One Good Thing: The Oshun Spirit Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Give the Gift of Experience

Personalized programs, spiritual counseling, healing and readings with Master Teacher Susan Berry. Appointments via skype, phone and email. Enter coupon code SAVE15 and take 15% off all services at www.oshunspirit.net thru November 15.

Give a Gift of Wellness from Sweet Water Spa

Exotic spa salts, clays, mineral muds, and tachyon oils blend aromatherapy, gemstone energies and sacred geometry to balance body, mind and spirit. Bio-resonance jewelry, pyramids, tachyon textiles, spa blankets, organic soaps and more! Available at oshunspirit.net and oshunspirit.com and our specialty site, www.sweetwaterspa.net.

Give the Gifts of Hope and Abundance

Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders is a proud member of the Alternative Marketplace Alliance. Buying from Independent Merchants and giving Fair Trade Goods helps people in the USA and developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities. Use addobucks, goods, services, and cash in creative combinations and barter to make your gift purchases at www.oshuspirit.com

Give an Oshun Spirit Gift Certificate

Perfect. Available in any denomination, sent via email and valid for one year at oshunspirit.net and oshunspirit.com

Give a Gift to the Animals that Share our World

A percentage of all sales at www.cooldogduke.com are donated to organizations that give animals a voice. Wag More Bark Less • Cats Don’t Know Sit • Pack Leader T-shirts, Hats, Stickers, Outerwear, Pet Goods and our famous "Beware of the (bitemark) Signs"!

Our Gift to You

Animal prints are pouncing back as this season's must-have accessories.To give or enjoy yourself, receive a FREE Zebra Bangle with your order of $75 or more while supply lasts at www.oshunspirit.net

LIKE our Facebook Fan Page to receive exclusive special offers www.facebook.com/oshunspiritstore During the month of November we'll be offering One Good Thing each day to welcome in the Holiday Spirit! 

The first good thing: A Leopard Pashmina Scarf. Value $30. (You can see it at www.oshunspirit.com.) I'll do a random drawing from the first 20 SHARES of the facebook post. That's a one-in-twenty chance of winning!

Today's Good Thing: This Holiday Gift Guide

It's going to be a fabulous November! 

I know that by being of service to other people, by giving them value, you not only make their lives better but over time you tend to get what you give. And the people you help may feel more inclined to help other people. And so you, together, create an upward spiral of positive change that grows and becomes stronger...

... and I do believe that all it takes is One Good Thing to set in motion ALL good things ...

So whether you are looking for ideas and inspiration, a gift for someone special, or a little pick-me-up for yourself, I hope you will check out the offering each day and see if it isn't One Good Thing that you could enjoy or pass along with a smile, a kind word, an act of compassion.... all it takes is one good thing to happen...

I hope you enjoy this lovely song, One Good Thing, by Lou Rhodes

May you be blessed!

Announcing Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders at Addoway.com

Built on the solid ground of quality products and services, our impeccable reputation of transparency and integrity, and a passionate desire for a better future, Oshun Spirit announces a new marketplace on Addoway.com, Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders. As part of the Alternative Market Movement, our goal is to encourage individual awareness, and individual action by forming and participating in viable trade networks which provide alternatives from the diseased global economy currently in place.

In a world dominated for decades by flat currencies and debt, in a world where private trade has become a novelty rather than a mainstay of local commerce, participating in a barter organization today is not just an act of self preservation in the face of a crumbling mainstream economy, it is indeed an act of awareness.

Through barter, you are stating loudly and with clarity that you will act to abolish the corrupt financial labyrinth which is causing many people great suffering. You will no longer participate blindly in its trappings. By participating in your own system, you declare the intention of independence, and this is a very powerful way of being which contributes to sustainabilty, the conservation of natural resources, and fair trade.

Here at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders, we're willing to TRADE goods and services, through the old fashioned barter system to that end. Even if your money-currency is running a little slow, we know that you've got lots of energy and ideas... so make an offer. Together we can transform the flow of goods and services beyond commerce-as-usual, and be the change we wish to see in our world. Just click the "make a deal" button on the listing and tell us your thoughts. If you love fiverr, and listia, you'll adore Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders!

You can use addobucks, goods, services, and cash in creative combinations to make your purchases at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders. The addoway platform also allows us to give a discount for "liking" items and our Facebook fan page, http://www.facebook.com/oshunspiritstore. So the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. We knew you'd like the idea!

We are currently interested in (but not limited to) handblown and recycled glass items, upcyled handcrafts, social media services including a new landing page on Facebook, and packing and shipping materials. What can we do for you?

In love and Peace,

Susan Berry

Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods, Sweet Water Spa

Bonan'ZEN: One Last Story

In 2008 and into 2009, Bonan'ZEN was my weekly contribution to a forum on Bonanzle (recently re-branded as Bonanza.com) called "Inspire Simplicity." During the time I posted there my intention was to add a bit of perspective and wisdom, often peppered with a dash of humor and wit, to the community of online merchants there who were laboring to work around the site glitches of the newly launched start-up marketplace. 

