The Life You Are Living

Chapter 13: Procrastination

PROCRASTINATION! It’s a big word for something that humans do either occasionally or all the time.

Do you admit who you are, or kid yourself that you never do such a thing?

Sorry to say this if you don’t know it, but you do procrastinate! It may be something simple like, taking the trash out, or washing your hair. Work or relationship issues are big areas where we let the element of time slip through our fingers.

Why do we do it is the big question?

It can be a form of laziness.

It can be fear of failure.

It could be some type of malfunction in our brain cells that tells us to do nothing when we ought to be doing something!

For me… I tend to procrastinate when I am feeling pressure to do something by others, or even when I feel I should be getting ahead in some project or other when I really need to take a break.

Peer pressure is a tough thing to get beyond, and work situations push us to be more, to do more, to get going immediately if not sooner. Yet, sometimes we need to take a break from the actual doing and sit with our thoughts first.

I’m not suggesting that procrastination is proper all the time because it’s not. But occasionally, we do need a moment for breathing space in order to examine what direction to take to get whatever done. In that free time, we go over the proposed action and project from different tacks of what’s possible in order to get to our end goal. It might be viewed as slacking when you procrastinate at work. Though I’ve read about companies that feel you would be more productive if you had some time to think, play a game, work out, or take a nap even.

When you are self-employed you answer to a tough task master. If you weren’t difficult about your own accomplishments, you wouldn’t be in business long.

So, what does this boil down to?

As individuals, we must each decide if our level of procrastination is correct, healthy, or a way to avoid something we just don’t want to do.

Spiritually speaking, I feel we need to face our stuff, be it some fear, something we know we ought not to have done and need to make amends for, and even procrastination.

Interestingly enough, when we come at procrastination from a spiritual level the universe has an incredible amount of patience. It’s not that you can get away with anything, that is if you believe in continuous life, because if you never accomplish anything you set out to do in this life it will come back at you in the next go ‘round.

I kept telling myself I would give up sugar. Every day I said I would do it, and could do it, but then didn’t. When you do not accomplish things like this it works against your core emotional level and wears you down to the point where you think you cannot do whatever you want.

When you do face up to whatever is holding you back you find it wasn’t as difficult as you thought it would be. You wonder why you didn’t let it go much earlier?

Simply put, you were not ready on some plane to do whatever. Maybe next time you have a serious attack of procrastination you could ponder having to face this very thing in your next life. This one thought usually gets me up and back in the race rather quickly. The life I am living has had many terrific things, and, many equally challenging things to get through, beyond or over. I do not want to face these difficulties ever again in this or any other life! But, there are times when procrastination is healthy because it allows you to rest and come back at your problem with renewed energy. That energy can be exactly what you need to get over the hump you’ve been dreading. When dread turns into joy of accomplishment, that is a wow moment!

Am I saying procrastination is a good thing?

Sometimes, yes. All the time, no.

Only as an individual can you decide how much procrastination works for you to get the job, whatever that might be, done.

We have all seen flower buds develop and just when they are about to burst open into all the glory they can be, they wither, rot, and drop off into nothingness. Procrastination can bring that same kind of energy if you allow it to hang on too long. Discover the full floral fascinator you can be by spending a bit of time procrastinating, and then opening up to what life has to offer you! See what getting beyond procrastination can bring in… My latest book took a lot of work, cross referencing, testing, and yes, procrastination. I’m pleased as punch that it is now available. Stone Magic gives healing properties of stones I have channeled in an alphabetic format. You can click on the link below for either my web site, or my Amazon page to be connected and buy if interested. Thanks!

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves, and now, Stone Magic available HERE

The Life You Are Living

Chapter 12.5; Color continued

Let’s get into color on a very personal level as in the colors you choose for clothing. Green is great to begin with. Do you find that you choose different tones of green when you shop for clothing? There are so many shades possible. Your green du jour could be a brown tone green, and if so is a very grounding color. In most instances brown is the color of the earth. Red clay is even a brown tone. When people come to me for particular healing energy and they are in a green color with brown overtones, think of what we call kaki, I know their emotions are ragged and they would do well to connect with the earth. Tying into brown colors is a way to feel the magnetic pull of the earth plane. Green as a color has a natural healing vibration. Mix that with the grounding energy in brown tones and you have something that can and does help your stomach from doing flips due to nerves.

Perhaps the green tone you most connect with has a form of yellow in it. Maybe you need to pay attention to your gut reaction of what life is dishing in your direction. This usually also involves your liver which is to say, eating some sour foods might help as well as the color choice you are wearing.

Maybe the green you feel most drawn to has a tone of blue to it. Blue-green helps bring in more intuitive energy to your healing. Perhaps you do not trust your intuition. If so, then by wearing green that has blue tones, you are subconsciously giving permission to your intuitive self to connect with the healing you are craving on some natural inner plane of acceptance.

When you mix red with green you get brown, so there isn’t a form of red-green.

By the same reasoning there isn’t a form of purple-green tone out there either.

White and black are colors that you can mix with green. Some call black a non-color. There are many that feel the same way about white. When you are a painter these are colors that get mixed with every other color. Metaphysically speaking, white usually connects with a higher spiritual level. If you are just beginning, or are well into spiritual studies and you find the green tone you are being drawn to has a white base it means that you are connecting with the spiritual healing energy you need to get to the next level of development. Whereas, if you are being drawn to a black based tone of green you are looking to have protective healing energy save you from all the unpleasantness there can be in the universe. Opening yourself up to new thoughts and energies you never thought were possible can be a scary new experience.

Do you continue?

Do you retreat?

