Milestones are our achievements, whether we measure those achievements in the amount of years we are living or the deeds we do, they deserve to be celebrated.  Every single day is a celebration of who we are, what we are achieving, and the people who supported our efforts. Never ignore a milestone or a reason to celebrate an accomplishment of joy in your life.

I have personally initiated a new way to remember those wonderful people who join me as we move through the world together.  At the end of each day, I light a candle in gratitude for the positive light they ignite within my spirit.   They are my dream weavers, and they are delivering a message of joy, love, hope and inspiration.

Today, I will celebrate all of you reading this now. Thank you for inspiring me and making the light in my world that much brighter.

Here’s to your milestones!

Here’s to your light!

Meditation Bench at The Farm

Positive thoughts are important because they train the mind to cooperate with the spirit.  The trick is to keep the mind healthy so that it cooperates with spirit all the time, feeding it the good thoughts that move us forward.  One way to do that is through meditation.

Though more and more people are picking up the habit, the average person does not embrace the practice of meditation, instead relegating it to “new age” fanaticism or eastern philosophy.  That is like saying the act of breathing is a fad, or only practiced by certain spiritual groups.

Meditation is the greatest medicine we have available to us. This single act of deliberate breathing provides an awareness that allows us to respond to life in a reasonable way, rather than reacting to it.  When we silently breathe in mindfulness, we give ourselves permission to participate in an intimate internal dialogue.  That resulting communication takes us to a special place within the physical body that embraces our spiritual essence, which is where we hold our positive energy.  The spirit is always in a good place, and each one of us can also be in a good place. The body and mind tend to derail the spirit’s journey and can leave us out of synch. Daily meditation will encourage your arrival at a healthier destination and promote positive energy rather than negative ones. Think of meditation as breathing in life force, and put it in the same category as the importance of personal bathing and grooming. Meditation will help you feel better, think clearly, make better decisions and avoid a lot of arguments and misunderstandings.

Here are some pointers to get you started:

1.  Set an appointment with yourself for approximately the same time every day to meditate for at least 10-20 minutes. Wear comfortable clothing, if possible.

2.  Meditation is deep, slow breathing while comfortably seated, which means you can meditate anywhere!  Eyes closed, inhale slowly through your nose (mouth closed) to the count of six, filling your stomach up like a balloon and moving the air into your chest.

3.  Exhale as slowly, deflating the balloon, through your nose again, mouth closed, to the count of six.**

**If you find it more comfortable to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, or that you need to change the inhale/exhale number, please do so.  What works for you is what’s important. There is no right or wrong way to meditate, as long as you are breathing!

A thought on meditation CDs:  As long as you are slowly breathing, and paying attention to that breath, you can use any music or guided meditation (or nothing at all).  I happen to have one called Graceful Meditations in which I instruct beginners on breathing while guiding them on two brief meditations.

For CD click here: Graceful Meditations CD

I hope you will consider implementing this practice into your life.

Happy Meditating!

Personal Sacred Space

I have always had a sacred space, for as long as I can remember. A place I retreated to when I needed comfort and understanding,  or even just to go within and be at mindful peace with myself and my surroundings.  My sacred space is personal and intimate and  always affords me private time as a valuable appointment i make with myself. It is always the place I call home.  Its where I organize my mind and download the day.  It’s also where I do my best thinking and have a true sense of what I feel.

I believe that everyone needs a sacred space and its easy to create one, no matter the space you have available. I have had small ones using an end table,and have seen people with a separate room in their home dedicated to it.  A sacred space is a great way to enjoy meditation, journaling and  praying. Connecting and disconnecting each day by using a sacred space to honor that special Me Time is intimately important.  It will enrich your life by improving your mood.

My personal sacred space (seen here) is in the sitting room in my bedroom. I choose to incorporate my religious foundation with my spiritual beliefs and display items to appropriately convey that. Different seasons, moon cycles and intentions guide me in deciding what is on my space at any given time.

