And, he is often tormented by that same magnificence.  It really is hard work living with such an extrovert personality and larger than life attitude to, well, life.

What I Love about him is his Passion.  He knows what he wants, and what he loves, and he goes out and gets it.  He knows he is Magnificent.

Today, I am off to “Angel World”, my Day of Indulgence at Essence of Isis.  I LOVE being in the shop ~ I love the energy, the space and freedom, hanging out with Suzie, and being given the opportunity and permission to share Angel Readings with clients.  Really, it is my Bliss.

I LOVE feeling that I am Being All That I Can Be … that always happens when I am doing Angel things.  This coming week has lots of Angel Energy with Angel Brunch on Monday ~ a variation on the regular ‘lunch’ session to change things up a bit ~ and workshop preparation for Saturday’s event, Let’s Talk Angels!  Whenever I am indulging in this energy I feel great!  Oh, and it’s the full moon, so I will be making up my next crystal essence.  Woo Hoo!

Often a client comes for a reading because he or she is at a loss and doesn’t know how to move forward from where they are at.  Many people come and have a reading because they want answers.  Answers to all the questions of the Universe but mostly about Love and The Future.  It’s almost the exact opposite of why I used to have readings ~ I only wanted to visit the past, my Past Lifetimes and any previous incarnations I may have shared with people around me.  I guess that was my way of understanding the future … I found out about the past, gained understanding about relationships/choices/decisions then used that knowledge to help make decisions/choices in the here and now.

I began to gather the Pieces of Me and weave them into a tapestry of Michelle.  Which is how I started the journey to Discovering My Magnificence.

Many clients are kind of ‘beaten down’ with life and living and find themselves challenged on the self worth front.  I am there to remind them that they are wonderful, and loved by the Angels, and to reignite their connections with their own magnificence.  When we share that feeling of ‘Champagne Bubbles’, we realise that we really are Magnificent, and the world seems much more manageable.

Life really is all about Remembering Who We Are ~ Magnificent Souls, Magnificent People.

While this card can be interpreted literally – oh, boy, I am hanging out for a holiday! – it is really all about the Spiritual Journey.  And, as I read the guide book about “Voyage” I realised that I actually started a new part of my journey, on the first of July. 

My favourite sentence in Denise Linn’s book:  You’re a sacred traveller on a pilgrimage to your Soul.  Ahhhhh.

I really enJOY watching how the month pans out and seeing what synchronicity the Universe provides.  My “Purification” month finished off with several days of ‘finding myself’ again … the ’self’ which had become buried under the pressure and stresses I allowed into my world during the previous 10 weeks, or more.  Finishing the month with school holidays has allowed me to ‘declutter’ all the ’stuff’ in my thoughts and life … I have been able to practise slowing down and taking the time to smell the ‘jonquils’.   I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn these lessons and also very grateful to be feeling so much more relaxed!

My Spiritual Voyage has begun with a remembering of being punished, in a past life, for being ‘different’.  I have always had an extreme fear of being locked away and assumed it was something to do with mental illness.  It was similar.  I was shut in a cupboard as a very small child, by my puritan parents, because I was exhibiting signs of psychic behaviour. [WOW! I just realised that I made that discovery exactly one month ago!!]  Those souls who were my parents in that past lifetime are also key figures in my current lifetime. 

I am blessed with some very special people in my life, one of whom is a Bach Flower Practitioner.  She is my “Go To” person for all things emotional and I popped over to her place to pick up a remedy which addresses “Fear of Success”; Shock, Grief & Fear; Breaking Links; and Past Life issues.  How cool is that?!!

Going to Norma’s is always like visiting an oasis of beauty, pampering and JOY.  Even the drive there is a bit like that … the faeries are dancing in the trees and the magick has seeped from her house and garden, down the hill of her street and flows along the main road.  It’s like the energy is calling to you as you drive to Norma’s home.

As we began the session, we slowed down thoughts, and our breathing, so that the only sounds which could be heard were Norma’s voice, the tinkling of the water fountain and the birds outside.  I struggled with keeping tuned in for the first part of the meditation because my mind is very comfortable with chasing thoughts!  The most interesting part of that experience was noticing that once I slowed down enough, all the thoughts which haven’t had a chance to ‘be heard’ flew in to my head!  It reacquainted me with the realisation I’ve had before, which is that when I slow down, I am even more intuitive!  In fact, I clearly remember receiving ideas about workshops for my Angel Business - which have now escaped me!

Being the Winter Solstice, we were encouraged to write ourselves a letter, talking about where we are at now or where we wanted to be in 6 months time.  I wrote about where I was at that moment then scattered words/themes across the page and decorated them with coloured frames, like flowers, using pastels.  It was fun!  Norma asked us to address an envelope to ourselves then collected our letters and promised to post them to us at the Summer Solstice.  It was a fabulous idea.