Trust you’ll know when it is okay to move in one direction or another.

Are you on a path of enlightenment?

Is it a fear-based path into the unknown?

There will be times your color choice is gray. If that’s what you’re being drawn to then you are combining black and white together. This means you are looking for spiritual understanding while being protected from the unknown.

Often I turn to the eastern philosophies of color vibrations associated with certain energetic regions of the body, as in chakras. Purple is the top of the head as in your spiritual chakra. Deep blue works with your third eye region. Lighter blue connects with the throat. Green is the heart area. Yellow is around the bottom of the rib cage, and orange is the stomach. Red works with the base of the spinal column known as the kundalini where some feel is the core of all energy flow.

I look at red as also working with the heart region. To differentiate, I feel that deep red tones are for the base of the spine, while bright reds connect to the heart as well as green. You see the heart region is where passion generates from. True passion is both love and hate. So, I feel that love connects with the green, while the red is the hate element. Maybe hate is too strong a word. Let’s go with this, if you have a very strong negative reaction to something, perhaps then it is a bright red tone. When you feel love towards something, then the green tone shines true. Love and hate are flip sides of the same emotion. Where would we be without passion? Would anyone want to live without passion? Seriously!

Think about the colors mentioned when you get dressed tomorrow. How are you feeling? Do you think any color choice can connect with your emotions? If so, then color is healing you on some level. Even that flip side bright red tone gives you an impetus to move away from something. Try it, you might like it!

               

You can see a yellow-green tone for my bedroom accents. The “Dancing Starfish” painting can be hung horizontally or vertically. The fascinator hat is also in a yellow-green tone. These shades of green can give you a gut reaction to your dream messages. Both items are available for purchase on my web site.

 

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

The Life You Are Living

Chapter 10.2; Hot Spots

 

Not long after I moved to Newport, I met an astrologer. She was a very different woman from anyone I had ever met before. Marching to her own drummer, I wanted to get to know her more, and did, at least a bit. She told me almost straight away that Newport was one of the hot-spots in the universe. Not understanding what that meant exactly, I asked.

You come to certain places in the universe to learn certain things. Energetically, these hot-spots will assist you in discovering whatever more quickly. Each person has to discover what a hot-spot might mean to them if they are interested in doing the work.

Of course, you can live in such a place and never do the so-called work, and maybe never discover whatever that location had in store for you. Sound vague? Well, in a way all this business is ethereal. Just to remind you… metaphysics is the study of the unknown. That covers a lot of territory. I don’t know about anyone else but, what I don’t know is quite vast! Discovering what a hot-spot means to you comes under this heading of the unknown. Just when you think you have learned why you moved into such a place, you might think you are on a new path of self-discovery.

Did you raise cane in your youth when you moved to a certain town? Did you move away shortly thereafter?

Did you join the work force and find your true vocation?

Did you raise a family right after you moved into a town?

Did you discover a talent you never knew you had once you lived somewhere?

Did you feel that in this town you were meeting other people interested in some of the same things you found fascinating? That’s how I felt about living in Newport. I met what I might call normal people all over the place along with fellow travelers interested in the study of metaphysics. It was a first for me, meeting people I could pose questions to who didn’t find my queries weird. Or, if they did think I was strange it was also a mirror of their own search. So, it became a fun adventure.

Back then there were not a lot of books available on the study of metaphysics. When someone came across one the title got shared around as though it was the latest best-seller. I read about anything and everything. Astrology, herbal healing, near-death experiences along with interesting stories about the Amazon, American Indian tribes, gardening and countless theories of anything that went bump in the night. It was fun to get together with other people over a glass of wine and have a discussion on almost anything.

That exuberance carried over into my day world. I wanted to share this new-found information with my clients as well as all my friends. Unfortunately, some people did not share my enthusiasm and asked me not to talk about such things in their presence.

Maybe that was when I first began to feel really alone. Inwardly I cried out to share. Then most everyone I had a connection to metaphysically had moved away, or had lived in another state when we met. Reading and being alone became a mainstay. I wondered if I would feel this alone forever?

Lucky me, I didn’t remain alone. Yes, I became my own best friend within the study of metaphysics, but clients became curious about energies in stones, so my circle widened again. Speaking up about such topics got easier while traveling and doing shows with my jewelry. I placed tiny typed descriptions of how amethyst connects the crown chakra (energy center found at the top of your head) with intuitive protective forces. It was a non-threatening way to allow others to ask questions.

Opening a window allows people to feel your breeze. Sharing is just that, even when you feel nervous of the outcome.

One thing that is suggested at these art fairs is to share your story. For the longest time, I had wondered just what my story was? By having these little notes on energies found in whatever stone, I had created my story. Over all those years of personal study, I had not only done meditation, but deep meditation as well as channeling. While in deep meditation, you allow other energy to step in to give information. While doing this, I wrote stone healing properties down and incorporated it into a notebook. Testing all information out on myself first, I eventually asked clients if they wanted to read up on what stone they were choosing today? Time and again I discovered what I had written was true, and people were naturally being drawn to the stone energy they needed for whatever reason.

It was the first time I felt my move to this hot-spot had a purpose.

Maybe, if you moved and then moved away again rather quickly, you couldn’t jive with the energy found in that town. Perhaps you resonated with energy found in another place better? Maybe you discovered what you were supposed to learn in that place quickly, so didn’t have to remain long. Maybe you moved because you were uncomfortable learning what that hot-spot had in store for you.

Why we live in certain places is only something we can discover inside ourselves. Newport for me, is a constant learning ground. It’s a garden of energy I still find exciting. Maybe your hot-spot provides that for you too.