Some items to consider for your space:

A candle or a light source of some kind is an important centerpiece and  is used to shed light on your time beside your space.  Lighting a candle or lamp will ignite your chosen  intention for that day.

A scarf, doily or cloth – to honor your furniture and create a spiritual boundary that shows respect for your intentions.

An icon, figurine, or crystal – some people put items of a religious nature, or crystals special to them.

Photographs – caution here as its easy to put a lot of deceased loved ones on your sacred space. That sorrow will interfere with the downloading, uploading and relaxing you need to do here. Your focus is on guidance for you.**

**As an alternative, you can always create a small sacred space to pay homage specifically to your loved ones who have passed on.

Flowers- flowers have long been an offering on tables for holidays and special occasions, and your sacred space is no different. Whether you place one flower in a vase or a spray of them, the wonderful scent and energetic color will be soothing and uplifting.

These are only guidelines designed to help you create a special sacred space to nourish your spirit and take the time to embrace the internal you. You can go there to meditate, read, listen to music or to just be still.

I would love for you to share your sacred spaces with me! Please send your photo along with a descriptor ion to me at info@lindalauren.com

Today’s blog offers a message of encouragement and hope, and a way to embrace a positive vibration as you move into the future. I call it the New Year Collage, while others might call it a vision board. Regardless of the title, it is a reminder to me to keep my focus on what I want.  It’s very easy to get caught up in the angst of the world and not realize how deeply world events can affect our smaller, personal world in the negative. The signs are: depression, anger, jealousy, impatience, and the growing threat of intolerance. Everything from social media to social connections is threatened simply because it is easier to ride the wave of a bad vibe then it is to work at a positive one.

I remind myself of how important it is for me to be positive if I want to live a long and happy life, and I instill in myself the fact that my every single thought has a profound affect on my entire life and I reprogram my personal intentions through my collage, adding to it as the year progresses.  I strive to create what I want to manifest in the New Year from the seeds of a dream. I define a dream as a wish that is powered by a positive intention until it becomes a reality.  We make our own reality each day and that is through our thoughts and convictions.

Since the age of seven, my way of doing that has been by creating a collage of words and pictures that represent my wants and goals. The process is empowering and, though I’ve shared it here before, it is worth repeating. I hope you will gather up some time, material, and create a collage to help you embrace 2012. And it’s also something that can include the entire family.

You will need the following: poster board, scissors, glue and a lot of different magazines, newspapers, and photos.

The size of the collage is up to you. If you are doing this as a project with family, friends or business partners, you might want a larger piece so that everyone in the can participate.

Cut out images and words of what you want to manifest. Be sure to cut out the New Year date, and remember to include a photograph of yourself and your loved ones. I have seen these collages take on a life of their own and I am amazed at how they become a source of comfort and peace. A collage helps us to do more than “go with the flow” of our intentions. It helps us to direct the current so that we arrive at our destination!

Though you can do a collage on any topic: business, health or relationship and at any time, starting the New Year off with one is effective and powerful in setting a positive tone for the months ahead.

God bless. Enjoy a Happy, Healthy New Year!

I’m sitting by the my newly decorated Christmas tree, my eyes drifting over each ornament in mesmerized reverie, already sharp in the knowledge of the special memory held within every one of them. I’m always pleased to share the stories of what’s hanging on my tree. They embrace the history and traditions of those who came before me, those who celebrated with me, and those who will continue the tradition long into the future.

My Christmas tree is very much a spiritual collage of what my parents, grandparents, and family believed in and what they embraced. It allows me to remember them in the tradition, and is one small part of how I join other families in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

And so I thought it a nice idea to share a few of my ornaments with you:

The Red Boot – this was given to me back in 1977 when I was living with my late uncle in California. It is not expensive, and the accompanying ornaments are long gone, but the fact that it came from Frank Sinatra makes it very special. This boot was made for walking on my tree!

