Well.... Aureen's Circle dwindled away to nothing, unfortunately. Her health continues to give her problems and the Universe is ensuring that she does take the year-long break she is meant to have. I miss her and the girls but I know that these things happen for a reason... and when the Universe decides it's definitely time for you to move on, then you have no choice but to listen and move. LOL
I've continued to attend the local Spiritualist Church's Wednesday night Open Circle. Most of the time I received very little from Spirit... and my Guide, when asked one evening if I was supposed to open for messages told me, in no uncertain terms: that's not what you're here for. OK, that told me... so I had to learn to be patient, lend my energies to the group (be an "energy battery", as B referred to myself and a couple of other ladies there) and watch how the other members worked. I admit that, at times, I began to wonder if I was on the right track here... but then I plucked up courage one night to speak to B after the Circle had ended, to tell her about my last Circle folding and to ask if there were any Development Groups being held that I could attend, as I felt I needed more training and wanted to learn. The upshot was that, although there isn't currently one being held at the Church, she did recommend one being held by a previous member... her details were on the Church's website. She also mentioned that there was the possibility of some workshops being held at a future date, so keep an eye on the noticeboard in the foyer and for the monthly newsletter, which was available from a table at the back of the Church. Needless to say, I kept my eyes duly peeled. LOL
So I realised that, if things were to move forward, I needed to make a few decisions about what I wanted to do and how to proceed. The Universe would give me occasional signposts to point the way and open certain doors at the right time.... but it was up to me to take those first steps and walk through those doors. So I checked out the website and found the details of Pauline Dring, an SNU member and local medium, who runs regular workshops for those wishing to develop their contact with Spirit, and gave her a ring. What a nice, down-to-earth lady she sounded (and has since proved to be) and I got the details for some of her upcoming workshops, some of which clashed with our summer holiday at the beginning of July. I was also due a holiday with my DH, DSis, Aunt, Uncle and cousin in the Lincolnshire Wolds in August and everything was also complicated by a kitchen refurbishment that had my mind firmly fixed on the material plane..... having noisy workmen in the house is not a conducive atmosphere for meditations, especially when they like topping up with regular cups of tea or coffee. LOL
When we returned from our summer holiday I wasn't well. Not only had I had an allergic reaction and stomach upset two weeks before going that had only eased up when I stopped using certain face creams and a hairspray, but I'd also got a severe upset on the last Thursday of our holiday. Thankfully it eased up enough to allow us to travel home on the Saturday... but it was an uncomfortable trip for me. From this we went straight into a mad week of having the Gas Fitter arrive to put a new central heating boiler in, a GP appointment for a check up, a fasting blood test to fit in (all results OK, thankfully), the plasterer skimming the kitchen ceiling on two consecutive evenings, an acupuncture session, an Open Circle evening and a painter round to price up for painting the new ceiling..... it kind of put development to the back of my mind again for a while, though I did have the firm conviction that it was definitely time to be more pro-active.
