Ribbon Readings

Since attending P's Circle and workshops and the monthly workshops at the Spiritualist Church I've been learning new ways of doing readings for people, using my psychic skills. One of my favourite methods, along with psychometry, is doing a Ribbon Reading.

There are no set rules about what kind of ribbons should be used, or colours or textures - in fact, the more varied your mass of ribbons are the better. P uses a bag full of ribbons she picked up from all over the place and D, who runs the Spiritualist Church workshops, brought in a bag full of ribbons he'd randomly selected and bought from a seller on Amazon! LOL

I think how you read them depends on the preferred technique/s of the person who is teaching you, rather than due to any hard and fast rules, as both P and D used slightly different methods.

For the first reading I did at P's: the heap of ribbons was plonked on the floor in the middle of the room and we were each asked to select three ribbons that we were particularly drawn to. Once the ribbons were selected we had to hold them a little while, then see who we felt drawn to, then begin giving what we were sensing/receiving. I felt drawn to C, a lovely lady who also goes to the Spiritualist Church, & proceeded to give her what I was getting.

For another reading I did at P's: we each had to select those ribbons we were drawn to (usually about three), then we were to look around the Circle and see which ribbons we were drawn to, then take those ribbons and give a reading from them.

For the readings I've done at D's workshop: the first time we each had to pick the ribbons we were drawn to and then handle them a little while, then swapped ribbons with the person sat to our left and do readings for each other.

For another reading: we all chose our ribbons, all passed them to the person sat to our left and then took it in turns to do a reading.

None of these methods is better or worse than the other, they're just different ways of achieving the end result: giving a reading by using ribbons as a method of tuning in to what your intuition is picking up and to what your Guides or Spirit are relaying to you. How that information is received is a bit more difficult to explain and I guess different people have different ways of working (again, there's no right or wrong way - just the way that suits and works for you).

What I have noticed is that everyone who handles ribbons whilst giving a reading usually holds one end of them in their non-dominant hand and then regularly runs the ribbons through their fingers on their dominant hand... for me it's partly to get a "feel" for the ribbons (silky/smooth/rough/bumpy etc) and also look at them (shiney/dull/smooth/plain/patterned etc). As I'm doing this the rational/thinking part of my brain (the bit you use for every day functioning/planning etc) seems to "step back" and I feel calmer, which is something I refer to as "getting into the zone" - from what I've rad about how our brains work, this is probably when I switch over from left brain (every day functioning) to right brain (creative/imaginative side). At this point I usually find that I sort through the ribbons and place some together and some apart... when that's done I usually start giving the reading. Once I start to speak it just seems to flow out.

As for where this information comes from, I'm hard-pressed to say for definite, to be honest, as I've not really analysed it before. Here's my best explanation:

Some of it, with being mainly clairsentient, I feel, as in physical sensations: if someone is tense I feel their tenseness - usually up the back of my neck; if they are stressed my shoulders get tight or my head feels headachey or tight; if they're nauseous I get nauseous; if they've got a lot on their mind my head feels "whirly" or dizzy... or I start to continually wrap the ribbons round and round my fingers.

As I look at the ribbons I get further information: ribbons that were all different colours but exactly the same type told me that the person felt they needed some regular routine/uniformity in their life, as things felt out of control; the colours give clues too, as black can mean they are feeling depressed or are grieving over something (eg loss of a person, end of a relationship), red can mean love or passion, pink being the gentler version, or anger; green can mean a need for healing or that the person is a healer - or both; blue can mean communication - possibly arguments, or someone not speaking up for themselves. The list goes on - and sometimes, just to make it more complicated, what one colour meant in one reading will sometimes mean something totally different in another.

Sometimes I "hear" (clairaudience) information - this I feel is generally input from my Guide or from Spirit - which is received by my "inner" ears and will clarify or expand on something I've said, or felt.

Occasionally I will "see" a picture with my minds eye (third eye), or even written words, that will give further information.

The knack in a reading is to be open and aware to all of this input.. what I'm feeling, what I'm hearing, what I'm seeing and what I'm sensing, and trusting in it all so I am giving what I'm getting. Throughout this time I'm not thinking about or analysing anything but just letting the words and everything else flow through me. I've realised that giving this type of reading is also a good way of fine-tuning the same senses/abilities that are used when opening to Spirit, to give messages to loved ones... it would be nice to have the opportunity to do them more often, for the practice, but also because they are fun to do too. :0)

I hope this has helped to shed some light on what this type of reading involves.

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 4TH MAY

This week saw me driving to Circle solo for the first time..... and it wasn't as scarey as I thought it would be. :0)

We were a full house this week, all present and correct - and everyone said how glad they were that I'd taken the plunge and driven myself. I was buzzing.... since completing the Healing Course things have started to change even more: I feel I've found that direction and purpose that has been missing for much of my life; I know I am on the right Path and I feel like things are starting to open up... and it's a great feeling. :0)

I'd also remembered to pick up the Melody book on the way out of the door so, when we were all sat I brought it out and asked Aureen whether or not she already had this book and handed it to her. It made me smile to see her avidly riffling through the pages... I think she'd have happily browsed it all night, if we hadn't had the Circle to do. LOL I explained what had happened for me to end up with two copies and, as she hadn't got this one already, told her it was hers - it was lovely to see the smile on her face. :0)

After Aureen had (reluctantly) put the book away she told us that this week we would be doing a special meditation, to go into our heart chakras and go on to meet a Higher Being, where we could ask a question of this Being. This asking questions is OK but it's a beggar to think of something at times! LOL

Once we'd opened the Circle, protected ourselves and opened our Chakras we went straight in to the meditation. After relaxing and settling to the breathing we then had to breathe up Earth energy through our base and into our heart Chakra, followed by breathing down cosmic energy through our Crown and into out heart Chakra. After allowing the energy to mingle we were to expand our heart Chakra (sometimes done as visualising a green flower bud with golden edges opening to a large flower), seeing ourselves and going into the green with gold tinged heart centre. From here we were to walk down our country lane to the gate of our garden and go in, where we met and walked with our Power Animal, allowing all of our senses to open. We were then to notice a shaded area of the garden off to the right, where there were nine steps.... walk up the nine steps and see a crystal building and walk through the door. Inside was a long corridor which we were to walk along, noticing red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet doors: we were to choose one, knock and enter. Inside was a desk, with a chair to one side at the front and behind it was sat an Enlightened Being, surrounded by gold light. We were to approach and sit in the chair, then ask the Being our question and wait for an answer. Afterwards we were to thank them, get up and go to the door - once there we were to look back and see they were gone. We then exited, closing the door behind us, retrace our steps out of the building and back into our garden, where our Power Animal was waiting. We went into our garden and sat communing with our PA for a while. We then has to say goodbye, go back through our garden to the gate and back along the garden gate, back to ourselves.

It's too far back for me to remember what the others saw but my experience was: I raised my arms and just seemed to float into my heart Chakra - no flapping of arms or jumping, just a very gentle float. I saw the country lane and picket gate as still images. When I entered my garden this time I got the impression of more flowers and trees, including trees with blossom on them and, as always, my silver birch tree.

Wisdom the elephant, my PA, was there but I got a little confused as to gender, thinking Wisdom was a she but saying he, so I need to commune more often and sort this out. I saw the steps in the shaded area and the crystal building at the top was a little like the Taj Mahal frontage, but with turrets instead of minarets, then saw the corridor as a still image. When I saw the doors I thought I was going to go through the blue one.... but the image suddenly changed to a green door and I "walked" through that. Inside I had the image of a bank managers type desk in red wood flash through my minds eye and a matching chair with a green "velvet" seat. Behind the desk was golden light with a sparkly area in the centre and from this I got a quick image of a stern-looking middle-aged Native American wearing a cougar/puma headdress.

My question was: What is the next step on my Path? Fully expecting something along the lines of being pointed in the direction of what course to take next or perhaps a relevant book to read, or something similar I was totally unprepared for what I did hear: you must learn to love yourself. It wasn't an order, just a simple statement, and I felt the implication was that to do this would open up everything. I was left feeling very emotional, though managed to thank him and just sat quietly with my PA afterwards, before finishing the rest of the meditation.

