tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50544720889617238302024-03-13T19:56:10.391-07:00Skye AlexanderSkye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-46245837413520586792020-08-02T09:48:00.000-07:002020-08-02T09:48:03.581-07:00Best Drinks for Your Zodiac Sign<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<o:p> </o:p>Aries: Bloody Mary</div>
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The spicy Bloody Mary echoes Aries’ spicy temperament––there’s nothing timid about either. The “red” planet, Mars, rules this zodiac sign, and astrologers also connect it with the blood. Aries folks are known for being independent, which ties in with the Bloody Mary’s origins. Legend says the cocktail was introduced in Paris in 1921, inspired by the sentiments of Russians after the Revolution and American bartenders who rejected Prohibition.</div>
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Taurus: Margarita<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tauruses know how to relax and enjoy a hot summer day at the beach or a lazy afternoon by the pool. They can be a bit indulgent, too––the words of Jimmy Buffet’s song “Margaritaville” may ring true for some of you folks. Like the laid-back, good-natured Taurus personality, this smooth, sweet cocktail is easy to enjoy. Try it made with strawberries, peaches, or watermelon as a change from the traditional lime juice base (but don’t substitute wine for tequila, it’s not the real deal). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Gemini: Wine Spritzer<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like Gemini people, wine spritzers are light, playful, and effervescent. Originally designed to reduce the alcohol content in a glass of rich Italian wine by diluting it, a wine spritzer reminds us of Gemini’s personality––never too heavy or intense. A basic wine spritzer is made with red or white wine and sparkling water or club soda. But you can personalize it to suit your palate with citrus-flavored soda, sliced orange or lime, fresh mint, or lemon zest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Cancer: Piña Colada<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cancer is the sign astrologers associate with the home and hospitality. In New England, the pineapple is considered a sign of welcome. During the clipper ship era, sea captains displayed images of this tropical fruit to announce seafarers’ safe return and to invite neighbors to visit their homes to hear tales of the sailors’ adventures. This creamy concoction that includes coconut milk and rum is an ideal drink to serve to Cancers and their guests.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leo: Mint Julep<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leos love drama, and perhaps no American drink comes with more color than the mint julep. Think of sitting on a wide veranda on a hot summer night, wearing a white linen suit, listening to jazz, and sipping Kentucky bourbon laced with fresh mint. Supposedly, Hemingway once hurled a glass of the drink against a Paris tavern wall because it wasn’t up to his high standards. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about the cocktail in <i>The Great Gatsby. </i>In 1983, it became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. But it didn’t originate in the US. Many centuries ago Arabs drank it with rose petals, called it <i>julab, </i>and believed it would improve their lives. Perhaps it did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Virgo: Cape Codder<o:p></o:p></div>
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The pretty red Cape Codder is a good choice for health-conscious Virgos because its primary ingredient is cranberry juice. Cranberry juice contains flavonoids that help prevent heart disease and provide a number of other health benefits. Add a slice of lime to increase the amount of vitamin C you get from this refreshing summer drink. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Libra: Gin-and-Tonic<o:p></o:p></div>
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This summertime favorite is as classy as Libra people. Cool and clean, with the perfect balance of crispness and sweetness, gin-and-tonic dates back to the 16<sup>th</sup> century. Originally it contained quinine, which helped cure malaria. It later became known as the “drink of gentlemen,” and still retains an aura of refinement and sophistication––like Libras. If you’re accustomed to drinking it with a twist of lemon or lime, try cucumber instead for a cool change of pace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Scorpio: Hurricane<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of all the zodiac signs, Scorpio is considered the most passionate and intense. This heady cocktail blends light and dark rum, along with the syrup of the passion fruit, and exhibits the sort of vibrancy we associate with Scorpio. Astrologers also link Scorpio with the underworld and secrets. According to legend, the drink originated with Pat O’Brien at his New Orleans speakeasy where “hurricane” was a Prohibition-era code word used to gain access. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sagittarius: Sangria<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hailing from Spain and Portugal, sangria is a flavorful punch traditionally made with red wine (Rioja is a favorite) and orange juice, with fresh fruit, such as peaches, pears, cherries, pineapple, or berries, floating on top. You can add your favorite liqueur, club soda, or ginger ale to the mix––pretty much whatever you want. Like Sagittarian people, free-wheeling sangria invites you to experiment, expand your horizons, and have fun––that may be why this festive drink plays a role at many celebrations on the Iberian peninsula.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Capricorn: Martini<o:p></o:p></div>
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This classic begs to be enjoyed while wearing a tuxedo or evening gown, a la Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Like Capricorns, a good martini is strong, straight-forward, and kick ass. All alcohol. No club soda, no fruity mixers to muddle things. The drink stands on its own, with maybe a twist or an olive, but that’s it. Fans of old James Bond movies will recall this was .007’s favorite drink: shaken, not stirred.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aquarius: Frozen Daiquiri<o:p></o:p></div>
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Although Aquarians are friendly people, they can tend to be rather aloof and cool, intellectual rather than emotional, and at times bitingly forthright. Therefore, I link this zodiac sign with frozen beverages, particularly the frozen daiquiri that masks its alcoholic bite with fruity flavors. The classic daiquiri combines rum and lime juice and is characteristically tangy––just like the Aquarian personality. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Pisces: Mojito <o:p></o:p></div>
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This popular Cuban drink, traditionally made from white rum, lime juice, soda water, sugar, and fresh mint, is light, sweet, and refreshing––characteristics exhibited by many Pisceans. You may want to blend in other types of fruit though, such as blood orange, mango, or pineapple for variety––use your imagination. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-25123029468053338662016-07-23T14:57:00.001-07:002016-07-23T14:57:07.945-07:00The Witching Hour<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Recently I discovered that more than 30,000 people had viewed this post from years ago on my blog The 3:15 Club, so I decided to repost it here.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to an old Pagan belief, the time between midnight
and 3:00 <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A.M</span>.
on the night of the full moon is the “Witching Hour.” During this period, the
veil between the spirit world and earth supposedly thins, allowing entities
from other realms to visit us humans.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Some Christians call 3:00 <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A.M</span>. the “Devil’s Hour.” Based on the idea
that Jesus died at 3:00 <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">P.M</span>.,
this theory proposes that the opposite point on the clock belongs to the dark
side, i.e., demonic forces whose power is strongest at this time.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visitations from the Other Side </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Regardless of whether you subscribe to either of these
concepts, you may experience unusual or inexplicable occurrences between three
and four in the morning. Many people report hearing sounds or smelling aromas
that have no discernable source. Others say they sense the presence of
nonphysical beings––angels, spirit guides, deceased loved ones––when they wake
during this eerie hour. One summer night several years ago, when my sister
slipped into a coma unexpectedly, I awoke to the tinkling of tiny bells and the
scent of her perfume. She died a few days later.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">According to the National Sleep Foundation, “adults’
strongest sleep drive generally occurs between 2:00 and 4:00 am.” Researchers
suggest that we reach the deepest levels of sleep between 3:00 and 4:00 <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A.M</span>., and that the
most vivid dreams of the night are likely to occur at this time. During this
stage, our awareness may expand beyond the normal range, enabling us to
perceive other levels of reality––and entities who inhabit those realms. If
we’re fearful, or conditioned to believe that evil lurks in the shadows, we
might interpret our early morning experiences as demonic rather than
instructive. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Time for Introspection</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Yet many of us find ourselves wide awake at, say, 3:15 in
the morning. This is the time when I often do my best thinking. With nothing to
distract me, I can look more deeply at issues I’ve pushed aside during the
daytime’s busyness. In the still of the night, my subconscious finally feels
free to offer up insights I might otherwise block or reject, giving me a chance
to explore them at length.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">I must admit, though, I often feel alone and vulnerable in
the darkest hours of the night. Problems sometimes look scarier, bleaker, more
formidable and beyond my control. Perhaps that’s the real meaning of the
“Devil’s Hour”––when we come face to face with our own Shadows (as Jung called
the repressed part of the psyche), the personal demons that lurk in our inner
darkness.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do angels or demons visit you at night? Do you find the
early hours of the morning serene or sinister? I invite you to share your
thoughts and experiences.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-4794921085003532622016-07-10T10:46:00.002-07:002016-07-10T10:46:51.671-07:00Fascinating Fairies
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">What image comes to mind when you think about
fairies? Dainty female figures with gossamer wings, long flowing hair, and
gauzy dresses? Maybe waving magic wands or flinging sparkly pixie dust around?
Most likely they’re tiny enough to perch on flower petals, but regardless of
size these magical creatures are always dazzlingly gorgeous––and sometimes
sexy, in an ephemeral sort of way. Of course, they’re also sweet, fun-loving
beings, just the sort of playmates you’d like your kids to hang out with.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nice, but not
true––unless you’re in Disneyland, that is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_vdLq_9MqO0/V4KFPP11ejI/AAAAAAAAA-g/W9xIH7WyAUAt7CootNbRXNXtVo2bK85bwCLcB/s1600/tinkerbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_vdLq_9MqO0/V4KFPP11ejI/AAAAAAAAA-g/W9xIH7WyAUAt7CootNbRXNXtVo2bK85bwCLcB/s1600/tinkerbell.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until the last century or
so, fairies came in a wide assortment of sizes, shapes, and colors––with a
variety of temperaments to match. Yes indeed, some were exquisitely beautiful,
but others could star in your worst nightmare. And when it came to their
behavior, parental guidance was definitely advised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fairies,
Fairies Everywhere</span></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wherever you go on this planet you’ll hear fairy
tales of magical and mysterious beings, some no bigger than your hand and some
taller than the redwoods. They fly through the air, tunnel deep into the earth,
splash about in the seas, even flicker in candle flames. These awesome
creatures have played a prominent role in the lives and legends of mortals
since the beginning of time, and they still do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Although flying fairies dominate the scene today,
they didn’t really become popular until the Victorian era. Instead, early
legends in Europe, Britain, and Ireland tended to focus on these fairy folk:
pixies, elves, dwarfs, trolls, hags, leprechauns, goblins, and the sidhe. Other
cultures had their fairies too. The ancient Greeks, for instance, believed in all
sorts of nymphs who occupied the waterways. The Persians had their beautiful
peris. Deep in Russia’s immense forests woodland fairies called leshiye ruled
supreme; they could shapeshift to appear as tall as trees or as tiny as mice.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JHFSapK2-gc/V4KFeSn_drI/AAAAAAAAA-k/3lHFhLLE-hgKryALJmmTcX489Z2by8s_wCLcB/s1600/dancing%2Bfairies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JHFSapK2-gc/V4KFeSn_drI/AAAAAAAAA-k/3lHFhLLE-hgKryALJmmTcX489Z2by8s_wCLcB/s400/dancing%2Bfairies.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many
folklorists say fairies descended from ancient gods and goddesses. For
thousands of years, these deities had dominion over the earth, the heavens, and
all the inhabitants therein. They governed day and night, land and water, the
seasons, the growth of plants, wild and domestic animals—just about everything.
