The Snicker seal of approval

Snicker eating Miracle II

So, I’m seriously in LOVE with a wonderful set of products called Miracle II. For those of you who have never heard of Miracle II, the people from Tedco make several products; a soap, a gel, a neutralizer, a moisturizer and a laundry ball. I usually buy the products online, but in a pinch I get them at my local health food store.  I use the gel, the soap, the neutralizer and the moisturizer. I use them and LOVE them!

Let me just say that I’m not selling the products, but I am a part of their affiliate program (that is, if you purchase some from the main link in this site, I get a kickback). It’s not exactly cheap either, but in the larger quantities becomes quite economical.

The contents are a bit difficult to understand and the maker of the product says he got the formula from a conversation with God in the middle of the night. (I’m not one to judge and I’ve seen his testimonial. It felt authentic to me) The label says it contains prayer, electrically engineered eloptic energized stabilized oxygenated water, ash of dedecyl solution, calcium, potassium, magnesium and the anointing of God. Since I don’t know what most of it is, it’s hard to argue with it. However, the soap is a wonder. I’ve been having issues with dandruff and acne and the soap has cleared it up almost entirely. I like the soap so much that  I started drinking the neutralizer and now the stabbing pains that I’ve been having in my legs have disappeared too. It took several months for this to slowly happen. It was not an overnight affair.

Even my cats like it. Check out Snicker having his daily lick of the moisturizer. I have to put the bottle up out of his reach because if he can get to it, he’ll chew the bottle to eat more. Good kitty!

You read my mind

White stork on pond

The other day I happened to look out the window and saw this wonderful stork (forgive me if I can’t tell you which kind) just hanging about at the edge of our pond. I live in an apartment complex that is literally littered with ponds and accompaning wildlife. I’m WILD about the wildlife here, so I grabbed my camera and blew out the front door to get a shot at it. This delightful creature was about 50-60 feet from me and I had to use the telephoto lense of my camera to get the shot, which came out rather well all things considered.

Most wild critters don’t exactly hold still for you, understandably. So I figured this pic was the best I could do and went back inside wishing out loud that he would come closer so I could get a REALLY good picture of him. Back inside I immediately noticed that my cat, Miss Chloe, was conspicuously missing. I bolted back outside to grab her (She’s never been an outdoor cat, but tries to escape every chance she gets) and realized that the stork had flown over to me and was standing not 15 feet in front of me. He just stood there, waiting…

I shooed the cat inside and started taking photos. He turned around and posed for me and let me take as many shots as I wanted. I was THRILLED! What a handsome creature. He didn’t leave until I had gone back inside.

The white stork up close and personal

I love these little moments of serendipity. Forget all those people who think that all the creatures of this earth are dumb and here for our use and abuse. I’m not buyin’ it. I asked for him to come over so I could take better pictures, and he did! Bless his little white plumed heart….

If you want to see an amazing video of an animal love story, check out this link to Christian the Lion on YouTube.com. I wept all over myself when I saw it on  Oprah the other day.

I love the internet, but…

My best friend Elise and I talk about this on a regular basis. We LOVE the internet; so convenient, so interesting, so easy to to surf the entire world without ever having to leave your bedroom/office/kitchen/whatever! But there is a TINY price to be paid for all the wonderfulness. Your computer is the portal through which the world now enters you!

I like looking at the world as an observer, that’s my thing. But I’m not so crazy about the world looking back. (yeah, so why are you writing a blog, I hear you asking) Good question! The answer is, that I have things to say and this is the best forum for them. Plus, I’m not coming after YOU, uninvited. You have to find me, like me and decide to invite me in. Just the way I like it. Nice and polite like.

However, no matter how nice and polite you are, when you do business on the web you run the risk of doing business with the crazies. I ran into one yesterday, masquerading as a nice person. I’ve had several pleasant dealings with this person and have never had a problem, but people have a way of showing you their real self eventually.

I sent out a mass email regarding a new Blythe dress I was offering up. (I only send out emails to those who have bought from me before or who have requested to be put on my list. I HATE unsolicited email and respect those who hate it too)  So, I got an email back from this person requesting to be taken off the list. OK, no problem. I deleted the listing. But, I must have crashed the machine or something after I did it, because when I sent out the next mass email, she was still on the list. She sent me back the most VILE email I have ever received. “I asked you to take me off the list and you didn’t! Didn’t I know there was a recession on? I knew you were only out for yourself!” She didn’t drop the F-bomb on me, but it sure felt like she did, and I’m sure that was the point.

