Cloud9000 - Special Contributors

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah – the Festival of Lights.  At dusk every night for eight nights one more candle is lit and by the eighth night the menorah is alight with candles with an extra one the Shamash – the guardian candle raised above the rest.  The family gathers around the lighted menorah and sings Maoz Tzur which praises God for his salvation and remembers the times of persecution in Jewish History.

It is traditional to eat fried foods especially donuts throughout this festival, chocolate money is given to the children and a game is played with the Dreidal or Sevivon – this is a four sided spinning top with letters on each side that spell out Nesh Gadol Haya Shem – ‘A Great Miracle Happened There’ to remember the miracle of the oil.

In the Jewish religion this festival is all about miracles.  Chanukah tells the story of when the second Temple was destroyed by the Greeks and there was only enough olive oil to light the eternal flame for one night, but the Rabbis prayed for a miracle and the olive oil lasted eight days (enough time for more oil to be pressed and prepared).  Every year Jews all over the world light candles for eight days to remember the miraculous event.  By following this ritual we are reminded that miracles are happening at every moment. It also represents the miracles that help us through our trials and tribulations and give us hope for the future.

A lot of the time we are too attached to experiencing miracles that have huge impacts on our lives. This month become aware of the miracles that are happening in your life, however big or small.  So often we take things for granted and do not see the wonders that are all around us; a breathtaking sunset, dinner with friends, laughter and sharing, good food, a hug from a loved one.  These small miracles are what make the world magical. They enrich our lives and remind us of how good it is to be alive.

Love and Blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxx

Hi y’all. Well, I have been gone for a little bit. After the last couple of blogs that I wrote on that “feeling of nothing” and time to make a change, well…. yeah, we did.

The day I wrote my last blog, my fiance’ (oh yeah, he asked!!! I said yes!!!) and I had a very emotional discussion on what was going on with our finances. Though we both took FULL responsibility for all the “potential problems” we came up with some great solutions. (Writing this now, it is nice to see that we are looking forward at potential problems and not at them as they blowup around us). So we opted to move out of his house, back to mine and make some other financial decisions (oh… and get engaged).
So we moved, repaired and got the house on the market in under two weeks, had it in contract in two days of being listed, participated in 2 Halloween parties, did trick-or-treating, took family pictures and started the process of unpacking a house that was now filled with 3 adults, a teen, three pre-schoolers, a new baby, two dogs and a puppy. Hee Hee…. at least life is all around, all the time.

So, I am now back at the home that I (looking back again) really took a break from while I figured out some other aspects about my life. I had “changed the sheets”, and it is now time to come back and repair, change and take back the aspects of my life that were good and needed attention.

Small…. Though I do value down time, time to watch a movie with the family and to watch a sunset, life around me, as stated by my fiance’, is never boring. And as one of my best friends mentioned, “You never do anything small.”

A special thank you to Michael for all the times you have been there to bounce my thoughts and “create”. Thank you to Rob for seeing the beauty of a life through all the chaos. And to Rebekah for the advice on “changing my sheets” and great advice that I couldn’t hear internally at the time!

Have a blessed day all!

Kim

For the last five days I have been ‘sitting Shiva’ – a traditional Jewish mourning ritual that honours the dead and helps the mourners through the first difficult days of death. Despite rejecting the religious, dogmatic aspects of the religion, I love the traditions, customs and rituals, and despite the Shiva being the most solemn of all traditions I find it the most powerful.

The Shiva is held in the house of the principle mourner, (in this case my mother). It is considered a great ‘mitzvah’ for family and friends to visit and give blessings of ‘a long life’ or to say ‘may we meet only at simcha’s.’ The mourner has a part of their clothes ripped to represent the ‘tearing away’ of the loved one and they must wear this throughout the seven day mourning period. They are also not allowed to wear leather, jewellery, shower or bathe or shave. They must also sit on low chairs to represent their discomfort and pain while all mirrors are covered. The mourner is not obliged to do anything. People are there to cook, prepare meals and provide company.

In this case I and our friend Babi from Spain stayed with my mum from Sunday to Tuesday and my younger sister took over on Wednesday and Thursday. It was a powerful experience for me to really bond with my mum when she really needed me. I also realised how many times I had not been there for her. In fact when she most needed me in the early nineties during my parents divorce I deserted her and went to live in Sri Lanka and India where I stayed for a year and a half with minimal contact. I could finally see how the cycles of time and life were coming to completion, when I could bury the past and I was able to be with her when she needed me most.

