You know how sometimes you can walk into a room and feel what’s been going on in there? Maybe it was an argument that left lingering tension. Or maybe you pick up on the lighthearted mood that the people who were in there left behind.

Do you ever set an intention before starting something? Perhaps before you pick up the phone to call someone, you set an intention for a positive outcome. Or before a meeting, you take a moment to set an intention for everyone to feel it was worthwhile. It can even be as simple as saying Today is going to be a great day! as you get out of bed.

Here’s something new to try: set an intention of love and blessing as you enter and leave a room or place.

Physical spaces act like sponges. They absorb the energy of everyone who passes through them.  We have no idea who was in there, but we can feel the effects as their energetic footprint either drains us or energizes us.

We can’t control those who went before us, but we can control what we leave behind. Leaving behind a vibration of love can clear out stagnant energy and allow positivity to flow in, making it harmonious and nourishing.

It’s as simple as saying Bless this space as you enter or feeling love in your heart center and letting it radiate into the room, house, building, office, or store. You can also call on your spirit guides and angels to help you. Or you can visualize the space free of toxic energy, chaos, and negativity.

Who knows whose day you’ll change as you leave a footprint of goodwill?

Try it for a week. See if it doesn’t brighten your days.

“You have a brother-in-law who passed from this life, yes?”

The psychic medium pointed at me. I was too surprised to answer. My mind went blank. Did I have a brother-in-law who was dead?

Without waiting for me to answer, she continued. “He says that no one has to do anything, no one has to take the initiative, because they all know you’ll do whatever needs to be done.”

That’s true. But isn’t that true of most mothers? Maybe even most women?

“You have something wrong with the lower half of your body, yes?” She was speaking so quickly. “Hips, knees, ankles. Your bother-in-law is saying that you need to take care of that because Advil is no longer working.”

There was no way she could have guessed that. I hadn’t slept in two nights because the pain in my left ankle was so bad. My hip almost always hurts. And lately, my knee had been complaining. Ignoring it was becoming less and less of an option. Ostrich medicine only works for the ostrich for so long. Time to get my head out of the sand.

And, oh, yeah, I did have a brother-in-law who died–my sister’s husband.

Monday I got back from Lily Dale Assembly, about an hour outside Buffalo, New York. Opened in 1879, Lily Dale is not only a spiritual healing center, but also home to about thirty-five registered psychic mediums. It’s open to the public in the summer. I went with my friend Lindsay to experience mediumship demonstrations, hands-on spiritual healing, the old-growth virgin forest, the fairy garden, and the labyrinth. But mostly, I wanted to be with people like me, people who don’t think I’m a kook when I mention that I see dead people.

The first night I was there, as I got into bed, two people came to me. The first was a man, who looked a bit like Niles Crane from the TV show Frasier, except he was dressed in clothes from the turn of the last century. The other was a young girl in a sailor dress.

The next morning, I went downstairs and asked the owner of the house we were staying at what he knew of the history of the house. Without a word, he pulled up a photo on his phone and handed it to me. There was my guy, right in the center, standing on the steps of the house!

Later, the girl in the sailor dress came to Lindsay, who is a talented medium. She said the girl had been a student there, but she died young. The sailor dress was her favorite, but her mother didn’t like her to wear it. She came to me because I always notice little flowers and she loved them too, and because I teach children. She said she misses her teachers from Lily Dale.

I had similar experiences throughout the five days I was there. Everyone does. Lily Dale is absolutely magical. There are classes and presentations you can attend and mediums you can pay for an in-depth reading, or you can simply sit and chat with the other visitors.

There’s something wonderful about finding your people and feeling completely accepted.

I can’t say enough good things about my trip. I miss it already and I can’t wait to go back.

“Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”

I love that line from the movie Elf.  So, let me ask you, what’s your favorite color?

Did you choose a favorite color when you were little and never give it a second thought? Or, when you saw my question, did you have questions of your own? Like Favorite color for what? Walls? Car? Clothes? Throw pillows?

