Days Of Sun, Nights Of Bon

Greetings, Gifted Reader.

It’s 10 days past Summer Solstice. Have you sensed any changes in the air yet?

Seattle Astrologers mull over transiting planets

With the Sun in Cancer, people tend to be more family-oriented. And because Cancer also rules our memories, this season often finds us being overly sentimental about the past.

An emotive, cardinal water sign, Cancer is a lot more take-charge than most people give them credit for. Look at how many U.S presidents had their Suns placed in Cancer. Even though it’s known for being nurturing and supportive, Cancer’s moonstruck personality shouldn’t fool you. Remember, Cancer rules mothers who are fierce fighters when it comes to protecting her young—whether human or animal.

While Mercury (communications) just moved into shy Cancer, aggressive Mars went direct in Scorpio. This Mars placement sometimes portends violence, although it can also be indicative of intense energy. It can be a good time to focus on your career goals if you have a 10^th House Scorpio. Look where Scorpio appears in your natal chart; then, check out where Mars is transiting it. Chances are this is the area where you’ll be concentrating most of your attention.

honeymooning on a sunny Ala Moana day

We like to think of summertime as an easy-breezy time to spend vacationing or hanging out with loved ones at backyard parties and b-b-q’s, but with Pluto’s continuing presence in Capricorn, we’re in for more political and government upheaval, too.

yoga on the beach, Westside-style

Try to maintain some lightness in your life. Drink lots of water, eat fresh organic fruits—watermelon, frozen grapes and lychee are especially refreshing now—and practice yoga to relax your mind and keep your body flexible during these turbulent times.

Bon No Tsuki

Meanwhile, for Japanese living anywhere, it’s the season for Obon or Bon Odori--bon dance. Summer is when our departed ancestors return to earth to spend time with us. So we celebrate their homecoming by dancing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival 

Buddhist temples erect a yagura (sacred bandstand) to hold musicians and singers, and dancers perform in a circle around it. In most locations, anyone can join in the dancing. A lot of participants like to wear colorful summer kimono or a hapi coat.

There’s no specific date for Obon as different communities like to hold their own special event. In Hawai’i, where there are 40 Buddhist temples, there are as many celebrations scattered throughout summertime.

(public domain artwork usage clearance:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bon_Festival#/media/File:Yoshitoshi_-_100_Aspects_of_the_Moon_-_46.jpg)

Additional components of Obon can include floating lanterns to help the ancestors find their way back to the other side. Names of the departed are sometimes tied to lines strung across temple grounds. At some festivals, booths sell food and omamori (good luck charms). Dances vary from region to region as do the songs, although some have become quite standard like Tanko Bushi, the coal miner’s song.

Remember, Gypsy Stars is on Facebook where we host The Urban Goddess. If you have a metaphysical service and want to post it on our page, please do so.

And, don’t forget we have t-shirts: http://www.cafepress.com/t_zing

 

See you in September, following the Autumn Equinox!

Until then…

Good luck, light and love.

T. Renee Richardson, DD: The Am-Badass-ador of Light

Greetings, Gifted Reader.

Dr. Renee with Joe Anthony, her battery crystal

The islands of Hawai’i are some of the most sacred spots on earth. It’s little wonder then, that spiritual practitioners choose this location to heal others and, likewise, to be healed. Below, Gypsy Stars interviews T. Renee Richardson, DD, a well-respected professional healer and clairvoyant with over 30 years of experience. Living on Kaua’i, Dr. Renee is known for helping thousands of clients worldwide. With her dedication to her path, her accuracy, compassionate detachment, authenticity, positive attitude and sense of humor, Dr. Renee is a sought-after healer with global recognition.

Q: Dr. Renee, how did you first discover your spiritual gifts, and how old were you then?

A: I’ve perceived energy patterns and spirits since I was born. My earliest memory of any outward expression is when I was three-years old. I’d tell my mother’s friends things about themselves and their lives when they came over to visit with her.

Q: Besides being clairvoyant, you also read Tarot cards and perform hands-on healing. Did one component lead to another, and how?

A: I’d never even heard of divination cards until I was 30-years old. I saw a beautiful Mah Jongg deck in a Jewish deli in Florida. The delicate watercolor images captivated me, and the philosophy coincided with my background in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Most people today know Mah Jongg as a gambling game. However, prior to that in the East, everyone went to the “fortune teller” during Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year). Those cards have developed into the gambling game of today.

