DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 6TH APRIL

This week all but A were present and correct.... it really is looking like A is going to be a permanent drop out from the Circle. :0(

Aureen told us that this week we were to go ahead and do the meditation to meet out Power Animal (not waiting for A is a sure sign that Aureen also thinks she's not going to return). We were all quite excited about this, as it seems to have taken a while to get to this point. :0)

Firstly we passed around the Healing Book, adding names and pouring healing into it for all those named within. Then Aureen asked us if we knew what Power Animal's were and I asked if it was similar to the Native American Totem Animal - it is. She told us more about Power Animal's, their Shamanistic links and their role as Protector's and Guide's and the benefits we will gain from linking and working with them. We then went on to open up the Circle, protect ourselves, then open our Chakras.

The meditation: after grounding and opening our Chakras we began with tuning in to our breathing (in through the nose, out through the mouth) and letting each muscle in our bodies relax. We then had to really open our heart Chakra, then walk along the country lane to our safe place and go in. After walking over to the other side of our safe place we were to find a gate in the boundary and go through it, closing it behind. On the other side we were to visualise a path that led to a forest which we had to walk into and in the forest was a small clearing and to one side of this was a seat (either a fallen tree or log or similar) on which we had to sit. Whilst sitting there we heard rustling in the bushes and from behind the bushes would come our Power Animal: we were to greet him/her, ask their name and any questions we wanted. When we had our answers we were to thank them, say goodbye and watch them return into the forest, then we were to make our way back through the route we had come, slowly returning to our bodies.
When we had all taken sips of our water Aureen asked us how it had gone.
S1 had enjoyed the meditation. Initially she had seen a snake, then a swan and possibly another animal but she knew these weren't her Power Animal and they went away. Finally a deer (likened to Bambi) came towards her and she knew this was the one, though I don't think she discovered its name. She made a couple of other observations but I can't remember what they were now.

Sh had also enjoyed the meditation and had success, meeting a fox called Red. She asked questions and had replies, though some were personal and I can't remember the others.

S2 had really enjoyed this and what had happened to her was really different. When she walked through the gate to go to the forest it was suddenly a wintery snowscape, though she didn't feel cold. In the woods she had spotted a wolf peering from behind the trees but a voice had told her "Not yet", so she'd carried on to the seat. Her Power Animal appeared and he was a polar bear called Great White Spirit. She was delighted and had hugged him and lain on his back. I can't remember what questions she'd asked or her replies.

I was initially thrown with this meditation when, almost immediately the figure of my Dad started to form in front of me.... so thrown that I told him that I couldn't talk now as it wasn't the right time, I had to do the meditation! (I told my DSis and she said: poor Dad, when he'd come all that way! LOL). Why is it that these things happen when they're not supposed to, but when they are... they don't?! I felt awful about doing that and it took me a bit to get into the meditation proper, so the visualisation wasn't that great, mostly quick images and still photographs. The gate at the other side of my safe place wasn't - it was a wooden stile that I climbed over. The path started as a cobbled one (think The Shambles in York) to the edge of the forest, then it was a pine needle strewn one going through the giant redwoods. My seat was a fallen tree, though not a redwood... something much smaller. Whilst waiting for my PA I had a fleeting image of a barn owl but, as I explained to everyone, I have a bit of a thing about owls and barn owls especially, so I thought it could be because of that, so I asked for my PA again. I was a bit stunned at the next image, as it was........ an elephant called Wisdom. The weirdness of seeing an elephant emerging from behind giant redwood trees took some getting over, I can tell you. LOL I felt her name answered my question about what she was there to teach me and what I was to learn from her... I also got a feeling that was a mix of calmness, gentleness, acceptance and stoic resolution...... almost as if the feeling wrapped around me in a gentle hug.

G had also enjoyed the meditation, visualising well and her PA was a tiger. I can't remember if she was given a name or not. She did hesitate with this initially, as she wasn't too sure if some of it was suggestion, after a couple of experiences she'd had on two night's during the previous week: she'd woken up and actually seen a tiger cub, with its front paws on her bed and looking at her. When she asked her PA about it he told her it was the young ones being playful and curious, wanting to meet her. How lovely was that? :0) She immediately said that she thought the tiger was to give her courage.
Aureen regularly works with her Power Animal's. One of hers is a deer - unfortunately I can't remember what she said the other one was.

