KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

January 29 through February 4, 2024

This will be a relatively quiet week after all the transitions of late, as no major astrological events are on the calendar. The Moon will travel through Virgo on Monday, making this the ideal day for research, details or organizational projects. Once the Moon moves into Libra on Tuesday, we'll have a few days to breathe as we restore balance, catch up on correspondence and focus on some self-care. The Moon will move into Scorpio on Thursday an create a more intense energy through to Saturday. Some of us will gravitate toward more spiritual pursuits, while others will take on projects that require intense focus and attention (like taxes, haha.) Luckily the week will end on a fun note thanks to the Moon's entry into Sagittarius on Sunday. Make plans with loved ones to get out of the house and have some fun!

5 Ways to Manifest Outer Health, Inner Peace, and Beauty, by Dr. Debbie Palmer

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

We're all looking for balance these days. Juggling work, life, and taking care of ourselves is a full-time job that can very often sap our energy, enthusiasm, and health. I have experienced this struggle in my own life and see this every day with patients, too, who seek me out for help in achieving this balance.

I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that achieving balance is possible—without having to book a month-long yoga retreat or overhaul your entire life. This is why I wrote my new book, Mindful Beauty. It's a modern-day guide to living in mindful balance using simple tips—which don't take a lot of effort—to revamp your daily habits. The end result of achieving this balance is inner calm, vibrant health, and outer radiance.

As I talk about in Mindful Beauty, this balance can be summed up in what Ayurveda (the holistic healing system that originated in India over five thousand years ago) calls ojas ("oh-jus"). Pure beauty, says Ayurveda, is clear, glowing skin, silky hair, happy eyes, youthfulness, and even a pleasant smell. This is the result of inner and outer happiness and health. Ojas is considered the "sap of life," true inner and outer beauty and health that radiates from a relaxed, peaceful state. This state of balance is a result of finding peace in your life, but it's also a result of a nourishing diet, regular mindful movement, and restful sleep. That's what I want to talk about here: exactly how to manifest outer health, beauty and radiance, and an inner calm for longevity and true inner and outer beauty. Below are five ways to get started.

