The first thing we noticed is their manageable size.  Wow!  They almost fit in the palm of your hand and are really easy to shuffle.  Margie’s instructions are very clear and she writes in an entertaining style.

There were 4 different suggestions for how to approach a reading using the Dance of Life Card Deck … firstly, we tried the “All In Face Up” method ~ shuffled the cards around on the table and chose a mandala which caught our eye.  In the end, we each took 3 cards because we were guided to, and found that they worked just like an Angel Reading, fitting very nicely into ‘Past, Present, Future’.  Equally, they could illuminate just the present, as they did in my case, shining light on different aspects of life now. 

 The last spread we tried involved taking 4 cards and putting them into an order which reflected the messages/instructions Margie set  … we really enJOYed the process of looking into the mandalas we’d chosen, then assessing which one met which criteria.  The first card was reflective of what was needing ‘decluttering’ in our lives; the second card was about something that we hadn’t noticed about ourselves/messages for us and bringing it out for a sharing; then we had to address something in our lives which made us unhappy or angry, that creates friction; and finally, the last card was all about positive reinforcement. 

I noticed that the process was a lot like that of SoulCollage – we started connecting with the card, worked through the process and came out feeling empowered.  The “Waltz of Wisdom” process was quite profound when we looked at each other’s 4 cards laid out after working through each one individually … we really had come a full circle in learning, discovering, understanding, and celebrating who we are.  It was a very healing morning with lots of fabulous sharing of stories and honest communication about where we were at and where we wanted to be at.  I found the mandalas gentle yet powerful tools for learning and healing.

Visit Margie’s website for further information about Mandalas.  You will enJOY the journey through her catalog!

I continued my ‘Decluttering’, yesterday, with some tidying up of my computer files.  David has been lamenting about how much space we don’t have and how much of it is taken up with Joy Express … so, I took myself off to the archives and started decluttering old blog posts.  I decided to keep them in a word document so it’s like having a hard copy of diary entries dating back to the beginning of Joy Express.  I think this is a great thing to do, especially as my new website ~ Gentle Warriors ~ is being developed.  I like cleaning out the old to make way for the new. 

Continuing with the decluttering, I worked through another couple of hundred photos from the thousands which David removed from the old computer … many of them have already been scrapbooked and just not cleaned out.  Our arrangement was ‘if in doubt keep it’.  I think I have deleted several hundred, so far, and kept about the same.  I decided to keep anything to do with the kids or family, or anything which might be useful for Angels or Animal Dreaming.

And, while sifting through the photos, I discovered a Treasure Trove of Angel Orbs!  A couple of years ago, David and I attended one of the ‘old’ craft girls’ birthday celebrations and I was designated photographer.  I was blown away when revisiting these photos (which went into an album for my girlfriend) to see little ‘dots’ in the background.  I madly edited and cropped, and cropped some more, to get the clearest view of the orb(s) in the photo. 

How Exciting!!!

I was on a roll with sorting photos and remembered that I hadn’t printed Kels’ Grade 5 Camp photos, so popped into the file where they live to check them out.  Kels is like her mother and takes a huge (excessive??) amount of photos!  Fortunately, she had named them all so all I had to do was tweak their colour and do a little cropping. 

A hidden gift appeared … orbs in the girls’ cabin.  Not only did the girls have a fabulous time together and in the care of the teachers but the Angels were there, too.  It’s pretty cool that we can take photos which show the orbs, and very humbling to have first hand knowledge that Angels are everywhere and always look out for us. 

The Decluttering Process, stimulated by the Mother Earth Dreaming ~ Sacred Space workshop, is flowing smoothly.  Today, it’s the craft room, in preparation for the Oracle Card Reading Practise Session … tomorrow, I might just start on the garden, as Mark is doing.

What ‘Hidden Gifts’ have you received recently?

David and I decided to choose just a couple of areas which could be cleaned out ~ I am notorious for getting inspired by a project and going all out with it.  David’s wisdom (and previous experience) tempered that for me and we only worked on a selection of areas.  We had to do all the tops of the wardrobes because we needed all the space to put things back.  We have almost no storage area in our house as we are built on a concrete slab and have cathedral ceilings.

