A Spiritual Journey

In May 2012, I took the first step of a journey that has since changed my life.  I enrolled in the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.  At the time I enrolled, I got to choose a major and minor for the Associate Degree of Occupational Studies in Transformational Psychology.  (I think the set-up for the programs may have changed a little, but I'm not fully sure on that)  Out of the 4 choices - Hypnotherapy, Urban Farming, Spiritual Studies, Holistic Nutrition - I chose a major of Hypnotherapy and a minor of Spiritual Studies. 

I was so excited to get my class schedule and be in school again.  Yeah, I'm one of those odd people that actually like school.  My 4.0 GPA in an online program is a clear sign of that.  

First up on the list:
1. Prayer Therapy
2. Toe Reading - Reflexology Assessment I - Elemental
3. Hypnotherapy - Foundations Level I


Interesting.  I got to start Hypnotherapy right away (Yea!), Toe Reading sounded interesting, and Prayer Therapy ... well, what in the world is that anyway?! 

I definitely felt overwhelmed in those first few days.  Do I do a little in each class?  Do I complete one week's classwork and then move onto another class?  I found myself asking friends for advice on how to manage the work load.  Prayer Therapy was last on my priority list.  I mean, I still had no idea what it was and the other two classes sounded far more interesting anyway.  By first day of week 2, all of that changed. 

My instructor for this crazy Prayer Therapy class was a woman named Kathy.  There was something in the way she communicated with us, as a class.  She was so gentle, supporting, and caring.  She showed no judgment toward anyone's questions or uncertainties of religion and spirituality.  She truly honored and supported each of us on our different paths.  What stands out in my mind is a suggestion she made to me during class.  We were working with different forms of prayer and I practiced the use of mudras.  I had a very strong experience of energy in my hands with the mudras.  Kathy made the simple suggestion of me looking into learning energy healing work since my experience was so strong.  That moment is forever etched in my mind as I felt like she noticed something in me. 

It is a common flaw of mine to seek outside validation or recognition.  (Don't judge)  In that moment, I felt recognized and between Kathy's supportive demeanor and my connection to the once-crazy-class called Prayer Therapy, I noticed a subtle shift taking place.  (By the way, Prayer Therapy is just as it sounds - using different forms of prayer for therapeutic purposes)

By July, I had finished Prayer Therapy, Toe Reading, Hypnotherapy, and Public Speaking and had moved onto Comparative Religion, Life Coaching - Foundation, and Hypnotherapy Level II.  I had also realized the shift was not-so-subtle anymore and I needed to listen to the nudge my intuition was giving me.   I looked over the class lists (over and over again), and I felt much more drawn to the entire class list of Spiritual Studies than I did Hypnotherapy.  I needed to change my major and minor.  I had no idea what this change would hold for me and even half-way through the program I still found myself questioning what exactly I would do with a major in Spiritual Studies.  But underneath all of the questioning was that unwavering intuitive knowing that this change was right for me.  

Toward the end of the Spiritual Studies classes, I finally got it.  These classes were not so much for my "future" (although they DO play a huge role), but they were for my formation and evolution as a soul.  These classes helped shape who I am in this present moment.  They helped create an understanding and awareness of beliefs I've held and filled in missing pieces of my Spiritual and Religious puzzle.  (I use the term 'religious' loosely)  More than anything, these classes provided me the safety to speak my own truth and allowed me to find comfort in my beliefs not lining up with what I'd been taught growing up.  I felt validated in feeling that some of the things I was 'told' as a child didn't add up.  Most importantly, I felt strongly connected to a faith that fit my life.  And the best part of it all?  Kathy was a huge part of the Spiritual Studies classes and I got to share my journey and transformation with her, the one who sparked it all.  

Once the Spiritual Studies part of the program was over in July of 2013, the questions loomed - What now?  Do I seek ordination?  What would I do as an ordained minister anyway?  I was in the first group of students to take this as a major online, so the school didn't have anything in place just yet.  I received notification that a final class leading to ordination would begin in September, if I was interested.  I thought, Well...I've come this far.  Why stop now?  I had a few months to fulfill the requirements of volunteer time, writing a 1200-word minimum bio-sketch of my journey into ordination, and getting all of my application paperwork submitted.  Naturally, I used up ALL of the time I was given to get all of that done.  And we had a date - January 26, 2014 - an online ordination ceremony would take place for us.  The week of I received everything I needed - my sash, candle, a container of blessed water, and an envelope reading, "Do not open until after ceremony."  (Do they not know how hard it is to NOT open something that says "Do not open"?!)    


