What is a Spirit? A Soul? And Who the Heck am I?

The questions up above can give you a headache if you're not careful. And you might just scratch your head and say, "I can't think about this - look at this Christmas list! I've got enough headaches, thank you! Can we talk shopping and solid things that I can get my head around? And what the heck do I get Uncle Jack who's just bought himself a Mazzarati? His wife says it's male menopause." I wouldn't know.

Sure. Here's something solid - me. Solid as a plum pudding, since I ate three pieces of pie and a mound of mashed potato and gravy last week - and shoved that inner voice into the basement. The voice that trilled, "You're going to regret this!"  Yup.

That inner voice can really toss a glass of cold water on holiday dinners, and snacks, and boxes of chocolates and bottles of wine ... and third helpings. But did you know it will stop if you ask it to?

Because, you see, I believe that silent, inner voice is you. You can call it your conscience, and it is that, or it could be your spirit - often known as 'the soul' - giving you a tweak. Anyway you look at it, it is You. Look at it this way, your 'human you' wouldn't be bellying up to the table (and the bar) if the spirit you hadn't brought it here. The spirit that is you - you're one and the same.

There have been a few times in this lifetime when I've asked myself, "Who am I really?" And, "What am I doing here?"  Ask that Inner Voice. I've found out that it has the answers to all of the above questions.

It has the answers to everything, I've learned, and I think that's because it has a much better view of the picture of my miniscule life than I have. It is part of that infinite mass of Universal energy, and privy to all of knowledge there is out there. You might say it has an infinite view. It can see forever. My own, in comparison, is like looking through the eye of a needle. But if you try, you can get to know that spirit, recognize the oneness you share with it, and become privy to everything it knows. It's like having a BBF who knows everything and all the answers - only not quite so irritating, because, after all - it is you we're talking about, not someone who is separate from you. And you couldn't possibly be irritating, could you.

I don't believe that a bunch of uninvolved, mindless cells clumped together and formed me. Bang! Bibitty bobbity Boo! Although, I have to admit that when I've had a particularly, ill-informed, bad idea, I've wondered. But not for long.

My belief is that the spirit me chose to incarnate on earth at this particular time, and chose it's human body, it's parents, and other fellow spirits to make this earth journey with. "Why on earth would I have chosen her  as a mother/friend/sister/cousin?" Someone might ask. "She's a real piece of work! Mean, vindictive, cruel and generally awful!" Well we're taught that she may well be of your greatest teachers while you're here. "WHAT!" It's true. Perhaps this person is teaching you compassion - for yourself, the people around you, others who have been mistreated. Perhaps she's opened your eyes to a multitude of injustices you might never have noticed, making you a much kinder, gentler soul than you might have been? Think so? And perhaps, by becoming that, your perspective towards her could change and that kindness might just reach her and make her think. Or not. But, I think we come into this life to teach, and to be taught the spiritual lessons we need to evolve both as human beings and spirits. It's a difficult school we've chosen. But there are opportunities everywhere.

One of the best opportunities we have is the ability to tap into that spirit that is you and ask for answers. Listen carefully to that inner voice and it will become clearer and clearer. Who know? It might even give you an idea for Jack!  Experiment with those questions and see how it works.

Happy shopping everyone. I'm getting another piece of that pecan pie before I go. To ward off the headaches :) Strictly medicinal. Where's that inner vice when I need it. I hope it's not going to be a scrooge about the pie.

Take care and stay calm in the midst of chaos.


 

Is it a Ghost?

Did you know, they have a paranormal camera on Spirit - NASA's Mars Rover? I don't know what a 'paranormal camera' is but it's intriguing, isn't it.

This confirms to me that steadfast, solid institutions like NASA pay plenty of attention to the fact that 'anything is possible'. It's the mark of great explorers.

There is a picture online today of a rock that has raised a lot of conjecture about whether it is an old skull or merely a rock. NASA's picture is solid and unadorned and one could speculate one way or another. And it's fun to imagine - what brought it there? Who is it? Is it dangerous? Or is it just a lump of minerals.

However, a group calling itself the Paranormal Crucible has posted their own edition of the picture and have apparently altered it to look more like a skull. I haven't seen it, but it smacks of alarmism and sensationalism to me. A manipulation of what is.

It's like the crop of paranormal stories that have been showing up on TV in recent years. All of them full of dark light, shadows, muffled screams,  rattling sounds and moans - and fear. Well, they scare the heck out of me. I watch them from behind a pillow. All of them are designed to titillate, frighten, and bring in a ton of money for their producers. Selling horror and fear in every way they can.

This is fine, I suppose, as entertainment. The problem I have with it is that the truth gets distorted and unsuspecting people believe such stories. Ghosts/Spirits are not frightening, people. They cannot hurt you, and they do not threaten. They are spiritual beings simply trying to make contact. That's been my experience, and I don't expect it to change. The other problem I have with it is that these productions are the product of someone's imagination, and threaten the authenticity of those of us trying to tell the truth about the very real worlds of other dimensions and spiritual beings that sometimes seep into our own.

Whether it's Science, involving our own earth and the known universes, or energies we don't yet understand, some from way beyond our known universes, it needs careful consideration and discernment.

It's very easy to take something that is almost unbelievable and make up fantastical and hysterical stories about it. Even people who have genuinely experienced a paranormal or spiritual event, can get carried away on a wave of enthusiasm and begin to exaggerate the essence of what they actually  saw or heard. And by the time the story has been re-told a dozen times, even the shadow of truth has vanished. It's very easy to misinterpret these events, which makes it very important to stop and discern them, write them down before you share them.

The existence of other dimensions and beings is a simple truth, exact in its simplicity, and ideally, simple truth should remain unadorned and should be accepted in it's essence. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be that accepting.