We then went on to open for a short clairvoyance session. I can't remember the bulk of it now but, as I always do, had jotted down (in my special book) what I'd received and what had been received for me. I'd seen an image of something sparkly and initially couldn't tell if it was either a water fountain or a Christmas tree, so asked for it to be shown more clearly: it was a Christmas tree, with lots of sparkly lights over it. I didn't know what it was about but did feel that it was for Sh. Aureen said that perhaps something is to happen around Christmas time for her.
G saw a man in casual clothes, describing him as not scruffy looking but far from being in his best clothes.... gardening clothes, she felt, as he'd had a pair of secateurs in his hand, and he was in his 70's. I smiled, as I thought it was Dad.... having been turned away by me, now trying to communicate through G. That idea was soon knocked on the head though, as she said she got the name of Ted. It didn't ring any bells, so I said I'd ask my DSis and get her to ask the Uncle's.... the fount of all knowledge on family history.

As we were closing ourselves and the Circle down I got one final image: I saw my Spirit Guide, though this time he was wearing one of those beaded breastplates over his chest. We were given some homework this week: we were to write a poem or piece about our Power Animal, to be read out in Circle the following Tuesday. It was to give us the opportunity to link with and learn more about them, their attributes and what we felt we could learn from those attributes and how they could be of use in our day to day lives, as well as Spiritually. It should prove interesting. :0)

ACUPUNCTURE - 1ST APRIL

I'm afraid I've left writing about this session for so long that I'm struggling to remember much about it at all. So much for being organised and keeping up-to-date! LOL

I was pleased to report to Janet that I had felt much calmer and the instances of past issue recall had dwindled greatly.... and those things that did occasionally surface weren't upsetting me at all. That was a great improvement. :0)

I had some needles in my belly this time, as well as the usual hormone ones at my ankles and it was a very relaxing session. Afterwards I made an appointment for the following week. By the time I got out and down to the market the bulk of the stalls had already closed, including the craft stall. I didn't hang around but headed home, calling in at a couple of shops on the way back up the High Street.

I did get two good buys though: another Jacky Newcombe book, this time about psychic kids and their Angelic encounters, from the Hospice Bookshop and a scroll frame from the Hospice Charity shop. The frame was only 50p due to having a nut and wingnut bolt missing.... easily replaced, as my DH is sure to have something suitable tucked away in his workshop somewhere. :0)

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 30TH MARCH

This Tuesday wasn't as quiet as I normally try to keep the day but it's not a complaint, as the disturbance was caused by the delivery of the new furniture and chair for my Craft Room. One large bookcase and filing cabinet are now in place.... and the room seems to have shrunk somewhat now. LOL The chair I'm delighted with, as not only is it fully adjustable (including the arms), it also has lumbar support for my back.... and the colour goes perfectly with the colour scheme. LOL I spent some of the day wiping everything down and cleaning the mucky bootprints off the laminate flooring - rain and men's boots make a right mess, despite them wiping their feet each time they came back into the house. I even put the first couple of folders onto the bookcase, ready to set the level of the first shelf. I shall enjoy getting everything organised so I can start working in there...... hopefully not too long into the future. :0)

DH had a School Governor's meeting to attend this week which made us a little later setting off than usual, though that wasn't a problem - he had decided he was visiting the local chippy again for his tea, so he made up some time on the journey out. That man's stomach definitely rules him! LOL

When I got there S1 was just knocking at the door, so I followed her in to find S2 was also there. I popped up to use the toilet and when I came down Sh had also arrived. There was no sign of the lady who owned the house - she had gone out visiting. We could all tell that the house was now being lived in.... it was a whole lot warmer! For the first time all winter I had to take my coat off. LOL Aureen told us that unfortunately G couldn't come again this week - although she was now better and back at work, she was actually working late. She would be having a word with Jan (she works at the Clinic) to see if she could alter this in future, so she could attend the Circle again. A didn't turn up again and hadn't been in touch with Aureen, so she would be phoning her during this week to see if everything was OK. So no Power Animal meditation once again, for which Aureen apologised - not a problem, as I pointed out.... it just wasn't time yet. With that we went into the other room.