Maybe your favorite changes from season to season or from year to year.

Take a moment to think. If your favorite color hasn’t changed in years, examine that. Why? Do you still favor it? Do you surround yourself with it? If not, maybe it’s your favorite in name only.

If your favorite changes, look at when.

I read once that women who are recently divorced tend to wear lots of either purple or white. Purple because it shows self-worth and individuality; white because it makes them feel fresh and open to new opportunities. They don’t make a conscious decision to wear purple or white, rather they are drawn to those colors.

If you suddenly find yourself saying something like, “Orange is going to be my color this summer!” check to see if your second chakra (the sacral charka, the one below your bellybutton), is unbalanced. This chakra is associated with emotions, sensuality, creativity, and birthing. When out of balance, you may feel either emotionally constipated or like you’re drowning in emotions. You might feel unable to receive pleasure or engage in unhealthy sexual expression.

Here are what it could mean if you find yourself drawn these colors:

Red: Red is associated with the root chakra. It is located at the base of the spine. When out of balance, you may feel literally out of balance or unable to navigate changes or challenges. You may not feel safe, secure, or stable.

Yellow: The third chakra is located in the solar plexus. If you lack confidence and self-esteem or if you don’t feel in control of your life, this chakra may be out of balance.

Green (and, surprisingly, pink): The heart chakra rules our ability to love and feel compassion.

Blue: Do you have something that needs to be said? Are you having trouble communicating? The fifth chakra is located at the base of the throat and is responsible for our ability to speak our truth.

Indigo: You can thank your third eye chakra for your gut instincts, your intuition. If your intuition is off and you can’t trust it, your sixth chakra needs some help.

Purple (and, maybe not surprisingly, white): The crown chakra is on the top of the head and governs our connection to the Divine. It also plays a part in your life purpose.

Surround yourself with the color or colors you feel drawn to on any particular day. Wear that color. Or find an object in that color and place it where you can see it. This simple act can help balance what is out of balance.

P.S. To watch Will Farrell as Buddy answering the phone click here.

P.P.S. On a practical note, if you want to repel mosquitos, wear white. It turns out they’re goth. Ok, that’s not true. But they are attracted to heat and white helps keep you cool in the sun since it reflects light.

Saturday, my daughter almost didn’t get married.

The hair stylist and the makeup lady arrived at 7:30, followed by my daughter Nora and a gaggle of girls and women. Nora was nervous and as time passed it got increasingly worse.

By the time the limo arrived, Nora was in a haze. Not good.

We got into the building next to the church and she had a panic attack. She was on the floor, sweating, puking, and just barely responding to questions. As I saw it, there were four options:

• Get into the church and get married
• Have Caleb, the groom, come and get her and then go to the church
• Have Caleb and the deacon go to her and marry her on the floor
• Or get married later.

I left to corral the troops while the maid of honor stayed and fanned Nora because she was drenched in sweat.

A half hour later, she sent for Caleb. That didn’t make her feel better. She sent word a bit later, asking if the deacon could marry her on the floor. He said no, it had to be in the church, but he could perform a private ceremony in the chapel. She agreed and they carried her into the chapel.

Meanwhile, we sent the guests home. We sent the guests home. Bye! See you at the reception!

Nora still couldn’t sit up, let alone stand. The deacon refused to marry her lying down. She managed to sit up, the maid of honor still fanning her. She muttered her vows and we carried her to the limo. She still wasn’t really responding. We thought she would feel better once she was married, but she didn’t.

We told the limo driver to take us to the hospital. We flew, taking corners on two wheels.

You better believe I called on my spirit team to keep me steady. I say this simple prayer:

I affirm my spirit. I affirm the source of spirit. I affirm my guardians, guides, angels and ancestors who work for my highest good. Be with me now. Guard me, guide me, show me your love. Thank you.