Before I knew it, the weekend was upon me and I found myself ceremoniously cleaning my house the day before.  I was quietly contemplating so many things, and taking every step with thought and care.  It gave me the similar feeling leading up to a wedding ceremony.  That time spent in quiet and excitement about what was to come, carefully doing every task leading up to the event ... very ritualistic and ceremonious.  Since the ceremony was taking place online, we were asked to have a sacred witness present.  Naturally, I asked my husband first, but he said he wasn't fully comfortable.  So, I asked a good friend of mine, who happily accepted.  However, the Universe had different plans in mind and gave us a nice 4-5 inches of snow, preventing my friend from making it to our home.  My husband now had to serve as my sacred witness.  We had no choice.  (I love that what is meant to happen always will!)  

Although it wouldn't be seen in the ceremony, I felt the urge to create an altar.  I placed a black cloth over a table, and draped a colorful scarf my husband got me down the middle.  I grabbed a silver candle from my bookshelf, placed it on a black candle holder, and poured sand from Myrtle Beach around it to create a grounding feeling.  I carefully set my candle, blessed water, envelope, sash, and some crystals on the altar.  It looked and felt beautiful. 

I went into my bedroom to get dressed and heard a loud crash.  I asked my husband if everything was all right, and he opened the bathroom door telling me that noise wasn't from him.  I quickly turned my attention to the living room, to see my altar gone.  My cat, Osiris, decided to check out the scenery and I'm not exactly sure what happened, but it didn't look good.  My husband and I were in a hurry to get everything back up and together when I realized that the cork had come off the little jar of blessed water and spilled all over the carpet.  Osiris must have figured the front room needed a blessing, because it sure got one!  I wanted to cry, but all I could do was laugh.  I felt like that was a sign that I was taking things a bit too seriously at the moment and I needed to lighten up a bit.  And luckily, there was a tiny bit of blessed water left in the jar for the ceremony.  (Whew!)  

The ceremony itself was beautiful.  I was happy to connect with people that have shared this journey with me.  This process is very involved and you can't help but get to know the people along the way.  One of the girls has become a dear friend to me, and has played a very instrumental role in my comfort throughout this process.  She has been a continuous source of encouragement, laughter, and tears and I love her like a member of my family.  She is the big sister I've always wanted and I'm so happy she's been placed in my life.  

So, what now?  Well, first let me introduce myself - I am Reverend Virginia Blank, an Interfaith Minister, and I am ready to walk my talk and share my light with the world.  My hope is to inspire others through Spiritual Guidance, Mentoring, and Coaching and to share the message of acceptance and comfort in blazing your own Spiritual trail of beliefs that fit into your life.  And so it is.                 

Make 2014 Special!

A new year is upon us and for most, this means resolutions and new ways of living.  Some of us resolve to be better people, to lose weight, to quit smoking, or to save money, amongst other things.  But, the basis of each resolution is change.  Change is required to fully succeed at any resolution we make, and let's be honest - change isn't always easy (take it from someone who isn't fond of change). 

In order to successfully effect change, we must get down to the nitty-gritty and find the core of the problem.  Most often, this core is seated very comfortably in a deep, emotional place that we may not even be aware of.  Would you connect your lack of parental love/support as a child to your current weight or food issues?  Would you connect your inability to find happiness to your negative self-talk?  (Are you even aware of your negative self-talk?!?!)  Would you connect any jealous or envious feelings to your own lack of self-worth?  These examples are not always the cause of each 'issue', but 99% of the time there is an emotional tie to our physical and mental ailments.  We spend a lot of time tending to the 'issue' and not enough time figuring out the trigger, or cause. 

I've been trying to push myself out of my own comfort zone into making necessary changes, and spending a lot of time trying to identify the emotional source of anything I have going on in my own life.  This led me to a great idea - since change is most effective on a deeper level, every service on my "Coaching and Hypnotherapy" page will be listed at a special price for the months of January and February.  All single sessions will have a 25% discount, package pricing and past-life regressions will have a 10% discount.  (The prices listed on my website reflect this discount)

Why not let this year be the year that you finally [insert desired change here] by making the changes from the inside out?  I'm here, when you are ready... 