When I related this to everyone I got a little tearful... and Aureen beamed at me and said she saw this as a major breakthrough: I actually saw much more through this meditation; the Native American influence seems to be very strong, with this Shamanistic figure; after all the hard work, through Reiki healing and the Circle, the crux of the matter has been reached with this one statement that has been long needed. I said that, now that the Shamballah Course was over, it felt like the right time to have a make-over and that I would like to book S2 to cut my hair and do my eyebrows for me. S2 was pleased and said she would be happy to. Aureen's smile got even wider and she said this was, after going back to driving, the biggest step forward, as it said, more than anything else, "moving on". The girls said they couldn't wait to see what my new look was going to be. :0)

After everyone had revealed what had happened in their meditations (sorry, not even a vague memory is left - it's over a month since this session) Aureen pointed out a rather odd happening: Sh and S2 were sat together one side of the Circle and both had gone through the violet door; G and s1, sat next to each other on the other side of the Circle, both went through the blue door; Aureen and I, sat opposite, had both gone through the green door. How odd was that!

After this we opened for Clairvoyance. Again I've only got the notes in my special book to go on and I always only write down those things which are relevant to me, so they can be referred back to occasionally when I want to redo the meditations or need to check details (such as names) - plus it's only a small book and writing down everything that happens each week would soon fill it! LOL

S2 came straight to me. She'd seen a rather stroppy lady in a tweed type skirt and jacket who had said "At last!" while busily brushing down the front of her skirt. Her message was: tell her she is loved, has always been and always will be. I felt a bit emotional again, though still wondering who this tweedy lady is as it's not the first time she's come through for me. S2 then said that, as a child, whenever she saw a lady she wanted to tell them that they looked beautiful, as that's how she saw them (am thinking she was able to see the inner light/beauty of each soul) and then said that's how she saw me: I was the most beautiful person she'd ever met and that I radiated it, along with love and caring. This deeply moved me and it was all I could do to thank her without blubbing all over the place.

Aureen saw me wearing a pink dress and a magic wand was being waved above me, sending lots of golden sparkles raining down over me - very much a Fairy Godmother and trasformation. I couldn't help but giggle at this, hold my hands towards S2 and say: Meet my Fairy Godmother..... then asked her if she also did the white mice to horses bit as well, which got everyone laughing.

I got lots of fleeting images for G but they had been too quick for me to make out what they were. I also got a really strong smell of baking but had been so busy trying to work out what the images had been that I didn't follow up on this. Sh asked what type of baking smell and I said it was like cakes and all that kind of warm smell of baking goodies - she thought it may have been relevant to her. Aureen said it may have been better to have followed up on the smell, so it's something I need to remember for future reference. It's not often I get this in clairvoyance sessions so it tends to take me by surprise.

After all the messages were given we went on to close down and then close the Circle. I made an appointment with S2 to come and do my make-over on Thursday 13th. As we were wandering towards the door I remembered to tell the girls about the hit Sh had had with Bernard: it turns out he was my Aunty M's brother and best friend of Uncle W (Dad's favourite DBro) and he was Best Man at their wedding. He'd been hit over the head with a glass bottle and that incident totally changed his personality... and, rather sadly, he'd taken his own life (though Aunty was told that he'd had a fit). He'd crossed over when he was 25 years old.... in the same year that I was born. How spooky is that.... and I'd known nothing about this until my DSis checked with Uncle. So Bernard was right.... I did find out. LOL Sh's accuracy with names is really good and each conformation is giving her more confidence. :0)

With this we all said our goodbyes and headed home. Thankfully it was still reasonably light for my solo journey home.... not too many wrong gears either. LOL It was good to get home though, as it had been a much more emotional evening than usual and I was feeling quite tired after it.

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 27TH APRIL

This week we were to do a basic 3-card tarot spread for ourselves using our own set of cards.

Aureen talked a little about the cards and how to prepare ourselves and the cards for a reading, so we would know what to do should we also wish to give readings to others.... something she said would be good practice for us, if we were given the opportunity. Preparation involved invoking protection, opening our Chakras and meditating, allowing us to hold the cards in our hands and visualise them being washed in white light, thus ridding the cards of any vibration from ourselves or previous clients. She always starts a reading by telling the client that she isn't a fortune teller and that the cards are there as a tool, to show possible paths, and allowing us to make decisions and choices or presenting another view - nothing is set in stone, as we have free will and some things can be changed by this. She would then give the cards to the clinet to shuffle or, if reading for herself, shuffle them herself. When this has been done she takes the top three cards from the deck for a basic three card spread reading. For a bigger reading you can fan the cards in front of you and ask the client (or choose yourself) as many cards are needed for whichever type of reading you are doing.

We then opened up the Circle, protected ourselves, opened our Chakras and meditated: this involved tuning in to our breathing, then focusing on our third eye and throat Chakras (to awaken all psychic senses to receive information from Spirit, as well as from the cards). We had to visualise a triangle, with the point at third eye level, the sides running through our inner ears and the base going through our throat Chakra, then pulling energy into the triangle. This done we then set about cleansing the cards, shuffled them and pulled the top three cards from the deck.

Unfortunately I can't remember the bits I haven't written down. Each of us had a different Tarot deck, so many of the cards had different pictures on them: I don't have their cards to act as a memory jogger and it's hard to show the meaning when I can't post a photo of the exact cards they pulled. I think I'll stick to just posting my own pics when I do posts about the Circle nights that we do Tarot or other card readings. Much easier on my brain! LOL

My own cards were:

I felt The Lord, though he looked a little severe, was strong in his masculine power. His horns represent the Horned God, Cernunnos, Lord of the Hunt. The eagle is a reminder of Cerridwen, the feminine aspect, when she became an eagle to chase Taliesin and force him into transforming, to use his newly gained powers. I felt that it was telling me I was now strong. Some of the girls have seen the eagle in messages for me, symbolising my new-found freedom.
The Eight of Swords shows a woman tied and blindfolded and hemmed in by swords, unsure of where to step. I felt I had been unsure of what step to take next along my Path but felt I did now, as the Shamballah Healing Course was making me realise I do want to develop the healing side..... though was still unsure of the direction to go after the course.
I felt the Four of Wands was a positive and happy card, as the swathes made me think of betrothals and weddings and the hearth and home image is strong - something which features strongly and is important in my life, and always has been. I was unsure of the overall message of the cards though.

Aureen's reading of the cards: I'm now strong and have the energy to do what I want; I need to be aware and looking around, so I can see all the options available - be mindful; good/happy card to finish on, as it represents a positive future/happenings/events.... I'll be happiest when doing Spiritual work. I should always do some kind of Spiritual work but always be open and aware of all the opportunities that are around me.

I felt this went to show that I was now on the right Path.... and that the Eight of Swords was telling me that I can't be open and aware if I allow myself to be hemmed in the house for most of the week..... or allow myself to be hemmed in by certain outdated mindsets that create limitations for myself. An open mind will allow me to fly as free as that eagle! :0)

When each of us had looked at all of our card readings and given our interpretations, then had Aureen's reading of them, we put our cards away and went on to open up for clairvoyance. Again, I can't remember the bulk of this as I've had too many sleeps and lots of other things have happened since. :0)

What I have noted is that Sh said she got the name Bernard for me and when she asked he wouldn't give her any more information and said: Karan will know, she'll find out. I laughed and said: Oh, great - so now I'm getting homework from the Spiritworld! Right... I'll go ask the Uncles again. LOL The girls were laughing at this.

I'm assuming I didn't get anything for anyone, as there are no notes. After all the messages had been given we went through our usual closing procedures.

After driving home, with DH as passenger, I rang DSis and told her about Bernard - the name didn't ring a bell with her but she was seeing one of the Uncle's on her day off and was phoning the other one the following evening, so she said she'd ask...... then said she hoped that, as she was doing my homework for me, that it would gain her brownie points with the Spiritworld. LOL So now I wait for her to let me know what the results of this is.