1. Find a way to connect with your inner you every single day. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking time to nourish your soul. We eat three-plus meals a day to feed our body, but what are we doing every day to feed our soul? A soul-nourishing "diet" is as important to our balance as food is. While once-a-week yoga or meditation is great, we must begin to incorporate soul-nourishing habits every single day. When I explain this to my patients, they immediately think they have to meditate for thirty minutes every day and explain why they don't have time for it. But you don't need thirty minutes and you don't even need to formally "meditate." I do meditation at my desk during my lunch break and sometimes it's no more than five minutes. But in that five minutes, I focus on my breathing—which nourishes my inner self—reducing heart rate, lowering stress, and giving me a boost to get through the rest of the day. You can also practice walking meditation in your workplace, home, or even the grocery store. (See more about this later.) There are plenty of meditations in Mindful Beauty that you can do, too, if you want help getting started. A simple morning moment of gratitude—being thankful for things that are going right in your life—is sometimes all it takes, too. There's been research that shows that having a sense of awe and gratitude for things in our lives can lower levels of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a precursor to disease—which is why keeping levels low in the body is so important. Nourishing our inner selves is a key part of living a healthy life today: when we feed our soul, we strengthen our physical being, too.
2. Eat plenty of plant-based foods. When you eat a diet closer to the Earth, as the Mediterranean cultures do, your body responds with more energy, better sleep, and healthier, more radiant skin. Why? These foods—like fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes and beans, and whole grains—have more key nutrients like fiber, vitamins B and C, and calcium that the body needs to thrive. This doesn't mean you have go vegan or vegetarian. In fact, I recommend that patients eat lean meat like poultry regularly and limiting red meat. Fish is also important as part of this Mediterranean-style of eating. This step doesn't have to be overwhelming: simply adding one or two plant-based food to every meal and snack during the day is a good way to start. For example, with breakfast, add an orange or grapefruit; with lunch, add a side salad or greens to your sandwich; with dinner, be sure that half your plate is plant based. A handful of almonds or walnuts as a mid-day snack is another option. Once you start adding these foods to your diet regularly, you'll find that you want to experiment more with plant-based recipes (I offer a few of my family's favorites in Mindful Beauty). You'll notice that these simple changes will result in you feeling more vibrant physically, and also feeling better mentally: you'll be more energetic, more confident, and more invigorated to take charge of your life.
3. Move with mindful intention. When I suggest to my patients that they exercise regularly, so many of them explain that they already go to the gym for a sweat-inducing bout of cardio. As I tell them: there's more to movement, however, than just working up a sweat. So many people today are on their phones—either talking or listening to music—or watching TV while they're exercising. While this definitely helps pass the time, I also suggest shutting off your devices once or twice a week and, instead, focusing on your breathing. That is mindful movement. While a good cardio workout is important for heart health and overall physical health—as well as reducing anxiety and boosting mood—mindful movement achieves balance on a deeper level: you're working out your body while nurturing your inner you. Our brain waves shift from the analytical beta waves (that are important for getting our to-do lists done) to calmer alpha waves (which are important for feeding our soul and our daydream states). One of my favorite ways to move with mindful intention is simply walking outdoors with my phone silenced. Walking meditation, or "forest bathing" as it's been called, makes us more mindful in the present moment and sustains elevated states of this mindfulness the rest of the day when we're not walking. Yoga, swimming, running, biking, and really any form of exercise can achieve this elevated state of mindfulness as long as we're focused on our breathing and the rhythm of our bodies and not our devices.
4. Create a night-time sleep ritual that works for your life. Developing a ritual at least an hour before bed every night will ease you into sleep, helping you to fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep longer. So many people have trouble sleeping today and I attribute so much of this to the digital world that surrounds us 24-7. From a scientific standpoint, our devices emit something called blue light, which has been shown in numerous studies to interfere with the production at night of the sleep hormone melatonin, particularly if you use your devices too close to bedtime. When darkness falls, our body's natural reaction is to produce melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy. But in our modern world—where we're doing work at night on our computers, checking social media late into the night, watching TV, or texting—our bodies aren't producing the amounts of melatonin we need to get to sleep and stay asleep. So my advice to patients is always: shut off your devices at least one hour before bed. Give your body time to produce melatonin and to ease into sleep. Other bedtime rituals can include five or ten minutes of meditation, calming yoga asanas (like shavasana or legs up the wall), reading quietly from a physical book (i.e., not an e-reader), or just sitting quietly drinking a cup of herbal tea. In Mindful Beauty, I also include crystal and bedroom feng shui tips that may help with sleep. What works for each person, however, is different. The important thing is to find a ritual that works for your schedule and start to incorporate it every night. You'll notice that you feel calmer overall—all day long—and sleep better. A good night's sleep is so critical to better health, both mental and physical, and overall radiance. You can have a strong inner you, but without sleep, you can't have a strong outer you and overall balance.
5. Develop a consistent skin-care regimen. The skin is the largest organ in the body and needs regular care. Eating a nutrient-rich diet feeds the skin from the inside, as does moving regularly (this boosts circulation, which provides skin cells with much-need oxygen). Drinking enough water is also important; it keeps the skin hydrated and radiant. Just as establishing good habits in other aspects of your life keeps you in balance from the inside, though, so too does creating a consistent skin-care regimen keep your skin in balance from the outside. Washing skin twice daily, exfoliating (to get rid of dulling dead skin cells), and hydrating skin are basic steps that everyone should incorporate every day. I give many more details in Mindful Beauty, particularly about what to look for when choosing products, but starting here is an important first step. If you're experiencing skin problems like eczema or acne, I recommend that you see your dermatologist, but I also recommend putting into practice the steps that I recommend here and, in more detail, in Mindful Beauty. The skin is usually one of the first places to exhibit signs of imbalance in the body. Helping to get the body back into balance typically has a positive effect on skin conditions, as so many of my patients have experienced. This is why, as an osteopathic board-certified dermatologist (one of only several hundred in the country), I incorporate Mindful Beauty strategies into each one of my patient sessions.

Something important to remember: each of us is unique and beautiful—even though we sometimes don't feel this way. Manifesting beauty and uniqueness comes so much easier once we nourish ourselves from the inside out. These strategies and so many more in Mindful Beauty can help. Wishing you a soul- and body-nourishing journey to your best self!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2020. All rights reserved.

