When I grow up I want to be...

When we are children, we often make all sorts of wishes. We wish on a star, on a four-leaf clover, include them as part of our prayers, and through other means. If we look back (20/20 hindsight), these wishes are eventually granted. However they may not be granted immediately or they way we expect. They may take dozens of years to come to fruition. How do I know this...I've been reading Tarot cards and Palm for over 30 years.

Here's an example of four of mine that have come to pass:

Wishes No. 1 and 2 - I wanted to be a teacher and I also wanted to be psychic like my dad. When he was alive, I used to say, "If I had one quarter of his abilities I would be thrilled." My dad used to tell me, "The student should surpass his/her teacher." While I thought I might actually teach school, it never occurred to me that I might teach unconventionally -- Tarot in the continuing education department of a community college. Bingo. It has come to pass, not necessarily the way I envisioned it. But it happened -- both wishes granted.

Last night I experienced the gifts of a young woman -- a Reiki practitioner who works with Archangels Michael and Gabriel. She was directed to register/take my Practical Tarot II - Minor Arcana class. With no actual knowledge of Tarot, her intuitive gifts blew me out of the water. Her abilities remind me of when I first started reading Tarot -- full on intuition with very little knowledge of the cards. She's amazingly clairaudient. I know she will bring great joy to the world as she continues on her path. I am blessed to learn she was directed to me. What an honor from the angels. - Wishes 1 and 2 granted.

Wish No. 3 - I wanted to be a nurse. While I didn't make it into nursing school, which was probably the best thing in the world, I discovered that my intuitive abilities with/without Tarot -- ok clairaudience, allows me to provide information for people who are begining to heal, or need input as they continue to heal from their emotional issues. When I was 18, I was a trance medium. After my father died, that was the end of my mediumship abilities, or so I thought. For the past four months or so, I have been communicating with people who have crossed over during the course of my Tarot/intuitive work. There are times when the information I receive, along with the character and personality traits of loved ones, amazes me. Now I truly understand the power of the gifts of John Edwards, James van Praagh and Theresa Caputo, the Long Island medium. My gift works differently than theirs. I still provide messages, but somehow, I have to hold a Tarot deck in my hand...and I also do other types of readings -- not just crossover work. So, while I may not be a nurse, I am definitely one who ministers to the well being of others. -- Wish No. 3 granted.

Wish No. 4 - I wanted to be an actor. Well, I did pursue it as a career, in Chicago when I was in my 30s. I had a few good print jobs and voiceover bookings. The improvisational and scene study classes I attended provided information that has been beneficial to me in many ways. For example, from improv, I learned to "be in the moment." If we live in our heads, we are not really living. There is a time for imagination and fantasy, but for day-to-day living, staying grounded and present is necessary. Through scene work, I realized that conflict provides for the growth of individuals and the clearing up and creation of karma. While emotional outbursts makes for great entertainment -- drama, in real life, temperance and understanding is what is needed. To quote my mother, "Maturity is the ability to exercise self control." -- Wish No. 4 granted...I am an entertainer, not necessarily an actor.

So, I have gotten all four wishes in one -- not necessarily the way I expected, but perfect for me just the same.

To sum things up, I am an instrument of angels and others. My wishes were granted and on that level, I am at peace and content -- living in the present and living passionately.

Are you willing to share your "when I grow up story... and how it turned out?"

Be mindful of your thoughts

My friend, Cindy Gardner, an intuitive living in Washington State channels angels. During a conversation we had a few years ago, she said, "When you ask the angels for help, the response is instantaneous." She was right because they responded immediately when I asked them for a universal message, today. In a flash I heard the following: "Be Mindful of Your Thoughts!"

When you say a prayer, to whom do you direct your request? Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, Goddesses, Saints, Angels, Archangels, or some other entity? I notice that I am inconsistent when I direct my prayers out into the universe or ask for divine help. The direction of each request tends to be organic. The statement, "Be mindful of your thoughts," is very simple. What you think you can create, you can. Sometimes the end result may not be exactly what you wanted.