So, on Saturday 6th August I rang Pauline again, to find out when the next workshops were being held.... there was one on that day at 1pm! So, before I could think about it and get worked up, I got her address and told her I'd see her later... then had a mad dash round to grab a bite to eat and get ready. My DS dropped me off, as I didn't fancy driving there the first time, with not knowing the area or what parking was like there... good decision, as there were roadworks and parking was virtually impossible. There was just myself, Pauline and two other ladies: L and G. It was a sunny day, so we started out being sat out on the patio... a lovely, relaxing way for me to be introduced to new people and a new situation. We went in to a conservatory area to do the workshop. We started with psychometry, each of us placing an object on the floor between us and then choosing an object we were drawn to... the others chose first, so I was left with G's watch. I was able to pick up her birth month and date, then was guided by P to bring in Spirit to give messages to G: I connected with her grandfather and was able to tell that he passed in hospital from a heart condition that involved an irregular heartbeat (I felt it, as my heart went funny!), could give a brief description of him, and that his passing was slow then quick.... a long onset of problems/deterioration but his actual passing was fast, and a few other things I forget now. P had my ring and was able to bring through messages from both my Mum and Dad - and that they were going to help me with my Development work, which was lovely to hear - I then knew why I had been sensing them both around me recently. :0) We had a break for a drink, then a nice meditation, followed by doing readings using an angel card as a focus: we chose a card for our partner - I was still partnered with G - and I picked up from the message it held that she had a long term upset going on in her family but that she had the power to heal it, along with other relevant details. This involved a situation with her DS and DIL... personal, so I won't go into details. We finished with another drink and a chat afterwards. Such a relaxed session and I was left stunned by how much I'd managed to bring through... it also made me realise just how depleted the energies had been getting towards the end of my old Circle. I came away buzzing, to say the least. :0)
On the following Monday (8th) P held a two hour Circle session and I drove myself to this, parking quite a ways up the road as the roadworks were still there. I had a surprise when I got in... the room was full of women and one male and it was a little overwhelming initially, though I felt better when I saw G and L were there. Thank goodness I'd had the gentle introduction on the Saturday! I got myself seated and quick introductions were made once everyone was there... though very few of the names stuck, I'm afraid (I need to hear names several times over before I remember who is who! LOL). I then got a surprise... as I was "new blood" P got me to choose an angel card and hold it for a while, to imbue it with my energies, then this was passed around the Circle for each member to see what they could pick up. The chap partially described my Dad, quite a few picked up on my indigestion and the more chronic problems that my Dad had with reflux, one lady was spot on when she said she felt I was a born worrier, which contributed to my indigestion problems; another picked up on medals (Dad's) and a few other things were mentioned. Then it came to an older lady, Sh (who turned out to be 74, but she didn't look it at all) who promptly gave that Dad had passed from oesophageal cancer, gave me several names of family members who had also passed, and said that Dad was with someone who had been out in Burma, as they were showing her the Burma Star, which this chap had got, and said that Dad was pleased as it was like old soldiers together... plus a few other very relevant details. I was blown away, though couldn't place the Burma Star chap..... until my Uncle told us it was their Uncle! So once again I learnt something new about my family via messages from Spirit. :0) We then went on to do something called Transfiguration. A chair was set up in the slightly darker room through an archway in which one of the Circle members (a volunteer) sat and the rest of us gathered chairs around so we could all watch. The volunteer sat and relaxed whilst P sat beside her to help her relax. She started to talk a little and her face seemed to droop on one side a little, as though the Spirit lady she'd brought through had had a stroke... from gentle questioning and input from what various people picked up, it was ascertained that the Spirit lady had recently crossed over and was confused and lost and scared, so P and the volunteer helped her to go to the Light. I felt a bit so-so about this, I must admit.... I don't doubt the sincerity of it but I hadn't really seen much that was totally convincing. Then Sh (the lady who'd given me the messages from Dad) got up and took the chair. She channelled messages from a female Spirit Guide - all very uplifting, though I don't remember a word of it. Quite a few folks were saying they could see this, that and the other... apart from her speaking a little posher and seeming a little younger, I didn't really see much. Then there was a switch and she brought through her male Chinese Guide: again there were folks saying they could see shadows on the wall, as if someone was stood to the side of Sh, and some could see beautiful colours.... nope, nothing. Then all of a sudden something changed.... and instead of a 74 year old lady with closed eyes sat there I could see her Chinese Guide: I could see the conical hat he was wearing, his elongated face and Fu Manchu style moustache and a robe and, most disconcerting of all, his eyes were open and he was looking back at us all. I was stunned and just said: Oh, Good Grief. My reaction broke whatever relaxed state I'd gotten into and I couldn't see all of him again... but I could see glowing eyes looking back and P's face, in my peripheral vision, was a golden glow for the rest of the time the Guide was speaking. P asked me afterwards if I'd seen anything and I gabbled out what I had seen. That's the first time I've ever witnessed anything like that and it was totally amazing! Once again I went home buzzing. LOL I have seen this done several times since and though each time is a little different, it is still as amazing to watch.
