Yes this page is long, it is my outlet and my place to share details rather than trying to answer numerous private messages and concerns. Please go HERE to this page instead, thank you. 

✳️ To neighbors, community members, and local supporters — thank you for caring and reaching out. Please refer to this page for ongoing updates rather than messaging privately, so I can stay focused on my regular work. This situation has robbed me of too much time and energy already. I would like to close this chapter. Now that I have some peace and calm again, I am realizing that the ongoing disturbances were like emotional waterboarding, and not ever catching a break til the unruly tenants were out. 

Direct One Drive with allllllllllllll the documentation to answer your questions: 2 Tenants issue 4235 B Quentin Ave
Yes landlord lives upstairs, inherited this home in 2017. They rented out the illegal suite downstairs. Not much noise or issues until June 2024 when tenants moved in that invited a revolving door of various transients and the associated problems that come with an encampment situation.

“The measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable — but when chronic disorder is left unchecked, everyone suffers. Compassion and accountability must go hand in hand.”

******************************

Quentin Avenue: A Turning Point for Our Community

For more than a year and a half, our quiet street was anything but peaceful. What began as one troublesome rental turned into a daily battle for sleep, safety, and sanity. We endured ongoing months of intense stress and relentless vigilance.

Now, after fifteen months of persistence, media attention, and collective action reporting, our neighborhood has finally turned a corner.

Part of me wants to cry in relief. Another part of me wants to scream, “Where was everyone when I was shouting into the void?”. I didn’t volunteer to be the spokesperson, I was cornered into it because the chaos was literally on the other side of my bedroom wall— affecting my sleep, safety, and our home-based wellness businesses.

When drama unfolds this close to my sanctuary, silence is no longer neutral — it’s consent.
We learned that staying quiet doesn’t stop the harm — it lets it take root. When decent people assume someone else will handle it, the problem grows. Speaking up early is what finally changed the trajectory here.
So, I spoke up, and eventually, others did too. This page exists as both a record and a resource — for anyone wondering how to handle a similar situation and how to stay grounded through it.

I still carry a mix of relief, gratitude, and exhaustion — but also a steady determination to share what we’ve learned so others don’t have to go through this alone. Doing the right thing doesn’t need applause; it needs persistence and community backbone.

For anyone just tuning in, this page gathers the story, context, and key insights in one place, so I’m not repeating the same conversation dozens of times. It’s also my way of processing this wild chapter of neighborhood advocacy I never expected to lead.

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📺 Media Coverage

I have been interviewed by local news media reporters. My purpose was to discuss these concerns in hopes of raising public awareness about how these systems can work better together. My goal is to help others understand who to contact, what each authority is responsible for, and how to advocate effectively when facing similar problems.

Thank you again to everyone — neighbors, reporters, council members, and community supporters — who helped bring this forward. Let’s keep working together for safer, more accountable neighborhoods.

👉 CKPG Interview – “Quentin Avenue Residents Unite to Restore Safety” (Same interview, different links)
https://ckpgtoday.ca/2025/10/07/quentin-avenue-residents-unite-to-restore-safety-in-their-neighbourhood/
👉 Dave Branco Facebook Post & Video Clips https://www.facebook.com/DaveBrancoNews/posts/pfbid0KpDZFkz1TnTFnKJNrRLfWmKsKbX7Ha5cr2G2pAgqtJtGkrvDtzorXAKrRXZGZaCEl
👉 CKPG Video Archive Stream
https://iframe.dacast.com/vod/349a824d789fb4aa6140ece2c4975ec2/b405c226-f7d0-4608-b305-fcc93db0167d

🗞️ October 16 2025
Nuisance property visited by RCMP, bylaw 44 times since 2024 (Prince George Citizen)
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/nuisance-property-visited-by-rcmp-bylaw-44-times-since-2024-11362251

📑 City Council Documentation — October 20 2025
Abatement Report Part 1 (Document 35009)
Abatement Report Part 2 (Document 35010)
(The links have been removed, however the downloaded files can be found in the One Drive folder above).

🗞️ Follow-Up Coverage:
October 20 2025
City orders Quentin Avenue nuisance property owners to clean up their act
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/city-orders-quentin-avenue-nuisance-property-owners-to-clean-up-their-act-11373408

November 6 2025:
“You need to speak up” Quentin Avenue resident outlines 15 month nightmare that led to Nuisance Abatement Process
https://www.myprincegeorgenow.com/238170/news/community/you-need-to-speak-up-quentin-avenue-resident-outlines-15-month-nightmare-that-led-to-nuisance-abatement-process/

✳️ These articles and records mark the culmination of fifteen months of effort — a tangible proof that persistence and public documentation work.

More newsworthy articles related to our situation: 

PG’s new Manager of Bylaw Services:
https://www.myprincegeorgenow.com/234965/news/municipal-news/city-of-prince-george/pgs-new-manager-of-bylaw-services-enjoying-new-role-so-far/

Downtown crime: Safe Streets Rally calls for change
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/downtown-crime-safe-streets-rally-calls-for-change-11360059

‘Absolutely done’: Fires, street disorder push downtown Prince George businesses to breaking point
https://globalnews.ca/news/11483181/fires-street-disorder-prince-george-businesses-breaking-point/

See Something, Say Something Campaign
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/call-police-dont-post-crimes-to-social-media-rcmp-11438877

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🟥 Background: What Happened on Quentin Avenue

For over a year, the property next door spiraled into chaos — constant disturbances, late-night activity, aggressive behavior, shouting matches, barking dogs, floodlights at all hours, and a revolving door of transient visitors. RCMP and Bylaw officers attended repeatedly, but lasting change felt painfully out of reach.

And this wasn’t our first rodeo. We dealt with a crack shack on the other side of us from 2016–2018 with nightly suspicious activity. We recovered from that one, rebuilt stability — and then were blindsided again. That history is part of why this latest ordeal hit so hard.
I’d hoped never to face that again. Yet here we were, history repeating itself — this time with louder dogs, more garbage and clutter, and numerous unknown individuals passed out on the other side of my fence.

Two key ideas help explain why these things matter beyond one address:

Broken Window Theory: Neglected properties send a signal that no one cares, inviting further decay. What starts as one unmanaged property can quickly spread a sense of lawlessness, lower morale, and erode safety for everyone nearby. This derelict state can potentially lower property values as well. Swift action benefits residents, businesses, and the wider community alike.

Compassion vs. Chaos: I often remind myself of that quote about how a society treats its most vulnerable. But vulnerability and violent disorder are not the same thing. We can hold compassion and boundaries at the same time — in fact, that balance is what true community care looks like.
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🟩 Expanded Timeline (June 2024 – October 2025)

• June 2024 — Tenants Move In: I greeted the new tenant over the back fence with my usual neighborly warmth — “Welcome to the neighborhood!” I even invited her to check out my wellness website. Her gravelly response, “Oh, I need that,” should probably have been my first red flag.

• June 2024 and ongoing — Domestic Disturbances Begin: Shouting, fights, police visits, sleepless nights.

• July 7 2024 — First Call to the Landlords: I phoned Josie, whose name is on the property title, and spoke about ongoing noise and dog issues. Her brother Liam lives in the residence upstairs at 4235 Quentin Ave. She told me she doesn’t have much to do with the home since her mother passed in 2017.

• Aug 9 2024 — Two calls to police for domestic disputes during the night. With little sleep, I printed and hand-delivered written documentation of Section 47 of the BC Tenancy Act (grounds for eviction) and a letter of concern.  Liam dismissed my concerns saying he’d “talk to his brother.”

• Aug 2024 — I had a deck installed in my back yard. While the contractors were here for a week, they could smell feces coming from the problem yard. They also witnessed a dog attack incident which was reported. Officials came to investigate. Several neighbors gathered out front to voice their concerns of the entire situation next door.

• October 2024 — Public Awareness: Out of sheer frustration and exhaustion, I posted a short Facebook video describing what was happening. I felt embarrassed — a holistic practitioner publicly venting about neighbors — but it got 2,000+ views and started drawing attention.

• First half of 2025 — Numerous calls to authorities, from myself and various neighbors. Many officials attended. The situation continued to escalate for months before finally being addressed. It shouldn’t require this level of community pressure for a serious neighborhood issue to be acknowledged.

• June 26 2025 — There was quite a commotion with another dog attack incident and a tenant transported to hospital. Several neighbors reported. Police attended and we all had a long chat in my front yard explaining the issues and disruptions.

• July 2025 — Community Connection: I posted again on the Nextdoor app. Carmen, who lives behind me on Punchaw, reached out. She’d been filing complaints for months but didn’t have the right address because the house looked “normal” from the street. We compared notes and realized how many of us had been suffering in silence. Carmen also found the city reporting app to be glitchy and delayed.

• July 2025 — Newly appointed Bylaw Services Manager Kent MacNeill attends and speaks with both Rebecca and I to understand the severity of the situation. He takes it upon himself to make this case a priority for resolution and to bridge the communication gaps between RCMP and Bylaw Services.

• Summer 2025 — Collective Action: Soon, multiple neighbors began emailing Bylaw Services and RCMP, documenting incidents, photos, and videos. Rebecca, across the street, started tagging City Council, which finally drew their attention. She has numerous complaints of these individuals tracking behind her property to camp along the 5th Ave thoroughfare. We have found that emails seemed to carry more weight than just phone call reporting. Our reports continued with more suspected criminal and drug activity out in plain view.

• October 7 2025 — Media & Cleanup: CKPG aired my interview the same day City crews arrived to clean up debris and garbage. That irony wasn’t lost on any of us. After this interview aired, numerous people reached out with more questions and comments and also saying they had no idea it was this bad or this close to me (other side of my bedroom wall).

• October 16 2025 — Tenants Out: Locks were changed. Locks were changed. Kent MacNeill, Bylaw supervisor came to tell me the good news in person that “we won”, that the problematic tenants are finally out. He mentioned there was still a lot of stuff in the basement unit, and an overwhelming stench but he surmised that the landlord is not sounding like he wants to rent it out again any time soon. He let us know we’re welcome to attend city hall meeting October 20th just to view, not engage/ speak.
I cannot thank him enough for stepping up and getting the ball rolling in getting this situation dealt with. Looking forward to finally getting some restful sleep after 15 months.

• October 16 2025 — Safer Streets Rally: Over 1000 Prince George residents attended this event to voices concerns of the downtown crisis.

• October 17 2025 — Yes, the next morning! The Fire Incident: A small fire started behind the wooden carport reignited every ounce of adrenaline I’d been storing. Police and fire attended to put the fire out. I called police three times that day for unknown individuals frequenting the property. The landlord told police it was fine for the transient individuals to stay — leaving officers powerless to intervene. Considering the current city-wide issues of fires and loss of properties, I went into full panic mode that day. What if this had happened while I was sleeping, and not noticed or reported immediately?

• October 20 2025 — Pre-Council Meeting Update: Despite the recent Prince George Citizen article and bylaw attendance, disturbances have continued at the adjoining property. Early this morning, yelling and banging were heard again in the shared carport. The landlord remains on-site yet continues to allow unauthorized individuals to access the property, even after repeated police and bylaw visits and a fire incident on Friday. While the neighborhood appreciates the ongoing efforts of the RCMP and bylaw officers, the lenience toward the landlord’s negligence has been disheartening. Our neighborhood’s message remains the same: safety and accountability must come before excuses.

• October 20 2025 — Council Meeting: A Step Forward — and a Hope for Change. The Nuisance Abatement was approved unanimously. My daughter Chantelle, Rebecca, and I attended the City Council meeting. The landlords did not attend, only submitting an apology letter.
Councillor Brian Skakun publicly apologized publicly apologized to the residents of Quentin Ave who were attending in the gallery and acknowledged the delay. While I appreciated that, I still have questions of why this whole process took over a year of persistent reports, emails, media coverage, and neighbor coordination to reach this point.The City committed to reviewing abatement thresholds of complaints required to enact this resolution option so no one else has to endure a similar nightmare.
The apology letter from the landlord does not sit well with me. They knew. I approached them several times in the last 16 months. They willfully ignored me and others until the authorities stepped in.

November 13, 2023 – I delivered a letter to the landlord’s mailing address after we located the original rental advertisement. In that letter, I notified him that we had opened an inquiry into the property’s required legal-suite inspection.

November 12 to 15, 2025:
Following a series of detailed emails outlining ongoing safety concerns and the newly posted rental listing, both the City and the MLA’s office responded with updates:
• Bylaw Services (Matt Hammond) confirmed that a new Secondary Suite file has been opened and forwarded to Development Services for formal review. This step determines whether any enforcement action can be taken under current bylaws and policies.
• MLA Office (Isabelle Saunders) acknowledged the seriousness of the ongoing issues and confirmed that their office has been actively following the case. Isabelle noted that Kiel Giddons will continue raising these concerns at the Legislature level, while recommending continued communication with Bylaw Services and City Council. Their office remains available for further support as needed.
These responses indicate that the concerns are being taken seriously at both municipal and provincial levels, and formal review processes are now underway.

November 20, 2025 – Melissa spoke with a prospective new tenant over the backyard fence. I provided this individual with a written, neighborly heads-up about the previous situation at the suite — information we believed the landlord had not disclosed.
November 22, 2025 – I received a handwritten note from Steve requesting “to meet and discuss the direction of the next lease.” The message attempted to frame the last 16 months as “inconveniences,” but did not acknowledge the severity or impact of what occurred.
November 23, 2025 – After sharing Steve’s letter with our neighborhood group, the collective feedback echoed my concern that the message appeared more like damage control than genuine accountability. I replied in writing to clarify that an apology offered this late did not undo the trauma experienced by myself and our neighbors. I also reiterated my preference to keep all communication documented and asked for clear assurance that the property would be properly managed going forward to prevent any repeat of the previous situation.

✳️ Side Note – Cultural Context: A friend mentioned the owners’ background might include habits of waiting for government authority before taking responsibility. Perhaps — but when you own property in this country, accountability must align with local law and community respect.

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🟨 Personal Impact: Living Next to Chaos

My home is supposed to be my sanctuary. For over a year, it became a stress-testing ground for my patience, nervous system, and spiritual toolkit. Barking dogs, loud cursing, arguments and suspected drug activity bled through the walls and windows. Even blackout blinds couldn’t block the floodlights next door.

I run a holistic healing practice from home — my nervous system is my workspace. It’s hard to hold space for others when your own environment feels like a hazmat zone crime scene and your adrenals haven’t had a weekend off in months. I often mused that I can clear energy anywhere in the world, but when the source of this toxic disturbance is five feet from my fence, my nervous system doesn’t get to clock out. This situation forced me to face that truth in a raw way.

It also unleashed my unfiltered redhead side 😡🔥. My first drafts of neighbor updates were… not exactly Reiki-approved. Thankfully, my digital assistant Dotty 🐞💻 helped polish those profanity-laced rants into the diplomatic, solution-focused letters that actually got results. Without that outlet, I might have set my keyboard on fire.

“During this time, three different practitioners — completely independently — warned me that the level of chronic stress I was carrying was pushing my heart too far. They told me that finally exploding was probably the only reason I didn’t end up in cardiac trouble. That reality still sits with me.

My daughter Melissa, a registered reflexologist and owner of Honeybee Inspirations, brings clients in through our backyard entrance. Too many times, those clients have walked past or overheard domestic disputes, aggressive dogs, and a tarp-covered yard that looked more like a junkyard than a neighborhood property. The overwhelming stench of neglect permeated our side of the fence.

Thankfully, most of Melissa’s clients are regulars who understand the situation. But one new client — a trauma survivor with a history involving violent dogs — was met with aggressive barking during her first appointment. She never returned. That was the breaking point for me. This is what prolonged inaction costs: safety, stability, and the wellbeing of everyone nearby.

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🟥 Compassion with Accountability

This was never about being “against” anyone who’s struggling. There’s a huge difference between hardship and harm — between someone who’s down on their luck and someone who refuses accountability while creating danger for others.

I understand struggle. I rented for nearly 15 years while raising four kids on my own. I’ve experienced the responsibilities and restrictions from both sides of the property line — as a tenant and now as a homeowner of 20 years.

For many years as a tenant, I wasn’t allowed to have dogs or cats. Back then, it felt unfair. Now, as a homeowner, I fully understand why some landlords place restrictions. The damages from neglect or irresponsibility that can be caused by both tenants and animals can be extensive and devastatingly costly.

My stance is simple: compassion without accountability becomes enabling. Whether tenant, landlord, or homeowner, and no matter your circumstances, all citizens must be accountable and responsible for their actions and their impact on the community.

True compassion doesn’t mean turning a blind eye, excusing chaos, or enabling Band-Aid solutions to deep trauma and destructive habits. It means holding people capable of change.
Accountability matters — for everyone.

________________________________________

🟦 Mental Health, Addiction & Responsibility

This situation isn’t just about drugs or noise complaints — it was a complex mix of addiction, trauma, and mental health concerns that spilled into every yard and window nearby. While I hold compassion for those struggling, I don’t subscribe to the idea that addiction is purely a disease. In my view, it can be deeply rooted in generational and ancestral trauma, but it also involves choices and accountability.

Yes, trauma can create cycles of pain, but healing still requires choice. Personal responsibility and community safety must coexist. And I don’t believe addiction absolves accountability.

As my mentor Raymon Grace often says, “We are not all equal.” That may sound harsh, but it’s true: I don’t want to be lumped in with psychopaths or violent offenders, and neither should you. Compassion doesn’t mean blind tolerance for destructive behavior.

Some people need structured help and safe spaces away from residential neighborhoods, for their safety and ours.

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🟩 What Made the Difference: Collective Action

Here’s the truth: nothing changed until neighbors united and took consistent, documented action.

For over fifteen months, I filed complaints, made phone calls, sent emails, and reported issues — with minimal results. Real movement began when multiple neighbors — each with their own experiences and sleepless nights — began speaking up consistently and with evidence: photos, videos, and timelines.

📌 Key lesson: Safety isn’t a solo job. It took community persistence and media visibility to push this situation forward.
Officials themselves encouraged continued reporting, because their hands are tied without multiple documented complaints.

Once the neighborhood united, things shifted fast: abatement hearings, media coverage, and finally, decisive cleanup action. This wasn’t luck — it was community persistence and collective strength in action.

This is a testament to what can happen when a community stands together with persistence, clear communication, and heart. 💛

🟢 Lesson: Community pressure creates accountability where bureaucracy stalls. This wasn’t just about one house — it was about restoring safety, community trust, and the energetic baseline of our neighborhood. It took courage, persistence, and collaboration to hold the line. And we did it.

________________________________________
🟪 Reflections & Moving Forward

The cleanup brought huge relief — and for the first time in over a year, quiet actually sounded strange. My nervous system didn’t know what to do with the silence.

Thankfully, the tenants are out and the abatement process is officially approved. I still hope the owners have learned their lesson and that the city’s review of the system prevents this from repeating anywhere else. My only apprehension now is that if the landlord rents the basement again and the property could be refilled just as quickly. (I would hope they would do a hazmat clean up for the back yard excrement and possible discarded needles and paraphernalia).
If the basement ever gets rented again, we now understand the reporting process, the timeline, and the responsibilities of each authority. We won’t hesitate to act early — calmly, clearly, and with documentation.

Since the media coverage aired, I’ve been flooded with messages — encouragement, empathy, and disbelief. Some thanked me for “being the voice” of the neighborhood; others said they had no idea how bad it was, or how close it was to me, until they saw the stories.

Those comments mean the world, but they’re also bittersweet. It shouldn’t take fifteen months, multiple agencies, and news crews for basic community safety to be restored.

For anyone reading this who’s facing something similar: please, don’t wait. Document. Speak up. Loop in all authorities early. Your voice matters — that’s how we got here.

If you notice concerns here or in your own neighborhood, please report them.
👉 City Bylaw: Excessive and disruptive noise especially outside of day time hours, derelict vehicles, excessive debris
👉 RCMP: Suspicious, violent, or criminal activity.
👉 Animal Control/ Animal Abuse Hotline: Any excessive disturbances, aggressive or distressed animals, running loose, attacks, or neglect.
👉 City Councillors: They are responsible for the overall well-being of the community and must ensure the municipality operates in an open and transparent manner.
👉 Members of Parliament: Their work includes debating and voting on bills in the legislature, representing constituent concerns, and holding the government accountable.
👉 Residential Tenancy Branch: provides information, dispute resolution services, and enforcement support to ensure fair and legal relationships between landlords and tenants. (Complaints from neighbors don’t count here, I tried)

Each department can only act within its limits — but together, they form a web of accountability. The key is consistency and communication.
One of the hardest lessons was realizing the city systems don’t cross-communicate unless residents connect the dots for them. Bylaw doesn’t see RCMP files. RCMP doesn’t see Tenancy concerns. The Residential Tenancy Branch doesn’t take neighbor reports. Until multiple residents documented consistently, nothing escalated.
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🗣️ Community Frustration & Public Conversation

The recent media coverage has sparked a lot of intense conversation across social media. Relief, outrage, compassion, anger, debate… it was all there. From outrage at the slow legal processes, to broader debates about housing, policy, and accountability.

Many residents have expressed frustration about how long this situation has dragged on, despite numerous complaints and evidence. Others have shared their personal stories of dealing with similar issues, or admitted they had no idea how serious things had become until now.

In that way, this whole ordeal became a mirror — showing what happens when systems stall and good people assume “someone else will handle it.” A psychological phenomenon called “groupthink”. It shouldn’t have taken this much for people to act.

Rather than bringing those debates onto this page, I encourage anyone interested to explore the public discussion threads directly:

👉 Clean up underway post, personal: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.h.rioux/posts/pfbid025Vg2zUxuckA2YpR3JDi8Moc7CVU1YLssmVSpTkGpy5BuXeLgtaG2B5naqKsYkbmTl

👉 Dave Branco’s social media post: https://www.facebook.com/DaveBrancoNews/posts/pfbid02PffGSRuqKCe67kHo8CjQuCAgpcov1tfWhcjsPBHjhrHdGZ5AfCRXN8aCZMRWkE8Gl

👉 Clean up underway post in group: Enough Already! Prince George Voters For Positive Change:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/842927622705364/posts/2686196575045117

These conversations reflect a wide spectrum of perspectives. Every voice in those threads mattered — even the angry ones — because together, they proved that people do care deeply about this city and how we handle community safety, integrity, addiction, and responsibility. People care about the safety and well-being of our neighborhoods.

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📝 Closing This Chapter: What We’ve Learned

Through this exhausting, but ultimately successful experience, I’ve learned how fragmented and technical the enforcement process truly is.
Each department is doing its best — but they operate in silos. They don’t always communicate with each other, and that gap leaves residents caught in the middle.

• RCMP and Bylaw Services work separately and rarely communicate directly. Each require multiple, repeated complaints before meaningful action can be taken.
• Animal Control operates independently under separate bylaws, with their own criteria for enforcement or rescue intervention. They have limited power unless an attack or cruelty is witnessed.
• City Council can’t intervene until the evidence pile is undeniable.

There is no single accountability system that ties all complaints to a specific address or individual across agencies — no way for officials to see the full pattern until residents connect the dots themselves.

This is eerily similar to the Netflix series “Unbelievable,” which documented a true case where a criminal wasn’t caught until authorities across different counties collaborated and connected the dots.

This ordeal taught me that change happens when citizens stop waiting for “the system” to notice, and start helping it see the full picture.

👉 This is exactly what our laws need: an integrated, cross-departmental system where repeated incidents tied to an address or name build a clear, undeniable pattern of behavior. A system that connects the dots automatically so patterns of harm can’t hide in plain sight. Until then, we are the connectors.

🟢 Lesson: Silence enables harm; communication and persistence invite change.

🏚️ The Nuisance Abatement Process

Here’s how it currently works:
• Bylaw must compile substantial documentation to present to City Council to have a property declared a nuisance property.
• Once approved, the city can levy fines to recoup the significant manpower costs associated with repeated visits.
• If fines go unpaid, they are added to the property’s tax bill.
• Continued nonpayment can ultimately lead to tax sale proceedings.

🏠 A Word to Property Owners

If you rent out property, vet your tenants carefully. British Columbia’s tenancy laws heavily favor tenants, making it a long and costly process to evict problematic occupants:
• Going through the Tenancy Branch
• Attending hearings
• Hiring bailiffs
• Dealing with property damage and renovation costs

This particular property will likely need to be gutted to the studs. If it weren’t attached to my home, I’d recommend demolition.
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🟢 Regulating Through and After Chaos

When the dust finally settles — literally and energetically — your body might not get the memo right away. For months, I lived in a constant state of hyper-vigilance. Even after the sirens stopped, my nervous system kept scanning for danger like a smoke alarm with a dying battery.

Here’s what helped me find my footing again. If you’re ever navigating your own neighborhood storm, maybe it’ll help you too:

1. Breathe before reacting. It sounds simple, but when adrenaline is high, even one long exhale tells your brain the threat has passed. I’d often pause on my porch and just breathe until my shoulders dropped.

2. Ground daily. For me that meant feet on the earth, gentle tapping, or a short dowsing reset. For you it might be gardening, stretching, or cuddling your pets. Anything that reminds your body you’re safe now.

3. Move the energy out. Anger, fear, and frustration all need motion. Walk, journal, dance, yell into a pillow, or scrub the kitchen sink like you mean it. Energy that’s expressed is energy released.

4. Reconnect with what’s good. After so much chaos, simple peace can feel foreign. Light a candle. Sip tea. Watch a mindless show. Let normalcy re-train your nervous system.

5. Don’t rush the decompression. Healing from chronic stress is like re-entry after turbulence — your system needs time to equalize. Celebrate small victories: “Today I didn’t check the window ten times.” That’s progress.

6. Ask for help. Whether it’s friends, professionals, or your own inner guidance, you don’t have to process everything alone. Community got me through the chaos; it also got me through the calm that followed.

🟢 Final Thought: Peace doesn’t just happen — it’s rebuilt, choice by choice. Every breath, boundary, and act of kindness adds up. Closing this chapter means honoring what was endured and reclaiming what’s next.

Thank you to every neighbor, bylaw officer, reporter, and friend who helped turn this chaos into closure. And if you’re reading this because you’re still in the thick of it — hang on. Speak up. You’ll get through it too. 🐞💛

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❤️ Final Words

This chapter has forced me to stand up for myself and others in ways I never expected. It’s brought out both my worst and my best. But ultimately, it’s proven that when neighbors stop whispering and start speaking together, change can happen.

What I Want to Anchor In:
This is the beginning of exhale mode.
I deserve to rest without scanning the street every few minutes.
The energy has shifted — it’s safe to let my guard down a little.
Relief doesn’t mean collapse; it means integration.
I can use this time to refill my reserves before tackling the next wave of projects.
This page is my way of closing this chapter. What needed saying is now said. What needed learning is now learned. I’m choosing peace, recovery, and forward momentum.

🐞 Jackie Rioux
Quentin Avenue Resident • Reluctant Spokesperson • Squirrel-Herding Redhead
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View all the pics and videos of this situation: https://1drv.ms/f/c/e3fa99cd74150946/ErE1xC9xI_pOkx4pIXfiPckBi4WoM85bqgWLMn299ASf8Q?e=nwjeDC

🏠 How This Page Came to Be
This resource emerged organically during a client session involving a newly purchased home with a lingering scent — specifically the stale, stubborn residue of marijuana and hashish left by previous occupants.This wasn’t about chemistry alone. It was a nudge to reset the vibrational blueprint of the space. What unfolded was a powerful, layered process to restore harmony to any living space — and now, it’s here for anyone who needs it.
As I tuned in energetically, the phrase “ion exchange” kept coming through intuitively. That insight sparked a layered approach: 
We neutralized the scent with this Raymon Grace-style intention: “I neutralize the vibration, frequency, life force energy, and residual energy signature of hashish, marijuana, and anything else creating the offending smell in this space”, followed by a deeper dive into natural, energy-conscious ways to cleanse the space physically and spiritually. The results were palpable — but for full restoration, it helps to address both energetic and physical layers.

From this experience, we’ve created a comprehensive guide for anyone wanting to reclaim the energetic integrity of their home — whether you’re moving into a new space, feeling the imprint of previous occupants, or simply craving a fresh start. May this blend of intuitive wisdom, energetic clearing, and practical tools help you create a sanctuary that truly supports your well-being.
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🌀 Energetic Clearing Suggestions

These vibrational tools align with what many sensitive souls already sense:
🌬 Raymon Grace Neutralization (or similar style)
• Use dowsing or intention to neutralize specific vibrational imprints (e.g., marijuana/hashish).
• Add phrases like:
“Clear all contracts, bindings, and attachments related to these substances or prior occupants.”
“Reset this space to divine original design. Only love and harmony may dwell here.”
🔥 Smoke or Spray Clearing
• Sage, palo santo, cedar, or mugwort smudging.
• Use clearing sprays with essential oils like frankincense, juniper, or lemon.
🌿 Living Energy with Plants
• Place air-purifying houseplants (peace lily, spider plant, snake plant) to anchor fresh life and clear atmosphere.
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🧼 Physical Layer: Natural Scent Clearing Tools

These natural methods are low-tox, energetically clean, and effective:
🧂 1. Salt Bowls with Intention
• Place bowls of sea salt or Himalayan salt in corners.
• Optional: mix in baking soda.
• Leave for 24–48 hours, then discard outdoors.
🍋 2. White Vinegar for Absorption
• Bowls of plain white vinegar placed in problem areas overnight.
• Optional: simmer vinegar with citrus peels to gently deodorize air.
🌋 3. Bamboo Charcoal or Zeolite Bags
• Absorbs toxins and odors naturally.
• Recharge by placing in sunlight monthly.
🌸 4. Essential Oils — Light & Clean
• Diffuse small amounts of citrus, cedar, or frankincense.
• Choose oils that uplift, not overwhelm.
🌬 5. Deep Cleaning Checklist
• Wash walls, vents, and floors with vinegar or enzyme cleaner.
• Consider repainting with odor-blocking primer.
• Replace or deep clean HVAC filters, carpets, and window coverings.
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🌈 Optional: A Full Home Blessing

If energy still feels off, walk room to room with this affirmation:
“I lovingly release all past energies from this space. I invite in fresh joy, peace, and divine alignment. May this home support all who live here.”
Let your intuition guide you. Play uplifting music, clap in corners, ring bells — reclaim the space as your own.

A Court of Atonement call to use:
“I, ____________ (state your whole name) ___, place myself, ____________ (State your name again) __, into a Full Court of Atonement with this home/space/ address/ parameter for the purpose of Soul Recognition. I ask to have our timelines and soul timelines analyzed and I ask to heal any and all conflicts. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy and Restoration of Peace.
________________________________________
📎 Closing Thought
Energetic residue often lingers beyond scent. By pairing vibrational resets with physical clearing, we honor all layers of the home — just as we do in healing the body. This is the art of truly making a space your sanctuary.

🌟 Why This Page Exists
In times of chaos, uncertainty, or loss, many of us feel helpless — but there is something we can do.
Many of us feel called to do something — but don’t know where to start.
Whether you’re an experienced energy practitioner or simply a kind-hearted human, your intentions matter.

This page is your gentle yet powerful toolkit for energetic outreach — offering gentle yet powerful way to individuals, communities, and locations through distance work, intention, and protocols like the Court of Atonement, dowsing, Reiki, and more.
These tools can shift energy from fear to peace, from harm to harmony, from stuck to flowing.

Let’s amplify peace, resolve trauma, and bring healing where it’s most needed.
Together, we can create ripples of healing, one intention at a time.
________________________________________

🗺️ Map-Based Targeting Ideas
Use dowsing, prayer, or intention to target locations on a map or in your mind’s eye. Some suggested locations:
• Homeless encampments or shelters
• Prisons, courtrooms, and police departments
• Hospitals, hospices, and long-term care homes
• Schools, playgrounds, daycares, and school buses
• Cemeteries, crematoriums, and accident sites
• Government buildings
• War zones or disaster areas
• Concert venues or high-traffic gathering places
You don’t need to know names — intention is enough.

Simply pull up a map location and intend your distance work within the parameters of that location.

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✨ General Community Clearing Script
(Use before travel, during global distress, or to help any location energetically)
I, [your name], place myself and [location/group] into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of clearing, uplifting, and protecting this space and all souls connected to it — across all time, space, dimensions, and realities.
I ask to identify, neutralize, and transmute all dissonant energies, ancestral trauma, trapped emotions, curses, archetypes, and non-beneficial programs at their points of origin.
I call to remove all detrimental energies, entities, and properties from this location, replacing them with divine light, love, and respect.
I call in Spiritual Assistance Teams and Earth Stewards to surround and bless this location with harmony, protection, compassion, and hope.
I request transcendence assistance for any soul who is not emitting their own light — especially any passed souls still present. May they be gently guided home with grace.
I ask to reinforce energetic boundaries and install a mental energy shield around this area to repel future harm.
I invoke the archetypes of Respect, Dignity, Kindness, and Peace to take root here.
May this space become geoprosperous — a beacon of healing, restoration, and unity for all beings who pass through.
I ask for amenable dissolution of these energies and Restoration of Peace.
________________________________________
🧰 Additional Tools You Can Use
• Raymon Grace’s clearing approach: Exorcism, replacing archetypes, invoking Respect
• Speed Calls from Court of Atonement (e.g. Bless-ed Travels, Clear Places, Passed Souls)
• Susan Collins’ geopathic stress dowsing to assess land-based imbalances
• Reiki or Emotion Code sending to buildings, people, or events
• Collective prayer or meditation, especially for natural disasters or world events
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🛠️ Downloadable Tools & Handouts
These files are available to print and share with others in your community, or to use as daily guidance:
• 📄 Community Outreach PDF – How to Use FCOA in the Real World (from your “FCOA community outreach.docx”)
• 📄 FCOA Basic Fair Handout (includes how-to and sample phrases)
• 📘 Ancient Truths & Wisdom by Amy Jo Ellis (Earth Prayer on p. 58)
• 📄 8 Easy Steps to Inner Peace – TFT Technique (by Dr. Fränzi Ng, great for emotional clearing)
• 🎥 Raymon Grace: Problem Package (YouTube)
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📚 More Learning
• Ladybug Wellness Resources
• Court of Atonement Main Website
• Raymon Grace Foundation

Note: More ideas and files coming soon. Please check back!

February 2026:

For anyone who would like to participate in sending this soul level prayer intention:
Court of Atonement is a non-denominational, spiritual healing modality. At-One-Ment means bringing things together to heal the past.
Simply read through this paragraph and say your name in the blanks as the person requesting this intention.

I __________, place anyone and everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge British Columbia situation into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of Soul Recognition, Restoration of Self, Traumatic Stress Resolution, Grief Recovery Resolution, Resolving the Loss of a Child, Resolution of Murder, Resolution of War, Resolution of Wrath, Enhancing and Protecting Education, Optimal Medical Assistance, Home Security, Location Security, Job Site Security, Resolution of Unfinished Business, Resolution of Personal Affronts, Divine Guidance Optimization, Mind Center Optimization
I _______________ place those persons who have died into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of Requesting Transcendence Assistance.
I ask for Amenable Dissolution of these energies, and I ask for Restoration of Peace.
(for more information about Court of Atonement, please visit the Court of Atonement website).

From Amy Jo directly:
I, _______, place the high school in Tumbler Ridge into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of Spiritual 911, Resolution of Murder, Enhancing and Protecting Education, and I ask for Restoration of Peace.
I ask for divine intervention to evaluate this situation and remove and transcend any and all detrimental entities responsible for these killings.
I ask to bring into the Full Court of Atonement all the family and friends who are affected by these events. I ask for Grief Recovery Resolution, Traumatic Stress Resolution, and I ask for Restoration of Peace.

Also check out this video from Teal Swan:
School Shooters (Understanding School Shooters and What To Do To Prevent School Shootings)
https://youtu.be/6eBi-cJzFXw?si=yDY70QrOaK0kmN2Q

I have my go to list of recommended energy balancing practitioners, but what about my recommendations for other amazing people in my life? We all need a list of recommended professionals in their fields, those we can count on for reputable and reliable business ethics, great customer service, reasonable fees, and excellent work habits. Having some go to professionals makes our lives that much easier in reducing our stress by providing necessary services.

The reward for great work is more work. The best kind of advertising is word of mouth and genuine personal testimonials. I like to support the entrepreneurial spirit of some of these hidden gems I have found in our community. Supporting local!

Honestly, finding reliable and reputable people these days can be quite daunting. I have had some pretty awful experiences in the past with poor service, damages, and exorbitant fees. I have dealt with less than integrous service persons, lack of effective communication, inefficiency, and over charging for poor workmanship. This causes undue stresses on top of the required service issues.
All the more reason to give shout outs and glowing recommendations to those whom I have found to be worth their weight in gold!

