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

The Scorpio new moon is all about self-mastery and is considered by some to be the most mysterious and miraculous moon of the year.  It opens up the door to hidden patterns and conditioning that subtly control our actions and choices. It can also be one of the most challenging and emotional painful moons yet at the same time can be ecstatically transformational.

The full moon in Taurus may illuminate some of your fears concerning what you don’t have.  The new moon can now show you WHY you don’t have what you desire or intentionalise.  Scorpio energy probes deep, deep into our depths and will tend to bring to the surface the darkness that we sometimes find hard to accept within ourselves. 

This gives us a deeper understanding of ourselves so we can find the causes of our problems and begin to genuinely heal the fractured parts of ourselves.  This is no easy task and sometimes pride and ego can stop us from really accepting all that we are.  It takes courage and an inner strength to commit to making ingrained behavioural changes. 

This moon is one of healing and transformation, so take the opportunity to make changes in your life - become more empowered in all ways.  Plant seeds for change with positive thoughts and attitudes and let go of that baggage that is slowing you down! Surrender to the changes that happen, whether you want it or feel ready for it or not. 

Be careful not to fall into the victimisation and suffering that Scorpio can represent.  Keep following your intuition, that little whisper inside that is constantly prompting us to take action.  It is guiding us towards the right type of creative inspiration, friendship or business decision that will help us fulfil our dreams.

RITUAL FOR THE NEW MOON

This ritual is all about becoming more empowered and strengthening your inner being.  Committing to change will help you to fulfill your goals and dreams more efficiently and effortlessly. 

Sit in a quiet room – be patient and wait until you have completed all your tasks for the day and you are ready to give the time to yourself.  Light some candles and burn incense to create an ambient space. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.  Close your eyes and become aware of your body. Connect deeply and slowly with your toes, legs, thighs, torso, arms, neck, face and then crown.  Exhale all your stresses and release all your frustrations, just breathe them right out of your body. Repeat this process three times.  Make sure you are feeling relaxed and stress free.

Refresh your memory of the answers to the questions you asked yourself at the last new moon.  Are you where you want to be?

Look at where your life is now and ask your self what you need to do to change certain aspects of it.

Write down any negative behaviour that is holding you back from achieving it.  This can be very liberating if you are brave enough to be honest and vulnerable.  Go into the dream time and ask your wise woman what you can do to let go of a negative pattern or conditioning so that you can grow and become more empowered.

Focus on one particular relationship or project and make a firm decision to change something in a positive direction, be it in your relationship with your partner, a child, business partner, work environment, parent or sibling.  Feed it positive energy, thoughts and intentions, however difficult this may seem at this moment.  See yourself in a positive situation with them and feel and believe it. Allow the relationship to develop, nurture and mature.  Find the inner tolerance, intimacy and forgiveness that will help you heal the wounds and challenges.  Even when the going gets tough keep on keeping on with the positive thoughts, overcoming any inner resistance, and by the next new moon you will find yourself in a new place…

 Love and Blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxxx

On my last blog (ABC’s Zeroing in on what you want) I wrote that I felt in a state of “nothing” and that I wanted to learn how to create for me. Though proud of the balance and happiness around me. Well, then through “Women at Heart” I read a blurb by Ingrid Bacci on “Effortlest Living”.

I read through her blurb and website and found this: http://www.ingridbacci.com/self-empowerment.htm

Self-Empowerment

Are you seeking self-empowerment? Did you know that being self-empowered is identical with feeling more effortless, more in a state of ‘flow?’ Are you aware that being in ‘flow’ or in ‘the zone’ can be taught? Would you like to learn this art and become truly self-empowered? Ingrid Bacci’s goal is to show you how to release physical, emotional, mental and spiritual stress from your life, so as to live more effortlessly, productively and with a deeper sense of fulfillment and self-empowerment.

After reading a little further, I found I was exactly where I wanted to be and just needed a little time to get comfortable with this new “feeling or sense”. That the feeling of “nothing” was actually the most powerful place of creation I could be in. I was in the “zone”.

With that, I am really looking forward to what I can do now with this knowledge. Still need to get the feet moving again.
Have a blessed day.

