Follow your Light

The very end of October and very beginning of November is my favorite holiday time. So full of mystery, magic and hope. This time of year is steeped full of traditions, history, honoring our Ancestors and all of those that have come before us and of course, focusing on our own personal responsibility and Spirituality. How could anyone not be enamored with this week of the year?!!

In just 5 days you have Halloween, New Years, Samhain, Dia de Muertos, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, Diwali, and New Years [again]! And, those are just the ones I listed off the top of my head. (If you have anything that you celebrate that I've missed, please contact me here so that I can include them next year.)

Here's your homework:

Find a new holiday to learn about. Pick something between October 31st-November 4th. And, with the Internet, this should be a snap. Make sure you choose something that resonates with you, your current belief system and that can fit nicely into your already planned celebrations.

1. Read about the history of the holiday you picked. Be sure to search more than one website and/or go to the library and check out a few books, stories and even craft and cookbooks.

2. Experiment with some of the rituals [on that holiday's date]. This can be anything from setting up an alter, letting candles burn throughout the night or even meditating, singing and dancing ~ it's whatever tickles your fancy. 

3. Craft something; you can make a wreath, mask or a doll, light a row of candles, make a dish from/for that holiday, or even make your own New Year's list. You must CRAFT it. The crafting is important because it's you getting physically involved in what you've just learned about. (You may already have something planned for the ritual of that day.) This section of your homework is about you letting your creativity flow! Enjoy the Holidays!!!

4. Document and journal your effort, experience and rituals. Take pictures of what you did and write about it in your journal. Don't have a journal? No problem! Go get one. Journals and notebooks are everywhere. Find one that fits who you are or, more appropriately, who you want to be. (Still not sure where you should look? Try this online store In the Section Products that Inspire.)

So, why don't I just explain and teach you about all of the holidays mentioned above [here]? Well, for one thing I just listed at least 8 different religious celebrations, and to be quite honest, there are bound to be multitude of people who are offended and complain about what I'd write. How do I know? Because I get that all the time. 

(If you'd like more information, Living Lightly Newsletter is sending out a variety of holiday emails that explain a few of the holidays and give you ideas and exercises to do at home. You can sign up for those here.)

But more importantly... I want you to listen to your intuition and find what resonates with you. That's what makes learning about yourself and Spirit fun. That's what makes it exciting. It's not the force feeding that teaches and inspires you, it's the inner promptings. It's the learning to pay attention to yourself and the training to notice your inner thoughts and feelings. It's the amazing ways that Spirit works through you and brings you the guidance and messages that you crave. It's all the synchronicities and the coincidences that happen so frequently that a coincidence just doesn't mean the same thing anymore. It simply, means much, much more than it ever has before.

Yes, I write this blog to teach you. Yes, I give you 'real' information. But nothing, no thing and no person can ever replace that Ah-Ha moment when you get something yourself or when your whole world makes sense or when you sit back and watch everything in your life fall into place. That is magic. That is Divine. That is what I strive to help you uncover in your life. It's already happening all of the time within and around you... My job, well, my job is to help you tune into the subtleties so that you see it, feel it, know it and move with it, every moment of everyday. 

Happy Early Halloween!

I know it's SO early to be posting about Halloween! But I just love it. I absolutely love Halloween. It's steeped in history, mysticism and fun. (You get to pretend to be anything you want and collect candy! Yes, definitely fun!)

You already know all about Halloween and have had things and traditions that you've been doing your whole life. This entry to to help you to put a new spin on it or give you some new ideas.  You can use some of these ideas, all of them or toss the whole thing aside; the point of this blog is to show you how each and every day you can make a difference by the choices you make. And, that it's easy and simple. This is how you change the world; tiny actions that carry a huge weight. 

Make this a conscious holiday; use it to teach, not just [for] your family but for every child that comes to your door.

Broaden your Knowledge Base: Pick a culture or tradition that you don't know anything about. Make it a family affair and have everyone chime in with what they are interested in. You could get ideas from stories they've read or heard, movies you've seen or even the style furniture or clothes you like. You can also think about food and the different places your dishes come from. If all else fails, look on your calendar or online and find other holidays celebrated right around the end of October. 

Fun for the whole family: There's still time! Find some fun and educational activities that you can all do together. There's tons of craft projects and ideas out there.  Pick something that you've never done before. Preferably something that you've never heard of or 'that thing' you've always wanted to try. It's healthy for everyone to learn something together. It will help you strengthen your bond and teach your children that everyone is always learning. You may be surprised by how the relationship dynamic changes, stays the same or simply how everyone interacts with each other. If you're unsure... Scroll down and do the manifesting exercise as a family or group. You may be very surprised what the children or even partner! would like to see over the next year!
Visit Spiritual Answers and Solutions .com for free Halloween educational activity eBooks for kids. Click here to enter the store to peruse the different sections.