In those days frustration ran high, although spirits could be buoyed with a kind word or two. Merchants bought and sold from each other to troubleshoot the issues their customers were having, worked along side management to develop the site, and promoted the fledgling venue on every blog, lense, podcast and portal that would stand for it.

Sellers were dismayed because nothing worked quite right, sales were hard to come by and then often had to be completed off -site because customers simply could not navigate the process. So the inspirational quotes, parables, wisdom tales and motivational fables Bonan'ZEN offered were deeply appreciated. Even Bill Harding said, "keep 'em coming!"


Well, all good things must come to an end. 


Bonanzle and I eventually parted ways and I am no longer compelled to offer weekly words of wisdom in that direction.  I do, however, watch and learn and I do keep in contact with many sellers there, wonderful people whom I care about deeply. I do on occasion, express my gratitude for those friendships, and for those experiences which have made me a savvy seller on-line and a wiser woman all-around. 

Recent events have placed Bonanza back on my radar screen. And a storm is brewing.


So today, as I see the merchants upset and frustrated, posting on Facebook and Twitter and the Bonanza Forums I am compelled to offer one last wisdom tale. But it's not for the sellers. It's for my one-time "partners" in hopes they catch the spark of insight offered and start looking out for their customers, my seller-friends.


This is a true story, taken from my own life. We all make mistakes.

Someone once gave me a little Bonsai tree. Because I was good with plants I took the snippers to it immediately and started shaping –  excited to create something new and wonderful!

Soon the ends began to wither so I snipped a little more. I tweaked it and I tweaked it until I finally tweaked it to death. 

It wasn't until I had an empty pot that it occurred to me that I should have consulted someone with experience instead of imagining I was already an expert...

May you be blessed!

Business as usual on Bonanza: the gift that keeps on giving

As many of you know, I once had an Oshun Spirit storefront on Bonanzle (since re-branded as Bonanza.com). I no longer sell there because I cannot support the aura, or energy, that surrounds the venue. To make a long story short, their business values and ethics are simply not in alignment with my own. Just as I purchase Fair Trade chocolates and coffee (among other products) to provide a fair wage, a quality working environment, a valuing of identity, and a desire to care for and empower people and their communities in developing nations, I cannot support any organization, or developing venue, that degrades and manipulates their own community and its members. 

But the purpose of my blog today is not to tear down Bonanza or list their failings. Yesterday, through their actions and reactions they proved once again that with their heads in the sand,  they will be the masters of their own demise. In fact, I will take this time to bless my experience with them and thank them for the lessons they have offered me. I am truly grateful for the unfolding of events which prompted me to look closely what is really happening there, and in the world market at large. 

Yesterday, for me, watching the events of the day play out was like receiving a gift of comfirmation. It was the redemption of my intuition and my knowing that if I continue to follow my heart and don't fall prey to what others might want to convince me into thinking, I am, and will continue to be blessed with abundance and joy.

In hindsight I believe that my higher purpose there was not to help build and sell on their new ecommerce venue at all... rather it was to gain an understanding of what my business values truly are, and to evolve my own business "consciousness." Perhaps, so that I might have an understanding to offer to my own clients who wish to evolve their passions and dreams into spiritually aligned, service-oriented businesses... experience is the best teacher after all. Because my clients and customers are in a process of shifting their worldview to a more spiritual and ethical one, they naturally, eventually, shift the way they look at doing business, too. 

We know the world is changing in many ways. There is great suffering, but there is also great joy in the wake of these shifts. Many people are waking up and reassigning meaning in their lives. Beyond earthquakes, volcanoes, and solar flares, the electro magnetic fields which sustain all activities, including business and personal relationships, are changing. I recently read a quote that sums it up quite succinctly:

"Practice business as usual and you will likely have no business to speak of in the new era of authentic business."

Indeed. Now, there is nothing intrinsically un-spiritual about making money. An adventurous, creative, and self-reflective approach to business can have benefits all-round. Believe me, I enjoy the fun things that money can buy! But, both success and failure can lead to self-awareness, spiritual growth and wisdom... which money cannot buy. In fact, I believe that "business" can be, and should be, a deeply moving spiritual practice.

 
I know that people and organizations with higher thoughts and vibrations stimulate others to higher thoughts. That's how we facilitate positive change. It starts with you... but it goes on forever... you know, the ripple effect.

I came, in part, to work on the Bonanzle marketplace because I have long embraced the idea of "giving before receiving" as part of my approach in compliance with the Universal Law of Compensation. But now, I blog.  This simple act gifts prospective clients and customers with ideas, information, and inspiration which they are  seeking, and at the same time helps them feel comfortable about my ability to serve their needs.

But what's really "spiritual" about this approach is that it puts my business in harmony with my soul's divine design for my life. Running around after a buck doesn't sound like a life plan to me. Getting in tune with my inner purpose and making it work to improve the lives of people around me, does. And remembering that helped me to move forward.