Amethyst is a wonderful stone to wear when you are first discovering how to be insightful. By connecting the crown chakra (the intuitive energy center found at the top of your head) with protective forces inherent in amethyst, you can reach out and feel safe in uncharted territory all at the same time! This ring is in 22 and 18Ky gold. Read more on the web page!

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

The Life You Are Living

Chapter 9; Gardening…

 

Gardening can be a terrific analogy for metaphysics.

While digging out my gardens after years of neglect I felt dismay. After each two or three-hour session, I would survey my progress. It never looked like the amount of effort I had put in showed. Weeds had grown over a lot of my brickwork so, I had to get through those weeds to get to the gardens themselves. Many bricks had to be lifted from their home to get at whatever weed, and then re-placed.

One garden was plagued with ferns as well as weeds. Even though some ferns were holding up top-heavy plants, they had to go. While pulling, and digging I thought of how there are moments when it’s good to yank off the top of something that is no longer working in your emotional life. There are also times when it’s better to get at the root of what’s plaguing you to get it out. Many gardeners pull the tops off of weeds and call it a day. Me, I dig down to get at as much of the root structure as I possibly can. It’s all in how you personally look at gardening, and at life.

When I was younger I went for professional counseling. Each week I would unload my personal issues certain the person who sat on the other side of the desk was bored and then, just before our time was up, something would come out of that person’s mouth that landed on me like a ton of bricks. Driving around town for an hour afterwards I would digest what those words meant to me deep down inside. Amazingly, those seemingly indifferent eyes provided a portal for me to work through personal issues in new ways. Those tools gave me the impetus to dig deep inside at my personal weeds, find the roots, and pull them out.

Friends and family can give you the same kinds of tools if you let them. Perhaps they say something repeatedly that may be the right thing for you to do, and yet, you do not hear these suggestions, or maybe you hear them but are not ready to have whatever is said register. One day for no apparent reason you find that what is suggested you are sooooo ready to hear. It’s wonderful when a fresh look at an issue can provide a new path to bring forth an alternate resolution than what you thought possible.

Why?

Why did it take so long to hear that suggestion?

Why did it click this time when countless other times people said the same thing, and you dismissed them?

It’s because you were yanking at the surface of your emotional weed. When you were ready to dig down to get the root out you heard what was being suggested. These are yahoo moments! The kind of inner dot-connecting that you were craving and had maybe even given up thinking would come your way.

Life presents us with multiple solution oriented moments throughout our existence. Maybe today you tug away at the surface of something. When you are ready you dig down to where it all began to find a new way of pulling that root out so you don’t have to deal with it in the future, or so you think.

If you honestly believe you have resolved some core issue in a new and terrific way, the universe will test your resolve. I call these moments “are you done”?

Something has bothered you for a long time. In your mind, it has just been taken care of, so why would the universe feel it is necessary to test you in one way or another?

It’s because old habits die hard.

Don’t believe me? Watch out, because something is about to bite you in the butt that you thought you were done with.

Say you have been addicted to sugar for what feels like a lifetime. That’s a big issue for me. With great effort, you put that wild bear in a cage and are proud of finally having such resolve. Family or friends invite you to a birthday celebration and hand you a cupcake, a piece of cake, or some jellybeans. It doesn’t matter what it might be you know you can walk away, right? If you have really given sugar up for good you can turn your back on these sweets. It doesn’t mean you are through craving them forever, but if you don’t resist that moment of temptation, then you have to begin your path all over again. Look at any of these instances as if you were in alcoholics anonymous. Fall off the wagon and you begin at day one again.

That’s what I mean about are you done? It happens to me all the time. I feel certain I am finished with something and then I get a test to see if I am really done. Soon, another test comes my way and I feel it’s the universe asking me if I am really, really done? And, so it goes for some time until you stop thinking about it every hour of every day. Then, bang, it’s smack back front and center asking you if you are done? Are you really, really, really done?

It’s never easy, at least for me to experience these testing moments, but I recognize them as they come about more easily now, thankfully. And… there is no right or wrong way to deal with any kind of inner emotional issue in life. What works for you might not work for me and visa, versa.

Growth happens when we least expect it. Maybe today you are really, really, really done. Maybe that weed has a bit of a root surviving in your garden. Maybe you think that fern of a thought is helping support some other part of your emotions. Recognition can open a doorway to new possibilities. These moments can be trying, joyful, painful and anywhere in between. The trick is always to trust these are your decisions to make in your own garden. Yank off the top, dig at the root, ignore your growth completely for the season, or sit and ponder what it all means. Look into that mirror of authenticity to embrace what brought you to this very place in this moment. You created your own garden, and the garden of life is all good!

This prehnite pendant has dancing starfish, conch and periwinkle shells in 18Ky, 14Kw/y gold with white fresh water pearls. Prehnite is the stone to wear when you are moving from a solid into a liquid state. Take a break when you need it, and then go with the flow more easily. When you remain hardened by life and all the things you are facing on any given day, you create a hard, outer shell. Why not begin to dance to your own tune like a starfish, and move into a new way of thinking? Try it, you might like it!

 

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

 

The Life You Are Living

Chapter Eight continued; Dreams– 3

 

If you recall from last week, I spoke of how I went to bed after giving up on all my beliefs. When I woke, I thought I would be up for the day. I then fell back to sleep and had an experience like no other before. My adopted mom who passed away some time back visited with me. She told me how she and many on the other side were enjoying my weekly writings, especially the one entitled The Life You Are Living. This part of the experience took place in a dressing room.

After leaving the dressing room I entered a diner restaurant where I wrote on yellow lined paper.