But we're thinking beings. We want to see and touch and feel, and find out everything we can about something so 'unreal'. Including the mysteries of outer space. And it's essential that we  do that. You can't touch a star, but you can land on the moon, bring back rocks and examine them. By the same token, you can sense a spirit - then feel it. And photograph it. You can probably even pat a ghost, or poke it ... to see if it's real. And you may hear it laugh.

We should encourage the explorers, and embark on our own explorations. Delve into every facet of the subject and maintain a healthy skepticism. You won't be able to prove everything, there is a certain amount of faith involved. But there is also something called 'knowingness'. When you just KNOW something is right. And that 'knowingness' is part of that energy in ourselves we don't yet fully understand. It just is. Take for instance, a doctor diagnosing a patient; long before the tests are in, that doctor has a feeling, a knowingness, a sureness of what it is he or she is looking at.

So while the skull rock on Mars is fun, discern it, question everything, and  keep an open mind.

Have a beautiful sunny day! Which is also deceptive. With this much sunshine, it should be warm! But we're a long way from warm. Can you imagine how cold it is on Mars today? No wonder all we can find are rocky skulls. Bundle up!

November Mornings.

November is a time for reminiscing, for me. The brilliant colors of fall have crumbled brown and dusty to the ground and the mornings are frosty around the edges. The geese in the cove are thinking of moving on and I'm thinking that soon the lake will be getting frosty around the edges and they'll be gone.

It's a time for remembering, and some of those memories are warm and some  make you  pull your sweater closer, light the fire and pour a cup of tea. And that makes me think of my mother and father.

Long gone now, I find it interesting that the older I get, the more I find myself wishing they were around to talk to. To be able to pick up a phone and say, "What do you think"?  about this or that. Or to draw on their memories, perhaps to shore up my own memories, or to remember others I've forgotten. To sit beside my mother and say, "I worry about this or that, do you think it'll be alright?" I miss their warmth, and their thoughts about things that matter.

It's not that they were perfect parents. If they had been perfect they would have had a perfect child - and that didn't happen. In fact, if they had been perfect, I would probably have picked up my back pack and left home before I was ten. I think perfection would be very hard to live with. I think perfection by it's very definition is imperfect. But that's another thought.

My mother and father were present. Whenever I needed them, and sometimes when I was sure I didn't, they were there. They seemed to have the right answers at the time, and although some of them probably weren't, they ultimately worked for me. I could rely on them to never consciously let me down, and I know now that whatever decisions they made for me and my sibling they were made with the best of intentions - right or wrong. And, in retrospect, they were mostly right. Although being imperfect, like me, some of them would probably raise a few eyebrows in the 21st. Century Manual of Parenting.

"They meant well." Sounds trite, but it actually has great depth, in fact. It won't fly in many circles, but in mine it does. Everything they did for us, for better or for worse, was done from their own toolboxes of ancestral experience, and done with the right intentions. They never meant any harm to come to any of us. And isn't that what it's all about?

That thought stayed with me as I was raising my own children - imperfectly, but with the very best of intentions, always. It's made it easier to forgive myself when things didn't turn out the way I had intended, or hoped. And I thank them for that.

So, on a cold November evening, it's the memories of my mother dancing until dawn with my father in his military uniform -  the smell of her Blue Grass perfume, or his Old Spice, that color my memories, filling me still with childish adoration. It's the memories of my father's WW2 stories, the sinking of the HMS Birmingham, and the Red Cross ship full of nurses they were escorting, helping to shape my thoughts in the realms of right and wrong, my mother chasing me with a hairbrush to enforce a little discipline with a splat! whop! on my behind, and her vague opinions about the latest boy-flame in my life - always right.

And now, as a cold November moves towards the warmth of Thanksgiving Day, with it's candles, pies, roasted turkey and dressing, I feel very thankful for them. I'm glad they were here with me; and I feel at peace knowing that they're with Drew in Heaven.

I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving with all the people you love the best around you.    

Finding Spirit

I'm lovin' the workshops and super-enthusiastic study groups that are springing up from the public presentations of "Rainbow Rising", the book you asked for, following "By Morning's Light", which answers many of your questions about finding spirit.

Actually, spirit is looking for you. Not only your own spirit which is alive and well within, but all of those souls you loved so much when they were here on earth, and thought were lost, are doing everything they can to let you know they're still alive, living in another dimension, in another form.

I know this because I, and many, many others, have seen them, heard them and felt them.

This is where, if you come from a traditional religious background, you may begin to get twitchy. Don't. If you've ever thought or wondered if you felt a disincarnate soul around you - you probably have. It's the most natural thing on earth. Your sixth sense and intuition are part of who you are and when glimpses like this occur, it's just them kicking in and asking to be acknowledged. They are the way your own eternal spirit talks to you. Don't ever be afraid of acknowledging those tweaks of intuition, sensing another presence or listening to that inner voice. It's that eternal spirit you, (that organized religion has tried so hard to convince you of!) It wants you to know it's there ... but if you're like me, you probably won't believe all that until you can experience it for yourself.

And that takes an open mind, and a willingness to experience it. It also takes acknowledging the possibility that so many people can't be wrong, and allowing yourself to wonder, 'What if ...'  What if I can talk to my own spirit - or people who have passed on and are now in spirit?

You begin by reaching for something you cannot feel or sense with your physical senses. Impossible? Sounds like it, but it's not. To reach that something, you have to forcefully push those powerful physical senses out of the way to allow that extraordinarily powerful sixth sense to come forward.

It's done in many different ways: meditation is the most compelling way to get there, but, fear not, meditation comes in many forms. It doesn't necessarily mean forcing yourself not to think, to unclutter your mind, and go blank, which is very hard to do. To move those stubborn physical senses and brain clutter out of the way, try listening to soft music or go for a long walk and let yourself be acutely aware of every note, every step you take. That too is meditation. Sit beside the ocean and Listen. Or paddle a kayak.

