WHAT IS A DREAM

I’ve been pondering this word Dream.

For some it seems to mean a goal you set for yourself, that you work towards achieving. For others it seems to mean something that happens beyond your control whilst you “sleep” which often makes very little logical sense when you “wake” up.

How is it logically possible for much which occurs in dreaming to actually occur? What does, for eg being naked and swimming in a pool full of tofu mean? How the heck can we “fly” in a dream or merge with things that appear external to us and how is it possible to be dreaming and think you are awake, only to wake in the physical and realise you were dreaming?

My Macquarie Dictionary has many definitions for the word dream:-

1. Succession of images or ideas present in the mind during sleep.
2. An involuntary vision occurring to one awake.
3. A vision voluntarily indulged in while awake.
4. A wild or vain fancy.
5. To think or conceive of something in a very remote way.

Dreamland is described as – the land of imagination or fancy.
Dreamworld – The world of fancy rather than of objective reality.
Dreamtime – In Aboriginal mythology – the time in which the Earth received its present form and in which the patterns and cycles of life and nature were initiated.

So… given these various western definitions one would be led to believe that dreams are not “real”. This is our conditioning, that whatever occurs in the realm of dreams and dreaming is not actually a reality.

Oohh contraire!!! I totally do NOT agree with these definitions.

Then we have all those, imho, totally useless Dream Dictionaries that dictate this thing definitely means whatever someone says it means. Sorry, but bullocks to all that I say and I would love to ceremonially burn all the very limited definitions of this definitely means whatever someone else says it means.

Many speak of “higher” self, many speak of “the Spirit World”, many speak of “clairvoyance”, and many speak of being “psychic” as if only the gifted or blessed have access to these states of consciousness (which is actually just one) and I can’t even begin to imagine how much money folk have spent or do spend on seeking “guidance” from others about what their “future” may hold, or about whatever is going on in their lives they don’t yet have answers to, or even when folk reach a crossroad and don’t know which direction to take.

Many speak of re-connecting with the Divine, of lower and higher vibrations of energy etc. etc. Many speak of meditation allowing them to re-connect, past life regression, astral travelling, a need to “protect” themselves from “negative” energy, many who seek only “light”, who don’t want to face, feel and accept their own pain and darkness and so it goes on.

Then we also have references to Mediums who channel whatever entity or energy they channel. There are also many references to good/evil – heaven/hell as if all of these labels we have given these things are somewhat separate to us.

They are not, all of this and so much more is within each and every one of us – they exist within The Dreaming as I prefer to call it. None of us have EVER disconnected from the Divine/Life Force Energy of Creation within us – if we had of how would we even exist? Many speak of “God” as being separate to us also. What it appears to me has occurred is that many of us have just forgotten the truth of who we are. Like we have all just been living in a coma that has spanned 1,000s of physical years or perhaps more.

Life speaks to us in a language so many of us have forgotten whether we are “sleep dreaming” or “awake dreaming” – by way of images, words, thoughts and feelings.

So whether you experience what we commonly know as a “dream” either in this so-called awake reality or whether we have it in what we term being “asleep”, truly KNOWING what your own personal symbolic meaning for something is – is akin to having a free golden treasure map that allows you the freedom to navigate not only this physical reality but also what many refer to as the dreams they have when they are “asleep” with confidence, ease, peace and clarity. The reality being – it is ALL one huge dream of our own creation, or nightmare – we get to choose – for we all have the “God” given gift of free will.

Cheers, Cheryl.
© Cheryl O’Connor 2014.

Grab your free Dreamwork booklet at bit.ly/CheocoNews when you sign up for my monthly Newsletter.

•*´☾☆☽`*•

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

* Cognitive & Body Based Counselling.
* Creative & Artistic Therapies.
* Specialising in ‪#‎Dream‬ ‪#‎Analysis‬/‪#‎Conscious‬ ‪#‎Dreaming‬ & ‪#‎Shamanic‬ Journeying.
* ‪#‎Reiki‬/‪#‎Seichim‬ Treatments & Attunements.
* Isis ‪#‎Meditation‬.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

Proud member of The Wellness Universe #WUVIP

VIOLENT DREAMS

Many times I am asked about grotesque and violent dreams. I have found that when we are acting violently towards another or many in a dream it can represent an aspect or aspects of self that we are fighting with or trying to kill off. Indeed the battle within!

Sadly and far too frequently this battle within ourselves that we are subconsciously fighting is projected outwardly towards others during our daily lives, with us usually totally unaware that is what is happening, rather than us dealing with it internally, simply because many of us have never been taught how to effectively deal with it internally.

In order to be whole, which for me is at peace and ease with one’s Self, we need to accept, integrate, forgive and love ALL aspects of ourselves, the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. Not something I believe many of us have been shown or taught how to do and most who seek “spiritual enlightenment” or “wholeness” have a tendency to focus purely on the light.

Our world consists of polarities and does appear to me to require a balance of both “dark” and “light” – just as there is a perfect balance of daylight and night time hours in our days, so too can the same exist within all of us. Most of us are somewhat out of balance though and as we do the inner work and balance ourselves our external reality can and does change to reflect that.

There is enormous personal freedom gained when we cease to see things as good or bad, black or white, light or dark and can see that all just is however it is for whatever reason. There is only one thing in life we can change and that is ourselves as the only constant in life I have found yet occurs frequently – change.

We may have opinions, judgments, beliefs and often strong ones at that, about certain behaviours that occur but at the end of the day all we can ever truly do if we don’t like what we are seeing or experiencing is look at anything that occurs and our re-action to it and ask “What is this showing me or teaching me about myself?” We have no power to change anything other than our immediate re-actions to what appears to be external to us by becoming more aware of our re-actions and then doing the necessary internal work to transform them into responses, empowering ourselves and making clearer boundaries concerning what behaviour we do and do not want to experience in our lives.

Expectation is a prime example – whenever we expect anything from anyone else and they are not in a position to deliver many feel hurt and get angry or upset with the other person but in truth who are we really angry with? Yet when we expect absolutely nothing from anyone the most amazing and wonderful things occur in our lives seemingly quite miraculously all by themselves at times.

When we reach this stage of our personal development where all just is accepted as it is and we are not living in the duality of highs and lows, right and wrong etc., not making judgments or assumptions about anyone or anything, it makes it impossible to blame or judge anyone or anything for whatever it is we personally experience. All just becomes part of the whole to which we are innately connected.

We do not know for a second why something may be as it is or is occurring as it is, all we can understand or attempt to try to understand is that all occurs for reasons we may not yet see the bigger picture of until we are a little further down the track. None of us can truly live in hindsight, we can however live much more easily and more peacefully with foresight when we are truly living in the moment of right here, right now.

If for eg you see a train coming at you, you get out of the way. You cannot however have not seen the train, been hit by it and then think I should have gotten out the way of that. We have an internal warning system called intuition which speaks to us in the form of gut feelings and by way of dreams/images/vision/synchronicity and the more we pay attention to it the easier our lives flow more beautifully. The more we listen and act accordingly on this inner guidance the stronger it becomes. It is when we aren’t even aware it exists or when we refuse to listen to that internal alarm bell that just went off that we experience drama and stress or get stuck in situations that truly do not bring us peace.

Guns are the most frequently asked about symbol in relation to violent dreams and dependant on the dreamer and their own personal experience with guns they very frequently represent some aspect of yourself having power over you – would you argue with anyone who held a gun at you?

Past lives in which wars, torture, mutilation, rape and murder have occurred (often waking you with your own screams or a sensation of fear which slams your consciousness back into your body or panic/anxiety and even sweeting or in tears on occasion) can also make themselves known in these dreams and as with all dreams you need to firstly go with your own “gut feeling” and look at the whole experience symbolically, treating each aspect in your dream as an aspect of yourself, not as something or someone external to you.

Personally I believe that these kinds of dreams which can become nightmares can also be stimulated by the excessive and in my opinion somewhat unnecessary violence that many of us choose to watch, courtesy of the electronic media.

How anyone can expect to have a peaceful night’s sleep when they have just filled their consciousness with visions and sounds of explosions, rapes, violence, fear and murders just prior to going to bed is beyond my comprehension. Just walk into any DVD store and see how very many movies exist that are all based on themes of violence, horror, fear, fighting, kidnapping, assault, abuse and killing.

I find it absolutely amazing that many of us can sit in our lounge rooms feeling upset because of the violence we witness happening daily all over the world, which many choose to watch and which many choose to give their support to the very industries and governments that validate, justify and glorify such terror.

Many of us hold concern for the victims we see nightly on the news and yet we wouldn’t even know if a person living near us was needing assistance or in fact was still alive. Sadly nine times out of ten most of us wouldn’t even care.

Maybe it is a good thing we experience violent dreams occasionally in order to fully feel the fear that similar daily actions would produce in ourselves and others, so that we truly know and understand the horror and senselessness of violence and war.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Newsletter Subscription @ bit.ly/CheocoNews – All subscribers will receive a 10% discount on their first initial consultation for any of my services along with 10 pages of awesome tips and tricks to help you start deciphering the language of your Soul, your dreams, as well as the symbolism of what appears to you daily.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

MENTAL ILLNESS OR… SPIRITUAL CRISIS?

For many years now people everywhere have been and still are “… undergoing a profound personal transformation associated with spiritual opening. Under favourable circumstances, this process results in emotional healing, a radical shift in values, and a profound awareness of the mystical dimension of existence. For some, these changes are gradual and relatively smooth, but for others they can be so rapid and dramatic that they interfere with effective everyday functioning, creating tremendous inner turmoil. Unfortunately, many traditional health-care professionals do not recognise the potential of these crises; they often see them as manifestations of mental disease and respond with stigmatising labels, suppressive drugs and even institutionalisation.”

Personally, I see what is occurring for many as being part of our evolution as human beings. It is like we have all been sleep walking for a very long time and slowly, one by one, we are all starting to be shaken up in order to wake up.

In 1992 I faced life threatening illness and all medical professionals seen for a period of six months kept reiterating that there “is nothing wrong with you”. I was experiencing many physical symptoms that eventually led me to a diagnosis by a naturopath and acupuncturist of “a blocked small intestine and kidneys that were barely functioning”. What accompanied my many physical symptoms of migraines, shortness of breath, constant exhaustion, welts emerging like hives all over my legs, chronic lower back pain, menstrual cramping that put me to bed, fluid retention in my body that created so much pain it brought me to tears when I took my bra off at the end of the day and made walking difficult due to the swelling in my feet, insomnia, a total inability to eat more than one very small meal a day and chronic constipation, were nights and sometimes days full of the most bizarre lucid dreaming experiences and waking reality visions I had ever had.

I was also experiencing major depression, suicidal ideology, was very re-active and angry and I was experiencing waves of enormous grief for no particular reason. Further, I was also experiencing hearing voices. There were many days when I did actually think I was going “insane”.

Now…. for someone whose whole conditioning had been you go to a doctor when you are not well and they will help you it was a huge challenge for me to even consider there may be an alternative but after six months of just hearing from several doctors, most of whom treated me like a bored housewife with nothing better to do than waste their time, “there is nothing wrong with you, here have some Prozac” it was all pretty hard to swallow. It was out of pure desperation, knowing full well something was definitely not right and feeling like I was indeed dying, as my body was shutting down more and more each day that I chose to consider an alternative to western medicine in the form of acupuncture and naturopathy.

That then led me to a huge range of other natural healing modalities over time that worked brilliantly for me as I went through healing process after healing process. Some days during the six months it took for me to find someone who could and did actually help me though, it took all my will just to get up each morning and get my daughter to school, after which I would come home and return to bed as the effects of it all were so very debilitating.

