Monday, February 28, 2011

Will I be damned if I study psychic development?

I get a lot of emails about church related questions.  I've touched on this subject here on this blog before.  Most people want to know if studying intuition, meditating or using cards for guidance is evil.  And if it's not, why do their pastors, ministers and priests preach against it?

I had an experience this weekend that showed me exactly why they rightly rant against the average newby dabbling in these practices.  This week I had my hair highlighted as always by my stylist.  But this time, she talked me into low lights.  I finally relented and was near tears as my hair dried and revealed chunks of brown streaks running through my hair.  It looked like someone had poured a tub of ink over my head.  So what did I do?  I decided I could fix this myself.  So I went to the store, picked up a coloring kit and VOILA! I now have orange hair.  ORANGE.  No, really.

So this experience made me realize that "dabbling" in something we really don't know about can be and often is dangerous.

Is coloring hair dangerous?  Yes, if you don't know what you're doing.  If I weren't so shallow, I'd post a picture of my hair to show you how dangerous :)

Is working on your psychic development dangerous? Yes, if you don't know what you're doing.

Do you see the connection?  The acts themselves aren't dangerous or evil or malign.  It's the lack of knowledge on the part of the participant.

Alright, lesson over.  I'm off to a hair stylist.  A new one!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Are You A Bella?

(Translation: Are Energy Vampires Attracted to You?)

1) Do you have a hard time saying no?
2) When you do say no, do you often feel guilty afterwards?
3) If you say no to a favor or request, do you feel the need to explain and explain and explain why you can’t do said favor?
4)  Do you dislike being the center of attention?
5) Do you enjoy helping others?
6)   Do you feel better when you’re focusing on someone else’s needs rather than your own? Would you describe yourself as a natural caregiver?
7)   When someone’s upset, do you feel it’s your responsibility to help them feel better?
8)   When everything is going well in your life, do you worry more and wonder when the other proverbial shoe will drop?  Do you ever feel guilty for your successes and happiness?
9)  Do you like being needed? Does it make you feel scared to think that no one may need you? Remember, there’s a difference between “need” and “want.” 
10) Do you have a hard time speaking up for yourself and letting your needs be known?


If you answered “yes” to five or more of these questions, you are indeed a Bella.  This means that Energy Vampires can smell you a mile away and know that they can take advantage of you.  So, what’s the anecdote?   Well, for starters, learn to SAY NO! 




Take a cue from Nancy Reagan and learn to just say no.  Make a promise to yourself that you’ll say no to two things this week and promise yourself that you won’t offer an excuse.   Look at the difference in these two scenarios:


SCENE I

“Hi Bella! Can you bring three dozen cupcakes to the church bake sale on Sunday?”

“Jane, I’d love to but I have company in town staying with me that weekend.”

“And they don’t let you bake? Come on Bella, this is for a good cause and we need you.”

“I know Jane and I’d love to, but I’ll have five extra people staying in my home expecting breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just don’t know when I’d find the time to bake three dozen cupcakes.”

“How about just one dozen?”

“Okay.”

“Thanks Bella. You’re a doll!”

SCENE 2

“Hi Bella! Can you bring three dozen cupcakes to the church bake sale on Sunday?”

“No I can’t but thanks so much for thinking of me.”

“Oh. Okay, no problem.”

Do you see the difference? No excuses, no room for negotiations.  Just a simple no followed by a thank you ends that conversation nicely.

Another Bella anecdote is to Deflect, Distract, and Walk Away.  Many energy vampires take our energy by weakening ours through mean and negative comments. 

SCENE 1

“Bella, you’re hair looks terrible like that.  When are you going to style it like I’ve showed you?”

“Why are you always so mean to me?”

“I’m not being mean, dear, I’m being honest. You’re a pretty girl Bella; you just don’t know how to act like it.  An old dish rag has more life in it that brown hair.  Dull, dull, dull.  And can you please stop hanging around with that weird Edward? His eyes keep changing color and I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

“Mom! I hate you. You’ll never understand me.”

SCENE 2

“Bella, you’re hair looks terrible like that.  When are you going to style it like I’ve showed you?”

“Oh mom, I love your sense of humor.  Thanks for caring about me.” And then walk away.



If you practice these three techniques – say no without offering an excuse, distract the vampire and walk away – you will find yourself growing in your own power each and every day.

