Jerre's Things of Interest

2007-11-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

The Wisdom of the Labyrinth

Have you noticed that in the last year or two that your life has had a large amount of chaos and confusion? The last two years have seen my stress levels climb to the highest levels in all my years. The job of dealing with day to day problems has been intensified by many astrological aspects but mostly I think it is just the pressure of day to day living. Let’s face it; the price of everything is climbing and the need to achieve is a fact of life in this day and time. If you’re breathing, you’re probably stressed.

Stress manifests itself in many ways and as an empath I have been picking up the bunched muscles in the neck and back, the inability to focus, and the drop in the ability to keep immune systems up and running. I’m aware of these symptoms everywhere I go, not just during my readings. This was brought home to me in a strange way (I just love the strange, mystical things that happen in my life) several weeks back. I noticed that my house was suddenly quiet. No television murmuring in the background, no radio, no visitors; I was alone. I crave being alone. This is the time that I sit quietly and try to slow my whirling brain and bring myself a little peace through meditation. I couldn’t do it. I tried mantras, deep breathing and even tried Tai Chi but I could not reach the calm place that I needed to find. At that moment I was closer to panic than I have been in many years and I didn’t like it at all.

Well, I thought to myself, if I can’t make my brain be still I’ll just use that state of mind to do a little research and see if I could come up with some useful information

I found many articles stating that stress levels are at an all time high. All the articles were written by medical professionals and confirmed that my observations were correct. Stress is at an all time high. These professionals primarily recommended exercise to combat the chaos. Of course they all mentioned relaxation techniques and meditation. According to one article written about a study at a large university in the Pacific Northwest, meditation is in the lead (by 20%) to enable you to relax and manage the anxiety that keeps popping up nowadays. I’ve tried all the recommended ways and have found that they all work to a degree but each one takes, above all, time. Time to carve out 30 minutes a day to exercise, time to learn relaxation techniques and time to learn the best mediation for your life problems. Most of these also include a layout of a nice chunk of money. Really good shoes for exercise, money for classes, instructional video tapes, yoga mats, whatever. Frustration began to creep in to keep my stress from getting lonely.

Then my old friend, synchronicity, came by to visit. I ran across my little labyrinth. Labyrinths differ from mazes because there are no obstacles to figure out. Labyrinths are, in theory and philosophically, a productive, though ancient way to find answers to challenges and issues. Tracing the labyrinthine path also helps to quickly find that place of serenity that meditation helps you to achieve. I am having a problem quieting my mind to the point where I can meditate and have found that the labyrinth helps me achieve that state quickly and easily.

My labyrinth is a Cretan Classic labyrinth. It is a disc about 3 inches wide. It’s cast in pewter with a raised circuitous path that one traces with a stylus. There are also labyrinths that are about 4 inches wide that allows you to trace the path with your finger. I have also found a pewter labyrinth that is cast in the Chartres pattern, a more intricate path than the Cretan but interesting. I use both labyrinths depending on what I feel I need at the time. The Cretan circuit calms and makes focusing extremely easy, the Chartres on the other hand, seems to heighten creative energies while allowing a relaxed frame of mind. I can feel interaction between the left and right sides of my brain while using the Chartres labyrinth.

I have given labyrinths to several people to test drive, so to speak. Five experienced in meditative techniques and five who have wanted to meditate but never seemed able to reach the stillness that is so treasured. All ten people stated that they were more relaxed, less anxious and less stressed. One participant, a student working on her Master’s course at the local university, swears that she increased her grade average from a C to a B+ in three weeks by using the labyrinth before class and before she began studying.

I had been searching for these particular labyrinths for several months. I decided to use the labyrinth and focus on finding the exact type that I had been given. Thirty minutes later I was talking to the creator of these labyrinths. Luck? Coincidence? Universal Assistance? Either way, I am very happy to be able to announce that I now am able to offer the 3-inch Cretan labyrinth with stylus and velvet storage bag (cost is $20.00 plus shipping and handling), the 3-inch Chartres labyrinth with stylus and velvet storage bag ($20.00 plus shipping and handling) and the 4-inch Cretan labyrinth with velvet storage bag ($25.00 plus shipping and handling) to my readers. The 4-inch is so perfectly cast that it is possible to use your finger to trace the path.

The storage bag may vary in color.

All these labyrinths are easily portable and virtually indestructible, as my grandchildren can attest. My website is currently undergoing a much needed upgrade, so when you are ready to order go to my website and click on Contact Jerre and email your request. I will answer ASAP with total price and shipping date and of course, answer any questions you may have about the labyrinths.

I hope to have a 4-inch Chartres labyrinth available within two weeks. Check out the photos below to see which of these wonderful little labyrinths.

From left to right: Chartres 3in; Cretan 3in; Cretan 4.5in

2007-09-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

Things of Interest

Determination and the ability to motivate oneself have always impressed me. I think I’m so impressed because, quite simply, there have been many times in my life that I lacked both of these powerful attributes. A few months ago I met a woman that was handed a situation that would have brought most people to their knees and probably stayed there for a while, but Carol Batey did neither. She reinvented her whole life. (As a rule I hate to use these modern day phrases but this time it is so appropriate I can’t help myself.)

Carol ended a 20 year marriage, dealt with major problems with one of her children and relocated to a totally new area to begin a new life. She has accomplished many, not all, but most of her goals and is moving forward every day of her life.

Carol has documented her journey in a new book, “In Due Season: Destiny is Calling Your Soul”. Spiritual strength can come from many sources and I believe that Carol is a source of that strength.

You can meet Carol, preview and order her new book at her website, www.artlifestylecoach.com.

Very Cool

I have never encountered a more amazing and unique art form than Fractal Art. My understanding is that, using a specially designed program, the artist enters a mathematical equation to form an image. A small portion of the image can be isolated and enlarged. The artist can then use their own creative talents to add color, shading, texture even change the perspective to create these wonderful pieces.

Ashley Brandt is a Fractal Artist. All I can say is that she makes magic happen. These wonderful images have the power to draw you in and every time you look at them you see something new and different. The pieces I have seen, without exception, seem to induce a meditative state. Her website is under construction and will be launched soon. While we wait for the website take a few minutes and give your soul a wonderful treat by visiting her small online portfolio that can be accessed at http://enigmaticreverie.carbonmade.com. For information on print size and a price list and questions contact Ashley at brandt.ashley@gmail.com

NOTE: The main page of her online portfolio will come up with one fractal. Click that fractal and you will be able to see why I am so excited. I will announce the launch of her website on these pages. She has said that as soon as she establishes her website for prints, she will be adding other products such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads and hopefully greeting cards. Enjoy!!!!

