Archive for August, 2009

In addition to some rules of thumb for looking for a prospective new home, this article answers the questions: what’s coming up in the state of the economy; whether it is better now to buy or rent; whether or not to remortgage now; and whether or not to sell now. The Chinese astrological I Ching method known as the King Wen method gives these answers: The economy is improving slowly and gradually. Avoid making unnecessary major changes. Use your potentials and take advantage of the good opportunities that are beginning to appear now.

Whether it is better to buy or rent now: There are advantages and disadvantages to either option. Be very careful if buying. What looks like a bargain could turn out to be a waste of money in the long run. On the other hand, making a sound investment now will save you money in the long run. If you think of renting, consider how you are using your money. In general the picture of buying and renting is pretty much equal.

Whether to remortgage: It’s not the best idea now; money is moving slowly. Short-sightedness is foolhardiness. The advice is to take only appropriate actions based on right motives.

Whether to sell now: The answer is yes but only if to buy a new place now or else to put your money into your business.

These answers are general and depend on the area of the country. For specific, personal answers these or other questions, you may want to consult with me. My contact information is at the end of this article.

The following are some Feng Shui tips for looking for a new home.

The most important thing when looking for a new home is to notice how your body feels when approaching, walking around, entering and leaving a place. If you don’t feel good, the place is not for you. There is a Chinese tradition that says: if possible, bring a little boy with you when looking. If he runs around and wants to pee, it tells you the house has good Yang energy. Notice the wild life and the energy of the neighborhood around the house. If it is happy and peaceful, it is good; money will come in. If it is tired, or if the surroundings look delapidated, the ground energy is waning and it is not good; money will run out. Be very alert to any feelings of danger you might get; a house with what is called secret arrows can bring sudden misfortune. If the house is built on top of an old burial ground, don’t move there. Check out the history of the house if you can. If the prior owners were fortunate it’s a good sign. If not, it’s a bad sign. If the house has a history of untimely deaths, illnesses, divorces, violence and such, be cautious. Unless you know how to clear such energies, or employ the right person to do that, don’t buy.

If a house is crowded, or overwhelmed by trees or is in a land depression that feels stagnant the situation is not good and will contribute to making your life become stagnant. A house high on a windy hill is too active and will dissipate your fortunes. Water courses running away from the front door of the house will pull your money away. Water courses are best for your money luck if they flow from the right to the left around the house as seen from standing in the front door. A pond seen directly to the south of the front door is unlucky.

Best avoid buying a house at the end of a cul de sac, or a T Junction, or a house in front of which there is a road coming directly toward the front door is very bad. A semi-circular driveway that comes around toward the front door is also best avoided; it represents a knife cutting against you. It is best for a house to be set back from the street, and to have steps leading up to the front door. When entering a house, notice whether you feel that it is easy to move about and there are not any broken lines in the interior alignments of walls.

For more information or questions about a Chinese astrological reading and/or Feng Shui consultation, contact Raphael Simons www.psychicarts.net

T. Raphael Simons was a guest on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Listen to his interview here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows1.shtml#SIMONSFENGSHUI1

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

In most every culture, shamans embarking on a vision quest and other spiritual healers honor the tradition of their ancestors and teachers by carrying and using something known as a medicine bag. Medicine bags are various-sized pouches containing sacred objects, especially crystals, bones, feathers, and stones, but they can carry any small object of significance to the shaman.

Amulet bags have been made in African nations, for the indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, and in Europe and Asia, too. It is rare to find a practitioner of any nature religion, such as Wicca, without his or her personal medicine bag.

When used with an attitude of honor and respect, the bag and its contents are able to bring the shaman in touch with powers of his or her innermost being. Very often, a shaman will carry one or more crystals or other objects that accompanied him or her on the vision quest and will use the stored energy to enhance healing and other ceremonies and sacred rites.

Medicine bags are usually hand stitched and constructed from leather, with beaded adornment. They are small bags, usually hung like necklaces from a cord around the neck, but they can be worn on a belt or carried in a pocket or purse. The exterior designs often act as protective influence, but the bag itself usually contains additional protection inside in the form of sacred objects, crystals, feathers, shells, or herbs that have meaning for the shaman, thereby helping him or her to focus intention.

Medicine bags are meant to give guidance, good luck, good health, abundance, and even love to their wearers. They act as a means of personal energetic protection and can be held to help invoke healing and protection. For instance, a shaman consulting with a person in need of balancing may have a medicine bag embroidered or painted with balancing symbols and containing some obsidian stones used for protection. A lay individual who might carry a medicine bag could include a person going to a stressful job interview or other important business meeting. He or she would wear or carry a small medicine bag containing malachite for success and prosperity.

The crystals placed in your bag should represent a part of yourself or your life that you wish to develop or empower. For example, if you want to be more loving, you could place a small piece of rose quartz in your medicine bag.

Various cultures felt that if one wore the medicine bag close to the body, the sacred power of the bag was stronger and one’s personal power was enhanced. In this book, medicine bags are designed for protection from seen and unseen things and are worn to enhance the wearer’s positive attitude and keep negative energy away from the wearer’s physical and spiritual self.

A person may have several medicine bags, each carried for different reasons.  One bag may be for dealing with stress, one for happiness, one for specific healing purposes. The bag itself should be as attractive as possible. It can be decorated with a symbol of your personal deities, signs of protection or health, or a design of your own creation.

The creation of your personal medicine bag is a pure example of “spiritual crafting,” as it is a process in which you can nurture your art and soul, find inner peace, and enhance your well-being. To benefit from the spiritual crafting lessons that are in Healing Crystals, all you need are a few simple supplies and a desire to connect to a mystical state of grace. (c) Amy Zerner & Monte Farber, from “Healing Crystals: A Shaman’s Guide to Making Medicine Bags & Using Energy Stones (Enchanted World)

Our new book,

“Healing Crystals-A Shaman’s Guide to Making Medicine Bags & Using Energy Stones”

is out! It’s a is a One Spirit Book Club Alternate Main Selection:

http://www.onespirit.com/ecom/pages/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1045832347

More About Monte Farber and Amy Zerner:

Internationally known self-help author Monte Farber’s inspiring guidance and empathic insights impact everyone he encounters. Amy Zerner’s exquisite, one-of-a-kind spiritual couture creations and collaged fabric paintings exude her profound intuition and deep connection with archetypal stories and healing energies. For more than thirty years they’ve combined their deep love for each other with the work of inner exploration and self-discovery to build The Enchanted World of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber: popular books, card decks, and oracles that have helped millions answer questions, find deeper meaning, and follow their own spiritual paths.

Together they’ve made their love for each other a work of art and their art the work of their lives, with over two million books in print in fourteen languages. Their other best-selling titles include The Chakra Meditation Kit, The Tarot Discovery Kit, Karma Cards, The Enchanted Spellboard, Secrets of the Fortune Bell, Little Reminders: Love & Relationships, Little Reminders: The Law of Attraction, Goddess, Guide Me!, The Animal Powers Meditation Kit, Astrology Gems, True Love Tarot, The Instant Tarot Reader, The Psychic Circle, Wish Upon A Star, The Pathfinder Psychic Talking Board, The Truth Fairy, Spirit of the Ancestors Altar Kit, Vibe-Away!, The Mystic Messenger, The Breathe Easy Deck, The Healing Deck, and The Ghostwriter Automatic Writing Kit.  More info at: www.TheEnchantedWorld.com

Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment reported the following information from their headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia on August 25th 2009:  Explorer and author Andrew Collins, funded by Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. Archeological Research Fund, has found and begun exploration of a subterranean network of previously unrecorded chambers and passageways beneath the Giza plateau, home to the Great Pyramid and Sphinx. Collins hopes that his discovery will eventually lead to finding a secret chamber alluded to by the ancient Egyptians as the “Tomb of God,” a structure known more popularly today as the “Hall of Records.”

