4 Tips To Protect Your Strengths

Libby. Watercolor on paper, 8 x 10 inches © 2010 by Kathy Crabbe. This month in our Creative Soul Circle we are delving into the topic of how to protect our strengths (last month we looked at pin-pointing our strengths).

Questions to ask yourself

  • What are my strengths?
  • What are my weaknesses and how are they undermining me?

Protect Your Strengths ~ 4 Tips

  1. Pinpoint your top three strengths and remind yourself what they are on a regular basis.
  2. Write a Strength's List and carry it with you everywhere.
  3. Keep a copy of your Strength's List on your computer and update it regularly.
  4. Post your Strengths List in a prominent place in your home and work space.

To join the conversation, please sign up here for my Creative Soul Circle ~ it's free, for Soul SiStars only!

"Libby ~ On a Quest for Quiet air" is part of my Creative Soul Card® Series which I incorporate into my Creative Soul Readings. More oracle cards can be found here: http://tiny.cc/d0rwm

 

 

Interview with Angel Healer & Skin Therapist, Ann Melanson

Ann Melanson An Interview with Ann Melanson Angel Healer & Skin Therapist Website: New Moon Skin Therapy Burlington, Ontario, Canada

1. How did you first become interested in spirituality?

As long as I can remember I knew that my life encompassed a spirituality beyond that of the dogma of being raised a Roman Catholic.  From the age of around eight or nine, I was able to recognize my sense of clairsentience although at the time I knew little of that term.  These feelings that would show up during times of turmoil or worry would allow a sense of calmness and peace to flow through my soul and I would know that everything would be okay.  Around the age of ten I started journaling, which was an awesome tool to strengthen and develop my intuition.  As I matured I began to use meditation and astral projection to quiet and cool the fever of home sickness.

2. How did you learn to trust your intuition?

My biggest area of opportunity while working as a psychic/intuitive healer is found in the area of living to the best of my ability. I remind myself to live each day in the moment of what is happening and treat others as I expect to be treated. 

3. What advice can you give to others who are seeking to develop and strengthen their intuition?

The Archangels offer this message for growing your intuition: "Express yourself and awaken your psychic sense through the magical power of music and movement!" Also, To be closer to spirit one can connect with nature and keep “green” wherever possible.

4. What is the most rewarding part of the intuitive and spiritual work you do and the least rewarding? Examples please!

The most rewarding experiences come from seeing the joy in people whom I have helped to achieve peace and clarity. My client, Roberta had a session of Reiki followed by an angel card reading. When the session was completed Roberta had a much clearer understanding  of why she had such a troubled relationship with her mother.  Robyn wrote:  “My reading was great...Ann is a very unique and loving soul. It was a great experience.  Ann pegged me right on; she could see and feel my eternal being.”

5. What is your greatest gift or strength and how do you apply that gift to helping women?

As I see it my greatest gift is my intuitive ability.  I am passionate about the empowerment of women through education in the choices we have available.  I encourage women to be responsible for their feminine health as well as their spiritual and emotional balance.  I ask every woman to take at least one day a week and place themselves on the top rung of their ladder.  Use this time to honor your soul and to move towards illumination of your life’s purpose.

Fairy in the Raw. Watercolor on paper, 8 x 10 inches © 2010 by Kathy Crabbe

6. Which of my Creative Soul Guide® Cards resonates with you the most and why?

The Creative Soul Guides reach out to me and make me smile and they resonate with me on different levels. There are four that if put on a marquee would be the lead roles in the production of my life.

1. “I Refuse To Take Sides” ~ in my role as a mom of three.

2. “Salti” ~ in my role as life partner. I have been called a salty sea woman as my words can be peppery but at the end of the day all are fed, warm and content!

3. “Millie Peppery Performer and Star of Her Own Planet” ~ in my role as a sister - my four siblings would perhaps agree!

4.“Fairy in the Raw” (see image to the left) ~ in my role as Psychic/Intuitive Healer, because what you see is what you get. Fairy in the Raw also resonates the strongest with me as I am an in-the-closet-nudist with an ongoing passive/aggressive relationship with my wardrobe!

7. Is there a message coming through from your guide(s) right now that you feel we should know about?

The Archangels have asked me to share the following message: "It is safe for you to be powerful and take charge of your life in positive ways!"

8. If you could be any flower, what would it be?

A dandelion…lol even though most would classify this as a weed!  Dandelion has many healing properties.  In the end of my dandelion life I would love to turn fluffy and white and have a child pick me to make a wish.