There are plenty of people who get to a zone of altered consciousness with the use of drugs - not recommended by me. With natural meditation, you are in complete control. With drugs, maybe not so much. And you don't have to climb a distant mountain, scout out a rain forest or look for forgotten tribes or a hippie compound. You already have everything you need to make it happen.

Whatever you pick up in this zoned-out state, sounds, swirls  of color, maybe a sentence, maybe a laugh, maybe a face - or nothing at all at first, acknowledge it, discern it and keep practicing.  Keep going, knowing that spirit is high-fiving you all the way, loving your desire to make contact. Be aware that every step you take towards developing those 'super-natural' senses, makes it easier for them to contact you.

In a purely earthly sense, isn't it easier to communicate with someone who acknowledges your presence, than someone who ignores you or brushes you off?

If you're lucky, you'll find you're very sensitive to the energy around you and  you'll quickly get the hang of it. But usually it takes practice. Don't get discouraged, because one day, before long, it will pop right in, usually when you're least expecting it. Remember that road accident you missed by changing routes on your way to work one morning? How did you know you should go a different way that day?

Sitting at your computer one day you may hear a voice, sense a smile, a touch and have the feeling that that person you loved so much when you were together on earth, is right beside you. And then one night perhaps, in a dream during those wee, small hours, that same person will be sitting on the veranda with you holding a conversation, taking your hand, letting you know he or she is more alive than ever before.

Ahhh ... When that happens, the study and the journey will have been so worthwhile. You'll know. You'll just know. And with that knowledge, you can move into a completely different sort of relationship with yourself, or those you still love who have moved on.

You can even let that knowledge transfer to the people around you, people who are making this same earth journey with you. Knowing that there is nothing to fear, that we go on, that this is just one stage of the evolution of our souls, makes it so much easier to finish the race.

Keep on truckin!  

 

Early Morning Geese

Room To Breathe

It's been a busy time, forcing the blog into a distant second place as I work hard to introduce the new book, "Rainbow Rising". We've been racing from engagement to engagement; sedate library settings, hot and noisy street fairs, book fairs and cozy book clubs. And more recently, the workshops that are proving to be popular, interactive, hands-on and lots of fun.

But autumn is creeping in. Our trees in Virginia are beginning to show a rosy blush as they shed their emerald colors, and leaves flutter gently to the ground.
It's a time to dream, a time to remember, and a time fall back into a place of peace.
This Sunday afternoon I'll take a walk through the woods and give my soul room to breathe. We'll suck in the freshening breezes of summer's wake, my soul and I,  as they usher in the crispness of the changing season. We'll feel the dampness rising from mossy woodland floor, that carries the scent of peat moss, that mingles with smell of wood smoke curling from a bonfire in the distance. And I'll listen to the sound of wild birds as they gather in my cove for night to rest before their long flight south.
The mushrooms and toadstools are abundant this year. The ground looks as though a box of brightly colored marbles has been scattered among the fallen leaves.
This evening I may share a glass of wine from this year's harvest with friends and think of other lovely times with people I love, and with whom I shared the waning days of summer.
And early tomorrow morning, as the first glitter of sunlight filters through the trees that crowd the lake, with the scent of wild apples on the wind, I'll hear the noisy chatter of Canada Geese, as they shake themselves awake, spread their wings, crane their long necks, and rise as one with a rush of air and ruffled water as they take to the air, fall into formation and disappear into the sky.  And my soul and I will breathe. 

The Days of Hot and Humid Summer

Hi Everyone,
I've been away too long but I'm coming back as summer begins to wilt around the edges, showing a few yellow Poplar leaves scattered on the grass.
It's been a busy summer with lots of push in the publicity department in the launching of "Rainbow Rising." There've been many book signings and presentations, in fact, the interest has been so great that we did a workshop on Spiritual and Psychic Awareness early this month. A wonder group of people came, so many that we overflowed into a second workshop on September 6th.
It was a lot of fun and I expect the second one to be even more fun wit lots of hands on demos.
So, if you couldn't make it to the first one, or you know someone who would like to come in September, please let them know. 2:00 p.m. in Westlake at the Vita Zen Shop in Hardy VA.
In the meantime, as the preparation continues for that and a couple more presentations, rest assured, the regular blog will be picking up and getting on track as soon as the activity subsides. So many 'happenings' to tell you about.
But enjoy the rest of summer, let your skin soak up the almost tropical moisture,  let you spirits breath in the sunshine and the sweet scents of August; full of late blooming flowers, the smell of damp earth before the summer showers and the warm moist breezes.
Have fun, I'll see you soon right here.

Have You Lived Before?

Reincarnation. What do you think? Have you ever had the feeling that "Gosh, this place feels familiar!" This is so weird! I know that if I turn that corner I'm going to see an old pharmacy with a red awning and an ice cream cone painted on the window. . . Helloo!

Einstein once remarked that Reincarnation was the only thing that made any sense to him. What did he know! Who knows. But I feel the same way, and I'm not Einstein. I've sometimes met somebody who I think I ought to know, and yet I can't place that person. Or an event feels familiar. As a child I once stood there watching a carousel turn, with scores of waving kids aboard, and I suddenly thought, "I'd like to do that - but I'm scared of that red horse . . . " Because it felt as though the last time I'd ridden a carousel I'd fallen off the horse I was riding. Trouble is, when I had that feeling, I was only three and had never before been to the fairgrounds.