It was also at this time, due to the visions, the voices and the bizarre dreaming experiences that I sought the assistance of a Psychologist. That too proved to be a costly useless exercise that lead me nowhere fast. Several folk claimed I was experiencing “hallucinations” or would ask “what drugs are you on?!”, and the whole deal for me from the western psychological and medical viewpoint was not only was there nothing wrong with me but that I needed anti-depressant medication to “fix” the nothing that was wrong with me. It all didn’t make much sense to me and so an alternative choice, if I was to survive all this, was my only choice. It was also an extremely lonely time as no-one I initially sought help from seemed to have the vaguest idea of what was happening to and for me.

What emerged from it all was what I can only describe as being the wildest ride of my life. The lucid dreaming increased in frequency, as did the waking visions and the voices and I became aware of a far greater and more profound reality than the one I had been conditioned to believe existed. Essentially whilst I had many physical symptoms I had to dig really deep within myself to find cause, not just treat symptoms, for true healing to occur, which did occur over time not just physically, but emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.

It was at this time I came across the only book that shed any light whatsoever on what was truly going on for me, The Stormy Search for the Self – A guide to Personal Growth through Transformational Crisis (Understanding and Coping with Spiritual Emergency). This book has been described as “A valuable tool for therapists and an aid to explorers” by Brain/Mind Bulletin; “A brilliant and practical guide to inner transformation” by Jack Kornfield, Buddhist teacher, author of Seeking the Heart of Wisdom and “A fascinating account of transformational processes. Essential reading for anyone interested in creative personal and social change” by Frances Vaughan, Ph. D. co-editor of Beyond Ego. For me, the wealth of wisdom and knowledge it contains is so very valuable it still sits in my library today.

It was by reading this book that I discovered what I was actually experiencing was what is known as a Shamanic Crisis. It is a crisis indeed because it took every ounce of my will, determination, trust, faith, intellect and courage to come out the other side of it. ” Anthropologists refer to the dramatic episodes of non-ordinary states of consciousness that mark the beginning of the healing career of many shamans as the “shamanic illness”.

“This experience of total annihilation is typically followed by resurrection and rebirth….” “Also characteristic is a rich spectrum of transpersonal experiences that provide profound insights into realms and dimensions of reality that are ordinarily hidden to human perception and intellect. Some of them mediate profound connection with and attunement to the creative energies of the universe, the forces of nature, and the world of animals and plants. Others involve various deities, spirit guides, and particularly power animals – helpers and protectors in animal form.”

The death pull of the crisis and all the processes I was going through were almost overwhelming as I experienced many a “Dark Night of the Soul”. Death was so very real and also very necessary because I, as I had known me to be for 28 years of my life, was indeed dying. All that I had previously been told was real and true about myself and about life wasn’t. It is therefore, in my mind, quite understandable that someone experiencing such a profound transformational crisis as I was experiencing may indeed think that physical death is the only solution they have. For it took every ounce of strength and will I could muster not to succumb to and act on the pull of death physically.

Whilst it is our western mainstream conditioning to deal with depression, suicidal ideology, what we term as hallucinations, hearing voices and awareness of non-ordinary states of reality with drugs or by institutionalising those who are experiencing something like this, if you are experiencing anything like it, or you have a client who mentions any of these types of things to you I strongly urge you to read “The Stormy Search for the Self” if you are not already aware of it, purely because in my opinion and from my perspective of all that I have personally lived through and experienced, masking symptoms with drugs, which just makes these processes take longer and does not treat cause, or by shutting people away who are experiencing “Spiritual crisis” is doing them way more harm than it is good.

Quoted excerpts taken from
Christina & Stanislav Grof, M.D – The Stormy Search for the Self -1990
Published by J.P Putnam’s Sons
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 100016

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Newsletter Subscription @ bit.ly/CheocoNews – All subscribers will receive my Dreamwork booklet to help you re-connect with your dreaming reality, give you practical tips on working with your dreams, as well as the symbolism of what appears to you daily.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

DISTANCE HEALING

One very profound thing my life has shown me without question is that all consists of energy vibrating at different frequencies or what some folk term “levels”. What appears to our limited logical, rational, in this reality minds is that we are separate to all that exists around us and that all feels and appears to be solid. Yet basic science tells us that everything consists of atoms moving or vibrating at different speeds or frequencies if you like. Quantum Physics has taken great leaps forward in helping us understand that true solidity as opposed to our physical reality of solidity, is just not simply so. Consciousness is definitely not limited to physical boundaries, distance or what appears to us to be solid.

Where our attention and focus is directed with our consciousness/thoughts is where our energy flows. Music is a perfect example of how the energy of sound impacts on us and can be very healing when it is focussed. When we truly feel the energy of music that resonates with us it also moves us to dance.

Many of us know that if we focus on “negatives” more negatives appear, if we focus on “positives” more positives appear. Many of us also know we create a lot of what goes on with our thoughts and our emotions due to our thoughts. Change the thought and you change the emotion. Feel the energy of the emotion and it no longer exists in your body, for it is transformed and in being released or transformed it stops us getting stuck like sticks on the side of the river bank of life in behaviours and situations that do not make us happy. Stuck or blocked energy is a huge factor in illness and dis-ease. Dis-ease whilst we often refer to it as disease, can often equate to not being at ease with one’s Self.

In conscious dreaming or active dreaming, which is what some call lucid dreaming, shamanic journeying or even astral travelling and which also includes what many call past life regression, you become very aware that your consciousness is not just limited to your physical body. You can and quite often do experience flying or falling for example in your “dream” body. You can also experience that you are not who you are in this physical reality i.e. you can for eg “dream” that you are an animal, or a tree, or that you are stuck in stone and part of a mountain, you can dream you are a bird and your consciousness can and does merge with other energies including aspects of yourself that normally would not happen for most in their experience within their physical body.

You can even walk through walls in your “dream” body and you can also gain access to what we call “past” lives where you are in a body that you “know” is yours but looks nothing like you presently do. You can also interact with other Souls you know and even don’t know, some of whom have passed on and no longer exist in a physical body and yes you can also experience aspects of future.

Further, it is not at all uncommon to have telepathic or verbal communication with others, including animals and birds etc. in this altered state of consciousness where “time”, solidity and all that is logical and rational does not exist. It is also very apparent to me that if you have an issue with someone which cannot be resolved for whatever reason in this physical reality it can very simply and easily be done in what we call “dreaming” so that you gain peace for yourself around whatever situation has occurred that has thrown you off balance emotionally.

HOW IT WORKS

Reiki is commonly known to most, but Seichim isn’t. Personally I have had very lovely sessions with Reiki Practitioners, where I have either released mild blockages of energy that had not been expressed at some point in “time” or where it is all so very relaxing my consciousness has drifted off away from my body to somewhere very peaceful and pleasant. Reiki alone however, in comparison to a combination of Reiki/Seichim is like comparing a small torchlight to a spotlight. The energy is so much more powerful. Reiki is known as the wave of energy going in, Seichim the wave of energy coming out.

Seichim’s foundations apparently lay in Buddhist teachings that were brought to India by Buddhist monks at some point in time and it is believed to have derived from the healing power taught and practised in Ancient Egypt called Sekhem and then translated into its Sanskrit equivalent Seichim.

The hieroglyphic symbols used for this very powerful energy are found etched on the sides of the Pyramids and within the tombs of Egypt. Whilst Sekhem is the energy of the Goddess Sekhmet, primordial Goddess of both healing and destruction, Kwan Yin, the energy of the Eastern Goddess of mercy and compassion is associated with Seichim. Like Reiki, Reiki/Seichim treatments can be done in person or via distance and then can assist naturally with the healing of any symptom, illness or dis-ease.

Although Seichim is a very gentle, feminine and loving energy it heals in a very direct manner working on core problems and beliefs. It address the subtle aspects of cause releasing the imprints in the subtle bodies which create symptoms of illness and dis-ease in our physical bodies. As a tool for self-transformation it accelerates our personal development and aids us in achieving our full potential. It also assists us to make appropriate changes where necessary in our lives, allowing us to stay more balanced, grounded and confident as we clarify our emotions and experience the ever changing world.

For myself I have seen some quite miraculous things occur when I have done healing with others using Reiki/Seichim either in person or via distance healing and it is not at all uncommon for my hands to become burning hot during a session as I allow the energy to come through them. Nor is it uncommon for me to experience what we generally call visions concerning the other person.

WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER

If you would like to experience the benefit of Reiki/Seichim Healing, distance only being relative to physical location, a half hour session will cost you $30 and the session needs to be and can be pre-paid on my website www.cheocoenterprises.com. Once you have booked your session I will then email you to organise a date and time. Whilst your name alone will be sufficient enough for me to work with, it is hugely beneficial if you can also send me a recent photograph of yourself and advise me of what is going on for you. It is not totally necessary that you set aside the half hour we organise but again it would be more beneficial for you to do so. Further information will come to you via email once you have booked your session and I will also check in with you after it.

Please note that I do not set intentions when doing any healing work. I merely ask that the session bring whatever is needed for the highest good of all concerned. I do not claim at all to “cure” anyone of anything a person may be experiencing.

For myself though I know firsthand that Reiki/Seichim alone was responsible for assisting me to stop limping and bend my knee again properly after some 18 years of not being able to due to an injury I sustained in a horrific fatal car accident I was involved in. The result was quite miraculous as specialists I had seen concerning my knee over the years had told me emphatically that I would never again re-gain the full use of my knee nor lose the feeling of numbness the injury created.

If you have any questions or are interested in learning more and being attuned to Reiki, Seichim or both please do not hesitate to contact me @cheoco99@yahoo.com.au. Thank you.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

THE PROMISE

Hi folks, yesterday I completed the final touches of a story that has been part of my life for some 20 years now. Originally written all in verse and self published I recently undertook the mammoth task of re-writing it and turning it into an Ebook. It is the first in a series of books I will be publishing and encompasses several years of my life that were quite frankly the wildest ride of my life.

What follows is the synopsis on the back cover. If you have any queries please feel free to contact me – Links which enable you to purchase it are at the end of the synopsis.

Thanks, Cheryl.

Cheryl O’Connor is a qualified Holistic Counsellor, specialising in Conscious Dreaming (aka Shamanic Journeying i.e. Soul Retrieval) and Experiential Dream Analysis. She is also a qualified Dream Analyst, Reiki/Seichim Master and Isis Meditation Teacher who has facilitated many talks at various Community Centres throughout Queensland and Northern New South Wales as well as private sessions, Workshops and Courses since 1992.

She is the founder of Cheoco Enterprises which she began in January 2013 and is a Freelance Writer whose articles and verses have appeared in various newspapers and magazines and on websites throughout Australia and the World. She writes regular articles for Wild Woman Community, has her own Blog Site and Facebook Page and she is also a broadcaster who has been a guest speaker on radio in Australia and the United States. Cheryl is also a Craftswoman who creates beautiful handmade Dolls and Toys for children along with other items.

This is the first in a series of books by Cheryl which takes the reader right along with her on the journey she undertook to find her truth, heal her body from life threatening illness and begin to discover who she truly was. It is quite literally a journey from Heaven into and through Hell to get back to Heaven. This journey was one which required every ounce of strength, courage and faith that could be mustered but a Promise had been made and regardless of the cost or what needed to be faced, felt and endured, it had to be kept.

It is a very honest and often raw read which explores some of the initiations of the Shaman/Medicine Woman and will, at times, leave you gobsmacked when you see how past, present and future do quite literally exist right here, right now in the present moment.

Through Cheryl’s experiences of “waking up” we are shown that love and those we love never truly die, along with some of the symbology and synchronicity the Universe presents to us in Dreaming and in this physical reality in order to truly heal and understand ourselves and each other – eventually realising we are all One – for as Pythagoras once said:

“Know yourself and you will know the Universe.”

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

SPEAKING OUR TRUTH

I shared a quote on my Facebook Page Cheoco Enterprises some time ago now “Speak your truth EVEN if your voice shakes.”

I did so because it reminded me of many events in my life when I have needed to do this but one event, a very long time ago now, came to mind most when I saw this quote.