Basically, fairies can be grouped into two categories: those who guard and
guide the natural world, and those who deal with destiny and the fate of
humankind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Usually, fairies stay out of sight of humans, going about
their business without fanfare. But if you detour off the beaten track and into
the peaceful, unspoiled places on our planet, you may get lucky and enjoy a
close encounter with these nature spirits. Just be careful not to get too close
or to fall for their ruses—you might never come back from the fairy realm!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fairy Power</span></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Myths and legends tell us that fairies have an arsenal of
supernatural powers that they can use for good or ill—and mere mortals are no
match for them. Throughout history, friendly fairies have helped humans by
protecting crops and livestock, healing the sick and delivering babies,
granting wishes and bringing good luck. Angry spirits, on the other hand,
reportedly stir up storms, wither crops, conjure plagues, cast curses that last
for eternity, and turn humans into toads, stones, or worse. So obviously, you
want to stay in the fairies’ good graces.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTuSJs-Bz18/V4KGX_Fyn7I/AAAAAAAAA-s/W8uvCGg1cKsMy9eYB9o62IUlsxQXkroJACLcB/s1600/flower%2Bfairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTuSJs-Bz18/V4KGX_Fyn7I/AAAAAAAAA-s/W8uvCGg1cKsMy9eYB9o62IUlsxQXkroJACLcB/s320/flower%2Bfairy.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some characteristics
fairies possess:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fairies live practically forever––at least ten times as long as humans, maybe more.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 9px;"> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>Fairies are stronger than they look––Hawaiian
mythology tells of small spirits called the menehuene who supposedly created
amazing stone dams and walls on the island of Kauai, and Arabic myths say
fairies known as the jinn built the pyramids.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Fairies can foretell the future––“The Sight”
(clairvoyance) is natural to them.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Fairies can make themselves invisible––you’ll
only see a fairy if she wants you to.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[endif]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p>Friend or Foe?</span></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fairies don’t feel emotions the way humans do, nor do they
share our sense of ethics—although they have their own codes, which can be
quite rigid. At best, fairies could be considered amoral. Our ancestors sought
to understand the ways of the fey, in order to win the fairies’ favor and avoid
incurring their wrath. You might want to do the same, because although modern
media depict these spirits as pretty innocuous, they have a long tradition of
being anything but.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friendly Fairies:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Scottish brownies assist people with domestic
chores, cleaning the house, or plowing the fields after everyone else has gone
to bed.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Native American spirit animals guard and guide
humans.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>The Incan huacas protect crops and livestock.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Irish merrows are known for their gentle and
cheerful natures.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scary Fairies:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Goblins roam in packs, terrorizing humans and
ruining property.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>In Hindu mythology, cannibalistic rakshasas eat
holy men and cause leprosy.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>England’s spriggans steal children, rob homes,
and damage crops.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>India’s troublemaking mumiai torment people of
the lower castes by attacking them and destroying their belongings and gardens.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>The Russian rusalki charm human men, then drown
them.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Japanese tengu herald death and war.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many legends describe fairies as tricksters who like to tease and torment humans. Irish leprechauns are notorious for playing tricks on people, especially those who want to grab the fairies' gold. Pixie confuse travelers, causing them to veer off track and get lost. Britain's bogles sneak into people's houses and mess things up, make strange noises, and generally annoy the occupants.</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J685b6UMgG8/V4KIOjajGdI/AAAAAAAAA-8/1nqgusUxAZAXmqIIFm7-fB8WAIjDD4fpACLcB/s1600/goblin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J685b6UMgG8/V4KIOjajGdI/AAAAAAAAA-8/1nqgusUxAZAXmqIIFm7-fB8WAIjDD4fpACLcB/s1600/goblin.jpg" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Some fairies are known to steal humans’ belongings. It seems
they do this either for their own amusement or to get our attention, because if
you ask politely they usually give the objects back. So the next time you lose
your keys or glasses, ask the fairies to please return them.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to Win a Fairy’s
Favor or Avoid a Fairy’s Curse</span></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want to attract friendly fairies? Put
out food and drink for them. Many of them like milk, honey, wine, fruit, and
bread. Gifts of clothing, coins, and shiny trinkets also appeal to some
fairies. In return, they might offer you treasure or healing benefits. In the
Brothers Grimm’s story “The Three Little Men in the Wood,” fairies give a
little girl gold in exchange for a bit of bread. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You might try these things to win
their favor too:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Build a fairy house for them to live in.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Sing and dance, and invite the fairies to join
you.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Play a flute or ring wind chimes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Respect nature and animals.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Support causes that protect nature and wildlife.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Plant a garden (no pesticides, please).</span></li>
</ol>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KOyx47ctUF0/V4KIm4j3ozI/AAAAAAAAA_A/NEjckpGkgnAhvU5VeMxTGp9T_4nDZgTmACLcB/s1600/fairy%2Bcircle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KOyx47ctUF0/V4KIm4j3ozI/AAAAAAAAA_A/NEjckpGkgnAhvU5VeMxTGp9T_4nDZgTmACLcB/s320/fairy%2Bcircle.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not everyone wants fairies hanging around, however. If you’d
rather these unpredictable spirits kept their distance, you could try the
tactics our ancestors used:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Display iron objects.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Sprinkle salt around.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Hang up garlic.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Hang a rowan branch above your door.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Make loud noises.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Ring church bells.</span></li>
</ol>
<!--[endif]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably the best advice for dealing with fairies is to err on
the side of caution. Let them make the first move. Be courteous, but not
solicitous. Don’t invite them into your life or try to insert yourself into
theirs. If you meet a fairy or if one gives you a gift, keep that secret
between you and the fairy. If fairies want to stop by at midnight and wash your
dishes or muck out the stables, fine. But if they invite you to dinner or offer
to babysit your kids, beware.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Excerpted from my my book <i>Fairies: The Myths, Legends, & Lore</i>)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-3744126847776967212016-06-02T13:08:00.000-07:002016-06-02T13:08:29.489-07:00Why We Love Unicorns<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">“Of all the
legendary animals of art, folklore and literature, the Unicorn is the one with
the greatest hold on our imaginations.” </span>–– Nancy Hathaway, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Unicorn</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strong yet gentle, innocent yet wise, beautiful
beyond imagination, unicorns have fascinated us since the dawn of time. Prehistoric
artists painted them on cave walls 15,000 years ago. Alexander the Great
claimed to have ridden one. England’s Queen Elizabeth I owned two of their
horns, worth about $20 million in today’s money. What is it about these
mysterious and magical creatures that continues to captivate people around the
world, even after all these years?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hf0hvEsl9nw/V1CPPIlwIXI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/k195__p3LCUTLibDpizdxYHzPDX-yl7aQCLcB/s1600/unicorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hf0hvEsl9nw/V1CPPIlwIXI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/k195__p3LCUTLibDpizdxYHzPDX-yl7aQCLcB/s320/unicorn.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The
Unicorn’s Mystique</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">We’ve always admired unicorns’ power and majesty.
These awe-inspiring creatures might lay their heads in the laps of young ladies
and allow children to pat them, yet they retain their properties of strength,
intelligence, intuition, and independence. No human can trap a unicorn unless
the beast allows it to happen. Its wildness and freedom are part of what
entices us; we may be just a bit envious of the unicorn’s ability to exist
beyond the limitations of our humdrum, everyday world.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unicorns represent peace and harmony and a compassionate
way of living. They teach us that those who possess true power,
self-confidence, and wisdom tread gently in the world and care for the innocent
and vulnerable. If necessary, unicorns will defend themselves and their kind––but
they never do so unless they’re attacked first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nor do unicorns stoop to lies, chicanery, or
stupidity. Instead, they possess the traits of all great heroes: honesty,
devotion, respect, inner strength, wisdom, and courage. They can’t be bought or
manipulated. What’s more, they go about their business with genuine modesty,
even though they know that they are the most exquisite creatures ever to set
foot on Planet Earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short, they give us hope. If we let them,
they’ll guide us toward a more enlightened existence. What’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>to love?</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Genesis of the Unicorn</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">One creation
tale, recounted in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">De Historia et
Veritate Unicornis</i>, says that the unicorn descended to earth on a cloud.
The first-born creature, he was called Asallam. His role was that of the
light-bearer and guide, the one who would drive away darkness from the face of
the earth, for his horn itself was a beacon formed of spiraling light. With
that laser-like horn he speared a rock and brought forth life-giving water to
produce the most magnificent garden ever known.</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Soon after,
the Holy One breathed man into the garden. The unicorn was the first animal the
man beheld. At first sight, the unicorn loved the man and knelt before him––and
from that day forth, Fate has bound the two beings together for eternity.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Unicorn’s Magical Horn</span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Undoubtedly its most distinctive feature, the
unicorn’s horn is also its most magical. The spiral shape symbolizes the
spiraling pattern of life energy, what yogis refer to as the kundalini.
Spiritually, the spiral signifies movement from the secret depths of your
center outward into the world at large and back again. It also suggests the
soul’s movement from earthly existence upward toward the higher levels of
consciousness. We see the symbol echoed in Native American petroglyphs, Celtic
art, and Zen gardens.</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">The unicorn can plunge his long spiraled horn into
poisoned waters and cleanse them, so that all earth’s creatures can drink
safely and be nourished. His purity is so profound that it affects whatever he
touches––no taint or corruption or illness or evil can stand up to the
unicorn’s righteousness. Like the Christ (with whom Christian mythology links
the unicorn), the unicorn’s purity neutralizes the poisons that afflict the world.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the medieval period in Europe, as the
unicorn myth was gaining popularity among the aristocracy, so was poisoning as
a way to rid oneself of one’s enemies. <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">In
reaction to the widespread intrigue and murderousness of the times, the unicorn’s
horn became recognized as an antidote to evil. The royal classes––and anyone
else who could afford to do so––purchased cups supposedly made of unicorn horn,
which they believed would safeguard them against the omnipresent threat of
poisoning.</span> Most of the “unicorn” horns, however, were actually the
spiral-shaped tusks of <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">small Arctic whales
known as narwhals. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The noted seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas
Culpeper, in his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Complete Herbal, </i>recommended
using unicorn horn in cordials to promote health and healing. <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">As late as 1741, London’s apothecaries sold a </span>powdered
form of the horn to sprinkle in your drink for medicinal purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J03_GC2IWhA/V1CPqQJOYRI/AAAAAAAAA2U/tVauKlfNY7MSkbUd2WTASFxwL24KCqLlACLcB/s1600/narwhals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J03_GC2IWhA/V1CPqQJOYRI/AAAAAAAAA2U/tVauKlfNY7MSkbUd2WTASFxwL24KCqLlACLcB/s1600/narwhals.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Lady
and the Unicorn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to mythology, only a virgin can enchant
the unicorn. Medieval troubadours, Renaissance painters, and modern-day
novelists incorporated this theme into art and literature. Christianity even
chose the unicorn as a symbol for Christ and the virgin as his mother, Mary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">round the end
of the eleventh century or so, the unicorn became linked with the concept of <i>Amour
courtois </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">or courtly love. This
highly structured, formalized code of behavior stated that a male suitor must
worship and serve his lady––a woman who, by the way, was usually <i>not </i>his
wife. At the time, marriages among the royalty and nobility were arranged for
political reasons, and love rarely factored into these matches. Therefore, a
man’s passion and erotic love were diverted to another source: a lady of the
court whom he promised to honor, obey, and pledge himself. Such idealized
romances, however, weren’t supposed to be consummated, as the church considered
infidelity a mortal sin. Poets, musicians, and artists began linking the
courtly lover with the unicorn and his lady with the virgin to whom the beast
is drawn. </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A series of tapestries known as “The Unicorn
Tapestries” provide the most famous depictions of the myth. Believed to have
been woven in <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Bruges, Belgium</span>
between <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">1495 and 1505, they now hang in
the Cloisters of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art––a gift from John D.
Rockefeller Jr. in 1937. Some sources suggest that the tapestries were
originally commissioned to mark the wedding of Anne of Brittany to Louis XII,
the king of France. The seven ornate panels––twelve feet wide and up to
fourteen feet high––depict men hunting the unicorn, much as European
aristocrats might have hunted deer in real life, and contain allegorical
imagery from both pagan and Christian mythology.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGmpI1bmV_M/V1CPxJDpvQI/AAAAAAAAA2c/ImcD6pNtHfg3fn44uGs3wKI-TMO2LyvSQCLcB/s1600/unicorn%2Btapestry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGmpI1bmV_M/V1CPxJDpvQI/AAAAAAAAA2c/ImcD6pNtHfg3fn44uGs3wKI-TMO2LyvSQCLcB/s320/unicorn%2Btapestry.jpg" width="302" /></span></a></div>
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Denaturing the Unicorn</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, however, the unicorn has been stripped of
its wild, independent, and sometimes fierce nature. Its form has become
cutsified, so that it looks like a darling little horse with big eyes and a
colorful horn that couldn’t pierce butter. Its animalistic nature has
disappeared, along with the lion’s tail and goatish beard it sported in earlier
times. Although the unicorns of yesteryear were usually male, females seem to
have cornered today’s toy market (even though folklore tells us female unicorns
don’t have horns). In short, the unicorn has been tamed––not by legendary
virgins, but by the likes of Hasbro and Disney.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 1940 landmark animated film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fantasia</i> gave us the model for
modern-day unicorns. Disney’s adorable creatures frolic across the screen,
decked out in bright yellow horns and coats of pink, blue, and lavender. The
toy manufacturer Hasbro helped create a huge market for darling little unicorns
via its My Little Pony series, plush toys, games, play stations, TV shows, and
more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-84ekg47dHB8/V1CQAC1_HcI/AAAAAAAAA2g/D7Vs9xcRfP8Nhl9_5VrbLPd0pgDOPcjzACLcB/s1600/Disney%2Bunicorns.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-84ekg47dHB8/V1CQAC1_HcI/AAAAAAAAA2g/D7Vs9xcRfP8Nhl9_5VrbLPd0pgDOPcjzACLcB/s320/Disney%2Bunicorns.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet the mystical unicorn continues to be a most
enchanting and beloved entity in the minds of young and old alike. We still
love unicorns, and even though they no longer represent power and independence,
we value their purity, beauty, and gentleness. Little girls who may know
nothing of the old story of the virgin winning over the wild, freedom-loving
beast are still drawn to the unicorn, perhaps because, as Nina Shen Rastogi
proposed in an article for National Public Radio’s website, “I think for many
young girls, there’s a fantasy that someday you will be recognized as the
secretly beautiful, magical thing that you are. The unicorn will be attracted
to something ineffable about you, secret from the rest of the world.” And <span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">as Terry Brooks points out in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Black Unicorn</i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>“After all there has to be some belief in magic––however small––for
any world to survive.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adapted from Skye Alexander’s book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unicorns: The Myths, Legends, & Lore.</i>
Skye is the author of more than 30 fiction and nonfiction books, many on
metaphysical subjects. Visit her website <a href="http://www.skyealexander.com/">www.skyealexander.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-50931599513215712812016-03-28T11:10:00.000-07:002016-04-07T05:21:39.814-07:00Twin-Tailed Mermaids: Lusty Ladies of the Deep<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4zVGVDcB7jY/VvlyPuow2VI/AAAAAAAAAxE/1GlzlmRBu-8aw9ZNdU3W-du8qfwkEWkkg/s1600/waterhouse%2Bmermaid.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4zVGVDcB7jY/VvlyPuow2VI/AAAAAAAAAxE/1GlzlmRBu-8aw9ZNdU3W-du8qfwkEWkkg/s320/waterhouse%2Bmermaid.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What’s sexy about a
fishtail? The mermaid’s tail is one of her most obvious and intriguing symbols,
one that’s rich with implications. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Republic of Love</i>, Carol Shields describes it as “a sealed vessel enclosing
either sexual temptation or sexual virtue, or some paradoxical and potent
mixture of the two.” In fact, part of the mermaid’s appeal may be her sexual
unattainability—we always want what we can’t have. She’s the ultimate tease––a
gorgeous babe with the breasts of a Playboy bunny, the face of an angel, and
the long, flowing hair of a supermodel. But no man can consummate a
relationship with her because her tail prevents access to her “lady parts.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, the
mermaid’s tail didn’t always look the way it does now. She wasn’t always so constrained.