The Crocheted Mailbox -this was hand crocheted by my ex-fiances Grandmother. She was a wonderfully creative woman and this was hanging on the tree with a $50 bill in it one year.

The Nineteenth Century Lady- a very detailed ornament from my late Mom, in honor of Amanda and Jonathan of Hostage in Time.

I thank you for letting me share some of my Christmas tree with you this year.

From our hearth to yours, we wish you wonderful memories this Holiday Season!

I am holding one of my Blessings close to me!

It’s that time of year when people feel the energy that comes from  nostalgia mixed with holiday cheer.

You are in traffic. You’re standing in one at the store. Your temper begins to flare.  You don’t want to feel this way…and you can’t stop from reacting and it takes over the nice personality inside you. This is an excellent time to focus on remembering your blessings.

According to Dictionary.com, Blessings are a beneficial thing for which one is grateful; and a prayer for God’s favor and protection.  Look around you, and you will see “blessings” everywhere you look, and not just at this special time of year, but all year long.

Blessings take all forms. There are blessings in the smile you receive, the kind word a stranger offers, the advice you communicated to someone who needed it. You are blessed when you catch your taxi or bus and get the ride, or  when you are given coupons and discounts when shopping. The simple fact that the sun is shining is a blessing.

Look around you, pay close attention to the small details that make for big blessings and remember to give a blessing in return by taking notice and sending your gratitude out into the universe to be shared and multiplied. This single act of gratitude will help you feel better while your in that line or impatient in traffic.

Embrace your blessings and light a candle in gratitude for them. It will encourage more blessings to come your way!

I am so tired of people stressing out and running scared because someone told them we were in “mercury retrograde” and that somehow is negative. We don’t have negative planets; we have negative people who use the planets as a great excuse for negative thinking, and in some cases, even negative behavior. My mother always said for every down there is an up, so let’s clear the decks, and get a better understanding of this phenomena and how best to flow with it.

Mercury is the planet governing communication, transportation and truth. When it is in “retrograde” it’s movement appears to be streaming backward in the skies, and that backward intention affects all forms of communication: whether that be via computer or person to person. Just because there are more misunderstandings and bad judgment calls made during Mercury Retrograde periods than any other time, does not mean that Mercury is singularly responsible. I am beginning to suspect an uncomfortable pattern. By the very virtue of the Universal Law of Attraction, many people are actually encouraging the frustration experienced during this time, rather than working with the blessings of it.

Breaking it down:
Don’t sign contracts or commit anything in writing, or any other important agreement papers while Mercury is Retrograde.

Back up your computer files regularly because Mercury wreaks havoc with any form of technology, whether that is a computer or a toaster oven. Keep that in mind.

Avoid travel when Mercury is Retrograde, and if you can’t, then give yourself a lot of extra time and confirm your itinerary several times and check all reservations.

Be extra mindful of your words. Be clear and concise about what you are conveying or need and not make or take things to a personal level. Even the most innocent requests can take on total miscommunication with neither side thinking they were wrong.

Favored activities when Mercury is in Retrograde: editing, revising, reviewing, research relaxing, and regrouping. Cleaning out clutter, organizing and catching up on paperwork are highly favored during this time.

So, as you embrace the holiday season, remember to take a nice, slow deep breath, and take a little 60 second breather so that as you begin to go with the flow, you will be directing the current to make this the positive that a Mercury Retrograde should be.

CLICK HERE FOR : Sixty Second Centering Meditation

“I’m amazed at how grounded I am,” I heard her say. “I just don’t know why today is different.”

As often happens with me, I have an intense desire to furnish people with metaphysical facts and/or helpful information that will clarify questions and guide them in a positive direction. Knowledge is power, no matter what it is or where it stems from. I took a very quick ‘read’ on the jewelry she was wearing and immediately found why she felt so grounded. Dangling from each ear was a Hematite earring. Hematite is a very dark gray stone with a shiny finish and is known for its grounding of our spiritual energy to the reality of our daily routine. It is an excellent stone to keep beside your computer as it draws in radiation.

