Author: soulsticespirit

5 WAYS TO AVOID COMPANION ANIMAL TRAGEDY:

We all love our cats, dogs and other companion animals. We want to keep them healthy and around as long as possible. Are we limited in our understanding of how we can encourage this? Below are five easy ways to encourage longevity and avoid trauma and tragedy for our animal friends as well as our families:

1)      Observation- When we study Eastern Medicine, we will find that part of the method of ongoing health maintenance is called observation. This is the practice of examining our animal when he is healthy so that we are in immediate recognition of the moment any aspect of his health falls out of the norm. This can be done by the animal’s person as opposed to a professional doctor. It is our job to note how our animal companion behaves when he is healthy so that at the very first sign of a shift, we are able to recognize it. By practicing this, we can understand our animal’s warning signs when they first appear and react accordingly. Imagine how many terminal illnesses or surgery can be avoided if we had just noticed the early warning signs? When we observe our animals in a healthy state, we are looking for redness in the whites of eyes, normal tongue colour, healthy bathroom habits, healthy poop, healthy eating habits, skin texture, hair/fur texture, the way they walk (so we can note if they start to limp or overcompensate), among other aspects of their bodies and behaviours. We may also want to palpate our animal’s bodies while they are healthy so that any sign of a shift such as a lump, bump or swelling will be immediately evident should it appear. We must also keep in mind that these aspects of our animal friends’ bodies and behaviours are relative to each animal and breed. Some breeds of dog, for example, have naturally different coloured tongues than others. Some animals have different fur textures. This is why it is always important to note how your animal friend looks, feels and acts like when he is healthy.

2)      Regular Checkups- Whether you choose a western medicine practicing veterinarian, an eastern or both, it is important to schedule regular check-ups for your animal friends. Especially as they age, having a doctor examine them regularly will help to prevent painful organ dysfunction, blood borne illness, poor circulation leading to arthritis and kidney issues, severe dehydration, malnutrition and the rest of the spectrums of illness that can be caught at the early stages. Too many people wait until they see something “wrong” with their animals before taking them to the vet. Many of these painful experiences for animals can be completely avoided simply by scheduling regular visits to the vet. And though a trip to the vet is not altogether fun for our animals, in the long run, this practice will encourage longevity and a much better quality of life. As a side note: if something that a veterinarian recommends that does not intuitively feel right for you and/or your animals it is perfectly acceptable to do your own research on the subject and get a second opinion. There have been insurmountable cases that doctors have recommended foods and medicines that have been meant to treat a certain health issue and have caused quite a lot of damage to the animal. Listening to your vet is important, but doing your own research and getting a second (or third) opinion is paramount to granting your animal friends a healthful and pain-free life!

3)      Feed Whole Foods- JUST LIKE FOR PEOPLE feeding your animal friends whole foods is the most nutritious way to go. The “prescription diet” recommended foods are full of insoluble proteins (meaning- they do not get digested and pass right through). More often than not, feeding low quality food brands and nutrient poor brands, leads to muscular atrophy, poor digestive systems, dull coats and hair loss, early stage organ failure, and sometimes cancers. They are full of preservative salts, corn gluten and other fillers that can be quite detrimental to your animal’s health. Not only are these brands the highest in price, but they are also among some of the poorest nutrient-rich foods you can buy. There are far higher quality foods for lower prices that will help your animal friends to feel nourished and healthy. Food quality has always been and always will be the gateway to a healthful life! For more information on the quality of food that you are feeding your animal friend, READ THE INGREDIENTS!!! Take a few minutes to research the ingredients in your food-particularly the first ones on the list. Cross reference sites so that you are not reading biased information. It is also important to research where the food company factory is. If your animal food brand is has its processing plants outside of North America (some are located all the way in Asia!) consider the fact that once this food is processed and packaged it still needs to travel overseas before it gets to the stores in our country. This adds a tremendous amount of time to the already waning shelf life of the product. Because of the distance and time travelled, factories need to add more preservatives so that these products can stay “fresh”. By buying locally processed foods, we are lessening the need for extra preservatives, and we can know where the food sources are coming from.

4)      Keep Your Animal Friend at a Healthy Weight- No matter what species you are, obesity is very painful; and completely avoidable. If you feel that your animal’s obesity does not cause him distress, you are wrong. If you do not have the energy, time or will to exercise your animal, perhaps caring for an animal is not right for you. Animals need exercise for physical wellness, mental and emotional wellness AND spiritual wellness. Young animals need exercise to blow off steam, aging animals need exercise to lubricate joints, mobilize joints, facilitate proper blood flow and circulation, among many others. Keeping our animal friends at a healthy weight includes; no table scraps, daily exercise, low fat foods, no snacking between meals, feeding a specific amount of food that is perfect for each individual animal’s weight maintenance.

