Believe? It’s what we’re designed to do.

It can be a contentious issue: religion, God, where have we come from and where do we go to.  Differences of opinion can spark arguments and even wars.  Now, a review of 40 separate studies across many cultures has shown that humans are predisposed to believe in supreme, all knowing beings and an afterlife.

The review, led by Oxford University in England, lasted three years and concluded that children’s natural instincts was to believe that omnipresent beings existed and for many this continued into adulthood.

Much anecdotal evidence exists for a life other than the one we are experiencing right now but scientific evidence is lacking and the situation is likely to remain that way.  However, for me there has always been the case of ‘no smoke without fire’.  Why do so many believe in something that cannot be proven?

I’ve always thought that, given two choices over what I believe, the choice of living my life here on earth whilst believing that there are other realms and other worlds is far preferable to living here believing that there is nothing else and this is the only shot I have at this life.  I can’t imagine how depressing life would be to think that and how absolutely terrifying the thought of death would be.  Whether I’m right or wrong in my beliefs is really not the issue.  The issue is the context in which I choose to live this life.

It’s interesting that children seem to have this belief built into them before the process of nurture really starts.  One school of thought suggests that we each have a divine spark within us: our spiritual being within this human body.  Could it be that children, being so new to this world and untainted to the thoughts of others, are in touch with their divinity in a way which has been lost to us as we grow older?  If not, why would we even have such beliefs?  Where do they come from if not a universal world that we are a very small part of?

We’ll probably never have an answer that has been proven and replicated in double blind trials.  If we did somebody would probably patent it and charge us for our beliefs.  So it’s good that we don’t and it’s good that we can choose what makes up our world.  Why not make it a good one?

 

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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DNA, our Sub-Conscious and Universal Consciousness – have you connected yet?

Russian scientists have published some astounding research information regarding our DNA and human potential.

Not only does it support so called ‘New Age’ theories that we can heal ourselves through communication with our sub-conscious but also that we are all connected through a unifying field or universal consciousness.  And all this through our DNA.

The research is summarised here and it makes fascinating reading.  Researchers concentrated on the 90% of our DNA that could not be proven, scientifically, to do anything physically.  Demonstrating a refreshing viewpoint, these scientists decided that Nature would not give us something that did not have a purpose.  I applaud them for that: nature is smart and efficient and everything we’re endowed with has a purpose.

They found that DNA could react to and be altered with vibration: radio light and sound.  So, chanting or saying affirmations to ourselves can start to have a basis in science and, when we are communicating with our sub-conscious we are also communicating with our DNA.  Perhaps they are one and the same.

The research also found evidence of a group consciousness.  Again this is very old thinking, accepted in the past but ignored now in our scientific age.  Like any energy we can learn (or remember) how to use this to promote good things such as love and peace rather than the bad stuff such as violence and hatred.  It’s our choice but, until we can change our mindset we are not really capable of making that choice.

Once we can accept that we are amazingly powerful beings individually: able to heal ourselves and help others and also that we are of the same source so, coming together we work synergistically, then we are ready to change the world.  It is very possible and tremendously exciting.  All we have to do is put our own egos aside, make the connection and believe it.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from The Little Shop of Charms – Resources and information on New Age, Pagan, Wicca, Gothic, Spiritual, Angels, Psychics and all things Magical and Mystical.

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Meditation Magic with Malas

The benefits of mediation are well documented: better sleep; reduced stress and anxiety: improved concentration; lower blood pressure amongst many others.

However, for most of us a busy life means finding time to meditate daily is difficult.  Even when we do manage to snatch a few moments it is hard to switch off and get into a meditative state.

There are many ways to meditate and one of the most popular is to chant a mantra or prayer: the action of the chanting keeps our conscious mind busy whilst the content of the prayer makes a spiritual connection.

In the past I have used chanting in meditation with mixed results. Until, that was, when I acquired a set of Mala beads.

Traditional Malas consist of a string of 108 beads and a Meru or head bead that has a tassel connected.  The beads can be made of wood or seeds or gemstones.  Each bead is drawn through the middle finger and thumb of one hand for each chant.  Once the Meru is reached the beads can be turned around and the return journey made.  Malas are of Indian origin but Catholics will be familiar with a similar system known as the Rosary which is used for counting Hail Marys.

The number of beads is also interesting.  108 is considered a sacred number in both Indian and Eastern traditions.  108 added together equals 9 which, in numerology, represents wholeness.