At that moment, I fully woke for the day. Leaping out of bed I thanked God, the Universe, my adopted mom, spirit guides and angels for whatever it was that had just happened. To me it was a miracle.

Being so committed to getting my house ready to go on the market I had not been writing, painting, making fascinator hats, or creating much jewelry. Actually, I hadn’t even been recording my dream messages which is something unusual for me. But, for the first time in over a year, I honestly felt happy! The cloud hanging over my head might not have lifted in the way I had hoped, but spiritually it had left the building and I had a direction to pursue.

At that very moment I grabbed my computer and began my weekly blog.

Dreams are a funny thing. I’ve mentioned that there are moments where you have messages about the coming day, or a soon to be happening life experience. Messages can be pretty clear as in precognitive. My latest experience was beyond a mere dream and was other-worldly. This moment in time gave me a direction I knew deep inside was true guidance. Since that day I have shared this dream experience with a few people and each has told me they got chills. These are people who had not read my blog about how chills are a sign confirming something is true!

If you want to break this experience down as if it were simply a dream, let’s look at all the parts. I was in a dressing room without any clothes to try on…

What do you do in a dressing room? You change! This dreamlike experience became a moment of true change for me. I began writing again with a new sense of purpose.

The fact my friend was not inside the room and could not see or hear what was happening until I shared my description…

To me, this meant I ought to share my writings with others. Blogs and books are a proven method of sharing. Spending a lifetime of studying metaphysics gives me an understanding beyond what many have recently begun to research. I am not coming down from the mount as I have already stated, merely interested in sharing knowledge, studies, even trials as well as successes with whomever wants to read along.

Colors, well…

In the past I’ve taught classes on natural healing. Colors play a big part in healing and I will get more into it as a topic in a later chapter. For this dream, though… My adopted mom was glowing from the inside out in colors so vibrant words would only pale the vision. It was as if Della Reese was presenting herself as an angel from the television program Touched by an Angel. In an effort of association for today I will say that green is an overall healing color. The fact that my adopted mom and I hugged takes that color to a new level. Hugging is a heart connection. Combine that color with the action and you have a healing heart moment! Red can be a few different things. It can be power, anger, love, passion. Since the color was undefinable in normal life, I might suggest it was all of the fore mentioned. If so, then this radiant color of red brought in a great power that I was seeking. My frustration over not having answers shifted in that moment to love and passion.

When I left the dressing room I entered a diner restaurant where good sustaining food can be purchased by everyone, rich or poor. Yellow lined paper that was almost all full of words…

To me, yellow lined paper has always been composition paper. All the papers being full of words in the diner can mean that by writing I am filling a need for people of many different backgrounds. Writing this blog may or may not work into a book format (time will tell). I hope it will give many the opportunity to receive a crash course in understanding things that go bump in the night whether you are rich or poor, have studied metaphysics or not ever even heard the word.

Look at your dream messages closely, they do tell you things. Sometimes they are reflecting what has already happened that perhaps you could have chosen a different path for and had a different outcome. Some tell you to slow down. Some suggest you might miss the boat if you do not act now. Still others are giving guidance on what your next path might be.

My next path was given in a very realistic flash. Please don’t tell me this moment was not authentic, I won’t believe you. It felt and looked as real as my cat does sitting on my lap as I write. It’s still free will of whether or not you follow up on these messages or signs given. Even if you do not follow my beliefs, you get messages thrown at you in many different formats. Perhaps my writings will provide an opportunity to not miss them when they do come your way. How terrific it is when you know something happens that is real and you welcome it with open arms. Follow up on that lead given and it can prove out to be the wonder you had been craving!

 

18Ky, 14Krose gold ring has yellow sapphires and a diamond in it. Most people see a butterfly in the filigree work. Yellow sapphires help you to stop moping and begin hoping! Diamonds, when smaller than other stones work to emphasize the healing properties of whatever colored stone. Butterflies begin as a ground based caterpillar that morphs into a beautiful, magical winged creature. Why not begin hoping to be more than you are right now? Dreams can and do help us to see possibilities!

This fun floor cloth has one fish and air bubbles painted into it. It measures 26.5” x 32.5”. Colors are periwinkle, yellow and gold. When you watch fish swim about, they are mesmerizing and dreamlike, especially their air bubbles.

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

 

The Life You Are Living

Chapter Eight continued; Dreams – 2

 

Last week I mentioned I screamed at God, and I have on more than one occasion. Being a human involved with metaphysics does not make me some sort of saintly character. Frustration hits me just the same as anyone else. What might be different in my personal life is that I believe strongly that there are many things beyond what our human world sees, feels, understands and accepts. Belief in all these extrasensory things leaves me open to think I receive answers from dream messages about my day-to-day life choices.

I’m not Charlton Heston coming down from the mount folks! Merely one person trying to live the life given on this plane to do the best I can with all my beliefs intact.

If any lead is given to me by day or night in the way of psychic leads, I follow up on them often to no avail. Most people would have abandoned this unproven method of making life decisions, holding fast to my beliefs, I chose to continue on. Feeling mere fragments were coming through of what I ought to do, frustration lead to disappointment.

Begging for years for answers or leads as to what was next in my life I felt deserted constantly by my normal input.

As humans, we each have times in our lives where our story seems overwhelming emotionally, physically, spiritually. Placing one foot in front of another during these moments is the best you can do and hope for. But I was let down. My particular story of why I was searching so hard is not the important part here. What is vital to discuss is that I didn’t know what to do any longer. Despondent, I was certain I had wasted my life believing in what most people cannot see or hear. To say it’s a challenge to live outside the norm is a gross understatement! But, it was something I was willing to continue to do if only I could get some form of answers that actually lead me in a true path.

