synchronicity

I don’t normally post twice in a day, but when I do, it’s because of diving timing.

What the heck does that mean?

For starters, there’s an element of something bigger than me wanting to be shared. Something not a part of a marketing plan or an agenda my mind conjured.

Nope. There’s an inner tingle telling me this is the right thing to do.

Also, it’s a real life story of divine timing and how it unfolded in my life two days in a row.

Yesterday I arranged to meet a friend for a hike. Because we were going together, it was a different time and different place than I would have chosen if it were just me.

The trail we frequent is a loop and she deferred to me to choose the direction.

I felt a pull to go to the right.

We had a lovely chat and came up with solutions to solve most of the world’s problems, should anyone in authority care to ask.

When we got to the creek, there was a big SPLASH!

It sounded like someone fell in. It was a big enough disturbance that we stopped to look around.

There were geese nearby but they were just minding their own business and seemingly innocent of any excessive splashing.

Then I saw it. A large bird perched in a tree. With a white head.

As far as I know there’s only one kind of white-headed large bird in this area and that’s a bald eagle.

A rare and majestic sight! And we had front row seats.

We went on about our hike and that was that.

Until today.

A new client cancelled her appointment. She called this morning, all apologetic and distressed. I wasn’t concerned because I had sensed it was going to happen.

I can’t explain it, but I was waiting for that call.

And here’s the interesting part. I knew I wouldn’t be doing that session today, but I left it on my calendar. It was a placeholder. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to open that slot for another client or make lunch plans.

After we rescheduled her appointment, my day organically rearranged itself. I found myself catching up on admin tasks and enjoying a slow start rather than heading out for an early walk as I had planned.

Which put me at my usual spot on that same creek, but about two miles downstream, but a different time than usual.

Just in time to cross paths with a stranger who pointed out the large bird with the white head looking down at us from a tree.

Just in time for other people to cross my path so I could share the magic with them.

I could have been irritated by the change in my workday. I could have tried to force some kind of productivity.

Instead, I followed the breadcrumbs and was rewarded with a beautiful and unusual sight.

Of course I texted my friend to tell her I saw an eagle (the same one?) again. She replied that perhaps there was a doubly strong message for me in this synchronous rendezvous. That’s exactly something I would have said! But I hadn’t yet had that thought.

So I’m letting it simmer.

The bald eagle, as you likely know, is a symbol of America. A proud, strong, bird. A bird of prey. An endangered species.

There’s a lot to work with here, but I’m taking it as a positive omen as well as a reminder to follow my instincts.

Divine Timing

I don’t normally post twice in a day, but when I do, it’s because of diving…
Last week I had a short break in between sessions and took my book outside. I didn’t want to take the time to walk to my usual outdoor bench and instead chose the picnic table at the playground next to my office.

I gave up trying to read because of the kids making a giant ruckus on the monkey bars and was simply sitting there enjoying the sunshine when I noticed I had a visitor.

A praying mantis! Such an unusual creature. I’m pretty sure they’re alien. I mean, those eyes are just too weird. He sat there a while looking at me and then crawled over the edge, presumably under the table. Or into an another dimension. Who knows?!

After I stopped obsessing about the possibility of alien-like bugs lurking out of sight all over the place, I sensed that there was a deeper message to this encounter.

I thought about how still he (don’t ask my why, but this guy definitely seemed like a he) was. How slow and deliberate his movements. I took it as a sign to slow myself down and be more pray-full throughout my days.

I receive guidance like this all the time. From nature and unusual events and characters that cross my path. The trick is paying attention. So often we’re just rushing about going to the next place that we don’t even notice the messages that appear right in front of us.

If had just gone to my normal spot, I would have missed this guy. If I had forced my eyes on my book even though I couldn’t pay attention to the words, I would have missed it too. If I hadn’t heeded the urge to get out of the office, just for 15 minutes, I definitely would have missed all the opportunities to have any live interactions.