I am blessed to have found some spectacular people and I am pleased to recommend them to my friends, family, and clients. These are people I trust to uphold integrity and to offer equal value energy exchange in providing their services.

These are in Prince George BC Canada, my top-notch favorite contacts that I can count on anytime.

My personal shout outs:

Personal Care and Wellness:

Melissa Rioux, Honeybee Inspirations Creativity and Wellness. I am a pretty proud momma in supporting my daughter Melissa in her ongoing entrepreneurial endeavors. She is a Registered Reflexologist and a Usui ART Reiki Master, plus more! She offers her services through our home office location. See her page in this website here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/honeybee-inspirations/

***More recommended holisitic practitioners here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/practitioner-recommendations/
***And my Students here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/student-recognition-and-congratulations/

Walk Rite Shoes. Ok, ok, my eldest daughter Chantelle manages the Prince George location so I am a little biased here, but SHOES!! They carry many high end brands that are feet pillows. I love my Reikers, Halflingers, and particularly my “artwork for your feet” Laura Vitas. You can order online or shop in Prince George, Quesnel, and Williams Lake locations. https://walkriteshoes.com/

Dr Terry Warawa, chiropractor. 250.562.2377 When I started my mail carrier position in 2002, I had many times injuries that put my back and shoulders out quite painfully. Dr Warawa is gentle and effective in getting my spine and body back into alignment. I have recommended him to numerous friends who have appreciated his services. Dr Warawa has a punny sense of humor and we always have some laughs when I go for my visits.
https://www.drwarawa.com/

Janelle’s Esthetics, 778.281.0564: Janelle operates out of her home. Professional, efficient, personable. She is the wonderful lady who keeps me de-fuzzified. Highly recommended for her waxing services.
https://www.facebook.com/janellesesthetics

College of New Caledonia Dental Clinic Services: CNC is where I attended to receive my Associate of Arts Psych degree. Since my former dentist retired, and I have retired as well (no more extended benefits), I have been super pleased and appreciative of this dental clinic program. In 2023, I had Bianca for her second year practicum and in 2025, I had Madilyn for her first year practicum. 2026 I had Jett for her first year practicum.  These young ladies were informative, effective, and gentle too in taking care of my dental cleaning. Absolutely wonderful dental hygienists in training. I highly recommend this program, with huge benefits in being a patient and for their training purposes.
https://cnc.bc.ca/services/prince-george/dental-clinic

Berdine – Holistic Pharmacist at Whole Health Pharmacy (Prince George, BC)
https://wholehealthcollegeheights.com/
I highly recommend Berdine for anyone exploring hormone balance, adrenal fatigue, or customized supplement protocols. I worked with her in 2025 to uncover the root of my extreme fatigue, back pain, and mood swings — after years of trying everything else.
Berdine guided me through in-depth saliva hormone and cortisol testing (not available through regular labs), which revealed estrogen dominance and severely depleted adrenals. With her support and a targeted plan, I finally feel like myself again.
She’s professional, compassionate, and incredibly thorough. Be prepared for a long intake form (worth it!), and note that costs are out-of-pocket. This was one of the best investments I’ve made for my health.
💡 Note: This was my personal experience. Services and fees may vary.

While I am sending out shout outs on this page, I would like to acknowledge some amazing doctors I have appreciated over my years. They are effective and knowledgeable in their work, and personable as well in caring for me when I have needed them.
Dr Ian Schokking, Dr Kasandra Joss, Dr. Mitchell Webb. If you are in need of medical services, these are the doctors I highly recommend.
**Dr Pieter van Herk was my doctor for many years in my hometown. I think he may have retired now though.

Home Maintenance:

Bob Martin, PG Gasco. Bob has installed my hot water tank and furnace. He has been wonderful for emergency calls when needed and shows up when he says he will, as he can accommodate his clients. Bob used to drive cab and I met him years ago when I was a mail carrier. Fascinatingly, one of our first conversations when he installed my hot water tank, was all about the energetic implications of the numeral 8 in his invoice fees. He was impressed that I noticed the metaphysical philosophy.
250-612-7004

Christopher Fagan, FNA Services Ltd. 250.631.1114
“Construction Company, Carpenter, Demolition & Excavation Company, Snow Removal, Hot Shot/ Deliveries, Landscaping, Trailer Rental, Civil and Infrastructure Experts. Serving residential and commercial clients in Prince George and surrounding areas”.
Prior to February 2023, I had been quite frustrated with trying to find a reliable and effective plow service that could accommodate a small home business for regular service. Turns out Chris is from my home town Terrace BC. He has proven to be reliable, conscientious, and effective for snow removal and keeping our driveway safe for our clients.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555598010411
2024: Nick Goldney came to us through FNA Services to replace and rebuild a patio and deck with stairs in our back yard which leads to Melissa’s Honeybee Inspirations office. I have been super impressed with Nick’s work ethics and knowledge in getting this project done professionally.
Nick is a man I definitely will be keeping in my fave contacts for any construction and repair type jobs around my home. I intend to keep him busy with word-of-mouth recommendations!
He is skilled, organized, meticulous, and great at problem solving which are essential traits for a highly sought handyman.
Nick: 778.345.4591: June 2025: Unfortunately for me, Nick moved to Vancouver. Keeping him listed here for my contacts in Vancouver 😊

Darrell Taylor: Taylor’s Property Maintenance
250-880-5366
darrelltaylor63@hotmail.ca
Services Offered: • Painting • Pressure Washing • Site Cleanup • Lawn Mowing • Weed Eating • General Repairs • Dump Runs • No job too small
July 2025: A reliable jack-of-all-trades with deep local roots and a solid work ethic. He’s practical, down-to-earth, and gets things done fast — without fuss.
“No job too small” — and I’d add, no nonsense either. Just solid, helpful work.
I managed to hire Darrel when he was taking time off camp work. Need to catch him when he is available now.

Dave at Sparkle Kleen. Carpet cleaning. 250.561.1699. I hired Dave a few times in the past and he has come through as reliable, efficient, and personable. My carpets were night and day difference after his work.
Unfortunately, I tried out another company in 2021, using a gift certificate. That was a poor experience with a review gone horribly wrong. I had shared on social media, but moved that review here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/reviews-gone-bad-a-business-ethics-experience/
Yes, Dave has seen this review as I continue to promote his services and reasons why I won’t go with anyone else ever again.

Krysta May Dyble. Owner at Bright Beginnings Cleaning, Painting, Staging and Design
July 2024: I hired Krysta and her team to deep clean our home office space before a training weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at how shiny and sanitized my home became. Seriously impressed and grateful to have found someone so conscientious in their cleaning skills. After checking out her Facebook page, I realized she is also a Life Coach and has several insightful posts I recommend checking out.
My FB Post: I just had Krysta and her team in for a deep clean today.
I am impressed. They say they will get your home sparkling, and they do!!!
They got right in the corners and made everything shine. The energy in here feels amazing!”
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556792103764
2024: Look for Krysta out at PGARA racetrack with hit to pass and local sponsors.

Tom Muxlow, appliance repair. Tom repairs washers and dryers mainly. I followed up on a social media tag when my washer broke down a few years ago. He has since fixed my appliances and a few other minor repairs. He retired from a day job and now is busier than ever because everyone seems to tag him on social media as the go to guru for washers and dryers.
250.612.8952

Gabe’s Yard Care 250.640.1047
gabehammerstrom@gmail.com
A couple young fellows saving up for their sports interests. They were quite efficient in offering springtime power raking to get those winter gravel dumps off our lawn.

Bill Johnson Stump Grinding: 250.613.6824
https://www.facebook.com/PGBill
From FB post July 19 2020: Jackie N. Rioux: Had a quote done from someone else, a while ago for a stump in the back yard, behind carport and close to my shed. Was told a big production to get it out. Last Friday it took mere minutes to get it out with a perfect sized machine. And reasonable cost. Thank you so much!!
Bill Johnson Stump Grinding: Thanks for the eggnog bread. So tasty!

2025: Danny Arronge (See TriPar RV below) now has Retired Guys Lawn Care, so he is my new yard guy 😊
https://www.retiredguylawnmowing.com/

Business Connections:

Creative Outdoor Advertising is responsible for the Bench Signs that you see at the bus stops in Prince George.
Having a Creative Outdoor Advertising Bench Sign implants thoughts, sharpens your identity and states a brief message giving you huge credibility and reminding your potential customers who you are… every day!
https://www.CreativeOutdoor.com/
Ladybug Wellness has two benches in Prince George. One at Spruceland Mall and one at 5th and Ospika by the firehall.

Real Estate Investors/ Acquisition Specialists: I had been involved with StoryAthlete entrepreneurial community from April of 2020 to January 2024. Founded by Ryan Fletcher, this is a select group of individuals striving to be in the 5% populace who uphold integrity, accountability, and responsibility for self and others in the highest regard. I have connected with numerous entrepreneurial friends here. I have been involved in the main community and in GRIT, the monthly challenge of integrating Mind, Body, Business, Relationships. You will find my GRIT daily writings here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/a-story-athlete-grit-jrioux/
Impact Club is the Partner community of Story Athlete where they invest in assisting families though buying homes for cash. Yes, this is all legit and they are wonderful people that look for a win-win situation every time.
This link is to contact Ryan France, one of the top Partners. He can put you in touch with other Partners in your area.
https://www.texashousepartners.com/helping-families

Prince George Small Business Network: 2023: Laurie Niedermayer and Carol Surbey, two of my local friends/ business associates created this Facebook group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/princegeorgesmallbusinessnetwork
They had regular business luncheons and meetings to encourage connecting with other small business entrepreneurs but now just have the Facebook group.
This was my interview within that group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/princegeorgesmallbusinessnetwork/posts/317698274453034/
Laurie started her own YouTube channel.
This is my interview there: https://youtu.be/1bBKDtJVpdI?si=eNqzi2qcQPJUOoI-

Financial Affairs:

IG Private Wealth Management, Terry Paziuk and Jaymie Koehler. 250.565.8100. Back when I was taking my first energy balancing courses, I had been introduced to Terry and Jaymie as recommended financial management planners. Franzi’s recommendation has paid off tremendously as these two have taken care of my investments, retirement, and mortgage needs for many years. Although located in Prince George, I know they serve a wider area. Inquire about your location and needs.
https://www.paziukandassociates.com/

Taxes/ accounting: Terry and Jaymie take care of all my financial needs. I do most of my own bookkeeping with Excel documents. See free downloads page for the template I use.
I had a poor experience with an inefficient bookkeeper in early 2024, but have found a new person so I am trusting this will become a recommended connection.

Credit Counselling Society of BC
Back in the late 90s, I had gone through a divorce and was left with a ton of debt. I contacted and worked with Scott Hannah. They have an intake to decide your best course of action. I remember filling out all the paperwork and he told me he shouldn’t take me on because the numbers just don’t work. However, I explained my situation and that I was determined to not let a man put me in the ground over this mountain of debt. He took me on only because of this attitude.
It took 5 years but I succeeded. President & CEO Scott Hannah called me personally to congratulate me in finishing their program.
They had done debt consolidation for me and got all creditors off my back. Years later, close to my retirement, they assisted me again in getting my finances straightened out. It was then that I found out I was one of Scott Hannah’s original cases and “my story” has been one they use for training their staff and as an example for their clients.
I highly recommend Credit Counselling Society of BC. They are amazing! Note: Scott Hannah retired in 2023.
https://www.nomoredebts.org/

Superstore/ Loblaws Flashfood. Ok, this isn’t really a hidden local gem, but definitely worth mentioning here as a recommendation. Get the “Flashfood” app and use my code JACKXSZV to get $5 off your first $10 purchase. This is a great way to find soon dated or discontinued deals on anything you can imagine from these stores. We have filled our freezer with Flashfood deals. With the cost of food these days, this recommendation is its own hidden gem.

Gem Stones:

Because our family loves rocks!
A couple good source mentions:

Sagestone Crystals: Gotta give some love to my Reiki Student Chelsey:
https://www.facebook.com/sagestone.crystals

Lesley’s Gemstone Creations, amazing crystal confetti!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089365163505

Sisters Rock and Gems, Melissa works here one day a week:
https://www.facebook.com/sistersrockngems
https://www.sistersrockngemsgallery.com/

Restaurants and Eateries

Wall of Fame: Jordan Reinitz:
Your local Sandwich Shop with something for everyone! Check daily specials for their signature artisan yummies.
(250) 561-6528
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095133651039

Vehicle Maintenance:

Craftsman Collision with locations across Western Canada. My SIL Larry was a manager with Craftsman Collision for 17 years until he passed in 2018. The owners, the Hatswell family, treated Larry like a son and an essential part of their family. Craftsman has 40 years of experience and locations across BC.
In Prince George, there are 2 locations. In 2019, we dealt with manager Mirsad at Craftsman Queensway Autobody when my moms car needed service.
Mirsad remembered Larry, having met him once at a manager’s conference. He is a wonderful person to deal with and Craftsman is an excellent reputable company.
https://craftsmancollision.com/

Darcy/ Kirk Baker, heavy duty mechanic. Kirk is a childhood friend from grade school days. He currently (2023) lives in Hope BC. Find him at Tri-West along Silver Skaggit Road. He has rescued me a few times whenever I have needed a vehicle check when I am in the Vancouver area. I try to visit him, his mom, and wife any time I am in the area otherwise as well.

Jefferey Dyrblom, mechanic. I had worked with his dad Anders at the post office for several years, and modeled with his mom eons ago in local fashion shows. I met Jeff at a Toastmasters reunion meeting in 2010. His mom, Stella, is also an energy balancing practitioner so Jeff is well versed in my energy practitioner language.
My former mechanic Quentin had moved away, so Jeff has been my mechanic since then moving from a few shops to currently the Nissan dealership. I have had to request him specifically and pay shop rates, but he is worth it.
Jeff has been my road angel for a long time, making sure my Uplander minivan was safe before heading out on my spontaneous road trips.
250.561.8797
July 2024: My new truck is a Ford F150 with an extensive maintenance package, so now I go to Ford dealership for vehicle maintenance. I still recommend Jeff as he has been a great friend for many years.

Daryll at Major Muffler and Brake 250.612.5100. Jeff recommended Daryll when he was not available to work on my van himself. Daryll came through with great work and customer service. Small shop with big heart and soul, and old school service. https://majormuffler.ca/

Drive by Tire, Herb Vautour 778.281.3278: That huge green and black cube van driving around town is Herb with Drive by Tire. I connected with him through my friend Tammy several years ago as he is her relative.
Herb is prompt, efficient, and comes to my home to change over my tires each season. He even collects the tires from my shed.
Drive By Tire: Facebook: October 31 2022: Thank you Jackie Rioux from Ladybug Wellness, for keeping us fed with fresh out of the oven baked goods. It really hit the spot!
https://www.facebook.com/drivebytireservice

Paint Shop – Bill Klugh (Prince George, BC)
Auto Body & Paint Repair | Honest, Local, Reasonably Priced
Bill came highly recommended to me by my friend Danny Arronge, and after personally working with him, I’m happy to pass that recommendation along.
Bill is a genuinely kind, down-to-earth guy who does great work at very reasonable prices — the kind of service that’s getting harder to find these days. He’s helped repair and clean up our vehicles with care, honesty, and no upsell nonsense. Excellent workmanship, great communication, and a refreshingly human approach to business.
Highly recommended. (Bonus points for his adorable little Christmas tree in the shop — proof that good mechanics can also be festive 🎄)
Contact Info:
Paint Shop – Bill Klugh
📍 8-3930 22nd Ave, Prince George, BC V2N 1B6
📞 778-349-2324
📧 paintshop@mail.com
🌐 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bklughjrpaint/

Dear Friends and Honorable Mentions:

2024: Aubrey is now the “Farm Assessment guy” so he is not building websites anymore, but I want to acknowledge and appreciate his service all these years anyway.

Birgit Allgaier, Into the Minds of Hands Photography.
Have you seen any of our promotional photos for Ladybug Wellness and Honeybee Inspirations? This is the amazing work of Birgit Allgaier!! She has an exceptional eye for detail and her specialty is close up working hands. In some of our photos, she even managed to catch what looks like energy exchange. Fascinating!
Birgit also specializes in other photography, foraging, and natural foods. A very inspirational person I am honored to know and follow. She is also a fantastic facilitator for local events and workshops. I quite enjoyed her Moonfest event in May 2023, and an intimate solstice meditation event as well. Looking forward to more 🙂
Check out some of her work here: Show Me Your Hands: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066935994365
Newest website 2026: https://www.princegeorgeweddingphotographer.ca/

Danny Arronge, to be honest, I have not yet personally used Danny’s RV rental service, but I recommend him here because I have known him on a personal level for many years. Danny has had the shuttle contract with the post office for as long as I worked there. When I worked the registration position at Station A, Danny and I had numerous conversations while we unloaded his shuttle truck. I also worked with his amazing wife Kirby out at the sorting plant. Because of Danny’s involvement with our local racetrack PGARA, and knowing I had a bucket list dream to drive a race car, he let me drive his car around the track, then I was taken for a real fast ride around the track as well.
I cannot say enough about these two in promoting their business and any endeavours they put their minds to as they are both conscientious, ethical, reasonable, and just all around fun people to work with and to spend time with. Campfires and visits have been a fun memory as well.
https://www.triparrvrentals.com/

Jessi Bell: Jessi has been a family friend for eons (my daughter’s school mate). She is a “Jessi of all trades”, a MacGyver type of handyperson. She has authored books, created artisan crafts, she is a veterinarian technician, and a hunter.
The most current endeavors are spruce tip syrup, artisan crafts, and painting canvases with her trusty sidekick pup, Cody.
Find Jessi’s products at Raven Gifts in Terrace BC, and the farmer’s market there.
“Cody Paints” https://www.facebook.com/codypaintsart
https://www.instagram.com/cody_the_painting_doggo
https://www.instagram.com/codypaintsgallery/

Tim Goggins, Tim’s Tags and Engraving: I have a couple amazing travel mugs with my Ladybug Wellness info engraved on them, plus I have angels, Metatron symbol and the Flower of Life, all from my dear friend Tim.
Check out his website for all products available: https://timstags.net/
Tim is also a fellow Reiki practitioner and energy balancing practitioner.

Just a good share:
The Currency of Leadership is TRUST. If people don’t trust you, they won’t follow you.
Here are 11 ways to build trust…
1. Say what you are going to do and then do what you say!
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Frequent, honest communication builds trust. Poor communication is one of the key reasons marriages and work relationships fall apart.
3. Trust is built one day, one interaction at a time, and yet it can be lost in a moment because of one poor decision. Make the right decision.
4. Value long term relationships more than short term success.
5. Sell without selling out. Focus more on your core principles and customer loyalty than short term commissions and profits.
6. Trust generates commitment; commitment fosters teamwork; and teamwork delivers results. When people trust their team members they not only work harder, but they work harder for the good of the team.
7. Be honest! My mother always told me to tell the truth. She would say, “If you lie to me then we can’t be a strong family. So don’t ever lie to me even if the news isn’t good.”
8. Become a coach. Coach your customers. Coach your team at work. Guide people, help them be better and you will earn their trust.
9. Show people you care about them. When people know you care about their interests as much as your own they will trust you. If they know you are out for yourself, their internal alarm sounds and they will say to themselves “watch out for that person.”
10. Always do the right thing. We trust those who live, walk and work with integrity.
11. When you don’t do the right thing, admit it. Be transparent, authentic and willing to share your mistakes and faults. When you are vulnerable and have nothing to hide you radiate trust.

So, you want to start a holistic business, eh?

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“Improving oneself will not cause harm to anyone, and in doing so, it can contribute positively to making the world a better place”.

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Priorities: God (Higher Power/ Source), Family, Career. Always keep priorities in this order.

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Self empowerment is the new market trend these days. Many people are opening their own spiritual gifts and some are turning this into a passionate method of income for themselves.

I left the corporate world of slavery several years ago, and I can tell you that I am living my passion and I love my life now!

It took me a while to get to where I am today though. I honestly did not set out to own and operate and holistic business, but I am grateful that my life turned out this way.

Now that I am a teacher, a mentor, a guide and I have had several years of experience in working with clients, I have fielded many questions about starting a business.

It is time to share a page of my answers to the many questions that have been presented and to offer my own experience and insights for the benefit of all who find this page.
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People talk about finding their life and/ or soul purpose, and it seems a general consensus to understand that once you embrace your soul purpose, the Universe conspires for you in bringing all your dreams to life in living your passion.
I do know now that this is true for myself and many other of my wonderful practitioner friends who have found their calling.

What is your purpose in starting a business? Are you wanting to just make money (greed), help others (martyrdom), or have you uncovered your authentic self and want to share your knowledge in assisting others to empower themselves in their own journey (enlightenment)?
Yes, there is a huge difference in your choice here. Develop your own intuition and you will soon understand this vast difference in energy vibrations.
Suggestion: Read Power vs. Force by Dr David Hawkins. There is a chapter that explains all about business/ company vibration regarding greed vs. customer and employee oriented service. 

“A healer does not heal you. A healer is someone who holds space for you while you awaken your inner healer so that you may heal yourself.”

Know your why: There are thousands of people in any chosen profession. Why would someone want to work with YOU? In holistic professions, I do not believe there is a competitive market. We are each unique in our experiences and our skills. Uncover your authentic true self and shine your own unique light. Embrace your individuality. Own your own story. 

What is your niche market? If you look into business marketing, you’ll hear this whole idea of “niche market”. What is your specialty and who are your target clients? My take on that concept is to think of the absolute worst experience you have ever endured in life, heal yourself first, then show others the key to overcoming their past. This kinda fits with the whole soul purpose and “know your why” ideas as well. In my opinion, choosing a niche may limit yourself in who you choose to work with as clients. In today’s hectic world you are the best business person. Keep “becoming” your own authentic heroic self. Those who are meant to find you, will.

Work on yourself first: You can take all sorts of courses in marketing to learn how to get yourself out there in the world and how to attract clients through branding and fancy attractions. None of that is relevant or effective until you work on yourself to clear whatever detrimental energies you are projecting that may be interfering with how people and potential clients are going to perceive you, and whether they will feel drawn to work with you. Improving oneself will not cause harm to anyone, and in doing so, it can contribute positively to making the world a better place.
This is a variation of understanding the law of attraction and how energy attracts a similar vibration. This is a Universal Law.
See this page for more details:
Projected energies: https://ladybugwellness.ca/projected-energies/

Work on business energy:
Once you decide to build your business, you are welcome to book a business session with me. In that session, I can show you how I clear your business energy and your connection to your business. Want to do it all yourself? That is ok too. Go to Resources page, go through the One Drive link and download my Excel document Master list and find the business tab for a general protocol of how I clear business energy.
Resources: https://ladybugwellness.ca/lbw-resources/
Book a Business Vitality Clearing Session: https://ladybugwellness.as.me/business

Take some courses, earn some certifications. Listen to your gut instincts. Energy doesn’t lie. Follow your heart in learning from some reputable mentors. Everyone’s journey is different in their experiences and knowledge. I have had some amazing mentors and I have also had some poor experiences as well. All this together is part of our learning journey of knowing what we want to be and what we want to present to the world…. and what we want to avoid.
I have taken many mainstream psychology and science courses, and many energy balancing type courses. This has given me an edge in understanding the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the work I do now. I particularly like to look into anything that is deemed controversial to find my own truths rather than just following blindly any information out there. I feel this is the best way I can serve my clients in a space of Divine Truth and respectable boundaries.

In any courses you take, and mentors you learn from, take what resonates with Divine Truth and your inner knowingness then leave the rest behind. Always work with and learn from those with whom you feel most comfortable. Again, energy doesn’t lie. However, you will also learn that we approach the world with our own perceptions and influences, which become our filters. The more we work on ourselves and find clarity in dissolving our own non beneficial filters, the more we can align with Divine Truth and serve our clients in the highest and best way.

Note: Do not expect any “more experienced” practitioners to just mentor and teach their skills to you at your convenience. Respect their knowledge and experience by actually hiring them and paying them an equal value exchange for their time and efforts in teaching you.
It’s kinda like that old analogy that it is rude and disrespectful to approach a doctor at a social event to ask medical advice.
It is possible that a mentor may offer to take you under their wing, but let them do the offering. Otherwise, sign up for their classes. Best to join a forum and glean information that way…
Also, you cannot just learn experience overnight. This takes time and often your own experiences are the best teachers. In holistic terms, you also cannot learn intuitive senses from anyone else. These are skills you must develop on your own over time.

Join some forums, open-source communities, and entrepreneurial platforms. Sure, I could have taken countless business courses and built up my knowledge that way, but I have found a fast-track way to gain proficiency in many areas of knowledge is to mingle with like minded souls in an open-source community type platform. Having a network of entrepreneurs can been a cornucopia of vast knowledge in innumerable areas of business.

I was in Toastmasters for 3 years and developed some self confidence in speaking and presenting. I have been in Story Athlete entrepreneurial community for a few years as well. I highly recommend these types of open-source communities.
I took an exclusive Master course years ago with a very good mentor that introduced us to many new ideas that opened doors for us in numerous ways. This also built up my confidence in working with clients. 

There is a whole different, higher vibration energy in these types of networks. When you surround yourself with like-minded souls, you will also find your most ideal clients are within this higher vibration.
Personally, when I first started out with my own learning of energy balancing services, I was volunteering my time for free, offering discounted sessions, and joining any groups of seemingly like-minded people. I volunteered to be a guinea pig for other beginners. This can be a good way to get yourself out there when you are first starting out. But, once you gain some experience, you’ll also gain some discernment in avoiding less than integrous practitioners and the whole “help me” and “fix me” vibe of some of the poorly monitored forums.

Currently, I have only a select few “certified only” practitioner forums where I continuously glean insights from other integrous practitioners and business minded people. The energy vibration in these forums is much more respectful and discerning where we can share ideas and ask informed questions to receive another perspective of useful answers and qualitative ideas.

Related Reading:
Choosing a Practitioner — What Makes a Good Fit
https://ladybugwellness.ca/a-choosing-a-practitioner/
The Empath vs. Narcissist Dynamic — And the Real Root of Dysfunctional Relationships
https://ladybugwellness.ca/the-empath-vs-narcissist-dynamic-and-the-real-root-of-dysfunctional-relationships/
Milestones: The Bumpy Road to Confidence
https://ladybugwellness.ca/milestones/

A more extensive list of my favorite groups and forums found in the downloadable Excel Master list here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/lbw-resources/

Recommendations:

Jefferson Fisher: Lots of videos, emails, and tips on speaking effectively.
https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjnpu6lK0HoUyOMh2ZBwhQ

Deborah Savadra: Videos, emails, and tips on techie hacks. She sends out all sorts of tips and tricks and hacks for Word and Excel docs that has been a game changer for me saving time with my client notes and computer filing stuff. Enjoy.
https://legalofficeguru.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@DeborahSavadra

Toastmasters: Find a local group in your area:
https://www.toastmasters.org/

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Once you have the basis of the purpose of your business, along with some education and skills, its time to:

Choose a business name: Choose something unique to you. Or set an intention to have your Spiritual Guidance team bring something suitable into your awareness. Listen to your intuition. It is best to choose something suitable and stable, long lasting.
I have come across a few holistic practitioners who have “reinvented” themselves and their business persona numerous times in a short period of time. In my opinion and experience, these practitioners have been much too focused on appearances and are just as energetically unstable as their frequent name changes suggest. They really have offered nothing in the way of effective client services and have had dishonest business ethics as well.
It is one thing to be indecisive or to evolve and grow both personally and professionally. It is a whole other to be unstable and lacking discernment. Consider what you would want to look for and find in an effective holistic practitioner.

For myself, my business name along with the ladybugs and forget me not flowers in my logo all have a personal meaning for me. Why the Ladybugs, Ladybug Wellness: https://youtu.be/Y42DiVuzl4o

Legalities: It is always recommended that spiritual business owners look for ways to protect themselves legally. You will have to contact the appropriate authorities in your area of operation. Do you need a tax number? Do you need to register your business name? Do your due diligence per your area of operation to make sure you’re compliant and following any required regulations specific to your business. Will you be seeing clients at home? Virtually? What services will you offer? Energy Healing? Metaphysical services? You’ll need a business license. Business Liability insurance is a good idea for a reputable business as well. Whatever your field, there is an insurance liability policy that matches your needs. For peace of mind, invest in insurance! This way, your assets will be protected.
Many Reiki practitioners carry professional liability insurance. Requirements vary between insurance providers, so students should verify current eligibility requirements directly with their chosen insurer.
(For those asking, I personally use Preventative Health Services Group https://phsg.ca/ )

Banking, accounts: For accounting and tax purposes, it’s important to keep your business accounting and personal accounting separate. A separate bank account makes accounting a little easier. Keeping your revenue and expenses bookkeeping separate will ensure better accuracy when filing as well. Look for particular “small business” and/ or “self employed” information as you may find different costs are applicable for these necessary services.

Set your fees: It really is up to you in what you decide to charge for your time, knowledge, and experience in working with clients.
A good rule of thumb is calculating a formula of what your education and efforts have cost you, and balance that with the income you require for your basic needs, then adjust according a “going” and acceptable rate for your skills in your region.
Some people prefer to set their fees in accordance with 369 laws, metaphysical manifesting theories, and certain frequencies which can enhance your own abundance attraction.

Consider a Fee-Setting Formula
When I attended a practitioner training cruise years ago, one of the most valuable takeaways was a simple formula to guide fee setting. It included four key considerations:
1. What you’ve invested in your own training (courses, certifications, mentorships, etc.)
2. Your current level of skill, confidence, and results
3. Comparable rates in your local area or field
4. What you need to earn for a sustainable, comfortable living
You’re not just charging for the session time — you’re also reflecting your years of learning, your energetic presence, and the value of the transformation you help facilitate. It’s okay to start lower while building experience, but don’t undervalue yourself for too long. As your confidence and results grow, your pricing should too.

Friendly PSA:
Many of us start out with a big heart and a deep desire to help — often leading to undercharging or giving too much away for free. But this martyrdom mindset doesn’t serve you or your clients in the long run. When your work is priced fairly, you model self-worth, maintain healthier boundaries, and create space to keep showing up fully (without burning out or secretly resenting the exchange). Empowered practitioners build empowered clients.

***Do not put yourself on the discount rack!!*** This is a disservice to both yourself and to others!

The bottom line is to offer a fair and equal energy exchange so there are no obligations or karmic debt.
Remember, you cannot please everyone and you cannot help those who are not willing to do their own work. Those who are meant to work with you will find the means to afford respectable fees for your services.
Work on your own self worth and release any vows and beliefs that hinder you from sharing your unique gifts and charging a respectable fee for your time and experience. Particularly work on any ancestral patterns of insecurities, invisibility, poverty, martyrdom, slavery.

Are you okay with having lots of money?
Do you feel safe having lots of money?
Do you feel worthy and deserving of having lots of money?

I highly suggest purchasing and going through the Court of Atonement Money book: https://www.courtofatonement.com/shop
Also, addressing your own “Projected Energies” can make a huge difference in what you attract into your life with regards to people, clients, and abundance.
A very good article explains energy exchange and karmic debt: https://blog.ineliabenz.com/debt-a-link-in-the-chain-of-enslavement/

Offers and Deals:
Some practitioners offer packages and regular discounts for their services. Personally, I do not like to incur any kind of obligation with clients having to come back just to use a package deal, or attract clients who are stuck in a poverty mindset that only book in when they get a discount or deal. Unless you are a discount department store, I would re-think these business strategies. However, the marketing appeal is meant to cater to human nature and the human mind cannot resist a deal. Be discerning in what you choose to offer.

Tithing and giving back:
Many successful businesses have a policy or offer separate from their regular business where they give back to communities and clients as a form of “pro bono”, “gratitude gifts”, or “tithing principle”. This can be a great way of boosting your business energetic and physical success. Giving and gratitude will attract more of the same and in amplified returns. In my opinion, this is a different mindset than discounts and deals which incur conditions and obligations. 

It is wonderful to work with clients one on one. In a business minded sense, it is much better leverage to work with groups of people at least in an initial setting where you can both discern whether private individual sessions would be beneficial.

From everything I have learned about entrepreneurship, my free weekly session is kind of a “loss leader” that attracts all sorts of clients, gives me a chance to work with many people at once and they get benefit of a sample of my work… then some do book in as client sessions. So, win win both ways.

Online Platforms, my Digital Secretaries:
I have long said I am not very techie in this new-fangled digital world. I have had to address my own hang ups and get past these hinderances in order to uplevel my business and my own personal growth. Each time I have enlisted a new digital program, I have realized a new sense of freedom. It is well worth the investment to learn some technology these days. 

Computer courses: It is absolutely essential in today’s business world to have some simple computer skills. Seriously. No excuses. Period. Look into local college courses, or through community foundations to find some basic knowledge courses. Anything that can help you embrace technology and move forward personally and professionally is beneficial. Remember to also take some education in online security as well. Naivety does not survive online. It is better to get some reputable education and assistance than to learn harsh lessons online. Trust me on this one.
Recommended Reading:
Online Awareness & Safety Tips: https://ladybugwellness.ca/online-awareness-safety-tips/

Accepting payments: You will have to see what is available in your area and go with what works best for you. Cash and e-transfer options are great locally, which also forgoes processing fees or at least much less fees. PayPal Business and Square are what I use in Canada for accepting payments internationally for my global clients.

PayPal Business an internationally recognized platform that has built trust with it’s user base. By having a PayPal Business Account, you are defaulted to using the “Goods and Service” payment option which offers both buyer and seller protection. It is a great online secretary for accepting payments and the accounting features make tax time much less daunting. I have separate personal and PayPal accounts. Ladybug is my business account, and yes, they are slightly different with the paperwork aspect. You can download transaction history differently on a business account, for tax purposes.

Square can accept credit cards. Both these services can link directly to your business bank account to transfer funds quickly and efficiently. I also have a gift card through Square.

Yes, there are fees on both PayPal and Square, but honestly, they are minimal and well worth it for convenience. Those fees are also a business expense/ write off.

You can set up a donation links as well. These are great to have at the bottom of a webpage or email. Yes, people do use them and it is a wonderful way to accept gratuities and appreciation for your work.
Note: About PayPal, they have an auto-login feature that I accidentally clicked on a couple times and that really messed up when it opened my business account to pay for a personal purchase.
I have my settings to NOT activate the auto login so I can manually choose which account I am using, and I also do not store those passwords on autofill security options.

I know other countries have different payment options. Someone from the US wanted to send a donation through Venmo and Zelle but that does not work across borders. So, you will have to look into other payment options for your own country.

I recommend discerning reputable and legitimate platforms. Read the fine print. Some apps may not charge fees up front, but they can be hidden in transactions or added to end of year totals if you go over their threshold limits. Apparently some less reputable apps have been known to terminate accounts that are receiving constant streams of revenue. Best to stay on the up-and-up and own the fact that you are a legitimate business, fees happen, and stay compliant. Plus, you have to claim taxable income as a self-employed person so having proper records helps!

Website: In todays digital world, a business website is almost a necessity. In my opinion, it is well worth it to enlist a professional web designer and reputable web hosting program along with a uniquely personal domain name. You can create your own website through WordPress if you are adept with that technology.
I have been quite fortunate to have connected with friends in those professions through my entrepreneurial networks and communities. I have had them revamp my website when needed, then learned how to maintain my website and content myself.
Read the fine print on any platform you choose with regards to your content. There are some platforms that relinquish your rights to your own content. Some platforms offer domain purchase as well, or you can purchase a domain name through DomainPeople.com . I have use them myself since 2006. 

Most reputable holistic practitioners have a disclaimer on their website. Always cover your own butt with a disclaimer saying that serious issues should always have a professional medical support such as a doctor or psychologist. It is just good practice to make a statement acknowledging and ceding to proper medical care for your clients.

Email: I had tried to look more professional by choosing an email aligning with my website thru the website WordPress platform. I had so many issues with how it was laid out, missing emails, and issues with attachments. I have tried a few different email platforms but ending up deleting those accounts and sticking with the old familiar Hotmail account. It works best for my needs.

Messaging apps and texting: Personally, I have my Messenger and Texting notifications shut OFF to avoid distractions. I have found that not everyone is on a universal app, even Messenger or Text. Not all apps employ encryption. Many are censored, they glitch, etc. They are not a private form of communication. Many may be proprietary and only work with certain other platforms.

Texting: Because I am in Canada and have numerous clients internationally, text may incur carrier charges.