You’ve got to stop energy vampires in their tracks.  Never engage them.  Never explain to them or make excuses for their behavior or yours.  Be strong.  Feel safe and comfortable in your own skin so that you won’t look to others for approval.  Energy vampires hate confident, independent people. 

Learn to enjoy and seek out your own company.  Reject the need to feel needed by others. 

Compliment yourself every day.  Start a validation journal.  Every day, write down and complete this statement, “I value myself because                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Look in the mirror every morning and say these simple but powerful words, “I deserve to be happy.”

Before you know it, you’ll be like garlic to energy vampires! For more powerful and engaging strategies, sign up for our Psychic Protection and Energy Vampire class teleclass tonight.  

Monday, February 21, 2011

Synchronicities

I love the way the universe works and how we can move seamlessly within it if we just open ourselves to the synchronicities around us.  Today, a client came to me feeling burdened by her caretaking responsibilities for her parents.  I told her she needed to hire someone just a few hours a week to handle her parents' errands and driving requests.  She said she would try.  After leaving my office, she stopped by her friend's home to pick up her mom and noticed a car in the driveway with an uplifting bumper sticker: "There's an Angel By Your Side." My client smiled and walked in the house to get pick up her mother.  Inside she met a woman who was a caretaker looking for extra hours.  As she watched her mother and the caretaker chat happily, she just smiled and thought, "I think there really is an angel by my side."

The caretaker has been hired, my client feels relieved, and it all happened because she allowed the thought of a solution to enter her mind.  Sometimes we feel so trapped by our problems because we forget that we have choices.  We do.  Don't limit the universe.  Ask and you shall receive.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Are You an Energy Vampire?

An energy vampire is someone who sucks your energy dry, who leaves you feeling depleted, dejected and depressed.  Energy vampires can be angry or passive aggressive.  They will use many techniques to steal your energy.  Sometimes, we ourselves are energy vampires.  I have to stop myself from telling anyone who will listen about the complicated dreams I dreamt the night before.  Boring!  And when I'm not feeling well, I can get a little whiny.  Just ask my husband.  So, are you an energy vampire?

You just might be an energy vampire if you:

1) love to be the center of attention "You'll never guess what just happened to me!!"
2) interrupt people often to get your point across "Oh, I can totally top that story!"
3) feel the need to tell people intimate details about your life "You would not believe what my gynecologist told me."
4) enjoy gossiping and spreading rumors even if you're not sure they're true "Did you hear about the neighbors on the corner?  Foreclosure!"
5) tell people something mean and then say, "What? I'm just being honest. Green is not your color."
6) or you avoid the truth and let it leak out instead in passive aggressive statements.  "Did you want your hair to look like that?" Or "You're so adorable the way you love to overcook your food.  Bless your heart!"
7) are always in the center of a drama "CALL ME BACK NOW! I'm going to lose it."
8) feel afraid you're missing out on something so you spend your time talking on the phone, stalking Facebook, Twittering and texting.  Your Facebook posts probably read like this: "Sitting here in my lovely home watching the moonlight with my amazing husband as my perfect children slumber in their bed.  Does life get any better?"
9) ignore people's boundaries.  "Nice car.  What you'd pay for it?"
10) refuse to take no for an answer.  "Okay, so you have to be in your sister's wedding.  Can't you leave early to help me move? This is important."
11) Exaggerate everything.  "This is the worst day of my life.  Ever.  I mean look at this nail.  It's broken!"
12)blame everyone for your problems.  "I'd never have gotten fired if my boss and co-workers weren't such losers."
13) feel like everyone is out to get you.  "I only got fired because they're all so jealous of me."
14) Avoid and fear change.  "Yeah, my boyfriend can be a jerk, but he's all mine."

Alright, so maybe I've exaggerated some of my examples for humor's sake, but I think you get the point. We will come in contact with an energy vampire.  They might be our boss, our co-workers, our own family members, or our friends and neighbors.  So what's a vampire slayer to do?

Walk away from Drama Queen Eileen.

Throw white light at Talkative Ted

Put pink light around Narcissistic Nancy

Set firm boundaries with Victim Vanessa

Realize you'll never change Blame Game Wayne

And Pity Party Patty?  Toss her a quart of ice cream and a violin and leave her to cry at her own darn party.

