As a teenager I coveted my sister’s silver necklace which housed the most unusual translucent blue stone.  It was a statement piece.  The stone was a beautifully turned piece of silica (ahem), glass, but to me was a large calling stone.  It totally sucked me in.  I had to touch it, to gaze at it.  It fascinated me.

My sister finally tired of it or more accurately, she tired of me asking to wear it and gave it to me.  You can imagine my joy.  In an unexplained moment of generosity she gave me this object of total affection.  It was treasure.

I wore this necklace every day and night.

When I was nineteen years old my boyfriend took me to a Celtics Game at the then named Boston Garden.  It was a vast place, an arena of space that made me feel unsafe with so much noise and people blowing air horns.  I would often reach my hand up to hold my touchstone suspended by a silver chain.  This simple gesture somehow centered my being.

When I returned home I went straight to my room and took off my coat, boots, etc.  My hand went to my neck to remove my necklace.  No necklace.  Panic quickly ensued and I literally micro-inspected every piece of clothing I had on.  I called my boyfriend and made him search his car.  I went outside with a flashlight and retraced my steps from the curb to the front stairs for a full hour.  I went back to my room and turned every article of clothing I had on inside out and checked it at least three times.  No necklace.  I was miserable.

It would appear to the casual reader, at this point of my story, that I was over-reacting.  While true things do get lost, this was not an ordinary necklace to me.  It was mine; my sister had generously given it to me.  It was an extension of what I found to be beautiful and a source of comfort.  And it was lost.

Climbing into bed, exhausted, the expected tears came and with it the thought, “I’m getting it back.”  I prayed to St. Anthony, “St. Anthony, St. Anthony please come around.  Something is lost and needs to be found.”   I prayed to St. Bernadette, whose name I adopted on my Holy Confirmation.  I prayed and cried until my eyes could no longer stay open.

The chirpiness of the birds the following morning coupled with the sunshine flowing through my bedroom window irritated me beyond belief.  I had lost my necklace.  I’d been careless, irresponsible.  As I lay in bed salvation hit me!  I would call the Garden and talk to the people in Lost & Found.  Yes!  I pulled my covers off and jumped out of bed.  Before I had time to comprehend what had happened I looked down.  My right foot had landed on my necklace chain.  My treasured necklace that my sister selflessly gave me was returned, where hours before my floor was bare.  Words are truly inadequate to accurately describe the feeling of gratitude and overwhelming awe I felt at that moment of discovery.

Now for all you skeptics out there, you need to know a little more about me.  I am the biggest skeptic on the planet.  I question everything.  I rip it apart.  I turn it upside down, inside out, and drop test it some more.  I questioned everyone in my home to eliminate any possibility of human intervention.  I knew in my heart that my necklace was clearly not on my bedroom floor when I crawled broken-hearted into my bed to pray.  Something not normal had occurred, something para-normal.

Since that time I have had material things given to me by manifestation or lost items returned no less than four times, all without the benefit of prayer.

Consider me an extremely grateful skeptic, with an unshakable belief that there are examples of manifestation in our life of unknown explanations.  I welcome and humbly thank the manifestations in my life.

Once we limit our mind to possibilities those opportunities narrow.

Tags: apports, manifestation, prayer, St. Anthony

I’ve added Readings Online to my site to help those who seek Spiritual direction to a question they may have about relationships, career or quirky little obstacles that seem to divert our life’s path to a dead end.

The Marseilles deck was my first exposure to Tarot in my early teens. I was dedicated to using the Tarot as a daily compass to point the way to self-awareness and tapping the Universal Mind.  With much enthusiasm I began to read Tarot for friends, and family.  Unwilling guinea pigssubjects indulged my persistence to hone developing intuitive skills.  Within a few years my skills accelerated to include clairaudient and clairsentient imagery.

In my early twenties I pioneered a twenty-week course, aptly titled Psychic Sense^TM, for Adult Education in the Weymouth Schools.  Requests soon followed to do private readings.  My client base began to grow quickly with people waiting a year for an appointment!  My readings focused on the Spiritual growth of a person and with help from my Guides I supplied dates, names and specific information with a high degree of accuracy.

My process is very straight-forward.  A client sends me their question and three numbers of their choice between one and seventy-eight.  I then meditate on the question and begin to receive intuitive information using the Tarot as additional input to provide the most accurate reading.

Readings Online affirms part of my destiny to teach via Spiritual guidance by offering confidential and secure e-mails.  AND you don’t have to leave the comfort of home! BONUS.

I am grateful and thankful for the questions I receive, for this cyber-interaction keeps us connected as we help each other through the maze of life.

Tags: career, intuition, life's path, psychic readings, relationships, spirit guides, Tarot, Weymouth

Smudging is a seasonal occurrence in my home.  The ceremony of smudging is found in all cultures.  Living in New England I acknowledge and honour those First Americans for this knowledge.

Smudging is the practice of using Sacred smoke to cleanse the energy of a person or place.

There has been much discussion as to what to burn to create the cleansing smoke.  Is it cedar, white sage, incense or sweet grass?  When I was younger I used a white sage stick.  As I learned more about this custom I was taught by a First American mentor to not use white sage as it is considered Sacred Medicine and not burnt.  So, it’s your choice: sage, cedar or sweet grass.  You can purchase smudge sticks or make them. 