A few hours later, toys and games and junk were strewn across the loungeroom floor.  I called a family meeting and everyone was instructed to vote Yes or No about keeping different things in the piles.  Mostly we cleaned out old board games and jigsaws.  The kids were fantastic remembering their ’special’ keepsakes which had all been stashed into one or two boxes together and therefore beyond my memory of which thing belonged to whom.

After time off for lunch, David, Kels and I popped out to buy 6 large plastic tubs with lids and came home to pack up the ’goodies’ we had decided to keep.  Now they are sitting neatly in the tops of the wardrobes, safe and tidy.  We have 2 large garbage bags of rubbish to throw out and a few tubs of keepsakes for the kids to take with them when they start their ‘independent’ lives.  All in all, a job well done.

But, most importantly, the energy in those areas is Clean and Crisp and Energised.  It’s just like putting the crystals outside for a Full Moon Energy Bath … they come back in sparkling with health and wellbeing.  Now our ‘dark’ corners of the house are experiencing the same thing.  And, WE are feeling better, too!

Norma spent some time explaining the process, after we’d done a meditation to ‘get in the groove’, then we each chose a magazine picture from a huge stash spread out on her table.  We were to choose one which ‘called’ to us ~ in a positive or a negative way.  Then we had to look at the image, imagine ourselves inside the image and answer the question “I am the one who …”.  Wow!

It’s a bit tricky until you get comfortable with the process but once you are there it’s like asking your own Soul for answers to all your questions.  Definitely working from the Heart Space and hugely authentic!

Basically, the card making process involves collecting images from magazines or the internet, or wherever, and cutting them out to make a collage on a card 5″x8″ in size.  I started with a main image each time I began a new card  then fossicked in my stash of images for others which ‘called’ to me.  And they do ‘call’.  The image and the energy of the card really develops a ‘voice’ and that voice tells you which images to include and whether you are finished with the creation. 

Once the card is made, you go through a question and answer session, asking the card (your Soul) and receiving answers from the card (your Soul) about whatever you need to know from that card.  We did a partner exercise asking these questions and it was profound.  It was like going through a journey where I connected with the card, was given gifts from the card, then knowledge, then acceptance.  I learned about Nurturing Myself by listening to my Heart.  It was incredibly Empowering.

And, boy!  Norma knows how to nurture us!!!  We had lots of time to make our cards, with lovely morning tea provided to sustain us ~ SoulCollage uses a LOT of energy ~ then we had lunch of vegatarian food cooked and prepared with LOVE (we even had champagne flutes as our water glasses!!), followed by dessert delivered to us while we went back to card making.    The scrumptious dessert was served in a teacup!!!  Ooh La La!  Then, to top it all off ~ and for a bit of a reward (I think of it like that because we had to work really hard right before afternoon tea) we had cake!

We finished the day with asking a question and taking one of Norma’s cards to find the answer.  After quite an emotional partner exercise, I chose to ask an upbeat question ~ How Grand Am I?  Decided I was a bit cocky for doing it, but then decided ‘who cares?’   I Was Blown Away.  Did you know that my Soul told me that I am GRAND IN ALL WAYS?!

Visit Norma’s website and check out SoulCollage (make sure you check out her Gallery, too).  You will Be Inspired!

My recent stamping projects are very reflective of this process.  I have used up a lot of my stash of cards, in recent times, and noticed that, apart from birthday cards, the category in my stash which was most depleted was the ‘miscellaneous’ selection.  They’re the cards I use to Say Hello … or Thank You … or to Acknowledge a Friend.  The next MOTHER EARTH DREAMING workshop is all about Sacred Space and Norma and I will be sharing tips and processes for Decluttering.  As is the way when I am planning a workshop, the process is one which I seem to have to actually participate in, too.  Very appropriate at the moment because I have heaps of stuff in my Stampin’ Stash which really needs to be used up ~ so there is plenty of space for the NEW product available in the Autumn Winter Mini Catalog arriving in April!

I decided to create a bunch of ‘Pot Luck’ cards.  I call them ‘Pot Luck’ because I thought if I was offering a workshop for this project we would use whatever Designer Series Paper was in my stash, regardless of whether it was old or current product.  I chose a layout I liked, the stamp set which coordinated with the paper and Voila!  8 cards, 4 different sentiments, 2 colour combos.  Instant supply of Friendship Cards!

