Etiquette, Success, and Deutoronomy

The Bible is full life lessons.  Even if you aren't Christian, it is always a good idea to read it at least once in order to glean its lessons and to experience the richness of its literature.

One such important lesson is illustrated in the second chapter of Deuteronomy.  The wanderers consider waging war with various peoples as they encounter them in their travels, but instead they are advised by God to keep the peace.  Instead of pillaging, plundering, and helping themselves to the spoils which are not meant for them, God instructs them to pay for their food and water fairly, to behave graciously and not to harass or bother anyone across whom they come during this journey.


Not only is this prudent behavior in order to keep positive relationships with one's neighbors, but it is also important to remember that it's important to choose one's battles wisely.  If you are positive that you cannot win or make a positive impact in any way, then war is pointless as it wastes so many resources.


Deuteronomy 2

New International Version (NIV)
Wanderings in the Wilderness

2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,[a] as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.

2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. 4 Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab.

9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”

10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)

13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.” So we crossed the valley.

14 Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”

The Benefits of a Spiritual Awakening

The positive advantages of a spiritual awakening cannot be underestimated.  Inside yourself, you can gain a newfound sense of peacefulness and calm that will carry you to heights you have never imagined.  You will become braver and more confident, as well.  Because you'll become more comfortable, kind, and loving with yourself, you will feel a lot less lonely when you're alone.  You can keep much better company with yourself, as you'll become more introspective and have more thoughts to process and enjoy.  Although someone may have had painful and sad experiences in the past, the spiritual awakening can make a person stronger and more self-aware, so that painful memories do not hurt as badly as they might have done earlier.  You also become more able to appreciate the here and now; the gifts that the universe has given become more precious and meaningful when you put them into perspective and realize your good fortune.  What you don't have becomes far less important to you, and you feel much less focused on material wants and more trivial issues that seem to matter so much less in the grand scheme of things.  Fear and uneasiness may be replaced by a newfound sense of calm.  Your new faith can give you a pervasive sense of inner strength.

The benefits of a spiritual awakening do not begin and end with your sense of self.  Interactions with other people will also be improved.  You shall find yourself being less judgmental of others, more open-minded and more accepting of those who live their lives in ways which are different than yours.  One of the reasons for this is stronger connection that you'll feel with other people; simply by experiencing your own spiritual awakening, you will be able to put your issues into better perspective, and understand where you fit into the world better.  Thus, you can connect and interact much better with other people.  You will feel a renewed sense of love and faith toward humankind, as well as experience more tolerance and acceptance of others.  A spiritual awakening often enables people to feel less inclined to argue that our ways are the best, or the right ways; and that others' ways are the wrong ones.  Because you are also more confident and happy, you feel better about sharing with other people.  Your giving nature and loving tendencies will emerge stronger than ever, as you share of yourself without the anticipation of receiving anything from others in return.  The simple act of giving and sharing your blessings will bring you more happiness once you've come to understand the joys of giving of yourself.

The Halo: Crystal Grid Layout for Head Pain, Migraines & Headaches

As promised, here's another crystal grid layout for you!  I call this one "The Halo" for pretty obvious reasons. :)  I have illustrated it with round circles to represent your gemstones.  If you have pointy crystals to use, those would be just fine.  Remember to lay the crystals so that the points face outward, though!  Otherwise, your standard polished/tumbled crystal gemstones will work perfectly here.

I would always recommend using three amethysts for headaches and migraines; not only has it been typically carried and used for such ailments for thousands of years, the color purple also corresponds to the crown chakra which is just where we want to concentrate on when pain occurs in the head.  You can also use indigo stones like lapis if you would prefer to do so.  (Use what you like -- I happen to like amethyst!)  Place two just above the sides of your head, and add one to your forehead.

You'll need two orange stones as well.  I also recommend using orange or brown agate, or perhaps tourmaline to represent the sacral chakra, which is a great source of fortification for pain management.  Place them just above your eyebrows.  Agate is well known for its healing properties, and pain soothing attributes.  I'd try to find some agate first, but tourmalines are also wonderful healing stones. 

Thirdly, turquoise stones are required -- you will need two of them.  They should go directly underneath the amethysts which are laid around your head.  Turquoise is great for its uplifting and positive energy, as well as its protective properties.

What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four legs?

This is a joke which has been circulating for a long time!  Here's the joke as I originally heard it... however, I don't really like jokes that make fun of a particular stereotype.  Nevertheless, it's a cute joke!