Ann’s Bio: Ann began her career as a free-lance makeup artist/esthetician working with big names such as Schwarzkopf, Christian Dior and CBC Television.  Knowing that her life was destined to encompass a spiritual theme, she found herself presented with an opportunity to obtain her Reiki Level II through a well-known Reiki Master of the Usui tradition. Using her gift of intuitive ability, she continues to enlighten many people using methods such as Angel Card Readings, Psychometry, Reiki, Past Life Regression Therapy and Chakra Balancing.  Ann believes in the empowerment of women and the expression of individuality through love, understanding and enlightenment.  She shares her living space with three children, a life partner and many furry and feathered outdoor friends.

New Moon Giveaway!

Museletter subscribers are invited to participate in a Scorpio New Moon Giveaway for a full size jar of Ann's Magical Mineral Makeup loose-powder available in a choice of 3 shades depending on your skin tone, a Kabuki buffer and crystal quartz point. To enter this Giveaway leave your comments below describing what kind of magickal transformations you will be working on during the upcoming Moon-Month.

mineral makeup by angel healer, ann melansonBlackcat Magikal Mineral Makeup 100% paraben-free, adds luminosity to the skin, blends away fine lines and allows the skin to appear youthful. Provides excellent coverage and a flawless natural look. It will last for hours without touch-ups and acts also as a natural sunscreen. The Magikal Mineral Makeup loose-powder has a matte finish, suitable for all skin types and for women and men. It is completely oil free, non-comedogenic and free of preservatives. Mixed fresh to match your individual skin tone, allowing your true, beautiful self to shine through because you are awesome! I infuse each jar of fresh, mineral goodness with a clear quartz crystal, allowing the positive energy to stay with the wearer. Truly a magical, spiritual experience! Comes with powder sifter jar with protecting seal, high quality Kabuki buffer, clear crystal quartz point and an instruction card.

New Idea - i need your feedback!

Janine. Watercolor on paper, 8 x 10 inches © 2010 by Kathy Crabbe Dear Moon Musers and Creative Souls,

Today begins the Culminating Moon (Muse of Inspiration) which occurs just a few days before the Full Moon in Aries, so I got out my stones, crystals and Creative Soul Guide cards (otherwise known as Lefties - see image to the left) and I began a new project involving the creation of an accompanying book for my Creative Soul Guide cards and an online class.

My new idea will be structured around the lunar cycles that comprise the sixteen faces of the Moon Mother within the Draconic Month as described by Rowena Pattee Kryder in her book "The Faces of the Moon Mother an archetypal cycle".  I will also be working with the twelve signs of the zodiac so that the project is infused with Solar AND Lunar inspiration.

But that's all the heavyweight stuff! The fun stuff will involve lots of creative, intuitive exercises to empower the Divine Feminine within you, along with crystal suggestions, collage and journal prompts and magickal tasks.

Your creativity is near its peak, so don't hesitate to follow your inspiration. Release external 'shoulds' and 'oughts' at this time for you are on course when you are inspired. ~ Roweena Pattee Kryder (Culminating Moon)

So, one of my first magickal tasks or exercises involves outlining my BIG DREAM and you've just read it - yahoo! Step 2 involves an examination of potential obstacles I might encounter and this is where YOU come in. So, dear readers what I'm asking of you is for some feedback, insight, encouragement, critiques or suggestions regarding this new idea. Please don't be shy! You can email me or comment below, but I need and want and would love your help!

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Would you consider buying this book and deck?

2. Would you prefer an actual hard copy of the deck rather than a downloadable version?

3. Would you take an online course centered around this book and deck?

4. What is a good length for this course: 1 month, 6 weeks, 8 weeks or longer?

5. Would you be interested in joining a paid community revolving around this deck/book and class?

6. Do the Lefties aka Creative Soul Guides inspire you and if so, how? Check out more cards here!

7. What would you hope to learn, create, do in an online class?

8. Would you like the class to involve some or all of these things: a private or public blog, forum, flickr pool, audios, videos, telecalls?

9. After reading this rather long and exhaustive list, first and foremost, what have you enjoyed the most about this post and this whole idea?

If I do get a hearty response from lots of you, I may just enter your name in a drawing/giveaway for a Creative Soul Guide print or several cards. I'll keep you posted.

Awaken Your Divine Feminine Soul Button For those of you wondering how I came up with all these interesting ideas for an online class, I'm currently involved in teaching a moon-monthly e-course over at the Wise Woman University called Awaken Your Divine Feminine Soul and loving every second of it as are my students - love, love, love ya'll!

Spotlight on Divine Feminine Moon Muser Jen M.

Divine Moon Muser, Jen M. took part in my online eCourse Awaken Your Divine Feminine Soul recently and had these comments to share:

This course has been the first real shake-up of my inner spiritual eye.

