I ran into this image in my facebook feed today. I looked at it and thought, "That's nice. I'll share it."

But wait. People are always telling us these lovely things that if we just do them our life will be easy and we will be happy and everything will be great. They tell us to do these things but they never tell us how. 

They also never tell us that life will still be full of challenges, and some things will be difficult. The goal is not to have a life so perfect and easy that we never suffer or lack anything again. It rarely happens like that. 

The goal is that your life is so passionate and purposeful that the difficult stuff is worthwhile. That your everyday life and moment to moment choices are aligned with your highest values and your soul's true purpose.  So you never have to worry about what people see you do or hear you say because you are a person of integrity through and through. 

So how the hell are you supposed to do that? It it actually very simple. Mind you, I said simple, not easy. The best answers are always simple and simple isn't always easy. 

Here is the answer. Ask your body and listen/feel for the answer. When faced with a decision, whether something small like how to spend your next ten dollars or next five minutes or what to snack on right now or something more life altering like should I change careers or make a big change in my relationship, give yourself permission to pause before answering whether to yourself or someone else. 

Take a moment. Take a few deep breaths and notice how your muscles feel and how easy it is (or not) to breathe. Then ask you body the question at hand. "Do I want to buy a coffee at the cafe right now? Do I really want to move to Portland? Imagine yourself making that choice and take some deep breaths. 

Your body is one of the most powerful channels through which your soul speaks to your mind. If you listen, it won't steer you wrong. If a choice is right for you your body will tell you. Your breath will feel easy and you will feel a certain amount of tension leaving your muscles. Like you just want let out a breath of, "AAaaaaah." If it is not the right choice for you right now you will feel your muscles tighten and your breath shorten. 

But what if you really want to move to portland and your body said no? You can ask it questions. Ask if a city near Portland is better, perhaps a later moving date, perhaps after more preparation.... Keep asking yourself questions until you get to, "Aaaaaah."

If you don't know what your highest purpose is right now, you will likely find yourself living it.  Establishing the habit of letting  your spirit influence your choices through your body, will transform your life, one choice at a time.  ​

I'm so thankful for technology that enables us to stay connected during this time of social Isolation. In the interest of public health, I have not been seeing people face to face but I have continued to do both, healing sessions and tarot readings remotely. 

Most folks have opted to video chat vial WhatsApp, some prefer phone or Skype but people are loving the experience of getting relaxing healing sessions and clarifying tarot readings from the comfort of their home. 

I'm still keeping my regular business hours and you can still book your appointments online. If you have any questions about how that works just ask. I look forward to working with you!

If you are a small business person, performer or someone whose livelihood has been impacted by the social distancing, let me know, I will make sure that you don't have to worry about the money. We can chat about that privately. 

I'm So excited to announce the opening on my new location in South Austin 1110 West William Cannon as of February 1. Many of you know that I bought this office condo a few years ago and had been renting it out. The tenant moved out at the end of her lease a few months ago and we have been giving the place a renovation. I'm so excited to finally start working there. 

For the time being I will be taking appointments in North Austin on Sundays and Mondays and South Austin Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm going to give it a few weeks and see whether is it best to maintain both locations or consolidate in the south. Stay tuned.

We will have an open house soon with snacks and an opportunity to meet the other practitioners. Stay tuned for that too. 

I hope you will come and visit the new location and get some good healing soon. 

Much love, 

​Michelle

 1. Ten of fire in this deck the 10 of fire asks you if you are overwhelmed and over burdened because something got out of control?
Take a breath, see if there is anything you can let go of, any way you can get help or support and work your way through that which is truly yours to carry. It is hard but you can do it. 
Once you get to the other side, look at how things got to this point with your friends and allies having taken off and left you to carry things all on your own. Set a strategy for how to prevent things from getting this difficult in the future. 

2. The Emperor  has the power of all four Kings. This card reminds you that you have all the power you need. You do  not need to cower down and appease those who seek to intimidate or manipulate you. Nor do you need to use force or intimidation to get your needs met. Set strong boundaries. Claim your power and let the strength of your best self shine.