5)      Keep them safe!!- Some humans are of the belief that “animals will be animals”. While this is true, they are still our responsibility while we are caring for them. It is our responsibility to keep all toxic substances away from our animals. It is our responsibility to keep them on our properties so they do not wander onto a busy street, get stolen or become prey. It is our responsibility to allow them to live in warm, hospitable, safe environments. We can do this by remembering that if we choose to take on the responsibility of caring for an animal, our home is their home too. Keeping our animals safe also means being mindful of how long they are exposed to extreme weather; only allow them limited access to extreme cold or heat. Animals are incredibly temperature sensitive and any drastic change in temperature or extreme weather can cause severe damage such as frost bite, tail loss, limb loss, heat stroke and severe dehydration ; to name a few. Animals deserve to be comfortable there as much as we do. Additionally, we must remember that every time we let them outside, they have the potential to run away or go too far that we cannot find them. It is not a reflection of us, it is a reflection of their natural genetic wiring. Though they are predisposed to live in a domesticated environment, their initial predisposition leads all the way back to their species origin in the wild. They are natural hunters and predators. They love to wander off. We can avoid certain tragedy to this tune by taking steps to allow them to be outside in a secured way. We can spend some extra time building a fence, buying an extra strong leash and harness as well as anything else that is required to keep them protected!

By following these guidelines as well as paying adequate attention, we are sure to promote a healthy living environment inside and out for our very best friends; our companion animals!

TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION/REIKI SESSION OR TO SIGN UP FOR OUR CLASSES, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

FULL MOON IN LIBRA

Happy full moon in Libra! Today, April 11, 2017 is the full moon in Libra in the sun sign of Aries. Because Libra is the sign of harmony and balance, we may find within ourselves the desire to be of service to others. And this is a wonderful idea! The 48 hours of this full moon are an excellent time to spread the energies of peace and harmony; to uplift those with whom you cross paths. This is the perfect day to spend our time and energies being of service to others. Being of service to others; both animal and human is a very high vibration act and is sure to heal ourselves as well in the process!

The sign of Libra is ruled planet Venus which exudes Divine Feminine energies. Aries, our current sun sign, is ruled by the planet of Mars; the male God of war. This leads to an interesting battle in our consciousness between the Divine feminine and warlike masculinity. If we let this battle take the stage, we may find ourselves amidst a power struggle between our ego and our self all day long. If this should begin to take shape, we must not submit to the battle. We can easily remind ourselves that we have the power to rise above and spend our valuable energy connecting with the nurturing and harmonious energy that is this lunar pull.

Because we are in the middle of our Mercury retrograde, we may also feel a string inclination to spend this day going within to seek aspects of our own lives and selves that are need rebalancing. For more information about this Mercury retrograde, please see:

https://soulsticespirit.com/2017/04/09/mercury-retrograde-what-does-it-mean/

This full moon is about focusing our consciousness onto the global scale. It is about coming together through unconditional love to raise the vibration of our Mother Earth. Because Libra is the sign of harmonious balance, this full moon carries with it a strong capacity to open our hearts and remember that we are a collective consciousness. Our concept of individuality is an Earthly vibration and once we step outside of that vibration into higher awareness, we can be reminded that we are all one, and that any though, feeling or belied each of us partakes in does affect the whole. This full moon is an ideal time to remove that veil of individuality, and instead of focusing on differences we may believe we have from others, to focus on one similarity that we all share: our Divine ability to love and be loved.

RETROGRADE

We have all heard been warned about the Mercury retrograde. The question is, what is it all about?

Spiritualists and astrologers alike are often puzzled by the mishaps and misunderstandings of the phenomenon of Mercury retrograde. Like clockwork, those three to four times per year when Mercury goes into retrograde, we are sure to experience some chaos! Whether the chaos is external or internal, there is almost always a sense of circumstances being shaken up.

To understand the nature of the warning of planets being in retrograde, we can seek out the meaning of “retrograde” itself. What does it mean? We use the word “retrograde” to describe a planet’s motion.  At certain times during the year, Mercury appears in the night sky to be going backwards. Of course the planet is not actually going backwards as it has a steady elliptical course that it treks. What it does mean, however is that it appears, from Earth, to be heading in a backwards direction relative to the Earth’s rotation around the sun. Because the planets, including Earth journey on an elliptical path, at certain points in their revolutions around the sun, they will appear to be going backwards from one planet to another. Mercury is not the only planet that appears to be going backwards from Earth, however it is the planet with the most frequent retrogrades as it is closest to the sun. Its revolution course is much shorter relative the other planets in our solar system. Mercury goes retrograde between three and four times per year, whereas the rest of the planets’ revolutions take longer therefore have fewer retrogrades. And when we look at the revolutions of the farthest planets such as Saturn and Uranus, we can note that they go retrograde far less frequently than do the planets closer to the sun. In fact, some only go retrograde every couple of years. And instead of the duration being three weeks as Mercury’s is, theirs can be over six months.

According to astrology, each planet has its own set of spiritual aspects. Each planet has both a strong gravitational pull on us as well as a strong counterpart in our consciousness. This is to say that each planet has its individual set of characteristics that resonate with us on different levels. One such example is Mercury.  Mercury’s characteristics include; the planet of communication, messenger planet of the Gods, speech, travel, early learning, writing, conscious though, intellectual capacity and logic.