The trail began in 2002 when the British Museum needed to relocate its library and archives of the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan. During the move, the memoirs of Henry Salt, British Consul General in Egypt from 1815 until his death in 1827, were found again. Although previously catalogued, the contents had not been studied in depth. Some extracts were published in the nineteenth century, but it was only when the British Museum reproduced the complete work in The Sphinx Revealed, A Forgotten Record of Pioneering Excavations that full details of Salt’s amazing exploration of “catacombs” under the Giza plateau came to light. Salt, in the company of Italian explorer Giovanni Caviglia, conducted these explorations in 1817, exploring underground tunnels for a distance of “several hundred yards” before entering a spacious chamber that communicated with three others, from which went several “labyrinthick” passages, one of which was investigated by Caviglia for a distance of 300 feet. Although these passages are of natural origin (meaning caves), there are hints that some parts of this subterranean network of chambers and tunnels are man-made, and stretch beneath the plateau on which the Pyramids are located.

When Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, was initially informed of Collins’ discovery, he thought it was the same passageways that Dr. Abbas Mohamed Abbas had located using ground penetration radar (GPR) equipment in 2006. During an extensive survey conducted with an all Egyptian team, Dr. Abbas came across evidence suggestive of previously unknown chambers and tunnels up to 80 feet (25 meters) below the Giza bedrock, close to the Great Pyramid, Second Pyramid and Sphinx. Yet in a subsequent meeting, Dr. Hawass was shown photos of the caves discovered by Collins and his team and said that he was not sure that they had ever been explored by modern archaeologists.

Explorer and author Andrew Collins, working with Egyptology researcher Nigel Skinner-Simpson, found the entrance and managed to enter the massive caves and – despite the presence of colonies of bats, venomous spiders and fallen rock debris – they journeyed for some distance before breathing became difficult. After procuring the proper equipment, his team, which included his wife Sue Collins, re-entered the caves. Collins tells the story of his discovery in a new book due out this fall titled Beneath the Pyramids and published by 4th Dimension Press (an imprint of A.R.E. Press). It reveals a personal journey of exploration and discovery that is breathtaking to read from start to finish, lavishly illustrated with full color photos, and available for pre-order at ARECatalog.com.

According to Collins, since the caves are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years old, they may have influenced the development not only of the famous pyramid field but also ancient Egyptian beliefs in an underworld where the soul achieves resurrection before ascending to the stars. “Ancient funerary texts clearly alluded to the existence of a subterranean world in the vicinity of the Giza pyramids, calling it variously the Underworld of the Soul and the Shetayet, quite literally the Tomb of God,” said Collins. “Hopefully, the existence of the caves will help us understand the earliest human activity on the plateau.”

Numerous Edgar Cayce readings reference identical records of ancient civilizations hidden underground in Bimini, in Egypt, and in the Yucatan and contend that the “Hall of Records” will one day be discovered. It is possible that Collins’s cave discoveries will open the way to confirming the existence of the Hall of Records, which Cayce prophesized would be entered via an entrance close to the Sphinx in Egypt.

Edgar Cayce founded the non-profit Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in 1931, to explore spirituality, holistic health, intuition, dream interpretation, psychic development, reincarnation, and ancient mysteries—all subjects that frequently came up in the more than 14,000 documented psychic readings given by Cayce, who died in 1945. Through its many programs, services, publications, and membership outreach, Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. provides individuals from all walks of life and a variety of religious backgrounds with tools for personal transformation and healing at all levels—body, mind, and spirit. A.R.E. Press has been publishing books since 1931 as well, with the mission of furthering the work of the A.R.E. by publishing books, DVDs, and CDs to support the organization’s goal of helping people change their lives for the better. In 2009, A.R.E. Press launched its second imprint, 4th Dimension Press. While A.R.E. Press features topics related to the work of Edgar Cayce in the fields of spirituality, intuition, psychic abilities, ancient mysteries, philosophy, comparative religious studies, personal and spiritual development, and holistic health, 4th Dimension Press allows us to take our publishing efforts further with like-minded and expansive explorations into the mysteries and spirituality of our existence. For more information about Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E., please visit EdgarCayce.org and ARECatalog.com.

On Explore Your Spirit with Kala’s Bohemian Blog, we seek out innovative holistic practitioners who work with the Body, Mind and Spirit connection.  Join us as we meet up with bright souls who do what they love to assist each person back into balance on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual level. On this path, we connected with Suzette Faith Foster, Energetic/Sound Holistic Practitioner and Wellness Consultant.

Kala: Hi Suzette, Thanks for joining us here on Kala’s Bohemian Blog. We’re featuring a special section on the Bohemian Blog entitled Holistic Healthy Living.  You work as an energetic sound holistic practitioner, certified reiki master, wellness consultant,and ordained minister. How long have you been in this line of work and how did it begin for you?

Suzette: I started exploring spirituality and energy work in 1998 and felt immediately drawn to it. It slowly progressed for 2-3 years before I realized that I had found my passion and life calling.  My goal is to share my message of hope and healing world wide.

Kala: You were thrown from your mountain bike and immediately paralyzed from the neck down, breaking your C2 neck vertebra into two separate pieces, which resulted in spinal cord edema. Most people with this injury die immediately and those that do survive are quadriplegics. Yet here you stand in good health and able to move freely. How did you recover from this debilitating accident?

Suzette: I fortunately had been immersed in the law of attraction, spiritual, and quantum physics teachings. I relate to everything through the eyes of energy. I knew the innate healing capacity of the mind, body, and spirit, and here on October 3, 2005 I had an opportunity to walk my talk.  I knew my body was pure energy, I knew my mind could connect to the consciousness of my body, and I knew I was connected to a higher power.

Einstein said “Intuition does not come to the unprepared mind”. When he discovered the theory of relativity, it came to him in a flash of intuition.  But only after he had studied and pondered the great mysteries of physics for years.  This preparation allowed him to observe things that would have gone unnoticed to the unprepared mind. I know my prior ‘spiritual preparation’ saved my life and gave me the belief and discipline to not limit Spirit working through me.  We are all on a journey of discovering ourselves in Oneness with a higher power/Infinite Intelligence. My story is here to inspire readers to redefine impossible, think bigger and reach higher for their dreams and journeys to wholeness.

Staying calm—I trusted even ‘this’ was in divine order. My beliefs created a field of ‘no resistance’, ‘allowing’ the healing energy in. Most people with this injury die at the scene because they stop breathing.  When I stopped breathing, using only my mind, I thought, “I refuse to accept this limitation, God is my Source!” And a lightening bolt-like energy went through me. I repeated that affirmation, another bolt of energy coursed through me, then I regained my breath. In the emergency room I announced several times, “This is temporary, see me dancing.”  I knew the healing I was after was an inside job, thus spent a lot of time meditating, visualizing dancing and wholeness and being in gratitude that it had already occurred. After surgery reconnected my C2, they told me I’d be in the ICU for 7-10 days, I told them I’d be out in 2 days; I was out in 2 days. They told me I’d be in the hospital a minimum of 3 weeks, I said I’d be out in a week; I was out in a week.

With a lot of prayers and support from friends and my Mom, I continued healing at ‘break-neck speed’. As I got stronger, I relearned everything that we take for granted; others had to shower me and dry my hair.  Today I am fully mobile, doing yoga, biking (just not the obstacles anymore!) and hiking.

Photo caption: Back for her first ride with friends from the Raleigh Ski and Outing club , nine months post injury.