 

Living Life According to the Universe

The universe works in a very structured, yet giving, manner.  There are rules and laws that govern the universe and our lives and the more we live in accordance to those laws, the more harmonious our lives are, the more in touch we are with our true selves.  For about ten years or so, I’ve naturally been living my life according to Universal laws and my life has been drastically different since. 

It’s like a natural system of checks and balances.  Where our minds go, our energy follows.  So, if we think about and harbor on negative aspects of life then that is what we find ourselves surrounded by.  If we wish harm on others, we find ourselves in harm’s way quite often.  If we want something, we must act upon it – in both thought and physicality.  Everything always comes full circle – what goes around comes around, so if you ‘go around’ in a positive fashion, that positivity also ‘comes around’ your life.  Everything in the world must have balance, what goes up must also come down.  There is a rhythm to the universe and as long as we are living in accordance to that rhythm, we ourselves, our lives are also in rhythm.  To me, it truly is the simplest thing in the world, yet so many people are not dialed into this concept and awareness. 

We are the only ones who can control what we think, how we act, and how we react.  Keeping our thoughts focused on the things we want, instead of the things we do not want heightens our ability to manifest things in our lives. 

Actively appreciating what we DO have instead of what we do not have keeps our lives in perspective.  Being aware of the things we have that others do not, helps us to keep it relative.  This can be our mental health, our physical health, our spiritual connection, our physical surroundings, our physical assets, our zest for life, etc. 

Understanding that we create our realities, through our thoughts, words, and actions helps us to not become victims of our lives and helps us to hold ourselves responsible for what we do, think, and say. 

Knowing that we must have balance in life, being able to take the good with the bad, understanding that the sun sets and the moon rises, that tides go in and out, that people are good and people are bad.  It IS what we choose to focus on, so why not focus on the good?  Even if we experience a down time or a “bad” situation, we will get through it – we always do.  Everything is happening as it is meant to and we are never given more than we can handle. 

Having an awareness that our thoughts are like silent wishes, so should we ‘think’ about wanting a new house, we have planted that seed, as a wish to grow in our world.  The more we feed energy to that thought (wish) the more of a reality it becomes.  It may not happen overnight, but it will happen – again, when it is meant to. 

While Universal laws seem to focus on the mental reality of our thoughts shaping our worlds, there is a strong spiritual connection.  We must connect to and understand the Universe at large and Divine timing.  We must be fully aware of our physical beings, as homes for our souls and treat our physical bodies as such.  Taking care of and tending to our needs, wants, and desires.  We must recognize this in others as well.  If we, as a “world” recognized each other on a soul level, can you imagine how different the world would be?  We wouldn’t have the jealousy, the envy, the competition, the greed … we would see so much more love, acceptance, compassion, forgiveness, and understanding.  I’d much rather live in the positive aspects of the world.  Wouldn't you?   

 

 

 

Healing Through the Mind-Body Connection

A healthy soul is a happy soul.  This, of course, doesn’t mean that souls with physical, mental, or emotional ailments are not happy.  It does, however, imply that souls suffering from physical, mental, or emotional ailments or illnesses may have some underlying distress or unhappiness that deserves some attention.   

Louise Hay talks of this very thing in her book, Heal Your Body A-Z.  She talks about her own experience with cancer of the vagina, how her background of rape and physical abuse at a young age could have been the causing factor of the manifestation of the cancer, and also how she healed herself through a process, starting with clearing old patterns.   

Old patterns, thoughts, and behaviors that are so deeply a part of one’s soul may be the root cause of many mental and physical ailments that  manifest.  Anger, resentment, and fear are all emotions that do a great job of festering and eventually erupting, both physically and mentally.   

There are many ways to recognize and overcome these thought patterns that create so much disruption.  The following guideline is simply that – a guideline to be able to recognize patterns.  Always consult a trusted medical physician with any ailments and illnesses, and with the recent surge in holistic healthcare, there may even be a holistic specialist that can be consulted.   