It was at a time when I was faced with one of those situations where you truly do not know what it is best to do, speak or remain silent. So as always my general rule of “When in doubt do nothing” applied until I was certain what my action would or would not be.

I also shared that quote because the memory of the particular situation brought with it how very valuable it can be to know what certain things mean for you symbolically in this so-called waking reality. In my last article I shared with you the discovery of the value of treating life as a dream and how it assists us to navigate our lives with a depth of vision and guidance which many of us wouldn’t normally usually even consider.

In relation to speaking my truth I came to a realisation many, many moons ago that when we act with honesty and integrity all we do is right after endless debates with myself where part of me would be wondering whether I was doing the right thing in whatever situation I was dealing with. Self-doubt would often debate with “knowing” but self-doubt is a whole other article.

The situation I was faced with was one where I knew that to speak would change a very limited view a group of people held about something on one hand and on the other to speak also felt like a huge betrayal of trust. To share what I thought I needed to and was feeling compelled to share would, I sensed, be of benefit to many as the realisation of an entirely different cause for certain behaviour would definitely have a ripple/flow on effect that would then assist even more people. The other aspect to it all was that I was still very raw emotionally from the truth I had discovered around the whole thing.

The dilemma in head and heart I faced was a challenging one indeed, to say the least. I had made the decision that I could not remain silent due to the many that would be assisted by what I had to say and I recall sitting outside a building waiting to speak to this group of people. Inside I was a trembling mess as my head and heart were both pulling me in different directions now, heart saying stay and speak as you have organised to do, head and fear saying get the hell out of here – NOW!! It was a moment of great anxiety as two parts of me were still debating even though a decision had been made and of the observer part of myself listening to this debate being caught smack bang in the middle of a flight or fight response from the other two parts of me.

It was in the midst of this mind/heart dilemma with only minutes to go before I would be called into the meeting that a Crow cawed several times. Crow for me is always symbolic of speaking my truth – there is much more to Crow but I can cover that in a later article. For now, speaking truth is what is most relevant about Crow’s presence in this story.

As I looked to the Sky to see where Crow was situated I found him in the East. Direction of new beginnings for me, along with a huge cloud shaped like an Elephant. As I watched this Elephant cloud its form started changing and it went from having its trunk lowered to rising it within a matter of moments as an Elephant does when they trumpet. At the moment when the trunk was at its highest point Crow cawed out again.

The message was very simple – be strong like the Elephant and speak your truth for new beginnings will come from it.

So yep I stayed. Walking into that room was hard as my legs were shaking and I felt sick to the pit of my stomach. Speaking was difficult due to the sadness that was emerging at the same time for it is rare I can speak when I am releasing sadness and as my voice quivered and shook and my eyes leaked like rapidly dripping taps, I could see through my blurred vision by the stunned looks on the faces of all present what they had heard and seen the truth of, had indeed been a major wakeup call that they would now most certainly need to act on and I left that meeting knowing with everything in me I had done what was right.

There has been much of value I have learned and been gifted with during my life but I think and feel one of the greatest gifts I have ever received was the moment I realised I didn’t at all have to have a dream to assist me in guiding my life. That life constantly speaks to me through images, sounds, synchronicity and signs and what those things mean to me symbolically.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

LIFE AS A DREAM

“Everything that comes to me
is a reflection of Self so I see
that as within, so too without
leaving me with no doubt
of the work on Self that must be done
in order for Humanity to be consciously One.

Judging none, accepting all,
surrendering to the rise and fall,
fully feeling the pain inside,
from myself I can never hide,
and as I become One with my Soul
I begin to realise my only role
is to love and respect all that’s around me
but firstly love and respect for myself there must be.”

It was during a time of non-dreaming when I was needing answers and none were forthcoming by their usual method of delivery i.e. dreaming, that one day I thought I wonder what would happen if I started treating things, people, events and animals that crossed my path just as I would a dream. Would the answers I was seeking then come to me?

So with great curiosity I made a decision to start looking at life in that way whenever I had a re-action (re-acting out an old subconscious behavioural pattern I didn’t particularly like or experiencing intense emotions i.e. what folk normally refer to as a reaction rather than a response) or with whatever I encountered, bird, reptile, beast, the wind and whatever direction it was coming from, people who crossed my path, traffic lights, slogans and signs that “spoke” to me, numbers, rooms, street names, clouds that formed very definite shapes, types of trees – essentially everything that occurred or crossed my path in my so called “waking” reality in this physical realm of logical and rational thinking.

If for example a water pipe broke, a light bulb went out, a glass smashed, a door became stuck, if I got a red light run or a green light run etc., etc., I treated all exactly as I would a dream i.e. as an aspect of Self just as I would a “sleeping” dream when I woke up each morning. I would use the method I have developed for working with a dream, for always the present situation, our questions and feelings about it and the answer to any question or pondering we have during our waking reality will be revealed in dreaming. The good majority of us though, have lost the knowledge of how dreams speak to us and in fact how life truly speaks to us.

What I discovered amazed and excited me for when I started bringing the personal symbolic meanings I had spent a great deal of time getting to know, which I used in my dream analysis, along with my way of working with a dream, into my daily life, my experiences clearly showed me I was essentially in fact living one huge dream of my own creation whether “awake” or “asleep”.

Ever since I have therefore treated ALL that crosses my path as a symbolic aspect of my Self whenever I have needed to make a decision about which path to take at crossroads; to assist with just “knowing” whether something was right for me or not; or whenever there has been anything I haven’t quite understood which I do need to see and understand. It takes time to actually get the hang of this but if a person starts practising it a whole new awareness can open up and it truly will amaze.

The reality and biggest bonus for all being that folk don’t necessarily need to experience dreaming in what we term “sleep” in order to understand the deeper meanings behind the veil of illusion of everyday so called “waking” life that dreaming gives us.

When we start to look at daily life symbolically, as we would a dream, we find situations which arise are taken less personally and the ability can be gained to see a little deeper into the issue i.e. what it is teaching us about ourselves and the action we need to take, or not take, in relation to it.

We soon come to realise that messages for our personal growth, use and guidance are abundant and this is especially true when we are dealing with challenges (not problems) I personally believe, as John Lennon once said, “There are no problems, only solutions.” Challenges if you like, that we set up for ourselves to find creative solutions to, to test our skills, knowledge and growth and whether or not we have actually healed a wound that would normally create a re-action, as opposed to a response.

Often we will learn something and for a time it is only a theory that just makes perfect sense to us and resonates with us, then we will experience it i.e. we are given the chance and opportunity to put that theory into practice. Some lessons true, take longer to sink in than others, many refer to those repetitive lessons as mistakes or if they experience something that isn’t pleasant those too are seen as mistakes rather than just the learning curves that they are and folk will often throw a negative connotation on them but we will repeat something several times in various different scenarios until yep we now not only “know” it, as in the theory of it, but more importantly we have experienced it, integrated it and we now understand it and can apply it in our lives. As an example I can share for many many years I appeared to attract abusive behaviour by others, once I stopped abusing myself the reflection of that no longer appeared in others.

How many times do we encounter people who we feel treat us badly? We are often faced with situations that bring up emotions such as anger, frustration, sadness and disappointment. We, or the other person, are often left feeling the intensity of our emotions. Sometimes we confront the person and try to sort out the difficulty, other times we don’t. Often the issue is never mentioned again as we try to pretend nothing has happened yet we feel an invisible barrier with these folk, or we simply avoid the person who we think has caused our distress or discomfort. We often take “offence” to something another has done or said and therein lays a very interesting word. “Offence” when I play with it I get “A fence” – i.e. a barrier put up so strongly that no-one can get through it.

Many of us were never taught and still have not mastered effective communication skills or good confrontational skills. Most of us run a mile rather than confront another about any discomfort we may be experiencing due to what another has said, done or not done. Our whole conditioning in our western culture has been one of competition, of win or lose, of right and wrong, of my way or the highway, yet with effective communication skills and good confrontational skills it does not need to be this way. Interactions can move from discomfort, strong emotion or attack and blame scenarios to one of clear boundaries, assertive and effective communication, self-confidence and mutual respect with a desire to understand where each other is coming from by asking questions, by being curious, rather than judging, accusing, assuming, blaming, shaming, attempting to “make” another feel guilty or creating a fence.

Once we begin to look at absolutely everything and everyone who crosses our path as being a symbolic aspect of Self/part of Self we start to feel acceptance and gratitude for whatever comes our way, although granted we certainly may not feel that when the event that has triggered our own subconscious distress and re-active behaviour first occurs!

It is however OUR distress to deal with. No-one can “make” another feel anything – they are OUR feelings, no-one else’s. Learning and understanding what I perceive to be the lost language of dreams can help us all enormously for it is one of our greatest allies, providing a wealth of healing, knowledge and wisdom accessible to every single person on the planet freely and frequently.

Everywhere we go, everything we hear, everything we overhear, everyone we meet and every single situation we encounter has a deeper meaning when treated symbolically. Messages are EVERYWHERE yet we rarely see them, let alone give thanks for them or the priceless gifts they and others bring into our lives. We are usually too busy rushing here or there and realistically where are we all really rushing to? Many say “I’m getting there” where exactly is “there”?

Often folk are so busy talking about a situation, feeling we are hard done by, or rehashing events that have upset us over and over in our minds to stop and be still enough to truly listen and see the truth of what is really occurring.

Often we struggle and suffer through our experiences, judging, blaming, resenting, accusing, making assumptions and trying to figure out why another has behaved the way they have, yet rarely do we even ask them why or ask what is going on for them. More times than not most folk will discuss the issue with someone else, with both assuming or trying to guess why another has done or said whatever they have done or said to supposedly cause another distress or upset.

Sometimes we even go so far as to not even speak to those who we feel caused our distress. Our ingrained subconscious conditioning is to continually project ourselves onto others blaming them for whatever happens in OUR lives and whatever emotions WE feel.

Every single experience we have had or do have in life we have created at a deeper level for ourselves. Each one of us has been given “free will” and once we truly get this we have learnt to accept FULL responsibility for everything that has and does occur in our lives.

One of the quickest, most beautiful and easiest empowering words any of us can ever use is “I”. I feel, I think, I am wondering, I need to, I should, I must, I will, rather than using words like “you make me”, “you think I”, “you need to”, “you should/shouldn’t”, “you must/mustn’t”, “you don’t” etc.

So many times the use of “you” lands up in an argument with raised voices and intense emotions coming to the surface. It seems to me that often when we don’t feel heard or understood we automatically raise our voice perhaps in a subconscious effort to be heard yet it is not the volume attached to what we need to say that is creating the misunderstanding in most situations – saying something louder doesn’t make it any better understood, it just leads to the other person raising their voice also. It is rather synchronistic that as I am typing this in the background I can hear a classic “YOU”, “YOU”, “YOU” argument which is occurring quite loudly on the television which another in the Bat Cave has turned on.

The moment we use the word you in front of any other word, more particularly when we are experiencing strong emotional re-actions or discomfort, we are projecting onto another person and we will automatically create a barrier between that person and our Self.

Whereas if we replace “you” with “I” we neither give our own personal power away, nor our Self responsibility, nor will another throw up an invisible barrier that “you” smacks them in the face with as being a personal attack on them, which then pushes them into a space of instant defence caused by offence, and further away.

There is a nursery rhyme I am sure many will remember which on the surface means diddly squat really and yet it holds great and profound wisdom:-

“Row Row Row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily
Life is but a Dream!”

When looked at symbolically this rhyme holds far greater meaning than we generally give it credit for, for realistically most of us give it no credit and perhaps think of it as a cute but silly little nursery rhyme young children seem to have enjoyed hearing and singing over time.

Essentially a boat is a vessel that journeys on top of and through water. Our bodies are the vessels we journey through life in. Water is generally symbolic of our emotions. Therefore symbolically speaking the boat represents us and how we could be handling the emotions we travel through, if we all truly realised Life is But a Dream, of our own creation.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

KILLER STRESS

It seems fairly acceptable in our society these days to accept stress as “normal”. Technology designed to make life easier has in fact made life busier with a constant flow of information, requests and demands on our time and things to attend to all run by numbers on a calendar, in a bank account or on a clock that our thoughts about them react to.