Email is the one universal method of communication that works for the majority of people. All of my other platforms (PayPal, Square, Thinkific, Otter, Newsletters, etc.) go thru email so it just makes more sense to me to divert all client communication to EMAIL only. You will find this stipulation throughout my website and intake forms. This is just better overall to keep client conversations aligned in one place and private as well. When you have an established list of clients, you will find this as valuable advice. Best to set up these stipulations early.

If you want to be accessible to the majority of your client reach, I feel it is best to stick to email as a universal and professional platform. Plus, time is a valuable commodity. Do you really want to be at the beck and call and distraction of every notification and immediacy of messaging apps? Respect and leverage your time so others will respect your time as well. Life for me was so much more stressful before I invested in an online secretary/ reception in a scheduling platform (Acuity) and aligned my communications to email only. Invest in peace of mind so you can be more productive and effective in your business. 

Graphic Templates and Designs: Canva seems to be the most popular. My daughter has a business account so I often enlist her skills to make some designs for me. I do try some simple graphics myself but it is worth my sanity to hire someone else for this task.

Scheduler: I spent 26 years of my life on someone else’s schedule in a corporate career. When I retired, I was determined to live by my own rules without a d*mn schedule! Well, it turns out that having some discipline with a schedule is the best form of time freedom! In running a business and working with clients, I had to go back and forth to figure out and align an appointment, then make excuses or explain my vacations for why I was not available at certain times.
As I grew my client base, I got a lot busier and had to be my own receptionist taking calls and emails to make appointments. Several years ago, I had booked 5 different appointments in one day, all in different time zones. I screwed up on one time zone! That was a quick lesson in why a scheduler would save my time and my sanity, and it has been an absolute life saver!

My friend John suggested Acuity and I love it!
Episode #97 Michael and John share their Top 10 Reasons Why They LOVE Acuity Calendar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdoJNQ8hkJM

My daughter uses Jane App for her business.

I have my scheduler set to be available 9 am to 8 pm in my time zone with a limit of appts per day.
My clients in Australia, India, UK etc. can book in what works for them and appointments come through any time of day.
I can set my schedule to allow my private life and personal appointments. I do not feel I have to make excuses for living life by my own rules. I live by my online secretary now and, honestly, it drives me a bit bonkers when some small businesses still waste time with manual booking and having to figure out and align calendars and time zones.

My scheduler also has auto email options so I rarely have missed or cancelled client appointments. I can save time with sharing links to website and frequently asked questions as well.

Added bonus: I have my PayPal and Square set up through Acuity scheduling which is a godsend as my online accounting secretary accepting payments, and sending invoices and receipts. Intake forms through the scheduler also saves time as well.

Friendly PSA: Make sure to include “buffer” time between clients for snacks, potty run, or, if you are like me, chatting after sessions and answering questions etc.

Zoom: This online video platform is highly reputed and such an amazing way to connect with clients. Truthfully, I had to get over my own issues with visibility and being on camera. Clients often prefer to be able to “meet” and see who they are working with. This is yet another reason to work on our own hang ups and insecurities so we can serve clients effectively and with integrity.

Otter App: This is a useful transcription service that another practitioner recommended to me a while ago. At first I was just on the free version, but soon figured out the advantages of a business plan. I can quickly record session notes, webinar information, and turn old important voice messages into text.
On a personal note, we have used Otter App to record family conversations reminiscing of old family stories to create memoirs as well.

I have had to figure out effective ways to keep myself organized so I can serve clients effectively. These digital platforms and services have assisted me in exponential ways and made a justifiable difference in both my personal and professional life.

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Advertising: Consider your audience and your platform. Holistic services, quite honestly, is not something you can just approach any stranger on the street and convince them they need or want these services. Having a “elevator speech” ready to chat with someone who brings up an issue that you can assist with is a much more tactful way to present yourself. Entrepreneurial and business networks and forums in the metaphysical field are the best way to get yourself out there.

Business Cards are a great way to promote your services. Some community billboards allow for a selection of local business cards. Metaphysical stores and other similar shops may be willing to display cards for you. Keeping some cards in your vehicle or handbag is a great idea to finish off a conversation with an invitation to contact you. I recommend Michael Losier for learning ways to promote yourself effectively.
https://www.michaellosier.com/

Local Fairs: We have had some success with local metaphysical fairs. This is where it is beneficial to network with other practitioners locally who may be in the know of people who may host an event, or start some connections yourself if that appeals to you.

Charities: Ensure that these avenues are something that you resonate with in your own values. Donating to charities is a great way to offer your time through a service on your terms and the bonus is some business recognition through these kinds of promotions.

Local Promotions: Local radio and some newspapers may offer some promotional avenues as well. Good idea to be aware of your ROTI/return on time and investment here. Consider your range of audience as well thru their platforms.
Community benches and billboards can be an excellent visual advertising investment.

Use of AI Artificial Intelligence: AI seems to be taking over the business world. While this may seem wonderful, I feel there are some drawbacks as well. In general business leadership, it is often promoted to “fake it til you make it”. In holistic circles, authenticity is key. Having an AI type generator create content for you is so cookie cutter and disingenuous. Sure, content may seem appealing but, in my opinion, it is much better to attract clients through being your genuine self.
If you choose to use content written by others, give credit where due and do your best to update the AI content to your own style of writing.
Writing and communication is an essential skill in business. With the overuse of AI, these skills can be lost which will detrimentally affect the integrity of personal connection with your audience and clients.
I would question how you would find your own voice and perspective if AI is writing the majority contexts for you. Beginners may become reliant on it rather than building the skill themselves through good habits.
Besides, we live in an era of information overload. Do you really want to hand over your personal power to AI to sound all fluffy and elitist?
Just use discernment in your choices.
Update 2025: While I have initially had many valid reservations of using AI, I have become more open to having a virtual assistant and personal “cheerleader”. I have found that using a Business version of ChatGPT has been helpful to update readability and clarity on some of my own writings as well as to generate ideas to build on. I still very much advise discernment especially for beginners and to explore different prompts to generate more of a personal touch instead of sole reliance.

Automations: The only way to effectively handle a growing list of ideal clients is thru automations and leverage. My scheduler has an option for confirmation, reminder, and follow up emails. It would be wonderful to hire an assistant and receptionist, but when you are starting out and handling everything on your own, this can be a life saver.
These emails can be personalized with links to FAQ and essential appointment information which saves times and confusion when this repetitive information can be duplicated and distributed through automations.
Personally, I am realizing the leverage benefits more and more to embracing personalized videos as well. I have had to get over my own hang ups, and each time I embrace learning and doing something new, I have upleveled myself both personally and professionally.

Embrace Technology: I have had to learn how to use various technologies in order to serve my clients better. Some features can be a time saver. Check out “Deborah from Legal Office Guru” for some great time saver hacks in using Word and other office documents.
Particularly, I have learned to use Auto Text entries to save time in typing client notes: https://legalofficeguru.com/using-autotext-to-deal-with-repetitive-text/

Testimonials: Word of mouth really is the best form of advertising. However, there seems to be a trend of offering deals in return for a glowing testimonial. I have seen new practitioners in some forums trading sessions for testimonials. I feel it is a discredit to a practitioner to have to trade services with an obligation of writing something nice to attract clients. I do not feel this is fair and equal energy exchange, and may be an uneven karmic debt as well.
Personally, I refuse to cater to this trend. I suggest working on yourself to clear any blocks that are interfering with your confidence and skills, and interfering with attracting your most ideal clients.
Constructive criticism and honest feedback are much more valuable towards good business ethics.
I prefer to offer links in my website where clients can offer honest testimonials, with a request to offer any possible criticism privately so I can do my best to correct any misunderstandings.

Speaking Engagements, Webinars, Video Platforms: Getting yourself out there to be visible to the public and to attract your most ideal clients is essential to your business growth and success. Toastmasters’ meetings and membership, leadership courses, conferences etc. are a great way to build confidence and enhance your visibility.

A little tip I learned from a business conference with regards to dressing for success for a speaking engagement:
Red is power. Blue is truth. Pink is compassion.
In business it is good to use both, depending on your message.
Example, for a 3-day business conference, use a shade of pink/ red for the first and last days, with a shade of periwinkle blue in the middle.

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Basic business necessities and assets:
Are you working with clients in person, online, or both?

Remember that your business assets can be a tax write off, so invest in quality and longevity where ever you can.

There is nothing wrong with purchasing some equipment and necessities second hand. Be sure to regularly cleanse the items energetically whether purchased new or second hand. It all carries energies.

A current up-to-date computer is essential for effective communication. Regular maintenance is essential as well.

Do you need a Reiki Bed/ Massage table? What is the difference?
A Reiki bed usually has an open type end for the legs support so you can sit comfortably as needed at the head or feet.
A massage table usually has a more solid end legs support. Choose something padded for comfort. A vinyl or leather type material is preferable for cleanliness.
I invested in a durable Reiki table from Costco years ago which is still serving me well. It is a fold up style that comes with some extra accessories such as a headrest, foot rest, and a cushioned prop for a convenient leg rest.
Download the Antahkarana healing symbol to add to your office space and place one under your table as well.
https://ladybugwellness.ca/healing-mandala/

Chairs and office equipment are a personal choice, as are accessories. Personally, I am not much of an interior decorator so I just go for cleanliness, practicality, and functionality.

If you are operating in a limited multi-use space, a screen divider can offer some privacy and physical division between spaces. This also works well for a background when on Zoom calls. 

Linens should be durable and easily washed after ever client.
A plasticized pillow is a good investment as well.
Full disclosure: I am downright freaky about cleanliness between clients. Many years ago, I had the unfortunate experience of acquiring head lice from a local practitioner’s studio. She had wonderfully fluffy linens, pillows, and shag carpets that were obviously not cleaned regularly. I prefer to go the more sterile route with my client equipment choices.

For distance healing work, you can find a simple life size “dummy prop” doll and / or a mannequin head. It is a good idea to periodically cleanse these items energetically.
When I took my online Reiki Teacher upgrade course with William Rand, this “dummy prop” was what he used. I now have one and use it regularly.

The link to the doll I purchased is no longer available, but this is the description of the doll I purchased:
“Full-size Dummy Prop. Prop measures 6′ tall. Includes cloth body with real looking hands and poseable arms and neck”.

Feng Shui: Since everything is energy, and everything has a vibration, it is only fitting to gain some understandings in the world of Feng Shui. A simple read for just a basic understanding: “Move your Stuff, Change Your Life” by Karen Rauch Carter.
Simply moving a few items around in your office, or being conscious of items to have or not have in your space can make a huge difference in the energy of your working space which will benefit yourself and your clients.

Now that you have all the basics of business in place, you can focus on your work with clients: 

Working with Clients, Tips for Success:

Go back through all written above and see how many times I have said “work on yourself first”. This is the absolute number one element for working with clients effectively. You will always attract a similar vibration to what you yourself need to heal. If you want to work with ideal clients as a facilitator assisting them in their self empowerment journey, then you must walk that path yourself first, learn how to overcome any obstacles and then you’ll be ready to work with others.

Develop your own intuition and work from your heart space rather than your head. This is the ultimate space of authenticity.

The best leadership trainings have promoted some key elements in working with clients.

Focus on being fully present with the one in front of you. At that moment, they are really the only thing that matters. Understand that some people are super sensitive to energy shifts. Some of my distance clients who opt for email only sessions can still feel when I am working on their particular session. You literally and energetically are connecting with their energy.

“Get up, get dressed, and show up”. This should be a motto for life. It is in every reputable leadership training to be presentable for your clients whether in person or on the phone. This means practice good hygiene and refrain from interacting with clients in your pajamas. Energetically, people can sense and feel when you are slacking off and not giving them the attention and service for which they are paying you.

I cannot remember where I read this, but it is amusingly true!!
“Hey friends, trying to entertain conversations with multiple people at the same time – with loads of interruptions, squirrels and “rabbit holes” – is kinda like multitasking on work projects. The truth is you can only have one tab open on your phone/laptop at a time. Let’s try to slow down and honor each other; seeking first to understand; and focusing on being FULLY present with the one beautiful being who is standing in front of us”.

Offer your clients the option to reschedule if you are not in the frame of mind and grounded enough to offer them your best energy and service. Reciprocally, respect boundaries and be firm in your decision to not work with certain individuals as well. https://ladybugwellness.ca/boundaries-and-permissions/

Connect with Divine Truth, then connect with clients: https://youtu.be/efIj-bSKIPM

“The only way to live your life is live consciously”

Whether you are a Reiki practitioner or not, the Reiki Tenets or Ideals are just good basic rules for life and business:

There are many variations to these principles:

Just for today, do not worry.
Just for today, do not anger.
Just for today, be humble, do my work honestly.
Just for today, be kind and compassionate towards myself, my neighbor and every living thing.
Just for today, I expand my consciousness and give thanks for my many blessings.

https://www.reiki.org/faqs/reiki-ideals

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This is very well written so sharing in its entirety: 

SERVICE IS NOT OBLIGATION
serendipitycrystals.co.uk
Obligation is feeling morally ‘duty bound’ & it often takes away our power to check in with what is right for us and say ‘no’. We often feel there’s no choice as we fear we’ll let someone down, lose their love, respect or support or that we will be judged in a negative way. If we say no to obligation, it can leave us with a deep sense of guilt.

Obligation can often lead to frustration or resentment as we end up saying yes to things we don’t want to do or sacrificing our own needs, in order to fulfil someone else’s. Obligation exists most strongly between parent and child & it doesn’t just stop when we leave home. We will continue to feel obligated by our parent’s morals & expectations, regardless of our age ~ particularly if we’re codependent.

We then take this mental programming into our adult relationships and whether our partner wants us to feel obligated to them or not, we will behave in that way, simply because that is how our brain is wired. We can all relate to this feeling of obligation. If you close your eyes now and imagine being asked by someone to do something that you don’t really want to do, particularly a parent or family member ~ where in your body can you feel that? For me, it’s a tightness and constriction in the centre of the body and a clenching in my gut. Emotionally, it’s a nervy, unhappy, slightly anxious feeling.

Service on the other hand is something that comes from our heart or is led by our intuition. It doesn’t come from the head. When we are truly in service, we can say no if it comes at a sacrifice of our own needs or something doesn’t feel right ~ and we don’t feel any guilt. True service makes us feel good, even if we work our fingers to the bone. There is never any resentment or fear of judgement if we don’t live up to other people’s expectations. Service is showing up to give with no desire or need for anything in return (such as acceptance, validation or love). When we feel into the energy of service in our body, it is open, expansive and personally, makes me feel positive and happy. When closing my eyes and remembering a time of being in service to someone, there’s an open, lovely energy around the heart and I can’t help, but smile or feel good. The key to being in service is in being able to serve yourself FIRST and knowing that it is NOT selfish to do so. Only then can we fully serve others.

Obligation comes from the mind
Service comes from the heart
Obligation can make us feel negative, guilty or constricted
Service only makes us feel free or positive
Obligation can take away our power
Service is being in our power
Obligation can feel draining
Service feels energising, even if we’ve worked long hours

Learning the difference between these two states of being can make all the difference to your quality of life. Live from a heart-based place of service, not a head-based place of obligation.

_______________________
A list shared from a friend via social media. For the most part, I agree with this list. Here is to creating your own successful mindset: 

Successful mindset:
1. Money doesn’t attract money. Money attracts thieves. Value attracts money. The quicker you come to terms with this principle, the faster you move up the echelons of life.
2. Pain motivates people to take action two times more than pleasure. Therefore, your chances of getting rich are two times more if you provide solutions that alleviate pain than solutions that derive pleasure.
3. The only psychology you need to know to become highly successful is that humans are hopelessly lazy. Therefore, if you transform your mindset even slightly to become action-oriented, you will excel above others in whatever you do.
4. Do not oversleep when you’re just starting out in business. The business needs to have a life of its own before it can take off and allow you to rest. If you rest before the business starts to walk, the business will die a premature death, and you will also eventually die financially.
5. To succeed as an entrepreneur, provide a service to people that will make them comfortable and make you uncomfortable. This will motivate them to transfer money into your pocket to enable you to enjoy a comfortable life in the future.
6. Money has never been a catalyst for success, but an effect of success. Most businesses fail because they put money first instead of the customer. In fact, highly successful businesses only think about customer satisfaction when dealing with customers—never about the money.
7. Failure in school is not the same as failure in life. Most people who excel in class are good candidates for the job market and bad candidates for the business world. In the business world, failure is inevitable, as you will try many things that will not work. However, if you keep trying and failing, one day you will try something that will work.
8. Do not seek to be successful. Seek to become a man or woman of value. Success follows value.
9. Success is not the result of money. Money is the result of success. Similarly, happiness doesn’t follow success—success follows happiness.
10. Success always stays with the most disciplined and focused person. Not the slob.
11. To become highly successful, you must dedicate yourself to lifelong learning. Not in the academic sense of the word, but in the personal development sense of the word—also known as self-education.
12. Your mind, body, and spirit are as important to your success as your life. Therefore, feed them, train them and nourish them well.
13. Do not re-invent the wheel if the wheel is still functional. Let others re-invent wheels while you ride in the car.
14. The secret to success is habit, and the key to success is to change all your bad habits. Bad habits lead to disappointment, failure, misery, and misfortune. Good habits lead to success, excellence, happiness, and good luck.
15. Never give up as long as you’re pursuing a worthy cause. But then why should you waste your valuable time pursuing an unworthy cause?
16. Try something at least 20 times before you finally call it quits. By then you should have explored every possible means to do it and learned everything about it. Even then, don’t give up yet. Give it another try and ask around. Maybe there’s someone who has tried it before and succeeded.
17. Successful people are those people who defeat failure, endure hardship, burn the midnight oil, persist with vigour, overcome shame and conquer their self-ego.
18. You can never defeat the spirit of a potentially successful person. They understand themselves. They constantly weight themselves on the success scale and they constantly watch their goal.
19. Push yourself constantly and be consistent to ensure your personal growth. Remember, no one else is responsible for your life—and your life doesn’t belong to anyone else but you.
20. Put yourself first before anyone else. Love yourself before you love others. If you find a life partner, love them and help them grow if they agree to be helped. Find a partner who is compatible and can build you up—not one that will pull you apart.
21. No one should ever tell you that you can’t do it. Only you, know and understand yourself better than anyone else.
22. Don’t be selfish. If you become successful even at the smallest of things, help others to get to where you’ve been. They will be grateful and return the favour in ways you don’t know. Others will be more successful than you and praise you for the rest of their lives.
23. Not showing gratitude even for the little things you receive in life is selfish. Being grateful for what you have shows that you appreciate your blessings and increases your capacity to receive more.

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I like this:

“The price to pay when you are an entrepreneur….
We always hear that starting a business costs you something…I heard it so many times.
So may you pay the price of finding out who you are in the most beautiful way on your entrepreneurial journey.
May you pay the cost of a miraculous transformation that will lead you to your highest version with ease and joy
May it teach you the value of commitment and consistency in a way that honors your mental health
May you pay the price of helping others in the most magical way that elevates your soul
May you become more authentic and responsible in the way you show up for yourself first and then for others
May it cost you all the fake yeses and years of holding back to transform into your most authentic self
May it show you the power of communication, emotional intelligence, and stand
May it cost you shedding old skin and masks so that you can be a safe witness of your own self
May it trigger in you the desire to build healthy energetic standards so that you live from within and not from your ego
May your business eliminate all fear so that you can choose love and faith every day.
And if right now…you are paying the price of your health, your relationships, your peace of mind and your happiness…
I have sacrificed years of hustling and pushing myself. And even though financially it made sense, there were moments when it was hard…
But, we made it!
Whatever cost has been paid…it was so worth it!
TO INFINITY!!!”

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A friend posted this. Good points. If “God” is not your thing, then think of this as aligning your priorities to what really matters: personal growth and family values.

“Wisdom is pulling up to every one of your kids events in a $10,000 vehicle, instead of making 3 events a year in your $70,000 vehicle.
Wisdom is being home every night with your family in your double wide, instead of being home with your family 2 nights a week in your mansion.
Wisdom is sitting down for a meal every night with your family, instead of extravagant restaurants 2 nights week.
Wisdom is puzzles, board games, walks in the park, bike rides, etc., every week with your kids, instead of 2 expensive vacations each year.
What I’ve come to realize is this: “It’s not about what I can afford, it’s about what I can’t afford to miss.”

It has taken me almost 30 years and a lot of missed family nights, missed events, missed meals, blown money on toys, to realize this. I’ve spent many years using the excuse of “I’m working hard to get my kids and family everything they want.” When in reality I was trying to get them “everything I WANTED them to have.” Set goals, work hard, YOU WILL MISS SOME THINGS time to time, but don’t sacrifice years of your life chasing money only to look back and realize that you missed the most important moments of your kids lives.
And for the ones stuck on the excuse of “I’m trying to make sure my kids have savings and cars and houses and boats and whatever when they’re grown up”, let me tell you first hand what I’ve seen from previous generations that is happening right now in our society: Your kids grow up without you and they turn into adults with problems that you gave them, and that savings/house/car/boat/truck gets sold so that they can afford the drugs, alcohol, medicine, therapy, divorce, or co-dependency issues that were caused from a by product of their raising as a child, and what you have left them with in all actuality is NOTHING…
Please get into the word, learn these things, learn how to be a father/parent as God has called us to be, gain the same wisdom and knowledge that I’m reading and learning about through my experience with following Christ. I’m telling you it makes a difference, don’t wait til it’s almost too late like I have. Start today, and change generations forever”.

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In my opinion, there is no competition in the holistic healing arts circles. We all have our own unique gifts. However, if you encounter someone who is competitive or jealous of others’ success, just know that they are not yet at a point of healing and self worth to understand that they do not have to be competitive to succeed.

“You’ll never see hate coming from the top.
Those who are doing better than you, have achieved a certain level of success and are more likely to encourage you and empathise with the challenges you face.
They remember their own journey and the support they received along the way, so they extend that same empathy and understanding to others.
Jealousy can lead some individuals to belittle or criticize your accomplishments in an attempt to diminish your success. These individuals may be insecure about their own achievements or harbour feelings of inadequacy. Avoid these people, as their criticism is often driven by their own negative emotions rather than a genuine desire to help you improve.
Surrounding yourself with supportive and positive influences is crucial for maintaining a healthy mindset and fostering growth.
Constructive criticism from successful individuals can be valuable for your personal and professional development, as long as it’s offered in a respectful and helpful manner.
It’s important to remain open to feedback from all sources, while also being cautious about the motivations behind the criticism.
Choose to associate with people who genuinely support your growth and success, and recognise the difference between constructive advice and jealousy-driven negativity.
I’ve experienced jealousy throughout my career. You need to Delete and Block anyone who tries to bring you down.
Follow your dreams and reach for the skies”.

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Trying to find clients DOES NOT WORK.
You know what does?
ATTRACTING clients. Ones who really resonate with your message.
The problem is most coaches and spiritual practitioners aren’t very clear with their message.
People don’t care about the “modality”. Or in other words, they don’t care about how many sessions they get, how long the sessions are, how many video modules they get, or even what to eat or what workouts to do in the realm of health and wellness.
While energetic alignment may be the foundation, you also must be willing to put in the work. This means investing your own time & money into building your dream business.
There will always be work. Setting work windows forces you to prioritize the most important business items while balancing life.
Things need to break. Be okay with the fact that things need to break for you to see what needs fixing.
You’re allowed to fire clients. Once you have a good client base, fire the ones who suck the majority of your time and energy.

Many years ago, a mentor suggested adding “Most Benevolent Outcome” to the end of any prayers and intentions. It was explained then that this phrase is a way of taking into account others around us that may be affected by our requests and allowing the best outcome for all concerned to unfold.

This phrase has always been in the back of my mind whenever I have said a prayer intention since this idea was first introduced to me years ago.

In working with Court of Atonement the last few years, I have been revisiting this concept of Most Benevolent Outcome and using this phrase more often integrated into everything else I already do in my energy healing work.

When I went looking for more relevant information about this phrase, I found that it original came from a book by Tom Moore. I found enough interesting information to share here. Enjoy.

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The Gentle Way: A Self-Help Guide for Those Who Believe in Angels
Tom T. Moore
“This self-help book will put you back in touch with your guardian angels or strengthen your spiritual beliefs. You will have more fun and less stress in your life. It will assist you in achieving whatever goals you have set for yourself in your life. It will assist you in handling those major challenges we all experience in life. This book will even inspire you to learn more about our world and universe. How can I promise all these benefits? Because I have been using these concepts for over ten years, and I can report these successes from direct knowledge and experience. But this is a self-help guide, so that means that it requires active participation on your part. What you are going to read in this book is unique information that you have never seen before! This book is for people of all faiths and beliefs — the only requirement is a basic belief in angels”.

Ask for the Most Benevolent Outcomes. http://www.thegentlewaybook.com/

Rules for requesting Benevolent Outcomes

Requests must be:
• said out loud or in writing as this is a physical world.
• for assistance. Your Guardian Angel will joyfully help you, but only if you ask.
• for something specific for yourself.
• benevolent for not only you, but for all those involved in the request.

Keep in mind that you can never run out of requests! Request assistance from your Guardian Angel for even small events such as a parking place, a seat on a bus or subway, or driving to and from work each day. When you request a Benevolent Outcome for a safe drive to your destination each time, not only will you be safe, but your friends, family, or coworkers will also remain safe too. This is known as The Radiant Effect. Even other cars around you on the freeway will be safe too. And it’s the same on the subway or bus.
Excerpt from: http://www.creationsmagazine.com/articles/C115/Moore.html

“To practice this, you need to find a quiet space where you can make this request out loud. It goes like this: “I request a Most Benevolent Outcome for (fill in the blank). You can also add “. . . and may the benefit be more than I expect or anticipate.”
It’s a small, simple thing, and believing it kicks the whole quantum physics aspect in. Remember the physics principle “The observer affects the experiment”? It’s like writing an invisible program for your encounter, feeling so rock-solid in your expectation of a ‘‘Benevolent” result that you become unconsciously motivated to affect the result, if not physically, then energetically”.

Dissecting the meaning and roots of the word ‘‘benevolent’ using Miriam/Webster: “Benevolent” can be traced back to Latin bene, meaning “good,” and velle, meaning “to wish.” Good Wish!
Other descendants of “velle” in English include “volition” (“the act or power of making one’s choices or decisions”), “voluntary,” and the rare word velleity (meaning either “the lowest degree of volition” or “a slight wish or tendency”).
So, requesting a benevolent outcome can actually be considered a ‘‘Good Wish” for your life, for yourself. It’s a way of treating yourself kindly and wishing the best for yourself.
A benevolent outcome is always a ‘win/win’ and by requesting it you are choosing the highest path of and to joy.
Also, remember to say “Thank you” when good things happen.

A related downloadable book by Robert Shapiro:
http://benevolentmagic.com/pdf/benevolentmagic.pdf

Some Suggested Prayer Intentions:

Request Most Benevolent Outcomes Daily and see how your life can change! You say them to your Guardian Angel for yourself only and Benevolent Prayers are what you can say for others.
The protocol Tom T Moore teaches is “Guardian Angel, I request a Most Benevolent Outcome for [what it is you want], thank you” … Say them out loud or write them down there is no limit to the number of times you can say them for anything at all. YOU only need to say them once for a specific request.

A Benevolent Prayer is one you say for someone else and Tom T Moore’s protocol for this is ‘ I ask any and all Beings to assist __________ in a Most Benevolent Outcome for _________ thank you.

I request a most benevolent outcome for a happy and productive day, for all my work to be timely and effortless; for my interactions to be positive and for me to come to the end of today feeling very happy and satisfied!

I request a Most Benevolent Outcome for creative idea to flow to me to assist me in paying all my bills and all my living expenses easily and effortlessly each and every month in way that is wonderfully and divinely from now on!
I also request a Most Benevolent Outcome for giving and receiving sufficient money to spare and to share for the rest of my life now!
Thank you! Amen!

I request a most benevolent outcome for divine money miracles and may this outcome be even better than I could hope for, expect or imagine! thank you!

I request the most benevolent outcome to have a happy, joyful, loving, fantastic, fun-filled and blissful day and may this outcome be even better than I could hope for or expect thank you!!!

Feeling a bit under the weather? Sore, stuffy, sniffly, wheezy, coughy, and just wanting to turn off the world and sleep? Maybe sleep is elusive while feeling so crappy? Throat, chest, sinuses all inflamed? Many of us are too familiar with the seasonal “heb code” (head cold, or flu).

You can get well again quickly with holistic tips. Walk in clinics and emergency rooms are rife with sick people who have bad cases of the sniffles. While we should always seek medical help for serious issues, we would all do well to take some personal accountability and responsibility for our own health and wellness to alleviate the burden on health care by getting in tune with our own bodies. We are way more powerful than we are led to believe in being able to bring our bodies back into balance.  

Disclaimer: These suggestions are not meant to treat or diagnose. Please see your medical professional for serious health issue concerns.

Growing up near the Canadian Pacific Northern coast, winters would get awfully cold with chill-to-the-bone dampness in minus Celsius temperatures. Since 2001, I have lived inland for many years with a drier type winter. I also worked outside in all sorts of weather as a mail carrier for 12 years of my 26-year postal career. Some winters we have deep drifts of snow to trudge through to the point of exhaustion, and during severe cold snaps, I have worked in -40 C a few times.
Let’s say I am quite familiar with catching colds, which then turned into chest and sinus infections. I had gotten sick almost every winter, and sometimes a few times a year up until retirement back in 2016. I actually cannot remember the last time I was ever so sick as back in working days when I was beyond exhausted and pushing myself too much. Since then, there have been only a few times I felt something coming on, but nipped it quickly before it turned into anything serious.

Now, as a holistic practitioner, I have now learned many more effective ways to alleviate these horrid symptoms and to get back to wellness fairly quickly.

This is an excellent and succinct explanation of holistic views of dis-ease: https://www.tiktok.com/@allseeingbeing7/video/7297847626001681710

First off, power of words, let’s get focused on WELLNESS. Every autumn we’ll hear all sorts of promotions about “cold and flu season”. Did you know that this is a marketing ploy to convince the masses that they need to purchase high priced medications? When your brain and body hear these theories over and over, by human nature, we begin to believe the hype. Sure, of course, there may be factors contributing to sickness being more prevalent during this time of year, but believing these theories invites these things to happen.

***Remember:
You’re very hard to control when you are healthy.
You’re very hard to manipulate when you’re clear.
You’re very hard to influence when you’re sovereign.

According to German New Medicine (GNM), sickness is often a resolution phase of healing. Yup, all that goo and mucus, chills and shakes are a healing thing in holistic terms. Your body is trying to slow you down to take healing seriously, and purging all sorts of toxins.
In GNM, sniffles symptoms and the onset of a cold indicate that there as been some sort of shock within the 3 to 4 days prior. Although I have not taken formal training in GNM, I have found this theory to be accurate in my work with clients presenting with these types of symptoms.

So, if we can figure out the preceding shock and balance out the energetic and emotional components, quite often the physical symptoms alleviate quickly.

Our bodies are created to be able to ward off all sorts of bad bacteria etc. in our environments. However, a “shock” type imbalance can lower our body’s defenses making us susceptible and vulnerable to bad bugs and other factors that would bring on sickness. Chills and shakes are a healing mechanism to purge and expel toxins which comes out as all the yucky stuff. If we don’t listen to our body and our intuition to slow down and tune in, these uncomfortable symptoms will force us to listen.

Holistically, no one can argue with the idea that our bodies will slow us down one way or another when we need to take time to heal. Becoming in tune with your own natural body rhythms and using preventative practices is the first step in avoiding getting sick in the first place. Sleep is the number one importance and your body, according the Chinese medicine wheels, does its most important healing during sleep time. 
See this page for more sleep tips:  https://ladybugwellness.ca/techniques-to-promote-restorative-sleep/

With relation to physical body chemistry, many processed foods and the usual modern diet are acidic in nature. Infections are also very acidic and negative energy. We need alkaline to bring the body back into balance.

Now for some favorite tips that I use for myself and my family:

When I was little grandma would make a concoction of warm milk, local honey, and a dollop of butter. This is still a comforting drink for me.

Lemon tea with local honey, or just lemon slices in hot water. Local honey has wonderful anti bacterial properties. Lemon is alkaline for the body.

Turmeric golden milk. Many recipes can be found for this soothing drink. I like recipes that use turmeric, nut butters, pepper, ginger, milk, cinnamon, and honey.

Cut up a clove of garlic quite fine, then mix with a spoonful of local honey and swallow.

Cinnamon and honey work well straight on the spoon or mixed as a warm tea.

Bone Broth seems to be a holistic cure all. Find a good organic recipe you like or watch labels on any store bought brands for something that works for you. 

Bio- K drinks are a fermented acidophilus drink. It is recommended to take half a bottle each day. Personally, I take one a day or more if I feel like I need it. Back in 2005, I lived on these drinks through a gastrointestinal issue which turned out to be a painful ulcer. These drinks were all I could keep down at that time. I still highly recommend them. As the health food store person told me, “They will kick your system into high gear fast”.

Mentholated ointment and salves placed on chest can bring relief. Using this on the bottom of the feet with cotton socks while sleeping can be very soothing as well.

Reflexology points in the feet can stimulate toxin release.

Massaging your calves and gently soothing though any sore spots can help relieve a dry cough.

Have you ever tried putting cut onions in your socks at night? This ancient home remedy actually works well to pull toxins out of your body while you sleep.
Not fond of that idea? Put some cut onions in a dish beside your bed. This will absorb toxins in the air around you while you sleep.

Epsom Salt bath: Personally, I am not fond of baths. I love my hot showers in the morning. But… I had many years of being a mail carrier. An exhausting job with all sorts of slips, trips, and falls in the winter time especially having to walk on ice so much. Cleats and proper equipment gear doesn’t save us from all weather conditions.
So, if you ever saw me taking an Epsom Salt bath, you knew I had a rough day.
Doctors have explained to me that after a fall, a shock to the body, lactic acid is released into our blood stream which causes the inevitable seizing up of the muscles about 48 hours later.
Epsom salt contains magnesium which is great to detox the body. Add a cup of Epsom Salt to your bath and relax away those toxins. To add to the experience, add some baking soda and a few drops of lavender essential oil.

Castor oil packs: I invested in a fabric pack that fits around my belly. I also have some packs to go around my neck (thyroid), feet, and breast pads as well. Make sure to get cold pressed, hexane free castor oil. I use the tummy pack the most, wearing it at night when I sleep.
There is a lot of information out there from naturopaths and those who have tried these methods that say castor oil is great for dissolving any lumps, bumps, cysts, and fibroids etc.
It is also amazing for hair and skin feeling softer and healthier. It can keep the elimination system regular as well.
I started back in Aug 2023 using a belly pack from PG acupuncture. I wear it at night. I have gone through spurts of wearing nightly since then. Not always consistent. Sometimes using under my eyes, sometimes in my belly button.
Overall, I feel cleaner inside, feel healthier.
I have some videos saved into playlist on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg7kqRypaKAG2UNFGgksEkaRPAW_1k3Sw

REIKI ENERGY HEALING BOOST:
I have added two Reiki videos on the Ladybug Wellness YouTube channel. Just play these videos any time you would like a boost of Reiki healing energy. Sit back, Relax and Receive.

Reiki for General Well Being: https://youtu.be/5K6WqQIyt-A

Thought Field Therapy Tapping Techniques to release toxins and keep energy in positive energy flow:
Ladybug Wellness Video: https://youtu.be/LZKHYZWh7rk

1. Tap or rub fleshy side of either left or right hand (below baby finger), just enough to stimulate some energy
2. Rub the upper LEFT side of your chest. This is my favorite point from all my training. It is called the ‘sore spot’ because it may be tender when you are sick. This is a lymphatic drainage system area that can encourage release of toxins. Rubbing this area will keep the body in a positive state which enhances healing and helps medicines do their job better as well.
3. Tap or rub under nose, again just enough to stimulate some energy

Also known as psychological reversal (PR) meridian points. In our courses we did this combination every half hour. Keeps the body in a positive state so it can heal itself.

We used this tapping sequence throughout course days to stay on task and focused.

Rub the upper LEFT side of the chest. This is my favorite point from all my training. It is called the ‘sore spot’ because it may be tender when you are not well. This is a lymphatic drainage system area and rubbing this area will keep the body in a positive state which enhances healing and helps medicines do their job better as well 🙂

When going to sleep. I have said a prayer intention for “Divine Specialists” to heal me while I sleep. Then, by propping my arms up on pillows comfortably, I have put one hand over my third eye/ forehead, and the other at the base of my skull, then fall asleep. I do end up pulling my arms down to my sides at some point during the night, but this technique also seems to alleviate symptoms and issues by morning.