A few months ago I decided to set up a giveaway on my website and in my promotion of the contest, I came across a posting in the Etsy Forums about a new online course called Awaken Your Divine Feminine Soul. It was a timely arrival, as it fell right along the lines of what I needed right now: self-discovery involving creative juices and perhaps even some spiritual development. There’s that whole  Biopsychosocialspiritual framework that we learned about in Social Worker School  and one that I am trying to infuse in my life. It’s something that I feel I have been neglecting, especially in relation to the spiritual side of things.  I joined up for this moon musing course with the hopes that it could help guide me in my continued exploration. As an artist, I sometimes run into blocks mostly formed by my own expectations and lack of time.

Awaken the Divine Feminine helped me by giving me more of a focus and also some tools with which to move forward in my world, artistically, spiritually and as a more in-tune woman.  I now have an interest in Yoga and not just the physical aspects, but the inherent spiritual and mental aspects of the practice. I also have a faery guided meditation that I listen to sometimes at night to help me ease into the sleeping world.  I'm  hoping that what I've learned from this course will continue to steer my creativity wherever it may need to go.

In the meantime, my Etsy Shop is where my  creative objects end up looking for a new, loving home.

An Interview with Jen

Tell us about your craft and/or the items in your shop. Much like my real life, I seem to be unable to focus on one thing for very long. Right now I make crocheted scarves, beachglass necklaces, button necklaces, and I have a few totebags left over from the summer. I'd love to narrow down my practice a bit, but I don't seem to be able to. Next journey: I am taking a sabbatical from producing items, as I am moving to England and want to spend some time making creative things just for me.

What is your favourite material to work with? I have a really hard time narrowing anything down. I started out making purses, so I have an affinity for fabric, but I would have to say that what I love most right now is beach glass. The thrill of the hunt is fantastic!

More Student Spotlights can be found here.

To learn more about this Divine Feminine eCourse please click on the link!

A Shamanic Journey with Jura - SPRING GIVEAWAY

Spring is here and it is the absolute best time of year to plant your seedlings of intent for the upcoming year, so get busy!

In honour of this momentous occasion I have invited my good friend Jura Scott to offer a Shamanic Journey to the winner of this Spring Giveaway Contest.

Jura will spend 15 minutes shamanic journeying for one lucky winner and will follow up with an email containing a transcript of that journey. She requests that you find a quiet place to meditate or relax during the journeying process and she will be emailing you in advance to set up a good time for your journey.

To Enter This Giveaway: Please leave a comment, your email and a question for Jura below. The winner will be chosen just before the upcoming New Moon on April 13th, 2010.

ABOUT SHAMANIC JOURNEYER, Jura Scott:

Jura is a creative being who is building a life that honors her values and expresses who she is. Jura is devoted to self discovery and the sharing and exchanging of those findings with others who are doing the same. WHAT IS A SHAMANIC JOURNEY?

Shamanic journeying is an expanded state of awareness brought on by rattles and a frame drum. You will experience an awakening and enhancement of your spiritual capacities and your journey will be undertaken with a specific purpose in mind. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOURNEYING?

The revelations you receive can be used for problem solving, well-being and healing; for yourself, on behalf of others and in the service of the planet. A SAMPLE JOURNEY This is a shamanic journey that Jura did for Dot on June 13, 2009. (Transcribed from notes written after the journey.) Dot's Question: Where should I go next, east or west?