We then visited our Heart Space.  Oh, dear.  Mine was very sad.  I have been very sad.  My heart was black and crispy, and I was a little shocked.  Initially, that scene was confronting but when I thought about how tired I am feeling and how much I desire a holiday, and the fact that Josh was mugged last week, I figured that my heart looked exactly like it was supposed to! 

I had an explore around my Heart Garden and was taken in hand by my Guardian Angel.  She showed me a ‘rock’ garden – kind of like some of those monolithic rocks you find in the bush.  She showed me that when I rubbed hard on the ‘rock’ all the outside layers of mud and yuk came away.  Underneath was a beautiful dark green jade crystal ~ a lot of dark green jade crystals!  Oh, Wow!

As I turned around to look further around my Heart Garden, I saw the Sun.  It was Bright and Huge and really, really present.  It shone down through my garden, and my body, and my aura.  It was all encompassing. 

After our Visualisation, Norma asked us to draw or write about our experiences using our non-dominant hands.  That is quite tricky!  Even moreso was the effort I had to use by drawing with my left hand and using pastels!  I am quite controlled in how I work creatively and given my very clear visualisation picture, I really wanted to capture that, accurately.  Still, I honoured the process and drew the Blackened Heart, the blackened crystals and the Sun.  The Sun was really easy to draw and just flowed ~ I really noticed that it was significantly easier than the other aspects of my drawing.

Norma explained to us, afterwards, that this process was all about connecting with our inner child.  I saw clearly that the ’stuff’ which has been bogging me down, recently, was the hard-to-draw part of the picture, and the part that was really easy was the Sun, the Light, which is always there and always has been.  I guess it’s a bit hard to describe so others can actually understand clearly, but it was really significant to me.

We finished up with another meditation which involved our ‘path’ and where we were going with our journeys … I was already pretty familiar with mine so it was a nice indulgence.  An even nicer indulgence was listening to Norma playing the Harp ~ Oh, WOW!  Sheer Bliss!

Our discussion process involved sharing our experiences and observations, taking some Mini Angel Cards ~ mine were “Expectancy” and “Truth” ~ and partaking in tea and biscuits (heart shaped, of course!).

I left Norma’s feeling how I feel after an hour’s massage, even similar to how I feel after a week’s sailing!  It was Wonderful!  I am certainly going to book in for a monthly indulgence.  Thank you, Norma!!

I am Blessed.

There really is something quite magical about getting together with a group of like minded people and working hard for something you believe in.  That’s what the day at Essence of Isis was like.  Suzie had lots of family and friends helping out, scrumptious chocolate balls to accompany tea and coffee, lots and lots of visitors … it really was a magnificent way to celebrate the opening of the new Crystal Shop.

We were given goodie bags which contained a tea light candle, incense, rose quartz crystal and some workshop flyers.  Essence of Isis is having a whole lot of specials during the month of June so if you are in town, pop by and visit.  I am there on Wednesdays for Angel Readings and Baze is in on Saturdays for massage opportunities.  Woo Hoo!  Essence of Isis is definitely the place to visit!

May has really been a month of  endings and beginnings, well, maybe more Beginnings because I haven’t really ended anything significant … other than the ‘old’ Joy Express template!  The most substantial ‘Beginning’ has been taking my Angel Readings to Essence of Isis, in Thomastown.  That has been AWESOME!  Life has become so much more manageable on so many different levels that it’s now easy to ‘go to work’.

Other ‘new’ things in my world are more about attitudes and behaviours … Kels is flexing her muscles and ready to move on with life ~ she is in that changeover period of leaving primary school and beginning high school, although it does seem a little early!   That means a new period in our relationship where I have had to approach her as an almost high school person rather than a little girl.  It’s been a bit of an adjustment!

At the other extreme, Daniel is working, inspired, happy and never home.  We manage a few sentences in person at 5.45am each morning when he’s at home, and by phone in the evening when he’s away.  Our household is adjusting to the dynamics of 4 members rather than 5.  It’s like Daniel is just a visitor, now, who appears for dinner on Sunday evening.

David has returned to ‘out of the house employment’, too, this month.  That has been a big adjustment because I had become very dependent on the easy access to David for conversation, going out, sharing responsibilities, emotional wellbeing … but, we are more resilient than ever before and, I think, our relationship is stronger than it ever has been. 

As a result of those little but huge changes, my life and lots of my attitudes have been adjusting, too.  I am in the process of streamlining a few of my commitments; of realigning my priorities (like discussing with David when exactly we can have some quality time together, just the two of us); and redesigning my Stampin’ Up! and Angel businesses.  Oh, and I had the overwhelming urge to ‘change up’ Joy Express, this week!  

