides

INtuitive Astrology September 2011

2011-08-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

Each month I use my knowledge of Astrology to channel messages for each sign, so the influences described are coming from focusing on the energy surrounding each sign verses pure astrological calculation. It's a different approach...

This Month's Stars...

This month we start off with some nice aspects finally to Pluto with Jupiter, and the Sun conjunct Venus. This grand earth trine means the transformational energy is calmer and more productive. It's a good time for practical pursuits, and to keep emotional issues closer to the chest until Mars moves out of a square with the Moon and Saturn and Neptune will move out of opposition to Mercury all by the 16th. This means it's good to reflect until that point before saying something you may regret. Around the 26th we may feel some restlessness as Uranus opposes a cluster of planets in Libra, but the month finishes off with a nice energy configuration. Welcome to fall!

I had a special request for dog and cat totems this month :)

Virgo

Dalmation

This is one smart puppy...and needs a lot of stimulation to keep those high spirits occupied or e c=becomes destructive. He can handle advanced obedience training and sports. This means it's a good time for you to challenge yourself mentally and physically more so you don't show your self destructive behavior. This dog needs companionship to thrive ...so do you right now. No hermit-ting.

Happy Birthday!

What are your stars saying this month ?

2011-08-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

Patterns

Underlying everything are patterns - whether recognized or not. The layers go on and on like an onion, deep into our subconscious where they dwell and repeat until we see them - then we have control over life-altering change.

Patterns are what we rely on to make things that

we know function and work and fit. Think of a clothing pattern for instance. It's obvious why we need a cutting diagram that we know will fit the body in a certain way. We use it and modify it and become secure with it. We can get creative with it too.

It's the same with the emotional and psychological patterns of our lives as well.

Some of those patterns may feel like a corset !

Patterns also repeat. Think of a fractal or a piece

of fabric. The pattern repeats in such a way to

give a sense of harmony , or symmetry and beauty.

Some of us learned patterns of self care that have repeated and deepened and become beautiful, and others of us...

not so much.

We're all a product of learned behavior until we gain

the awareness of a pattern. Remember the first time you figured out that putting your shoes on in the right way gave your feet pleasure vs pain? It's the same thing when you can identify an emotional or psychological or physical pattern you didn't realize was there. You now see, and you can now make a change that will give you less pain and

more pleasure :)

There are some patterns that run so deeply though that we need help to see them and a good amount of time to see them, and integrate them, and find new solutions. If we look at this great painting to the left, we can see an excellent metaphor of a relationship pattern. He's playing with his toy train while an adult train is coming straight at him. the woman is waiting for him to commit or perhaps grow up? And she's waiting with a dog ....symbolizing commitment, loyalty and routines. He is dressed up as an adult but is going in circles in a child like state. We all have patterns in our relationships. Your template, much like the Vogue Sewing pattern, has been cut out and worn so many times and fits so well...

even if the style doesn't suit you, or is uncomfortable....

it's the cloth you were cut from.

One of the most empowering things you can do for yourself is to spot your patterns. There's no judgment in identifying it - it exists and you are observing. Once you can overcome this tough part of seeing it, you can be liberated because new behavior and new tools emerge and will work. In turn you will met new people, be able to interact and FEEL in new ways that will enliven you.

Maybe all she needs to do is call his name and he will stand up and follow the track laid before him. If the pattern is too deep and there's too much fear , he may not ever hear her.

We are all given an initial template or pattern in our families and we continue to form ourselves to fit. It's a matter of survival as children, but as an adult it is our responsibility to identify these and make changes toward healthy patterns. It can be hard work true, but it is very rewarding. Observe yourself, be honest with yourself, commit to change, learn what healthy IS....this is the healing journey of our lives :)

http://river-rain.com/

Meeting the Wild Woman ( Man)

2011-06-02T02:14:00.000-07:00

I wrote this a few months ago after an experience of being in Nature, and have been nostalgic for it lately. I hope you enjoy reading it for the first time, or perhaps the second :) It's written for women but is just as applicable to men...to human experience!

