KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

by Sheila Burke

Did you ever have one of those moments when you find an answer in just the right moment in time? That happened to me today. Last month, my husband and I opened a thrift/antique store. It's a side business in a small building we have been unable to sell in the down economy. The building has been and is currently inhabited by the previous owner's spirit. His name was Mike. Chairs move, footsteps are heard, swings swing all by themselves at a steady pace for almost an hour, and the little boy that lived upstairs had an invisible older playmate that occupied much of his time. Mike used to run a music studio and give lessons. In fact, while renovating, an old guitar fell from the drop ceiling right smack onto my head!

Business was slow when we first opened the thrift store, and once we said, Hey Mike, can you drive some customers in here so we can keep the lights on? Within 30 seconds, a steady stream of people came in making purchases. Since we've opened, we've had a little sign taped to the cash register that says, Ask Mike to send customers and thank him. We also talk to him every day we are there. We say, Good Morning, Mike, How ya doin’, Mike, things like that.

Anyhow, I am generally the one who works the store four days a week. This is in addition to running our mainstay business (a window cleaning company), working on my zen Facebook page, blogging and most importantly – taking care of my family and house. It's quite exhausting sometimes, but bringing in a little extra income is a must these days.

I came home yesterday afternoon thinking, Do I really want to do this anymore? I even told a friend just this morning that I feel like I've got my hands in too many things, and I'm unable to give my full attention to any of them. So I dragged myself down to the store this morning and pulled up the window blinds for my five-hour stint. I took a book off the bookshelf of dollar books and plopped down in my chair. I still contemplated in the back of my mind if I wanted to continue this venture or not.

People trickled in and out and I made two small sales, not enough to pay for the electricity for the day. A nice lady came in wanting to purchase a bunch of old 78s for a Victrola, but she didn't have enough cash, so I went against my own policy and accepted a check. An older man popped his head in the door and asked if we buy things. I told him not generally (you should see what people want to sell you sometimes), but I'd take a look, all the while thinking that all I had was $20 in the register and a check that I wasn't even sure was good!

Well, I ended up buying an old camera and three old railroad lanterns from him for the $20. Two of the lanterns were a hot rusty mess, but one was in okay shape. Now, I can strike up a conversation anywhere, and this guy was looking for someone to unload his life story on, so we began an hour-long conversation. We laughed about life, we talked politics and religion, and he told me stories of his days as a Navy Seal in Vietnam. He slowly pulled down his sock and showed me a badly healed wound in his ankle while his face puffed up and his eyes began to tear as he recounted how poorly he was treated upon his return home.

I also discovered that he's been writing books, but has never talked to a publisher. I told him I self publish, and how it's the way to go now, and gave him the information that got me to where I am now in my writing. I felt like he was an old friend by the time he left. I began to think about how much I like it when people like this come in. To hear their stories, and in many cases to feel them. The laughter, the tears.

I was just about to close up when another lady came in. She bought some old window shutters last week and was picking them up. She arrived five minutes before closing. I felt a silent groan when she appeared, but welcomed her with a smile. She chatted for 25 minutes, well past closing. People walking by saw the door open and filed in. The shutter-lady smiled and whispered, Sorry, it's my fault you are still here, but maybe one of these customers will be good for you! and she was on her way. No one bought anything, and as soon as they left, I hurried straight to the blinds and turned the Open sign around to Closed. I had one more blind to draw when I saw a van pull up. Ughhh, really? I peeked my head through the door, smiled, waved, and mouthed, It's okay, come on in.

The couple said they were from out of town. They happened to be driving past and wanted to stop and see the building because the man's father had owned the building previously. I said, Ahh! Mike! and then I looked at him, widening my eyes, and said, You know...your dad is still here. I proceeded to explain all the little noises, bumps, chair pushing and happenings in the place over the years. I even showed them our ask Mike sign by the cash register. They were quite fascinated, and I was really happy to have met them. I also explained how, when I brought the old guitar back (that had cracked me in the head) and hung it on the wall, the activity seemed to calm down a LOT.

While the couple looked around at all the renovations and recounted old times, we talked about all the spirit happenings some more, and I offered them the guitar. They thought it over, but then they decided that Mike would like it to remain there. The man purchased a few rock and roll music items, and they gave me their contact information for when either I was ready or they were ready to receive their dad's guitar back. Mike's son wished me all the best success, and said it was nice meeting me. Then before closing the door, he smiled a wistful smile, looked around, and said, Goodbye, Dad.

So my Aha! moment, as dear Oprah would call it, was that I've opened this store for a purpose of earning a little extra cash and helping to upkeep this money pit of a building, and in doing so, I'm meeting new people, hearing wonderful tales, and enjoying old souls.

I think I'll stick with it for awhile and see what transpires. 🙂

Sheila Burke is a married mom of three beautiful and strong young adults. Always a dabbler in putting pen to paper, Burke finally started publishing her books in 2010 with the release of her first book, Zen-Sational Living. Although she freely admits to losing her Zen now and then, this inspirational author is pleased to share her life's journey with her readers, and has done so in the many titles she has released over the years, on her blog, and through social media. To explore her wonderful books, visit her author's page at Amazon. She can be contacted via her website, ZensationalLiving.com, or her popular Facebook page, BeZensational.