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 20TH APRIL

This week Aureen gave us the news we were all expecting: A isn't rejoining us, as changes in her OH's and ex's shifts have meant neither can babysit for her; she also felt that she'd already missed so much she was far enough behind for it to be a problem, in that she probably wouldn't be able to catch up and she also didn't want to feel like she was holding us back. Such a shame, as she has a natural gift that will only get better with the practice... but I guess it's a case of it not yet being the right time for her. Hopefully that will change in the future and she'll be able to come back to it. :0)

This week we held the Circle sat around the table. After opening the Circle, grounding ourselves and opening our Chakras S1 brought her scarab out of her bag, so we could do psychometry on it. Unfortunately it all happened so long ago I can't remember much of what happened and only have my notes on what I got to go on.

I didn't see anything, just got a sweet, sort of fudgey smell as I held it. S2 picked up a small, cramped workshop, felt it had been a gift rather than having bought it herself and a few other things.
S1 told us that she had been in a shop in the bazaar area where her OH was buying various bits and pieces (he's a bit of a collector, from the sounds of things) when she'd spotted and immediately fell for the scarab. She was going to buy it for herself but the shop owner, as her OH had bought several pieces, decided to give it to "the pretty lady". The shop had been in an area where all kinds of herbs, spices and resins had also been for sale (my sweet, fudgey smell). Not alot for me but it was a hot.... S2, as always, picked up the most and was very accurate. :0)

We were going to them open up for clairvoyance but S2 had thought we were all to bring something to do psychometry on and had brought a flower with her. She asked Aureen if we could do some psychometry on it for her, so there was a slight change of plan to accommodate this.

They were very pretty polyanthus in a reddish orange colour. I think S1 felt they were given as a gift and had a view of S2 as a little girl, very happy and a few other things (can't remember). Can't even remember if G was there - think she was, but if she was I can't remember what she saw. I just got the words: They're for you, Mummy. I took this to mean that her DD had picked them and given them to her..... but it wasn't until later that I realised her DD isn't a little girl but a 17 year old!
Sh saw an elderly gentleman in a garden, S2 as a little girl and several other things I can't remember.
Can't remember what Aureen saw but remember she said that they were tinged with both happiness and sadness.
S2 said that we were all right, in a way, and enlightened us: the elderly gentleman was her Dad. The flowers had been bought and planted in her garden, by her Dad as a thank you for looking after him after her Mum had passed away - tragically, her Dad passed away suddenly, joining her soon after this. The flowers are planted where S2 can see them whenever she looks out of her kitchen window - and every time she sees them she remembers her parent's but they also make her smile, as they are such happy-looking little flowers.

We then opened for clairvoyance. I didn't get anything for anyone during this.
I can't remember what everyone got for everyone else as I only have the notes I made of what was given to me, as a reminder so that I can check relevant details and report back on hits.

S1 saw me walking on a flinty type area up a mountain but couldn't quite get the name, saying that it sounded something like Scarfeld or Scaffold. She said I was really enjoying myself and up ahead, turning back to tell the other people I was with to hurry up and catch up - she said they were amazed and couldn't get over how well I was doing.  I asked if the flint could actually be slate and she said yes, something like that, so I said that it could well be Scafell Pike.... we are going to be going on holiday to the Lake District again this year, though I hadn't currently got any plans to do quite such a strenuous walk. LOL

Sh saw me in a kitchen, making a cup of tea, where there was a wooden table. Then there were lots of other people around me, all having cups of tea or coffee, as if it were a coffee morning. She felt that it wasn't so much something I would literally be doing but more representative of how far I'd come. It was something I couldn't have considered before (in my agoraphobic/panic attack state) but was ready for now.
As an aside: I have, kind of, done something similar to this since Sh saw it - a group of us making hot drinks in Jan's kitchen, whilst attending the Shamballah Healing Course, and going to sit at a wooden table... though that was a round one and not square. :0)

Aureen said that she felt I was becoming more confident and really coming into my power now and that, as I realised this and worked with that power, I would work with Spirit fully. They are there, waiting - I just have to ask them to come closer. Meantime I just need to keep on with the practising and meditation.
Some of this is already beginning to happen, as I seem to be getting more things at home at the moment, and I mentioned having especially vivid dreams.... which I've been amking sure I write down in my special notebook. Aureen was pleased with that and said to make sure I carried on with that and that it was also something we should all be doing.

After some chat about what had been received we went on to close down and close the Circle. No idea what happened after that as it was too long ago for me to remember. :0)

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 13TH APRIL

No A again this week but everyone else turned up. I was able to tell everyone that G had had a hit the previous week: my DSis thought that Ted was an old neighbour of our parents, who lived in the house whose garden backed onto theirs. He was a keen gardener and grew lots of beautiful climbing roses on the fence between their gardens. Our Uncle W, when she asked him, also thought that was his name. I can remember the roses but not the neighbour, unfortunately. It's always good to report back on successes. :0)

G then told us that she had something she felt she needed to share with us, as she was feeling a bit emotional and wanted us to know in case she got a bit upset at any point during the evening. Her DH had been having treatment for prostate cancer.... they had just been given the news that day that he was now terminal, as it had gone into his bones. I put my hand on her shoulder, for comfort and support, and quickly sent a plea to Archangel's Rafael and Michael for help for them both - having seen what my Dad, SIL and cousin's wife went through it was awful to think of what they'll both face in the coming months. Life can be so bloody cruel sometimes...... and cancer one of the cruellest damned things of all. Aureen made sure that G and her DH were both in the Healing Book and the prayer was even more heartfelt than usual.

Having checked that G felt OK to go on (she said she felt it would help her) we all took it in turns to read out the pieces we had done on our Power Animals. S1, S2 and G had written poems or poem style pieces on theirs and Sh had written a great piece on her PA's characteristics, turning those negative aspects you associate with a fox (laziness, craftiness etc) into positives in such a good way it had us all laughing. If ever I need a speech doing I shall ask her to write it for me! LOL Aureen also read out a poem she had written some time ago about her first PA, the deer. There is absolutely no way I can remember all of these pieces... though they are personal to each person, so I wouldn't put any details here anyway, as I feel that wouldn't be right. I don't mind sharing my piece though. :0)

I'm no poet and the thought of writing one didn't appeal much. What I did was to keep a piece of paper by my armchair and headed it with the title of: Power Animal - Elephant and, as I pottered around during the day my thoughts were occasionally drawn to my PA and a word would pop into my head... so I'd jot it down on the paper. I also Googled and found an interesting piece about elephants that brought a few more ideas and thoughts to the surface. The words I came up with and the thoughts I subsequently jotted down were:

Matriarch - they live in matriarchal groups, my own family is dotted with strong female characters, to say nothing of my beliefs;
patient; stoical - they make slow and steady progress in all that they do, stoically accepting it all - often plodding on through some horrendous drought conditions to get to another watering hole or better feeding grounds... my old school reports often contained the words: Karan has made slow but steady progress this term... and patience is something I know I need to work on;
defender - usually when threatened, or feel their young are. I would rarely defend myself, even though bullied in every school I ever attended... but if anyone ever hurt my DBro or DSis I wouldn't think twice about wading in;
compassionate; loving - when one of their own dies elephants will often stay around the body for a long time, gently stroking the body with their trunks and actually grieve. It fits. And I've said for some time that I think one of my life lessons to learn this time around is compassion;
long lived; intelligent; gentle; strong; wanderer;
long suffering - they have always been, and continue to be, poached for their ivory tusks;
revered: as the elephant headed Ganesh or Ganesha, a Hindu deity known as the Remover of Obstacles, Deva of Intellect and Wisdom, Patron of Letters. He is associated with the first or base/root chakra and the Aum - the base supports and guides all other Chakras. Aureen, after Reiki sessions, often says that I am firmly grounded in Mother Earth.