More and more automated voice options on phones that don’t get you where you need to be to actually speak to a human being does not add relief to our stress levels as they provide less and less customer service along with more and more frustration. We have less time to grow and cook good food and less time with loved ones because we are all so “busy”.

Whereas once upon a time you wrote a letter, wandered down to the post box and posted it, it was received and you then waited for a reply these days as soon as an email arrives there is an inclination to attend to it almost immediately in order to continue on with what you are doing or to attend to some “urgent” matter that has suddenly arisen. It seems too that being more and more productive is constantly pushed by bosses in the name of profit and greed. Combined with that the volume of information available these days on the internet can be and often is quite overwhelming.

Where once upon a time you only heard local or national news now you are bombarded with news about disasters, insanities and atrocities from all over the planet wherever you go which generally speaking you are helpless to do a damn thing about other than to either feel empathy for those involved, have a re-action to which is usually either anger or sadness and be ever so grateful for your own situation in a country such as Australia. Or you can always just turn it all off.

The push for more and more productivity, more and more profit driven greed is massive though and as the planet’s health is affected by it, so too is ours. If we have a day where we simply can just take in no more information, where all we want to do is just roll the rock over the cave entrance and hibernate, stay in our jim jams and sloth about simply because we just cannot be bothered with any of it or we feel like we just cannot do anything more without some shutdown time, our conditioning is, generally speaking to think we are lazy or are being self-indulgent. In recent days even our government here in Oz has decided it’s a damn good thing if people born after a certain year now continue working until they are 70 before they will be able to receive any government assistance by way of a pension.

When folk get snappy at others it is usually because they are rushing around frantically with a million things in their heads all screaming for attention, they are not present at all. They are in fact either living in the past in their heads or living in the future and so the reason usually given for a snappy or rude attitude and tone of voice is in many situations tied in with stress.

We, as humans, are not computers where buttons can just be pushed and information is rapidly processed, yet by many and perhaps even ourselves we have become conditioned to expect we can. However even the best computers need de-fragging and deletion of old files when they start to run slowly. Many people too are so busy talking about all their dramas and stresses or whinging and gossiping about other folk there is simply no space or time for self-reflection or introspection. As for self-nurturing well that is just something many don’t have “time” for.

A typical day for most of us (not exactly in this order but you will get the gist of it) is being rapidly brought out of sleep by a screaming “alarm”, so we are “alarmed” before we even get out of bed, a frantic rush out the door to get to where we need to be trying to make sure we have all we need, a day being bombarded with “stuff” by much and many, a frantic rush to get children where they need to be (if we have them), a frantic rush home to do whatever needs doing that night and then a run around situation on a weekend just to get ready for the following week. Folk work incredibly long hours to maintain jobs many really are not even happy doing, to either just survive or to pay off debt they have acquired to buy “stuff” they are usually so busy working to pay for they don’t get much time to enjoy the “stuff”, nor do they get much time to spend with those in their lives who they love and care about.

It all seems like total insanity to me and always has done even though I too have participated in it for several decades.

At some point in our evolution we have gone from a day that consisted of a natural rhythm of waking up at sunrise, washing and gathering our food for the day, making things we needed, not wanted (there is a massive difference) all of which nature provided us with the resources to do, spending time with our “tribe”, cooking, laughing, planting, caring for each other, telling stories, making music, harvesting crops and living a very simple but way more fulfilling life to my way of thinking than we all presently have and then going to sleep not too long after the sun went down. What we call “stress” has been part of humanity forever for it actually comes from the fight or flight response we all contain.

When “stressed” the adrenal glands create adrenalin which then makes our hearts pump faster and harder so that blood can be moved to our big muscles in order that we have enough oomph to either fight, literally for our very lives, or take flight rapidly to save our lives. We also breathe rather shallowly when stressed so not as much oxygen is available to pump our blood. The whole purpose of “stress” and the impact it has on our bodies is purely about survival and was designed to last for only a very short time to keep us safe. I became aware recently that it is seen to be a 15 minute maximum scenario.

So, what happens when we are “stressed” constantly – high blood pressure happens, sore throats happen if we are not speaking our truth, anxiety happens, nervous disorders happen, lack of sleep happens, headaches happen, muscles ache and so many other horrid impacts to our body, emotions and minds happens and whilst we all know stress isn’t healthy for us and we tout it is a killer – it is indeed very much a killer by nature of the human body when experienced on an ongoing basis. It is very often the case that unless or until it makes us really sick we just carry on Columbus with it as a constant companion.

I am speaking from hard learnt experience here and often it is the case that you really don’t realise just how stressed you were until you move into a space of not being stressed. For a time it is actually a really weird feeling to not be stressed, to not be racing around like a lunatic and to not be constantly achieving or producing. Many people when they start experiencing stress symptoms like digestive disorders and other apparent signs like I have mentioned above have the inbuilt conditioning to go see a doctor and get some pills so they can “carry on”. The pills they take have possible “side effects” which aren’t really things that happen on the side and are in fact effects and whilst yes for some pharmaceuticals are the answer for more and more of us they are fast not becoming the answer. The western medical system is a whole other topic and for some it works, for some it doesn’t. This article is not about that particular system for better or for worse or about my giving anyone advice. Essentially though what I have learned is that whenever we aren’t feeling well it is always a sign that the body wants and NEEDS rest and that in all situations where my own body is concerned there is a blockage of energy that needs releasing.

So what causes stress? Quite simply our own thinking causes the bulk of our stress. As an example I once was travelling to the city to work, the train was delayed due to an electrical failure totally out of rail employee’s control. They took action to get the fault repaired, they called for buses to take stranded passengers to where they needed to go and they informed all passengers what was going on.

There were well over a couple of hundred folk who this electrical fault impacted on. There was quite simply nothing more the rail employees could do about any of it and people just needed to ring their employers, inform them they would be late and wait for the buses. Most were fine with that but several became so anxious and extremely rude, loud, aggressive and obnoxious towards the rail employees simply because things hadn’t gone according to their plan that morning and so yes now they would be late for work. Their thoughts about whatever they were now going to be late for and perhaps how their own bosses would re-act to them being late were a trigger that created such a scene many fellow commuters were embarrassed by their behaviour and it led to many feeling and expressing empathy for the railway employees.

There is a story in Women Who Run With The Wolves. You can find it on page 328. If you don’t have a copy of this incredible and always life changing book of many stories for those who have read it, I do suggest you track down a copy, you will not regret it. I’ve had my copy since the early 90s and I still find such a lot of information, wisdom and inspiration within its pages.

The story I am referring to is called The Three Gold Hairs. It fits extremely well into the scenario of stress in our “modern world” and its impact on us. We actually become the old and withered dying man in that story as more and more stress envelops us until there comes a time where we simply cannot go on any longer with the pressure of the work “force” sucking away at us and impacting on us as we stagger through the dark forest with stress as our companion, primarily due to this whole work till you drop, constantly achieve and produce mentality that has become the norm for so many of us. We are really beings not doings and whilst yes there are things we need to do it appears to me we become healthier, more alive, more patient, more accepting and more energised when we do what we love to do, not what we feel or think we have to do.

It is a very necessary part of the feminine nature of life regardless of the sexual gender of our bodies to stop, to rest, to restore, to sleep, to dream and to nurture ourselves and to not allow our thoughts or the energy of others to create stress which engulfs us, for we are a bit like freshly baked juicy apple pies – steaming hot out of the oven and all will want a piece of us – just remember to always leave some for yourself and to bake yourself a new pie before you run out.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

THE TRUE NATURE OF THE DOLL

Whilst Rudolf Steiner had much wonderful insight to share in relation to the importance of The Doll for all children and subsequently our culture/society and ultimately the world we all live in (which if interested you can read for yourself as it is just all too big for here) I stumbled across the following quite some time ago in Women Who Run With The Wolves which resonated with me strongly and which, I thought, may also be of interest to some.

I could very much relate to what Ms. Estes has to say about Dolls. The following comes from her analysis of the story of Vasalisa.

“Dolls are one of the symbolic treasures of the instinctual nature. In Vasalisa’s case, the doll represents vidacita, the little instinctual life force that is both fierce and enduring. No matter what mess we are in, it lives out a life hidden within us.

For centuries humans have felt that dolls emanate both a holiness and mana – an awesome and compelling presence which acts upon persons, changing them spiritually. Dolls are believed to be infused with life by their makers.

The Doll is the symbolic homunculi, little life. It is the symbol of what lies buried in humans that is numinous. It is a small and glowing facsimile of the original Self. Superficially, it is just a doll. But inversely, there is a little piece of soul that carries all the knowledge of the larger soul-Self.

The Doll is related to the symbols of leprechaun, elf, pixie, fairy, and dwarf. In fairy tales these represent a deep throb of wisdom within the culture of the psyche. They are those creatures which go on with the canny and interior work, who are tireless. In this way the doll represents the inner spirit of women; the voice of inner reason, inner knowing, and inner consciousness.

The doll is like the little bird in fairy tales who comes and whispers in the heroine’s ear, the one who reveals the hidden enemy and what to do about it all. This is the wisdom of homunculus, the small being within. It is our helper which is not seeable, but which is always accessible.

The dolls serve as talismans. Talismans are reminders of what is felt but not seen, what is so, but is not immediately obvious. The talismanic numen of the doll is that it reminds us, tells us, and sees ahead for us. This intuitive function belongs to all women. It is a massive and fundamental receptivity. Not receptivity as once touted in classical psychology that is as a passive vessel. But receptivity as in possessing immediate access to a profound wisdom that reaches to women’s very bones.”

Personally I have never been a fan of plastic dolls with false smiley faces or “perfect” model bodies and as a child I was never drawn to Barbie dolls at all even though they were all the rage during my childhood. As I have grown older I can see how that fits with my own need to always be real, raw and passionate and not pretend I am anything I am not. The last thing I reckon a child would want when they are upset is to cuddle a cold plastic doll with a painted smiley face. If it were me and I was upset I reckon I would want to throw it as far away from me as possible. To my way of thinking something soft and warm, made with love and care rather than a slapped together plastic mould type deal would always bring more comfort and nurturing.

What I have always found very interesting to observe over the years as the Bat Cave has been and still is a workplace for making dolls, toys and other items, is that absolutely every single item I have made of the doll/toy variety my son, as he was growing up wanted too, and his face would often light up with excitement as he witnessed each new creation. He was so perceptive that quite a while back his attention was drawn to a particular flower child I was making and he said “I really like this one, she is full of Spirit.”

So…. I cannot help but believe that Ms Pinkola Estes’ perception of the doll is a true reflection of their nature because there truly is something very special, beautiful and magical that occurs for me in the realm of doll/toy making. It is not seen, it is not measurable in terms of logic, but it contains a feeling that is truly beyond words, not just for me the maker, but more importantly for those who receive them.

I personally find there is nothing more satisfying for me than taking raw materials that look like nothing special or much at all and turning them into gorgeous little life and loved filled creations. There is also nothing more magical in my world than seeing the looks on folk’s faces when they see them on the table at the market.

Eyes light up, big smiles come, faces soften and exclamations of how cute and beautiful they are, are common. You can see the inner child in many come forth when they look at and feel my creations and in a world that is mostly full of manufactured, whack it out as fast as you can items, based on nothing more than making a profit which fall apart in no time, it is so very lovely to be able to bring the gift of handmade to many, for it is in those moments when I can see and also feel the affect my creations have on folk that truly do make the many hours they take to create oohh so worth it.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

THERE’S A FULL MOON RISING

Ever wondered why you or folk around you appear to be impacted emotionally by a full moon or things just seem to go a little crazy at this time?

Well … The moon controls the planets tides, full moons usually bring about bigger high tides.