When you think about it, there is a tremendous amount of time, energy, money, and effort that goes into pretending that things are one way, when they are actually completely different. If your model is efficiency and sustainability, that old model of manipulation and "smoke and mirrors marketing" and endless self-promotion is insanity. Raising the vibration of yourself and your business might prove better marketing. 

If you want your business to make a difference in the world, simply find ways to raise your own vibratory energy, as individuals and in your groups. You already know how: prayer, meditation, service, giving, time spent in nature, making love... being loving, having fun! Your customers cannot help but to get an energy boost too. They might not know why, but they'll feel lighter, happier and more at ease. They will want to be around you, and use your products and services because your energy feels so good! 

I know that once I remembered the vision I held for my "divine" life, and started to follow it in my everyday business dealings, I found that my business decisions became easy and intuitive, heartfelt, and clients were magnetically attracted to my sense of "sureness of purpose."  I immediately began reaping abundant rewards from the higher energy seeds I had sown. Simply by leaving Bonanza I stopped the bleed of the tremendous amount of time, energy and effort that went into pretending things were different that I knew them to be in my heart. Once I got heart-centered again, I started making money again, effortlessly.

I must say also, that like any spiritual pursuit that leads to growth, having a transparent, service-oriented,  and authentic business model will challenge you. Synchronicity and it's inspirational lessons would lead to my booth's functionality being manipulated for almost two months, limiting my ability to do any business at all. I was censored, and finally suspended from the Bonanza forum because I spoke the truth about the experience on behalf of the community of sellers there who remained unaware of the business practices they too were immersed in.

But it is difficult to unsettle the wise man or woman. The ethical maturity of one who approaches life and business with a spiritual perspective is likely to make him/her more settled, confident, and detached than the typical ego-centered, profit driven businessperson. This detachment is not apathy, but the relaxed mindfulness of a person who is able to see that regardless of the ebb and flow of life, and the up and downs of business, that there is something behind it all that is unmoving – the Spirit. 

And, in the end this is the greatest asset for us all as we go about doing business in the marketplace.

May you be blessed!

image credit: mousemusings.com

Are you waiting for a miracle?

"I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.

I honor the place in you of love, of truth, of peace, and of light.
And when you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one."

I am one of those people that finds meaning in every single person and thing that comes across my radar each day. I believe that synchronistic events are the universe’s playful way of giving me a message, a sign, or a point in the right direction. 

I place the value of “message for the purposes of learning and growth” on the signs, songs, and conversations I experience. I believe there are no coincidences in life, and I do try to be truly conscious of every single moment of every single day. I believe there is a greater purpose and meaning to all things. 
 


The intricate patterns of the natural world and the elegant dances of the stars and planets are evidence that some sort of miracle is taking place continuously in the very existence of the Cosmos. It's proof that we live in a universe of miracles.

 The Source of miracles is always present. But if this is so, why aren't we experiencing miracles on a moment to moment basis?

I think that the reason is that most of us simply won't allow it. 



Stay with me for a moment. A miracle might not fit comfortably with our preconceived ideas of how our lives should operate. A miracle could upset our identity, make us rethink our world, show us that our enemies were actually our teachers, and generally make a mess of our view of how life works.

 Our deliberate unbelief can keep miraculous happenings away from our lives, so that we may be able to predict with a fair degree of certainty that tomorrow will be pretty much like today and so that we may take comfort in this predictability...

"Learn to be comfortable with your discomfort. Learn to rest in the riddle of not knowing." I say this to my clients all the time. And I know that its really hard to let go of our inner control freak. But I also know that within our heart of hearts, we know how little it would really take to just let go and allow life to happen even though we may not dare.



The letting go that opens us up to miracles is simply a letting go of the illusions of our control, the  outworn ideas and past experiences which created barriers, and the acceptance of a higher reality which flows and creates unity.
 When we allow our personal beliefs to operate in accordance with the naturally miraculous nature of the Universe, these miracles slip into our lives, our relationships, our hearts –  and enhance them.
 
Accepting that miracles are part of life and that our lives are supposed to be aligned with the perfect synchronicity of the universe makes room for them to occur. The effort to believe that we are somehow separate from the rest of the flow of life is part of what keeps the experience from expressing through us. 



We each have opportunities to become channels for miracles every single day if we choose to be aware of those opportunities presenting. Instead of reacting to other people's stuff, we can stay in our own energy but extend a supportive loving hand, setting an example of peace and serenity. And if we change our perspective on things, and become compassionate to others, and know we have the ability to make a difference with our conscious choices, and words...

We are each messengers. We all have the ability to say to another exactly what it is that they most need, and just when they need to hear it,  to act as a sign, or a point in the right direction for the purposes of learning and growth. In the Oneness of all life, we are all connected with one another to be miracles for each other.
 
So tune your heart, your compassion and your consciousness to the possibilities of synchronicity, and your words will be as healing and profound as if they sprang from the lips of a sage, or a saint, or a wise teacher. You may find that you are the miracle someone was waiting for.


May you be blessed!