Every piece of jewelry you wear carries a vibration. That vibration is enhanced by the energetic properties of the stone or mineral it is set into. A diamond ring set in gold would represent innocent power and purity of heart, it will ground us to being powerful on a more practical level. It embraces happiness and clarity. When set in silver it works with that energy and will allow more power in communication and help us feel more hopeful.

Turquoise is a gemstone I often see worn as a necklace or a ring. With an origin seeping in Native American tradition, it is known as a truth stone and a powerful sacred stone. It helps with spiritual healing and communication skills and absorbs negativity.

One of the most useful ways to connect to the energy of what jewelry to wear that would benefit you is to relate it to your birth month. We all have a birthstone, and each metaphysical meaning is explained below. There are several schools of thought: Traditional, Modern and Mystical. For our intents and purposes I am focusing on the Traditional gemstones.

BIRTHSTONES (Traditional)

January is Garnet- all about friendship and trust. When set in a ring and given as a gift it promotes a strong bond between the gift and the giver. Good for those who wish to embrace understanding regarding a single topic.

February is Amethyst – connects you to the intuitive energy within you and accelerates the process of clear thinking. Good stone for writers and for people who are working through addictions.

March – Aquamarine – Back in days of old, this stone was one to guarantee a safe voyage. The serenity of aquamarine can cool off the temper so one remains level headed.

April – Diamond – representative of innocence and power, this gemstone draws abundance in terms of happiness and success in all areas of one’s life. The diamond helps with clarity of vision.

May – Emerald- has much to do with rebirth and starting over. It has long been known to carry foresight and good fortune. Good for the immune system and to increase intuitive abilities

June – Pearl- allows you to be in tune with emotion and absorbs thoughts both positive and negative. Though it can be soothing, if you are agitated and negative while wearing a pearl, it will hold that energy until cleansed.

July – Ruby – beneficial to the eyes and to promote blood sugar balance, this is a stone of great joy and love. You will always have physical energy and financial prosperity with this stone.

August – Peridot – used for health and wealth, this gemstone assists us in relationships. Known as a visionary stone, it alleviates depression and anxiety and allows us to discover our purpose.

September – Sapphire – used for, inspiration, spiritual prayer and devotion, It works as an antidepressant and soothes inflammation. It is a very calming gemstone.

October – Opal – creates spontaneity and helps with emotional states. Also stimulates visualization and the imagination and activates dreams.

November – Yellow Topaz- this is a stone of mental clarity, focus, and confidence. Helps mood swings, insomnia, depression and exhaustion, turning them around to create a warm feeling.

December – Blue Topaz – offers creative expression and is fantastic for writers and publishers as it helps to focus on your path. It will help you inspire spiritual compassion.

Remember that all crystals and gemstones carry a vibration, and you want that vibration to emit positive energy to you when you wear them. Before you put your next piece of jewelry on, give yourself a moment to investigate it and why you may be wearing it.

I tell my clients to ask themselves this question: Will the jewelry I’m wearing help me move through the tasks ahead of me for that day? Sit quietly for a few moments after you have your accessories on and let the energy speak to you. Allow yourself some quiet moments to gather a sense of companionship with the pieces you have chosen. If something feels “off,” then remove one piece of jewelry. Perhaps your watch, a ring, or a bracelet is interfering with the energy you want to create for your day. By process of elimination and experience, you will learn to enhance and embrace a personal vibration that makes you feel complete and at peace.

The more I work with pets and their owners, the more I realize how out of touch so many people are with the concept of communication.  There are two basic forms: one is verbal and/or through command; the other is psychic and telepathic in nature.  When you are communicating with your pet psychically, you are creating a direct dialog that will, over time, convey the necessary information between you.