It'll be interesting to do further meditations, as I am sure there is much more to be learnt from all of this and more yet to discover.... and it will be lovely to get to know my Power Animal much better. The more I think of it the more I realise that an elephant as a Power Animal is perfect for me. :0)

Next was the meditation to meet our Guides, so we opened the Circle, protected and grounded ourselves, then opened our Chakras and concentrated on our breathing for a while. We then had to pull energy into our heart Chakras by breathing in to it, then imagine a green rose, whose petals were edged with gold, blooming within our heart Chakra and allow it to fill with golden energy. Next was to walk down the country lane to our safe place and, as we walked through it, ensure all our senses were active. From here we had to walk to the far side of the meadow, through the gate (or up and over the wooden stile, in my case), along the path and through the forest to the place we met our Power Animal. When our PA's came to us we were to follow them through to the other side of the forest and out onto a path that took us up the side of a mountain where, after a while, it flattened out to an area that had a natural spring running and we stopped to take a drink and rest a little. Here Aureen told us that if, at any time we were unsure about anything or if we didn't meet our Guides, we were to return to this spot and wait until everyone came back, then journey back with them. From here we carried on up to the top of the mountain, still following our PA. When we reached the top we were to see, off to one side, a mist and in the middle of the mist a bridge - this is where our Guides would walk over from, to meet us.
We had to look down at the ground and notice a pair of feet in front of us, then look up theto the legs, then on up until we could see them. When we could fully see them we had to ask three times: Are you my true Guide? If they left we were to do this bit over again and ask the successive Guide the same question again, three times. If the Guide was still there after the third asking we were to sit down and connect with them and ask any questions we wanted to. If we didn't meet our Guide we were to return to the place where we previously met our Power Animal and there wait until the others returned to that spot, then go back with them.
After a while our Guide would say goodbye and return over the bridge, then we would do the journey back (in reverse order) and slowly come back to ourselves.

Aureen then went around the group, asking each of us what had happened.

S1 had made the journey OK and had seen a Native American but when she asked him was he her true Guide he turned around and went back across the bridge. Unfortunately she didn't see her true Guide and had gone back to wait at the spring. Aureen said not to worry, it obviously wasn't yet time for her to meet hers and suggested that she does more visualisations, working with her Power Animal at home, then try again.

S2 was so happy at finally meeting her Guide, who was called Jacob and was a monk - she could give a vivid description of him. When she sat down with him she received a feeling of overwhelming love. She asked him questions but I can't remember them.

Sh met her Guide too. He was an Egyptian, and said he wasn't a Pharoah or anything like that, an ordinary Egyptian but he looked like he was a guard. She wasn't sure of his name and also received a message (personal) but didn't feel anything.

I met mine! :0) As soon as the feet were mentioned a vivid image of a pair of moccasins appeared immediately in front of me, the legs were clad in buckskin leggings with fringes, the body in a buckskin tunic with fringes and he had the eagle feather bonnet on... though I didn't see his face very clearly. I was also still unsure of his name.... but he was exactly as I had forst seen him during a meditation at home. Aureen asked if I had felt anything and I said it had felt comfortable and right. She then asked if I had asked if he was my true Guide and I replied that I had.

G also met hers: she was a young girl, though she said she seemed an old soul when she looked into her eyes.  She said she looked sort of Asian but she didn't think she was Chinese - we threw a few nationalities out and when someone mentioned Tibetan G immediately said yes, that seemed right. She also felt overwhelming love.

Aureen then said that what we should all have felt was overwhelming love coming from our Guides to us. As Sh and myself hadn't felt that she thought that we were both probably blocking ourselves. I know I have a bit of a block going on at the moment, although am not sure why or what is causing it... and Sh said she felt she probably was too. Aureen again said that we should practice more at home, connecting with and speaking to our Guides, and that this would overcome any blocks and allow the love to come through. It was a nice thought. :0)

I'm afraid I can't remember what else happened after this, though I think we closed the Circle soon after, as this had been a long evening after discussing our Power Animal's and doing the Spirit Guide meditation.


The following day I decided to redo the meditation out of curiosity. I barely visualised my safe place and the forest but it didn't matter, as Spirit obviously decided to dispense with formalities because, almost with a Whoosh!, I was suddenly up at the top of the mountain. Within moments my Guide walked towards me and this time it felt like my heart Chakra opened wide, almost as if it was bursting from my chest.... but not in an unpleasant way. Love radiated to and from us..... it was the most amazing feeling and left me feeling slightly dazed. I know I asked some questions and thanked my Guide but when I came back to myself I couldn't for the life of me remember what was said..... but that doesn't bother me, as I feel that on some level I've taken in what was said and I'll remember what was said when the time is right.

Incidentally: I redid the meditation on the New Moon. Better energies, perhaps?

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)

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.

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 23RD MARCH

I got to Circle early again this week, all thanks to some mouldy bread. It stopped DH from making himself a sandwich, so he decided to have fish and chips instead.... and he was in a hurry to get me there so he could head off to the chip shop straight after. I didn't complain, as it would give me chance to chat to Aureen again before everyone arrived.

I was able to tell her what I'd forgotten on Saturday: that the spoilt Yorkshire Terrier she'd seen and asked about belonged to my maternal grandparents. She was really pleased about that. We chatted a little more before Sh and S1 arrived, when she told us that the lady who owns the house will be back next week. Aureen had been doing some cleaning to ensure that things were straight before she arrives, as she didn't want the lady to think we weren't looking after the place and thus decide not to allow us to use it any more. The lady doesn't mind us continuing to meet whilst she's home though... she's a Spiritualist, so will probably join us whilst there.

Unfortunately S2 couldn't come again this week (her Uncle is seriously ill) and G is still chesty and hasn't regained her voice yet. Whilst we waited a little longer to see if A would turn up I grabbed some old postcards out of my bag to show Sh. She'd brought out a piece of paper to show something to me and we both said "I've got something to show you" at the same time, followed by Sh saying "You show me yours and I'll show you mine" which made us all laugh. I reminded them about Sh mentioning a Bert the previous week and said that whilst my DSis was having a sort through all the old photographs and memorabilia our Mum had kept she'd come across these postcards, with a decidedly Edwardian look to them (though possible repros), and showed her the back of one of them. It had been signed by a chap called Hubert.... possibly the Bert Sh had mentioned. But we don't have a clue who Hubert was or even who the recipient of the card was. It obviously meant something to Mum, as she'd kept the pair of postcards all these years..... and he wasn't the Bert i thought he was either. So that was another hit for Sh and again went to prove that this isn't all down to minreading or remembering something that had once been said. I also told them both about Aureen's hit with the Yorkie.

Sh then showed me her bit of paper whilst reminding me about the castle I'd seen. She'd been on the internet and found the name of it.... and that it was this castle that Disney based their Sleeping Beauty Castle on. S1 asked her if she had any plans to go to Disneyworld in the US.... or could it be Disneyworld Paris? Sh doesn't have any holiday plans at the moment..... or, maybe, she will be doing something as mundane as watching a Disney movie with one of her young family members? Who knows.... so watch this space. LOL

It became evident that A wasn't coming again so we went through into the other room, removing the spare chair from the Circle before taking our seats. We passed the Healing book round so we could add names and then we took it in turns to hold it and send healing to all those named inside. Although I'm never quite sure if I'm doing this "right" it's done with the best of intentions and I always find it a moving process. Aureen then told us that we would be doing a meditation but not to worry if we couldn't do it, as it was rather a difficult one. We were to know that if at any time we weren't happy with anything that happened within the meditation we could take ourselves back into our garden and stay there until we met up again further along in the meditation.

With that we opened the Circle, then protected and grounded ourselves and opened our Chakras. We then had to concentrate on our breathing and relaxation - the breathing involves taking air in through the nose, holding it for the count of four, then breathing out through our mouths. Once relaxed we were to walk along the country lane to the gate into our garden, enter it and wander around for a little while, opening all our senses and noticing what was there. After a while we were to notice a corner we hadn't seen before: it had a brick wall that had three steps leading down to it and on the wall was a mirror. We had to stand before the mirror and look into it, looking at our reflections, then after a while notice what was going on in the background of the mirror.... and see ourselves changing, noticing what we looked like. After a while we were to see ourselves in the mirror again, walk away and back up the steps, back through the garden and out of the gate and back along the country lane.... then come back to ourselves. Aureen then asked each of us what we had seen.