A blonde and a lawyer are seated next to each other on a flight from LA to NY. The lawyer asks if she would like to play a fun game? The blonde, tired, just wants to take a nap, politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists and explains that the game is easy and a lot of fun. He explains, "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5.00, and vice versa. " Again, she declines and tries to get some sleep. The lawyer, now agitated, says, "Okay, if you don't know the answer you pay me $5.00, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500.00." This catches the blonde's attention and, figuring there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, agrees to the game. The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" The blonde doesn't say a word, reaches into her purse, pulls out a $5.00 bill and hands it to the lawyer. "Okay" says the lawyer, "your turn." She asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four legs?" The lawyer, puzzled, takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references, no answer. He taps into the air phone with his modem and searches the net and the library of congress, no answer.

Frustrated, he sends e-mails to all his friends and coworkers, to no avail. After an hour, he wakes the blonde, and hands her $500.00. The blonde says, "Thank you," and turns back to get some more sleep. The lawyer, who is more than a little miffed, wakes the blonde and asks, "Well, what's the answer?" Without a word, the blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5.00, and goes back to sleep. And you thought blondes were dumb!

By the way... if you don't know the answer to the question "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four legs?" The answer is: A chair that's on its way to be fixed by a carpenter who lives on the top of a hill!

Someone else had suggested the alternative answer, which is an uphill three-legged race.  The contestants are tied together when they go up the hill, but when they're on the way down the hill, they are untied, and have four legs.

Latest Cancer Information From Johns-Hopkins

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook today.  I'm not vouching for the validity of it, as I am not a medical professional. However, I did want to post it here because it is definitely a concern that Americans have, as cancer rates in the USA are out of control.  Cancer is a frightening disease, both to have and also to witness in a loved one.  Take care of yourself, my friends!