Coming into the Great Alignment: Your Heart, The Creator and Mother Earth

As many of you know, I have offered intuitive counseling and spiritual healing in many different forms over the past decades, both locally and on online. I have been blessed to learn many variations in the practice of balancing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies from the best of the best. Each modality is unique and profoundly needed, and yet I have realized that all healing arts essentially balance and restore us to our unique essential vibration and support our manifestation and expression. This is my life's work – to assist in creating harmony.

All of these modalities and techniques, and the material tools for transformation which I offer in my storefronts, will ultimately open us to the opportunity for spiritual healing through an infusion of light to the energy bodies and physical body. Variations in cultural techniques have provided me with a lovely palette from which to draw the perfect philosophy, art and practice – at any given moment – to assist the diverse needs of my students and clients around the world.

My online presence has afforded me opportunities to work with both individuals and groups of many cultures and spiritual traditions. Living in these times of unparalleled global access has gifted me with a deep understanding of the heart and soul of humanity, and opportunities to witness the miraculous transformational experiences which are possible when the heart is awakened and aligned with the spirit. These transformations have led me to this moment, and to the dedication of my practice in 2011 to The Great Alignment, that is to assist awakening people to access the wisdom of their divine spiritual essence which resides in the heart.

The Great Alignment is not an external event destined to occur on a specific date, marked by astrological cycles or ancient prophesy. It is within you. It will occur individually and collectively as each individual who embraces the spiritual calling to awaken, and opens their heart unconditionally to love, adds their light and love and consciousness to the the collective planetary consciousness. It is through many individuals awakening that Earth herself will come into alignment with her own potential as a Divine Mother.

What is the Great Alignment? It is a direct pathway to self-knowledge, which in essence is the Creator within you. Source has given you an awareness, a consciousness within your heart which is your own source of inner wisdom. However, this consciousness is not like your intellect. It is not constantly thinking, planning, remembering, imagining, and so forth. It is more of an awareness, a state of being. And it is connected to everything in the universe. And I want you to get aligned with it and stay with it, and trust it. And use it. Everyday.

Your open, etheric heart contains your multi-dimensional connection to the Creator. Its function is to assure you that while you are living here, in the world in a state of seeming separation, you are not really apart from Source. Our minds cannot fathom such an intimate connection with the Divine because our intellect was not created by God. Your intellect was created by you, and your family, and by your environment, and by me and mine. What was created by God is the "heart knowledge" within you and me, this deeper mind that is connected to all creation in the universe. And it will not fail you when you rely on its wisdom. That I promise.

Your heart contains the memory of your soul, the memory of your purpose for being here, and the blueprint for your mission in life, the greater activity that you and you alone are here to accomplish. The ascending heart and sacred heart chakras house the essence of Universal Compassion and Universal Love. They create a triad via an etheric link with the heart chakra. There is a holographic projection of the link between these three centers held in the subtle energy field. This hologram is known as the etheric heart. Its purpose is to facilitate communication via the language of light between our soul, the Universal Heart, and the Universal Mind. This is the essence of The Great Alignment.

Through the components of the program, I will guide you to create a very individualized, and efficient, pathway to the source of your inner wisdom. It has always been my intention to offer a loving, non-judgemental, safe, and light-filled experience that will illuminate and encourage a unique spiritual healing and transformation process. And now it is my intention to do it rather quickly, at the speed of light you might say, by employing the supportive frequencies now available to everyone on Earth in concert with my intuitive expertise born from many years of working with hundreds of people from all corners of the globe seeking deeper meaning and knowing, much like yourself.

I see every person's spiritual healing and transformation to be intimately connected to the larger process of planetary transformation now underway on Earth.  I know, beyond any doubt, that each of us who pursues a path of spiritual transformation contributes positively, and infinitely, to the ascension of the Earth and of all humankind.

The Purpose of The Great Alignment Is...

• to open the pathway to your own source of inner wisdom

• to awaken your heart knowledge, the mind of God deep within your being, which your intellect is intended to serve 

• to help you to gain clarity in the bigger picture of your life purpose

• to place you within an infusion of supportive and transformative spiritual light and healing through both interactive and meditative sessions

• to integrate the higher frequency rays that are coming through at this time, and to enable your subtle energy system to hold more light than it has in the past through the activation of transpersonal chakras, known as the Stellar Gateway, Soul Star, Causal Chakra, and Earth Star

• to bathe you in the continuous energetic support of a 7-day crystalline grid which will assist you in maintaining energetically balanced patterns in your own crystalline structure as you optimize the flow of universal life force energy in all aspects of your life

• to release any blockages that impede the free flow of expression and the manifestation of your life purpose

• to awaken and catalyze the healing, transformation, and purification process which leads to personal and planetary ascension

Having an awakened heart and being aligned with your life purpose does not mean that you have a plan that is already predetermined. You must constantly be adapting to the changing circumstances of life around you. Many people try to adapt their experiences to their definitions of themselves, their definitions of what they are doing in life, but this is backwards. Your heart knows why you are here and what you must do. It knows who you must meet and where you must go, and when. And yet this awakened heart is in a dynamic relationship with the movement of the world, so if things change, which they are, if circumstances require a different set of actions, your Heart Knowledge responds immediately without judgement, without shame, and without fear. This is the Gift of The Great Alignment.

