True power doesn’t need money.
Holiday Anxiety?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Although we’re serenaded this festive message through various types of speaker systems everywhere we go in our holly-jolly matrix (hahaha, hohoho) at the moment, we might not be feeling it.
Holiday anxiety is definitely a thing, and it can sneak up and get the better of us when we least expect it.
Here are a few reasons we may be feeling anxious:
Lack of money
I don’t know about you, but I’m a giver at heart, and there’s nothing I love more than being able to shower the people I love with gifts this time of year. When I’m not in financial position to do this, I tend to turn to crafting handmade gifts, but then I feel like “how many beaded bracelets and necklaces can my loved ones stand?” Of course, they say they love everything I make, but, I create my own anxiety by thinking it’s not enough, or that maybe they secretly don’t like what I’ve made them, and then I start wishing I had money to buy them a gift or gift card so they could get something they actually need/want. This is all consumerism conditioning, of course, and I am fully aware of it, BUT… when my MegaMillions numbers gonna come in, yo???!!!
Family feuds
Trust me, I’ve spent a lot of holidays with many different families because of this very issue with my own family. What I’ve observed is that no family is perfect or immune from holiday drama. There’s always an elephant or two in the living room at every holiday family gathering. Whether we are part of the problem or not – and especially if we’re empaths – it’s always awkward, isn’t it?
Missing loved ones
The holidays are never the same when we lose someone – whether it’s a grandparent, parent, sibling, child, spouse/partner or best friend, this is the time of year that we feel their absence the strongest and the hardest.
Break ups/divorce
Speaking of awkward, divorced parents of young children may feel a great deal of anxiety when it comes to “who gets the kids for the holidays?”
And then there’s always showing up to the holiday parties and gatherings minus your previous “plus 1” and dealing with questions from those who fell out of the who’s-with-who loop.
Whatever the case may be for you, it’s always an uneasy conversation, especially if the wounds are still fresh.
Entertaining or playing host/hostess
Oh, the planning! SO much work goes into hosting a party or family gathering for the holidays, and, even though there are some of us who absolutely LOVE to do this as a gift to our friends and loved ones, there is still a bit of anxiety that comes with fulfilling the host/hostess shoes. At our house, a ton of energy is put into deep cleaning (we have four dogs, a cat and an eight-year-old) then decorating, and then spot cleaning daily until the event; menu planning; shopping for food and gifts; food prep/baking; gift wrapping; and activity planning.
Sprinkle in the concerns regarding food allergies and who’s allergic to what and who might drink too much and, as a result, say too much… you get it, I’m sure.
And, of course, after all that work and energy, after everyone leaves, a ton more energy is spent on cleanup efforts. Sometimes just thinking about all of it is enough to prompt us to treat ourselves to a tropical getaway instead!
Feelings of judgment or inadequacy
Expectations! Everyone has them, but close family and friends always seem to have those “when you gonna” questions that put you on the spot at these holiday festivities and make you feel as if you’re not quite living up to their expectations.
Some of my personal favorites (not!) from my past:
- When are you going to get married?
- When are you going to have children?
- When are you going to publish your book?
- When are you going to get a “real” job?
Who can relate?
And then there are those family members who don’t bother asking questions and just start teasing/poking or criticizing your very existence.
All of this is enough to spike your anxiety through the roof to the point where you just want to pull the covers over your head and stay home and drown in your own “cup of cheer.”
Inappropriate conversations
There’s always someone who thinks these holiday gatherings are the prime time to discuss religion or politics, and they are almost ALWAYS contradictory to what you believe, making you want to blast Silent Night at top volume (not for religious purposes, of course, but simply to provide a cinder-block hint to the perpetrator to STFU).
Personally, I have witnessed other awkward and embarrassing inappropriate holiday conversations that have included sexually explicit topics and racial slurs/jokes that have made me cringe and wish I had booked that flight for the Bahamas. So much for “peace and joy,” am I right?
I’m sure there are dozens more reasons your holiday anxiety could be at an all-time-high this year. These are just some of the most common that I have experienced or observed myself.
The question is, with all this holiday anxiety, how CAN we find peace and joy?