Meeting the Wild Woman

"Consistency in manner is an impossible sentence for the Wild Woman, for her strength is her adaptation to change, her innovation, her dancing, her growling, her deep instinctual life, her creative fire. She does not show consistency through uniformity, but through her creative life, through her consistent perceptions, quick-sightedness, flexibility and deftness....If
we were to name one thing that makes the Wild Woman what she is, it would be her responsiveness - to pledge,
to promise - that is her strong suit."

Women Who Run With Wolves

Many strong women and men work behind the scenes and against the rules. When
we use the word "wild" we imply a loss of control is present and that it is
also negative. But Nature itself is wild. Anything that is in harmony with
Nature is therefore going to be wild as well.

We often feel most alive when we challenge the rules and norms...not for the
sake of going against authority or to prove some sort of toughness, but because
we affirm our rights and our wild nature in doing so. The laws of Nature
supersede the laws of Man/Woman kind

Look at the studio of any artistic person, the "methods" of a talented
musician...it's messy. It's non-linear. Somehow they trust the process of
feeling and moaning in their process will express something real or
necessary....and at very least mirror the essence of this side of all of us.

I've been pondering this extensively as many changes have been thrust onto me
as well as some self imposed changes. Risk has opened up my life again. Risk
means facing a fear, and jumping in with both feet and trusting things will

play out on a higher level than I can micromanage. It's been a blessing to
have so much on my plate that I can not possibly manage it or make plans. It
has led me back to a much more creative way to live life.

It has reminded me of my own inner feisty-ness that was in a closet gathering
dust.

Connecting to the wild aspect of ourselves means re-connecting with your
essence. Our true essence rarely wants to play it safe. Playing it safe too
much is living in fear all the time....and guilt. Guilt is not a natural state
or emotion at all. Does a snake feel guilty for eating a rodent for lunch? Of
course not. Are we somehow more evolved for having guilty feelings? No.
guilt will paralyze the wild nature. The wild nature in us, our instinctive
selves, our intuition, our connection to how we truly feel -

keeps us in line with Nature. It encourages health and action.

One area so many of us feel guilty about is our body image.

So many of us walk around feeling badly we don't conform or fit an absurd

cultural ideal of beauty and accomplishment.

Admit it.

Nature is vast and so are the expressions of form given to us all.

" To support only one kind of beauty is to somehow be unobservant of Nature."
Conforming, fitting in, being an adult, being stable and rational can kill
the variety and richness of life available to us. I am not condoning selfish
recklessness - but rather I support following your inner desire and risk being
yourself. It is a risk no matter who we are, no matter what stage of our
lives, our marriages, our careers, our sizes....it is always a risk. It's so
worth it! It will give you back your head - your clarity will return. Conform
in fear and you are basing your worth on externals....the Wild Woman knows her
worth from the inside.

Why are we scared to experience or express our Wild Nature?

Fear of survival is at the core. If I don't fit people will reject me,
abandon me, leave me destitute and alone. I can tell you it is the opposite.
Submitting and playing along, lying to yourself saying you're ok or happy when
you want to scream is a sure sentence to loneliness and depression.

We are afraid of being the Black Sheep.

Poor guy, he's just a different color after all.

" Do not cringe and make yourself small if you are called the black sheep,

the maverick, the lone wolf. Those with slow seeing say a non-conformist

is a blight on society. But it has been proven over the centuries,

that being different means standing at the edge, means one is practically

guaranteed to make an original contribution, a useful and

stunning contribution to her culture."

Clarissa Pinkola Estes

http://river-rain.com/

The Princess and The Pea

2011-03-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Princess and the Pea

At a loss for what to write this month I turned to sharing my own life to illustrate a point or two :) All month I have been calling myself the Princess and the Pea because of pretty severe back and nerve pain, making it scary at certain times to position my body to sleep. Every day has taught me new things as I have been forced by my body to rest and be careful with myself again...something I don' t tend to do naturally. I tend to push myself to my max. Many of you out there know what I mean if you are over achiever types. There's only so long you can be a hero before your body says "HEY!" and something makes you lay down and begin to take stock of your life

in a deep way.

