Happy New Year 2010!!

The end is near! At the strike of twelve midnight on the clock and the ball drops in Times Square 2009 will be gone for good.

For me 2009 was not the best of years for me nor was it the worst. I was layed off from my job, my money became very tight, a very dear friend passed away. And it seemed that no matter which way I turned I kept running into brick walls of some sort or another. But, I also like to acknowledge the good – renewed friendships, summer vacation, Christmas vacation, my family and friends are all here and healthy, I still own my house and miracle of miracles it still has some equity in it. I still have a 401k that wasn’t completely obliterated! And so much more. 2010 is the year I feel that many of my personal struggles are behind me and to ensure a good year I will partake in some old traditions and some new to say good-bye 2009 and hello 2010.

In the past, I have been let down more than be excited by the romance and promise of New Years Day. It seemed no matter how I have spent the last day of the year whether partying, romancing, or a quiet night at home and yes there have been more than I can count that have been alone that New Years Day was such a let down. When I awoke on the New Year morning, the goals and dreams I made the night before didn’t magically appear on January 1. Not like Christmas where you wake up and “Santa” had been there and there were pretty packages containing wonderful gifts. No New Years Day fairy godmother waiting to grant me my wishes. It was the same old me that went to bed the night and year before. It was just a let down. I woke to still the same extra 10lbs I wanted to lose, sometimes woke with a raging hangover (depending on what new years eve it was) the same bills, alone no prince charming making me breakfast or worse the same guy I thought would turn into prince charming and no magical millions of dollars appeared in my bank account. sigh. I know very, very childish. Especially for me who believes in the mindset of life is how you see it and it’s up to you, happiness is a choice. Sometimes that mindset causes me much anxiety because as much as I believe it, I fear it. Because I think that I am choosing to be happy etc. but it is darn difficult when life keeps throwing boulders on your nice bed of roses.

Years ago, while I was grieving the loss of my boyfriend for the 3rd year of his passing, another good friend of mine invited me to go out with our group of friends to a big New Years Eve party at a club. At first, I did protest with all my might, I mean who was I to go and be happy and have fun and GASP! maybe meet someone new and kiss someone and toast champagne after I had lost the love of my life 3 years before? I was deeply entrenched in my grieving and not dealing well with it at all with it. That’s another story. But my good friend, Lety insisted. She told me, that back in her country (Mexico) her family and friends believe that whatever you are doing at midnight on New Years Eve is the preclude to what your coming year will be like. I thought about this seemingly silly tradition of hers and then thought of my past New Years Eve sitting alone, doing nothing with no one and yes, the following new years had been pretty much the same. This tradition of my friends is what convinced me to go out. I wanted to find out if this was true and would being with a group of my crazy friends, drinking champagne at a party and kissing some, any cute guy in proximity of me at the strike of 12 would make my coming new year better. That New Years Eve was really fun. We laughed, danced, drank champagne, celebrated a birthday too that night. And at midnight, out of the blue and very cute and much younger than me guy grabbed me and gave me a great big kiss. Nice. It was a fun night and much better than sitting at home alone, being blue. I am not sure if that night really affected my new year but I am glad I went out. Because there hasn’t since been another New Years Eve like that one. Just for the record, I don’t knock staying at home on New years eve. For several years now, I have chosen to stay home on New years eve with friends or family and sometimes alone.

But no more sad, pitiful ones. Now, I am excited again about a fresh new year coming and all the good things that can happen. I know that nothing is going to magically change overnight but I do make goals. Some are realistic, some are dreamy and some are an effort to make my life more enjoyable and me a better person. And still deep down inside, I leave a room for the magic to surprise me…somewhere within the new year.

Old New Years Eve and Day Traditions:

1.) Black eyed peas – represent prosperity, money
2.) Cornbread – represents gold
3.) cabbage, or greens of some kind – represent cash
4.) 12 grapes at midnight one for each of the months of the year – said to bring good luck
5.) Burn last years calendar (if you have a fireplace) and say “ burn, burn calendar burn, last years worries never return”.
6.) Just before midnight open all the doors and windows for a few minutes to let out the past years negative vibrations
7.) Light and burn a Bayberry candle and let it burn til the end so you might want to get a short candle or taper. Say this poem: A Bayberry candle when burned to the socket bring luck to my home and money in my pocket.
8.) Take a two sheets of paper and on one sheet write at the top Let Go Of: and then list any habits, worries and or problems that you are ready to let go of. On the other sheet of paper at the top of the page write, Bring To Me: then list your desire(s) wishes and hopes. When you are finished take them to the fireplace and burn them. One by one. Burn the page titled Let Go first because you have to let go of the old to make room for the new. When you do this visualize the problems and worries burning, burning and never returning. Then burn the Bring To Me page and visualize the smoke carrying your hopes and wishes out to the universe and God and coming back to you made manifest.
9.) Make sure you clean your house the day before… no cleaning or sweeping on New years day. They say that sweeps out the good luck.
10.) New Years Day make sure your cupboards are full and your pockets to ensure prosperity and good eating all year.