2007-08-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

Everywhere Are Signs

Sometimes they are called signs, sometimes (rather ominously) portents and sometimes omens. Whatever they are called, I firmly believe that, if you need input from a Higher Source and if you are aware, the Universe will send you a “heads up!” in the form of signs. The method of delivery certainly varies with each individual. Most, but not all, of my little moments of clarity seem to come in unusual behavior of animals which send me running for my books on symbology to determine what this odd behavior is trying to tell me. A few times I have just been inundated with information in every possible way to get the meaning of the message.

My Mother was stricken with Alzheimer’s in the mid 1980’s. The disease escalated quickly. She no longer knew me or my brothers and sister and was given to violent episodes. Finally we had no option but to place her in a nursing home. The facility was in the suburbs of Atlanta and I lived about 60 miles away, had two school age children and an infant so had very little time to travel to see Mama. I felt guilty for not visiting but it was very hard to see the vital, intelligent and highly creative person that was my Mother, slip away. A good friend, who was also an excellent psychic, called one day out of the blue to tell me that I would know when Mama’s time had come. That phone call brought me great peace. I had just about forgotten about that call until December 1999. My youngest daughter, who was just an infant when Mama was first diagnosed and was now a freshman in high school, came walking through the hall and asked, “Who’s Sadie?”

I was startled to say the least. “The only Sadie I know is my Mama. She was born Sadie Louise but hated the name Sadie. She legally changed it to Sarah when she was eighteen. Why?”

She shrugged her shoulders and said she had just heard someone call Sadie, twice. Of course there was no one in the house but me and my daughter and I had heard nothing. I had never told my children that their grandmother’s name had at one time been Sadie. My antenna went up. Things like this happened all the time at our house. It didn’t frighten me or the kids, but I suddenly remembered that phone call all those years before and it started me thinking... But life goes on. My two oldest children had flown the nest but the youngest was in school and in the marching band, I was working part time at a local doctor’s office and my husband was at work almost more than he was at home. It was a busy time.

About two weeks later my husband walked in and told me I needed to go look on the back porch. After threatening him with torture and eventual death if there was a snake on the porch, I gingerly eased out the back door. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. There was a tiny black and white kitten sitting calmly on the doorstep looking straight at me. The little beastie was almost identical to a cat we had when I was much younger. I could just hear my Mama’s voice, “I just love little black and white kittens. They are always the prettiest little things”

My daughter insisted that we keep the kitten and that we must name her Sadie. Of course we did just that. Later that evening, the three of us sat watching TV, but my mind was on every thing that I had to get done the next day. Dot, one of our other cats walked in the room, stared at the black and white ball of fur on my daughter’s shoulder, glared at everyone in the room and flounced out the door. Her fluffy, grey tail held high with indignation. She had been the only female in a litter of seven born in the upstairs pantry several months before and she was born with attitude. We named her Dot after the character of the same name on the cartoon show, “Animaniacs”. The character was always proclaiming how cute she was and our Dot did the same thing but with actions rather than words. Then a realization hit me. We had a Dot and a Sadie in the house. My aunt Doris, Mama’s sister and her best friend in the whole world, was nicknamed Dot. Dot and her husband ran their own business and were very successful. She and her family lived in a beautiful and very expensive home. Whenever Dot was telling someone where she lived, she always made a point to say “On Janice Drive in College Park.” She was proud of her success and the location of her house confirmed her position. I and Mama went over at least once a week. I was always ready to drop what I was doing and go visit Aunt Dot. I would wander through the rooms while Mama and Dot talked, giggled and laughed away an afternoon. I loved to see Mama as happy as she was when they were together. Dot was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and died in 1993. Mama never knew.

A week or two later I was talking to a friend of mine who happens to be one of the best astrologers I have ever known. At sometime during the conversation he began talking about the upcoming Mercury Retrograde. He was telling me about all the unusual things that seem to come about during those 3 to 4 week periods. “You know”, he said, “it’s common for people who are terminally ill to decide that the time has come and will cross over during a Mercury Retrograde It’s also not unusual, say if one family member dies at that time, that others will also check out during a retrograde.” I had not mentioned anything to him about Mama or the signals I seemed to be getting so I made a mental note to check on Daddy’s date of death when I had a minute of free time.

The first part of February was unusually busy that year at work and at home. One of the tasks that I hated the most at work was filing the paperwork of people that had visited the Emergency Room. These patients were always referred to a physician associated with the local hospital and were supposed to schedule a follow up appointment as soon as possible. Their information was couriered to our office so that if they did decide to make an appointment we would have the information at hand. On that Monday, I knew that I would have a weekends worth of paperwork to file and I was not happy. The first sheet I pulled off the 2 inch stack of paper stopped me in my tracks. There was my Mama’s name. I don’t know much about other parts of the country, but in the South it is very common to find a twig on the family tree that spells the last name the same but for one vowel. This change is usually brought about by a family argument that got out of hand and one of the injured parties could no longer stand to be known by the same name. In our case it was my grandfather and one of his brothers that disagreed, on what nobody remembers, but for us an “O” became an “A”. In all my years I had only heard of one other family that spelled their last name the same way. Just to be sure, I checked the personal information on the paperwork… of course it was not Mama. I knew then that it wouldn’t be long before she decided to cross over.

My daughter and I had developed a habit of sitting together every evening. We chatted about everything one can imagine. That evening she was telling me about a keyboarding exercise they had done in class. They were typing a list of very unusual names and she enjoyed it very much. I started to comment on some of the names but to my surprise something very different came out of my mouth. “I’ll tell you an unusual name. It’s Eugene.”

“Who’s Eugene?” she asked.

“That’s Uncle Gene’s full first name. We used to call him Gene, Gene Butterbean when we were little.”

She giggled and we began discussing the fact that the next day was President’s Day and there would no school. She would be home by herself for a few hours and I reminded her to keep the doors locked and to check the caller ID before she answered the phone. If she didn’t recognize the name she should not answer the call.

