“Nursing is a kind of mania; a fever in the blood; an incurable disease which, once contracted, cannot be got out of the system. If it was not like that, there would be no hospital nurses, for compared dispassionately with other professions, the hours are long, the work hard, and the pay inadequate to the […]
2014 – Guidance for the Year Ahead
“Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other.” ~ Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration Happy New Year and welcome to the energies of 2014! It’s a glorious new year, birthed with the energy of […]
No words needed…
Thank you! We’re Two!!
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” ~ Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Cauldrons and Cupcakes turns two today. Two years since my first uncertain foray into the world of blogging, with the auspicious post Ice-Cream Plum […]
Moon Magic
“Last night I danced. My body rose from its slump for the first time since the beginning of sorrows—my fingers beckoning to the stars at arm’s length, back arching as tingles bubbled up my spine, hips caught in a silent tempo while on tiptoe I twirled in endless euphoric circles. It didn’t matter that you […]
Three Key Strategies for Dealing with Life’s Hardships
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s […]
Do you need an Enforced Rest?
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away […]
The Curious Case of Clothespeg Matching
“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” ~ Gustav Flaubert Something interesting happened yesterday as I was pegging out the washing. Well, interesting to me, anyhow… For all of my life I have shaken out each item, and pegged it neatly by corners or seams. I […]
Lyme and the Witches’ Mark
“The fables of Witchcraft have taken so fast hold and deepe root in the heart of man, that fewe or none can (nowadaies) with patience indure the hand and correction of God. For if any adversitie, greefe, sicknesse, losse of children, corne, cattell, or libertie happen unto them; by & by they exclaime uppon witches. […]
Plum Tuckered Out!
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away […]
Unblocking and Grounding your Foot Chakras
“In a flash of wonderment she saw firm, continuous ground under her feet, stretching from back then to right now and on and on as far as her eyes could take her.” ~ Ann Brashares, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood Ever felt any of the following? Vague, disconnected and disoriented. Spaced out, especially when doing meditation […]
Guided Meditation for Emotional Healing
“…spiritual or emotional pain doesn’t become a memory so much as a bruise …” ~ John Geddes, A Familiar Rain I was up extra early this morning, after a difficult night. My daily practice, no matter where I am or what is happening in my life, is to meditate. So I found myself rugged up against the […]
Life without my computer…
At first I wondered how I would cope, but then this happened… Beautiful book. Cup of tea. Sleep. Visits with friends. Hand-written notes for my cookbook project as I snuggled under a doona on a cold, rainy night. And suddenly Sunday was over… Today I see my Lyme Doctor, obtain a raft of new […]
Meanwhile, back in Lymeland, an Owl showed up!
“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” ~ Eden Philpotts I’m sorry to keep you hanging for my Owl and Orchard Man Story, and for my ongoing adventures in the Kimberley. Truth is, I’m just not up to writing much right now. So instead, I shall share […]
Waking from a long sleep…
“You can only come to the morning through the shadows.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien I woke up this morning, stretched my arms out, yawned widely and realised that something has shifted as I slept last night. My fever’s broken, my pain has eased, and my mind is bright. It’s a great relief. The last few days […]
A Guided Meditation for Heart Healing
“The human heart has a way of making itself large again even after it’s been broken into a million pieces.” ~ Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County No-one is immune to heartache, loneliness or troubled relationships. Human hearts were made to love, but in loving – or having no-one to love – our heart can […]
The Magic of a Cup of Tea
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa There are a few things that have helped me to feel human again in the past twenty-four hours after days of being wretchedly ill. Such simple things, but they nurtured me, body and soul: a long […]
Inviting Stillness…
“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh How can you be well, how can you know peace, if you are always busy? Always rushing? If your days are blurring one […]
Stir Fried Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Broccoli Recipe
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ~ Virginia Woolf Food isn’t just food. Food is also a healing tool. A spiritual tool. A way to give love and care to self and others. If you want to think about this recipe as just food then this is what […]
Howling at the Moon
Those are the same stars, and that is the same moon, that look down upon your brothers and sisters, and which they see as they look up to them, though they are ever so far away from us, and each other. ~ Sojourner Truth It’s 2 o’clock in the morning and I’m wide awake; fretful […]
Making My Life Work for Me – Week 1
“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher Welcome to Week 1 of our six week Making My Life Work for Me […]
New Moon Creation Ceremony
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ~ George Bernard Shaw Tuesday March 12 is a new moon. This is a powerful energy for creating positive change and manifesting your heart’s desires. It is also a great time for connecting into your own intuitive wisdom, and deepening spiritual connection. Everything is created […]
The Value of Encouraging Other People
“The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” ~ Leo Rosten Life can be so very trying at times. We can find ourselves alone, we might fall on hard times, lose our health, […]
The Importance of Living from Your Heart Right Now!
“Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” ~ John Lennon Have you noticed it? Maybe it’s you, maybe it’s the people around you, being a bit scratchy, reactive or […]
Diagnosis – Lyme Disease
‘All delays are dangerous in war.’ ~ John Dryden There’s a war going on in my body. In fact it’s been going on for a quarter of a century. First there came the enemy invasion. There was no loud and obvious display of force. Instead it was an invasion by stealth. A mass of tiny […]
When the Muse vanishes – thoughts on the loss of creativity
“Creativity is our true nature; blocks are an unnatural thwarting of a process at once as normal and as miraculous as the blossoming of a flower at the end of a slender green stem.” ~ Julia Cameron If you’ve ever had some sort of creative block, where the juices stop flowing and the ideas dry […]
We All Have Days Like That…
“I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little – if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.” ~ Coco Chanel Ah, it’s inevitable, isn’t […]
Lost your Creative Mojo?
“Creativity – like human life itself – begins in darkness.” ~ Julia Cameron Have you taken the pledge and signed up for my Creative Challenge Project yet? It’s not too late, and hopefully, if you stick with me, by the end of this year you’ll have something finished, a new skill or interest, or a […]
Crystals for Highly Sensitive People
“Treating myself like a precious object makes me strong.” ~ Julia Cameron I love working with crystals, and my gorgeous fairy companion Sokli is completely nuts for them. Because we’ve had such positive and strong reactions whenever we have blogged about being sensitive, we thought we might give you some suggestions for crystals to help […]
Inviting Stillness…
“When I dance, I dance, when I sleep, I sleep; yes, and when I walk in a beautiful orchard , if my thoughts drift too far off matters for some part of the time, for some other part I led them back again to the walk, the orchard, the sweetness of this solitude, to myself.” […]
Sad Unicorns OR Is your New-Age Thinking Positively Unhelpful?
“Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.” ~ Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn “People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that’s bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. […]
10 Ways To Be Kind to Yourself
“Kindness is the greatest wisdom.” ~ Author Unknown Mostly when we think of kindness, we think of how we can act towards others. But today I want to focus on another equally important type of kindness – that which we extend to ourselves. The beginning of the year is an opportune time for setting up […]
Emerging from the Chrysalis – Your Butterfly Oracle for 2013
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ~ Author Unknown “There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” ~ Richard Buckminster Fuller Here we are with 2013 stretching out in front of us, full […]
What’s your Power Word for 2013?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 The New Year – most people try to jam it full of resolutions. All the things you are going to do. All the things you are no longer going to do. It’s become quite vogue-ish to […]
Manifesting a Positive 2013 – An Invitation to Join Me
“New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on […]
A Guided Meditation for the end of 2012
“Every ending is a new beginning.” ~ Proverb 2012 has been such a big year, as we all knew it would be. So today I’ve recorded a simple guided meditation for you, to help you release the closing energies of this year, ready to welcome the positive shift that is heralded by 2013. All you need […]
Healing and Grounding Tibetan Singing Bowl Meditation
I learn more about God From weeds than from roses; Resilience springing Through the smallest chink of hope In the absolute of concrete…. ~ Phillip Pulfrey, “Weeds,” Perspectives Morning at our little farm – the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the day is fresh and new. I’ve already been for a short […]
Christmas as a Meditation on Kindness
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do […]
Tibetan Singing Bowl – Healing Meditation
“Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci, Notebooks (1451-1519) I meditate twice daily. And as a constant meditator I have come to use many different forms of this practice, so that I can choose a method best suited to my mood, energy and purpose each time. One of […]
A Room of One’s Own…
Thank you, Virginia, for that most valuable of advice. When I was younger her quote didn’t make much sense – weren’t women independent now, didn’t we have the vote, weren’t we emancipated and equal and couldn’t we Have It All? A room? Goddam it Virginia, I’m a modern woman. I can buy myself a whole […]
Win a Healing Necklace, Made Especially For You!