Many Blessings for you all in 2010!
Cheri

Please come visit our new site http://www.whereheavenandearthmeet.com/

Manifesting, Dreams and Affirmations

Using affirmations to change, improve and reprogram our subconscious minds work
wonders and do bring about wonderful changes in our lives. The main point about
working with affirmations is that you want the wording to work for you. Feelings and emotions
behind a thought is what helps the speed at which the desire manifests. Therefore, it is important that your affirmation sparks those good vibrations, feelings and emotions to get the manifesting ball rolling. For example, some people like lengthy ones and others like shore and sweet. Some like it to rhyme and some like to sing it. Whatever works for you is best. But as you are saying your affirmation you will notice how well they are working by what your dreams reflect you.

Let's use money as an example. You are needing some money or wanting to add more prosperity to your life so you start using an affirmation: People Love To Give Me Money. And you are saying this all day and night to yourself and having a great feeling and thinking Wow this is great and then that night you dream a dream that is dark and dreary etc. The dream points out to you that you have a block to receiving money or that you just don't believe that people would randomly give you money. Voila! the block is revealed.

Thank yourself for pointing out this subconscious belief. This block can be changed but until you dreamt it you were unaware of this subconscious belief or disbelief and an affirmation will work for you once you change that belief. In fact, any of us who are not in the flow of money and prosperity have some kind of basic subconscious block to riches and prosperity.
How do you change the blocks? In a word, visualization. I suggest that you take your 'block' and I will continue here with prosperity. Get into a meditative state, or just quiet the mind. Now repeat your affirmation and see, feel and hear the affirmation - use all your senses in a scene that you could conceive and believe happening. If you cannot conceive the idea and believe it with all your heart then you must use an affirmation that works for you.

Once you find the affirmation that clicks with you and as you change your belief (block) in your subconscious mind your night time dreams may show you how you are progressing or your dreams can also show you when you need to change your goals or when outdated beliefs are blocking your way of real spiritual truths.

Positive money beliefs in dreams can be represented by having gold, silver, money, jewelry, being surrounded by opulence in your dream backgrounds, luxury, etc

Sweet, Prosperous Dreams!
Cheri
　

Intuition: Listening To YourSelf

Have you lately said "I've got a feeling," "I don't know how,but I just Know" or "I knew that was about to happen"? These are all statements that describe intuition. A non-logical knowing of something. You actually feel the knowing deep within yourself around the heart and stomach area hence "I have a gut feeling" or "I have a hunch". Intuition just happens and you don't know from where this 'knowing" is coming. All you know is that you know.


Some people still feel that our physical body is all we are and that once that is gone then so are we ... but that is not true and it doesn't matter whether you agree or not. We are spiritual beings having a human experience and our physical bodies are the vehicle which we use to work through and in while we are experiencing life on earth. We are multidimensional beings, who's minds have several unseen layers and who's physical bodies are more than what we see reflected back to us in a mirror. Beyond our physical body, surrounding it is energy that is called the electromagnetic field. This energy field is an extension of us and is where our unseen (by most) sensitivities are extended. There are four layers of energy surrounding our physical bodies. Closest to the physical body is the etheric body/vital body, followed by the emotional body/astral body, next is the intellectual/lower mental body and furthest out is the intuitional body also known as the higher mental body. All of this together, mind, body and soul are what is our whole self.


Being a true to mySELF follower, I have listened to my gut feeling for many years. By doing so, I have been taken to places and introduced to people I would have never experienced had I questioned the outcome of where following it would take me. I know many times my family and friends were talking amongst themselves whenever I made a seemingly "shaky" decision to them based on my gut feeling. In the end it always works out and so far all is right, good and perfect. I just know ... this is where I am supposed to be right now in this moment.
Following your intuition is always the right path. If things don't turn out the way you 'think' they should in following your intuition that does not mean that you were wrong. It does mean that you/your mind put boundaries around the possible outcome and confined it to turn out only one way and if that preconceived way did not work out then your intuition was wrong. This is the mind taking control, not your all knowing SELF. YourSELF always knows and is not concerned with what the mind thinks. It does not ask questions, make judgments or give reasons for this "knowing." So, the next time you get a "hunch" or "feel it" go with it, trust yourself and don't think about it or try to define the outcome ... in the famous words of Nike. Just do it!
Cherie

Famous Dreams, Creative Dream Discoveries

Here are a few interesting dream facts that just go to show that working with your dreams can really pay off!