Sh had had a lovely experience: she had found it a little difficult to find a wall she hadn't noticed before because hers is a walled garden anyway... but she managed to do it. I think she said her mirror was a gold arch and when she looked into it she saw herself all the time.... but the background seemed to be misty, then it cleared and she could see all her loved ones who have passed over. They were so happy that she could see them all at last, as they'd been waiting for a while for this to happen. She was so pleased, saying that she regularly talked to several of them but hadn't been able to see them.... until now. Aureen said she had connected well but in a surprising way to what had been expected, as the meditation was to try and connect with a past life.

Me next. Before we'd begun the meditation I'd felt someone standing behind my left shoulder, and had even glanced over it to see if I could see anything (I hadn't) and had also felt a warmth there, rather than the usual cold spot sensation. I'd even struggled to visualise the bits of my garden I normally manage to see, though had had a really vivid image of sweet peas - not had these in my garden before but I do associate these with my maternal Grandad, as he used to grow them, so wondered if the presence I'd felt stood behind me was him. I'd managed to see the mirror: a fancy gold scollwork frame thing, very much in the Snow White type tradition, though hadn't really been able to see myself in it, let alone anything else. I had been very aware of the cobweb feeling on my face, had felt my hair being touched and my right ear being tickled - so Spirit was definitely around. Aureen mentioned that she had felt a touch on her leg.... and also said not to worry about the meditation, as it is a difficult one to do. Not sure I want to practice this one at home yet: there are enough issues to work through in this life to keep me occupied for a while, without discovering any from a past one. The thought of finding out I used to be a Nazi guard or something equally terrible really is something that, so far, has stopped me from undertaking regression.... and probably contributed to it not working. LOL

Aureen had seen herself quite clearly in a former life.... she was a Viking woman and was stood at the edge of the water, watching as the boat with her loved one's body burnt, before an old woman put an arm around her and drew her away. She recognises that it may be because of this that she was drawn to live in this area, only finding out afterwards that all the village and town names ending in -by meant former Viking occupation.... and wondered if she had lived here in an earlier life. Her ex-husband and current OH both have a Viking look to them - something she hadn't realised until it was pointed out to her by friends. Obviously that lifetime has had a strong influence on some things in this.

We then went on to do some clairvoyance, with Aureen saying to just go to the person we felt most drawn to and try to get one good message, rather than worrying about going to everybody (I know this is mostly for my benefit). She asked if we'd prefer to do this with the light on or off and we all preferred the light off..... for some reason we all felt that it helps. After a while she brought us back to ourselves and turned the light on, then asked each of us in turn what we'd received.

Sh had seen a tiny elderly woman with white hair stood in the centre of the Circle and felt that she was for me - her name was Molly. She'd also seen a man stood between S1 and me and wasn't sure who he was for, though she felt his name was Timothy. Molly didn't ring a bell but, as she was in older style clothing, she could be from the Great's time.... and I don't know much about them. Neither of us could think of a link to Timothy, so Aureen just thanked him for coming. She saw S1 preparing for the party again, with the sherry and Sainsbury's party food shopping.... though S1 still doesn't have or know of any plans for this.

Aureen then asked me if I'd got anything. Not a lot. After the light went off and I'd shut my eyes I was aware of a really bright light on the right side of my inner vision. There is always a brighter spot behind S1, from the kitchen window, but it definitely wasn't that - I've had this before but not as vivid as it became this time: it seemed to build and become more intense, sort of bright light with possibly a little pink, and all the while I kept expecting someone/thing to walk out of it.... or for something to happen. But it just seemed to get so far, then fizzled out and rapidly faded away. I made a joke of just being glad that they didn't want me to go into it, which made them laugh. I turned to Sh and said that I felt Fuschia Man was there again (felt I'd seen some standard fuschia bushes, though they weren't overly clear, so didn't mention them) and apologised for calling him that and hoped he wasn't offended.... but I didn't know what else to call him, yet. She said he would probably laugh.... and that the ear tickling could be him, as he was a bit of a joker.

S1 said what she had seen was for her and was continuing with the fairytale theme that seemed to be popping into things tonight (Sleeping Beauty's castle/Snow White mirror/her witchy self). She'd seen herself as Rapunzel, locked in the tower, but had climbed out herself. There was a little more which I can't remember. Aureen gave her a few insights into what it could mean (personal) and suggested she thought about it and meditated on it at home. The witch thing still seemed to be bothering her a little, so probably had an affect on what she picked up.

Aureen told Sh and S1 what she'd seen for them - one was personal and the other I can't remember. For me (and I always remember these, as I write them down in my book for future reference) she asked who had the link with Churchill, as she'd just got the name. I laughed and said that that would be my DH - not only is he mad on anything to do with Lancaster Bombers, he's also the same about Churchill and has watched programmes about him lots of time, as well as having loads of books about him. She said then the cuckoo clock I saw is for him and asked whose it was. I didn't know - if she'd said Grandfather Clock then I could have said.... but she said no, it was definitely a cuckoo clock as she'd heard the cuckoo noise. So it was one to ask DH later. She then asked if an Easter Bonnet meant anything to me and felt that it was something to do with a school memory. Another laugh: the junior achool I attended used to have bonnet parades at Easter and Christmas, where we all had to make one (supposedly by ourselves, without help - yeah, right! LOL). I'd won a prize one year with a hat made by my maternal Grandma and said that it was one of the few good memories I'd got of the woman. Next she asked who Doris or Dorothy was: Aunty Doris was one of my favourite Aunty's (or, rather Great Aunt). She was married to my Grandma's DBro, both lovely people who didn't have children of their own so always made a fuss of the youngsters within the family. Funnily enough, as I pointed out, DSis and I had been looking at their photos on the Sunday.
My Aunty Dorothy is on this side of life but I forgot to mention that. Aureen then asked who Edward was. Wow, she was red hot! Little Eddie - or Cheeky Charlie as we called him - was my cousin and he'd been knocked down and killed when he was just 8 years old: he was all excited about going on his first Cub camp and had taken his things over to the church hall but had forgotten his permission slip; before anyone could stop him he'd run back towards his home to go and fetch it, across the road and straight into the path of a van. The poor little mite had been killed instantly. His Dad, my Uncle T, was in Hong Kong at the time, waiting to board his ship (he was Chief Engineer of a Merchant Navy vessel) - at the exact moment Eddie died Uncle T heard him shout Daddy. Oddly enough, his Dad has currently got a health issue to do with his diabetes and needs to go for some tests. Aureen said that he'd grown some since then, over in Spirit, so I must have been young at the time.... I was about 19 years old when it happened. I still think about him at times. She said that all the touching and tickling was down to him, playing games, something Spirit children love to do. :0)

S1 had done OK with the garden but had had to hastily improvise with the wall and steps. Her mirror had been a plain one (wood I think) but had made her think of Snow White and the Mirror, Mirror on the wall bit.... and she wasn't sure if that had had something to do with what she saw..... because her face morphed and she could see herself as a witch. It was something she hadn't been overly keen on seeing and wasn't too sure about.... because, as she reached the gate to leave her garden she glanced back and said: And don't follow me! before leaving. She had said it so forcefully that she had almost said it out loud. Aureen asked her if she felt she had seen herself in a former life..... S1 wasn't sure. I looked at her and said what does your gut reaction tell you - and she replied that, yes, she thought it had been herself in a former life... she'd been a witch. She didn't seem at all comfortable with the thought....... I guess that centuries of bad press from the church have coloured that for her. If you go by her obvious psychic skills then a former life as a witch... or wise woman... is almost a given. It made me wonder if that's perhaps why I've always felt like I've seen her some place before. :0)

With this it was time to close down ourselves and the Circle, which we did. Once done we helped Aureen replace the table and chairs into the area we use, turning it back into the dining room it's supposed to be, then put all the glasses away (we always have glasses of water to hand, as it's thirsty work) and made sure everything was tidy. We then headed for the door. As I was leaving I asked Aureen if there was anything I could do to try and improve things: practice was the answer, just keep practising all the techniques. I do.... but it doesn't help that nine times out of ten I keep falling asleep just recently - I could really do with something to stop that from happening. LOL With that we all said our goodbyes and headed home.