The awakened heart is able to respond in the moment with joy and excitement. It is able to change the plan. It is able to redirect you if circumstances require it. It is creativity and inspiration in harmonious action with your life plan.

These challenging times ask that we learn to live without a lot of our personal or ego definitions. The "this is who I am, and this is what I do, and this is how I am, and this is what I believe, and this is what I think the world means and life means and purpose means and love means... and so forth” will no longer serve us. Bound by all these definitions, we cannot flow with life now. We will not.

Therefore, the primary goal of The Great Alignment is to empower you to be present in the moment, to be responsive to your environment, and to awaken your ability to trust and follow your heart knowledge.  My prayer is that I am able to support you in the very personal way which is pivotal to your understanding and experience of this truth, so that you may gain the great awareness and the great power of thinking from the heart. This knowledge is your relationship to God, and the key to creating Heaven on Earth for yourself, your family, and us all.

I look forward to opening my heart for healing in your life.

May you be blessed!

Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods Gift Certificates are available now!

Choose an Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods Gift Certificate in any amount of $10 or more, in multiples of $10. Gift certificates are sent to you via email as .pdf documents so you can print them out and tuck them into cards, or attach them to email greetings.

Oshun Spirit Gift Certificates are redeemed by entering the code at checkout. They may be used on our website www.oshunspirit.net or at our new storefront on Addoway.com www.oshunspirit.com.

Pandora-style Bracelets and Beads • Tachyon Jewelry and Wellness Products

Pashmina, Silk, Bamboo, and Genuine Mudcloth Scarves

Chinese Blooming Teas • Himalayan Red Salt • Salt Lamps • Meditation Pyramids

Fair Trade Products • Natural Bath and Body at Sweet Water Spa

Gemstone Oils • Metaphysical Services • Personal Growth Programs • Reiki Healing

and hundreds more Hard-to-Find Gifts that Make People Happy!

May your holiday season be filled with love, blessed with peace, and be joyful for family and friends!

Cyber Monday Sale 30% OFF Storewide at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods

30% Off Every Item in the Store

No minimums. No exceptions. 

Just Great Gifts at Incredible Prices.

Absolutely the biggest discounts we've ever offered.


Good through Midnight, Monday November 29, 2010

~ Shop Now ~
Fair Trade Products • Natural Bath and Body at Sweet Water Spa • Gemstone Oils

Pandora-style Bracelets and Beads • Tachyon Jewelry and Wellness Products

Pashmina, Silk, Bamboo, and Genuine Mudcloth Scarves

Chinese Blooming Teas • Himalayan Red Salt • Salt Lamps • Meditation Pyramids

Metaphysical Services • Personal Growth Programs • Reiki Healing

and hundreds more Hard-to-Find Gifts that Make People Happy!

~ PLUS ~

At checkout you'll be automatically entered in to a drawing to win

this gorgeous Journey Beads Bracelet (value $100)

which will be shipped with your order!

1 entry per customer, random drawing midnight 11/29

Enter Coupon Code SAVE30 at checkout and Save 30% today!

www.oshunspirit.net  www.oshunspirit.com

Creating our new world, one breath at a time...

Are you feeling like there are simply not enough hours in the day... that you are running out of time?

Always playing catch up? Physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted? Stressed beyond repair?

When I was a little girl, it seemed to me that summer vacation took up half the year, and school time the other half. It felt equal to me.  I also remember endless stretches in my 'tween years of, "I'm soooooo bored, hours and days just dragging by." But today, as I recall just this past decade marked by my sons' high school years and subsequent graduations from college, I have no idea how that time whizzed by so quickly!

Perhaps we feel an increasing speed in passing time as we grow older because of the higher proportion of time that has been spent...

For example: At five years old, a child feels like she is waiting an extraordinary amount of time in September for Christmas to come in December. The percentage of the child's life between September and December is 7.1%, calculated by dividing the four months of waiting by the five-year-olds' 56 months of living. For a thirty-year-old adult, the percentage is 1.1 %, based on four months of waiting divided by the thirty-year-old's 356 months of living.

But, there are other factors at work that have quickened time. Most significantly, we are moving to zero point, as described by Gregg Braden in his book, Awakening to Zero Point.

Gregg has traced the Schumann Resonance or heartbeat of the Earth. For decades, it has measured 7.8 cycles per second. In 1980, it started increasing. By 1993, scientists published reports of the Schumann Resonance pulsing at 8.6 cycles per second. Today, it is around 12 cycles per second, hence the feeling of time passing more quickly. At 13 cycles, the Earth will be at a zero point magnetic field, and in two or three days it will start turning in the opposite direction.

This is the "event" predicted by ancient prophets to occur in 2012, when we will be introduced to the next level of consciousness as ordinary reality. Right now, we are "entering the time of no time."

