The Mercury Retrograde (that seemed like it lasted forever) gave us a lot of time to reflect on what we truly wanted for ourselves and what needed to be let go.  For some reason it seemed more brutal than the others this year but it also gave us more clarity as to what the next step should be in our lives.  We are now in the clear both energetically and mentally.  Now, is the time for ACTION.  Take what you have learned about yourself and the experience you have had this year to move forward into the future with the innocence of the Fool and the wisdom of the High Priestess.  Take those life lessons and apply them with a sense of new hope.

This is a “five” year which means that there will be lots of changes.  People will be moving, going back to school, ending relationships, traveling and exorcising old personal issues.  This year there will be an emphasis on spirituality and getting back to source.  It’s going to be year of  movement.  This the year to travel.  Go on that cruise or visit Europe or take that trip to Vegas!  This is the year to make those necessary changes to fulfill our true purpose and live a fulfilling life from the heart.  Don’t be afraid to let go and do what needs to be done.  Dream bigger.  Live bigger.  Do it from the heart!

As for those pesky New Year’s resolutions – whether it be losing the first 20 pounds or going back to school or letting go of an old relationship – be kind to yourself and know that you are always a work in progress. Be realistic.  Know your strengths but also your limitations.  The most important thing is to remember is to love yourself.  If you can be compassionate with yourself than you are able to be compassionate with others.  Love and Light to you All. Happy New Year!!

THE NEW YEARS EMAIL READING

This is a great reading to give you some insight on what to focus on in the New Year.  It’s a 13-card reading.  Once card for the main energy of the year for you and then one card for each month. The card for each month will give you a little bit of insight as to what is coming next and how to prepare for it.  Then all the cards are read together to give more detail on each situation that comes up.  I am offering this reading for only $20.00 this week ONLY.  This offer expires on New Year’s Day.  Email me to schedule your reading - phluphee@yahoo.com

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Metaphysical, Spell, Paranormal, Tarot Books and More

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Books and Kits on Manifesting Prosperity and Healing

http://www.pisaparanormal.com/heather/store.php

BOOKS BY HEATHER WOODWARD

Ghosts of Central Arizona

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Arizona’s Haunted Hotspots

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THE PSYCHIC CONNECTION NEWSLETTER

HEATHER WOODWARD

www.heatherwoodward.net

Tarot Readings by Heather Woodward

Voice of the Angels

THE FIRST $5.00 ARE FREE!

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NEW BOOK BY HEATHER WOODWARD!

ARIZONA’S HAUNTED HOTSPOTS

OTHER BOOKS BY HEATHER WOODWARD:

GHOSTS OF CENTRAL ARIZONA

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Kids Who See Ghosts – Hot or Hushed Topic

Kids Who See Ghosts opens the door to a topic that has been swept under a proverbial rug and not discussed openly. In some households, kids are told, “Hush. Don’t talk about that. Don’t tell any one. You’re crazy. You’re lying.” Also, very few professionals who work with children want to talk about ghosts and people who see them.

However, a lot of concerned and caring parents do want to talk about it because their kids see spirits, ghosts, fairies, and light orbs. Thirteen-year-olds who see shadows at night and at school during the day need someone to listen to them.  Teens who have seen ghosts all of their lives have to sort through their realities and determine whether or not to speak openly. Parents of younger children, who won’t sleep in their rooms because a resident ghost visits them, ask me how they can help their children. Moreover, some parents are as scared of the spirits as their children are, while a few others are thrilled with their child’s ability and want to know how to encourage the talent.

Why Aren’t We Talking About It?

Not talking about the topic only adds an air of mystery and fear to the subject. One reason for not talking is the lack of understanding of how people see. What a person sees takes place within the brain’s chemistry by virtue of how our eyes work. Our eyes see light only, and our brains interpret the images based upon our memory banks, which are updated as our brains adapt to our environments, learn new skills and have new life experiences. So are all ghosts figments of one’s own brain chemistry? It depends upon our cultures and how we adapt our worldviews.

A second reason we don’t talk about ghosts is based upon cultural norms. One Native American child who speaks with his grandmother in her spirit body is very different from a child raised to believe that dead bodies go into the ground and that person-to-person connection is over. A third reason is simply the fear of being accused as crazy or nuts.

Yet, Watch The Trend Increase!