Symbolically and very generally speaking water represents our emotions. The ocean our unconscious or subconscious emotions. The moon is known in some cultures as Grandmother and is symbolic of the energy of the feminine, psychic energy and the subconscious. So it stands to reason that internally as the moon rises and pulls at the earth’s water levels making them rise that within ourselves the exact same thing happens for a huge percentage of our body is made up of water. It is often the case that when the full moon actually occurs there is a heightened level of emotion within us that needs releasing, not dissimilar in many ways to waves crashing on the shore.

In other cultures the moon represents the nurturing, re-generative and mothering aspects of Self and generally speaking in most cultures the Moon is linked in with the Divine Feminine.

In some Native American practices of old (I do not know if the practice still exists these days) what we refer to as our menstruation time was known as a woman’s moon time as it usually coincided with the full moon. It is not uncommon at all for a household with more than one women in it or women who work together to all start cycling at the same time. Just as the moon has its cycle so too do our bodies and they are intrinsically linked.

The Native Americans had a beautiful practice at their moon time where the women would retreat to the Moon Lodge to rest, restore, sleep, dream and re-connect with themselves and their sisters having given so much time, energy and love to family and community during the periods between their moon time. This was their time to just be and well how many of you have noticed that when it is your moon time you really just want to be left alone to do your thing, whatever that may be. It was also considered to be a time when Woman is at her most powerful.

It is hardly surprising to me, given our western cultural practice of carry on Columbus regarding this monthly event in our lives that many women suffer PMS as we have been conditioned for most of our lives to not express ourselves, not restore ourselves, not take time out for ourselves and when our moon time comes if we are experiencing cramping, pain etc., many just pop a pill so they can carry on as “normal”.

The lead up to our full moon time in our busy lives of rush here, rush there and deal with all that goes on prior to our own moon time is like the emotional tide beginning to rise within each of us as our bodies begin to swell and with the onset of the full moon and usually with the onset of menstruation sweet relief comes in more ways than one physically.

The more we hold onto by way of stress or emotionally prior to this time the more that needs to be released. Whilst men obviously do not experience menstruation I don’t believe, from experience, that they too do not experience this rising of stuffed down emotions that builds up and is released during a full moon.

We all need alone time to release, reflect, restore, nurture and re-connect with our self and it is not only more than okay to do so it is hugely beneficial to us and those around us to ensure we make time for it and well I personally can’t think of a better time to do that than when we and the moon are full.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

WOLF MEDICINE

Wolves in general over time have been given a rather bad name and many fear them, simply because they do not understand them and I doubt our perception of them in stories like Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs etc. did much to endear them to us as children.

Highly intelligent creatures and for me extremely beautiful animals they exist within a pack that has a very definite hierarchy. Each Wolf knowing its place within that system. Whilst this system exists there is also a certain amount of democracy to the way they function. Just depends on the circumstances of the moment as to whether the rules are followed or freedom of choice is allowed and all know what is and isn’t appropriate behaviour and the consequences should they choose to break the rules.

They are very strong animals, extremely protective of their young, they work together – bringing in a strong sense of community. They travel great distances in order to catch prey gorging themselves fully and wasting nothing of that prey once they catch it. They are also very loyal to their own kind taking one partner only for life and having a very strong sense of family about them. Yet there is also a strong individualistic urge within each.

Whilst they are assertive, they do not fight for the sake of fighting, or attack unless threatened, they are very territorial but often just a look or a growl is enough to be a deterrent to anything threatening them or annoying them. (Just ask my daughter and those who know me well and they will tell you how true this is.)

I recently experienced the last group sleep over for my son’s birthday, requesting that the 5 boys entrusted in my care please not wake me when I went to bed. Around 2am I was woken by their loud chatterings and yelled out asking them to please keep it down. They agreed but about 10 – 15 minutes later I was again woken, this time more fully and as I walked through the lounge area in the Bat Cave towards the kitchen I just looked at them all and totally unplanned and unconsciously let out a rather loud Wolfy growl. I’ve honestly never seen 5 boys move so quickly in my life into their respective sleeping spots for the night and I never heard another peep out of any of them. I was later told my Wolfy growl scared the crap out of them. Who knew a growl could be so effective and so, being part Wolf does indeed have many advantages.

Their main prey is Deer and they only take on that which they know they can handle. Generally speaking they only kill that which is already sick or weak. Their senses are also very keen – particularly their sense of smell and hearing. Having Wolf as one of my main totems I also find Wolves to be rather fearless, curious creatures and extremely loving and compassionate, yet firm and decisive. There are a few stories throughout the ages that come to mind about how human children have been adopted by Wolves – The Jungle Book for one.

Wolf is associated with the Moon – which in some cultures is the energy of the feminine, psychic energy and the subconscious. I personally see Wolf as being a symbol of the Wild Feminine Spirit within each of us here on Earth due to its nature and strong connection to the Moon.

Native Americans refer to the Stars as “The Great Star Nation” – within The Great Star Nation exists the Dog Star – Sirius – which represents Wolf. In Egyptian times Sirius was known as the home of the Gods and during my research on Wolf I read that a tribe in Africa still believe this to be so.

For Native Americans their legends also speak of Sirius being the original home of their teachers in ancient times and therefore Wolf people form part of the Clan of Teachers. Wolf being the tribe’s greatest teacher as those with Wolf Medicine often carve new paths for the betterment of humanity and are known as Path Finders.

Wolf’s Medicine brings us all the attributes of Wolf and one of the main tasks I have found with Wolf as my power ally/totem during many life times is to share my knowledge by way of writing and giving talks in such a way that it helps others to understand themselves more fully – their own unique beauty, individuality or path in life and their connection to all that exists.

Wolf Medicine is also about making and taking time to be alone – seeking out lonely places in nature – in order to become more aware of the teacher within, becoming more aware of our intuition, our wild feminine spirit and listening to it, as well as contributing to the betterment of humanity and finding balance between the two.

Whenever Wolf appears to you in any form a good question to ask yourself is “What are you teaching me about myself?”

Hooooowwwwwlllllll

Namaste.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

* Proud member of The Wellness Universe – www.TheWellnessUniverse.com

#‎WUVIP

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

INTRODUCING MYSELF

Born in 1964 in Sydney, Australia and later moving, at 3 months of age to the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains, I grew up in an environment I consider to be one of the most beautifully wild places on the planet. I presently live in Queensland, Australia and have done so for the bulk of the past 31 years. My journey has been one which could be best described as very full, tumultuous and never ever boring. Whilst I never lost my very deep connection with nature, like most of us I did fall asleep, hypnotised by the conditioning, fear and self-limiting beliefs so many of us experience during our lives.

Life threatening illness at 28 started me on a journey like no other as I began to walk the path of the Shaman or Medicine Woman. The first seven years of that journey were written about as I went through the processes and are now available as an E-Book called “The Promise”.

A career in the legal industry spanning 28 years ended in January 2013. I then established Cheoco Enterprises and began focussing more on what I loved to do and was passionate about, which I had been doing part-time for 20 years. This being my work with dreams and healing, my writing and my love of making Steiner based dolls and toys for children, along with other beautiful handmade items.

Understanding what our dreams and the daily experiences we have are truly telling us by learning the language of dreams and symbols, which I call Dreamspeak, mean to us personally, forget the dream dictionaries, is the most valuable free “tool” all of us have been gifted with for healing, self-awareness and self-empowerment.

I personally believe we are all our own Shamans as we re-member parts of ourselves which have been split off from our consciousness over “time” into the abyss of our subconscious due to trauma, grief, conditioning and fear. Many speak of becoming whole and it has been by walking this path with unwavering determination, faith, trust and courage I uncovered my passion and purpose in life, once again became aware of my connection to all that exists, healed myself, changed my re-actions to responses and found truth and peace for myself, within myself.

My work for the past 21 years in this field has its roots in assisting others to heal their wounds, no longer limit themselves with their self-limiting beliefs, become more empowered and self-aware, uncover their purpose and passion in life and become their full potential.

MY JOURNEY SINCE 1992

3 months intensive dream research for Jane Teresa Anderson BSc. Hons, Author, Broadcaster, Dream Interpreter to assist with the writing of two of her books – Sleep on It and Change Your Life and Dream Alchemy. Participation on her Dream Forum for a couple of years and participation in a workshop run by her.
Regular meditation sessions at the Inner Energy Centre, Wooloowin for 2 years and an in-depth weekend with Maryann Madden of the Inner Energy Centre.
A full course of Isis Meditation sessions which now enables me to teach these meditations – 7 stages with various lessons/sessions in each stage.
Course with The Relaxation Centre in Brisbane – Drawing with the right side of the brain.
The Gift – a 3 day intensive for women run by Shematrix.
Participation in natural healing modalities which included but were not limited to: massage; homeopathy; NLP sessions; reflexology; past life regressions; naturopathy; acupuncture; flower essences; cranial sacral balancing; years of inner child work; colour therapy and yoga.
I ran a regular Dream Guidance Column for over a year with the Samford Times. My articles have been published in Natural Life Review, The Village News (Nth NSW), a magazine called Succulence, and more recently with Wild Woman Community.
Facilitating private Reiki/Seichim treatments and attunements along with dream analysis/conscious dreaming/shamanic journeying and meditation sessions, and Conscious Dreaming/Shamanic Journeying Workshops whilst also facilitating talks/group discussions in various Community Centres throughout South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales.
I established a natural healer’s network called Arrow Vision and self-published free seasonal Newsletters for over a year.
I assisted for a few months with the work of Santo Spain and the Natural Birthing Centre (Nth NSW).
I have also made guest appearances on radio in Australia and in the United States.
6 month intensive dream work/shamanic healing course with Robert Moss.

CERTIFIFIED QUALIFICATIONS

1999 – Reiki/Seichim – Levels 1 & II
1999 – Reiki Master
2000 – Seichim Master
2006 – 2007 Sophia College – Experiential and Theoretical participation in: – Colour and Artistic Communication; Clay Work and Artistic Therapy, including Sand Play; Counselling Dynamics; Communication Strategies; Counselling Workplace Orientation; Counselling Psychology and Lifespan Developmental Psychology.
2014 – Diploma in Counselling – Finished in May 2014.
2014 – Diploma in Management – Studying at Present.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

THE HEALING POWER OF ANGER

Many see anger as a “bad” thing, a negative emotion that perhaps should not be expressed. Personally I just see all emotions as different forms of energy.

Imagine if you will that your body is a capped volcano. On the outside is a solid calm presence that hides within it a very alive and active amount of energy. The cap stopping the flow of this energy is one consisting of being polite and not letting fly whilst within the energy simmers and brews becoming more and more frustrated pushing its way to the top needing release before it implodes and damages our bodies.

As the frustration builds and builds in its intensity with one thing after another suddenly “the last straw” comes along. The energy can be held in place no longer and so whammo off comes the cap of politeness, of holding your tongue and our frustration which has been building ever so intensely spews forth like hot lava affecting everyone in its path.

Once the lava emerges what then? You’ve usually surprised a lot of folk and perhaps even yourself that you went off so badly and perhaps you and others are suddenly in shock that you have let fly. Whilst you feel good that your frustration has been set free which due to being squashed down time and time again turned into anger you are also left feeling somewhat embarrassed and perhaps in awe or even in fear of the amount of energy that came flying out of you spitting hot rocks and lava everywhere. Most folk when they do finally let fly then apologise for having done so – why? Is our conditioning so very entrenched in relation to not allowing ourselves to express anger?

Let’s dig a little deeper shall we to see what is contained within the now just simmering lava that is flowing and 10 times out of 10 you will find buried beneath it all lays a wound that you have been unconsciously protecting that exists from some moment in time which was inflicted upon you that has been covered up time and time again with layers of protection in fear so that another does not wound us in the same way again.

Once the cap of frustration and anger blows and the pain of the wound is actually felt, it exists no more, nor do the layers protecting it.