It is interesting to note that the Fibonacci Series of numbers supports the notion of this shift to a new reality via sacred geometry principles. Fibonacci discovered a sequence of numbers that matches the proportions of the human body and the basis for how plants grow, to name a few examples. It goes like this: Start with 1, add 1 to the previous number or 1 to get 2, add 2 to the previous number or 1 to get 3, add 3 to 2 to get 5, add 5 to 3 to get 8 (or 7.8 on the SR scale), add 8 to 5 to get 13. So it's 1, 1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5, 5+3=8, 8+5=13. Remember, as we near 2012, the SR is nearing 13. Factor in the significance of the Fibonacci Series, which predicts a segueway or transition at 13, and voila: the shift!

But back to the no-time thing... so if we compare the rate of passing time today, for that forty-year-old, to that same person at the age of five, they are living approximately five and a half times faster than they did in childhood. That means that each day equates to five and a half days thirty-five years ago!

And you wonder why you are feeling stressed?

Stress is the typical reaction to the evaporation of time, because we feel synchronous the SR that was occurring during the time we developed in the womb, that particular rate became imprinted on our internal clock, on our circadian rhythm.  So we need to retrain our subconscious to accept a new rhythm in order to regain our sense of balance.

The subconscious will pay attention when you interfere with your routine breathing patterns, because it manages this breathing function so you don't have to constantly remind yourself to breathe. It is important to gain the attention of the subconscious, as it is in charge of habits and automatic body responses. It needs to know that you are making a change. Some of my students have been working with various subconscious patterning by breathing deeply six times in a row, using the following pattern: inhale slowly to the count of four, hold to the count of four, exhale slowly to the count of eight.

In reprogramming our response to the passage of time, we set the intention to "update our processing of time sequences to match the current cycles per second occurring on Earth." I will share this mediation that I have been working on to help heal the stresses of our out-of-synch circadian rhythms.

These methods may sound "too easy" but life is not designed to be a "dis-ease." We, and they, are designed to create an exchange of energy between us and the Earth when we are in a meditative state with the least resistance present, the Earth's frequency is able to calibrate with you and, likewise, you with it, thereby creating a better match.

Begin with the interuptive pattern: breathing deeply six times in a row, inhaling slowly to the count of four, holding to the count of four, exhaling slowly to the count of eight. Breathe deeply. As you breathe out, envision your energy entering the Earth. As you breathe in, envision the Earth sending energy to you. I've been doing this while lying on my back under an old strong tree with the crown of my head aligned with the base of her trunk. I visualize our energy surging up the middle of the tree trunk, and feel the tree reciprocate by sending energy through her trunk to us.

But you can sych with any element. Watch water trickle, in a fountain or a brook or even a running faucet. As the water trickles, integrate your energy with the flow of the water. Place your hand in the water and feel the energy infuse you. Feel your energy enter the water and infuse it. Even better, immerse yourself in water, and feel the water support you as you float. Imagine the boundaries being eliminated between your body and the water as you merge into one element of sensation.

This simple meditation will help you to feel yourself get in sync with the current pace and feel less stressed and more present in your daily life. You can enjoy the improved synergy between you and your surroundings as the Earth's heartbeat continues to accelerate and we move into the next world with a sense of Peace.

Where are we going? How will it be when we get there?

We are creating it right now, one breath at a time.
May you be blessed!

Free Pandora-style Journey Beads and goodies from Oshun Spirit. Yes, free!

Would you like five free Pandora-style Journey Beads?
How about a free Tiger Eye Pendant Necklace from Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods?

It's true! Yesterday I listed a few items on Listia  which is a new kind of auction site where you bid on items using credits instead of real money.  And you get the credits for free! Begin with signing up using this link and you'll get fifty right away because you're using my referral link. There are lots of things on Listia you can bid on and win with just those first 50 credits, and most offer free shipping. The category structure is similar to ebay and includes antiques, collectibles, fashion, electronics, home & garden and more!

Plus, you can earn 10 more credits just by tweeting an item or sharing it on Facebook before you bid. If you list an item to "sell" (that's free) you'll get another 100. And once you get rolling its easy to earn even more credits, for example you can earn 50 credits by inviting 6 Facebook friends who participate in any auction.


I'll be listing items from Journey Beads and Oshun Spirit from time to time, mostly just for fun and to promote our new Facebook Fan pages... but there are some pretty cool goodies I want to bid on too! Not only is it a great way to get visibility for the storefronts, Listia auctions are a nice way to say thank you to you, my loyal customer friends. Some of you may have already received free credits from me this morning through Facebook.

So please take a moment to "like" our fan pages if you haven't already done so  http://www.facebook.com/JourneyBeads and http://www.facebook.com/oshunspiritstore  and you'll be among the first to know when the freebies get listed on Listia. 

It's fun. It's easy. And you can score some of your favorites from Oshun Spirit and Journey Beads for free! Sign up here and take a look at the first five auctions!

http://www.listia.com/auction/809965  Tiger Eye Pendant
http://www.listia.com/auction/814853  Five Tibetan Silver Journey Beads with Dream Charm
http://www.listia.com/auction/814052  Five Tibetan Silver Journey Beads with Hope Charm
http://www.listia.com/auction/816822  Three Pandora-style Halloween beads 
http://www.listia.com/auction/816861  Five Pandora-style beads pictured above

Good luck on your bidding!