And then there's Deja vu? Which of course means, 'Seen before'. Perhaps you're sitting around a camp fire with a group of friends and suddenly someone says, "Wait! I've seen this exact scene before - we were all sitting around this fire and talking about this very thing!" It happens to most of us. What do you think? Think you've done this scene before? But when? It could be a past life memory - but notice the clothing. In Victorian times we wouldn't be sitting around in short shorts and tank tops. Now, would we? So what's going on? Could it be that we've had the same conversation before in a similar setting with these same people? And perhaps when we had the first conversation we were all Victorians, but we wouldn't recognize us in that scenario. So did your spirit decide to change things up to make us all more recognizable? Maybe it's the conversation with all the same people that's important - not the 'look'. Or could it be your Higher Self/Spirit/Soul jumping ahead of you and saying, "I know what we're going to say next!" Smarty. Or, a scientist might say, "Brain glitch!" I've had a couple of those. Interesting isn't it. The whole idea of Reincarnation is interesting to me.

It makes perfect sense to me, who was taught that there is a loving father, God, who made us and is looking out for us. Why would He give us only one  chance to get things right?  What parent pulls the rug out from under a child saying, " That's it! You blew it. No more chances for you!" We are much more likely to say, "Okay, so that didn't work - why don't you try it again?
I also think that if we do reincarnate, it's a choice we make. I don't believe anyone is sitting there with a cattle prod saying "Get back down there! (loser)." No way. I think that with the help and guidance of spiritual beings on the other side - Angels, Guides, trusted friends who've been down here too, we make that decision to come back or not. Because free will exists in all dimensions.
It makes perfect sense to me that if, for instance, we messed up a relationship with someone who really mattered, we'd want to come back to earth and try to make it right the next time. Hopefully that person will be generous and come back in with us.

And that's another thing. I believe that we choose the people we want to spend lifetimes with, and we pick the people who can teach us the most. If we're going to make this difficult journey, we may as well make it worthwhile by learning our lessons from the best teachers we can find. Parents, siblings, friends . . .  everyone. Ever wonder why that sister of yours is the most aggravating person you've ever met? You chose her. Either to get the relationship right this time or around, to learn from her or to teach her a thing or two! Yup! That's it! I'm going to show her! Or maybe not - You're here to get it right, remember? And if you don't, think you might have to come back and do it again?

Makes you think.

I think I've lived before. And I'll probably be back to mop up a few messes I've made. And maybe we'll be back to continue a lifelong love affair with a person, an animal or a place we're very attached to. Maybe we'll come back just to enjoy this beautiful planet one more time.

This human state is so hard to get perfectly right, isn't it? But we can give it our best shot.
So, jump in, everyone and let's see what happens this time around!

I hope it's a great day for you, and that tomorrow will be even better.

Cindy!

Stripping the Phantom of it's Mask

A Person of Beauty left our world last week and ever since Maya Angelo passed on, I've been thinking of Strong Women. Oprah and the other Great and Famous People come to mind, but I was thinking of people like you and I. Ordinary people, men and women, who rise above and beyond the bar when the situation calls for it. A well-loved friend wrote this letter last week, and I want to share it with all of you. She titled it "I can Smell the Barn!!" and addressed it to her friends. She began by thanking them for their kindness and encouragement,as she found herself quite unexpectedly, on a road that is all too familiar to too many. "This is not something you want to do alone," she said. Yesterday, I had my third round of Chemo ... One more to go and we can close the book on that giant CLEANSE portion of the treatment (for breast cancer). Am pleased to say that I passed with flying colors! Amazingly enough, I still have hair - if you've ever seen what the Phantom looks like when he removes his mask in Phantom f the Opera - you've got the picture. Not my best, but still there! I am now seen most often sporting a baseball cap or wearing my new cranial prosthesis named Gladys! The Wig. I'm doing just great. Cancer has given me a new lease on life. I'm taking time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us and am especially taking time to think about a lot of things - the love of family; the importance of friends; those less fortunate. I believe that when it's all over and done, I'm going to say that this was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I'm sure the second half of my life will be filed with new pleasures and joys. I hope I can help other women facing this scary disease to realize that it's not the end of the world - it's really just beginning. In the meantime, just wanted to say I'm doing great ... and I trust that the lessons I'm learning will mark my path in my journey going forward. Thanks for walking it with me. Cindy. What a tribute to the Human Spirit. I've known Cindy for a long time, you met her in "By Morning's Light". She inspired me then, all through the worst journey of my life, making me laugh when I could barely smile; picking me up when I was down, moving me forward on her magic carpet of laughs, encouragement, and her zest for life. Her spirit touches everyone she meets, and now it's our turn to be strong for her. Everyone she knows, will walk this journey with her; we won't be afraid of the road ahead, and we'll all cross the finish line together, in a shower of balloons, streamers and a riot of drum-beating silly clowns! Walk on, everyone who's reading this, with the people you know who may be victims of this and other horrors. With anyone you can help, encourage and inspire. Be there for each other, because we know how close to home this scourge can hit ... And if, God forbid, this, or something like it, charges at any one of us - we'll all be there, six-shooters at the ready, On Guard! Because we're strong. Even though we don't always feel strong, even though we may feel helpless at times ... Shoulders back! Tummies in, Chins up and Forward March! It's a choice ladies and gentlemen. Sometimes the only viable choice we have. Take it and thrive. In the words of the poetess, Maya Angelo, "If you have it, give it; if you learn it teach it." Thanks for teaching the lessons you've learned, Cindy. See you at the checkered flag! Tally HO!