The dining table in there surprised S2, who hadn't known it had been put back into the room, so Aureen explained the reason for it. The spare chair was taken away from the table and we all took our places around it. After we'd sat Aureen told us she had a surprise for us this week, as we couldn't do the meditation. For a change we would be having a go at.... Tarot. She seemed to look at me, to see what my response was. I was delighted - admittedly the delight was tinged with relief that we weren't going to be doing clairvoyance again, but this was something I've wanted to do for a while.

Aureen brought out two of her own Tarot decks to let us have a look at them, explaining that the deck with the rather basic looking images on them was one she had first used but which now sat in a drawer most of the time, whilst the second one was the one she used the most, especially for giving readings. The second, most used deck, had the nicest images and was the one we were all drawn to - partly because of the prettier images but also because we all felt there was more depth to them, thus more information to be gleaned from them.

Aureen then asked, due to what we had all been saying, had we all used or had Tarot card readings before - we had. She asked if we had decks of our own: Sh, S2 and myself do, S1 didn't, though had bought several decks for a friend. She was under the impression that a deck had to be a gift from someone and no one had ever bought her one. Aureen said that there were several things said about this but that she had always found that it was best to buy these things for yourself, so you could look at and handle them and see which you were the most drawn to - so S1 was going to go and look at some with a view to buying one for herself. S2 said that she had heard the same theory about crystal balls (it having to be a gift) but Aureen once again said that she felt it was more a matter of personal taste. Sh wondered how you'd know if it was the right one for you, so I said that it was the same as with any crystal: it was best to handle them, to feel the energies, and you'd know which was yours because it was the one you were most drawn to because it just felt right - that's what I did whenever I bought any kind of crystal.

We talked a little on places to buy crystals, crystal balls and Tarot decks from and that's when I got a bit of a shock: Aureen said that there used to be a place in Market Rasen but her friend had told her that that had closed down. I asked: what, The Rainbow Room? Yes, it has closed. I am guttted, as that is the place I bought most of my crystals and jewellery from, along with some esoteric books and a Tarot deck. S2 mentioned a shop in our town centre, though she couldn't remember its name: it's where she'd spotted a beautiful crystal ball that she coveted and wanted for her Mother's Day gift... but her DD refused to buy it for her. Methinks she'll be going back and buying it for herself now. LOL It's a shop I haven't been to in a very long while, as I hardly ever go into the town centre, but I shall be making a point of visiting it before long now, just to see what it carries.... especially now the Rainbow Room is no longer there. :0( We mentioned the Mind, Body and Spirit events too - I shall have to scan and print the leaflets I have for upcoming events and take them in next week, so they'll know when and where they are on, should they want to visit one or other of them.

Aureen told us a story about her own crystal ball. The first time she'd looked into it all she saw were coffins with lids on, propped up on trestles. She couldn't see if there were any bodies in them - just lots of coffins. Some time later she had been told by a friend who was their boss's secretary, where she used to work, that, although she didn't want to break any confidences, she was looking for another job and thought it would be a good idea if Aureen did so too. Soon after Aureen had had a dream in which she'd seen her friend and herself pull up in their cars at the same place, walk down the road together and into the same place. In there they'd both had interviews, at the same time and by the same person - during the interview someone had been stood leaning against a particular section of the wall. Shortly after this they were looking at jobs in the paper and one at a Funeral Home looked promising for her friend, as it was job share (part time). Her friend suggested that she go for it too, but she needed a full time job. As it panned out, the other person left, so the part-time job now became full time: both Aureen and her friend (at her friend's insistence) went for the interview, and it all unfolded exactly as in her dream, with the person standing up against the wall turning out to be the man's wife. Aureen recognised both the man and his wife, feeling she'd known them in a previous lifetime. When the chap showed her and her friend around the premises he took them into the workshop........ where there were coffins with lids on one trestles, exactly as she'd seen in the crystal ball. It ended happily too: the friend insisted Aureen took the job, as it was full-time and she only wanted part time..... but a little later the chap opened another office and gave her friend a part-time job there. How spooky was that? LOL

On deciding that we all liked the second deck the most Aureen put them to one side of the table and put the others back on a side table, as we wouldn't be using them. We then circulated the Healing Book, so we could all add names and/or send healing into it. We then opened the Circle, protected and grounded ourselves and opened our Chakras. Next was a short meditation, concentrating on fully opening our throat and third eye Chakras, as we would need to use all of our senses for the card reading: clairvoyance; clairsentience; clairaudience, as well as intuition.  The meditation: to imagine breathing in through our throat Chakra, then the same with the third eye Chakra; we then had to imagine a triangle, starting from the third eye, the sides intersecting our ears and the base going through the throat Chakra; we then had to imagine breathing (or pulling in) energy through this triangle, then come back to ourselves.