Speaking out loud as I got ready to climb into bed one night I told whatever powers around me that I was done. I was walking away feeling abandoned. At that moment, I gave up on all my gifts, my art as well as my ability to receive dream messages. I told God and the universe that they had given up on me, so I was doing the same. No longer would I pay attention to my dream messages or silent pokes in certain directions that lead nowhere in the end. I was finished asking for their help and guidance. Simply, I was going to desert every belief I had held dear for most of my life.

Perhaps at that moment I let go and let God as they say.

What happened next was something very surprising, at least to me.

Many full-on color dreams come to me every night. Total and or partial recall of these dreams is also usual. This one night was no different. However, what happened in the morning was different. I got up for a bathroom run at 4am certain I would be awake for the day but climbed back into bed for a moment and amazingly fell right back to sleep. It felt like a normal dream at first, and then…

I was with my best friend in a clothing store dressing room. Funny thing, neither of us had any clothing to try on. She stood in the doorway and I was inside the room. Turning slightly to my right I saw her dear departed mother in full color and body form. In life, she had different shades of red hair depending upon her mood and the dye of the moment. Normally, when I see spirits they are a bit cloud-like and transparent. They have color, but are see-through. This woman, at this moment, looked and felt very human and was utterly radiant! Standing in front of me now she had a beautiful, full head of glowing red hair, the likes of which I have never seen before. Her dress was a vibrant green color. She had on jewelry, but somehow it wasn’t important. Excitement rushed over me as I leapt forward to hug her. Sincerely, I have never hugged a spirit until that moment. It was delightful! She hugged me back. She didn’t feel like a spirit, she felt human. As we hugged, it was a true heart connection. Something you feel, that goes through you and fills you up at the same time. We exchanged words as my friend stood by wondering just who or what I was conversing with. Surprised she couldn’t see her mother I shot a look to my adopted mom and received an immediate answer as if I had spoken the words out loud. I was told no, my friend could not see her own mother, nor could she hear our conversation. This moment was for me alone and that her time would come later. I shared what I could as it was happening with my friend along with my sheer delight in seeing this beloved woman in full body once again.

Basking in this unusual experience, you could have knocked me over with a feather if I had not already been laying on my bed when I was suddenly given some of the direction I had been begging for for so long. My adopted mother told me that she and many others on the other side were enjoying my weekly writings, especially the one entitled “The Life You Are Living”.

Even in this dream phase I felt what she said was true, and yet I also knew I had not begun to write these essays yet.

Turning to my friend I began to tell her what was just spoken. Glancing again to our mom, I found she was no longer there. Feeling no sadness over her sudden departure my friend and I walked out of the dressing room to find ourselves in a diner type of restaurant. (Gotta love dreams!) Quickly I approached a waitress to ask for a piece of paper to write on. Interestingly enough she had a clipboard filled with yellow lined papers untidily stacked up and all were full of words. Searching, I did find a small clear space at some point and wrote down the words The Life You Are Living.

I woke.

Next week tune in to get the breakdown of this experience!

                           

Dragonflies represent many things to many people. To me, they show us how something can miraculously walk on water. I don’t wish to do so myself, but I find their iridescent wings magical and a forerunner of good things to come. This 2” across dragonfly pendant is made in 14Kw/y gold with a glorious black fresh water pearl drop. Black pearls bring a wealth of understanding. Decipher what is important for today, and your world expands. This pendant can provide a wealth of knowledge with hope.

Falling asleep and waking to this bright painting of magical dragonflies and lady bugs at least helps to place me in a hopeful mindset before I have to face the day. It measures two feet by four feet, something you can easily see before sleep as well as upon waking.

black fresh water pearl< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

The Life You Are Living

Chapter Eight; Dreams 1     Feeling dreams are extremely important, this chapter will be continued for a few weeks in my blog.

 

Dreams and dream messages have been mentioned a few times already, and something I feel is an integral part of my daily life and decision making. It’s time to break it down for you before intimidation sets in.

I have been interested in dreams since early childhood, along with finding stones in the back yard, creating jewelry, painting, and of course GHOSTS! But my dreams have taken on a gargantuan proportion in my every-day world for over fifty years.

There was a time when I recalled part of a dream in the morning and found it interesting. In a college English class I began to take my study of dreams to a new level. There I was taught how to record dreams to begin to have more recall than mere fragments. Have paper and pen next to your bed every night. When you wake for whatever reason (usually for me it’s to pee), before you leave the bed write down a word or two of what you were dreaming. In the morning look at those words and normally fragments will turn into something more. In time, you will have more and more recall of what happened during your sleep-time.

Utilize dream book definitions and you can have many years of somewhat confusing dream messages. I speak from experience. Other people’s dream symbol interpretations are just that… other peoples. The best thing to do is to ask yourself this; what do the symbols portrayed in your dreams mean to you? After all, you are the one getting the dream, so it must be trying to give you a message. Understanding this took years for me. To this day, I still receive messages that utilize some of the symbols out of a dream book I referred to for over thirty years. I can usually interpret friends dreams very quickly. As a matter of fact, I get calls to do just that and am happy to do so when possible. But seeing my own interpretations is often such a challenge.

We stand in our own way!

Dreams are one way of communicating with God, angels, spirit guides, and especially our higher self. Okay, a new term for many. Your higher self, according to the metaphysical world, is a spiritual being who is your twin self that never sleeps. The connection is psychic. It’s your soul consciousness helping you be a better you. They, along with God, spirit guides and angels try to guide us. By steering us in certain directions the right job opportunity, or the new best friend, or perhaps even the right life mate might come forth.