If you have access to Reiki, you can do a practice, or series of practices, intending to be a better receiver of beneficial messages. And most of us could probably pay better attention to the world around us, keeping our eyes and hearts open to meaningful signs from the universe. Even the really weird ones. 😉

Insect Intervention

Last week I had a short break in between sessions and took my book outside. I…
Last night, I met a friend at a park to honor the new moon and to create intentions for the upcoming lunar cycle. New moons are a great time to plant the seeds for what we’d like to experience. Layering that with even a rudimentary understanding of astrological events, we can surf the cosmic energies rather than struggle against the current.

We talked through our individual circumstances and goals as they related to the astrology and did a simple tarot reading to add another layer of guidance from the mystical realm. These particular cards were challenging to decipher, but we did our best. It helps not to take things too seriously!

As we were heading home in the near-dark night, a frog jumped across the sidewalk in front of us! Maybe that’s a common thing where you live, but this is Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the U.S. Sure, there was a pond in the park we had just left, but that was about a half mile away, and all the times I had been in this area, I’d never seen a frog. Certainly not on the sidewalk!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When you’re on the hunt for guidance, it’s easy to cling to every little occurrence. If a squirrel or cat or mosquito had crossed our path, it would not have been noteworthy. But we both agreed that a frog was such an anomaly that it held meaning. Plus, the timing was too significant to ignore.

There’s plenty of information available online about the spiritual message frogs might deliver. I’m not going to repeat any of it here; you can find it easily enough. What’s even more important is the unique meaning that frogs carry for us. Happily this unusual sighting clarified and amplified the tarot reading as it related to the new moon energies. All of these clues allowed us to craft specific and potent intentions.

I’ve written a series of posts on accessing intuition- Intuition Chronicles. While this particular incident falls more into the category of divine guidance via synchronicity, it was intuition that helped us capture and decipher the guidance. It’s simply a matter of asking for support and paying attention to what unfolds.

The more tuned in I am to what’s happening in and around me, the more I am certain that the universe is dropping breadcrumbs along the path to my greatest good. It’s helpful to remember that powerful information can be found outside the traditional intellectual approach if we’re open to it. Deeper meaning and guidance are available to all of us if we choose to slow down and receive it. I’m heading down to sit on the porch and see what surprises the world has to share with me.

What the… Frog?!

Last night, I met a friend at a park to honor the new moon and to…
Last night I started using a new affirmation that I borrowed from Lee Harris, a channeler and intuitive who offers a helpful energy update each month. I’m really enjoying his online Abundance Upshift program. Exploring and upgrading belief systems is a good portion of the work we’re doing; hence the affirmation.

“I allow myself to receive in unexpected and surprising ways.”

These words really resonated with me, so I decided to take them out for a spin. I repeated them several times aloud before bed and copied them into my journal this morning. I find repetition to be helpful for getting new ideas lodged in my mind. Science tells us that creating new neural pathways is possible, but does require some consistent effort.

So… I went about my morning and suddenly felt the urge to get myself to the woods. Since I moved, almost two months ago, I haven’t explored opportunities for hiking in my new neighborhood. Happily, today my mood, energy, schedule, and the weather all collaborated for my benefit.

I walked to the closest trailhead. Meh. It just didn’t feel right, so I continued along the sidewalk. The next entrance pulled me in, and I soon realized I had found the field designated for dogs to run freely. Not having a four-legged friend myself, I turned back around, hoping to find a quieter and less crowded spot. It was at that moment that I crossed paths with a client. When I explained that I was scouting out the new neighborhood, she invited me to join her.

Now I not only have company and good conversation but am being shown around by someone who knows the area well and is able to offer suggestions about which trails to take to get to a variety of places. My own personal tour guide! Unexpected and surprising.

After she peeled off to return to work, I took her advice, but soon got pulled in another direction. I found myself at an intersection occupied by three ladies. When I looked closer, I recognized two of them! Oddly enough, I had no idea that they knew each other! This might not seem like such a big deal if you live in a small town, but I’m located in Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the US, and hiking in the country’s largest urban park. Running into one familiar face is a rare event for me; three is simply magical.