Whenever you find negative or dark thoughts creeping in, recognize the power contained within them. Feel the darkness for a moment. Contemplate where obsessing or focusing on them will take you. If you don't like that place, think about how you can shift your energy so you can bring yourself out of darkness and negativity into the light, loving embrace of the wings of an angel.

It is almost impossible to ignore negativity, especially when it appears front and center in our lives. We just need to find a way to balance the light and dark energies. Every day, I am aware of my thoughts as well as those of others. We cannot escape into a fantasy life, but we can have our fantasies to escape into for a brief moment or two. Wishes and fantasies can come true, but we must be mindful of how we create them.

Six and a half years ago, I said, "The only way I was going to adopt any cats while Dante (my then 19-year-old cat) was alive was if they showed up on my doorstep and were black, Siamese, gray, or gray tabbies with white bellies." One morning, I discovered a starving gray mother cat with four kittens--two Siamese and two grays on the balcony behind my resident manager's apartment--all long haired. I should have said short haired. All kittens and their mom ended up with loving homes. Looking back in retrospect, I should have been a bit more specific in my thought and request. I have never regretted adopting the two Siamese boys for a moment.

Be mindful of your thoughts...and words! Angels listen and the gifts you receive may not quite be what you really want, but it can be a small miracle and eventually you can see the value in those gifts. You have the ability to transform, learn and bring into your life what you want! Be more specific and watch the conjunctions and negative verbiage.

...and the Angels Speak

As I opened my box of traditional "Angel Cards" looking for a message for today, one card stared at me--openly, brazenly and with humor. The word was PLAY. When we were children our idea of what constitutes PLAY changed as we became adults.

For me, PLAY is my work--my passion--reading Tarot, palms, coffee grounds, and objects. However, I often forget that playing a computer game is PLAY and not wasting time. As an adult, PLAY should be viewed as a release of energy that helps center us in some way--or provides balance. We must make time to lighten our energy in order to release stress.

This leads me to the next two cards which came out to PLAY together--BALANCE and FLEXIBILITY. It's about balancing our lives--making room for PLAY without feeling guilty or unproductive. We should find a way to incorporate some sort of PLAY into our day. That would create BALANCE.

FLEXIBILITY works with BALANCE. FLEXIBILITY allows movement; it keeps things lively--in motion. If we have complete BALANCE, we risk becoming bored and our lives could become stagnant. BALANCE should have movement. Without movement, there is no growth. The words FLEXIBILITY and BALANCE bring to mind the Wheel of Fortune in the Tarot deck. While the wheel may spin, it does not always stop in a "good place," but it is a good reminder that equilibrium is key to staying positive.

The next angel card that appeared was one bringing ABUNDANCE. Today, she reminds us that we should never ask for ABUNDANCE alone. This could lead to an ABUNDANCE of things that we do not want in our lives. We should, instead, ask for ABUNDANCE of all good things, or ABUNDANCE of the positive things we want to experience. We must be specific when we use broad words. To explain this further, I was provided with two more words from the Angels: POWER and BIRTH. It is about using your personal POWER to give BIRTH to yourself. It's about creating the life you want to live. It's about using your mind, heart and soul along with the hand you were dealt to find a way to manifest the quality of life you want, and to do the work you were born to do. In other words, use POWER to give BIRTH to yourself, your projects, etc.

Use your POWER wisely, my friends, in order to bring ABUNDANCE of all good things into your lives. It's about creating magic in a loving, empowering way.

The message/lesson from the angels today consists of PLAY, BALANCE and FLEXIBILITY, ABUNDANCE, and POWER and BIRTH. They tell us to remember to play and enjoy each day. Find a way to BALANCE your life so that you are productive and maintain FLEXIBILITY. Ask for ABUNDANCE by using your personal POWER to give BIRTH to whatever you need to make your life better without trying to control the outcome.

Today is a day to create magic by lightening your heart, mind and spirit.