Towards Motherhood part 2

I am now 22 (and a half) weeks pregnant. Over the past few weeks, the element of water has really made itself known - firstly, the new rainy season that we seem to be developing in the UK, then a leak from upstairs causing our bathroom ceiling to imitate the rain outside (all patched up now thanks to a handy hubby).

So, with all this water around, it came as no surprise that I suddenly had the urge to go swimming again. Thanks to the NCT yahoo group, I found a local health club that runs a pre and post-natal aqua-aerobics session, run by a lovely but slightly mad midwife called Jo. I'm loving it - and I can still remember how to swim, just!

The Bump is now huge! Well, to me it is. One look at some of the other ladies at the aqua-natal makes me feel like quite the newbie, still. It feels wonderful to watch my body grow and adapt to this new life blossoming inside me. I can feel 'the wriggler' and see movement when he or she kicks and somersaults around. This little being is already creating magic in my life. All the modern day material needs have begun to be met in preparation, through the kindness of family and friends. Abundance truly is our birthright and this little one seems to be actively co-creating with me already! I am so grateful for all that we have been given and promised thus far. I'm looking forward to a baby shopping trip with my mother-, father- and sister-in-law in a couple of days. I'm not lacking for information and helpful advice, either, from library books and new 'mummy friends'. I'm growing roots: a network of wonderful, supportive people.

I have a lot to give, too and am still running my Reiki Clinic, now with a student volunteer; a certain printing company is helping me with very cheap advertising; I'm looking into running a Reiki for Parents course and have found a local practitioner who already does just that and has offered some very helpful advice.

So much to think about, prepare for and to grow into... I'm choosing to follow my intuition, take it easy and take a lesson from the element of Water: it's all about flow and gentle power. Learning to live is like learning to swim - get the breathing right to stay afloat, keeping your head above water, getting your various parts to work in harmony to propel you forward...and to learn to relax and have fun whilst doing it! Thanks, Water!

Towards Motherhood

I'm very happy to announce that my husband and I are expecting our first baby!

As of today, I'm in the second trimester with a due date of 23rd November. However, I keep seeing the number 11/11 everywhere so I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was early! Being a Reiki practitioner and Wiccan, I have plenty of ways to support myself, in addition to the enormous amount of printed information from the doctor/ midwife.

Reiki is a wonderful gift. My hands are always ready whenever 'morning' (read 'all-day') sickness threatens. I'm actively giving the bump treatments daily, if only for a few minutes here and there. It is warm and comforting. This is a huge life change, not only on the physical level but from a Wiccan perspective I'm moving into a new phase in life. If you divide the life stages into five, you progress from Maiden to Lover then to Mother, Grandmother and Wisewoman (or Great-Grandmother).

I'm preparing myself for a time of giving, of selflessness (and after 34 years of doing what I want a great deal of the time, this is a little daunting!). However, before the giving comes receiving: I have had several generous offers of help to aquire all the material necessities a baby demands. I have time to myself to receive rest, to enjoy reading, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my inner teen loves it!) and study the Craft and Reiki further. I have given myself walks in the woods and lots of positive, nourishing thoughts. The small amount of time I spend giving treatments and tasters hardly feels like work, more like joy.

My focus has certainly shifted inward. They say you get 'stupid' during pregnancy...common sense and memory do seem to be lapsing a little, but I'm listening to what my body needs. This is especially noticeable with food. I'm eating much more fruit than usual, now prefer coffee to tea (though only one or two weak cups a day, watch the caffeine). My experiences gained through Reiki and Wicca have helped me become more aware of myself, though this is an ongoing process. The Reiki ideals stand me in good stead, taking each day as it comes. A wonder and love of nature fills me with peace. Being so tired, as is normal, has forced me to slow down and though I could really use the income, I'm grateful that I'm not forcing my body to work a 9-5 job.

I have lots of ideas about the future. I would love to train in Jikiden Reiki. I would love to offer Reiki workshops for mums and dads-to-be. I feel drawn to sharing my Wiccan knowledge and to furthering that path. This little life that has chosen to come into being through me is already filling me with so much joy and quiet enthusiasm for life. I have much to give. Blessed Be~

Reiki In Schools

Last year was a testing ground. This year sees Reiki In Schools launched as a cornerstone to my Reiki Practice.