Want to learn more?  Join Deb and me Tuesday night for our Teleclass on how to recognize, avoid and protect yourself from Energy Vampires.  We'll teach you several chakra clearing and aura strengthening exercises, show you how to cleanse your home of negativity and how to recognize patterns you may have inadvertently set up to attract these Negative Neds into your life.  They'll be plenty of time for your questions too. Email me at samantha@thecrystalchick.com to register by Tuesday, February 22.  We'll send you all the handouts and the call-in number.

Have a happy, drama free Sunday!

Good Vibrations

The most common question I get asked by budding intuitives is this: "What can I do besides meditate to increase my psychic ability?"  The answer is simple: Increase your vibration.

Everything is energy and everything vibrates at a certain level.  Spirits, guides, and angels don't have a clunky body to carry around.  They don't eat or drink anything.   They're not burdened by the sheer hum drum dailiness of life like we are.  So they vibrate very, very fast.  We, on the other hand, vibrate s - l - o - w - l - y.

People who are burdened with illness, depression, and mental or physical fatigue vibrate even slower.  If you're stressed by money or job issues, relationship worries or family drama, your energy will slow down too.

People who run all day - moving from one event to the other -- never pausing to slow down, to meditate, to say thank you, their energy vibrates very slowly.

Cheapskates and misers, people who hold onto grudges and imagined hurts vibrate slowly.

If you live in a cluttered, messy house you vibrate slowly.  If you practice one of my biggest pet peeves -- staying indoors and keeping your blinds shut -- you vibrate slowly.  All you video gamers, eBay lovers, and Wi addicts vibrate very slowly.

Passive aggressive people, overtly angry people, and general haters obviously vibrate at an extremely low level.  People who worry, who doubt, who've given up on hope, themselves and their faith will vibrate at an usually low rate.

If you eat nothing but processed and fast food, drink alcohol and sugary drinks constantly, and smoke regularly or indulge in recreational drugs, you will definitely lower your vibration.

In order to increase your vibration and your energy levels in general, you need to learn how to live in the present moment, to surrender your fears and worries to God, to trust in yourself, in miracles and in a higher power.  Your vibrations will skyrocket if you can practice weekly chakra clearing exercises, daily meditation and prayer, and practice moments of gratitude.  Keep your home clean and clear.  Open your blinds, drapes and windows.  Let the sunshine in literarily and figuratively.  Love your body.  Drink lots of water and eat as many fresh foods as possible.  Learn about crystals -- wear them and place them around your home.  Play soft music in your home frequently to dissipate any negative energy.  I keep a CD of the Gregorian chants playing in my home.  Have a water fountain in your home and live plants and fresh flowers. Get rid of any potpourri or fake flowers.  It will stagnate your energy.

Wear upbeat clothes.  Love your wardrobe.  I mean this.  Stop scrimping on yourself.  Buy yourself a few really nice pieces and feel really good about what you put on each day.  We're all bombarded by black, gray and brown in the stores this winter, but punch it up with a bright scarf, a red sweater, or some really great shoes.

Make sure you have something to look forward to everyday.  Seriously.  I don't care if it's just a good show or new magazine that arrived in the mail.  Everyday, get excited about something.

Learn about forgiveness -- what it really means -- and explore within to see if you're ready to forgive the most important person -- you.

Practice letting things roll of your back.  Follow my motto on this: "Fake it until you make it."  I have a lovely, well intentioned friend who gets angry over everything.  If one of her kids gets sick, she gets angry at the last sick kid in class for bringing germs to the school.  She's even been known to call a mom and blast her out for sending her child to school when she was still sick.  My friend gets mad when I forget to call her back, when someone asks her to move over in gym class, when the school asks us for too much money for PTA stuff, when the dismissal line goes too slowly.  Get the point?  Everything makes her mad.  And most of it is legitimate.  I don't like it when lazy parents send their sick kids to school either.  I don't exactly relish sitting in car line while moms chat with each other slowing us all down.  But, here's the point that I want everything to remember, what can I do about it?

Sure, I can yell and scream like my friend, but has that changed anything?  No.  It's just made her mad, stressed me out having to listen to it, and given her lots of physical ailments like cold sores, flues and sore throats.  We will find peace only when we relinquish our need to control everything.  And when we learn to surrender and accept the people, events and circumstances in our life, then we will truly and amazingly lift our vibrations.