It was very interesting to me quite some time ago now to observe the behaviour of another who was using alcohol as “medicine” to numb pain and who was often angry, hurt full towards others and many times totally irrational as folk suffering the sickness of alcohol self-medication are. I sensed fear, an inability to cope and a very deep wound lay beneath it all so the alcohol and anger if you like was just the protection being used to push others away, ultimately totally and kept anyone from getting anywhere near the wound so the pain of it would not be felt.

In this individual I was reminded of the analogy of a wounded animal, in that the first instinct of any animal when wounded is to act aggressively when another tries to assist care for them or help heal their wound. Anger can be quite destructive to relationships but to dig deeper and find the wound is the blessing in it. However as with all things it is totally up to the individual whether or not they actually want to face and feel their own pain or whether they just continue on with their lives protecting themselves and pushing other folk away with their defensive fear based anger, for the greatest form of defence is known to be attack first.

I also find that anger is a wonderful energy if used without hurting other folk with words for weapons or physically, for it gives me the rocket fuel, if you like, I sometimes need, to propel me into action or into what I term Warrior mode and make changes in my life I’ve been thinking about but haven’t yet acted on and yes always underneath it so far I have found fear, a wound and pain.

We all reach our “enough” point at some stage, some of us sooner rather than later. A very wise person once said to me “If you know something is poisonous, stop taking it.” They were not referring at the time to a physical substance being ingested (although that does apply) but to behaviours by others that make us upset or cause us pain. Behaviours that are not kind and do not bring us any sense of peace, calm or love. Whether those behaviours are our own or another’s.

Many say if you truly love someone it shouldn’t matter what crap they throw at you or how much pain they bring you, you should just stick it out and put up with it. Personally I say bollocks to that for there does indeed come a time when you have to love yourself, your own peace of mind and being, more than continually putting up with being in the projectionary firing line of another’s unhealed wounds. It is often the case that out of love for yourself and another you reach your enough point and just totally walk away, leaving them to stew in their own crap and with any luck enough space to finally start looking at themselves and start dealing with whatever has caused them to behave in the hurtful way they have been.

So…. anger is not, in my reality, a “bad” thing at all when we see it for what it truly is and do no harm to others with it. It is in fact a very powerful energy that moves us forward and helps us see, feel and heal our wounds.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

COMPROMISE

Like most words it’s a really interesting one when you stop and look at it and play around with it a little for in it I actually see two words Com and Promise – so what does it really mean?

Well according to one dictionary source com is a prefix meaning “with,” “together,” “in association,” and (with intensive force) “completely,” occurring in loanwords from Latin ( commit ): used in the formation of compound words before b, p, m: combine; compare; commingle.

Promise from my perception means that no matter what, I will do what I say I will. It may be that I can’t always do it exactly when I said I would but regardless of how long it takes I will do it anyway. For me a promise is linked in with a person’s integrity and honesty and displays, or not, their ability to “Walk their Talk” and whether or not they can be trusted and believed when they speak.

For me a promise is only ever something I can honestly make from the depths of my being, from the very core and heart of my soul and it is a sacred vow for me once spoken because regardless of what I have to go through, endure or deal with that vow will not ever be broken nor completed via the contract I have made by promising anything, until I have done what I have promised I will do.

Hence, I rarely ever make promises because life is so changeable and so much happens and the only time I make a promise is when I know with absolutely certainty and no doubt whatsoever within me that I can keep a promise, no matter what, which is why my book The Promise was given that title.

According to one dictionary there are several definitions for the word Promise:-

1. is a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc., by one: unkept political promises.
2. an express assurance on which expectation is to be based: promises that an enemy will not win.
3. something that has the effect of an express assurance; indication of what may be expected.
4. indication of future excellence or achievement: a writer who shows promise.
5. something that is promised.

So…. what happens when we put Com and Promise together well yes we get Compromise but what then does that word really mean?

When I put them together not only do I get compromise but I also get a binding and complete contract if you like with another person that no matter what will not be broken and that is my own personal standard definition of the word.

However, according to one dictionary when the words com and promise come together they actually create meanings such as these:-

1. A settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands.
2. the result of such a settlement.
3. something intermediate between different things: The split-level is a compromise between a ranch house and a multistoried house.
4. an endangering, especially of reputation; exposure to danger, suspicion, etc.: a compromise of one’s integrity.
verb (used with object), com•pro•mised, com•pro•mis•ing.
5. to settle by a compromise.
6. to expose or make vulnerable to danger, suspicion, scandal, etc.; jeopardize: a military oversight that compromised the nation’s defenses.
7. Obsolete .
a. to bind by bargain or agreement.
b. to bring to terms.

With these second lot of definitions in mind, which are the ones most folk normally associate compromise with, and given that the majority of us involve ourselves in relationships that appear to involve compromise as a major component, how is it that any of us can be truly happy when we compromise ourselves in the context of the meanings the majority place on the word?

I was speaking with a friend a while ago now and said something like “it’s all about comprising” as we were discussing “relationships”. This friend shared with me that no they did not believe that and then told me the following story which I have remembered as best as I can from my perception of it.

It was a fairly typical story of two people who meet, both living in separate places some distance away from each other quite happily. Neither wanting to move into each other’s space due to the distance they would then have to travel to where they needed to be for children’s schooling, work etc.

They wanted to live together just not in each other’s current place of residence so they compromised and both moved to a house, into an area neither really liked, so that the distance they each had to travel to be where they needed to be was equal.

This resulted in both now needing to travel a greater distance than they were on a daily basis, adjust to living together with each other and their respective children all in a house and an area neither particularly liked.

So what are the chances do you think of all involved being happy when all have compromised (with the word meaning the second lot of definitions I have shared) living arrangements they were perfectly happy with prior to meeting each other and when their relationship in that house is now built on a foundational stone of compromise?

This story is one I have heard often and one I have also lived for there once was a time when I saw compromise as most see it.

I once had also thought myself that compromise with that meaning attached to it was a necessary factor in a relationship. The old give and take as opposed to give and receive (there is a huge difference) and give all you can to anything you really want to make happen or experience. Therein lays another issue in the word “make”. For truly we can never “make” anything happen where another is involved. At best we can give it a go and if both are committed plans are usually made and we create together whatever it is we have decided to create but we can never ever “make” another do anything.

I myself once compromised my way of life to move to another state to be with someone I loved because in many respects it was, at the time, easier for me to do so than him.

I gave up my whole way of life thinking my life would be better than it was at that time. Reality proved me wrong for it became a situation of me doing all the giving, me being the one constantly “compromising” what I wanted to experience in my life and in return I received a lot of abuse, ultimately ill health emotionally, financially, mentally and physically from another whose behaviour, lack of respect and narcissism, together with a previously unknown issue with alcohol which was being used to numb a heck of a lot of disenfranchised grief that had not been dealt with, all of which only became apparent once I had made the move over 1,000 kilometres away from my “home” area of some 28 years to an area I absolutely detested and often referred to as “the cess pit”. Essentially compromise in that situation wasn’t healthy for me or my son and cost me dearly in more ways than one. It also taught me much for which I was and am most grateful.

Compromise with the “normal” meaning of the word attached to it, from what I have seen from being on the planet for 50 years rarely ever turns out for the best when each and every one of us, by our very nature, requires the personal freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want to within the confines or our societal structures, personal morals and values of course, independence and peace in our lives.

Compromise again with the “normal” definition from what I have seen leads to resentment and a host of other emotions that do not include joy, happiness or peace for how can we give another the best of us and experience joy, peace or happiness when we have in fact compromised ourselves and what truly makes us happy, joyous or peace full?

So … personally, like my friend, I can’t see that compromise, as so very many of us know it to be, actually really works too well for any of us and I can’t imagine that any time soon I will be choosing to compromise myself in that context again.

Compromise however as I have come to know it and define it appears to me to be a whole different ball game.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

TRUST

It’s a biggy isn’t it?

No doubt we’ve all believed what someone has told us with everything in us and then wham we learn the hard way that person is NOT to be trusted. So… where do you go from there once trust is gone? I haven’t yet experienced that you can re-build it totally with the person who broke it. At the very least you are indeed wary of believing much anymore that comes out of that person’s mouth.

Yet we innately trust when we are children. We trust we will be fed, bathed, clothed and we don’t concern ourselves too much at all really with the adult world of money, distrust, blame, judgment or gossip. Young children have no awareness of there being a me and them and they are full of trust and love.

As women, when we are pregnant we trust that the life we have growing inside us knows exactly what it’s doing. We all trust that we can breathe, we trust that our blood flows through our veins 24/7 and that our bodies know, somehow, how to work properly without us having to think too much about any of it. We trust the sun will come up each day and we trust that the seasons will come and go as they have done for eons.

Many trust that there is a higher power that is guiding them in their lives. They can’t see it but most trust that it exists in the form of God or whatever other label we use to describe something that we believe is outside of us that we think has power over us and our lives. When good things happen we thank “God” or the Universe or whatever our belief is. When bad things happen, generally speaking, we play the blame game. Many have horrible, shocking, terrible things happen to them and then say how could “God” let that happen? Some people come into this world and then are gone again rather quickly and again many of us say “they were too young to die” because our expectation, generally speaking, is that folk once born will live to ripe old ages.

Personally I figure we are all here only for as long as we need to be, to do whatever it is we came to do and once we have accomplished that, we go. It’s almost like being contracted for a certain period of time to do a job, only thing is we often don’t know when our or another person’s contract will end.

So much in our lives often happens for reasons that many of us don’t get to even see until much further down the track and it can be difficult at times to remain trusting of that process. It is like we live in a shadow world here. A world that has had for many a long time a blanket of fear, greed and ignorance, separation, power and control thrown over it with many only starting in recent times to lift that blanket off themselves and consequently the world.

It occurs to me that it is rather odd that we put our faith and trust in something that cannot be seen, which we think is external to us, like what we refer to as “God” and yet we cannot trust that the folk who come into our lives who we can see, do so to show us something about ourselves we haven’t yet seen.

It seems to me that a bit of a battle also occurs within when our logic and our conditioning tells us one thing yet our gut tells us another. Our logic can come up with any reasonable justification for anything we like to tell ourselves and at the end of the day it’s all just a story but how many folk actually stop the head chatter long enough to essentially feel, listen to and trust our own gut feelings regardless of what anyone tells us? How many of us rush into situations due to feeling needy, pressured or even guilty then once we’ve dived in wonder how the hell can I now get out of this?

Experience tells me gut feelings are our warning alarm bells that come from what we refer to as “God”, “Goddess” etc. The more we pay attention to them, like building a muscle, the stronger they get, the more frequently they are felt. They, along with synchronicity and looking at all symbolically as an aspect of self rather than literally, are things we can use to guide us as we do our Earth Walks.

Generally speaking our whole western cultured education system is learning about data and rules and then being tested on our ability to remember them. It’s all mostly head work so many of us have been conditioned to be very busy in our heads not even pay attention to what I call gut nav. Much of what we learn in school becomes rather useless when we leave that environment for we are not taught life skills, just facts, figures and numbers and we are conditioned to learn what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour within the societies we live in. Our western conditioning is also geared around do well at school, i.e. follow the rules and pass all their tests, then perhaps go on to further study, get a good paying job, buy lots of things, perhaps travel for a bit, find a mate, “settle down”, have children, get yourself into a bucket load of debt and then live happily ever after – hmmm doesn’t really quite work like that does it?

Perhaps it doesn’t work that way for ever so many because that is what exists in our heads, what has been drummed into many of us from an early age, it is not what exists in our hearts and how would many of us even know what exists in our hearts when we have been told from a very young age, generally speaking, absolutely zip shit about listening to them and trusting our own gut nav to help us navigate our paths in life?

We constantly, mostly, seek outside ourselves for answers, opinions from others when we are needing advice and validation of our own self-worth, never having really being taught how to listen to and trust our own inner workings and gut nav in daily situations we find ourselves in. We most definitely, a lot of the time, put our trust into others and not ourselves. Then we get our noses all out of whack when someone lets us down due to our own expectations which live in our heads.