It is still early days yet but now I have the experience of six talks, five of which were to sixth formers. It occurred to me that many Holistic practices focus on adults. Workshops, treatments and taster sessions are all seemingly geared towards adults. I feel that it is important to educate those adults responsible for children about the benefits of Reiki for children. As for teenagers, here is something that teaches self-discipline, self-respect and respect and compassion for others - what a wonderful aid for those who are approaching adulthood!

I intend to collect together some testimonials to write a proper article but here is an example:

"In March [2007], classes from Upper Sixth of St Albans High School were introduced to the world of Reiki. The session was informative and interesting, and allowed the girls to learn a little more about the art. The talk let us find out about the beliefs inherent in Reiki, but we were not expected simply to accept them on face value. Some of us started the session with reservations, and although an hour is not enough to fully grasp the underlying concepts of Reiki, we all left with a better understanding of the principles.

The session itself was a very relaxing experience, told in a soothing voice with calming music playing in the background. Seeing practical demonstrations helped us to grasp what exactly was involved in the healing, although it was a shame that due to time constraints more of us could not directly experience the effects of Reiki.

Our speaker was engaging and managed to convey the essential ideas of Reiki. I am sure that even if not all of the girls who attended will go on to become involved in any kind of Reiki, all of us left with a little more awareness of this kind of alternative healing. "

Many thanks to the student who provided that testimonial.

There are some people out there who have the skills and the vision to extend the natural health and healing arts to young ones. Yoga is being introduced alongside ballet ; I have a book on Tai Chi for children which is beautifully presented. My experience is mainly focussed around Reiki but I am sure there are specialists in other areas doing similar work...but we're still few and far between.

Can you imagine every school having an experienced, well-trained Reiki Practitioner to support children and staff alike, working alongside the school nurse (or equivalent)? In my experience, Reiki is emotionally and mentally supportive, non-invasive and respectful. Having worked as a Montessori Directress, I was aware on more than one occassion of Reiki flowing to a child that I was working with or comforting, without me consciously having offered it. It was needed, so it flowed. If more parents were aware that Reiki is an invaluable tool for caring for the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of the complex,growing human beings in their care, wouldn't you think that schools might even run courses? Can you imagine...?

Wicca meets Science

So, I'm out of the broom closet.

Many people have a hard time relating to Wicca. The word 'wiccian' is Old English (possibly Anglo-Saxon) and is a verb meaning 'to cast a spell'. The word 'wicca' was originally the word used to indicate a male witch, 'wice' being the female equivalent. Nowadays the pronounciation has changed from 'witcha' to 'wikka' and the word 'Wicca' is used to denote the contemporary version of a very ancient spiritual practice. The different forms for male and female have been dropped and those who practice Wicca refer to themselves as Wicca or Wiccan or perhaps Witch.

The word also carried the meanings of 'to bend', 'to know' and 'to have wisdom'. Having studied many books on popular psychology I am a little amused and pleasantly surprised each time an author or a film-maker puts across an idea that can be found in Wicca. Much of it is about understanding the natural metaphysical laws of the Universe. I found this article by William Bloom (frequent contributor to Cygnus Books' magazine) that explains this eloquently.

Another fascinating insight is from a review of a book called 'Tuning the Diamonds' by Susan Joy Rennison, a physicist. In it, she explains how scientists are gaining a greater understanding of electromagnetism and its presence throughout the Universe. We are becoming aware of changes in the Earth's frequency - in January 2000 it was measured at 7.8 Hertz, now it is closer to 13Hz. Similarly, all of the geological and biological life-forms on the planet are gradually vibrating at faster rates. Lines of energy running through the Earth, commonly known as 'ley lines', have apparently been changing.

Now here's the interesting bit: the patterns that these lines of energy create are geometric patterns. Imagine a square. Now put a point above and in the middle, making a 3D pyramid. Now put a point below, like an upside-down pyramid. There, you have a diamond shape. Galaxies have been measured to be distributed in a diamond-lattice formation. The lines of energy on the Earth create this diamond shape....and in the bodies of human beings, this diamond pattern can also be found.

Now, follow me back to the realm of Wicca for a moment (don't worry, you're safe with me). When a festival is celebrated or the wiccan chooses to employ ritualised methods of using Universal Law to bring about positive change in his or her life, this is always done in a ritual circle. The four points North, East, South, and West are honoured, each representing some part of life that has meaning, for example North represents stability and material abundance; East represents beginnings and inspiration etc. Now we have four points making a square. Then the God, sometimes referred to as Father Sky is honoured (point above) and the Goddess, Mother Earth (point below). Now, what shape do we have?

A diamond within a sphere.