When I use cards during a session, I most often use the vibrant Osho Zen Tarot card deck; however, not in the traditional manner. I use the cards as a platform for my clairvoyant visions. They always coincide with the question being addressed by my client. But the card provides an image that I can point to, that they can also see!

Although I now combine clairvoyant consultation and energy healing in sessions, those two skills were developed as separate aspects.

Dr. Renee with Reiki Riki, her distant proxy and working bear

Q: You also use humor for healing. Why is laughter so important?

A: One of my favorite clients says, “Laughter is the cheapest medicine!” The answer is multi-faceted. Laughter lightens the spirit, shifting emotions into a more positive frame of mind. Secondly, laughter literally creates movement in the power center--the abdomen--releasing stuck energy as well as providing healthful movement for the internal organs. Last but not least, ultimately all healing is self-healing. Healers facilitate that healing, but without realization on the part of the client, no lasting healing can occur. Humor and laughter make the healing process more enjoyable, feel safer and less judgmental. It’s easier to accept even the harshest of truths and ugliest of self-realizations when it can be viewed from a humorous point of view.

black bamboo healing wands

Q: You also create handcrafted items like healing wands. How do those implements help your clients?

A: The handcrafted energy healing wands I create increase the potency of the healing sessions as well as extend my stamina. So the clients’ work goes deeper, faster, and their goals are reached more efficiently. With additional stamina, I can see more clients per week and attend to my self-care at the same time. Clients who choose to purchase wands I have available, or have a wand custom made, benefit from having a tool to extend their healing work on their own in a more potent manner. These implements are tools--they are not required, but I’ve found them very useful. I compare using tools or not to choosing to eat a bowl of broth with one’s fingers when there is a spoon available.

Q: For 30 or more years, you've helped heal others. Is there anything you wished you had done differently--started earlier, started later, opted for another career, etc.? 

Golden Lotus Healing Studio

A: At this point, I wouldn’t change a thing. A few years ago, I thought I regretted having combined my metaphysical work with various types of social work, due to the harsh stress that the latter type of work entails. It took a toll on me. It’s been several years now since I retired from social work and released it, focusing solely on my metaphysical work. I must say I’m very grateful for all of that experience, education, and even stress, as those years provided a level of compassion and expertise that most people in this field do not develop. There’s no seminar that could provide that type of training. Those tools added to my skills provide me with the confidence to proudly assert my title, “The AmBadassador of Light!”

Q: How has living in Hawai'i benefited you with your spiritual work?

A: The raw, potent spiritual power of Kaua’i holds, nurtures, challenges, cleanses, motivates and inspires me. I feel at one with the spirit of the island. Especially as I live right by a stream, between the bubbling sound and the continuous energetic movement, I feel wrapped in a fluid burrito of unflappable Divinity!

Q: Any future plans--books, lectures, readings, etc.?

A: Yes! Thanks for asking!

1. I will soon release my publication, “Try this at Home! A 4-Step Practical Guide to Intuitive Development”, as a free download via my upcoming new online presence. Stay tuned! Current url: www.psychic-services.com

2. I will address newly requested subject matter demystifying metaphysical concerns and where people tend to get stuck. http://reneespeaks.wordpress.com

3. I am currently developing a workshop series offering practical application of metaphysical subjects, to help action-oriented people move forward more efficiently and with more enjoyment. Starting locally and expanding to online.

4. I will make my handcrafted energy healing wands available from my new online presence.

Contact me for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation appointment to discover if my services are a good match to address your needs during your transition--embrace a life of new vibrancy! Email: info@psychic-services.com. For more information about my service packages, visit: www.psychic-services.com. To join my Facebook business page and receive exclusive offers, inspirational information, and event updates, go to: https://www.facebook.com/psychic-services.

Mahalo nui loa, Dr. Renee.

Readers, don’t forget our T_zing t-shirts at Café Press. And, for those in Honolulu, you can read our quarterly Animal Astrology horoscopes in "Cherry Pop Revue" magazine.

See you back here on July 19. A hui hou.

Good luck, light and love,

Gypsy Stars

http://www.gypsystars.com

In Sickness And In Health

Greetings, Gifted Reader!

There’s little that makes us feel more out of control than experiencing illness. There we are, lying in bed, barely able to move, with our bodily functions gone wacky. All of us, at some point, come down with a cold or a communicable disease like measles. And as we get older, we tend to suffer more.

chillin' in healing Honolulu...