Paul McCartney dreamed of the tune for the Beatles song "Yesterday"

Mary Shelley had a nightmare that inspired her to write Frankenstein

Abe Lincoln had a dream of his own death

And dreams during the Roman Era were thought to be messages from the Gods. Many dreams were submitted to the Senate for dream analysis and interpretation regarding many issues of the day. In addition, dream interpreters accompanied military leaders into battle and campaigns for their help in deciphering the messages from the Gods.

Never underestimate the messages from your dreams!

Trust the answers you get from your sleep

Last night, as I drifted off to sleep I repeated to myself an affirmation in order to have an answer to a question. This morning when I awoke an idea popped into my head and I am following it. What I would like to point out is that I did not dream the answer but by sleeping on the question it came while I was waking up and I quickly jotted it down. It was not at all what I was thinking it would be but as a good friend of mine recently said "you might not get to where you thought you were going but trust that when you get there you were meant to be there." I like that because it means we must stay open to life. We can have goals and dreams and plans but not hang on too tightly to them because God will always have something bigger and better than we humans can ask for or dream up. Which brings me back to the ideas that came from my dream time this morning; I am going to go ahead and follow the ideas and see where it takes me. The main thing I want to stress is not to over think it too much or dissect it and ask why? Just trust and have fun.
Affirmation: Divine Intelligence give me a definite lead on what my next step regarding_____(insert your query) in my dreams tonight.
Remember always relax, forgive, count your blessings and say your prayer of protection before sleeping.
Sweet Dreams.
Cherie

Sleep peacefully and Wake Up Joyful

This is an effective prayer to help those suffering from insomnia. After you are in bed and get comfortable, take three deep breaths, inhale the good and exhale the stress of the day. Then repeat slowly, quietly and lovingly to yourself as you fall to sleep:

"My toes are relaxed, my ankles are relaxed, my legs are relaxed, my back is relaxed, my hands and arms are relaxed, my shoulders are relaxed, my neck is relaxed, my face is relaxed, my eyes are relaxed, my whole body and mind are relaxed. Relax, Relax, Relaxing, Relaxed. I fully and freely forgive everyone including myself and I wish for all harmony, health, peace and all the blessings of life. I am at peace. A great stillness comes over me and a great calm comes over my entire being as I realize the Divine Presence within me. I know that the realization of life and love heals me. I wrap myself in the mantle of love and I fall asleep filled with good will for all. Throughout the night peace remains with me, and in the morning I will be filled with life and love. A circle of love surrounds me. I sleep in peace and I wake in joy."

Peaceful dreams.
Cherie

The Answer Is In Your Dreams

When we are sleeping nothing else is ... your body and all its organs are all functioning, including your mind. Luckily we don't have to tell ourselves to breathe and our heart to beat while we are sleeping! Our subconscious mind never rests or sleep, it keeps on going to keep us going, it controls our vital forces. Sleep helps us heal faster when we are sick or injured. Clearing your mind and forgiving yourself and everyone else before sleeping helps healing take place more rapidly. Lack of the appropriate amount of sleep can cause us to be irritated, depressed
and can cause mental disorders. To me, dreaming is the best part of sleeping. Because I have worked for many years with my dreams and through my dreams my subconscious mind has delivered messages of hope, ideas, confirmation, solved problems, warned me and inspired me.

Prayer and Sleep bring counsel: Take a situation where you need help with making a decision as you are going to sleep say a prayer/affirmation over and over in your mind. You will awaken with an answer. It may be from a dream or it may come from an intuitive knowing/gut feeling you have upon waking.

Here is an example: A woman living in Dallas has a job offer in New York City at twice her salary she is making now in Dallas. After considering everything and doing the pro and con list etc. she was still wondering if she should take the move. So that evening before going to bed she said an affirmation/prayer regarding this matter. The next morning she awoke and had a persistent feeling to not accept the position. She phoned the company and following her gut feeling/intuition, she declined the offer. In the end, about 2 months later her inner knowing(not a good idea to move and take the position) was verified through events that the company went bankrupt.

