Long time Catchup

It has been such a busy couple of months.  I'm beginning to feel grounded now and carrying on from where I left off.  What with getting married in Gibraltar in September, the end of August and the month of September seems to have just flown by in a whirl.  

Here we are on October 3rd!

There's lots to post on and I'll get round to it over the next few days:

• The Great Stitched postcard Swap
• My wedding in Gibraltar
• Reiki clients in my Reiki Heart Zone treatment room
• Reiki healing at the Dogs Trust
• Writing a new book called Healing Me
• Contemplating writing another book about writing first time CV's
• Writing & delivering an 8 week course for a group of sixth form girls (17 year olds) called "The Art of DIY"
• Writing and Planning my online personal statement short course
• Painting commissions 
• Creating paintings out of my sketches

There's more but that's enough for now.

The Great Big Stitched Post Card Swap

I received this lovely fabric postcard from Bonnie Jobe in USA and was so delighted to get it.  It's just gorgeous.  She's put alot of time and effort into it and I was really touched by the detail.  

This is a lovely flower on a clip so I can undo it and add it to my Gorjuss bag.  One happy bunny.

The reverse side.  Isn't it just the cutest thing?

Thanks so much Bonnie.  I love it.

I am really late in putting the finishing touches to my postcard but I have been in touch with my recipient and thankfully, she understands and will hopefully get a lovely surprise when she gets it.


That's all for now but I'll be back again soon.
Love and warmth, Jules xxx

Must 'get on'

The dogs all waiting for their treat. Lucy in the background on her way!

I'm saying this to myself alot these days;  "must get on".  Have been shopping quite alot, I think I have found my wedding dress, albeit not traditional wedding attire but something floating and lovely.  As I wrote in my last post, I'm not a shopping kinda gal.  I would rather be found scanning the bookshelves or in an art shop, fabric shop - hell, I'd even say shopping in Ikea.

This past month has been busy.  I have been external statement marking for Liverpool John Moores University which has been a tight turnaround considering everything else happening.  We are near to finishing the Healing Room in our home and it's looking fresh, clean, spacious and peaceful and that's even before setting up the space.  Last year my friend Amanda who's a feng shui practitioner came over to assess the house and this healing room space is located in the heart zone of the home.  At that time and for the past year, it has been very cluttered, stuffed, overflowing and a bit of a dumping ground.  I used to walked past it, feeling dread every time I went in there.  Not good.

Since clearing it out - it's becoming a pleasure to look in - there's an openness and stillness about the place.   The deadline is 1st September for my practice to be located in this room, that's my reiki healing, and creative coaching practice.  I have a list to get on with but I feel like I'm getting somewhere.
Must get on.

Thanks go to my other half who has meticulously painted his little socks off in there and put his energy in to creating the space for me.

At the same time I have been painting - quite large painting actually and it's going a little bit weirdy.  I had moved away from my initial style of painting since going on retreat to Portugal - the delicate cocoon figures in mixed media took a bit of a back seat and I realised that this is where my heart lies so I did an about-turn and have just finished another one.  I realised I was trying to paint like other people instead of following my own heart.  I return to my own challenge which is to create a set of paintings for my oracle cards - I'm going to be painting 44 and then I will meditate and channel their meaning.  Already have 8.

Lucy is back to her normal self - although a slight head tilt, she looks inquisitive.   She jumped on the couch yesterday and this morning which is a wonderful sign.  She's a dolly through and through.

Will post my photos later.
xxxxx

Developing my Reiki Healing Practice

For a while now I have been feeling that Reiki healing is calling me to practice and to set up a space for healing.  I have been a healer since first attuned in 2002, 2004 for II and in 2006 I went on to Advanced Reiki Master Training.  I am just beginning the process of attuning to Reiki Master Teacher which means I will be able to attune others.   In these 5 years since Master training, I have been what I read recently 'a reluctant Reiki Master', meaning that I never thought it was something I would 'do' professionally.  For me, healing was something I would give for free, distant healings to family, friends and friends of friends, including animals who were unwell, convalescing or suffering.

My paintings are reiki paintings, integrated with symbols and when I look at what I'm doing here in my life, I realise that healing is really all I have been involved in since I was ill back in my 20s with M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis) I have healed myself and I am lucky to have walked through it and emerged on the other side.  Here I am in my early 40s and I am becoming clearer.   About time, heh Jules?  So, we decided the other day that we will turn the small bedroom here in our home into a healing room for me to then begin my healing practice, on humans and animals.  Although, I'm more likely to visit the animal in it's home if that's possible as it will be calmer for them.

I have been immersed in this healing field now for such a long time, I see the changes that are happening with people realising the power of their own healing and how there are 'other things' that will have an impact on day to day life, vitality, recovery and well being.  It all goes together like rama-lama-ding-dong.  Working alongside conventional western medicine is crucial and I would never suggest otherwise.

My love of Bach flower remedies, vitamin and mineral supplementation, chinese medicine and buddhist oracle cards have become very dear to me.

The one thing that has held me back (or I have allowed to hold me back) is the notion of charging for healing.  I have always felt that I should not charge for the Reiki as it is a universal energy that is available to all and this is where I have become stuck.  I know that my reiki treatments are strong and healing, with the feedback I have received over the last 9 years.   In reading a great deal around this area I have come to the awareness that in fact clients are paying for the process, the treatment, your experience and support.  

We all know that when we receive something for free, we can sometimes feel a little guilty.  Often an exchange is needed for the pure purpose of an energy exchange, whatever that exchange may be.  

Charging money allows people the freedom to come for a treatment whenever they want.  

So, with these thoughts in mind, I am going to begin the process of clearing out and reorganising our space to welcome clients for healing treatments. It's a small space, but I will make it lovely, serene, balancing and healing.  It's positioned right in the heart space of our home, which is a lovely balancing space, according to the principles of Feng Shiu.  

I am secretly excited within - excited, that I have aligned myself to something that has been calling me for many many years now, whispering and nudging. Let's watch this space and see how it develops.  ARt continues to enthral and be my elixir of love, as does my writing and my counselling/coaching.

Let's begin to make this happen.

Love

Jules xx

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