When we couple the characteristics of Mercury with the concept of retrograde, we can begin to see the origin of the apparent chaos. When we refer to energy, we can note that a planet’s seemingly backward motion might have a “backward” type aspect. This is to say that when we couple the backward energy of the retrograde with Mercury’s characteristics, there is a recipe for chaotic disorder. During this disorderly period, we may find that important documents go missing, that signed paperwork must be re-evaluated due to mistakes and we may lose important items. There is also a heavy emphasis on being cautious when traveling. This is due to Mercury’s connection to travel. And when Mercury “goes backwards”, there is often opportunity for missed connections, lost travel tickets, malfunctioning electronics… you name it!

In addition to all of the potential external struggles of Mercury retrograde, there is also an important connection to the potential inner chaos that some people experience throughout this retrograde.  Retrogrades of any planet are a time to go within and reflect. Within any retrograde, there is a string potential to grow. But growing takes work! During the time of the retrograde of any planet, we may experience a resurfacing of old wounds, negative emotions and frustrations. This, for sensitives, is normal. The challenge of looking within during the retrograde pushes us to examine what aspects of ourselves we must work on in order to heal and grow.

Often, the feeling of this push can feel like we are muddling through a swamp. Each step can feel so draining and exhausting. Each thought can be distressing. We may even feel like we do not want to get out of bed in the morning. We may feel as if we are having a healing crisis- and some of us very well may be. Specifically regarding Mercury’s retrograde, we may feel an inability to communicate effectively or progress on any projects. But though these feelings are deep and heavy, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Because Mercury’s retrograde is only three weeks long, we can rest assured that these heavy feelings are short-lived. We can rest assured that we are not alone in this struggle, as many of our friends and colleagues are undergoing similar trials at the same time. And it may help to talk to them about it!

When the retrograde of any planet happens, we can let it get the best of us. But we also have another option. We can recognize that this is the perfect opportunity to take the time to look within and analyze ourselves from a higher perspective. We can utilize this opportunity to make a concerted effort to let go of that which no longer serves our highest good. With this knowledge and understanding, we are sure to be successful!

9 WAYS YOUR ANIMALS KNOW YOU LOVE THEM:

Most people want to know if their animals know that they are loved. Even though most animals know they are, here are 9 of many ways that your animals will know how much you love them:

1)      You give them lots of gentle cuddles- cuddling is hands down the most wonderful way to show our animals we love them!! Remember that animals are gentle beings and should be cuddled in soft and easy way. Too much forceful cuddling can make them want to lash out at you. This is especially prominent with children. Teaching children to be gentle with animals promotes a lifetime of empathy and compassion!

2)      You give them plenty of exercise- animals thrive on exercise when they are young and healthy. By exercising them regularly, you will be keeping their cardiovascular system healthy, increasing joint mobility, keeping extra pounds off, increasing longevity and keeping morale at an all time high!

3)      You keep their food/bathroom areas clean- cats and dogs are very clean beings. Because they are guests in our homes, it is our responsibility to keep their areas clean. They are unable to clean up their spaces on their own, and rely on us to do so. Let’s show them how much we care!

4)      You always make sure to read food labels to ensure that they are eating the most nutritious foods- animals are unable to purchase their own food. If they were, would they buy the food we’re choosing for them? There are so many poor quality foods on the market. Proper nutrition is the most important part of their day. By reading food labels and understanding what may be harmful and toxic (there are far too many cat and dog foods with carcinogens and other toxic by-products!), we can ensure that our animal friends have the best quality of life possible.

5)      You verbally reaffirm your love for them on a regular basis- Most of us tell our animals that we love them on a very regular basis. This can do wonders for their self esteem and longevity! It can be equally, if not more affirming for us to add additional praises to the mix. Animals are very sensitive to vibes. If we choose to use positive words in a complimentary way in various forms, we will be promoting mental and spiritual wellness for all!

6)      You see them as equal members of your family, not as belongings or toys- animals should ALWAYS be respected and treated as equal family members. Though it’s important to set rules and boundaries with them behaviourally, in terms of love and respect animals will know you love them if they are treated as equals.

7)      You respect their space- animals, just like people, get irritated when people get too close, or stay too close for a prolonged time period. By recognizing your animal’s body language and postures, you will easily be able to tell when she has had enough of you in her personal space! Not only will this lessen any biting, barking and scratching, but it will also help your animals to know that you respect them and their needs.

8)      You create an animal-friendly environment, setting them up to succeed- By organizing your home in a way that helps your animals to be themselves you will surely be expressing your love! When you adapt to an environment that has few breakables, keep your shoes in a closed closet and keep your counter tops clean, your animal will have little choice but to behave in a way that encourages positive reinforcement.

9)      You recognize how noise-sensitive animals are and avoid yelling and other loud noises- Animals have a magnified sense of hearing. Their hearing extends far beyond the human hearing spectrum. To allow them a peaceful environment and to help them know you love them, keep the volume of your voice and other noise down.

By following these 9 steps, you will be showing your animals love in a way that they surely understand. They will be grateful to you for life!