• Trust your gut.  If your body is telling you that something just isn’t right, trust that feeling.
• Check-in with yourself on a regular basis.  This could be daily, weekly, or monthly (although the more often and consistent, the better).  When a negative emotion arises, stop and allow that emotion to be FELT.  Holding it back or stuffing it down is what leads to the patterns and behaviors, and often-times illness.  Acknowledge the feeling.  Spend some time with it.  Get to know it.  Understand why it is surfacing and from where.  If it is anger – Is the anger really directed toward the person or situation?  Or is the person or situation reminding you of something from the past and THAT is what is triggering it?  Recognize the source.  
• Self-Care.  There are many ways to practice self-care (a whole other list could be started for this topic alone).  A few very easy ways to care for oneself are sea salt baths, meditation, yoga, massage, dancing (even if people are watching, but way more fun if done while home alone), sufficient rest, and healthy eating habits. 
• Enlist help.  Find a trusted friend to talk regularly with.  Hire a life coach.  Go to counseling.  Find healthy outlets that give the repressed emotions and feelings a way out, without hurting anyone, including yourself. 
•  LOVE yourself.  Love.  Yourself.  For every perfection and imperfection. 

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  ~World Health Organization, 1948

 

*published in inSpirit magazine June 2013

Intuition Development Classes Online!!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited because I've had people express interest in attending my Intuition Development classes at Witchy Wearables, but are too far away or even in a different state.  So, I'm excited to announce that I finally(!!) have the online version ready to go, starting in January.  Yea!!! 

So, here is all the info you need to know:

• The classes will take place via video conferencing with Google Plus Hangouts.  You must have a Google (gmail) account and download Google Plus, if you don't already have it.  Be sure to include your gmail email address in the notes of your payment for the classes, if it is not your primary PayPal email, so that I can add you to my circles on Google Plus.   
• I am limiting the class size to 9 people only.  This keeps things intimate enough and adheres to Google's rules. 
• The classes span over 4 months, taking place every second Thursday of the month at 8 PM, Central time.  The classes may last up to 2 hours.  Specific dates are: 1-9-14; 2-13-14; 3-13-14; 4-10-14.   
• You must be able to commit to attending every class.  We create a shared energy during the classes and in an effort to keep this energy calm and comfortable, we all must take part in it.  Having people attend one class and not the next shakes up the energy and isn't very comfortable.  Plus, you won't want to miss out on the fun and interactive exercises and information! 
• The first 3 classes will come with handouts that I will email to you the day of the class. 
• You have options to pay for the classes.  The cost per class is $20.  Your initial $20 payment secures your spot.  After that, I will send you a PayPal invoice for the remaining three classes, about 2 weeks prior to the class date.  Payments are due 1 week prior to the class date.  --OR--  You can also pay for all 4 classes at once, which offers a slight discount.  There is a drop-down menu for the payment options in the Classes/Workshops section of my website. 
• You'll want to set aside this class time, to be a quiet, uninterrupted time for you.  This allows you to be fully present and connected to the group and gives respect to the rest of the group (and myself). 
• You will need ear buds or headphones, with a mic, for the class.  The ear buds/headphones cut out any feedback and echo that may occur. 

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me!!  I can't wait to start this journey with you!! 
 

Happy Birthday Pawpaw

Today marks what would be my Pawpaw's 80th birthday. 
I'm not going to pretend like I had this amazing relationship with him,
because I didn't.  In all honesty, I feel like I barely knew him. 

My grandparents moved to Alabama when I was around 7
years old, so the only time I ever spent with him was
during quick visits.  And, let's face it ... spending
time with grandparents from the ages of 8-16 isn't
the first thing that comes to mind when you think
of "fun."  During those visits, I was typically outside
running around with my cousins and my Pawpaw was
typically sitting in his chair ... with his switch sitting right
next to him.  Daunting, wouldn't you say? 

Luckily I was never on the receiving end of that switch, but I can't say the same for other family members.  I never knew that side of my Pawpaw, but I've heard many, many stories.  I think the most important memory I have of him is from the Christmas before he passed.  We went down to Alabama for a visit and I remember 3 nights in a row of driving around, looking at Christmas lights.  The first night we went out, it seemed fun and exciting (from what I can remember, anyway).  The second night wasn't as exciting, and the third night was, "Again?"  But 18 years later, driving around and looking at Christmas lights is one of my favorite things to do. 