The next day was a tiring day at work and I was more than ready to leave by five o’clock. I very seldom called home before I left. If anyone needed me to stop anywhere for something they usually called me. No one had called but I found myself dialing our home number right before I hit the door. My daughter’s voice sounded strange. “What’s wrong?” I asked. My brother Gene had called to tell me that Mama had taken a turn for the worse. I hung up the phone and sighed. This was it and I knew, as good as I knew my own name, that there was no way I could make it to the nursing home in time to say good bye.

I went home to cook supper and wait for the phone call. Ashley was helping in the kitchen and she looked at me. “Mama, are you mad at me for not calling you?”

“No, Honey, I’m not mad. I’ve been expecting it for a few weeks now.”

She nodded. “You know, if you hadn’t told me about Uncle Gene’s name being Eugene last night I wouldn’t have answered the phone today. When it rang and I saw his name I almost didn’t answer it but I remembered what you said so I picked it up.”

I started to reassure her but the phone rang and there was my brother’s name on the caller id.

I decided to take an extra day off the day after the funeral. I was parked on the sofa with my coffee cup in hand watching the local morning news program. I knew that Mercury was about to go retrograde and remembered my astrologer friend’s comment about terminally ill people crossing over at that time. I had had neither the time nor the inclination to check out the position of Mercury so I had gotten up earlier than usual to check my astrology program. I was a little surprised to find out that Mama had died on the first day of the retrograde. Curious, I backtracked to my dad’s date of death. My Dad had also died on the first day of a Mercury Retrograde 33 years earlier. My mind, as it often does wandered. I suddenly pondered if Dot and Mama were giggling and laughing as they always did when they were together. At that precise moment the news anchor broke in talking quickly about a police chase in progress. A man had hijacked a car in Atlanta and was being pursued out of Atlanta into the suburbs. “We’ve just received word that the subject was traveling south on Highway 29 and has crashed the car into a telephone pole on Janice Drive in College Park. Police have him in custody.”

My coffee grew cold as I sat there grinning from ear to ear. Now that, dear readers, is a sign.

2007-01-12T23:25:00.000-05:00

2007-01-04T08:37:00.000-05:00

In The Temple

I was so happy to see 2006 come to an end. I, along with many other people, breathed a sigh of relief at midnight on December 31st. Surely 2007 would be better or at least a little easier. I , for one, was to the point of making deals with any power that exists. I won't, I promised, scream curses at people that insist on trying to drive with a cell phone glued to their ear. I won't forget to pay my electric bill on time. I will never get annoyed at loud, abrasive or whiny children that are just mirroring their parent's behavior. I will continue to practise not being judgemental (although I still think I have a right to my opinion, I just won't give voice to that opinion). I am still human and I will still make mistakes and missteps but if I can just get a break, I swear I will do my very best to keep every promise I have ever made, I swear!

Now let's move to the last week of December. My dear friend Susan invited me to spend New Year's Day at the Siddhi Hindu Temple in Atlanta to participate in a ceremony to welcome in the New Year. This ritual removes any and all blockages to success and happiness and is only performed on New Year's Day. I was hesitant because I knew there would be a lot of walking and standing and I have chronic tendonitis. One trip up even a short flight of stairs or just being
on my feet for more than 20 minutes or so can set off low back and leg pain that would make me want to sit on the floor and cry. I pondered the situation for a day or so and I decided that, pain or no pain, I was making this trip.

The experience was amazing. When we entered the Temple we walked through a gauzy curtain of smoke from the Holy Fire and an undercurrent of burning incense. The chanting of the priests immediately lulled the senses and put one in a relaxed, meditative state of mind. We actually participated in the ritual and I truly believe that this experience was of benefit to my battered psyche. I just didn't even begin to grasp the benefits.

We spent the rest of the day eating the blessed, specially prepared food and meeting the most wonderful people. We walked and walked and saw wonders of an ancient civilization and faith. The statues of the Gods were breath taking, covered in diamonds, emeralds and rubies. We got to see the newest arrivals from India, statues of the transportation used by the Gods and Goddesses, beautifully carved and brightly painted.

We were called to participate in the last ceremony of the day. I'm quite sure that I can't explain this next experience properly, but I will try. We were allowed to bathe the "Lingum" (not sure on the spelling). I was under the spell of the ancient rituals and was just riding the wave. I didn't really mind that my usually detail oriented brain was not grasping all the wonderful meanings and stories of this ritual, I was just overjoyed that I was there and actually a part of everything. We stood in line to approach the Lingum, a magnificently carved chunk of 2000 year old emerald jade. We poured milk from a conch shell over the Holy statue to wash away all those blockages and obstacles. The priests then touched our foreheads with Holy Ash from the fire.
The rituals were finally complete.

We were walking down the stairs when one of my companions looked at me and started to laugh. "What," I demanded.
"You look like you've been viciously stabbed in the fore head," he replied.

I looked at my reflection in a glass door. The many blessings, bestowed by the priest by touching my forehead with the gray and black Holy Ash and the vermillion of the Holy oils had run together and I did indeed look like I had a fatal head wound, but...at that minute I realized that I was walking down a long flight of stairs for probably the fifth or sixth time that day and I had very little pain. That was Monday, today is Thursday and the pain level is still well below normal. I believe in miracles and I take my miracles where I find them.
Happy New Year!!!!

2006-10-29T01:28:00.000-05:00

Mercury Retrograde Revisited

October 28 - November 17, 2006

Have you noticed in the last two weeks or so that things in general have been a little strange? Has the little old grey haired lady at your local Wal Mart climbed back on her spiffy little electric cart and started trying to mow down other customers, again? Yes folks, it's that time again, Mercury is about to retrograde... again.

I pondered for several years why the Universe would do such a thing to the people of earth, but I know that everything has a reason for existing. What could be good or useful about a rip in the already bogged down communication aspect of our lives? The answer came one morning as I was drinking coffee, staring out my window meditating on the concept of balance. I came to the conclusion many years ago that life is not about love, it's not about being made aware of any one particular problem. It about knowing that if something negative happens there will be a positive action (or lots of little bitty positive actions) to balance the energies in your life. Somewhere, somehow something will occur to balance the stupid mistakes and missteps that we all seem so good at. Eureka!! My quest has been completed, now all I have to do is live with it and learn from it, which is the hard part.

