Fall, a festive time of year

It's hard to believe that the fall of year is upon us and soon the beautiful colors of this season will decorate the landscape. Oh what a sweet time of year it is. The schools are having their home coming dances and celebrations, the harvest is taking place in the fields across the mid west and apple picking is on the agenda. Soon Halloween and the little tricksters will be out in their costumes collecting treats. As we start to settle into the darkness of this time of year we are reminded that we, like everything around us has it's time of rest. The leaves soon will begin to fall, with it comes and the preparation for the stillness of winter to take place. The time change to " fall back" will be on November 2, the first Sunday of the month. And of course we start planning for our Thanksgiving celebrations.

In light of all this slowing down, it's a very good time to think about meditation if you do not meditate on a daily basis, then maybe you could give it a try. This is a very good time of year, before the hustle and bustle of the holidays to enroll in a class or take the time to read about it. Meditation soothes the soul and relieves stress. It helps you to connect to your higher self and calm your nerves. The benefits of meditation are remarkable and a way for you to enjoy this slower time of the year, when you have time to find comfort and give thanks for all you have in your life, your life goes more smoothly.

till next time

Spiritual Unfoldment

I recently became a member of a ning group called "Spiritual Unfoldment", it's a community started on Beliefnet.com and has evolved into it's own entity. Wow, it's growing fast and the people meeting in this group are there for the purpose to open themselves to ways of reaching your higher self through meditation, yoga, angel communications etc. The members so far all seem to be well versed with just a few beginners but we all have one thing in common, and that is Spiritual growth. Pamela, the head of this group is a Reiki Healer and like others they all have a profound presence in the healing arts. If you are interested in such a group, I encourage you to join us. The lessons are in the beginning first three stages, so it would be very easy to catch up at this point. There is a link at the bottom of my page, feel free to drop in and take a look around. I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone who is interested. I leave you with that for now. . .
with love and light. . .
till next time, have a wonderful day

Encounters with Spirit, Watch and listen

Last Friday night as I was driving home from work at 3:20 am, I was thinking about the craft fair I needed to be ready for at 7am. With the time passing fast and much to do I was driving down the road I live on and my stomach just started to flip. I checked my mirrors to make sure I wasn't being pulled over by a police officer and watched the sides of the road very carefully as that sick feeling is usually a cop or deer in my pathway. As I came around the bend in the road by the apple orchard, I saw it come up onto the road, much to my surprise it was an albino doe. I had never, in my life seen one alive, let alone so close that I could touch it. As I slowed way down I saw the doe linger along the driveway to the orchard and stopped my truck to take a longer look at her. She stood so perfectly still and as I backed my truck up I was much surprised that she actually turned and came closer to me. I just sat and watched her as she stood there looking at me with such wonder in her eyes. Her curiosity of my appearance there was just too amazing. As I spoke to her she cocked her head as if she was listening to what I was saying to her. Her face lit up with curiosity of my conversation towards her, and as I was speaking to her she drew even closer to the side of the road. I was so filled with a mutual love and warmth that it seemed to fill and ingratiate the entire cab of my truck, now excited, I laughed out loud and she looked at me as if she understood my pleasure, then she turned and slowly walked until she disappeared into the cover of the trees. I was so filled with gratitude for this extraordinary encounter with one of the most elusive and magnificent creatures I have ever laid my eyes upon. Here now a week later, I still watch for her to reappear, but knowing I probably will never see her again. I thank God everyday for the beauty and the life that surrounds me here in this rural area of Wisconsin. I have seen many deer since then and I am quite certain that another encounter like that one is highly unlikely. I recorded this in my journal and wonder just what did this all mean. Did her pure white coat hold some significance? Did the unusual encounter mean something? Is it my total appreciation for the lives of these creatures that brings these things about in my life? I am certain it will take awhile before I fully understand what and why but I am filled with gratitude for the gift. I know there is no such thing as coincidence but what does this mean I wondered.
Well, by 7:30am we arrived at the grounds to set up for the craft fair. The day went very well financially and we thoroughly enjoyed a day filled with music, fun and laughter. Our artwork was so well received by this small community that they asked us to attend again next year as they loved our presentation and the primitive art that we supplied for their fair.
So just maybe the pure white does appearance in my life was a preempt to the awesome day I was about to experience. A blessing of sorts. Or was it an angel? I'll leave that for you to decide. I just had to share this with you.
until next time. . .