Try it for yourself and discover the counsel your sleep brings you. As you are about to go to sleep, claim that the infinite intelligence of your subconscious mind is guiding and directing you. Then expect an answer perhaps in a dream or on awakening. You will definitely receive an answer. Another extra thing that I happen to do is, I write the question in gratitude form - "Thank you for giving me the lead or answer regarding_________(insert your dilemma) that is for the best and highest good for all concerned." Then I fold it up and put it under my pillow. I literally sleep on it! And above all while doing this focus on knowing the right answer will come, it is already there you just have to open up to it. Remember, if you do the affirmation and write the note to sleep on and then just go back to "I don't know, I don't know." thinking worry and frustration you will surely receive worry and frustration and not your answer.

Sweet Dreams.

Powerful Prosperity Affirmation

Thy Will Be Done Today. This is a day of completion. I give thanks for this perfect day. Miracle shall follow miracle and wonders never cease.

A big part of the "magick" in affirmations is your belief in what you are saying. Some affirmations will do just the opposite because what you are saying isn't believable to you. Each time you say it you are also saying "oh right, I am rich...really? no job, bills keep coming in and no money" therefore it is negating the affirmation and bringing more of what you are really believing. It's important to find an affirmation that says something that you can believe in. When you are really down or just starting out, it is good to use what I call a 'neutral' or all encompassing affirmation. Like the affirmation above it is not specific in a particular outcome but all encompassing.

Also, another way to affirm your affirmations is to write them down. There is power in writing and putting the written word down on paper. The "magickal" number is 15. So write your affirmation down 15 times in the morning before you start your day. It works. Just give it a try and see for yourself. Choose an affirmation or use the one I listed above and for the entire week each day write it down 15 times and see what happens.

More on affirmations and manifesting to come!

Dream Time - Getting a good nights rest and dreams

It seems these days, especially, many a night has been spent up and down, tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling hoping for sleep to come. When we carry monsters of worry, stress, hostile people and fear to sleep with us our dream time can be a battle or a nightmare. It is so important for us humans to get our rest, sleep to rejuvenate our bodies, mind and soul from the day of stress.

I am a proponent of healthy natural ways of getting to sleep, no drugs or alcohol. Start out by making sure your bedroom and bed are comfortable, serene and secure. Your bedroom is your retreat, your personal space to withdraw and rest from the battles of the day. Try having a ritual or routine that helps you unwind as you get ready for bed. For example, I turn my bed down, turn the bedside lamp on then go and wash my face, brush my teeth, put on my nightshirt. This sounds very normal and is but for me by doing this routine each night it is telling my mind to relax and let go of all things of the day, it is time for me. I also don't believe in having a television in my bedroom. I know, many people do but this to me is not restful. My bedroom is my sanctuary and a place for sleep, dreaming and intimacy and privacy. I have dear friends and family members who fall asleep with the television on and to me that background noise just seeps into our dreams and subconscious!

Below are a few ideas for help getting to dream land not nightmare wasteland.

* Establish a routine before bed to help you unwind

* Have a nice cup of tea (chamomile is a nice choice.) I love Sweet Dreams by Bigelow Teas

* Take a few deep breaths and feel the days stresses go out with each exhale

* Visualize your next day exactly how you want it to go as if it has already happened then ask God or your angels to bless it and bring you messages in your dreams.

* Read some inspiration or listen to relaxing music or if you must watch t.v. a funny or romantic feel good show is best

* A nice fragrance of lavender or I love White Angelica on your person or pillow or sachet under your pillow

* Be grateful - in your mind or write in your journal at least 10 things you are grateful for that day. It can be grand or/and simple. The more gratitude we show the more life gives to us to be grateful for.

* Pray as though what you are asking for is already done. Lord, Thank you for .....

* Meditate

* Write in your journal. It really helps to purge all that stuff in our heads and then it is not as likely to keep us up once it is out on paper.

*Last but not least these two things have worked for me when all else has not:

I kiss my pillow and tell it I want to go to sleep now. I know it sounds funny but it really does work. The other is that I simply say to my angels, "I am really ready for sleep can you help me to go to sleep now? Thank you." And before I realize it I am dreaming!

Sweet Dreams!