The best clue that I had was staring me I the face all the time. I always knew that during the retrograde period it was a good time to rethink, redo, redirect and finish up things started in the past but never completed. I certainly always seem to be taking care of past issues during those times. I began to look for the things that ultimately became "finis" during those times when Mercury and the Universe were laughing their butts off at our antics. I seemed to have a penchant for dragging up projects that I could never seem to complete. Repainting the thin places in the in the dining room that should have done months ago, taking the car back to the mechanic so that he could actually repair an on going mechanical problem, rearranging the furniture that I had been wanting to do, sometimes for years. I would find myself geared up and actually productive! "How very strange," I thought to myself as I scanned over my list. I began to wonder if everybody had something specific from the past that could be handled during a retrograde so I took a survey.

I started with my daughter. Several conversations later, after rechecking dates and timelines, we discovered that she would be contacted by or run into someone from the past in almost every retrograde for the last three years. Her friends are all of an age, late teens and early twenties, when school, jobs, major life changes are happening and it is very easy to lose contact with friends. The most unusual circumstance, however, became much more than just reestablishing contact with old friends or acquaintances. My daughter is now a junior in college, a productive, mostly happy young lady. She's engaged to an exceptional young man and has her own side business as a web designer and upcoming fractal artist. This confidence that she has now was not always the case. Middle school was pretty much hell. My friends and I had many discussions about the middle school agenda in our area. It was common knowledge that if a teacher completed the course of study for a master's degree, his/her stature as a teacher as well as their salary would increase proportionally. We had a hard time understanding how a bachelor's degree in PE and a masters in Marketing could equal an expert child psychologist, but that was a prevalent attitude among the recipients of master's degrees. We were very busy parents and as long as this odd circumstance did not impact us personally we just made fun of the arrogant, misguided teachers. (That may seem cruel and judgmental, but most of these people had problems carrying on a conversation unless you kept the words to three syllables or less). My daughter's teachers, generally speaking, were caring, intelligent educators. They seemed to like and in some cases admire my daughter's attitude and progress except for one particular woman. This person, who was one of the aforementioned educational jokes, decided that my daughter's social connections were lacking and had tried several times to force her into walking away from her two best friends. My daughter would come home complaining and I would smooth over her anger and point out that the woman (I think for convenience sake I shall call this teacher TWIT - the woman idiot teacher) did not have the right to do such a thing and I assured her that I would step in if and when TWIT overstepped her bounds. I did write a quick, friendly little note asking TWIT to back off and let my child make her own decisions concerning her friends. I never got a reply.

Several weeks later I received a phone call from the principal. She stated that my daughter had threatened TWIT and I should get to the school post haste. I was there in less than twenty minutes. I walked into the principal's office to find my daughter in tears, TWIT repeating over and over that she had the right to have my daughter arrested and the principal standing back wringing her hands. I have Libra Rising so the unfairness of the situation infuriated me. First, I pointed out that TWIT was beating a dead horse with her threats of arrest and to just drop it. I then took over the meeting demanding to hear all sides of the incident immediately, starting with my daughter. It seemed that one of my daughter's friends had asked TWIT, most respectfully, if he could have a ruler to complete his assignment. TWIT chose to throw the ruler at the child, narrowly missing his face. My daughter took great offence to this action and said, in a low voice unheard by TWIT, that she would love to strangle the woman. It was not a great choice of comments but that phrase is one used commonly in the South to state an opinion not make a threat. Unfortunately, this all took place about a week after the Columbine incident so one of the students that overheard the comment ran to tell TWIT.

After hearing my daughter's side of the story, my rather terse comments on Twit's actions and being on the receiving end of plain common sense, the principal finally took over and ended the incident. My daughter, however, could not let go and continued to hold a major grudge against TWIT. She is after all a Scorpio and they are known for their intenseness. Oddly enough, about two months after all this happened my daughter called me into our home office to read an e-mail that had been mistakenly delivered to our computer. The email was from TWIT to a friend and colleague with the same last name and very similar email address as ours, and was a rather vicious little missive. It seemed TWIT's husband was in the hospital with a severe kidney stone attack and she was relaying his very painful experience in the Emergency Room with an unnatural glee. Of course my daughter wanted to email her right back and let her know that we now had enough to begin blackmail procedures but I advised that the information might be useful at a later date and to keep quiet until such a time. No opportunity ever arose and I had to listen, on an average of once a year, to my daughter saying rather pointedly, that she never got to use that e-mail.

The third day of the Mercury retrograde in July this year brought an amazing occurrence. My daughter, now 22 years old, came dancing into the living room, babbling with joy. It seemed that the very same teacher, now living in another state, had once again contacted my daughter in error. TWIT had assumed that she was talking to another former student on My Space. My daughter stood in the living room doorway, dry washing her hands and giggling like the assistant to a mad scientist or perhaps the mad scientist herself. She regaled me with all the nasty things she could say to this woman, she could tell her that her attempts to sabotage my daughter's self esteem and psychological health (I said she was Scorpio, remember?) had been for naught. My daughter even gave thought to some very profane words and phrases. "Just let me see what you write before you send it, ok?" was all I said. This was my daughter's party.

A little while later my presence was requested in our office. I looked over my adult daughter's shoulder with a little bit of trepidation. I won't give you a blow by blow description, just a synopsis. My daughter informed TWIT that she had the wrong person, then gave TWIT a lengthy update on the success that she had and was enjoying in spite of the incident all those years ago. She closed by asking after TWIT's husband's health and commented that kidney stone attacks could be extremely painful and she hoped he had not had another attack as bad as the one TWIT had told her about in the incorrectly addressed email we had received so many years ago. TWIT immediately got offline and cancelled her membership in My Space. The evil that followed my daughter for years folded its tent and crept off into the ether.

Eureka. Balance. Finis.

2006-09-22T22:56:00.000-04:00

Magick or Magic

Have you ever tried to define the word "magick"? It's a lot harder than you would think, simply because magick or magic is many things to many people. If I were forced to give you a concise definition in, say, less than twenty words, we would both be out of luck. Magick is the accepted spelling of a personal need to change something either for yourself or for someone else, very simple, very concise but no where near my feeling on the word. Magic is a gift, if you will, from the Universe. The trick, I think, is not only knowing the difference but also feeling the difference.