The Colors of the Rainbow

When I think of the Colors of the Rainbow, I think of freshly-washed skies, and crystalline air reflecting the sun, changing and casting its light in an arc of color. On Thursday afternoon, I hope you'll join me at the Westlake library at 4.00,for a colorful and entertaining presentation of "Rainbow Rising". The book was written in answer to the many questions you asked during a multitude of presentations I made across this state and others; questions you had following the publication of "By Morning's Light". In "Rainbow Rising" I've done my best to answer every one of them. One of those questions was, "How old were you when you first knew you could feel and see spirits?" Well, come with me on Thursday on a fascinating trip through the gold savanna grasses of Africa, to the crater where the old Sangoma lives; a medicine woman with "so many years in her skin that no one can count them." I met her once with Lizzie, my Zulu nanny, who introduced me to the ancient spirits of Africa. That may have been the beginning, but somehow I don't think so. You see, as a very young child, I could remember the essence of another place - the place before this place called earth. I remember it's colors, it's sounds and air that sparkled. Somehow I knew that there was so much more to me than skin and bones. You asked me, "How can Isee spirits? Where can I find them? How can I speak to them?" And then, "I don't think I can do that ..." The simple answer is, "Yes you can." We all can. So, follow my yellow brick road and I'll show you how I did it. The journey was FUN. Intriguing, fascinating - visiting another dimension always is, I imagine - and it involved getting to know people who were far more savvy than me, more fun and totally awesome in their teaching of something this amazing. This was the Metaphysical Study Group I belonged to, who my sweet husband Walter referred to playfully,as "The Spook Group." After a bout of his teasing one afternoon, I asked him how he would like to wake up in the morning, green and croaking and warty... But I'm not a sorceress. You will however meet a real witch in the book - A Good Witch, bouncy, charming, and one whose lineage contains at least one true witch. Who knew they were hereditary? You wanted to know, was I ever afraid of opening myself up to evil spirits? No. Dark Energy (read evil) cannot survive in light. Only Spirits of Light, God, his Holy Spirit, my own angels and guides, and sometimes yours,are ever invited into my circle. Do you believe in fairies? Maybe you will one day. Where was God? Where were his Angels on September 11th? Didn't you see them? What happened to Buck when the spook group practiced their levitation skills on him at a New Year's Eve party? Tune in on Thursday for the thrilling conclusion...as the Universe turns. :) Ever wondered if you may have lived before? Met a battlefield ghost from Manassas? Or another from a wagon train trying to cross the Rockies. I can't wait to see you on Thursday! It's going to be so much fun - and more than that, I look forward to hearing from you. Your stories, Your impressions, Your questions. Help me to color your world, fill it with hope and, of course, Rainbows. See you there - Thursday at the library at Westlake. And bring your friends and high spirits. Until then!

Just Waiting . . .

Have you ever had the feeling that you're just waiting for something to happen? You know deep down that there's something, right around the corner, just waiting to burst into your life, bringing changes with it. It's a feeling of anticipation, hope, mild excitement and curiosity. You're not even sure what it really is - but SOMETHING is going to happen. You can feel the energy moving into the spaces around you. Sometimes you're mildly impatient waiting for things to pop. Sometimes you're downright anxious waiting for 'something to happen'. More and more, I'm realizing the truth in the thought that Timing is Everything and, for me, patience may be the hardest lesson to learn. A friend of mine called last week mildly frustrated (which usually means anxious) that her husband's beautiful art work was taking so long to really catch hold and start selling like hot cakes. "But I just know something's going to happen soon, and when it does, it'll be big", she said. It's almost as though someone's hit a delay switch and is holding everything up. They've done everything they can. The work is unique and lovely, they've done all the promoting, it's in a gallery in Manhattan - but the Universe is still at work. Teaching. Another friend emailed me that after months of frustration with a project involving photography, after months of wondering where this was going, and even if it had hit a stone wall - something stirred - and the right people showed up, with all the know-how she was lacking, and the project began moving forward. Timing. When the pupil is ready, the teacher will come. For weeks and then months, I worried, freaked out about the publishing of the second book and all the things I didn't know. All the frustrations built up, then came a few successes when I thought, AHA! Success is just around the corner! And then got slammed down to earth again when everything went wrong. But when the timing was right, everything fell into place and the book was done. It was only then that I could look back at the whole experience and realize I'd just been coached through a powerful learning experience. What I've learned is that no matter how hard we try we can't hurry Perfect Timing. No matter what it is - whether it's something you're working on, or just a feeling that something's going to happen, it happens in it's own time. And if we try to rush it, we'll probably fall short, or maybe even flat on our faces. There are steps to be taken, small steps that we may not even be aware of at the time. Invisible forces propelling us towards a goal even though we don't know what they are or where they come from. It's part of paving the way to the next event. The way must be clear, the road signs must be in place and only then can we begin to move forward. There are universal building blocks that have to fall into place. Often involving other people and their life paths. Universal blocks that are similar to those brightly colored children's blocks with ABC's printed on them. The ABC's of teaching and learning. Funny that we call them 'blocks'. Running into road blocks. My mind is blocked. Something's blocking the course ... Not so. They seem more like delay switches to me, to give us time to smooth the way, negotiate the obstacles, work with the universe o many levels and set the wheels in motion. And when the timing is right, the brightly colored, clearly sign-posted blocks will tumble into place, almost miraculously, and everything will begin to move forward - maybe in the way you expected, and maybe not. But it is moving at last. And remember this: "Nothing is either good or bad - only thinking makes it so." That was Will Shakespeare. Another great teacher. I wish for you and me; Patience, Hope and Fun today!