But what do you do when you get sick? Some people prefer Western medicine and its unending supply of pharmaceuticals while others practice Ancient, Eastern or Indigenous healing methods. In the latter styles, the reasons for illness are often explored on a deeper level. In some cultures, being sick is attributed to something that’s occurring on a spiritual plane. Some even point to events that transpired in previous lifetimes as the cause for diseases in this life. Most metaphysicians believe that all illnesses manifest for a purpose.

If you’re experiencing a mild ailment, you’ll most likely be well soon again.

In a lot of cases, we can look at the particular area of disease and connect it to the way the mind takes things literally. Even injuries can be attributed to some signal that crosses between our conscious and subconscious.

healing at Lake Shrine, Pacific Palisades...

For instance, I recently stubbed my baby toe badly on the way out the door to a trip I didn’t want to take. Intuitively, I really dreaded this particular journey from the moment I knew I was going on it. And, I was right! It turned out to be one of the worst I’ve ever taken. Further, while I was on it, I was forced to think about my bad choice because of my continually throbbing toe.

On the day of departure, as I gathered my suitcases and checked last-minute details, I rushed towards the door. But just before I got to it, there was a moment where I half turned in a second of indecisiveness before tripping hard over my own feet. Wow. Could the message be any clearer? It’s called ‘stopping one’s self in one’s tracks’, and I was injured because something on another level was telling me not to go.

meditating in the hills of Colorado...

Another example is the inability to hear clearly. I’m not referring to those who are born deaf, but to those who develop hearing issues later in life. In almost every case I know of, that person has a hard time hearing others because they often talk over or interrupt them. Is it just a coincidence that they then experience hearing loss? Could it be their ears are saying, “What am I hanging around for if you’re not going to use me? I think I’ll just shut down.”

If you take some time to explore a recent illness or injury, you may very well pinpoint the reason you’re experiencing it. Obviously, I’m not a medical doctor, and these are merely my observations as a metaphysician. If you have an ailment, please see your practitioner. But if you’ve always wondered how your physical self works in conjunction with your higher consciousness, then meditate on it. Take some time to sit quietly in front of your altar and ask your higher self to tell you why you’re ill or injured.

soothing Sedona...

In Astrology, health is ruled by the Sixth House and is the domain of the sign Virgo whose ruling planet is Mercury. Hard angles to the Sixth House would predispose one to sickness although that can be remedied by any positive aspects. The Twelfth House rules hospitals and with a lot of planets deposited there, one may find oneself confined to (or perhaps just working at) one.

As for cures for illness, it helps to be in a healing environment where Nature can soothe away your troubles. Places like Sedona, Pacific Palisades, Hawai'i or the hills of Colorado all work for me.

Don’t forget to check out T_zing t-shirts on Café Press, send a friend request to Gypsy Stars on Facebook and like The Urban Goddess fan page. And, Happy Halloween.

Until next time, here’s to you good health and…

Good luck, light and love,

Gypsy Stars

http://www.gypsystars.com

Strange Days: Coincidences

Greetings, Gifted Reader!

With so many stormy events coming at us in waves these days, it’s not hard to believe that we’re embarking on some strange days in a brave new world. Against the background of protestors overtaking our largest U.S. cities, there is mounting poverty, the lack of jobs, and people losing their homes in an ever-increasing violent society.

pleasant memory of Santa Monica beach

What in heavens is going on? Well, in the U.S.’ birth chart, Saturn in Libra is squaring Pluto in Capricorn—making for trying times between authorities and common folks. While Capricorn rules government, Libra is about justice; Saturn creates challenges while Pluto is destructive. There are, of course, many other Astrological details to consider and add to this prognosis, but the focus of today’s blog is not about the current political landscape of this country.

Instead, Gypsy Stars would like to present you with this question: What does it mean to experience coincidences?

Earlier today, I watched a movie at the theater. In this movie, an unusual name was spoken which immediately brought to my mind the site where an extremely violent act recently occurred. These two things—the name the actor spoke in the movie and the name of a store that was the scene of a murderous rampage in real life—had absolutely nothing to do with each other. Yet this name was so different that encountering it twice in one week gave me pause for thought.

pleasant memory of Colorado mountains

Also, at this same movie, an old yet distinctive song was played in the background of one scene. Several hours after the movie was finished, and I was walking around downtown, a mother with a young son stopped to ask me directions. Her restless boy, about 5 years old, began loudly humming—the exact same song. Shocked, I asked if they had been at the same screening as me, which was the first time the movie had played in theaters. But, she said that her child had heard the song from somewhere else, some weeks before, somewhere she couldn’t quite remember.