TO  SCHEDULE YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION READING OR SIGN UP FOR ANIMAL WELLNESS CLASSES, E-MAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

IDENTITY

Some time ago, I was challenged by Spirit to take a good hard look at my concept of “identity”. Initially I had some idea what I would find, but as I delved deeper into the existential idea, I became aware of just how much humankind is influenced by what we have adopted as our identity.

When we think about our identity, we often associate it with our given names, our jobs, our financial income, what we have or do not have and where we live. We may relate our identity to aspects of our childhood; how we grew up, what our parents may have put us through and what town we grew up in. We may relate our identity to a chronic illness; physical mental or otherwise. And we may even relate our identity to what we believe we look like relative to others. Further, perhaps on a deeper level, we can examine who we think we are by acknowledging our likes and dislikes. What are we passionate about? What moves us? What do we stand for? What do we stand against? What makes our skin crawl? The list of question goes on. And most of this list is compiled by external influences.

According to Buddhist, Hindu and Spiritualist faiths, all of what we have constructed within our minds to claim as “who we are” is simply a reflection of ego. When we observe the concept of “ego” we are referring to the term indicated in Hindu scriptures that opposes the term “self” which refers to the naked soul.  This soul is our true nature, free of Earthly desires and fears. The self is the immortal part of our experience that lives out each incarnation in any body it chooses in order to learn whatever experiences it needs to in order to fulfill its higher purpose. 

Along with the self, the ego incarnates into the body. The ego exists for the purpose of teaching us how to make peace with it. Apart from the self, our ego forms attachments to the experiences we have had and integrated them as our identity. When we become invested in the experiences that we have had, we become very attached to them and how they have affected us. And we begin to dwell on them. We begin to allow these experiences to shape our personalities. They easily become who we believe we are. When we relive a story time after time in our minds, when we continue to rerun it over and over, we become so attached to it that we believe that this is who we are.

Often we will find ourselves using these experiences that we have had as excuses for ourselves. They become our belief systems as to why we “can’t”, “shouldn’t” or “are afraid”. These excuses and belief systems that we have wired into our minds become the blueprints that shape the rest of our lives- if we let them.

Our identity is often fuelled by our image. In our minds it has become very important to pay attention to what we look or seem like to other people. In some cases we can spend our lives trying to fit into a mold and making ourselves look or seem appealing in one way or another. We become attached to the idea that we need to look a certain way. We become attached to the idea that we have a specific role to play. We become attached to the idea that we are “strong”, we are “sick”, we “can’t afford” we are “depressed”, we are “the well-dressed man”, “hot girl”, “fat guy”- all of these images that we feel we can relate to become our identity.  Even chronic illness becomes our perceived identity. When we feed into these identities, they begin to run our lives. Instead of understanding that these circumstances are external and remaining detached, we integrate them into ourselves and they become who we are. And in doing so, we are missing the point. When we seek validation from external sources, we are only seeking to fill a void within ourselves that can only be truly filled with self love. This self love can only be attained by making the time to look at and work on the parts of ourselves that can be uncomfortable and dark. Though this can be highly unpleasant at times, the resulting self love brings with it a beautiful sense of peace and well being.

If we take a moment to examine who we are, free of our experiences and beliefs, we may come to a profound insight. Let’s use myself as an example: I am J Morgan Saifer. I am an Animal Communicator. These statements are valid, as they are my given name and my occupation. However they are just that- a name and an occupation. Let us understand that our occupation does not define who we are. Our occupation is a choice that we have made in order to fulfill certain Earthly needs. If we are fortunate, our occupation is one that we enjoy and can bring Light to others. However, no matter how spiritual a job is, it does not define our identity. In fact, years ago I was in the company of many new people at a party. And when asked the socially prevalent question “what do you do?” my answer was simply “I love”.  I stand by this statement.

When we remove the occupation (or any other external experience such as poverty, wealth, family trauma, etc) of the identity, we are left with: I am J Morgan Saifer. Upon examination of this statement, it is valid, as this is my given name and how I identify myself to others. However, when we look at what the given name represents, we can peel away its layers as well. Saifer is my family name, a lineage that has little to do with my “self” and everything to do with my ego. Because my body (DNA) belongs to a specific set of genetics, I was born with the identity of my mother’s and father’s genetics and all of their belief systems. This, as well as any other family lineage in the world has presented many blessings and challenges; all of which have been accrued due to previous generations of human experience.

Further, when we remove my name, we are left with the phrase “I am”. What am I? I am a female. I am 36. I am Caucasian. I am a healer. All of these adjectives and titles that we call ourselves are once again borne of identity. These are Earthly depictions of how we identify ourselves relative to others. These identifications have nothing to do with the self but for the challenges of making peace between it and the ego identity,

We are then left with “I ”. The name “I ” accounts for the Earthly belief that each of us is separate from the next. This separation occurs on Earth due to each individual’s concept of her own identity. But when we view this concept from a higher perspective, we will find that this separation is in the minds of the human ego. When we view this separation from a higher perspective we will see that when we become one with the self, there is in fact no separation at all; we are all one. We have all come from the same benevolent origin and continue to incarnate with ego life after life in order to find peace with it. And until we realize this, we are subject to this cycle of reincarnation.