You can see this again when you consider one dimensional, two dimensional and three dimensional realities: 1¹ (1) x 2² (4) x 3³ (27) = 108 therefore our complete reality is expressed by the number 108.  It’s easy to see why chanting 108 times can give a feeling of completion to your meditation practise.

When I begin meditation with Mala beads my conscious mind is focused on the chant and the tactile experience of running the beads through my fingers.  The combination of these actions effectively shuts my conscious mind down and a deep spiritual connection happens much more quickly and easily for me than in other forms of meditation I’ve tried.

So, if you want to take up meditation or want to revive or refresh your practise, try a set of Mala beads.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from The Little Shop of Charms – Resources and information on New Age, Pagan, Wicca, Gothic, Spiritual, Angels, Pyshics and all things Magical and Mystical.

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When kindness becomes conditional

It was a lovely sunny day yesterday so I thought I would have a stroll into town.  It wasn’t busy: there were some shoppers around but generally very quiet.  On my way home I passed a woman with two Labrador dogs on leashes and, as I walked past her she started to shout at me that I should say ‘Thank You’.

I was a bit surprised by this and not really sure what I should be giving thanks for (although I do quite regularly).  She said she had stepped off the pavement for me to pass and I should thank her.

What I saw was that she was talking to somebody else who was stroking her dogs and, walking past her I thought they were just having a chat.  So, I put the whole episode down to this lady having a bad day.

However, this morning I started to think about the whole process of carrying out good deeds such as stepping off the pavement to let somebody pass or letting a driver out of a junction.

I firmly believe that good deeds do us all good.  A little bit of kindness is never wasted.  Current writings on the Law of Attraction say that the energy we give out comes back to us or, as I prefer, ‘what goes around comes around’.

Likewise saying thank you if somebody offers us a little kindness is also warranted (assuming you notice when it happens which I quite obviously didn’t yesterday).

But what’s more interesting is the motivation behind the kindness.  This lady yesterday expected recognition of what she had done.  And that’s where the process falls down.  Because true kindness, like true love, is given without thought of recompense or return.  True kindness is a simple way of being and of looking at the world.  And if you can practise that then by all means receive people’s gratitude with respect, but don’t depend on it or make it your reason for being kind.

A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”  “The Wise Woman’s Stone” 
 Author Unknown

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

What if…?

You impose limitations upon yourself and then make a vain struggle to transcend them

Sri Ramana Maharshi

What if there were no limits to what you were capable of?

What if you could transcend all the laws of our physical world and know the truth?

What if you could live in other dimensions?

What if you could live outside of your physical body?

What if you could take time ‘being’ instead of ‘doing’?

Apologies – I’m not trying to come across as a New Age/Spiritual guru although it may seem that way.  I read the quote above by Indian Sage Ramana Maharshi the other day and it struck a chord because I’ve begun to notice instances where I have been limiting myself.  For example, at a recent networking event there was somebody I really wanted to talk to but he was quite well known in his field and I didn’t approach him because I thought ‘Why would he want to talk to me?’ 

What I should have been asking was ‘Why wouldn’t he want to talk to me?’ but that’s easy to say in retrospect.

So, I did some work on myself to try and find out exactly what self limiting beliefs I hold.  These are beliefs that have probably been with me most of my life and are so ingrained that I don’t often notice them.  They’re beliefs that were possibly meant to keep me safe from physical or emotional harm but, in reality, they’re beliefs that keep me chained.  And I would bet that you have some too.

If you can work with a partner it’s quite easy to test your beliefs through muscle testing.  Simply hold your arm out to the side so it’s level with your shoulder.  Say something that is true such as ‘My name is (insert name)’ and your partner puts a downward pressure on your arm at the wrist.  Because your statement is true this will be your strong reaction.

Then state a belief which you feel you may have problems with such as ‘I love myself unconditionally.’  If you do not believe this at a deep, subconscious level your partner will be able to press your arm down very easily.   This is your weak reaction.

Try the technique for each belief that you feel you may have a problem with.  You could hold limiting beliefs about your self esteem, your finances, your health or you may have feelings of guilt that are holding you back.  When you’ve finished always get your partner to test you strong again by using a true statement such as your name, eye colour or date of birth.

It can be very hard to face up to your self limiting beliefs.  It can be even harder to share them with somebody else in order to muscle test so you can test them with pendulum dowsing instead.

Dowsing is a way of accessing your intuition.  With muscle testing your body reacted to an untruth by giving a weak reaction. In the same way a dowsing instrument will react in different ways to a truth or an untruth.