Dreaming of the Dead

Years ago while in meditation I had a spirit show up that I didn't know. At first, I thought I was wrong and tried to ignore him. He persisted. He was very strong in impressing my mind and invading my meditation. I finally asked who he was and he told me his name was Chris. I then sketched a likeness of him in my journal. I had no idea who this guy was or why he was coming to me - he just kept saying his name. During this time, I was teaching a dream class in Houston and on the night of my upcoming class it was pouring rain along with thundering and lightning. The receptionist at the center where I was teaching class called me and asked me if I was coming - she asked "Please, don't cancel your class there is a couple that are insistent on coming and are driving from Galveston." I told her I had no intention on cancelling the class. Plus, I already had 10 others coming. Once I got to the center everyone but the couple were there in the room. We waited a few minutes but I decided to go ahead and start.
About 15 minutes into the class the couple from Galveston arrived and took their seats. We were in a casual setting and I was describing the different types of dreams. As soon as this couple sat down, my "friend" Chris appeared next to me. He was so excited and kept saying to me that they are my mom and dad. I remember in my mind telling him to calm down I don't want to appear crazy, by talking to a guy only I am seeing - this is a dream class not a medium class!
I had never done any spirit communication with the exception of two other friends who had visited me personally. I was not really comfortable with sharing the experience. At this point, the dad asked me "How do you know when you dream of someone who is dead if it is a visit from that person?" I was beginning to get the picture now. Everyone else was very interested in this answer and so I told them my experience of visitation dreams and what I knew.
In the end, after class was over, the couple walked out. My spirit "friend" Chris was jumping up and down to make contact with them. I told him "Okay,!" at the risk of looking like a lunatic this better be your parents!!
I stopped the couple outside and told them the whole story of my meditation and a young man in his mid twenties who has come to me. I described what he looked like. Both the woman and the man started to tell me that their son had been murdered. I stopped them before they went any further and told them what he looked like and they confirmed with tears that was their son. I told him he is here and he has been with me for two weeks and he was here now. They had been desperately seeking many ways to contact him. He had come to them in dreams but many times in our grief of losing a loved one we are not certain of what is a visit and what is a memory created by our own sub-conscious. This subject of visitation dreams of the dead runs deep but here are a few common traits of a visitation dream:

* a very real, clear, feeling, focused dream, REALity feeling of the visit.
* lack of symbolism as in an ordinary dream - very little of a story or plot
* Strong emotions: love, forgiveness, or peacefulness sometimes but not often anger or fear from the spirit
* A touch or hug - physical contact, a reaching out to you
* Often, the spirit looks happy, younger, more healthy or vibrant than when they passed.
* Knowing..you have the feeling, certainty that it was the person..."I just KNOW it was him/her"
* Sometimes you can feel their presence on near where you are sleeping

History and Mystery Of Halloween

Halloween: History and Mystery

Do you feel a change in the air all around you? The breezes are changing from the warmth of summer to a crisper and sharper rush against your face. Summer has ended, and autumn has arrived. The days are getting shorter and the cold, dark nights becoming longer. It is growing closer to October 31st when we will celebrate Halloween; the day when the veil between the spirit world and ours, the living, is the thinnest -- so they say. Our shops are filled with costumes for the little ones to dress up as something frightening, fun or bizarre and go house-to-house trick or treating. Some of us adults dress up too, and have our own Halloween parties. We watch scary movies and indulge in tricks or treats of the adult persuasion. Some of Pagan and old world magick beliefs have claimed this as their "most important holiday".

What is Halloween really about? Why do certain religions take it so seriously while most Americans see it as just another multi-million dollar retail industry and a night for trick or treating? Hop on my magic broom and take a trip back in time to understand a little more of the mystery and history of Halloween. oooooweeeeeaaaawwww!

About 2000 years ago, 5th century B.C.. in what is present day Ireland, Scotland, England and France, a people, the Celts lived and ruled. Imagine what life was like for those people? 2000 years ago, there was no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no phones or computers, no cars, no grocery stores? That is a horror story right there!! (to me) Life for these people was very hard and they depended on Mother Nature, as volatile as she can be, she is all they had and all they knew. So, the ending of summer was likened to the ending of human life. The bright, sunny, bountiful days of life and fun ended on October 31, and the onset of autumn, days shortened to long, dark nights of cold and scarcity of food began. What is now Halloween was originally called Samhain (sow-in) the Celtic new year.