This is the final week of my blog supporter love-up, and I’ve saved the best ’til last. So far the beautiful Anita has won the every.day.presence book by Simone De Haas. This week Tammy of onelittlestranger wins a crystal just for her, chosen and channelled by me. Congratulations, Tammy! I shall be delving through my […]
Strengthening Intuition Week 5 – Sensing Energy in People
There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it. ~Elizabeth A. Behnke Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;… and not today’s pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man. […]
Choosing Crystals to Attract Love ♥ Part 1
“We accept the love we think we deserve.” ~ Stephen Chbosky So it seems that many of you like crystals, and the idea of working with crystals. And many of you have been asking me lately about love – how to love yourselves more, how to love others more, and how to attract love into your […]
Self-Growth Nature Oracle – A Reading to Guide your Current Energies
What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself. ~ Hecato, Greek philosopher Every so often I like to channel through some messages for you, so that you can get guidance for a particular area or time in your life. Today our focus is on your personal and […]
Loving my dinged up life-battered Self – Part 2
“Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’ ‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always […]
Loving my dinged up life-battered Self – Part 1
We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell Don’t you love how Life gives you those aha moments? I’m in the middle of one right now. It’s going to be that kind of week, I think. For […]
Rain, Rain, cleanse my blues away…
Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. ~ Langston Hughes I awoke this morning to gentle rain on the roof. It was such a peaceful sound. I’m still on retreat, so I walked out onto the veranda, which overlooks rainforest […]
Strengthening Intuition Week 2 – Activating Your Hand Chakras
Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is. ~ Gary Zukav Throughout history there are references to hands-on healing, and the laying on of the hands. But what exactly does that mean? We are all energetic beings, and we are all capable of feeling energy, and giving […]
A Witch’s Brew – Herbal Tea Recipes from my Cauldron
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. – C.S. Lewis I don’t think I could say it better than C. S. Lewis! As much as I love coffee, tea reigns supreme in my house. Yesterday I blended and batched up a Channelling Tea blend […]
It’s Freak Out Week. So how are YOU feeling?
Let me ask you a personal question. Do any of the following sound like you right now (although a few weeks ago you were fine, or certainly more fine than you are now)? exhausted, for no apparent reason achy and unwell in a very non-specific way restless, or feeling like you want to run away […]
Five Australian Bush Flower Blessings for You
It’s Spring here in Australia, and the bush is filled with all manner of flowers. Here are five different types that I came across during my recent road trip. This morning I have channelled a message for each bloom, and I know that there is one that is just right for you! All you have […]
Gifts from the Road…
I’m home. I slept in my own bed last night. Today I have work in front of me – a long, intense stretch of it, in fact. But it doesn’t matter. I feel renewed, and something in me has been mended. Maybe it was all that good roadhouse and bakery food. We started with a […]
Red Dust and Wattle
There is a wide arc of blue sky above me. Beneath my feet the ground is stones and dust and tufts of brittle grass. The air is filled with birdsong and the thresh and shuffle of wind in the treetops. Apart from that there is nothing. Just sunshine and space and peace. Kangaroos sleeping under […]
One Small Bead to Connect Me…
Today is the last day of my shamanic meditation retreat. Just over a month ago I chose a bead to represent each person who would attend the course. Then I began to string the beads into a Mala for meditation. A bead for each of my students, and then enough smaller beads to make a […]
The Power of Hugs
Yesterday was a wonderful day and a difficult day in equal measure. I am mid-way through running my Temple of Light retreat, I had a big day of work ahead of me, it was Fathers Day here in Australia, and it was also my beautiful Nana’s birthday. Lots going on. And not just for me. […]
Becoming by Letting Go
If it’s to be, it’s up to me… There is a powerful but much forgotten Law in the Universe – The Law Of Reciprocation. I’m sure you are familiar with it, although you might not know it by this name. Effectively it means that for every action there needs to be an equal and opposite […]
Meditation with whales
For the next few days I am running a shamanic meditation retreat at Byron Bay. My blogging ability will be limited to what I can do from my iphone. But at least I can still keep in touch with you! I have five days of delicious meditation with my group. It’s a wonderful time for […]
Full Moon ‘Becoming’ Ceremony
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~ e.e. cummings A Full Moon is a wonderful time for stepping into the energy of ‘becoming’, providing a strong transformational force at work in our lives. Are you ready for a little positive manifestation? Here’s what you’ll need: A fireproof bowl […]
Blue Moon Healing Ceremony
2012 is a powerful time for clearing, healing and accelerated growth. It also provides a unique opportunity to clear and heal our ancestral lines, allowing future generations to be free of accumulated of inherited limitations. (This works even if you have no children of your own.) One way we can work with this energy is […]
The Gift of Small Kindnesses
“When true friends meet in adverse hour; ‘Tis like a sunbeam through a shower. A watery way an instant seen, The darkly closing clouds between.” ~ Sir Walter Scott When someone is going through the bumps and difficulties of life, a friend can make their journey that much easier. We have become a society where […]
Will you do something for me today?