Pendulum dowsing uses a weight (such as a nut or fishing weight) on a piece of string or, if you’ve seen dowsing pendulums for sale, they can be beautifully cut crystals or metal shapes on chains.

A pendulum can give you a Yes or No answer in the same way that muscle testing can give you a strong or weak answer.

Hold your pendulum in either hand so the weight is hanging freely down and with enough length to allow it to swing (about 4 – 6”).  Relax your shoulder and wrist and ask the pendulum to show you a Yes answer.  Try to keep your mind relaxed but focused on the Yes.  It may take some practice but soon your pendulum will begin to move in a certain direction.  It could be a clockwise or anti-clockwise circle, back and forward, side to side, an elliptic or whizz about like a whirling dervish.  You need to ask it this a few times until you are getting the same response which becomes your Yes response and will mean the same as a strong reaction in muscle testing.

Now do exactly the same whilst asking for a No response which will mean the same as a weak response in muscle testing.

So pendulum in hand, state your belief: ‘I love myself unconditionally.’  Focus on that and let your pendulum react.  Remember a No is the equivalent of a weak muscle testing reaction which means that no way do you love yourself unconditionally.  A Yes means that of course you do and lucky you.

You may be asking, what all this has got to do with the ‘What if’s’ at the start of this article.  Well, I dowsed my self limiting beliefs and came up with a list and then I wondered what I should do with them.  Okay, so I know that they’re holding me back but how do I overcome them?  After a lot of consideration I worked with each one using the two words ‘What if?’

Applying that to my example of the man at the networking event:  ‘Why would he want to talk to me?’  Well, what if he did want to talk to me?  How would that change the situation?  How would that change the way I feel?

If I turned an opportunity down because I didn’t think I was capable and I feared failure that would reinforce my belief that I wasn’t good enough.  But what if I did it and I succeeded or, forget the success, what if I just did it?

‘What if’ expands your mind.  It allows you to reach out beyond your boundaries and experience possibilities.  After all, life is full of many, many possibilities.  ‘What if’ gives you the choice of the type of life you experience.  What if you were to give up, right now, one of those beliefs that are holding you back?

See you on the outside.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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If a picture paints a thousand words then what do your walls say about you?

If you were like me as a kid your bedroom wall would have been covered with posters and pictures.  For me it was the Bay City Rollers, Jackson Five and, of course Donny Osmond.  I guess you can work out my age now!  For others a football team, pictures of friends or family.

As kids we put stuff on our walls that we wanted to look at.  That allowed us to dream and imagine our future lives.  Our pictures inspired us.  We knew the value of an image and how it affects us on a subliminal level.  But I often wonder if we lose that as we grow up.

Perhaps we adorn our walls now for different reasons: because we’re trying to emulate somebody else, because we saw it in a magazine, because it was a present and we feel we should hang it up, because it matches the colour scheme or because the wall’s bare without ‘something’.

Wherever we go we are inundated with images, so much that we have to block a lot of it out or our brains would frazzle. However, there are two places where images can have a deep effect on us, slowly seeping their message into our subconscious and you may not even know that it’s happening.  Those places are our home and our workplace.

So let’s take a step back and think about images whether they are paintings, posters or any other artwork on display.  They all visually represent something.  It may be something that we recognise or it may be abstract where colour and shape dominate.  Whatever is represented we will have a visual/mind reaction when we look at it.  We’ll like it, not like or couldn’t really care less.

However, images have a much deeper effect on us and our choices of imagery in our homes and workplaces can be very telling.  Once we understand this effect, we can use it to our advantage to make changes in our environments and, therefore, in our lives.  This is a vital part of a Feng Shui consultation where images can exacerbate an issue and can often be used as cures.

What are you battling against?

This depicts a scene from the charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War.  It’s a pretty rousing picture and would not look out of place in a traditional house, perhaps in a study.  But it’s a battle, it’s war, people die and there’s lots of blood.  It is far from relaxing or inspirational.

If you’re looking at this scene when you work you may find yourself battling with suppliers or fighting to get your customers to pay you.  And if you’ve got it hanging in the bedroom well, I think you can work that one out.

Is life a little choppy at the moment?

Here’s a classic example of the type of picture you find on many board room or senior managers’ walls.  Now, I don’t know about you, but if I’m dealing with any organisation I’d be concerned if I thought they were going through rough times like the boat is in this picture.

Do you really want a relationship?