DH was waiting outside, quite happy now he'd had his fish and chips and stunk out the car with them. I asked him if he had had a relative with a cuckoo clock - he reckoned he had but couldn't place who it was. I suggested he ask his Dad, next time he rang him for a natter. We decided to have a trip to the main Tesco to do some shopping this week, so I could stock up on some of my special foods and get a few other bits we needed. The cupboards were nicely stocked afterwards but it made it a long night so we were well and truly shattered after we'd got home and put it all away. We were glad to go to bed..... and both slept well.

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 16TH MARCH

Everything went well this week: a calm, chill-out day; meal cooked and eaten early enough; DH back early enough to eat and be ready on time and setting off with plenty of time to take a nice, steady journey. :0)

I was the first to arrive. Aureen apologised for the coldness of the house, as she'd been a little later than usual setting off, so the heating hadn't been turned up long - she decided to leave the thermostat up a little higher in future, to try and ensure the house doesn't get quite so freezing in future. I said it was OK... I had my thermals on anyway. LOL

As we waited for the others to arrive we chatted and I told her about thinking that Deidra and the young girl that keeps cropping up (even Leonie, my reader, says every time that there's a young girl with me) is for me and explained what had happened since the previous week. We didn't have time to discuss it further as S1 and Sh arrived. When they had sat down she told us that S2 and G couldn't make it this week, as S2 had been at the hospital with a sick relative all night and didn't feel up to coming and poor G was down with a chest infection and had lost her voice. It meant we wouldn't be able to do the Power Animal meditation - disappointing but these things happen.... and there's usually a reason why (such as it not being the right time for one or more of us to do this just yet). We waited a little longer but A didn't turn up either, so we guessed she must have babysitter problems again, as she hadn't texted Aureen to say she wouldn't be coming.

We went through into the other room, taking a chair out of the Circle. Once settled Aureen started to talk to us about Spirit Guides: that we usually have one main Guide, who is with us throughout our lifetime.... and sometimes stays with us through several lifetimes. This Guide may even have been incarnated with us on Earth during a previous lifetime but was more Spiritually developed, so had progressed, but had chosen to come back to help us to progress. Then there were also temporary Guides, who would come to help us over a shorter time and usually for a specific reason or to help us with a particular life lesson. She then told Sh and S1 what I'd said about the young girl and the name Deidra.... and said that she felt Deidra was probably another of my Guides, of the temporary variety, and that perhaps more would be revealed as we eventually undertook the meditation to meet our Spirit Guide...... or it may not become clear yet, as more development would need to be done. Basically, only time will tell.

Aureen then asked us all if we felt that we were learning and developing, which we did, then asked how we felt we were developing/what we were getting out of the Circle. Of course she went and asked me first. Gulp! I said that it was a hard question, as some of it was difficult to put into words, as I felt the differences within. It has helped to open my mind to far more than I expected. I always felt as if I'd missed my way somewhere along the line, not quite fitting in, not knowing what I was supposed to do - just going along with whatever happened (kind of a reactive way rather than proactive, iykwim).... then things happened that led me to this Circle. I likened it to the first time I went to a Mind, Body and Spirit event: when I walked into the hall it was like going home; the atmosphere was lovely - it felt right. And that's how I feel about Circle: it feels right. It's brought focus into my life and I feel that I finally know what I should be doing. (It's also how I felt when I finally realised my true Pagan self - though refrained from saying this). I'm also learning - or trying to learn - some of that much needed patience!
I've thought since then: it's almost as if part of me has been waiting. I've been putting in time, learning various lessons through the years, living and enjoying my life along with my loved ones, growing some....... but still, essentially, waiting. Until now. :0)

Sh and S1 both said that this (Spiritual side) was something they had tended to dip into and out of at various points in their lives.... but that something always seemed to occur that always drew them back to it. Sh told the story of how suddenly becoming aware of a card in a shop window advertising card readings resulated in her booking one, continually forgetting to ask who the reader was, turning up for the session.... to be amazed by meeting up with Aureen again, and that led her to this Circle. S1 had been feeling isolated, somewhat bereft, since her move here... then had decided to go to the Clinic for some herbal medicine to help her stomach problems...... and her talks with Jan had led to an introduction to Aureen and a meeting with me at the Holistic fair... and to the Circle. The Universe seems to have really taken a hand in all of this. :0)

We passed the Healing Book round so we could add names and sent prayers and healing to all named within it. Aureen then said that, as we couldn't do the meditation, we would take the opportunity to do some one-to-one Clairvoyance again as it would be good practice for us. I couldn't help it - my heart dropped into my boots. Cr*p! Despite all my positive thinking and wanting to take things as they came I still reacted negatively..... and that just isn't the way to start one of these sessions. How to block yourself in one easy lesson! LOL So the Circle was opened, protection put in place, grounding done and Chakras opened.

First of all we all concentrated on Aureen. I got a clicking in my right ear initially, then the words Fairy Arch and saw an arch of flowers (very pretty) but no idea as to what it meant. Got the name George again and also saw a pond with lily pads in it. There was also a bunch of flowers. All very random. George keeps coming up for Aureen but I wasn't sure if he came up again because we'd been talking about him earlier. Aureen's left ear had been bothering her.... and as she was sat opposite me it was opposite my right ear. Other than that she couldn't place the other things.

Next we concentrated on Sh. I got Fuschia Man again and had a clicking noise in my left ear and felt a tickling on the left side of my neck (the side Sh was sat) and wanted to laugh. I also felt a quick pain in my left brow. Then I saw what initially looked like a sandcastle but turned into a proper castle - I described it as a well known and much photographed one, standing on a mountainside and surrounded by mountains and somewhere like Bavaria or Germany or the like, as I couldn't then remember more than that it began with an N. (I've since discovered it's called Neucshwanstein Castle and is in Bavaria, as I initially thought).
S1 saw Sh getting dressed up in a proper ballgown and going to a party.... she'd also seen Edinburgh Castle and something or other Mile in Edinburgh.
Aureen mentioned a name and described several things she'd seen and Sh owned them all - unfortunately I can't for the life of me remember what they were now, as the menopausal brain syndrome is really bad at the moment.

Then it was my turn. Sh saw an old man pushing an old handcart down a dirt track and said it looked like a farming type area and felt he was from way back. She got the name Ben/Benjamin and she saw him sat at a kitchen table, eating a solitary meal - she said it was all rather sad and lonely. I couldn't place him but said I'd ask the Uncles if they could - though I do know that there are some sort of farming links on both sides of the family a couple of generations back. She also saw me sipping a glass of sherry or port at some kind of celebration, like an anniversary, though she felt it was someone else's, not mine. She got the name Anita linked with this but the name doesn't bring anyone to mind at the moment.... I wondered if it might be someone to do with the LTC but, again, I don't recall DH or DS having mentioned anyone with that name. Guess I'll have to wait and see. She also said she had got the name Bert too. The only Bert I could think of were neighbours of my Nana and Grandad (Mum's Mum), who used to live across the road, in the corner house, though I didn't know much about them as I was a child at the time.
Aureen said her Guides had told her to tell me to make sure I write everything down, whether it be from within Circle, my dreams or meditations or when I have acupuncture or Reiki. As I seemed to be getting more outside of Circle than in it at the moment I had to especially write those things down. She was told that in the future I would need to be able to go back and check specific details, as it would be important for me. I had already started to do this on a small scale... when I remembered to do so, so Aureen stressed again that I needed to write it all down and make sure that it was all dated too. (I've since started doing this).
She then asked who had had a very spoilt and pampered Yorkshire Terrier. I knew my Nana and Grandad had had a dog when my Mum was a child but thought that had been a Scottie dog/West Highland Terrier (nasty little bugger it was too, from all accounts, prone to biting), then recalled visiting a particular relatives house (Mum's Aunt and Uncle, so my Great's) when I was a small child. They bred dogs and I recall being taken out into some little wooden sheds in their back garden to see some newborn puppies that were under a heat lamp - tiny little things they were, and I wondered if the Yorkie was linked with those. Since then I've chatted to my DSis and it turns out that my Nan and Grandad actually owned an extremely spoilt Yorkie called Mitzi - I'd forgotten all about that! So I'll have to try and remember to tell Aureen at the next Circle.
S1 said she initially saw me in a maze (I smiled because it made me think of walking the labyrinth) but she said I seemed quite panicky, and said it made her think of my agoraphobia and panic attacks, but she said I then stopped panicking and became very calm. Then she heard a voice say: it's OK, Jack will help. I smiled and told them that my Grandad (Dad's Dad) was called Jack - his proper name was John James but everyone called him Jack. I feel this is symbolic: me, currently floundering around and not knowing the way out - though I don't know where my Grandad in Spirit will come in to this - we weren't particularly close in life..... though he was psychic and it did save his life when he was a young man. I'm sure there was something else she got too but I can't remember what it was.