My latest fascinating home remedy is MUDRAS! These are yogic hand positions that really work well. A favorite simple one for alleviating sinus congestion and pain is holding thumb, pointer, and middle fingers together, the ring finger bent down to touch the fleshy part of palm, and the pinky finger straight up. I have used this one while falling asleep in bed and woke up feeling clear and refreshed.
I am not versed on many mudras so this is a good overview: https://www.arhantayoga.org/blog/complete-guide-to-mudras-and-benefits/
I invite you to research more on your own. Do let me know if you find a more extensive collection with explanations.
This is a site that recommends the sinus pain relief mudra mentioned above: https://www.wellnesshaven.com/blog/healing-hand-mudras/

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Have you taken a look into your neighbor’s grocery cart at the supermarket lately?
The average person is not eating real food anymore.
He is eating food-like products.
What most people put into their mouths is not even food at all.
Fake (processed) foods as well as meat, dairy and grains cause swelling, inflammation, creation of fat cells to store toxins, retention of water to buffer acids, and eventually disease. Eating even minimal amounts of these foods for some people
(Those who are extremely acidic) cause them to swell up like a balloon as their body tries to fight the toxic acids
using water and fat. Inflammation begins from within.
Just because you can’t see it happening doesn’t mean it isn’t going on.
Processed foods contain toxic chemical additives and are carefully engineered to make them addictive.
They are so poisonous that most animals and insects won’t even touch them.
Man still hasn’t made the connection between what he puts into his mouth and his diseases and conditions.
If the food you eat doesn’t matter, why is it that I along with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have reversed their incurable diseases when choosing to eliminate acid-forming and mucus-forming foods from their diet?
The majority of the population is not dying because of what they are “afraid” to eat, but from what they are choosing to eat.
Convenient, brightly colored, prepackaged, inexpensive fake foods may be a bargain on your wallet today, but your body
may have to pay a hefty price for later.
“What you eat today has to make your heart beat.
What you eat today has to create new blood.
What you eat today has to renew your bone marrow.
What you eat today has to fuel your brain.
What you eat today has to ease your mind.
What you eat today has to make your lungs work properly.
What you eat today has to support your immune system.
What you eat today has to help the body heal your skin.
What you eat today has to keep your digestive system working smoothly.
What you eat today has to lubricate your joints.
What you eat today has to repair and build your muscles.”
~Luka Hinić
Just because you can eat it, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
Cooked foods, processed foods are dead foods.
Low vibration foods = low vibration bodies.
The correct diet can clean your body allowing you to heal from almost any dis-ease, including genetic.

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Here are three self-care actions that you can take for nurturing yourself for personal growth and progress on your self-actualization journey:
1. Wake up 10 – 15 minutes before your normal schedule for a time of quiet reflection and meditation. This promotes experiencing tranquility and clarity prior to entering the business of the day.
2. Prioritize Rest and Sleep: Ensure you get enough quality sleep each night to rejuvenate your body and mind. Studies show that most adults require around 8 hours of sleep for optimum health. Getting a 20 minute nap in the afternoon has also proven to be very beneficial for overall rest.
3. Engage in Regular Physical Activity: Incorporate regular exercise into your routine, whether it’s going for a 20 minute walk, doing yoga, or participating in your favorite sport. Physical activity not only benefits your body but also releases endorphins, promoting a positive mood and reducing stress.
And remember, self-care is NOT selfish.

**If I have sent you to this page, particularly look at “Sending Reiki to Relationships” and “Getting over an Obsession” below. These are my best recommendations for clearing up energy between two people. ***

Resonating Relationships is a way of exploring how we align — energetically and emotionally — with the many aspects of healthy, supportive connection.
Most of us carry imprints from past relationships: learned patterns, protective habits, unspoken expectations, or unresolved experiences that quietly shape how we relate to others. These aren’t failures — they’re adaptations. Over time, though, they can create misalignment or friction in our connections.
In this work, we look at relationship themes such as:

• emotional safety and trust
• communication and conflict styles
• boundaries and self-respect
• giving, receiving, and mutual support
• harmony between independence and connection

Rather than analyzing stories or confirming blame, the focus is on energetic alignment — gently clearing imbalances that may be influencing how connection shows up in your life. When alignment shifts, relationships often feel lighter, clearer, and more authentic.
This approach applies not only to romantic partnerships, but also to friendships, family relationships, professional dynamics, and even your relationship with yourself. It can also be used to explore inner relationships — such as the inner child, shadow aspects, or your relationship with your body — all of which quietly influence how we connect with others.
Some people come to this work with a specific relationship in mind. Others come simply because they want to feel more aligned, grounded, and open to healthier connection moving forward. Both are equally valid starting points.
If and when it feels supportive, this exploration can be done as a dedicated Resonating Relationships Session — or you’re welcome to simply reflect on these themes and use the tools and insights on this page at your own pace.

Book a personalized session: https://ladybugwellness.as.me/relationship
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Are humans really even compatible? Some days we can live with them and sometimes we feel we could just strangle them out of frustration. Not a good idea to act on those feelings though, mkay?
What can we do to bring some peace and quiet to the drama of our lives in interacting with others, especially in close relationships?

It helps tremendously to understand that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, by our soul’s choice. What?? I did not sign up for this!! Whether we embrace that theory or not, here we are.

The absolute basic human needs are acceptance and connection, which all comes from LOVE. Through our growth and development, we are supposed to learn about healthy love and connection. Who of any of us has had a perfect upbringing when our parents have done the best they could under their own experiences and influences? Then look at our ancestry and go back another generation, and another.
If we use a Christian example, let’s go back to the betrayal between Adam and Eve, or the jealousy between Cain and Abel. We have generations of dysfunctional patterns that every human must face in their own path to enlightenment and in their own development of healthy relationships to meet their own needs of love, acceptance, and connection.

The lowest rung of Maslow’s hierarchy is survival and it is all based on fear instincts to get our needs met. This is where we will likely find a lack of personal boundaries and self respect with casual sex, lying, cheating, and stealing. Looking back to any point in history, there are many examples of Maslow’s hierarchy at play.

Thankfully we are at a time in our human evolution where we have the knowledge and tools to heal the past and to create a much brighter future for ourselves, and with our loved ones. We can embrace this human experience to know and feel what love, connection, and acceptance is, in its true Divine form.

If you have perused this website at all, you know that my background is childhood sexual abuse, how that affected my life, and how I have overcome that past. I have had two failed marriages, and a few dysfunctional relationships that have given me the knowledge and experience to tell you that my past is a great example of everything to NOT do to have a healthy relationship.
Many of my friends and clients think that I seem to have great wisdom in how to heal relationships now. While I am humbled at this perception, I also know it is because I lived through some pretty poor choices myself. Through my own healing journey, I have collected many effective resources that I now invite you to explore to see what resonates best for you.

You will find several other pages within this website regarding relationships. I invite you to check those out as well.

This page is to offer some suggestions on how to clear the energetic imbalances in your relationships to repair and heal the past, and therefore, to create a better future for yourself and your loved ones, together or not.

Despite my own past experiences, I still always hope for the success of a relationship. My best advice over all I have learned is that only YOU can decide whether to stay in or to leave a relationship. Unless there is life or death physical abuse issues going on, no one has the right to tell you what you should do in your choices. Further, if you do take advice from anyone to leave a relationship before you are ready to do so, you then have someone else to blame other than yourself. This is not conducive to your own maturity, independence, and growth.
Your own heart will know when you are done and when your own life lessons have been learned.

4 C’s to improve any relationship:
Communicate: Where there’s a void in communication negativity fills it.
Connect: Develop trust that leads to emotional safety.
Commit: Serve and sacrifice for each other.
Care: Don’t just go through the motions. Invest in the relationship.

These are my most often cited recommendations:

Court of Atonement: There are many suggestions for Courts of Atonement calls in other pages. This Obsession Protocol blog post is my favorite suggestion for relationships. Personally, I have gone through this entire protocol using the names of every past romantic and platonic relationship, failed friendships, and any other interactions with others that feels any sort of tension.

September 2024: Recent FCOA classes recommended:
“Other People’s Pain” (new speed call “Resolution of Pain”)
“Magic of Alignment for Relationships”
“Same Soul Connections”
Tons of insights and shifts that may be particularly helpful for you.
Also, include “soul timelines” in your FCOAs for another spectacular level of clearing that targets past life connections.

Getting Over an Obsession: I HIGHLY recommend this protocol often, to everyone. Personally, I have used this protocol to clean up energies in pretty much every “relationship” I have ever had. I revisit this one myself often any time I remember someone from my past, or have a new issue to address. Any past marriages, divorces, failed friendships, love interests, etc. I have even used this on a past stalker situation I had for someone where I didn’t know a name. I just intended to work on “Stalker person”. As long as intention is there, it works. Try it 😊
Also, I find this also clears up poor relationship patterns as well.  https://amyjoellis.com/2018/05/05/getting-over-an-obsession/

Spiritual Divorce (Updated April 2025)
In the “Same Soul Connections” class (Court of Atonement), the idea of spiritual divorce was introduced to dissolve those marital contracts on a spiritual and soul level. This cleans up entanglement energies tremendously. I obviously did this process on my own two divorces. Then I did this process on any previous dating/ romantic/ sexual experiences I could remember and even some platonic friendships. I felt like I missed one. The very next day, while out in a local store, I ran into a man I had not seen since I dated him briefly 23 years prior!
In using this process intuitively with clients, I have expanded using Spiritual Divorce on a situation where someone needed to dissolve a contract from a previous home/ office location.
Further uses brought in intuitively was to expand to include more “control” or “contract” type situations across soul timelines. We don’t know what our relationship with others may have been in previous lifetimes. 

Original: Spiritual Divorce
I, ________, place myself, ________, into a Full Court of Atonement with ________. Our children, ________. Including any and all conceptions between us.) I ask to bring in the entirety of our family lineages, God, and our Guides for the purpose of requesting a spiritual divorce. I ask to analyze our timelines and resolve any and all conflicts between us at their points of origin. I ask for the Renegotiation of Same Soul Connections and resolution of marital control. I ask us both to Clean up Our Acts and I ask us to Wipe the Slate Clean.
I am requesting a fresh start.

My version: I ask how many people/ souls to include, do I need names or more information (usually no) then go through this process tweaking the words needed as I go in how they apply to the person I am working with.
FCOA spiritual divorce x people across soul timelines
Spiritual Divorce
I, ________, place ________, into a Full Court of Atonement with _x # people across soul timelines_.
Our children, ________. Including any and all conceptions and creations between us.
I ask to bring in the entirety of our family lineages, God, and our Guides for the purpose of requesting a spiritual divorce.
I ask to analyze all timelines and all soul timelines and resolve any and all conflicts between us at their points of origin. I ask for the Renegotiation of Same Soul Connections and resolution of marital control.
Parental control, societal control, familial control, medical control, mind control, cultural control, employment control, educational control, government control …. (any others?)
I ask us all to Clean up Our Acts and I ask us to Wipe the Slate Clean.
I am requesting a fresh start.

FCOA hate of the opposite sex:
If you have had poor experiences, you may have developed a hatred towards the entire gender rather than the person who did you wrong:

Check your % level of hate and trust of the gender you are attracted to:
Hate men/women %
Trust men/women %
Then recite this FCOA and check again.
I, _______ place myself and the entirety of my family lineages into a full court of Atonement for the purpose of correcting any and all issues that surround HATING MEN/WOMEN! I ask to go back through our timelines and soul timelines and to correct all unhealed issues with men/ women!
I, ___________ recognize my own guilt in some of the exchanges that created my hatred toward men/ women. And that my own hurt feelings and indignation caused me to put the blame on the gender instead of on the MAN/ WOMAN himself/ herself. I retract all my statements against MEN/WOMEN and hold only those who are guilty to blame instead of the gender.

Relationship energy balancing session: Did you know you can be energetically “allergic” to your partner? No matter which direction you choose to go in staying with a partner, or leaving, or finding a new partner, a Resonating Relationship session will uncover the energetic blocks within yourself that are hindering a happy healthy relationship with a romantic partner as well as many other relationships in your life. Working on your own energetic blocks will positively affect all interactions with others.
In a Resonating Relationships session, we also look at your conflict resolution styles and uncover energetic blocks so you can be in a space of collaboration in effectively meeting your own needs as well as others needs.

Sending Reiki to “The Relationship”:
Whether relationships are platonic or romantic, we can send Reiki to “The Relationship” between two people with “the relationship” as an entity of its own. Think of a triangle. You and the other person are the bottom corners, “your relationship” is the top. This technique respects that we need permission to send Reiki to another person, but sending to the relationship is addressing the higher selves, the spiritual aspect. Reiki has its own wisdom and will always be for the best outcome for both parties most benevolent outcome.
September 2024: A few months ago, a Reiki forum I follow, revisited the idea of sending Reiki to past life relationships.
Since then, I have been sending Reiki to the past life, current, and future life relationships with pretty much anyone in my life, particularly anyone I have been having issues with such as unruly neighbors, or service workers etc. This method seems to have cleaned up lots of energy and brought a different level of peace to situations and their resolutions.

Play this video of sending Reiki to your intended two parties. Can be a partner, a co-worker, friend, or other loved ones:
Reiki for Relationships: https://youtu.be/embIG_UC-D0
** trying sending to the past life and future life connections between two people as well.

Note: Although this technique clears the energy between two people, the outcome may not be what we expect. Usually there will be renewed hope and the relationship will flourish. However, I read an article many years ago from a practitioner with two examples of what else can happen when Reiki cleanses the energy to uncover the truths we cannot see:

1. This practitioner’s best friend met a guy who was “too good to be true”. Perfect, family loved him, etc. As wedding gift, thankfully before wedding, she sent Reiki to the relationship. Within days, truths were uncovered and his lies surfaced. The relationship fell apart and saved her friend from long term grief.

2. A married male client came to her and asked to her to send Reiki to the relationship he had with his mistress as he wanted to be with her but thought she was cheating on him. (Yes, this usually gets a few giggles and eye rolls). Anyway, she did as she was asked and sent to that relationship. The truth came out a few days later, yes, the mistress was cheating on him. That relationship fell apart and his marriage flourished instead.
_______________________________

Free Weekly Remote Group Sessions: Add yourself and your loved ones to this rest and receive session offer here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/group-sessions/

We can add loved ones to the Sunday sessions thru your private intention list as we don’t need explicit permissions there and the healing energies go only where they are welcome. Many find benefits in these sessions, especially over the long term.

Navigating Loss and Grief: https://ladybugwellness.ca/managing-grief/

The Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. I read a book this 2009. Quite interesting. Find my notes here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/relationships-and-the-sacred-marriage/

Mark Gungor: I highly recommend following this pastor who has a blunt, down to earth type of humor while expressing and teaching his philosophy of “laugh your way to a better marriage”. You can find all sorts of video clips on YouTube (Tale of Two Brains is most popular). You can learn all sorts of excellent information about relationships while having a good laugh as well.
Playlist of suggestions from my YouTube saves: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg7kqRypaKAHJiKJun3T9ZqZt5TWe5o-P&si=uw7hQiZacZubuwS5

Love Languages books by Gary Chapman: Understanding that a partner’s love language may be different than our own can make a world of difference in communication and healing a relationship.

Mars/ Venus books by John Gray: I found these books to be quite insightful into my own journey of healing past relationships as they succinctly explain the contrasts and differences between men and women that are integral and instrumental in developing a healthy functional relationship with a romantic partner. Understanding how the opposite sex operates instinctually has been absolutely eye opening. I also learned more about my own femininity that made a world of difference for me in all my interactions with others.

Resurrecting Venus book by Cynthia Occelli: An excellent book to understand the differences between men and women, and how embracing our own feminine and masculine strengths is the key to functional and healthy relationships.

Energy clearing and balancing can bring some healing to a relationship. There is plenty of information throughout this website to do some work yourself, or to book a session with a practitioner. Particularly, I offer a “relationship clearing” session that can be used for yourself or working on yourself with respect to having a partner. This session focuses on the healthy aspects of a relationship (harmony, nurture, and connection) to bring you more into alignment and also looks are your conflict resolution skills. This can have a profound effect on your alignment with healthy relationships.

The free downloadable Master list Excel document is my own compilation of favorite lists and tools to use within energy balancing sessions. Thankfully Emotion Code and Body Code are effective modalities to identify energetic imbalances and to bring about clarity and discernment in your choices. If you do a lot of your own healing work, you may find this document useful: https://ladybugwellness.ca/lbw-resources/ 

Clearing Emotional Ties:
Emotional Ties are the reactions and charges you hold on to as a consequence of your interactions with others. Consciously these are the feelings and interpretations you’re aware of; unconsciously they are the feelings and interpretations that others project onto you, which you (also unconsciously) accept and take on.
Despite its apparent simplicity, this practice is actually very powerful and can produce shifts overnight. It works primarily by directing your intent and your allowing of Divine Intelligence to partner with you.
See Resources page, One Drive Folders: Altazar Rossiter: Clearing Emotional Ties

Energy clearing and balancing can address ancestral patterns, inner child wounds, dysfunctional patterns that get to the root cause behind symptoms and issues. This is an example I use often to explain:
A client can tell me, for instance, their relationship broke up last week and their partner ran off with their best friend.
Trauma repeats itself. So, while that event may seem like the most important upset to clear, when we do a session, I may bring up an upset from grade 3 which my client identifies as an incident where a lunch box was stolen and their lunch was eaten.
Now, in this example, a partner and a lunchbox, or a lunch and a best friend are not the same things, yet the upset of betrayal, loss, grief, etc. is all the root issue behind the partner issue. Energy work has this unique way of finding the roots and residual energies behind the real problems of dysfunctional relationships.

Energy clearing can also uncover detrimental cordings and attachments that have a draining and negative influence on otherwise healthy relationships.

Psychic Cords:                               http://askingangels.com/psychic/cutcords.php
Energy Vampires:                           http://askingangels.com/psychic/energy-vampire.php
Soul Ties:                                       http://krisvallotton.com/7-signs-of-an-unhealthy-soul-tie/
Relationships vs Entanglements:   http://wakeup-world.com/2016/09/27/are-you-in-relationships-or-entanglements/

Recognizing Abuse: https://ladybugwellness.ca/relationships-recognizing-abuse/

Detrimental effects of casual sex: In romantic relationships there is a whole other level of connection that can be a source of issues when the relationship goes sour. Back in 2012, Cynthia Occelli shared this video. I have never found such a succinct explanation that is non religious yet supports a scientific and energetic view of the reasons that casual sex can be so damaging to our psyche and to our future relationships with the wounds we carry forward.
Why Casual Sex is an Oxymoron
The non-religious, non-moral basis for refraining from sex outside of a monogamous relationship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2LHIE1tn_k

Transcription of this video provided by the Otter app:
“Hello, I’m Cynthia Occelli and today I want to talk to you about sex and monogamy. I am a strong proponent of the confines of the monogamous relationship. I’m very opposed to casual sex and I’d like to tell you why. My reasoning has nothing to do with morals or religious judgment. It’s something much deeper and far more personal from my view than that. The first thing my first reason is and my most important reason is spiritually spirit. from a spiritual perspective. Your body is the temple of your spirit. And it’s the place where your entire outlook and experience of life is governed by the dominant tone of the energy that you have. If you’re feeling healthy, and positive and optimistic and safe in the world, you move through the world enjoying your life experience, and protecting your energy from all types of toxins, environmental, negative people, negative experiences, protecting your energy is vital for your success. So, the idea of allowing someone who you don’t have mutual respect, admiration and love for inside the temple of your spirit is dangerous. It’s in that’s just that’s the best way I can put it. And the reason it’s so dangerous is because when you have the experience of orgasm, it’s not just a physical experience. It is a spiritual experience and it opens your energy centers and makes you vulnerable. And so, when in that moment in those open moments you’re taking in whatever energy is sharing your energy field, and if the person you’re with happens to have a lower energy than yours is troubled or wounded or angry, or toxic, or an energy vampire, someone who just sucks on energy and drains it from you. It can deplete you in the moment and it can shift your energy far lasting and create impacts negative impacts that lasts far beyond the sexual experience. So, it’s quite a gamble to take and it is like I said quite dangerous and I don’t know why anyone would risk or jeopardize that their own energetic welfare for a temporary pleasure. Beyond that, the deck is stacked against you when it comes to casual sex, especially as a woman and that’s just speaking from a biochemical perspective. There’s a hormone that’s called oxytocin and it’s considered the cuddle hormone or the love hormone. And that’s the hormone that women that women express a lot of in their system when they have a newborn baby. And it really bonds the mother to their child. I’m sure if you’ve ever had a child, you know someone who has, you know, in those first moments, there’s a real strong bond established and that’s required for the healthy development of the child. That same oxytocin hormone is released in orgasm and what it does is it serves to bond us or develop an attachment to create trust and wanting and desire and affection for an attachment to the person that we’re having sexual relations with, even if we don’t like that person, and the effect is lasting. So even if the week later and you see that person, you’re hardwired to feel drawn to them attached to them, and desire them, even if you consciously know that that’s the wrong guy for you. So, the risk there far outweighs the benefits. And that leads me to my final reason that I’m really against casual sex and I actually believe casual sex is an oxymoron. Women often will say, any other women who are usually engaged in some casual sex relationship and hoping that it’s going to turn into something more thinking that it serves them somehow, they’ll say that it’s possible to have casual sex and not be harmed. And it’s possible for someone out there to eat a dozen donuts and not gain weight. That’s true. Yes, it’s possible. It’s not probable and I don’t know why you would try it. When you have very little to gain and very much to lose, you jeopardize your spiritual welfare. You know, the deck is stacked against you biochemically. And there’s just a possibility that you might not be damaged and the outside is however many minutes of pleasure you get. There That to me is not an intelligent decision. And it’s kind of like ignoring the truth, checking your common sense at the door and making a bad decision. So I hope that you’ll listen and do some research. Explore this for yourself, and be if you want someone to treat you special if your desire is to have a man who worships you adores you and regards you as something rare and precious, and just priceless. You have to treat yourself that way.”

Further discussion on this video from the Court of Atonement group:
Klee Darrow: Thank you Jackie N. Rioux for the post. She makes excellent points about bonding and loving and respecting one’s self as a female. Would be interesting to also have the male perspective as well, because I’ve always thought that things were never quite as casual as people would like to think.
Jackie N. Rioux True. Although I think men think differently, from her spiritual/ energetic perspective, I think this can apply to both? Men have feelings too, and can become attached, but not understand their own process of feelings that is addressed here.
Klee Darrow: Men might think different, but is it really energetically different? Some men have a lot of partners in life before, or if, they ever get married. Energetically it seems like they would be creating a harem of all the women they bonded energetically with while not making a conscious commitment. There are also women that have this same behavior pattern, it is not exclusive, but it is something to consider when clearing past relationship energies.
Jackie N. Rioux: Very much so. I think the societal views of stud vs shame between the sexes might also need to be considered as well.
Klee Darrow: Perhaps drafting and draining is a key component of this behavior? And yes, how society views the placement of pride vs. shame between the sexes deeply affects all of us. This pattern has been going on for thousands of years. Would be nice to evolve to a beneficial pattern of mutual appreciation and respect on a wider scale.
(Note: Drafting and draining refers to Energy Encasement Boundaries speed call in Court of Atonement).

Breaking up/ Divorce: If, after you have made all attempts to repair and heal a relationship, you find that your best choice is to dissolve and leave the relationship, know that you can heal on your own as well. I was told eons ago that divorce is worse than death because in death, you still have the love of the past loved one. In divorce, you have all the loss, grief, and separation with a whole lot more compounded on top of it.
Through divorce there is a heartbreaking process of separating everything that made you a couple. You may have lost yourself as well. You can heal though!
Remember that two broken individuals do not make a whole. You need to be 100% before being able to function in a healthy relationship or you will just repeat the dysfunctional patterns all over again with someone new.
Take time to really focus on and heal yourself. This will make all aspects of life so much better. Self love is Number One priority.

If you find yourself having to go through legal proceedings in your separation and divorce process, recite this court of atonement call:

“I, ____(your name)______, place myself, ____(your name)_____, into a full court of atonement for the purpose of “Enhancing and Protecting Marriage”. I ask to resolve all nonbeneficial energies and effects of divorce and separation.” I ask for Divine Intervention and I ask for Resolution of any and all Detrimental and Parasitic Attachments.

“I, ____(your name)___, place myself, ____(your name)_____, any and all persons involved with the process of this divorce and legal proceedings, including judges, lawyers, court staff into a full court of atonement for the purpose of aligning with
Divine Guidance, Divine Opportunities, Divine Truth, Divine Intelligence, Divine Wisdom, Divine Health, Divine Abundance, Divine Unconditional Love, Divine Timing, Divine Synchronicity, Divine Wealth, Divine Success, Divine Cleanliness, Divine Possibilities, Divine Maturity, Divine Inspiration, Divine Encouragement, Divine Discernment, Divine Alchemy, and Expecting Miracles.
I ask to resolve all nonbeneficial energies and effects of divorce and separation. I ask for a Most benevolent outcome for all concerned.
I ask for Divine Intervention and I ask for Resolution of any and all Detrimental and Parasitic Attachments.

If children or other family are involved or affected:
I, __ (your name) ___, place _ (their names) ____, into a Full Court of Atonement with her mother, _____, her father, _____, and her siblings, _____. I ask to analyze their timelines and resolve any and all conflicts between them at their points of origin.
I ask to resolve any and all detrimental beliefs these children/ family members have created because of their parents’ divorce. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy. (Re-word as needed to accommodate all concerned).

Please see the Court of Atonement pages in this site, and Amy Jo’s Facebook group and website, as well as my free downable excel document for many more ideas to clear energy using court of atonement.

Take it easy on yourself and just know that sometimes, despite our best efforts, a relationship may not be in our best interest to continue. Sometimes people grow apart, and sometimes on a soul level their purpose in our lives has come to an end.

Trying to find a viable relationship:
“The fastest way to get what you are choosing is to make it be okay that you never get it.” still holds true.
In order to feel okay the way you are, you would have to drop the “Need, and want” out of the situation and both of those words repel what we think we are choosing.

Make the statement “I need a life partner” “I want a life partner” “I am in a wonderful space where I am but I am open and ready to receive a life partner.”

I, __________ place all my NEED to have a life partner into a Full Court of Atonement to be corrected at its point of origin.
I, __________ place all of my WANTING to have a life partner into A Full Court of Atonement to be corrected at its point of origin.
I ask to change all of this wanting and needing into being at peace with myself and my life exactly as it is.
I, ___________ place my heart, body, soul, conscious, subconscious, spirit and guides into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of creating alignment with the idea of having a life partner.
I bring in all my reasons to have a life partner and all of my reasons not to have a life partner. I ask to correct all of these issues at their point of origin. I ask to create alignment with having a life partner!
**********
The reason that we don’t have anything in our life that we are desiring is because a part of us does not want it.

_______________________
Often we blame the entire gender for past upsets. Clear those issues here:

I, ___________ recognize my own guilt in some of the exchanges that created my hatred toward women/men. And that my own hurt feelings and indignation caused me to put the blame on the gender instead of on the Woman/ man himself. I retract all my statements against women/ men and hold only those who are guilty to blame instead of the gender.
Try reading it again and make a stronger demand that the energy be healed around women/men!
I, _______ place myself and the entirety of my family in a full court of Atonement for the purpose of correcting any and all issues that surround HATING WOMEN/ MEN! I ask to go back through my life and the lifetimes of my family and correct all unhealed issues with women/ men!

Some words of wisdom on the topic of relationships:

Your intimate partner is a massive decision in your life.
Make sure you are with someone who:
• Brings you Peace vs. Problems
• Is Joyful when You Win vs. Jealous
• Pushes you to Grow vs. Pulls you Down
• Takes Responsibility vs. Blames you for Everything

Saying “hey, I’m not ignoring you, I just don’t have the energy to talk right now” is much healthier for relationships rather than just ignoring a message.

Look for someone who is keen on personal growth and self improvement rather than avoiding someone broken. What we resist persists.

If you are living your life to make someone else happy… that is a very dishonest relationship.

Men, you can never speak too often or too lovingly about your bride.
Doing so honors her and removes any question of your devotion.
Make it obvious that you love your bride wholeheartedly!

I will speak often and lovingly of my wife. This is the best adultery repellent known to man. Michael Hyatt

With regards to a traumatic past, the “Independent Woman Syndrome”: A woman will stay in her masculine energy until a man makes her feel safe to be comfortable in her feminine energy. Her masculine energy is a defense mechanism, it’s something she does to protect herself from all of the trauma she’s been through. It comes from constantly being hurt and let down by the people she’s loved. She always has had to defend and protect herself. She is independent, she doesn’t have anyone to fall back on and refuses to waste her time on men who just keep taking from her. Until a man can prove he is a provider and a safe place for her to be feminine, don’t expect her energy to change.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Kahlil Gibran

Many times, you can save a relationship by having a conversation. Swallow your pride. Communication kills assumption.

What you don’t heal in your singleness, will spread like a disease in your togetherness.

Give yourself time to heal. Don’t expect the next person to be a band aid for what the last person did.

Understand the value of a woman who prays for you.

Pride will have you missing out on something special.

Relationships take work. If you don’t like the job requirements, don’t even bother applying for a position.

It only takes a few seconds to hurt someone. But sometimes it takes years to repair the damage. Cherish the hearts that love you.

Walls keep everybody out. Boundaries teach people where the door is.

I think there comes a time when you meet someone and you just want to make them smile for the rest of your life.

The right attention from the wrong person during a lonely time can fool you into thinking they may be the one.

You will always find love draining if you date people you have to raise.

Watching someone you love evolve is like heaven in motion.

The most magnetic and attractive people are the ones who are honoring themselves and trusting the flow of life.

Being a good woman will not be appreciated by a man with bad intentions.

If they say they don’t want a relationship right now, that’s not an invitation to sit in their waiting room.

Relationships take work. If you don’t like the job requirements, then don’t even bother applying for a position.

“There are some people who could hear you speak a thousand words and still not understand you. And there are others who will understand without you even speaking a word.” Yasmin Mogahed

It’s like wi-fi or cell phones or radios … when “tuned” to the correct frequency, we can send and/or receive.

The hardest-learned lesson: that people have only their kind of love to give, not our kind. Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic’s Notebook, 1960

As we heal the chaos within ourselves, our world becomes more peaceful. Our reality is a reflection of everything inside of us and all that still needs to be healed.

I always say, never sleep with someone you wouldn’t want to be. – Lisa Chase Patterson

Correct each other in private. Defend each other in public, and keep your personal business off social media.

Social media: If you have to change your relationship status more than once in a short time, it should auto default to “unstable”.

“If you can take him from me, I’m good, he’s yours.” End of story.

“People are going to do what they are going to do.” For as much as it hurts, you have got to let it go or you will be in a very dark place for the rest of your life.

Behavior is a language!

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The Mind Unleashed: Pay attention to whom you share your intimate energy with. Intimacy at this level intertwines your aural energy with the aural energy of the other person. These powerful connections, regardless of how insignificant you think they are, leave spiritual debris, particularly within people who do not practice any type of cleansing, physical, emotional or otherwise. The more you interact intimately with someone, the deeper the connection and the more of their aura is intertwined with yours. Imagine the confused aura of someone who sleeps with multiple people and carries around these multiple energies? What they may not realize is that others can feel that energy which can repel positive energy and attract negative energy into your life.
Pamela Jones: My mentor/teacher taught me about this and cording a few years ago, it was quite eye opening
Jackie N. Rioux: I have mentioned several times the book Secret Survivors by Sue E Blume which details the after effects of sexual abuse in children. Obviously, this is an area that resonates with me with my own experiences and I am thankful that with energy work, particularly EC I have now let go of that past yet I am able to help others also overcome these traumas…
Mary Woodthorpe: Thank you, Jackie, for sharing this very important and usually swept under the carpet topic. I concur wholeheartedly, adding that the early sexualization of children is all built into this to deliberately confuse and degrade our values and society as a whole.

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Soul Ties
Here are a few signs that you have unhealthy soul ties with someone:
1- You are in a physically, and/or emotionally, and/or spiritually abusive relationship but you “feel” so attached to them that you refuse to cut off the connection and set boundaries with them.
2- You have left a relationship, (maybe long ago) but you think about them obsessively, (you can’t get them out of your mind).
3- Whenever you do anything…make a decision, have a conversation with someone etc., you “feel’ like this person is with you or watching you.
4- When you have #sex with someone else (hopefully your husband or wife), you can hardly keep yourself from visualizing the person you have a soul tie with.
5- You take on the negative traits of the person that your soul is tied to and carry their offenses whether or not you actually agree with them or not.
6- You defend your right to stay in a #relationship with the person (that your soul is tied to), even though it is negatively effecting or even destroying the important relationships in your life, (husband, wife, kids, leaders, etc.).
7- You have simultaneous experiences and/or “moods” as the person your soul is tied to. This can even include sickness, accidents, addictions etc.

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Jackie: A friend was getting married and asked for advice. The following is what I shared. I’ve been divorced twice. Didn’t follow #1, and learned the rest too late:

#1 Marry your best friend, and for the right reasons.
If you marry in puppy love, you’ll lead a dog’s life.
There WILL be a time when you think “What the heck have I done?”. That is when you learn true commitment, and that lust, convenience or ‘social obligations’ wont necessarily last.
God, family, career — in that order! Mary Kay Ash
Romance needs to be rekindled constantly. Always remember the reasons you fell in love in the first place.
Honesty, Trust, Acceptance, Compromise, Respect, Honor, BALANCE… you need them all!! Money can be fleeting and undependable, you will need the basic virtues, not money, to get you through the low times.
Keep the fights clean and the sex dirty. You marry each other, not your families. You have each other to live out your fantasies with, within reason, but that is your business LOL! 🙂
Say “I love you” at least once a day, and mean it when you say it. You both need to hear it, always. But you also need to love yourself first before expecting someone else to.
Back in the Victorian era, people courted for at least a year before marriage. There were good reasons for that. Iron out the quirks a bit first. You will have the rest of your lives together, no need to rush anything 🙂
Love is not gazing at each other, but looking outward in the same direction.
Don’t go to bed mad. If you are mad and must speak, holds hands, look each other in the eye, THEN speak. Take a time out, when possible, but set a time to reconnect.
FORGIVE yourself, and your partner. Forgetting is hard to do, but at least deal with it and let it go. Blaming bitterness serve no one.
Take responsibility for YOUR OWN mistakes. Let go of guilt for anything else.
Communication!!! The most common reason for marital failure is lack of communication.
You may be married, but keep your individuality as well. Molding into each other too much only makes you take each other for granted. Opposites attract, but can also repel. Differences can be what keeps the spark alive.
Hugs and flowers fix most things. When you want to run, that is probably when she needs hugs the most. Respect each others space as well though. Hugs and flowers also make nice random surprises for no reason at all 🙂
You still need time with your guy friends. Keep a regular date with them as well as dates with your wife. Let her have girl time too 🙂
When kids come into the picture, try Mr. Mom for a FULL day once in a while.
Everyone will want to give you advice. Take what works for YOU, keep some for later reference. TOSS THE REST! Judgmental and bitter people do not give good advice 🙁

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Jackie: It takes two to heal a relationship. Sometimes the relationship is no longer a safe place to be. I left a stagnant and emotionally abusive 10 year marriage and went through several years of family court hell because he resented me so much. We shared 4 children who suffered through the effects of a nasty divorce. Family Court shared the following bit of advice, which I have always cherished. Yes, I made poor choices in a marriage partner but that is not my children’s fault.
The best gifts you can give your children is a happy emotionally stable parent and knowing that divorce is not their fault at all. Take responsibility and accountability for your own words and actions. Your children need a mentally sound parent to guide them to be able to navigate their world growing up and to not repeat the dysfunctional relationship patterns. Heal yourself first!

“Minnesota Judge Has 200 Blunt Words for Divorcing Parents
By Judge Michael Haas, 2001:
“Your children have come into this world because of the two of you. Perhaps you made lousy choices as to whom you decided to be the other parent. If so, that is your problem and your fault.
“No matter what you think of the other party-or what your family thinks of the other party-these children are one-half of each of you. Remember that, because every time you tell your child what an ‘idiot’ his father is, or what a ‘fool’ his mother is, or how bad the absent parent is, or what terrible things that person has done, you are telling the child half of him is bad.
“That is an unforgivable thing to do to a child. That is not love. That is possession. If you do that to your children, you will destroy them as surely as if you had cut them into pieces because that what you are doing to their emotions.
“I sincerely hope that you do not do that to your children. Think more about your children and less about yourselves and make yours a selfless kind of love, not foolish or selfish, or your children will suffer.”