Medieval depictions of mermaids often showed them with two tails or a tail
split down the middle, suggesting that these aquatic beauties could take on
human lovers after all. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Dating back to
ancient times, dual-tailed mermaids turn up in the art and mythology of many
countries, and recall the old matriarchal belief systems that predated the patriarchal
religions of today.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qi063CuFa2s/VvlygV3kSYI/AAAAAAAAAxI/sahfAj9SVMsDEDTMjkH3rvFWvJpgEftwg/s1600/crowcombe%2Bchurch%2BSomerset%2Bmermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qi063CuFa2s/VvlygV3kSYI/AAAAAAAAAxI/sahfAj9SVMsDEDTMjkH3rvFWvJpgEftwg/s320/crowcombe%2Bchurch%2BSomerset%2Bmermaid.jpg" width="254" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The split-tailed siren is a cross between the
early Celtic fertility goddess Sheila-na-gig, who squats and suggestively shows
off her feminine secrets, and the more typical mermaid. This sexy seductress
blatantly separates her fishtail into two parts, revealing her genitalia</span>
as a symbol of feminine power and creativity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Starbucks’ Twin-Tailed Temptress<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in 1971, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">when Starbucks started selling coffee beans
in Seattle, Washington, </span>the company chose a mermaid for its logo<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.</span> That half-naked beauty was of the
two-tailed variety and she provocatively parted her tails, holding them up on
either side of her bare torso, enticing customers with her charms.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZe8SiMpgKU/VvlypCr1crI/AAAAAAAAAxM/aRodqod3d18yw5TFEM4DzrSbnxn-VWs9g/s1600/starbucks%2Bearly%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZe8SiMpgKU/VvlypCr1crI/AAAAAAAAAxM/aRodqod3d18yw5TFEM4DzrSbnxn-VWs9g/s1600/starbucks%2Bearly%2Blogo.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over time, Starbucks modified the mermaid to
make her less naughty. In 1987, logo designers covered up her breasts with her
long, wavy hair. When Starbucks became a publicly traded company in 1992, the
logo underwent yet another change, this time obscuring the mermaid’s lower body
so that only a hint of her split-tail remained in the stylized, sanitized
version. To commemorate its fortieth anniversary in 2011, Starbucks refined the
logo once again, eliminating the familiar lifesaver-like circle around the
mermaid.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sexy Spiritual Sirens<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite her blatant sexuality, the
two-tailed seductress decorates medieval churches and cathedrals throughout
Europe, the British Isles, and Ireland. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Often
rendered in wood, stone, or mosaic, she graces the </span>French churches Notre
Dame de Cunault, the Basilique St. Julien de Brioude, St. Pierre de la Bouisse,
and St. Pierre Bessuéjouls. She also turns up in Italian churches, including
San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, Pavia, Santa Croce in Parma, and Cattedrale di Santa
Maria Annunciata in Puglia. England, too, has twin-tailed mermaids in the
Church of St. George in Hertfordshire and Lancashire’s Cartmel Priory Church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mermaids of the
usual, single-tailed variety also appear in plenty of churches in Europe and
the British Isles. In times when most of the populace was illiterate, pictures
conveyed themes and taught morals to the pious. Christianity connected fish
with Jesus, the “fisher of men,” and with Christians in general. Mermaids symbolized
the sins of vanity and lust. When churchgoers saw mermaids swimming with
schools of fish on the walls of their chapels, they recognized it as a message
to avoid temptation that would lead them to fall into the treacherous mermaid’s
clutches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of
course, the church fathers played up stories of the mermaid’s penchant for bashing
sailors’ ships onto rocks during storms, drowning men who succumbed to her
wiles. Nevertheless, these sexy sirens served as artful adornments that may
have distracted or delighted many a bored parishioner over the centuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-B_b30mVDc/Vvly0a02pxI/AAAAAAAAAxU/FYqZhqJyKsYcPjuCJ_Jq-oMo0sDDYyTMg/s1600/220px-Bologna_%25E2%2580%2594_Fontana_del_Nettuno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-B_b30mVDc/Vvly0a02pxI/AAAAAAAAAxU/FYqZhqJyKsYcPjuCJ_Jq-oMo0sDDYyTMg/s320/220px-Bologna_%25E2%2580%2594_Fontana_del_Nettuno.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of
the most intriguing examples of double-tailed mermaid sculpture dominates the
Piazza Nettuno in Bologna, Italy. This erotic fountain features mermaids
suggestively spreading their tails while enticingly squeezing water from the
nipples of their shapely breasts. Commissioned to celebrate Pope Pius IV’s
election in 1559 and sculpted by artist Giambologna, the bronze Fontana di Nettuno—which
also depicts Neptune in all his naked glory—raised a good deal of controversy
when it was unveiled. But the Pope gave the fountain his blessing, saying, “For
Bologna it is alright.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nothing stays the same forever, and that goes for the
mermaid’s image as well. Today’s mermaids are fun-loving and friendly––lighthearted
playmates who delight little girls instead of driving men mad with desire. The blatantly
bawdy and awe-inspiring sirens of the past have been ousted. In the process,
the split-tailed seductress has vanished, her connection with the powerful, early
fertility goddesses erased by cocooning her lower body in a chaste, single
tail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mmjlK_BBrdY/VvlzXDc3c5I/AAAAAAAAAxg/59tQOX-sbywOdkIuYycOYU6XIYwexFo6Q/s1600/mermaids%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mmjlK_BBrdY/VvlzXDc3c5I/AAAAAAAAAxg/59tQOX-sbywOdkIuYycOYU6XIYwexFo6Q/s320/mermaids%2Bcover.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adapted from my book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mermaids: The Myths,
Legends, & Lore.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-12300446334424440722015-05-11T13:52:00.000-07:002016-03-28T10:08:43.159-07:00The Four Stages of Life<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’re accustomed to dividing our lives into stages based on chronology:
youth, maturity, and old age. But I’ve found it interesting to look at the stages
of life in another way: body, mind, heart, and soul. At various periods in
earthly existence, I’ve found that we focus our attention in one or another of
these areas and learn lessons accordingly. However, we’re not usually aware
that we’re doing this. Nor do we all progress through the same stages at the
same ages, or even consciously choose a particular one at a particular time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzkKdl6DFDQ/VVER3n1xIOI/AAAAAAAAAvk/861333c3aY0/s1600/nude%2Bwoman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzkKdl6DFDQ/VVER3n1xIOI/AAAAAAAAAvk/861333c3aY0/s200/nude%2Bwoman.jpeg" width="200" /></a><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some people focus on the body stage during childhood and the
teen years, as they grow rapidly, play sports, worry about how they look, explore
their sexuality, etc. During this stage, you learn through doing things that
engage or affect your body, and by testing your physical capabilities. Others
may go through the body stage as elders, when illnesses or infirmity challenge
them physically, and they must find new ways to cope with their bodies’ needs
or limitations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X--6kl9ME4M/VVESUuNpu3I/AAAAAAAAAvs/VCkkJ8uTF3w/s1600/mind.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X--6kl9ME4M/VVESUuNpu3I/AAAAAAAAAvs/VCkkJ8uTF3w/s200/mind.jpeg" width="200" /></a><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The mind stage often coincides with our school years, when
we learn many things rapidly. However, your mind stage could occur as you
advance in your career. You develop your mental capabilities through
interacting with colleagues and competitors, and strive to gain as much
knowledge as possible. Some people don’t enter the mind stage until late in
life, when they no long need to focus on financial and family responsibilities,
and finally have a chance to pursue a line of study or a special interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BtztsNzzs9I/VVETTwIn0oI/AAAAAAAAAwM/0H3cuPf0CQQ/s1600/red%2Bheart.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BtztsNzzs9I/VVETTwIn0oI/AAAAAAAAAwM/0H3cuPf0CQQ/s200/red%2Bheart.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like the other stages, the heart stage can occur at any time
in your chronological life. During this period, we learn by opening our hearts
to joy and pain. Some of us fall in love at an early age, and romantic
relationships are a priority. In our younger years, we often let our emotions
rule us––we’re guided by our hearts, not our minds. Others may not meet their
soul mates, or experience “true love” until middle age or later. It’s not
unusual for people to have second marriages that are more loving and fulfilling
than their first ones were. However, happiness isn’t necessarily the key
indicator of being in the heart stage. In fact, the heart stage is frequently
difficult, because the challenges you face affect you at such a deep emotional
level: the death of a mate, a painful divorce, caring for a loved one through
an illness, etc. In some cases, you learn the lessons of the heart stage
through a relationship with someone who pushes your emotional buttons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The soul stage can be the hardest one to recognize. Although
it’s common to turn to things of a spiritual nature toward the end of life, it
doesn’t always happen that way. Some of us go through a period of
soul-searching, of seeking meaning beyond the mundane, of looking for guidance
and wisdom outside the material world, when we’re quite young, perhaps as a
result of a life crisis. In some cases, meeting a person who awakens your
awareness of your connection with something greater or shepherds you along “the
path” can bring you into the soul stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The length of time you spend in each of the stages can vary
widely. One may last a year, another may continue for twenty years or more. Often
there’s some overlap, as you gradually transition from one stage to another,
although occasionally it’s like switching on a light. You may not experience
all four stages. It might be interesting to look back over your lifetime and
see if you recognize the periods when you were in one stage or another. How and
what did you learn at each stage? What people were in your life then and how
did you interact with them? How did you perceive the world and your role in it?
Where are you now?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-35299742657756250992014-10-12T16:04:00.000-07:002014-10-12T16:04:02.449-07:00Spirit Guides and Angels<br />
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In my book <i>Angels Among Us, </i>I mention a poll done by the <i>Washington Post </i>in 2008, in which 36,000 people of various faiths (or none) were asked if they believed angels actively participate in our lives. The majority answered yes. That same year, in a poll by Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion of 1,700 Americans, 55 percent reported that their angels had protected them from harm.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Many people think that when we die we become angels. But according
to Billy Graham’s website that’s incorrect––we become something greater. </span>The
Compelling Truth’s website says: "Humans are physical beings with a spiritual soul" whereas "<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Angels are spiritual beings . . . who can only
become physical if God ordains that their work requires it.”</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hvUczrKcW0/VDsDSgf1LpI/AAAAAAAAAuY/OSuCLIDANMI/s1600/multi-colored%2Borbs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hvUczrKcW0/VDsDSgf1LpI/AAAAAAAAAuY/OSuCLIDANMI/s1600/multi-colored%2Borbs.jpeg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As I understand it, we
won’t become angels, but we may evolve into spirit guides at some time. During
my visits to the spirit realm, I observed souls as colored orbs of brilliant
light. Their colors indicated their level of wisdom and experience (see my post
“What Color Is Your Soul?” for more). Blue and purple souls were the masters,
who guided beings on earth. These masters once existed as humans, but have now
reached an advanced level and no longer need incarnate––though they may, if
they choose. Less advanced souls––especially those from our own soul
groups––may also assist us throughout our earthly lives. (See my post “Soul
Groups in the Spirit World” for more.) I suspect that these entities are the
ones who watch out for us, and that we sometimes mistake them for angels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After my long-time
companion, Ron Conroy, left his physical form in 2013, I asked him about this. He replied, “When people ‘die’ they don’t become gods or
angels, they’re still themselves, just not physical.” He also explained that
our core natures remain the same after we leave our bodies––we’re still playful,
quiet, serious, adventurous, artistic, etc. Our fundamental purposes and interests
stay with us, too. (See my post “Soul Roles: What’s Your Life Purpose?” for more.)