And then we are left with nothing. When we are truly one with the self, all of the individual identity dissipates and we become reconnected with the benevolent source from which we came. And according to Buddhist, Hindu and Spiritualist beliefs, this is the nature of human existence, and the sum and parts of the meaning of life.

It is necessary to have awareness of what we identify with to survive in society. However the key is to be aware of these aspects of our ego and remain healthfully detached from them. By living our lives in this way, we may find that our lives become more peaceful; for attachment is the root of all suffering.

TO SCHEDULE AN INTUITIVE READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

SYNCHRONICITY AND OTHER REPETITIVE MESSAGES

Those of us who are conscious beings recognize thoughts and feelings in a certain way. We pay attention to messages that our subconscious wants to bring to our conscious mind. These messages can take on many forms and come from many media and have many different themes.

Perhaps one of the most common forms of messages is “synchronicity”. Synchronicity occurs when a perceived message comes to us through a series of events that are linked together through a common theme. For example, say we are questioning whether or not to move residences. We get into the car, begin to drive and we come across a billboard that screams “TIME TO MOVE ON”, as a song on the radio comes on about moving on. This is a basic example of synchronicity. These types of events can happen at any time at any place. They can happen on an objective level as stated above, or they can happen on a more personal level based on a prior emotional or intellectual connection one has with certain items or experiences.

When we experience “synchronicity”, the theory is that this is a sign that we are on the right path. And, if we experience many of these synchronicities throughout a short period of time, we are in alignment with our higher selves; our Divine paths.

Whether these experiences are spiritually-based or our consciousness perceives these chains of events in order to receive a message, one element is the same: there is a message there. To discern (or “Divine” in spiritual terms) the message, it is paramount to pay attention to several aspects of the experience. First, we must pay attention to the series of events. During a synchronistic event, there is also often an accompanied feeling of elation, joy or even the feeling of magic. Second, we must pay attention to the frequency of the message.

The frequency of messages is paramount in realizing what our subconscious is trying to get us to pay attention to. Whether the repetition happens in waking life, dreaming life or both, there is an underlying theme that needs to be realized. The messages will continue to come until we acknowledge them and set foot on the path to work with them.

Messages come in any way at any time. Whether we continue to see or hear the same phrase, song, or see the same animal symbol or series of numbers, there is a message afoot. To best understand what these signs and symbols mean to us, we must focus of the FIRST association that happens in our minds upon reception of message. For example, when we see or hear the same unusual word or phrase three times, the immediate feeling after the experience is likely what the message pertains to. Becoming familiar with our reactions to experiences in this way can take a lot of practice. The practice involves listening to our bodies, and NOT our minds. For the moment we get into our minds about messages, our ego interferes.

According to Wiccan tradition, the process of intuiting messages from external sources such as tea leaves, the Tarot, number patterns, clock times (11:11) etc is called “scrying”. According to Spiritualist and Shamanic practice, the process is called “divining” as in “Divination Tools”. Either way, this process can be quite helpful in becoming in alignment with our subconscious mind.

The nature of how messages will appear is specific to the individual. Often, when becoming more practiced at the art, the individual will begin to notice patterns. The notice of patterns comes with the knowledge that consciousness exists outside of our minds and is interwoven into the fabric of the Universe. Patterns, just as other messages, can come in any and all forms. Patterns can appear in a series of numbers, animal totems, how we react to experiences or what situations we attract. The key theme is that the patterns repeat themselves. And when they do, there is an underlying message, or lesson to be learned.

Once we delve deeper into the realm of message reception, we may begin to notice that the fabric of our reality begins to shift in a profound way. We may begin to realize that time as we know it begins to bend. And before we know it, our perception of time will alter from linear to non-linear.

OF NON-LINEAR EXPERIENCE

Whereas linear time indicates that we experience events in a systematic, chronological order, non-linear time suggests that we experience events in more of an abstract disorder (or seeming disorder). In terms of reception of messages, non-linear time would have us feel as if we are in a time spiral. Once our consciousness comes into alignment with non-linear time, we will begin to notice that not only do messages repeat themselves, but they can return long after we feel we have healed the underlying theme of these messages.

Often throughout the course of our spiritual journey, we will acquaint ourselves with how our messages come through, the symbolism behind them and how we can heal their themes. As we focus our intention of the value of learning from these experiences, they will begin to shine through in every situation we encounter. We will especially begin to notice the spiral of time when it comes to re-encountering people from our past.

Why is it, that even though we feel that we have healed the aspect of ourselves that got lost in a previous relationship, it comes back with more healing work to be done? And why does it happen more than once?

Instead of a line of time as science would have us believe, picture a spiral. We can even go so far as to picture our spiritual experiences like an onion.  As dedicated spiritual warriors, we are always shifting and fluxing in time, space and dimension. Because we are always growing and expanding, we are sure to find new perspectives on old situations. These new perspectives will help us to heal in new and profound ways, allowing us new opportunities to become in alignment with our Divinity. And each time we re-encounter the same old situation and heal from it, we peel back another layer of the onion, continuing along the spiral of non-linear time, encouraging us to go deeper within to find new beauty within.