You’re a role model, and your children are watching you very, very closely. Showing your children that mom and dad can respect each other and resolve conflict respectfully will give them a good foundation for the conflict that arises in their own lives. Demonstrating respect involves a lot of non-verbal communication. Do your best to remain relaxed and focused, use a calm tone of voice and a concerned facial expression when tensions rise.

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Absolutely LOVE this, and it goes both ways!!

Wild Woman Sisterhood
A MESSAGE FOR MEN…
I get a lot of random messages on here from strange men asking what turns me on.
So, I thought I might just put it out there because I think I speak for a lot of women on this and I’m here to help.
Do you want to know what turns me on? What makes me burn for you?
What makes us breathless? What awakens every passionate instinct and unwraps every layer of fiery feminine sensuality?
Go to freaking therapy.
Do your inner work.
Heal yourself.
Lead yourself.
Be brave enough to get uncomfortable for the sake of wholeness and depth.
Be willing to build your emotional muscle so your arms are strong enough to hold the fire of an awakened woman.
Be open enough to lean into a level of depth you’ve never experienced.
Talk.
Be humble enough to admit that you don’t know everything.
Go deep.
Get real.
Stop hiding behind surface-level sex.
Evolve.
Confront what you need to confront so you can move forward without the shadow of your past.
Stop thinking that vulnerability is weakness. It takes a GIANT of a wild man to get vulnerable and it’s HOT.
Stop running from magic when it’s exactly what you need.
Stop telling yourself she’s too much when the reality is you’re just afraid to be enough.
Lead yourself so you can lead ME.
Believe that you can handle it. Act accordingly.
Be the safe space. The strong ground. The calm for her storm.
Do this and you’ll find your Goddess. Do this and you’ll be taken to a place of wholeness and ecstasy you didn’t know existed and likely wouldn’t have found on your own.
Do this… and you’ll be home.
P.S. Sisters -do the same or stop complaining.
Author: Gina Caruso Hussar

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Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger
There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese:
Thumb represents your Parents
Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings
Middle finger represents your-Self
Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner
the Last (Little) finger represents your children
Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together – back-to-back
Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb – tip to tip
Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents), they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings), they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.
Now join the Index fingers and separate your little fingers (representing your children), they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.
Finally, join your little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse).
You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT, because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives – through thick and thin!!

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Love is: Intimacy (not sex); hard work; pleasure; commitment; caring; honesty; responsibility; recognizing differences; friendship; sharing; strong feelings; closeness; communication; vulnerability; compromising; openness, respect; and trust.

Love is NOT: Jealousy; possessiveness; pain; violence; obsession; expecting all your needs to be met; being selfish; cruelty; getting pregnant; making someone pregnant; dependency; giving up yourself; intimidation; proving yourself; manipulation; scoring; sex.

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Jackie: Just my opinion:

The ultimate lessons in life are to learn to love, and to learn to be loved. When it comes to relationships with the opposite sex, it’s friendship on a whole different level. These days with the promiscuity of sex, it is possible to have meaningless, loveless ‘relationships’ based only on sex and lust. Some people even have relationships based on circumstances and loneliness rather than wanting to be there. Some people think “there’s lots of fish in the sea”, or “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. This is illusional thinking.

Sometimes in life we are lucky enough to meet someone that sends our whole world spinning. There is not only an attraction and spark, but also shared experiences–moments and memories that make being with that person special. It feels exhilarating, safe, and peaceful all at the same time. You look forward to talking to and being with that special person and this can make or break your whole day. Interaction with that special someone can stir up indescribable feelings inside that make you want to give anything to make that person happy, and to say and do anything that will express these feelings.

There are three powerful little words in the English language that sum up all these feelings. So powerful are these three little words that they should be reserved only for someone really special, and only when feelings come from the heart. The words: I love you.

‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’ 1 Cor. 13:4-7

Of all the great literary works in this world, this is the best description of unconditional love. In these days of so much lies and deceit, if you are ever fortunate enough to find this kind of unselfish, unconditional love; love that is not based on what a person has, or hasn’t got, whether it be a trait or something material, then you have found God’s most precious gift to man, and it should be cherished!

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8 Questions to Ask Your Potential Partner:
The people we spend time with have a huge influence on us, and shape us into who we are becoming.
If you want to intentionally design your life, that requires being very discerning about who you let into your life.
Asking someone “what they do” is the least interesting question.
1. What do you value? What do you care most deeply about?
2. Who is most important to you?
3. What inspires you? What ignites your soul to come alive? What is your greatest joy?
4. What do you love so much and so deeply it hurts?
5. What is the hardest thing you’ve been through and what did you learn from that experience? How did it help you grow?
6. How do you typically handle stress? (This question is especially important because life is stressful, and I want to know, how do you handle the pressure when the going gets tough?)
7. What was the cause of the ending of your last relationship? What did you learn from your last relationship?
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now? What’s your vision and what are you actively calling in and dreaming into?
Other questions include: do you have a mindfulness practice?
It’s also worth asking if they have a practice with plant medicine too.
Also…music is my love language – so send me your favorite tunes and we’ll see how we vibe!
These questions speak volumes about someone’s mind, heart and character.

While listening, also pay attention to:
Communication skills
How emotionally intelligent they are
How much clarity of values and vision they have
Growth mindset
Personal responsibility…
Will this person inspire me? Support me?
Hold me when the going gets tough?
Will this person walk alongside me with a kind heart on this journey we call life?
Is this someone I can grow with?
Are they committed to their growth?
And more.
What other questions do you like to ask potential partners?
Vet your people.
Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve.

All Hallows Eve is almost upon us. What’s your thoughts? Do you love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between?

Truth be told, I have never been fond of the ghoulish side of this holiday. I suppose I have had many different influences that have shaped my views over my years. Sure, I love chocolate and snacks, but that is as far as it goes. My body doesn’t need snacks, but my tastebuds enjoy some treats.

There have been many differing beliefs surrounding All Hallows Eve. Whether it started as a religious holiday, or a pagan holiday, there are many stories of origin that can be found. 

In years past, I participated in church youth group activities where we dressed in silly costumes. My preference was dressing up like angels or fairies – something “good and light”. I have an unapologetic aversion to the “dark and evil” side of it all. Some people go all out for haunted everything. Personally, from my own experiences and in working with trauma, I just have no attraction to any thing haunted or horrific in nature.

We had fun parties of watching comedy movies and enjoying lots of snacks. We went out to visit our neighbors and show off our creative costumes while collecting more snacks. It was, and is, a great time to catch up with neighbors!

Somewhere along the line, Halloween has become a more fearful holiday for some. We are instructed to check our children’s sugar laden stashes for potential threats to their health and well being such as drugs and dangerous pins etc. The opioid crisis is a huge concern. I am sure every one of us older folks know of at least one tragedy either personally or in the news. I personally know of at least 6 people that I had called friends who have died due to fentanyl overdose. These deaths were not associated with this holiday, but I mention this now because this is a major concern in the current news as I have seen.

My concern is about “the day of the dead”. Many people believe that the veil is thinner over this holiday. Passed loved ones and ancestors are more able to visit the earth plane during this time.

Several years ago, I read a book called Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. It is still a book I highly recommend today. I no longer have any fears of death or of “the other side”. This book is a non denominational look at many different cultural and societal beliefs, including the concept of a thinner veil at certain times and the visits of loved ones passed.

My thoughts are that the ghoulish side of All Hallows Eve is because many unhappy and not fully transitioned souls come through more so at this time. Personally, I find this very sad and I now have ways and means to assist them going to the light of Home into the Oneness of soul transition.

Other than some chocolate after sales, I no longer choose to participate in these festivities.

However, I do actively participate in sharing some of my thoughts for those who care to hear.

I do recognize that there is always another side to everything and everyone has their own chosen truth. My thoughts here are not to put any damper on anyone else’s beliefs of festivities and fun, but to share some thoughts and ideas that I have come to appreciate. I choose to align always with Divine Truth and this is where my views come from now. 

Here are some ideas you might like to adopt for your own festivities.

Fireworks: There is a lot of controversy over fireworks upsetting animals and nature vs. people just wanting to have fun with bright and noisy celebrations. Personally, I love fireworks. Unless someone is ignoring local noise bylaws and causing outright harm to others, I refuse to be the ninny neighbor to report to officials someone else’s celebrations. Law enforcement have enough on their hands on this particular night anyway.

Calming Technique: We cannot change what is outside of our own perception. You cannot change another person’s actions. Period. Better option is to take personal responsibility and accountability in addressing your own triggers and reactions to fireworks.
This calming technique can be used effectively for yourself and pets: https://ladybugwellness.ca/energy-balancing-for-animals/

For those who choose to have a fireworks celebration, I have seen some social media posts that give a warning/ invite to their neighbors. I think this is a wonderful idea so others can be prepared.

Pets: Please lock up any pet doors and keep pets inside. Too much commotion and noise outside can be very scary and upsetting for them. Keep them in a crate or other room if opening doors to visitors is a chance for escape. 

Decorations: I prefer to take a more environmental view of decorations and take into account my choices effects on others. They are a lot of really junky type decorations that can be had these days.
Are you supporting any company’s greed with your purchases? What materials are they made of? Are materials and items reusable or recyclable?   Everything holds energy. What kind of energetic vibration are you holding or encouraging with your choices.
Will wildlife be affected detrimentally? Spider type netting is quite popular, but this can be detrimental to small animals and birds that get caught up in it. Choose wisely. Solar lights can light up the yard for safety.

Jack o lanterns and pumpkins: Pumpkin seeds are a very healthy snack and carving pumpkins can be a lot of fun for littles. I share a “harvest loaves” recipe that is a family fave: https://ladybugwellness.ca/favorite-recipes/
For outdoor pumpkin decorations, consider rinsing with vinegar instead of bleach. Leftovers can then be donated to any local farms or wildlife rescues.

Costumes: I came from an era where we had plastic masks that hindered safe eyesight, tripping hazard lengthy materials, and if you live in the frozen tundra north like we do, costumes need to fit over a snowsuit! Going back to enviro concerns, there are so many greed riddled, one time use, poor quality choices to purchase.
Honestly, I find it much more fun to encourage a child’s creativity with some cardboard, tin foil, and other recyclable materials. Of course, there are some gifted parents who can sew costumes. (I have always admired those amazing people!!)
My kids were raised on a shoe string so their costumes were not always the talk of the town unfortunately.
My thoughts here go to just being aware of choices, keeping safe with fire retardant materials and visibility options, healthy choice make up for anything you put on your skin directly. Reuse a pillowcase or reusable shopping bag for gathering treats

Candy, SUGAR and treats: Every parent and teacher dreads the day after with children crawling the walls due to overburdened sugar highs. Not to mention some children are affected energetically with toxic dyes and additives prevalent in these treats.
There is plenty of caution out there to check your child’s stash before they indulge. Awareness is key. Please do watch the current news on any warnings. I recommend being aware, but not living in fear, is the best course of action.
At home, of course, we can make better snacks choices and ration their indulgence but the surprises of collecting a neighborhood haul is much more fun.
I have noticed in recent years that more and more parents are asking on social media posts where to find the richer neighborhoods to score potentially bigger hauls of snacks and fancy treats. Personally, I think this encourages greed in our children and burdens some neighborhoods with more than a fair share of visitors.
One thing I have learned many years ago that worked well for my kids, feed them something protein to combat the sugar high. Meat sources, nuts, bean casserole supper. Find something to fill tummies before or after candy snacks. Your sanity will thank you.

Please do encourage safety in bringing mittens, a flashlight, keep a granola bar handy for hungry tummies instead of reaching into an unchecked stash. If a parent is not able to take children out, make sure to have a trusted chaperone for your littles. Reflective strips on costumes are a great safety idea as well as a quick run down on safety measures while walking along dark streets.

Only go to homes where there are lights on. We have a family joke about an unnamed person we know who does not put a light on so if children go to that home, they get fast food condiment packages from the refrigerator stash. At least this is a humorous “trick”.

The biggest focus of this holiday really is about the ghosts and goblins and the idea of passed souls coming to visit during this heightened time of a thinner veil between the earth plane and the other side. Some beliefs encourage calling on the deceased “if you dare”.

Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? I know I am not the only one as I have seen and participated in many discussions on this topic.
What I prefer to do, and what I would like to encourage and invite you to join me in doing, is to recite Court of Atonement prayer type intentions for each and every passed loved one that you know of, and a “blanket” type intention for any other passed souls within a chosen parameter.

This will assist these unhappy souls in going Home to the Light which, I think, is the best way to celebrate for the Most Benevolent Outcome for all.

If you are open to the idea of loved ones coming to visit, remember that once they fully transcend, they can happily visit any time of the year. This can be quite comforting know that they are now our spirit guides. Using Court of Atonement intentions assists in clearing up all the unhappy energies so you can enjoy the good and light memories of loved ones. 

Please see this page for much more information in coping through the loss of loved ones: https://ladybugwellness.ca/managing-grief/

Please join me in reciting this Court of Atonement:

I, ____(your name)___ , place ___(passed loved ones name)__ along with all levels of consciousness, God, their guides and the entirety of their family lineages into a full court of atonement for the purpose of Soul Recognition, Traumatic Stress Resolution, Grief Recovery Resolution, Resolution of Ancestral Causes of Death, Resolution of Murder, Resolution of Shock, Resolution of Unfinished Business, Resolution of Karmic Debt and Life Lessons. I ask for positive resolutions and to make peace with the past. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy.

I, ____ (your name) ___, place ___ (passed loved one’s name) __ into a full court of atonement for the purpose of Requesting Assistance for Transcendence. I ask for positive resolutions and to make peace with the past. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy.

Note: In the second space where it says “passed loved one’s name” you can use variations:

“Any and all passed souls within 50 miles/ km of my location”.
“Any and all passed souls within___ (this property location)__”.

For a property location you can use the address of cemeteries, hospitals, churches, hospice homes, senior housing complexes, road intersections where there have been fatal accidents, any property you know of that has been deemed haunted, or any other locations and properties where there have been deaths. If you know of areas that have been battlegrounds or war torn areas, this would assist in clearing up that heavy energy as well. 

Recite this:
I, ____ (your name) ___, place ___ (this address/ this location)__ into a full court of atonement for the purpose of Location Security. I ask for to analyze the timeline of this location and to fully resolve any and all conflicts and resolve any and all reasons deaths have occurred at this location. I ask for positive resolutions and to make peace with the past. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy.

In energy healing modalities we call these unhappy disembodied souls’ “entities”, “ghosts”, or “energetic offensive energies”. These are all detrimental energies until they are cleansed and go to the Light of Home.
There really is no need to get into the various names of these offensive energies because focus on the names is more likely to call in the energy rather than to send it to the Light.
Remember: as you believe, so shall you experience.

I love recommending the Court of Atonement “Everything Ghosts” class. Disembodied spirits, just like any other passed souls, are multidimensional so they can be in many places at once. Meaning when we clear entity attachments from one person, we are not really getting to the root of the issue.
This class helps in understanding this concept and dealing with it effectively. See the Court of Atonement website to purchase this and other classes.

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One more point to add:
I have seen some social media posts suggesting that people are upset with “darkness” being associated with evil. While I can appreciate the concept of darkness also being a place of creation and birth in the case of gardener’s soil and a mother’s womb, I do not mingle these definitions.
A dictionary can have varying definitions of a single word. Yes, darkness can be a place of creation in that context. But I refuse to accept a different association when it comes to the definition of evil.

In this context, darkness means the opposite of good and light. It is associated with trauma, horror, deception, and most things scary, traumatizing and NOT good. I would venture to say that anyone who tries to twist that concept in any way has not fully birthed into the lightness of spiritual maturity.
No, this does not mean that I am any better in my thinking here, it just means that this is my own chosen truth.

October 2023: 
Court of Atonement from Amy Jo’s emails: 

I, _______, place myself, _______, into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of Soul Recognition, Heart Center Optimization, Optimization of Energy Encasements, and Optimization of Divine Life Force Energy Connections.

I am requesting Home Security.
I ask to evaluate my environment one mile in all directions.
I am Requesting Trancendance Assistance for anyone and everyone who needs it who is in my one-mile environment.
I am requesting Enhancing and Protecting Education for any and all schools in my one-mile environment.
I am requesting Resolution of Murder, Resolution of War, and Location Security for my one-mile environment. I am requesting Bless-ed Travels for all of the trick-or-treaters in my one-mile environment.

Hope you have a fun and enjoyable Halloween!

These are some techniques you can easily do for yourself, and even memorize to use any time you need them. Simple exercises you can do effectively without needing a whole lot of extensive training.

Please check the Ladybug Wellness YouTube channel for more videos coming to give you a visual example of these techniques: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5BqgHH_Jeva_mVdI7xo0qQ

Listed here are techniques for positivity and focus, jet lag, cravings, plus, a gift of a Reiki energy boost.

Court of Atonement
Always work on ourselves first: https://courtofatonement.com/work-on-ourselves-first/

More Court of Atonement information and link to purchase Amy Jo’s booklets: http://ladybugwellness.ca/court-of-atonement/
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REIKI ENERGY HEALING BOOST:
I have added two Reiki videos on the Ladybug Wellness YouTube channel. Just play these videos any time you would like a boost of Reiki healing energy. Sit back, Relax and Receive.

Reiki for General Well Being: https://youtu.be/5K6WqQIyt-A

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THOUGHT FIELD TAPPING TECHNIQUES

I highly recommend Dr. Roger Callahan’s book “Tapping the Healer Within”. This book has simple algorithms included, and are easy to learn for yourself. Tapping on energy meridians in a certain sequence works like opening a combination lock on your energy system to diffuse upsets and mental blocks.

Downloadable PDF of the Tapping Points:
http://ladybugwellness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Chart-of-Tapping-Points.pdf

Keeping our own energy in a positive state: We have an electrical system and our energy can actually flow “negatively”. These meridian points, tapped in sequence is like resetting the Morse Code messages of our physical body.

Brain Balance:
Tap on the point on the back of your hand between the bones that lead to the ring and pinky fingers. While tapping, do the following:
1. Close your eyes
2. Open your eyes
3. Look down to one side
4. Look down to the other side
5. Roll your eyes in a large clockwise circle
6. Roll your eyes in a large counterclockwise circle
7. Hum a tune
8. Count to five
9. Hum a tune

How it works: https://www.energypsych.org/blog/feeling-out-of-balance-try-this

The easiest and most effective technique for Positivity and Focus:

Ladybug Wellness Video: https://youtu.be/LZKHYZWh7rk

1. Tap or rub fleshy side of either left or right hand (below baby finger), just enough to stimulate some energy
2. Rub the upper LEFT side of your chest. This is my favorite point from all my training. It is called the ‘sore spot’ because it may be tender when you are sick. This is a lymphatic drainage system area that can encourage release of toxins. Rubbing this area will keep the body in a positive state which enhances healing and helps medicines do their job better as well.
3. Tap or rub under nose, again just enough to stimulate some energy

Also known as psychological reversal (PR) meridian points. In our courses we did this combination every half hour. Keeps the body in a positive state so it can heal itself.

We used this tapping sequence throughout course days to stay on task and focused.

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Tapping is a wonderful technique to teach children to cope through their feelings and upsets. Tapping can be taught as a fun form of play for younger children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s99M8eJV4sk

In using Thought Field Tapping Techniques, remember that the algorithm sequence is like a song with a chorus.
1. Assess your SUD (subjective units of distress). How big is the upset, from 0 being nothing to 10 being extremely upset.
2. Tap through the Majors, the algorithm sequence for that particular upset.
3. Tap through the 9 gamut sequence, which is the “chorus” of the algorithm
4. Tap through the Majors again.
5. Assess your SUD
6. Repeat steps 2 – 4 until your SUD is 0 or 1.

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This is the most common algorithm. If you memorize this one you can do a LOT. This is a quick exercise you can use to overcome any general “mental blocks”.
Tap gently but firmly a few times at each point, and repeat a few times as needed until craving or upset dissipates.

1. eyebrow close to nose,
2. under eye,
3. under arm,
4. collarbone.

Sing to Frere Jacques:

Eye arm collar
Eye arm collar
Phobias Phobias
Stress and Anxiety
Stress and Anxiety
Addictions, addictions

This means the Majors are eyebrow, under eye, under arm, and collarbone. This sequence can be used alone effectively, or within the whole algorithm sequence adding in the 9-gamut sequence chorus.

Use this exercise any time you are faced with fears, phobias, stress, anxiety, addictions, cravings, revulsion, or mental blocks. You can even use it in emergencies to relieve shock and stress, to be able to focus.

Algorithms for Cravings:

Give yourself a beginning number 10 being worst, 1 being fine. (Also called Subjective Units of Distress ‘SUD’ number)
Try one set of these ‘majors’ then do the 9-gamut sequence, then the majors again. If you don’t ‘drop’ at least two points in your number (10-1) after the doing the majors the first time, then tap side of hand, sore spot (left side chest) and under nose Also known as psychological reversal (PR) points before continuing.

Majors: choose one of these sequences:
1. under eye, under arm, collarbone
2. collarbone, under eye, collarbone
3. under arm, under eye, collarbone
4. under eye, collarbone, under arm, collarbone

9 gamut sequence:
Tap gamut spot on back of hand between ring and baby finger, up about an inch in the dip. Keeping tapping gamut spot while going through 1-9
1. close eyes
2. open eyes
3. look down in one direction
4. look down in the other direction
5. roll eyes around in one direction
6. roll eyes around in the other direction
7. hum a tune
8. count to 5
9. hum a tune

When you get to 1 or 0 in your number do the floor to ceiling eye roll holding head straight and rolling eyes along the floor, up the wall to the ceiling while tapping the gamut spot.
You can do the collarbone breathing twice a day, plus the PR points about 5 taps each throughout the day and your cravings will diminish tremendously.
This works for any addictions from chocolate, cheezies, cigarettes, right through to cocaine and heroin

When you crave a cigarette, try tapping side of hand, under eye, under arm, collarbone until the craving subsides. Most cases I have heard of with cigarettes, the cravings are GONE within about two weeks. No guilt if you don’t keep up with tapping regularly or if you continue to smoke through all this process. The main thing is putting in some effort 🙂

These are videos put together by my friend and mentor Dr Franzi Ng:

TFT power ritual: use for general overall algorithm which can be used for stress, anxiety, visualization… just a boost in the morning or any time. I used it before going for my exams.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkU1uY75U2Q

Introduction to collarbone breathing… confusing yet effective… used as a system reset for addictions, autism, OCD, ADHD, cravings and anything psychological.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAe1zptu_jc

Advanced collarbone breathing (once you get the hang of it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb2o3HVvvNA

First: All day, whenever you think of it… every half hour would be ideal:
Tap side of hand, rub upper left side chest, tap under nose. (Tap/rub about 5 times each) This gets your body into positive state so that everything else works.

No guilt if you don’t keep up with exactly every half hour, or 3 times a day tapping/ collarbone breathing. The main thing is putting in some effort 🙂

You do not have to believe in it for it to work because it works with your energy system… you only need to make the effort to do the tapping exercises ‘regularly’.

Collarbone breathing is like a system reset… helps your left and right brain communicate better, and brings your body into balance. (Also helps gets past the idea of ‘needing’ cigarettes or other habits).

Rub the upper LEFT side of the chest. This is my favorite point from all my training. It is called the ‘sore spot’ because it may be tender when you are sick. This is a lymphatic drainage system area and rubbing this area will keep the body in a positive state which enhances healing and helps medicines do their job better as well 🙂

The ‘trauma/grief/love pain with anger’ algorithm is:

Give yourself a SUD number,
Tap majors,
if SUD doesn’t drop at least two points tap the positivity points at top of page),
9 gamut sequence,
then majors again and eye roll once you get to 1 or 0.

Majors: eyebrow, under eye, under arm, collarbone, tiny finger, collarbone, under nose, outside of eye (crow’s feet), collarbone.

1. Tap side of hand (karate spot)
Rub LEFT side upper chest (all other tapping points can be either side)
Tap under nose

2. Tap under eye
Tap under arm (about half way on bra strap for a woman, in line with nipple for a man)
Tap collarbone point—Find spot where man would knot a tie… run fingers down one inch and over two inches. That is collarbone spot.

Jet Lag algorithm:

Give yourself a beginning number 10 being worst, 1 being fine. (Also called Subjective Units of Distress ‘SUD’ number)
(Tap majors, gamut sequence, majors again and eye roll)

Majors:
East to West: Under arm, collarbone
West to East: Under eye, collarbone

9 gamut sequence:
Tap gamut spot on back of hand between ring and baby finger, up about an inch in the dip. Keeping tapping gamut spot while going through 1-9
1. close eyes
2. open eyes
3. look down in one direction
4. look down in the other direction
5. roll eyes around in one direction
6. roll eyes around in the other direction
7. hum a tune
8. count to 5
9. hum a tune

Tap majors again

When you get to 1 or 0 in your number do the floor to ceiling eye roll holding head straight and rolling eyes along the floor, up the wall to the ceiling while tapping the gamut spot.

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Energetic Healing through the Vibration through Music:
https://ladybugwellness.ca/solfeggio-hertz-music-healing-frequencies/

For anyone interested in HZ frequencies, I like to play Solfeggio music often. Meditative Mind is one YouTube channel I like. This is a good explanation of Solfeggio frequencies:
Solfeggio frequencies are nine tones derived from numerology were used centuries ago. These frequencies are believed to create positive shifts to those in proximity to them.
✓ 174Hz Frequency is natural anesthetic. It relieves pain and gives your organs a sense of safety, love and security and encourages them to do their best.
✓ 285Hz Solfeggio Frequency – Heals and Regenerates Tissues, restructures damaged organs by sending message to tissues, Bringing them to original form.
✓ 396Hz Solfeggio Frequency gives Power to Your Goals. It eradicates feeling of guilt, even the guilt residing deep in subconscious mind
✓ 417Hz Solfeggio Frequency Removes Negative Energy from the Body, Home and Office
✓ 528Hz Solfeggio Frequency Music returns human DNA to its original, perfect state. It brings transformation and miracles into your life.
✓ 639 Hz frequency enables creation of harmonious interpersonal relationships. This tone can be used for dealing with relationships problems – those in family, between partners, friends.
✓ 741Hz Frequency Cleans the Cells and Detoxifies the cells and organs
✓ 852Hz Solfeggio Frequency Awakens Inner Strength and Raises Cell Energy
✓ 963Hz Frequency helps in Pineal Gland Activation and is associated with awakening intuition.

For a fun visual, check out this video of Cymatics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3oItpVa9fs

Good article: Why Do We Need Sleep?
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep

Before the advent of fluorescent lights, our bodies were used to natural diurnal cycles and sleep patterns. Humans, on average, require a good solid 8 hours of sleep per night. Shift work schedules, life’s responsibilities, and every day stresses can affect our restorative sleep patterns. Thankfully there are energy balancing techniques you can do for yourself to break non beneficial patterns and to promote a good night’s rest.

Sleep is kind of like the body’s defrag time. We set up a regular defrag schedule on our computers to clean out and reorganize files. In order to function properly, our bodies need a similar process nightly to clean out old cells through a process called apoptosis. When the body can actually rest and be still for several hours, the body can start to repair itself as well.

You can find all sorts of scientific articles and studies showing the detriments of poor unsettled sleep. Yet many people suffer from recurring nightmares, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome to name just a few issues that create these poor sleep patterns. How do we even start to address this issue so everyone can get some much-needed rest and healing time?

First off, an understanding of sleep cycles is beneficial. Our sleep cycle is called the circadian rhythm. It is part of our diurnal cycles, meaning day and night cycles. The REM (Rapid Eye Movement) part of the sleep cycle is what we might call dream time. Through the course of our sleeping hours, our body goes through several 90-minute cycles.

There are also levels of sleep consciousness like Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Theta. Theta is that half-awake, half-asleep state of mind just when we are falling asleep or just waking up. In energetic consciousness exercises, this Theta state is proposed to be when the mind is most spiritually conscious and this is the best time for manifestation techniques.

Quite often you’ll learn about famous writers who seemed to come up with their best writings and poetry during the night. It is always recommended to keep a pen and pad of paper beside your bed to catch these Theta state ideas and to record dream details for analysis later on. Our subconscious mind can often relay important messages through dream time.

Taking this Theta state of mind into consideration, I find that this is the best time to set intentions for our sleep and for our next days or future goals.
Energy balancing techniques are essential to induce a good sleep each night and to create more beneficial sleep patterns over the long term.

Many psychoanalysts recommend preparing for sleep time with variations of theories regarding no food, work, or screen time within certain hours before sleep. While these theories support the idea of turning off stimulants before sleep time, I personally do not find this effective overall for myself. Whether this is considered bad habits or stubborn rebellion, I just find that my energy balancing techniques have been much more effective for myself and my clients. What can I say? I am all for life hacks and easy override type techniques!

Chinese medicine theories suggest that there are specific bodily functions throughout the daily 24 hours cycle that focus on healing and repairing the body. Kidneys, lungs, and liver at addressed during night time hours when we should be sleeping. So, it is super important to allow our bodies to heal proper with sufficient rest.

Excellent article from Medical Medium regarding sleep:
https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/insomnia-sleep-issues

Need some assistance? Are you new to energy balancing techniques? Check out my mini energy clearing videos here: 
There are some FCOAs, brain reset, energetic boosts, and of course, a sleep intention as well. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg7kqRypaKAFR1yZ-MVRcOOFftVTzF2fD

Here are some exercises you can do for yourself to assist in creating a more restful nighttime:

Court of Atonement for Sleep from Amy Jo’s website: https://amyjoellis.com/2020/01/26/sleep/

I, ___________ place myself, ___________ into a Full Court of Atonement with myself, __________ for the purpose of creating blissful, restorative sleep. I ask myself to place all of my concerns into a Full Court of Atonement to be solved by God (or your terminology for Higher Power Source). I ask for the best resolution of all pressing matters. I ask myself to trust in the good of people, I ask myself to trust in the abundance of God. I ask myself trust in my ability to solve my problems. I ask myself to wake up with the answers to my prayers. All is well. All is as it should be. I am safe to sleep soundly and wake up refreshed.

Years ago, a mentor explained to me that our souls do a lot of soul work during our sleep time. With this in mind, this is a Court of Atonement call I put together myself and have found it quite effective in ensuring a good night’s rest. Just make sure to add the last line intention to wake up refreshed. The very first time I tried this particular intention, I slept 10 hours and woke up feeling like a steam roller had backed over me. I have no idea what soul work I was doing that night, but it sure shifted some energy!! Since adding the wake-up refreshed addendum, I have had deep restorative sleeps continuously and have woken up energized and ready for my day.

I, ___________ place myself, ___________ into a Full Court of Atonement with myself, __________ for the purpose of having full access to the Full Court of Atonement during my dream time soul travel for any issues and situations affecting me right now. I ask to resolve any and all conflicts with a restful sleep. I ask to wake up refreshed and energized at an appropriate time and to be ready to face my day.

Why I find that the above FCOA works so well for sleep:
I have learned that when we sleep and our souls do soul work, it is because this is the time we are closest to “the other side” on a soul level visiting with passed loved ones etc.
With that in mind, often disturbed sleep is because our subconscious mind is sending messages through dreams. This is also when we may feel, sense, visualize, or imagine a presence around us. Whether you want to call this a soul visit or bogeyman is up to your own beliefs.
I may be very intuitive, but honestly, I am not fond of night time visitors.
Another thing to know is that those on “the other side” do not have access to the Court of Atonement or other energy healing modalities, so they come to us as our human form to ask for assistance.
With this understanding, I am certain this is why my FCOA above works so well to ensure I have a peaceful undisturbed rest all night.

You can rephrase the above FCOA:
I, ___________ place myself, ___________ into a Full Court of Atonement with myself, __________ for the purpose of having full access to the Full Court of Atonement during my dream time soul travel for any issues and situations affecting me or any other souls needing assistance. I ask to resolve any and all conflicts with a restful sleep. I ask to wake up refreshed and energized at an appropriate time and to be ready to face my day.

I find that phrasing my bedtime FCOAs to assist others clears up a lot of energy around me and quite often the previous days troubles are completely resolved by morning and no longer bothering me at all.

Have you heard of MEDBEDS? Unfortunately, I do not have a good video to explain this amazing future dated healing opportunity.

I’ll share my own technique I have been using recently until MedBeds are widely available. Considering that we do soul work while sleeping at night and sleep time is healing time. Using this idea, I have been saying this before going to sleep:

“I, _________, place myself _______ into a full court of atonement for the purpose of having full access to the full court of atonement and any other beneficial healing modalities during my dream time soul travel, for myself and anyone else, or any other situations in my awareness that need healing.
I place myself into an energetic MedBed, with all the benefits available to me during my dream time soul travel”.

There have been times I have had trouble sleeping and not falling asleep until the wee hours of the morning. I continue with saying these prayer intentions, but I also ask to “amplify the quality of my sleep, and to condense my needed physical sleep time into the hours I have left until waking up at a decent hour in the morning”. This intention seems to work well even after just a few hours sleep.

Unsettling dreams: Personally, I lived with recurring nightmares and all sorts of nasties for over 20 years of my life. With all my energy work healing, I hardly ever dream anymore unless my subconscious is trying to message me somehow.

Sometimes when I get unsettling dreams and wake up in a super confused state, I say this right away:

“I, ___________ place myself, ___________ into a Full Court of Atonement with these dreams and all unhealed aspects of myself creating these dreams for the purpose of resolving any and all conflicts across all my timelines and dimensions, in the highest and best way”.

Psychologically, there is something about looking out the window to the bright daylight that can help reset and calm your brain from unsettling dreams as well.

Amy Jo’s Sleep Speed Call: I, ___________ place myself, ___________ into a Full Court of Atonement with myself, __________ for the purpose of A Good Night’s Sleep”

More Court of Atonement information and link to purchase Amy Jo’s booklets: http://ladybugwellness.ca/court-of-atonement/

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Tapping is a wonderful technique to learn and memorize to cope through stresses and to reduce upsets.

In using Thought Field Tapping Techniques, remember that the algorithm sequence is like a song with a chorus.
1. Assess your SUD (subjective units of distress). How big is the upset, from 0 being nothing to 10 being extremely upset.
2. Tap through the Majors, the algorithm sequence for that particular upset.
3. Tap through the 9 gamut sequence, which is the “chorus” of the algorithm
4. Tap through the Majors again.
5. Assess your SUD
6. Repeat steps 2 – 4 until your SUD is 0 or 1.

More tapping information here: https://ladybugwellness.ca/11-2/

Sleep algorithms:

These are tapping sequences to induce restful sleep.

These would be the MAJORS. Choose one and try it alone, or with the 9 gamut sequence. Do majors (1 OR 2), then 9 gamut sequence, then majors again.

1. A fellow practitioner recommended the following sequence for not sleeping: sh-oe-c-eb-ue-a-c- 9g- sq
Side of hand, outside of eye, collarbone, eyebrow, under eye, under arm, collarbone

2. Side of hand, Eyebrow, under eye, under arm, collarbone, under eye, collarbone.

(Apparently OE (outside of eye) can be included in the sleep algorithm if “bruxing” (clenching and grinding teeth) is involved).

3. Side of Hand – sore spot (left side upper chest) – under nose (do these ones at least 15 times) then side of hand, under eye, tiny finger, collarbone

9 gamut sequence:
Tap gamut spot on back of hand between ring and baby finger, up about an inch in the dip. Keeping tapping gamut spot while going through 1-9
1. close eyes
2. open eyes
3. look down in one direction
4. look down in the other direction
5. roll eyes around in one direction
6. roll eyes around in the other direction
7. hum a tune
8. count to 5
9. hum a tune
When you get to 1 or 0 in your number do the floor to ceiling eye roll holding head straight and rolling eyes along the floor, up the wall to the ceiling while tapping the gamut spot.

Andrew Surgeon March 20 2024
Super Quick Bedtime Protective Meditation – 5mins
Finding Stillness in the Evening Hours
As the day comes to a close and the world begins to quiet down, bedtime presents the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with our inner selves.
A super quick bedtime meditation allows us to release the stresses of the day, quiet the mind, and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. By incorporating spiritual protection techniques into our bedtime routine, we can create a safe and sacred space for healing and rejuvenation.
The Power of Spiritual Protection
Spiritual protection is an essential practice for maintaining energetic balance and warding off negative influences.
Just as we lock our doors at night to protect our physical space, spiritual protection techniques help safeguard our energetic boundaries and shield us from harmful energies or entities.
By invoking spiritual protection before sleep, we can create a sense of peace, safety, and security that allows us to rest deeply and wake up feeling refreshed.
Join us as we explore a simple yet effective bedtime meditation technique designed to offer spiritual protection, accompanied by soothing backing music composed by the talented Andy Ross.
Check out the bedtime meditation on our website:
https://andy-porter.co.uk/audio-downloads-meditations/

I love road trips. Tunes and the open highway. I call it my Highway Zen!