Then we concentrated on S1. First I saw Sydney Opera House, then this was followed by images of an ostrich, a giraffe and a gazelle or antelope - it made me want to ask if she was thinking of or going on safari. Finally I saw a ballet dancer. She has been to Australia and has seen the Opera House and her OH's company has a branch out there and he travels there regularly.... and she would like to go again, so there's a chance of seeing the Opera House again. They have friends living in South Africa and have an open invitation to go and stay.... no plans to, but who knows what the future might hold? She has also been to the ballet and would like to go again some time. I really wasn't sure how much of this I was picking up from Spirit or how much was coming to me from things that had been mentioned previously. I also felt that there was someone stood near her but forgot to mention that at the time.
Aureen had seen a man in a First World War uniform stood near her (so wish I'd remembered and said it!) and I think she said she got the name Stanley linked with him (weird because my Grandad - Mum's Dad - was called that). I can't remember what else came up.
Sh had the name Joan (weird again - same name as my Mum's DSis). The party theme continued, as Sh had seen her attending a party, though more like a party that S1 would be hosting, and that she would enjoy it. She'd also seen her shopping in Sainsbury's for party foods. Nothing planned at the moment but her OH's work sometimes involves social events and putting them on, so something could come up. There was something else as well, I think, but I can't recall what it was.

Time had got away from us again so we then had to do the usual closing down routine. Just after we closed down the Circle Aureen mentioned my stitching and asked if I'd ever thought of selling my stitched pieces. I replied that it wasn't really a feasible thing to do, as if you priced according to the hours spent on a piece people just weren't willing to pay it, and mentioned eBay and how the pieces on there went for peanuts. She asked if I'd ever been commisioned to do a specific piece - no, but I do tend to stitch items to give as gifts, as well as for my home. She then asked if I ever stitched Angels and I smiled at her and said that, actually, I was currently stitching a small Angel (making rough sizing movements with my hands, to show how big the piece was - my Just Nan Flora) that would be going into my Craft Room, once completed, so she could watch over things in there. Aureen smiled back and said: thought so, I saw you stitching an Angel. :0)

We started heading for the door then, as I knew DH would be waiting outside for me by this time. I said goodbye to the girls and thanked Aureen and she once again reminded me about writing everything down, stressing the importance of this, as I left. I forgot to say that I'd see her on Saturday, as I have a Reiki session then.... but am sure she will remember.  LOL

DH and I drove home, via a quick detour to Tesco Express for a few bits and pieces, discussing a few things from that night as we travelled. Once again I felt quite tired - I think the smaller group means we each have to feed in more energy than usual, to raise the energy for contacting Spirit, so it seems to be more tiring than usual. I went to bed a little earlier, to compensate.

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 9TH MARCH

I had quite a nice chill out day, fitting in a meditation session mid-afternoon, and felt a whole lot more positive this week. The think has done some good and various things have reminded me of L's philosophy: that it isn't always about the end result, sometimes it's more about the journey. Time to stop getting hung up about what's not happening, relax and just enjoy the process. :0)

DH almost wrecked the calmness by not leaving work until the last minute, despite needing to eat before taking me to Circle. He will not be rushed and the more you try to chivvy him the slower he gets... deliberately, to my mind. It's made me even more determined to get a car: that way I won't get fraught because he's late or won't be hurried.... I'll be able to take myself off at a time, and pace, that suits me.

Luckily I calmed down again during the journey... and everyone else seemed to be running a little later than usual, as I ended up being the first to arrive! LOL Aureen and I chatted a little as we waited for the others to arrive: she kept a look out at the window for G and popped out when she saw she'd arrived. G knew the general area to come to but wasn't sure which house, as it was her first time, so Aureen wanted to make sure she found us OK. Everyone arrived very soon after this. Not only did we have a new member but A had sorted out her babysitting problems and was able to make it.... and it was lovely to see her again.

When Sh arrived she sat next to me and I said: remember Mary? She did, so I told her she'd had a direct hit and who she was. She was thrilled and, as Aureen pointed out, it goes to show that, as I didn't know who Mary was, it wasn't a case of picking up on something I'd said or even mind-reading - she'd been given it from Spirit. It was a lovely positive note to start the night on. :0)

We went through to the other room. I was sat between G and A this week, thankfully not with my back to the empty kitchen area, although not far off. For some reason I much prefer to have a wall or the closed patio doors behind me.... not that those things make much difference to Spirit! ROFL Aureen clarified with G how far she had got to during the previous Circle she'd attended and make sure she knew all about protecting herself, the Chakras, grounding etc. It seems she's not far off where we've got up to, especially as she is learning Spiritual Healing. We then passed round the Healing Book so names could be written in there and a prayer said.

This week we were to do two different meditations. The first one would be fairly long, the other shorter and they probably wouldn't leave much time for clairvoyance afterwards but she'd see. She told us more about the meditations and then the Circle was opened and protection put in place.

For the first meditation: we had to open our Chakras, then focus on our breathing for a while, breathing in through our nose, then out through our mouths, then focus on our base Chakra; ground ourselves from our soles and our base Chakra; pull energy up to our base Chakra and imagine its energy reaching every part of our bodies; imagine a column of white light entering our bodies through our crown Chakra and merging with the red pulled up and through our base Chakra; then focus on our heart Chakra next and imagine breathing in love through it and allowing it to reach every part of our body; we then had to sit down and visualise that we were sat opposite ourselves, looking at ourself and noticing facial details etc; we were to send the love from our heart chakra to our other self, then tell her the thing we liked most about her; we then had to see if there was a message from our other self for us; next we had to imagine both our selves standing up and hugging each other, allowing the two to become one. There was then a long list of things we were to recognise, such as accepting love without fear and allowing ourselves to feel whole and happy (very positive things but too many for me to remember). We then had to become aware of ourselves in the room and come back.

Aureen asked us all how we felt and we all agreed it had been a very moving experience. It was also a very personal experience for each of us, so only the basic bits we were able to talk about were discussed. I can't say I had been able to see my other self solidly in front of me but I did feel that I had made a connection and it had brought home a few things to me.... and actually highlighted a few other relevant things that had been on my mind recently and need working on. Aureen asked us how we had felt about hugging ourselves and giving/receiving the love and I (and a couple of the others) admitted that it had felt awkward.... and that had brought its own realisations. She realised that this had affected me quite a bit (she said she could feel the emotion coming off me) and I said that I felt this was a meditation I would need to do again at home so that I could really let myself go, should I feel the need.

One of the main reasons for doing this meditation is to make us realise, especially those who wish to do Healing, that we need to be able to love ourselves, warts and all, before we can open to the loving healing energy and love others enough to aid them. In other words, we need to be whole and healed in heart, as well as in body, before we can hope to help others. It makes me think of the old adage: physician, heal thyself. I took the point: much of what I've been doing this last year and a bit has been mostly to heal my body, with some to heal my heart (grief-wise) but I know I still have some other issues that need to be worked on further. Oddly enough, words that came to me during this meditation were: warts and all. :0)

The second meditation was the first one from the three we are to do to meet our Spirit Guides. Yay! This first one from the three is to go to our Safe Place: a meadow where we know we can return whenever we need to feel safe. Aureen wants us to go here and be able to clearly visualise it because she needs to know that we can do this and be 100% confident that we are safe before taking us on the next two steps: first meeting our Power Animals, then on to meet our Guides. I asked if the Safe Place was different to a Sacred Place and if that was different to our Garden. Aureen said the Safe Place and the Garden are different and that she would class the Garden as our Sacred Place (more on this later).