Many years back while searching for answers, I kept psychically asking for guidance. While sitting in a chiropractors’ waiting room I began to read a magazine on the table. Flipping, I found an article that felt like it had been written just for me! Turning back to the cover, I wanted to make sure that once I left the office I could purchase the magazine to have that article all for myself only to find the magazine was three years old. Who put that magazine in my path that day? Why was I in the waiting room for that long when normally I was admitted immediately? I believe it was my higher self, placing the answer in front of me to what I had been begging for. Dreams do that as well.

Our minds do not shut down on us, we shut down on them. Our subconscious works all night to give us answers to things we have been asking for. These are our messages from the great beyond! Some dreams are specific, as in pre-cognitive where you are told certain things as a direct order if-you-will of what will happen today. Some dreams are suggesting you did something right, or wrong. Still other dreams can be mere wisps of clouds that give you a possibility.

We always have free will.

Pay attention or not, it’s always up to you.

People often tell me they do not dream. Inwardly I disagree but usually say okay outwardly.

Other people tell me they have deja` vus happen and don’t understand where those experiences come from. To those people I usually chuckle and tell them it’s their own way of getting direction instead of by night dreams.

Maybe someone comes up to you out of the blue and makes a statement that rings familiar inwardly. Call it a happy coincidence, and though that is not a night dream it certainly gave insight that seemingly came from the great beyond!

Even day dreams are a form of letting the outside in. Relax the mind in any way, meditate even and secret guidance can and does often come forth. Relish!

Back in that place of the unknown, over the past few years I have begged for answers and guidance. Certain the universe was not listening I fell into an old habit of screaming at God. Yes, I had dream messages…  (to be continued)

   

This wonderful “Leaf and Vine” style half circle pin is created in 14Ky/gr/w/r gold with blue sapphire and diamonds. Leaf and vine is a design I came up with years back to represent how we are always growing, dying back a bit, only to spring up once again to learn about life. Diamonds, when smaller than another colored stone, magnify the energy of that other stone, in this case blue sapphire. Blue sapphires give the intuitive part of your brain permission to open. Something necessary for good dream messages to come through!

Connection with the wonderful color of blue sapphire, add in a touch of green and have this terrific fascinator hat that can be worn in both winter and summer. I ask you, who doesn’t love a bit of plumage on their heads?

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

 

The Life You Are Living

Chapter 7; Self-Protection

 

Energy shifts are part of any metaphysical development. Opening psychic doors and windows means you are more susceptible to negative energy lurking around. I’m not trying to put the kibosh on your new-found interest, simply suggesting that you be aware and as such take precautions. Protection of both seen and invisible energy is exhausting emotionally, physically and psychically.

Have you been feeling like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders with no possible end in sight?

Do you think there is an invisible dark energy force hanging over your head?

Are minor accidents happening lately where you’re nervous that a big one is headed your way soon?

Don’t fear… Candace is here with some very important possibilities for getting out of, and staying out of weird psychic hot water!

If you are someone who takes baths… Run a bath with either apple cider vinegar, or sea salt. No need to measure how much nor pay any attention if your vinegar is organic or not. It’s just important that you use one of these over the course of a few days or a week. In your bath create a resting moment to breathe normally and begin to see shifts in your mind. When ready to leave the bath, let it drain out and rinse off with clean water while saying, “Please remove any negativity from within or on this body and have only white light energy remain”. Get out and dry yourself off. Repeat this each day for at least three days or, as I might suggest, until you begin to forget to do this procedure.

If you are a shower person, no problem with making use of this same process. Buy some apple cider vinegar in a plastic bottle so you can take into the shower with you. Either that, or buy a spritzer bottle from the dollar store and place the vinegar, or dissolved salt with water in the bottle and take that into the shower with you. Pour or spritz the solution over you from head-to-foot. Cider vinegar is good for your hair so don’t worry about getting it on your head. Repeat the words above, rinse with clean water, towel off and begin your day.

Within a few days of this ritual you ought to feel a shift energetically speaking.

You may feel lighter either physically, or psychically.

You might feel suddenly happier than you’ve felt in some time.

If you forget to do the vinegar for a day or two, then most likely you are free for now from whatever had hold of you. It’s okay to do this for longer than a week if you feel uncertain. When I begin to forget to use the vinegar I know it’s time to let it alone for now and take normal showers.

During trying times stones to use for protection depend upon what kind of energy has been plaguing you…

Black onyx helps to hold private what you want while stopping others from forcefully coming in. Reflect someone’s negativity back at them, and away from you.

Hematite protects from others’ negative thoughts. Choose whose issues to invite in.

Both blue and gray chalcedony act as armored protectors.

Amethyst can protect from overindulgences.

Marcasite-pyrite helps eliminate what’s inside you that is negative.

My next book to go to print is called Stone Magic. I have been claiming in my blogs that it is coming out soon, and I promise it is. This book breaks down stone healing properties in an A-Z fashion, is small, and easily transportable. You will be able to take this with you when you go jewelry or stone shopping. When you feel drawn to a certain stone, look up the healing it can bring forth and decide if it’s for you or not.

Also, one simple daily visual exercise will assist in keeping you out of harms reach. Before my day gets going I do this…

Picture yourself, your house, your car, your children or even your pets surrounded by white light. Follow that up with encircling that white light with mirrors that face outward. If you have difficulties with this process, I suggest you work this way… See yourself inside a white tent that even has a white floor, then see that tent encased with a Mylar Balloon. You know, the ones that have a mirror finish on them. See the mirrors all around and under you just as the white tent had a floor. Make certain the mirrors are facing outward! Now follow these visuals up with the words… “Spirits go before me, make my way safe perfect and clear. Please do not let anything I consider even remotely negative come near me this perfect day under Grace and in Divine right perfect ways!” At the end of the day it helps to give thanks for having received that protection all day.