Magic is my granddaughter's dazzling smile, so much like my daughter and my husband, my grandson's life loving grin, reminding me of my own Daddy at his very best. A little fuzzy white dog, dodging and running through the house in a game of strategic chase with two galloping ferrets and a grey cat bringing up the rear waiting for an opportunity to leap and tackle one of the ferrets, preferably Possum. The muted glow of a rising full moon as it inches its way above the eastern horizon, the blazing fire of the sun as it sinks gracefully below the western horizon. The first or second and sometimes the third week of every August when little yellow butterflies begin their migration, fluttering by my windows determined to complete the journey instilled in them by thousands of years of survival and instinct. All you have to do is take a minute or two and look around you. I guarantee that your definition of magic will grow and expand like the rolling storm clouds of an afternoon storm.

Magick, on the other hand, is very different. One must interact with Universal forces in order to try to change an existing situation. Sometimes these changes are allowed and sometimes they are not. There exist a set of rules that must be followed in order to accomplish the objective. I could not begin to tell you who or what set these rules. I can tell you that if the rules are not followed there can be backlash and it can be painful. I have had many, many conversations with experienced practitioners and magickal beginners over the years. I have heard some of the most ridiculous interpretations but I have also been able to receive the most sublime wisdom on this planet.

Many years of pondering (one of my favorite things to do) these conversations and my own experience have given me insights into how magick works, bearing in mind that this is my own opinion. My ponderings have enabled me to condense the rules to a few major statements of fact. All I can say is that this works for me.

Rule #1 Intent is the most important factor. An honest desire to change your reality for good always works better than the negative such as revenge. I find that the more negative situations are best handled by simply saying out loud "I wish _______better than what they have". Do not add anything, simply make the statement. You can say it as often as you wish. Those few words do two things. First, it allows the Universe to handle your request as it sees fit. Second, it begins a purging process that is both emotional and psychological.

Rule #2 The most powerful spells are those that you write yourself. You must be very careful that you do not impact any "innocent bystanders." You might also remember to be very careful what you ask for…you might just get it. The Internet has a tremendous number of websites that can help you choose the basics for a spell. You can determine what tools to use whether it be herbs, moon phases, candles or any other materials. It is my own personal belief that human nature craves ritual so use what feels right to you.

Rule #3 You must cause no harm to anyone save in the cause of justice. This statement may cause confusion, however you must remember…a spell should not be intended to cause harm for harm's sake it should be intended to cause change. This is where the backlash factor works its way into the equation. Please reference Rule #1 and Rule #2.

These are very basic rules. I encourage anyone wishing to use magick to research the basics thoroughly. I'll leave you with one thought. Y'all be careful out there.

2006-09-14T23:14:00.000-04:00

Susan

I posted an article entitled "Friends" a few weeks ago and it has come to my attention that there are a lot of people out there that are trying to find the subject of that article. Susan Clay has the amazing ability to determine the frequency of the seven major chakras using a pendulum and then balancing those chakras using music and gem stones. She is just amazing! I do apologize that it has taken me so long to hit the realization that I could probably expedite the search for Susan. I guess it's safe to say that life sometimes gets in my way.

Susan can be reached at Crystal Pathways

121 Bradley Street

Carrollton, Georgia 30117

678-796-0050

The store hours are 11am -6pm Monday through Saturday. Her website is undergoing major reconstruction but will soon be launched at www.crystalpathways.net.

Susan hosts a Psychic Fair on the third Saturday of every month. There are lots of interesting things to see and do and lots of interesting people. I hope to see some of y'all there this coming Saturday.

2006-08-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

The Astrological Age of Pisces

"It’s the dawning of the Age of Aquarius" was a popular song lyric in 1969 and indirectly led to my interest in astrology. I wanted to know what the song meant but there wasn't a lot of information on the Astrological Ages around that time period so my interest gravitated to the actual astrology forecasting. I found out much later that the Astrological Ages are periods of time that last approximately 2100 years. Approximately is a key word. According to all the research I have done, there is a large difference of opinion on exactly when an astrological age begins and ends. As we approached the year 2000 I noticed an increase in the information on television, the internet and in magazines stating that with the beginning of a new century we were also welcoming a new astrological age, in this case, Aquarius. I had been hearing that we were approaching or already in Aquarius since the 1960's and I began to ponder on the fact that if this new age was begun in the 1960's why is I still, in 2000, hearing that the Age of Aquarius is approaching?

I decided that if no one could make up their minds as to what age we were in, I would like to find out what Age we were leaving. It appears that, from all the reading I have done that we are still in the Age of Pisces beginning to overlap into the Age of Aquarius. Unlike the zodiac progression that we use in the present day, which begins with Aries and ends with Pisces, the astrological cycles (approximately 26,000 years) actually progress from Pisces to Aries, effectively going backwards. According to all the information I can glean the backwards progression puts The Age of Pisces at the beginning of the astrological ages. You may feel that concept is confusing, as do I. I decided to take the research information at face value and evaluate what I could learn. I was more than a little surprised at what I found.

The Age of Pisces, a water sign, began about 2100 years ago, give or take a century or two. The symbol of Pisces, the fish, suddenly began showing up very frequently, especially in respect to the Christian religion. The ancient symbol that the early Christians used to identify themselves to one another is, of course, the fish. The apostles were, for the most part, fishermen and baptism, the washing away of sins with water was also introduced for the first time. The most widely known feats of Jesus were at the wedding feast where he changed water into wine and when he fed the multitudes with fish that multiplied miraculously. I could easily see that the sign of Pisces, represented by fish and water, might have a bearing on these events so I decided to take my research a little bit further. I listed the traits of Pisces and then looked to see if there were any connections with the historical changes that fit that time line.

People born under this sign have a tendenancy to live in a world that is half physical (example: human wants and needs) and half spiritual, such as the needs between the mind and the heart. That opposition of ideas results in these folks being pulled in opposite directions on a regular basis. I looked through the pages of history and noted that, while western religion introduced a belief system based joy and love it also brought to bear the emotions of shame and guilt. The story of Adam and Eve would be a perfect example. The first couple lived in joy and love in the Garden of Eden until they disobeyed the word of God and were dropped into a world of shame and guilt and fig leaves.

Pisces embodies personal sacrifice which the Christian church identifies as the basis for salvation. Sex, the strongest physical desire other than food, was turned into a conflict that humanity, up until that time, had never considered a problem. If one had an erotic thought (does anyone remember Jimmy Carter?) the teachings of their church immediately kicked in and these people began to kick themselves, and still do.