Aureen then went on to explain the type of reading we would be doing and how she prepared things before a reading. We would be doing a basic three-card spread, representing Past, Present and Future and she would firstly do the meditation; then she would cleanse the cards by imagining them being washed in the cleansing waterfall (from a previous meditation); as the person she would be reading for entered the room she would be using all of her senses to "read" the person and their aura; once they were sat she would aske them to shuffle the cards whilst thinking of a specific question they may have; she would then either deal the top three cards from the deck or spread the cards and ask the person to choose three; the cards would be placed in front of her, from left to right, in the order they were dealt/chosen. She would then proceed to do the reading.

S1 was to read for me first. She cleansed the cards and handed them to me, I shuffled them then spread them in front of me and chose three cards I felt drawn to. The three cards I chose were: Past - Knight of Swords; Present - The Empress; Future - Death.

The Knight was in full battle armour, a bloodied sword over his shoulder and a burning, but still standing, tower in front: S1 focused on the tower and that it may be battered but it was still standing strong. I pointed to the bloodied sword, as I felt that was relevant. Though he'd obviously been through a battle he had come out of it the other end still strong and unbowed. The conclusion was that I had been some rough times but had weathered them and come out the other side, still strong.
The Empress: strong, intuitive and the eagle on the shield made her think of the eagle she'd seen clairvoyantly, representing me flying free. The cornucopia was abundance, another positive sign. Conclusion: that a time of abundance was coming, a fruition of plans.
The Death card made S1 suck in her breath so I told her not to think of it as meaning an actual death but as transformation and rebirth, which Aureen agreed with. S1 said that Death himself didn't look too threatening on this card, with his scythe lowered to the ground. Then there was a beautiful white rose in full bloom that she said was certainly positive, as it was a living thing. The conclusion: that there'd be a time of change and transformation for me and that it was all positive.
The overall view was spot on for where I feel I am on my Path at this point.

I read for S1. I cleansed the cards then handed them to her to shuffle and choose three. Her cards were: Past - Five of Staves; Present - Two of Swords; Future - Seven of Pentacles.
Five of Staves: this had different arms, all holding staves that were criss crossed together. I mentioned the arms, especially the one in the foreground, as it was more muscley than the others. Aureen asked if I thought they were friendly or not so friendly. I said they made me think of Morris Men. I thought I wasn't going to get anywhere, as I just couldn't get anything more from this card, except a little voice saying: Fun, fun, fun, fun. I didn't have a clue as to why I kept getting that. Aureem explained that this card usually represents arguments and/or disagreements. I guess if I'd followed the thought I might have picked up on fun and games, and not in a nice way..... Spirit was obviously going to make me work hard tonight. LOL
Two of Swords: showed a blindfolded woman, facing forward, with her arms crossed over her chest and a sword in each hand. I said that as she was blinfolded I would guess that she's not sure about something. I felt the crossed arms looked slightly defensive, though a sword in each hand showed that she had the means to defend herself. Aureen asked if I could get anything else. I gently stroked the card and pointed to the blindfold and said that as she couldn't see she would have to look within for the answer. Good call, as Aureen explained that the card represented a choice, usually between two paths - the crescent moon on the card represented intuition so, yes, she needed to look within and would find the answer after some reflection.
Seven of Pentacles: a side view of a healthy, mustachioed man holding a hoe, with verdant growth. I said that Pentacles usually referred to money and that he was obviously preparing to reap what he'd sown and that it was a good harvest.
S1's question was: should she look for another job? The first card referred more to her previous job, the others to the current. Overall view: that she should trust her intuition, as she knew what to do, and that after some hard work she would reap the rewards.
S2 read for Sh. Her cards were: Eight of Swords; Eight of Cups; Ace of Cups.

Sh read for S2. Her cards were:  Eight of Wands; Hierophant; ?

Unfortunately it's been so long since this all happened I really can't remember what was said or what else happened. Writing up a post about Tarot reading when I don't have the identical cards to show (or to act as a memory jogger) is very difficult, so I shall be doing this differently in future.