Among the Ghosts of Avenel

Saturday was an interesting day in many ways. Most interesting to me was "Rainbow Rising's" first public appearance, which was as much fun as baby Prince William's first peek at the world, but much more intriguing. My new baby made its debut amid the tall oaks, magnolias and broad green lawns of Avenel which is an old antebellum home,(circa 1838)in Bedford, Virginia. Before and during the Civil War it was the hub of social gatherings, hunts, and a stopping off place for guests like General Lee on his trips around he Commonwealth. On Saturday, it was the occasion of the Seven Hills Paranormal Society's Annual Conference. And sitting there surrounded by new books, old fireplaces and tall ceilings, I wondered if the legendary ghosts of Avenel would show themselves. The tales of "The White Lady" who wanders the main hall, glimpses of her through windows when no one's there, and sightings of a young girl in a high collar, had my senses on high alert. Once, many years ago, having lunch at Avenel on a Thursday afternoon, I had been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a woman wandering through the dining room. At first I felt her standing close to the table I shared with six other people. It felt like a flow of almost tangible energy at the back of my neck, and when I turned around, I had the distinct impression of a woman in period dress, charming, elegant and mingling with her guests. "That would be Miss Lettie," one of the caretakers of Avenel told us. How absolutely fabulous! On Saturday though, as I opened all channels and invited their spirits in for a chat, I knew it was a long shot; and although I hoped that they would come in, I wouldn't have blamed them if they'd stayed hidden for the day. The place was teeming with Ghost Busters, audio and camera equipment and tables full of wires and switches. I think if I had been one of them I would have been watching from the eaves, wondering when all these people would go home. I didn't see any sign of them. No wispy drifts of organdie, no veils, no drifts of rose water anywhere. Perhaps someone else did, but nobody I asked had seen anything either. What I did notice was that the energy in the house felt 'scattered'. Nervous almost. And it made me wonder if ghost hunters, with good intentions for all I know, disturb the unseen residents as they track them down looking for sightings. What do you think. What must the Ghosts of Avenel think about all the sophisticated machinery plugged into their home? Perhaps they're fascinated. Perhaps they're pushing buttons seeing how things work. I heard one of the hunters getting more and more frustrated trying to get his Power Point presentation to work. . . helllloooo . . . is their a ghost I the house? Happy Spring everyone :)

Resurrection, New Life, New hope - New World.

Today, I published RAINBOW RISING. The True Story of Life Before Life, Life on Earth and the Afterlife. All through the chaos of living on Earth, I have been aware that there's so much more to our human existence that we can possibly imagine, and much more to our humanity than DNA. I knew it best when I was a child; and I knew it through the growing years, through the school years and the years of raising a family. There was little time to stop and think deeply about all of this then, but throughout those years I kept catching glimpses of a time and place I knew before I was born. "It was New Year's Eve. There was a party that night and Mama's dress was covered in sequins. Some of the party hats were black and glittery with silver ribbons; some were pink and green and, red and blue, and they all sparkled with that silvery light. The glittery stuff made me yearn for something, but I didn't know what . . .It seemed to me that in that other time and place I could sometimes remember, the very air shimmered and glittered. It made a singing sound too. Sometimes even the thought of all that shiny stuff made me lonely..." How strange it is that we never really snap that bond with a timeless place we can almost never remember. The other Side. But how do you snap that bond with the spirit that is you? A spirit that was you yesterday, is you today and will be you tomorrow and forever, existing throughout time and many dimensions. Eventually, I began to think hard about 'awareness' and became acutely aware that I am an immortal being. Seriously. A being here for all time. An eternal spirit. Rainbow Rising follows in the footsteps of that Awareness, when things in the ESP department really started to POP! I hope you'll love the book. It's written for you, my friends and family and for everyone who ever wondered, "Where did we come from? (Forget the stork) what are we doing here, and where are we going?" I've taken you on a fun trip with spirits I've met over the years, to places they've lived in with me, and without me, and through the doorways my own spirit held open for me and encouraged me to explore way beyond the bonds of earth. Tomorrow, in the Christian tradition, it is Easter Day: a time of the resurrection of the spirit in all of us. A time of renewal, even as the earth renews its promise of new life and sunny days ahead. Whatever your faith may be, I wish for you a time of renewal, new hope, peace on earth, and love for one another. Oh yes! And Happy Reading! I hope this is a beautiful weekend wherever you are. In the Christian tradition, this is Easter

Spirit Horse

Dreams are interesting, aren't they? What are they ... figments of imagination picked up by vagrant winds that drift through our unconsciousness late at night or early morning? Golden moments that light unknown crevices of our brains? Projections of our thoughts? Or do they foretell and sometimes forewarn us of upcoming events? I think they may be all of the above and much more besides. Two or three nights ago I had one of those short, but very clear dreams. I appeared to be nothing more than an observer - I couldn't see myself in the dream but I knew I was there watching the scene unfold. Just the spirit me was there; taking a little trip outside of my sleeping body. The dream scene was rural and I seemed to be standing in the entranceway of a horse barn I had never seen before. I could see a shaft of light pouring through the opening, lighting the hay scraps on the earthen floor, beaming off the wood beams of a stall. And standing in front of the stall was a white horse. He was unbridled, unshod and free. Soft light, like misty early morning sunshine, surrounded the animal giving it an almost luminous quality. It's mane was long and untangled, it's tail swished the air, its head was lowered, its ears twitching. Light bathed the strong flanks. Peace filled the space around it. And then the dream was gone. I've been wondering about this dream. It didn't come from any experience I've ever had. I haven't been around that many horses in my life, and I've never seen one like this. But I'm not totally ignorant of them. Over the course of my like I've had friends who have horse farms or maybe just one or two horses, and I've enjoyed visiting them. I've stroked horses, put my cheek beside theirs and listened to them speak, maybe even rode one of them once, but never formed any particular relationship with any of them. So who was this beautiful horse in my dream? I couldn't tell if it was male or female. Maybe it was neither. My instincts tell me it was a Spirit Horse. In Native American lore they are very often healers, prophets and animals that come into our lives for some reason. A reason we can't fathom at the time. All I know is that it was magnificent, a light being filled with peace. It was totally free of constraint, unbridled, vibrantly strong and full of energy. Ready to run free ... from here to eternity. How incredibly lovely. Whoever it is, I'm glad it came into my dream.

Go Snow!