3. Four of Earth asks you if your relationship to material things is in balance. Are you enjoying the money, things, resources you have? Are you fearful of losing what you have or not having enough? This card suggests that you take a moment to enjoy the less material things. Watch the sunset, spend some time with loved ones.  Practice gratitude and then see what is really going on. Are you truly in hardship where it is time to set your most important priorities and align your schedule and budget to support the essentials while you get caught up? Or is your spirit hungry for something that you are trying to satisfy with material things?

The mention of Reiki Attunement can sound pretty mystical and the use of symbols might seem strange to people unfamiliar with Reiki. Receiving attunements can feel pretty magical as you become very relaxed and peaceful like there isn't a care in the world. 

At each level the Reiki practitioner is attuned to different frequencies. Each frequency is represented by a symbol that has a name. This is very much like a musical note. When you practice listening for the sound frequency of the note A and you practice making the sound on an instrument and reading the symbolic notation for the A, you become better and better able to recognize it and transmit it when it is appropriate. 
When a tuning fork, let's stick with the note A,  is struck and begins to vibrate with sound, if there is another tuning fork,  in A, the room, the sound waves will vibrate and create resonance with the other fork and it will start to vibrate as well. This is basic a physics concept of resonance. 
In an attunement the Reiki master holds a certain frequency (Like a state of mind, relaxation, well being, etc.) The Master Teacher will hold that frequency for the student for a length of time and with a level of strength and intensity that they begin to resonate with that feeling in a way that they can recognize the feeling after learning its name and symbol just like a musical note. Then the student can access that energy as desired. The more they practice, the more finely tuned instrument of healing they become. 
Why the symbols? Why the names? It gives us a way to communicate about them and more importantly, it gives us something to do with our mind. When we become distracted, as all humans do, we can set our minds on the task of drawing the symbol and thinking of the name of the energy we are using. 

When we think of love, many of us think of something all soft, pink and fluffy. We forget that love can be many different things, all badass.

My heart has been through the ringer many times and I have been temped to harden it and shut it down. But Had I succumbed to that urge I might have missed out on more and acheived less. Instead I have maintained a fierce commitment to keep my heart open and allow it to lead the charge into a better and better life.

I challenge you to do your own version of a heart centered life. I challenge you to build a life that you love even if it makes you seem weird. To fiercely and lovingly commit to yourself. To stay true to your own health and happiness. To refuse to abandon yourself and your truth even of it means some people whose approval matters to you disapprove.

The Sun - In this case The Sun represents the divine masculine element, that which is in charge and that which we see in the light of day. 

The Moon - The Moon represents the divine feminine and what lives in the mystery. As the moon eclipses the sun it brings to the light what has been hidden but perhaps what our intuition has known all along. Once the eclipse passes things return to their normal appearance but what has been seen cannot be unseen. 

​1. Death - Empty yourself. Go deep, release and let go of anything that is holding you back or that you know you need to bring to an end. From a place of emptiness and and clarity, you can rise up from the ashes and begin fresh and new. Replenish your depleted energy and generate a sense of optimism and new beginnings. 

2. The Tower - Represents a we're not in Kansas anymore Toto moment. Things feel like they're falling apart but truly what is collapsing are the false walls that have held you captive. It may be a bumpy ride but hang on and breathe. Sink into your core where the part of you who knows all of your answers lives. Find your own truth. The beliefs and structures that have been imposed on you no longer serve you. You can create something new. 

3. Eight of Swords - You are not as stuck as you feel. You are given the gift of stillness for a period of time to gain clarity. Time to make some adjustments in order to make your life fit your vision and align with your highest values. Revisit the life you have imagined for yourself. Does is ignite joy? Have you put yourself in the picture? When you imagine yourself living in that picture that is your dream life, what do you need to adjust in order to be happier and more comfortable? What do you need to care for yourself and your well being within your dream life.