Kala: You describe blockages of energy as obstructions which may include chronic or severe physical pain, a life threatening illness, a complicated disease, ‘accidental’ injuries, emotional issues or financial challenges, which can manifest as emotional and/or physical issues or symptoms.  Explain the holistic techniques that you use to remove the energy blocks and how this works to repair the body…

Suzette: I facilitate my clients back to wholeness through a combination of life coaching, energy healing and sound healing.  Life coaching allows my clients to see their problems from the perspective of, we are spirits having a human experience to expand our soul. As they understand that their repressed feelings, anger, resentment, etc are soul wounds here to heal and are causing the energy blocks associated with their illness or injury, they are more apt to deal with those emotions–the root cause of their illness; as they do, the symptoms go away. Medication and surgery suppresses the emotions; holistic healing expresses them allowing for non-invasive, health enhancing avenues to wellness. They heal the symptoms and expand their soul.

I offer hands on energy healing and sacred sound healing, both very powerful in dissolving energy blocks allowing life force to flow and symptoms go away

Kala: How important is it do you think to connect Body Mind and Spirit in all activities? Were you always connected with Spirit or did it occur later in life for you?

Suzette: I tended to always be a positive person, though when I was 40, 11 years ago, that I felt guided to explore spirituality, it felt so life affirming, that it easily became my life calling. Interestingly enough, my astrological birth charts shows the second half of my life in huge spiritual service.

I feel the more we embrace spirituality in all areas of our lives, the more ‘free’ we are. Being totally tapped into to this wonderful wisdom doesn’t mean ‘stuff’ doesn’t happen to you. It means you now have the tools to handle it with grace and move through it as easily as possible.

This perspective allows you to react from a position of awareness and less from fear or judgment. It allows you to learn to feel good no matter how others are showing up around you. You understand that you attracted that experience to grow from, to be a teacher to others with or just for fun.

Kala: Do you work with spirit guides, are you being guided as you work with each person? Would you describe your work similar to a medical intuitive who works with a physician or as a practitioner who is also intuitive?

Suzette: I allow myself to be the channel for the highest and best of non-physical doctors, ascended masters, Archangels and other energies to work through me for my client’s highest good. My ‘team’ differs depending on what my clients need. I am a Master Healing Facilitator that is intuitively guided. Even though I am a Reiki master, I no longer use any specific technique. I have learned to just allow the flow of healing energy through me. My intentions and my discipline to raise my own consciousness (healing my baggage, meditation, gratitude, exercise, and pure diet), allows me to attract purer healing energies for my clients.

My toning during the sacred sound sessions is definitely enhanced and magnified by ascended masters of sound toning through me.

Kala: You’ve studied sound healing with Jonathan Goldman and Tom Kenyon.  Sound healing is a particular interest of mine as I teach esoteric teachings from the ancient temples of Egypt and Greece where sound healing was used in conjunction with other modalities. Tell us how you use sound healing in your work…

Suzette: I use crystal bowls, and my voice in singing mantras and toning sounds. Ascended masters, Archangel Shamael, and The Hathors tone through me the frequencies that my clients need to be re-balanced. I become a channel for the right and perfect sounds to come through me.

Every cell and organ in our body has a vibration. Sound, resonance, brings the ‘out of tune’ vibrations back into balance. When that happens, the symptoms go away. Severe depression, cancer, pain…anything can be healed. Though, not every one is ready to be healed or their karma may have to experience illness for a higher purpose.  Please check my website’s testimonies to understand examples of people’s success.

Kala: How would you describe your personal spiritual path?  Do you feel that you are continuing the holistic work as it was presented in ancient healing temples or are you creating a new path?

Suzette: Interesting question. My intention every morning is to be of service for the highest good and be One with my destiny’s highest path. At some level, I must be ‘remembering’ the avenues used in ancient Egypt, though I don’t purposefully create that. In Source, there is no time or space, I am open to bringing forth from all dimensions of time and space, forward and backward.

Kala: How do you define whole health or holistic health?

Suzette: Whole health is embracing that our mind, body, and spirit are interconnected fields of energy, each one affecting the other, and each person affecting the greater whole.  Since we are mind, body, and spirit, let’s heal from that full perspective.  All sickness and disease is an expression of imbalances of these areas. We don’t catch cancer; we set up an environment for the cells to grow. As we honor how our diet, thoughts, programming, and the wounds our soul came here to heal, affect the physical body, we change that environment to one of wellness.

Kala: Besides sound healing, what other modalities do you use in a session?

Suzette: My mindset is seeing my clients whole and not limiting Spirit working through them or me. My sessions include life coaching, hands on energy healing as well as the sound healing which includes crystal bowls, drums, tuning forks and my voice.

Kala: Who is Suzette? If your friends and family were to describe you in five sentences, what would they say?

Suzette: Actual comments from friends and clients and participants: “Suzette is highly passionate about her truths and loves helping people.” “She says things in a way I really get, I could feel myself shift old emotional baggage while she was speaking. I don’t understand it, I just know it happened.” “You draw me and articulate the teachings of The Secret, and Echart Tolle in a more concrete, understandable and memorable fashion.”  “Suzette’s powerful message will resonate deep within your soul and is the answer you are seeking on how to live a life full of abundance.”  “You are an awesome person with a powerful connection to the universe that brings about tremendous healing results to those who are open and believe.”

Photo caption:  In the emergency room, Suzette said often, “See me dancing.”

Kala: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to connect more with their healing abilities and intuitive side?

Suzette: Know that these abilities are within everyone, available to be developed. Remember that your intentions, expectations, affirmations, and focusing on the end result of your desires starts to shift the universal energy fields to flow blessings and opportunities your way. Affirm” “Thank you Source, that I am being guided and blessed for my destiny path’s highest good. Show me the easiest and best way to connect with infinite wisdom and to be of divine service.”  I would encourage you to allow daily time for quieting your mind in meditation, a daily walk, or even shutting the car radio off to provide ‘connecting to Source’ time for gratitude and affirmations.

Raising your consciousness–a continual journey–will release blocks and allow more life force to flow through you for whatever purpose you seek. Specifically I encourage you to be gentle to yourself as you: clear your own ‘stuff’, meditate, receive energy healings to shift blocks from many life times, eat organic and as close to nature as possible (everything is a vibration, ideally, eliminating the denser, life draining vibrations of meat, dairy, fats, and preservatives etc from your diet. My website has a lot of Whole Health nutrition information on it.)

For healings, start healing your self, family, and friends. Surround yourself with a protection of White Light and affirm that you are connecting to only energies of the highest, purest consciousness. State, “Thank you that I am a clear channel for this person’s highest and best.” Then get out of your own way, know that you are worthy of this, and expect divine energy to flow through you. The more you practice, the better the results will be.

‘Out of the blue’ thoughts are intuitive guidance. Honor it. Be courageous and trust it, the more you follow it, the more you develop it. Get into a meditative place and ask for your highest divine wisdom to give you a message. Write down what you hear in your mind without judging it.

Kala: Beyond your work here Suzette, what inspires you? How do you Explore Your Spirit?

Suzette: Ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed being ‘in service’. I love helping others and the feeling I get when they get their ‘groove’ back feeds my soul and inspires me to continue my own spiritual expansion.  My life and my work are truly melded together. Abraham-Hicks shares that contrasts helps us launch our desires, so much of my inspiration comes from seeing the need around us.  Even if I don’t physically act, I love the power of our prayerful intentions to help shift other’s challenges.

Dancing in my kitchen is something I can easily do that shifts me to higher vibrations. I love that feeling of freedom—dance like no one is watching.   As we go to higher vibrations we more easily hear the call of spirit. I am also inspired to be a good role model for my daughters, ages 21 and 22—show, not tell. They resist this information, so I’m leaning to not force it on them, just Be me.  That has been a big lesson for me. I explore my spirit, by regularly walking in nature, meditating twice a day, reading and watching spiritual books and DVD’s, continuing ed, and having discussions with friends. And we all grow as we help others. Besides private sessions I offer a twice monthly group class that is offered in-person or via tele-conference. The first half is law of attraction and spiritual teachings, through answering participants real life questions and concerns, the second half is clearing blocks in the way of our growth through sound healing. The fee is a Love Offering, let your heart decide what to pay. I invite you to sign up for my newsletter and receive two free class downloads.  www.suzettefoster.com

Thanks Kala for sharing ‘hope and healing’ through my work. I am intending greater blessings and shifting for all who are reading this.