I began in the place where I start all of my shamanic journeys, the beautiful wooden bridge in Scotland. A mill used to stand on the shore. The bridge stretches from grassy bank to grassy bank and on the right bank stands a huge willow tree.
Standing on the wooden bridge I could hear the ice cold, water rush over moss covered rocks. As I looked out it was foggy and distant almost like a bad focused camera or not having your glasses on. I couldn’t seem to zoom in for a close up of the area and I couldn’t work things out so that I was viewing from my own eyes. Instead I was seeing myself.
From above came the seagull flapping his wings furiously over my head. He looked smaller than in previous journeys I thought. He flapped and poked and prodded and began steering me toward the large tree that sat on the right of the shore.
I could see a small hole about the size of a tooney (a Canadian two dollar coin) at the base of the tree. Soft moss covered the roots that stuck out of the ground. The grass around the tree felt like plastic astroturf or fake plastic grass on my bare feet. Now, I was inside of my body looking out of my eyes.
I looked down at the hole and then suddenly the seagull and me were sucked into it at the same time. We came into the base of the large trunk with a thud. It was dark, cold and silent. The floor was hard packed mud and cool to the touch. A kind of black, matt box came up out of the earth and enveloped us. I sat on the floor in the corner of the box and the flaps of the lid closed above us.
Then the seagull spread out his wings as if to fly, but pressed his back and wings against the lid of the box in a flying position. We began to rise, slowly, up and up and up.
I didn’t feel afraid, just curious. The box stopped rising and the seagull opened the lid flaps. I rose and looked out. We were at the top of the trees. The box was secure on a big branch, propped up by smaller branches all around.
2.
All the while I’m asking the question in my mind, “Where should I go next, east or west?” The atmosphere was misty, a bit damp, a bit foggy, but warm. It may have just rained. For miles and miles were round, fluffy green trees and green grass and small bumps of hills. It was beautiful and peaceful.
Jura: “Is this East or West? I’m not good with directions.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Seagull: “I only know North or South because that’s where I fly every year. “
Jura: “Where’s North?” He pointed up. “Where’s South?” He pointed down. Then I got a vision of Mr. Howard's classroom, my grade 7 teacher who loved to teach geography. I saw the big map he used to pull down from the canister above the chalk board and North was indeed up and South was down on Mr. Howard's map. The acronym “Never Eat Sour Watermelons” (North, East, West, South) came to mind. So I figured the seagull and I were looking to the right of North and now we were looking East.
Jura: “Should she go East?”
Seagull: “Yes, that’s where it all began for her. And that’s where she will be buried.”
Jura: “Is she going to die?”
Seagull: “Eventually everyone dies. That is where she will be buried” he said again. “This is where the trees with roots are. “
Seagull: “She wasn’t really ever yours. She’s going back to where she started.”
Jura: “What about the West, can’t I see that? Shouldn’t we take a look at the West?” He didn’t answer.
Then the box lid flaps started to close and I sat down on the floor in the corner of the box again. The seagull repeated the process of spreading his wings, but this time positioned himself on the floor of the box. We started to descend breaking and snapping the small branches and twigs that had been holding us in place. Snap, pop, crack. The sound was violent and loud.
3.
We got to the base of the tree and we climbed out of the box. I felt a bit annoyed that he hadn’t answered my question about the West. I was getting a vibe from him that he felt he had answered my question and didn’t feel the need to elaborate any further; that wasn’t part of the deal.
Then we found ourselves out of the tree and back on the bridge.
I looked down the roaring river. On one side (the East side) I could still see the greens and trees and hills. On the other side, as far down as the river travelled, there was a large canvas that stretched from the ground far, far, far, up in the sky covering anything that you might see of the West. Painted on this canvas were abstract shapes in very flat colours; light terracotta, tan, and creams.
I wasn’t happy about this. I didn’t like the idea that my client asked me to do something for her and I was going to end up coming back with half of the information. I needed to tell her what’s good and bad about the East and what was good and bad about the West. He looked at me and rolled his eyes.
The seagull flew above the bridge about 20 feet in the air and started to poke a hole and tear the canvas. Suddenly I was up there peering through the hole. I looked through and down first and I saw the edge of a cliff way, way, way, down. I thought of my friend's sister who drove her car off of a cliff in B.C. When I peered directly ahead through the hole, I saw rows and rows of mountains, the Rockies. I was over top of them as if in a plane flying closely -- then the seagull suddenly burst through the hole and began to fly way from me, over the top of the mountains. He said looking back at me, "They’re very pointy, and very sharp, you can really hurt yourself."

Jura's Interpretation: When Dot came to me for a Shamanic Journey she had just turned 75 years old and her health wasn’t great. She knew that it was time to sell her home and make other arrangements for her final years.

Dot was making a difficult decision… whether to go out west to British Columbia, Canada and live with her daughter or return to her hometown on the opposite coast (East) of Canada and live with her sister. So her question was carefully formulated as “Where should I go next, East or West?”

When I entered into the trunk of the tree I found myself wrapped in a black box not unlike a “black box” or a flight data recorder (FDR) which logs information such as speed and altitude on an airplane as well as carrying beacons to help find the aircraft in a rescue. . The black box could also have been a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) which logs all voice communication in the cockpit.

I felt Dot was in need of a bit of a rescue. She needed to make a move before her ill health progressed. She could not decide what to do. So I proceeded with the journey sitting in the black box. My guide, the seagull traveled with me as usual.

Jura Scott

About Jura Scott: Jura is a creative being who is building a life that honors her values and expresses who she is. Jura is devoted to self discovery and the sharing and exchanging of those findings with others who are doing the same.

To enter the giveaway: Please leave a comment below along with a question for Jura and your email. The winner will be chosen just before the New Moon on April 13, 2010