Ghosts and other such unknowns live within a metaphorical Pandora’s box. This column opens that box to clear the air and breathe some new life into the topic for interested readers because more kids are seeing ghosts, and I expect the trend to grow. Why?

Ghosts are a hot topic, as evidenced by the average ten million viewers of the television show “Ghost Whisperer.” Current media trends on this hot topic of ghosts will continue because the public is fascinated by what we once called the “paranormal.” I am thinking the term “normal” is more appropriate because more television shows on paranormal topics are airing and books on topics like vampires and fairies of this fantasy genre are popular.

Also, according to a 2007 pre-Halloween poll conducted by the Associated Press, 34% of people polled said they believed in ghosts, and those who believed included people of all religions and socioeconomic levels. That percentage is going up. The Harris Poll conducted a survey during the week of November 2, 2009 to find that 42% percent of Americans believe in ghosts.

This Topic Is Happening Now!

Because I see this trend of children seeing ghosts increasing, I feel all of us need up-to-date answers on the variety of questions that Dr. Goode receives every month on my blogs (www.kidswhoseeghosts.com and http://intuitiveparenting.wordpress.com. The foremost question from parents is “Is my child crazy?” The second and third common questions are, “How can I help my child?” and “How can I help myself?” The fourth popular question is “Does this talent or trait run in families?”

In Kids Who See Ghosts (2010, RedWheel\Weiser), the interviewed mediums felt their talent was an inherited talent. Moreover, each person I interviewed spoke about their upbringing and how their families dealt with ghostly situations. For example, Sonia Choquette mentions how her family had a place setting for the resident ghost each evening at supper. John Holland explained that as a young boy, he wasn’t afraid of ghosts as much as his stuffed animals after his parents told him that the animals came alive at night. Such a story sent him hiding under the covers.

Another reason for the trend increasing is given by the near-death researcher, P. M. H, Atwater, who explained that children in her research studies who experienced near-death episodes early in their lives, had increased psychic abilities.

Seeing ghosts can be an opportunity for both children and parents to move through fear, explore different realities, and learn about the world

of spirits. Ghosts can be children’s best friends, and facing a fear of ghosts is a way for parents and kids to become empowered. Life is to be enjoyed and for finding passionate purpose. If ghosts are part of that experience, then together let’s explore why and how.

To continue the blog tour on stop twelve, please visit www.hillaryraimo.com for a discussion of children’s dreams

I hope you are inspired by the interview you read. Be sure to sign up for the book launch reminder so you can buy Kids Who See Ghosts and receive free thousands of dollars of personal development gifts on June 8, 2010. To register, go to: http://www.kidswhoseeghosts.com (if you are reading this article after that date, you may buy the book directly from that page).

The great thing about people, in general, is that we are all multi-faceted.  That’s what I love about social media.  Especially with celebrities and public figures; you get to see what lies beneath the persona.   It’s like getting a little glimpse into the mechanism of their personalities.

With that in mind I wanted to share a little about myself that most people don’t really know about. Not because I try to hide these aspects but more because it doesn’t fit in the realm of my titles “psychic”, “author”,  or “paranormal investigator.”   For instance, my favorite show for a lot of years was Queer as Folk and in my late 20s I wrote a lot of fan fiction.  If you google me, I am sure some of it will come up and you can laugh at the remnants of my past.  

So, with that in mind, I don’t follow fandoms anymore.  However, I do find myself indulging in a bit of erotica every now and again.  On Valentine’s Day, the day of dead flowers and forced affection, I was on my Twitter account lurking about when I saw a tweet from Elise Hepner about a poem contest she was hosting on her blog. 

Whomever wrote the best love poem got a copy of her new short story, Check Out.  Intrigued by the idea of free erotica, I wrote my five minute poem and later was informed that I was picked to receive the prize.  Go me!

Well, as luck would have it, that was the week my computer crashed and my wee little world went off of its axis. I scrambled to get my laptop back up and running and ending up being way behind on life.  Losing word count on my manuscript really pissed me off the most, but luckily I emailed myself a backup sans 3,000 words.  Losing 3k is better than losing a year’s worth of work on a book.  Crisis was resolved and life went back to its usual rhythm.

So, with all the drama, I didn’t even get to read the short story until last week.  But I can tell you the wait was worth it because Check Out is very well written. 

Elise Hapner is the kind of writer that I prefer.  She gives just enough description to get you involved but she doesn’t meander with unnecessary details.   There is thought in her word choice.  It flows but it’s also precise.  It’s witty and cheeky and yeah…it’s steamy.