I have used the ‘Beginnings” card from the Soul Coaching Oracle Card Deck as a guide for the month.  I have watched to see whether it was reflective of my life happenings, and it has been.  I like having a little extra insight about what to expect, and I also like having the opportunity to be reminded of and to reflect on what has happened, in relation to the theme of the month.

Tomorrow is June and the theme for the month is “Purification”.  I wonder what that will bring?

The first session of our workshop at the end of this month is all about Honouring Self, realising that our bodies are Sacred Temples and appreciating that we ‘rent’ them … this has been an awesome ‘aha’ concept to explore and Norma and I have had some amazing discussions about it.  WOW!  I am getting excited, all over again, about what fabulous stuff we have prepared.  Woo Hoo!  Anyway … back to my original point ~ a lot of this part of the workshop focuses on our ‘physical’ bodies, which over the years has been quite a challenge for me.  I guess that my discovery, recently, about myself is just how much better my body ‘works’ when I am exercising.  I have had many, many, many emotional issues to face and manage since Dad died and lots of crying and anger to explore.  It’s been really tough.  The greatest benefit has been committing to my personal training goals and discovering the wonderful ‘bonus’ of improved mental health.  And – my ‘temple’ (body) is looking so much better; better than it has in many years!  I firmly believe that focusing on my exercise ~ a process I began purely to support my mental health (’cause otherwise I wouldn’t have done it as I am so not an exercise person) ~ has been possibly the most important factor in my healing.  Oh, and I LOVE being able to look at myself in the mirror and be accepting of, even liking, what I see!

The second part of our workshop is all about Sacred Space ~ Decluttering!!  Woo Hoo!  Bring it On!  This has been All Consuming!  As you know.  LOL.  We, as a family, have been decluttering for a couple of months, and our home is feeling vibrant and healthy.  That’s not to say that it was unhealthy before the decluttering because I am actually pretty committed to fairly regular cleansing of clutter, but with a more concentrated effort at really getting rid of stuff we don’t need there is a lightness and flow appearing in our living & sleeping spaces which is fresh and gives a renewed sense of wellbeing.  I have totally, thoroughly enJOYed working through Mary Lambert’s book, for this part of the process! 

I don’t think decluttering ever ends once you’ve started on the journey.  Today, I have a little bit more flexibility in my commitments so I am going to do another “Cleanse and Clean” of the craft room.  Being a Stamper and occasional Scrapbooker means I have to regularly declutter, tidy, vacuum, dust … and today my Oracle Card shelves are calling to me ~ they are demanding ‘refresh-ment’!

The last section of our workshop is probably most dear to my heart.  It’s all about Mother Earth.  Ever since visiting Alice Springs and attending the Animal Dreaming Workshop, last year, I have found myself tuned in to the environment in a really strong way.  I have been aware of the planet for ages and very connected with my local animal visitors and my garden, chatting to the wildlife and being observant of my local area.  But now … it’s like I feel a part of Mother Earth.  So, I am going to share a little bit of Animal Dreaming and honour the learning I received from Scott Alexander King, and we are going to do some ‘partner’ work exploring each other’s auras and feeling which animal energies are with each of us.  It’s very grounding yet uplifting.  It allows us to be more aware of messages which are being shown/given/provided to us and gives us the opportunity to live a more empowered life.

Ahhhhh. 

I LOVE what I do. 

I usually get straight into the card decks I use and just follow my intuitive thoughts but I recently discovered the JOY which can be found from actually indulging a little time to read what the author/creator of the card deck recommends.  A lot of spreads are similar to other author/creators but then there are some which are quite unique.  The “Medicine-Wheel-One-Year Spread” is one of those ‘unique’ layouts and really, really exciting to connect with.

We started out with choosing a card for the current month (May) and placed it in the appropriate position on the Wheel … then we chose cards for each month afterwards, ending with a card for April (2011).  The centre card is the theme for the year.  

I was blown away by how the cards related to things which I knew were already on our calendars for the year!  We often have a sense of how our year will pan out, especially if we have kids at school or we are studying.  I could see how my “May” card ~ Beginnings ~ would already start playing out … there are a few new things afoot in my plans for this month.

But, I think that the part I am most astounded with is the application of this spread in a reading.  My client, earlier this week, was looking for some idea of what was happening in her life and where she might be going from here.  I am not comfortable ‘predicting’ the future in readings because we often get caught up in the expectation of what is ’supposedly’ going to occur and then disappointed if it doesn’t.  The Medicine-Wheel layout allowed us an insight into the potential of what is planned for the next year and it really gave my client a degree of peace. 