I was delighted! Unexpectedly and surprisingly finding friendly faces really brightened my day and strengthened my resolve to keep using this new affirmation. I was reminded that abundance can appear in multiple forms. Friendship and connection are certainly some of my favorites!

I’m curious to see what else will happen as I continue to become aligned with the energy of receiving in unexpected and surprising ways. You’re invited to join me and report back when the miracles begin to appear. 😊

Affirmations Work!

Last night I started using a new affirmation that I borrowed from Lee Harris, a channeler…
For months now I’ve been spontaneously waking up before 5 am. Since I’ve been using Reiki to break this super annoying pattern and failing miserably, I know that there’s a bigger plan beyond what I can see. As I tell my students, Reiki always works, just not always in the way we want it to! I trust the intelligence of this universal life-force healing energy much more than I trust my own thinking. My thoughts often lead me astray!

This week my self-care, spiritual, and personal growth practices all converged to show me the colossal wisdom of Reiki and my own shortsightedness. It’s a lovely story of how the universe has conspired to give me exactly what I want despite my continued resistance to receive it. The complexity of several different factors intersecting perfectly blows my mind and lends credence to my belief in synchronicity, divine guidance and divine timing.

Last month’s meditation in Rick Hansen’s “Growing the Good” online program focused on motivation. That certainly got my attention as I was just wrapping up the 12 week studies in the book, “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity“, by Julia Cameron. Given that I’ve spent the last year intending to open to my innate creative flow, this book was a no-brainer, and linking creativity with motivation was incredibly helpful. As was the choice to delve into the humorous yet profound “You are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero, as I’m building my own business and have a burning desire for more freedom and autonomy as well as prosperity.

Throw in the practices I’m learning about dream tending from Sharon Blackie in her online course “Courting the World Soul” and a dietary detox revealing greater levels of energy, I grew closer to my epiphany. But it wasn’t until I had a medical intuitive session with the amazing Laura Bruno regarding the healing of a longstanding pain in my foot that the breakthrough broke. In addition to some practical remedies, Laura suggested that I make a verbal commitment to a project that I intend to complete in the next 2-5 years. As I did this… ding ding ding!! The alarms in my head went off and everything fell into place.

I have three different books simmering inside me that I just can’t seem to find the time or motivation to begin. With the exercises in the books I’m reading, the meditation, harvesting the messages in my dreams, breaking the hold that sugar has over me, and making this commitment to myself and the projects I desire to create; it was infinitely obvious that the universe/Spirit/Reiki/intuition/whatever you want to call it was giving me the gift of an undisturbed, quiet hour every morning to devote to my creative urges.

Once I stopped wasting this precious time lying in bed cursing my biorhythms and feeling sorry for myself, I began to see this for the spectacular blessing that it is. Since then I’ve been jumping out of bed after recording the fragments of dream memories and doing what absolutely needs doing to sit my butt down and write for an hour. I have no idea of where it will lead, but the energetic rewards of being devoted to my goals and allowing creativity to flow, feel fantastic! And quite frankly, that’s good enough for now.

Happy side effects: I’ve not had any sensation in my foot since I made my commitment to using this morning time for writing. My body was trying to tell me something for a long time and I just wasn’t getting the message. I vow to learn to speak her language to save myself the time and hassle of painfully unheeded communication. I am also finding myself so productive in the mornings that I’m able to get to the woods more frequently for creek therapy and sunshine. Win, win, win!

Reiki fail?

For months now I’ve been spontaneously waking up before 5 am. Since I’ve been using Reiki…
A continuation of the collaborative Reiki Q&A with Karen, a student whose enthusiasm and curiosity is downright contagious.

Karen: Does a regular Reiki practice increase the “synchronicities” that occur to further one along their path? If so, why and how?

Pamela: In my experience, using Reiki regularly does seem to align me with an increased number of synchronicities that guide me to greater peace, joy, freedom, and connection. As for the “why” and “how”, well, I’m not really sure! I suspect that the synchronicities are always there, a piece of the intricate web of life, and that when I’m all Reiki’ed up, I’m more likely to notice them. Perhaps because my intuition is activated and I see more clearly or because I’m more aware of my life purpose or because I’m simply intending to experience more ease and grace every day.