Many speak of unconditional love – i.e. meaning loving folk without conditions/expectations attached. Love is just love and it is not something that we have been conditioned to feel and live for conditioning lives in our heads, not our hearts. So for me the term unconditional love takes on a whole new meaning i.e. Love is not that which we have been conditioned to believe it is. Our expectations more than anything are what truly let us down when we trust them and others more than we do our own hearts and gut nav.

So very often we get angry with and blame others for whatever we feel as if it is their fault they have let us down. Really we are just angry with ourselves for allowing that to occur due to our expectations. Rarely are we honest enough with ourselves to say to ourselves I participated in that situation for whatever reason and start to dig deeper into ourselves to find the gold nugget of learning or even healing the experience has given us.

At the end of the day trust in our own Self and in life is what is learned, usually the hard way, and when we can trust ourselves way more than we can by putting our blind faith and trust into others, we have freedom from blame, expectations and we have peace.

Cheers, Cheryl.

Grab your free copy of my Dreamwork Booklet at http://bit.ly/CheocoNews when you sign up for my monthly Newsletter.

*´☾☆☽`*•

#Cheryl O’Connor.
#Holistic #Counsellor, Author & Writer.

* Cognitive & Body Based Counselling.
* Creative & Artistic Therapies.
* Specialising in #Dream #Analysis/#Conscious #Dreaming & #Shamanic Journeying.
* #Reiki/#Seichim Treatments & Attunements.
* Isis #Meditation.

Website @ http://www.cheocoenterprises.com

My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

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Image credit: Pixabay.

GRATITUDE

We often give thanks to those who have been kind, loving, and supportive and who have helped us when we have needed help. It is the most natural thing for us to be and to feel in such circumstances.

For myself and I don’t doubt others, there have been many in my life who have been there to help me pick up the pieces when the shit has literally hit the fan.

So many people I have met along the way whose nature it is to help others. These types of people warm our hearts and restore our faith in the good we know exists in humanity and we have every reason to be grateful for their presence in our lives and in the world.

For all the wonderful people I have shared parts of my journey with there have been just as many people who caused me pain, tore me down, abused me, hit me, yelled at me, hassled me, bullied me, made me ill, made me feel small, scared me, broke my heart, ignored me, told me I wasn’t good enough, told me I was wrong, stupid, pathetic, crazy, an idiot, criticised me, gossiped about me, broke my heart, caused me trauma and distress, caused things I had spent a huge amount of time, effort and energy creating to be destroyed and bla bla bla.

Many in this world seem to think that success is about having “things”, the more they have the happier they think they will be. Many see success in terms of how much money one accumulates or how high up the corporate ladder they climb or even how well known they become. Success in this world is often portrayed as being linked with money – the more you have the more successful you are.

Personally I don’t see any of that and never have done for I see success as being the ability to feel just as much love and gratitude for those who have treated us badly as we have for those who have, without a second thought, gone out of their way to assist us whenever we have needed whatever we have needed.

For it seems to me it is a combination of both types of people who show us what we truly need to know about ourselves, who give us strength, teach us love and forgiveness and who help us become our full potential.

When we feel total love and gratitude for all that has been, is and is yet to be, and can truly see the gifts of love given by those who we feel have treated us badly – we have peace and well personally I don’t know of any greater success than that.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

Image: Valerie Sjodin

THE POWER OF DREAMS & CHILDREN

Beautiful Child speak to me of the magic I no longer see.

Show me how to live again with joy, love and laughter

not judgement and blame.

Tell me all your stories so I may find my way

inward to the Kingdom of Heaven that in each of us does lay.

I am often asked how parents can help ease the anxiety of the intense feelings children can sometimes experience in dream state and upon waking.

There are many ways in which we can assist. Firstly adults need to realise that DREAMS ARE REAL! They are not just products of over-active imaginations. If they are treated as real events by adults, and children have the freedom to express their experiences both waking and sleeping, the children learn that they are safe and they don’t have to carry around the feelings of their experience, nor do they necessarily need to have repeating dream experiences occur.

Just because us adults cannot see the monster hiding under the bed, or the “imaginary” friend, the fairies and whatever else children can see does not mean for one second that those things do not exist. Children are far more “open” than we are and have not lost their connection like we have to Spirit.

Sometimes a dream can be too scary or horrible for children to talk about and so other ways of expression need to be looked at. The following applies as much to adults as it does to children.

A special book in which a child can write and/or draw whatever they need to is useful. Painting, modelling, poetry or any other creative medium can also be used. Drama has wonderful results when the child plays out the part of the monster or whatever he/she chooses to from the dream, with adults encouraging the child to take control of the situation.

A delightful example of how this works so beautifully came to me some time ago. I read about an innovative school teacher in Tasmania who instead of the normal “show and tell” sessions has introduced “Dream Discussion”. She stated that she found it helpful to class morale and co-operation because the children realise that they all have similar experiences, feelings and fears.

The story that was included in this article of how effective Dream Work with children is, follows:-

A young girl had a Wolf visit her in her dreams every night, so the teacher did some role playing with this child and they discovered (with the child playing the role of the Wolf) that the only reason he came to her all the time was because she was “so easy to scare.”

The girl proceeded to draw and colour the Wolf as she had seen him in her dreams, she then screwed the drawing up, jumped up and down on it a few times, tore it to pieces and put it in the bin.

That night the Wolf came to her in a dream and he had bandages all over him. The next night again he returned but this time he was in a wheel chair. The third night he came on a stretcher and told her she’d won, she’d finally killed him and then he died.

I’m sure much to the little girl’s relief.

Another useful form of expression is “Dream Talk”. I usually find that over breakfast is a good time for this whilst it is still fresh in the child’s mind. If a child knows they can talk about their dreams and not be ridiculed they will do so frequently and usually in great detail. Adults can then use this dream information, if they choose to, to gain a clearer insight into what is REALLY going on with the child or children in their care.

You’ll be in for many pleasant surprises, challenges and sometimes amazement if you start practising this regularly. I have personally found in the past that my daughter’s self-esteem, sense of self and her ability to find her own solutions to life’s challenges was greatly enhanced by both of us working with her dreams.

“Enjoy your children as your teachers,

not for what you necessarily wanted to learn

but for what you needed to discover.”

Mother Teresa.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

Image sourced from internet – creator unknown.

SEXUAL DREAMS

“Dreamtime lover comes to me
helping me to clearly see
all I truly need to know
your love for me you always show.

Guiding me to do what’s right,
giving me strength and insight.
Physically separate but living as One,
teaching me what needs to be done.

Knowing our love only grows and can never end
as you assist me gradually to my Self mend.”

****

Sexual energy, Creative energy, Kundalini, God, Goddess, Universal Life Force, Divine Union, Great Spirit, Reiki, Seichim – and whatever else you can possibly think of are all labels really for ONE energy and the ultimate expression and explosion of that energy = ORGASM – ever wondered why you often start saying “Oh God” in the heat of the moment?

Next time you start to feel a headache coming on rather than pop a “pain re-leaver” have an orgasm – works wonders – don’t just believe me – try it for yourself! Certainly takes your mind off your headache and puts a smile on your face, if nothing else.

I so often hear in whispers “I had the most amazing sexual dream but I can’t tell you the details it’s too embarrassing.” Well hello everyone 🙂 … guess what? Yes we ALL dream about sex and there’s absolutely NOTHING to truly be embarrassed by other than perhaps your own conditioning around the topic of sex.

There aren’t too many of us who don’t dream of “doing it” with pop stars, movie stars, high profile personalities, our neighbours, people from our past and people in our present that physically we would not have intimate relations with. We all dream at one time or another of making love to same sex partners, opposite sex partners, and anything else imaginable.

In a dream ANYTHING is possible, sizes and shapes of sexual organs can range from miniscule to gigantic (for both sexes) bits can be missing or they can seem to perform amazing tricks apparently all by themselves that couldn’t possibly happen in waking reality. Sexual situations can arise in dreams that in this reality would be considered as “not normal” or even “sick”, “perverted” etc.

Sexual dreams are as normal and fundamental to our existence as is breathing, eating, sleeping, and making love with our partners.

Often in sexual dreams the message is all about integration rather than a subconscious desire to become intimate with that person or whatever else you may be being sexual with. The main question to ask yourself after a sexual dream encounter is what do you see in the person or whatever you are being sexual with that you yourself need to integrate within you?

Next time you have a full on sex dream try to see sexual energy for what it truly is – spiritual, creative, life force energy – without which nothing can “come” to life and fruition so relax and enjoy :). Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

THE WISDOM OF FAIRY TALES

Most of us would presume that Fairy Tales hold no greater meaning than a story we tell to our children. Yet when looked at symbolically you can soon pick up that there is far greater wisdom in them than being “just a story”.

In most fairy tales the plot and theme seem to be very similar – child leaves “home” for one reason or another to enter the wide world. Encounters difficulties and meets all sorts of characters by way of Witches, Wizards, Dragons, Wolves, Wicked Step-Mothers, Goblins etc., momentarily losing sight of the way back by being lost, imprisoned or falling asleep and is usually assisted by animals, elemental beings, fairies and good people.

For me the Fairy Tales are a guide if you like for all of us who participate in the Journey of Life. The child leaving “home” represents not only the physical reality of leaving home but also the shutting down and off of what many call imagination, which for me is full conscious awareness. We then indeed face the “cruel world” and all its’ dangers, not usually understanding or making sense of it as we too encounter many aspects of creation within ourselves some of which we have to face and accept or kill off (walk away from) if they are no longer serving us or making us happy.

As in many of the Fairy Tales, we too so often seek outside of ourselves for what we think will make us happy, usually we attain what we want and then we’re still not totally satisfied, we know something is missing but we can’t quite put our finger on it.

Many of us continually search for that “one true love” to come and sweep us off our feet, he or she enters our lives and we think we’ve finally found him or her. As we enter momentary bliss we make promises to love, be committed to and live with that one person for the rest of our lives. That’s a heck of a long time to be with someone night and day. Personally I don’t find that a very realistic promise to make, although granted some folk seem to manage it. Many of us however stay with partners who we have either outgrown or are incompatible with due to family pressure, guilt, loyalty etc. and having been there, done that I know how fearful it can be for many of us to think we will have to be on our own, possibly for the rest of our lives.

Yet to truly know yourself you need to spend time alone with yourself. I fail to see how anyone can have a meaningful, truthful, loving relationship with another human being if they don’t firstly have that relationship with themselves. Nor can I understand how we can expect one person to give us all we need for the rest of our lives when nine times out of ten we don’t even give ourselves what we honestly need or want. How can we know or understand anyone unless and until we know and understand ourselves first?

The Fairy Tales generally symbolise the inner journey of life, of the faith and trust needed to survive it all and come out on top, of our ability to become aware of and receive assistance from the Animals and other aspects of creation within and around us. Many of us these days see no sense in telling these stories to our children as most of us take them literally and know from cold hard experience there really is no such thing as finding your Prince or Princess and living “happily ever after”, least not externally anyway.

When looked at symbolically however, the Prince or the Princess represent our own masculine and feminine energy. How many times in fairy tales does the male kiss the female and wake her up? I see this entirely differently to the surface level which fairy tales bring us for it is only when our masculine logic merges with our feminine knowing that we have a balance within ourselves of both the rational, logical, doing energy (masculine) and nurturing, intuitive, creative energy (feminine) that we can live either on our own or with another “happily ever after”. After all life is indeed a never ending story of our own creation and as we appear to live in a hologram that mirrors what we hold within us – as our energy shifts and changes with our awareness some folk no longer vibrate at the “level” for want of a better word that best reflects us and they do simply drop away, as we shed the energy of what they most represented/reflected to us about ourselves.

