I feel like I’ve tried to cram ten pounds of Christmas into a five-pound Santa sack.

The days are almost at their shortest and there is more darkness than there is light in the sky.

This is meant to be a time of going within, a time of introspection.

And what do we do instead? Shop! Wrap! Decorate! Bake!

If you’re like me, you do all of those things at break-neck speed, promising yourself you’ll sleep in January and asking yourself if you can fit in just one more show, party, or get-together.

Today the Fool came up as my card of the day. And I knew what it was trying to tell me:

Let got of the fear of relinquishing control. Stop trying to live a normal life.

If we can relinquish control, our normal life gives way to one of curiosity. We start to experience a deep connection to the Divine.

Connection to the Divine takes many forms. It can also be called finding our true selves. And our purpose. Re can rediscover the Divine that has been within us all along and express it to the world.

The hard part is that what is called our waking life has a vested interest in keeping us rooted in normalcy. The world would prefer us to be sedated by busyness. Conform, it whispers. And conforming at the holidays means Shop! Wrap! Decorate! Bake!

With the solstice, we are encouraged to have faith. To believe that there is something more. We have to release all that we know and all that we’ve relied on. We must find our innocence, the purity, and the childlike wonder within. It’s there. It always has been. We either forgot or listened to someone who told us it was gone.

So, step into the unknown, into the darkness. Spend time in self-reflection. You’ll emerge once again with your inner light glowing and lighting your path, the path to your most powerful self.

This first card indicates that there’s something you’re not seeing. And this one says there’s a man in your life you’re having difficulty with. Now, with this third card, make sure you’re putting your attention on the right areas…

This was my first tarot reading, over twenty years ago. I had paid for it in our Unitarian church’s annual auction. It told me absolutely nothing. What wasn’t I seeing? Who specifically was the man I was having trouble with? Where should I be putting my attention?

We come to the cards with expectations. We’re looking for answers. We want confirmation of what we suspect is true. Or light shed on what is eluding us. Or information about a goal we have in mind whether it’s financial, romantic, or spiritual.

And those expectations of ours are so narrow. Sometimes it’s difficult to even see beyond yes or no. Should I take this job? Is he having an affair? Am I living at my highest vibration?

With narrow expectations come narrow answers.

The universe is vast. It’s multifaceted in ways we can never truly comprehend. It’s an interconnected web of energy beyond our understanding. It isn’t possible to know how any of it works.

Instead, we can imagine it as a limitless array of glittering jewels. Among the limitless possibilities, the right one will light up for us when we need it. And, and this is the most wonderous part, when it needs us.

Our dream desires us as much as we desire our dream. Our wish wants us to come true. Our vision longs to celebrate us.

This morning in our Live, I will be leading a guided meditation to help you further realize this truth. Join us and feel the desire your dream has for you. Come see your path light up for you.

If you miss the Live, don’t worry. You can watch the recording.
And if you’re not a member of the Morning Glory Tarot Facebook group, you can join before our Live.

What do you remember from the Christmases of your childhood?

I remember being at my grandma’s house with what seemed like a hundred crazy Italian relatives all drinking and talking at once…

Coming home from church on Christmas Eve and listening to NORAD on the radio as they tracked Santa’s flight…

Not being able to sleep Christmas Eve as I waited to see what Santa brought and to open presents…

I know there were probably Christmas concerts at school and visits to Santa at the mall and going out to buy a tree, but those things haven’t really stuck with me.

So before we drive ourselves crazy trying to “make memories,” let’s take a moment to realize that it’s probably not the things we work so hard to get perfect that will be remembered. If we rush around until we’re exhausted, what our loved ones are bound to remember is that were cranky.

Beautifully wrapped gifts? The perfect tree? A holiday party that looks like Martha Stewart catered it? Does anyone (besides you) really care?

Here’s how to create some real magic this season: Be Present.

Notice your surroundings. Be grateful for all you have. Accept things as they are now. Spend time with people who make you feel happy and fulfilled.

This time of year is about renewal and hope.

Which is exactly what I wish for you.

May you be surrounded by good people who love you. May you take the time you need each day to care deeply for yourself first. May your days be filled with genuine meaning and purpose. May you improve your self-awareness, incorporate your shadow, and find new light shining from your eternal soul. May always feel the presence of Spirit holding you in a warm embrace.

And may you know how much our having shared this year has meant to me.

With light and love,

“I had four sisters,” a client was telling me. “First there was Lorilee, who died when she was a baby—”

“Did you say Lorilee?” I interrupted her. “She’s come to me!”

What a crazy synchronicity. Or was it? Either way, I was completely blown away by this session last week.