Though the timing of these events can seem “random” or “out of the blue”, in fact they are perfectly timed according to when you are ready to acknowledge the new perspectives. In fact, the Universe will only give us what we can handle at one time. If we are feeling overwhelmed at any time, it helps to know this. It helps to know that there is a bigger picture and that we are interwoven into it. Given that we, among all other beings and objects in the universe, have a vibration or frequency, we subconsciously (sometimes consciously) attract situations and people whom we are ready to be faced with.

The reception and understanding of messages are a significant part of living a spiritual or conscious lifestyle. They allow us insight, reflection and self-awareness; three main components of the journey to inner peace and spiritual enlightenment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

ALTERNATIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE

As a result of many clients approaching me over the last couple of weeks regarding a common theme, I decided to do take the opportunity to do some research into the dissatisfaction with their veterinary experiences. Because of the nature of their comments, I started my study on the differences between Western and Eastern Veterinary care. After reading, consulting, listening and going to vet appointments with clients, I noted some considerably interesting findings.

Western veterinary medicine certainly has its place. It saves many lives, is responsible for endless research and is a sound method of treatment of animals. I have found that every vet- both western and eastern, genuinely cares about the well being of the animal. However, what I found is that it can be somewhat limited in its spectrum of treatment. Western medicine relies largely on medical science. For some, this is the be-all end-all of medicine. But what happens when medical doctors can’t answer all of your questions?

Imagine for a moment, that you have an animal who is in need of veterinary care. Imagine that you take this animal to your vet and she/he diagnoses that this animal is terminally ill and needs to be put down. What if, instead of accepting this treatment and course of action at face value, you had another choice? What if you could have more time with your animal as a healthy and whole companion?

Over 2500 years ago, Chinese doctors perfected their style of eastern medicine. Instead of using science as their foundation, they studied the rhythms of the body, the seasons of nature and the elements of Earth.  They created a natural system of healing. Because of the specificity of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) it can answer and treat many conditions that are anomalous to western medicine.

Whereas in western medicine, doctors are trained to diagnose and treat SYMPTOMS of an illness, eastern practitioners are trained to get to the SOURCE of the symptoms. They are trained to understand that symptoms that are being exhibited are just that: symptoms.  As an example, if your animal friend is exhibiting a runny nose and sneezing, watery eyes, etc, western medicine would treat these symptoms with an antihistamine or suppressant of some nature. Eastern medicine would understand that these are symptoms of an underlying compromised immune system and suggest immune-strengthening herbs and/or acupuncture which would treat the root of the symptoms, thereby eliminating the cause.

Would you believe that TCM has often cured terminal illnesses through acupuncture and chiropractic care?

Through a series of energy channels called meridians, eastern doctors are able to assess the internal organs without x-rays and other invasive methods. By feeling the meridians of animals, doctors are able to find excessive heat, cool, dampness, dryness and other pathogens that if left untreated can accumulate and cause serious health issues. If these issues are already serious, the eastern doctor will perform acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, massage and prescribe herbal remedies as opposed to laboratory-processed pills, which brings me to my next, and perhaps most relevant point:

ANIMALS AND ENERGY:

As most people know, animal are incredibly sensitive to energy. Given that from both a scientific and spiritual point of view, everything in the Universe is composed of energy, this point will be easy to make. Consider the energy of a plant. Consider the energy of a laboratory-created pill. Which do you think would be gentler on an animal’s system?

According to TCM, illness is a stagnation of heat, cold or fluid in the body. These stagnations have energy and it is usually hot by the time it becomes a visible concern. By ingesting western medication, which is also considered hot energetically, we could easily be worsening the ailment by creating a tremendous imbalance of overheating the body. Herbs, being of plant origin are often cooling in nature. In fact, there are volumes of books written on the heating and cooling effects of plants (herbs) in eastern medicine. Because in TCM, doctors work in accordance with body temperature and fluid regulation, there are a myriad of treatment options as opposed to a pill for this, a pill for that.

Not only will the eastern doctor suggest treatment based on the animal’s body temperature and fluid regulations, but she will also take into account the temperature of the animal’s home, stress level of environment and relationship between animal and other people and animals in the house. The treatment will be imposed based on the internal clock of the animal, the household schedule and will account for all other external influences. The eastern doctor will treat based on the whole picture. The western treatment is based on what has worked for other animals who have had the same condition, in a very generalized way. While this may be an important comparison, no two animals are alike and should always be accounted for individually.

In some severe cases, one would argue that pills are necessary because they allow for more immediate results than herbal remedies.  I would argue this by suggesting that what is even more immediate of a result than BOTH herbs and pills is acupuncture. Because animals are unable to tell us how they are feeling, doctors have to take an educated guess. Eastern medicine deals with body temperature, fluid regulation, energy channels and personality types, it is much more effective to create a treatment plan based on it as opposed to science which leaves little room for the individuality of the patient. Not only is the eastern treatment highly specified for the individual animal, but the treatment is far more gentle and peaceful.  There is no anaesthetic, no surgery and no nasty pills. There is gentle massage and acupuncture. And from what I have seen and read, the eastern treatments are most often more effective than western for an overall healing experience.