Costumes: The pure joy of dressing up! You can be anything! And, seriously, kids look cute in just about anything. And a teenage can look sexy and risque in most of the costumes out there today. Step in and use this time to instill confidence and security in your children. They are very impressionable. Watch what they are wearing. 
Now, onto the adults. You can use this time to be anything you'd like.  ANYTHING. What if you dressed up as someone you look up to or want to be like? Or a person or a figure that has some quality that you admire?  You could walk around all night thinking about that and draw the energy to you! 


Manifesting Exercise: Sit down (when you have uninterrupted time) and make a list of what you'd like to see for yourself in the next year. You can make it simple or very detailed. It's completely up to you. Include the physical things, of course, but really think about the qualities you'd like to develop in yourself. Who you would like to be and how you would like the world to see you. This is all about you and what you want for yourself. 
(If you're doing it with a group ~ you can have everyone do their own individual lists and chat about them after. Be sure everyone gets equal floor time and no one gets teased or chastised. And, no, everyone does not have to share. If  it's with your family, have everyone do their list for the family. About the family dynamic and how they want to see it improved. Be sure everyone knows to include their own behavior. This is not a pointing finger, get in a fight time, this is a building relationships exercise.)
Now if you're really ready to take that leap: Pick a costume that matches or accentuates what you want to manifest for the upcoming year. And go out there (that night and/or to all your parties) and BE that person! 
If you've done the family exercise, be sure everyone remembers their list for all your holiday festivities together! And all the little everyday interactions. 


Oh! And all of the Yummies!:
It's so much fun to go out and collect goodies all night! You can use these wonderful little treats to teach and lift consciousness. 
Candy from another culture [other than your own], country or place: How fun! What a great way to teach and expose every child to something unique and different. And, if you have kids, what a great way to explore different cultures, countries or places... through shopping for treats!
Local Candy Shops: Shop within your community and support those small businesses! You're spreading the word about them. If they are local you're helping bring money into your town/city and reminding every family that comes to your door that you support local businesses and that they are here. You may pass out their candy to a family that had no idea that that store even existed! how nice of you to drum up some business for them!
Buy Candy from a Company that you Support: Where you spend your money and what you hand out does matter. It matters a lot. Make your choices wisely and be sure they are in alignment with who you are, who you want to be and that they are spreading the message you want to give to the world. In that one moment, you are representing them, promoting them and letting everyone (including the company themselves) that you believe and support them.
Vegan Candy: Believe in it or not, know what the philosophy is or not, there are people that do. There are a lot of companies that do not use animal byproducts and do not do animal testing. If you buy vegan, you're making a kind and considerate choice to include every child and family that comes to your door. 
Order Specialty Wrappers: What a great way to spread a positive and uplifting message! You can put anything on it you like! And there all different shapes and sizes. You buy the candy and put your own wrappers on them. That can also be a fun family project! If you have a business, it's a great way to get your name out there. Get creative and make them cute! come up with something catchy and happy (make it simple) for all the kids to read!
Trinkets Instead of Candy: You can get all kinds of cute little presents that you can hand out instead of candy. Try to find something cute and fun that the kids will want to keep, carry around and or use. You'll be surprised of all the different things that you can hand out when you start thinking about it. And, the searching for it, could be just as much fun for the whole family. 

Love the Animals! 
Keep your Animals Safe: Know your critters! some pets love company and others get nervous or scared. There's an awful lot of commotion that night and a whole lot of different looking 'things' coming to the door and walking by their yard and your house. The increased foot and car traffic could be enough to unnerve your pets. Plus, there are a lot of children and families that are scared of or don't 'like' certain animals; keep them all separated, safe and happy. It's only one night and everyone will thank you for it, even if they can't say it!
No black cats outside: I know, I know everyone has heard this before but I'm going to say it again. If you have black kitties watch them this time of year. Just to be on the safe side. If it makes you feel weird, chalk it up to some people are superstitious and you just gave them a gift of luck! 

Watch what your're Watching and What you're letting your kids see! This time of year is known for scary movie month. It can be fun to get spooked but be aware of what you're letting your children see; especially when they are little! Their brains are not developed and when they are mini they cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy. And, by the way, telling them it is not real or not to be scared or to get over it, does not make it better, solve the problem or make it less real to them. There are a lot of cute and happy movies and shows that can bring you and your children closer and make your relationships stronger. 