Will you do something for me today? Hug the ones you love. Tell them you love them. If they aren’t close enough to hug, pick up the phone and let them know you care. Take a minute, stop, and just appreciate this gift of life. Smell the roses. That’s why they’re there. Look after yourself. […]
Failure to Connect…
“I made a nap this afternoon. I made it out of two pillows, a bed, a sheet, a blanket, and exhaustion.” ~ Jarod Kintz If you’re psychic, or intuitive, or creative, or a writer, or an artist, or a meditator, or a musician – if you have a passion or a skill or a hobby, or […]
3O Days of Gratitude to Change Your Life
Are you ready to change your life? Are you ready to attract things that make you smile, that improve your health, that attract better jobs and relationships, that make you laugh, that fill your bank account with money and your heart with love and gladness? If your answer is yes, then read on! I’m a […]
The Elephant Elder of Chiang Mai
On my thirtieth birthday I woke up to find that I could see auras around people. After I adjusted to the shock, and the disorientation that comes from having additional materials in your field of vision, I soon found that I could understand and interpret those energies, and it has formed the basis of much […]
A Magical Way to Attract More of What You Want!
Last week I shared a simple but powerful journal exercise with you, designed to help you get clarity about what you REALLY want in life. If you didn’t read it, or need to refresh your memory, here’s the link: Getting to the Heart of things All you needed to do was to write an answer […]
How to deal with Toxic People
“Toxic relationships not only make us unhappy; they corrupt our attitudes and dispositions in ways that undermine healthier relationships and prevent us from realizing how much better things can be.” — Michael Josephson What is a toxic relationship? It’s one that diminishes you, that erodes you, that defeats you. We all experience conflicts, disagreements and […]
A Powerful Time for Clearing and Change!
How have you been feeling, this past week or so? Not quite yourself? A little out of sorts? Take the poll below and see if any of this resonates for you – you might not have felt like this continuously (indeed, I hope you haven’t!), but if anything sounds familiar then tick the box! Maybe […]
Soul Messages – The Gifts of Colour
Scroll down through the images and pick the one that speaks to you – the one you find the most vibrant or attractive. Then go back and select the one you are least drawn to. When you’ve made your choice, go further down the page and find out what messages your Soul has chosen for […]
Getting to the Heart of Things
There is a powerful journalling exercise that I use every so often. It is a very simple technique, but it never fails to give me clarity. It also highlights areas of my life that aren’t working, shows me where my resentments and frustrations are, and uncovers my deepest dreams and desires. It works best when […]
Things to be thankful for…
“The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles” This morning I’m counting my Blessings. Such a simple thing to do, and it always makes me feel richer. I like to count them off on my fingers – a tangible act, and a way of really anchoring their truth in […]
Patience and Right Timing
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. ~ Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know that I am a big fan of trusting in two things: Universal Wisdom and Right Timing. You might wonder what that has to do with patience? Everything, my friends, everything! Why? Well, when we are […]
Too Busy? Relax!
The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. ~ Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris We’re coming into a weekend, and I have a mile long list of things that still need to get done. So, I should be doing them. Right? Well, actually… No! I’m tired. It’s […]
Using your Internal Compass to Navigate Life
At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. ~ Thich Nhat Hahn Inside each of us in a compass. Although we can’t see it, it spins and turns in ways we can feel, if only we learn to tune in to it. The […]
Transit of Venus, Solar Flares, Polar Shifts, Eclipses and Sensitive People
So, you’re a sensitive soul? If you’re not sure, you can read more about ‘sensitive’ people here, to see if you identify with any of the common characteristics: Living as a Sensitive Soul One thing that sensitive souls will be noticing right now is how all of this astrological shift and change can affect us. […]
Crystals, 2012 and the Transit of Venus
On June 6, we will be privileged to experience a rare astrological event – the Transit of Venus. The transits happen in pairs – and this is the final event in the current pairing, the last being in June 2004. We won’t see another transit in our lifetime as the next ones will occur in […]
When is it okay to break a promise?
I take giving my word very seriously. Promises made are never made lightly, and since childhood I have rarely needed to break one. But I’m going to break one now. This isn’t information I’d normally share, but I have given so much thought to this that I felt my musings might be helpful to someone […]
Hey Sister, You Okay?
I was looking forward to Saturday. In the last few weeks I’ve supported a friend through the end stages of terminal cancer, holding her hand til she passed, ridden the roller coaster of supporting an addict in recovery, and juggled my daily work and writing. Saturday was this wonderful window of calm in front of […]
Doing Nothing is Productive!
Are you one of those people who needs to be productive? I certainly am. Not from any external pressure – I just LIKE getting stuff done, and I always have several projects on the go, a big fat to-do list, as well as a schedule that stretches out towards the horizon. Life, and its possibilities, […]