After experiencing both western and holistic veterinary care, I was also surprised by the number and specificity of the questions the holistic vet asked to perform her diagnosis. She even went so far as, on both occasions, to ask how my client was doing and explained to her that her energy is affecting the healing of her animal. The concern seemed to be for everyone in the house instead of just for the life of death of the animal. The appointment was much more personalized than other veterinary appointments I have attended.

A PERSONAL NOTE:

Years ago, I took my cat to a western medical vet. She was gaining weight for no apparent reason. I feed her extremely healthy, low fat, high protein, grain free food and give her a lot of regular exercise. I was concerned as I didn’t want her health to be compromised; especially without a cause! When asked, my vet plainly responded with: “Some cats are just like that”. Completely dissatisfied with this answer, I dove into research.  While studying eastern veterinary medicine for my own practice, I found my answer. Her fluids are deregulated due to stress (we had been traveling a lot at the time) and this had caused an imbalance in her kidneys. It had begun to affect her ears, her energy level and the fluids that she was vomiting too often and if left untreated, could have resulted in early kidney failure. Once I began to treat this imbalance with herbs and acupressure, she instantly became happier and more active. She has also stopped vomiting.

None of this is to take away from the medical field whatsoever. It is intended to give people the knowledge that they DO have options. For so many people, the illness or loss of an animal companion is devastating. It is, in my opinion, extremely valuable to understand that there are choices. It is my belief that western and eastern medicine should work in tandem for the greater good of the animal AND the family involved.

FULL MOON IN VIRGO

HAPPY FULL MOON IN VIRGO!  This day holds an interesting paradox between the ethereal, emotional, impressionable, sensitive nature of the Pisces sun and the grounded, hard working, organized, diligent nature of the Virgo moon.

Full moons are the centre point of the lunar cycle. They are midway between new moons, which means that they are the end of the waxing moon cycle and the beginning of the waning.  The moon represents our “inner” selves (feelings, beliefs) , while the sun represents our “outer” selves (personality)

During this particular full moon, we are being encouraged to let go of control of every small detail of our lives. Because the Sun is Pisces, we are feeling free to dream the days away. And because for these 48 hours it is opposed to the Virgo moon which sheds light on our need for meticulous control, there can be a strong overtone of discomfort in this area. This is because of the opposing forces at work here. We will find that letting go of our need to control every aspect of our lives will create a more harmonious life experience for ourselves. This moon exemplifies the concept that when we set our intentions, they may not unfold exactly how we had hoped, but realizing that the way they have unfolded is in a higher and greater good for all involved. Remember that Spirit can see the biggest picture, while we may only be looking at a very small picture in comparison. Stay strong in your faith!

At this time as well, Venus is in retrograde. There is a strong and conscious calling coming to our forefront that invites us to reawaken our Divine feminine energy, and form an ever-strengthening bond with it. Whether we identify with the female or male gender, all living beings have within them a connection to the Divine feminine. And during this six week Venus retrograde, we will find ourselves being called upon to nurture that aspect of ourselves and of others.

Because of the Venus retrograde, this full moon will be full of encouragement to heal past relationship trauma. We may feel periods of deep sadness and mourning indicating that it is time to heal our past relationship wounds so that we are able to move forward in a healthy and whole way. Additionally, this moon will invite us to relinquish control over current relationships- meaning that we will be inspired to realize that we are only responsible for ourselves. We do not have the right or responsibility to control others; we must RELEASE expectations of them.

Undoubtedly, this moon has the capacity to draw out strong and deep emotions. It can help to remember that we attract these emotional situations to learn from. They represent areas of our lives that are out of balance. And that by doing the work involved to self-heal, we will be able to reinforce our confidence, inner peace and self-love!

WHY DO DOGS TILT THEIR HEADS WHEN WE SPEAK?

Dogs have adorable mannerisms. Probably one of the most adorable is the “head tilt”. We have all wondered why they do it.

Dogs are quite capable of understanding what we are saying. Though they may not understand our words per se, they do understand our intonation and inflection when we are speaking to them. Their sense of hearing is not very acute and many researchers have surmised that they tilt their heads to hear us better; to locate the source of sound.

Some alternative research suggests that dogs tilt their heads as a means of empathizing with their people. As we are well aware, dogs are extremely sensitive to our feelings and actions. When we speak, dogs are curious. When their people are upset or excited, dogs will empathize both emotionally and physically. The head tilt may be an expression of this empathy.

Other research has exemplified that dogs will tilt their heads in suspense of hearing words that are associated with enjoyable activities such as playtime, walk, car ride and food. Though dogs have a limited understanding of human language, they do have a selective learning ability that enables them to remember key words and phrases that equate to fun activity for them. By tilting their heads while we are speaking to them, they are waiting for our verbal cues.

All this said, if your dog is shaking his head repeatedly, he may have an ear infection. Know the difference between the tilt and the shake!