This is typical of an arty, atmospheric image.  You would be amazed by people who are looking for a relationship, or can’t seem to make relationships last that have this type of imagery in their lives.  On the one hand they say they want to find somebody and settle down but their walls say ‘I want to be alone.’

Relax and take it easy

Even abstracts have similar effects.  The fluid shape and blue tones here represent water.  Water is very Yin and is about stillness, quiet and the feminine.  So it will work well in areas where relaxation takes place.

Don't even try to relax

However, this one is the complete opposite.  The red makes it very Yang which is fiery, active and stimulating.  Also the rectangular shapes represent a rising energy so put this in a place of relaxation and it will have the opposite effect.

Are you starting to look at your walls differently now?  Any imagery you use should reflect what you want, what you aspire to.  A typical Feng Shui type picture would be a mountain because it represents stability, security and support.  However, there’s a big difference between the foothills and the top of the mountain.  So, if your mountain picture is in front of you, make sure it’s showing the view from the top, unless you really want to stay stuck kicking your heels at the bottom.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

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A little Wabi-Sabi each day keeps frustration away

I recently ordered a bell for my space clearing practise which is part of my Feng Shui service.  Tucked into the tissue paper that it was wrapped in was a little card with a poem on it.  It started:

‘Walk and touch peace every moment

Walk and touch happiness every moment

Each step brings a fresh breeze

Each step makes a flower bloom

Kiss the Earth with your feet.’

It’s a concept so simple and yet so difficult to remember for many of us in our hectic lives.

The practise of Feng Shui is also about simplicity and being in harmony with our surroundings.  Many people believe it is about minimalism, Zen or a clinical environment.  But it’s really about being relaxed exactly where you are.  There is a Japanese philosophy called Wabi-Sabi that is very much in tune with real Feng Shui.

Wabi-Sabi is about being.  Being peaceful, balanced and in tune with nature.  It does not strive for perfection but celebrates growing old and recognises the beauty in that process.  Wabi-Sabi is about kissing the Earth with your feet.

Of course, it’s very easy to live this type of life if you remove yourself from the world.  Retreat, become a recluse or join a monastery.  The real challenge is to maintain this philosophy in the everyday world that most of us live in. 

We are all told we should set goals and have an action plan to achieve them.  We must look ahead and strive for what we want.  We are told not to live in the past because it’s unhealthy.  The past is gone and we can’t change it.  So we stand in the present looking back and forth, back and forth continually. 

Wabi-Sabi and Feng Shui says stop, just for a while and look around you.  See the beauty in everything.  Accept things just as they are.  Accept the people in your life just as they are.  For five minutes.  Just try it.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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May 2010 Specials – The Little Shop of Charms

What a wonderful time of year May is.  The days are longer, the sun is warmer (for us in the northern hemisphere) and the energy is rising.  May Day celebrates fire and light and fertility through the Pagan festival of Beltane and I think of May as being truly magical.

My mind has been focussed on magic recently and I have added a ‘Magic & Spells’  page in the resources section as well as ‘Psychic Protection’ information.  The specials I’ve chosen for you this month are magical too.

Pentagram Journal

Your spells are special and deserve a special place to live.  This beautiful journal has a cover that is hand painted on a slate effect resin cover, is spiral bound and comes with a paper refill.

As well as spells you can record your rituals, dreams and much more in your very own Book of Shadows.

Usual price £17.84

Special for May 2010 £16.00

The Only Wiccan Spell Book You’ll Ever Need

The Only Wiccan Spell Book You’ll Ever Need takes you on a journey through spell work: from the basics of tools and symbols through to full spell casting.  There are quick and easy spells for: business, creativity, health, love, personal power, prosperity, luck and abundance.

The Only Wiccan Spell Book You’ll Ever Need is packed full of simple instructions, recipes and easy to find ingredients so you can cook up some magic in no time. 

Usual price £11.09

Special for May 2010 £9.99

Magical Herbalism: The Secret of the Wise

Herbs are one of the most important tools for natural magic, and the best introduction to this system is found in Scott Cunningham’s Magical Herbalism.

This book presents a complete system of magic using herbs. You will learn the theory of magic and the tools you’ll need. Then you’ll get countless simple and easy techniques for using herbs for magic.

Need a protection method? “Pick several protective herbs and bind the stems together with red thread, then hang them up. This practice dates back to Babylonian times.” You’ll find a list of over 115 herbs that details their magical powers, so you can easily find which ones are protective in nature.