There are two ways to take this: Either 'Go Snow, snow your little heart out, Have fun!' Or: Leave! We've had enough already! The Blue Jay skidded in to land on the patio table this morning and found himself up to his ears in snow. The Sparrows can't be found, and the reason I know there are Chicadees pecking at the seed is that every so often I see a flurry of snowy and a little black cap. The Canada Geese stopped by on their way back North and they're sitting out there on a sandbar looking like ice cream cones saying, "Seriously?" This is The South y'all! What's going on? And my ghost friends have melted into the fog. Not a single see-through person to be found. We have Snow geese why not Snow Ghosts? (Okay, sorry, my brain has melted into the fog too apparently.) I wanted to pen something inspiring but inspiration has flown the coop. Even the house ghost I wrote to you about had a couple of weeks ago has left. I could tell you about the Civil War ghost I found at an old confederate hospital just outside Charlottesville who asked for a ride back to Pennsylvania. Or the W.W.2 ghost that lived in an apartment in New York City - he went down with a submarine. Strangest thing that. When he popped in I could actually feel water rising around my legs. Or there was the Scottish miner in Grand Lake Colorado - cheeky fellow. And a big husky guy who was travelling with a wagon train, taking his family out west. They were trying to get through the mountains before winter set in. Or the children dancing in an old house in Williamsburg ... So many interesting folk. And you will meet them - as soon as the print copy of Rainbow Rising is released. In the meantime, as I wait to hear from the publisher, I'm working on Book 3. Have you ever met a baby before it was born? Or listened to a child tell you where she came from? Before this earth, in that time Before. Fun! It's writing well, another non-fiction, and if you'd like to include your own experience in it, it's about young children, and also people who are leaving our earth - who see and know so much more then we do. I would love to hear it. Just email me at giniabrock@aol.com For now, our dusting of snow has turned into four inches and still snowing. I hope the sun is shining where you are. Soak up a little for me. And send our big star to Virginia.

A Spirit to Show the way

Last Thursday I visited an old lady friend who's spending her last days in an extended care facility. (The nice name for a Nursing Home, which strikes fear into the hearts of the bravest people I know.) She's very old - well into her nineties - but she still reads and gets around shakily in a walker. Her mind when she's clear is very clear. Her innate intelligence is intact, only clouded sometimes by physical old age. But there's something else going on. Now that the strong physical senses of sight, hearing, etc. are weakening, the spiritual sixth sense is able to break through, stepping forward, taking the lead, and I believe, leading her to the next place. All last week, she spoke with visitors about a beautiful,shining hospital, a lovely place with caring people and a doctor she loved. She asked me when I visited, if I would take her there. I asked her where it was and she said, "In Washington, and I want you to get me there!" Washington was her lifelong home. It's possible she's remembering a long ago hospital stay where she had a good experience. But she's painting it in out-of-this-world adjectives of beauty and love. She can't seem to find enough words to properly describe this place. I heard that while she was speaking to one of doctors, she confided to him that not only was she in this gorgeous place, but her husband, himself a doctor , was on staff there, taking care of her.(He was a doctor before he died several years ago.) So where is she? I believe she's in between planes, getting ready to transition. Is it possible that she's being guided by her spirit, being shown a place of beauty, in familiar surrounds to make her feel at home; to make her reach out to that place? I think so. People who have crossed over into that spirit world tell us that it's very similar to earth only much, much better. Is this what my old lady friend is being given glimpses of? So often we hear stories of people who are dying, suddenly breaking into smiles, reaching out, mentioning names of people who are long gone - Isn't it a lovely thought that there are people waiting for our ferry to land ... and a spirit to show the way. Believe.

Things that go Clatter ... Clatter

Okay, everyone - Ghost alert. Just before I went to bed a couple of nights ago, I looked out of the kitchen window on to my walkway, and noticed that one of the solar lights was blinking on and off. Of course it was - I'd be blinking on and off in this cold too. So I went to bed, tucked myself in with a book and shortly thereafter turned the light off. I lay there, I'd be asleep soon. I closed my eyes then popped them wide open wondering if I shut the fireplace doors... Better check. No. Of course I did. But maybe I didn't ... Not wanting to wake up in a cloud of smoke at 2:00a.m. so up I got , padded through to the living room - and closed the fire place doors. But wait - as I leaned forward to close them, the television blared on. Seriously? It was off. Firmly turned off when I went to bed. The remote was on the coffee table six feet behind me. Hellllooo? The announcers were talking loudly about the missing Malaysian plane. I was the first inkling I had that there was a possible disaster looming in the South China Sea. So I watched for about a half hour and went back to bed. I climbed in, turned the light off and closed my eyes. Then, clatter, clatter, clatter, bump, bump!! What th' ... I sat up, jumped up, and walked down the hall to find the cause. My printer light was on and the machine spluttered once as I stood there in the doorway - and was quiet. It was plugged into the wall - but it wasn't plugged into the computer so no one gave it the signal to clatter ... If I was an electrical engineer I'd probably figure this out perfectly rationally. But I'm not. So, to my way of thinking, even if there were three perfectly rational reasons for all this .. they happened. 1,2,3... Three signs that someone out there wants to chat. And they're fooling with my electronics. This is something they like to do. I think spirits can ride electrical energy into our third dimension from wherever they are. It's a lot easier for them to negotiate than our murky, swampy, heavy earth dimension. They frequently use electricity as a conduit. I'll keep you posted. I'm not sure who it is yet, but think there's a ghost in my house. And keep an eye out for lights blinking on and off, music playing unexpectedly, or a telephone ringing unaccountably. You never know. Someone may be trying to reach you. Probably someone you love. See you soon!