Here is the post in its entirety, as well as the cancer cell pic that was included:

~~~

LATEST CANCER INFORMATION
from Johns Hopkins

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY …


1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.


11. An effective way to battle cancer is to STARVE the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiple.

What cancer cells feed on:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Note: Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.


b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells will starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes t o nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines will become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, unforgiving and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(PLEASE SHARE IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)

The True Story of Brenda Geck and "Family Sins"

One of my favorite Lifetime movies is called "Family Sins," starring Kirstie Alley as Brenda Geck, the evil matriarch that we all love to hate! 

This movie is actually based on a real family, the Burt family of Pawtucket, Rhodie Island, who was led by their beloved mother, Frances Burt.  "Family Sins" is the story of Frances Burt, who was a mother to many of her own children and a foster mother to several more.  She was unspeakably cruel and abusive to her children -- mentally and emotionally tormenting them, but also physically abusive and violent with them.  She beat them and harmed them physically in many other ways, forcing them to commit crimes for her.  Younger ones were forced to shoplift items for her, and the older children were then groomed to carry out more sinister crimes as they grew, including arson, racketeering, and fraud. 

Their family kidnapped a disabled woman and kept her prisoner in their home, cashing her Social Security checks, raping her repeatedly, and forcing her live as a servant.

Frances Burt was eventually tried and convicted in 1994 of kidnapping, welfare fraud, disability fraud, extortion, sexual assault, and kidnapping.   She was sentenced to 30 years in prison, though after serving 11 years, Burt was released in June of 2001.  She is currently on probation.

Although this movie is entertaining, it also serves as a reminder that even people who seem the most perfect and "together" on the surface may be hiding their own dark secrets.  You can never judge a book by its cover!

Are Spells Evil?

A lot of people have visited my site, wondering if spells are evil.  The answer is NO!

A spell is basically the same thing as a wish, a prayer, or form of meditation.  There are often rituals involved.  A spell can be done for good things, or (like any of the other things I just mentioned) bad things.

As a professional psychic, I try to steer people away from doing evil spells, wishing harm on others, or praying for other people's harm or failure.  The universe has a way of sorting those things out for itself.  If you commit harm on another person in thought or deed, the harm will come back to you.  Therefore it's much better to cast spells, say prayers, and make wishes for good things only.

I have also cast spellwork for clients as well, but I insist on only focusing on good and positive things, and I ask the assistance of only positive forces to aid me!

Astrological Symbols Chart

It has come to my attention that some people who are visiting the site for astrology information may not yet know what the symbol for their zodiac sign is.  So I've created a quick reference chart for those who are interested. :)

 

When you think of the sign, Aries, consider the ram.  The symbol for Aries looks just like a ram's head, with its horns.

The sign of Taurus corresponds with the bull.  Its symbol looks like a bull's head, with horns sticking out on each side.

Gemini is known as "the twins," and its astrological symbol represents this too.  The symbol for Gemini looks like the roman numeral 2 (II).

Cancer is often represented as a crab, and the astrological symbol for Cancer can be thought of as a crab inside its shell.  It also looks to some people like the number 69.  See the circles of the 6 and the 9?  I always think of them as the crab's eyes, which are surrounded by a shell.

Leo is the lion, of course!  The symbol for Leo is a small circle with a long, winding tail.  I associate the long tail on this symbol as a lion's tail, and the circle as the lion's mane.

Virgo is usually depicted as a beautiful virgin maiden.  Some schools of thought say that the symbol for Virgo is thought to represent the female sexual organs.  The "loop" at the end is closed, as the female virginity is intact.

Libra's astrological glyph can easily been interpreted as the scales.  The top curved part is where the scales join, and the line below is the balance of the weights.

Scorpio's astrological symbol is an "M" with a pointy tail.  Just as Virgo's symbol appears interpreted as sexual body parts that are closed, the Scorpio glyph is open and ready to strike, which is a good metaphor for Scorpio's passionate lusty nature.

Sagittarius is often represented as a centaur, or a human archer.  As such, the zodiac symbol for Sagittarius is an arrow.

Capricorn has been called "the goat," and you will often see the sign represented as a goat (obviously).  Sometimes, though, the goat has a fish tail -- this may seem a bit confusing to some, as a "mer-goat" isn't really common!  But the tail tends to symbolize Capricorn's mercurial and cool nature.  You can see that the Capricorn symbol is like a fish-tailed goat in profile: the goat's horns on the left, and the fishy tail curving on the right.

Aquarius, the water-bearer, has an easy zodiac symbol to remember.  It is simply two squiggly lines, to represent the waves of the water.

Pisces is "the fish" as is its constellation in the sky, with two fishes bound together with a thread.  Its glyph hard to imagine as two fish, but it does kind of look like two fish tails merged together, one on top of the other.  It can also be interpreted as two fish heads facing one another, with a line joining them.

Traits of a Sociopath

1. They are charming, and have a way with words.  There’s a tendency to be engaging and charismatic.  They aren’t shy or self-conscious; because of their disregard for acceptable social behavior, they will speak whenever they feel like it and often say whatever they think will make an impact.

2. They have an exaggerated sense of self-importance.  Sociopaths often see themselves as being better than everyone else, or “special” somehow.  They have an unrealistically enhanced view of themselves.  They will brag; they are opinionated, and overly self-assured.

3. They get bored easily.  A sociopath has a higher than average need for stimulation, and they are often prone to boredom.  Sociopaths seek out things that are exciting and novel.  They take chances and often engage in risky behavior, because they are easily bored.  They also lack self-discipline, and get bored with routine; failure to hold a job for an extended period of time can be a telling sign.

4. They lie.  The lies can big big, small, or anything in between.  Sociopaths think nothing of being dishonest.  At a sociopath’s best, he or she can be crafty and shrewd; at worst, they can be manipulative, deceitful, and sneaky in their dishonesty.