Our egos fall away, however, leaving us “kinder and gentler” than we were as
humans.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Psychic and medium Francine Clausen, “The Angel Lady” of
Gloucester, Massachusetts, told me each of us has at least seven angels around us
all the time––and we can call upon more for assistance when we need it. I think
it’s possible that both spirit guides and guardian angels offer us protection
and aid. Furthermore, I think it’s likely that we knew some of these spirits on
earth––as I knew Ron for many years––but we may never have encountered some of
them in physical life. (Nature spirits, fairies, and other ethereal entities
also exist among us, but that’s a topic for another post. You can also read
more in my book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fairies: The Myths,
Legends, and Lore</i>.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NVRtZGa1HaI/VDsDse-QwRI/AAAAAAAAAug/B_DsUM0D1ko/s1600/humanlike%2Bangel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NVRtZGa1HaI/VDsDse-QwRI/AAAAAAAAAug/B_DsUM0D1ko/s1600/humanlike%2Bangel.jpeg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journey
of Souls</i>, Michael Newton, PhD writes, “Most of my subjects report the first
person they see in the spirit world is their personal guide.” Even if other
entities that the newly deceased person knew on earth are present, the
individual’s main spirit guide stands nearby, ready to escort the soul into the
spirit realm. This guide, it seems, remains with us throughout all our earthly
incarnations as well as during our time out of the body––teaching, protecting,
and steering us through life with great love and compassion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Children often speak of seeing their spirit guides,
although adults usually discount these claims, labeling the spirits “imaginary
friends” or “alter egos.” </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZFuRaFJRVo/VDsEHBw_s2I/AAAAAAAAAuo/jAxKI4XvbCw/s1600/ghosty%2Bbeings.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZFuRaFJRVo/VDsEHBw_s2I/AAAAAAAAAuo/jAxKI4XvbCw/s1600/ghosty%2Bbeings.jpeg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You may meet your spirit guides through meditation, trance states, dreams, hypnosis, moments of illness or trauma––they may even
appear to you during your everyday, waking life. People sometimes describe them
as light forms in the shape of a human being, as angels with wings, or as faint
ghostly images. Others see them as glowing orbs, as I did in my journeys to the
spirit realm. Even if you don’t actually see them, you may sense their
presence, perhaps as warmth or coolness, a slight breeze or movement, a tingling
sensation on your skin, or something else entirely. Once, while I was giving
Reiki to a woman, I felt her guide standing behind me, laying its hands over
mine to provide healing energy through me to the woman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Trust your
experiences, whether you see, hear, sense, smell, or otherwise become aware of
your spirit’s presence. If you keep an open your mind, you have a good chance
of making contact with your spirit guide and benefiting from what it has to
share with you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-20715721005779863882014-10-10T13:05:00.000-07:002014-10-10T13:05:24.794-07:00Do You Choose Your Death?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Matthew 24
warns that no one knows the day or hour of his death. But some spiritual
teachers and researchers who study reincarnation tell us that we choose our
lifetimes on earth as well as the conditions of our physical existences. We also
choose when and how we depart from earth, to return to our true home in the
spirit world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Although many of us fear and dread physical death, everything
I’ve witnessed and read indicates that we have nothing to worry about. People
who’ve had near-death experiences generally say the same thing. In fact, life
outside the human body seems to be a whole lot better than it is here on earth.
Brian L. Weiss, MD, in his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many
Lives, Many Masters</i>, writes, “ ‘To be in physical state is abnormal. When
you are in spiritual state, that is natural to you.’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re someone who can communicate with spirits in the nonphysical realm, you’ve likely heard them say that they’re happy where they
are now. In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journey of Souls</i>,
Michael Newton, PhD, reports that clients he has regressed through their prior
deaths usually say something like: “ ‘Oh, wonderful, I’m home in this beautiful
place again’ ” or “ ‘I’m relieved to be away from Earth.’ ” My long-time
partner, Ron Conroy, who left his body in 2013, tells me often how much happier
and more peaceful he is now. “What we call the ‘other world’ is the real one,”
he explains, “earth is an illusion.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Some might interpret this as a reason for suicide, even
though some religions insist that suicide is a sin. As I understand it,
however, our teachers, guides, and spirits don’t judge or punish us––they
welcome everyone, including suicides, back home. But people who decide to end
their physical lives early will still have to complete the lessons they skipped
out on, during another earthly incarnation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After his physical death, Ron told me that even if we go
quickly (as he did, from a stroke) we’ve actually made the decision much
earlier. “We leave in stages, gradually detaching from the physical world,” he
explained. Nine months before he passed, he told a mutual friend of ours that
he wanted to die of a stroke before his seventieth birthday––which is exactly
what happened. He picked the moment and method for his departure, not through
suicide, but through intention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Why, then, would anyone choose a painful or gruesome death?
When I asked Ron this question, he replied that some accept terminal illnesses,
such as cancer, to give doctors a chance to study the disease and learn ways to
help other people. In some instances, souls decide that their host bodies will
die in traumatic ways in order to raise awareness of a situation or to inspire interest
in a particular cause. This may be true of warrior souls who die in battle. Undoubtedly,
numerous other reasons exist, perhaps as many as the individuals involved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If it’s any comfort, Dr. Newton writes in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Destiny of Souls </i>that “souls often leave
their bodies seconds before a violent death.” And if we really do reincarnate
on earth many, many times, then we’ve all gone through numerous deaths––and
survived.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-89276714403587824332014-10-09T15:49:00.000-07:002014-10-09T15:49:02.583-07:00Why Did You Choose This Life?<br />
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Past-life researchers and people who believe in reincarnation propose that we choose our lifetimes on earth for specific purposes. We select our parents/families, the physical bodies we’ll inhabit, the cultures in which we will live, the timeframes during which we’ll exist, and the challenges we’ll face. Astrologers say that we also look at celestial configurations to determine what cosmic of energies will offer us the best potential for achieving our life goals. I’ve read that although the individual soul gets to make the final decision, our spirit guides and teachers offer suggestions and assist us in making these important choices.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If that’s so, you may ask, why would anyone choose a
lifetime of hardship, pain, illness, poverty, or suffering? The usual answer
is: to learn, and some things must be learned the hard way. Another theory
states that we take on onerous conditions in a particular incarnation in order
to atone for past misdeeds. It seems to me that as evolving souls who will
eventually become spirit guides ourselves, overseeing the human race, we may need
to experience everything that morals undergo, so we can understand and assist
them in their earthly journey. If you’ve never suffered the loss of a loved
one, for instance, you might not know how to ease another’s grief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In my earlier posts, I’ve suggested that we incarnate for other
reasons, too: to be with members of our soul group who’ve already entered human
forms; to work on relationships or projects that we began in previous lifetimes; to create
in the manifest world; to inspire or implement changes on Planet Earth; and
most importantly, to bring love from our divine “home” into the physical realm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As I wrote in my post “Soul Roles: What’s Your Life
Purpose?” your lifetimes are based on certain fundamental themes. Soul roles fall into
various categories, such as teacher, healer, warrior, leader, etc. Therefore, you’ll
integrate your soul’s primary purpose into each incarnation, even though the
details will differ. If you’re a warrior soul, for example, you might have been
a gladiator in Ancient Rome, a soldier during the French Revolution, and a
professional football player today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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My post “What Color Is Your Soul” discusses soul colors as indicators of spiritual knowledge and development. During my visits to the spirit world, I saw multitudes of white souls (beginners), but very few purple ones (masters). This idea is reiterated in the books of Michael Newton, PhD, <i>Journey of Souls </i>and <i>Destiny of Souls.</i> As my partner, Ron Conroy, who left the physical world in 2013, explained it to me, the younger white souls often enter lifetimes where they can learn basic survival skills and practice adapting to the requirements of earthly embodiment. These souls may not have spent many lives on this planet and must develop their “earth legs” before they can help others. People who live relatively primitive or very simple existences, in which they have few responsibilities other than sustaining themselves, may fall into this group.</div>
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Souls who’ve graduated to higher levels (yellow, gold, green),
perhaps through many lifetimes on earth, face a different set of challenges and
opportunities. They may choose incarnations in which they must consider and/or
take care of others as well as themselves. Perhaps they’ll share what they’ve
learned with other beings. Or, they may assume responsibility for other humans,
animals, plants, etc., protecting or guiding these entities in their own
growth. More developed souls may bring knowledge to earth’s inhabitants, provide
support/jobs to others, create products that make physical existence easier, defend
communities in times of crisis, and so on.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Eventually, we accomplish our earth “lessons” and reach a
high enough level of spiritual development where we no longer need to incarnate.
As blue or purple souls, we may choose to operate from a nonphysical realm instead
of taking on human bodies. I suspect levels far beyond this exist, but I can’t
speak to that––yet. Perhaps you’ll share your own experiences and ideas, or
direct readers toward other sources of information beyond these humble posts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-12042981268854399122014-10-09T09:40:00.001-07:002014-10-09T09:40:05.778-07:00Communicating with Spirits<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B2bfbZN3_kc/VDa4BMVWwRI/AAAAAAAAAso/dlWFZgiYinY/s1600/female%2Bspirit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B2bfbZN3_kc/VDa4BMVWwRI/AAAAAAAAAso/dlWFZgiYinY/s1600/female%2Bspirit.jpeg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Has someone you knew on earth contacted you from the “other
side”? If so, you’re not alone. According to Canadian sociology professor Ian
Currie, “contact with the dead is not rare. It is, in fact, commonplace.” In
his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You Cannot Die</i>, Dr. Currie
reports numerous studies of people who say they’ve been in touch with deceased
loved ones. In one, psychologist Dr. Robert Kastenbaum at Wayne State
University in Detroit asked 140 people if they’d experienced this type of otherworldly
communication; 45 percent answered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes. </i>In
another study in Wales, Dr. W.D. Rees asked 300 widows and widowers the same
thing––and got a similar response: 47 percent said their departed spouses had
contacted them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jkMFodSnDC4/VDa4PDjKetI/AAAAAAAAAsw/In3xM0YaInE/s1600/Ron%2Bclose%2Bup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jkMFodSnDC4/VDa4PDjKetI/AAAAAAAAAsw/In3xM0YaInE/s1600/Ron%2Bclose%2Bup.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rather than being scared, most people welcome such “visits”
and feel comforted knowing that their loved ones aren’t really gone. Soon after
my life partner, Ron Conroy, left his physical body in April 2013, he began
talking to me, reassuring me that he was all right and happy now that he’d returned
“home.” Since then, he has continued to share fascinating information with me daily
about other worlds of experience, what happens in the life of a soul, the
purpose of incarnation on earth, and much more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Spirits contact us for a variety of reasons. Often, disembodied
beings want to console the people they loved on earth and let us know they’re
okay. They also show up to assure us that they still love us, they are with us
all the time, and that we can talk to them whenever we choose. In some instances,
these soul entities come to take care of unfinished business, or to bring
messages to us from the world beyond. They may offer guidance and protection to
mortals, and help us in our own journeys during this lifetime. One reason Ron
stays in constant contact with me is to collaborate on our forthcoming book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Three Wounds of Wisdom </i>(which I plan
to publish in 2015). We both hope that the book––and these posts about the
afterlife––will ease the grief experienced by people like me whose loved ones
have entered the spirit world, and diminish the fear of death that causes
suffering for so many humans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAFIh7tSHhI/VDa4jFhhurI/AAAAAAAAAs4/HNXWosuG-Zc/s1600/spirit%2Bsilhoutte.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAFIh7tSHhI/VDa4jFhhurI/AAAAAAAAAs4/HNXWosuG-Zc/s1600/spirit%2Bsilhoutte.jpeg" height="164" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">According to many researchers, beings on the “other side” really
want to talk to us––and they go to great lengths to get us to pay attention to
them. Often we meet our loved ones in dreams, because when we’re asleep we’re
more receptive to the spirit realm. They also contact us through epiphanies and
coincidences. Sometimes they present themselves as scents or sounds, such as
tinkling bells, familiar perfumes, or music. They may even communicate through
meaningful symbols. Once Ron placed a tumbled piece of rose quartz at my
feet––a crystal that represents love and emotional peace. But spirits also may
move objects, make noises, or even show themselves to us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the summer of 2013, several friends and I visited
Massachusetts and stayed in a house built in 1690. An elderly lady who’d live in
the house and died a few years earlier at the age of 102 visited us. She called
my name clearly, nudged one of my friends several times, crossed the bedroom of
another in a ghostly form, and looked down upon another friend while she lay in
bed. I often heard unexplained footsteps on the floor above my head, when no
other human being but me was in the house. Even a workman doing renovations on
the house sensed the former resident’s spirit. I felt she wanted to make
certain it was okay for us to be there and that we weren’t harming her house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How can you communicate with spirits? Talk to them, just as
you would if they were still embodied. Send thoughts to them. Offer them
prayers. Pay attention to your dreams. Meditate. A tarot reading or even a
Ouija board may provide insights. The holiday Samhain Eve (October 31) honors
those who’ve gone on to other places. This is an ideal time to try to connect
with loved ones in the soul world, for the veil between the physical and
nonphysical realms is thinnest on this day. Light candles in memory of those
you wish to contact. Then be still and listen.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-45049216071427720592014-10-07T16:42:00.000-07:002014-10-07T16:42:01.461-07:00Soul Roles: What’s Your Life Purpose?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqT3XITwjnQ/VDR2WbzmocI/AAAAAAAAAsY/tfsQZ0e0ang/s1600/foggy%2Bpath.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqT3XITwjnQ/VDR2WbzmocI/AAAAAAAAAsY/tfsQZ0e0ang/s1600/foggy%2Bpath.jpeg" height="200" width="130" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">No doubt you’ve wondered about your path in life: Why are
you here? What are you supposed to accomplish during your time on earth? How
can you fulfill your mission?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In an earlier post, “Insights from the Afterlife,” I wrote
that we come to earth with one purpose: to bring love to this troubled planet from
our true “home” (the place we go to between physical incarnations). We all have
the same, universal goal of dispelling fear and suffering through the power of
love. However, our souls may seek embodiment for individual reasons, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes we take human forms in order to be with people we
love who are living on earth. Other times, we may incarnate to rectify or
complete a situation rooted in another lifetime. Spiritual teachers often refer
to earth as a “school” where we come to learn. In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many Lives, Many Masters, </i>Brian L. Weiss, MD, reports that there
are “different levels of learning, and we must learn some of them in the flesh.