The Princess and the Pea is a cute fairytale of a prince who is looking for his perfect Princess with no luck, when a woman shows up on his doorstep drenched in rain and claims to be the real thing. The Queen mother, doubting this could be possible layers her bed with one hundred mattresses and feather beds, then places a pea in between the layers at the bottom. The next morning the Princess is asked how she slept and describes and awful sleepless night, sensing something was not quite right. At that moment the Prince knew she had to be a real Princess because she had such extraordinary sensitivity. They married and we'll say they lived happily ever after for story's sake.

So what does any of this have to do with us? Well, in searching for perfection the Prince found no one to match his expectations. She actually just showed up at his doorstep. Hi s Princess ...or you could say, the answer to his problem ..came when he had surrendered and let go. Very important lesson.

Secondly, we all have a pea somewhere in our lives. Something we can sense is off and it can be very small but quite profound, and deeply buried. When the body breaks down to the point where we have to rest ....the pea is experienced once again. Something you need is missing. Something you long for is hidden or not obvious to you yet. It will take extraordinary sensitivity to yourself and your physical body to get to the root of it as well.

As I rested, bought new boots ( that didn't work) tried then abandoned the prescriptions for inflammation, accepted I need to take the bus up and down the hill I live on, and put a big halt on the big to do list I was gearing up to accomplish...I re-remembered the history of my body and this injury. I remembered that this same ankle not giving me nerve shocks was the same I sprained badly in 1996, and has continued to be sensitive...but I adapted. The serve pain radiating to my hip has been there for over 2 years...but I adapted. The compression felt in the lower spine when standing in place for too long has been there for 13 years...off and on...but I adapted. That's what humans do. It saves us and helps us survive amazing and terrible things. The more puzzling and disturbing question has been ...why did I accept to have pain without seeking help sooner. I had to accept I was abandoning myself. Many of us do this is various ways without realizing it. But the boy always remembers we are doing it. Emotional illness signify the same thing as the physical. Depression is also a sign of abandoning yourself. the list is endless. What is more important is to ask yourself now...how have I abandoned myself in my life? Have I forfeited a dream for fear, peer pressure, a relationship that doesn't support it? Have I neglected my own self care to the point I'm sick, can't function, try to get others to take care of me? Are you making yourself a martyr ? Please stop !

The only solution to many problems is to love yourself first and foremost. When you take care of yourself and meet your needs it is not selfish or narcissistic. It is the only thing that supports you. Loving yourself leads to loving others.

For my part I have learned to rest. Rest is not lazy. It is necessary to process our lives so the build up and overwhelmed feelings, the adrenaline junkie can calm down and see clearly.Maintaining the sensitivity of the Princess toward my body will be the on going challenge. Mediums regularly leave the body in trance to channel messages, so it is an effect of this calling to learn how to come back in and lay down ....not a bad life lesson though ;)

To the many princesses, and princes who read this ....may you find your pea, so you don't end up with frozen ones on your sore muscles :)

Healer Heal Thyself

2011-01-27T01:39:00.000-08:00

I had a few people along the way shoot this phrase at me, and honestly at the time I resented it. How dare you! "You don't' know how much work I've done on myself" I'd say inside. But the truth was that I had abandoned myself and my own needs once again.

Its' like a different Universe to live in when you are healing. It means your needs are honored and come first. It means resting. It means really living compassion for your hard days, your aches and pains, and your limitations. Oh how we hate limitations in our society right now. Never have we heard so much propaganda about "NO boundaries" . Well my friends, it's total BS! Everyone has limitations. Yet once we honor them we can find our true niche and happiness. We are not all supposed to be bungee jumpers, doctors, soldiers, artists, or travel the globe.
the Tao gives me the most peace with this. It describes the reality that everything under the sun has a usefulness , if we seek to find it. The imperfections we perceive are exactly what's needed to fulfill your unique style or path. As Leonard Cohen says :

Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Being unconsciously obsessed with perfection is how so many of us live. We are presented with this false image of what life is or isn't every day, but it's just one set of values to live by. And even though we know this logically, how many of us live something different? How many of us still apologize if we are tired, or the place isn't tidy, if we are angry - how many times do we hide it? Living authentically is what heals, and I"m sorry to say it....but we all get angry, and we all have a hard time grieving things we think have long passed their shelf life, and we all suppress, and we all long for love and approval from our peers and loved ones. To say we don't is a lie.
We are interdependent. It is spiritually trendy to say we have forgiven everyone ... we need only our own approval. It is true of course, its' a noble goal with real liberation once you can, but how many of us actually live it without being sociopaths or narcissists? Most people I know who go around spouting this kind of talk won't make time to listen to someone. They learned it as a new goal or defense mechanism. The people I have met along the way who have truly forgiven difficult things are rare, gentle, and patient souls...not idealistic or false gurus.