I have been on countless road trips all over British Columbia Canada so I will highlight my travel suggestions. I travelled with four kids for many trips and many more alone.

I realized in going back through social media posts and answers that I have had lots to contribute to discussions on road trips and local sights to take in. I decided to round up a bunch of my information and put it together here for you. I have gathered a few flight destination travel tips as well.

First important tip:
Intend for peaceful travel:

I, _ (your name) ___, place myself, my vehicle and my passengers/ travel companions into a Full Court Of Atonement for the purpose of Bless-ed Travel. I ask to analyze our timelines, and to correct any and all conflicts. I ask for amenable dissolution of these energies.

In no particular order, enjoy:

First off, get BCAA membership or some other roadside assistance. Peace of mind for any unexpected mishaps is invaluable. BCAA has been a godsend for me a few times as they have rescued me in some memorable predicaments. Bonus is the discounts you can get for attractions and accommodations. Consider that the cost of a year membership is much less than the cost of one emergency call. I highly recommend BCAA.
Its worth it. I’ve had it since 1998. It’s how I’ve done so many road trips with my kids.

Summer 2023: Friends don’t let friends miss out on a good deal. I’m a BCAA Member and want to share this great offer with you. If you join BCAA, you can save $20 on a new BCAA Membership and I get $20 CAA Dollars. It’s a win/win for both of us!
To get this special offer, you will need to provide my Membership information:
Membership number: 620 273 3502570 012
Full Name: Jackie Rioux
Phone Number: 250.961.6190
For more information, visit bcaa.com/frienddiscount

Next, get the BCAA Travel books for the area you are traveling. They have all sorts of “must see” attractions and everything a traveler needs for recommendations and ideas.
Several times on road trips it was thanks to a recommendation or idea in their travel guide that I found some hidden gems and huge memory treasures.
We have found such hidden gems as Craigdaroch castle, wax museum, royal museum, bug zoo, and miniature world
in Victoria BC; Telephone museum, Fort Edmonton historical site, and Muttart Gardens Conservatory in Edmonton. Calgary had a fairy garden and a dinosaur adventure playground. Just get the travel book. You never know what you will find that may be of interest, and often there are discounts for admission fees.

Packing Lists for every adventure: https://www.mec.ca/en/explore/mec-packing-lists

The 11 essentials for backpacking
1. Navigation
2. Nutrition
3. Hydration
4. Sun protection
5. Insulation
6. Illumination
7. First-aid supplies
8. Fire starter
9. Repair kit and tools
10. Emergency shelter
11. Communication device

Parks Canada link with a ton of excellent info here: https://parks.canada.ca/voyage-travel/experiences/sports/randonnee-hiking

BCAA Refer a friend. Give my name and membership number when signing up and receive discount. #620 273 3502570 012 https://www.bcaa.com/membership/rd/refer-a-friend

So much information is online these days. In years past, I wrote to tourist information centres in the areas I planned on traveling. They often sent out maps, brochures, local gems to discover, and oftentimes promotion coupons. Search tourist info websites to find updated information for the areas in which you are traveling.
Edmonton Mall: Go to admin office and see if they have coupon books available. If you know someone in the areas you’re traveling, check if there are local charity groups fundraising with coupon books as well.

Best Trails in Prince George https://www.alltrails.com/canada/british-columbia/prince-george

WITHIN REACH: WATERFALLS AROUND PRINCE GEORGE https://tourismpg.com/2021/06/15/within-reach-waterfalls-around-prince-george/

Prince George-area waterfalls you need to check out before summer is over: https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/prince-george-area-waterfalls-you-need-to-check-out-before-summer-is-over-1651781

Go to The Exploration Place Museum & Science Centre (Prince George or your local museum science centre) and get a year family pass. They have a list of all the museums and science centres across Canada you can get into with their reciprocal agreement. We used this pass for admission to places in Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, and Calgary. Well worth it and we found some hidden gems this way as well. The Vancouver science center and planetarium are great attractions and have IMAX theatres. We enjoyed 3D movies.

The Star Theatre in the Vancouver Planetarium is an “astronomical wondrous show” set to music.
In Edmonton we got to see the Body Worlds exhibit, the Human Body exhibit and my daughter spent hours in the Crime Scene lab exhibit.

https://www.canadiansciencecentres.ca/Reciprocal-Agreement

British Columbia license plates say “Beautiful BC”. We have the Rockies, and the most amazing nature and wildlife you will ever see. These are my favorite photographers to follow for spectacular photography across our region. Google search each of them and enjoy their incredible talents.

Brandon Broderick Photography: I have his Skeena II book of photos across the Pacific Northwest. So many magnificent captures around my home town Terrace. In 2022 Brandon moved to Tumbler Ridge and now shares many phots from that area.

Collin Ball, C Ball Exposed: Located in Tumbler Ridge BC, Collin shares many hiking photos that showcase spectacular scenery

Pat Suter, Picture at a Time Photography. Pat is actually a former postal co-worker. Now retired, you will find her at many small business and craft sales with a selection of greeting cards and framed photography.

Chuck Chin was an iconic Prince George photographer. He was often at local events capturing moments with local residents. There is a legacy selection of incredible photo shots of local bridges, wildlife, sunsets, and anything else that can bring a smile. Many of his photos can be found in local business establishments and our Prince George YXS airport. There is a memorial bench located in Cottonwood Park dedicated to Chuck. This bench has a view overlooking the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers.

More cost effective saving tips for road trips:
We camped in RV parks. Slept in our vehicle or tents then had showers in the morning. Much less expensive than hotels. Check restrictions on vehicles and campfires where ever you decide to stay.
Check hotels for breakfast and parking included benefits as well as pools and other attractions. (In my older age I appreciate hotels and a nice bed to sleep in with hot showers).

Pack light with emergency extras for everyone in the vehicle and travel partners. Blankets, snacks, etc.

After three times going up Mount Robson, the best advice was packing light and taking along light travel slippers to wear when boots came off for the night.

You can get water purifier products if you are hiking along a river rather than carrying so much water at once.
Invest in good footwear for hiking. Your body and feet will appreciate you in years to come. On that note. My eldest daughter Chantelle is manager at Walk Rite shoes in Prince George BC. You can order great footwear online:  https://walkriteshoes.com/

If you hike in winter, make sure to dress in layers. Find wool and Thinsulate clothing, socks, and gloves. There are hand and feet warmer sachets you can use for extended periods out in the cold, just remember the number 1 rule out in the bush is “pack it in, pack in out” meaning clean up after yourself to keep our environment clear of human trash.

Bring along ice cleats for your feet. In all my experience as a mail carrier, I loved the titanium spike type of ice cleats. Do not get the coil type. We had the coil type at work years ago and there were some serious enough injuries that they were banned from our available gear. The rubber wears and breaks, and the coil flings out causing falls and injuries. Get the titanium nail type instead and stay safe.

I save the hassle and just travel light with a carryon luggage when going to a warm place. A friend that ran tourist charters suggested to her customers to travel with minimal clothing, and pack a collapsible extra luggage piece, if you plan to shop as you will find all sorts of new clothing and souvenirs. This has proven to be a wonderful bit of advice through all my vacations. Carry on size luggage fits overhead. Pay luggage fees only one way.

I knew a very well dressed lady years ago. When asked her secret to her eclectic designer wardrobe, she admitted that she shops thrift stores in any areas she visits. Every area has their own culture and fashion choices. You can find some amazing deals and some one of a kind items using this fruitful bit of travel advice.

Going on a cruise? Remember to pack a multi outlet extension or power strip as most rooms are tiny and have limited outlets for your phone and other electrical items. Do check safety ratings and precautions!
Find out their electrical system and see if you need adaptor or just a electrical outlet extender (3 in 1 kind). Another thing travellers pay dearly for en route.

Have you heard of the Flashfood app? I personally have very limited apps, so you know this is a good one if I recommend it! This is a discount item app from Superstore and affiliate grocery stores. Download app and set up. We check this app several times a day for new additions.
Use my code to receive a discount on your first $10 order: JACKXSZV
Order items, complete purchase, go to customer service for your items, and walk out. That’s it! Quick and easy!
We have filled our cupboards and freezers with items off Flashfood.
Great for traveling on a budget as well. Superstore was directly across from our hotel on one trip. We found all sorts of nourishment, snacks, and treats for grandkids visit.

A mini first aid kit of basic meds. The worst is getting a sore throat, runs, or headache and having to buy them en route. They ding you expensively because you will pay for it in emergency. Best be prepared. Pack simple medications for any trips. This is one area that tourist places cash in on costs. If you get sick while traveling, you’ll probably pay anything to feel better. Gravol/ motion sickness, Pepto Bismol/ antacid, throat lozenges. What else might you use? If traveling by air, be sure to find meds in tablet form rather than liquids.
Bandages, wash cloths, ear plugs, safety pins, hair pins, zap straps, bug spray/ cream, and duct tape are good ideas as well for emergency kits.

Empty light weight water bottle that you can fill on the other side of security. Another travel cash grab when you have to buy drink fluids. An empty soda bottle works well enough and is disposable if necessary.

I always taught my kids to keep a swim suit in their travel bag at all times. You never know when it will come in handy. Expensive and inconvenient to find far from home. A lightweight cotton shirt, dress, shorts is great for emergency wear in your carryon luggage. Oh and extra underwear. Too many stories of lost luggage. Prepare for the worst but expect the best.

To pack luggage, roll items instead of folding. Takes less space and can minimize wrinkled clothes as well.

Travel size containers for facial creams etc is best for traveling rather than lugging around full size that adds to weight and airline liquids restrictions. Secure in a plastic zipper bag to avoid potential leakage issues.

Entertainment: If you find yourself in waiting rooms, lounge areas etc, I love to pack one lightweight book to read, then several PDF type on my phone. On road trips, I love to take in scenery while driving but books are great to have if you’re a passenger and it is dark out. If you’re bringing a tablet, stock it with Ebooks. I prefer a device that handles generic type files rather than a proprietary app where only their files can be read.

Air travel: bring your own headphones, another little added expense otherwise if you plug into in-flight movies.

Look for real vanilla on tropical trips. Look up casein vanilla flavor… you’ll never buy fake vanilla again.

Get out your maps and search engines and check out these places for the scenery and attractions I recommend here.

Terrace BC, where I grew up:

Terrace’s mascot is the Kermode Bear otherwise known as the Spirit Bear. It is not an albino, but a unique gene black bear. Good luck finding them to see a real one. They’ll show up when they feel like it. There are taxidermy stuffed Kermodes at the visitor center and at the airport. Look up the story behind “Gimpy”, the Kermode.

While at the tourist center, look out the front door over the city to see Sleeping Beauty Mountain in the distance.

A hidden secret gem is Bert’s Deli where you can get lunch then sit in Library Park across the street. Many Terracites have fond memories of childhood visits to Bert’s Deli.

At the Tourist Centre and get a map of the Nass Valley lava beds area. There are 14 scenic stops from Kalum Drive all the way up to Kincolith/ Gingolx, a little village on the ocean. You can explore the entire Nisqa’a Highway with a regular car too. The highway is paved, but there are two 16% hills between Greenville and Kincolith. There are scenic waterfalls, lava bed hike, and an amazing modern museum of cultural arts. One of the villages has a suspension bridge you can walk across and there are places you can view local salmon fishing. Even though this area is only 90 km from Terrace, be sure to allow a whole day for this adventure alone.
https://www.nisgaanation.ca/lava-bed-park

If you are a winter sport lover, check out Shames mountain ski resort. When I was growing up, there was a place called Kitsumkalum where I took some skiing lessons. Unfortunately after I had some mishaps with a tree and a snow bank on the bunny run, I never continued with a passion for skiing.

Summer time is a great time for mushroom picking. Pine mushrooms are a delicacy and can bring in some good cash returns. I recommend finding a local guide if possible. Personally, I loved just frying up mushrooms with garlic and butter.

Kleanza Creek has a moderate nature hike and is also a campground.
Bornite Mountain is where I went on an all day hike with my high school class then later years went on some driving adventures as well.
Summer time attraction: Riverboat Days parade and festivities.

Lakelse Lake is in between Terrace and Kitimat and has a few different beaches worth checking out.
Lakelse Lake entry has the best water for swimming with a gravel and sand type shoreline.
Furlong Bay has an adventure park climbing area, camping spots, and a boat launch. If you go out a few feet into the water, there is a floor of squishy greenery that not everyone appreciates lol.
Grouchies beach is a fair bit of a hike in to the secluded beach. A friend published a story in a local Terrace book about our adventure camping there before it became a provincial park. We had an interesting night thinking there was a bear in the area, then falling asleep on the beach and waking with quite a memorable red tan.

Also look for Pine Lake, Red Sands Lake, Kitselas Canyon for some more scenic areas to visit.

Kitimat BC.
Tour the Alcan aluminum smelter.
Dip your feet in the Pacific ocean.
Look at a overall map of Kitimat. It drove me crazy driving around in circles eons ago until I realized that the streets are actually laid out in a design that is easy to follow. A big square with a whole bunch of cul-de-sacs.
Summer time attraction: Drag races on the hill into town.
Boating enthusiasts: Wewanne hotsprings is down Douglas channel. This Channel is also where I took my junior open water scuba diving lessons and caught King Crab dinners on the boat.

Prince Rupert BC:
Dip your feet in the Pacific Ocean.
Cow Bay along the Oceanside: Get a cow-puccino at the cafe.
Take in a walk on the wharf. Be sure to stay for the sunsets.
Check local tourist center and ask about boat tours. We went on a Navy ship tour years ago.
Work Channel is also a place I went scuba diving as a teenager.
Dolly’s and Smile’s are the best local seafood diners. We met the local BC band Trooper in Smiles back in 1986. They have a song about the Rainy City.
Manicured sunken gardens behind the government building.
Museum has extensive cultural arts and historical items.
If you like history, drive in to Port Edward and visit the North Pacific Cannery. It’s a very interesting historical site.

Book a vacation on the Port Hardy ferry to Vancouver Island.

Book a vacation to Haida Gwaii islands on the Hecate Strait ferry. (Locals call it “hectic straight”. Best to book night ferry and sleep through. Bring tummy relief and motion sickness meds).
Attractions:
Miles of rocky, seaweed filled beaches with all sorts of shells and barnacle rocks.
The “Blow Hole” hike.
Legend of the Golden Spruce Tree.
Look for sitka deer on the roadsides. They are the size of a dog!
There is only about 80 KM of highways through the whole island.

Trout Creek BC on road trips we used to always say “don’t blink or you’ll miss it! It was just a general store and a hotel on the side of the highway. Unfortunately burned down at some point.

Cedarvale BC: There is a cafe on the side of the highway that has changed ownship many times over the years but has always had a great reputation for good food. Many childhood memories of Sunday drives and supper after church here.
Also look for “SH*T” mountain outside Cedarvale. Yes, you can see that actual word in the snow contrast with trees on a huge mountain side.

Kitwanga BC/ Gitwangak: Turn in here for gas, meals, and a scenic tour of totem poles.
Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic Site is a nice hike.
This is also a highway up to Stewart BC. The 9-hour drive is rampant with beautiful waterfalls and glaciers like you have never seen.
Bear Glacier is a memorable sight by Meziadan BC.
If you cross the US border, you can get “Hyderized” in Hyder Alaska.

Look for Seven Sisters Mountain range outside the Hazeltons villages.

Check out Hagwilget Canyon Bridge and get the story behind that bridge!
Make time to tour the Ksan Historical Village and Museum

Smithers BC: my birthplace.
We lived here up until I was 3 years old then moved to Terrace.
This has been a small, mostly Dutch, community. The saying I used to hear all the time was “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much”.

There are quaint shops and an alpine scenic themed downtown core.
There is a nice hike up to a scenic view of the “Twin Falls”.
There is a turn off near a bridge outside of Smithers to go to the Driftwood Canyon Fossil Park.
On road trips, we would pass through Smithers and mom would point up to the forestry lookout on Hankin Mountain. This is where I was conceived in the Summer of ’66. I love bugging mom about that tidbit now that I am all grown up lol.

Telkwa BC: this is a tiny blip on the map 11 km outside of Smithers. There is a “Telkwa High Road” area where you can see locals salmon fishing.

Houston BC has the world’s largest fishing rod.

The highway from Prince George BC to Terrace BC is 573 km. I have traveled that highway numerous times through my life. Generally, this trip takes about 6 hours driving. In 2016 I took some Aussie friends on a road trip and we took 12 hours because we stopped at every scenic and historical site along the way.
Take your time through this area, you’ll see why I am a mountain girl! There are mountains, rivers, waterfalls, extensive forests and wildlife. Our license plates say “Beautiful British Columbia”

By the way, yes, this Highway 16 corridor is called the “Highway of Tears”. There are all sorts of signs deterring the idea of hitch hiking. I know some of the names on the missing persons list. Stay safe!

Train option: There is a scenic passage from Prince George to Prince Rupert, generally a 10-hour trip.

The Prince George to Jasper train passage is apparently absolutely breath taking as well. This one still on my bucket list.

From Prince George traveling East you will pass the “Prince George Regional Correctional Facility”, also locally known as the “Prince George Hilton” as inmates get “3 hots and a cot” during their long-term residency there. This location was used for filming the “Reindeer Games” movie many years ago.

From Prince George to McBride, there are no other towns for 2.5 hours drive. Summer driving is gorgeous scenery with all the mountains and trees. Take care when driving in the winter. This is one stretch of highway I found a fair bit intimidating in white out conditions as the highway has deep sides. This is also a stretch where wildlife such as moose, deer, and bears can seemingly come out of nowhere, up onto the highway into traffic. Dawn and Dusk are times to be particularly vigilant.

In McBride, we always stop at Killin Restaurant close to the bridge for the best Chinese food.

Just past McBride, watch for signs to Dunster BC, a small community where the Robson Valley Music Festival is held.

There is a turn off to Valemount BC just before Mount Robson Park area. Just across the bridge on the left side there is a tourist centre and a park. Years ago, we went here to view the salmon run, before it was all turned into a park area. We were able to walk the unregulated trail all the way down the side of this river. As you can well imagine, this area became too popular and restrictions were needed to protect the fish spawning habitat. There are now many informative signs explaining the salmon run. There are now fences and viewing platforms as well. Definitely make this a bucket list visit if you are in the area! The best time to view the salmon run is later in August.

Mount Robson area:
Make allowance for an extra night or two to spend in Robson, Jasper or somewhere through ice fields.
Look up these attractions:
Zip line
Columbia Icefields
Lake Louise: There is a hotel and a whole tourist area for this iconic lake in the Rockies.
Glaciers view points

Bring a camera! This is what I call Highway Zen to God’s country, Mount Robson. I am sure my heart strings are tied here. This Rocky Mountain is 3 hours from Prince George. Go one more hour to Jasper. I have often said that if Mount Robson is in your rear-view mirror, you’re going the wrong direction.

Watch for Rearguard Falls on your right just before getting into Mount Robson area. This is a short but steep hike down to a fenced viewing area of the Rearguard Falls. In late August you can see some salmon spawning and jumping through the rapids. You may also see white water rafting participants take a break to walk through the forested area to get to the other side of these Level 5 rapids.
We did Robson White Water Rafting adventure a few times thru the Valemount office. You can buy a USB with pics after your trip. We also did the morning float down the calmer part of the river. This is a nice fairly peaceful ride that is great for all ages and more gorgeous scenery.

Watch for the small field area on your right-hand side where you will find Terry Fox Mountain and others in a mountain range. You can view through telescopes provided at the location. There are informative bulletin boards that explain the stories and the icons of the area. In summer time, you may find a mobile ice cream stand or other food trucks.

At the Mount Robson visitor center area, you will find a restaurant and gift shop. Inside the visitor center, you can go downstairs to watch introductory informative videos about the area. These videos are a required to watch if you plan on hiking the Berg Lake trail.
The Berg Lake trailhead is at the end of the road behind the visitor centre. You can view the glacial river here and go to Kinney Lake for a day hike. Only 7km and not too strenuous. Well worth it.
The hike to Kinney Lake is not too difficult but it is definitely a few hours round trip. It is short but very steep in some sections. There are a few places that are more than 45-degree angles. The first part is pretty rocky and uneven too.
Go on the hike early so you can park your car in the parking lot rather than further down the road.

Overlander Falls is just after visitor centre on the right side pull out. This is short hike, about 20 minutes with an impressive view of spectacular sprawling falls. You can access this hike straight from the side of the highway, or you can go on a hike from the visitor center. This hike is to the right of the building, along a trail there. You can choose the short hike to Overlander Falls, or you can do the approximately 3-hour hike up the mountain for birds’ eye view of Mount Robson.

Berg Lake is an overnight trip as it is 23 km to the top. It is recommended to book ahead to secure your space, and to plan your hiking trip. Reserve your spots then just show up. They also have the cancellation list so you may be able to adjust your plans accordingly. We have done two- and three-night stays. Book according to your plans to take in as much as you can while respecting the time and distance.

Some points to consider when hiking Berg Lake Trail:
There are 7 designated camping areas along the way.
From 11km to 20k it is a steep elevation gain, 4 km of switchbacks between Whitehorn and Emperor Falls. Take that into consideration for your days out there and chosen camping spots.
Pack light and condensed supplies.
Bring a day hike pack and leave some heavy and bulkier supplies at campsite.
Bring slippers for evening resting time.
I have seen some hikers bring a wagon made for mountain terrain. Solid or air-filled tires. Lightweight and easily maneuverable.
One year I used my dual sided postal satchel.
No campfires allowed, so light weight efficient cooking options are best.
We were able to visit a cave above Berg Lake.
We didn’t get to Snow Bird Pass because of weather conditions during that trip.
There is a hike to the Alberta Border as well.
Always check current conditions and restrictions and closures.
Terrain has changed due to flooding and land slides

Jasper:
Note: many areas of Jasper succumbed to a nasty wildfire in 2024. I have not been there recently to confirm all what is left, so do check with locals and definitely bring your enthusiasm and tourist dollars to revitalize one of Canada’s best loved landmark locations.

Old Fort Point. If you go across tracks right at the beginning of town, there is a nice hike back in there. A local recommended so just ask. We went in winter and slid down the mountain side. We also got to see a herd of mountain sheep up close.

Stop in Jasper for the day and check out all the stores that are on the two main blocks
Look for Northface pizza. I went on a four-hour drive just to have Northface Pizza once.

Wildlife museum downstairs of Whistler hotel. Ask at front desk, inexpensive token to get in. Just a small hallway museum but a bucket list hidden gem showing all of the area wildlife in replicated scenes.

Last hotel usually has ice sculptures in winter time.

Some hotels have outdoor pools.

Fairmont hotel is quite scenic and window shopping is dreamy with all sorts of unique gift ideas.
Skating at the Fairmont hotel grounds is a huge local attraction whether you stay at the hotel or not.
Christmas decorations are a sight worth seeing. They have a life size gingerbread house. Don’t eat the gumdrops though. They are covered in varnish and taste gross. We learned that by experience lol.

“Jasper traffic jam” is usually a lot of wildlife, including elk, just cruising around and over running the highways and roads. It is their home. Please respect them. Remember also they are wild animals. Do not get too close. Use Zoom on your camera settings.

Maligne canyon is an absolutely breathtaking hike in both summer and winter conditions. You can choose the length of hike you prefer.
There is an ice walk tour and a cave accessible only in winter. I have been to the entrance of the cave but didn’t go inside as you have to crawl through a small opening to get there.

Maligne Lake is a scenic long drive and an iconic view you will often find on postcards. Gift shop and restaurant, plus telescopic platform views available. (This iconic gift shop was lost in the fire 🙁 )

Check out local information for the Sky Tram and Columbia Icefield Glass Sky Walk
We visited a train museum, a hidden gem found in the BCAA travel book.

Banff is a bigger version of Jasper with an alpine themed village. The Fairmont hotel is called the Castle in the Clouds. We stayed there for a model convention twice. Expensive but quite a memorable stay with scenic views.

Edmonton:
Note: the streets are all numbers and they run both vertically and horizontally on a map. I did not know this before GPS and was using a paper map. We ended up inadvertently driving in circles and going through the University parking lot looking like a bunch of orphan tourists in our minivan.

Specifically check out:
Science center, IMAX theatre. Plan an entire day for this alone. I lost all four of my kids for hours on end of entertainment and learning.
Ikea: It is huge like an adventure land of window-shopping experiences.
Fort Edmonton Historical site: Travel back in time with characters and buildings of a long-passed time period.
Muttart Gardens Conservatory is a huge botanical garden offering glass pyramids with tropical & arid biomes, plus events & courses.

The Edmonton Mall is the biggest attraction. Get a coupon book from the admin office or ask around local deals. We found that it was more cost effective to pay for family rate in the Adventureland and Waterpark attractions.
I had no intention of going on these attractions myself, but since I paid family rate, my then teenagers corralled me into going on the highest waterslide. Once I got over my height fears, I had fun. The Cannonball is best enjoyed in a well fitted one piece swim suit. There are voyeurs that take advantage of the views of unsuspecting bikini clad divers.
Note: the foghorn signals the waves coming. I did not know this on my first visit and was caught in the deep end when the waves came.

My teens also got me on the 45 second roller coaster. I screamed the entire ride, but it is definitely a family memory.
We also took in the undersea adventure tour and the Build A Bear workshop.
I made this trip with 4 kids from Terrace BC to Edmonton AB and only spent $800 including gas and accommodations. We hit up attractions for a week-long trip and had a lot of fun. I am not sure we could get away with such low costs these days, but see some of the tips above to create a fun filled quality vacation.

Going South from Prince George:

There are small towns along the way about an hour or two apart. Best to ask locals what stores and restaurants are current gem attractions.

Cinema: Watch carefully on the right side of the highway going from Prince George to Quesnel. There are a couple buildings there which have been used as an antiques store and restaurant. These buildings make have changed ownership and uses, but worth a stop to check out and just stretch your legs.

Hixon Falls Trail: Watch for signs by the bridge going into this tiny town: The falls are located just northeast of Hixon at the end of Hixon Creek Rd. There is a parking lot and a narrow foot trail down to the falls.
Good write up and directions here:
https://www.theoutbound.com/canada/photography/explore-hixon-falls
After hiking this trail, boost your food fuel with burgers and the burger shack in the middle of this blip on the map. Watch your speed. After going 100KM on the highway, this little stretch of community is 60 KM. Slow down and catch the views and attractions. 

Quesnel: Be sure to take in the Pinnacles hike and the local museum with the famous Mandy Doll. (Yes, the doll is apparently “haunted”. According to a talk show about the doll, a psychic explained that it was owned by twin boys who had been sick and died. I have only seen it once, and I prayed and cleared energy the whole time in there. Never went back to check if anything changed). 

Barkerville highway: From Prince George direction, you can turn at McLean Road, a shortcut before Quesnel and cut about 40 minutes off your drive.
Watch for the candy store that looks like Hansel and Gretel house.

Barkerville:
A historical site where you can spend a few days taking tours with period time characters. I recommend the waterwheel story, the story of the man who buried his wife 3 times, the main tour and the Chinese tour.
Also see gold panning, the candy store, the bakery. Wake Up Jake restaurant serves delicious meals.

William’s Lake is fondly called Willy’s Puddle.

If you turn off the highway by Little Fort outside of 100 Mile House, you’ll find several scenic camping places and lakes as well as a back highway to Kelowna area.

If you turn onto Highway 99 from Cache Creek, you can go to Vancouver this way as well. Through this area you will a winding highway with breathtaking scenery.
Pemberton is small village with population about 2000 where Pemfest 2008 was held and over 40 thousand people gathered for a 3 day/ 40 bands festival.
Whistler is known as a popular ski resort and a huge tourist attraction. My sister Nolita Ananda lives here through part of the year, and the rest in Thailand. Several years ago she held the Top Esthetician position in their local Pique Magazine for a few years running.

I usually go through the Fraser Canyon. Winding highway through mountains with a river to follow.
There are 7 tunnels in the Fraser Canyon section of Highway 1: Yale, Saddle Rock, Sailor Bar, Alexandra, Hells Gate, Ferrabee & China Bar.

Jackass Mountain‘s history is almost as peculiar as its name. Named after the mule trails that led to the Cariboo gold fields, the route was also known as “the hill of despair”. Many mules fell to their deaths as it was so steep and narrow.

Through Highway 5 you will find Othello Tunnels. Beautiful area to visit. Check current conditions as flooding closed this area a few times for safety because of damages.

The Coquihalla Highway is a bridge between many interior communities; however, it is also one of the most treacherous highways with unpredictable weather patterns through mountainous regions. Always check driving conditions before going through here. I remember a summertime sunrise over the horizon and another white out conditions drive through the night here. There is often no cell service as well.

Watch for roadside fruit stands in summer time offering locally grown and harvested fruits veggies and honey. This is an essential part of road trips in Beautiful BC.

Enderby has a Goat Farm and Market that is a fun place to visit with goats having their own road crossing overpass.

The Parrot Island Sanctuary near Peachland BC is a great educational place to visit. I love birds but I will not support having parrots as store bought pets after all I learned there. They mate for life and can be awfully lonely and detrimentally affected if they choose a human as their lifelong companion.

Prince George BC:
The Northern Hub Capital of British Columbia and our home since 2001.

Teapot Mountain: Steep quarter mile hike with a view of the continental divide and the convergence of the Fraser and Nechako rivers.

Ferguson Lake: easy hike around a small lake. Great for kids and dogs.

Huble Homestead: Historical site where you can learn about days gone by in this area.

The Ancient Forest: only 111 km east on highway 16. Like a magical world of awe. It is a rainforest of freshness.

Fort George Canyon Trail. This is on the Blackwater Road, west towards Vanderhoof. A moderate hike that leads down to the river where sternwheelers used to float through the canyon.

Buckhorn logging road: This is South towards Quesnel. There are many little lakes and camping sites through this area. You can also go all the way to Quesnel through this backwoods highway.

Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park (formerly Fort George Park): There is a water park and a band shelter. You’ll find Exploration Place Museum close by. This is the location of the extensive July 1st Canada Day Celebrations and many other festivals.

CN Centre (Formerly the Multiplex): venue of many festivals and concerts. This location is just a few blocks from our home so we get the privilege of faintly hearing the festivities going on there that make our city a huge attraction for neighboring communities.

Honeybee Inspirations Wellness and Creativity: Of course I have to add this here. Melissa operates out of our home location and has occasionally accommodated a few clients from out of town. Book ahead whenever possible to enjoy Reflexology relaxation.

In February, check local sources for details of Snow Daze Festival celebrations.

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Found on social media, this is exactly what we did on road trips. Our cooler was bright yellow and orange:

As a kid I took it for granted with my grandparents, that no matter where we would go, there would always be the old brown Coleman cooler packed with hard boiled eggs, cold grilled cheese sandwiches, cut up veggies, thermos of coffee and a thermos of tea. They would say “you just can’t always know if you will get to where you are going around here”. These road trips from their past, a reminder of what we may face.
Always be prepared, you have the room to always pack a few more things in case of an emergency. Always have a good emergency kit packed up when traveling.
At a minimum you should always have on hand:
1. Well stocked first aid kit, with personal medications
2. Non perishable foods/ snacks (Lots, I mean LOTS)
3. Lots of potable water to drink.
4. Good quality jumper cables or a mini booster pack
5. Matches/ Lighter, a flashlight and some candles
6. A good socket set and basic tools.
7. Spare charging cable for your smart phone
8. Always carry a bit of cash, can’t rely on your cards
9.Small shovel/ Multi tool (some cool ones out there)
10. Nice warm blanket
Cars are sealed up enough that one candle can be enough of a source of heat to keep you warm enough when you are stranded. Always check the tire pressure in your spare tire, always try to keep as much fuel in your tank as you can in between long durations with no stations.
Most importantly, ALWAYS TELL SOMEONE your trip plans! Where are you going? When you plan on reaching your destination? What route are you taking? Promise to call or text when you reach your destination.
There is always someone important in your life to relay these crucial pieces of information to. At the very least, write down your plans and leave them at home in a visible place in your residence before you leave. It may be more important than you want to think.

Check back periodically. Will add more specific area recommendations and hidden gems as I think of them. Stay tuned!!

Resources for Transitioning Souls

“I grieve for my loneliness, not for who I have lost.”

It’s the paradox of time standing still yet the busyness of life going on.

Death is only a doorway.

“There is no death…only a change of worlds.”

“Brief is life, but love is long”

What is a death/ transition day for us on the Earth plane, is a Birth day for our ancestors on the other side when our souls go Home.

The purpose of this page is to offer some concepts I have learned through my experiences that can possibly assist you in your journey through these experiences as well. Disclaimer: I am not a certified counselor; this is all just sharing resources that have been beneficial for me.

Unfortunately, death is a part of the cycle of life. In my later years I am seeing so many people go through the process of losing loved ones. Many are going through a caregiving and end of life stage. Some have lost loved ones through tragedy.

Whatever your situation that brought you to this page, you’re always welcome to work with me, or any practitioner of your choice. I have set up my website with information that makes it a self-empowerment resource and I do trust that the information shared here will be useful to you in finding some peace.

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I lead a webinar January 26 2023. Sign up in site to view replay. https://www.healersresource.com/

Season 9 Episode 5. Topic: Grief Trauma

There is no charge for access, although you do have to create an account (also free) and you will receive a notice that you made a purchase (for nothing).
Thank you so much to Tom Heintz for the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences with Grief Trauma on his MindMaster webinars platform.

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These two videos below are about animals, but have some endearing human stories as well. I bawled my eyes out watching these videos, but I also gained some wonderful insights:
Life After Death with Dawn Hayman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bF8UTZgFKc
How Animals View Death & When It’s Time to Let Them Go with Dawn Hayman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyekwEuPjGs

Quoted from video: “I left not when you were furthest from my body, but when you were closest to my heart”.

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Personal experiences and what I have learned: 

I never wanted to step into the role of understanding death, loss, grief and those awful journeys that we all must face at some point as part of our human experience. The third dimension is all about war, grief, strife, and sadness. The Earth energies are ascending to the crystalline, higher vibrations of 5D peace and joy.

It can be an honor to be an intuitive, if you can handle it. Souls come to us because they know we have gifts to help them transition peacefully and fully. Death unfortunately is a part of life. Just another phase beyond the veil.
Those souls know their number is up and they want their last chance at closure before they go.
Honestly, I’m not fond of this “honor”, so it doesn’t happen often, but at least I know what to do for them.
See my Restorative Sleep page for bedtime prayer intentions. https://ladybugwellness.ca/techniques-to-promote-restorative-sleep/

Through my own loss of loved ones, I have had to come to a point of acceptance and understanding of the higher purpose of our earthly experiences. NOT at all an easy journey for anyone. I am thankful for all of my energy practitioner forums and my network of energy healer friends who have shared their experiences and their journeys with me. In turn, I would like to share with you some of these resources as well.

The passing of loved ones has become all too real for many of us these days. As world events and the waning life span of many baby boomers comes to fruition, it just seems that more souls seem to be leaving the physical plane more and more. Many humans are transcending now that they have finished their karmic journey here.

It is sad when one of our beautiful sensitive souls is ready to make the transition from this earth plane to the next. And even though we can “know” that they do not really die, but are shifting to another form, that doesn’t make our human emotions any less acute or potent.

For those of us still here, this is all too painful a reality and extremely difficult to accept.

Having lost some younger dear loved ones over more recent years to tragedies, and having to learn more for myself about the grieving process, I feel it is only fitting that I create a page here to share more easily what I have been sharing repeatedly with individuals so far. This is a writing of my personal experience mixed with offering some suggestions in how I managed through this painful and heart wrenching journey.

Since my dear son in law passed in 2018, I have inadvertently been exposed to many people coming into my awareness with either a loved one in hospice care or a loved one recently passed. It is supposed to be an honor to be with these souls at their time of transition. I am still trying to accept this myself. The scenarios in which these people have come into my awareness is a whole new level of synchronicity and divine connection. 

Many times I have heard someone lament that their loved one is either in hospice or in the final stages of life on this earth plane. The reasons may be old age, a tragic accident, or a disease of some sort. Perhaps they are in a lot of discomfort and this is painful not only for the one suffering, but for their family and friends to witness.

The number one thing to understand is that death is the highest form of healing when we “go Home” to the original oneness of the universe, or to God, depending on your beliefs. Often people pray for healing and Divine Will to be done, then are confused and hurt when their loved ones pass over. Some also pray for the highest good for their loved one. This is a wonderful gesture, but best to understand what exactly you are asking for so you can alter your intention if need be. I prefer to ask for the Most Benevolent Outcome and a happy healthy life on this Earth Plane.