Perhaps it begins with understanding the soul contracts and energetic dynamics between you and specific members of your family and learning from your personal Akashic Team what steps you can take to heal the issues that may be keeping you from interacting with or feeling love and compassion.
Or maybe a message from a loved one who has transitioned back to source energy will help you feel more peace this holiday season.
If it’s financial holiday anxiety that’s got you down, you may want to ask how you can attract more abundance and prosperity into your life, OR receive an outlook on your wealth front for 2020. It’s not to early to look ahead at what the New Year has to offer so that you can begin planning and manifesting the life you truly want for yourself.
There are tons of other questions you can also ask your Akashic Team to help yourself achieve the inner peace your deserve this holiday season; these are just examples.
My message to you is that I can totally relate on a personal level, and, on a spiritual and empathic level, I am here for you! Treat yourself or a loved one to an Akashic Reading.
My schedule is wide open this holiday season, so let’s book a reading today and get you back on your spiritual track!
Today’s ikigai message
Ever meditate and don’t realize you’re meditating? That’s because meditation happens when you’re in the now moment, focusing only on what’s in front of you, and this is often when the most meaningful messages manifest!
Usually when I drink my morning cup of tea, I “catch up” on the internet. You know, check email, reply if I need to, check my daily schedule, etc. But today I decided to “unplug” and sit at my dining room table and cut words out of magazines while I drank my tea. Why? Well, I like to make cards for friends and scrapbook a bit now and then. I found a bunch of fun and interesting font types in back issues of GQ over the weekend, so I stacked them on my dining room table and told myself I’d get to it later. So, here it is… later… or “right now,” actually, and I felt like it, so I dove in and began snipping words.
I found the “Ordinary people can make a difference” about midway through the magazine, and I liked it a lot, so I set it aside. Then, on the very next page, BOOM… “Take the lead” appeared, and I knew this was a message from my peeps, because they have told me this a few times, in different ways. Plus it had that “BOOM” feeling attached to it, so I just knew… and I trusted.
My favorite message from my Akash came a few months ago when I was worried I had done the wrong thing by walking away from a 10-month corporate contract and mucho money. They said: “You’re not one of them.” And then, when I argued that I needed the money (who doesn’t, right?) they said: “You need to be in a leadership role.”
So, admittedly, there are times when I want to blog about a spiritual subject and I wrestle with the idea that people are just going to argue or leave snarky comments or whatever, and I hear them say: “Lead.”
Today, however, when I cut out the “Take the lead” phrase and set it aside with the “Ordinary people can make a difference” quote, I realized that they were definitely meant to go together, and that it was definitely meant for ALL of us who question our own authority, expertise or abilities, even.
So this word-cutting session turned into more than I planned for today… a little bit of crafting, a little bit of crystal gridding, and one awesome meditative ikigai moment that I realized isn’t just a message for me, but a message for all of us.
I hope that this message resonates as strongly with you as it did with me, and I hope you realize that you DO have the power to make a difference — in your own life, someone else’s life, or many lives — and that it’s time to take the lead!
How to program your pendulum
So you’ve done it! You’ve taken the plunge into self-trust and acquired yourself a pendulum. Awesome! Pendulums, when programmed and used correctly, can help you learn to trust your intuition.
I’ve met some people who say they cannot get a pendulum to move for them, and that is simply because there is too much fear energy that is blocking the trust that is necessary to receive guidance from the higher, wiser self. It could also mean that the pendulum has not yet been programmed and doesn’t know what direction to flow to answer those important questions. In that case, here are some steps to follow.
Cleanse and clear your pendulum
Your first step in procuring a pendulum is to clear it of all previous programming and energies. There are many different methods to clearing energies from crystals and pendulums. My favorite go-to is to place my pendulum or crystals on a bed of Citrine crystals, as shown in the above photo. Citrine is a meticulous cleanser. I also keep my pendulum in a black drawstring pouch with a Citrine point to keep it clean between uses.
If you don’t have a Citrine point or bed, you can simply hold the pendulum or crystal in your dominant hand (the one you use to write with) and say, “I clear you of all previous energies and programming,” and then blow on it. I usually give it three powerful gusts of my personal wind before I’m satisfied.