Kim

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.

I love cinema, it’s a real opportunity to switch off, fall into a fantasy world and forget the craziness of ‘real’ life. This weekend I took my stepkids to see Ratatouille – a magical animation from the Pixar people.

Ratatouille is about a rat called Remy who dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent phobic profession.  When fate places Remy in the city of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau.  Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen at one of Paris’ most exclusive restaurant, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy’s amazing talents.

Soon Remy finds himself torn between following his dreams of becoming a chef or returning forever to his previous existence as a rat.  He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef www.ratatouillemovie.net.

I resonated with Remy, not only because I am a Water Rat in the Chinese Horoscope but because I also had to face the same challenges as the rat.

A few years ago I had to make the decision to keep following the ingrained Jewish beliefs, laws, culture and customs of my community or follow my own way and be who I am, despite the alienation and isolation.  I have chosen to live shamanically, in tune with nature and in harmony with my inner voice and my destiny in order to find real happiness.

The film highlights that to really LIVE life we have to become who we truly are, regardless of what others around us think.  There is a wonderful scene where Remy’s father takes Remy to see all the dead rats killed by poison laid down by humans.  Remy’s father warns him that, as a rat he will always be the enemy.  Remy looks at his father and the dead rats and then says he’d rather keep following his dream and accept who he is then go back to the rat colony and live in fear.  He was willing to change the ‘paradigm’ to something new.

The message of the film is to follow your passion, your dreams, your inner truth and to be proud of who are you are.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise and don’t give up on your dreams and goals, regardless of the tests life throws at you.  When we follow our dreams, and challenge old paradigms and limiting belief systems, we change the world and make it a better place - we become the change we want to see in the world and then we will find real happiness.

Go see the film – it’s wonderfully uplifting if you are feeling that following your dream is an uphill struggle!!!

Love and blessings

Rebekah Shaman.
xxxx

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

On Wednesday I had a Vortex healing from a lovely friend.  VortexHealing® is a Divine healing art from the Merlin lineage, designed to transform the roots of emotional consciousness, heal the physical body, and awaken the spirit within the human heart. Its purpose is to release the deep conditioning that keeps us locked in our emotional pain.  It works on all levels, including the karmic and genetic traits that cannot be touched by the mind.

It was perfect timing, as the New Moon was on Thursday and a time to find balance in our relationships with ourselves and others.  Since then it is almost as though a light has switched on within me and I am becoming more aware of my own limitations and negative thought patterns that are holding me back.  I am facing the ‘dark’side of my self that always feels fearful about the future and something ‘bad’ is going to happen to destroy what I am building up.

I thought this was because of my Jewish roots. The holocaust has cast a shadow over the Jewish people and psychologically we are still coming to terms with the experience.  I am not sure we have even started healing the wounds that have been left.  Millions suddenly lost their homes, their livelihoods and their families, and there was no-one to save them.  This trauma is being played out in Israel.  The oppressed have become the oppressor, as we remain locked in our pain and hurt, behind the mask of our own fear.

Only when we change what is happening on the inside can our external world change.  I am removing my mask that I have been hiding behind and really beginning to ‘see’ myself.  This is a challenging process as I begin to accept who I am, warts and all.  I have put myself on a pedestal and believed my own hype.  My book ‘The Shaman’s Last Apprentice’ has been the catalyst to bring me down from my perch and make me face myself.

A while ago we met a fascinating French man called Alain who told us that when we finally face ourselves, we will be ashamed of what we see.  I have to admit that when he said this I smirked.  At the time I thought I knew who I was and where I was going.  Very soon after the meeting my life changed course and for the last three years I have been in a spiritual wilderness, not knowing who I was, where I was going and why my dreams had not materialised.

Only now, in hindsight, can I see the path I have taken and the reasons for why my life has turned out like it has.  I now know the only thing blocking me was ME!!  And finally I am getting in touch with the fear that was so subtle and hidden so deep it was controlling me from a subconscious place.