Discover super-soft, eco-friendly organic Bamboo clothing at Oshun Spirtit Earth Friendly Goods

Clothing made from bamboo is nature's answer to our needs for everyday fabric, in an environmentally sustainable form. Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. Bamboo fabric has been growing in popularity because it has many unique properties and is more sustainable than most textile fibers.  

Bamboo fabric is light and strong, has excellent wicking properties, and is to some extent antibacterial. Our Bamboo socks have been customer favorites since we introduced them in 2003. In fact, we are often sold out! Bamboo fabric is favored by consumers wanting to purchase sustainable textiles, because the bamboo plant is very quick growing and does not usually require the use of pesticides. As a result, plantations can easily be kept organic and replanted yearly to replenish stocks.

• Bamboo is 100% naturally grown, without assistance from man.
• Bamboo thrives naturally without using any pesticides or fertilizers
• Bamboo fibre is 100% biodegradable
• As the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years.  It spreads rapidly across large areas.  Because of this, bamboo is known to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas of land.
• As a grass, bamboo is cut, not uprooted, also helping soil stability.  Bamboo also can grow on hill slopes where nothing else is viable.
• The amount of product you get from an acre of bamboo is 10 times greater than the yield you get from cotton.  In an age where land use is under enormous pressure this is huge.
• The water requirement for bamboo is minute, mainly just from what falls.  As opposed to cotton, whose water requirement per shirt's-worth is huge.
• Because Bamboo retains many of the properties it has as a plant (highly water absorbent, able to take up three times its weight in water) it has an excellent wicking ability that will pull moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporate. For this reason, clothing made of bamboo fiber is often worn next to the skin. 

In contrast... synthetic performance fabrics are made from petrochemicals, a non-renewable fossil fuel.  You get clothes which get smelly really quickly. Bamboo has antibacterial qualities, which bamboo fabric is apparently able to retain, even through multiple washings. This helps to reduce bacteria that thrive on clothing and cause unpleasant odors. It can also kill odor causing bacteria that live on human skin, making the wearer and his or her clothing smell more sweet. In addition, bamboo fabric has insulating properties and will keep the wearer cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Our Bamboo scarves are very soft and can be worn directly next to the skin. Many people who experience allergic reactions to other natural fibers, such as hemp and wool can wear bamboo. The fiber is naturally smooth and round so there are no sharp spurs to irritate the skin. 
Shown above: Our luxurious Silk/Bamboo scarf (70 x 18 inches) is hand-loomed and cashmere-soft. A Fair Trade hand craft from Thailand, shown in Marigold. Several other colors available at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods, and at our new storefront on Addoway.com!

Fair Trade African Black Soap is now available at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods

The average person absorbs nearly 130 chemicals each morning through the use of skincare products. (The average woman will ingest nearly four pounds of lipstick in her lifetime, but we'll save that for another day!) But if you are thinking that maybe its time to stop feeding your skin chemicals, and are searching for organic skincare that is handmade with handpicked ingredients, I'd like to introduce you to African Black Soap.

African Black Soap is generally made in West Africa. Although some types are made in the United States and Europe, soaps from these countries are mass produced and are not true African Black Soap, and probably have artificial ingredients added to them to give the dark coloring. Fake African Black Soap will stain your washcloth, it contains dyes.

True African Black Soap is created from the leaves and bark of trees and plants which are burned in a kettle. These include leaves from banana trees, plantain skins, leaves and bark, palm tree leaves, cocoa pods, and shea tree bark. Water is then added to the ashes and then filtered. Oils including shea butter, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter are added to this water to create the soap. The soap is then hand stirred by local women for at least a day and then set out to cure for two weeks. Each region and tribe have their own recipe that has been handed down through generations. 

The color of African Black Soap varies depending on the region it's made in since the availability of the ingredients varies. African Black Soap from coastal regions of Africa contains a higher percentage of coconut oil whereas soap from the interior regions contains more shea butter.

It is important to purchase only Fair Trade African Black Soap. Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that helps producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, and wine.

Dudu-Osun is regarded as the finest African Black Soap, and it is made with all organic ingredients including cocoa pod powder, honey, shea, and tropical herbs. It is a Fair Trade product. Ose Dudu (doudoun) comes from the Yoruba languages of Nigeria, Benin and Togo and means literally Soap (ose) Black (dudu ). It effectively restores damaged skin and is helpful in healing chronic eczema, acne, freckles and dark spots. Dudu-Osun is with Osun (Camwood extract) citrus juices and native honey. It also contains organic Aloe Vera.

Use this soap on your body, face, and hair. You will look and feel as if you've spent hours being pampered at a Spa. Not only will it leave you glowing, it has amazing healing properties which help  relieve rashes, scalp irritations, scars and stretch marks and evens out your skin tone. Black soap gives your face a deep cleansing, leaving it fresh and healthy, and it diminishes fine lines and wrinkles.  It is appropriate for all skin types, as it is purifying and balancing.  Use it to soften rough skin, balance oily skin and dry skin, and heal acne, blemishes and other skin problems.