Two years ago, at about the same time as I started working with this client, I had a friend who was going to have some dental work done. I decided to send him some angels to comfort him.

What I then saw was a beautiful angel with wavy long brown hair, kneeling next to him as he sat in the dentist’s chair. She was holding his hand in one of hers and stroking it with her other hand. I asked her what her name was.

“Lorilee,” she said, not taking her attention away from her charge.

I wasn’t sure I had heard her right. Was it Lorelei? Laura Lee?

She spelled it for me, making sure I understood that the L in the middle was not capitalized. Ok, then. Lorilee.

I relayed this to my client, who was freaking out almost as much as I was. She verified the spelling.

“And I’m not surprised that Lorilee was with him at the dentist’s,” she said. “Everyone in my family has dentures except for me. It’s a thing in my family—everyone has horrible teeth.”

Mind. Blown.

I don’t believe that adults become angels when they die. But I have seen enough proof to believe that infants can. This was more evidence.

What was new, and what I should have realized, was that angels are a part of the interconnected web of being. I had a client who had an angel who specialized in comforting people at the dentist office because of a family pattern. I also had a friend who wanted to send some comfort while he was in the dentist’s chair. And POOF! Like angel magic, there’s a connection.

If you don’t connect daily with your angels, I encourage you to start. They love you almost more than you can imagine and want nothing more than to be there for you, helping you, guiding you, and showing you their love. It’s as easy as saying, Angels, be with me today. Guard me, guide me, show me your love.

You can also request specific things both large and small. Let my travel plans go without any delays, please. Or Help me break though the limiting beliefs that hold me back. Or Show me where I left my other earring. Or Protect me from negative energy. Or Give me courage as I ask for a raise. And let the raise be granted. Or whatever it is that you’d like some help, protection, or guidance with.

Do you ever feel in the flow? Like you’re on track, everything’s going your way, everything is coming your way, you’ve got drive, you’ve got momentum, things are materializing right as you need them, and then

BAM! You hit a wall that you didn’t even know was there. It might be the death of a loved one, an illness whether yours or a family member’s, a tornado, or something else that was entirely unexpected.

What the hell.

If you’re like me, you look up to the sky and say Really? Actually, if you’re like me, you look up and use salty language.

Sometimes things happen that are outside our ability to plan or control.

Why? It seemed like we were in alignment with the Divine and yet we crashed into that wall.

From time to time, we need to pause. Reflect. Reconnect. To remember that we are a small part of something much larger. Every once in a while, we need to be reminded of our mortality.

Sometimes these forced pauses occur to remind us that we’re human beings not human doings.

Perhaps it’s going to take some time for everything needed in your Big Plan to coalesce. Someone you need for an integral piece is dragging her feet.

When we find ourselves flat against the wall instead of chugging along, we need to resist the urge to push through that obstacle. We need to press pause.

We also need to remember that what is ours will never go past us. If it’s meant to be, it will be. And it will be in Divine timing rather than our timing.

When this happens, we can use the time productively by meditating or reviving a gratitude practice or reading an uplifting book. We can get out into nature, or do some yoga, or chant.

When the Universe gives us a temporary pause, nourishing our soul until we get the all-clear signal is in our best interest.

Ok, you’ve got a ghost in your home and it’s freaking your freak right out. You don’t care if it’s your Great-sunt Mildred or that she has the best of intentions, you want it gone.

How the hell do you get rid of it?

The first thing to try is the simplest. Ask it to leave. Sometimes spirits get stuck. They don’t realize where they are. Talking to them and telling them wand can give them the jolt they need to move along. If your Great-aunt Mildred was stubborn in life, she’s going to be stubborn in death. You may have to take a firm stand and use a stern tone to get them to cross over.

To ensure that the spirit doesn’t return, pour a line of salt outside your doors. Or make some cascarilla powder. This comes from the traditions of Santaria, Hoodoo, and Voodoo. It creates a magical energetic barrier. Here’s how to whip some up.

When you use an egg, remove the membrane from the shell. Clean the shell and let it dry. Once you have about a dozen, grind them in a coffee grinder. Or, if you’d prefer to be more hands-on, grind them in a mortar and pestle in a clockwise circle. You can add your intention as you grind to give the cascarilla more potency. Sprinkle this outside your doors and on your windowsills.

If you want to get extra witchy, make cascarilla chalk. Mix the eggshells with equal parts hot water and flour. Mold it into a thick chalk-like shape and roll it in a paper towel to dry. You can also add protective herbs and oils if you like. Try rosemary, sage, chamomile, rose petals, or mint. Use the chalk to draw a protective circle,

You can also smudge with a sage bundle. Open all your windows a crack. Walk from room to room while saying, “I am cleansing this space. All negative spirits must leave.” Catch the ash with a plate or seashell and deposit it outside your home when you’re done.