The story goes that the Celts believed on the day of Samhain the veil between the spirit world and the living world was the thinnest. They believed that the laws of time and space were suspended for a short period, allowing the spirit world to mingle with the living. It was believed that the spirits of the those who had died the previous year were in limbo and that they would come back on this night to possess the bodies of living people for the next year. Their belief was that by possessing another living, human was their only hope for an afterlife.
Of course, the living did not want to be possessed and who would? So, they would extinguish their home fires, which would leave their homes cold and uninviting to roaming spirits. Then they would don various masks and costumes of the ghoulish and frightening type to parade around in and be as destructive as possible to scare away spirits looking for living bodies to possess.
Another tale revolving around the extinguishing of home fires was so that everyone could go and light a fire in unity -- the Druidic Fire, which would be kept burning continuously in Usinach as a common source of protection. This night of Samhain was also believed the easiest of evenings for the Druids and/or Celtic Priests/Priestess to make predictions about the future because of the close presence of the otherworldly spirits. For the Celts, a people in a land and time that depended so much on the laws of Mother Nature, these prophecies were most important in providing direction and comfort for the long, cold, dark winter ahead.

For a person thought already to be possessed by evil spirits, this night is when the Celts would burn these people at the stake. Hmmm, now that is a scary thought! This was thought to teach the spirits a lesson about what would happen to them should they decide to possess a living person.

Now, around 43 A.D., the Romans conquered the Celts, adopted Samhain and then meshed Samhain with their two holidays in October. Feralia, the passing of the dead; and Pomona, to honor the goddess of fruit and trees. The apple, being the symbol for Pomona, is thought to be the reason for the tradition of 'bobbing for apples" or "apple paring fortune telling".

The word Halloween comes from the Catholic church and is the corruption of All Hallows Eve, November 1, and All Hallows Day or All Saints Day, for the observance of all the saints in heaven. During the rule of the Romans, spirit possession belief on Halloween declined and the holiday became more of a ceremonial day with dressing up still included.

Early American settlers, who were mainly of the Protestant faith, did not condone Halloween very much. It was more celebrated in the southern New England colonies such as Maryland, where beliefs and customs from various European cultures and the American Indians meshed, and a distinct version of Halloween began to emerge. Halloween was then celebrated by "play parties," which were community events, to celebrate harvest time with ghost stories, fortune telling and song and dance.
Trick or treating was not part of the Celtic traditions, but rather from 9th century Europeans, originally called "souling". November 2, All Souls Day, was a day on which early Christians would go from village to village, door to door, begging for "soul cakes," which were squares of bread and currant berries. The more soul cakes a beggar received, the more prayers they would pray for the donors' deceased loved ones. The belief being that a soul walked in limbo immediately after death and all prayers, even from strangers, would help the soul into heaven.
The lighting and carving of pumpkins, or jack-o-lantern's, originated from an Irish folk tale. The tale says a man named Jack, who was a drunkard and trickster, one day tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Once Satan was high in the tree, Jack carved the holy cross on the tree trunk, trapping Satan. He then made a deal with Satan that he would let Satan down if he promised to never tempt him again. Then, when Jack grew old and died, he was not allowed into heaven due to his evil ways, nor was he let into hell because of his trick on Satan. Instead, the devil gave him an ember to light his way in the cold dark. The ember was placed in a hollowed out turnip so that it would burn longer. The Irish used turnips for many years as their jack-o-lanterns. When the Irish began coming to America because of the potato famine in Ireland, they found that pumpkins were more bountiful in the new land than turnips. Thus began the use of hollowed out pumpkins as their jack-o-lanterns, which are still popular today.
Throughout the early 1800's, American's celebrated Halloween with singing, dancing, dressing up and parlor games. Young, single women at this time believed that on Halloween they could foretell their future husband's name and appearance through tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors. Now that is an interesting way to find a man! Compared to online dating and blind dates, there can't be much more of a margin of error! Something I might have to check out myself this Halloween!

By the late 1800's, parents were encouraged to remove any ghoulish or frightening Halloween tales that were of superstitious or religious basis. Halloween had its own American ways now. Through the 1920's and 1930's, Halloween became a community celebration with parades and local parties; and vandalism started to become the rage instead of pranks. The baby boom during the 1950's revived trick or treating. Because of the large number of children, this was a way to involve the community with each other. Town leaders got vandalism down to a limit and the holiday became a "children's" holiday. In theory, tricks or pranks being played on families could be avoided by providing little treats for neighborhood children. A new American tradition was born and continues to grow today. Americans spend about $6.9 million dollars on the Halloween holiday, making it the 2nd largest American holiday.