We did everything by the book because my grandpa was a real traditionalist and perfectionist. He loved things done properly and I know he was with us when my uncle, who married a catholic and has not been involved in the religion for years, said the ‘kaddish’ (memorial prayer) in Hebrew. We were honouring him in death as we honoured him in life and it made us all feel empowered and at peace.

Every night was different, with many friends visiting us each night. There was also an atmosphere that no words can describe. There was sadness but at the same time there was a feeling of great celebration. We were celebrating as well as mourning his life and this is quite unusual as some Shiva’s can be very solemn and distressing occasions.

This mourning period is over and yet I know my grandpa is still with me helping me from another dimension. I also know that he is finally seeing me, without all the blinkers from his Jewish upbringing and dogmatic conditioning. He is seeing me as the free spirit that I am and understands me fully for the first time. I know our relationship has not ended it has only changed into something different and he will be with me in spirit until my own life ends.

How blessed am I!

Love and blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxx

As a side note: It is interesting that the Hindu god of death and destruction, also known as the destroyer, is also called Shiva.

Yesterday morning at about 9.00am my grandpa died. It was a shock as I was sure I was going to see him on Friday and get the opportunity to say goodbye while he was still breathing. I met my brother and we went to the nursing home where he had been admitted on Monday. There he laid his body cold but his soul still hovering around.

I gave his body some healing as I could sense that my grandpa had died in a lot of pain (his body was riddled with cancer) and he needed some assistance to move into the light. It was a powerful ritual and as I was healing him and helping him on his way I could feel his love shine down and my heart expanded. My grandpa was a traditional Jew and he often found my way of life and beliefs difficult to accept but when he became ill and nearly died about four years ago I began to do energy healing on him.

His cancer went into remission and he soon accepted energy healing was a powerful tool for recovery. Every Friday night I would travel for an hour to my mum’s house to be with him and give him some healing. It was a powerful experience and we became very close on a much more subtle level. He was a friend, a teacher and a great man.

Around his neck he always wore a חי – CHAI, which means life and I am now wearing it around my neck. I feel this is his gift to me – the gift of חי of life.

He died at the grand old age of 93 and he lived his life to the full. Here is my Eulogy to my granddad that I will read tomorrow at the funeral. It describes his love of life and the very special man that he was.

Grandpa Alf

Grandpa Alf has died at the age of ninety-three
A special and dear man, I know you would agree
He lived his life too the very end with gusto and panache
His hair was always groomed and so was his ‘tache
A brother of five sisters he was older than his years
And at fourteen with his father he began his carpenting career
When his father died at sixteen he continued the family trade
And not long after, a successful manufacturing business he had made
He was such a good salesman no one could resist his charm
Always so polite and gracious, courteous and calm
Despite eventually retiring my grandpa soon got bored
And very soon you could find him on the Courts shop floor
He loved all the good things in life and lived it to the full
He was always laughing and joking and knew how to enjoy it all
He loved his yearly holidays to countries by the sea
Surrounded by a wide circle of friends and his close family
He loved playing cards, especially solo, with family and friends
His sense of humour and love of life was with him till the end
Loyal and devoted he always helped others less fortunate than himself
He knew the importance of the mitzvah of supporting someone else
He had a knack of helping others to achieve their full potential
He was great at giving advice and knew how to keep things confidential
He was always able to get out of paying parking tickets and fines
An avid spurs supporter and he’d always be on time
He loved salt beef and chips and chips with everything
Walking in the park or whatever life would bring
His beautiful face was always wrinkle free, smiling and aglow
He was so young and sprightly his age you’d never know
Recently, when he returned to the East End, after thirty years away
He thought he may find his old customers, who would have been 120 years old today!
A loving husband, father and granddad extraordinaire
Blessed are we for all the experiences together we have shared
So today we say goodbye to a very special man
He lightened up the world I was his number one fan
And even though you have passed on into the sacred light
I know deep inside that you’re doing alright
And despite the fact that we are now so very far apart
There will always be a part of you in each one of our hearts.

Rest in Peace my sweet Grandpa

You will always be with me

Love and blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxx

What a magical full moon this Taurus moon has turned out to be. I had a bit of a let down last week. I had booked on a goddess belly dancing weekend over this full moon. It was going to be an amazing spiritual weekend full of setting intention for our goals, dancing, staying in bell caravans and hanging out with lots of beautiful women!!

I saw it as my weekend away from everything - my long awaited holiday - but I was too attached and I knew it. Needless to say last week the organiser texted me to tell me she was ill and the weekend was cancelled. I was gutted but on some other level I knew something special would happen instead. And of course it did.