If you're an adult ~ check out Modern Family, the Halloween episode from season one. It was the first one I had seen and I really did LOL a lot. It's a cute spin on family and holiday craziness. (It's for adults only.)

The Power of Numbers

Numerology ...  Oh. How I love it. Really, I just love it. There's a few different systems and a couple that are more common than others. It's your choice what you'd like to learn or, more appropriately which system you'd like to use. I'm not a numerologist. I'm not an expert... I am however enamored by the numbers and their symbolism. I love the charts, the paths, the letters. 

With much thought and consideration (and some great advice) I've decided to do [these] entries on the 11th and the 22nd of every month. (If we had 33 days, I would have loved to use that Master Number!) The Newsletter (Living Lightly Newsletter) goes out every 27 days [automatically] from the the date you signed up. Why? Because each newsletter is complete unto itself (the number 9). You'll get 13 newsletters a year and the goal is to help you manifest your goals (the number 4). And, of course... We must get ALL the moons in! lol So, yes, the newsletters were created to 'include' the Moon cycles. (It is every 28 days, actually, and it turns into a 13 month calendar year.) Curious about the newsletters? You can see the special send outs online, these are the holidays and extras. (Click here to view the Specials.) The 9s only come in your email when you sign up for them and verify the address.  (Click here to sign up for it.)


So... Back to this blog. 
The entries will come out on the 11th and 22nd of each month. If there are holidays in the mix, the blog entry before the holiday will celebrate it. Yes, I love holidays and yes, most of the time I'll do an entry that focuses on it. The holiday postings will be different every year, every posting and most newsletters. I can't do all the holidays every year (There's SO many!) but I can do a lot and change them up between blogs and newsletters. The Living Lightly Newsletters have holiday specials [in] them and they are not part of the every 27 day cycle. 
I chose the 11th and the 22nd because they are Master Numbers [or much simplified]  'power' numbers (you don't break them down and think of their potential as magnified) plus, it will make it very easy for everyone to follow this blog. Consistency (to most anything) is key. 

It's perfect: Consistency, Power and Magnified Potential. I love it.

Would you like to learn more about Numerology? (It's wonderful! I highly recommend reading about it and trying it.) Most numerology books will have the charts included in them and instructions (how and what to do and add) and what each number stands for ~ or what it means. Some of them will actually teach you how to do readings! (So fun!) ... If you're unsure where to start, I recommend going to the library and browsing through a few books so that you get a feel for what fits you and what you like. Some online bookstores have check out programs, where you can try it before you buy it. It's a very personal thing... decide which ones work best for you; the style of the author, the wording and language, and all of the directions.

One of my very favorite books (ever) on Numerology is Life Cycles, your emotional journey to freedom and happiness by Christine DeLorey.

 She does a great job of explaining everything and the best part... You can read about yourself (your number and cycle) every month. Here's the Amazon.com link... (Click here.) But, you can get it from anywhere. (I've included the picture of the book and the description from Amazon.com at the very bottom of this newsletter.)

And, I love numerology so much... I had to make a puzzle book to help [you] practice and learn all the traits [and things] associated with each number. Enjoy!

So, if you'd like to practice and learn more about what the numbers mean, try this Word Search Puzzle book! The Kindle edition is only $1.99. (Click here to Visit Amazon.com.) If you'd rather print the pages, you can find it in the Magick Download Store. (Click here to visit the store.)

(The book I love so much...) I've included all the information and picture [here] just in case it gets moved around online. I hope you check it out from the library or invest in a copy for yourself. It really is wonderful!

Excerpt from Amazon.com:

The book that’s all about YOU, your emotions, and this turbulent world in which you must now find your way

Since our world changed so suddenly on September 11th, and with subsequent events still unfolding, Christine DeLorey’s LIFE CYCLES Your Emotional Journey To Freedom And Happiness, has taken on a new and illuminating relevance. Through her profound knowledge of numerology, Christine speaks of the new millennium as a cycle of time in which real and lasting peace can only come from understanding and healing our emotions. This, she explains, holds the same importance as understanding and healing the mind, body, and spirit. With an emphasis on finding our way to peace, her 22 years of research have resulted in this unique and groundbreaking book which addresses the chaotic and emotional times in which we are now living - and the part we are all playing in determining the direction humanity is about to take. (See Part 3 - LIFE, LOVE & LIBERTY IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM)

She also describes, explicitly, how your personal numerology cycles influence your emotions, relationships, career, money, health, security and your awareness of today’s realities. This extraordinary book is your personal month-by month, year-by-year roadmap to whatever the future brings. (See Part 1 - DESTINY NUMBERS and PART 2 - YOUR JOURNEY)