The Owls and the Pussy Cat

My poor cat's nerves are shot. Here's why: About a year ago a young female cardinal took a shine to its reflection in my dining room windows, and has been trying to peck its way in to make friends with the stranger for twelve solid months!! While, I love these guys - especially the boy cardinals with their scarlet plumage - this is going over the top and driving me up the wall. Why won't it stop? I'm beginning to think its suffering from shaken bird syndrome - it's brain is scrambled from all the head banging. It's particularly annoying because every so often (ten times a day) it'll throw in a 'rat-a-tat-tat that makes me think there's someone at the door. Miss Kitty viewed this drama being played out from one of the window sills, fascinated by all the thumping, and dreaming of little cardinal drumsticks. For a while she was mesmerized but about six months into this she got bored and decided that the moths that fly around the outside lamps at night are more fun, and switched her viewing site. I've tried everything I can think of to stop this nonsense including a big wooden bird strategically placed, a decorative scare crow perched either inside the window or, more boldly outside in a nearby shrub. The bird is fine with that ... I put large pictures of full face friends and family in the window. It found another window. Then just recently a handsome, bright red male showed up and I thought, "This'll do the trick!" She'll soon be sitting on eggs. Not a chance - the guy stayed about a day, watched the loony tunes and made a break for it. Then a bird shrink showed up. "Make some cut-out owls and put them in the window!" He advised. Good idea! So, I got to work with construction paper, scissors and markers and after several hours and a full waste paper basket I had two passable creatures that look like hybrid owl/cat/bats. Miss Kitty blinked and then stared at me with disdain as I taped them up on the windows. And went back to washing her face. The bird bought it!! Yes she did! She stayed away for an entire day. And back she came at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. What we need, I decided was sound effects. So at about mid-morning I cracked the door open, cupped my hands around my mouth and made owl noises. Twooot twooooo! Repeat. Twoot Twooo. The head banging stopped. This was working! Buoyed by success, I hooted again - and then again just to let it know this was one bad owl. No bird. There was a scuffle behind me and I turned away from the door to see my cat flattened on her tummy on the floor, ears pressed back against her skull and her eyes bulging. When I opened my mouth to say something, she slit her eyes, hissed, spun on her heels and fled down the hall to my bedroom. What on earth ... She's been there for two days. The bird's gone. But the cat's freaked out and thinks I'm part of the hybrid thing, and what's more, I can speak owl. That must have been a really good owl sound! Who knew ... I wonder what I said. Call if you need an owl impersonator. (But give the cat an advance dose of Benedryl.) Miss Kitty finally emerged when I opened a can of tuna for lunch. Woot Woot!

March On!

Hi Everyone, I've missed you. The blog has suffered due to an extreme push to get Rainbow Risingout in print. This, I've discovered, is harder than it looks. When I first decided to try publishing on my own instead of going the traditional publishing route, I asked for advice and listened to a lot of sages who had published successfully and soon I was riding high on things like, 'It's a snap!' 'No problem!' 'Follow the instructions - easy as pie.' And the one I really liked, 'You'll have your book up and running like clockwork in a couple of days' YESSSS! Not so fast. It's about three months since I started down this road. I must have really irritated the computer gods. Which doesn't surprise me. I don't speak their language for one thing and you cannot get along in a foreign country if you don't have a rudimentary grasp of the language. We know that. And forget 'RUDIMENTARY' in France. I you spoke it with the same fluency as Racine or Voltaire, or Napoleon for than matter - they still wouldn't understand you. However - I digress. What pray, is a hash tag? Smash Mouth (or is that a punk rock group?)Doesn't matter - no comprendez! So, I took my dilemma to a bunch of fellow writers who had gone this route, and got a variety of well-developed answers from well-developed writers who are as right-brained as I am - all of us trying to be techies! Not only did I get a variety of answers, we all had a variety of different computers which didn't agree with each other. What worked on one was smartly rejected by another. My poor computer which has served me faithfully in composing three books finely snapped under the strain. It's a snap! The mother board went up in a puff of smoke. Huge problem. So then I had to get the new computer up and running like clockwork. This isn't going to happen in a thousand years!! Whole new set of temprementalities embedded this baby. And last week it became so stressed out and infected with virus's and unmentionables, all of them according to my computer fixer, multiplying like rabbits - Trojans?? I thought they were supposed to stop that kind of thing ... but no - in computerville they spread the multiplying diseases like with an intensity never seen before. But as you can see, I'm using the new computer, typing very gently and speaking encouraging words to it as we go. I hope it learns my language very quickly so I'm doing everything I can not to aggravate it. Rainbow Rising is going through the proofing stage and if all proves to be well and not in violation of anyone's codes etc... I will be very happy to be able to present you with this new book - very soon. In the meantime, Miss Kitty has been under my bed for two days - a complete wreck. Her nerves are shot. More on that and the owls tomorrow. Happy March, everyone. I'll see you soon.

RAINBOW RISING

There's a new book on the block! Available today on Kindle and all its apps and be soon to be in printed book form Introducing with love, RAINBOW RISING! The True Story of Life Before Life, Life on Earth and the Afterlife.It's finally here. My first attempt at e-publishing was not without it's ups and downs, I can tell you, in fact the birth pangs were mighty, but here we are! Alive and well, a bonny, bouncing book I've filled with the adventures of a lifetime that come from the past, the present and way into the future. In Rainbow Rising, I've embarked on a journey of exploration looking for answers to the mysteries of living and dying, both for myself and for all of you. Where have we been, and where do we go from here? All last year, as I took my first book By Morning's Light from town to town, into the mountains and to the shore, I listened to your questions, and in the new book I have answered many of them, mostly through my own experiences. Travel with me, as step by step, we'll go on on a guided tour into the heart of ESP and follow the 6th Sense to its source to find out who we really are. The book is light, funny, serious, mystical and adventurous. Just the way a journey should be. A few of the characters you met in Morning's Light have popped in alongside many you haven't met yet. And the Spirits - Oh my! They popped in from the mountains of Colorado, the small towns of Virginia and the high plains of South Africa. They found me in the Zambezi River Valley, on the equator and in the beautiful Seychelles where I met the man who would introduce me to America and it's cache of spectacular ghosts. I love them all and I hope you do too. So be my guest. And if you enjoy the trip, please write a review for me at Amazon.com Have fun, always wonder, always be amazed. Believe.