We must feel the pain. When you’re a spirit you feel no pain.” In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Conversations with God, </i>however, Neal
Donald Walsh proposes that we choose earth lives, not to learn, but “To
remember, and re-create, Who You Are.” He writes that “life is not a process of
discovery, but a process of creation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-usAlrzTtZus/VDR1rTPpj7I/AAAAAAAAAsI/f1u3Zh0UodE/s1600/earth.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-usAlrzTtZus/VDR1rTPpj7I/AAAAAAAAAsI/f1u3Zh0UodE/s1600/earth.jpeg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Many sources describe earth as a “hard” planet, a difficult
place to live. The dense energy of earth and the limitations of the physical body
pose challenges for the incarnating soul. When we enter human forms, we lose
some awareness of the immense love and light we knew in the spirit world and
become immersed in the fear that prevails on earth. Apparently, this “amnesia”
is necessary, so we can meet the challenges facing us and grow through
struggle. No pain, no gain, as the saying goes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After </span>my beloved life partner, Ron Conroy, left his physical body in 2013, I began studying the spirit realm, life between
lives, and reincarnation in depth. I read lots of books, talked to mediums and
psychics, did past-life regressions, and visited other worlds through shamanic
journeying. During the course of my explorations, I noticed that souls seemed
to fall into certain categories, according to their natures and their purposes,
which they expressed through the roles they played on earth (and elsewhere). I identified several
classifications or types of souls: leaders, protectors, teachers, healers,
warriors, artists, explorers, and caretakers, though I’m sure I’ve missed some.
If you trace your “lineage” through a series of lifetimes, you’ll probably see
a thread of continuity running through most of your lives. The details of the
lives themselves will be different, but an underlying theme remains consistent.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For example, in one of my lifetimes about 3,000 years ago, I
worked as a slave in the library at Alexandria, Egypt, where I was exposed to
knowledge and written words. In a later incarnation as a nun in a convent, I
served as a scribe copying manuscripts. This time around, I’ve devoted myself
to writing and sharing information. It seems that my soul’s role is that of the
teacher and that I’m carrying on today with what I began long ago. However,
I’ve also had healer lifetimes: as a wise woman/midwife in a small Scottish
village about 1,000 years ago and as a nurse’s aide in a veterans’ hospital
after WWI. In my present incarnation, I practice Reiki and other forms of energetic
healing, and often write about holistic healing, combining both roles. As you revisit your own past
lives, you may find that you, too, integrate more than one path in fulfilling
your destiny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Your role may not fit under a narrowly defined heading, or
your soul may interpret its purpose more broadly than we humans do. Athletes,
for instance, are often warrior souls. Environmentalists may be caretakers,
protectors, or healer souls. My former husband is
a healer soul, but he doesn’t work as a health professional. Instead he
renovates––“heals”––antique houses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dbHn0jBmuk4/VDR1_sGXdAI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/oO43aYt75EU/s1600/happy%2Bguy%2Bsunshine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dbHn0jBmuk4/VDR1_sGXdAI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/oO43aYt75EU/s1600/happy%2Bguy%2Bsunshine.jpeg" height="133" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How can you determine your soul’s purpose? Meditation,
hypnotherapy, and past-life regression may help you gain insights. A simple way
to discover your path is to pay attention to what gives you joy. When are you the
happiest? When do you lose track of time and immerse yourself totally in what
you’re doing? Follow that thread and you could find it leads to your true
purpose, in this life and beyond.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-37991568192050816522014-10-06T15:26:00.001-07:002014-10-06T15:26:34.776-07:00Life Review: Examining Your Life from the Spirit World<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soon after we arrive in the “world beyond” and have
recuperated from our time on earth, we begin processing what we experienced the
last time around as humans. From what I’ve read and been told by my
life-partner, Ron Conroy, who left his earth-body in 2013, this “debriefing” period
is known as Life Review. </span>As I understand it, the soul meets with its guides and
teachers to examine its most-recent incarnation, in great depth. These teachers
and guides (which some sources call the “Council”) don’t judge, condemn, or
punish––they serve as supportive and patient councilors, but they don’t let you
avoid things you’d rather not deal with. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu_k4WTTW7U/VDMSM3UbGGI/AAAAAAAAAr4/H8pGknhI00U/s1600/purple%2Bsouls.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu_k4WTTW7U/VDMSM3UbGGI/AAAAAAAAAr4/H8pGknhI00U/s1600/purple%2Bsouls.jpeg" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Some sources describe these
meetings as taking place in a somewhat formal setting, with “elders” seated at
a type of table with the newly arrived soul before them (sort of like a
courtroom), but that’s not what I saw when Ron showed me his own Life Review group.
In trance, I observed several guides seated in a circle with Ron. To me, these
masters appeared as purple orbs (see my post “What Color Is Your Soul?” for
more information) and they seemed to levitate––maybe because without
physical substance or gravity, entities sort of float in the spirit realm. In
the center of the circle, Ron’s teacher/guides presented scenes from his recent life as Ron, in a manner similar to a hologram.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">During your Life Review sessions, you revisit what you did,
thought, felt, said, etc. in the course of your previous lifetime. Not only do
you review what happened from your own vantage point, you also experience your
life from the perspectives of all the other people involved. You get to see how
your actions affected them. If you harmed someone in your last lifetime, you
feel that person’s pain. If you gave someone joy or comfort or love, you sense
what he or she felt. “It’s hard, and it takes a long time,” Ron told me, “but
it’s interesting.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2inpF8AVAWo/VDMRlS_Eh0I/AAAAAAAAArw/Xj4x53cKsDA/s1600/Ron%2Bcowboy%2Bhat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2inpF8AVAWo/VDMRlS_Eh0I/AAAAAAAAArw/Xj4x53cKsDA/s1600/Ron%2Bcowboy%2Bhat.jpg" height="320" width="254" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps you’ve heard that when you die your whole life
flashes before your eyes, instantly. From what I’ve learned, this isn’t the
case. (Remember, the people who relate such things usually had NDEs––they
didn’t actually die.) As Ron explained it to me, you review your previous
incarnation at your own pace––and it takes as long as it takes. “You can start
at the end of your life and work back or start at the beginning and move
forward, so long as you cover everything. Life Review is mandatory, but doesn’t
have any deadlines.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">One of the hardest parts of Life Review is facing up to the suffering
you caused others. However, now that the soul is free of ego, it can examine
situations objectively, without emotion. By going through this period of discovery,
you learn how to handle things better in the future, how you can be kinder
and more loving. You also find ways to make restitution to those you’ve
injured. Depending on the “offense,” you may only need to acknowledge what you
did or perhaps apologize. In other instances, you might choose to offer greater
recompense. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>punishment or
payback, an eye-for-an-eye and all that. The purpose, as I understand it, is to
restore balance and to give love where you caused pain before. It may also be
necessary––for your soul’s growth––to experience both sides of a situation. For
example, in one of my previous incarnations the entity I knew in this life as Ron was
responsible for my death. In this lifetime together, he gave me the power to
end his life by taking him off life-support after he suffered a massive stroke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What you learn in Life Review will influence future
lifetimes. Understanding the big picture enables you to choose lives that will further
your soul’s purpose, and gives you the wisdom to do a better job next time
around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-65818468264997380062014-10-06T11:47:00.000-07:002014-10-06T11:47:50.846-07:00What Color Is Your Soul?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsqOeWw2gS0/VDLhw95L0lI/AAAAAAAAArY/Wm_jcadvsmU/s1600/Skye%2BFlagstaff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsqOeWw2gS0/VDLhw95L0lI/AAAAAAAAArY/Wm_jcadvsmU/s1600/Skye%2BFlagstaff.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In 2005, during meditation, I began seeing colors associated
with people I knew. I understood these to </span>be their “soul colors,” not their auras. Auras appear as a result of conditions in our physical bodies and our emotions, enveloping the body like a halo or cocoon of light. As our health or feelings change, so do our auras in response. The soul colors I saw, however, had nothing to do with my friends’ physical selves, and I didn’t see the colors while in my ordinary beta state. Rather, they expressed these individuals’ core beings, the light-energy of their spirits or souls. I’d never heard of such things before, but I didn’t doubt what I’d experienced––I simply accepted it, though for some reason I didn’t investigate further.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The core energies I witnessed looked like glowing orbs of
light, some translucent, some denser. Some of the orbs were solid colors,
others blends of two or more hues. I observed yellow, gold, green, and one pale
blue soul within my circle of close companions––and a watery-blackish one that
represented the spirit of someone I had not known in this lifetime and who does
not currently reside on earth. I sensed my own soul image as well, a soft
yellow-gold, and did a painting of my soul-self. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to seeing colors, I sensed energetic qualities
emanating from the soul orbs. Some felt powerful, others gentle; one seemed
restless, another centered and calm. I could watch them move, too. The blue orb
zipped about, propelled by an extension rather like a pseudopodium. The green
one’s motions were slower and steadier. The blackish soul washed over me with a
frightening force that reminded me of a tidal wave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DaTHFIE3qoY/VDLhemkWfuI/AAAAAAAAArI/Hmc6nGDmS_c/s1600/pink%2Bhaze%2Borbs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DaTHFIE3qoY/VDLhemkWfuI/AAAAAAAAArI/Hmc6nGDmS_c/s1600/pink%2Bhaze%2Borbs.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After my beloved life partner, Ron Conroy, departed earth in
2013, he began guiding me on sojourns to the spirit world. On my first journey
to the “home” where now lives––the place where we all go when we leave our
human bodies––I saw shining orbs of light just like those I’d witnessed in my
earlier mediations! Souls! Multitudes of them. So many, all pulsing and
undulating, that they looked like an endless sea of sparkling soap bubbles. Most
were white, but I also saw reddish, yellow, gold, green, blue, and a few purple
among them. In my earlier meditations, I’d observed Ron’s soul as a deep, rich,
solid gold; now I noticed tiny flecks of green in it as well. Surrounding everything,
like a giant net that held all the souls together, I saw a beautiful pinkish
light––the energy of love.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kQyXp5MMSUY/VDLhm-yrx2I/AAAAAAAAArQ/wQ0mbjRGXpo/s1600/white%2Bsouls%2Bpink%2Bweb.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kQyXp5MMSUY/VDLhm-yrx2I/AAAAAAAAArQ/wQ0mbjRGXpo/s1600/white%2Bsouls%2Bpink%2Bweb.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Some months later, I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journey of Souls </i>by Michael Newton, PhD. To my surprise, he wrote
that souls appear as colors, and that these colors distinguish their levels of
development. The many people he’d hypnotized described seeing the same thing
I’d seen! For the first time, I’d found some validation or at least
collaboration for what I’d experienced. According to Dr. Newton’s subjects,
white souls are “beginners” (Ron called them “baby souls just learning to
crawl”), and they constitute the vast majority of entities in the spirit world
and on earth. Yellow souls are intermediate beings (Ron likened them to “teenagers”),
gold ones high-intermediates, light blue advanced souls, and indigo/purple are
highly advanced masters. And, as I’d witnessed, the hypnotized subjects
explained that the more advanced souls projected stronger power and could move
more rapidly. But Dr. Newton didn’t mention green or black souls, yet I’d seen
both. Not until his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Destiny of Souls
</i>came out nine years later did he include those colors in the pantheon of
souls.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As we evolve, perhaps over millennia, our soul colors shift
to show our levels of knowledge and mastery. Ron described these color
identifications as being like karate belts. High-level souls (blue and purple)
serve as guides and teachers for the rest of us. What color is your soul? Can
you sense or see it? You probably won’t observe it with your physical eyes (the
way some sensitive people see auras), and it’s unlikely that Kirlian or aura
photography will reveal it. But perhaps through meditation or trance states,
shamanic journeying, or a dream you’ll discover your true color.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-54876078681300025552014-10-06T09:52:00.001-07:002014-10-06T09:52:03.361-07:00Soul Groups in the Spirit World<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3ZxsfNzvEc/VDLGscVfJpI/AAAAAAAAAqo/tWyG5c2RoUs/s1600/ron%2Bat%2BTuscan%2BGrille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3ZxsfNzvEc/VDLGscVfJpI/AAAAAAAAAqo/tWyG5c2RoUs/s1600/ron%2Bat%2BTuscan%2BGrille.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After my long-time partner, Ron Conroy, left his physical
form in April 2013, he began communicating </span>with me about the place where he now resides, which he calls “home,” and showing me what it’s like in the spirit world. What he described, and what I witnessed, closely matched what I later read in books by Michael Newton, PhD.<i> </i></div>
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In the realm of spirits, light-beings cluster together into groups in which some affinity exists––just as people on earth do. Not all souls associate with all others––though they could if they wanted to. As people do on earth, souls tend to hang out with beings who have similar interests or purposes.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Destiny of
Souls, </i>Dr. Newton, writes that “primary groups”––somewhat like families––consist
of three to twenty-five souls, who have close ties to each other. “Secondary
groups” may contain 1,000 souls or more and resemble communities. The souls in
these larger clusters may interact for various reasons, such as joining forces
to assist in a particular project or to achieve a common goal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QftzeOsc7YU/VDLG79sMHHI/AAAAAAAAAqw/LT_XH56excI/s1600/linked%2Bcircles.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QftzeOsc7YU/VDLG79sMHHI/AAAAAAAAAqw/LT_XH56excI/s1600/linked%2Bcircles.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ron explained that primary soul groups may be self-contained
circles, or they can overlap, like the intersecting rings of the Olympics logo.