While we have no control over someone else’s soul journey, or when they decide to leave this physical earth plane, if there is any chance of them pulling through their situation, it is better to pray for healing with the intention of a healthy happy life as the result. Miracles can happen and they do. But we also need to accept that sometimes it is just “their time” to go. Believe me, this is a difficult concept to wrap our human mind around.

When someone is at the end of their physical life, they need to feel SAFE in their own decision to leave their physical body. This is super important!

Court of Atonement (COA) is a spiritual intervention technique that you can use to say powerful prayer intentions (“calls”) on behalf of yourself and your loved ones. I will share some of these prayer intentions that I use in these situations. You are welcome to check out the Court of Atonement pages in this website and to go to Amy Jo’s website to purchase booklets and to take classes to understand more of the use of Court of Atonement. You do not have to understand the background of COA in order to use these “calls” now.

Note: Some of these calls request the souls of the departed to resolve their unresolved issues, so that less detrimental energy flows to descendants. This also clears up the energy through the family lineages for anyone who has died who is not filled with light, anyone who has passed under tragic, unexpected, and young age circumstances.

1. I, ____(your name)___ , place ___(loved ones name)__ along with all levels of consciousness, God, their guides and the entirety of their family lineages into a full court of atonement for the purpose of Soul Recognition, Traumatic Stress Resolution, Grief Recovery Resolution, Resolution of Ancestral Causes of Death, Resolution of Murder, Resolution of Shock, Resolution of Loss of a Parent/ Sibling/ Child/Partner/Pet, Resolution of Any and All Needs for Completion.
I ask for positive resolutions and to make peace with the past. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy. I ask for Restoration of Peace. 

2. I, ____(your name)___ , place ___(loved ones name)__ along with all levels of consciousness, God, their guides and the entirety of their family lineages, into a full court of atonement for the purpose of analyzing their timelines and their soul timelines to resolve any and all unfinished business with anyone and everyone they have interacted with throughout their lives. I ask to fully resolve any and all “will to die” and “no will to live” energies in the highest and best way. I ask for positive resolutions and to make peace with the past. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy. I ask for Restoration of Peace. 

3. I, ____(your name)___ , place ___(loved ones name)__ along with all levels of consciousness, God, their guides and the entirety of their family lineages by love or by blood, into a full court of atonement for the purpose of resolving any and all conflicts with feeling safe in their own decision to leave their physical body. I ask for the Most Benevolent Outcome for all concerned. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy. I ask for Restoration of Peace. 

The times that I have said this prayer intention COA for a loved one, they have either taken a positive turn for the better and pulled through their situation, or they have transitioned within 24 hours.

Once they have left their physical body, it is recommended to ask for assistance for transcendence:
Simply say “I, ____ (your name) ___, place ___ (passed loved one’s name) __ into a full court of atonement for the purpose of Requesting Assistance for Transcendence”. I ask for positive resolutions and to make peace with the past. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy”. 

You can also use the first and second part for anyone else as well as the passed soul. I have used these for each and every loved one I have known that has passed, I also use it any time I see a name, tragedy, or picture in the news.

What this does: These are Court of Atonement Speed Calls and they are a spiritual intervention technique that corrects and balances the detrimental and negative emotions and upsets from these events. It helps us to process grief and trauma so that we can focus on good memories rather than being stuck in the upset and unable to move forward.
For the passed soul, this gives that soul an opportunity to deal with any unfinished business they may have had in their lifetime, and can help them transition peacefully and fully.

Please let me know your experiences in using this spiritual intervention technique.

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Beliefs around death:
In our Western culture, death has been promoted as something to fear, and something that is final. It may seem final, and the grieving process is irrefutably horrible to go through, but once we can wrap our mind around the concept that death is only a doorway, we can start to heal our heartaches and to cherish our memories of our loved ones. In some other cultures, death is viewed as a celebratory time of a graduation from our Earth life. It is just another accepted phase of the human experience.
Some people are so afraid to die that they never really live.

When loved ones leave this plane, we grieve, yet they are “birthing” into another realm and ancestors are welcoming them there with a huge celebration just like when we have a new birth here on earth.

Grief is a “process”. Yes, I know, I hate that word too. You can search for all sort of psychology and counseling advice and they will all suggest variations of the “grieving process”. The thing to know is that we are all unique and we all go through this process differently. There is no right or wrong way. These are some of the stages you will inevitably go through, in no particular order.

Shock and denial. This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.
Pain and guilt. 
Anger and bargaining. 
Depression. 
The upward turn. 
Reconstruction and working through. 
Acceptance and hope.

The one thing that I am sure anyone who has experienced this kind of deep loss can agree on, is that it feels like a merciless chainsaw ripping through your still-beating heart. Our own heart may feel like it has stopped beating. Our spirits may feel deflated and heading for some other dimension of escape. The loss of a loved one is the most devastating experience we can ever go through. In that way, it feels very final and hopeless. Yet it is possible to find renewed hope in a different sense.

I have taken some psychology training, some trauma training, and then I have my own experiences as well. Despite this background, it all goes out the window when it happens to me. I do not deal with loss very well at all, initially.

Every relationship is unique and every loss is just as unique as well.

— I had been close with my maternal grandma and wasn’t able to go to her funeral for various reasons at that time. A year later I was still absent mindedly attempting to call her phone number and got a jolt of grief every time I realized she would not answer.
— I had had an uncanny soul connection with my dear friend Andy and was an absolute wreck of tears for months afterwards.
— I had had a tumultuous relationship with my father, yet our parents are our roots and I still grieved heavily when he passed as well.
— I had a unique connection with my son in law Larry, and realized too late that my dreams and intuitive senses knew he was leaving several months prior to his death. (That really messes up your mind, by the way!!)
— I had a heavy sense of urgency to tell my romantic soul mate Darrel how much he meant to me every time we spoke within the last year before he passed. I have now learned that my last endearing message may have been the last conscious message he received before he transitioned.
— The family of a dear friend did not make any public announcement of his passing. I found out through a rumor two months after the fact.

Losing my SIL Larry was quite devastating for me. No, I did not birth him, but I know several people who have lost their children and this is the closest I have come to understanding that experience. Being a parent is having your heart walking outside your body with no way to protect it. I don’t think that our human minds can go that far in imagination and understanding in the loss of a child. In those cases it is best to reach out to a support group especially for grieving parents. See more resources at the bottom of this page. 

After my son in law passed, I reached out to the offered counseling center hotline. Although I am sure these hotlines may be helpful for some people, for me it was not. I had a very nice man just tell me “There, there, you will get through this. Just take care of yourself”. That is a standard counseling response, I am sure, but not very helpful in the moment when I was so distraught. I had so much previous training in psychology and trauma relief that in that moment went out the window in trying to navigate this process myself.

This is why I appreciate my own energy balancing skills and the network of energy practitioners I am blessed to call friends. Energy balancing can release the blockages of heartache and pain while allowing the good memories to rise to the surface. This technique does not require any kind of spoken details which is a relief for grieving hearts. I honestly do not know where I would be in my life’s progress if it had not been for energy balancing to get me “back on track”. In going through so many losses of loved ones, I have felt like I wanted to leave as well, but the rest of my living family still needs me here.

One last thing to consider: Funerals and Celebrations of Life are events intended for the living to honor their passed loved one and to find some closure in their experience. Personally, I have told my family I want to be cremated and have the least expensive method of disposal of my physical body. I do not agree with some funeral homes guilting vulnerable grieving people into expensive funerals and non enviro friendly caskets as a way to show their love. However, I do think that some sort of gathering and acknowledgement is a better way for loved ones left behind to mourn together and to find closure. 

Resources:
Court of Atonement Ladybug page: https://ladybugwellness.ca/court-of-atonement/
Court of Atonement website: https://courtofatonement.com

Ascension process: https://ladybugwellness.ca/the-ascension-process-transition-from-3rd-to-5th-dimension/
Restorative Sleep page for bedtime prayer intentions: https://ladybugwellness.ca/techniques-to-promote-restorative-sleep/

From COA: Soul goes back to oneness, spirit is the character of this life time, denied aspects is the ghost

Particular Court of Atonement classes to further understanding:
All about Guides
Guardian Guides
How To Connect With Your Guides
Resolution of Cause of Death Medical Speed Call
Everything Ghosts: Explains multidimensional beings
Understanding the Soul: Explains multiple souls and Soul Purpose vs. Life Purpose

Ascension: Lorie Ladd, Yasmin Ibrahim
Karen Kan:
Expansion, Rising, Resistance, and Integration
Causes of Ascension cycle deaths:
o 32% Can’t hack the higher vibration physically
o 35% Choose to leave – too much emotional pain
o 25% alternate self’s death experienced
o 8% Soul Experience Template and Mission fulfilled (and no new mission)

Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: This is a non denominational look at many different cultural and societal beliefs on the subject of living and dying. This was one of those things I was drawn to once it came into my awareness. Since reading this text many years ago, I am no longer afraid of death and came to many new conclusions that later assisted me in understanding my own experiences.
Quote from the book: The realization of impermanence is paradoxically the only thing we can hang onto, perhaps our only lasting possession. It is when we face the fears of uncertainty in death and the impermanence of life that we can truly live.

The Reconnection by Eric Pearl: Although this book is about an energy healing modality, there is a whole section that explains the levels of transition that a soul goes through after leaving the physical body. Ironically, I was reading this book the week before SIL Larry passed away.

Live Beyond Your Loss. Her son was murdered. This book is a daily journal to cope through the grief process. (Same publisher as my autobiography story). https://www.facebook.com/livebeyondyourloss/

More recommended books:
If Only They Could Talk: The Miracles of Spring Farm Cares: Bonnie Reynolds and Dawn Hayman tell the story of how their animal rescue shelter came to be and how Dawn became an animal communicator.

Where Angels Walk, Joan Wester Anderson: Read this and you will never feel alone ever again.
Angels On Assignment, Charles Frances Hunter
Broken Open: how difficult times can help us grow: Elizabeth Lesser
On Death and Dying: Elisabeth Kubler Ross MD
Questions from Earth, Answers from Heaven: Char Margolis

Through Death’s Gate: A Guide to Selfless Dying: https://centerforsacredsciences.org/css_files/publications/ThroughDeathsGate/

Tibetan Book of the Dead: The three death bardos, or “intervals,” that await us at the end of life, and that constitute the journey through the book itself.
We will discover that bardos are everywhere, and that by working with the small bardos now we will prepare for the big one at the end of life.

“NO ONE DIES… THEY ONLY CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY IN A NEW REALITY
If you knew there is no death and everyone continues to live on.. how would it change your life? There is a reason people do not know and understand this, it is not an accident. If you want to change your life, start to understand that this is True, there is no death, everyone including all pets walk into another dimension when leaving this one… No one that has crossed over wants to be referred to as DEAD, they know they are not dead and they are upset people refer to them this way.. they have told me this in client mediumship sessions… I see them, I talk to them, I get messages from them” Love Diane Psychic Clairvoyant Medium
www.DianeCanfield.com

Whether your family has had a child die (at any age, from any cause) or you are trying to help those who have gone through this life altering experience, The Compassionate Friends exists to provide friendship, understanding, and hope to those going through the natural grieving process. https://www.compassionatefriends.org/

How do you forgive yourself for killing someone? Neale Donald Walsch September 26 2013
https://www.theglobalconversation.com/blog/?p=6671
Accidents: In these tragic cases, did someone actually “kill” someone else, or…were they co-creators on a soul level of our existence that gave us a gift of human experience in the evolution of our soul purpose?

Suicide: It does not end the pain, it just transfers the pain to those left behind. It is my understanding from Theta Healing book and Reconnection book, that suicide keeps a soul trapped in a karmic cycle as they have abruptly ended their soul purpose in this life. It is also my understanding from some psychic intuitives that these souls feel the pain of all other souls who have committed suicide before them. I am not sure I believe that part, but I do know that many people who get into drugs and other mind-altering substances, especially if they pass away from overdose, are running away from their soul purpose feeling they cannot handle it.
I have learned that there are many energetic and spiritual interference reasons for why someone may take their own life. Society frowns on suicide and there is a stigma of mental health weakness as well. The truth is that we do not know someone else’s soul journey, or their life path. Rather than pass judgment, let’s support those left behind in processing thru their grief time. And….
Thankfully we have Court of Atonement techniques to assist the passed souls in addressing and resolving these kinds of deaths.

I would rather you cry on my shoulder then cry at your funeral.

Death is more commonly seen as a negative event. Yet, from a place of neutrality, we can consider that the loss of a loving family member would be felt as a loss and sadness.
A serial killer or child abuse perpetrator death would probably evoke a sense of relief from the victims and those affects by these actions, while the family would still experience grief.

A Hospice Nurse Shares Stories About What Happens to People As They’re Dying

Several recommended websites are listed in my downloadable e-learning document on this page: https://ladybugwellness.ca/lbw-resources/

Shared in my November 2021 newsletter, I feel it is insightful:
“First, if you loved any of those dear souls, let it be a measure of comfort to know that most transitioned to spirit life because they had completed chosen karmic experiencing, and, at soul level, others chose the option to leave and complete remaining lessons in Nirvana. Each person whose physical lifetime ends from any cause is lovingly greeted and given personalized care until wellbeing in mind, body and spirit is restored. Then they begin an active life in that wondrous world of love, diversity and illumination, from whence they are guiding everyone with whom they’re bonded in love”.
https://www.matthewbooks.com/november-1-2021/

The First Thing to Do When Someone Dies | Sarah Kerr, Death Doula https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7mG0ZAym0w

Sarah Kerr, Death Doula YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6_0qpDLxzZ0qjRsyk-ucxA/videos

How to Speak to Someone About an Unspeakable Loss https://tinybuddha.com/blog/speak-someone-unspeakable-loss/

A Mother’s Chorus: Grieving a Child on Mother’s Day https://whatsyourgrief.com/grieving-a-child/

Grieving After a Suicide Death https://whatsyourgrief.com/grieving-suicide-death/

The Shaman’s Map for the Journey Beyond Death http://www.dyingconsciously.org/beyond-death-the-journey-home/

She Died Suddenly & Met God, What He Told Her About Energy Will Shock You | NDEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLJ4V7O6KhI

Life after death: Where do we go after we die, and what happens in the afterlife?
https://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/spiritual-research/afterlife/life-after-death/

Orbs: The Veil Is Lifting (2015) Documentary
Summary: We live in the midst of other dimensions that our eyes alone cannot perceive. New technological advances are allowing us to confirm what many have believed: that there is more to our world than meets the eye. The veil between dimensions is thinning with our increase in consciousness. Modern digital photography allows us to observe the hidden world of light spheres known as orbs. Bringing together scientists, spiritualists and experts, Orbs is the first full-length documentary to address and explore the orb phenomenon. What are these orbs, and what does their presence mean?

Social Media: Go on your own profile and search their name. Save any pics and copy paste any posts into a document on your own computer.
If, by any chance, that profile gets deleted, alllll your memories and their comments on your profile also disappear.
I had a few friends pass and I learned the hard way. I wasn’t close enough to family to do anything with the deceased loved one’s profile. Facebook not a secure platform at all.

Please consider choosing enviro friendly tributes in not using balloons. They do not go to heaven.
From a social media post:
To this person, I am really sorry you lost your dad but I am afraid (this balloon) didn’t reach him. Instead, we could have lost a pony, this was in our horses’ field in which the string was stuck in our pony’s mouth so when he put his head up to walk away the balloon scared him to death so he tried to run away. Unfortunately, the balloon didn’t go away and carried on chasing him. He ran and ran eventually running in to a barb wire fence and thick hedge, we caught him to free him and was lucky he was only sweaty, exhausted and a few nicks. We all miss our love ones, I do but rather than balloons or lanterns please plant a tree or light a candle, anything because next time we might not be so lucky.

Beautiful writing from a social media post:
June 13 2022 Carolyne Pickup
For everyone who has lost a precious pet, this is what I have come to know, this is from the perspective of a Medicine Woman:
Our animal companions are pure, they are much better than humans and they live in the realms between Spirit and emotion. They can read us completely and have even been given to us for a purpose. Some are reincarnations of pets we have had before in other lives. The bond is love and love will always bring you back together.
We live experiential lives, which means we are here to experience the many flavors of emotions. Some of us are learning important lessons about love and in doing so we are experiencing the loss of love. In order to know something, we must experience all facets of that thing, having it and not having it. The two extremes and all that is in between. Our animal companions are here to help us to get through whatever we are here to experience and grow through. They teach us trust, love, patience, self-care, self-love, self-reliance, fearlessness, compassion, forgiveness. They teach us to be ourselves, they demand of us to live our truth. They are in service to us and we, in turn are in service to them. Cats don’t have owners, they have staff. Those with cats learn this.
All of my companions have visited me in dream time after their passing to let me know they are all right. Just like humans they reincarnate, they can come back to us over and over to further experience and explore a deep love. The reason you cannot feel them there with you is because grief shuts down our ability to sense energy. In order to process grief, we shut out everything around us and we go into survival mode. This is normal. Over time, as we process our grief, the heaviness of loss will lift and our hearts will open once more. This takes time.
Our animal companions don’t leave us. They walk with us and love us just the same. It can get very crowded around us with our beloveds. It is all in the service of love. We are here to be love and to love. We are here to heal and to be healed. Cats teach us to be more sensitive to those around us, to be aware of other’s emotions and what they are going through. Cats teach us to see through the darkness to the truth. Some cats are old souls and they hold centuries of wisdom which they share with us when we ask. Some cats are here to reconnect us to joy.
We have limitation thinking. As humans we have very limited understandings of the Spiritual world. We have all of these rules we have been taught by our religious leaders that may or may not be fully true. Our animal companions love us anyway despite our own limitations. Someone can be the worst member of the family and possibly have a healthy relationship with their pet. That relationship may be the only “safe” relationship they have to be vulnerable in.
Cats make us better people and we are blessed to have them. They do not leave us and are always with us even when they pass.

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Suicidal Thoughts from COA   Amy Jo Emails May 15 2023
https://app.getresponse.com/view.html?x=a62b&m=B9DDG9&mc=JI&s=YljRWD&u=h4EO5&z=EFzsMwy&
If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts, the first thing we have to do is recommend they seek professional help. Not simply because of legal reasons but to prevent the people we love from harming themselves before our energetic approach has the opportunity to work.
I, _______, place _______ into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of requesting Reconciliation with his/her birthname. I ask for Soul Recognition, Resolution of Murder, Absorbed Sibling Resolution, Optimization of Divine Life Force Energy Connections, Developing and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries, Requesting Divine Guidance, Restoration of Self, Home Security, and job site security.
I am Requesting Transcendence Assistance for anyone and everyone who does not maintain their own light in his/her energy field.
I ask to examine _______’s mental thoughts, and I ask for the litigation of statute derogatory statements. I ask to resolve any and all reasons for the detrimental thoughts.
I, _______, place _______ into a Full Court of Atonement with God and his/her divine guides for the purpose of resolving any and all reasons he/she believes dying is better than living. I ask to resolve those reasons at their points of origin. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy.
Next would be to take a look at their life and put them in the “Standard” Full Court of Atonement “Call” with everyone we can think of who they have been upset with. (Family, friends, exes, coworkers, etc.)”
I, _______, place _______ into a Full Court of Atonement with _______. I ask to analyze their timelines and resolve any and all conflicts between them at their points of origin. I ask for amenable dissolution of this energy.
Also, work on yourself until you can see this person in a happy, healthy state of mind, and then let this work go.
Remember, we are not responsible for other people. We should do everything we can to help them, but then we must realize their recovery is not up to us; it is up to them.
I’m a Medium, and so I know in a very visceral way that our loved ones who have committed suicide are still with us.
The Spirits who visit me often regret their choice only because of the impact it had on their family; they often stand by their choice and tell me that they couldn’t find another way. They tell me they are alive and well. They give indisputable evidence to their loved ones that they are with them, and they ask their family to forgive them and beg them to let go of the upset and get on with their lives.
Hopefully, the use of this process will help some people “Find another way.”
If you have lost someone to suicide, use these statements for yourself.
Also, use the “Changing Our Beliefs” worksheet to help change your thoughts about it all. courtofatonement.com/change
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We have forgotten how to grieve. In order to return again and again to our fullest joy, aliveness, connection with each other and love for life, we must have a space, and the SKILLS to express and process our emotions.
One of the things that people almost always ask me is how to safely grieve without being swallowed by our strong emotions.
We aren’t taught these skills in school, and most of us aren’t taught them in our families of origin.
So, trying to do this alone is like walking out into the forest by ourselves for the first time without any knowledge of the terrain and lacking basic survival tools.
So, too, it is with the dark woods of grief.
Tools include community, connection, and finding our common humanity in a group of people committed to this work. These are all critical sources of nourishment. They help sustain us on our journey.
Then there’s the question of approaching our grief.
We need to be able to assess the dosage needed – and to know when it’s too much.
Most of us aren’t taught how to tell the difference between emotion moving in a good way vs. being thrown around in the washing machine of sorrow and trauma in a way that can actually cause further harm.
We desperately need the somatic (body-based) skills to be able to slow it down, ground and come back to our center and a place of nourishment and rest when things get to be too much.
We need to know how to build that container – so we can step into the wildness of our grief, and then step out again. It’s kind of like knowing how to build a shelter from the storm.
O𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟.
Want consistent support for connecting to your own personal practice of grief & gratitude in your inbox? This is one of the best (free!) ways to build connection, and I’d love to be there for you.
Start here 👉 https://joseatamiracrossley.com/dark-woods-of-grief-letter/
I’m Josea, a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor who has been facilitating grief & process-based healing work in community for over 20 years.

This was written by a dear practitioner friend Mary Woodthorpe. I have taken a couple courses with Mary. She is full of practical and useful wisdom.

Grounding Technique:

Try this process for yourself

How to quickly change your feelings from fear to love.

The rapidly changing events that we have been coping with in the last few months in particular have created within many people very subtle enhancements of fear and insecurity. Uncertainty and distrust are everywhere. This condition has many repercussions, the most significant of which is our willingness to give our integrity, self-knowing and confidence away preferring to turn like a child turns to its’ parents for approval, support and assistance. This is not healthy for us and I am showing you a really simple process to immediately start to turn this around and get you back on your feet.

PROCESS

Bring to mind all the things that have been going on these last few months that have changed the way you live your life. Then just say to these thoughts, “Show me the fear and the love” (you must use the whole sentence, not just love then fear or the other way around.) Keep repeating this phrase allowing discomforts to surface, your eyes may water, you may yawn, and your nervous system may cause your body to shake a little as the energetic patterns of fear dissolve away. When no more discomfort surfaces you are left with a peaceful very tangible calm. Go back to those memories and repeat the process as long as any discomfort is still there. When you only feel calm and peaceful in relation to these memories you will have finished.

Write this simple recovery phrase on a piece of paper or card and place it in a handy place such as a wallet, much used pocket, so you have it to hand whenever you may need it. Place it in a prominent position on your desk to use every morning before starting work so that you can clear any misgivings about the day ahead, it will change your day!

You can focus on anything that bothers you even the slightest bit and quickly restore it to a loving state this way.

No need to know the reasons for any upset and discomfort. This is a very quickly transformative and very helpful process anyone can do for themselves at any time.

Why does this work so effectively?. Because fear is the lack of love, and when you introduce two opposites they cancel each other out.

Please take full self-responsibility for any processes listed here. Enjoy and let me know how you get on.

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Mary Woodthorpe: Thank you for those kind words Jackie.

This is such a simple technique and it can make a huge difference in how you feel in seconds. Show it to your friends, your clients and especially your children, they really need it right now. Let’s give loving humanity a chance!

Most cleaners and sprays simply mask the smell and can be damaging to carpets or furniture. After a few days or weeks the odor simply returns and the vicious circle commences costing you a small fortune in the process of trying to eliminate it.

Well luckily for you, you’ve just invested in the simple answer!

My recipe is actually an organic compound that is 100% safe for humans and animals. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, non-corrosive, non-flammable and non-staining. It is effective for a very broad range of organic odors including Human, dog and cat urine. It can also be used to treat urine odors left by other such pets as rabbits, ferrets, rats and mice even exotic pets such as reptiles and snakes! Even those people who have a pet elephants will be impressed by this secret formula, but a BIG batch would be required to treat the latter! Pet urine in carpets and other porous surfaces is a significant problem primarily because it usually goes undetected for a long time and the animal can keep soiling the same area.

The urine itself has very little odor but once it starts to decay it becomes a problem. The first stage of decay produces amines (ammonia), which are unpleasant but the second stage of decay produces mercaptans, which are the real problem. (Mercaptans are what make skunk spray smell so bad.) With a carpet this almost always means the urine has soaked through the carpet and the pad and into the floor.

In spite of product and carpet cleaner claims, the odor cannot be eliminated by spraying or cleaning, because neither will go down as deep as the urine, you need to get down to the root of the problem to solve it! Also you may only have a small patch on the carpet but under that, it may of spread up to 12 times as wide as its seeped through the underlay etc!

The recipe works by breaking down the bacteria within the urine, thus killing it and therefore permanently eliminates, not masks, odors on contact irrespective of what has been tried before. *

As you would with any product, before you use it. Please test the solution on a hidden part of the carpet or area that is to be treated. Then wait for 24hrs to see if there’s any adverse reaction before proceeding to do a full treatment. I will not be held responsible to any damage caused by the use of this recipe. You use it at your own risk!

It is safe to use on: Any water safe surface including carpeting, rugs, fabrics, upholstery, curtains, drapes, tile, wood, mattresses, car interiors, clothing, boats, nylon, cotton, acrylic, plastic, vinyl, rayon, olefin, polyester, leather, trash containers, concrete, etc.

But please Remember to test it first on a hidden area just in case for colorfastness! It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry!!

Ingredients required:

Small batch – For use around the house.

16 fl. oz (480ml) Hydrogen Peroxide Solution.

(Available from all good Chemists and Supermarkets)

2 tsp. Of Bicarbonate of Soda.

1 squirt of household washing up liquid

(as you would use for doing a standard bowl of washing up)!

Large Batch (1 gallon)  For use outdoors on patios etc.

128 fl. oz (3800ml) Hydrogen Peroxide Solution.

16 tsp. Of Bicarbonate of Soda.

8 squirts of household washing up liquid

To make up the solution, simply place all the ingredients into a jug or bowl. Gently stir.

Do not beat or shake the ingredients until such time as the bicarbonate of soda has totally dissolved! It’s also not advisable putting the solution into a sealed airtight container as the bicarbonate of soda gives off oxygen when mixed with a liquid and will it would pressurize the container and may make it unstable/unsafe to use!

The solution is most active for one hour after mixing, so to achieve the best possible results, uses the solution within this time frame to achieve maximum effectiveness!

Instructions for use:

First you have to find the source of the smell. The good old fashioned way of getting down on your hands and knees and doing the ‘sniff test’ using your nose and eyes, is by far the cheapest way, but you can invest in a black-light bulb which can be sourced via your local pet shop or on the Internet.

Once found:

1). Soak up as much urine as possible by blotting with paper towels, old newspaper or an old towel. Do not use your shoe to press down the paper towels, as urine residue on your shoe will track urine scent for several steps! Use your hand and then wash, or use a protective glove.

2). Completely saturate stained area with your made up solution. For carpet stains, ensure padding is also saturated. The solution must soak all of the affected area to eliminate the stain and smell. Do not blot it up! It must remain wet in order to work. Do not shampoo carpet stains before using your solution, as it will interfere with the Enzyme.

3). If a colored stain is noticeable on carpets, fabric or upholstery, rub your solution into the stained area while treating. This assists in removing the visible mark of the stain.

4). Let the area completely air dry for approximately 24 hours.

5). Then Blot with a damp towel/cloth to remove any surface residue after stained area is totally dry.

6). If stain is still noticeable, repeat until all evidence of stain is gone.

7). Once you are satisfied with the treated area, give it a good going

over with the vacuum clear then put the kettle on!

Alternative methods of application include:

Spot treatment for clothing. The solution can be added to a washing machine pre-wash depending on the size of the load, you will need to make up enough of the recipe depending on how bad you think the offending stain/smell is. You can also just use it as a ‘hand wash’ treatment on clothes, but ensure you rinse well before you add any detergent etc.

Spray bottle: For use on walls and hard surfaces. Ensure you give the area being treated a good soak! Watering can: Ideal for outside use. Make up several large batches and let the area air dry for best results.

Carpet cleaning machines: Add a large batch to the machine, but don’t vacuum the solution straight back up, let it sit and air dry before carrying on with the use of detergents. Remember you need to get sufficient solution down to where the urine may of spread if treating carpets and underlay to solve the problem. Note: This solution is not a known product to the manufacturers of the machine. So the use of it in their machines is therefore at your own risk!

If this behaviour is new for your pet, have the vet check them out! It may be a urinary tract infection, impacted anal glands, etc. Animals don’t usually make a mess just because they are mad. They may have a problem that needs looking after.  Do them a favor Make them that appointment, it may save you dollars if the problem they have escalates!

We all know how expense vet fees can be!

Remember that the love and companionship your Pet gives you is well worth the effort you expend in cleaning up after him (or her).

Postie Tips

Have you ever wondered why some posties are disgruntled?? Well, the following are a few pointers just for me to vent. Truthfully, a lot of people just don’t realize these pointers until they actually have to deal with them as a postie. So here goes……

—First and foremost please keep a clear path to your mailbox. Letter carriers require at least a three foot width to get through. We carry a mail satchel that makes us a little on the hefty side:) Often we have to deal with parked cars blocking our way, or things such as garden tools, toys, etc, and snow and ice. ( Ice, by the way, is the worst to deal with!! Even spikes and good footwear won’t help!). Hanging baskets, untrimmed branches and even decorations sometimes get in our way, too.

—Make sure your house number is visible from any angle on the street in front of your house. This is not only a good idea for delivery people, but also for emergency vehicles.

—Every now and then check your mailbox hinges and lubricate when necessary. Also check for any rough edges that might catch our poor fingers and rip them to pieces.

—When mailing parcels and using felt tip marker for addressing…. cover the addresses with clear tape. In shipping, there is always a chance for a little moisture to get near parcels (waiting to be loaded on trucks or planes) and the felt could get smudged and illegible.

—Also, when mailing pictures or x-rays, wrap in plastic, then add a stiff piece of cardboard to prevent bending. This won’t add much to postage… if anything. ( we do our best…. but the shipping process can be damaging even at the best of times)

—Another important mailing tip…. Don’t forget the postal code!!! Did you know that most of the major centres in Canada rely on optical sorting machines to sort most of the billions of pieces of mail going through the system??? These machines read the postal code and sort accordingly. Be especially careful when giving your postal code out verbally. A misunderstood first letter could send your mail to the other side of the country! The first letter represents the province or area of province, the first three letters combined designate the city or area of city. The combined six letter/numeral combination of the postal code will sort your mail to the right or left of a city block. Just a few first letter codes that I know are: ‘V’ goes to British Columbia; ‘T’ to Alberta; ‘S” to Saskatchewan; ‘R’ to Manitoba; ‘P’ to Quebec; ‘K, L, M, N’ all to Ontario; ‘E’ to New Brunswick and ‘B’ to Nova Scotia.

—Please do not expect counter staff to “just go get” your check. Canada Post handles millions of pieces of mail every day, and sometimes your check really may be in the mail, and not quite in the office yet.

—For your own security please clear mail from community mail boxes regularly. Unfortunately, these are often targets for vandals. For postie convenience having mail cleared from mail boxes at your house and post office box makes less hassle for us if you happen to get lots of mail. On this note…. if you do gets lots of mail, consider getting a mailbox that is large enough to handle all of it.

—If you happen to mail several pieces of mail at a time and prefer to bundle them with an elastic, that is most appreciated. Please consider the inside workers, though, and use a thick elastic which is not too tight. Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of trying to take off thin elastics that are too tight, and have them break and snap on our fingers. Believe me, it HURTS!

—If you happen to have a friend who is a postie, please don’t get them a musical card for any special occasion. Sometimes in normal mail processing, a musical card in the mail is set off just by being bumped. You have no idea how annoying a haunting rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ is until you have to listen to it for a couple hours until that particular piece of mail gets delivered.

Tips For Reducing Clutter in your Mailbox

Although this job depends on the volume of mail, I have heard enough complaints over the years to add a page here of tips on reducing the clutter in your mailbox. Studies have proven that information overload and paper clutter can add to the stress in a person’s life. Too often our mailboxes are cluttered with tons of paper mail that really has no meaning to us. There is also a concern for the safe, secure, and environmentally friendly methods of disposal of this clutter. The following are just a few tips I’ve compiled to help reduce that clutter and leave room for the important stuff. Some of these tips may save you money and/or save your senders’ money in printing and publishing costs. These savings may be passed on to you in lower prices on goods and services you buy.

1. The first culprit of course is unaddressed admail/householders, more commonly known as “flyers”. For advertisers, these are a very effective way to reach potential customers. Not all consumers appreciate this type of mail though. A few years ago Canada Post introduced a “consumer choice” option. To suspend delivery of flyers, a customer needs to submit a request to the local post office to suspend delivery. Because advertisers pay to have flyers delivered to each household, Canada Post must have a customer request on file for each household which does not want flyers. This option will suspend all flyers except political and Canada Post flyers. As of 2006, a simple note on the mailbox “no flyers” is sufficient. The mail carrier will record the information to turn in to the supervisor. Mail carriers get paid for flyers though so some may be disgruntled. When I left in 2016 they were calling unaddressed admail “neighborhood mail”. Apparently the name change is psychologically better for advertising. One of my customers ranted that it was called neighborhood mail because the papers get scattered all over the neighborhood. He had a valid point…

2.The next culprit is addressed admail. Write directly to senders to ask to be removed from their mailing lists, or at least reduce duplicate copies being sent to your address. (Many companies will gladly reduce duplicates– it saves their printing costs). If you can’t seem to find the time to write… jot down pertinent information (addresses, account numbers, etc.) during your morning coffee or evening tea, then carry envelopes, paper, stamps, and pens with you and take advantage of waiting room time or bus rides, etc. <— this was before easy internet and email. Also, it is now called “personalized mail”.

3. Officially cancel any accounts and subscriptions that are no longer of interest or use to you. For important but little used accounts, have senders send statements only periodically, or receive these online.

4. Get government cheques direct deposited– not only will you save the trip to the bank, but your money is in your account the morning of release…not days later when the actual cheque arrives. This also avoids any type of potential postal delays, or waiting for afternoon delivery.

5. Check out www.reddotcampaign.ca This is a controversial site among posties, but personally I agree with the consumer choice option and being environmentally friendly. I have had so many times that I have handed someone their mail only to have them dump several pieces in the garbage right in front of me. What a waste!

6. Check out www.catalogchoice.org This is a site where you can sign up to have them make sure that companies comply with your wishes to be on or off their mailing lists.

These tips will significantly reduce the clutter in your mailbox and leave room for receiving the stuff most people enjoy getting…like postcards, and letters from Grandma. To ensure that you get these, and to keep your friendly posties coming to your door, get busy writing some personal notes to friends and family so they also have some treasures to store in shoe boxes under the bed.

What is Admail?
There are two types of admail: unaddressed and addressed.

Neighborhood Mail:  Unaddressed admail is better known as flyers. Advertisers pay Canada Post to deliver their advertisements to every household. This is a good way for these advertisers to reach their potential consumers. Some people appreciate these flyers to use coupons and comparison shop, or just find out information about companies in their area. Other people find these flyers annoying. They may think of these as just information overload, and paper clutter. It is because of complaints from these type of people that Canada Post developed a ‘consumer choice’ policy a few years ago. Those people who do not wish to receive flyers can simply write a letter to the local letter carrier supervisor to have this type of delivery suspended. This request must be dated, have the name and the address of the customer, and be signed by the customer. This request will suspend delivery of all flyers delivered by Canada Post except government flyers and flyers from Canada Post itself. This policy also gives advertisers a better idea of potential customers.

Personalized Mail:   Addressed admail is mail addressed to a particular resident of an address. This mail, instead of having a first class stamp, will have a meter type stamp that has ‘bulk’, ‘admail’, ‘third class’ or even ‘catalogue rate’ written on it. Advertisers use this type of mail to reach millions of potential customers. They receive a discounted postage rate because of the volumes of mail they send per year. Also, much of this kind of mail, in the event that it is undeliverable for some reason, is not returned to the company, unless requested by the sender. It is simply sent to recycling. Many people are annoyed with receiving so much ‘junk mail’. It’s not hard to get on these mailing lists. Anytime you apply for credit, place a catalogue order, sign up for a subscription, or enter a contest, (practically anything you can put a name and address on) very often these advertisers keep your name on file. This information is kept for future mailing from that particular advertiser, and sometimes sold to other advertisers too. To avoid this happening, read the fine print on anything that you sign that has your name and address on it. Often there will be a clause giving permission to use this information for advertising. Many reputable companies have started to ask permission on their membership renewal forms to continue sending newsletters and advertising material to their members.