Whatever the reason for the head tilt, we can all agree that it’s just so darn cute!

TO BOOK YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION/HEALING SESSION, EMAIL:

jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

WHAT IS KARMA?

We have all heard the term KARMA thrown around regularly. Most of us have some idea of what it means, or at least partially understand it from different angles. The concept of Karma, as most of us are aware, is a very intricate system. There are many layers, many sides, many ins and outs to karma and what it entails.

The actual word KARMA comes from the Sanskrit word for action or deed. There are many explanations of the word; including the scientific “law of cause and effect”, the layperson’s “what goes around, comes around”, “the principle of retributive justice” and of course, “do unto others”. In essence, these all have a similar underlying theme: what we do is sure to come back to us.

Karma is a foremost precept of spirituality. Buddhist, Hindu and Spiritualist alike all motivate to live their lives according to this principle. It is an integral theme in the Hindu text THE BAGHAVAD GITA (which I strongly recommend that everyone read!). Karma, in its truest sense, illuminates our strengths as well as the areas that we need improve upon. Karma happens when we cause an event to occur which in turn causes a consequence. Whether the event we cause is out of love of otherwise, the unconscious and conscious energies come back to us.

In addition to the action-reaction foundation of karma, there is an explanation and foundation that is bigger still. The nature of the retribution factor of karma extends beyond one single lifetime. It extends deep from within our Akashic records (the records of all of our previous lifetimes). It is fair to say that an event that we may have caused hundreds, or thousands of years ago can be karmically imprinted into our belief systems and behaviour patterns. This is to say that if we were an aggressor in a marriage three hundred years ago, perhaps abused a loved one, this pattern of abuse, if left untreated, can be wired into our karmic patterning. This would result in lifetimes of abusing or being abused until we recognize and heal that karma. It means that if we are prone to addictive behaviour, perhaps alcoholism, and it is left untreated; perhaps we died of alcoholism before we could beat the addiction, we will be born with the same predisposition to alcoholism repeatedly, life after life until we choose to heal that karma. This carry-over is called karmic debt.

Perhaps lesser known is that humankind is born with four different types of karma. We have our personal karma, as explained above. We have genetic karma, which is the karma that we incur from our biological family that can be passed down for generations and can imprint itself in our physical cell memory. We have the karma that we incurred on our own in this lifetime- this is the karma that is neither from a past life nor from our genetics; it is the karma that is derived from the choices we have made in this particular lifetime. And lastly, we have gender karma. Gender karma is rising to the forefront most recently, as women are becoming recognized for their strengths and are lesser made to feel like second class humans. There is a positive emphasis being placed on gender equality and acceptance of people for whom they are, instead of which gender they identify with. The household roles are adapting to these social changes; men are not made to feel that they must be the sole providers, or that the man is the head of the household. Ideally, there is greater focus on an equal partnership and gender karma is being healed slowly and surely.

And greater still, we can shift our awareness to the biggest picture of the nature of karma: Why is karma present in the first place? When we look at this question from an even higher spiritual awareness, the answer becomes clear. In the grandest scheme of things, the goal of the spiritual soul is to stop creating karma. In order to do this, we are faced with an infinite number of challenges from the time our souls first walked the Earth until our last breath in our last body. In every life we live, we find ourselves in situations that create karma. Marriages, courtships, workplaces, parenthood, neighborhoods, you name it. Whenever we so much as speak with another person, there is potential for us to create more karma. Even our thoughts become karma. This is because thoughts have energy. When our thought patterns are negative, self-depreciating, angry or hurtful, they send out a vibration into the collective energy field and most assuredly return to us as such in one form or another.

With these ideas in mind, it is our goal as spiritual people to seek out and heal all karma that needs healing. It is our goal as spiritual people to become conscious of our thoughts and actions so that they are in alignment with our souls’ desire to be fully Divine; fully enlightened. This is the purpose of karma. The purpose of karma is to teach us how to be fully Divine, to be fully pure-hearted and pure-thoughted, in the highest and greatest good of all creation.

According to Hindu, Buddhist and other spiritual practices, the goal and purpose of karma is to stop creating it in order to stop incarnating into the physical human body. This ideology takes hundreds of lifetimes to perfect—but to what end? What is the purpose of stopping to incarnate into the human body? Most devout spiritualists believe that the purpose of all of these trials and truths is that when we stop incarnating, we are by that point completely and fully beings of love; to a degree that is unfathomable to most. We are of service to the creator and are of such a high vibration that we live out our destiny in servitude, and that is a choice we make because we understand and abide by its applications. It is not a punishment, not a sentence, but a free will choice.

Karma exists in every form on every level. It takes significant courage, determination and discipline to surrender to it, and work with it. Integrating our own mindfulness of karma can give us the tools we need to heal ourselves, our pasts, genetic and gender karma as well as healing the planetary karma at a time when it needs us the most. By practicing empathy, kindness and compassion toward all living beings—including ourselves, we are allowing ourselves to walk in Divine alignment. We are allowing ourselves to be an active part of the oneness of all that is.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON KARMA AND OTHER SPIRITUALITY, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com