Kala: Thanks Suzette, all the best to you.

– UPCOMING EVENT–

Suzette Foster will be speaking on Thursday, September 3rd 2009
at the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship.
Her talk is entitled: Paralyzed for Life, Over My Dead Body!
Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship is located at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall
on 3313 Wade Avenue in Raleigh, NC.
Doors open at 6:45pm,  Lecture from 7:15pm to 9:30pm.
Cost is $10 per person, seniors and students are $8.

More about Suzette Faith Foster:

Suzette lives in Cary, North Carolina and is an Energetic/Sound Holistic Healer, certified Reiki Master and Wellness Consultant, ordained minister, life coach, writer, and public speaker. She is presently writing her first book and creating her first Sacred Sound CD, a healing session in your own home. As a mother of two college age daughters, she also enjoys yoga, biking, and hiking. Her great appreciation for Mother Earth and the environment has led her to work with the Humpback Whales and Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. More info at: www.suzettefoster.com

Not that these aren’t challenging times, but all the fear mongering and consequent pubic anxiety isn’t helping anyone. How can Feng Shui help in all this, you might wonder. It is my experience that when life becomes stagnant and money is not coming in as it should, changing the environmental condition does help to get the energy flowing again. In other words, move the furniture around; put it into a new configuration. The end of summer and beginning of autumn is a good time to make such changes. Sometimes even a small change makes a world of difference.

It really helps to clean out the place. Clutter spells stagnation and anxiety. To clear your space, start by throwing out everything that you don’t need. Clear up all the clutter. Get organized. Look over all the old papers and decide what goes where and what goes into the garbage.

To make a spiritual cleansing of the house, according to Chinese tradition, first open all the windows and do a thorough house cleaning; washing and vacuuming. When that’s done, take a broom and lightly sweep all the floors and walls from the back of the house to the front door, then sweep all the stale energy out the door. And, if you want to do it right, slam the door behind it all once you’ve got it outside.

There is a secret method for getting bad spirits out of the house that you can include. For this you need to get a small round mirror. Traditionally, one uses a round bronze mirror that can be held in the hand, but a small, round cosmetic mirror will do if you can’t find a bronze mirror; bronze mirrors are hard to come by and are expensive. Take the mirror in your left hand; hold it flat with all five fingers around it so the reflecting side faces out. In your right hand, hold a lit red candle so that  the candle flame is reflected on the face of the mirror. With this, go around to all the walls of the house; walk close to the wall surfaces, reflecting the candle flame in the mirror onto the walls as you go from the back of the house all the way around to the front door. This causes hungry ghost energies to flee the house and can cause your hair to stand up on end if you are sensitive to such entities.

To freshen up the house and bring in good luck, bring in fresh oranges and fresh, live flowers and arrange them on a table. Then light two red candles on the table where you have arranged the oranges and flowers, burn sandalwood incense, and make a prayer for the blessings of Heaven for peace and prosperity to come into your home.

When arranging your furniture, make sure the configuration you put everything into lets you move easily through the house; nothing should get in the way of movement. The house has to feel open. Clutter or obstruction anywhere means stagnation in one or another department of your life. A Feng Shui reading of your house will tell you exactly what the cluttered areas of your home correspond to in your life according to the elements of your Chinese astrological chart and the elements of the different compass points inside your home. A complete cleansing of the house, including decluttering it and sorting out and realigning all the stuff will help you to get your energy moving in the right direction, and that’s what you want. While doing this, concentrate of rearranging how you feel about your prospects in life. A feeling of being stuck in life with no idea what to do is no better than living in a cluttered mess. Clear your mental environment of mental clutter while you clear your home environment; both your mental and living environments reflect one another. When you can see your intention for an unobstructed way in life reflected in an open, clean environment you will be taking a very positive step in the right direction. While organizing your house, organize your personal goals and prioritize the steps that will bring you to realize your goals; everything corresponds.

Anxiety or despair, for whatever reason, needs time to come around and be transformed. In the context of the Chinese elements these emotions are related mostly to Earth and Metal. In their most positive life supportive expressions, Earth and Metal signify nourishment and cleanliness. If you are in emotional trouble for fear of not having enough, take care of nourishment and setting healthy boundaries; pay attention to what you eat, and keep negative people and situations at a safe distance. In terms of your space, pay attention to your kitchen, and throw out all the junk.

Money points or areas in the house to consider include the first place you see inside the house upon opening the front door, also the far left-hand area, or corner, of your entire house or apartment, and the southeast area, or corner, of your house or apartment. There are also other areas designated as money points that are determined by the age of the house as well as by the elements of your Chinese astrological chart; to locate these areas, however, you need the help of an expert, one who knows the Chinese astrological and compass methods. Besides the fixed money points, there are money points that circulate around the house on a yearly, even monthly basis due to the rotation of the heavens. In China and Japan people who use fengshui readjust their homes and places of business on a regular basis to catch the luck.

What to do mainly in money points is to make sure the energy or chi, breathes unobstructedly. Clutter or unsightly stuff in the money points militates against a healthy relationship with money. Money points, besides being uncluttered, should be well lit. If you wish, put symbols of prosperity in the money points. Symbols of prosperity, besides the appropriate Chinese calligraphies, include such things as bouquets of flowers, flowering plants, miniature orange trees, jade plants, the lucky Buddha, a conch shell, images of two gold fish swiming around one another, images of elephants, deer, horses, dogs and so on. Certain images such as dragons or money turtles need to be positioned in special ways according to the element they represent in order to work for you the way you want them to. For example, a dragon or money turtle made of plastic, crystal or glass corresponds to the element Water and has to be positioned to face north; made of wood, it has to face east or southeast; made of stone, it has to face northeast or southwest; made of metal it has to face west or northwest. The famous money toad has to be positioned to face the direction of the front door. The money toad also has to be placed high up, never low down. This is because the money toad is a form of the Moon Fairy Chang-O, and Chang-O lives in the sky, not on the earth. There are Chinese magical formulas for using money toads to increase money luck that require knowledge of the lunar tides and astrological number theories to work. The same holds true for using fish tanks for attracting money luck.

To make decent money, you need to keep your mind clear and focused while persevering. This is where the element Metal comes in. Metal cuts out everything undesirable and concentrates. To keep your mind clear, or clearer than it has been these past months, make sure to throw out everything you don’t want and can’t use anymore. Keep your house in a simple, balanced condition. And to cheer up, use the element Fire. Fire is beauty. Keep things of beauty to inspire you.

In the Chinese system, everything is cyclical; everything moves in waves. This down cycle will be followed by an up cycle. The tides will turn. Get ready for improved luck. Money is flow, or affluence. If the flow of energy of your home and life is good, your chances of luck are good. If the flow is stale and stagnant, your chances of luck are poor. Breathe right, open the channels to life, let in the light and get more luck. Chaos, or clutter often denotes depression. If you or someone in your home is depressed or chaotic, go about decluttering very carefully and sensitively unless you want to get a bad reaction; decluttering often exposes emotional pain that wants to be left alone and needs time to come through its own process by itself in its own time. In other words, be patient with yourself and with the others living with you when fixing up the place.

How well can you move through your home? Do you need all the stuff you cling to? Can you take chances with your money to improve your condition? Fear comes of feeling stuck. The more freely you can move the more unstuck you feel. Open your space and move and you will begin to feel less stuck. And that will start to turn your luck around for the better.For more information about Raphael’s work in Feng Shui see www.psychicarts.net or www.trs-fengshui.com

T. Raphael Simons will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Friday, August 28th at 8pm Eastern.

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

Every time I make a work of art, I am ready for a new adventure.  I have developed my own artform:  mixed media fabric collage tapestries. I feature my tapestries in our the many books & tools I have created with my husband, author Monte Farber, as  well as on my Spiritual Couture one-of-a-kind jackets.