Pisces also has an "all or nothing" attitude that effects individual behavior and also can negatively effect relations with other people. The western religions require their followers to be governed by strict rule of things that can be done and things that shall not be tolerated. These people are not encouraged to experience the different beliefs that tend to help one understand oneself with tools such as meditation or a full understanding of nature and way she works or physic abilities or experiences. This attitude can really get in the way of new ideas that could have a bearing on things that are happening on this earth as we speak. Charles Darwin and his theories on evolution were harshly censorored, even though they have been proven. His theories are, till this day, the cause of many conflicts and occasionally a knock down drag out fight! The Piscean Catholic Church, remembering all or nothing, was responsible for destroying thousands of local and regional religions in an effort to control the mindset of the people. Future generations of these people, in order to be controlled by one religious entity, were forced to give up their beliefs or be destroyed. One episode in particular comes to mind. The western church, for whatever reason, proclaimed that cats were the familiars of witches. The all or nothing attitude of the church demanded that all cats be killed to keep these little old ladies from wreaking havoc with their herbal remedies. The only creatures that were happy about this, other than the church, were the rats that carried the fleas that inundated Western Europe with the Bubonic Plague.

Hope, however, appears to be closer than we think. The Age of Aquarius is here, maybe not in it's entirety but the changes are already becoming obvious. Aquarius is the most humane of all the zodiac signs and a good bit of the world is becoming more aware of and involved with humanitarian concerns. Aquarius governs the higher technical advances of the mind. We now have computers, world-wide media coverage and those nifty little MP3 players, to name just a few advancements. Modern medicine is making quantum leaps in the diagnosis and treatment of so many diseases and they are becoming openly cognizant that some of those herbal remedies that those nasty old witches used and died for are indeed useful and effective. I'm not saying that the Astrological Age of Aquarius is going to resolve all the conflicts that have been pounding us for the last 2100 or so years, just that the free thinkers have a better chance at changing the world into a better place. I can't wait.

2006-08-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

Buddy

I was working at a terrific little shop right off the square in Carrollton. Rhiannon, the owner of the shop, had recently moved from a cramped little space into a much larger building. The large open floor space right in the front of the store was a decorating challenge but Rhi rose to the occasion by having a little rock pool built complete with gold fish and aquatic plants. There was a pump to circulate the water and the soft sound of moving water was always in the background. Soft, relaxing music continually played and the most wonderful smells of incense drifted in the air. There were, as far as I could tell, only two problems with the new location. Buddy, our resident spirit had become fascinated with the CD player but the players didn't do well with Buddy's energy, and somehow tiny slugs had gotten into the pool and nobody could figure out how to get rid of the slimy little creatures.

The owner had become a great friend and I always looked forward to her cheery greeting when I walked into the store. One August morning, however, I was met with a scowling face and tapping, impatient feet. She was clearly upset and immediately demanded that I do something with Buddy.

"He keeps blowing up CD players and now it's happened again. I'll be back in a little while; I've got to go buy the FIFTH player. Jerre, do something!" she demanded.

"Are you sure this is the ghostie? Have you had the wiring checked?" Her snarl told me I had asked the wrong question at the wrong time...

"Three times at fifty bucks a pop. There is nothing wrong with the wiring."

"O K. Lock the door behind you and I'll see what I can do with him."

The space had actually been a bank in the early 1900's and I walked back to the still existent vault. The vault was where I had run into Buddy shortly before the Grand Opening but he had given me no reason to think he was a problem. He was young, mid to late teens and appeared to be mentally challenged. He was neatly dressed in denim overalls that had been pressed and a starched white shirt. He had a freshly scrubbed look about him with neatly combed hair. I swung the massive door open, stuck a chair in the doorway, just in case, and went into the cool, musty interior. Almost immediately I was aware that he was in the vault. I guess you could say that we talked about what was happening in the shop.

I met Rhiannon at the front door. "Well?" she asked.

"My dear, we have a very unusual circumstance but I think two problems can be taken care of at one time."

"I brought coffee, come sit and tell me."

I told her about my "conversation" with Buddy. He told me that both his parents worked in the bank and they brought him to work with them every day. He always wanted to help around the bank but was mostly told to sit in the vault and look at his picture books. I could almost hear him sigh," I just wanted to help."

"So," I told her, "I made a deal, with your permission, that if Buddy could get rid of the slugs and leave the CD players alone he could stay here as long as he liked." The fifth CD player was the last and within 48 hours the slugs were gone.

Five years later I got a call from one of my regular clients. Her friend lived in Carrollton and was frantic with fear and worry. It seemed this friend had a ghost and wanted me to get rid of it as soon as possible. I had a little free time and was, of course intrigued, so I drove into Carrollton and met her at the house an hour after the call. The homeowner was standing outside a beautiful two story white house that appeared to have been built in the very late 1800's. Fifteen minutes of soothing her frazzled nerves brought a little of the story to light. She had been taking a shower and something had touched her. Many odd little things had been happening but this time her nerve broke. She jumped out of the shower, grabbed her clothes, sent her daughter and grandchildren (who lived there with her) to a friend and proceeded to call everybody she thought might be of help. One of the friends was the client and she finally convinced the panic stricken woman to give me a call.

I went in the back door and picked up a presence immediately. I felt nothing to indicate that this was an angry or "bad" ghost or spirit and allowed him or her to lead me up the stairs to a bedroom. I immediately smelled natural gas and followed the smell to the old-fashioned gas heater installed in the existing fireplace. Then I saw him standing beside the heater pointing to the heater jets. I knew this spirit. The owner and two of her friends had followed me up stairs and were standing by the door. All of them looked ready to make a quick exit if necessary. I asked if anyone could smell gas and two brave souls eased into the room but denied smelling anything. The homeowner said that they had smelled it before but the gas company had checked and could find no leak. This was the children's bedroom so they kept a regular check on the gas lines and connections. Buddy, still in his white shirt and overalls, was shaking his head and pointing to the heater. I asked the homeowner to call the gas company again and this time have them check the heater itself not just the lines.

