Looking for Aura Cleansing? It's still here. I'm just calling it Mini Healing now. Find out more here !

5 Day Healing Intensive: The processes for these five days have changed. Check out the new version here.

New Distant Healing Choices Try out the new Aura Balancing, the new Chakra Balancing & the new Aura and Chakra Balancing. Find out more here.

Life Mastery Reading It's all about you, where you are now, and where you're going.. Regular price C$147. On sale until August 31st for C$119.95. Read more here.

Discovering Your Life Purpose
Workshop in Shelburne
Date to be announced (September or October)
Location: Soaring Heart Wellness Centre, Main St Shelburne ON Canada
Cost: $15.00
Call 519-925 2822 or stop by to get your name on the "I Am Interested" sheet.

Setting Personal Boundaries
Workshop in Shelburne
Date to be announced (September or October)
Location: Soaring Heart Wellness Centre, Main St Shelburne ON Canada
Cost: $15.00
Call 519-925 2822 or stop by to get your name on the "I Am Interested" sheet.

I will be doing readings at the Soaring Heart Wellness Centre on Main St in Shelburne ON Canada. The shop is lovely, the energy there is great. Stop in anytime to enjoy a fresh baked organic muffin and cup of tea while you browse for organic foods, books, herbs, clothing, and a delightful selection of gifts. Call 519 925 2822 to book your place or drop in; a spot may be available.

This morning I read a short blurb in the Telegraph online about a fellow in Hawaii, who has been living in his house, knowing that one day it would be consumed by the volcano that has been erupting nearby since 1983. The caption reads, "Having been under the constant threat of lava for the past three years, Sleik had become resigned to the idea that his home would someday be taken by it, and welcomes an end to the stress he's had to live with"

This afternoon I will be in court to stand up with a neice. While she knows justice will come in the end, it is still hanging in the air and it would be very nice to see it resolved so she can get on with her studies.

Uncertainty is stressful. Like most people, I like happy endings and I don't want to wait for them.

Keeping busy helps me get through these times. But if it's keeping busy while that worrying refrain runs through my head all the time, I could just be making myself a bit crazier. And if people around me are really stressed by the same uncertainty, I might need to get some distance to keep my balance. It can be contagious.

Sometimes I can counter the stress by asking my body to relax. Our bodies are vigilant to the things that stress us. To our physical body, a constant niggling worry in our minds can be like a tap dripping. We tense up a little bit somewhere inside until the problem is attended to. "Oh. Dripping tap. I can't fix it at the moment." Then our body settles down knowing that the alert is no longer needed.

I remember an incident years ago, when my husband had taken a fall from his truck at work and was in the hospital awaiting surgery. The results were uncertain. I had no idea when he'd be able to work again, or if we'd have enough money during his recovery. The uncertainty was so complete that I couldn't even start planning. Oddly enough, since there was nothing I could do, it made it easier to give up the worry and stay in the moment. When I phoned my daughter that evening with an update, she said, "You sound almost happy." In an odd way, I was.

With the court thing today, each time the worried thoughts rise and my body tenses in response to the alert, I may have to remind myself that my role is not to resolve anything. My role is to be a loving auntie. And I may have to remind myself of this a dozen times.

Old City Hall, Toronto (Courthouse)

It also helps for me to believe that there is a higher reason for all these unresolved troubles. But if I spend too much time trying to figure out what that reason is, that can often be a subtle way of slipping back into worry. So it pays for me to let that be a mystery that may unfold in time. After all, if it really is a higher reason, then it may be out of my reach.

So last night and this morning, I gave it a few minutes in prayer and meditation. And I spent a minute or so visualizing the happiest results I could, and imagining and feeling the joy and relief and pleasure we all would feel at a happy result.

Then I sat down and started writing this story for Starry Night. By writing the story, I am keeping busy, affirming my trust in life, affirming my intention to put worry aside when it crops up and taking pleasure in the joy of the writing itself. That's about the best I can do today. And now that the story is done, it's time to put that aside as well, so I can put my mind on something else completely.

Uncertainty can be tough when we want our happy ending and we want it now. But we don't have to keep ourselves hanging in the air. We can get busy with the other parts of our lives that are moving ahead and keep our focus happily on them.

Update: The court thing continues. I feel it will work out okay for her, but it does drag on. As for the guy in Hawaii, I'm glad his uncertainty is over, and hope he found a new home to love.

Here are a few of the stories and articles I have posted last month:

• Churches, Steel Bands, and Summer Festivals
• Stonehenge Second Henge
• Adjusting
• Applescript
• Criticism
• Wrens Fledged
• House Wrens
• Speaking of Language ...
• Thinking Differently
• The Bounty
• Wren babies

Each thing or person you see around you, each event that occurs to you or is brought into your awareness, each colour, song, presence, occurrence is around you for a reason. Each is within your perception for a reason. As you open your perceptions to things of greater beauty, harmony and balance, you allow them to occur more often your life. This occurrence is a reflection of your own harmony and balance. But it is the faith that you can bring about these things that allows you to perceive them.

We are Silver Maple. Look closely at one of our leaves and you will see the entire existence of Silver Maple in its life and in your life. Look at our growth and you see your own. Look at our freshness and you see your own. Feel our satisfaction and you feel your own. Experience the beauty of us and you experience the beauty of your own self. We are Silver Maple. See us in beauty and you walk in beauty.

While it is normal enough to have stresses be a part of life, holding them longer than they need to be held can create an imbalance. This meditation can help to bring these tensions back into balance and restore depleted energy.

I have adapted this meditation from Padma's Yoga DVD called "Ocean". You can get your copy here.

Find a likely spot and lay down on your back - on the floor, the ground or a comfortable surface. Feel the full weight of yourself on the floor, your legs, your back, your arms, your shoulders. Let the ground accept all your weight.

1. Place your hands on your lower belly. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out fear. Repeat once or twice.
2. Place your hands on your belly. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out anger. Repeat once or twice.
3. Place your hands on your solar plexus. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out agitation. Repeat once or twice.
4. Place your hands on your heart. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out sorrow. Repeat once or twice.
5. Place your hands on your throat. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out inhibition. Repeat once or twice.
6. Place your hands on your eyes. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out confusion. Repeat once or twice.
7. Place your hands on your ears. Breathe in cool clear light. Breathe out clutter. Repeat once or twice.
8. Let your arms rest comfortably at your sides or on your belly and relax here for a few minutes, allowing yourself to enjoy the feeling of restoration.

One of the reasons this meditation works well is that both the restorative energy and the energy that are being released are being held in an easy, kind way. Like ocean waves washing ashore.

There are no right or wrong ways to do a meditation. The instructions are guidelines; adapt them to who you are and to your needs at that particular time. Be curious about the process itself.

Remember most meditations become richer the more you practice them. They reveal more of themselves. It can take practice to remember to do a meditation when you need to, and it can take practice to go through the steps. But that's why it is called practice, and for most of us, we practice for the rest of our lives.

"... it's not bigoted to disagree vociferously with people's choices, as long as you're even more vociferous in defending their right to make them."

-- David Mitchell, from "The Observer, Sunday 25 July 2010"

Gift Giving - It's Easy!

To order a gift for a friend, contact Janet and let her know what you want to give, pay for it, and Janet will email you a "Gift" page that you can print out to present to your friend. (as a pdf) Here's an example.

That's all there is to it! Contact Janet now to make the arrangements!

Old Issues: I have started an rss feed for the text versions of Starry Night Ezine. They can be found here.

UNICEF My Favourite Charity .