When Tomorrow Starts Without Me - A Poem

 When tomorrow starts without me, And I’m not there to see,

That the sun should rise, and find your eyes, All filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn’t cry, The way you did today.

While thinking of the many things, We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me, As much as I love you.

And every time you think of me, I know you’ll miss me too.

When tomorrow starts without me, Please try to understand.

That an Angel came, and called my name, And took me by the hand.

And said my place was ready, in Heaven far above.

That I have to leave behind, all those I dearly love.

But as I turn to walk away, A tear fell from my eye.

Free Relaxation Training - YouTube Video

This video will make you drowsy so do not drive a car whilst listening to it. Make yourself comfortable, take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes, and enter your inner world.

St Michael

The name Michael means 'who is like God' and he was originally a Chaldean deity. He is most often depicted winged with an unsheathed sword. He is God's greatest warrior and slayer of the evil dragon. He is said to be the Viceroy of Heaven and to hold its keys. He ranks as the greatest of all angels and weighs the souls of the dead and holds in his hands, the scales of justice. He is the Archangel of Repentance and of Righteousness, Mercy and Sanctification. He is chief of the ranks of Virtues and the conqueror of Satan. He is the angel of death that leads the souls of the faithful to eternal light. 

His mystery name is 'Sabbathiel' He is credited as the author of the Psalm 85 and he is also credited with preventing Abraham from slaying his son, Isaac. The fire that Moses saw in the burning bush is said to be like Michael. Sarah and her husband Abraham were entertained unaware that they were, in fact, in the company of angels, not men. 

The Farmer's Wisdom

The Chinese farmer said, "Maybe, or maybe not, we will see. Personally, I am in a 'wait and see' mode.

I refuse to be reactionary with the fear-mongering claims and projections. I shall, instead, do my own internal work, so that I can respond in the present moment as reality actually unfolds itself.

From where I sit, it's the only sane way to navigate. May all corruption and deception be exposed.

May all truth and justice prevail. May all healing and unity flourish.

Your Healer Video by Heather Kropf

This free YouTube meditation has been designed by Wendy Stokes to heal you physically, mentally and emotionally. The video is presented by US musician, Heather Kropf and is titled 'Your Healer': www.heatherkropf.com

Do not drive or operate machinery while meditating. Make sure you will not be interrupted for 20 minutes. Close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths and allow your breathing to return to normal. Relax and go within to your calmest internal place.... 

Valentine’s Day

How do we know that we are loved and how can we best express our love to those closest to us? Because love and loving, in all its many forms, is not taught in schools while we are growing up. We imbibe from our parents and extended family many ideas about love which might not be healthy and usually we don’t have good role models. Romantic films, books and popular songs do not help our understanding either. When two complex people come together to communicate their love for each other, there is often a mismatch. In life partnerships, one might want move to the country, the other might want to stay in the city; one might want a busy social life, the other might be more solitary; one might be very ambitious, the other laid back. How are these conflicts to be resolved? Does one partner always get their own way and the other acquiesces? Does one manipulate while the other becomes angry? Does one partner have staying power while the other is prepared to leave? Many of these questions are hard to answer but talking about needs for affection, attention, caring and thoughtful consideration and co-operation are part of a good and wholesome loving relationship. Negotiation is usually the answer, where both parties receive some of what they want whilst honouring the equality of the needs of the other person. 

Love and Loving

Our lives have changed significantly since the pandemic. Many people have lost jobs, homes, friendships, some have lost their health, others are suffering from bereavements or think their futures have radically changed. We are spending long hours at home, working or caring for family members, some are caring for and educating children, many are alone and missing social occasions. Love is even more important now than ever before!

Counsellors are frequently asked questions about love and partnerships and these are not easy to answer! We need to concentrate on giving love in order to receive it and that is usually achieved through empathy (which is being able to feel what others can feel), to laugh with them when they laugh and grieve with them when they grieve. Love gives us a wonderfully energising feeling of connection, wonder and excitement. Love boosts our confidence and has been found to be exceptionally good for our mental and physical health. Yet, it is full of difficulties because human beings are complex and we need to listen and become aware of how the other is feeling and understand and be sympathetic. 

Transactional Analysis

 

TA was developed by Eric Berne and is easy to understand. It helps us to identify feelings and behaviour by a description of the personality ego states that we move through: these are called ‘transactions’. Parent Adult and Child states are further divided into healthy and unhealthy expressions. TA explains how we set up relationships, called ‘games’. We have ‘pay-offs’ for these, which are based on early programming called ‘scripts’. ‘Strokes’ are conveyed by words, looks and touch, and positive ones give the other person a sense of joy and wellbeing. We need good ‘strokes’ to grow and be happy. We all have stroking patterns and can receive and give strokes. When we are limited or stuck in defeating ourselves in failed relationships, we can improve them through this easy identification of where we are going wrong. 

Clues to ego states:

Controlling Parent: should, must, always, ridiculous, being critical, condescending, disgusted, firm, pointing finger, frowning, angry, posture hands on hips, attitude judgemental, moralistic, authoritarian.

Nurturing Parent: good, nice, I love you, splendid. Loving, comforting, concerned. Accepting, smiling. Leaning forward, understanding, caring and giving.

The Card of Love

Today, I have chosen the Ace of Hearts because we all need to experience the feeling of new love - love that is creative and inspiring! A love that is a muse, to love deities and a love that is on a new level, a deeper, richer and more vital love. And you need to give and receive unconditional love, that is love that is fully accepting, fully engaging, fully real and open, without criticism or judgment. If we want to receive love, we must be lovable; we must show we are worthy of long lasting, sincere and love that has sweetness and beauty, that is healing and motivating. A heady excitement can occur in an existing relationship providing there is a fresh response and a will to please. 