Intuitive Health

How old are you? Are you over 40 years old? Are you finding that your eyesight is not what it used to be? Do you know that some of this has to do with chakra balance? Do you understand that now, not as in your youth, you are not only changing physically but your perception of how you see yourself and the world around you is changing as well. In western medicine, you go to the eye Dr. who tells you there is nothing wrong with your eyes after they have run a battery of test. So you have no cataracts, no glaucoma or sty's. But you still have trouble seeing at night or when it's raining.
The New Memory Chapter by Dr. Mona Lisa Schultz explains all the changes we go through not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. She also has a book called The Intuitive Adviser, which explains how stress in our lives causes what seems to be physical problems.
Some of the herbs you can take to help you with disorders of the eyes are Antioxidants, grape seed extract, vitamins E, A, C. You see the older you get the less collagen your body produces, so your eyes start to dry out, the lenses start to cloud. These vitamins help your eyes to stay lubricated and free of free radicals that effect you eye sight.
In the mean time let's focus on a chakra clearing to balance the 7th chakra, The Crown chakra.
An opening of the Crown Chakra will bring a balance

• So, let us sit with our legs bent, feet comfortably crossed at the ankles, spine extended, shoulders down away from the ears, eye closed or downcast.
• Extend your arms to the side with fingertips touching the floor
• Inhale and raise both arms above your head. Bring the fingertips together above your head
• Turn the palms out as you exhale and lower your arms, bringing the fingertips back to the floor
• Repeat this motion in coordination with your breathing as you visualize white light, universal energy streaming from the crown of your head and surrounding your entire being
• Continue inhaling and exhaling, your arms up and down for at least three minuets.

Say to yourself "I am balanced between earth and heaven"

The benefits are that it increases the flow of oxygen throughout the body
Cleanses the blood and stimulates the nervous system and balances your glandular system
Tones abdominal muscles and strengthens the diaphragm
Helps balance and move energy throughout the body
and helps to strengthen the aura which connects you to the spiritual realm

I hope you enjoyed this short meditation and clearing of the Crown Chakra. Please take a look at Dr. Mona Lisa's web sight to learn more about helping your eye sight in her book, Intuitive Advisor. It's a true gem. You can reach Hay House here on my site and receive a 20% discount on item you purchase from them
Have a healthful day. . .

with love and light

Penny

A Day in the Country

Our first show of the season was a beautiful day. "A Day in the Country " was placed in the small town of Rochester, WI. just outside of Burlington and what a beautiful day it was. I just barely got the stuff out of the truck when a lady ran over to me and said "I want the Harvest Queens and a black Witchey Prairie dress", then while I was setting up I had another man, who owns a shop in Ohio, rush over and purchase 4 Witches prairie dresses, the whole day was filled with people coming into the tent, smelling the essential oils, remarking on how wonderful it all smells. Even those who did not purchase stood with a smile and sense of wonder on their faces as they gleamed at the works of art placed before them. Some not ready for the Halloween season as of yet, others ready to dig in, as the Fall equinox was just around the bend, were ready to jump in with both feet. The day was filled with laughter and a sense of the seasonal adjustment that was about to take place. There were antique dealers, soapers, crafters of all kinds, music of blue grass and country filled the air as the vintage and antique cars roamed the main street getting ready for the car show. All in all the day was remarkable and when the show was over I felt tired of course but filled with the beaming light of love and sentiment as I rolled out of town, thanking the universe for the wonderful people I met and how much this event enriched my life. The drive home was filled with the fall air and the beauty of the farming communities that I so love to be close to. A Day in the Country, in short, was a soulful day, filled with enjoyment and beautiful memories that I will carry with me through the winter and then some.