Collage is a very therapeutic technique because it is a creative and spontaneous process; it allows me to be open to my soul language, to imagine the way I would like things to be.  When we develop our abilities to visualize, we can achieve many goals, we can create our own reality.

As I make the many decisions of placement, and balance by intuitively adding and eliminating elements, my decision-making muscles are strengthened on a daily basis.  By trusting and connecting to my “dream world” of metaphors & symbols, I draw up answers and revelations from the well of the unconscious.  That is why I love to make art all the time, because it is such a spiritual journey.  And its fun, too!  We all have an Artist within us yearning to express the feelings, language, and teachings that touch our soul and mirror back images that can heal us at every stage of growth.  If not expressed, the Inner Artist shuts down, and our spiritual natures shut down as well.

True creativity is arrived at by following a disciplined psychological and spiritual path.  Being creative entails the liberation of your “dream” and the ultimate realization of its delights.  To walk the creative path, though, one must be tenacious and heroic.

Art, writing, and other creative outlets are a way of talking to our Higher Selves.  By actualizing your creativity, you become spiritual.  If everyone is creative, then we live in paradise.  I believe we all have special gifts to share.

More About Monte Farber and Amy Zerner:

Internationally known self-help author Monte Farber’s inspiring guidance and empathic insights impact everyone he encounters. Amy Zerner’s exquisite, one-of-a-kind spiritual couture creations and collaged fabric paintings exude her profound intuition and deep connection with archetypal stories and healing energies. For more than thirty years they’ve combined their deep love for each other with the work of inner exploration and self-discovery to build The Enchanted World of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber: popular books, card decks, and oracles that have helped millions answer questions, find deeper meaning, and follow their own spiritual paths.

Together they’ve made their love for each other a work of art and their art the work of their lives, with over two million books in print in fourteen languages. Their other best-selling titles include The Chakra Meditation Kit, The Tarot Discovery Kit, Karma Cards, The Enchanted Spellboard, Secrets of the Fortune Bell, Little Reminders: Love & Relationships, Little Reminders: The Law of Attraction, Goddess, Guide Me!, The Animal Powers Meditation Kit, Astrology Gems, True Love Tarot, The Instant Tarot Reader, The Psychic Circle, Wish Upon A Star, The Pathfinder Psychic Talking Board, The Truth Fairy, Spirit of the Ancestors Altar Kit, Vibe-Away!, The Mystic Messenger, The Breathe Easy Deck, The Healing Deck, and The Ghostwriter Automatic Writing Kit.  More info at: www.TheEnchantedWorld.com

In May during the film release of Angels and Demons, a continuation from the Da Vinci Code movie, I spoke with Margaret Starbird about her book, 14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine. The 14 steps workbook and guide invites you to form small groups or “circles” to explore your own spiritual journey using Mary Magdalene’s “story” as a template for your own experience and spiritual “journey.” You can listen to the interview with Margaret and I here on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. The co-author of the book is Joan Norton, a Jungian therapist, and author of the book Mary Magdalene Within. Based on this experience of women sharing in a small group, Joan and Margaret Starbird have collaborated to create this workbook to encourage formation of women’s circles.

Margaret and Joan are now hosting an event at Kripalu with details as follows:

Who was Mary Magdalene? Why was her story suppressed and why must we now reclaim it? Lodged deep in the heart of Christian mythology and the communal psyche of the Western world is the Lost Bride, the Beloved of Christ, whose voice was silenced by those who labeled her a prostitute and sent her, defiled and defamed, into exile. Join Margaret Starbird, whose book launched Dan Brown’s quest and resulted in The DaVinci Code, and Jungian therapist Joan Norton for a discovery of the archetypal journey of the Goddess in the Gospels. Using Mary Magdalene’s life as a template, we will examine our own spiritual growth and development as “chosen” and “beloved.” The weekend will include slides from medieval art that support the view that the “sacred union” of Jesus and Mary Magdalene was brutally suppressed by the Inquisition. Music, artwork, guided meditations, journaling, and in-depth sharing will encourage the awakening of the “Sleeping Beauty” in our hearts and our lives.

More information on the event…. Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the art and science of yoga to produce thriving and health in individuals and society. For more than 30 years, Kripalu has been teaching skills for optimal living through experiential education for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Programs at Kripalu are led by many of the world’s most accomplished teachers in yoga, self-discovery, and holistic health and are designed to provide people with tools they can apply in their daily lives. Program topics include wellness, Ayurveda, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, relationships, meditation, spiritual practice, professional training, and much more.  More info at www.Kripalu.org

Listen to the interview with Kala and Margaret Starbird as they discuss her new book, 14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine, The DaVinci Code, the Divine Feminine, and Angels and Demons on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows1.shtml#STARBIRD

Margaret is a Guest Blogger on Kala’s Bohemian Blog, you can read here article entitled  “Mary Magdalene – The Greatest Story Never Told”: http://exploreyourspirit.com/blog/2009/05/14/mary-magdalene-the-greatest-story-never-told/

The journey continues as we seek seek out talented artisans who are designing unique heartfelt products and designs. This summer on the Bohemian Blog, we focus on art, fashion and design which nourishes, harmonizes and enhances the body, mind and spirit. Next up, we have Kathy Morawski, a well known equine and collage artist with works in many collections worldwide, so relax and get comfy as we spend some time with Kathy here on the Bohemian Blog, which as always is dedicated to “Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love”.

Kala: Hi Kathy, Thanks for joining us here on Explore Your Spirit with Kala’s Bohemian Blog. This summer, we’re featuring Fashion and Artistic Designs for the Body, Mind and Spirit. I discovered your work online and was touched by your use of natural elements to express strong heart-centric expressions of love and joy. Tell us, how did the inspiration begin for Love Rocks?

Photo caption: A selection from the Love Rocks series

Kathy: It’s great to be here, Kala! I’m honored you were touched by the Love Rocks. Their inspiration initially started in the aftermath of my mother’s sudden death. I began encountering angel and heart references seemingly everywhere and wasn’t sure of the source of these synchronicities but they were comforting. Then I started finding heart shaped rocks on my walks and began collecting them. It wasn’t until I was preparing for an art exhibit and acting on a spontaneous whim, I made a music themed collage titled “Love Rocks!” featuring sheet music and some of these rocks. Since most of my work incorporates words, for my next show I wanted to use the rocks in more of a text based way, but in a simpler format than a collage. I edited down as much as possible, substituting the letter O with a heart shaped rock and thus the Love Rock plaques were born!

Kala: You’re a talented artist, (mixed media collages, black and white and color pencil portraits) with a sincere love for horses. Your painted ponies jump off the cover and I connect deeply with the colored pencil horse portait. Your eye for detail is inspiring. How did your career in art begin?

Kathy: Thank you. I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember and my favorite subject was horses. I was always attracted to details and rendering them myself, so the fact I’m a Virgo seems appropriate! I was also incredibly lucky to have parents that nourished my art and called me “the artist of the family”. As a kid I painted on rocks and took orders for drawings from classmates on the school bus. I studied art and then worked professionally with an amazing art director who expanded my knowledge and took me to a level I would not have obtained otherwise. Over the years I continued creating my art and commissions while working my way up to being an art director myself in the publishing field. It was at this point when my mom passed away prompting a reassessment of my own life and I left the corporate cubicle world to do my art full time. It was a huge leap of faith but I knew I was loved and protected so I jumped.

Photo caption: Colored pencil horse portrait drawing

Kala: In many ancient wisdom teachings, it is said there are four animals who are here with the purpose to be of service and connect deeply with humanity. They are the horse, the cow, the dog and the cat. With this in mind, how have horses touched and inspired you in your life?