To those who preach forgiveness I have a lot to say. It's usually a soap box they stand on without ever asking you, " what happened to you?" It's a way of looking very pious without taking the time and pains to hear someone's story. I'm not referring to someone stealing your parking spot....I"m talking about broken relationships. No matter what happened to sever ties, there is a complex interweaving of events and emotions....and it hurts.

Forgiveness of certain things can be done alone....without the acknowledgment from the other party, but there are some things that require an apology in order to forgive. If one doesn't come the pain and the healing are much much longer and more complex. Just think of the residential schools. This has been almost a century! The recognition from the government has only just begun and the healing ceremonies and conferences only just begun as well. The state of our First Nations People tells you forgiveness is no simple task. Without hearing their full story and hearing a recognition of " yes, this happened to you, and it was wrong" many are ridden with shame and isolation...apathy or rage. The process will still be long. It is far too simplistic to tell someone to forgive as a generality. We must hear the story, we must bear witness and affirm the person. There must be an apology not a pathetic "sorry, I never meant to" or pointing of the finger back in debate. The rest is a process of trust. Support systems need to be there. We don't' forgive in a vacuum. Some people will be able to find a way to let go of the anger and forgive, but many won't. It doesn't make them weaker, less spiritual or unwilling. Some situations are really just that hard and may take this lifetime or more.
Grief and anger come way before the forgiveness stage. To pretend otherwise without first going through these steps is denial and white washing. Some things can be forgiven easily, and some cannot. Accepting which is which in your life is crucial to healing. Accepting the true stage you are at is crucial to healing.
I have been returning to the inner work again. I was so busy being there for others I stopped being there for me. Yes, it's cliche. It's what happens all the time to nurturers. There's always another person who needs your help or shoulder to cry on. I enjoy being there for others. But when I sat alone at Christmas wondering where the hell everyone went...it was time for a major change in direction. Have I forgiven those who didn't call or invite me to join them that day?
Yes, but with new boundaries about those relationships and how much energy I put into them.
I am grateful for the people who did show caring and awareness.
Some from very unexpected places :)

For today I am healing.
My body is in pain more than in a very long time.
Physical pain accompanies shedding toxic energy, from built up emotions.
Today I am resting, feeling, remembering how much I enjoy my solitude,
looking forward to reclaiming my creativity.

Today I respect the stage I am at with patience.
This is self love - I am just truly discovering
I give this to myself gladly

Surrender

2011-01-18T20:46:00.001-08:00

True change only comes when we surrender . It's something we resist because it's associated with failure and defeat. We also naturally protect ourselves from the grief that goes along with it at first. To surrender we must give up. We have to admit that we can't change what happened, or how we reacted, or how someone else dealt with something ...or didn't. We now look at the writing on the wall, accepting it, then base our next decisions on that reality. Denial says it didn't happen, or won't discuss it. Bargaining says, "but if " or "what if" and is disappointed when the "if " doesn't happen or doesn't turn out the way they thought. Bargaining spends a lot of time strategising, worrying, controlling and is exhausting. At some point you must give up and surrender.

At this time of year surrendering can be really hard with so many manufactured images of a perfect family or perfect children, as well as perfect thoughtfulness, altruism and romantic love. Think right now of something that typically happens every year around this time to you as a pattern or in connection to your family etc. Maybe every year you break your head to find a gift that will finally touch a loved one's heart...get them to open up more so you can be close again, or repair some aspect between you. You've tried for many years and nothing is having this effect. What do you typically feel about this? You may have adopted an acceptance that you'll give to them for your own pleasure of giving without expecting them to change. More often though, you withdraw and feel hurt in a situation like that. Some people easily decide to stop giving gifts to this person and back off. Others will try even harder next year.