I sent her back a polite email saying I was sorry and had deleted her from the list. I’m not about to get into a nasty back and forth with her over it, no matter how unwarranted her response was. But here’s the point (you knew I was going somewhere, didn’t you?); As human beings, we absorb the energy that surrounds us, whether it has anything to do with us or not. That is the nature of our vibrational world. When you go out driving in your car, the guy who cuts too close to you on his way by just slimed you with his energy. The angry customer yelling at the clerk in front of you blasts her anger all over you too. And now, with our new toy the internet, we can soak up energies from the world over. I know, I just got a special delivery from New Zealand.

Good manners aren’t just an old fashioned affectation from times gone by. They are what we all deserve. I don’t know what kind of a world you want to live in, but I LIKE civility. Even on the net!

Cats and Orchids don’t mix!

I would like to introduce to you my newest member to the family, Mr. Snicker. This bold young thing arrived early one morning and woke me by crying plaintively just outside my bedroom window. Little did I know that this was to become a major theme in my life. The upchuck of all this is that I let the young whippersnapper into the house and promptly fell in love with him. Cuteness has a way of doing that to you.

Now the darling of the house, Mr. Snicker has been chewing, scratching and trampling over over everything. The only thing I really mind is the interruption of my beauty sleep. I don’t know about YOU, but in order to keep what’s left of my beauty, I NEED sleep. Uninterrupted sleep. Sleep undisturbed by cats! Finally, sleep deprived beyond all measure, I began putting both cats outside on the screened porch when I went to bed. Ahhhhh, a good night’s sleep at last. So when I went to let the cats in this morning, I was a bit perturbed to find my favorite orchid chewed and dangling and pots dumped on the floor. Mr. Snicker strikes again!

All is not lost. I have the pretty stem of blooms sitting next to me in a bud vase, recuperating from their trauma nicely. But, I would rather have kept it on the plant for another MONTH of beauty. File this one under, ‘the trials of living in an apartment with wild beasties.’

Short term memory loss

One of the hardest things about trying to lead a spiritual life is remembering that I’m leading one ALL the time. I fergit. It’s not that it’s so hard to remember, it’s just that it’s so EASY to forget. There’s a long list of usual suspects; slow traffic, busy signals, frisky and destructive kitties, uncooperative computers and dwindling bank accounts. These things and soooooo many more have my unspiritual attention on a daily basis. When I do remember, and manage to practice my EFT and patience, the trifles of life seem to melt away quite nicely. It’s just remembering in the middle of a computer meltdown that my own frustration and building temper tantrum are actually helping to cause the problem in the first place. Sigh…… I’m working on it……

New Graphics

I’ll be working on the new graphic banner over the next couple days. The current one is just a placeholder really for a more colorful image. I just really wanted to get going on this project and didn’t want the banner to hold me up for too long.

Down the Rabbit Hole

The Arsenal Tarot cards Here comes 20 years of study. I have had a love affair with Tarot since I first borrowed my brother’s deck in the early 80’s. I don’t know why he bought them, but he quickly tired of them and they sat in his top left dresser drawer for several years before I pilfered them. Needless to say, he never got them back. Tarot is an emotional suck hole for anyone who doesn’t like the truth. The truth, by the way, will not align itself with you to suit you or make you feel better. Plus, if you are upset or wish for things to be a certain way, the cards have a way of merely reflecting your wishes and feelings without telling you anything else. The most important thing for anyone to know about Tarot is that you must sublimate your own desires in order to read well, and that can be very difficult when you are learning and reading for yourself. Once past that, the Tarot offers deep introspection into the personality and drives of others in a way that other oracles cannot. Be prepared to spend a lot of time learing to use this one. Runes Much less involved than Tarot cards, Runes are not moved by your wishes or desires and tell it like it is. Because the interpretations are broader, the delicacy of response is blunt and to the point. The Runes read conditions and situations but not motivations and depth is sacrificed for expediency. If you are upset and need a dose of the truth, go get your runes. There has been much debate amongst purists about the validity of the blank rune. I vote yea. I find it to be a good indicator of issues that are none of your business. If it comes up for you get ready for the unexpected. I-Ching Ah, the flavor of the east. The I-Ching is as deep and difficult to fathom as you may have suspected. More polite than the Runes, The I-Ching has eastern and ancient sensibilities. Centuries old, it is wonderful for political issues and twisty personal problems. First, it will be kind as you ask if that cute guy will call you up. Then it will get a little cranky when you persist in wondering if he will fall in love with you. Finally you will throw “youthful folly” and the I-ching will be done with your sorry butt for asking for the 10th time if he’s the ONE. And beware of the changing lines. A wonderful beginning can go down the drain over time. Here again, your feelings will have no effect on the outcome. Truth is a bitch.