Karen: So my back was in spasm last week in what I am convinced was a healing crisis, and I woke up thinking about whether or not I should go to a barre class I’d signed up for. I was on the fence because sometimes it helps, but sometimes it makes things worse. I checked my email as I was making (and Reiki-ing) my coffee and there was an email saying the barre class had been canceled! I did an hour of Reiki instead, and my back has felt amazing since that day.

Pamela: This is a perfect example! Now, I don’t necessarily think the class was cancelled on your behalf; rather the synchronicity was the impulse to check your email and choosing to use that time which had been “reserved” for barre class to do Reiki. Which, btw never makes back pain worse! When we’re not connected to the flow of life, sometimes these impulses are easy to overlook and we try to force ourselves to do the things we think are right. I don’t know about you, but often my thoughts are ego-driven and the opposite of helpful! Intuition is always spot on.

Karen: I have been feeling really down about my work, even though I love my co-workers.. the work itself is not inspiring. Now things outside of my control have shifted and I have the opportunity to either rewrite my job description or POSSIBLY (this is still not clear) move into another position entirely that is truly exciting. All completely coincidental. And I do think a large part of my issues with depression – which have contributed to my chronic back pain – have had something to do with being uninspired at work, which is something I’ve discovered I really need to be.

Pamela: Wow! Here’s my interpretation. Reiki is helping you recognize your need for inspiration and when and where it is being met or not. This new clarity will absolutely help you tune into situations that will be more beneficial to you, and more apt to notice opportunities that might have been otherwise overlooked. The more empowered we become by taking action to fulfill our needs and follow our passions, the more it seems we are met with assistance as the power of intention is activated. Research is just beginning to reveal the potency of the human mind to affect the physical universe. Knowing that you’d like more creativity can set off a chain reaction that delivers the chance to enjoy doing just that. I credit Reiki for the clarity that creates the momentum.

Karen: My relationships have become more connected and people have been reaching out to ME lately… again, coincidentally.

Pamela: Coincidentally? I think not! As your vibration changes and you become more loving towards yourself and more radiant, people will naturally be drawn to you. Just as we might have a tendency to avoid a habitually grumpy person, we will be attracted to the kind and vibrant ones.

Karen: I understand that Reiki is healing within the body and even the energy field around the body. But how can this energy influence the larger world, especially when it’s impacting other people too? Because this job stuff is not just about ME – a co-worker just received an incredible opportunity that will make her immensely happy (her DREAM job) and is now creating a way for me to grow in my own job before she leaves.

Pamela: Well, our energy fields don’t exist in isolation. This energy can and does ripple outwards to the rest of the world, especially to those we spend the most time with. Chameli Ardagh, a spiritual teacher whom I greatly admire, says we’re all in this soup together. Just like adding salt to a soup pot makes all the soup saltier, our vibrations (healthy or otherwise) are not contained within our own aura. I believe that every step we take closer to reclaiming our wholeness and worthiness benefits all beings.

(To further illustrate this fascinating topic, a mere two hours after typing the above paragraph, I found two separate messages in my inbox regarding this interconnectivity. Synchronicity! Here’s the message from the teacher I just mentioned:

“From the Nordic triad of weaving Goddesses, the Norns, we are given the vision of Wyrd, the whole world as one interconnected web. Wyrd is a luminous field of energy that vibrates in constant communication among all beings here.

We each have our unique thread in this vast tapestry that we call our world. Becoming conscious of ourselves as a thread in the Wyrd we are initiated into a grand collaboration, it revives a bone deep sense of meaning in our lives, right here, right now.” ~ Chameli Ardagh

Karen: So, this is a much bigger puzzle.

Pamela: So true! The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I’m much more excited to see what a discussion on synchronicity draws to me than I was about my experience with “healing crises”! And very much looking forward to Karen’s next question. 🙂

Reiki and Synchronicity

A continuation of the collaborative Reiki Q&A with Karen, a student whose enthusiasm and curiosity is…