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    • 3 Reasons to Write a Forever Letter

      by Elana Zaiman

      (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

      Email. Text. Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. With all the technological advances in communication, writing meaningful letters to connect with the people we care about has fallen by the wayside. One hundred and forty characters may work for communicating facts, necessary information, and quick expressions of love, but for many of us it's not enough. We feel somehow that the quality of our communication has diminished, that it is not as meaning-filled as it once was or as it can be. If this is an issue for you, consider writing a Forever Letter.

      Let me be clear up front—a Forever Letter is not just a newsy note, an "I love you" letter, or a sharing of the day's doings. A Forever Letter is a heartfelt letter we write to the people who matter to us most—it's one of those special and memorable moments when we share our values, wisdom, appreciation, hopes, gratitude, and love, when we ask for forgiveness and forgive.

      This may seem like a daunting task, especially if you're not a writer, but fear not. You don't have to be a writer to write a Forever Letter. You have only to be yourself. There are many reasons to write a Forever Letter. Here are three:

      1. Sometimes You Can Write What You Cannot Speak
        You want so much to say something to someone you love, but each time you try, you feel the words stick in your throat. You wonder if your critical tone will get in the way. Or you're afraid you'll get too emotional when you talk about a particularly sensitive issue and you're worried this may make the person to whom you're speaking uncomfortable. Or you just have trouble communicating with a person you love.In my book, The Forever Letter, I tell the story of Cora, who said that when she was in her teens she and her dad had trouble talking so she took to writing him letters and placing them in his suitcase before he went off on business trips. It worked. He always wrote from the road. Cora said that in their letters, they worked out a lot of issues.

        When you sit down to write a Forever Letter, you may find that what you want to communicate is easier communicated in writing, at least initially. Perhaps this initial written communication changes the landscape for how you communicate in person. It could be that the words on the page open the door for an in-person conversation.

      2. The Process of Writing Can Take You to The Heart of The Matter
        You start to write a speech or perhaps you're writing in your journal, and as you begin to write, you realize you're not writing about what you had thought you would write about, but you are writing about what you need to write. The very act of writing has taken you to a deeper place. You, the editor, are no longer in control. Your heart is.This happened to Janine, a spunky eighty-one-year-old. Janine had been a triathlete in her younger years and sported a bumper sticker on her car (a gift from one of her daughters) that said, "Still running." When she reflected on her writing experience at the end of the workshop I facilitated, Janine said that she came to understand her bumper sticker in this new light: she has been running so much in her life, she needs to stop running and be more present to her relationships.

        This can happen when you write a Forever Letter. A different way of thinking may emerge. Feelings may pour out that you didn't even know you had, and you may find yourself in a deeper, more honest place, seeing yourself as you truly are, not as the person you imagine yourself to be. Or, perhaps you find yourself seeing the person you're writing to as who that person really is, not as who you are imagining that person to be. This understanding is possible when we sit down to write with the intention of reflecting on ourselves, the person(s) we're writing to, and the relationship we share. If you're not sure where to begin, don't worry! The Forever Letter provides step-by-step guidance to get you going.

      3. A Loving Way to Ask for Forgiveness and to Forgive
        Something's been bothering you about a family member, friend, colleague, or teacher for years. It darkens your heart like a storm cloud. Is it you who needs to ask for forgiveness for something you said or did? Or, are you the one who needs to forgive? Perhaps it's a little of both. So, what do you do? You have options. You can continue to carry this darkness within or you can move toward the light of healing.A Forever Letter is a thoughtful way to move toward healing. It's often easier to ask for forgiveness or to forgive in a letter than it is in person. The writing process can often help us to understand the hurt and to process the past in a reflective way. We may even discover that before we can ask for forgiveness from another or forgive another we need to forgive ourselves first. Writing about forgiveness allows us the time to craft our words to say what we truly want them to say, to work on our tone, and to be sure our love shines through.

      So, why write a Forever Letter? The three reasons just mentioned: sometimes you can write what you cannot speak; the process of writing can take you to the heart of the matter; and writing a Forever Letter is a loving way to ask for forgiveness and to forgive.