5. They manipulate people.  This doesn’t have to mean they’re deceptive, but often deceit can play a part in manipulation.  The difference between manipulation and dishonesty is the level of ruthlessness or lack of empathy present.  A true sociopath has little interest or awareness in the feelings of others; people are seen as sources of gratification, not as humans with emotions.

6. They have no remorse.  A sociopath will not have any concern for the sadness, pain, loss, or suffering of his or her victims.  Someone like this is seen as heartless and inconsiderate.  In fact, there is often a certain level of scorn or indifference concerning the sociopath’s victims.

7. They are shallow and superficial.  Someone like this has a limited spectrum of emotions.  He or she may display signs of caring or friendliness when necessary or beneficial, but check further; there may be nothing underneath to suggest much beneath the surface.

8. They are cold-hearted.  We’ve discussed the lack of empathy toward a sociopath’s victims, but there is also a lack of empathy for people in general.  A sociopath may be described as “a cold fish” -- they are inconsiderate and self-absorbed, with little room for interest in other people’s feelings.

9. They are parasites.  Often, a sociopath will intentionally manipulate others and become financially dependent on other people.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that they will con people out of direct cash; it may be as simple as failure to pay his or her own way, expecting other people to pick up the tab for his or her lifestyle.  This is often seen as selfishness, a lack of self-discipline, lack of motivation, an inability to behave responsibly or to follow through with responsibilities.

10. They will have problems controlling their emotions.  You will notice that a sociopath may have difficulty controlling his or her temper.  They may jump to conclusions, behave in haste, and lash out verbally or physically at other people when they are annoyed.  A sociopath’s patience is very limited, as are his or her ability to manage his or her feelings in a healthy way.

11. They are promiscuous.  Sociopaths often have shallow and brief sexual encounters and affairs.  Often, they have little discrimination in sexual partners, and are willing to have sex with virtually anyone.  A sociopath might have a history of engaging in multiple relationships at once, or a history of using coercion to get sex from others.  Sociopaths often take pride in boasting of their sexual conquests and activities as well.

12. Their behavior problems begin at a young age.  Before the teenage years, a sociopath likely already been committing unacceptable behaviors.  Young sociopaths often participate in activities including bullying, violence, setting fires, sexual behavior or activity, drugs or alcohol, running away from home, cheating, stealing, and vandalizing.

13. They don’t have life direction or long-term goals.  While a sociopath may talk a good game, there are often little or no attempts to follow through with goals as time passes.  There may be a history of failure or inability to develop long-term plans.  A sociopath may lack direction, both physically and mentally.  They may change jobs, residences, even circles of friends as time passes.

14. They are impulsive.  A sociopath may exhibit behaviors that clearly show action without thinking beforehand.  There are unable to deal with temptations, urges, or frustrations.  Sociopaths often commit reckless behaviors and engage in behaviors that are foolish or without thinking of the consequences.

15. They are irresponsible.  A sociopath may get the reputation for repeatedly failing to honor commitments or follow through on promises.  They may also fail to take care of obligations, such as ignoring bills or defaulting on loans, shirking responsibilities, performing tasks lazily, tardiness or absence to work, or failing to live up to agreements he or she has made.

16. They do not accept responsibility for their actions.  Sociopaths will often try to escape their responsibilities.  They may blame others for their own mistakes, or simply fail to acknowledge responsibilities in any way.  This often goes hand in hand with denial and manipulation of others.

17. They fall in and out of live easily.  Many of their relationships, including love and marriage, are brief and shallow.  When someone is lacking in the emotional skills to participate in a relationship, combined with a lack of ability to follow through with responsibilities, they will connect briefly but shallowly.  Such romantic connections are made easily and broken easily to them.

18. They may be juvenile delinquents.  Aside from simple behavior problems, a young sociopath will have trouble understanding or following basic societal laws or guidelines.  Between the ages of 13 and 18, sociopaths often commit crimes and engage in behavior that involves aggression, exploitation, and manipulation.

19. They fail to meet legal obligations or requirements.  If he or she has been in trouble with the law, it is not unusual for a sociopath to disregard or violate requirements which have been set for them; often due to being careless, deliberately ignoring notices, or failure to be in attendance when summoned.

20. They can disregard laws or rules in a number of ways.  A sociopath may violate a number of rules or laws, whether or not they are caught.  There may be pride or bragging involving getting away with criminal activity or violating rules.  Many sociopaths believe that they are “above” the rules.

Having an Awesome Life, Lesson #6: Being Prepared

A stitch in time, saves nine!

Life has often been compared to chess -- and chess, to life!  The similarities are easy to see... in order to do well, you often need to sacrifice.  There are also many ways to conquer what's in front of you, and the method to success is as varied as its participants.  However, I think that the biggest similarity of all is  this:  Both of them require strategy in order for you to come out on top.

While it's fine, and fun, to fly through life by the seat of your pants, preparation for the rough times is going to make a major difference between success and failure, happiness and sorrow.  "A stitch in time saves nine," goes the old proverb.  What you're able to take care of today, can help you enjoy a better life tomorrow.  What you fail to resolve now will come back to you, and it won't leave until you make it a point to take care of it.

Planning ahead is one of the most important steps in having an awesome life.  It doesn't sound particularly awesome, I know.  But, when you plan ahead by saving for a rainy day, or by taking care of something before it becomes a full-blown crisis, you're actually saving more than just time and effort.  You are saving yourself worry, stress, and hardship.  You are saving yourself from regrets and wasted time.  Let's face it, a crisis always costs a lot more to resolve than a small bump in the road!

By planning ahead, you're also left with more time to enjoy yourself, to relax and to have fun.  Security and order can actually bring about a tremendous sense of freedom!  Try using some of that chess strategy to give yourself an edge on a little extra happiness, and I promise you, your life will be much more awesome for the effort.