Tune into to the radio show I co-host with Deb Bowen every Sunday night on Blog Talk -- Psychicteachers this Sunday from 8 - 9 pm eastern because we'll be talking about this subject in detail.  Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Fun Sites to Check Out

I love hearing from you all with your great comments, tips, questions and suggestions.  Here are some great websites that have been recommended to me this week:

www.happynews.com -- finally, a site that focuses on positive news!

www.29Gifts.org -- a great site with a wonderful challenge -- give away 29 gifts in 29 days and see your life change for the better.

www.thetravelcreatives.com -- a cool site about a great family who's traveling the globe!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Fighting the Winter Blues

On tonight's show of Psychic Teachers, Deb and I discussed ways to use your intuition to combat depression. So, in case any of you missed it, I thought I'd recap some of our suggestions:

1) Stay faithful.  Just because life has been beating up on you does not mean your higher power has abandoned you.  Our higher self prior to our incarnation set up many obstacles and challenges for our earthly selves to deal with so we can learn and grow.  So if you're going through a difficult time, don't question your faith.  Don't feel as though God has abandoned you.  Hold onto your faith - it can be your compass to navigate out of this difficult time.

2) Practice gratitude.  Every night before going to bed either write down or simply list in your mind all the the things you're grateful for.  This is really a life changing habit to practice.

3) Give back.  When we're feeling sad, we can often lose perspective and start to feel like the martyred victim.  To avoid this, shine a light on someone else.  Volunteer, donate food to a local food pantry, offer to babysit for a friend, buy a friend a gift for no reason, send someone an anonymous gift or happy card.  I have a friend who goes grocery shopping every week, and if anything she's buying is a Buy One Get One Free sale, she buys it and brings the items to our local food pantry at the end of each month.

4) Know that you have choices.  Often we get depressed when we feel powerless and without choices.  In every situation there's some choice you can make, no matter how small it may seem at the time.  Remind yourself of this, practice making good choices and start to reclaim your power.

5) Make yourself happy each day.  Every day, do something to make yourself happy.  It might be stopping at a coffee store for a special treat, taking time to read a good magazine, indulging in an extra long bath, watching a really good movie, baking a great dessert, going for a walk outside in nature.  Every day, try to do something that makes you happy.

6) Use crystals!  Some great crystals for depression include Botswana Agate, Smokey Quartz and Apache Tears.  A great crystal layout to practice is this:

Place an amethyst on your third eye.
Put a citrine on your solar plexus.
Put a rose quartz on your heart chakra with four single terminate clear quartz surrounding it in a cross formation or N, S, E, W pointing out, away from the rose quartz.

Lay down with these crystals in position for about 15 - 20 minutes and imagine any sadness, fear, stress, anger and negativity leaving your body.  Then turn the crystal points so that they're pointing into the rose quartz and lay like this for another 15 - 20 minutes while imagining all good and loving, healing energy coming your way.

And finally, try practicing my mantra THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

"Remember to keep your thoughts positive, for your thoughts become your words.  Remember to keep your words positive, for your words become your actions; remember to keep your actions positive, for your actions become your habits; and remember to keep your habits positive because your habits become your destiny" -- Peter Johnson

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Let Your Light Shine

I meet too many gifted people each week who are afraid to trust their gifts, to embrace their talents and let their light shine.  You may be one of them.  I know I was.  Who am I to teach English? I used to ask myself.  I'm not smart enough for that, and I don't have the confidence to speak in front of all those people. But I was and I did.  Then I had to face a new set of fears.  Who am I to talk to dead people?  Why me?  There's nothing special about me.  Why are they coming to me?
Why not?
We are all given gifts.  Everyone one of you reading this has been given a special gift, and it's your destiny to use it.  Who are you to say no to this?  As Marianne Williamson says, "Who are you not to shine?"


Even the bible supports this:

Corinthians 12:4-11 

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,  to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.


And Romans 12 says:


We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;  if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.


Do not doubt yourself anymore.  Embrace your talents, make good use of your time, shut off the tape recorder in your head that says, "I can't" and replace it with "I can, I will, I am." 


Each of us has been attributed a piece of this planet to light up with our love, our service and our talent.  Don't look at with fear or ego.  Look at your destiny as just that -- your God given right to light up the place where you live.  
We're all light workers and together we can make the world shine on.


PS. I highly recommend The Alchemist  by Paulo Coehlo for inspired reading on learning to following your dreams.