Sound too good to be true? You be the judge! I'll be adding little samples of Dudu-Osun African Black Soap in all outgoing packages in the next few weeks so you can experience it for yourself. Dudu-Osun African Black Soap can be purchased at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods and at our new storefront on Addoway.com.


May you be beautiful!


image credit: ilovemylocs.blogspot.com

Respect and trust: an ecommerce business model to consider

Tomorrow marks my two year anniversary selling on Bonanzle. I joined Bonanzle while still in beta, along with a few dozen hearty refugees from ebay, all of us willing to build a new online marketplace venue which valued community in ways we watched ebay fall short on.

Two years later, although many fun features have been added, some key elements are still left wanting and they create real barriers to sales. Despite ongoing functionality issues I have had some success there albeit was a frustrating experience for many of my long-time customer friends and especially for my international clientele. I no longer keep merchandise there in my Oshun Spirit store, but I do maintain a storefront in which I offer a few services. In my heart of hearts, I wish nothing but the best for the community of sellers there, especially the dedicated few who are also celebrating their two year marks in late August and in September.

All in all, my experience at Bonanzle has been extremely positive: I have made great –lifelong– friends and I have learned e-commerce marketing skills that have been transferable to my own website and to  other venues. But one day I realized that it was time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change and that wishing for something to happen was different from working toward making it happen. 

I decided to be true to my truth and to take care of myself and my business first...

I began reassessing and redefining who I am and what I really stand for. I believe that it is truly in giving that we receive, and that there is powerful joy in creating and contributing. But I also stand firm in my conviction that principles such as honesty and integrity are not outdated ideals but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which I must build my business, and my life.

And why I closed my shop on ebay...

We all deserve to be treated with kindness, sensitivity and respect... and I won't settle for less for myself than I give to others. It's called sustainability. I now take more time to laugh and to play. It's called balance. I will cater to the needs and desires and the convenience of my customers. It's called service.

Yes indeed, all in all, my experience has been extremely positive: I have learned great –lifelong– lessons. I have turned my attention to my own website and other endeavors which are in alignment with my own values.  It's called good business, right livelihood, and as an eco-friendly, socially-mindful venture I can be nothing less.

So as I reflect on my two year anniversary selling on Bonanzle I'm not sure we did what we set out to do at all, but we did build an awesome community of professionals that value each other, no matter where we are all selling now. It's not the venue, but the values that bind. We're still talking on Facebook, tweeting each other's treasures, and shopping from friends we've grown to love, respect, and trust.

Respect and trust. A powerful business model, don't you agree? I know who you are and you know me, because we've been very open about our values. I love that about you, you speak your mind. And so I trust you, and I'll support you. And to that end, I promise to keep my chin up, shoulders back, boobies out, and work joyfully with others who share my ethics and ideals, I'll stay open to every wonderful possibility. And there are many, I see!

And, I am very, very thankful.

May you also be blessed!

Discover Super-soft Organic Bamboo Textiles This Spring!

 Did you know that Bamboo feels like silky cashmere?

And, did you know that organic bamboo is 100% naturally grown and sustainable, 100% pesticide and  fertilizer free, 100% biodegradable and bamboo textiles block 91% of UVA and  98% of UVB rays- naturally?

Bamboo fabrics are naturally antibacterial, anti fungal, anti-static and  hypo-allergenic, even after multiple washings!  They are effective in  preventing odors, allergies, and skin irritations! Bamboo is 3-4 times more absorbent than cotton, as it 'wicks' away and evaporates moisture in a split second, fabrics keep you drier, cooler, and more comfortable!

And, Bamboo trees can help us replenish the eco system! Bamboo generates more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees - if we planted more bamboo more photosynthesis would help to cut the globally rising levels of carbon dioxide.

Bamboo is nature’s most sustainable resource. It is grown without pesticides or chemicals, is 100% biodegradable, and is naturally regenerative. Bamboo is actually a tropical grass with an extensive root system that sends out an average of four to six new shoots per year, naturally replenishing itself and growing to heights of 60 feet or more. Some bamboo species grow up to 4 feet per day and can be harvested every 3 to 4 years.

Bamboo trees grows and thrives without fertilizers, pesticides or any chemical assistance. This is partly down to a substance it contains called ‘bamboo-kun' which is antimicrobial and antifungal. Compare this property to cotton which uses approximately 25% of the world's fertilizers and insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides for only 10% of the agricultural land mass.

Did you know that bamboo absorbs up to 60% more water than cotton? This makes it an excellent choice for towels and bathrobes... and socks! The porous nature of the fibre makes it breathable and extremely comfortable against the skin and it is thermo regulating, meaning it keeps you warm in cool weather, and cool in warm weather. Bamboo's organic and natural properties make it non-irritating so perfect for extra sensitive skin.

Be sure to explore our selection of Bamboo textiles the next time you visit our Bonanzle storefront or Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Goods!