So, Halloween is not a holiday born out of evil practices. It came from the Celtic celebration for New Year's Day and last Harvest before a long winter and medieval prayer rituals of the Europeans. The day, like any other, is only as good or evil as one makes it out to be. Personally, it is one of my favorite holidays, and I wish you all a spoooktacular night full of fun, chocolate treats and magick!

Benefits of Dream Work

Hello Dreamers!

We all dream. And dreaming and interpreting dreams are not for a special handful of "spiritual" teachers, priests or members of an elite dream interpretation team! It is for all of us. Our dreams hold the answers to the questions we have asked ourselves over and over and sought outside help from others. "Who am I?" and "Where am I going?" and "Why am I here?" If you have ever wondered any of these then dream interpretation is for you. If you have never asked yourself these questions, then, I guess that would be the best reason for you NOT to interpret your dreams!

Here are some benefits of dream work:

* new perspective on life

* develop awareness of the real you, your soul

* enrich your daily life

* reveal your own thoughts, attitudes and state of consciousness

* make intelligent choices to help you in your spiritual growth

* accelerate your spiritual growth

* create all that you desire

* learn what you have created by your thoughts and attitudes and then re-create your world, if you so desire, through your dreams

* change destructive thinking

* stop limiting beliefs and habits

* improve your relationships with others - family, friends, mate, children etc

* stop repeating the same mistakes over and over again

* be alerted of health issues before they happen

* help you understand your purpose for being here, why you are here and where you are going

These are some of the benefits that come to mind. Plus, dream work is exciting! We can learn so much from our Self and about our Self. The best, and most important thing about dreams, interpreting them and then applying their messages is best said in the Bible: " You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." In knowing the truth, understanding and applying the messages from God and our soul, we awaken to our own spiritual beingness and truly begin to live.

What are your dreams telling you?

Cherie

25 Common Dream Symbols and Meanings

Every dream is a story about the dreamer and is often times teaching us a lesson or showing us about who we are and why we are here and doing what we are doing. It is important that you always interpret your dreams in a way that you feel is right. There are a plethora of dream dictionaries available at any bookstore and online that are not highly recommended. The language of the mind is very complex and many of the dream dictionaries out there are filled with old wives’ tales and superstitions from many cultures and have no collective meaning. The language of our mind is that of our personality, cultural background and personal life experiences in addition to our personal meaning of words. The language of dreams is like learning a foreign language. As in dictionaries for a particular language, there are some words that can be used for various meanings. There are basic words in all languages that are understood collectively as to their meaning. The same goes for dream language. These are basic symbols which are understood by all of our minds as to their meaning. Below is a list of 25 common symbols and their collective meaning.