A Day filled with Balance

Today's full moon brought with it the endings I have been looking forward to and with it the brightness to look to the light of the future. The full harvest moon shown so bright in the night sky tonight giving way to a cleansing that I have not felt in a very long time. I'm sure most of my readers know that I am a Hypnotherapist. I know that my art and chakra meditations hold presence over the majority of the posts on my blog, but I would like to take you to a place of total relaxation. When someone practices meditation it is the same thing as being hypnotized. Except for the fact that it is self induced instead of being guided. You become totally relaxed, which in turn allows you to reach your higher self. The ultimate purpose of meditation. Some people think that they can not reach that higher state and so they become frustrated with themselves and give up trying to meditate. The whole trick to being able to meditate is to learn to relax. So I would like to take you through a relaxation and cleansing, so that you are able to meditate. Meditation has many benefits. Self healing, self esteem, visualisation practices, even manifesting your dreams. Without the ability to fully relax, one can not hope to change anything in their lives. We are composed of energy, and when we are able to slow ourselves down to a frequency compatible to a meditative state wonderful changes are within our reach. So let us start.
Sit in a quiet place free from TV, phones and the distractions of the world around you. Close your eyes and breath in deeply and slowly in through your nose to the count of five. Filling your entire diaphragm with air. Envision the air being of white light, filling your lungs and belly with cleansing white light. Hold it to the slow count of five and exhale through your mouth to a slow count of five. While exhaling, envision the air coming out of your mouth as gray air, watch all the toxins being released from your body as you exhale. Now, do it again. Breath in through your nose, seeing the white cleansing light filling your body with clean air to the count of five. Hold it to the slow count of five and exhale, seeing the gray toxins leaving you again to the count of five. Now while breathing in you are going to see the white light surrounding your feet and ankles, feel the tension leaving your feet and ankles as you exhale. Inhaling again seeing the white light rising to your calves and surrounding them with white healing light, you feel them relax and release all tensions as you exhale. Now inhale again, the white light is traveling up around your knees, releasing all the tensions, keep going, up to the thighs, feel the white light release all the tensions in your entire legs now. Fully relaxed. While taking in yet another deep healing breath feel the white light fill your abdomen, pelvic girdle all the way up to your torso, exhale and feel all the muscles relax and tingle. Keep going, breath in and fill your chest all the way to your shoulders and as you exhale, feel the relaxation throughout your entire body. Now your neck, arms, all the way to the tips of your fingers, feel the white light cleanse and relax all the muscles, relieving you of all the tension while you exhale. Now around your head, face, sinus passages, ears, throat, behind your eyes, your jaw and to the top of your head, taking in healing white light, feel all the pressures just fade away. Breath normal now enjoying the pleasure of this full relaxation, this healing gift from god and the universe. Allow yourself to feel grateful for all the wonderful things in your life, your health, the people you love, your ability to heal yourself, this gift of total relaxation. Stay focused on your breath so that your mind does not wander. Now is there something you seek answers to? Throw them out there and then quiet your mind again and listen.
I do this before I go to sleep at night. It helps me to relax from the days tensions and to give thanks for all the wonders in my life. When you practice this often enough, you will begin to find that you are able to bring yourself to this place with little effort any time you need to shut down for two to three minuets during a stressfull day. Pretty soon, you will be able to command your body to relax but it does take practice. It takes time to train your body to do anything so don't get discouraged if you don't get there right away. Keep working on it, you'll accomplish not only relaxation but a whole lot more once you are trained. Meditation can happen spontaneously with practice.
I'll leave you with this, work on it as the benefits far surpass the time it takes to learn to relax.
I hope your day was a wonderful as mine. Bliss to you

Fall Equinox, Time for a Grounding Meditation

Ahh, sweet fall, the harvest of grains and corn, pumpkins, squash and all the things we associate with this time of year. Soon we will experience the fall equinox which is a time of even balance between the light and dark. September 22, starts the fall season this year. Balance begins with grounding of the root chakra and represents our sense of security. Through the balance of this chakra, you will feel in tune with the earths balance, so lets start this season with allowing ourselves to become balanced with the earth and our surroundings along with our inner selves.
Grounding Meditation
Focus on the vibration of the Root Chakra, the sound of "O" (like- so) Chant this sound silently three times.

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, arms at your sides or extended out in front of you, palms down, eyes closed or down cast
• Inhale deeply
• Exhale and gently bend the knees a few inches. Inhale and straighten the knees
• Continue slowly bending and straightening your legs, feel yourself becoming more grounded. Surrender to the support of Mother Earth
• Continue for one to five minuets
• When complete, remain standing or sit comfortably if you prefer
  
• Close your eyes and focus on the following thoughts

I am grounded and balanced.
I am safe and secure
Benefits:

• Promotes grounding and a sense of profound physical connection to the earth
• calms and clears the mind
• slows respiration and heart rate

I hope you enjoy this meditation for grounding, I love to feel connected to Mother Earth with all the security and peace it brings me. Until next time. . .