I was trying to explain that the spirit was trying to be helpful but she cut me off abruptly. She did not want anything touching her in the shower! Show me the bathroom, I said, and off we went. Most of these beautiful old houses were built before the concept of a bathroom actually existed. The most common practice to install a bathroom was to find sufficient space in the general area and have someone put up a wall or walls to enclose the space. That is exactly what the original owners of this house had done. The bathroom was at the back of the landing on the top floor. I poked around and found a small storage space wedged in beside the bathroom and the outside wall. There was Buddy, smiling a lopsided grin and pointing to the small storage area. I turned to the homeowner and told her to tell Buddy that the bathroom was off limits when it was occupied but that she might want to ask him to stick around and help look after the children. Her face went totally blank and she appeared speechless. I turned to my client and told her I'd be leaving now but feel free to call me if she had questions. I walked away humming. I finally had the whole story, or thought I did.

One week later I heard from the client that had called me to the haunted house. She wanted to give me an update. The gas company had checked the heater. Buddy was right. The jets in the heater were clogged with years of dust and needed cleaning; unignited gas was seeping by the dust clogged jets. The technician apologized profusely for their oversight and repaired the problem immediately. All the annoying little happenings, including the touching in the shower had stopped although they couldn't seem to stop Buddy from clomping up and down the stairs at all times of the day and night, but they were getting used to the footsteps. They had decided to let him stay. He was proving very useful in watching over the children.

I decided it was time to check out the local history section of the library. I wanted to confirm my addition. I figured if Buddy was at the bank and five years later he was at the house he must have spent a lot of time at both places. I was right. Buddy's parents didn't just work at the bank, they owned the bank and the two story house where I had run into Buddy. They were very social people and their parties were always given a write up in the local paper. The other children in the family were often mentioned, Buddy was not. I theorized that perhaps, given the time and place, that Buddy may have been forced to stay upstairs, out of sight during the parties. I was more than irritated that two people that were educated enough to own a bank might have mistreated a child that was "different". Just a few days later one of the assistant librarians that had helped me with my research called and asked if I would like to meet one of Buddy's cousins. He was much younger than Buddy but his memories of his family at that time were sharp and clear. I asked him about Buddy and he said he was fairly sure that Buddy's problem was Down's syndrome. Buddy's parents loved him very much. It was Buddy's choice to stay upstairs and he had made the little storage area his own private space. He wanted to attend the parties and tried to help with the preparations but, at the actual parties, felt like people stared at him. In his cubby hole he could hear everything but didn't have to see anyone.

His cousin smiled at the memories. "Ol' Buddy was a sweet soul but he could be stubborn. He always wore the exact same clothes…said he wanted to be buried in them. The funeral was in late summer, it was really hot even at night, August, I think. I remember he was wearing new, pressed overalls and a white starched shirt."

Tales of haunted houses and ghost stories told around a blazing fire on a hot, sultry August night. Delicious chills running up and down spines as sticky, sweet marshmallows are toasted in the fire and eaten between gasps of surprise and feigned terror. Summer in the South, it doesn't get a lot better…except when you grow up and get to investigate real haunted houses and ghost reports. The only way that gets better is when an eerie connection between two incidents get to see the light of day.

2006-08-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Tarot and the Sacred Feminine

I ran across the "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown shortly after it was published strictly by chance. A friend let me borrow it and I consumed it in two days. Depending on who and what you are, Mr. Brown either opened a can of very wriggly worms or opened a very large window with a great view. The concept of the "Sacred Feminine" has been a reality for centuries but Mr. Brown has brought the concept out of academia into the mainstream and I for one couldn't be happier.

I am currently reading "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar" by Margaret Starbird. I am truly impressed with Ms. Starbird's book. From the very beginning of the book she is honest regarding the fact that the conclusions she draws are a result of her interpretation of the massive amount of research that she and others have done over the years. She makes no claims that her words are the one and only truth, just that the information available points her to draw her conclusions. It is fascinating.

The amount of evidence concerning Mary Magdalene, her possible marriage to Jesus of Nazareth and the possibility that the Magdalene could indeed be the Holy Grail is mountainous. The evidence that the Church tried to destroy the "Sacred Feminine" is just as large. The details that she puts forth ranges from very small facts to very large, historical events which she then ties together in a smooth, coherent manner to support her conclusions. I am a person whose great love is mysteries of all types and Ms. Starbird feeds right into my thought processes.

One chapter of her book set off bells ringing for me. I read Tarot cards and have, from a young age been fascinated with playing cards. My studies on Tarot indicated that cards which evolved into modern day Tarot first appeared in Egypt and eventually traveled the world. The cards are divided into the Minor Arcana and the Major Arcana. The Minor Arcana are the four suits and the face cards (also called Court Cards), much like the playing card decks we use today. The Major Arcana (sometimes called the Trumps) are the cards that represent, simply put, Life's Journey or as I call them, the serious information cards. Tarot today is a divinatory tool to be interpreted by the reader based on the artwork and symbology of the cards. Tarot card meanings may be based in Celtic myths, Greek myths, Angels and many other main topics. There is a wide variety available and readers and soon to be readers are encouraged to look at many decks and choose the artwork that "speaks" to them on a higher level.

Ms. Starbird has given me a new and exciting slant on Tarot. She has found a deck of cards that dates back to the 1400's often called the Charles VI deck. The artwork and symbols on this deck appear to have been the means to pass along the history of the Grail. Ms. Starbird gives many examples, almost card for card, of the meanings that accomplished this feat. In my limited space I will give one example. The third card in the Charles VI deck is called the Female Pope. This card represents the women who were descendants of Jesus' bloodline. These women were strong, independent woman, many of whom were land owners and important members of government in their region. My deck of choice is called the Celtic Tarot. The third card of my deck is the High Priestess. The representation of this card is that she is a source of inspiration and represents the truth behind light and darkness. (A small footnote. The Female Pope card was one of several cards of this deck that were outlawed by the Church. Not the entire deck just a few of the cards.)

This article has covered only one small bit of the amazing amount of information that can be linked with the "Sacred Feminine." It is my hope that each and every one of the people reading this article will pick up one book on this fascinating topic and see where it might lead you. Good hunting and safe travels.

2006-07-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

Friends

A few years back I was running errands and decided to drop in at a new little shop right off the downtown square. I hadn't done any readings away from my home office for a while and had heard that there was a new business in town that might be looking for a tarot card reader. I walked in and introduced myself to the owner. Almost before the words were out of my mouth her face lit up, she grabbed my hand and declared "I have been looking for you!" Being a Leo moon my reaction was total attention. We talked for a while and made an agreement on when and how we could set up readings.