25 Common Dream Symbols And Meanings

1. Animals in general represent habits, urges, instincts and aspects we attribute to them which are found in ourselves.
2. Baby is a new idea, new concept or ideal - something you have just given birth to, a responsibility you have accepted. It is your “baby” personal project “thing” to do.
3. Clothing shows our attitude and Self expression. Things we “put on”. Clothing is the part of the Self that we show others, what we allow or want others to see. The Self is described in some cultures as the part we show to others; the part we believe we are and the part we truly are.
4. Death means change. It means the end of something: an idea, relationship, habit, etc. and on to something else. Death is nothing more than a transition because physical life, by nature, is a temporary existence for the soul. Death is a change from one state of being to another.
5. Tests and/or Examinations are about knowing the truth. This has to do with self esteem and confidence or lack of it. Being prepared or not, making the grade or not, measuring up to other people’s expectations or fear of not being good enough. The most important test of our lives is knowing our own goals, standards, hopes and wishes - being crystal clear about what you want in life and standing up for what you believe. For further insight into the area where you feel you are being tested in, look at what the test was on in your dream.
6. Falling is basically just waking back up - the action of returning to consciousness. The old wives� tale that if you fall in your dream and hit the ground, you will die, IS NOT TRUE. If you hit the ground in the dream, you will bounce right back and the dream will continue… falling at this point would have the meaning of “falling from grace” or “fall on your face” - embarrassment.
7. Food is knowledge. The saying “food for thought” comes from the idea that knowledge feeds the mind and soul just as physical food feeds and nourishes the physical body. Pay attention to what you are “feeding” yourself.
8. Games are the dreamer’s perspective of life. “Game of Life” or we can say the “games people play” and how they play them. Games have to do with learning skills, rules, talents, showmanship, training, practice, winning or losing, teamwork or solo performance. Particular games have different meaning to different people, depending on whether they do this for work or fun. A particular game interpretation will depend on your feelings and associations with it.
9. Hair represents outward conscious thoughts and feelings/sensitivity. Messy hair would mean mixed up thoughts, confused, can’t think straight.
10. Hands mean service, giving or receiving and expression of emotion. Also how you “handle” things or having/giving a hand in a situation.
11. House represents your mind. The floors in the house represent different levels of thinking. The mind is made up of three major parts: the conscious mind, the subconscious mind and the super-conscious mind. Within these three parts are seven levels of consciousness. The house is where you stay/live - your belief system.
12. Killing indicates change. Killing of yourself indicates a part of yourself and is a good thing when it is an undesirable trait, but a warning if the trait is a good quality. Killing of an animal is the killing of a habit. Killing can also be viewed as an expression, such as the death of a relationship or job.
13. Marriage symbolizes commitment between the conscious and subconscious minds for fulfillment of a desire. It symbolizes a new beginning or something you are “married” to until you “divorce” yourself from it by taking positive action.
14. Money symbolizes exchange value and worth. Things of value would be a new talent you weren’t aware you had, a new quality or gift within you. It could also represent a new vision or new understanding of something. Look at how you are receiving money/valuables to interpret how you feel about yourself.
15. Mountain is a challenge or obstacle. Depending on your mind set, you may see a mountain as representation of something that you feel is an overwhelming obstacle, or you may view it positively as a great challenge you are ready to take on.
16. Naked represents honesty and openness. You are showing your true Self. How are you feeling about being naked in the dream - exposed/vulnerable,embarrassed, or content.
17. People. All people represent aspects or personality of the Self. These are characters in the dream - parts of you, some you know and some you don’t know. Some you don’t like and some you love. The successful businessman, the glamour girl, the bag lady, the playboy, the thief, the idiot, the comic, friends, relatives are all parts of our Self. We are made up of many people. As in Shakespeare�s words, “All the world’s a stage and we are merely the players.” Our dreams are our inner stage and we are everything and every character.
18. Radio represents mind-to-mind communication. Telepathy is the sending and receiving of thoughts. A radio is receiving and a radio station is broadcasting, sending out thoughts.
19. Roads symbolize your direction in life. The direction of your life is determined by your desires and goals. There are highways, streets, roads, dead-end streets, bumpy roads, smooth roads, etc. You can make a right turn, a u-turn or a left turn (not right or unpredictable).
20. School is a place for learning. This can be your level of learning or school of thought. What grade level you are attending in the dream is an indication as to what level you are operating in a particular situation.
21. Sex symbolizes unification of opposites, oneness, marriage, a creative act,a longing to be whole. It can also represent fear or power depending on your feelings about the dream when you awoke.
22. Teacher/Guide is your higher Self. This is your source of knowledge. The soul holds the complete plan for its maturity and its desires and goals here in this lifetime and all others before and after this lifetime.
23. Teeth represent assimilation of knowledge so it can be used. Teeth are the first part of the physical digestive system, and teeth in a dream mean assimilation of knowledge. Losing teeth, which is a common dream, means a change in the way you take things in or learn.
24. Vehicles are means of conveyance from one place to another. The soul uses the body as a vehicle much the same way - going in and out at will. In general, vehicles represent lifestyles, such as work, play, independence, sporty, fast, luxury, economic. Different cars represent these different lifestyles. Your own car generally represents your own body so pay attention to how your car is in your dream. For example, a dream of having a flat tire on your car can indicate you have gone flat, lost your enthusiasm and energy.
25. Water is the source of all life. It represents conscious life experiences. These are our everyday, physical, waking interactions, situations, and circumstances that arise and bring opportunity for growth and enrichment. Water can also represent emotions and feelings overall.

Where Heaven Meets Earth....

We all dream, even if you think you don't. Our nightime dreams are there even if we don't recall them upon awakening...We are most awake when we are dreaming. Our dreams inspire us to do great things, warn us of danger, guide us in the right direction, help solve problems, can give a glimpse of a possible future and sometimes connect us with those who have passed on to the other side. Dreams are the hidden treasures of your higher self, your true self and your connection to the highest power from which we all are created.

"Is it not known to all people that the dream is the most usual way that God reveals himself to man?" --Tertullian

Here at Where Heaven Meets Earth is a hope to inspire, explore, assist and guide individuals on their journey of spiritual and metaphysical evolution. Sharing my experiences as a dreamer, dream interpreter, life-dream manifestations, psychic/intuitive experiences, spirit (ghost) encounters and angels and spirit guides in hopes of helping others on their spiritual journeys.

Sweet Dreams.

Cherie