Program your pendulum
When it comes to programming your pendulum, you definitely want to state your intentions, and you also want to make sure you are in charge of where the information is coming from, so it is important to clarify this in your programming ritual.
Hold the pendulum in your dominant hand and say:
“Pendulum, I dedicate you to the greatest and highest good. I program you to only share absolute truth from my highest self.”
Of course, you can add whatever else you want to your programming intentions.
Giving your pendulum direction is always advisable.
Some people will ask their pendulum to show them a yes answer, then a no, allowing the pendulum to decide, but I personally feel this is offering a divination tool too much control and that doing so invites tomfoolery. Remember, YOU are in control, so it is up to YOU to decide which way your pendulum swings to indicate a yes or no answer.
For me, a yes answer swings toward my chest and away. A no answer swings sideways, from shoulder to shoulder. The “generating an answer” motion is always circular.
There is also possibility for strong and weak “maybes,” and this can be helpful when there are too many variables around an answer to get a solid yes or no. For me, a maybe answer swings diagonally. A strong maybe, or “maybe, leaning toward yes” swings diagonally toward my right shoulder and away. A weak maybe (leaning toward no) swings diagonally toward my left shoulder and away.
You can program your pendulum to swing whatever directions you choose for your answers. Simply hold your pendulum and swing it the direction you choose for a yes answer and say, “This direction indicates a YES answer.” Do the same with your chosen “no” direction, stating, “This direction indicates a NO answer.” Repeat the same with your maybe answers if you choose to include them.
Dowse for answers
Once your programming is complete, you are ready to begin dowsing for answers. This is where you’re going to switch hands. Your dominant hand is for sending energy and programming crystals and divination tools. Your nondominant hand is for receiving energy and information.
Hold your programmed pendulum with your nondominant hand and start with simple questions for which you already know the answers to get your pendulum moving. If you’ve never done this before, it may take your breath away the first time it moves for you. Been there.
Remember, this is NOT weird. Humans have been dowsing for centuries, and, if your pendulum moves for you right away, you’ve most likely done it before in another (or several other) lifetime(s). That being said, try to keep your breathing calm and steady, and relax your arm and hand and body as much as possible. Keep your pendulum aligned with your heart chakra.
Some dowsing experts advise to hold your dominant hand underneath the pendulum while dowsing. Others say dowsing over a Red Jasper gemstone will give you more accuracy. I say do whatever feels right and works best for you, but truth does come from your heart, not your lower solar plexus chakra, so definitely keep your pendulum aligned with your heart!
Precautions
If you notice erratic swinging, jerkiness or abnormally fast responses from your pendulum, there may be some interference from tricksters. The answers will also seem inconsistent, and you may feel heaviness or dense swirling above your crown chakra. This is where you want to call on assistance from your preferred protectors to help clear the energy and cleanse your pendulum before continuing.
Don’t allow this type of energy to intimidate you. I’ve been dowsing since 2008, and I cannot tell you how many times my crystal pendulums have broken, cracked or shattered. This is why I now use a sterling silver pendulum, but I have found it mysteriously disconnected from its chain several times since I started using it in 2009. What can I say? Tricksters gonna trick!
If you choose a crystal point pendulum, it will be super important to cleanse it after every dowsing session, especially if it is a darker crystal, such as Amethyst.
You may also find it helpful to build a protective shield around you, ask for protection, or hold or surround yourself with protective light or crystals when you dowse.
Personally, I access the Akashic Records before I dowse. This moves me into the higher frequencies of the protective energies of the sixth dimension – the dimension of innocence and truth. I have experienced far more accuracy since I began doing this
in 2010.
Tips for questions
You will notice it is easier to receive answers for questions that are not emotionally charged. If there is strong ego or emotional attachment driving the questions, it is best to hold off asking until feelings are less intense.
Yes/no questions can sometimes be vague, so if you find you are receiving inaccurate answers, this is an indicator that you need to get more specific or rephrase your questions. This is why I often ask a question three different ways before I am satisfied with an answer — especially for clients.
I have found the greatest inconsistencies when the word “will” is used in the phrasing of questions, so be conscious of this particular word and how you are using it, and let me know if you run into similar issues of inconsistency.