Reasons to smudge:

To clear negative thoughts.

To clear that heavy, sad feeling in a home.

To clear energies that may be lurking after an argument.

To clear energies when you move into a new home/apartment.

To clear energies after a long sickness.

To elevate your energy and let the Light into your heart.

To remove feelings of remorse, jealousy or mourning.

To participate in a Sacred Rite to honour indigenous people and ancestors who came before us.

How to Smudge Your Home:

1. Unwrap the skinniest top and fan out the top of the braid then ignite. If using a cedar wand, ignite the shortest end.

2. I use a very large feather to fan the flames and ensure the smudge stick is burning. Once the flames subside there will be an abundant amount of smoke.

3. Start at the east direction of your home. (Don’t have a compass? Wherever the sun comes up is east!)

4. Let the smoke fill the most easterly corner of your home. Walk slowly in a clock-wise direction and smudge the windows, and the door openings. Proceed to the next room until all your rooms have been smudged. You should end up at the place you began.

If you have a top and bottom level to your home do those floors as well.

Hold a large non-flammable plate or abalone shell to catch any hot ashes as you move around your rooms will eliminate burn holes in your floor.

Warning:  you are dealing with open flames so use caution.  Watch out for curtains, and smoke-alarms.  You should be moving in a slow continuous motion so the smoke does not settle and hang in an area for too long.

How To Smudge An Aura:

Follow # 1 & 2 above.

3.  Hold the smudge stick away from the body, approximately 12″ and begin at the crown of the head.  Let the smoke travel down the front of the body and have the person lift one foot at a time to smudge under each foot.  Bring the smudge stick to the back of the body and travel the smoke up to the crown of the head.  Use your hand or a large feather to ensure the smoke has touched the body.  The person who is being smudged can use their hands to bring the smoke to their head area, heart and arms as well.

4.  To smudge your own energy simply light the stick or braid and set the smoking stick in an abalone shell or bowl.  Bring the bowl close to your heart.  Using your hands or a large feather fan, let the smoke cover the top of your head, shoulders, and all parts of your body that you can reach.

Tags: abalone shell, cleansing, First Americans, Indigenous, Native Americans, smudging, sweet grass

Harvesting herbal roots/rhizomes from your garden can be physically demanding but there is nothing like taking a long handled round point shovel, throwing your boot down on it and digging up a bunch of plants.  (I’m enjoying that image a little too much.)

A rhizome is a horizontal stem found under specific plants.  The roots and shoots grow off the rhizome.

Burdock, Angelica, Comfrey, Ginseng, Valerian, Licorice, Solomon’s Seal and Dandelion, to name a few common herbs, have active substances in their roots.  Research herbs you are digging, some herbs, like Echinacea only develop their active properties after the second and third crop.  Burdock, first year plants are preferred.  The time of the season that you choose to harvest needs your attention as well.  So Google-Up!

To extract those properties you have to: DIG, WASH, INSPECT, DRY, CUT, STORE, BOIL

Some rhizomes will require extracting active properties in alcohol.  I’ll be posting in the future under tinctures to explain the difference.

DIG

Remember to have a clean blade on your shovel.  Your garden tools must be disinfected; otherwise you run the risk of transferring viruses to your herb plants from previous diggings.

Dig wide and deep enough around the plant you are harvesting so you can bend down, place your hands under the roots and pull upward.  A great deal of soil will be attached to the roots.  Just shake off the excess soil, use your clean pruning shears to cut the roots away from the green plant growth.

WASH

Get the biggest bowl in your cabinet and fill it with tepid water.  Then submerge the roots in the water and leave for at least one hour.  Rinse several times and use your hands or a vegetable brush to remove any stubborn clinging soil.

Soaking Roots

Washing & Inspecting Roots

 INSPECT

Look at the roots and discard any ones that are eaten by insects, or obviously damaged by your garden spade.

DRY

Place your roots on a rack that allows air to circulate under them.  Drying roots can take more than 48 hours.  If you find a very thick root cut it in half to reduce the drying time. You can test dryness by squeezing one of the rhizomes.  If it feels dry, firm and moisture free you’re good.

Drying Roots

CUT

Once dry, use a sharp paring knife and cut the pieces into lengths of approximately ½ inch.

STORE

Place them in a sterile jar, cap and label it.  Check your jar on a daily basis for a week.  If moisture forms inside the jar then the roots were not dried properly and you have to remove them immediately and re-dry.  Mold can form quickly so actively check your work.  Store the jar in a cool place away from direct sunlight or heat sources. (Cabinet next to dishwasher,stove, etc.)

BOIL

You are now ready to enjoy the medicinal properties of your harvest.  Measure one ounce of dried herb and place in a pan with 1 ½ pints of cold water.  Let the pieces stand covered for one hour.   Heat slowly and allow it to boil for 20 to 30 minutes.  Amounts and boiling time may vary with different herbs.  The mixture should be strained while it is still hot.  Honey or red wine may be added.  Then drink.

Often I do not add anything to my decoctions and drink as is.  Burdock is especially bitter but I know it’s doing great things for my liver and consider the taste to be a small sacrifice for good health.  Dandelion is bitter as well, and a dram of honey seems to take the edge off the taste.  It may take a few tries to accustom your taste buds to the earthy taste of root decoctions but give it a few tries before you give it the boot.

Tags: decoction, herbal roots, rhizomes