The Cleansing part of life involves sifting through ’stuff’ – physical and emotional – and working out which things need to be ‘decluttered’, which need to be ‘deleted’ (like all the old posts on Joy Express, or all the scrappy bits of paper and cardstock in my Stampin’ Stash), and which can be ‘recycled’ into something purposeful (like new cards from old product, or new ways of seeing old situations).

I LOVE Decluttering!  I’ve decluttered some ’symbolic’ things, this week; things which represent emotional baggage – Very Empowering!  In fact, at lunch yesterday, I gave Lovely Bernie an Archangel Oracle Cards Deck and suggested the ladies all took a card for themselves as the first part of readings over our meal.  My card was “Take Back Your Power” – Woo Hoo!  A timely reminder!  After a while, clutter builds up, in the craft room especially, and I find myself less able to think clearly.  So, a DECLUTTER is called for and, after a flurry of activity, peace and harmony reign supreme … and clear thoughts present themselves again.

Clear space and cleansed energy is the recipe for NEW ideas.  They formulate like seeds germinating in rich soil … they inspire a journey into new areas.  I really, really enJOYed creating one of the projects from UStamp With Love 2010 that I was inspired by at the time, but hadn’t made ~ a Designer Series Paper Card Holder and Matching Note Cards by Jenn Picard.  The process was new and challenging and thought provoking and a little bit complex but also very simple.  The outcome was FANTASTIC!  And, I think I have Fallen in Love all over again with the Pink Flamingo DSP from Stampin’ Up!

The same energy is going into my Angel Business.  This week, a flyer came from my local printing business and I am formulating new business cards.  I have decided to incorporate Fundraising for Charity into my events, to Give Back to Mother Earth and support the Environment and the Animals.  I have 3 one day workshops planned, with fabulous co-facilitators, to take place during the next 6 months, and meetings have been arranged so we can organise content and processes.  I have a wish list of Events to Attend ~ other people’s workshops which interest me and will allow me to access a whole lot of new information and concepts.  And, I have tentative dates for “Michelle Time”  which involve time out, nurturing & pampering sessions, and TRAVEL!

Cleansing and Clearing are a necessary part of Good Health and WellBeing.  They are a constant process … just when you get comfortable with the harmonious space, the cleansing and clearing process seems to need doing again.  I do think that comes from being a craft indulgent person.  LOL.  So, I put on some Fabulous Music, grab my Feather Duster, and dance through the cleansing/clearing/decluttering process ~ knowing I am actively working on Being JOYful!

My Week of Angels has been fabulous ~ as always.   

Lunch was lovely, gentle, inspiring and uplifting.  All of us had great readings, both those we received and those we gave.  And, our meals were Superb!    We are so Blessed to have such a fabulous venue in our local area and I am thrilled that we can support the Eltham Glasshouse, in return.

The key message of my reading, from lunch, is that I am over the worst of the grieving process.  YAY!  It’s amazing just how a little message like that can give you Hope.  I shared with the ladies that a couple of us were grieving, therefore totally not responsible for any outbursts of tears – LOL – should they appear at inopportune moments throughout lunch.  Lots of the messages which came through for all of us, time and again, involved “Divine Magic” and “Positive Energy” and “Worthiness”. 

In the ‘old’ days, before I had folks who are interested in what I am interested in, in my life, I use to struggle so much with being positive and happy, and self worth?  What was that?  Now, I can hang out with like-minded people who are happy to spend time talking about Angels and sharing messages of Love and Hope and JOY.  We really are all Blessed.  It’s so comforting to know that there are a bunch of us out there who think alike!  Each month, when we have Angel Lunch, it’s like meeting a whole lot of new friends, and reconnecting with a whole lot of old friends.  Ahh, Bliss.

So, following on from the messages I received at lunch, I have really started planning my next 6 months of events.  I am very excited!  The first ‘change’ I am incorporating into my schedule is Donations to Charity.  My charity for this period is the World Wildlife Fund.  I was So Excited to be able to send off a donation this week, for over $60!  Woo Hoo!  That money was raised from the Sale of my Handmade Cards (check out the Gallery to see what I’ve been creating) and donations from the ladies at Angel Lunch.  Thank You!