He said this means that although he and I are in the same primary soul cluster,
some beings in other clusters overlap ours. As a result, some souls who are in
my primary group aren’t in his, and vice versa. Souls in primary clusters are
bonded forever. They work, learn, and play together in the spirit world, and
often reincarnate together on earth or in other places. According to Dr. Newton,
soulmates and beings from the same primary soul group don’t usually incarnate
as humans within the same biological family, however, which I found interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As well as sharing similar interests and purposes, beings
within a primary group usually possess similar levels of knowledge. Beginner
souls and master souls don’t cluster together in the same intimate group––although
souls with varying degrees of knowledge may interact at times for certain reasons.
I also got the impression that as one soul in the group advances, that being’s
increased knowledge and experience aid the advancement of the entire group. (In
future posts, I’ll discuss soul colors and levels as well as soul “types.”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">While looking at pictures of crop circles, I noticed a
similarity to the soul clusters I’d seen in the spirit world and began to
wonder: Are these mysterious designs that appear without explanation in fields
across the earth actually images created to help us understand something about
our existence as spirits?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uzp316jjA2Y/VDLHKU4Iv7I/AAAAAAAAAq4/6NqL8hkIxXk/s1600/crop%2Bcircle%2Bsouls.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uzp316jjA2Y/VDLHKU4Iv7I/AAAAAAAAAq4/6NqL8hkIxXk/s1600/crop%2Bcircle%2Bsouls.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-17461864203364322762014-10-06T08:24:00.000-07:002014-10-06T08:26:18.373-07:00Will You See Your Loved Ones Again?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzdUZNO49XY/VDKx84_aoqI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/jBYrGAbj41Q/s1600/Buddist%2Bkarma%2Bwheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzdUZNO49XY/VDKx84_aoqI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/jBYrGAbj41Q/s1600/Buddist%2Bkarma%2Bwheel.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The idea that some part of us survives physical death exists
in many religions and in the belief systems of many people around the world.
Christians, for instance, propose that after the body dies the soul goes to “heaven,”
where it meets up again with the souls of loved ones and enjoys everlasting
life with God. </span>Lots of spiritual traditions embrace the concept of
reincarnation, although they don’t all agree on exactly what’s involved. </div>
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Prior
to the year 325, the Old and New Testaments of the Bible contained references
to reincarnation––until the Emperor Constantine decided to remove them; in 553,
the Second Council of Constantinople made it heretical for Christians to
believe in reincarnation. Reincarnation is also part of the teachings of the
Hebrew Qabalah, though few contemporary Jews are familiar with these ideas. We
find the tenets of reincarnation in Hinduism and Buddhism, too.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Researchers, including Ian Stevenson, MD, Brian L. Weiss,
MD, Michael Newton, PhD, and many more, have studied reincarnation by guiding
thousands of people back through previous lifetimes and by working with men and
women who’ve had near-death experiences. Their subjects reveal remarkable
information about other time periods and people whom they could not have known
about through ordinary means. The case of Bridey Murphy, a Virginia
housewife (1923–1995), is one of the best known. Director Bernardo Bertolucci’s
film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little Buddha </i>tells the story of
a young boy whom Buddhist monks believed to be the reincarnated teacher Lama
Dorje. You’ll find scores of compelling stories in the books of serious
researchers, stories that cannot be explained by conventional science––so many,
in fact, that after a while it becomes more ridiculous to deny the possibility
of reincarnation than to accept it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQF-MHk7xHU/VDKyYFkGPDI/AAAAAAAAAqY/fxIgk9AIhlc/s1600/Ron%2BSkye%2Bfireplac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQF-MHk7xHU/VDKyYFkGPDI/AAAAAAAAAqY/fxIgk9AIhlc/s1600/Ron%2BSkye%2Bfireplac.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Children often speak of their past lives. Sometimes they
recognize people they’ve never met this time around and know intimate details
about those people. In the summer of 2013, I met a three-year-old boy who took
an instant liking to me and showed me around the house where he was staying. He
told me his name was Will. After we finished the tour, I met the boy’s parents
and commented on what a nice boy Will seemed. They told me his name was Sami.
Later, I asked the boy why he’d said his name was Will. He answered simply, “In
my old body I was Will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Theories about reincarnation generally agree that we reconnect with some of the same souls again and again in our various earth
lives. We don’t always assume the same types of relationships with them,
however. In prior lifetimes, your current spouse may have been your mother,
your brother, or your best friend. (In future posts, I’ll discuss this subject
in more detail.) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many Lives,
Many Masters</i>, Dr. Brian Weiss explains that one reason for becoming human
is to experience relationships with other people. He writes, “ ‘You develop
through relationships.’ ” Often, we choose to live many times with the same entities
in order to learn certain things or to perform certain tasks. Other times, we
may return to earth at the same time because we like being together. If you
find yourself in a particularly close, intense, or meaningful relationship with
someone now, chances are you’ve known each other before––and will be together
again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-84887741448252054822014-10-05T09:42:00.000-07:002014-10-06T09:54:19.770-07:00Where Do We Go When We Die?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Christians have their Heaven; Buddhists speak of Nirvana;
Wiccans go to the Summerland when their earthly lives end. Many people who’ve
had near-death experiences report being drawn through a dark tunnel toward a
radiant light, emerging in a place where they feel suffused with love and joy.
Their deceased friends and relatives, they say, greet them when they arrive in
the hereafter, welcoming them back to their place of origin. Spirit guides also
show up to usher the recently departed souls into a place of peace after their sojourns
on earth. Virtually everyone who’s ever undergone a NDE or been
regressed/hypnotized through a prior death describes pretty much the same
thing––and what they describe sounds wonderful.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JR-5M25c6os/VDFwrHGlj8I/AAAAAAAAAp4/R2BA9vxA7EQ/s1600/Ron%2Bat%2BAzul%2B2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JR-5M25c6os/VDFwrHGlj8I/AAAAAAAAAp4/R2BA9vxA7EQ/s1600/Ron%2Bat%2BAzul%2B2010.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soon after my long-time partner, Ron Conroy, left his
physical form in April of 2013, he began telling me about his experiences in
the “world beyond.” He calls this place “home” because it’s the energetic realm
where souls originate and where they return between lifetimes on earth (or
other worlds, which I’ll discuss in future posts). Here, everything is made of
light and resonance––nothing is physical. No longer encumbered by dense human
bodies, souls feel a delicious sense of freedom. They can move about without
restriction, communicate with one another via thoughts, and create whatever
they choose instantaneously just by envisioning it. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A beautiful web of pink
light envelops all beings here and holds them together in a cosmic “hug.” This
light of love unifies everyone through resonance, and reassures souls that no
one is ever alone––we only experience fear and loneliness when we are separated
into physical forms. In reality, we are all part of an infinite, loving, joyful
network that has always existed and always will. When we realize that we all
come from the same Source and are all linked energetically––that every being is
part of the whole––racism, sexism, religious disputes, and other ego dynamics
that divide us on earth quickly disappear after our bodies die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the early 1980s, I experienced a metaphysical occurrence
that Canadian psychiatrist William Bucke called “cosmic consciousness.” Without
intention, without doing anything at all to bring it about, I suddenly and
inexplicably slipped into an altered state during which I felt myself dissolve
into a realm of pure bliss. I lost all awareness of my body and merged with a
beautiful, all-encompassing, infinite pink-white light. Everything in my
earth-world disappeared. I felt totally immersed in a loving consciousness
unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. All suffering, fear, and thinking
evaporated. I have no idea how long that event lasted––seconds? A few minutes? But
it was enough to transform my understanding forever. Much later, after Ron’s
passing, I realized that in those few moments I’d reconnected with my place of
origin, my “home.” This is where we go when we slough off our moral forms and
soar back to the realm of love and light from which we emerged and will ever abide.