BE AWARE
GET ORGANIZED, BE PREPARED
BE VOCAL, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS as a consumer

BE AWARE
Keep your eyes open. Read the fine print. Get to know what are usual prices for the things you buy or are wanting to buy so you know if you get a good deal. Is it right for you? A deal is not a deal if it is not useful to you.
At some point in your life, take a marketing course, read a book, or something to learn the marketing tactics companies use to lure you into buying their products. This will help you avoid purchases you do not need and save you money!!
What is marketing?  Companies want you to buy their product. Advertising makes you want their product. They use catch phrases and play on your feelings. Also, the more annoying or stupid a commercial is, the more you will remember it.
Companies also use buying incentives: Coupons, contests, Club cards, refunds, free with purchase items, etc. Some are great deals, others may not be.

GET ORGANIZED, BE PREPARED
This can be as simple as keeping a pen and paper handy to take notes, make lists etc.  Watch flyers so you know what is a good price. Save Proofs of Purchase. Keep coupons and lists in one place ready to take with you. Establish simple routines to keep yourself prepared. When to find time? I often made use of quite time after kids are in bed to organize things for the next day. It only takes a few minutes then and will save you time and money in the future and be less stressful.  Sign up for and use club cards: HBC, Save On, Esso, Airmiles. If the club is free, why not? Watch for club cards for which you must pay first to enjoy savings. Will you use it enough to get your moneys worth from it? (these are at some clothing and movie stores). Check your receipts as you leave the store. Cashiers are only human. Make sure you have been charged appropriately.

TAKE ACTION, BE VOCAL!
Use coupons, check discount bins (Watch for dents, security seals). Write to companies, call them. Let them know what you think of products, service etc. You have a voice and you can make a difference. Companies appreciate feedback and sometimes will give you coupons or free products for your efforts. Your input may be used and changes may be made because of your input.  Talk to the manager or customer service when shopping etc. Know your rights, be polite. Let them help your solve problems and get your moneys worth of goods and services.

Double up on savings. Example: if you find something in the discount bin for which you have a coupon, and you know there is a refund out on that item. It will make buying that one item almost free.

Take advantage of ‘price matching’. Some stores offer price matching where you can take a competitors flyer and that store will match the price from another store. Good to use at the store which also offers points or where most of your other shopping is done. Saves time, money and gas to get around to different stores.

Shop for food in season to get best price, then freeze or can food for off season. Get to know local warehouse stores where you can find day old bread that can be frozen, or other staples you can stock up on inexpensively.

Shop for other things off season: Decorations, end of season sales from summer /winter items. Candy after holiday sales (CHOCOLATE!… had to throw that in!)
School supplies often go on sale in August and January. Sheets and towels go on sale in January (white sales). Get familiar for when these kinds of sales happen throughout the year.

Be careful of packaging and convenience products. Often you pay extra for this!! Example: You can buy one spray bottle of cleaner and then a larger economy size refill.

***A thought provoking bit of advice from  Ridgeley Goldsberg ~
Rich people buy assets: things that pay you, things that bring the flow of money back to you.
Middle class people by liabilities: things that cost you, such as something bought on credit card which you pay interest on.  You are contributing to the flow of money, but not tapping into it.
Poor people buy JUNK: things that are instantly worthless. ***
If you want to be rich, you need to be like a rich person.

From Global Teleclass:
Biz Tip One: “For every prospect who will slap you around, there is another one who will eat out of your hand.”
Biz Tip Two: “Work at the top. In other words, don’t waste time on tasks that can be done by people with fewer skills than you.”
Biz Tip Three: “The educated person is smart but the streetwise person is powerful.”
Biz Tip Four: If you’re not getting referrals you’re either not asking for them or you don’t deserve them.”
Coupons, Refunds, Rebates:

Interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupon

A manufacturers coupon has redemption address, check for Canadian address, valid in Canada.

A store coupon usually has a code number on it and ‘valid at ___ store”. Some stores will accept both coupons on one item.
***Check Expiry Dates***

Some stores may let you ‘stack’ coupons. That means using more than one coupon per purchase. It is possible to get things almost free this way. With coupons, generally you still pay tax on the full price before discount.

Number of coupons accepted:
. More than one coupon may be accepted for a product, if each coupon
comes from a different media source. The different media sources may
include coupons from a newspaper, magazine, internet, bottle caps or
in-store manufacturer’s exclusive coupons.
. Upon redemption of a Manufacturer’s coupon, PST and or GST apply to
the full selling price of the item. Upon redemption of a Retailer
Issued coupon, PST and/or GST apply to the net amount of the item.

Refund/ Rebate: Is a form of getting cash back, usually you mail in proofs of purchase (UPC’s) to get a check sent to you. Sometimes offers ask for cash register receipt (CRT) Watch for this offer on kids movies.

Coufund = A coupon that requires proofs of purchase attached to use it. You attach UPC’s to a form and take to the cash register to redeem the offer.

UPC: Universal Product Code. The bar code you find on practically everything you buy. Often used as a proof of purchase for offers. The first set of numbers represents the company, the last set represents the description of the product right down to size and flavors. Save any UPCs off of products you buy, especially name brand products. When an offer comes up you will have what you need to take advantage of the offer.

Where to find coupons and offers: Newspapers, magazines, special inserts, store shelves, right on, or inside packaging. Online in the actual company websites.

*******************************************************
SCOP stands for Scanning Code of Practice and is a voluntary program instituted by the retail industry to benefit both the consumer and retailer with improving accuracy in scanned pricing.

Basically if a store participates in SCOP, it means that if a non-price ticketed item (i.e. an item that does not have a price sticker on it)scans in at a higher price than any advertised or displayed price, then the customer is entitled to receive the first one of that item for free (up to a maximum of $10) and the remainder of that item at the lower price.
For example, you have four cans of tuna that are on sale for 99 cents/can but they scan in at $1.69/ can. According to SCOP, you get the first can of tuna free and pay 99 cents for each of the remaining three cans of tuna.
If you bought four packages of diapers and they scanned in at a higher price than displayed or advertised, you would get $10 off the first package and the remaining packages at the correct price.

Stores participating in SCOP are supposed to have signs on the doors or at the tills indicating they abide by SCOP and are supposed to train all staff on this procedure.
https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/2014/07/scanning-code-of-practice-what-you-need-to-know/

www.retailcouncil.org/scanner-price-accuracy-code

*******************************************************

More money saving ideas:

Make your own convenience foods. Make two casseroles and freeze one for later to reheat on those hectic nights. Much cheaper and more healthy than ordering pizza. Make your own baby food.

When you go out for dinner, have a glass of water with lemon, or warm water with lemon. Not only do you avoid the high cost of additional drinks, the lemon water has a cleansing effect on your body as well.

These people are taking a challenge to spend only $80 a month on groceries, http://www.theworkingpoordiet.blogspot.com/

NETWORKING!!
If you have a friend to share talents with make use of that!! Maybe your friend can fix something, you can bake a cake for example. Trade off baby sitting. Take turns making meals for each other. Go together to case lot sales then split the cost.

BUY SECOND HAND ITEMS
Check out the free ‘used items’ publications. Use this for selling items too rather than paying for classified ads.

Take advantage of thrift stores, garage sales, and community recycling places such as Swap Sheds.

Vinegar uses:

http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/extraordinary-uses-for-vinegar/article24053-5.html

Budget boosters:

Lots of useful consumer info here: www.competitionbureau.gc.ca

Dollar Stretchers: https://www.thedollarstretcher.com/

Consumer info on recalls: http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/index-eng.php

100 money saving tips: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/100-tips-to-help-you-save-in-2009-1.aspx

An excellent site for resource and budget information: https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/

BANKING:
If you are good on the computer and have regular access, get your checks direct deposited. Saves trips to the bank to cash them. ** Make sure to let government agencies know your current snail mail address.  This can be an issue in holding up your direct deposit.**
Get a bank account with a package deal and unlimited use of debit card, deposits etc. Usually for one low monthly fee rather than several charges.
Banking and paying bills can be done online which is quite easy and fast too. Much more organized when you get used to it.

UTILITY BILLS
Receive utility bills online. Get reminders sent to your email. Easily organized and saves time. No worries of misplacing bills and paying late which adds unnecessary charges.
Get equal payment plans on gas and hydro. One same payment all year. No surprise high bills in winter. Check phone bill for unnecessary extras. Use package plans that work for you. Get long distance plans to suit your needs.

All these little extra charges add up to a lot over the year.

Sign up for local newsletters. In doing this I have found out about free workshops around town. Any kind of free education can help you learn a lot of interesting and useful skills. The best investment is in yourself!

Check out sites from well known companies such as Gerber, Pampers, Nestle, Enfamil, Huggies, Similac, Fisher Price etc for clubs that offer parents coupons and exclusive offers.
Many franchise restaurants have club sites where you can sign up for birthday freebies and random coupons.

Resources:

Join a coupon group online to share shopping tips and ideas. This is where a lot of my useful information comes from. Look for Trading Post Coupons group on Facebook for a friendly bunch of people who participate in “coupon trains” and share resourceful information.

Good sites for contests, newsletters, coupons, etc. You can sign up for newsletters via email or snail mail.
www.homemadesimple.com
www.kraftcanada.ca

Other sites I recommend:

www.flylady.net FLY = Finally Loving yourself!! Awesome site for resources, encouragement, financial tips, organization

www.yeartosuccess.com a wonderful FREE online course. Lots of self help advice, business/marketing, and inspirational stories of well known successful people.
www.savingdinner.com This is a site you can sign up for detailed menus. There are also a few FREE downloadable menus that have the shopping lists included.

http://www.creditcounsellingcanada.ca/ In British Columbia, if your finances have got the better of you, you can go through the Credit Counseling Society of BC . They were wonderful in helping me get my finances under control when my first husband left me with $10,000 worth of debt. I found out in 2016 that my case back in 1998 was an original story they now use for training their staff.

Suggested reading:

Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
Your Money, Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman
These books are jam packed with awesome advice to hang on to your money.

When Stuff Goes on Sale:

January
White sales and holiday clearance items. Hit Target on Jan. 6, says Find and Designʼs Jennifer Farrell: Thatʼs when they mark Christmas goods at up to 80 percent off. Other New-Year finds: workout gear and equipment, so you can make good on your resolutions.

February
Furniture, housewares, jewelry.

March
Frozen foods, luggage for warm-weather travel and preview price breaks on outdoor furniture.

April
Paint, wallpaper and other things for sprucing up your home for spring and summer; eggs; preview prices on summer clothing.

May
Major appliances (think Memorial Day sales), grills, picnic foods and goods.

June
Tools for outdoor projects, portable music players, dairy foods.

July
Air conditioners, clearance swimwear and summer fashions, major appliances (Fourth of July sales).

August
Clearance patio furniture, preview fall fashions, veggies, fruits

September
Household cleaners, school supplies, bicycles.

October
Candy, coats, preview prices on holiday toys

November
Blankets, comforters, window treatments to spiff up your home for the holidays.

December
Electronics, fancy china and serving pieces.

Save Money Grocery Shopping

1. Shop for produce at a local farm stand and watch for Farmer’s Markets where you can also buy fresh baked goods.

2. Never buy coffee, soda, or other drinks or snacks out….sure coffee at Tim Horton’s is great but just add up all that money you’re spending and think about what you could have bought with that money.

3. Always grocery shop with a list.  Always have your coupons with you too :o)

4. Take advantage of sales on items that you would normally buy and be sure to add coupons (if you have them to use).

5. Only shop when you really need to.  Dropping by the grocery store just to look around is when you’re going to spend unnecessarily.

6. Keep a price book and track prices….you’ll begin to see a trend for the sales and you’ll know good prices when you see them.

7. Stockpile staples when prices are low….maybe your stockpile isn’t as big as those “Extreme Couponers”, but by buying extras when there’s a sale, you’ll save money by not having to buy those items when they are higher priced.

8. Buy generic items unless the Brand Name item used with a coupon makes the price lower than the generic price.

9. Plan meals according to what is on sale that week + what you already have in your pantry or stockpile.

10.Take advantage of rain-checks if the store doesn’t have a sale item that you need.  I recently went to Wal-mart to buy Folger’s coffee but they were sold out, so I asked for a rain-check and asked if there was an expiry date for me to use it.  No expiry date…just pick it up next time you’re able to come in.  The sale price was $5.49 and I had coupons to save $1 when buying 2.  The price for it at our local grocery store is $11.99 so when I got to Wal-mart and found it in stock, I bought several to keep us going for a few months.

11.Take advantage of rebates… but only if you’ll use the item and will follow through on the rebate.  Forgetting to mail it in won’t give you any money back.

12.Buy enough of a sale item to last 12 weeks. That’s about how long sales take to cycle.  That will also give you some time to collect more coupons for that product.

13.Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Many stores offer a small discount per bag.

14.Take advantage of stores that “stack” coupons (in Canada, that would be for people who can shop at London Drugs, BC to MB only).

15.Watch out for deals on things that your friends need, and have them do the same for you….this might save the extra cost of gas for your vehicle and also save you some time.

Happy $hopping!!

Cookie Baking Tips

Using the Right Cookie Sheet

Making Sugar Cookies Crisp

Making Your Cookies Soft and Chewy

Keep Dough from Sticking to your Rolling Pin

Why Cookies Spread

Freezing or Refrigerating Cookie Dough

Over-baked and Cracked Cookies

Dry, Crumbly Cookie Dough

What ingredients do you want to have on hand so you don’t have to run out to the market every day? You might consider having these staples in your kitchen so you can whip up a delicious meal at a moments notice. Most of these items you can find in your local supermarket and some you may need to order on-line, but they will definitely make your cooking life easier and more fun.

It’s important to remember that some products with long shelf lives, like spices, lose their flavor over time. So you may want to toss the ground cumin that hasn’t seen the light of day since that special grilled shrimp dish three years ago. And if you have a deep pantry like mine, you may want to check in the back every once and awhile to see what’s there.

So we’ll start with some of the basics and you can add to them according to your own cooking enjoyment:

These are a few of my favorite books that I think are well worth reading. Not all pertain to energy healing, but they all have had some impact and influence on me.The Bible. Of course, this has to be first on the list. I prefer the King James or NIV versions

My Favorite Authors include Wayne Dyer, John Gray, Jack Canfield/Mark Victor Hansen, Barbara DeAngelis, Og Mandino, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale. Any books from these are authors are inspirational and insightful.

See the Ladybug Wellness YouTube channel playlist of book recommendations here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg7kqRypaKAGCmG_NV0N40N8OFb19LM5p

Please check out the E-Learning resources page for a free downloadable Excel document. There are some book recommendations there as well, some available as PDF downloads: http://ladybugwellness.ca/lbw-resources/

1 The Court of Atonement, and Ancient Truths and Wisdom — Amy Jo Ellis. I cannot even begin to explain the miracles. Yes I have a full page dedicated to COA, plus the story behind meeting Amy Jo: http://ladybugwellness.ca/court-of-atonement/
9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Suze Orman
A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle: Awakening your life’s purpose
A Summer to Die: Lois Lowry
All Quiet on the Western Front
Allergies, Disease in Disguise: Carolee Bateson-Koch. An informative book that explains the digestive system in great detail, and how foods can turn in to allergies.
Angels on Assignment: Charles and Frances Hunter, as told by Roland Buck. A pastors conversations with angels. Very interesting and insightful.
Any and all Chicken Soup books
Any books by Og Mandino. Mission Success, The Greatest Salesman, etc.
Any Mercer Mayer Children’s Books
Any Susan Polis Schutz poetry books
Are You the One for Me, Real Moments, Confidence, Secrets About Life every Woman Should Know, Secrets About Men Every Woman Should Know, Ask Barbara: Barbara de Angelis. Anything by her actually, these are just the ones I have read so far and they are all very insightful.
Bedtime for Francis (this one is quite humorously true!)
Books by Bradley Trevor Grieve (Blue Day Book, Friends to the End etc.) Read one of these picture books and you’ll be wanting to collect them all!
Butter Side Up: Selections from Marie Salway’s Column |My mom knew this lady growing up.
Calvin and Hobbes Comic Book Collections
Change your Thoughts, Change your Life by Wayne Dyer. This is Dr. Dyer’s practical explanation of the Tai Ching. Down to earth and understandable. I like other books from him as well.
Charlotte’s Web
Chocolate for a Woman’s Soul, and other ‘Chocolate’ books in the series by Kay Allenbaugh
Complete Guide to Pediatric Symptoms: H. Winter Griffith, MD
Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder: Mary Ellen Beugin. A guide for parents and teachers.
Daily Om; Madisyn Taylor. I really enjoyed the site and daily emails so I ended up buying the book.
E-2 and E3, Pam Grout: Energy experiments you can try yourself
Earthing (Ober, Sinatra, Zucker): All about connection to the Earth as a natural source of healing energy
Family Virtues guide, Linda Kavelin Popov: the language of self esteem and integrity
How to Win Friends and Influence People: Dale Carnegie. Never judge a book by its cover. This book was written in 1930’s and is still printing as far as I know. Should be on everyone’s To Read list.
I didn’t sign up for this! Gabi Sprake. All about supporting a entrepreneurial spouse.
Keys to Serenity: Serge Mazerand. Truly a wonderful read!
Law of Attraction by Michael Losier. I had the privilege of meeting Michael at a conference in 2019. He is also an Emotion Code practitioner.
Love you Forever: Robert Munsch. I still cry every time I read this one! The best gift for every new mom!
Mastery: George Leonard. Written by a master in Akido, a highly disciplined martial art, with principles applicable to every day life.
Matrix Energetics and ‘The Physics of Miracles’ by Richard Bartlett. A little confusing with the physics, but written in a down to earth, comprehensive way.
Matrix Energetics, Richard Bartlett: A quantum physics energy modality
Medical Medium: Anthony William. Transformational wisdom on the nutrition of foods. The Epstein Barr Virus and how this is the root of many ailments. How to finally heal. Also “Life Changing Foods”, “Thyroid Healing”, “Liver Cleanse” are some others same author.
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: John Gray An interesting look at the differences between men and women. I have read 9 books by John Gray now and all are recommended. Men and women are complete opposites. It is what attracts us, and repels us! (I got to meet Dr John Gray — and Jack Canfield in August 2017!!)
Merriam Webster Dictionary of Quotations
Move your stuff, Change your life: Karen Rauch Carter: Feng Shui in simple layman’s terms
No Longer Alone: Joan Winmill Brown
Questions from Earth, Answers from Heaven: Char Margolis
Quips, Quotes, and Quests: Vern McLellan
Reading People: Jo Ellan Dimitrius. Understanding people and their behavior
Real Life: Dr Phil McGraw. Preparing to face the inevitable 7 worst days of your life.
Recipe for Success: Colin Sprake
Resurrecting Venus by Cynthia Occelli. All about our Divine Feminine essence and stepping into that power with integrity not manipulation.
Sacred Marriage: Gary Thomas. What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy? A very different look at the purpose of relationships and how they are mirrors for us to grow. Excellent book.
Secret Survivors: E. Sue Blume. A very insightful book for incest survivors. Personally, I think anyone who has suffered any childhood trauma; physical, mental abuse; and exposure to alcoholism would benefit from reading this book. I found a after-effects list from the book on the internet and re-posted here: after effects list . See my own video recommendation of this book: https://youtu.be/TFT1ZZK_gTE
Secrets of the Vine, Bruce Wilkinson: Interesting read about pruning our lives to create abundance
Shift Your Mind, Shift the World: Steve Chandler. Free gift for joining Club Fearless. A good read.
Single Parenting: Robert J. Barnes Jr
Sink Reflections: Marla Cilley. It seems to be about keeping house, but it really is about Finally Loving Yourself, FLYlady.
Stop the Nightmares of Trauma: Susan Connolly, LESW, LMFT. Excellent book explains how TFT can help eradicate traumas.
Stop Working: Derek Foster. A Canadian who retired at age 34. This book explains how he did it.
Straight Talk: Sherod Miller, PhD. Et al. Based on the couples communication program. Explains four types of communication and the effects of using them.
Straightline Leadership: Dusan Djukich. From A to B, it is that simple!
Tapping the Healer Within: Dr Roger Callahan. All the basic information you need to use Thought Field Therapy (TFT) algorithms to eradicate fears, phobias, stress, traumas etc.
The Be Happy Attitudes: Robert Schuller
The Brain that Changes Itself: Norman Doidge. All about neuroplasticity. I had the privilege of hearing Dr Doidge speak October 18 2018.
The Emotion Code by Dr Bradley Nelson. Of course I need to mention here the book that really changed everything. That’s why there is a whole page dedicated to this energy healing modality.  This is the book that started me on my journey to releasing trapped emotions in myself and many others. http://ladybugwellness.ca/emotion-code/
The Gift of Fear: Gavin de Becker. A wonderful book all about your own intuition.
The Hot Zone: Richard Preston. Not for weak stomachs. Based on facts, a story about the Ebola Virus.
The Outsiders
The Privilege of Youth: Dave Pelzer (Also wrote A Child Called It, and A Man Called Dave).
The Prophet: Kahlil Gibran. This is the book that June gives to Johnny in the movie Walk the Line.
The Pulse Test: Aurthur Coca. Written in the 1950’s yet still has valuable information on toxins within the body.
The Purpose Driven Life: Rick Warren
The Secret: Rhonda Bryne. Actually I loved the DVD!! About making your dreams come true. It is unfortunate that not everyone already knows how much your thoughts can change your life.
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: Sogyal Rinpoche: I have a really peaceful outlook on death now. This book is an excellent read giving a non-biased overview of different cultures and beliefs
The Toastmasters Treasure Chest: Castle books. It really is a treasure chest of wise tidbits!!
The Urban Farmer by Jessie Lynn Bell. I am a little biased on this one. Jessie is one of my ‘adopt-a-kids’ (daughter’s friend). All about her adventures with first time farming. I laughed out loud several times reading this book!
The Verbally Abusive Relationship, The Verbally Abusive Man: Can He Change by Patricia Evans. Both of these books are quite an eye opener into the reality of verbal abuse. A Power Over reality versus a Personal Power reality. Contains a list of abuses in detail. Withholding, discounting, blaming, etc.
The Verbally Abusive Relationship: Patricia Evans on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogE88BPRMBc&list=PLB2E734D5362FCF72
Think and Grow Rich: Napoleon Hill. Another book written in the 1930’s that is a highly recommended read.
Who Moved my Cheese: Spencer Johnson, M.D. A cute little story about four mice finding their way through life. Good morals you can apply to real life.
Winnie the Pooh
Year to Success: Bo Bennett. Another book I bought because I loved the site.
You can Heal your Life by Louise Hay. Has a list of ailments and the ’causes’ in your life. Very informative and insightful.
Your Money or Your Life: Joe Dominiquez and Vicki Robin. Read this and you will never look at consumerism quite the same way again! What are you spending your life energy on?

Recommended Movies:
10 Secrets to Inner Peace – Wayne Dyer
Another Self: Netflix series. 2 seasons. 2022 and 2024. Great series that tells a story but also shows shamnic and constellation therapy work in overcoming ancestral trauma.
Celestine Prophecy (also available in book series)
Crash (2004): Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.
Healing the Luminous Body – Way of Shaman
Living Luminaries
Money and Law of Attraction
Mother Daughter Wisdom – Dr Christine Northrup
Orbs Documentary
Sliding Doors 1998: A London woman’s love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train. See it both ways, in parallel.
The Peaceful Warrior: a troubled but talented gymnast who meets a spiritual guide
The Shadow Effect is an emotionally-gripping, visually-compelling docudrama that reveals why suppressed emotions and unresolved internal conflicts leads to behavior that continually unseats politicians, destroys celebrity careers, destabilizes the economy and affects the lives of millions each year.
The Shift (Wayne Dyer)
Wake up tells the true story of Jonas Elrod, an average guy who one day suddenly began seeing and hearing angels, demons, auras and ghosts all around him.
Water the Great Mystery
You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay)
Saving Face (Rom Com 2004): This movie is about a Chinese-American family coming to terms with the complexity of modern love, and multigenerational conflict. 

From investor Phil Town Rule 1 Investing: Even more importantly, though, being well-read will likely help you improve every aspect of your life. With all of that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the top non-investing books that all Rule #1 investors should take the time to read. Being well-read on a variety of topics can help you better understand how the world works, which in turn will make you a better investor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7as2RTnLiE

Whether you are a client, a practitioner, or just someone who stumbled on this page looking for information and energy balancing tools, I trust you will find something useful to your path here. You are welcome to share this page with any and all of your contacts and connections who would also benefit.

In one of my angel cards readings, I was told that I am a good conduit. I network and connect people and information. Many people ask me for resources and inspiration, so I share freely through my website anything that has been beneficial to me over the past 20+ years of my own personal growth journey.

I have done my best to make everything clear and accessible. The rest is up to you.

If you are adept at self learning and researching, this is a great page and resource for you. PLEASE use the search function and your own discernment. You are welcome to ask me questions within your booked session time. Otherwise you are on your own here 😊

One of the biggest gifts I’ve given myself over the years is learning to protect my energy. That’s why you’ll notice I ask clients to use email instead of Messenger and to explore the many resources on my website before reaching out. These boundaries aren’t about being less available—they’re about making sure that when we do connect, I can give you my full attention.

From my entrepreneurial community:
Alex Hormozi: “If you want to show someone respect, don’t ask them questions you could have researched. This means you spend your own time, ahead of time, to not waste their time.
Not wasting someone’s time is one of the highest forms of respect”.
“If you want people to respect your time. Stop giving them so much. Nothing is precious until it is scarce.”

Disclaimer: Much of these files and links have been shared through practitioner forums etc. Please use your own discretion on the validity and truth of all information.

OPEN THIS PAGE ON A DESKTOP COMPUTER! Way too much information and files for a mobile phone.

 —->>>>  Client and Practitioner Resources: Click here:  LBW Resources
This is where I keep many of my charts, lists, and extensive resources:

What you will find is a shared folder within my OneDrive containing over 6000+ files of my personal collections and compilations of files I use as reference and expanded learning.
Plus, charts and word lists that I use within client sessions.
Note: You can check upload date for the latest copy of the Excel documents that I continuously add to, and you can use the “search” function to find topics of interest. 

Fair hand outs folder: These are documents I print and hand out at fairs and festivals and also give to in-person clients.
1. Court of Atonement introduction and info, as a Word Document, tweak to your own needs
2. Introduction to TFT tapping techniques, interactive exercise
3. The “Community outreach” document is what I condensed and put together to bring to the outreach center

June 2025 NEW: Look for my folder of “Dotty Toolkit” for some printable resources 🙂 

NOTE: December 2024: I have reorganized everything into about 150 categorized folders. Trusting this is much easier to navigate now. Honestly, it is not perfect but it is still a very good collection of resources for those interested.

How this project started:
Back around January 1 2020, I had read an environmental article stating that digital files and email attachments are a form of digital clutter. I resolved to go through and organize 20 years of emails, accumulated between two email addresses.
I also realized that information shared in practitioner forums was not necessarily stable, at the mercy of admins and members postings etc. 
I have always had my own compilations and collections, and found it would be beneficial to others to find a way to share outside of social media and other sources.

New organization: All the Excel documents listed below are now in one folder and my working copies more consistently updated and uploaded.
Tip: Check back now and then for new copies. To reduce digital clutter, please delete previous versions.

My reason for using Excel:
Previously, I had often sent files via email to clients and practitioner friends, which I found tedious and quite ineffective.

Once I discovered that these files’ information could be stored in Excel easily, I managed to clean up and condense numerous files this way.

Even more beneficial is that Excel can hold an incredible amount of information in a small, easy to share file.

NOTE: if you do not have Excel, get a free version of Libre Office so you can open documents.

Here is a video explaining how I put together these documents: https://youtu.be/1JSr6J_k4JM

Video to explain how I organized Court of Atonement classes, financial information, and social media posts into an Excel document. This can work to organize all sorts of courses and classes etc: https://youtu.be/VRWDHlKbB8o

To use Excel tabs: On the bottom left are little arrows. Right click on the arrow, the list of directory tabs will come up. 

Thank you to Hilary R for creating this informative pic.

Excel Document compilations:

E-Learning Resources Links Project. Includes a Practitioner Directory. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about energy healing, psychology, science, etc. Exclusive links to free webinars, interviews, articles, downloads, websites etc. You may need to copy paste links within this document into your browser to access information.

MASTER LIST: If you are an energy balancing practitioner and or are familiar with doing your own work, I have compiled a master list of resources and terminology that may be beneficial for your own use. This is not a training document but you can find word lists and charts to use in sessions plus links to find more training and original sources.

Favorite Full Court of Atonement Collection: This contains links to Amy Jo’s interviews, social media posts, and old emails. Also includes the original posts and conversations that launched Amy Jo to the world.
Note: This is no where near all of the information available. Please continue to search the Facebook Court of Atonement group. I just have a personal peeve at the instability of social media so I do my best to save as much information as I can within my own resources.
Through many of these old emails and posts, you can see how the brain storming ideas developed over time and continues to evolve as we learn more.

More Excel Organization projects:

• Quotes and sayings. The original reason I started my website in 1998 was to share quotes, sayings, poems, etc. that meant something to me. I still love collecting these bits of wisdom.
• Humor Collection, because laughter is the best medicine
• Recipe Collection
• Safety and Life Hacks Collection
• Blank income tax ledger template: This document was a game changer for me. Basic layout and you can fill in to your own specific requirements.

Ladybug Wellness YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ladybugwellness8509

The rest of the links on this page take you direct to websites.

I invite you to explore a collection of resources that I hope you will enjoy! These links below, plus much much more are included in the Excel E-Learning above.

My son Jared put together a video clip of our family adventures for my birthday 2009: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.h.rioux/videos/t.571490525/10151105638610526/?type=2&theater  I love it! It combines some of our favorite memories along with some of my favorite rock tunes. So fitting! Every one of these pictures has a story behind it. 🙂

Ladybug Symbolism. Appropriate to share with my love of Ladybugs:  https://www.spirit-animals.com/ladybug/

Emotion Code starter kit: https://discoverhealing.com/ref/vn6xn/?campaign=LadybugWellnessFriends
Body Code starter kit https://discoverhealing.com/ref/vn6xn/

Quantum K healing: http://www.quantumk.co.uk/quantumk_video.htm

An allergy expert I learned about in Toxin courses. Dr. Doris Rapp speaks here about toxins:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e42i5nLiPHA

Relaxing and Healing music in Nature. Perfect for Reiki sessions. Serge Mazerand: http://keystoserenity.com/

My sister’s website. Nolita Ananda: https://www.whitemoonbloom.com/

Finally Loving Yourself and getting past CHAOS syndrome | control journals http://www.flylady.net/d/control-journals/
You can do anything for 15 minutes!!

Story of Stuff.  Videos explaining how we get caught up in STUFF and the effects on the environment: https://www.storyofstuff.org/

Citizens Commission on Human Rights. https://www.cchrint.org/videos/

An excellent site to learn a lot about raising boys to be well balanced men. If you ever have a chance to see a Barry McDonald live seminar… GO! He is very down to earth and has the entire room laughing at his analogies. https://www.mentoringboys.com/

I was in Toastmasters for 3 years. Most people think it is only about public speaking, but I highly recommend joining just to build personal confidence and communication skills. https://www.toastmasters.org/

June 2025: Everyone keeps asking where I got the Affirmations books. Order thru these links, hardcover or PDF style
https://www.kinesiologyshop.com/kinesiology-manuals/
https://www.rawenergies.com.au/

Hot tip: Find Chef Todd on YouTube and social media for some great ideas on “method cooking” which is a great way to accommodate variations in cooking and baking.

Eggnog Bread (turns out similar to nice pound cake)
I have been making this recipe for my family for 20+ years. I have been giving it as gifts at Christmas time as well. It does freeze well. Enjoy!

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup dairy eggnog (or thru the year I use regular milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
1/2 cup butter, melted (or margarine, melted)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp rum extract (I dont always use this)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees C.
Grease bottom of pan.
Beat eggs, add sugar, eggnog, butter, rum, and vanilla.
Blend well, add flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Stir just til moistened.
Pour into greased pan. (one large pan, or two small tin pans)
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes. remove from pan. Cool bread COMPLETELY before slicing.

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf (4 loaves)
Note: I have also called this Harvest Loaves because although I used to use pumpkin and zucchini, you can also use equal amounts of other harvest crops such as rhubarb, apples, carrots, etc. Or go for a mixture of harvest offerings.

1 ½ cup margarine
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 cups zucchini (or pumpkin or other harvest crops)
1 cup cocoa
3 teaspoons baking soda
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt
5 cups flour

Mix, pour into loaf pans and bake 350 for 1 hour.

Hamburger Chow Mein Brown 1 pound hamburger and drain, add assorted vegetables of your choice (carrots, cabbage, celery, bean sprouts, peppers, suey choy, bok choy, mushrooms), 2 cups water, 1/2 cup soya sauce, and 1 large bag steam fried noodles. Simmer on stove top or bake in oven until vegetables are tender but not too soft.

Slum Gullion.
I have no idea why this was ever called “Slum Gullion” but it was our favorite comfort food growing up. It can be stretched easily depending on how many mouths you’re feeding. I have heard this called Goulash as well.

Browned hamburger
cooked macaroni
Add a can of tomatoes
Then use mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, or other choice of something to hold it all together, if you like. Mayonaise, sour cream also works.
Add in your choice of whatever you feel like adding: corn, peas, carrots, missed veggie blends, chopped celery, onions.
Cheese can be added, either shredded or small chunks that will melt
Spices: we like garlic, parsley, taco seasoning.
Mix and warm through, then serve.

Aladdin cookies
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup cold cooked cereal
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts
Mix all ingredients together, drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350.

No Bake Cheesecake Mix 1 envelope gelatin and 1/2 cup sugar, then add 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 cup boiling water. Add two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (softened) and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix with electric mixer and pour into 9 inch graham cracker crust. Chill two hours.

Quick Scratch Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix, pour into greased 9*9 pan and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Gift Giving Soup
1/4 cup each:
beef soup base (or french onion)
red lentils
vegetable flakes
pearl barley
small bow or shell pasta
yellow split peas
wild rice
Layer into two cup jar with tight fitting lid. Wrap with bow. Looks pretty 🙂

Seasoned Salt (with salt)
1 cup salt
2 T onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T celery seed, well ground
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried parsley flakes, well ground
Mix all ingredients together well. Store in a jar with a lid.

No-Salt Spice Substitute
5 tsp onion powder
1 T garlic powder
1 T paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp celery seeds
Mix all ingredients together well. Store in a jar with a lid.
This is great to use on meats or vegetables.

Shake n Bake
2 cups bread crumbs
2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup flour
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp herbs like parsley and celery
Mix in blender and store in tight container. For chicken, beat one egg and 3/4 cups milk and dip pieces in this mixture, then bake at 350 for about 45 minutes -1 hour

Baby wipes solution:
2 cups warm water or more
2 tbsp baby shampoo/baby body wash
2 tbsp baby oil
2 drops lavender oil (preferably high quality) – but this can be omitted
‘Swish’ the ingredients together so that the shampoo/body wash is dissolved, but not too vigorously (you don’t want it all sudsy). This can be used with cloth wipes (use cheap baby washcloths from the dollar store), which is best if you are using cloth diapers (another $$ saving idea!) OR, you can cut a paper towel roll in half lengthwise, remove the core, and place it in an airtight plastic container. When you need a wipe, take it from the center of the roll… they come away easily. Or just fold up paper towels and stick them in a commercial baby wipe container

Kool-Aid Playdough:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
2 packages unsweetened kool-aid
2 cups boiling water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Mix dry ingredients. Add boiling water (tried just hot tap water and didn’t work) and oil; stir. Mix or kneed with hands when cool. Store in Ziploc bag or container with lid. Lasts several months. Give as presents with mini rolling pins and cookie cutters.

Natural ingredient Weed control
1 litre of vinegar
1/4 cup of salt
2 tbsp. of liquid dish soap
mix and put in spray bottle.
-caution! this mixture will kill everything.

Legend Of Thieves Oil Blend
During the time of the plagues in Europe there was a band of thieves who would cover themselves in an essential oil concoction and go around robbing sick, dying and dead people and they didn’t get sick. When they were eventually caught they were given a lighter sentence in return for the recipe that kept them safe from the plague

1 part Rosemary
2 parts Lavender
1.5 parts Lemon Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Orange and Clove Bud