My ex has been in my thoughts and in my gut for almost 10 years now. I feel him pulling me and calling to me in the same way that I felt him long ago when we were together. These days, it seems to happen at random moments. I feel like there's a connection I can't let go of, like even though the relationship ended, it is still very much alive and ongoing. I meet other men and fall in love, but those relationships always end because the connection is just not the same. All the while, I feel like an umbilical cord is linking me with my ex. We broke up because he was lying to me, but maybe that was because he felt trapped. I don't know; I just know that closure never happened. I have recurring dreams in which he's using my bathroom, and it looks like it did back before it was renovated. I stop in the hallway to ask him why he's peeing with the door open, and he turns his head and says, I still think of you or I still remember you. More often, I have dreams of hiding in his house with his new wife and he finds me and holds me and tells me he still loves me. I don't know what to think about all of this.

K.

Susyn:

When two people develop a relationship, they subconsciously exchange energy with each other. When a relationship ends, the person left behind may continue to feel attached to the other person for a long time. Your ex still possesses the energy you gave him, and a part of you wants it back. This may be the root cause of your inability to release him. Since he is married and has moved on with his life, it's time for you to cut the ties too.

The following ritual is effective for cutting ties and reclaiming your energy.

Ritual to Release a Past Love

Gather: 3 votive candles (1 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow); 1 smokey quartz or topaz crystal; amber incense; scissors; 3 pieces of twine, 5î to 8î long; 3 small bowls; water; 3 whole bay leaves; sea salt; 1 red apple.

Place the candles in front of you, arranged left to right: blue, green, yellow. Place a small bowl in front of each candle. Fill the center bowl with water. Light the incense wand and then the candles. Place the three bay leaves in bowl one, placing the quartz crystal on top of them. Set the apple in the third bowl. Lay the three pieces of rope, scissors and salt container in front of the middle bowl.

Remove a bay leaf from the first bowl, sprinkle it with salt, and then drop it into the water bowl. Focus on the blue candle, holding the crystal in your left hand while you meditate on the relationship you are ending. This will clear any compulsions to stay connected to the person you are releasing.

Next, repeat the process, focusing on the green candle. Meditate on the emotional aspects of the relationship; how it made you feel, and what was lacking in the heart. This will help you to release any pent up or lingering feelings you still carry for this person. Take the last bay leaf and focus on the yellow candle, meditating to draw your personal power back to you, where it belongs.

Once you finish this process, pick up the three pieces of rope and one at a time, cut them in half into the water bowl. With the first cut, say out loud: I sever all communication and intellectual ties with ____. With the second cut say, I sever all emotional ties with ____. On the third and final cut say, I sever all spiritual ties with ____ and call my personal power back to me.

To complete the ritual, eat the apple. With each bite, think of one reason you are grateful this relationship is completed. Continue until the apple is consumed.

*****

Oceania:

You say other relationships have ended because the connection was not as strong as the one you had with the ex in question. May I point out that the relationship with him also ended? You've heard the saying, When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Likewise, when you are ready for love, a suitable partner will appear. The search for love is not out there so much as in here, and a big part of readiness involves psychological and spiritual health.

Perhaps you need to be more discerning of people's characters and not take the blame for their bad behavior. You weren't responsible for his lying, but you may have played a part in all that unfolded, so you may need to examine what might discourage people from being honest with you. For example, are you controlling? Do you over-react?

If you feel a lack of closure, write him a letter (no need to be polite) and read it out loud to an empty chair, friend or therapist. Pay attention to your emotions and physical feelings as you do so, and then think about what they remind you of from your early life. I suspect you feel an umbilical cord linking you to your ex because this is really about your mother or father. The distant past is where you may need closure.

A man holds his penis while urinating. Symbolically, this suggests that he was self-centered, embracing himself and not you, and that he dumped his toxic waste into your life. You don't want to look at his faults, so you asked him why he didn't close the door. On the bright side, this scene took place prior to renovations, meaning you've grown and changed since that time. It's time to flush the past!

You fantasize that he remembers and loves you, which sounds like the yearning of a child whose parent was abusive or neglectful. In your dream, the two of you are hiding from his wife and keeping a secret. Was there an affair in your family? Was your relationship with this ex an affair, or did he have one? The prominent role of his penis in your dreams suggests you at least wondered about that.

Obsessions help point us to the emotional wounds within us that need our loving attention. That you are wanting someone who belongs to someone else suggests that the parent whose love you crave seemed to give that love away. Perhaps you felt jealous of a new sibling or a new love interest in your parent's life.

You don't have to hide to get your needs met, as you do in your dreams, nor deny yourself love in the present. Let this old connection provide you with clues regarding the pain you need to heal so you can attract complete love now.

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.