These are the easiest and best ways to self-protect and clear negative energy from yourself. Paying attention is key, but these methods give a hand up on everything that wants to come your way now that you have opened a door.

                

Above, find frosted black onyx beads with white fresh water pearls and 14Kw/y gold half chickens and half egg drops. Black onyx is normally seen with a high polish on it that is mirror-like. These beads have been sand-blasted to have a matt finish. The half chicken, half egg symbolizes the age-old question of Which Came First. Having them in both white and yellow gold displays how eggs normally come either in white or brown colors. White pearls bring in a pure balance to feminine energy. This is to say… Keep negative energy away from you with black onyx and yet be open to new possibilities. You can be a chicken, or spring forth out of that shell existence you’ve been living and be balanced in a feminine way.

Above right, you’ll see one of my painted floor cloths in black and gold. It has a Harlequin boarder, and acorns as a center design. From one tiny acorn, you can eventually create a whole forest. That is true abundance!

It’s my understanding that floor cloths were an early form of rug found in New England. The maritime sailors wore rain gear created from oilcloth. Someone thought this same oilcloth might help keep some of the mud off their floors and began to decorate them as rugs. Living in a sea town, I have quite a few floor cloths decorating my floors, all of which I created. Some of which are for sale.

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

 

The Live You Are Living

Chapter 6; Trickster Energy

 

It’s Friday, and for most the last day of the work week. A day where people at least inwardly give a hearty Yippeeeeeee. Normally Friday is the day before I get my blog on line ready for Sunday notifications that it’s available to read by whomever after writing, rewriting, tweaking, more rewriting and editing. This Friday is about creating peace in an extremely hectic world that can be filled with trickster energy.

Let’s get going…

Early metaphysical discoveries will display moments where things do go bump in the night and you know you are no longer in Kansas. Wondering if in fact you see, feel or hear things that may not be pleasant can be like a scene from a freight movie. If you had a childhood like mine, during the build-up musical moments just prior to something horrid happening in a film on TV, my sister would poke me in the ribs. Jumping up off the couch screaming had more impact on all in the room than the movie alone could have given. Trickster energy can be like that as well.

Examples…

You walk in the house to hear water running. There are only a few outlets for this to be happening. After checking all, nothing is found on. The sound keeps haunting you. Heading down to check the laundry area you discover there are four inches of water covering the basement floor with more rushing down from a spigot you didn’t know existed. Wading through the river to the waterfall, you turn the faucet ten times to finally get it closed. Bewildered, all kinds of thoughts run through your head as to how this could possibly have happened. If it only took one turn to stop the water you might justify that as pressure build-up. Staring at the water around your ankles you know this had to be done by someone, or something.

Many small things have happened lately that you discounted for one reason or another. Maybe you have been extra busy at work and opted not to give credence to whatever was going on, but things were adding up and this water incident was a definite attention getter!

Perhaps while walking across a room you felt a cold spot, a really cold spot.

Heading up the hall towards the front door you physically bump into something you do not see. Stopping, your hand gropes the air in hopes of discovering why you halted two feet shy of the front door to find nothing.

Things keep disappearing around the house. This might be explained if you didn’t live alone nor had any recent visitors.

Your cat jumps up from a deep sleep and begins growling at nothing you can see.

Some weird noise keeps happening at odd times without any connection to appliances or cars passing by outside.

Books go flying across the room.

A dishwasher or washing machine turns on by itself.

Toilets flush without anyone being in the bathroom.

A window won’t open when there has been no recent rain to make it swell and then the following day it opens easily.

Dishes rattle.

These are all examples of extra energy in or around your home. How did this energy suddenly come forth? Did you do something that silently invited it your way? Can you stop it from continuing?

When asked, I usually answer in this way… Picture yourself driving somewhere after dark on a road where friends live. Their lights are on and their car is in the driveway. Clearly, you know they are home. You could knock on their door and visit for a while. Spirits are much the same. Once you begin to develop metaphysically, spirits can and do see your inner lights on and know you are home. They begin to drop in for visits. Unfortunately, some are not the nicest energetically speaking much the same as humans.

Awareness is the first step. Asking them to stop can be the next and something I do say out loud in a firm voice. Meditation can also prove insightful.

When many of these things began happening to me I felt firm action was necessary.

First, I smudged the house. This is where you take an American Indian sage stick, light it on fire till ambers get going and then you blow out the flame. Smoke is what you desire. Begin at one corner or another of the apartment, house or whatever and move through the house waving the smoke about. Always head towards an open window or door while asking for any negativity to leave and only positive energy to remain. Leave the window open for some time after you have finished this process to make certain the air is clear so-to-speak. Within a couple days you ought to feel the energy shift to be much more positive.

If you have had serious problems, smudging will begin the exit strategy but, you may have to follow up with another process or two. Think Samurai. Smudge, and then get the largest knife in the house. Begin wherever is the furthest and highest spot in your home, and head towards an open window or door while slashing the air. It’s still necessary to tell whomever to get out, that their energy is not welcome here! When I did this my voice was loud and unmistakably serious. I felt powerful, but completely nuts! Interestingly enough my trickster energy left the building, so take these suggestions or not. Once done, I found the energy that came in was now of a kinder, more gentle, and acceptable nature.