Tibetan Oracle This is a very handy oracle that is also very old and inscrutable. If you decide to look into this one, be sure to buy a set that includes the dice bars to throw as well as the book of interpretations. The Tibetan oracle is good for practical matters, but can give in and tell you what you want to hear. Be careful with the questions you ask as well, as it likes to interpret questions literally and if your language is euphemistic,the answer will be as well. Magic 8-Ball My all time favorite quickie answering system. I’ve had really good luck with this one. It never fails me. Realize however that you can only get answers of a yes, no and maybe sort. Actually, the maybe in Magic 8-Ball really means you’re on the wrong track. Cheap, easily available and fun at parties, the Magic 8-Ball is a rockin’ addition to your space pad. Go get one. Blessing Cards I love these for setting the mood for your day. Small cards each printed with only one word of inspiration and meditation, I like to pull one or two out of a bowl every morning as I get ready for the day. Then, I leave them leaned up against my rock crystal collection to remind me of what I need to learn today. Heavenly. Pandora Cards Now these are interesting. Again, they’re a small deck of cards with one word each like the angel cards, but that is where the similarities end. No kind words here. Take the cards out, turn them all over so the words don’t show and shuffle them around on a table or flat surface. Now, start turning them over until you get a “Hope” card. The next card you pull will be what’s holding you back or causing you problems. Just pray you don’t pull “Stupidity”. Fun! Soul Lesson Cards I love these! When you are having existential angst and just wonder what the heck your problem is, these can come to your rescue. Sonya Choquette has created a lovely deck with cards that advise things like, “do what you love” and “face your shadow”. Good advice any way you cut it. Her little book of interpretations are lovely as well and not always what you would expect. Ask for advice on any personal issue, shuffle and then cut the deck and read the card you cut to and the one just above it. They will both apply. I cry when I read these, they are that good. Faerie Oracle Cards Mysteries abound here… and faeries and tree people and they all have something to say about life. Very nice boxed set with a book on how to get started, set up a reading and use your intuition, which is the major point of this deck. Very nice illustrations and the whole thing is beautiful and creative. For those who feel a deep connection to the earth, this deck would be a nice choice. Creative Whack Pack We all need to think outside the box sometimes and this clever little deck provides the necessary stimulus. Shuffle, cut and read the top card. Includes the interpretation right on the card. Can’t figure out what to do about a project at work? Need help seeing something in a new light? Pull a few cards. But not too many. More is not better here. Then, meditate on the answer. Better than a real whack! Symbolon Cards German, very German. This is very deep introspective stuff about the very meaning of life. Uncannily accurate. If you’re in a stubborn place these will make you very unhappy. The way the manual organizes the cards is strange and counter-intuitive. I actually took a sharpie and wrote the name and number of the card on each card since none of them are marked. The manual has been translated from German and is a bit stilted in sentence structure. Other than that they are a marvel. Medicine Cards Meet your power animal. It’s no coincidence when you’re out and about a see a big flock of crows. All the animals and birds have meanings too. They bring messages from your unconscious and whisper advice and predict change. By the way, that’s just what crow brings, change. See a dragonfly or an owl, look it up in the book that come in this package set. Find your own personal animals and see what they have to tell you. Neat stuff. Good luck choosing just one!

Welcome to Divinata!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Emily Dolan and I am a Divinata. I can hear you thinking,”What the heck is a Divinata?”. So glad you asked. A Divinata uses divination systems, such as tarot cards and runes, to accessthe unconscious mind and universal truths. Anyone can become a Divinata (or Divinato, if you are of the male persuasion). All it takes is a lot of practice and trust that the answers you get are true.

What interests you most? Tarot cards, Runes, the I-Ching, or maybe something more esoteric like the Tibetan Oracle. My all time favorite for beginners is the Magic 8-Ball. Don’t laugh. It’s great practice and really quick and dirty if you need an answer now.

Some of you already know what you’re interested in, so you focused folks can go on to the book reviews or something. For the rest of you I recommend that you read through the following list of divination systems and see if anything screams out to you. Something will resonate with you and that is the place to start.

Here comes the list: 

Tarot Cards

Runes

I-Ching

Tibetan Oracle

Magic 8-Ball

Blessing Cards

Pandora Cards

Soul Lesson Cards

Faerie Oracle Cards

Creative Whack Pack

Symbolon Cards

Medicine Cards

Now, this in not an exhaustive list. These are just the systems that I have experience with and like to use.