This is the home that awaits us when we depart earth. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHWk9CWH7LU/VDFxgyHhUXI/AAAAAAAAAqA/-AXqqBEPITM/s1600/orbs%2Bw%3A%2Bpink%2Blove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHWk9CWH7LU/VDFxgyHhUXI/AAAAAAAAAqA/-AXqqBEPITM/s1600/orbs%2Bw%3A%2Bpink%2Blove.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Knowing that this wondrous world now embraces our deceased loved
ones can ease the pain of loss. But perhaps even more importantly, this
knowledge can lessen our own fear of death. Regardless of what we’ve been
taught about the hereafter––and many of us have been taught to fear retribution
and suffering, hellfire and damnation––our real destination is a realm of infinite
love and peace. It makes no difference what “savior” you believed in, what
faith you followed (or none), or what rituals you enacted. No one gets turned
away. The people we loved on earth who’ve gone on before us are reveling in
that blissful state right now, and they’ll be there to welcome us back when our
time comes. So will our guides and guardians, who’ve been with us since the
beginning of time and will remain by our sides forever. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-9981854229416681252014-10-04T10:05:00.000-07:002014-10-04T10:05:28.034-07:00Insights into the Afterlife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HhKf0mvU1p0/VDAbN3XjuoI/AAAAAAAAApY/-_UPkfU_d9M/s1600/Ron%2B6-30-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HhKf0mvU1p0/VDAbN3XjuoI/AAAAAAAAApY/-_UPkfU_d9M/s1600/Ron%2B6-30-07.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I haven't blogged for a long time, because many things in my life fell apart after the sudden, unexpected passing of the man I loved for thirteen years, Ron Conroy. But during the past eighteen months, I've undertaken a new type of writing––with his assistance. That probably sounds strange, but every day since he left this plane of existence, Ron has communicated with me from the so-called "other side," which he refers to simply as "home." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What he's told me and shown me totally transformed my ideas about what happens after we leave Planet Earth. After Ron conveyed many experiences of life after death to me, I began reading books by researchers in the field. (The best, in my opinion, are Dr. Michael Newton's <i>Journey of Souls</i> and <i>Destiny of Souls</i>.) To my surprise, many things I read concurred with what Ron had shared with me. I'd never heard most of this before, and just knowing that other people had similar experiences gave me comfort and confirmation.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, being a writer, I started writing a novel about what I'd learned, titled <i>The Three Wounds of Wisdom. </i>At first I considered writing a nonfiction book, but many people have already done that, most of them MDs, PhDs, and folks with more "credentials" than I have. Plus I like writing fiction better, and sometimes it's easier to present unusual or thought-provoking ideas as fiction, so readers don't feel the author is trying to convince them of something. I changed the characters, the storyline, the location, and lots more––but all the information about what transpires between our lives on earth and elsewhere came through to me during meditative trances and other experiences with Ron since he's moved on. My beta-readers and advisory group are examining the manuscript now, and I hope to make it available to readers soon. My goal is to help those of you who've suffered the devastating pain of losing someone you love, and to give you hope. I also want to open a forum for people who've had near-death experiences and other awarenesses to share what they witnessed. </span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Op0Gn0CF6kQ/VDAlAhm9ExI/AAAAAAAAApo/wbH45aMbiIc/s1600/open%2Bdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Op0Gn0CF6kQ/VDAlAhm9ExI/AAAAAAAAApo/wbH45aMbiIc/s1600/open%2Bdoor.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the meantime, I decided to start blogging about "the great beyond." In each post, I plan to offer one or more pieces of information that Ron has conveyed to me. All of us have wondered what happens when we die and why we came to earth in the first place. In the last year and a half, I've received answers to those and other big questions. The most important, IMO, is why are we here? One reason: to bring love to the world. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In our true "home" love is omnipresent. We carry some of that great love with us, in the form of energy, when we assume physical bodies here on earth. Our primary job is to radiate that love to everyone, everywhere, in everything we do. In this way, we overcome the force of fear that dominates our earth-thinking. Only two forces exist in the universe: love and fear. Each moment, we have the choice to operate from a place of love or a place of fear. It's that simple––and that difficult.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I write this blog, and in <i>The Three Wounds of Wisdom</i>, my objective is to follow this mandate to the best of my ability. If I can lighten your fear and sadness in even the smallest way, I will feel I've accomplished my goal. The old Beatles' song says it best: "All You Need Is Love."</span>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-4375678616808013442013-06-20T18:02:00.002-07:002016-03-28T10:11:25.537-07:00Happy Summer Solstice 2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice (or Midsummer) marks the longest day of the year. According to Celtic mythology, the Sun King has now reached the highest point in his journey through the
heavens. In 2013, we celebrate Midsummer on June 21, when the sun enters 0
degrees of the zodiac sign Cancer (at 5:04 <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">A.M. </span>UT). This is a time of abundance, when
the earth displays her bounty.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Aj07NjqLkQ/UcOkaSeZHBI/AAAAAAAAAoU/0wkI8iBVCoU/s1600/summer_solstice_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Aj07NjqLkQ/UcOkaSeZHBI/AAAAAAAAAoU/0wkI8iBVCoU/s320/summer_solstice_pic.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The
Holiday’s Significance</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
early agrarian cultures, Midsummer marked a period of plenty, when food was
abundant and life was easy. Our ancestors celebrated this joyful holiday with
feasting and revelry. At this point, however, the sun reached its pinnacle
and began its descent once again. Celtic pagan mythology depicts this as the
end of the Oak King’s reign as he is overthrown by the Holly King, who presides
over the waning part of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Folklore
says that at Midsummer earth spirits abound—a belief that inspired Shakespeare’s delightful play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Midsummer Night’s Dream</i>. Apparently, life on every level rejoices in the fullness of the
season. If you wish, you can commune with the elementals and faeries at this
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Ways
to Celebrate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just
as people have done for centuries, you may choose to celebrate the Summer Solstice with
feasting, music, dancing, and thanksgiving. Remember to share your bounty with
the animals and birds, too, and to return something to Mother Earth as a sign
of gratitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Midsummer
is also a good time to collect herbs, flowers, and other plants to use in
magick spells. Some people say that if you wish to become invisible, you must wear an
amulet that includes seeds from forest ferns gathered on Midsummer’s eve. Do spells
for success and abundance on the Summer Solstice, too, to take advantage of the fullness of this sabbat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-35271125801010051232013-05-27T11:26:00.000-07:002013-05-27T11:26:41.751-07:00The Five Moment Memoir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5TxDCcXnxLE/UaOhVnpuA9I/AAAAAAAAAn8/tZu8ykskJQQ/s1600/wildflowershorses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5TxDCcXnxLE/UaOhVnpuA9I/AAAAAAAAAn8/tZu8ykskJQQ/s320/wildflowershorses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently I tried an exercise NYC writer Sarah Beauchamp recommended: the five-moment memoir. Because I write for a living, I'm not inclined to journal much. But this helps me keep track of what I've been doing and it only takes a few minutes. It also lets me decompress at the end of the day. Maybe you'll enjoy it too.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply note five moments that occurred during the day––things you did, ideas you thought about, people you encountered, emotions, or insights. Keep it brief, but jot down enough to jog your memory later on if you choose to come back and expand upon what you've written. Some examples:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Called Mom––she always seems appreciative when I do.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) Cleaned the bathroom. It looks so nice, I should do it more often.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Started reading a new Barbara Kingsolver book. Love her writing.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) Bought a dozen roses on sale at the local supermarket. Flowers make me smile.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) Got a card from a friend that says "May there always be an angel by your side."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See how easy it is? </span>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-23662702835674174022013-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:002016-03-28T10:12:19.967-07:00Happy Ostara/Spring Equinox<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1qNel95rVus/UUXuOEq-1kI/AAAAAAAAAm8/tVUhBgb6RZ8/s1600/equinoxsun.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1qNel95rVus/UUXuOEq-1kI/AAAAAAAAAm8/tVUhBgb6RZ8/s320/equinoxsun.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pagans celebrate
Ostara (also known as Eostre) when the sun enters 0 degrees of Aries; this year
that happens on March 20. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox ushers
in warmer weather, days that are longer than nights, and the advent of new
life. Christianity adopted this joyful period of the year for the celebration
of Easter (which usually falls near the Spring Equinox). Ostara gets its name
from the German fertility goddess Ostare; the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Easter</i> derives from the same root. Both holidays celebrate the
triumph of life over death.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Holiday’s
Significance</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to mythology,
the Sun King’s chariot continues climbing higher in the sky, reaching the point
at which day and night are of equal length on Ostara. Therefore, this sabbat is
associated with balance, equality, and harmony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Spring Equinox
marks the first day of spring and the start of the busy planting season in
agrarian cultures. Farmers till their fields and sow seeds. Trees begin to bud,
spring flowers blossom, and baby animals are born. Ostara, therefore, is one of
the fertility holidays and a time for planting seeds—literally or figuratively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Ways to
Celebrate</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Ostara, sow
seeds that you want to bear fruit in the coming months. This is an ideal time
to launch new career ventures, move to a new home, or begin a new relationship.
If you enjoy gardening, start preparing the soil and planting flowers, herbs,
and/or vegetables now. Consider the magickal properties of botanicals and
choose plants that represent your intentions. Even if you aren’t a gardener,
you could plant seeds in a flowerpot to symbolize wishes you hope will grow to
fruition in the coming months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Witches connect
each plant—herb, flower, and tree—with specific magickal properties. Sage, for
example, is used for purification rituals. Mint and parsley can be added to
prosperity talismans to attract wealth. White snapdragons ensure protection and
roses play an important role in love magick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Some popular
Easter customs have their roots in Ostara’s symbolism. Eggs represent the
promise of new life, and painting them bright colors engages the creative
aspect of this sabbat. You might enjoy decorating eggs with magickal symbols,
such as pentagrams and spirals. Rabbits, of course, have long been linked with
fertility. In an old German story, a rabbit laid some sacred eggs and decorated
them as a gift for the fertility goddess Ostara. Ostara liked the beautiful
eggs so much that she asked the rabbit to share the eggs with everyone
throughout the world.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">(Excerpted from <i>The Everything Wicca & Witchcraft Book</i>)</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-20875869649752078572013-02-23T09:54:00.002-08:002016-03-28T10:12:47.917-07:00Understanding Mercury Retrograde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oVSoPUA2GEQ/USkB8USc4yI/AAAAAAAAAms/LJ9CuEJLG0k/s1600/messenger-mercury-global-enhanced-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oVSoPUA2GEQ/USkB8USc4yI/AAAAAAAAAms/LJ9CuEJLG0k/s320/messenger-mercury-global-enhanced-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the coming days if your
thinking seems fuzzy, you can’t communicate with loved ones or coworkers, you
keep losing or forgetting things, or your computer or SmartPhone starts acting
weird, blame it on Mercury. The little planet that causes so many problems is retrograde
until March 17. In Roman mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods and
goddesses. In astrology, the planet rules all forms of communication (including
equipment such as computers, phones, and fax machines). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Every four months, this planet appears to change
direction and move backward in its orbit around the sun for about three weeks.
When this happens, all sorts of mix-ups can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and
do</i> occur. Our thinking processes become muddled; we have trouble
concentrating; we don't seem to be able to express ourselves clearly; we forget
things. Stuff gets lost in the mail. Cars and computers break down. No matter
how hard we try and how careful we are, shit happens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While Mercury is retrograde, it's a good idea to check
everything three times. Don't rely on verbal acknowledgments or your
memory––get everything in writing, keep lists so you don't forget something
important, and take copious notes in meetings. If possible, put off signing
contracts, giving presentations, and purchasing big-ticket items especially electronic
equipment or cars. Don’t start a new project or open a business during this
Mercury cycle either––it may never get off the ground or could take longer than
you expect. And don’t schedule an important event now––all kinds of problems
could crop up and spoil your day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mercury can also have an impact on travel plans. To avoid
mix-ups or delays, be sure to confirm dates, schedules, and travel
reservations, and give yourself plenty of time to make connections. If you're
flying, mark baggage clearly and carry what you absolutely need on the plane,
just in case your luggage gets lost. If you're driving, get your car serviced
before you hit the road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Put off elective medical and dental procedures until
Mercury goes direct. Miscommunication, mistakes, and complications are much
more likely at this time. If you receive a confusing or upsetting lab report,
get the test redone after the planet turns direct.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But even the clouds surrounding Mercury retrograde can
have silver linings. During this period, long-lost objects may turn up, hidden
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given up on can finally materialize. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Of course, we can't all go on retreat every time this
planet turns around––although that's the ideal way to utilize Mercury's
retrograde energy. The next best option is to plan around the retrograde
periods as much as possible. Steer clear of situations that you know will be
taxing. Give yourself more time than usual to accomplish difficult tasks. And
be patient––with yourself and everyone else.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "palatino";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-38380658236746026462013-01-17T08:23:00.003-08:002016-03-28T10:14:01.935-07:00First Book in My New Deadly Duos Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jv5ONwcNSKU/UPgjcqFLnJI/AAAAAAAAAmc/Oip7gZ2oGXU/s1600/DuoCover-150px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jv5ONwcNSKU/UPgjcqFLnJI/AAAAAAAAAmc/Oip7gZ2oGXU/s1600/DuoCover-150px.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My new e-book collection of stories is now available for 99 cents at Amazon.com. <i>Deadly Duos, Volume 1</i> contains two tales of murder, suspense, betrayal, and
astrology––set in Boston.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hidden in Plain Sight:
</i>Art forger Sebastian Avery never learned which toes to step on and which to
dance around. This time the “bad boy” of the art world went too far––and ended
up shot full of arrows, like his patron saint. His long-time friend, astrologer
Charlotte McCrae, vows to find out who killed him, with deadly consequences.