If this procedure does not seem possible for you emotionally, you can try something different. Get boxes of Kosher salt from the grocery store. Sea salt also works, but Kosher salt comes in large boxes and is easily poured. This is something you want as you will be outside your home during this process. I tried this just before it was completely dark one night, and a day before it was due to rain. Timing is your choice but I didn’t want my neighbors watching what I was doing for fear they might call the lunacy squad on me. After smudging to force energy outside, I went out to pour salt on the ground forming a circle about the house. By smudging first you are forcing energy outward. The continuous circle of salt helps to keep that energy from reentering your home. Rain washes that circle into the ground and away from prying eyes who may want to walk on the other side of the street when they see you coming. I did this before I tried the sword or knife procedure because it was prior to hearing about the Samurai method. It did work for a brief time, but then everything seemed to come back.

Once while meditating with friends, we all had the same vision of a woman being angry that her house was no longer hers alone. That was why she was throwing books about, and grabbing at ankles as my friend traversed the stairs. We approached that meditation knowing there was a purpose to discover what this bad energy wanted and as such we all asked the same questions. To our surprise we each received the same answers.  We asked what could make this spirit happy? She simply wanted to feel included. Her favorite thing when alive was African violets. Once found, a tea cup with these flowers painted on it got placed in the dining room along with a tin of dried flowers and they calmed that energy completely. When in doubt, ask friends for help. Metaphysical education and development does not need to be done alone. After all, Dorothy gathered friends along her journey before she found her way. And whatever your Friday may have in store remember there are ways to cope with trickster energy!

Blue Chalcedony is a great stone to wear when in need of a shield of protection. Methods of personal protection will be discussed next week. This strand of beads can be worn as a necklace, or bracelet and has some white pearls mixed in. White pearls bring a pure balance to feminine energy. Together, white pearls and blue chalcedony give you a pure balance while being protected from unknown factors.

This wedding fascinator is perfect for a mother-of-the-bride or groom. You’ll receive protection from the sun and people if you want with this stiffened straw base and lovely floral display for you head all while receiving compliments!

Discover more information on the healing properties of stones in my coming book titled Stone Magic. It will be announced here when it is available.

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here

The Life You Are Living

Chapter Five; Messages & Intuitions

 

 

People often ask how I feel confident the messages I receive are true and not some form of trickster energy?

When you first get involved with metaphysics you question everything. Wish I could say that element has completely gone away for me. Perhaps it’s in my nature to repeatedly ask questions to make sure I am on the road I ought to be on at any given moment in this life. However, I will give a couple examples of tips on how to know when advice, guidance or messages given are true. When a friend or even a stranger tells you something, maybe as a suggestion to where your next path might lead and you feel chills, that indicates that what was just said is true for you at this moment. The chills are an exclamation point given as angelic confirmation. In the beginning, you might dismiss such a simple physical gesture. Get more involved with your spiritual side and you’ll accept this little sign more and more as fact affirming. Being a visually oriented person I often see something inside my head and once questioned I’ll receive another vision along the same lines as confirmation. Also, at odd moments movie scenes appear in my mind and when I watch that film to see what strikes as a “connection” moment I receive an answer. I get chills. Where your comfort zone for open line communication lies is something only you can decipher.

Maybe you overhear a conversation that seems to be an answer for you.

A book you’re reading has a character do something that rings true.

Messages and intuitions come at you from many directions if you can catch them. Perhaps a message given but dismissed, will be presented again in a slightly different way. As previously stated you can also receive deja vus. While locked into that flashback count it as confirmation that this is a true path for you right now. You decide if something feels right and true, or you step to one side of that intuitive moment.

Trickster energy is something that can be problematic when you first become sensitive to energy outside your own. In my next blog this will be addressed because the ways to deal with these spirits is longer than I am presently making each essay.

Back on the positive side… If you decide your intuitive messages were pure guidance, then what comes next? Follow the lead given or not. It’s always free will.

Trust is a big issue at these moments.

Finding clarity can be a challenge at any given time.

Believing the intuitions can seem near to impossible.

When Pigs Fly is a design I came up with fashioned after that age-old claim when something was never going to happen. Mixing this sculpture design with clear quartz in the ring pictured means you can find clarity while asking for the impossible.

Maybe you can have great clarity when you dream.

Perhaps your clear messages come from talking to friends or coworkers.

Your clarity may come through meditation.

How ever your clarity, intuition, or messages present themselves is yours alone. Step into that new-found informational highway and experience an inner connection like no other. It can be uplifting!

One last thing I might suggest is that though some spiritual connections can be made through electronic vibrations, if you’re constantly connected to one electronic device or another you can receive false messages, especially when learning to be metaphysically tuned-in. Sleep with all that electronic hardware and dream messages can come through disjointed. Decisions are always yours, but if you’re interested in receiving clarity, putting devices to bed away from your person is a sure way to open a line with the powers that be.

Perhaps you put all electronics away for at least one hour daily, preferably at the same time. This helps to set up an open line. Do longer sessions and most likely you will receive clearer intuitive messages.

Trusting messages received is a beginning, and a place to find comfort. This is how you can and do accept messages and or intuitions sent your way, and your way of actually having Pigs Fly!

Clear crystal quartz is the large center stone of this ring that works to provide clarity in life and then delight anyone with the hidden When Pigs Fly sculpture. Keep it simple and wear the earrings alone to make a statement.

Straw base fascinators can have a see-through element to them as does this one. Be demure while standing out in a crowd wearing this wonderful Asian influenced fascinator hat. Let your brain reach out to catch the understanding that is yours alone.

< Go to clsherman.com

Candace is also the author of the well-received The Crystal Caves available here