Check Out is about a twenty-something punk rock girl who works at the local drug store.  She runs into her old professor who got her kicked out of school because of their illicit affair.  Only the fire hasn’t gone out for the either one of them and things get hot and heavy…

You can download the ebook at www.excessica.com for $1.99.   It’s totall worth the price.  The whole story is under 5k.  It’s short enough that you can read it all in one sitting but long enough to give you a little respite in a hot, steamy world of good fun.

You can find out what Elise Hepner is up to by following her on Twitter.

I guess one of the perks of having a blog is that you can toot your own horn. Blogs by nature seem to be self-involved and thats what makes them so fun.  For me, at least, it’s like living vicariously through someone else’s life.  I get to forget about my own head space  for awhile and play in someone else’s world.

My world right now is about books.  Specifically, my book, Ghosts of Central Arizona.  The past few weeks have been filled with reading about book marketing and then implementing the tips and tricks into my own book campaign.  It’s exhausting and fun at the same time. With the internet in full motion there are so many more opportunities to get your book out there.  Still, you have to know how to utilize it to work in your best interest.  Slowly, but surely, I am learning what and what not to do.

At the same time I am trying to write my second book. For some reason I am having a harder time with it.  Mostly because I am so worried about selling the first. It seems to be taking up a lot of brain matter.  However, with a deadline pressed upon me the words seem to come that much quicker.  Plus, I have been writing more in the last year and so it takes me less time to put my thoughts into coherent sentences.  I love that the process goes that much quicker with practice.

Still, time seems to ticking away as I work on my marketing plan and write a book and keep the house clean and the laundry done. Thank the goddess for my boyfriend who is house-cleaning and laundry friendly.  I still do most of the cooking but at least our house doesn’t look like it would if I was in charge.  We would live in a rat’s nest of stacked papers and tarot decks and piles of shoes. I am one of those people who instantly takes off their shoes the very minute I get into the house.  So, they are strewn about in the place they happen to fall. Regularly, I have tripped on my own shoes.

Luckily, I am still trainable and I have tripped enough to try and keep my shoe-taking-off to the corners of rooms and the edges of walls to keep myself from having a direct relationship with the floor.  I wonder if that is a Pisces trait or a writer’s trait or if I am just tuned-in to my own little world.  Probably, all three.

Still, even though I am immersed in all things books, I feel very blessed.  Since I was a teenager I have always wanted to write books. In college I studied Journalism and spent my time traveling to write stories for the college newspaper.  I loved it.  Then life happened.  I had a child at 23 and focused on him.  Then more life happened and I got a “real” job.  Marriage happened and then the dreaded divorce.  Life went up and then plummeted like the 1929 crash of the stock market.

Sometimes life’s downs can be life lessons if they are applied correctly.  So, I moved to another state.  It’s a decision that I am not sure how or why I made.  I mean I remember making it.  However, the details are foggy because it was so weird.  It was like a had a calling and I just did it – no thinking involved whatsoever.  I am still on-the-fence about whether is the best thing I ever did or my worst mistake.

However, in my new state I did find that I could be a new person.  The cliche’ starting over.  I queried my publisher exactly three weeks after moving.  If I was going to leave everything at least I was going to do it being a writer.  Lucky for me my non-thinking-faith-is-the-answer approach worked.  Then the thinking started again and the last two years have been life-lesson-central.

I can’t say that I am unhappy.  Or that I didn’t learn a lot from the past two years.  I will say that I am glad that they are over.  So, this book, in a way, is my rite of passage.  It’s was the start of my new life.  A life that I am still working on making better.  Still, I had 34 years to work on Heather V1.0.  Maybe I will give myself more time to fit into a more successful, happier, and prosperous Heather 2.0.

Okay, that was just weird.  I talked about myself in the third person with all that “version” categorizing.  I guess the point of this blog post is that in a way I am tooting my own horn by talking about my book.  And I think everyone should buy a copy because it’s an interesting read.  It’s about hauntd locations and psychic investigating and all kinds of other fun stuff.  But what I am also trying to convey is that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.  It’s not easy and there are lots of habits and thought-patterns that you have to break; but it’s worth it.  I would not trade anything in the world to be the unhappy divorced person I was two years ago.  A chance at happiness far outweighs complacency…