Kathy: Well, there’s no doubt which animal I resonate most closely with! Looking back at the many horse references in my life it’s obvious that horses are my totem animal. I was born in the Chinese Year of the Horse in a state claiming the horse as its state animal and my high school mascot was a horse. I got my first horse in another Year of the Horse and was invited to create a horse sculpture for a national art project during yet another Year of the Horse. The horse in my life now, Skip, is a true inspiration and helped me to open my heart again after the death of my mother. He was an older horse who’s owner had just died and no one wanted him. Initially thinking he was too old, I didn’t want to put myself through the possibility of getting attached only to lose him too. But he taught me that wasn’t a way to live and constantly amazes me in how two completely different species can clearly communicate with each other. Horses have the ability to mirror us  – you can’t hide, lie or B.S. a horse, they’ll call you out on it every time. Riding and trusting my horse with my life is an honor as it means he trusts me as well. Recently I began volunteering for a therapeutic riding program and am witnessing yet another aspect as to how horses enhance our lives. Horses truly help us in so many ways, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Kala: I was born in the Year of the Horse too and agree horses have so much to teach us and to share with humanity. I can see your love for horses in your work, tell me more about your inspired “Quarter Horse’’ design…

Kathy: I remember first encountering the life sized painted horse sculptures on display for an art for charity program called Horse Power New Mexico (later to be known as the Trail of Painted Ponies). It was July 2001 and I was standing on a Santa Fe sidewalk when suddenly the words “I want to do this!” came unconsciously flying out of my mouth. After returning home I started working on sketches but when the events of 9-11 occurred, I set them aside as now designing a horse specifically for America became my creative outlet to deal with the confusing times. After weeks of many new ideas and sketches still nothing felt quite right. Then one night I had a dream in which I was reading a newspaper article about a woman creating a new design for the American quarter and woke up wondering why I was dreaming about coin designs when my problem was coming up with a horse design. I immediately gathered a bunch of quarters, cleared my mind and stared at them. One quarter with a dark tarnished patina caught my attention so I began experimenting, focusing on the eagle and selected words of the reverse side of the coin. The discovery of the opportunity to reflect a theme of national allegiance and unity hit me. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. That was one of most memorable inspired Ah-ha! moments I ever had.
Photo caption: Detail of original Quarter Horse sculpture created for the Trail of Painted Ponies

Kala: Your latest creation is Love Rocks. I love how many words you’ve worked the rocks into… love, hope, yoga, om, joy, and many others. When I look at them, I see the stone… as being strong, enduring, and long lasting and the clay plaques as being of earth, warm, fragile, and encompassing. Together, they hold love. Perhaps the two things most needed during this time on earth is love and kindness. What do you wish for each piece as you create it and what are your hopes for the world?

Kathy: I love your take on this! For me they are also like condensed versions of affirmations. Many times they are often messages or reminders I need for myself. Since words conjure up different meanings and reactions in people I think their simplicity has a pure essence. It’s also interesting to see how people, especially children, are instinctively attracted to the rocks. There is something grounding and reassuring about rocks. The words aren’t set in stone, rather the stone is set in the words and the heart shaped rocks only help to reinforce the words. I want to share and remind others that we are all loved with the idea that the heart shaped rocks are angelic offerings echoing my own hopes for the world to include love, peace and respect for the Earth and all of its inhabitants.

Kala: You also work in mixed media and an author, I enjoyed your Food for Thought design. As a creative person, you’ve found many outlets to share your talents with the world. How do they differ and how are they the same when you are expressing yourself?

Photo caption: Food For Thought, mixed media collage
Kathy: I’ve accepted that I have many interests and facets to my personality and need various ways to express them. My collages are always intuition and process based and made from found and recycled materials. I literally will start with one object that captures my attention and then build a piece entirely around that, often inserting words or hidden messages in them. I have absolutely no idea what the end result will be and the entire process is a dance of the divine, with me constantly asking, getting out of the way and letting the inspiration guide me. The way I work on them is a great reminder and metaphor for how I try to live life. The horse portraits are more straight forward as they are mostly representational commissioned pieces and I generally have an idea of what the desired end result is. But these drawings are the most meditative to work on and I love being able to capture the essence of the horses and why their owners love them. The Love Rocks are my most restrictive pieces as the words must fit in my predetermined plaque sizes and contain a letter O which can be replaced with a heart shaped rock. Sometimes too many choices or options can overwhelm the creative process so working within narrowed parameters allows simplicity to emerge. These are also the pieces where I am most out of the way as they speak for themselves and people will extract their own personal meaning from them. But the spirit of love is literally embedded in each one.

Kala: Do you accept custom orders for your art and for love rocks? What has been your favorite piece that you have designed thus far?

Kathy: Yes, I have done and do accept custom orders and commissions for all of the variety of my art forms. The Quarter Horse figurine is retired from production but I do have a very limited supply of special editions available for collectors. It’s difficult to say which piece has been my favorite as I love them all for different reasons. But I have a special affinity for the works made as a result of being outraged about something and consider them my art activist pieces. I’m a firm believer in that energy flows where attention goes so I’m very mindful of my creative intentions. I don’t want to make angry negative art, so I try to step back to see the bigger picture and focus on what I perceive a positive outcome to be. A piece called 50 States of an American Dream, featuring 50 positive words, or states of being, was created during the heat of the last presidential election and another piece titled Paradise was my response to an environmental issue. These pieces represent my way of enacting Peter F. Drucker’s quote, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Photo caption: 50 States of an American Dream, rubbing drawing on architectural paper

Kala: Who is Kathy Morawski? If your friends and family were to describe you in five sentences, what would they say?

Kathy: This is great because as for the answers I actually posed these questions to my friends! Though my family is no longer physically here, they always said I was talented and smart and I loved my grandmother telling me I had the Midas touch. My polled friends said I’m compassionate, have a good sense of humor, and am a good friend and offered some responses that were surprising in their depth: Kathy embraces the scared sensuousness of life and is able to tap on a creativity that exists outside of the box while still being able to communicate to the rest of the world in an enlightening, entertaining and expressive way. Kathy is free spirited with a daredevil quality that inspires others and is extraordinarily creative and wonderfully adept at gathering her creativity to make significant visual contributions to the world. Wow!

Kala: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to connect more with their creative side?

Kathy: First of all, I believe everyone is creative, and anything can be done in a creative fashion. Just thinking about how to do something differently than you usually do it is being creative. Immersing yourself in activities you enjoy and learning new ones is a great kick start to creativity as is discovering what other creative people are doing. I’d also suggest slowing down to be aware and open up to intuition by asking and allowing yourself to receive answers in whatever form they may arrive. I find looking for the humor in situations makes life more fun and creativity breeds when you’re in a lighter state of mind. And when you get an idea, instead of dismissing it, act on it!

Kala: Beyond your artistic creations here Kathy, what inspires you? How do you Explore Your Spirit?

Kathy: I also believe spirit and inspiration can reside in anything, it’s the connection that counts. Some things I’m inspired by are music, nature, beauty, truth, books, dreams, great minds that explore the blend of science and spirituality, and words which includes quotes, song lyrics and even catchy lines on junk mail! I’m also moved by moments when humanity bands together to make a difference or help others. Methods that help keep me in that state of being include spending time with my horse, going for walks, listening to music, yoga, traveling, learning new things and spending time with good friends and being grateful for all of it.

Kala: It was a pleasure speaking with you Kathy. Looking forward to seeing more of your work and best wishes for your continued success.

Kathy: Thank you so much, Kala, the pleasure’s been all mine. I look forward to keeping up with you on your work as well! It’s inspiring people like yourself who help raise the consciousness of the planet.