So, why write a blog about a man who had little-to-no impact on me while he was alive, except for one lasting memory?  Because I now have this amazing relationship with him.  Many of you will not understand, others will say I'm crazy, but there are a select group who know exactly where I am coming from.  My Pawpaw came to me during several medium readings I received, and now I feel his presence all the time.  He relayed so many important messages and gave me a lot of insight into who he is now, as a spirit, free from any demons he possessed in human form.  

He has talked about his shortcomings and gave a very important reminder to not allow his behaviors to trickle down into patterns in the family.  He talked of breaking that cycle and now allowing his wrong-doings to harm the family now that he's gone.  But, most importantly (for me), he has shown me unconditional love and support as I've grown and developed into the spiritual intuitive that I am.  He's been by my side, guiding me and protecting me along the way.  Is it a coincidence that his birthday is the day before another special and important person who has been instrumental in my growth and development from the spirit realm?  Nah ... I don't believe in coincidence.  

My Pawpaw also reminded me that I am one of a billion, interconnected souls.  He used the imagery of stars to demonstrate this concept.  In the reading that he relayed this reminder, he presented himself as holding stars in his hand, shining and sparkling.  He opened his hand and tossed the stars into the sky, to join all of the other stars.  The magical part about this particular imagery?  About a year prior to his passing, my grandparents renewed their vows during a family reunion.  One of the songs that was played?....

 

Growing Pains

We all experience pain as we grow.  As children, this pain shows up as physical pain, usually in our limbs.  But, what about the growing pains we experience as adults?  The less talked about emotional pains? 

For me, this shows up as an energetic slap-in-the-face by those I thought I was close to (friends, family), who are flat out unsupportive of my growth.  (Please don't mistake that as me wanting recognition or my ego stroked, because that is soooo not my style)  I'm sure many people can empathize with me on this.  Think about the times when you've had something exciting happen for, or to, you.  You, naturally, want to share that news with family and friends.  I mean, you do need someone to share in the excitement with, right?!  And how did it feel when one of those friends or family members didn't exactly share in the excitement the way you'd hoped?  Not too good, right?  

I'll share a story ... 

When Shannon and I were doing our radio show, we naturally shared the link to the show each week on Facebook and Twitter.  We got the word out ourselves, and it was nice when some of our friends and family shared the links for the show on their pages as well.  It wasn't so nice when friends and family consistently shared links for other friends' radio shows, but not ours ... ever.  Again, it's not that either one of us "needed" anyone to help us get the word out (we both have pretty big mouths), but we both had to take a step back and acknowledge the hurt feelings we experienced, brought on by the fact that people we thought were our "friends" took time to share and brag about other people they knew airing radio shows, but never us.  Thank goodness we are both fairly self-aware so that we were able to quickly recognize that the anger we (or maybe just me) initially felt about this was really hurt feelings in realizing that maybe someone wasn't as good of a friend as we thought.  

Fast forward to now and I have exciting and fun news to share, so I naturally shared on my Facebook page.  I mean, it is pretty exciting when you have an article published in an international publication, especially since I never really expected it to happen when I submitted the article.  It's even more exciting when my school features me in their blog, because of this!  But, it is also hurtful when the same friends and family members who blatantly didn't support me in other endeavors, continue in their unsupportiveness.  Did I expect anything different?  No, not necessarily.  I know that when I expect things of people, I open the doors for disappointment, so I like to leave that expectation at the door.  But, it is still nice to know that your friends and family have your back and are happy for you/proud of you/cheering you on.  

So, what do you do when you feel this lack of support, whether energetically, physically, or emotionally?  You put your big girl pants on and get over it!  Acknowledge the hurt feelings and then move on.  I was warned a few years ago about the reaction (or lack thereof), I would receive from others when I started to grow.  I was told that I have people around me that would simply not be happy for me and to not take it personally.  Thank goodness for that nice tidbit, because it helped me realize some very important things.  My growth and the lack of support coming from certain friends and family members actually has nothing to do with me and everything to do with them.  If someone isn't happy for you, it is up to them to figure out why they are happy for you.  It's up to you to keep on keeping on and stay in your happy place, where you do your best work. 

It is unfortunate and disheartening to find out that people aren't there for you (typically this happens when you are down and out, and also happens on the flip side), but how else would you know that perhaps you are no longer in alignment with certain people in your life?  It's times like these that you truly find out who is there for you and who isn't; Who really supports your success or sympathizes with your demise. 

And these are the growing pains of our lives.