Set against the backdrop of the real-life unsolved art heist at Boston’s
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Life, Death, Love, and Baseball: </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When
a wealthy photographer with a mysterious past hires landscape gardener, amateur
astrologer, and die-hard Red Sox fan Jessie Ames, she doesn’t realize her life
is about to change forever––and not in a good way. Disappointed with her
marriage to a minor league pitcher, Jessie begins an affair with the older man
that takes her into risqué and risky territory. Set against the real-life
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope to follow this with at least two more collections in the coming months. Kathleen Valentine designed the beautiful cover. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy, and thanks for reading.</span></span></div>
Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-27871163844246882002012-12-24T14:44:00.002-08:002012-12-24T14:44:28.874-08:00My Next Big Thing: Blog Tour
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAl04FaBYG4/UNjWQ_G-oaI/AAAAAAAAAmM/9PxE9mOi39o/s1600/mermaids+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAl04FaBYG4/UNjWQ_G-oaI/AAAAAAAAAmM/9PxE9mOi39o/s320/mermaids+cover.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to thank Susan Oleksiw, author of the Mellingham Mystery
series and the Anita Ray series, for inviting me to participate in this
writers’ blog tour: The Next Big Thing. Check out her post for the tour at
<a href="http://susansblogbits.blogspot.com/">susansblogbits.blogspot.com</a> “One Writer’s World.” Susan and I have known each
other for many years, and cofounded the publishing company Level Best Books,
along with Kate Flora. They’re both terrific writers, and Susan is also a
talented photographer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">On this tour, lots of writers share
their experiences and ideas about the writing process, and talk about
either an already published book or a work in progress. It's a great opportunity to get together online with our friends, colleagues, and readers. We all respond to the
same set of questions, but of course our answers are all different. Although
I’ve got two novels ready for a publisher (anybody interested?) and am halfway
through the first draft of another, I decided to blog about my latest published
work, which I hope will become my Next Big Thing sales-wise.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the
author of more than thirty fiction and nonfiction books, including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hidden Agenda</i>, which won The Kiss of
Death Award for best novel of romantic suspense. Most of my fiction falls into
the mystery category. Much of my nonfiction work centers on health/healing,
metaphysical subjects, home/interior design, and mystical, magical beings such
as angels and mermaids. My short stories have been published in numerous
anthologies internationally, and my work has been translated into more than a
dozen languages.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: What is the title of your book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My most recently published book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore</i>, came out earlier this year
and includes all sorts of tales, trivia, sightings, and fascinating info about
mermaids throughout history and from around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: Where did the idea for the book come from?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My editor, Andrea Hakanson, at Adams Media and my now-agent, Paula
Munier, came up with the idea––thanks again, ladies––and we developed the book
together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: What genre does your book fall under?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically, it’s a nonfiction work and classified under the rather
boring “reference” category, but Adams produced it so beautifully (hardcover
with lots of lovely turquoise illustrations throughout) that it really should
be considered a gift book as well. You could also shelve it under mythology
because, as the subtitle says, it traces the myths, legends, and lore about
merfolk back thousands of years to ancient Assyria.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a
movie rendition?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, lots of movies have already been made about mermaids. Disney
popularized Hans Christian Andersen’s story in the animated movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Little Mermaid</i>, which has grossed billions of dollars since its
release in 1989. However, the actual tragic tale is a far cry from the fluffy Hollywood
interpretation. And mermaids have appearanced in other movies, including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Splash</i> in 1984 starring Daryl Hannah. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret of Roan Inish</i> is about Irish
Selkies, a type of merfolk who shapeshift from seals to humans. Many of the individual legends in my book could be
brought to the movie screen––I’d nominate Scarlett Johansson, Amanda Seyfried, Evan
Rachel Wood, and Sierra McCormick for mermaid roles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d say: Everything you ever wanted to know about these mysterious
and magical beings, and more. Actually, the back cover copy says: “In this
beautiful collection, you’ll explore the watery origins of these mysterious
nymphs, from the streams and rivers of ancient Babylonia to the shining seas of
the New World and beyond.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adams Media, in Avon, MA published the book this year; they’ve
also published seven of my other books. Paula Munier––one of my inspirations at
Adams at that time––is now my literary agent and is seeking publishers for two
of my novels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your
manuscript?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent about three months on the first draft, then another few
weeks making revisions my editor recommended. I can’t remember the exact
timeline, but from conception to birth the project probably took about the same
amount of time as a human baby would, but with a lot less discomfort!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mermaids have mesmerized us for millennia, and
the mermaid mystique shows no signs of diminishing anytime in the near future.
I had a great time researching this book, talking to anthropologists and
historians, and learning about all the different types of merfolk that splash
about in the waters of the world. Did you know, for instance, that mermaids
don’t just swim in the sea, some of them live in lakes, rivers, and
even fountains? Not all mermaids sport a single tail (the ultimate chastity
belt)––some, like the original mermaid on the Starbucks logo, feature split
tails that allow them to mate with humans. And many can transform their fishy
tails into human legs when they want to come ashore. Most mermaids combine good
and bad qualities, but all are bewitchingly beautiful. And yes, mermen exist
too. I hope if you choose to read </span><i>Mermaids:
The Myths, Legends, and Lore</i> you’ll have as much fun as I did writing it.</span><!--EndFragment-->
Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-10024751174727078602012-12-06T08:30:00.005-08:002016-03-28T10:17:21.334-07:00What Can We Expect on 12/21/2012?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qz3uYf5lfbM/UMDIFQSPtjI/AAAAAAAAAl4/cp3AjPVLuLY/s1600/Winter+Solstice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qz3uYf5lfbM/UMDIFQSPtjI/AAAAAAAAAl4/cp3AjPVLuLY/s320/Winter+Solstice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I posted this info last year, as we approached the year 2012. Now that the long-awaited winter solstice is approaching, I thought you might like to read it again. The beautiful graphic was created by my friend and fellow author/artist Kathleen Valentine.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">You’ve heard the dire predictions––supposedly based on
the Mayan calendar––that the world will end on the winter solstice. But what
can we really expect?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">First of all, astrologers don’t believe the Maya meant
that the world would end on December 21, 2012. Instead, their ancient calendar
pointed to the end of an astrological age. Each age, according to their
calculations, lasted about 25,500 years. This corresponds to what astrologers
call the precession of the equinoxes, meaning the amount of time it takes the
spring equinoctial sun to move backward through the zodiac and arrive again at
the same point from which it started. (Of course, the sun doesn’t really move,
but that’s how it appears to us from our vantage point here on Earth.) Thus,
12/21/2012 signals the true beginning of a new age: the Age of Aquarius. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s interesting to note that 12/21/2012, from the
perspective of numerology, is an “11” day––the number of Aquarius. Aquarius, as
you may know, is the eleventh sign of the zodiac, but there’s more to it than
that. When you add the digits of the date (1+2+2+1+2+0+1+2) you get a sum of
11. Numerologists consider 11 to be a “master number.” Master numbers resonate
with intensity. They offer increased opportunities for growth, awakening, and
accomplishment. They demand more from you and require you to function at a
higher level of awareness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Eleven is the number of the visionary, the avatar, the
inventor, the person who leads by offering a positive example. It’s also linked
with humanitarianism, equality, balance, truth, and integrity. In the Tarot’s
major arcana, the Justice card is number 11. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When we’re under the influence of the number 11, we
may experience lightning-like bursts of insight or situations that propel us to
act quickly, drawing on intuition as well as intellect. The repetition of 11s,
as in 11:11, can be seen as a portal into other worlds or realms of
consciousness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What all this suggests is that 12/21/2012 brings conditions
that will require us to think outside the box and to address problems with a
more elevated and expanded vision. We’ll have to be more honest with ourselves
and others, and behave with greater integrity. We’ll be called to make changes
that benefit humanity and take into account the good of all, not just a few.
We’ll see continued efforts to right wrongs and establish more balance between
the haves and the have-nots. In short, this winter solstice sounds a wake-up
call for all of us and offers us an opportunity to usher in the long-awaited
Age of Aquarius.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A blessed solstice to all! </span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054472088961723830.post-57478700157199132762012-07-08T10:27:00.000-07:002016-03-28T10:19:03.101-07:00The Best Thing You Can Do for Yourself––and It's Free<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ixCkupBqPzI/T_nAmqnJKjI/AAAAAAAAAls/WOCG3Vg5D38/s1600/Meditation+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ixCkupBqPzI/T_nAmqnJKjI/AAAAAAAAAls/WOCG3Vg5D38/s200/Meditation+cover.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">One of the best things you can do for yourself every day is meditate. In <i>The Best Meditations on the Planet,</i> my coauthor Dr. Martin Hart and I present 100 meditations anyone can do to improve mental and physical well-being. The following excerpt explains just some of the scientifically researched benefits you can get from meditation. Our beautiful, full-color book features lots of photographs and step-by-step techniques. It's available from Amazon and bookstores, or you can order it from my website's book section.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">What Can Meditation Do for You?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">Meditation only takes a short period of time each day, costs absolutely
nothing, requires no special equipment or accoutrements, and can be done
successfully by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Meditation
could be the single most valuable tool we have available to heal ourselves and
our planet.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">During the
last two decades, hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted at more
than 250 universities and research facilities internationally to examine
meditation’s efficacy. Although devotees of the practice may assert that
meditation can do everything from create world peace to make you a better
lover, clinical research clearly shows that meditation’s benefits are
substantial and far-reaching. Here are just some of the amazing results top
scientific and medical researchers have linked to meditation:</span></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation lowers blood pressure and decreases the risk of heart
attack and stroke. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation boosts intelligence and academic performance.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation stimulates stem cell growth.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation saves companies money by reducing employee absenteeism.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation enhances athletic performance.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation decreases substance abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mediation relieves depression and anxiety.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation aids weight loss.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mediation eases chronic pain.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation reduces hyperactivity in children.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mediation improves memory in the elderly.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation increases longevity.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meditation deters crime. </span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">How Meditation Works</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you meditate, you stop thinking about work, relationships,
finances, and daily chores, and become present in the moment. Mental chatter
ceases temporarily and you experience a state of relaxation in both mind and
body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The changes you
experience can actually be measured physically. During meditation, your heart
rate and respiration slow. Brainwave frequencies decrease from the usual 13–30
cycles per second (the beta level of consciousness) to 8–13 cps (the alpha
level). Brainwave activity also shifts from the right frontal cortex to the
left. Richard J. Davidson,
Ph.D., a researcher and neuroscientist at the
University of Wisconsin, has been studying meditation’s effects for more than
two decades. When he examined the brains of Buddhist monks to see how
meditation affected their neural physiology, he discovered the left frontal
cortex (the part of the brain linked to happiness) was more active in the monks
than in people who didn’t meditate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During
meditation, the brain also steps up production of endorphins, the proteins that
enhance positive feelings. According to a recent clinical trial of 97,000
subjects conducted by the
Women's Health Initiative, positive, optimistic people enjoy longer,
healthier lives than their negative, pessimistic peers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using modern
brain-scanning technology, researchers have discovered that meditation produces
long-term physiological changes as well. A UCLA study, led by neuroscientist Eileen Luders, Ph.D., demonstrated that meditation
actually increases the size of the brain. The study’s results, released in 2009, showed the areas of the brain associated with
attention, focus, and positive emotions were larger in people who meditate
regularly than in non-meditators. Meditation causes changes in cell metabolism, too, according to another study performed at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine
at Massachusetts General Hospital and reported in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Medical News Today</i> in<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>2008.
The changes, explained Dr. Jeffery Dusek, co-lead author of the study, were the
opposite of those induced by post-traumatic stress disorder.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">These and other clinical
studies reveal that meditation strengthens the part of the brain linked with
positive emotions while counteracting the destructive impact of stress and
anxiety. Indeed, stress
reduction may be the key to meditation’s beneficial effects on health. At least 60 percent of all doctor visits are due to stress-related
problems. “It’s hard to think of an
illness in which stress and mood don’t figure,” points out Charles L. Raison,
M.D., clinical director of the Mind-Body Program at Emory University School of
Medicine in Atlanta.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The brainwave changes induced by meditation also
boost stem cell production, enhancing the body’s ability to regenerate and
repair itself. Leading stem cell researcher Doris Taylor, Ph.D., Director of
the Center for Cardiovascular Repair at the University of Minnesota, measured
the blood of Matthieu Ricard, French philosopher and author of the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Happiness</i>, before and after meditation.
The result after only fifteen minutes of meditation “was a huge increase in the number of positive
stem cells in [his] blood.”</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But
you needn’t be a Buddhist monk or a “meditation marathoner” to reap the rewards
of meditation. Both Richard
Davidson and Sara Lazar, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, have studied meditation’s effects on ordinary, middle-class
Americans. "What we found out,” says Davidson, “is that after a short time
meditating, meditation had profound effects not just on how they felt but on
their brains and bodies."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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For twenty-first-century Westerners
struggling to cope with ever-increasing stress in their professional and
personal lives, turning to this ancient Eastern practice may be the answer to
enjoying happier, healthier, longer lives.</span></span><!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2