This realisation made me laugh out loud and appreciate even more the Divine Patterns of the Universe. I must emphasise that I am learning more about Wicca, Metaphysics and Universal Laws as I go along. You never really transform knowledge into wisdom until you have lived what you have learned. May you benefit from all that Life has to teach you. I look forward to reading your comments, Blessed be :)

The Law of Attraction

I don't remember when I actually first heard about the Law of Attraction but since last year, I seem to have been attracting lessons in it from many sources. The films 'What The Bleep Do We Know' and 'The Secret' along with a wonderful little book called "Excuse me, Your Life is Waiting!' and its companion 'Playbook' (more like a mental and emotional workout!) have been some of my sources of inspiration.

It has been through taking the courageous step into the alien world of Network Marketing that I have come across such wonderful Life Instructions. Who said Life didn't come with a manual? There's lots out there! One of the most inspirational people I have heard of is Bob Proctor. I read his book 'You Were Born Rich' and found many ideas that were challenging but stimulating. Like many people, I grew up with some negative beliefs around money that have been very successful in..er..protecting me from it. Now I'm developing my Prosperity Consciousness having realised that money is just energy and my inner attitude towards it is reflected in my experience of it.

I am enjoying financial abundance.

OK, so that little seed is still growing, but last year when my friend and I went shopping together we decided to go to Japan. At the time, there was no way I could afford it, being self-employed with a very new business and less than no savings. Even so, I was determined that I would go and took steps to plan the holiday. I put pictures of Japan on my bedroom wall, along with an affirmation stating when we would go and later, a little map when we had decided where. I opened myself to the possibility and bit by bit things started to happen.

We found the perfect tour company which would arrange travel and accomodation but allow us a great deal of freedom (Inside Japan Tours, I heartily recommend them). I was studying Japanese more intensely and had made some pen-pals who we arranged to meet. I realised one day that I would need a lot more capacity in my old camera so asked for a new memory card for my birthday. That proved hard to find and expensive, so instead, it was suggested that I could get a newer second hand camera. Thanks to my Dad's talent for rooting out information, we found the perfect one...on eBay. There was a chance that we'd lose the bid but I decided to put the Law of Attraction into work again and visualised like mad! I could imagine myself in Japan taking lots of pictures. I pictured the little camera in my hand, how it felt, how happy and grateful I was to have it. The night before the end of the auction, I wrote a whole page of 'Thankyou for my camera!' Just minutes before the auction finished whilst the outcome was still very uncertain, there I was in the lounge jumping up and down saying THANKYOU FOR MY CAMERA! with childlike giggles of glee.

And guess what? The Universe delivered my camera to me and I took over 200 photographs when I had the most amazing holiday of my life yet in Japan.

There have been times when I tried to put the Law of Attraction to work, but it didn't quite happen. Then again, I wasn't really feeeeling it. I didn't really savour it in my imagination. I wasn't really grateful because some little mental saboteur kept reminding me that this wasn't reality. (It's been very good at hijacking my money energy before I can manifest it but I'm starting to get the better of it now).

Bottom line is, if you really desire something, feel it as though it's already yours, picture yourself with it clearly and often. Have fun stating your desire in the present tense. Don't be embarrassed to get excited about it! Have fun but most of all, be grateful and trust that if it is in your best interests to have it, it will be delivered by Universal Special Delivery, with love.

Another Blog is born!

Welcome to the first delicate new petal of a post on The Art of Blossoming!

Introduction

My name is Sally-Ann and I am a Reiki teacher and practitioner, a Solitary Wicca and a network marketer. I do Live Roleplaying, love reading, have a keen interest in metaphysics, tai chi ch'uan, listening to music and playing the recorder by ear. I am in the process of learning Japanese and visited that wonderful country in 2007.

Why have I decided to set up a 'blog'?

There's so many things pulling this way and that, calling out to be expressed, to be shared, to be integrated. I have a feeling that there are quite a few people out there who would resonate with my life experience, colourful as it's been so far and maybe...just maybe...this is a fertile ground to practice Blossoming.

What do I mean by 'The Art of Blossoming'?

Essentially, I have noticed things as I go through life. The way that there seems to be a natural pattern, an awareness of my conscious contribution to my experience in life and an evolving understanding of the effects of those hidden parts of Mind.
It's wonderful to be able to express that which you are newly aware of or have gained a deeper insight into so I am truly grateful to my Intuition for nudging me into creating this.

Well, now I've planted the seed, let's see how it grows :)