Nora got an IV of fluids and anti-nausea medication. She and Caleb made it to the reception a half hour late, but the regular Nora was back like she never had a complete freak-out.

Life presents us with trials and challenges, opportunities to grow and situations that are beyond our comfort zone. We don’t have to face them alone. We always have people who love us who we can ask for help. We also have our angels, our spirit guides, and the Conscious Universe (God, Spirit, whatever name we choose) to call on. We are so eternally loved.

Last Sunday, more people opened my newsletter than almost ever before. Of course they did. I had left a note to myself in it. Doesn’t it always seem that we make more mistakes when others are looking?

I was torn about leaving in a couple of sentences and meant to go back and decide. And then forgot.

How many times have you put off making a decision?

I know a woman who saves boxes thinking one day she’ll move. She’s been in her apartment for thirty years now, surrounded by boxes.

Another woman I know is considering leaving her husband. Meanwhile, she’s putting up with his trash-talking.

As for me, I kept putting off confronting the relative who had abused me as a child, which meant it was always on my mind. Once I finally said something, I was able to move past it.

The Two of Swords is about decision-making. It comes up when we find ourselves in a situation where neither choice seems particularly appealing, and we feel at a stalemate or in limbo. Like the woman on the card, we may choose to keep the blindfold on, hoping the problem goes away by itself, but unless we take off the blindfold and take action, there will be no progress.

By putting off the decision, we may think we haven’t decided when in fact we have. Marilyn is still in her apartment. Johanna is still with her husband. My newsletter went out with those sentences I was waffling about in it.

It’s too late for me to un-send last week’s newsletter, but it’s not too late for me to examine where in my life I’m waffling to the point where everyone can smell my maple goodness. Maybe you’d be willing to help me.

I’ve been thinking of teaching a class about angels—who they are, what the difference is between archangels and guardian angels, how we can get to know them, and how they can help us in both times of need and in everyday life. Would you be interested in a class like that? Reply to this email and let me know.

In the meantime, ask yourself what decision you’ve been putting off. How is that affecting your life? What do you need to do to remove the blindfold and get yourself out of yourself from limbo?

For my birthday, I made a cake that was way too delicious. It was almost like an angel food cake, with raspberry jam and fresh raspberries between the layers, then frosted with whipped cream that had pulverized dehydrated raspberries in it. Yum.

If that cake sat around my house, I’d be wearing it on my hips before the week was out.

I took it to a neighbor’s house. Her hips could worry about it.

Saturday, I realized that she still had my plate. I sent her a text and set off to meet her midway.

“How are you,” I asked. She shrugged. “What’s up?” I genuinely wanted to know. She is one of the friendliest and kindest people I know. Before we met I needed someone to French braid my granddaughter’s hair because I don’t know how. She was dancing in the Nutcracker in a couple of hours, and I was in a panic. I pleaded in our neighborhood’s Facebook group and this woman came to my rescue.

“Life,” she said morosely.

“Want to come over?” I asked.

She burst into tears and nodded.

I offered her something to drink as I rummaged in the refrigerator. I found two grapefruit White Claw drinks. Where the hell did those come from? I don’t drink White Claw. I’ve certainly never bought hard seltzer. And two of them? I thanked my angels as I poured the drinks into glasses. Angels are the only explanation I can come up with.

We talked for a couple of hours. Her life was feeling chaotic and overwhelming. I hope I did more listening than talking. I think I did.

She finally stood up to leave. “Maybe this is why I kept forgetting to bring your plate back,” she said.

Or maybe it’s why I followed my intuition and took the cake to her in the first place. It would have been easier to take it next door rather than two blocks over. Or why I got the notion to ask to get my plate when I did.

Follow your intuition. You never know where it might lead you.

Betty

Our dog, Betty, is a social butterfly. She goes to doggy daycare twice a week to play Bite Your Face, Can’t Catch Me, and other canine games. When I picked her up Thursday, the owner of the place asked me what I do. Uh-oh. Would she think I was a kook?