Here are three things to keep in mind to help bring awareness to your communication:

1.  Pay attention to your pet’s physical mannerisms, especially during reprimand.  If your pet is squinting his/her eyes during a correction in behavior, that is a sign of fear and indicates your pet was previously abused.

2.  If you have a pet that is walked on a leash, then please be aware that it is safer to train your pet to walk beside you or slightly in front of you and to your right or left side, never behind you.  I have seen too many injuries that could have been avoided if the owner was more aware of the leash.  That leash is your lifeline to your pet and your need to pay attention.

3.  Finally, we come to sound.  Give yourself and your pet time a deeper connection by tuning into the sounds they make and why they make them.   What does your pet sound like when happy or sad or in pain; that knowledge is powerful because it is one of the most important ways your pet communicates with you.

So enjoy conversations with your pet, but remember that it is just as important to have his/her feedback if you wish to have a long, happy life together.

Credit: Crystlnks.com

So how does a 4th generation psychic medium disobey her mother? She has a séance before she is old enough to facilitate one!  That was what I did back in 1968 because I was a new kid in a new school who was ‘different’ and I wanted to make friends. Someone suggested that we have a séance at our friend Sean’s house and that we try to speak with the great magician and escape artist Harry Houdini. They asked me to show them the way.

Sean lived in a stately house in the old and once prestigious Seven Oaks section of the Oranges in New Jersey.  The homes there were large mansions that were no longer kept in the grand style that surrounded them in the 1800s, but they were still in decent (in some cases, stellar) condition.  My then boyfriend picked me up on his bicycle (yes, a bicycle) and we rode over to Seven Oaks.  I was pretty excited because, just shy of seventeen, I was finally going to facilitate my first séance, something my mother considered out of the question.

I remember standing there beside my boyfriend while he rang the doorbell.  We could hear Sean bounding down the stairs, and waited as he pulled open the heavy oak door. “Come on in!  I’m all set up.”

As we stepped into the large foyer, my eyes immediately swept up to a beautiful tapestry of angels that hung over the staircase in welcome. The long staircase led to the other floors of the house, with the dining room on the immediate right, and across the hall the living room was to the left.

“Everyone is here.  I have us sitting at the dining room table,” Sean said.

I remember hearing him, but I became lost in the swirls of the color in the tapestry and soon his voice was barely audible to me.  Before I realized it, I was walking up the staircase with slow, deliberate steps.  The closer I came to the next landing, the more distant the voices became.   I stopped at the second landing and reached out to grab the railing as dizziness took hold of me. My eyes started tearing and my throat closed up, and I felt like I could not breathe.  I steadied myself and continued up to the next landing. It was here that my peripheral vision disappeared and I found myself walking into a tunnel of white light . I stopped as an image began to take form.  The white turned to dark and then light again. That’s when I saw her more clearly.  Standing outside the door where I had stopped was a woman dressed all in black. And she didn’t look very pleased to see me!

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her salt and pepper hair was pulled away from her face and tied into a long braid. She was not smiling and her hands were folded in front of her.  I froze.   We made eye contact, and I found myself running back down those steps faster than I knew was possible.  I stumbled right down into the surprised arms of my boyfriend at the bottom of the landing.

“You didn’t tell me your grandmother was home, Sean,” I reprimanded, trembling.  “She was pretty angry that I went upstairs.  She scared me.  I didn’t expect her–.”

“Huh?”  Sean looked at us.” Didn’t you tell her?”  He raised an eyebrow in question to my boyfriend.

“Tell me what?”  I was sitting down on the bench down in the foyer and was finally feeling my heavy breathing subside.

“That’s why you’re here. My grandmother died yesterday—there is no way that you saw her alive just now up on the third floor.  We thought you might want to call her when you call Houdini.”

That is all I remember hearing before I slumped back against the bench and fainted.

Séance called on account of fright!