Every time I dropped by the shop people were lined up to talk to Susan. This lady has such a vast amount of knowledge about so many things! Over the next few weeks we talked of many, many metaphysical topics. One cannot know what a delight it is to be able to talk about some of the unusual, weird and downright bizarre things that sometimes happen to me, and I found out, to others as well, and not be thought of as crazy as a loon!. Even though I'm a professional in the metaphysical field, living as I do in the South, we are sometimes hesitant to talk about these, for us, everyday occurrences.

Susan's knowledge of gemstones and their properties led her to be able to do Chakra Balances. I cannot fully explain this process. The Chakras are the seven major and 21 minor energy points in the body. These same points are used in acupuncture and other types of alternative healing to promote healing of all kinds. She checks the frequencies of the chakras using a pendulum and then, using her vast knowledge and intuition, applies the appropriate gemstones on the appropriate chakra on your prone body. I have witnessed cancer patients go into remission after a few sessions with Susan. I have seen people with chronic pain conditions improve immediately, and emotional hurricanes reduced to quick moving summer thunderstorms after a session with Susan. . The human body needs balance and when these energy centers are balanced it is a wonderful experience. Susan always counsels her clients on the best way to use the information that she gives them to promote this balance. Unfortunately, people are human and are sometimes overwhelmed many times in the process of achieving this balance. With Susan's help many people have improved and are continuing to improve and live more productive lives.

I have noted that people who are blessed with metaphysical and mystical gifts cannot always apply those gifts to themselves. I don't know of many tarot readers, myself included, who can get solid information from a self-reading. Susan is no different. She has had major health problems to overcome almost all her life. She is now experiencing a very dark health episode due to a pre existing condition that is deteriorating and requires major surgery. She is single, owns her own business and cannot afford health insurance. One of her many friends has had the foresight to set up a trust fund for Susan. I cannot imagine a world without this most wonderful healing force and I am hoping that anyone who reads this will feel the same way.

The account is set up as The Susan B. Clay Medical Contribution Trust. You can donate any amount you like through any Suntrust Bank, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. A simple phone call and the name of the trust is all that is needed..

Susan will appreciate any help, I will appreciate any help for Susan and I think the Universe will be grateful, too...

2006-07-26T00:11:00.000-04:00

Friends

The account is set up as The Susan B. Clay Medical Contribution Trust. You can donate any amount you like through any Suntrust Bank, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. A simple phone call and the name of the trust is all that is needed.

Susan will appreciate any help, I will appreciate any help for Susan and I think the Universe will be grateful, too...

2006-07-19T21:20:00.000-04:00

Mercury Retrograde

July 4 - July 28, 2006

The time has come to tell you all about the dreaded Mercury Retrograde. I think the best way to define this astrological action is to tell you a little story. Shortly after I got my drivers' license I was driving along a street that ran parallel to a train track. A train was coming up behind me heading in the same direction. As the train matched my car's speed I suddenly, and only for two heartbeats, felt like I was going backwards and my brain went into total confusion. As quickly as the train's speed changed, the sensation subsided and everything was fine. This is the basic action that is taking place when the planet Mercury goes retrograde. The orbit speed of the Earth and Mercury are exactly the same for a short while, giving the impression that Mercury is turning backwards. When you add the fact that Mercury is the planet of communication into the equation you began to get an idea of where this is all going.

Three to four times a year we will have a Mercury Retrograde. This action last approximately three to four weeks. Try to imagine the word "Communication" in the broadest sense possible and you will begin to grasp the concept. A very wise and talented astrologer told me many years ago that people who are terminally ill will choose to cross over during a Mercury Retrograde. My Mother and Father crossed on the first day of a Mercury Retrograde, thirty-three years apart. I don't know of any specific cause for this, but I have tracked it for many years and am always dumbfounded when it appears to be true.

Of course, there is communication between people which, at this time, can go to hell in a hand basket. You will find that your mouth and your brain are not connected. Watch the news anchors during a Mercury Retrograde. These normally articulate people are suddenly tongue-twisted and appear at times to babble like an idiot. Arguments between trusted friends, relatives and sometimes complete strangers will blossom like spring flowers and turn into major thunderstorms in a matter of seconds. If possible don't sign any legal papers or make binding agreements. You may have a court case scheduled. Stall if possible because chances are you will have to redo, rewrite or reschedule.

Always back up your computer files because if you don't you will regret it when your computer crashes like a meteor. Don't buy anything that has any type of electrical or electronic component if you can possibly put it off until Mercury goes direct. Chances are you will wish you had waited a little longer. Your auto, which has never given you a moments trouble will break belts, overheat, do anything to cost you time and money.

Know that going to Wal-Mart can easily turn into an obstacle course of gigantic proportions. It will start in the parking lot where people on cell phones will try to engage you in a rousing game of "Chicken" for the same parking space. You will know it in the store when people (you included) will be standing in an aisle staring, dazed and confused, at the place where your favorite cheap paper towels usually are but are no longer. You will know it in the store when sweet little old ladies suddenly seem to have flashbacks to the most warrior-like past life they have ever had and try to mow you down with their spiffy little electric carts. You will know it when the cashier can't get the register to take your check, credit or debit card without a major hassle.

All right! Now that I have you all terrified of Mercury Retrograde, let me point out a few more things. Life goes on. Knowing about the retrograde and the possibility of the snafus that can happen immediately make it easier to deal with in all aspects. Forewarned is forearmed I always say. You may not be able to avoid signing important papers or buying a new computer. If you can't wait then you can't wait. Understand that there may be more glitches than average but nothing that can't be resolved, eventually.

Another possibility is that some one you haven't heard from in years and years may get in touch with you or you may feel compelled to contact someone from your past. Many times things that are in your past that you thought would never work out come to fruitition, culmination or conclusion. I have only a few minutes ago got off the phone with my brother. He was the victim of a stroke many months ago. His recovery has been excellent in some aspects but a little slower in others. He filed for disability several months ago but had heard nothing and was mentally and emotionally gearing up for a court fight. He called to tell me that he had just checked his bank balance and almost fainted. His balance was several thousand dollars more than he was expecting. After some thought (its Sunday no actual humans to contact) he realized that, without written notice, he was approved for his disability and a large chunk of cash was deposited in his account from the Social Security Administration. So. It's not all bad, this Mercury Retrograde. A few tips: Breathe deeply on a regular basis, develop your sense of humor to the max and repeat after me "This too shall pass, this too shall pass……"