The Full Harvest Moon , Fall Equinox and Mabon

Mabon is the time of the autumn equinox, when the harvest finally winds down. September’s full moon, the Harvest Moon,will fall on September 15th, early this year and has a special place in our agricultural history. Through most of the year, the moon rises each day about 50 minutes later than the day before. However, when the autumnal equinox approaches, the difference in rise times drops to about 25 to 30 minutes and even farther north, the difference is 10 to 15 minutes. As the Harvest Moon rises after sunset, this provides extra minutes of light each evening for farmers to work longer hours harvest their crops. Today, the Harvest Moon relates to the full moon which falls closest to the Fall equinox, which falls on Sept 22nd. With advanced farming techniques and electric lights, it is not as important because to farmers today as in the past. It may be more important to some for religious purposes. The Harvest Moon can land anywhere between September 8 and October 7. The Harvest Moon is no ordinary full moon; it behaves in a special way. Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. But near the autumnal equinox, the day-to-day difference in the local time of moonrise is only 30 minutes. The Moon will rise around sunset, and not long after sunset for the next few evenings. That comes in handy for northern farmers who are working long days to harvest their crops before autumn. The extra dose of lighting afforded by the full Moon closest to the equinox is what gives the Harvest Moon its name. In the southern hemisphere, this week's full Moon behaves in exactly the opposite way: there will be an extra long time between moon rises from one evening to the next. Try looking at the Moon when it's rising in the east. You might notice something funny: the low-hanging Moon looks very big. This is a trick of the eye known as the E.T. Harvest Moon.
A Time of Positive and Negative Energy Mabon is one of those times of year that affect people in different ways. For some, it's a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it's a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. No matter how you see it, Mabon is traditionally a time of balance. After all, it's one of the two times each year that has equal amounts of darkness and daytime. Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit "off". If you're feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life. Now that fall is here, why not do an autumn version of Spring Cleaning? Get rid of any emotional baggage you're dragging around with you. Accept that there are darker aspects to life, and embrace them, but don't let them rule you. Understand that a healthy life finds balance in all things. I decorate my home with colorful autumn leaves, acorns, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. I like to go outside for a bon-fire: But if your forced to stay inside you can always use candles, one white and one black which signifies the evenness of day and night. I light the candles and meditate on the following. .

Mabon Balancing Meditation

A balance of night and day, a balance of light and dark
Tonight I seek balance in my life as it is found in the Universe.
A black candle for darkness and pain and things I can eliminate from my life.
A white candle for the light, and for joy and all the abundance I wish to bring forth.
At Mabon, the time of the equinox,
there is harmony and balance in the Universe,
and so there shall be in my life.

Meditate on the things you wish to change. Focus on eliminating the bad, and strengthening the good around you. Put toxic relationships into the past, where they belong, and welcome new positive relationships into your life. Let your baggage go, and take heart in knowing that for every dark night of the soul, there will be a sunrise the next morning.

Today's Blessings

Today has been a true blessing in the world of a primitive crafter. I have received sooo many great crafting ideas, finished three great projects and the rain has been just so soothing. It has dampened the ground nicely and the pollen counts are way down in the area, which is just great for me. Me and Vicki went and did some ditch picking, and for those of you who would think this is picking up garbage in the ditches, it is not. Ditch picking is going into remote areas to pick wild flowers, moss, leaves, acorns, flower pods and anything we can use for our primitive crafts. After filling up the car and trunk with treasures we headed home to strip them and hang them to dry so now we have some really awesome drieds to use in our fall and winter creations. Primitive folk art is such a fun craft. Ideas flow sometimes, at a rate that it is nearly impossible to take all the notes and draw all the pictures to keep up with the suggestions that the universe throws out there. It's quite a challenge to put it all together and have it come out like you imagined it. Sometimes it is even better than you thought it would be and that is always a bonus. Other times it totally turns into something else which in turn is quite the surprise. I have much to be grateful for in my world. It brings such peace to know that all is well in the world of crafting through spirit. I love my life and all the opportunities set before me as an artist. Being filled with gratitude and in love with life is so wonderful that I wish it for everyone. May you be blessed. . .
In my next few posts I will be going back to the subject of meditation, clearing of chakras and healing energies through meditation. With the harvest season just around the corner with the next full moon on the 18th, we will slowly start our fall reduction of activity and a really good time to evaluate ourselves in our journey. Until then. . . bliss to you