The original Fairy Tales like those of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson hold a wealth of knowledge for children and adults alike about the Journey of Life and how we can more easily navigate our way through it when they are not treated literally. When a child chooses a particular story they would like you to read to them, you may be very surprised as to how uncannily it relates to your journey and where you are presently at.

Cheers, Cheryl.

•*´☾☆☽`*•

Get your free Dreamwork Booklet at bit.ly/CheocoNews when you sign up for my monthly Newsletter. Cheers, Cheryl.

#Cheryl O’Connor. #Cheoco
#Holistic #Counsellor, #Author & #Writer.

* #Cognitive & Body Based #Counselling.
* #Creative & #Artistic #Therapies.
* Specialising in #Dream #Analysis, #Conscious #Dreaming & #Shamanic #Journeying.
* #Reiki #Seichim #Treatments & #Attunements.
* #Isis #Meditation.

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BODY BASED COUNSELLING

What follows is an essay I was required to write whilst undertaking a years study in this form of counselling. As a student and recipient of the theories and methodologies used I emerged from the year feeling like I had done 10 years worth of internal healing work. I found it to be full of extremely empowering methods of healing and self awareness. I am presently undertaking further counselling studies and plan on incorporating the methods taught to me as outlined here in my counselling practice with clients in due course. I hope you enjoy the read and if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me. Cheers, Cheryl.

BODY BASED COUNSELLING

This method of counselling has emerged from the Anthroposophical viewpoint held by Rudolf Steiner, which sees the human being to exist as a four-fold multi-dimensional being.

The Physical Body is seen to be a map of our accumulated emotions and feelings and it is believed that there is a very definite connection between our thoughts, emotions, Spirit/Soul and physical body. (Sophia College Course Notes, 2005.)

The human body is also seen from this viewpoint to contain what is known as energy centres or chakras. Chakras are seen by some such as Steiner, Brennan (1987), White (1993), Baginski and Sharamon (1985), as centres of moving energy, which lay vertically, along the middle of the human body with a core of energy (life/breath) running through them, feeding them. This core of energy comes in through the crown chakra and goes out through the base chakra and then circulates around the body. White (1993) is of the opinion that the seven chakras, their location and basic corresponding colours are as follows:-

· Base – located in the groin area – red.
· Sacral – located in the pelvic area – orange.
· Solar Plexus – where our “gut” feelings are located – yellow.
· Heart – located in the centre of our chest – green.
· Throat – centre of the throat – blue.
· Forehead – above the nose and eyebrows in the centre of the forehead – violet.
· Crown – located at the top of our heads – white. (White,1993.)

The Energy Body is seen to be our etheric body and appears as a finer layer surrounding the physical, which also enters the physical and assists in repairing the physical body and in maintaining physical and mental health. It is also known in some cultures as the pranic, chi, or breath body. The etheric body thrives if given lots of water, good food, rhythmical activity, natural environments, lots of fresh air and sufficient sleep. (Sophia College Course Notes, 2005)

The Astral body is the main body, which stores the memories of our experiences, and it is considered to be the lower layer of mind consciousness. It is perceived that if the etheric body is weak, or weakened then the astral body pushes through it, into the physical and impacts or impinges on the physical body. The stronger the etheric body, the less likely the astral body is to impinge on the physical body and consequently the healthier the physical body is. (Sophia College Course Notes, 2005.)

The Fourth Body is seen to be the Higher Self or “I am” which is perceived to be our inner knowing, divine self or the core of who we truly are that contains the strength, courage, wisdom and tenacity to rise above our human limitations. (Sophia College Course Notes, 2005.)

However, the human body is thought to be even more complex by some such as Brennan (1987). Brennan (1987) perceives the human being to consist of seven main layers, stating:-

“The longer I worked the more layers I could perceive. The higher the layer, the more expanded my consciousness needed to be to see it.” (Brennan, 1987, p. 42)

The main seven “layers” Ms. Brennan has become aware of (Brennan, 1987, p. 148) are as follows:-

Physical body
Etheric body
Emotional body
Mental body
Astral body
Etheric Template body
Celestial body
Ketheric Template body

It is thought by Brennan (1987) that each layer has its own purpose and that each layer is associated with a particular chakra. Ruth White (1993) also claims that her work has made her aware of more energy centres within the body than is normally described.

Even though Brennan (1987) uses the term layers when describing the energetic bodies surrounding the physical body she does not perceive this to be a totally accurate description as she sees these “layers” as being:-

“a more expansive version of our self that carries within it the other, more limited forms.” (Brennan, 1987, p.43.)

According to Brennan (1987) she believes that each “layer” interpenetrates completely the one below it, including the physical and states:-

“the emotional body extends beyond the etheric and physical body.” (Brennan, 1987, p.43)

Brennan (1987) also perceives that each layer has its own purpose and that each layer is associated with a particular chakra. It is also believed in body based counselling and by Brennan (1987), White (1993), Bogainski and Sharamon (1985) all of whom work in the area of energetic healing or what has become known as Spiritual Healing or Reiki/Seichim, that each chakra resonates with a particular colour and sound.

However many “layers” or “chakras” do exist according to various individuals, one thing is clear and that is that the physical body and mind are seen by many not to be just all there is which constitutes a human being.

Causes of Ill Health

Body based counselling has in common with energetic healers such as those mentioned the same belief that ill health, disease and re-active behaviour stem from lack of breath (life force energy) in certain areas of the body due to negative imprints or wounds located in the various layers or bodies which extend beyond the physical body usually caused by suppression of emotions, fear, trauma, grief or beliefs we subconsciously hold onto about ourselves and that the body is a map by which we can ascertain where those imprints are actually impacting. (Sophia College Course Notes, 2005)

In Reiki/Seichim and also in body based counselling this impacting or imprinting is known as a wound, leakage or blockage of energy occurring within the body and when consciousness and the breath is brought into any area where there is pain subconscious memories surface and with them also emotions. In that process comes awareness and understanding of the true cause creating the symptoms of pain, illness, and irrational or re-active behaviour. Once consciousness of cause does occur a release of the negative imprint creating the situation results and once again life/breath can flow freely in that area painlessly. Once that has been achieved there also comes a sense of acceptance, well-being, peace, balance, purpose and fulfilment. (Brennan, 1987), Sophia College Course Notes, 2005), White (1993) and Gainski and Sharamon (1985).

Brennan, (1987) sees that:-

“illness is a result of imbalance” and that “imbalance is a result of forgetting who you are.” (Brennan, 1987, p. 131).

She also is of the opinion that:-

“all suffering is caused by the illusion of separateness, which generates fear and self-hatred, which eventually causes illness” (Brennan, 1987, preface)

Others such as Baginski and Sharamon (1985, Pgs. 122 & 123) see that our bodies are outward signs of inward consciousness and that:-

“each symptom is a specific message, which has to be recognized, accepted and integrated before we can get well again.” (1985 Pg. 124).

Lubeck (1995) is also of the view that before repressed parts of a person can be integrated so that healing occurs on a holistic level they need to be brought into conscious awareness.

Again one thing is clear in body based counselling and in energetic healing, rather than just applying a quick fix “band-aid” solution to a particular symptom, cause is looked for, brought into conscious awareness and released by the return of breath/life force energy, into that part of the body bringing about permanent and positive change because it is understood that symptoms will just continue to manifest in other areas of the body or in other ways of behaving if this is not the case. (Sophia College Course Notes, 2005.), (Brennan, 1987), (White,1993) and Baginski and Sharamon (1985).

Method of Healing

Body based counselling uses a variety of artistic therapies including clay to find, become aware of and release the subconscious energetic imprints hampering our lives and well-being. Movement is another component used, which allows the stepping into, gesturing of and unblocking of memories that are locked into the body at a cellular level by making the gesture of the pain and releasing that gesture from the body with sound. (Sophia College Course Notes and Lectures, 2005.)

By use of clay, water colour painting, drawing and general use of colour (Eilgenburg 2004) it becomes apparent what the shape of a pain looks like, where the breath is trapped and what colours or other resources need to be brought in to restore balance. By a very simple method known as Enter, Exit, Behold one can step into the bodily memory, obtain the information that is required, step out of it and release it. One can also use the Enter, Exit, Behold method to acquire the knowledge of what resources they need for themselves. (Sophia College Course Notes and Lectures, 2005).

This method of Enter, Exit, Behold alleviates the need to fully sink into and feel all the emotional pain or mental anguish which originally caused the imbalance or pain, which can often have a detrimental effect in that it leaves you feeling debilitated and “stuck” in the past pain of whatever trauma, grief, sense of loss or attack you once experienced, for days after or even weeks on end. (Personal experience of using this method.)

Often it is impossible for an emotion or pain to be described verbally or spoken of and working with clay brings that which cannot be spoken into manifestation in order for it to be seen and healed. Using it makes the intangible tangible and it is a very direct method of wordless communication to become more aware of, express, release and transform blockages and feelings. (Sophia College Course Notes, Lectures and personal experience, 2005.)

Client/Counsellor Relationship

When thinking of this relationship I am reminded of two phrases “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” and “Catch a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for life”. For I see that the same principles apply when it comes to counselling full stop whether it be body based or otherwise and also energetic healing, which I perceive as being the same.

I feel it is imperative, in order for lasting change to occur, that the client have an expressed desire or wish for change to occur. That they state they do want to enter the process, that they make a conscious choice to do so and that they also take responsibility for themselves.

It is perceived that the client has all the knowledge and resources they need within them and that it is the Counsellor’s role to provide another with the safety and support needed to explore themselves more fully, guiding them to their own realizations by giving instructions, asking questions, making suggestions and giving directions, whilst teaching them how to use the tools and resources available with which to heal and strengthen themselves. (Sophia College Course Notes, Lectures 2005 and personal experience.)

Evaluating Change

Change is most apparent when we observe how a client is looking when they first present in comparison to how they leave. With body based counselling a client may come in barely breathing and be in a state of anxiety and distress. They may also present as being weighted, pushed down and lacking vitality.

A painting, drawing or clay piece completed during a session will appear very different in the before and after context of the Counsellor’s assistance. In drawings and paintings more colour will usually be present after intervention and also the second painting or drawing will have the appearance of being expanded rather than its original contraction. Change will also be apparent in the various pieces of clay work undertaken, again resulting in a more expansive, less contracted state.

The client will also be breathing much more deeply than they previously were and will present as being less anxious or overwhelmed and be feeling more self-empowered and positive. They also may appear to be a lot calmer and more at peace with themselves and they will present as being more upright, less uptight, light and expansive.

(Sophia College Course Notes, Lectures 2005 and personal experiences.)

•*´☾☆☽`*•…

‪#‎Cheryl‬ O’Connor.
‪#‎Holistic‬ ‪#‎Counsellor‬, Author & Writer.

Website @ www.cheocoenterprises.com
My book The Promise, Skype & Email Consultations Available – bit.ly/Cheocoshop

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cheocoenterprises
Skype: cheryloconnor333

Twitter: Cheryl O’Connor@Cheoco99
Email: cheoco99@yahoo.com.au

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Cheryl O'Connor – Cheoco Enterprises

Undergraduate Social Worker, Qualified Holistic Counsellor specialising in Active Dreaming. Craftswoman. Artist, Reiki/Seichim Master. Author/Writer. Online Consultations Available

WHAT IS A DREAM

VIOLENT DREAMS

MENTAL ILLNESS OR… SPIRITUAL CRISIS?

DISTANCE HEALING

THE PROMISE

SPEAKING OUR TRUTH

LIFE AS A DREAM

KILLER STRESS

THE TRUE NATURE OF THE DOLL

THERE’S A FULL MOON RISING

WOLF MEDICINE

INTRODUCING MYSELF

THE HEALING POWER OF ANGER

COMPROMISE

TRUST

GRATITUDE

THE POWER OF DREAMS & CHILDREN

SEXUAL DREAMS

THE WISDOM OF FAIRY TALES

BODY BASED COUNSELLING

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