Photo caption: Kathy with her horse, Skip. Photo by Susan Kozlowski
Artist Kathy Morawski is known for her articulate assemblages featuring found objects taken out of context and placed in unique perspectives, encouraging the viewer to look at them in a new way or to find hidden meanings. She also expresses her life long love of horses with her equine portraits and is an official artist of the Trail of Painted Ponies. Her current Love Rocks series is part of her recent work exploring life experiences and the clues that cross her path. More information on the artist and her work can be found at www.kathymorawski.com.

Chinese Autumn began this year on August 7th at 18:07 Beijing time, or 05:07 AM ET. The Chinese seasons always start at the middle of the Western calendar seasons, that is why Chinese Autumn may seem to come so early for a westerner. In the context of western astrology, the Chinese seasons begin at 15 degrees the fixed signs, Autumn beginning at 15 degrees Leo, Winter beginning at 15 degrees Scorpio, Spring beginning at 15 degrees Aquarius, and Summer beginning at 15 degrees Taurus. In the Chinese system, Autumn is the season of the element Metal.

The signs for the Autumn chart are as follows:

• the year sign is Earth Ox
  

• the month is Water Monkey

• the day is Wood Monkey

• the hour is Fire Rabbit

The predominant elements in the chart are Earth, Metal, and Water, and is predominantly Yang. This means that the energy of the Autumn this year is actively concentrative. The natural course this Fall will be for all matters to settle, and for nonessentials to be eliminated. The chart, having so much Metal and Water, is cold. Fire is very weak. Therefore the season calls for Wood. Wood is the vital element for this Fall. That means that it is essential to make decisions. Matters must now be settled, decisions must be made and nonessentials must be thrown out of you are to stay in tune with the Tao of the time.

Reduced to an I Ching hexagram, the signs gives us Hexagram 44: Coming to Meet, line 1. Curb evil at its inception. Where you find evil entering your life, check and correct it immediately. If you let it run unchecked it will cause misfortune.

This Autumn season favors people with a solitary character and those who work in independent professions. This, according to the traditional Chinese description, includes teachers, psychics, mediums, astrologers, metaphysicians, scholars, doctors, researchers, people who work behind the scenes, writers, designers and librarians.

Despite its severe indications, the chart has two Tien Yi, or Sky Medicine Stars. Tien Yi is the luckiest of all the stars; it resolves most predicaments. The chart also has Tian de Gui Ren, or Heavenly Virtue Star which helps to stabilize life and clear away obstacles. This is especially good for women getting married. The chart also favors studies, and has good indications for traveling and for friendly and beneficial interactions between people in business. The chart, having strong Metal, but relying on Wood says that Western powers are strong, but all depends on cultivating the creative possibilities in the East. In other words, what happens in Asia is key to unlocking the power of the West at this time. Without the needed help of Asia the world will stagnate.

• The Autumn season, for those born under the sign Pig or Rat, means this is a time for you to increase your knowledge and to develope your resources. It is favorable for Pig to work creatively and to be decisive this Fall. For Rat it is important, not only to generate your resources, but to accept the help of friendly people and to avoid conflicts; don’t try to force your way against odds. Both Pig and Rat, needing insights, will benefit by seeing the astrologer or psychic this Fall.

• For those born under the sign Ox this is a time for saving up money and for turning your attention to your work. You may be very fortunate if you do.

• For those born under the sign Tiger or Rabbit this is a time to assert yourself against odds while yielding to conditions you can’t control. For a woman Tiger or Rabbit, this may be a season of love. For Tiger this Fall is favorable for traveling, moving or going forward with new work. It may also be a more favorable period for you financially. For Rabbit this Fall favors creative activity.

• If you were born under the sign Dragon this Fall favors you in business and encourages you to build up your money. It is best if conditions in your personal life be peaceful now.

• If you were born under the sign Snake or Horse this Fall is the time to pay attention and make money. For Horse this is also a lucky time for romance. And for Snake this is a good time for studies and any academic activity, also for using your intelligence to solve any problem you might have.

• If you were born under the sign Sheep this is a time for creative work and for building up your money. It also favors receiving help from friendly people; lucky doors may open for you.

• If you were born under the sign Monkey or Rooster, the Fall favors building up yourself, circulating among your peers, while acting independently and welcoming competition in business. Monkey may be especially lucky in resolving problems and will find others willing to offer help when needed. Friendly people are coming your way. For Rooster this is an especially lucky season for romance.

• If you were born under the sign Dog this is a season to work hard and build up money. The elements of the season will give you strength.

For a more personal reading or a more complete picture of what’s coming up in your life, you may wish to have a complete Chinese astrological chart reading. If so, contact Raphael Simons at www.psychicarts.net .

T. Raphael Simons will be on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Friday, August 28th at 8pm Eastern.

More about T. Raphael Simons…

T. Raphael Simons is a psychic reader, astrologer (Western and Chinese forms), feng shui expert, hypnotherapist and life coach and is  available for consultations and counseling in person and by telephone. Author of Feng Shui, Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success: Arranging Your Office for Success and Prosperity, and The Feng Shui of Love, his interest in the metaphysical sciences and arts began in 1970, he first learned to read Tarot cards in 1971 and took up reading them professionally in 1977. From there he studied astrology for seven years with Ivy Jacobson beginning in 1980. In 1988 he took up the study of Chinese astrology and fengshui with Terry Lee in New York and has been practicing and teaching Chinese astrology and fengshui ever since. He also trained in channeling in New York with the medium Alex Murray. Since 1999 Raphael has been a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), the most ancient bardic and druid order in the UK in which he was elected a full member in the Druid grade. Raphael has been living in Durham, North Carolina since 2003, moving to NC from New York City. Originally trained as a musician, he taught music at Princeton University and Oberlin College. More info at: www.psychicarts.net

On Explore Your Spirit with Kala’s Bohemian Blog, we seek out talented innovative designers and entrepreneurs of the 21st Century.   Join us as we meet up with bright souls who do what they love and allow the rest to unfold as it should. On this path, we connected with Niki Fountain, CEO and owner of Serene Bath and Body.

Kala: Hi Niki, Thanks for joining us here on Kala’s Bohemian Blog. We’re featuring a special section on the Bohemian Blog entitled Inner Beauty and Fashion for the Body, Mind and Spirit.  Your company, Serene Bath and Body sells a metaphysical inspired line of soaps and lotions with delightful names including Goddess, Aura Enhancer, Eve’s Garden, White Light, Awaken and Zen for Men. What was your inspiration to create this metaphysical line of products called Celestial Farms?

Niki: Hi Kala. First let me say thank you for having me! The inspiration for Celestial Farms came from a number of places but it really started many years ago when I was a young woman who, like many other women and girls, found myself with a poor body image.  I didn’t take very good care of myself or treat my body with the respect it deserved.  But I did find one activity that I truly enjoyed and it actually helped me feel better about myself.  And that was indulging in really nice bath products.  I can remember many times in graduate school where I would take what little money I had left after paying the bills and go shop for new soaps and lotions.  I would hurry back to my apartment and take a long, hot shower with my new soap and then slather myself with my new yummy lotion. The entire act of picking out a new scent, hurrying home in anticipation, taking the shower and then rubbing the lotion in created a wonderful sense of well being and made me feel good about myself.  So that was part of the inspiration, the desire to help others feel good about themselves, to help them find that sense of well being that I had found, that serenity that comes from taking care of our bodies.  But the other part, the metaphysical inspiration ironically came from my science background as a geologist.  Being a geologist I’ve spent many years learning not just about the physical properties of crystals and gemstones but also the metaphysical properties.  I took this knowledge of the crystals and what they can do and combined that with my desire and inspiration to create beautiful bath products.  And from there I created the Celestial Farms line where we include crystals and gemstones in everything we make.

Kala: When sampling your work, I was attracted to the fact that you include real gemstones and crystals in the soaps and lotions.  How did you decide which gemstone to put in each product and how do they enhance the product?