My grandpa is dying of cancer and we are very close. Instead of going away I was able to visit him with my brother and sister and give him an energy healing (I have been giving him energy healings for a long time and it has helped him so much just receiving the love). Just being there helped to heal me in some way, as well. My siblings and I then went to my mum’s for dinner which was a great way to celebrate the full moon. Later that evening I visited an old friend who is experimenting with sound healing.

He has found the frequencies that can heal the human body with sound. He has set up speakers and I sat in the direct line of the sound. It is a very intense experience but I felt as though I was in a bath of resonance. I could feel the vibrations wash over me and very soon I was off on a beautiful meditational vision journey. I saw solutions to many challenges that are facing me at this time and got clear on direction for my new website and blog.

Then I slept over at my mum’s and today we finally spent the day together that has been planned for months. We often don’t see eye to eye but we had so much fun today and really found a meeting place. It was a special evening and a special day and I got A LOT of hugs.

I am really beginning to surf the synchronistic chaos and no longer judging why things do not happen because something even greater is around the corner. More than ever I am seeing that as one dream dies another is coming true. The key is not to be too attached to what the external video is playing because it is ALL wonderful – whatever happens and however difficult things may seem in the moment.

Often we do not see the possibilities that are available to us as we do not possess the eagle’s vision. All we have to do is trust that EVERYTHING is happening perfectly and all we need to do is enjoy every moment, whatever it may bring…

Love and Blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxx

ABC’s - Zero in on your target and go for it.

I have to say this is one of my toughest ones. I have found that I had gotten really good on doing this for others (family, friends, work). And though I had received a lot of “riches” in my life, the “reason” I had for them was so others were taken care of and better off. When the majority of my stress was managed, I had switched my life around and what now “centered”, there was an odd sense of “nothing”.

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy. I have a loving partner, great business partners, kids are striving, getting along well with the ex, family relationships going well, dog is doing great…. yet, there is still the odd sense of “nothing”. I manage my health daily, my energy and stress levels, the balances of everything…. yet, hmmmm.

I can visualize and imagine what I want. Have all the tingles and excitement about it, then poof…. not there yet. What was contributing to this? What was I doing that would get me so close, yet so far from what I wanted? And now, I had people attached and a part of my dreams. My lack of being able to maintain (or lack of knowledge about doing for me) my wants was affecting others. This was very new to me. And though this was there in the past, what moved me before was anger about something or someone. I definitely did not want anger to be my motivator anymore.

So, no that I am “calm” and happy…. I am proceeding into the next stage of this years journey to with deliberate intent, dare to dream and follow through on the part of me. That I am worth it, deserve to be successful and am allowed to be prosperous.

Dare to dream. You will know you are close to zeroing in on your target when there are chills down your spine and through your body. An uncontrollable smile across your face and sparkles in your eyes. My next stage and what I am working on now is the going for it for the reason of I just want to.
Have a blessed day.

ABC’s - You are unique of all God’s creations. Nothing can replace you.

I am sure that we all bounce around this one in many ways. And the reason… yeah, we are all unique. ha ha ha.

The way to true freedom is to allow others to be themselves and to allow yourself to be you. All the parts of you that are unique. I had always believed that I was unique and that there was no one like me. I can’t say that I always believed that was a good thing at the time or that my uniqueness was of any value. So for a long time I strived for “normal”. But then, what is normal when everyone is unique? hhhmmm… And, how then could you reach perfection?

Since going through this past year and recognizing what is important to me, and allowing myself to be me, I really have found a new level of happiness and can say for the first time in my adult life, I am truly happy. I enjoy my kids more. I love my relationships with friends and family. I enjoy spending time by myself. And you know what….? A slew of songs on the radio now make more sense. I smile more and I “bounce back” from disappointments faster.

I am not “just” a mom, a daughter, a sister, an ex-wife, a partner….. I am all those roles and have those relationships, but I am bar none…. KIM. I am unique in my own right and deserve to as happy as anyone else. Oh, and, it is not my responsibility to ensure that the rest of the world is happy before I am allowed to be. (gotta tell you, that lifted a lot off my stress load)

You all have a blessed day!

Kim

Today is Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year for Years when the date advances and the new Sabbatical year begins. It is one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar where God records the destiny of all beings in the Book of Life. It is a time for introspection where we look back at our mistakes and make resolutions for the coming year.

In the bible the holiday is called Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar) because the shofar or ram ’s horn is blown like a trumpet. One of the most important rites of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue to herald the beginning of the High Holy Days – a ten day period from Rosh Hashana and ending on Yom Kippur.