Two years ago I visited a so-called clairvoyant after I encountered difficulties in a relationship. In my vulnerable state, he managed to convince me that the man I was seeing was my soul mate, and that work needed to be carried out to get our relationship back on an even keel. After some deliberation, I parted with a large sum of money. I was told by this charlatan that my partner and I would resolve our differences, and that we would eventually marry. The clairvoyant told me to report to him regularly so that he could check our progress. Every time my partner and I had a disagreement, I would call the clairvoyant, and he would tell me I had nothing to worry about and that I should burn another candle and that he would pray for us. I could see that the relationship was going nowhere, and tried to get my money back as promised by the clairvoyant. Again, he was very persuasive and told me if I loved this man the way he loved me, I would hang in there. This scenario continued for another year, and our relationship wobbled along until July 2004, when we had a huge argument after he stood me up. I eventually walked out. I have been trying to get my money back, but this clairvoyant still insists that I have a future with this man, and keeps telling me to call him. When I do, he says he can't talk and to call back the following week. When I confronted him and stated that I wanted my money back, he said he was still working for me, and that I should be patient. Do you agree that two years is more than enough time to reach a resolution? I need to move on, but how can I when I feel this way? How can I get my money back and close this chapter of experience for good?

Jay

Dreamchaser:

I absolutely agree that two years is way more than enough time. I hate to break this to you, but you have fallen prey to one of the oldest tricks in the book. This guy is what some people call a "gypsy psychic." As always, I mean NO disrespect to my readers and friends who really ARE Gypsies. Basically, you and your money were taken.

I do not know where you live or what the laws are in your particular area of the world, but I would start with the police. I would stop into your local police station, ask to speak to someone, and relate your story. Do not hold back facts for fear of looking foolish. Be very honest so that they have ALL the details. If it's necessary, they will file a police report and take it from there. If they do not deem that necessary, or the laws in your area do not cover this sort of thing, they can at least tell you what you should do from there.

I would next contact the equivalent of your local Better Business Bureau, and ask them what information they need to file a complaint about this man. You might also consider suing him in a court of law. I don't know if you fall under the small claims court guidelines, but I would call the Clerk of Courts and ask what the guidelines are, and how you might go about filing a small claims suit against this man.

I want you and all of our readers to understand that a reputable psychic, clairvoyant, spiritual counselor, etc., will always tell you up front exactly how much a service costs, how long it should take to complete, and exactly what you are getting for your money. For example, if you visit Psychic Chat, you will see a listing of how much things cost, what you get, and how long it should take.

As far as "love spells," I say this time and time again in this column: We CANNOT mess with, alter, change or cast a spell on someone's free will. Everyone has a right to exercise their own free will. If we try to mess with someone's free will, the Karmic fallout will be regrettable. This man has a right to his free will, just as we all do. We absolutely, positively are not allowed to try to make someone do what we want whether they like it or not. You learned this lesson the "hard" way, unfortunately.

The Universe has a plan for each of us. If someone we think we want does not work out, we can bet there is someone else even BETTER down the line. We need to stop getting hung up on what's in the past and look forward to the future, which will be better if we just allow it. You CAN have new love - you just have to let it in.

I wish you prosperity of ALL kinds.

*****

Astrea:

Oh, Jay, you're probably not going to get your money back from that fake psychic, but you CAN report him to the police. Find someone in the fraud division of either your local sheriff or police department. While they can't get your money back for you, they MIGHT be able to address the GUARANTEE you were given, and via this approach, help you get your money back. The laws vary from state to state, but where I live, someone's word is a contract, and giving a money-back guarantee and not honoring it is a crime.

Also, contact a lawyer and see if you have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. Once again, his promise that you would be with this person isn't the issue - the issue is he guaranteed he would refund your money. You should do this as soon as possible, because in some states, two years is the limit on the time to file a lawsuit. I don't know that you could get your money back even if you did sue, however, because I see this man distributing his money to a large, extended family to stay one step ahead of child support enforcement agencies.

No one can guarantee with certainty whether anyone is going to be with another person. Any time there is free will involved, things can change. With TWO people, that's twice as likely.

However, I've had clients who waited as long as ten years to be with the person they loved, and things worked out. I have clients now waiting in that 3-5 year lonely emotional gulch, but I KNOW that they will eventually find that person they love receptive again. It tears me up to counsel them to continue to wait, but some people are willing to do anything for love. I don't know if you and your boyfriend fall into that category, but it's certainly possible you could.

There is one OTHER situation in which NO ONE can really see what is going to happen, and that is if one or both of the people in the relationship are married to someone else. If, for instance, the man you're with is married, a fake psychic might use your guilt to manipulate you into giving him money.

In the end, you're the one who has to be patient and wait. I'm sorry that you lost all that money, but you should have known better from the beginning. These people are slick criminals and prey upon vulnerable people fresh out of relationships to support themselves and their families. You were desperate for help, and this person recognized it, because he was TAUGHT to do that from childhood.

Call the police and see what they will do for you. If you scare the guy enough, you might be able to recover some of your money. Good luck.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.