Niki: As I mentioned, being a geologist I have spent many years working with and researching crystals and gemstones.  Along the way I learned that crystals have more than just the physical properties that we can see like color and hardness.  They also have metaphysical properties. What I mean by this is that crystals vibrate with energy and different crystals have different types of energy.  I selected the crystals for various products based on the energy that I wanted vibrating in them.  For example rose quartz is a crystal that vibrates with the energy of love.  We utilize this energy and embed rose quartz crystals in one of the Celestial Farms product lines called Eve’s Garden.  Eve’s Garden was created specifically with love in mind. Whether you’re looking to attract romantic love, trying to love yourself, or learning to love humanity, Eve’s Garden is “charged” with love and will help attract love to you. By adding the rose quartz crystals we enhance this effect because we’re adding that vibrating energy of love.

This same concept carries in all of the Celestial Farms products.  For example our Aura Enhancer line contains amethyst crystals because amethyst helps clear and cleanse auras.  Our Awaken line contains aventurine because those crystals vibrate with an energizing and healing energy.  Our Goddess line includes moonstone crystals because moonstone vibrates with the energy of the Divine Feminine.

Kala: Celestial Farms soaps are all natural. What makes them different than other soaps?

Niki: I think what really sets Celestial Farms soaps apart is the energy that we put into them.  All of our soaps and other products are created and charged with love and white light. And of course the fact that we add blessed crystals enhances this.  Not to mention the fun bonus of finding a treasure of a crystal in your bar of soap!

Kala: How important is it do you think to connect Body Mind and Spirit in all activities? Is there a conscious thought that we should focus on when bathing?

Niki: I think it’s absolutely critical to connect body, mind and spirit in everything we do. In fact I’m not sure that you can really avoid it, it’s just that most people are not conscious of the connection. I think we can easily see the connection when we see things like internal emotional turmoil expressing itself as physical illness.

So the answer is you should definitely be conscious of your thoughts while bathing.  Research has shown us that we can manifest what we think- like athletes envisioning themselves winning the race before they run it.  So it is very important to be thinking loving and positive thoughts while bathing or grooming yourself.  Our bodies will give us what we give them- if we fill it with love and positive energy that’s what we’ll get in return. But if we’re thinking about how much we hate this or that part of our body or if we’re feeling angry about something while bathing then we’ll get that negative energy back, creating a vicious cycle.

Kala: Your education and background is as a hydrogeologist with a focus on saponification.  How has your work inspired you and what you create at Serene?

Niki: My graduate thesis work focused on creating “soaps” to be used to clean up chemicals that were spilled into groundwater.  I say “soaps” because they were not technically true soaps but had a similar chemical composition.  From there I spent more than a decade working in the environmental industry looking for and cleaning up chemicals that had been released into the environment.  During this time I saw firsthand what chemical manufacturing did to the environment and what long term exposure to chemicals did to the human body.  It was a direct result of this experience that led Serene to use ingredients that do not adversely impact the planet or the human body.

Kala: As an entrepreneur, you’ve found an outlet to share your talents with the world. How does what you do for a living also express who you are as a person?

Niki: First I want to say that I am so thankful and fortunate that I have been able to create a business doing what I love.  I know not everyone has that opportunity.  I guess I have always thought of myself as a nurturing person and someone who enjoys taking care of others.  By creating natural and organic bath products I feel I am, in a sense, taking care of others and helping them take better care of themselves.  Also, being a scientist, I have an analytical side that I get to tap into while formulating and creating new products.

Kala: The shapes and designs on the soap are striking and empowering. Do you connect with the Divine Feminine energy?  Wise women in the ancient past used herbs and oils to make soaps and healing poultices. Do you feel that you are continuing this work or are walking a similar path?

Niki: Thank you! I specifically chose the shapes and images on the soaps for their ability to empower and to further enhance the effectiveness of the soaps.  I do connect with the Divine Feminine energy and feel that I have spent many lifetimes as a healer and a wise woman who created healing potions and poultices. I feel very fortunate that I connected with this energy and found this path once again in this lifetime.  I am very honored and blessed that the Universe has provided me with the talents it has so that I can create the products at Serene.

Kala: Do you accept custom orders? What has been your favorite product that you have designed thus far?

Niki: At this time we don’t accept custom orders. But we do hope to have this option available to our customers in the future.  Ideally we would talk with the customer and find out what his or her specific needs and desires are- stress release, invigoration, self love, etc.  We would also discuss things like skin type and possible sensitivities.  From there we would create a personalized product just for that customer.

My favorite creation is our Dead Sea salt scrub. The scrubs are made with salts from the Dead Sea which are amazingly therapeutic.  The salts are in a mixture of various oils including jojoba, grapeseed, neem, and vitamin E oils- all of which are incredibly nourishing to the skin.  I love rubbing the salt/oil mixture on my skin after a bath or shower and then rinsing off.  My skin feels silky smooth and super moisturized.

Kala: Serene Bath and Body is now releasing a new organic line called Persephone’s Wish. Tell us about this line.

Niki: I’m very excited about this new line! While the Celestial Farms line is an all natural line the Persephone’s Wish line is all natural plus the products are made with certified organic ingredients. It was important to me to give customers the option of buying organic bath products.  It’s taking the “all natural” to another level and really embracing the idea of living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.  The line currently has bar soaps and lip balms and we’ll soon be adding lotions, liquid soaps, and Himalayan bath salts. We also use 100% post consumer waste recycled paper printed with soy ink for our bar soap packaging.

Kala: Who is Niki Fountain? If your friends and family were to describe you in five sentences, what would they say?

Niki: I think the first thing people who know me well would say is that I’m goofy and fun loving.  I’m not sure goofy is a good thing but I definitely am.  They would say I like to laugh and I try to make others laugh as well.  And they would say that I will do whatever I can to make others happy and feel good.

Kala: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to connect more with their entrepreneurial side and start their own business?

Niki: The most important piece of advice I would give is that you need to find something you love to do whether it’s creating a product that people use or offering a service.  You have to truly LOVE doing whatever it is you are considering making into a business because there will be times when you won’t love it. Creating and running your own business is one of the most rewarding things a person can do. But it’s also one of the most challenging and demanding.  I have never worked harder or more hours in my life than when I started my own business. Not even when I was working 3 jobs and putting myself through graduate school.  When you own a small business you, as the owner, wear most, if not all, of the hats in your company.  So while you get the joy of doing what you love you also have to do the things you may not enjoy like being the sales person, being the advertising executive, being the accountant, and being the bill collector. So that’s why I say you have to truly love what you do because it has to be enough to make up for the less enjoyable duties.

Kala: Beyond your business here Niki, what inspires you? How do you Explore Your Spirit?

Niki: I think I’m most inspired by love and the generosity of people.  Those two things make me feel warm and fuzzy inside and make me want to be more loving and more generous myself.  One way I Explore My Spirit is by listening to your show of course! And reading the Bohemian Blog.  It’s so inspiring and exciting to hear and read about what others are doing to make this time on earth more purposeful and enjoyable.

Kala: It was a pleasure speaking with you Niki. Looking forward to experiencing more of your bath and body products and best wishes for your continued success.

Niki: Thank you Kala for having me. As always it’s been a pleasure spending time with you and your readers.

More about Niki Fountain and Serene Bath and Body…

Niki Fountain is a hydrogeologist who spent the first part of her adult life working in the environmental industry cleaning up chemicals that were released to the environment.  She eventually left the industry and took the knowledge and skills she learned in graduate school and in her job and applied them to creating all natural and organic bath care products.  She founded her North Carolina based bath care company, Serene Bath & Body, in 2005.  You can find her creations at www.TheSereneStore.com Readers of the Bohemian Blog can enjoy FREE SHIPPING in the continental US until August 31 2009 on purchases of $25 or more by using Promo Code BOHOBLOG at checkout.