A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, “big tekiah”), the final blast in a set, which lasts about 10 seconds.

The customs are to eat apple and honey to signify a sweet year and on the afternoon of the first day empty our pockets into a flowing river, or creek, or spring a practice called Tashlikh (”casting off”), where we symbolically cast off our sins.

We bless each other with the saying “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” (or to women, “L’shanah tovah tikatevi v’taihatemi”), which means “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year,” or L’shanah tovah (”for a good year”).

For my family this is a special time in the year where we get together for the whole day and share our stories and news. We eat a huge meal consisting of three courses and including starters of chopped liver, and egg mayonnaise, chicken soup, tzimmas (an eastern European dish that our ancestors made of potatoes and carrots) chicken, roast potatoes, vegetables, and of course honey cake.

Even though I let go of the Jewish religion a long time ago I really love this festival and its customs.  September becomes a special month for me and it is always sunny and warm.  It gives me the opportunity to bond with my extended family after a busy summer and a chance for us to take a day off from our busy lives and spend it with each other where we share good food and quality time.  I have just come home from a wonderful day of sharing stories and catching up and on this day I always remember how blessed I am to have such a warm and loving family.

ABC’s - Xcellerate your efforts

Basically, if you want to excel your efforts, then clean up your “house”. By which I mean, “Mind, Body and Soul”. Reconnect these three as they all can get you where you want to be. And then, amazing speed, agility and miraculous things can happen.

This includes how you feel about all of your “relationships”: Getting to know your emotional guidance system

* With Self - spiritual, intellectual, physical.
* With People - I do this by role type: Parents / Bosses, Children / Employees, Friends / Colleagues, etc.
* With Things - Money, Property, Heirlooms

As you find out how you Feel about things as they “are”, Ask yourself these questions:

* What about this is important to me?
* Is it something I want to keep or remove?
* If I choose to keep it, were does it belong?

Then, fill your tool box: Now that you know what is important, is “how” you cared for that still working?

* Now that I know what is important to me, how do I feel about how I cared, got, did this before?
* Did I feel tired? Did I feel refreshed? How do I do it better for me?
* Do I have the answer for that or do I need new information?

I have found for me, I have a yearly cycle. My “year end” is May 13. My “Start of Year” is May 14. The week following is for transitioning closing down and opening up. And through this past “year” I now can hear my soul with clarity. And I now see that I have always done this and have put out what I will accomplish in the coming year.

May 2006 - I took stock in my marriage, my family, my children and my job. By May 2007, I had changed ALL of those situations. They were all closed and I was staged for something new. I had completed my education.

May 2007 - I took into consideration all that I had learned and now went for what I wanted. I have now found my soul partner, my children are accelerating and I have time for them. I have found my business partners and am starting that as well. My relationships with those closest to me are now solid and flourishing. This will be one amazing year in full creation.

My toolbox is full. I have the skill and know how. I can determine quickly if it is a want for me or others and determine it’s importance and priority in my life.

So understand your want, visualize it fully, listen to how you ask for your wants and then Xcellerate it by filling your tool box with exercises that help you do this with each decision you make.

Have a blessed time creating.

Kim

ABC’s - Visualize it

You know, I struggled with this one through the years. My Sports Coaches would say it, my Professors would say it, my counselor, my boss…. but I still didn’t quite get to the “goal”. So I thought. I had, however, started an internal dialog that said “I don’t know how to do that”. I was also incorrect there.

Through the last few months I have found that I did know how to visualize and I was quite good at it. The truth was, though I didn’t reach the goal that my coaches, parents, teachers, bosses, etc had wanted (or visualized) for me, I had reached mine. I enjoy sports, but my want was not to be a sports star, my want was to study sports and understand how to “coach”. And, I was successful. I also enjoy learning, and though I didn’t “complete college” what I really wanted was to understand what was needed to transition from high school to college. And, I was successful. And I can do this for each of the places in my life that I had originally marked down as “unsuccessful” previously.

See, what I had found was though I didn’t not reach the end result that others would have wanted, I had reached the end result for me. I wanted knowledge on “how” things were done. This included and most importantly “parenting”. And I can now with full honesty to myself… I am successful. (I will safe more on that for a later blog.)

What ever means works for you, from what ever source that is safe for you… I recommend taking time to fully understand what “visualization” is. And how it works for you. This includes all the senses and emotions that come with it. When you do, you can dramatically effect change in your life and get to your wants with amazing precision and speed.

Have a most blessed day!

Kim