Make sure you speak firmly but without hate, anger, or threats. You want the spirit to leave willingly and peacefully.

Finally, if these methods fail to move your ghost along, seek professional help.

“Can you reach out to dead people at will?” I was recently asked. “Or is it totally random?”

The answer is that I can’t summon someone who has passed, but it’s not exactly random.

If I’m working with someone who has recently lost a loved one, I will pick up the energy and memories of that person—their cologne, favorite flower, maybe a facial expression or something they always said.

But that’s not the same as getting a message from a spirit.

When I do get a message, they’re typically ones of love and reminders that they are always with us and are happy to be called upon for comfort, support, or help.

Although from time to time, when I’m relaxed, a spirit will come through. That’s been happening more frequently lately as the veil thins between the world of the living and the world of those who have passed.

Hallowe’en is strongly connected to the Celtic ritual, Samhain. And although it is celebrated at the same time as the Day of the Dead (día de los muertos), it is not related to that festival.

Day of the Dead originated with the Aztec, Toltec, and Maya about 3,000 years ago. They believed that death was a part of life, that it should be celebrated rather than feared. They also believed that the dead traveled and relied on the living for supplies like food and water.  This developed into the modern tradition of building alters (ofrendas) at home and also leaving food and drinks at the gravesite.

Samhain was one of four quarterly Celtic fire festivals. It marked the beginning of the dark half of the year. The Celts believed that the threshold between the living and dead was thinner at this time of year, and they would leave offerings outside the villages for the fairies. It was also believed that ancestors might cross over.

The Catholic Church jumped on the bandwagon (as they so often did), and declared November 1^st All Hallows’ Day (which is now known as All Saint’s Day) making October 31^st the eve of All Hallows’ Day, or Hallowe’en. November 2^nd is All Souls Day, a day to commemorate those who have passed.

Many other countries have celebrations around this time—Poland, the Philippines, Romania, Nigeria, and Cambodia, to name a few, so there must be something to it, right?

I can attest to that. As I said, lately, spirits have been coming to me more than usual when I’m not busy. It’s that time of year.

But I should mention that your loved ones who have passed are always there for you. Invite them in. Thank them for making sure you were born. You are here for a reason. Ask them how you can fulfill your soul contract and this part of your family legacy.

And no, they don’t spy on you in the shower.

“I need a mass said for someone,” I said to the priest, terrified that he’d ask why. “In Spanish,” I added.

He nodded and consulted his calendar; gave me a date and told me the amount I should donate.

I went back to my car and sat there until I was calm enough to drive. I’m not Catholic. I had never talked to a priest before. I do speak Spanish, but more like a gringa borracha than a native speaker. And I had never met the man who wanted the mass. Not in real life, anyway.

Mr. Gonzalez was a ghost in my house. He was finally ready to cross over and had requested a mass in Spanish. I was determined to grant this final wish. Well, I hoped it was his final request. I got some holy water, just in case.

This wasn’t my first encounter with a soul that had not yet found its way to the other side. But it was the first time I did something about it. I put up with a poltergeist for seven years. It seemed determined to make me think I was losing my mind by hiding things and then returning them after I had bought a replacement.

How about you? Have you ever seen a cat in your house and then realized you didn’t have a cat? Have you smelled a strange perfume wafting in the air? Or heard a noise and found nothing when you went to investigate? Or felt a part of your house gave you the creepiest vibe? Have you seen an apparition?

All Hallows’ Eve, Hallowe’en, Day of the Dead, and Samhain all mark a time to honor our dead, This special time is just two weeks away. Samhain (pronounced SOW-win, sow like the female pig) especially is considered a liminal or threshold time when the boundary between our world and the Otherworld is thinnest, meaning spirits can come more easily into our world. And, like Day of the Dead, it’s believed that those who have passed come back seeking hospitality.

You don’t have to be Wiccan or have Celtic or Latinx roots to honor your dead loved ones this time of year.

If you have an altar in your home, place photos of your ancestors and pets who have died on it for the season. You can also add items that remind you of them such as a favorite flower, food, or book.

Set a place at the table for them on October 31^st. You may also want to make this meal silent.

Take a moment to talk to those who have departed. Thank them for their contribution to your life. Ask them for any advice you want or need. Make sure you stay still long enough to hear the answer. You might also want to ask them for a sign to let you know when they are with you.

Or you can simply light candles or build a bonfire. Fire is the perfect way to celebrate as well as welcome in the colder months.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with ghosts. Were they a comfort to you? Or did they scare the pants off you?