Surrender in a situation like this would mean giving up on the struggle to please, save or touch this person. It may mean accepting that there's a limit to their capacity to connect, react or show appreciation for you. You let go and stop those actions ....that feeling of pushing and striving dissipates. You are relieved. You see this person for who they are not as you would like them to be. You make a decision based on thinking, "How do I need to make a change so that I am loving to myself in this situation" and you do it.

You are surrendering your struggle - you are also surrendering the outcome! This is the scariest part. You are in effect saying " I have no idea or control over how my action of loving myself will affect this person, myself and the people around us." It will have an effect - trust me. It may surprise you for better or worse, but in your own heart and soul you will be liberated by your decision to love yourself instead of being externally focused on pleasing. I believe - I know - that when you act in alignment with love for yourself you will act with courage and integrity, and even though people don't like ti when we change the rules, they will be given an opportunity to heal themselves in reaction to your action.

I realize this is difficult to do around the holidays, but it is also the most potent time to face these issues because of the heightened glamorizing of relationships and material comforts. So if you find yourself in a trying situation, or catch yourself in a pattern you no longer like in your life, go sit somewhere and say I love you to yourself....over and over until you calm down. Then say, " I surrender...the situation is in higher hands than my own."

2010-11-25T23:54:00.000-08:00

Art and War Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting

The Art of War

Art is either plagiarism or revolution Paul Gaugin

To send light into the darkness of mens' hearts - such is the duty of the artist

War - two opposing forces or peoples who have reached such an escalation in the clash of values, such lack of diplomacy or communication skills, or the point of rectifying abuse that force must now be used to achieve this end. Art - the expression of an ideal, a version of beauty, an emotion or altered state not expressible in words, a reflection of collective unconscious, a provocateur meant to evoke in us another way of being.

How could the two be related?

Art and war are about transformation and resistance.

Art draws the lines, plays the final note, sets the scene, chooses the word to define something in tangible form. Wars draw territories, define cultures and identities. Both have casualties.

It is vital to be shocked into deeper awareness at times. Otherwise we become complacent and numb. Art that is bold breaks all the rules of what is "proper", and forces us to redefine our own truth instead of swallowing what we are fed on TV and through pop commercial culture. Wars force us to take sides, which in turn tells us our deeper values. Societies that restrict expression of art are afraid, oppressive and fragile because tolerance of different view points as well as the ability to negotiate and integrate them is necessary for sustained peace.

Every skill under the sun once mastered, becomes an art form. There can be art in strategy, firing a weapon, and painting a leaf. Songs can ignite revolutions, or be anthems of peace. The soul of the artist is that of someone who has eyes open to the greater picture and is expressing the passion felt with his or her frustration that we are not living in a perfect, just world.

I particularly love large art installations for their boldness. The audacity to dream big.

The gall to have a vision beyond mass media and bureaucracy....the courage to inspire and ask we become more. If daring us to question our values and parameters isn't war on our senses then what is?

The act of making art can also be an act of resistance

during a crisis. It can feed your soul and help you remember who you are.

Think of any number of stories where people under the most severe circumstances

created,

kept learning,

reading,

singing,

to keep their

identities

alive.

Art is self preservation.

War is self preservation Art saves lives

Idealism

2010-10-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

IDEALISM
"Only the broken-hearted idealist can become a cynic"

"An idealist believes the short run doesn't count.

A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter.

A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run

determines the long run"

"'Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or

morphine or idealism" Carl Jung

I have long struggled with idealism. It feels strange to say that, but it's true. The journey from high ideals to the realist I have become ( for the most part) has been quite difficult and disappointing - and ultimately so healthy. It's intoxicating to get excited and hopeful about new jobs, new relationships, goals and plans, or perfectionist thinking about conquering a problem. We want to pump ourselves up with a positive attitude, manifest what we desire quickly, and then feel like failures when we don't.

In relationships idealism is part of falling in love. It's biochemical - our brains need that flood of hormones to bond with another and we need to believe for that time we have found perfection in someone...or darn near close. It's a high.