Now, what are the chances of hearing an unusual song that’s consequently hummed by a stranger later the same day? Is there a deeper, hidden message in this experience? Each of us encounters such coincidences on a daily basis, but few of us have the time or interest in decoding them. That’s why dreaming and meditation are so important to help us untangle lessons that are woven within coincides.

pleasant memory of Hawai'i beach

For me, personally, this song was significant because both my sister and I learned to play it on the piano as children. The nostalgia brought to mind a happier time. Perhaps with all those storm clouds on the horizon, I was in need of a pleasant diversion that my subconscious mind gifted to me. By hearing the same song twice, I was bound to pay attention to it; thus, experiencing a pleasant memory and reliving a better time in my life.

Drop a line at gypsystars@me.com about the coincidences in your life so we can compare notes.

Meanwhile, remember you can “friend” Gypsy Stars on Facebook, “like” The Urban Goddess fan page that is support for all metaphysicians everywhere, and purchase a T-zing t-shirt.

May all of your coincidences bring you pleasant memories.

Good luck, light and love,

Gypsy Stars

Dreams: Deception Or Inception

Greetings, Gifted Reader!

One of my favorite things to do is to dream. I don’t mean to daydream, but the kind that happens when you sleep. I find that often what I dream either manifests into so-called reality, or else it gives me a pretty good indication of exactly what is going on with me subconsciously.

preparing for a nightly dream...

Last night, I dreamt I was with my younger sister hanging out on the roof of a skyscraper. Watching her, I sensed she invited risky behavior so I kept my eyes on her. Sure enough, she soon swung her legs over a ledge that had a kind of metal bar holding her at chest level. While she swung her dangling legs back and forth, I strained my eyes to see the street beneath us. I felt we were at least 30 stories high. Suddenly, my sister slipped through the metal bar and from the ledge. It happened so fast that all I could see were her raised arms as she slid down. Panicked, I looked over the ledge. To my shock, I saw that she had not fallen into the street at all, but to another roof just beneath ours. She was safe.

In another part of the same dream, I was watching an airplane in a bright blue sky. While I casually looked, the plane suddenly stopped moving. One minute it had been flying forward, and the next it simply became still. I just knew that plane would drop from the sky, although I never witnessed it doing so. Instead, I went into a third dream.

Let me tell you, Gifted Readers, my dreams are busy!

I’m going to tell you about the third one in another post so that I'll have space and time to decipher the two I just told you about.

dreams of water can be spiritual or sexy

First Dream: While living in Hawai’i, I met a dream interpreter who studied at a Jungian school in Santa Barbara. Although he was Palestinian, he grew up in Egypt where he’d nurtured an interest in metaphysics. When I told him about some of my dreams, he was surprised to learn I dreamt about my sister almost every night. “You’re so lucky,” he said. “That’s not your sister. That’s your shadow self.” In other words, I was interacting with my deeper subconscious on a nightly basis and by analyzing our roles in the dreams, I could guide my own life better. Here’s wikipedia’s take on Carl Jung’s philosophy of shadow selves:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)

So my sister, in my dream, is an aspect of me. She’s the side that takes risks like sitting on a high ledge and swinging her legs, inviting danger. But look at what happened when she slipped and fell! She only slid down to the next roof and was safe. That dream tells me that I don’t trust my own instincts. My shadow self is willing to take chances that my conscious self deems unsafe, yet my subconscious self ended up being just fine. I believe the skyscraper represents some lofty idea of mine—rising to the top—a goal I want to attain. But while my conscious self is warning me to be careful, my subconscious self will take a chance because she knows that she will end up safe no matter what. And, so will I. 

If you see it differently, please drop me a line at gypsystars@me.com

dreams of trees can indicate what we're rooted to, or not

Now, my second dream, I think, is a reinforcement of the first. The airplane is in the sky and stops, but doesn’t fall. Once again, this dream is about a lofty idea or goal that I’m aiming high for (like that skyscraper in the first dream), perhaps just out of reach. I don’t have characters representing my conscious/subconscious in this dream, but the plane represents a thrust of energy. It appears that I'm going for it, but then I stop. Yet, I don’t fall. What’s going on here? Am I intentionally stopping myself from going forward in some pursuit of mine? I should continue that goal, you see, because I will not fall; I will not fail. I think that must be it! Let me know if you feel differently.

Don’t forget, you can “friend” Gypsy Stars on Facebook, “like” The Urban Goddess page that supports all metaphysicians, and purchase a T_zing t-shirt.

Until we meet again, sweet dreams always.

Good luck, light and love,

Gypsy Stars