Instead, she thought I was joking. Maybe because I don’t dress like the gypsy stereotype.

“But, like, how do you do it?” she asked, holding out her hand for me to read her palm.

“Dogs sense energy, right?” I said. “They know how everyone’s feeling. They even know what’s coming up next.”

She agreed. “They even know when they’re going to be picked up before you pull into the driveway,” she said.

I’ve had dogs who knew the sound of my car. Betty? She barks like an intruder is on his way in every time I drive into the garage. I’ve heard that dogs know when it’s time for you to return from work, that they measure the amount of your scent is in the air. As it diminishes, they know it’s time for you to arrive home and give them a treat.

We can’t exactly ask our dogs how they know these things. And we can’t get into their Cocoa Puff-sized brains to find out, but my theory is they use all their senses in a way that is similar to what I do when I’m working with someone.

I might hear music or suddenly remember a line of a song. I sometimes taste food or a drink. I can smell perfumes or nature or hot asphalt. I might see a scene or a color. I feel pain in my body as if it’s happening to me, sometimes quite violent things like a gun shot or a heart attack.

I put words to what I’m experiencing and that starts a conversation. While I’m talking, I’m also clearing the energy.

According to Deepak Chopra, “In its essential state, our bodies are composed of energy and information, not solid matter. This energy and information is an outcropping of infinite fields of energy and information spanning the universe.” As I sense energy, I remember that behind all form is energy. Clear the negative energy or the energy that doesn’t belong and the healing begins.

Everyone senses energy differently. Some people can see energy patterns, some people see colors. Some people get a deep knowing or sense of things, and some people just use their imagination. There is no right or wrong way to sense energy. And there is no right or wrong way for angels, spirit guides, and dead people to send me signs and symbols. I try to remain open so I can receive the messages however they’re sent. Just like dogs do.

Even if you think you are not able to sense energy, you are in your own unique way. It will develop through time if you remain open, trust yourself, and stick with it. Just as catching a frisbee in mid-air with your teeth takes practice, so does reading and decoding energetic messages.

“They’re gone!” a client of mine exclaimed about some hemorrhagic complex follicular cysts. “The ultrasound showed no trace of them!”

A few months ago, we had been working together and I felt a sharp pain around her ovaries. I asked her what was going on. Did she experience pain when she ovulated? She said no, she didn’t.

I am not a doctor. I am not even a medical intuitive. But when I pick up on physical anomaly like this, I recommend the client see their doctor. It might be uncomfortable to explain why you’re there (“Um, a woman who does energy work thinks it’s a good idea…”), but it’s better than leaving something undetected until it’s too late.

The ultrasound was performed and the cysts on her ovaries were discovered. The doctor put her on birth control to try to control their growth. It didn’t help. More grew.

Meanwhile, she allowed me to clear her family’s energetic patterns.

Her family has a long history of sexual trauma. And although she herself had not suffered abuse, the damage was passed on to her energetically.  Just as we have an individual soul-purpose, story arc, and karma, so do our families*. Behaviors, patterns, strengths, and weaknesses are inherited along with eye colors, shoe sizes, and the ability (or inability) to roll your tongue.

Physical repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, are injuries to muscles, nerves, and tendons caused by performing the same motion over and over. We experience similar effects when we (or our families) repeatedly engage in the same emotional or energetic behaviors such as addiction, suicide, chronic unemployment, or, in this case, sexual abuse.

By clearing this pattern from our energy, we can clear the negative physical effects we experience because of it.

Which is just what we did. I cleared her energy and led her through a series of guided healing meditations. The combination of energy work and visualization resulted in what modern medicine might call a miracle.

Simply put, we are energy. When we harness the power within us with intention, we can heal and create a new reality for ourselves, our offspring, and generations to come.


*To start exploring your own family’s emotional patterns, you may want to explore genograms (which is what these patterns are called) online or by finding a book at your local library or Amazon