The problem becomes proportional to the reality of what you had idealized in the first place. That new wonderful man may have a double life you didn't see. You didn't listen to your inner warning signs because you wanted the high. Then to make it worse you want everyone to validate how wonderful and perfect he is...or how he'll change when and if. When it doesn't happen that way the idealist crashes and goes into defense as a cynic. "Men can't be trusted" "Women are impossible to please" and the sweeping generalities grow worse without a conscious effort to balance your view.

Our society supports this magical thinking and black and white judgment. People needed so badly to put someone on a pedestal - to have a role model. Many people made President Obama into a demi-god. When he can't change the world in two years everyone points fingers - some feeling betrayed that he wasn't who they thought he was. He has always been Barrack - just a man doing his best with what he was given. After George Bush he didn't stand much of a chance.

The way of the realist is to be able to hold the oppositions within us. Everyone has light and shadow. Time and timing can't be ignored because you wish it were different. Integrating and accepting both the light and shadow in yourself leads to acceptance of it in other people and situations. We get off the roller coaster...and onto a river.

Law of Attraction vs Karma

2010-04-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

You create your life through the inner power of your being,
whose source is within you and yet beyond the selves that you know.
Jane Roberts

When I first heard about the secret I thought "it's not a secret!" People have known how to set their intentions to manifest for eons. Mystics have been well aware of the laws of metaphysics for a really long time...with full awareness that thought creates reality. What The Secret did was commercialize an ancient principle in a materialistic way for the masses. It really bugs me.
As anyone who is aware of Buddhism will tell you, craving leads to suffering. Craving is the act of strongly desiring something. Craving lead to addiction which is a great imbalance of the third chakra....the center for personal will, power and self esteem. When we crave or need we come from a dis empowered place. So when the popular law of attraction literature tries to get us to buy into the concept that you can desire or think of something you really want and get it....for me it is leading us down the path to craving and suffering.
Craving creates suffering because we are always in a state of mind that says to the unconscious " I don't' have what I want. I don't have what I need. why not? why me? why does he/ she have it and I don't? what's wrong with me? and on and on it goes. Some of The Secret promotes the idea that if you change your thoughts you will get the Ferrari, the dream home, the crazy gorgeous soul mate...if you change your thoughts. Here is where it becomes complex, and I don't' find many people really discussing this. First of all, it IS true that changing your thought will alter the course of your vibration and what you resonate with will change, so if your thoughts are more positive you will feel better and be more open and confident - therefore more attractive to others and this can open doors. If however you are hyper focused on what you want.....I will get a dream home ...and you have it precisely in your mind and are searching for it, or even obsessed with the thought, you are slipping into obsessive terrain. This "positive affirmation" of what you want can now make you impatient, frustrated, and alienate people and opportunities. Finding the mind state that facilitates attracting what you want is not so obvious as people may have you believe.

On a deeper level of discussion, we must address the core beliefs we hold if we want to create a new life. Simply walking around with an image of your dream relationship isn't going to do it. You may affirm all the time " my souls mate finds me in the perfect time and place and has x, y, z qualities" . This is perfectly legitimate if you are not fixated on controlling the timing, on how this person must look, etc....it works if you stay open to trusting that you deserve love with someone mutually, but relax about the details and timing. Trust brings trust. A more apt affirmation and way to use this law of quantum physics would be to focus on the trust that the right relationship for you will happen in it's best time and with the person you need to grow with. This opens the door for trust and openness....it won't lead to craving because trust and addiction are opposite states of mind.

Core beliefs run very deeply and often stay unconscious to us. A person can use all the positive affirmations they want to attract financial wealth, but if there is a core belief that contradicts it, he won't achieve it because he won't let himself challenge that belief. This of course leads a person to great suffering - frustration and alienation. Maybe you have a core belief that you shouldn't surpass the success of your father or mother....be happier in your marriage than your father or mother....all the affirmations in the world won't change this until this belief is addressed. Beliefs that come from childhood from our families have a strong hold on us until they are worked with.

Another angle to look at this from is the aspect of karma. Perhaps no matter how much you pray or affirm or alter your thoughts, there are agreements you came to live and learn that preclude that desire? If your desire is to travel the world, but you had 3 kids in your 20's and are just making ends meet you may feel very upset and ripped off by life, no matter how much you love your children. To me this would be a classic case of your karma being different than your will. There are some things in all of our lives that will surprise us by the path that we are led down without our conscious choosing. Sometimes the popular law of attraction books can give you the sense you failed if something happens that you didn't want. It's as if our will is supposed to be so strong that it can overcome our karma or life lessons. To me this philosophy creates a lot of pain.