The Dream: A purple winged heart from a vase filled to the brim with the supreme magical power of love. Love takes form within the vessel and can be poured into the cupped hand of one that is open. Never a closed fist! in the centre of the winged heart is a smaller vibrant heart that is open and receptive. This heart nurtures and overflows with caring and happiness. Unconditional love is embedded within the soft velvet petals of a deliciously fragrant rose, as roses have always been a favourite of Cupid's messengers. The universal symbolism of the heart represents the human hearts role as a beating muscle that is vital to life. Like the beginning of a love affair, everything in this dream is enhanced by love's transcendant glow. 

Saint Bernadette

The Casterot family lived in the Boly Mill in the poor town of Lourdes which lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees. When Father Casterot died, he left his wife and daughters with their home within this working flour mill. Mother Casterot was keen to marry her eldest daughter to a man who would maintain the family wealth by taking care of the mill, home and entire family - including her - and take her husband's place as head of the household. Francois Soubirous, a local mill worker was chosen to wed the eldest Casterot daughter, Bernarde. However, he refused her in favour of her younger sister, Louise, and despite the large age gap of 18 years, Mother Casterot agreed to the marriage though Bernarde had been groomed to be the matriarch of the family was slighted to be refused by this illiterate workman which lost her inheritance and power base. Bernarde owned a tavern and lived with Francois, who had rejected her, and her youngest sister, Louise, who had been chosen over her, and her mother, who had endorsed the marriage! Within an exact year, in 1843, a little girl was born, named Marie Bernarde, known as Bernardette. Within a few months of her birth, Louise burned herself so Bernadette was sent to a wet nurse in Bartres, a considerable journey from Lourdes. 

Love! A Time of Connection

Love.... 

Our lives changed significantly due to the pandemic. Many people lost jobs, homes, friendships, some lost their health, others suffered from bereavements or think their futures were radically changed. We spent long hours at home, working or caring for family members, some were caring for and educating children, many were alone and missed social occasions. 

Love is even more important now than ever before! We need to concentrate on giving love in order to receive it. This is achieved through empathy, which is being able to feel what others can feel, to laugh with them when they laugh and grieve with them when they grieve. Love gives us a wonderfully energising feeling of connection, wonder and excitement. Love boosts our confidence and it has been found to be exceptionally good for our mental and physical health. Yet, it is full of difficulties because human beings are complex and we need to listen carefully and become aware of how the other is feeling, and be understanding. 

Celebrating Love in London

 ‘Love, soft as an easy chair, love, fresh as the morning air; One love that is shared by two, I have found with you. Like a rose under the April snow, I was always certain love would grow; Love, ageless and evergreen, seldom seen by two. You and I will make each night a first, every day a beginning; Spirits rise and their dance is unrehearsed, they warm and excite us, 'cause we have the brightest love.’ ‘Evergreen’ song lyrics by Paul Williams and Barbra Streisand:

Ma’at initiation

I was watching Joan Fletcher’s The Story of Egypt, enjoying my memories of visiting there many 45 years ago. It inspired a dream of shopping in a souk and seeing a beautiful gold embroidered cape, eating in a restaurant and then realising I had lost my shopping bag. I returned to the area but had difficulty finding the place. I kept asking. Eventually a man threw this cape over the table I was sitting at. I still was asking for my shopping bag. He showed me a black one. No, mine was canvas. I woke up thinking I had lost my purse, cards and phone! 

February Oracle Card Reading

For this month, I have chosen a card from Nature-Speak Oracle by the late Ted Andrews. It is the card of Ice and Frost. It is common for us to lack energy when the weather is cold and this card shows a time of reckoning and preparing for times to come. Patience is required but within this incubation period, a great deal of inner activity is taking place. It might be a day, a week or a month, however long it takes, within time, the ice melts, movement begins again!

Next from Ancient Feminine Wisdom of Goddesses and Heroines by Kay Stevenson and Brian Clark. Her name is Eurynome and she is the powerful Aegean Goddess of Creation who arose out of Chaos. She separated the land from the sky and laid an egg from which all life arose. She heralds the birth of a new order. The serpent that surrounds her body is an omen of renewal. Something can arise from nothing and creative potential often arises from the darkness.



Next is LeGrande Circle & Sideshow Tarot by Joe Lee with the card of the Wheel of Fortune. A card of challenge! Even the most accomplished wheel acrobats must eventually stop rotating and come to balance and rest! We must use the skills we have learned to ride the ever spinning circle of fate and circumstances. Navigate the dizzy turns by enjoying the ride without expectations. Recognise our patterns! The best learning is to see our repetitive behaviour and where it is undesirable, change it for the better. Sometimes, the wheel is spinning so fast, we are unable to see where we are, and unable to make good judgments or come off the wheel when required. We are invited to slow down, assess more, avoid taking uncalculated risks!

Lastly, but not least, a practical card from Magical Messages of the Fairies by Doreen Virtue. The card insists: Get Some Exercise! This is about getting your body strengthened for the year ahead and exercise reduces stress. The fairies dance, run, jump, play and are always active. They keep themselves in good physical shape. It means they sleep well when they are finished with the day. Exercise and good sleep improve every area of life, ie relationships, career, hobbies, etc. You are invited to do physical work today, such as housework, walking, dancing, swimming, yoga, sports! 
Reading by Wendy Stokes visit: www.wendystokes.co.uk