The 13 cards allowed us to chart a journey … we connected with a card for this month and really explored what that meant.   Then, my client chose 11 more cards, for the year, and the final card which was the theme of the year.  That was really interesting, too, and really made sense to both of us.  So, curiosity became overwhelming and we laid out the rest of the cards … WOW!  Without going into much detail of what each card represented, we could see a clear path on the journey, and it really gave my lovely client a sense that All is Well.  She could see that where she was at now was just a passage of time thing and that a sense of direction and renewed purpose and energy was ‘just around the corner’.

I felt the same way when I did my layout … it’s like having an overview of the next year and gaining an understanding of the times to be busy and the times to idulge the silence; how something happening in a month’s time may be the catalyst for, or the germination of, something occurring in 6 months time.  Without getting caught up in the specifics of ‘predicting the future’ we were able to see that all is panning out in a timely and orderly fashion.  And, that is what allows us to feel a sense of peace, that All Is Well.

I was feeling a bit blue, thought I’d be practical, and did the photos.  I knew I had images of my recent card creations to be edited and photos from Kels’ Gym Skills Testing Session.  Then … I found this photo.  Saturday morning was really misty and damp and I thought it was so inspiring and beautiful that I would take a photo.  I tried to take one through the craft room window but ended up with a big flash reflection (duh!) so went out on the deck.

Now, I have an image which appears to be filled with Angel Orbs!  Thinking ‘magically’, for a moment, it would appear that Saturday morning was something really special.  What a scene!  I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!  Could they really all be Angel Orbs? 

Thinking ‘cynically’  … mist seems to be lots of really round water droplets floating in the air … is that what I have captured in my photo?

Whatever the answer is, I find a Smile on my face and a lightness in my heart.  Sometimes just ‘touching’ the thought of beauty and JOY can be enough to make you happy.

Happy Monday!

The theme of the workshop was connecting with our Shadow side … kind of spending time ‘hanging’ out with those parts of ourselves which we try and ignore, or are afraid of.  Day 1 was lots of talking and journeying ~ we participated in a drumming ceremony; indulged in a meditation to connect with our Shadow selves; went on a Medicine Walk; journeyed, via drumming, to meet our Shadow totem animals, and shared our stories and experiences. 

The second day began with more sharing of our experiences then talking about the 4 Elements ~ Earth, Air, Wind and Fire.  I think the part I most enJOYed over the weekend was connecting with a whole bunch of different crystals.  In the Intermediate Workshop, I was introduced to a whole range of crystals that I hadn’t heard of.  This time, I was familiar with most of them and really, really enJOYed the Black Tourmaline!  I think that’s my favourite crystal of all. 

Our Crystal Healing Session was significantly advanced by comparison with the other workshops.  We used the same approach as before but this time we were connecting our clients with a ‘lost’ part of themselves.  It was very powerful and allowed the client to do so much more of her own healing.  It’s actually what I have been doing with readings so I was excited that I knew what to expect.  Crystal Healing is not my thing at all, but I do love working with the crystals and I do really enJOY the healing/connecting process.  I was blessed to have a wonderful ‘client’ who was just delightful as the healer, too!

All the other workshop participants do Crystal Healings and I would happily recommend their services to anyone interested.  I know we ‘advanced’ to an even higher level of connection with Crystals and Healings over the weekend, and really ‘cemented’ our love of Mother Earth.  I found myself wanting to incorporate more crystal grids in my readings, and a renewed love of the magic they provide.

Thanks, Rachelle!

Today’s Soul Coaching Card is “JOY“.

I am smiling, feeling humbled, and my thoughts are racing to think about all the things that bring me JOY, make me feel JOY-ful, and what is in my day/week which enhances JOY.  Ooh!

 “One of the fastest paths to happiness is through sharing and giving, so give of your heart and share your love.” (Soul Coaching Oracle Cards Guidebook by Denise Linn)

As I took today’s card, I was looking at my Fame & Recognition corner, right in front of me when I am at the computer.  I looked at the photo of me with my friends, at the oracle card of Athena (“It is safe for you to be powerful.”), my Joy/Peace/Kindness shelf ornament, my angel with “Follow Your Dreams” message, and thought about David.  Choosing this card is like the cherry on top of the 3 scoops of icecream … these things are all symbolic of JOY in my world.

I am going to take Denise’s message literally.  I am going to Celebrate!  I am going to have Fun!  I am off to meet Lovely Karen to discuss our Angel Workshop (in July) so I might just indulge in a little JOY-ful food and coffee.

I choose to “Soar to the Clouds” … to Feel the JOY … to Share a Smile … to Live My Passion! 

Wow!

Who would have thought that just taking one card, from an oracle card deck, could bring such a high?!

Be Happy.  Choose to Create Your Own Reality.  Share your JOY-ful Experiences.  Fill your day with Empowering People, Positive Thoughts, Expansive Decisions, and JOY-filled Everything.