So how can we use the law of attraction and thought reality for our highest good without creating craving? We must heal. Me must truly love ourselves. This is the ultimate goal anyway. All the accessories, money or peoples' love we spend so much time trying to attract or acquire is an illusion - what we truly want is to truly love ourselves. From this experience comes self respect, self care - which will include having enough income to enjoy your life, enough good health to enjoy your life, and people who also respect and love you. When you really love yourself this will be natural. When you love yourself you won't be alone, you won't need to compensate your worth with expensive things or with status, and you won't need to compare your life's path to anyone else's because yours is valuable and unique.

To begin attracting, resonating, and vibrating love - you learn to love yourself. Go within and ask yourself how you can be more compassionate to yourself. I believe that deep down we all come to earth with a sense of love and respect ...a purity that can be re-awakened no matter what you have gone through. A part of you knows what someone with high self esteem would do in most situations, and how she would treat herself.

Honor your unique karma - the path that unfolds despite your will is not a failure.

Is Estrangement Non Spiritual

2010-03-29T18:45:00.001-07:00

I have struggled with this question for years due to periods of estrangement form family members. Being a medium sometimes people would give me a funny look and some would reprimand me for not being very spiritual. I found this so disheartening . I was feeling completely misunderstood all over again.
It led me to delve into what spirituality really means. To many people, who are very new to self healing, the therapy process, and spirituality let alone the dynamics of psychology and of abuse...mediums are "supposed" to be so connected to the divine that they never feel anger, pain or sadness and forgive everyone implicitly. This is a very naive projection to me.
Spirituality is about healing yourself through opening up to the transcendent and transformative energy of the universe. Along the way to trust and belief that the Universe is Love and we all deserve love and respect, we must remove ourselves from abusive dynamics wherever they may reside. No one gets dry in a rain storm with no coat or umbrella...and even then! You have to come in where it is warm safe and dry to start healing. A therapist once said to me " no one will ever have more power over you than your parents." We'd all like to deny this especially if it was a painful upbringing. But it is the truth. Your family will help and ensure your survival, but if they are abusive they will tear you apart.

Spirituality means the capacity to go within and grow from experiences with whatever system of faith that facilitates it. It can be more than one tradition that brings this vibration of healing ...vs religion which tribalises it to a codified ritualistic and often dogmatic way of belonging to the group. If your tribe doesn't support your well being - how does this possibly help you grow? become better as a person.

I have undergone enormous shifts in my life ...to the point I am sure I am unrecognizable to my family. Estrangement has been a necessary part of this growth. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do for yourself is to break free. I would not be a Medium today living by my own values had I stayed. So as isolating as this has been at times, it has been worth the journey of consciousness

Shadows and Projections

2010-02-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today, as usual in my acupressure massage , my therapist ( who is amazing!) asked me to look at that nasty shadow side of myself and my work environment. It's such meaning full work to do and it is so hard to own and accept myself for it. Today it was all about insecurities. I am immersed in an environment where all of us are dealing with high levels of insecurityand it is a hard place to be. What gets projected is a missile towards each other - of competition and jealousy coming from a lack of confidence - when acknowlegment is what we are craving from each other. It's insidious right? You need someone to validate your things, but when they don't you pull back. When they need it back from you , you are reluctant to give it. It breeds a lack of trust and a lot of un-necessary negativity.
When we don't want to face or admit something to ourselves - either because we are stubborn, unconscious or too afraid - we project it onto everyone else to see. This is where it gets tricky and painful to realise. For example, if I am always picking people that are unavailable....I must ask if I am unavailable too? or if I am afraid to be committed or close. Otherwise the mirror of experience and people will reflect flow and love ! but it can be very heavy to be the screen in others lives. Therapists do this as a living. There's a need for all those boundaries in that situation because of how delicate this is. Bu so often it is happening in families, social groups and work places where it'svery hard to see and can be very destructive. Today I am committed to taking down the screen and giving it back to the rightful owner :)

I love my therapist because she helps me step beside it and look at it for what it is. One of the hardest steps is now upon me. As someone who feels everyone's stuff and feels responsible, and compelled to help, it won't be easy to let my own confidence rise and not take on even more of the shadow side for others. As my strength has increased over the years this is what I can admit I have done. To have continued courage to see my ownshadow is my duty to myself.