For this meditation Aureen turned out the light and we had to: begin by concentrating on our breathing, breathing in through our mouths, holding it for the count of four, then breathing out through our mouths - I find concentrating a problem, as it usually sends it out of whack and I spend so much time concentrating on trying to get it right that it becomes a distraction... so after a while I left my breathing to sort itself out and just listened to Aureen's voice guiding us; we then had to walk along our country lane, passing by the gate to our garden and going to another gate, noticing what it looked like; we then had to look over/through the gate and see the meadow beyond, then open the gate and go in, closing the gate behind us; once inside we had to notice the extent of the meadow and what it was edged by (fence, wall, hedge, trees - whatever) and know that nothing could get in there, we were totally alone; we then had to notice what we were or weren't wearing, then look out across the meadow and see what was there and what the whole looked like; next we had to walk to the centre of the meadow and lay down and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds; when we had been there for a while we then had to walk back to the gate, exit and walk back down the lane and come back to ourselves.
Aureen then got us to open for clairvoyance, concentrating on just one person and seeing if we could get a clear message for them. She then put the light back on and went round each of us in turn to see how the meditation had gone and who our message was for.

Here's what I can remember:
Sh: wrought iron gate (I saw this before I saw my own gate!), dry stone wall on three sides and a thicket of trees at the bottom, she wasn't aware of anything beyond it. Hers was a poppy filled meadow and lush green grass.

S2: meadow from her childhood, with cows - one she'd disappeared into when she was three years old (sparking a full-on police search!) and loved - with clouds of gypsophila type white flowers and bluebells. She felt that, although she couldn't see him, her Guide was hovering in the background waiting to meet her but she told him not yet, we're not supposed to yet. Aureen said that was good, as S2 needed to learn to focus, rather than going wandering off on different paths (this has happened during sessions), and it looked like she was doing alright with it. Her message was for Aureen: she mentioned two names (both owned) and described the person both names belonged to. She had also seen the same man she's seen before, and described, who Aureen still can't place. She wondered, as this man gives the impression that he's looking after Aureen and keeping her safe, if he's another Guide she hasn't met yet, or some other Guardian. She received a message from one of the other girls (not sure who) and some of it involved hearing the song "What's it all about, Alfie?" - she took that, as she says whenever psychic things happen she always asks what that's all about?

G: she had seen everything clearly and also enjoyed it - unfortunately I can't remember more. Her message was for Aureen.

When it was my turn I said: I love this meditation - I can DO this one! which made everyone laugh. Up to now visualising my silver birch tree has been the clearest, most vivid mental image I've ever received.... this was even clearer! I saw a large wooden five-bar gate, complete with one of those long metal "arm" type fastenings with a ball on top and I felt like I'd opened the gate, walked in and closed it behind me. My meadow was surrounded by a thick green hawthorn hedge (hawthorn for protection) and there were little critters rustling around in there - it wasn't regimented (as in four sides like a garden) but irregularly shaped. The meadow itself was draped across a slight hillock, and had buttercups, poppies, something like cornflowers (small and blue) and some white flowers (daisies, possibly) and knee length grass, with a few bees around. It was a warm summers day and I was butt naked. That made the girls comment LOL. As I pointed out, I don't usually do naked and can be quite prudish on occasion (eg: despite knowing I was having the op to have my ovaries out I still asked if I could wear some pants! LOL) - I feel the nakedness was to reinforce the knowledge that I felt totally safe and protected in there. Remember when you were a child and you were so full of the joy of living that you would run up a hill, then spin round in circles with your arms raised and drop to the ground? Well that's how I felt and it's what I felt I did - it was amazing! I reluctantly walked back to the gate and felt like I'd put on a blue flowing dress (very similar to one I love to wear in summer) before I left. I said I'd definitely be doing this one again. :0) The clairvoyance hadn't gone well again as I'd initially darted about and struggled to settle on one person - then I got the name Deidra again and felt I'd seen a mirror (oe picture) with a metal or metal-look trim around that had flowers on it - more focus on the frame, though I couldn't say who it was for or what it was about. Aureen said not to worry, as I'd done really well with the meditations. As I said: I'm not going to let this stress me anymore as it adds to the block, I shall concentrate on enjoying the journey. :0)

A: she had struggled with this. She saw the gate (can't remember) but her meadow had been black - can't remember if it was surrounded by barbed wire, or if that was A's or S1's. She flooded it with white light before going in, realising it wasn't normal, and to ensure it was safe, but it stayed the same so she went in anyway, feeling that it was alright. She felt OK and knew she was safe and felt happy enough there, and could see all the details that were there, except for it all being black. As she was going back to her gate she felt a hand on her shoulder, which was non-threatening, and felt it was her Guide, and a voice said: Too Soon. Normally she'd question why etc but she accepted this. Aureen felt that her having missed four weeks was partly the problem, so she asked her to practice this meditation at home through this week, as she needed to be ready to do this for the next stages. Although she did say that we weren't to worry about any of it: we all knew how to go to our Safe Place and knew that we were safe there...... some of us would meet our Guides but it may well be that some may not, despite everything. It couldn't be predicted.

S1: I think hers was a five-bar gate too. Her meadow was full of golden corn, bluebells and poppies and also had cows in there. Aureen made a joke about her borrowing the cows from S2's field - they were sat opposite one another, so there could have been some transference. The difference was that S1 could hear sheep and lambs bleating on the other side of her fence. Her message was for S2.

The time had gone really quickly this week so we had to quickly close down, protect ourselves and close the Circle. Aureen is always conscious that my DH will be waiting outside...... hopefully that won't be a problem for too much longer though. LOL

I said goodbye to the girls and as we were heading for the front door Aureen mentioned something about the Sacred Place/Garden (I guess she realised there was more to my question) so I explained. A couple of weeks ago I was doing a meditation and set off doing one thing (walking through the woods to go to the cleansing waterfall) when I suddenly arrived somewhere else: there were trees all around (not the giant Redwoods I see on the way to the waterfall but a typical British woodland) and in the middle of the trees was a clearing; the clearing was circular and around the edges of it, in front of the surrounding trees, were standing stones - not huge ones, ones about waist height and not quite as wide as a person - and in the middle of the clearing was a fire which was also surrounded by small rocks. I saw this more as still photo images, though there had been movement in the fire. It was all very Pagan and I also felt safe there... I don't remember much else as I got disturbed before it got any further - but I was left with the feeling that something more should/would have happened. Aureen said that this obviously was my Sacred Place, separate to my Garden. There wasn't time for more, as the other girls were lining up behind me ready to leave, so we said goodbye and I left.

DH was waiting patiently, reading his newspaper. He could tell straightaway that I was feeling much brighter and more positive this time around and asked how it went, so I told him a little about the meditations. There was a slight detour via Tesco Express for some shopping on the way home which is always good for bringing me back down to Earth with a bump LOL.

I have since done the meditations at home. The safe place wasn't quite as vivid but I could still see it. :0)
When I tried to redo the "Meet Yourself" one I struggled to remember some of it..... but I had the name Deidra come to me again...... and I went quite deeply at one point and saw a young (pre-pubescent) girl walking towards me: I couldn't see her face very clearly but she had shoulder length fair hair (much fairer than mine has ever been) and she had on what seemed to be a jumper with large blocks or stripes of colour on it. As soon as I became more aware of what was happening the image of her had gone.... before I could try again DH rang and the moment was well and truly shattered. I was chatting to my DSis later in the day and mentioned all of this to her and idly wondered if maybe it was my Angel's name, so she suggested doing an internet search to find out the meaning of the name, as no one was claiming her. Doh! Why didn't I think of that?
One Google later and Deidra is a derivation of Deidre, thought to be of Celtic origin...... and thought to mean "young girl". So one week I see a young girl during a Reiki session, shortly after one was seen by S2 cuddling up to S1's painful leg, I've since had the name Deidra some to me twice during Circle and now at home and I've seen a young girl again during this most recent meditation. Cue the Twilight Zone music. LOL I have no idea what it's about.... yet. Watch this space, as hopefully more will be revealed to me before too much longer.