During this time I also began something called Tarot Journaling, after reading the book I'd found in the Grasmere garden centre shop, whilst we were on our main summer holiday. Each day I shuffle my tarot deck and see which card comes out... I then write a detailed description of the card, then follow on with whatever springs to mind concerning the card. After that I write down the meaning of the card from the accompanying booklet and compare the two. I also add any further notes that occur to me after reading the booklet, then a breakdown of what happened during that day. It's a useful way of freeing up my subconscious for working with and getting to know my Tarot deck better and it's surprising how much my intuition does actually pick up about each card... maybe not always spot on, but then each reader will pick up something different from their cards and also develop their own meanings for each one as they go along. It's also interesting to see the relevance of each card to each day's happenings. I kept this up during the weeks holiday I had in August (and since) & have now done this with each card. I've started again with the same pack but this time I am writing words that occur to me and developing a kind of flow chart, then using what this has revealed to write what I feel the card is about... I'm about half way through the pack at this time. Again, it's really interesting to see what I naturally pick up through intuition and how it compares to the actual description of the card.
After getting home from holiday the kitchen was completed... we've since found tiles and a light fitting for that & some of the work has been started (long story! LOL). I carried on with Wednesday night Open Circle at Church. I also attended a mediumship evening at a local Care Home: the mediums were a married couple, Ann and Brian Lamyman and it was being held as a fundraiser for the Church. I didn't get any messages given but it was good to see different mediums working and see some of the Church members in a social setting. DH had managed to double-book himself, so I went on my own... another first for me. :0) I've also since attended a demo (with DH this time) of P's and it was good to watch her work too, especially in such difficult surroundings... it was in an upstairs function room in a local pub but there was a 50th birthday disco blaring out downstairs, and a few folks who had had messages started to chat about it whilst P was still giving messages to others. I introduced DH and P to each other and had chance to chat to her a little at half time and afterwards... my main question being: how on earth did she manage to zone out all that noise to actually work! The answer was: practise. LOL
I've attended many more Monday evening and Saturday workshops since this and all have been interesting. We've also done readings using ribbons and other kinds of cards, as well as using Angel cards again, and we also do a little healing, occasionally some Philosophy and always do a meditation. Occasionally there are new people there, so I am getting to meet a much wider group of people - it can be a little intimidating but each time it happens it gets a little easier to deal with. :0)
As Aureen is having a year off I no longer have monthly Reiki sessions, which I miss. I go to the occasional Healing Session at the Spiritualist Church as an alternative, whenever I feel the need. In the meantime, am hoping that someone will come along who I feel as drawn to as Aureen, so I can start having Reiki again. It's in the hands of the Universe now.
I still have weekly acupuncture sessions. J not only helps my physical symptoms: topping up pain control of the arthritis in my hands; neck, back and shoulder problems and knee pain flare ups and control of menopausal symptoms, but mainly concentrates on treating me Spiritually these days. We have some very interesting talks each week and these regularly help me: sometimes she'll say something that gives me a new perspective on something; sometimes it's something that makes me think; sometimes there's a breakthrough on issues that have been bothering me. Recently the memories of being bullied at school resurfaced and I couldn't understand why now.... and J explained that I am now a much stronger person than I was, so am better able to face them, will be able to finally let all that negativity go and heal my inner child. Of course there's some resistance: finding excuses for not meditating and, when I do meditate, not being able to settle into it properly, to allow things to the surface... and, as usual, I'm trying to control something that can't be controlled. So it's going to be quite a bit of work for a while BUT I know it will be so worth it in the end, so am persisting with it.
And that leads to something that J asked me to discover some time ago: apparently we are all, when choosing to incarnate on the earthly plane, given a name that is one word and this one word covers the main lesson we are to learn in our lifetime. I meditated and asked the Universe what my name was and was given something that totally surprised me - as I have a thing about Wisdom (even having an elephant for a Power Animal called Wisdom) I was kind of expecting something to do with that. Imagine how surprised I was when what was given was: Persistence. Immediately I asked "Should that be Perseverance?", remembering one of the print-outs that Aureen gave us about Spiritual work being about Perseverance. The answer was a definite NO... Persistence. So I looked it up in the dictionary and realised just how relevant it was in my life.