I LOVE what I do!  And, I do what I LOVE!  Woo Hoo!

How often have you done something which would have been considered a ‘poor choice’ by those around you, and then been ‘reprimanded’ or ‘humiliated’ for it?  I have had that experience many times.  In fact, after another bout of ’soul searching’ with David over the weekend, I realised that so much of my grieving process involves reliving exactly those kinds of experiences.

One of the things I have really been struggling with since Dad died is the revisiting of the life we had before leaving to live overseas … David and I moved when we were pregnant with Daniel, to the US, for a 3 year contract.  It was only after we left Australia that I realised how toxic life was for me, living caught up in a dysfunctional family.  Now, it’s like I am stuck in an eddying back water, reliving all the issues I have faced since coming into this world.  Jan summed up my experiences when she shared her feelings that the little girl with the ‘broken’ icecream was verbally and emotionally abused.

These days, Angels are such a part of my life that I don’t always realise how much I talk with them and rely on them.  In fact, I recall someone telling me that they always ask the Angels for help, talk to them everyday, and make time to be with them … I was so blown away because I thought I didn’t do any of that, to that degree.  I laughed when I realised that I do all of that, too, but it’s so much a part of who I am and what I do that I don’t have to consciously make “Angel Time” a priority each day.

When I pass a broken-down car on the side of the road, I always ask the Angels to assist.  When I am sitting huddled in the corner of my bedroom, grieving, I ask the Angels to be with me.  When my kids are out and about, especially when they are away from me, I ask the Angels to keep them safe.  Angels allow me to exist in a space where I firmly believe, and accept, that I can Be All That I Can Be … the times I doubt that, those times when my early conditioning and treatment are having the highest impact on me, are the times when I forget to connect with Angel Energy and Love.  Those are very sad times.  I am So Glad that my ‘career’ path involves living and working with Angels because the ‘other’ part of my life, the grieving part, really sucks.

Today, make a point of asking the Angels to help with whatever you are doing.  Remember to connect with your Source of Unconditional Love and Share the JOY with whomever you meet. 

Thanks for the reminder, Jan!

I copied this cute card from the Summer Mini Catalog – Gosh, there are so many great ideas in our catalogs!  I confess to this design ‘doing my head in’, a bit, to start with but I love the end result.  I sent it off to Lovely Jenny who has just signed her first Stampin’ Recruit.  YAY! 

There are lots of things I love about Stampin’ Up!  One which fits really well with attending Angel Lunch, today, is the fabulous energy which ‘pops’ out of the box when I open product I’ve ordered.  I find a HUGE SMILE crossing my face whenever a box arrives from Stampin’ Up!  Being ‘energy sensitive’, I LOVE finding Great Energy to bask in.  It’s really obvious when I receive mail from someone in an emotionally tumultuous state – the mail carries it through to me.  That’s why my cards are always given or posted with Great Deliberation … so only positive and loving energy is attached.

Another thing I love about Stampin’ Up! is the Statement of the Heart:

To Love what we do and Share what we love,

as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments …

in this we make a difference!

Isn’t that fabulous?!

While I don’t ‘teach’ others about Stamping, I do “Love what we do” and I do “Share what we love” … in the making of my cards, and in the giving of them, too.   I also apply this Statement of the Heart to my Angel world:

To LOVE what I do and Share what I LOVE,

as we Share the Warmth and Strength of Journeys Travelled

Hand in Hand.

Cool, huh?

Living Your Passion involves LOVING what you do; Doing Something which Makes Your Heart Sing.  It’s what comes through Stampin’ Up!  It’s what I share when I “Talk Angels”.  I am Living My Passion.

I love surfing ‘Angel Space’.  Playing with Oracle Cards, talking with others who like playing with Oracle Cards, hanging out in that metaphysical energy which allows me to see that there really is a grander scheme than I can see on a day to day basis, in place.

And, every so often, we have a visual reminder that Angels are with us, all the time.

I think I am going to make it a policy to get the camera out, ask for the Angels to ‘Be Available’, and take photos of a room.  Imagine being inundated with Angel Beings - like in the photo!

~  Read.

~  Stamp (I finished as AWESOME project from the last UStamp session).

~  Visit the Markets and have Breakfast Out with David.

~  Distract the kids with Chores!

~ Be Happy.