I am grateful for my growth and strength, but now I need it for me.
I am not abandoning people who need my help and acknowlegment, but I know it's not my job to heal them. I am but one of many messengers in their lives.
I can hear my ego in this dialogue....another shadow to reckon with hmmmmm.
A need to be needed and useful.
Alas, I am human.

Losing a Spiritual Mentor

2010-01-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

For anyone who already knows and loves Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, you are mourning his loss. If you are not aware of him you should be. Ted transitioned in late October this year from cancer. It really saddened me to hear this news. Since I first consulted his book on animal totems it has become a bible of sorts. Every time I dreamed of an animal or one would come to me in the flesh, I went immediately to his wisdom for insight as to why it appeared and what I needed to learn for the next part of my healing, or that of friends. It was always so helpful to understand compatibility with others and to reach a subtle and deeper level of awareness of the self....especially the shadow self.

When I moved to my current neighborhood I had never seen so many skunks in my life!
It's partly that there are just more trees in my new area
but also it was showing up every few days for a reason. Skunk medicine was all about respect and boundaries...and to be quite honest....at that time mine were weak. I had never seen the way they waddle while exploring the garbage bins at night. I thought " ya, they need that strong scent we fear...they'd never out run anything!"
I had also never seen one angry.

One night on a walk I came to an intersection and heard an awful raspy growly sound. Two of them were duking it out on one corner of this crossing of city streets. This was a metaphor for me in itself. By then I was nervous because they were so angry that they criss crossed between corners and I was frozen not knowing if I should move at all. The people in my life at that time were a great lesson....a very hard lesson. After about one and a half years it left,
and I consider my lesson learned.
Then another one arrived....raccoon!
but I'll save that story for another day :)

May you rest in peace and love Ted.
May you appear as a totem to others in your own right from the other side.
Thank you

If you are curious to know more :
http://www.dragonhawkpublishing.com/Ted%20Andrews.htm

Happy New Year Folks !

2009-12-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't been here in a while !
Lots has changed in my own path to some sort of clarity.
I will be posting much more often in the new year .
I like to rant about things.
Some people don't consider ranting to be very spiritual, but I said ranting not bitching ;) Everyone needs to vent.
Many of the things I rant about are still ethics and spiritually related subjects....things I don't allow myself to share so much in the newsletter, because they're there to help inspire you.
But in this bog I want to get things off my chest a bit.
Let you get to know me so it de-mystifies my tribe of healers/ mediums etc.
We are also humans :)

Namaste

Talk to you soon

Catharine Allan

Healing Coach

2008-08-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

We all want to thrive. This means not just surviving or coping. It means living and creating. It means you are at your potential and loving it!

I belief we all can get to this level of living, and it takes healing the old wounds, distorted thinking, and retrieving our essence. From there we can take the action necessary to build that life.

Of course this isn't that easy depending on what kind of childhood and life experiences we have had.

I know that healing requires courage. It often requires letting go of things that are very difficult for us. It requires the ability to confront ourselves and to tell ourselves the truth of how we feel. It takes inventory of our qualities in such a way that we are aware of our good points, and of our shadow.

To begin the Healing Coaching we reach inside for that truth. Most of us will come to a coach or therapist when life has become too overwhelming in the present. There is such a build up of undigested experience, and the strategies we are using to cope with the aspects of our lives causing stress in the present are now breaking down.

The answer to the current stress is rarely related to present circumstances. We begin with alleviating the present by talking, energy healing, body work, self awareness exercises, increasing our creativity, and implement practical strategies so we can reach the healing place . That healing place is the sensation inside where we feel grounded, real, breathing in and out, having perspective again and now having control over our present choices. From this arises the space for the older wounds - be they from this life, or a past life - to emerge for our understanding, to be healed so we may thrive!

For consultations you can email me at river.rain.catharine@gmail.com