I have also discovered that I have two more Native American Guides: one I call Grandfather, and he is here to help me to deal with the changes that are happening, and will happen, in my life.... he brings Bear Medicine with him - rebirth, transformation and strength; the other is Lone Deer, a NA woman, and she brings me peace and calm... I have only seen her a few times but feel she is there for other reasons too, which haven't been revealed yet. Some Guides stay with us always, others come in at particular stages of our lives or for particular purposes, then leave when their work is done... it's fascinating when you become aware of a new Guide and wait while they reveal themselves and the reason they have come... even more fascinating as they begin to work with you and you learn the symbols they use to guide you or when they actually talk to you as you ask questions and develop a working relationship with them.
The workshops at the Spiritualist Church went ahead: D holds them once a month, at £15 for around a 5 hour session - very reasonable priced when I've seen some workshops advertised at a £100... & often much more. I've been to two so far and have just signed up for the next one in January. It's nice to be led by a different person, as you get different viewpoints and techniques, and things are done a little differently to P's workshops... it's all interesting and great to learn. The first workshop: we did some psychometry, but just read the energy of the person, rather than using it as a way of bringing in Spirit; a meditation; did Philosophy and opened for messages at the end. The second workshop: we did ribbon readings (I'll do a separate post about this at some point); a meditation; Philosophy and opened for messages.
The Philosophy: we each took it in turns to take a piece of paper from a bag full and on it was written a single word - from that we had to stand at the front, call on our Guides... then speak on the word for several minutes. My first word was contentment and I kept my eyes shut throughout, as I found standing at the front of the Church in front of everyone quiet daunting (felt a little panicky initially)... but once I called in my Guide the words just seemed to flow out of me. Don't ask me what I said though, as I can't remember a word of it. The second time my word was acceptance... not sure if it was down to the fact that I now knew what to expect, or if it was the word (I am working on accepting myself as I am), but I kept blocking myself this time. It was definitely alot hairier second time around. The rest of the session and activities went well and I loved the meditations we did... I love doing ribbon readings and may well offer these when I start to work. :0)
I have certainly thoroughly enjoyed the workshops, am enjoying getting to know the other attendees better, have gained a lot from them and am looking forward to the next one... and seeing what D has in store for us.
I am continuing with a kind of home study in between the workshops and Circles: lots of reading of all kinds of relevant books on various esoteric themes and absorbing as much as possible. I want to take this a step further in 2012, by undertaking some actual training in Crystal Healing and Ear Candling. Am also hoping that a Mentor will present themselves, who will teach me other Healing techniques..... though, as I've long since realised, that is up to the Universe and will happen when it is meant to.
I've been to several Mind, Body and Spirit events throughout the year too. Some of them have involved a little retail therapy... I've added some more very nice crystals to my collection, some of which I was drawn to for use on myself (to aid with specific issues), some of which called me as they will be useful healing tools for me to work with on others. Mostly I tend to attend some of the talks that are offered at these events and that I've been drawn to.... that's the great thing about asking my Angel and Guides to help and guide me to whatever is needed for my greatest and highest good before going to these events: they always answer and the talks have all proved to be very interesting and amazingly relevant each time. Oh, and one of those events... I attended a second day, going alone and driving myself there and back, so another challenge has been met and overcome. :0)
So that's roughly where things stand at the moment, as we approach the festive season and the drawing to a close of 2011. It's been a very interesting year, with an awful lot going on on all kinds of levels - Spiritually, mentally and Earthly. There have been a few lows... but mostly it's been positive, occasionally challenging and most definitely exciting and interesting. With all the hype about the expected changes that are predicted for 2012 I feel it will be an even more challenging, but exciting and interesting, voyage of discovery to come.
Yuletide Blessings to one and all. :0)