How about a divination using herbs? “Get a small quantity of dried patchouli, mugwort, or wormwood. Crumble the herb between your hands until it is finely diminished. Next, pour it into a small square pan (glass or ceramic). Light yellow candles and place the pan on your working area. Close your eyes, extend the index finger of your weak hand, and gently touch the center of the pan with its tip. Move it at random in the pan, shifting from one direction to another … Now, remove your finger, open your eyes, and interpret the symbols you have just written in the herb.”

You’ll also learn how to make and use incenses, scented oils, perfumes, fluid condensers, and so much more. Here is your chance to work with a beautiful and simple system. Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed.

Usual price £15.42

Special for May 2010 £13.99

 Spell Mixes

We have a range of spell mixes available for just about anything you may want to use magic for:  attract love, quick money, empowerment, house blessing and pet blessing to name just a few.

These herbal mixtures are blessed and charged for their purpose and can be used in sachets, charm bags, ritual baths or burnt.

Usual price £6.29

Special for May 2010 £5.75

May the (Angelic) force be with you?

Search the internet and you will find many stories and reports of angelic encounters.  Beings that look just like me or you and turn up when you’ve run out of fuel on a lonely road in the middle of the night with a gas can only to disappear when you look away.  Voices that jolt you awake when you’re falling asleep at the wheel of your car.  Messages from strangers telling you to phone your Mother because she’s ill.

 Of course, I can’t comment on the validity of any of these.  We all perceive things in different ways.  My main feeling is ‘Wow, I’d like to meet an Angel’.  But you know, I did once.  At least I think I did but who’s to say.

 I was about thirteen years old and off from school with quite a chronic illness.  My Dad was at work, my Mum worked part-time and my siblings were at school so I was all alone.  Now, these were the days when you didn’t lock your doors during the day so, when I lay on the couch feeling pretty miserable and sorry for myself I didn’t give a thought as to who might walk in.

 Anyway I was dozing and then opened my eyes and a figure was standing over me.  I couldn’t make out any details because it was dark (not the light in the room – the figure).  It was a human shape and it was standing with its hands on its hips and shaking its head at me.  Then I went back to sleep again until my Mum came home.

 Now, anybody could have walked in and stood over me but nobody ever said they did and, if it was a human visitor, wouldn’t they have spoken?

 The other thing was the darkness of the figure.  Aren’t we led to believe that this indicates dark forces and malevolence?  If it was an Angel why wasn’t it shining and bright?

 However, the really important thing about it was how the ‘encounter’ left me feeling:  I was overwhelmed with peace.  I was dripping in it.  And I think that’s the key with angelic encounters.

 We all perceive things in different ways according to our beliefs, upbringing and culture.  But what we feel from an angelic encounter is probably very similar: peace, love, safety and security.  And that’s why I think I had an angelic encounter when I was thirteen – because it felt good.

 Whilst angelic visions are limited to a small percentage of the population, it doesn’t mean that they are excluded from the rest of us.  Because the vision is not important.  I’ll say it again – we all perceive things differently.

What is important is the angelic energy and we all have access to that.  Angelic energy vibrates at a higher level than most of us mortals.  So, by tapping into it we can raise our own vibrations. As we raise our own vibrations our outlook on life changes.  We can see the bigger picture, our emotions are calmer, we don’t sweat the small stuff and we treat each other with respect.  In short, we’re happier.

 So, how do you tap into this energy?  It’s very simple:

1. You ask the angels to come into your life.  You don’t plead or beg or negotiate or bribe.  You simple invite the angels to be part of your life, to work with you and guide you and protect you. I find that asking through prayer works for me but you might do it as you meditate or by having a general conversation with them as you go through your day.
2.  You believe that they have accepted your invitation.

 

Cheeky Cherubs

Using the angelic energy works really well with your children too, especially if they’re nervous, fearful or don’t sleep well.  Children have no problem believing as we adults do.  All you need to do is remind them occasionally if they forget that their Angel is with them.

 And you need to remember too.  A little angel statuette on your bedside table to greet you when you wake up in the morning works well or a beautiful painting that you can sit and contemplate.

 The angelic force is for sharing too so, if a friend is in need send them an angel card.  It will deliver the energy for you.

 Although I’ve spoken to angels for many years it wasn’t until recently that I said ‘Okay I give up, let’s do it your way’.  I decided to go with the flow and I really haven’t looked back.  Opportunities are popping up for me to earn an income and I’m busy but not stressed.  I’m not rich but neither am I worried about the future.  All in all the angelic energy can reside with me for as long as it wants.

Guardian Angel

May the force be with you too.

 

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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