      So, let go your fears. Set time aside to write, and let The Forever Letter: Writing What You Believe for Those You Love serve as your writing companion.

      Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2017. All rights reserved.

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    • Double Vision: Spiritual Significance of Hot Hands

      helpinghands

      My hands are often noticeably hot. In fact, you can actually feel the heat radiating from them. This happens usually more than twice a day. Is this possibly a spiritual thing? It seems to have started in the past few years. The heat can be felt by anyone, and is not related to my body temperature. The rest of my body (including the tops of my hands) can be cool or warm, but the palms of my hands will be very, very hot, actually radiating heat to the point that if I put my hands an inch or so above someone else’s, they can they feel it. Is there a spiritual connection here? Thanks!

      Tamica (a Virgo)

      Dreamchaser:

      Tamica, I am constantly reminded via this column that human beings are often completely blind when it comes to their own lives. I wonder what you might say if a friend asked you this question about her hands. I think you would say, “Girl, you are a healer!”

      There is a spiritual aspect to hot hands. Every healer I know has very warm hands. When they want to use them to heal, their hands become even hotter. To test this theory, the next time something hurts you, put your hands on that part of your body and concentrate on fixing it. You will feel your hands start to heat up, and I bet the pain is reduced.

      I wish I knew how old you are. (Readers, please include your full birth date when asking questions.) You said it started in the last few years, and I know that you hit an evolutionary level (spiritually speaking) at that time. It naturally happens to women in their thirties. We can ignore it or deny it, but it is still there. It is an awakening of sorts. At that time, our gifts will start to show themselves, if we have not seen them clearly already. That is basically what happened to you a few years back, Tamica. You had an “awakening.”

      I suggest you read books on the practice of Reiki in researching all types of healing. Learn all you can about your newfound gift. There is a reason we receive gifts, and why they start to manifest. You need to find out why you have hot hands.  I used to date a man who had hot hands that he rarely used. When I had an ache or a pain, I would ask him to heal me, and he would put his hands on me. Unless he was asked, however, he would never use the gift. I was on the receiving end of his power, and I know how much he had. I always thought it was a shame that he did not become more familiar with this gift of his. I think we all should be exploring ways to put our gifts to use.

      At the risk of sounding very “new age,” we are entering into new spiritual dimensions which influence human behavior. In the future, I fully expect to see a shift away from modern medicine to the “old ways.” You will fall into that category and become a doctor of sorts, but you have to accept the job. Do the research. Learn what you have to learn.

      I wish you even more power from within.

      *****

      Astrea:

      The uses of magic differ with every individual. Heat has always meant healing to me. I think you’re lucky to feel it come from your spirit through your hands. Harness this power for good, and you’ll live in a better world.

      Your guides are showing you that you need to be healing people physically and spiritually. These guides are giving you signs that you have an especially strong healing gift. Unfortunately, your guides aren’t showing you what technique you should be using to make this work for you and others in the most efficient way. Guides are like that: Often giving us half of the information we actually need so that we end up having to figure things out for ourselves.

      There is no shortcut to enlightened use of healing power, Virgo, so you’re out of luck there. Good thing you Virgos are so patient.

      You will find a way to use your powerful healing talent for the light. This doesn’t mean you have to rush out and become a medical doctor. There are several other legitimate avenues you can explore to learn how to use your gift. To control any gift takes lots of practice. First, you have to pay attention to all aspects of the signs you’re shown.

      Pay closer attention to details such as when, where, how, with whom, and why this happens to you. Get a little memo book that will fit in your pocket or purse and write those questions with a space between them on each page of the book.  Every time this heat manifests, answer those questions and go to the next page. Keep enough ahead in the question pages so that you don’t have to fill in the questions on the spot, and can just write down the answers quickly. Keep this notebook for a month, preferably from one full moon to the next full moon. Don’t go back over what you have written for an additional month, but meditate and pray for enlightenment during the next 28 days.

      On the following night of the waning full moon (you’re 60 days into this exercise now), read over the month you started your records. All will be revealed to you in that reading, and you’ll know where your healing path lies. You can then choose from the forms available to you to study, find a mentor, or develop skills to use this for yourself in your own way. Start with the next full moon to begin to process your miraculous gift.

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