This new moon of Libra will bring up our subtle fears and negative conditionings that are holding us back from realising our intentions.  Instead of blaming the external world, our partners, lovers, children, parents, bosses and colleagues, take the time to look inside and see that they are all reflecting what is going inside yourself. This is the opportunity to take off the mask and really accept all you are…

Love and Blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxxxxxx

The Libran new moon is represented by the scales and reminds us to walk the middle path.  We need to find the balance between following our hearts and compromising to accommodate others. This is a time to create harmony in relationships both personal and professional.

All year we have been getting a clearer understanding of who we are and what our true purpose in life is.  This moon cycle we must find the way to fulfill our desires while working in cooperation and harmony with others.  Think before jumping to conclusions. Negotiate rather than attack or go on the defensive, and be diplomatic while standing firm with what you believe in. The Libran moon reminds us that we must listen more, trust more, and be more understanding to those around us, even when we disagree.

Libra also re-energises our lives and relationships.  We may experience a new sense of love and respect in our present relationship or, if single, we may find that we fall in love at first sight.  Enjoy this time as we take pleasure in working, interacting and playing with others in a supportive and loving environment.

When we work as a team we are so much more powerful.  Jesus said ‘Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.’ Living in harmony with ourselves and others gives us a sense of self worth. We receive a deep feeling of peace that permeates throughout our being and into the Universe, touching all those around us as we become the change.

RITUAL FOR THE NEW MOON

This new moon is a time for creativity to flow and re-energize our relationships and dreams. In order to take full opportunity of this power we need to get in touch with what is holding us back.

Once we face the truth we become empowered to change it.  The dark moon allows us to find that quiet space within where we can remove our ‘mask’ and accept who we are with real honesty.

Sit in a quiet room – be patient and wait until you have completed all your tasks for the day and you are ready to give the time to yourself.  Light some candles and burn incense to create an ambient space. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.  Close your eyes and become aware of your body. Connect deeply and slowly with your toes, legs, thighs, torso, arms, neck, face and then crown.  Exhale all your stresses and release all your frustrations, just breathe them right out of your body. Repeat this process three times. 

Take a piece of paper or your journal and write down these questions:

How do I create a more harmonious life?

How do I create more harmony in my relationships?

How do I create more balance in my life?

How do I create more joy in my life?

How do I create more abundance in my life?

How do I unlock doors that are keeping me stuck in the past?

How do I release the fear and follow my heart?

Allow the questions to permeate into your being and ask the Universe for help and guidance. Gradually, as the moon waxes to full, it will bring you the answers in many different forms so that you can make the changes to move forward in your life with confidence.

Love and Blessings

Rebekah Shaman

Wow - it was a powerful full moon in Aries. Myself and friends around me seem to be facing many challenges and big changes as the moon energy of new beginnings is manifesting on the physical level.

Decisions need to be made at this time and sometimes when we cannot see exactly where we are going it is challenging to know if we are making the right ones.

If you are one of those people that need to make a decision here are some tips to help you clarify what is important:

1. The most important thing is to find some quiet time to just stop and be with yourself. It is very difficult to get clear when there is external stuff going on. You are important so make the time – you’re worth it.

2. The key to getting clear on issues is to be clear on what you want to achieve. What is your intention and ultimate goal?

3. Ask yourself where you want to be in two years time/five years time. Don’t hold back. It can be difficult to accept who we truly our and how powerful we can be.

4. Really acknowledge the greatest vision of yourself - even though you may seem further away from it than ever

5. Use automatic writing techniques to discern your inner voice from your fear.

6. When you are faced with two directions, go with the one that FEELS right, even if it’s the most irrational choice. We cannot always see the bigger picture so TRUST yourself and your inner knowing.

7. Have Faith that your intention will be manifested, however impossible the situation may seem to be.

8. Be true to who you are, despite resistance from others. Only when we are happy with ourselves and our lives can we spread happiness to others.

9. Share your decisions with those whose feedback you honour and respect. They may say something that brings clarity to your situation.

10. If you really don’t know flip a coin. You’ll know whether the coin is right or wrong. It works every time….

Let me know if you have any other tips to add…

Love and Blessings

Rebekah Shaman xxxxxxxxxxx